#but also if going with someone didn't matter as much to me i'd probably go see La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

[demodraws0606]

My thoughts on the latest episode (aka HU IS THE CULPRIT I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL)

Warning : My sassy attitude is not directed towards anyone else, I'm simply amusing myself and also I've only gotten barely 5 hours of sleep god save me.

This is gonna be very long and messy so strap in folks

It's so obviously not Eden or Ace it's painful (idc 'i'll die for my hubris). Not even just because Eden lying and being the culprit after all of that would be both underwelming and just...miserable. But also because of how the way we're getting the reveal in advance that it could only be Ace and Eden. The fact the cast was already on Eden's throat as well just makes this point even more clear to me.

This isn't like fucking Korekiyo in chapter 3 of DRV3, this isn't how a culprit reveal happens. Especially not when there's so much we don't know yet.

So who is the culprit ?

...

It's Hu, it's literally Hu.... and like 1 pourcent chance it's Nico but I think both of them are accomplices here.

The thing is, I don't buy any of the shit Nico is saying, their admission of guilt is strangely quick and detached. They also seem to go along with anything people say about them (like them framing Hu) which makes it even more suspicious, they could've just said they used Hu's weapon out of conveniance ? The only thing this episode has proved me is that Nico is an Active accomplice rather than a Passive one like I thought. For what reason ? I honestly don't know fully yet but again we don't know a lot about Nico anyways.

Hu's behavior really makes me think she did it and is acting out, mostly out of guilt. She seems really stressed this trial which while makes sense for character reasons, it also makes sense if she's the culprit and feeling guilty. It would explain her defending Eden and Nico mainly I think despite her probably being the culprit she doesn't want the perception that Eden/Nico has to be broken (especially not bc of her). I've already explained how Hu being the culprit makes sense from a character perspective so I'm not gonna get more into it.

By the way any arguments in this post being like "it would be out of character for Nico or Hu to do that" should honestly review their own hypocrisy if they think Eden did it, or even Ace for that matter.

Another thing that makes me even more convinced that it can't be Ace or Eden is that...you can't fucking prove any of them did it with 100 pourcent certainty. David fucking threw the BDA rule out of the window, so we can't be sure Eden didn't do it but like what decisive evidence would make it clear between the two of them.

The only pieces of evidence we have left is :

-The sticky ball of clothes (most likely turpentine because the soil of the relexation room would cause the ball to have stains on it)

-The alibi for the relaxation room water

-The missing glove (which I think i've changed my opinion on what it could mean here)

Eden did know about the ball of clothes (but that piece of fucking evidence has strings attached so we'll get to that) and Ace doesn't have an alibi against taking the water like Eden does.

The missing glove is the only evidence left untouched here and honestly I actually don't think it had anything to do with the glove having someone's hair or anything, mainly because first of all the culprit could've technically just removed any hair on the glove even if it was sticky.

And also there's something else that makes more sense.

I think they probably had to use the glove to avoid rope burn while trying to set up the mechanism to kill Arei. Especially with how high the playground's ceilling is, it wouldn't be child's play. I'm not really good at deciphering what could've possibly happenened directly in the murder but I'd argue it's just more likely that the culprit would be put in a situation were rope burn could happen. This murder set up would require a lot of physical effort, and if the culprit even slipped for a second their hands would end up being damaged from rope burn making them obviously look guilty (also ouchie), which I think is what happened.

It would also explain the scuffs on the floor, maybe the culprit was struggling to hold onto the rope leading to them causing marks with their feet while trying to pull on the rope.

The reason why I think the glove is missing is probably because it's damaged and the culprit wanted to avoid the cast knowing they used Arei's glove during the murder. In fact it's the only piece of evidence that is completely missing

But why ?

Has anyone realised something about, I argue, the three other main suspects here ?

Nico, Eden, Ace ?

They all have gloves.

"But a huge portion of the cast has gloves this doesn't mean anything, it's just a stylistic choice !!" Yeah, the majority of the cast has gloves.

I think now you can understand why the culprit wouldn't want the cast to know that the glove was used. Because if the cast did see the glove that was probably damaged, they would assume the culprit wore it and it would narrow down the suspect list to an extremely narrow pool. This forces them to basically take the glove and hope to fucking god the cast doesn't catch on which they clearly haven't yet.

You know who doesn't fucking wear gloves.

HU JING

My girl got no gloves on !!!!

So yeah, with the glove being untouched evidence yet I think it will be the main decisive thing to point out who the culprit truly is, and I just don't think it's just gonna be like "oh let's just search everyone to see which one has the glove !". For all we know the culprit could've fucking eaten the glove, I don't think we're getting another Min in trying to search shit on people's person.

Anyways I'm gonna transition to other stuff to explain how the Nico and Hu theory makes sense from a logical standpoint here.

Let's get on to the sticky ball of clothes.

First I want to get it out there that I do not think the ball being sticky is due to the soil of the relaxation room. Mono-TV's talk about the "special formula" was mostly to foreshadow the floor of the playground's properties, also the fucking ball would have stains on it.

For me this means the ball of clothes has to have been covered in turpentine especially now that we have confirmation from Ace directly.

This is extremely huge and I'm flabbergasted has no one has mentioned this. Pray tell where the fuck did that piece of cloth go, did it get isekai'd into another world ?

This question actually has multiple meaning here because that fucking ball of clothing actually has massive implications. It confirms a lot of things and also puts a lot of doubt in things that seemed to be confirmed.

Before that I also want to say that Arei 100 pourcent got knocked out with turpentine. I don't want to argue over and over again that it was used because I've done this before but I have to since there are multiple reasons why she had to have been knocked out.

The floor is extremely prone to scuffs, if Arei was struggling then we definitely would've seen more than just a few marks in one area.

The method of murder would have been extremely difficult if she was struggling, like to a ridiculous point. Especially with someone like Arei who has been shown to have been sneaky and very prone to attacking people in their weak spots.

The tape binding Arei's hand in hindsight actually probably wasn't to avoid her struggling, it was most likely due to how the mechanism of the murder work. Keep in mind how the murder had to have worked and imagine if Arei's hands were just loose and flopping around. There could have been possible injuries with her arms that would ruin the culprit's obvious plan to make it look like a suicide. It also just makes sense for weight reasons, again Arei having her arms flopping around would make moving her body even more difficult.

And even if you want disagree with all of that, the culprit could've just binded her tape to avoid the same mistake that happened with Ace with him waking up from the turpentine.

Now that I've made my case about Arei being knocked out, let's get on the actual new arguments I want to make.

First, we know for a fact that a piece of cloth was used to knock out Ace meaning it has to have gone somewhere, if you say "well they could've just thrown it away" I will personally come into your home and shit in your shoes. And you're also wrong because I've already proven that Arei had to have been knocked out.

This means the only piece of cloth available to us would be the sticky ball of clothes.

But...like let me just explain everything that's mind boggling about all of this.

-This ball of clothes had to have been made for Ace's murder to knock him out

-The only people who knew about the old clothes were Hu, Teruko and Whit. Eden only knowing later on, way after Ace's murder was planned probably, because Hu told her about it.

-The culprit used this ball of clothing against both Arei and Ace

-The cloth is suspiciously absent from the murder scene, which makes no sense considering Nico's account rely on them not having left the gym while trying to murder Ace. Them leaving to chuck the cloth aside only to come back to the gym doesn't make sense with the timeline in how we discover things.

Yep, I'm making the claim that Nico didn't actually kill Ace here, I still think it's Hu. Again you can try and complain all you want about how it's out of character for Nico but the reality is...shit is not adding up.

It's really suspicious how silent Hu becomes when her weapon is brought up, immediatly clamming up and not defending Nico anymore. When Teruko makes assumption that Nico lied to Hu to get her weapon, she doesn't reply with a betrayed "Nico is that true ?" or even a sentence she responds with "That's...". The amout of ellpises both Nico and Hu give are extremely suspicious and just make me side eye both of them extremely hard.

I'm gonna go on another tangent here, on the subject of Hu being suspicious. Mainly because I do wanna point out a moment that both makes Eden seem a lot more innocent and makes Hu a lot more guilty.

The subject of Arei potentially committing suicide.

Now, it's very clear that the way Arei was hung was meant to make it look like Arei killed herself, this was very much meant to be the culprit's intention. Both to hide the true murder mechanism and probably to mislead the cast. The fact that it's only an incidental red mark of Arei's wrist that proves she didn't kill herself, proves that the culprit intended for it to look like a suicide.

However guess who argues against this...Eden, which, if she is the culprit I don't see why she would do something like that (and if you say "well why is Hu defending Nico and Eden" I already explained it). Clearly the Eden!Culprit theory relies on her being capable of manipulation so there's no reason why she would be so caught up in her own feelings to just ruin her own plan like that.

You know who seems to really be into the idea of Arei killing herself though, Hu.

That's all I have to say on that, now let's get onto how I think Nico actually helped Hu.

I do think there's still a 50/50 on them working directly together or just Nico catching onto Hu's plans and deciding on their own to help her.

I do think Nico directly helped her though in two major ways

First, the water, it's the obvious one. Nico probably ended up giving the water the Hu here weither they did so with/without knowing Hu's intention doesn't really matter since they're deciding to keep quiet about it now.

I also want to quickly mention how Hu getting water from the relaxation room makes a lot of sense. Hu was busy with Eden in the kitchen and Teruko had taken all the drinks from the gym, so it's likely Hu was forced to take the water from the relaxation room.

Second, the note

Oooo baby let's get into my favorite realisation in watching this episode.

One piece of dialogue has made me realize something

This made me puzzled too, because yeah, who would be listening in and how did Arei not notice when she went into the room ?

Let me take you all back to Chapter 2 Episode 5

Rose and Teruko have a conversation about Rose's secret and that conversation lasts a good while, until...

Nico was actually shown to have been there the entire time, Teruko and Rose were talking without noticing they were there.

Nico then explains themselves like this, pretty much proving this is something they just like doing casually sometimes.

This actually would explain everything on how the eavesdropping happened, Nico was on the literal fucking floor of the infirmary leading to them listening to everyone's conversation. Which tmeans they could have had the information to write the note.

This would explain the inconcistencies as to why would the culprit know to eavesdrop and how they didn't get caught by Arei when she was barging into the room (if they were outside by the door).

Now this leads to two possibilities with Nico and their relation to Hu.

Either they worked together with Hu and they both came up with the murder together. Which means either of them could've written the note.

Or Nico helped Hu without her knowledge, making the note to help her (edit : just realised this doesn't make a lot of sense ignore this).

I believe this is all I have so far and I'm very tired so you won't get a conclusion

Oh wait I hear something in the background...

"WHAT ABOUT THE TAAAAAAAAPE"

First of all, y'all gaslit me into thinking Ace couldn't have taken the tape so I'm already sick of this tape bullshit being used as decisive unshakeable evidence.

