#can i just be cool and interesting for once

[ace-of-bass]

Also: Building community is not just an outreach tool. It is a tool of keeping ourselves safe and keeping resources available to all. Offering things on social media like rides to abortion clinics, or diy hrt, or anything else that is perhaps not-totally-legal in all places, is not a great strategy. For one, you shouldn't trust strangers on the internet with information that sensitive, so those you are offering those services to would do well not to trust you. If you want to meaningfully contribute to providing things such as the above, or even more legal-but-logistically-complex things like feeding a large number of people, handing out narcan, etc, you need to organize in person. How do you organize in person? By meeting people in person, aka building community.

If this is your goal, you can start with people who are very similar to you! You don't have to start by reaching out to Alt Right David or even Annoying Uncle Bill - you can start by going to a local show or a group that meets at the library or hanging out with your D&D group when you're not actively playing D&D. Then, you have friends that you can rely on to take care of you, and who you might be able to plan some cool mutual aid shit with. I've been working on building community for awhile, at first not intentionally and lately very intentionally, and here's how I met the group of friends I started a monthly free store with:

1. Met Friend A at a choir thing since I like to sing and was looking for friends after moving somewhere new. Friend A ultimately left choir but we stayed friends, and at one point I told Friend A I'm ace.

2. Friend A said, "oh you'd love my friend B, who's also ace! She's doing a comedy show, let's go see her perform together and then you can meet her!"

3. Friend B and I become friends, and start a local peer support group for aspec people, based mostly on Friend B's existing communities and our sheer determination.

4. Fast forward a year and a half, Friend C comes to our aspec peer support group and I become friends with her.

5. Friend C and I are talking about activism, and Friend C says a lot of the things I'm interested in aligns with what Friend D has talked to her about. Friend C introduces me to Friend D.

6. Independently, I have been building a community space on my street, in the rough neighborhood of where Friend C, Friend D, and I live.

7. Friend D and I want to create a solarpunk future but decide to start small. Friend D ropes in several of his friends, one of whom I happen to know from the community space mentioned in 6.

8. This group of friends runs a free store once a month in the community space, open for all to donate to and all to attend. As we find out about others who are doing/want to do similar things, we try to join forces. In this way we've expanded from just a free store to a free store + clothing swap, and we're only on our third time hosting it.

All of these friends are lefty, and all of them are queer in some way or another. The free store friends are explicitly anarchist, like me. I think OP's point is useful for deradicalization and for growing the movement, but if you are alone and you are scared, encouragement to build community is just as much about finding your people in person as it is about forming coalitions with those different in you.

Another important note is that finding people like you should be a starting point, not an ending point. The goal of this is not to find friends, though that's a good start. The goal is to build dual power, which is done by working together with others and having open doors to join the movement. Once you've found some friends or communities, work to ensure that they are open to all, that you are reaching the people who most need the work you are doing, and that you are not simply making yourself feel good or just having a good time with your friends.

Activism is not cold-calling.

Activism is not cold-calling, and this is critically important to understand.

I'm seeing a lot of posts on here about 'building bridges' and 'finding community,' and then (extremely valid) response posts saying "BUT HOW??" And I'm going to explain something that can be very counter-intuitive: there is strategy involved in community.

As a longtime volunteer labour organizer, I’ve taken and taught many trainings on the strategy of talking. Something that surprises a lot of people is the very first thing you do in a union campaign. You sit down with your organizing committee, take out pen and paper, and literally map it out. You draw a physical map of the workplace: where are the entrances, exits, break rooms, supervisor offices. Essentially, ‘where is it safe to have a union conversation.’ Then you draw another physical chart of your coworkers. You sort out who is union-friendly, openly hostile to unions, or somewhere in the middle, and then you plan out very deliberately and carefully who talks to whom and in what order.

Consider: If Vocally Leftist Jane walks up to Conservative David and says "hey what do you think about unions," David is going to shut down immediately. He's not inclined to listen to Jane. But if Jane talks to Moderate Jason and brings him into the fold, then Jason is a far more effective strategic choice to talk to David, and David may actually hear him out without an instant reaction.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT: If Conservative David turns out to be Alt-Right David, and could be dangerous to follow organizers, we write him off. We are not trying to reach Alt-Right David. We are trying to reach Conservative David, who may actually be persuaded to find solidarity with other employees as fellow workers. Jason is a safe scout to find out which one he is. It does no one any good if Leftist Jane (or even Moderate Jane who is a visible minority) talks to Alt-Right David and puts herself on his radar. Not only has she done nothing to convince Alt-Right David to join a union - she's probably actively turned him against the idea - but now she's also in danger and the entire campaign is at risk. NOBODY WANTS THIS. Jane was NOT a hero for doing this. The organizing committee was foolish and enacted a terrible strategy to everyone's detriment.

Where you can make a difference is with people who will listen to you. You having a conversation with your well-meaning but clueless Centrist Democrat Auntie, and maybe gently helping her understand some things the media has been glossing over, is way more strategically useful than you marching up to MAGA Neighbour You've Met Once and trying to "build community" or "understand" them. They don't care. They're impervious, dangerous, and cruel. But maybe your beloved auntie will think about what you said, and then talk to her friend Anna who IDs as "fiscally conservative" but didn't vote because she can't bring herself to get on board with Trump. Then perhaps Anna talks to her brother Nic who has MAGA leanings but isn't all the way there yet. Proto-MAGA Nic would not have listened to you, nor would he have listened to Centrist Democrat Auntie, but he might absorb some of what his sister is saying.

This is not a cop-out or an echo chamber. This is you spending your time and energy strategically and safely. You are not a useful activist to anyone if you’re dead. Anyone who is telling you to hurl yourself directly at MAGA assholes like cannon fodder has no understanding of the strategy behind community building, and you should feel comfortable writing them off.

Last point: If you are tired, emotionally devastated, and/or in danger: take a break. This post is for people who would feel better jumping into action, not for people who are too overwhelmed to even think about it right now. You are worth so much even if you’re not actively Doing Activism, and your rest is worth more than “a break period so you can recharge and Do More Activism.” We all deserve the individual dignity of being worthy of comfort, rest & safety just on the basis of being human, outside of whatever we're doing for others' benefit. To deny ourselves that dignity is to devalue ourselves, and that’s the absolute last thing any of us should be doing right now.