You know what I think probably happened ? Ace took the tape, after all it disappeared when he woke up and it's possible that he just then threw it away in the trash.

I mean Ace did say he was gonna "commit a murder of his own", it would be in line with him taking the tape.

Why isn't he talking about it then ? Because he'd be seen as the fucking culprit and also Ace is not really the most honest bitch out need i mention Ace witholding info about David and Arei's conversation.

[kaistrashbin]

if you could go anywhere in the world, free of charge, where are you going and why?

To your house to hang out :D

[sysig]

I decided to give a go to @niennanir’s lovely print-your-own-fic recipe on my Inside and Out as a test run and I’m quite pleased with the results as a first pass :D

I wish I’d taken a few more process pictures but there was a slight lull as I had to go shopping for 12x12 cardstock lol, but! I do have a couple closeups/extras that I added for funsies :D

I went with freehanding the title and I think in the future I would opt to not do that lol, at least not without a printed template. That said, both LibreOffice and SAI refuse to recognize my SCII fonts >:0 If you notice on the first page, I used the Ace Attorney font in italic haha, it’s an okay alternative even if it’s not what I actually want |0 I am happy with the gold detailing tho :3c

I did have an unconscionable amount of fun freehanding the ship caption tho ahh <3 <3 Immediate happy stims upon completion, their names together look so pretty ♥ Credit to Zarla’s original minicomic on that one :3

I also managed to get the last sentence of the fic isolated on the last page thanks to the formatting haha ♪

I was also able to add a bookmark! Ma happened to have a couple very thin ribbons to choose from and red ended up complementing the green very prettily!

It reminds me of VUX tongues hehehehe ❤️💕💖💞

[unproduciblesmackdown]

one thing i can intermittently remember re: lackadaisy is that way back when, would've been around '08 to '10, i mentioned it to someone in person w/whomst like informal Media Recs Trading was established & i think mentioned wanting recs for checking out webcomics specifically? & i was like ooh lackadaisy Gotta be lackadaisy (i read like, a few others at the time but was immediately huge on that one specifically due to [the ways it pwned were obvious to me first reading it in '07 and Now alike]) and like. in the realm of Left Field Responses I Got After Ventures Of Someone W/o The Confidence I Have Now Thanks To Grinding For It In The Entire Interim i eventually followed up like did you check it out, what do you think, b/c my enthusiasm was stronger than my reluctance to bring shit up unprompted. and i think they were sort of evasive a moment but then were like nah b/c.......why are they cats....like lmfaoooo was Not ready for that like yeah idk what to tell you if that was that significant a factor. except that if you know that much it's too late the furry police are en route

not long afterwards perhaps truly more unexpected. i managed to finagle going to the first convention marble hornets was at, relatively short notice, and this is thanks to by that point having Enthusiasm behind it again, of course. afterwards to the relatively small tumblr mh ether i Ventured Forth again like is there interest in my talking about it, livestream q&a possibilities style even? and then i got an anon telling me not now b/c hοmestuck had updated. omicron just to not risk it plus i think even now i'd filter my own post. like divide this into four sections the way i'm truly at a loss. didn't have that much to talk about but looking back like fr you're neurononconforming in online fanbase Posting same as in the [random discord servers Hate them! non normative verbal communication happens in scores / hundreds of words if it happens at all] like and yet it gets to you to the con. and to the "i don't need other people to like media 'with' me i didn't talk about lackadaisy at all till the pilot dropping & my [first full reread in a Minute] got me all fired up posting style & 'hey wait. my special little guy. all this fresh Mystery Plot Everything appreciation. whoa'" moment. plus nowadays it's only like Lol Lmao whereas back then it was like :( :/ but also still funny b/c this person was running away throwing chairs & tables behind them like i'm not a furry i'm not and an anon was like didn't ask don't care oppa homestuck style. standing there palms open like. furious theorizing is there for me

[dreaisgrayte]

Headcanons of the hashiras and their ideal weddings!!

(I WANT TO GET MARRIED :()

This is such a cute idea! The Hashiras would be such good spouses let's be honest. I wrote this as reader being a wife, I hope that's okay.

Also AHHH, I want to get married too! Then I'd have someone legally forced to help me stage fic scenarios and be a source of inspiration. That's the dream tbh

Ideal Weddings with the Hashira

Includes: Gyomei Himijima, Tengen Uzui, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Obanai Iguro, Giyu Tomioka, Kyojuro Rengoku, Mitsuri Kanroji, Shinobu Kocho Synopsis: What would your ideal wedding be like with the Hashira? (again Muichiro is my little baby and seeing him get married would be too much, but as a side part: he'd probably forget if you didn't walk him down the aisle yourself, so it would be a very wholesome event for the both of you) warnings: guys... it's up to you how you interpret what happens, but I know and you know.

Gyomei Himejima

Gyomei wants something small and personal. 

The ceremony would take place at a shrine, an overall calm and peaceful event

He invites friends over for a reception in the backyard of the home you share

Gyomei, at all times, will have his hand either over your shoulder, on your thigh, or intertwined with your hand. He wants to keep you close, close enough to hug, close enough to kiss, and close enough to haul off when the party is over

The night ends with you falling asleep cuddled up next to him

Tengen Uzui

Tengen wants to go all out on your wedding dress, the decorations, the music, every little thing is amplified with magnificent splendor, thanks to your soon-to-be husband

The reception is an even bigger event, with floods of people you don’t know dancing to music just so Uzui can show you off for the night

Everything had to be perfectly glorious because that’s what you were

As the new wife, Makio, Suma, and Hinatsuru party with you all night, gossiping about how to best care for your beloved husband

Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi would want just the two of you at the wedding except only those who mattered the most

The “after party” is simply a retreat for the both of you. He whispers about showing you off to the world, shouting from the rooftops about how much he loves you, but tonight you’re only for him

He takes all the time in the world to show you just how much he appreciates his newlywed wife

Obanai Iguro

Obanai is a tricky one because once he fell in love with you, he already saw you as his wife. He would just start calling you sweet marital pet names in the midst of life, taking you by surprise every time

Eventually, you’d have to tell him that you wanted to actually get married, the whole shebang, but Obanai would have you sign the papers and put on the wedding dress for only him to see

He wouldn’t be able to deal with anyone else looking at you from now on since your name and his were intertwined in eternity

Giyu Tomioka

Giyu leaves the planning to you because he can’t be trusted with making so many important decisions

He’s sure to love anything you decide 

When you walk up the aisle looking the way you do, he wishes he would’ve been more involved because his face contorts as he starts to sob over how beautiful you look

At the reception, Giyu still can’t believe that you took on such a stressful job and still smile at him with all the love in your heart. At the end of the night, all he can think about is how gorgeous you are when you still love him – even after he doesn’t deserve it

Kyojuro Rengoku

Kyojuro wants a traditional wedding that makes you shine in the best way. He’s wanted to tie the knot ever since he met you so at the moment he’s as excited as a child on Christmas morning

It’s a charming wedding, one that would appear in a romantic comedy at the end with a ‘just married’ car

Kyojuro carries you through the threshold of your home and not one guest sees either of you for many days because if there’s one thing Rengoku likes calling you more than wife, is hearing you be called mama.

Mitsuri Kanroji

Mitsuri gets excited planning all the colors and ideas and together you make the perfect spring wedding with flowers and cherry blossoms everywhere. 

It’s back to the quaint and romantic Japanese countryside for your wedding, friends and family gathering around to share in the bottomless love 

With Mitsuri it’s like the sun has gotten married to you, her smile is enough to warm your heart and when she kisses you – the whole world falls away

It’s hard for you not to worship Mitsuri with how considerate she is every second of the day, so you end up showering her with surplus amounts of love

Mitsuri is thrilled to show you just how flexible she can be, in more ways than one. 

Shinobu Kocho

Shinobu doesn’t want anyone else to ruin what little time she’ll get to spend with you, so you elope

She takes you far away from everyone else and you travel the world, collecting medicinal flora and fauna, touring beautiful villages, and holding hands the whole way

Now that you’re her wife, everything falls into place, she only wishes her older sister could’ve met you. 

Shinobu whispers to you every night how much she loves you and how she’s damn sure your body could heal the world

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

"Hello." A dull thwack sound reverberated across the rooftop, leaving the boy who snuck up on Red Robin clutching his head. The boy, a meta if the large animal ears and tail were anything to go by, shook off the pain and pouted up at him, "What was that for?!"

The vigilante was unrepentant, holding his bo staff in a ready position, "You snuck up behind a vigilante at night. In Gotham."

"Okay," the meta conceded, still pouting. "You have a point there. Robin threw ninja stars at me when I tried to approach Batman."

That got Tims attention, "You tried to approach Batman? Was there something you needed?"

The kid suddenly got serious, "My mom went missing. I haven't been able to contact her for almost two weeks now."

Red pulled his arm closer to his face before he began typing on his wrist computer, "Can you tell me her name and date of birth?"

"Um." The other teen fidgetted with his tail a bit, "Okay, so...she's kinda Cheetah."

"...come again?"

"She's Cheetah. The...the supervillian."

Red Robin stared at him, and honestly who could blame him? The bats hadn't even known Cheetah had a son. "So why are you in Gotham? Why not ask Wonder Woman for help? Cheetahs one of her rogues not ours."

The teen shook his head, "She went to meet someone in Gotham before she disappeared. She seemed really agitated before she left, almost scared. I've never seen her like that before." He paused, giving the vigilante time to type before continuing, "I didn't go Wonder Woman since I figured I would wind up needing to talk to a bat anyway since its your turf and all." He said, waving a hand as if gesturing to the city around them.

"I wasn't aware Cheetah had a kid."

The meta grimaced, "she didn't until a year ago."

Red gave him a look, as if urging him to go on.

The meta chuffed, sounding a lot like whatever big cat he was supposed to be, "I'll only tell you my tragic backstory if you promise to help me find my mom."

"I'll find your mom." The bird said without an ounce of hesitation. Tim was a little offended. Did this guy think he was going to leave his mom in danger just because she was a criminal? Appearently so, seeing as the teen looked so relieved at his words.

"Okay, so my bio parents were evil mad scientists. Always a bad start, anyway they were obsessed with the occult and one day they suddenly took me and my sister to Brazil to hunt for some artifact of another. That alone was strange but weirder still was the fact my creepy godfather was paying for it all. He usually only does something like that when he's plotting "

"Plotting?" The detective interjected, "you make it sound like he does that often."

"Yeah. Hes a supervillian." The meta said casually, as if he didn't just leave Tim reeling, but the kid wasn't done yet, "He's had a massive crush on my bio mom since collage and never let it go no matter how many times she rejected him. She even married my dad, his best friend, and this dude just kept simping for 20 years." The teen rolled his eyes, "Hes convinced himself that if he murders my bio dad then my bio mom will fall in love with him and me and jazz will be "his"." He said that last part with fingerqoutes and a disgusted expression.

Tim filed that away for later, "Can I have his name, if nothing else?"

The teen seemed reluctant for a moment, "You're the worlds greatest detectives. You'll find out even if i try to hide it. Besides, I'd probably be better off if you and the Justice League know everything anyway."

Tim was...surprised by that. Most people usually weren't this open with them.

"His name is Vlad Masters, he also goes by Plasmius when he's dressed like a wannabe vampire. He's a ghost who's repossessed his corpse. My parents are Jack and Maddie Fenton, who are obsessed with ghosts and have convinced themselves that all ghosts are evil and must be destroyed, regardless of how much evidence points to them being wrong."

"And your name?"

The meta grinned at him, showing off four very sharp fangs, reminiscent of the large cat he takes after, "You can call me Jaguar. We were exploring a bit when I broke off from my family and got jumped by one of them. Suddenly I was struck by a claw and turned into furry bait. Fluffy stopped trying to make me his lunch and just stared at me before walking away, which was wierd. Then my parents found me, accused me of being a ghost, because thats naturally what someone would assume when thier son sprouts cat ears," he said while rolling his eyes.

"Naturally." Red joked, which had the benefit of making Jaguar smile.

"So my parents chased me through the jungle, shooting all the while, then suddenly a portal opened up in front of me. I'm not stupid, I know there was no way this wasn't a trap. I mean, a portal opening up right after that bizarre series of events and its the same shade of glowing green as the wierd death go my parents are obsessed with? There's no way they weren't related somhow, but I was desperate and jumped through anyway."

"I landed in another jungle, or the same one in a different location, I'm not sure. I tried hunting and foraging but wasn't very successful at either." Danny still remembered the throbbed in his head when he had headbutt that tree after missing his pounce on that pig he had been stalking. "Thats when Cheetah found me. She took me in and taught me to hunt and fight."

-----

Possible plot twists:

1. Danny isnt Phantom in this au

2. Danny is Phantom in this au but is trying to leave that life behind

3. My favorite. Danny has the ability to manipulate and control animals into doing his bidding with the effect of jaguars and other big cats being the most prevalent and he just doesn't realize it.

One of Cheetahs friends/allies realizes cheetah has changed and suspected something and convinced her to leave for a while to see if her care for this kid faded after a while away from his presence. It works and Danny loses another parental figure/possibly attacked by them too.

[theroundbartable]

After the magic reveal, Arthur is livid and confused. But it happened at a time where he was sure his father would listen to him. Where he was absolutely convinced that his father wouldn't kill Merlin for it... But change the law. Or at l least make an exception for the man who keeps saving Arthur's life. Like he made an exception for Gaius.

It doesn't quite go as planned.

Arthur: Father... Can we talk?

Uther: Can this wait, the King of Camberon is about to arrive

Arthur: it's... Kind of urgent

Uther: I see. What is this about, son?

Arthur: *fidgeting nervously* It's about my manservant... *Snaps* I know it's forbidden! I know you'd probably want to burn him... But if you do, you'd have to burn me as well!!! He saved my life multiple times and -

Uther: oh dear, I knew this day would come.

Arthur: you did?

Uther: Obviously I can't allow this. But I won't kill him for... His affections for you. Or yours for him for that matter.

Arthur: *sputtering* uh, what?-

Uther: I've been watching you grow up, Arthur. Of course I noticed your 'fascination' for the sterner sex. I cannot, however, let you live it. As much as I wish for your happiness, you will one day require an heir. And you can only have that with a wife.

Arthur: *flushed red* I wasn't -

Uther: I also noticed your interest in your manservant quite early, Arthur. He seems to me like a trustworthy young man. He's saved your life and has been keeping quiet about your affair. And he never asked for favors. I am actually glad that you have someone around who you care about and who cares so much about you. And since there is no chance of any illegitimete children, I can allow this for now. But! Arthur, once you marry, you will have to call it quits.

Arthur: *sputtering* but-

Uther: now, if you excuse me. *Looks back at Arthur once*. I wish I could give you a brighter future, son.

....................

Later

Merlin: you told UTHER I have magic? Are you NUTS? Do you want me dead?

Arthur: ...

Merlin: and now what? When will the pyre be built? Do I have enough time to say goodbye to my friends or when are the guards coming?!

Arthur: he didn't exactly let me explain, Merlin... He... *Beat red* thinks I'm sleeping with you.

Merlin: *opens mouth* HUH?!

Arthur: yeah

Merlin: how on EARTH did you manage that?

Arthur: can we maybe... Not talk about this?!

Merlin: considering you know put another crime on my list that will have me killed in several countries, yes, I WOULD like to talk about it!

Arthur: If it helps, my father approves. Of you, I mean.

Merlin: ...

Arthur: I'm as shocked as you are

Merlin: i mean... It's kind of a relief. In Cendred's kingdom I'd be squared.

Arthur: ... Do you always have to talk about such gruesome things?

Merlin: I don't know, Arthur. Have I ever been in a Situation where my death wasn't the most likely consequence for my existence?

Arthur: ... I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I... I understand now. Why it needs to be secret

Merlin: i'm so glad your father is a thick in the head as you are.

Arthur: HEY!!!

[honeytonedhottie]

what i learned during my reflection period⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🧖🏽‍♀️🎀

as you may or may not have noticed, i've been hiatus for most of the month now. and i disappeared because of personal reasons, and one of those reasons being that i felt i needed to reflect. here are some things that i've learned and realized during my reflection time.

this is quite personal to me, but i wanted to kind of have a heart to heart with you guys and im sure that someone is probably struggling with what i mention in this post so i hope this is comforting...💬🎀

WHY I FELT STUCK IN MY LOA JOURNEY ;

i was literally doing the most and it felt like such a chore at the time. i would force myself to affirm in ways that felt unnatural, i was letting myself get bullied by the 3D, even though i KNOW i dont have to do a thing. i was putting way too much effort in the wrong way.

WHAT'D I DO ABOUT IT ;

i took a step back and RELAXED. i did what felt natural again and enjoyed manifesting again and because of that i've had success story after success story...💬🎀

DOING A SELF AUDIT ;

i wanted to take a second and expose toxic behaviors and patterns that i noticed i exhibit and that have started to affect not only my physical but my mental in a very very negative way.

i'd been struggling with regulating my emotions and managing them so i was a walking ball of stress 💀. a beautiful ball of stress but stress nonetheless. i just felt so stuck.

WHAT'D I DO ABOUT IT ;

i went through the motions and after having a total meltdown and doing a bit of journalling i released everything, giving myself a completely clean slate once more.

i did a bit of a refresh and did miscellaneous things to make myself feel like im starting again. things like self concept work, changing the theme of my phone, taking an everything shower + bubble bath, having a pinterest makeover and getting a trim on my hair.

i forced myself to drink more water, and go for long walks not only to get some sunlight but to get my heart pumping and push myself out of the depressive rot that i had been in for months internally, but had pushed itself out as soon as summer started.

THE DEATH OF A SITUATIONSHIP ;

i got really attached to this boy 😭 but he was such a piece of work. like he did that hot and cold shit, but i rly rly liked him so i ignored the obvious red flags. but i got to a point where i just felt used and embarrassed. upon further reflection i think i didn't wanna let him go because he was so fine 💀, like 6'5 muscular kind of fine.

no matter how handsome a guy is if he has an ugly personality or if he just treats u badly then hes not fine at all...💬🎀

WHAT'D I DO ABOUT IT ;

i went no contact. thats like the easiest way to get over someone i think lol. i went no contact and i just manifested better things for myself. like being asked out by a bunch of guys and wingstop to comfort myself 🧋

also i focused on what i got out of the whole thing. i got the redirection that i wanted, PLUS i was filled with inspiration for my song writing.

SONG RECOMMENDATIONS ;

i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE) - kali uchis

eternal sunshine - jhene aiko

let you go - clara la san

needy - ariana grande

AT THE END OF THE DAY ;

i wanted to include this section as a reminder that everyone goes through shit. things happen. its okay to be affected by it and its okay to be sad. the most important thing is to not dwell on it too long. remember that you are not a victim and remember how amazing you are BECAUSE YOU ARE. you are amazing and no matter what happens, regardless of anything your gonna be okay and your gonna be in a much better place, it starts with putting one foot in front of the other...💬🎀 (love honey)

[sillyandquest]

Y'all know the cardboard cutouts in Poppy Playtime?

I like to think that they're a small glimpse in those characters personalities, and what they would've been like if we'd been able to interact with them in-game. The cutouts also seem to indicate the sanity level of each Smiling Critter.

This'll be a long one, I'll see you at the end of you wanna read!

Spoilers:

Anyway, that means Bubba Bubbafant would've been outwardly friendly, yet still resentful of the player. He also might've been losing his sanity quickly, probably due to CatNap's gas.

"Hey! I remember you!.....An elephant always remembers!.......Want to know what I remember about you?........*Devolves into hysterical laughter/screams/glitches.*"

Had he been in the game as a Bigger Body experiment, I doubt he would go out of his way to help. He might've just hidden himself away like Kissy and Poppy, or fully lost it before he could try to help the player and got killed off.

Next is Kickin' Chicken. He's different in that he seems like he would've provided encouragement to the player, maybe even try and protect them.

"Wanna go outside and hang out?.... I've never been outside before.........Will you come with me? I'm scared.......Here, I'll step out first......*screams/glitches.*"

He also seems to have been killed off early, maybe he was even the first Critter to be killed. (He's embracing his inner Chica now-). I say this because, aside from DogDay, Kickin' Chicken seems the most sane in comparison to all the Critters.

CatNap's cut out doesn't have much other than breathing noises and snores that devolve into glitches.

Picky Piggy sounds sane, but I think she probably ate some of the other Critters. Probably Bubba Bubbafant, Kickin' Chicken, and Crafty Corn. If she could interact with the player, I think she'd be friendly at first before showing her true colors.

"Roast beef? Delicious!......Grilled chicken? Down the hatch!......Seared Elephant! Yum!......Flayed Unicorn? Mmmmm!.......Still hungry.....Hey, what do ya say you and I be friends?"

She definitely wouldn't have been helpful, and would've absolutely tried to eat the player.

I think Hoppy Hopscotch could've tried to help as a Bigger Body experiment, maybe a little pushy and impatient towards the player. Probably because she's desperate to escape.

"Wanna try hopping to the moon with me?.....On three with me!....1, 2, 3!...Heh, didn't get very far, did we?.....Listen, this won't stop until we make it to the moon!.....1, 2- No,no, don't look at your feet! None of that matters! Again! Again!.....Jump! JUUUU- *glitches out*"

She seemed to have a good heart and wanted to help but was likely taken out while escaping. I'd call her sane enough to be trusted, just desperate.