[theitgirlnetwork]

What Are You Willing To Do?

Ch. 2: Date 1 Pt. 1

Note: Thank you so much for the love you all have been showing this story so far! Thank you for reading, and for the kinds messages I have received thus far! I love interacting and seeing your thoughts and comments so keep 'em coming. I want to take this time to remind you that these characters will be flawed. Rafe is....Rafe, but we love him anyway. And Milan is...someone who is compatible with Rafe. They won't always be the depiction of a healthy relationship, but this is fiction and fun. This chapter isn't too bad, but those who have read the snippet know how it's gonna get. Once again, I have songs for this ship so if anyone is interested in them let me know, and feel free to share some with me if you catch a vibe. Finally, let me know if you have any questions or comments. Other than that, I hope you enjoy. This one is a lot shorter than chapter 1, but it is a 2 parter, so don't hate me. Love ya! <3333

“Wait.”

Rafe pauses, loosening his grip on Milan’s hair and pulling back slightly, irritated that she’d stopped him just as their lips brushed and she breathed the smoke he’d just poured into her mouth between them. “What? What’s up?”

“I don’t,” She sighs, her cool breath on his face, eyes still shut as if she’s forcing herself to pause this moment between them. “I don’t just hook up with guys, you know? Maybe we could…I dunno.”

Oh. Oh. Rafe understands. He’d…he’d forgotten himself for a moment. This isn’t some touron stumbling onto the couch next to him, throwing herself at him. She wasn’t one of those gold digging bitches that tries to fuck  him with faulty condoms in the bottom of her purse. She’s the kind of girl who has her own shit. She doesn’t need him for a come up. Or at least she doesn’t think she does. 

He arrogantly thinks to himself that Milan hasn’t met a man like Rafe Cameron. He’s spent most of his life preparing, becoming the type of man that can run his family, keep them safe and comfortable. The type of son fathers are proud to have and the type of man women want to give a baby. That’s the man who he’s made himself be. 

Rafe had been so focused, only allotting himself time for a little bit of fun once in a while, he’d forgotten that one day he might stumble across a girl that had the potential to be a woman. His woman. 

He nods slowly, a small smile forming on his face as he pulls back more, releasing her head completely and smoothing his hand back onto her knee. “Nah, I get it. We should get to know each other a little better. How ‘bout you spend the day with me tomorrow?”

Milan perches herself up at that, back straightening even more as her face lights up. “Really? You wanna spend the day with me?”

Rafe rests his head back on the top of the couch, sweeping his thumb on her bottom lip before biting his own and nodding. “Yeah, I wanna show you a good time. Get you a little more comfortable with me so I can kiss those pretty lips of yours.”

Both sets.

“Okay, wait, I’m excited. You’re gonna be my first friend here.”

“Friend?” Rafe scoffs. “‘M’not gonna be your friend, Princess.”

“Well,” Milan shrugs, “Like, I don’t know what I could call you, you’re not my man-”

“Yet. Not your man yet.” He and the woman next to him share twin smiles and Rafe only becomes more invigorated by Milan’s eyeroll and shy grin. “Roll your eyes if you want to, I’m a determined guy.” 

“Determined?”

“Yeah, like I know what I like, I work for what I want, so-”

“So what?” Milan giggles, “You…you want me? I should get ready or something?”

“Yeah.” Rafe says flippantly, as if he wasn’t essentially making a threat of courtship to a girl he’d just met like 12 hours before. He wasn’t quite sure what he’d fully wanted from her yet. But the need to have her was nagging at him. Maybe it was lust. She was hot, forbidden fruit for him. He could hear the curses Ward would spit at him now if he fucked around and ruined things with this girl, made an enemy of her dad. Maybe it was how sweet she seems. He’s always liked shiny, new things. When he was a kid, he had to have stuff before his friends did. Toys. Shoes. Stocks. Maybe he’s graduated to feeling that way about women. 

Something about how he doesn’t want to look away. Something about the way she was smiling at him, how he’s talked to her the most, how in a room full of guys drooling over her, those big pretty eyes were locked on him. Rafe felt like he had to look into this weird feeling she’s been stirring in his chest since he’d seen her. 

It’s what’s best for Milan anyway. None of the rest of these limp dick motherfuckers should have her. They’re not real men. Not like Rafe.

Milan hums as she removes the golden under eye patches from under her eyes, massaging in the serum they leave atop of her skin. Grimacing at a gust of damp wind from outside she pads against the marble floor of her bathroom and pushes the double doors leading to the patio attached closed. “Stupid, island humidity.” She pouts as she combs through her bob again, praying for no puffiness today.

The sky fights to brighten in the early morning. It’s 5:00 a.m. and Rafe Cameron was going to be picking her up in 30 minutes. 

After the party last night Sarah had run over to her on the front lawn, hugging her tightly before declaring she was going home with John B. and offering for Milan to come with them. When she declines with a smile, the blonde fixes her brother with a glare, to which he’d returned with a middle finger, and stumbled off in her man’s arms. 

Rafe drove Milan back to her house and parked them out front, eyes carefully rotating between staring at Milan sitting pretty in his passenger seat, and watching for a sign of her father at the door. He let her toy with his fingers as she fluttered her lashes at him and he described what he does throughout the day, Or, rather, what they’d be doing today.

When he’d mentioned picking her up after the gym Milan had jumped at the opportunity to go with him. She loved going to the gym every morning before she’d moved and she was happy to keep it going. And it wouldn’t hurt to see Rafe work out. 

It was all she could think about. It’s not just his height. Even though he’s so…so tall. At least 6’2. Rafe is big. Muscle. Strength. Yesterday he’d basically hoisted her full weight into his truck with one arm. The preppy boy polo that he’d thrown on for their families hadn’t hidden anything and his tight crew neck that he wore to the party basically outlined everything for her. 

She quite literally wanted him to throw her around like a ragdoll. Or let her climb him like a tree. Whatever, Rafe is hot. 

He has an intense vibe, seemingly takes himself very seriously. But, Milan figures she could relax him. Loosen him up a little bit. 