DogDay is certified best boy and definitely would've wanted to help you, even at the cost of his life/freedom. He knows this is a terrible place to be in and wants the player to leave as soon as possible.

"Go, go! As far as you can!......Why are you just standing there?.....You can't be here, you can't stay......*screams/glitches.*"

He knows he can't leave and encouraged the player go. He sounds sad when he speaks. Would likely be the last Critter to stick by the players side no matter what.

Crafty Corn up next! She seems very focused on painting and almost definitely killed someone because she was out of red.

"Pass me the blue please!.....Thanks! Now can you give me some red?.....Out? But we can't be out..... You're hiding more red from me......I know you are.....GIVE IT HERE *glitchy screams*

Yeah, I wouldn't really trust her. She'd be fine by herself or if the player gives her all the materials she asks for, but Crafty would've probably gotten agitated and attacked quickly.

Finally, Bobby Bearhug! She comes across as super loving, but also clingy and desperate for an escape. Sounding a little unhinged at times. If the player could've interacted with her, she might've clung to them, possibly even protected them if they convinced her that she could go with them.

"I love you to the moon and back!..... I'm crazy about you!.....I'm lost without you.....I've been lost a long time......Please, take me with you this time?.....You won't leave me, will you?!."

She sounds like she's lonely and craves companionship. Her cutout is actually the only one that doesn't end in glitches or screams so I think the player could've trusted her. She might've had a fragile mental state, but I don't think she would've tried to kill you.

Thanks for reading til the end! Stay safe!

[webslingingslasher]

spiderman saves cherry one time (but not even from smth serious) and suddenly she falls in love and tells peter ab her new obsession w him that she didn’t understand before and he’s literally cheering on the inside at how she’s closer to falling for him without realising

happy sunday!

--

'you know how you're always trying to get me to like spider-man?'

'yes.'

you hold the back of your hand to your forehead and dramatically swoon, your back lands on peter's bed. 'i've been swayed.' peter's got a strong feeling it's because you ran into spider-man today but he has to pretend he doesn't know that yet.

'did you have another dirty dream?' you gasp at the question, peter rushes out he was just joking. 'you're not funny, fyi.'

'you're cute when you have a crush.' you kick your feet on his bed, peter's being extra annoying. 'i don't have a crush! i was going to tell you i saw him today but nope, nevermind.'

peter knows how to work around your attitude. it's a special trick he's learned. 'you met spider-man? that's so cool, where were you?' you grin at him and start speed talking, peter loves being right.

'the bookstore! well, outside the bookstore. when i was leaving i was reading the back of a book and i walked right into him! i dropped my book and he caught me and when i looked up, bam, spider-man. he grabbed my book for me and asked if i was okay, like i didn't run into him!'

you replay the moment, you swoon again. 'ugh, petey, he was tall and so broad! it felt like i ran into a wall, but he was also like... i could've given him a hug and he wouldn't mind.' you lift your head up to look at peter, it's a similar feeling with him.

'i think he's kind of like you. cause you're mr. strong guy but you're the perfect amount of soft for cuddles. basically, i think i'm gonna marry spider-man.'

peter has to act like he's jealous, he doesn't mind. you like spider-man now and nothing else beyond that matters. if anything, this is a bonus for him.

'please tell me you didn't get his number, i can't compete with a superhero.'

'no!' you think about it for a second, you're not spider-man's number one fan but you see clips and articles online all the time. 'i don't think spider-man dates, i've never seen him out on one. but also, i don't think he can eat dinner with his mask on... wait, do you think he dates outside the mask and has to pretend he isn't spider-man?'

peter blinks two times, 'i don't know, i've never thought about it.' he's very flat with his reply. you huff, he's no fun. 'if you were spider-man, do you think i would know?'

'um, well, if you don't know i'm spider-man, then no, i don't think you would know.' you nod, he makes a good point. 'fair.' you keep thinking about it, you'd be thrown for such a loop if that happened to you.

'that's crazy. imagine dating someone for months or years and he tells you he's spider-man, i think i'd freak out. i wonder if anyone in his life knows who he is. wait, do you think there are people just walking around the city that know spider-man's true identity?'

peter didn't prepare himself for hypotheticals, he's wondering why he wanted you to like his alter ego so much. when you didn't care, you didn't ask questions.

'what do you think he looks like? i think he looks like you, he's probably cute. do you think he's our age? damn it, i should've asked him all of this when i had him in front of me.' you sigh again, searching for your phone you youtube his name and start watching compilations of fights caught on film.

'god, he could throw me around like nothing.'

peter grumbles out the corner of his mouth, 'i could throw you around like nothing.' you happily hum, the idea is enticing. 'could you wear the suit while you do it? wait, you better not, i wouldn't be able to stop myself from... things.'

you stare at the screen, you start to have flashes of imagery and you bite down on your bottom lip. 'oh god, i'm feeling a hyperfixation coming on.' spider-man is hot, his strength, his power, how fucking kind he is.

you sit up to look at peter, 'wanna makeout?' peter wants to know how he went from mentally begging you to like spider-man, to actually being jealous of how you fawn over him. 'i'm not a placeholder for your fantasies.'

'i never said you were. come kiss me... and maybe get between my thighs and make me feel good.' spider-man is attractive because of the mystery, peter's hot because, fuck, just look at him. peter's giving you a look that's testing, he's baiting you for more information. 'don't make me beg, it's not cute.'

'no, you just wanna kiss me because you're hot and bothered over spider-man.' it shouldn't bother him, but it does. 'i don't want spider-man's fingers in me, i want yours.'

'only because you can't have him.' you groan, he's dragging it out more than he needs. 'maybe i do, maybe he's not scared to touch me.' peter's quiet, you immediately fill in the silence. 'wait, that's me being bratty. i'm not trying to force you into sex.'

peter smiles, 'you can't force the willing, cherry.'

you pat the empty space between your legs, 'then will you come fill me up? please?' peter doesn't need to be asked a third time, you're instantly settled the second he's caging you under him and pressing his lips on yours.

peter's fingers drag up your thigh, you sigh into his mouth. 'mhm, spider-man.' peter's done, he pulls off you and you're whining and trying to keep him over you. 'no! i was kidding, i swear i was just kidding!'

'too late. you're cut off, think about your actions.'

'fine. but you know who would've found that funny?' peter raises his eyebrows, he knows what's about to come. 'say his name one more time and see what i do.'

'will you punish me and show me who i really belong to?'

and... oh, that has peter bricked up.

why didn't he think about that? he would have proved how much better he is, he could've kissed you breathless until you're babbling and only whimpering his name. and the way you're looking at him tells him this was more of a ruse than anything.

peter's never dated a brat, he's still learning your quirks. you blink pretty, you have a way of acting like an innocent virgin after saying something dirty, it's an unspoken card you always pull out when convenient.

peter grips the skin above your knees and pulls you into him, your hips slam into his. 'think you can be quiet this time?' you shake your head, peter grins at your messy hair. 'no?'

peter leans down, his lips brush yours. he whispers against your mouth, a hint of a kiss. 'didn't think so.'

and peter makes you say his name so many times, spider-man's is a distant memory. 

[glorious-spoon]

finding excuses to be alone with each other - Buddie

hi, and thank you! sorry this has taken a while, and also i have no explanation for why i decided to write new year's eve fic in june. BUT: here you are!

a stolen moment

1200 words | buddie | developing relationship | secret relationship | kissing | fluff

-

There are too many people at this party.

Normally, this isn't something Buck would even think to complain about. Maddie and Chim are hosting, since Bobby and Athena are still living out of a tiny one-bedroom while work continues on their house, and Hen and Karen are still trying to get Mara settled back at home—New Year's parties are apparently not conducive to a quiet, predictable bedtime routine, and the Wilson family unit will probably be heading out well before the ball drops anyway—and nobody else has even close to enough room. It's still packed to the brim, overflowing onto the back patio, clusters of people chatting over drinks in the kitchen while the kids have taken over the living room TV for a vicious Mario Kart showdown that Chris is currently winning. Maddie's in the back bedroom putting Jee down for bedtime, and Chim is holding court over the dessert table, and it's all—great, honestly, it's great. It's awesome, having his family here, and happy, and together under the same roof after the year they've all had.

He glances up and meets Eddie's eye from across the dining room. Gets a quick smile in return. Eddie's cheeks are pink, maybe from the warmth, maybe from the two glasses of wine he's had, since Buck will be the one driving them home. He's wearing a green Henley that Buck knows is exactly as soft as it looks and worn-in jeans that mold lovingly to the lines of his thighs as he leans back against the door frame, and it's all pretty distressing, honestly. Buck's hands are itching to touch.

When he meets Eddie's eyes again, Eddie is grinning broadly. Caught, Buck ducks his head. He's blushing, he knows, and he doesn't have the excuse of the wine.

They're keeping it to themselves, at least for now. That was the decision they both made after Eddie kissed him in the loft two nights ago, after Buck kissed him back, after they didn't actually manage to make it all the way up to the bed and ended up on the couch instead, gasping into each other's mouths, fumbling and eager as teenagers. They're keeping it to themselves until Eddie figures out how he's going to tell Chris. He's skittish about that still, and Buck isn't going to push. So he'll probably be sleeping on the fold-out couch tonight instead of in Eddie's bed, and he's not going to kiss Eddie in the middle of the party, no matter how much he wants to.

It's okay. They have time.

"Hey, didn't someone bring dessert plates?" Chim calls from the kitchen. "Please tell me someone brought dessert plates, we're all out of the big ones and I'm really not up for doing dishes tonight."

Ah, shit. Right. That was Buck's job. He's pretty sure he did pick some up, actually, but they're probably still out in the Jeep, which is parked somewhere in the snarl of cars crowding the Han driveway and pulled off to the side of the street in front of their lawn.

"I got 'em," he calls, setting his soda down.

"My hero," Chim retorts, only half-teasing by his tone. Buck rolls his eyes and goes to find his shoes.

He doesn't realize that Eddie is following him until he's already slipped them on in the entry hall, a few steps away from the party. "What's up?"

Eddie shrugs, guileless, and crouches down to retrieve his shoes as well. "Figured I'd help you."

"You figured you'd help me…. bring in a package of paper plates?"

"Yeah," Eddie says innocently, but there's a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and god, Buck really wants to kiss him.

"Okay," he agrees instead, and pulls open the door. Eddie follows him out into the night, cool and dim even with Christmas lights still lit up all down the street. There's a dampness to the air that feels like rain; it's not that cold, but it's enough of a contrast to the warm house that a shiver goes through him. Eddie falls into step beside him, then reaches for his hand.