They were gonna have so much fun. Smiling at her own reflection in the mirror, Milan spritzes vanilla Sol de Janeiro and all but fucking skips down the steps and to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Miss Milan, you’re awake early. I just started prepping for breakfast, but I could make you a coffee while you wait.” The private chef that her parents had hired a couple years ago had made the move with them. They’d paid for her to come with them to Outer Banks and offered to increase her salary because…well…it wasn’t their nice home in Quebec that she was used to. 

“No, thank you, Miss Ally.” Milan reaches over, stealing a newly washed strawberry and biting into it. “And my parents aren’t awake, right?”

“Of course not. You know your mother won’t roll out of bed until she smells the food cooking and your dad won’t come until I’ve had to warm it up twice. Why? Are you alright, honey?”

The younger woman nods, tossing the green stem into the trash and reaching for two travel cups. “Can you keep a secret? I have, like, a date today.” 

“Like a date?”

“Yeah, with a guy. He’s really cute, and sweet. So,” Milan begins sifting matcha, smiling down at the cup and resting her cheek on her shoulder. “‘M’gonna hang out with him today.”

“Less than 48 hours and there’s a boy, huh? Atta girl.” Miss Ally passes Milan the vanilla protein powder. “You’ve been worried about the move, thinking it was a bad idea, and here you are making friends.”

“Mhm, hot ones. With blue eyes and dimples.”

“And where,” Ally nudges Milan out of the way as she pours the hot water into the travel mug, “am I supposed to tell your parents you are when you’re out with Mr. Blue Eyes and Dimples?” 

“Touring the island.” She chirps. 

“With who?”

“Just like…generally. They should be cool with it honestly, I just know they’re gonna make it weird, but like, he’s the son of Dad’s first friend here so he shouldn’t be mad. How come he gets a boyfriend and I don’t?”

“Oh, just say that to your parents, I’m sure they’ll go for it then.” Ally snorts, whisking the eggs as Milan seals the travel mugs, laughing to herself as the girl slides both of the pink cups to the end of the counter next to her gym bag.

When Rafe pulls up outside of the Cabot house, he texts Milan before hopping out of his truck and jogging up the cobblestone. He agreed not to ring the doorbell because her parents were awake but he’d be damned if he didn’t pick her up at the door. 

As he stands on at the doorstep he adjusts the hat he has rested on his head and rocks on his feet impatiently. He isn’t waiting long. The door swings open and he’s immediately hit with the sweet smell of vanilla and soon after is met with the walking wet dream carrying the scent. 

“Good morning!” Milan grins, tossing her arms around his neck, bouncing up into his arms. Rafe isn’t fucking stupid, he’s quick to catch her around the waist and squeeze, relishing in the feeling of her pressed against him. 

“Morning, princess.” he murmurs into her hair, squeezing her again for good measure before placing her back on her feet.  “You, uh, you always go to the gym in shit like that?”

“Shit like what? Stop.” she laughs as he snaps the elastic of her leggings. 

“You just look good. That’s all I’m sayin’.” He chews the gum in his mouth and nudges her chin with his knuckle, mumbling, “Watch your mouth.”

“Yeah? Thank you.” she grins, looking away from him briefly. “I made…I made you something, like a gym drink or whatever.

“That’s cute sweetheart, what do you like me or somethin’?” Rafe snorts, choosing to ignore the fact that the travel mug she was pushing into his hands was bubble gum pink. He holds his hand out to her, not even looking back as he starts guiding her over to his truck. When he hears a little shuffle from her he looks back and glances down at her feet. ���What the fuck, your shoes aren’t tied.”

“Okay, one of them untied when I was making you this delicious protein shake and I didn’t wanna make you wait-” 

“Christ.” Rafe grunts, unlocking his car and wrenching the door open, planting his hands on Milan’s waist and hoisting her into the seat easily. He tugs her foot onto his lap and begins tying the lace of her sneaker tightly. “Gonna break your fuckin’ neck.”

“I wasn’t gonna fall, Rafe-”

“You literally were letting me drag you down those steps.” When he’s done Rafe lifts her leg into the car, closing the door and walking around the driver’s side and climbing in. After he clicks his seatbelt on, he pauses and frowns when he sees Milan’s pout staring forward at the road. He puffs out a breath. “What? What’s wrong?”

“You haven’t said ‘thank you’. For your drink.” 

“Wh-are you serious?”

“Yes. You seriously haven’t said ‘thank you.’” 

“Uh…” Rafe’s brows furrow as he observes the girl. Arms crossed, dramatic frown on her pretty, glossed lips, knees pointed away from him. “Th-thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” she immediately warms up, clicking her own seatbelt on and taking a sip of her drink, moving back to the middle of her seat. As Rafe tries to sort through what quick, guerilla warfare he’d just experienced, he starts driving the car. 

So that’s her game. She’s cute and pretty and pouts like a fuckin’ brat when she doesn’t feel like she’s getting what she wants. Or someone is saying something she doesn’t wanna hear. All she’s showing me is that I’m exactly what she needs.

“M’just sayin’ like your shirt’s a little slutty. Like it’s tight, I can see your nipples and everything.”

“Don’t say shit like that, what the fuck?” 

“It’s like tight and stuff, like it’s a little bit of a hoochie shirt.” 

“Hoo-hoochie shirt. Fuckin’ brat.” Rafe shakes his head. In the time it’s taken to drive to the gym and for Rafe to put his card down to get Milan a temporary membership, she’d clearly been trying to test him. She was pushing boundaries to see what he would and wouldn’t accept. And he would try to be patient. But the jokes weren’t gonna be as funny when he was using her mouth for what he really wanted to use it for. Not now. He had to wait. To humor her. She was cute. He’d give her that. Maybe he needed to be cute back. “Don’t work out in the damn shirt anyway,” 

Milan’s eyes widen as she stares up at Rafe from where she’s stretching on the floor. She bites her lip and shifts her gaze to herself in the mirror as he easily tugs the tight shirt off of his chiseled muscles, tossing it into his gym bag next to her. 

Jesus. She bites her lip, berating herself inwardly as she glances at the tanned skin he was now baring for the world to see, six pack on display as he starts doing some standing stretches. “Here, sweetheart.” Rafe crouches next to her, pushing one of his airpods into her ear. “You, uh, didn’t have headphones, so you can just listen to my shit.”

“Can we make a spotify jam?”

“What?”

“So, I can add songs too, can we make a jam? And we’d be listening to the same thing, at the same time, you know?”

“I mean, yeah, sure why the fuck not? You’re not gonna add any corny shit are you? M’trustin’ you with my workout. Like that’s pretty fuckin’ special.”

“Oh my God, Rafe, I’m…I’m sure we have basically the same taste in music.”

Rafe and Milan are at war for essentially their whole warm up. They agree to separate for cardio and then meet back up for them both to try some of each other’s usual workouts. With the shared music blasting in their ears, they both still felt like they were hanging out for the 40 minutes that they are apart. Rafe spent half of his run on the treadmill listening to Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter’s discographies while Milan genuinely flinched on the stairmaster with Travis Scott and 50 Cent pounding against her ear drums. Both of them looking at each other with sick satisfaction when it was their turn to pick a song, making a game out of picking something they thought would irritate the other more. 

Rafe had finally had enough and started skipping Milan’s picks when the High School Musical Soundtrack started playing, eventually coming to pluck her off of her machine to start doing weights as Troy began singing about wanting his own dream. 

By now they’d both finished their protein shakes and felt like they had a lot of energy. Well, at least they both did. Until Rafe started making Milan do his workouts.

She was both turned on and enraged as he demonstrates different forms of weightlifting, chuckling at her deeply as she struggles to do another set. “Mmkay, okay, that’s enough, I’m done with that.”

“Nah, you didn’t even finish that one, c’mon let’s go.”

“Rafe, no” she whines getting off of the bench. Milan immediately gasps as Rafe fists the fabric at the front of her leggings, lifting her off of her feet and physically placing her back onto the equipment. 

Slapping her thigh, he offers her a no-nonsense look that lets her know that she isn’t getting up until she completes this workout to his satisfaction. “Baby, let’s go, stop fuckin’ around.”

Shit. Yes sir. “I want…breakfast food after this. Like, waffles, and butter and stuff.”

“'Let me come to the gym with you, Rafe. I wanna where my cute little outfit and not workout.'”

“Asshole.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Wait…until we start doing my pilates workout. All those muscles will mean…nothing.”

“Yeah, you like ‘em?” He smirks, grabbing the weight to ease it down against her before helping her off. “That your excuse? Can’t focus?”

“Stop…being mean, worst date ever.” She whines, leaning her head against his chest. 

Rafe pats Milan’s ass twice before nudging her into the direction of the next machine. "Best fuckin' date of your life, brat."

“Are you gonna keep staring at my butt or are you gonna try again?” Milan calls over to Rafe. 

“My body is not built for that girly shit. You keep goin’ though.” He says. Milan rolls her eyes and continues on the machine, pausing when she sees the reflection of a camera flash in the mirror. “Damn, flash was on.”

“Rafe!”

“You look good, baby. I thought you’d like me to be all sentimental and shit, capture our first date.”

“Oh my God. You’re like, not even working out at this point.”

He shrugs, tilting his head to get a better view of her. “You’re the one who got an attitude when that girl asked me to spot her and made us change floors.

“She saw you with me.” Milan hisses through her teeth, pausing her movements. “She was trying to be funny.” 

“Think so?” Rafe scoffs, squirting water into his mouth from the bottle he’d kept in his bag. 

“Yeah, but if you liked the attention you could go back down.”

Rafe wets his bottom lip at that. Being at the gym with Milan has been fun. Turns out, he likes talking to her, which is more than what he could say for the majority of the population. She’s sexy, and doesn’t mind him being handsy. She seemed to all but expect him to pat her ass in encouragement after she finishes anything. She likes for him to teach her, guide her movements, place her on and off of machines. She likes to whine and have him sort her out. And she’s possessive. Jealous. Normally the concept of having someone police him sounds emasculating and unacceptable to Rafe. But watching her pretty little face turn into a scowl as she watched girls check him out or come up to him like they always did in the gym? It turned him on bad. 

She matched his crazy. It didn’t matter that it was their first date, the same way Rafe’s lip curled in disgust as he caught the fuckheads wandering the gym eyeing her before he stepped in their line of vision, Milan would physically place herself in front of his view, guiding his eyes to her and away from any girl delusional enough to think they were as bad as her.

But her mouth when she’s frustrated. That was something Rafe was gonna have to work on. Lucky for the both of them, a stern warning seemed to be enough for now. Rafe stalks over to where she’s sitting, stepping on the machine behind her and wrapping his hand loosely around her neck, pushing the back of her head to rest on the front of his stomach. Milan looks up at him through her lashes, as he pushes his thumb into her cheek, encouraging her to open her mouth and squirting a little water in from his water bottle. He fixes her with a disapproving look. “Chill out. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“I followed you up here, right?”

“Yeah.” she says softly, leaning into his hand.

“Alright then. Let’s not worry about the wrong things.”

After 3 hours at the gym the two of them hit the showers, separately despite both of their hesitation to separate again. They walk out of the building in different clothes and Rafe’s arm strewn over Milan’s shoulder, holding her hand where it came up to meet his own. He has to hide his smirk when he catches her making eye contact with the girl who’d asked Rafe to spot her as they walked out, a bright smile on her face. 

He was starting to like this pretty little thing more and more. Rafe lifts her back into the car, this time buckling her seatbelt for her before getting into the driver’s side. He finds that Milan can talk…a lot. She has jumped from topic to topic in the 15 minute drive more than Rafe thinks he can in 2 hours. He’s surprised to find he doesn’t find her annoying. Rafe finds his cheeks dimpling as he listens to her yap about her favorite tv shows, a movie she wants him to watch, her plans for her next nails set and thinking about getting highlights in her hair.

All the while she rubs his bicep, leaning into him as he holds her thigh in his large hand. He offers her small mumbles of acknowledgement to let her know he’s still listening. ‘Hm.’ ‘Yeah?’ ‘Sound’s good, baby.’ 