Buck shivers again, for reasons that have nothing to do with the cold this time. Eddie's hand is warm and broad, and he strokes his thumb lightly against Buck's, lighting up nerve endings he didn't even know he had.

It's such a small thing. But they've never actually done this yet. It all feels so new, sparkling like fireworks through his veins.

"Okay?" Eddie asks, and Buck realizes that he's stopped walking. 

"Yeah," he says. He's not doing a very good job of keeping the smile off his face, or out of his voice, but Eddie's got the exact same dopey smile on his face, so it's fine. They weave through the cars to where Buck's Jeep is parked, close enough to the street that they'll probably be able to get out without playing vehicle Tetris. Far enough from the house that they're shielded from view by Bobby's truck parked alongside them, so he's not all that surprised when Eddie lets go of his hand only to push him gently against the side of the Jeep and kiss him.

He gets lost in that for a little bit. The heat of Eddie's mouth, his hands moving from Buck's shoulders to cradle his jaw—he did that the first time, too. Held Buck like he's holding him now, like he's something precious and worth treating with care, and Buck's already hooked on it. He slides his hand up Eddie's back, feeling the warmth of him, to cup the back of his neck as Eddie licks into his mouth with leisurely sweetness, like he's got all the time in the world to kiss Buck just like this on the sidewalk on New Year's Eve.

Sooner or later, someone's going to come looking for them. It still takes a while for Buck to break the kiss, and when Eddie tugs lightly at his lower lip with his teeth before pulling away, he almost dives back in again. Almost.

"We should probably get back to the party," he says, very reluctantly.

"Yeah," Eddie sighs. He leans in and kisses Buck again, a sweeter, softer thing before leaning past him to open the door. Buck ducks into the back seat to retrieve the package of plates and the bottle of wine they forgot to bring in earlier, and when he straightens up, Eddie is watching him. He looks—hesitant, almost. Nervous. He looks the way he looked two days ago, right before he kissed Buck.

"What's up?" Buck asks.

"I want to tell Chris," Eddie says, all in a rush. "Maybe not—right now, at the party, but when we get home, I want to tell him. About us."

Buck takes a quick, sharp breath. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been as sure about anything in my life as I am about you."

"Eddie."

"It's the truth. And—I want him to know. Even if it's an adjustment, even if it takes some time to—I want him to know. I want everyone to know. If that's okay with you."

"Eddie," Buck says again, and then, "yeah, yeah of course it's okay."

"Good," Eddie says, with a sudden, brilliant smile. And well—Chim can wait a few more minutes for his paper plates. Buck sets them down and pulls Eddie back in.

[errethebunny]

Would I trust this character with my drink at a party?

William: I'd trust him to watch it. However, when he gives it back, he would tease and imply that maybe he himself spiked my drink, cuz he wants to know what I'd do about it. Would I still drink it out of respect despite being scared? Or would I call him out on his bullshit? 7/10 He's a prick your honor, drink stays intact tho.

Harrison: Sure I guess, but he would complian about how much of a hassle it is that he needs to watch it for me. He would lie and say he didn't watch it, tho. 7/10 Annoying about it, but my drink won't be spiked on his watch.

Liam: Omg he would be so excited about it. Like, of course he would watch it! Would try his best, like the sweetheart he is. However, baby would get distracted, and someone would end up spiking the drink anyways. He would not give my drink back until he put it to the test himself, tho. Had to take him to Roger later that night. 4/10 the intention is good, but the execution is not very well thought.

Elbert: Bold of you to think he'd let me go to a party in the first place lol. Jokes aside, like Liam he would get distracted. Unlike Liam, he'd straight up lose my drink, so... 5/10 good news is, my drink isn't spiked, not that I would know cuz my drink is gone.

Alphonse: Absolutely not. I love Al, but he would not watch my drink. Knowing him, he probably wants my drink to get spiked. That is, if he isn't the one who spiked my drink in the first place. -3/10 absolutely not.

Roger: Now, this one is even worse. Again, love Roger, but he would 100% spike my drink. Sees it as a chance to experiment some of his drugs on me. -10/10 absolutely not pt.2.

Jude: I would absolutely trust him with my drink. Like Harry, he would complain the whole time and say I owe him one for doing this. But if Jude Jazza says he's gonna watch your drink, then he will watch it with his life. Will also gladly beat up anyone who even tries to approach that cup. 8/10 my drink has never been safer, but at what cost?

Ellis: My baby would gladly watch it, if that made me happy. Had to be careful with what I said to him later, tho. 9/10

Victor: Yes, I'd trust him. As bubbly as Victor looks on the outside, it is clear that he is pretty dangerous and imposing when he wants to be. I'm willing to bet no one would even dare to try to spike my drink if Victor is the one holding it. Not that it would matter in the end considering he probably spills the drink while hugging me. It's all good tho, cuz he'd buy me a new one, probably a better and more expensive drink too. 9/10 thanks for the drink, Vic.

[aniesvision]

wanna bet? (chris sturniolo x f! reader)

part 3!

click to read part 1 and part 2

warnings: enemies to lovers trope!, teasing, suggestive, smut!, being a bit possessive over here (just a lil bit tho), p in v, no protection (don't do this), a bit of praising, happy ending!

a/n: wanna bet? is now over :( it was fun to write it, i wanna do more long fics. im also not sure if some parts made sense but i tried. friendly reminder that english is not my first language!

synopsis: matt and nick are back! and now the bet thing is (almost) over, in the end it turned out way different than they expected.

🪻🪻🪻

He rolls his eyes and I giggle. We took our baths, almost innocently. Nothing else happened, and we even talked like normal people do. We got out of the bathroom, got dressed and went upstairs to the living room, where Nick and Matt were, sitting on the couch. They looked at each other suspiciously and then back at us.

-So you're all alive...? —Nick asks, confused to see that we both arrived together, from Chris's room, with wet hair.

-Yes, Nick, we're alive. —Chris replies, sounding annoyed.

-Wait, since when are you guys here? —I ask, remembering the bet.

Maybe I won, even if it doesn't matter anymore.

-About forty minutes, I think. —Matt replies, suspicious.

I look at Chris, who covers his face with his hands and lets out a deep sigh.

- I love you guys so much. —I say to Matt and Nick while laughing at Chris's reaction.

-You guys made me win a bet and now he has to do everything I want for a week. —I explain quickly, seeing Chris look at me a little stressed.

-I thought we agreed that this bet was no longer worth it.

-You thought you had won and I accepted your request. And now you'll have to accept mine. —I look at him intently, trying to send him a message that only he would understand by the way I looked at him.

He looks at me slightly confused, but didn't say a word, knowing that we'd discuss it later.

-Can someone explain? —Nick asks, confused and wanting to know what was going on.

Matt also looked at us confused, but not so interested in knowing like Nick was.

-We made a bet, if he won I would owe him one, if I won he would do everything I wanted for a week. Then we thought he had won, he already made the request he wanted and I accepted it, now we saw that I was the one who won for a short time, so thank you very much.

Chris rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh, watching me intently with an expression that could almost confuse me with anger if I didn't know exactly what he was doing. I walk a few steps to the side, getting closer to Chris and whispering in his ear.

-You'll have to make me cum at least twice every day for the entire week.

He holds his smile, biting his cheek and locking his jaw, taking his eyes off me and walking to the couch, sitting in the middle of the brothers. Without saying anything, I walk to the kitchen, taking a can of pepsi that the boys brought and sit down next to Nick, who took turns looking between me and Chris, still not understanding much.

-You're not telling me what happened while we were gone? —Nick looks straight at me, hoping I'd tell him all the details, but this time I couldn't say anything.

It would be better and funnier to keep it a secret for now, just as I agreed with Chris.

I open the can, taking a few sips and looking at my friend with a smile.

-Nothing happened, we just made a bet and fought as usual. And I won, so I'm going to make sure this is a very long week for Chris.

I look at Chris with a sarcastic smile, who just looks at me without reaction and turns his gaze to Matt, bringing up some random subject. I knew he was probably making a giant effort not to look suspicious and I was holding myself back from laughing.

-You guys are weird. —Nick says, rolling his eyes and ignoring the situation. I felt relieved that he didn't insist on knowing more, not knowing if I was going to be able to keep this character under pressure for long.

I pick up my phone and start to mindlessly navigate through social media, distracting myself and talking from time to time with Nick. The hours went by and it was already super late.

-I think I'll go to bed, you coming? —Nick asks.

The two of us always shared his bed when I slept at their house. I was supposed to leave today, but I ended up staying late without even realizing it and didn't want to drive home alone.

-I'll go later.—I give him a smile and he smiles back, walking up the stairs to his room.

Matt had already locked himself in his room a few minutes ago, so once again it was just me and Chris in the living room. He looks at me intently, as if afraid to say something. I get up from the couch, glancing at him before going to the kitchen and throwing the empty pepsi can in the trash. Without saying anything, Chris followed me and turned my body so that I could look at him. Our gazes met and he took turns between my eyes and my lips before pulling me in for a long and heated kiss.

-My room. —He says, guiding me down the stairs again by the hand and locking the door as soon as we pass through it.

He kisses me again, already running his hands over my body until he takes off my shirt and throws it on the floor once again.

Soon enough our clothes were back to the floor and he was on top of me, aligning his dick with my entrance and thrusting all of him at once, making sure to cover my mouth with his hand to prevent me from moaning loudly as he starts to move faster and deeper.

-Fuck, you're so hot, I'm glad you're all mine now. —He whispers in my ear.

I close my eyes and bite my lips to prevent myself from moaning too loud, letting out a few hisses from time to time. Chris uses his hand that previously covered my mouth to trace circles on my clit, making me grip his hair and arch my body, begging for more.

-Chris, fuck, don't stop, please. —I plead, between moans, seeing him smile and increase the speed even more.

I left scratches that would definitely make red marks on his body, but I didn't care about it now, neither did he.

Chris was impressively good, he knew exactly what he was doing. He was so good that he made all the other guys I had sex with look pathetic.

-You look so beautiful moaning my name and begging me to fuck you. Even prettier now that you're all mine.

His words triggered my thrid orgasm of the night, his name escaping my lips like a mantra as he looked at me like a starved man looks at a meal.

-Good girl. —He smirks.

His own orgasm followed right after, a whine leaving my lips as I feel him shooting his load inside me and pulling away to collapse on the bed beside me.

After we caught our breaths, I let out a giggle, making Chris look at me confused, but with a tiny smile.

-Maybe it doesn't take much for me to stop hating you after all, you just gotta fuck me like that more times.

I shrug, making him smile and pull me in for a kiss. We put our clothes back on and went back to bed.

-Stay here tonight. —He asks, looking at me intently, his eyes showing me that he meant it.