“You’re not listening to me.” she sighs, looking out the window as they pull into the restaurant. “M’talkin’ too much.”

“Nah, I like that shit. I’d let you know if I’d had enough.” Rafe places his hand on the back of her headrest as he backs into the spot. “But, uh, my head’s always movin’ right? I’m thinkin’ while I listen.”

Milan watches as he shifts gears and places his truck in the middle of two spots, declaring under his breath he doesn’t want anyone ‘fuckin’ up his truck’ to justify taking up two spots. “So…okay. What’re you, like, thinking about? While you’re listening to me.”

“Uh, honestly?” He asks. Intense blue eyes rest on soft brown ones. Milan just nods, turning more toward him. “How fuckin’ hot you are. Pretty fuckin’ distracting.”

“Oh.” She says.

“Yeah. Oh. Does that throw you off or something, like, oh is a weird response-”

“No, I was just saying oh, like-”

“Okay, because, I’m being pretty fuckin’ clear and you’re-”

Milan unclips her seatbelt quickly. Before Rafe can blink her soft lips are pressed against his and before he can kiss her back she’s back in her seat, pulling down the mirror and fumbling in her purse for her lipgloss. “I wasn’t supposed to kiss you until our first date was over. I can’t believe I did that. Oh my God.” Rafe chuckles lowly as she fumbles in her purse, dropping it and spilling its contents all over her lap and the floor of the car. “Oh my God.”

“Did you, uh,” He pauses, trying not to openly bark out a laugh at her, scratching his head. “Did you only bring lip gloss and perfume? Like, no wallet. At all.”

“Okay…” Milan starts slowly, “I understand that looks bad, and like, people believe in that 50-50 stuff now, and so I shouldn’t-”

“Baby, the fuck do I look like? I wouldn’t be taking you out if I couldn’t afford to, I’m not a fuckin’ pogue.”

“A what?”

“Don’t worry about it. And don’t worry about that fuckin’ peck, that wasn’t a real kiss.” It shocks her how easy it is for Rafe to scoot his chair back and pull her into his lap. “This is the shit you should worry about.”

Rafe Cameron pulls Milan Cabot into the nastiest kiss that either of them had ever fantasized about, let alone experienced. He holds her jaw, working his own open as he pushes his tongue into her mouth, swallowing her whimpers and humming against her. He separates their mouths briefly to kiss down her neck only to drag back up to her lips, chuckling darkly when she sucks his bottom lip into her mouth, gripping her thigh with his free hand as he drools into her open mouth. 

When he pulls away for the final time he rests his head back on the headrest, pushing his thumb into her mouth and releasing a breath as he watches her obediently suck on it. 

By the time they step out of the car to head into the nice breakfast restaurant he’d brought her to, Rafe had willed his…friend to go down, and they had undone the damage he’d done to Milan’s makeup and hair. As he guided her in by the waist, tugging down the hem of her pretty little dress to cover the ass he’d just been gripping he felt a feeling of superiority. The woman next to him was relying on him and him alone to lead her around. All the loser fuckers they passed on the way to their table could stare all they wanted. They could take a mental picture and store it away in their sick little spank banks for later until they came to the realization they’d never get a girl like Milan and finally blew their fucking brains out. But she was here with Rafe. And that’s how he expected it to be from here on out.

He’d decided. She was gonna be his.

[gabbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

Tnmn AU idea: UNL1K3LY.

A very creative logo here, i know.

CHARACTERS (w/ subtle premise mentions)!!

Mask Clown/“Anon”

(Will be addressed as “Anon” until a canon name is provided by NachoSama)

Early-mid 30s, Mechanic/Engineer

Just some strange guy in his apartment that builds cool and silly little things—before meeting the Nightmare Clown that is…

Rather than spending his days passing out papers about evil nightmare clowns and the secrets of the D.D.D. As his basegame counterpart, this man is an engineer/mechanic who holds no affiliation with the D.D.D. Whatsoever, and just so happened to encounter the Nightmare Clown/“Unlikely” one night after a long day of work (the rest being history)

Became close with the Nightmare Clown, through game-playing, and chatting about the mortal realm, something that the paracosm-borne clown seemed to be heavily interested in…

Likes robots. A lot.

Chester Titor

Early 50s, Farmer Programmer/Engineer

A grumpy next door neighbor, gone wacky time-traveling sci-fi loving 22nd century cyborg, as a result of a sudden Alien abduction just a few months before.

Ever since the abduction, Chester and Anon became close pals, teacher and apprentice, helping him with his inventions, lending tips, and even assisting him in building a robot…a suspiciously clown-shaped robot

Is also affiliated with Unlikely, having met him and a few times, and even helping Anon out with building a surprise for the clown…

Also likes robots. A lot (as well as having more knowledge on the subject)

next up, is Unlikely…

…

Correction…

UNL1K3LY

The same, bad good ol’ Unlikely, now piloting a direct metal replica of himself! (Now with a slightly higher amount of loose screws!)

The once widely feared cognitohazard/nightmare, now possesses this hunk of steel, he’s a little clumsy, but he’s getting the hang of it (his “soul” can retract itself from the machine, and can be transferred to computers, and other devices such as tvs and gaming consoles.)

Significantly more powerful, his already brutish nature and horrific strength boosted with the help of technology, and the brains of two smartass weirdos and their tools

Can summon holograms of cards, dice, and can even turn your deepest fears into burned in mirages…

Edgy robot stuff aside, he’s prone to glitching and burning out easily, usually from strong emotions of anger, or embarrassment. He also gets feisty during maintenance time. (His wires are…sensitive.)

And for those who are wondering…yes, there are still some parts of him that are considered ‘squishy’, which are his torso, and most of his face, due to a protective silicone layer!

Important notes: the storyline of this AU is in the early 2000s, rather than the 1950s. Characters and ages are the same, the time simply shifted for the Au’s sake.

[katherinakaina]

I keep seeing once in a while people pondering on an apparent contradiction in Daniil’s character – he is said to be a rationalist but he is evidently extremely emotional. Those things do not go together, right? People notice their confusion. They find all sorts of interesting explanations. From him being manipulative and performative, using his displays of emotion like tools to control people. To him not being rational at all actually, him lying to himself and others, not even knowing who he is, pretending and failing.