-Nick's gonna be suspicious if I don't come up. But don't worry too much, we'll have plenty of time to sleep together along the week.

I press a quick peck on his lips and leave his room, walking up the stairs with a smile on my face.

Before I could open Nick's door, my phone vibrates with a new notification and I unlock it to read.

"gn pretty girl, come kiss me goodbye before u leave tomorrow"

I smile even more, typing a reply.

"pack some stuff, ur leaving w me tomorrow, I'll make an excuse about the bet we made to matt and nick so they don't find it too weird, ur staying with me all week pretty boy"

I open Nick's door, seeing him lying in bed scrolling through with his phone and he soon breaks into a smile when he sees me. We talked for a few minutes until we fell asleep.

When I woke up the next day, I warned Matt and Nick about the bet me and Chris made and said that he would come back with me 'cause he needed to do everything I asked during the week. They laughed, thinking it would be torture for Chris to stay with me for so long.

Back to my place, along the week, Chris treated me like a princess all the time, it almost felt like we were a couple. The dynamic between us changed so much so fast, but it was way better like this. We got to know each other without all the fights and arguments, and I actually started to like him. He showed me parts of him I had no idea that even existed, and how he was making me feel, the way he now talked to me and all the cute things he'd do or say was something unexpected by me.

He also kept his promise to make me cum twice a day, some days even exceeding that amount. Surprisingly, this was the best week I've had in a long time, and it was with him.

tags 💕

@fratbrochrisgf @aaliyahsturniolo1 @sturnsvlg @edgemaster696 @user9383738392 @bigbeefybitch @riowritesitall

[echobx]

Twin Flame 3 - pervy!bsf!JJ Maybank × pervy!bsf!fem!reader

summary: y/n is hurt and JJ isn't planning on being the bigger person either

word count: 2.3k

warnings: talk about feelings, JJ and y/n lying to themselves and their friends, smut, oral (fem receiving), outdoor

author's note: while writing I thought this was the last part and then suddenly I was at 2k again and thought to myself, just cut here and write another one so that's what I'm doing. apparently writing without a plan works better than writing with a plan.

series masterlist ♡ part 1 ♡ part 2

   “Shit, you look horrible,” Kie said as you showed up for your shift at the Wreck. 

   “Didn't sleep,” you mumbled while wrapping the apron around your hips. After what JJ had done, you had first cried for about an hour, trying to reconcile with your conflicting feelings towards him. Then you had cleaned yourself up and driven to the one 24-hours store out of town that had a pharmacy, getting Plan B just in case, because you weren't a hundred percent sure that you had always taken the pill on time. A kid would ruin your future at this point. JJ’s kid, maybe even more so. He would resent you for it, probably, just as you would him. 

   “Think you can manage, or want me to cover for you?” Kie suggested, but you shook your head. You desperately needed the distraction the job provided. 

   So, that's what you did for the following week, picking up every shift the Carreras allowed you to, and afterward you went straight home. Not to the Chat. And especially not to JJ. 

   “Okay, seriously now, what the fuck is up with you?” Kie pulled you to the side one evening, and you shrugged. 

   “I don't know what you mean?” 

   “You're avoiding us, all of us. Why?” she stared at you. 

   “I have shit on my plate, work and-” you tried to find an excuse, but you couldn't tell her the truth. 

   “And?”

   “It doesn't matter. Why do you care?” 

   “Because I'm your friend, dummy,” Kiara tapped against your head repeatedly. 

   “Ouch. And maybe I just don't want to get shitfaced every other night,” you mumbled, wanting to walk off, but her hand was still firm around your biceps. 

   “Bullshit.” 

   “Fine. I don't wanna see JJ. Are you happy now?” you hissed, and she furrowed her brows. 

   “Why? That makes no sense. The two of you are like conjoined twins.” 

   “I don't want to talk about it. Just let it go, Kie.” You ripped your arm from her hold and continued working. 

   At the Château, JJ had to deal with similar inquiries. 

   “Kie just texted,” John B sighed, running his hand over his face exasperatedly. “Wanna explain to me why y/n says that you're at fault for her not coming by for over a week?” 

   “How would I know? Women are a mystery,” JJ rolled his eyes and continued smoking. 

   “For someone who's usually the best at lying, you're doing a fucking shit job right now,” John B scoffed. 

   “What? You want me to tell you my deepest, darkest secrets?” JJ leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. “Want me to tell you that she begged me to fuck her, and now she's acting like a whiny bitch about it? Want that truth?” 

   “No, I want the real truth. We both know she'd never do that,” JB laughed, trying to lighten the mood, and JJ decided to play the innocent. 

   “Of course she wouldn't, little miss perfect.” 

   “What if you just went and apologized for whatever you did?” John B proposed and JJ leaned back again. “What if… what if… what if, I just sat here and forgot all about it? How about that?” 

   “That won't bring her back,” his best friend sighed. 

   “And what makes you think I'd want her back?” JJ was lying to himself. The lack of contact was gnawing at his heart strings. He knew he wouldn't hold out much longer without seeing you, but he also didn't want to be the one to cave. 

   “I don't know, maybe the fact that you love her? She's like a sister to the both of us.” 

   “A sister would never do the shit y/n did to me,” JJ thought to himself, but he kept quiet. 

   Two days later you decided to go visit your favorite place on the island, a small lagoon, a hidden gem that only the deep locals knew about. But only JJ knew how important the spot was to you, so it didn't entirely surprise you when you found him there, lying on the big rock in the sun like a gator waiting for its prey. 

   “And I had hoped you'd died,” you joked, and he turned his head to look at you. “You owe me fifty, asshole.” 

   “Since when?” JJ smirked, the tone of your voice was far from angry, and the spark in your eyes was neither mad nor anxious.

   “Since I had to buy Plan B because you don't know what a condom looks like,” you rolled your eyes and placed your towel on the sandy ground. 

   “Fine,” he exhaled and turned back to looking up at the sky. 

   “Everyone's annoying me about not being at the Chat every free minute of my shitty life,” you groaned, and JJ had to laugh. 

   “Everyone's annoying me because you aren't at the Chat every free minute of your shitty life.” 

   “Haha, funny,” you mocked. 

   “JB asked why you weren't coming by, I told him the truth, and he told me to stop lying, so there's that,” JJ sighed, and you looked at him in shock. 

   “Why would you tell him at all?” 

   “Chill, he didn't believe me. Why would anyone? Hell, I wouldn't even believe it myself.” 

   “Why?” 

   “He said you were like a sister to the both of us,” JJ huffed. “True brotherly love, then. Straight out of that medieval dragon show.” 

   “Game of Thrones?” you cocked your brow. 

   “Yeah, that shit.”

   “We aren't related, though, JJ. It's nothing like that, at all,” you remind him. 

   “Still fucked up. I mean, I watched you grow boobs, basically,” he muttered. 

   “Way to make it weird,” you rolled your eyes at him and finally took your seat on the towel. 

   “Was weird before it started, remember?” His eyes were fixed on you. 

   “Do you regret it?” you posed without thinking much about the question until it has slipped out. 

   “Should I? Do you?” His eyes traced your face, and you looked away, out onto the sound and trying to remember if it truly had been easier before, or if nostalgia was playing a trick on you. 

   “I'm not sure. I mean, I do like the way you kiss,” you smiled, more to yourself than to please him. 

   “Of course you do. You taught me. Remember?” JJ chuckled. “I still don't know where you knew that from. You hadn't even kissed anyone yet.”

   “There's a lot of things I know of, although I haven't gotten to try them yet,” you smirked and he sat up. 

   “Like what?” 

   “Love.” You didn't know why that nasty word had slipped out, but now it was hanging over you, and you hated it. 

   “Hmm, yeah, makes sense,” JJ nodded and jumped down from the stone, sitting down next to you, and you let your head fall to his shoulder. 

   “I’m sorry for how mean I was last week,” you whispered, and he held his hand out for you to take, intertwining your fingers as you did. 

   “I'm sorry for not having a condom, and for being an asshole who didn't let you come, although that technically was a punishment. And for running out like I did,” he apologized, and you felt like it was easier to breathe again. 

   “We're pretty fucked up, aren't we?” 

   “Seems like it. Yeah,” he said before exhaling a short laugh. 

   “What's so funny?” you asked, and he turned to face you, holding your face in his hands. 

   “You,” his eyes jumped between your own, trying to find a place to settle, but he couldn't seem to find it. “I mean, they expect me to be the weird creepy fucker, and they're not wrong. But who would've expected that you're worse than me.” 

   “Not worse. Equally, shit,” you reminded him quietly. “Made from the same bullshit material.” 

   “You got that high quality shit, though.”

   “Oh yeah?” 

   “Yeah. Parents, and that ass? Can't complain at all,” JJ smirked, and you swatted at his arm. “What? It's true.” 

   “My parents aren't even that good.” 

   “That’s what you're focusing on?” he huffed a laugh. 

   You leaned towards him and whispered, “I know that my ass is immaculate, Maybank.” 

   His lips were pressed to yours quicker than you could've said your own name, and you sighed into it. The feeling of his soft, warm lips against your own was one of your favorite feelings ever. Your whole body felt aflame under his touch, hands groping at your tits before he made you lie down underneath him, pressing himself between your thighs. 

   “J,” you moaned as his lips traveled down your neck. 

   “Gotta make it up to you, don’i?” he smirked and you nodded. It was a little messy when he helped you rid yourself of your clothes, leaving you completely naked and him still fully clothed. 

   “Fuck, you're gorgeous,” JJ groaned, his hands roaming over your body as if it was the holy grail. He squeezed your tits, and your back arched up in response, a gasp leaving you that was matched by his teasing chuckle. 

   “You know, princess, I'm just not that good with words ‘cause my tongue was made for other things,” he told you and a second later he was eating you out like his last meal. 

   JJ licked a long stripe up your wet cunt, humming at the taste. He wasn't thinking too much about what exactly he was doing, and just followed his instincts. Sucking on your clit until you screamed his name, digging his fingers into your thighs while his tongue thrusted into you. You were a mess because of him. You were his mess. 

   “Oh God,” you cried out, the knot in your stomach tightening. You didn't think of telling him that no one had ever done this to you, made you feel complete ecstasy with the simple use of their tongue. He wouldn't need to know, you knew it would just boost his already massive ego. 

   “Gonna be a good girl and come for me, baby?” JJ smiled up at you, and you nodded rapidly. 

   “Make me come, J,” you whined, and he dipped his head again. And JJ didn't think much about it when he pushed his fingers into your aching cunt, curling them up repeatedly while his lips were closed around your clit. He was drunk on you; your taste, your moans, the way your body reacted to every little touch of his. Feeling you clench around his fingers was probably one of the better things in his life. But tasting your release jumped straight to no.1, and if you’d let him, he'd do it every day and night. 

   He kept his fingers buried inside you until you had fully come down from your high. “You good?” he smirked and you nodded. 

   “Can I get up?” you whispered, and he pulled away, sitting up and watching you pull your shit back on as if you were embarrassed about it. 

   “Everything’s like normal again?” he asked after having licked his fingers clean. 

   “I don't know,” you shook your head. It wasn't like you didn't want to go back to before the tiny disagreement, but with everything the two of you did, you gained more clarity. 

   “So, you didn't want this to happen just now? ‘Cause this is all confusing, all right,” JJ sighed and shook his head. 

   “No, I did. It's just not the same anymore. What if you meet someone, and you fall in love, and then we have to go back to just being friends. Could you do that?” you posed, and he didn't know what to answer, so he hit you back with a question of his own. 

   “What if you fall in love?”

   “I don't even know what love is, JJ. How am I supposed to know what it feels like to fall in love,” you snorted at how funny his question was to you. 

   “I don't know,” he sighed, looking down at his hands. He had never been very touchy-feely, with no one, not even you. And yet you were always the only one allowed to do more to him than anyone else in his life. He let you cut his hair, let you tend to his injuries back when Luke had been around. He told you more than he did John B, but he knew he loved John B like a brother, just like he did Pope, like he loved Sarah and Kie and Cleo, and you. But not really. 

   “Is it, like, different from when you love your siblings? Like, do you think it feels different from the way I feel about JB and all of them?” JJ asked quietly, but you didn't know what to reply. 

   “Maybe we should ask him, he should know, right? About what it feels like, at least.” 

   “Yeah,” JJ turned to smile at you, fully dressed and looking as if he hadn't just deconstructed your whole being minutes earlier. 

   “What’ya think how long it'll take for that bush in front of your window to grow normal again? Like, there's prolly a big’ol JJ shaped hole in there,” he joked, and you had to laugh. 

  “Are you planning on not using it anymore?” 

  “Hell no. I can just come inside now, right?” he flashed his eyebrows at you and you groaned. 

   “You're not doing that again. I don't want to have to deal with three kids.” 

  “Three?” 

   “You count double,” you laughed, and he faked offense. 

   “Let's be honest, it would probably be easier to have kids with your best friends than to think love lasts. I mean, look at my parents,” JJ huffed after a moment of silence. 

   “Mine are fighting too much recently. I wish they would just say what they think and not talk so much bullshit all the time,” you sighed, and he pulled you closer, his arm over your shoulder. 

   “You know, you can always stay at my place if they get too much.”

   “I know,” you smiled up at him, and he kissed the top of your head.

taglist: @redhead1180 @spideysimpossiblegirl @drwstarkeyy @princessmaybank @ijustwantttoread @kys4-20 @immyowndefender @julczimozart @m2m2m2 @mochimms @dorkyfangirl24

read part 4 here

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Do you think Rita’s assertion that albus lowkey stole someone else’s research on the 12 uses of dragons blood is true?

Thoughts on Rita Skeeter

Anon, you will probably be happier on other blogs.

To caveat, we of course don't know, Harry doesn't read that part of Rita's book nor look at her sources. And the Dumbledore Harry confronts later may very well be a hallucination, so we can't give too much credence to what he says either.

What I will say is that there are many people who at the time were desperate to defend Albus Dumbledore's legacy. We see one of them in Doge both in the article he writes and his discussion with Harry at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Rita had to write this book knowing that everything was going to be heavily scrutinized and torn apart by those looking to defend this man. And the thing about Rita is... she writes in a sensational manner, she has little scruples when it comes to getting her evidence and what she chooses to print, but she's usually not dead wrong and her exaggerations are usually in the form of "as Harry spoke he cried great tears of sadness" and not lies about anything concrete. In fact, in those cases, she usually tells it how it is (see her article in GoF on the world cup, everything she wrote did happen, the beef Arthur has is not that it was what happened just that she wrote it wrong/shouldn't have written it at all). Later, when slandering Hermione, Rita doesn't say things that didn't happen, where she goes beyond the pale is framing it and speculating on Hermione's motivations.

My point is, it'd be Rita's style to say "I think Dumbledore did this because he is a FUCKER" but not so much "he did this fuckery all the time". She states what a person did then... draws conclusions from that which may or may not be true (or kind, or flattering, or something that should be put in print about a fourteen-year-old Muggle-born).

Rita said a lot worse about Dumbledore that was supported by mounds of evidence to the point where Doge could only splutter "well, technically that's all true, but you're making it sound much worse and everyone should suspect that there's a more benign, if kind of ridiculous, explanation". And in terms of Ariana, what actually happened was even worse than Rita learned from Bathilda.

If Rita even insinuated that Dumbledore engaged in plagiarism, without backing it up, the likes of Doge and everyone else for that matter would have ripped the book apart.

But we never see them do that, not one person, no matter how much they hate it.

She also cites a very specific incident, not every paper he's ever done in his career, which lends itself to her having checked thoroughly. And if we do believe in Dumbledore's ghost, then he admits to doing it but justifies it with "well, I made the idea better anyway".

Consider how much people engage in plagiarism in the real world, even when they're honest with most of their other work. And that's with a large culture of anti-plagiarism and copyright that the Wizarding World sort of has (in the anti-cheating sense) but also sort of doesn't.

It's not shocking to me that Dumbledore would plagiarize, and I'd be shocked, in fact, if he was the only one canonically to do so.

So, in short, yes, I believe it.

[roosterforme]

I Would Never Hurt You | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley saw the bruises and knew what was going on, but he also knew you didn't need him the way he needed you.

Warnings: Angst and maybe a bit of fluff (TW: physical abuse and fighting)

Length: 3600 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Check my profile for my masterlist

You had to be ten years younger than him. Your body was elegant, and your voice was always a little melodic as you set down his drinks and said, "Just for you, Rooster," with a little smile for him. 

You were Bradley's favorite thing about the Hard Deck. Sure, it was fun to play pool and mess around with his friends, but you were the highlight. Your smile was flawless, lips so perfect, he thought about them when he was at home, alone. 

But you carried yourself with a bit of caution. You seemed to have the soul of someone who was a little bit used to the world knocking them down a peg no matter how hard they fought. 

Someone he could easily relate to.

"Almost last call," you told him where he sat at the bar. "You're never here this late, Rooster."

Of course you were correct. His friends had already left, and he was usually in bed by this time of night, but he'd had just the right amount of Jack Daniels tonight, so he easily convinced himself it was okay to stay. Stay and watch you work. 

He tipped his glass against his lips, finishing the last of his drink. "Yeah, well... it's the weekend. I can always sleep in tomorrow."

You laughed as you stacked up some clean glassware. "Something tells me that with a call sign like Rooster, you probably don't sleep in too often."

He would with you. He could imagine it so clearly, holding you against his body and keeping you warm. Pulling you back deeper into his bed every time you tried to get up. Kissing you until you agreed to stay with him all night. 

"I'd stay in bed if there was a good reason to," he told you softly, and he knew he was blushing. 

Your grin was something he loved to see. Making you smirk and smile was a game. "I'm sure you could find a good reason if you really wanted one. The ladies around here sure do love you guys."

He was too old for you. Too old and too broken. You were young enough that you could find someone who could take care of you. Someone who wasn't jaded. 

Bradley looked to his left and saw a much older woman a few stools down. "On that note, I think I'm fine alone, getting up early."

Your bright laughter made his smile grow. "Hey, she might be very young at heart," you whispered to him, leaning against the bartop. Bradley leaned a bit closer to you as well. "Any chance you'd walk me to my car?"

Bradley looked at those pretty lips up close, forcing himself to keep his hands on his glass rather than reach for the loose strands of your hair. "I'm always available for that."

"Thanks," you whispered, leaning in closer to him before pushing back to say goodnight to Jimmy and grab your stuff. He watched you slip on your sweatshirt while he left a hefty tip for you and Jimmy to split. And when you walked around the bar and came to a stop next to Bradley, the backs of your fingers rubbed his. 

He'd done this a few times before, walked you out to your little, white car and made sure it started up for you. He would do it as many times as you asked him to, certain he'd hate the day he saw you ask someone else. And as you pulled out and thanked him through the car window, he decided he wanted to make sure you didn't ask someone else. 

Bradley would ask you out on a date. You might say no. There was a pretty good chance you would say no. But he would get over it. He already had it in his mind that you'd never be his.

------------------------------

Days went by with no sign of you. Bradley saw every other bartender, and had them pour his drinks, but you weren't around. Finally he asked Jimmy where you'd been.

"She's been working earlier shifts all week. Something about needing a few nights off. Her boyfriend stopped in earlier to pick her up just before you got here."

Bradley's blood froze in his veins. "She has a boyfriend?" You had only been friendly to him. You'd never had the slightest interest. He really needed to remember that. 

"Just started up again with her ex, apparently," Jimmy said with a shrug before moving down the bar.

An ex. Bradley paid his tab and went home.  

He had almost gotten used to not seeing you around, because when he arrived at the Hard Deck on Saturday night and saw you behind the bar, his heart skipped around in his chest. "Rooster! Hi!" you greeted him, leaning across the bar to get closer to him. "Jack and Coke?"

Bradley nodded slightly. You were wearing a lot of makeup tonight. You still looked beautiful, but Bradley could tell that your cheek was bruised and a little swollen. His fists clenched, and his throat tightened. But body seemed to understand what was going on before his brain worked it out. 

"Are you okay?" he asked you softly when you set his drink down in front of him. Your eyes were unguarded as they met his, and Bradley openly studied your face. "You can tell me if you're not."

And that's all it took for you to drop your guard back in place. Now you were showing him the face you saved for everybody else. "I'm fine, Rooster," you said with a smile. "It's good to see you."

Bradley just nodded and took his drink to the pool table. But his thoughts remained on you, even when he forced himself not to look toward the bar. You got back with your ex, and now Bradley didn't just dislike the guy, he hated him. Because if there was a chance you were with someone else who was sweet to you, Bradley would have admitted that was a good thing. But now he felt like he wanted to protect you, and there was no way you were ever going to let him.

-------------------------

"Just for you, Rooster," you said, setting down his drink with a smirk. Your face looked better now, a week later, but Bradley reached out and grabbed your hand before you could walk away. Your gaze snapped up to look at him. 

"You're okay?" he asked, pressing your palm against the bar top and resting his hand over yours. It felt so good to touch you, he was going to think about this when he thought about your lips. 

You swallowed hard and nodded, but you didn't move your hand or try to pull away. "Yeah."

He wanted to believe you. "I don't think you need to put up with anybody's shit," he told you, running his thumb along your knuckles before releasing your hand. But you didn't move right away.

"You're sweet," you whispered before you got back to work.