Every time I get over it and completely forget and then another one of these hits me in the face. What I forget is that in common understanding rationality is opposed to being emotional. While in the community it is a basic level understanding that there are rational emotions and irrational ones. The same way there are rational beliefs and irrational beliefs (which is to say true and false basically).

From here:

A popular belief about “rationality” is that rationality opposes all emotion—that all our sadness and all our joy are automatically anti-logical by virtue of being feelings. …

For my part, I label an emotion as “not rational” if it rests on mistaken beliefs, or rather, on mistake-producing epistemic conduct. “If the iron approaches your face, and you believe it is hot, and it is cool, the Way opposes your fear. If the iron approaches your face, and you believe it is cool, and it is hot, the Way opposes your calm.” Conversely, an emotion that is evoked by correct beliefs or truth-conducive thinking is a “rational emotion”; and this has the advantage of letting us regard calm as an emotional state, rather than a privileged default. …

Becoming more rational—arriving at better estimates of how-the-world-is—can diminish feelings or intensify them. Sometimes we run away from strong feelings by denying the facts, by flinching away from the view of the world that gave rise to the powerful emotion. If so, then as you study the skills of rationality and train yourself not to deny facts, your feelings will become stronger. …

I visualize the past and future of humankind, the tens of billions of deaths over our history, the misery and fear, the search for answers, the trembling hands reaching upward out of so much blood, what we could become someday when we make the stars our cities, all that darkness and all that light—I know that I can never truly understand it, and I haven’t the words to say. Despite all my philosophy I am still embarrassed to confess strong emotions, and you’re probably uncomfortable hearing them. But I know, now, that it is rational to feel.

Daniil probably suppresses some of his emotions to be taken seriously. But this is masking. And he is bad at it. He has strong emotions and strong convictions and they spill out of him regardless. He also values truth and honesty and that’s another reason why he can’t fully suppress his authenticity.

But all of it is about how to behave in polite society. How not to freak out neurotypicals. It has nothing to do with his thinking process, his beliefs and his goals. His rationality.

Now you can argue that his sincerity and his openness are irrational instrumentally, which is to say they lead to his downfall. He should have masked better and become more cynical if he wanted to succeed. Maybe? But that would also have its downsides, I’m pretty sure. (we’ll see what apathy meter does to his decision making soon enough)

Anyway, that is not the point I see people make. And I just really want people to stop making it. Strong emotions, strong ideals, passionate belief in a better future for humanity – those are all perfectly rational if they align with truth. And he does fail as a rationalist quite a lot as well, but this is purely an epistemological issue that has nothing to do with him being emotional.

[privatebooth]

When they get back together Hawke doesn't rush to be intimate with Fenris. The two are very affectionate, hugging, kissing and touching each other with no restraint, but Hawke never initiates or insists on anything more (even when Fenris doesn't seem to mind it).

He is a little bit worried about the possibility of Fenris feeling guilty about their breakup and the three years of time wasted, and fears that Fenris may feel obliged to please Hawke, doing something he doesn't really want to do. He knows that Fenris is not entirely free of his slave mentality, and wants to help him work through it (but remain subtle about it). I just have a lot of feelings about Fenris giving friendship points for reminding the world on his behalf that he is not a slave, like he needs constant reminders and reassurence ;_;

So Hawke simply wants Fenris to make the first move and make it explicitly clear what he wants.

However Fenris is confused at first. They've had a number of encounters that by all accounts (in Fen's mind) should have led to sex. Fenris gives it some thought.

At this point he has no doubt that Hawke cares deeply about him and wants to be with him. He concludes that Hawke, burned by the experience of their first time, is afraid of scaring Fenris off by being pushy. He might even assume that Fenris finds sex off-putting? And because Hawke was always painfully understanding, considerate and supportive of Fenris, he thinks it totally like Hawke to put Fenris's wellbeing before his own wants.

Fenris finds it endearing, but a little frustrating. He's a free man now, and wants to have what a free man can have. He wants to get all and everything out of his relationship with Hawke, including sex. Yet he doesn't dare to start something himself because... Should he? Is it really his place to do so? He decides that he can at least tell Hawke that he doesn't need this kind of coddling. He can and he should. He knows in his heart that Hawke will understand! Fenris seriously struggles to find the words to bring up the issue, so he decides to act.

The next time they return to Hawke's mansion after another battle they bath (separately) and clean up. Hawke lets Fenris finish first, then goes himself. Fenris tries to remain calm awaiting Hawke's return - naked, holding the used towel that covers nothing.

When Hawke appears he is surprised by the sight and can't look away.

If there were any lingering doubt (like what if it's something else? What if there is something you don't know?) Hawke's awestruck expression erases all trace of it and fills Fenris with confidence. He ditches the towel altogether and approaches Hawke without a hint of constraint.

He says that he'd been thinking on how to get Hawke's attention, explains that for some time now he's been dreaming of feeling Hawke's touch again (Fenris takes Hawke's hand and decidedly puts it on his chest and places his own hand above Hawke's heart). He states that he still very much wants Hawke to touch him, wants to feel him inside, yet Hawke doesn't seem particularly interested. Matter-of-factly he wonders if perhaps Hawke doesn't want him anymore.

They keep touching, remembering the not forgotten feel of each other's bare skin. It's been so long! Hawke is very happy to know that Fenris isn't shy about speaking his mind and that he acted on his own. In the softest tone that he can manage he says

I'll never not want you.

With a mischievious smile he adds Just say the word.

He probably makes some joke about him having wanted to be seduced by Fenris.

Fenris looks him in the eye and says

I am yours, so take me.

Hawke thinks to himself Close enough. This will have to do for now. It's a start.

Then they kiss and Hawke sweeps Fenris off his feet because it needs to happen at least once!

I think this takes place after that convo where Varric brings up the subject, and Hawke was inspired by his idea. Probably thought it would be cool)

[forge7menot]

In The Air (Tonight)

Pairings: Patrick x Reader, Tashi x Reader, Tashi x Art

Word count: 2.7k

Content warnings: alcohol use, suggestive content

Notes: Hi everyone! This is my first time writing a ff but I love Challengers with all my heart so I thought I'd give it a try. English is not my first language so if there are any mistakes don't pay too much attention to them!! Also, I despise the use of “Y/N”, that's why I tried to make it as neutral as I could.