When you asked Bradley to walk you to your car, he made sure it started before leaning down to your open window. "I don't want to see bruises on your pretty face again."

"Rooster," you whispered. He was weak. He wanted to kiss you. He almost went for it, but you shifted your car into reverse and left without looking at him again. 

---------------------------

You looked happy. It had been a few weeks since he noticed the bruises. Maybe you'd broken up with him again. Or maybe he started to recognize that he needed to treat you right. Either way, your smile made him smile too. 

"Rooster," you sang, handing him his first drink of the night. "Let me know when you need another." 

He drank it quickly, wanting to get back to the bar to talk to you again. He did realize how ridiculous that made him, but he couldn't be bothered with caring. 

"I'll take a beer for Phoenix, too," he told you after a while. The bar was busy now, so he had to wait a minute while you mixed another cocktail. He didn't mind. He liked watching you work. Your lips were pursed in concentration, and he couldn't have looked away if he tried.  

But when you set his drink down, his curiosity got the best of him. He leaned closer to you, and you leaned in as well. "Did you dump him?" he asked you, just loud enough to be heard over the music. Less than twelve inches separated your face and his, and he watched you weighing your response. 

"Hey!" called a voice from behind Bradley. Your eyes went wide and you backed away, so Bradley turned to see who was there.

"Mark! Hi!" you said, and Bradley had to watch Mark lean across the bar and kiss your cheek. The same perfect cheek he had bruised. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to check on my girl," Mark told you, and Bradley had to fight for control of his hands. Mark eyed him up, and Bradley got the terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had just made your life harder. Mark must have seen how closely you and he were talking. 

But none of that really mattered, because you looked scared. You looked apprehensive the entire time Mark was there. Bradley could handle the looks Mark was giving him, but he couldn't handle the way he was looking at you. 

"See you later," Mark eventually told you, stroking your cheek with his thumb. Like a warning. 

As soon as he was gone, Bradley made eye contact with you again. "You need to break up with him."

You licked your lips and tried to look anywhere but Bradley's face. But nobody was waiting for a drink. Nobody else was there to distract you.

"I tried," you whispered, slowly raising your gaze to meet his. "I tried. Usually he's not so bad, you know? But I tried to leave him again, and he won't let me." 

Bradley clenched and unclenched his fists on the bar. Your eyes tracked the movement, and he forced himself to be still, so as not to startle you any further. "He doesn't get to touch you like that. Nobody does," Bradley told you, and the look of open longing on your face was new to him.

"You're sweet," you told him again, turning toward the other end of the bar.

---------------------------

Bradley got to the bar early. He hadn't seen you in about a week again, and he was worried. He wanted to know that you were okay. He wanted to hear you lie to him. 

When he was shooting pool, he saw you walk in for your shift, and he smiled, knowing you'd be the one to make his next drink for him. He waited to hear the words, "Get us a round, Rooster!" fall from Nat's lips, and he was off toward the bar in a flash. 

Your back was to him, so he said your name. Bradley's heart leapt as you glanced over your shoulder at him. "I'll take a round."

You nodded, but didn't fully face him. Bradley felt nervous as you got the drinks ready, and by the time you brought them to him and showed him your face, he was raging mad. 

"No," he whispered, but you refused to meet his eyes. Your bottom lip was split. Your perfect lip. "He did that?"

You gave no indication that you could even hear Bradley as you went about your tasks. He let you go, but he didn't move to take the drinks to his friends. He would wait you out. 

Finally you looked at him. "Yeah, Rooster. He did. He saw me talking to you, said I was a little too close to another guy for his liking. And then he hit me." 

Bradley watched the tears well in your eyes before you set down the glass in your hand and made a beeline for the bathroom. He knew better than to follow, no matter how much he was aching to take care of you. 

So he took the drinks to his friends and kept an eye on the door, making sure Mark didn't show up again. But Bradley stayed until closing time. When you didn't ask him to walk you to your car, he offered.

"No," you said, shaking your head. 

"You're scared of him," Bradley said. But you refused to respond. "Give me your keys and stay here. I'll pull your car up to the door."

That did it. You were finally looking at him with that same longing as before. Then you reached into your bag and handed him your car keys. Bradley parked your car right outside, and closed your door for you after you climbed in. When you rolled the window down to thank him with tears in your eyes, Bradley brushed your hair back from your cheek. 

"Don't sell yourself short," was all he said before you drove away.

-----------------------------

Your lip was still a mess the next time Bradley saw you. It was evident you should have had stitches as soon as it was split. Now you were covering the bruising around it with makeup as well as you could, and Bradley wondered what bullshit excuses you were giving for the way you looked. 

He made eye contact with you, and the soft smile on your lips made him ache. When you made him a drink, you lingered a second when you dropped it off. "Just for you, Rooster," you told him. 

Bradley watched you work, and it calmed him down. He watched your elegant movements and the care with which you did everything. You should have had a boyfriend who worshipped you. Bradley ordered another drink and then another, anything to get you closer to him again. 

"You're thirsty tonight," you remarked, dropping off another drink for him, your eyes lingering on his. 

"I really am," he replied, smiling as he memorized the way you looked. You were so pretty, split lip and all. 

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Bradley turned just in time to see Mark reach across the bar and yank on your hand. "What did I tell you last time?" 

He pulled you so hard, it looked like your shoulder was about to be dislocated. Jimmy and all of the patrons turned his way as well, but Mark didn't let you go. Instead he told you to go outside with him. 

"No," Bradley said, standing to his full height. "Let's you and me go outside instead."

Mark laughed, but he let go of you, leaving you wincing and grabbing at your shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" Bradley asked you softly. You nodded and looked like you were going to cry, but you went to stand beside Jimmy, so Bradley figured it was okay to leave you inside. 

"Is she fucking you?" Mark asked Bradley, and he immediately saw red. "She is, isn't she?"

Mark was pretty big, but Bradley was angry enough to derail a train. "Outside," he growled. 

Mark followed him and took a swing as Bradley turned to face him on the patio. Bradley dodged it, immediately wishing he hadn't had three drinks. He went on the defensive, avoiding the erratic punches as best he could. But Bradley took one in the stomach to be able to get his arms around the other guy. But Mark pulled out of Bradley's grasp quickly.

"I knew she was a slut. She even talked about you walking her to her car. Such a dumb bitch."

Bradley punched him in the face and sent him staggering backwards. He was so mad, he could barely control his body, but his voice was calm. "Don't talk about her like that."

Mark laughed, blood dripping from his nose. "She'll keep coming back to me over and over again. All I have to do is wait."

Bradley was ready to swing again as he said, "She's not coming back this time."

Mark paced back and forth, and Bradley considered that maybe taking a few hits would appease this asshole. So he played the part of punching bag, letting Mark land his fist to Bradley's ribs before he threw Mark to the ground.

Mark got up and shook himself off, heading across the parking lot, and shouting, "You want her, old man? You keep her until she comes crawling back to me."

Bradley made sure he left before going back inside. Jimmy seemed to be doing a good job of keeping everyone's attention away from you, wherever you had gone. 

"She's in the back," Nat told him, running her hands over his beat up knuckles and looking him in the eye. "You really care about her."

Bradley just nodded and headed into the Employees Only area. You turned to him, wiping the tears from your eyes. 

"Are you okay?" you asked him, lips trembling. 

"Of course." He was more concerned about you than anything else. "Don't call him. Don't go back to him," Bradley said, running his thumb along your chin, just below your lip. "Please."

"I won't," you promised. 

----------------------------

When he saw you again, you kept your distance more than he would have liked. And slowly that became the new normal. You dropped his drinks off with a small smile and a greeting, but nothing more. You hadn't asked him to walk you to your car. And now Bradley was back to pining in silence. 

But at least you weren't bruised. You weren't covering your face in makeup. So he would take the distance over knowing someone was hurting you. 

Maybe you just needed some space and some time alone. Bradley was pretty certain he'd made his feelings about you clear. So he would wait. He wouldn't say anything. 

"Mission: Get the birthday boy drunk," Phoenix announced on June 27th, much to Bradley's annoyance. He didn't want to be drunk. If he was drunk, he wouldn't be able to focus on you as well. It didn't matter though, because no sooner had Phoenix made her announcement and then you were there, delivering shots to the pool table. 

You handed him the first one with a grin. "Jack Daniels for the birthday boy," you said a little breathlessly, while Bradley examined your lip. It looked a lot better. You'd most certainly have a little scar there, which he would always look for now, but it had healed nicely. 

He realized he was staring. "Thanks," he told you, downing the shot while his friends all cheered. One shot turned into several, and Bradley noticed that Phoenix somehow had you delivering all of them to him by hand. 

He was feeling warm now, and a lot more secure with knowing you were going to be okay. But after he was a little tipsy, he asked you, "Have you seen Mark?" As soon as he asked, he wished he hadn't, because you put on that guarded expression you seemed to give everyone else. "Don't bullshit me."

Your eyes went a little wide and your lips parted. "I wouldn't bullshit you, Rooster. No... I haven't seen him in a few weeks. He was calling and calling so I changed my number."

Bradley felt instant relief wash through him along with the alcohol. "Good. That's what I like to hear, baby. And you'll let me start walking you to your car again? I always love doing that."

"You do?" you asked, looking around to see who was nearby. "Did you just call me baby?"

There was no sense in trying to deny it. He said it, and you heard him. "Yeah."

"Bradley." You never called him that. You always used his call sign. You used everybody's call sign. "Come here."

You backed away from the crowded pool table closer to where the ancient piano sat, and he followed you willingly, an apology already on his lips. But he was having a hard time saying the words. Sure, he was tipsy, but he wasn't sorry. He would just let you reject him once and for all. The clean cut would make things easier.

"Your lip looks better now... looks good. Like it's healing."

"Bradley," you whispered again, holding your empty tray in front of you.

"Your lips always look good. So pretty. Like lips I would kiss."

Bradley watched you toss your tray carelessly onto the piano bench and wrap your arms around his waist. You moved closer and closer until you were gently pressed up against him. His breathing grew ragged as he wrapped one big hand around the back of your neck and stroked your scarred lip with his thumb. "I would never hurt you," he whispered. 

You pressed up onto your toes and said, "I know that," before you kissed him with those perfect lips.

Bradley was aware his friends were hollering and freaking out, but he just kept kissing you. But soon you were smiling against his lips and telling him you needed to get back to work.

"I'll let you go after you promise me I can walk you to your car later."

You smiled and kissed him one more time. "You can walk me to my car later. And you can have my phone number too."

Bradley smiled as you walked away, and he parked himself on a barstool right in front of you for the rest of the night, watching your elegant movements while you talked to him.

-----------------------------

Thanks for reading this one, guys. If you're struggling, please don't struggle alone. I'm always available to chat, and there are so many people who care about you. Big thanks to @bradshawsbitch

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