Summer 2006, New York: 10:45 PM

Your room was a mess. Not only were there piles of dresses, colorful crop tops and jeans scattered across the floor like confetti, but you still couldn’t decide what to wear. And it was getting pretty late —at least, too late for your liking一 as the faint sound of “SOS” by Rihanna drifting from nearby bars hinted at the start of another sleepless Saturday night.

“Where’s the mascara?”

“Right in there,” you said, pointing at your makeup bag while your head was still buried deep in your closet. This bra isn't even mine, you thought, picking it up before tossing it on the ground. Tashi was too busy curling her eyelashes to hear the cellphone that had been buzzing for the past five minutes.

"Tash, could you please get it?" you grabbed a pair of low-rise, medium-wash bootcut jeans and looked at them with a satisfied grin before sneaking your legs in them as Tashi’s manicured nail pressed the green button to accept the call.

"We're still not ready," you heard her say and Art groaned on the other end.

"Are you serious? You said that an hour ago!"

"I am, unfortunately. I'll text you when we're finished.” Tashi ended the call before he could say a word.

She's been your closest friend since middle school. It was around that time that she started to invite you to watch her tennis matches on Sunday afternoons, just to hang out later. You've been incredibly supportive of her love for tennis ever since.

She even tried to teach you how to play, which led to you spraining your ankle once—after that, she didn't push you to try again.

However, you were always there at her matches: front rows, holding a big sign with her name on it, rooting for her.

That's also how you met Patrick and Art, Fire and Ice: the two of them were also tennis players, which is why they already knew Tashi very well. The four of you quickly became close after your first encounter at a party, which ended with smoking cigarettes by the beach and engaging in random conversations.

It was quite obvious that Art, the blond one, had a thing for her from the first night you all spent together. You still remember how he was staring at her in awe as she explained to Patrick, the brunet one, how “you can actually build something out of ice while fire just tends to burn shit down”—it was obviously an innuendo to his technique. Art could hardly hide his grin as she tore into it, watching her like he’d just discovered something rare. You wondered if she noticed—or if she was just used to his attention by now.

As for you, you weren’t really looking for a relationship and you’d come to peace with the fact that being single was probably the chillest you’d ever been. At the same time, you couldn’t deny that Patrick was a really cool guy—not just for his confidence and personality, but because he was fucking hot. Sure, he was flirtier with you than with most people and maybe that got under your skin a little. But you often asked yourself if it was real interest or just his way of being; you hadn’t quite decided yet.

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The clock on the dresser blinked 11:10 PM, the glowing digits reminding you both that Art and Patrick were probably rolling their eyes somewhere across town. They’d waited this long, but you knew they’d wait a little longer.

Tashi was finally dressed, wearing a dark blue one-shoulder mini dress and a wide black belt with a large buckle that you’d gladly lent her. She was already pretty tall, but that didn’t stop her from slipping on the black peep-toe heels you two had bought together just a few hours ago. “One thing I like about my height is that ugly short boys can’t even try with me. I can’t hear them at all!” she’d joked in the shoe aisle.

As she carefully helped you curl your hair, you slipped on a white vest-style top with a V-neck. “Do you think I should add a necklace or something?” you asked, gesturing to the empty space just above your collarbones.

“How about that black beaded necklace with the heart pendant your grandma got you for your birthday?” she suggested, turning off the curling iron. “It contrasts perfectly with white.”

“You’re a genius!”

You fastened the necklace, running a finger over the heart pendant, feeling a hint of comfort.

There was just one last thing left to do before leaving the house: post a photo of Tashi and you on MySpace - where, of course, she was placed first in your TOP 8 and you were placed first in hers.

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The two boys had been leaning against the stone ledge outside the club for a solid twenty minutes, watching people trickle in. Art had insisted on getting there early—“in case there’s a line.”

Patrick had rolled his eyes at the time, knowing you and Tashi weren’t even close to ready yet. They’d both checked their phones multiple times, refreshing messages and waiting for a sign. Then, Patrick’s phone buzzed.

He glanced down and let out a low laugh, nudging Art with his elbow. “Look at this,” he said, tilting the screen toward him: a freshly uploaded photo on Tashi’s MySpace page, clearly taken in your room. The two of you were posing in front of a mirror flashing playful peace signs with the caption “NYC nightlife, here we come!”

Art squinted at the screen, his smile widening. “Well, at least we know they’re coming,” he said with a chuckle. “Though judging by that post, they’re not exactly in a rush.”

Patrick shook his head, amused. He put his phone back in his pocket, feigning indifference but sneaking glances at the entrance.

Another ten minutes passed, during which Art fiddled with his phone, checking Tashi’s page and refreshing it as if a new post might appear any second.

Patrick caught him doing it and snickered. “Dude, you’re practically stalking her page. Can you look any more desperate?”

Art shrugged, unfazed. “It’s called keeping informed, man.”

Just then, his phone buzzed again—a new notification. But this time, it was a message from Tashi: “Almost there. Keep your shirts on, boys. ;-)”

Finally, Art spotted you and Tashi across the street, walking toward the club entrance, laughing and leaning on each other as you navigated the crowded sidewalk.

He elbowed Patrick, who looked up just in time to see you both smiling, looking effortlessly glamorous under the city lights.

“There they are,” Art said, relief mixed with excitement in his voice.

Patrick’s exasperation faded, replaced by a grin. “About time,” he muttered, though there was no real annoyance in his tone.

As the both of you got closer to them Tashi smirked, flipping her long brown hair over one shoulder with a dramatic flair.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, boys,” she said with mock sincerity. “Had to make sure the MySpace crowd knew we were out tonight.”

Patrick raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Oh, trust me, we saw. Next time, maybe just send us a smoke signal instead.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” you shot back with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the whole situation.

Tashi turned to Art, who was still smiling as he took her in. “You think we look worth the wait?”

Art nodded, a bit too enthusiastically. “Absolutely. I mean, you posted a teaser and everything—how could we not stick around?”

As the two of them were already flirting, you turned your face towards Patrick.

“Hello, sweetness,” he greeted, slipping an arm around your shoulders with a familiarity that felt both bold and strangely comforting. He always called you that—sweetness—ever since you’d mentioned your obsession with the song “Bigmouth Strikes Again” by The Smiths. You weren’t sure if he was teasing you or if he actually liked the nickname, but you didn’t mind it, even if you’d never admit that out loud.

“I hope you still would not like to smash every tooth in my head,” he continued, his grin widening as he quoted the song. His gaze lingered on you, mischievous and a little too pleased with himself.

You rolled your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips betrayed you. “I’m not that violent, you know. I’m more of a pacifist.”

Patrick chuckled, giving your shoulder a little squeeze as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a playful murmur. “Oh yeah? I don’t know. I think you’ve got a bit of a fire in you. A little spark.”

You raised an eyebrow, playing along. “A spark, huh? Guess I’m playing for your team then,” you hinted at the nickname people would always give to him on the tennis court.

“That’s the best decision you could ever make,” he shot back, flashing you a grin that was just this side of cocky. His hand lingered on your shoulder for a moment longer before he finally let it drop, but not before brushing his fingers lightly down your arm. It was a subtle touch, but enough to send a small, pleasant shiver down your spine.

As the four of you finally stepped into the club, you were hit by a wall of sound, the bass vibrating through the floor and up into your bones. The music was loud—really loud—the kind of beat that left no room for conversation, only dancing and shouted exchanges.

Strobe lights and neon beams cut through the darkness, casting fleeting shades of blue, purple and red across the crowd, turning everyone into silhouettes and glimmers. The air was thick with the scent of spilled cocktails (that’s what almost made you gag), mingling with a faint haze of cigarette smoke and the sharp tang of cologne and perfume. People were laughing, shouting, swaying in sync, some raising their arms in time with the music.

On one side there was a raised platform where a few braver dancers were showing off their moves, illuminated by a set of blinding white lights that flickered on and off. On the opposite end, a long bar stretched out under soft, glowing light, bartenders moving swiftly as they mixed colorful cocktails, sliding them to customers.

You felt Patrick’s hand on your back, guiding you gently through the crowd as Tashi and Art led the way, squeezing past groups of people until you found a good spot by the bar.

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You didn’t even know what time it was as you sipped on your Cosmopolitan, comfortably nestled into the soft cushions of the booth, when suddenly you felt Tashi’s hand on your shoulder.

“Everything alright?” she asked, sliding in next to you, nearly out of breath as she tried to recover from the last half hour of nonstop dancing: her cheeks were flushed and you could tell she was enjoying the break just as much as you were.

“Yeah, absolutely. This drink is bomb,” you said, pointing at your glass before downing the last sip. “So, what did I miss while I was out here living my best life?” you asked, giving her a playful look.

“Patrick and Art are still out there trying to one-up each other’s dance moves. It’s… something else. You’re missing quite the show.”

As the two of you were talking, a girl dressed in a bold, sparkly top and a low ponytail approached your booth, her arms loaded with a tangle of neon bracelets. She flashed a wide grin as she held them out.

"Hey, ladies! Care for a little light?" she offered, her voice barely cutting through the music.

Tashi’s face lit up as she leaned forward, picking out a few.

“Oh, these are perfect! Thank you!” She slipped a neon pink one onto her wrist, watching it glow under the lights. You took a couple yourself—a bright blue and green.

“Y’all look amazing, by the way!” the girl shouted with a wink before slipping back into the crowd, leaving you both with your new accessories.

Tashi tilted her wrist, admiring the soft glow. “Okay, this is exactly what I needed to get back out there.” She shot you a playful look, her neon-pink bracelet gleaming as she offered you a hand. “Coming with me?”

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The thump of the bass vibrated through the soles of your heels as you and Tashi weaved your way through the crowd.

You found the two boys near the center of the floor, bouncing with the beat of the music.

The brunet spotted you and Tashi first, his eyes lighting up when he saw the bracelets glowing on your wrists. He flashed you a knowing grin and moved fluidly through the crowd towards you. Art followed his lead and came over too.

“Didn’t think you’d make it out here,” Patrick said with a sly grin, his voice cutting through the bass of the song.

Tashi turned to Art and gave him a wink.

“We couldn’t resist, could we?” she laughed as Art pulled her into the rhythm of the music, his hands gently guiding her into the groove.

You stood next to Patrick, feeling his energy just as strongly as he could feel yours and for a moment the connection was undeniable. The way his body moved with the music was drawing you in: he extended a hand towards you, his fingers brushing against your wrist as he gestured for you to join him.

“Don’t be shy,” he said, a teasing smile curling at the corners of his mouth. Without hesitation you placed your hand in his, allowing him to pull you deeper into the rhythm of the dance.

Patrick was a master of subtlety—his touch, his movements, everything about him felt so deliberate. The music wrapped around you and, for a moment, there was no one else in the room but the two of you.

As you spun into the next move, Patrick’s hand landed on your lower back, the contact warm and possessive as he gently guided you.

In response, you placed your palms on his clothed shoulders. The alcohol in your system gradually made you bolder than usual.

The proximity was intoxicating.

His gaze never wavered from you, his lips curving into that playful, knowing smile. When he leaned in closer the tension was thick and almost overwhelming.

“You’re a natural,” he whispered, his hand now resting at your side, fingertips grazing the skin of your hip. You couldn’t help but shiver at the contact.

“Probably because I’ve got such a good teacher,” you teased him.

Whatever was happening felt more than just a casual connection: the closeness, the unspoken tension, the way you moved together—it all felt too real to ignore.

The air between you felt charged, each beat of the music syncing your heartbeats closer together.

As the song transitioned into something slower, the change in tempo didn’t break the tension—it only amplified it. His breath was warm against your cheek and his lips hovered just near your ear. Your heartbeat was so loud, you thought it might drown out his voice.

“You feel that?” Patrick’s breath was warm against your ear, the words almost like a challenge. You swallowed hard. The music still pounded, but it felt like it was coming from miles away.

“Feel what?” you asked, trying to hold onto control but knowing you were losing it.

For a moment, neither of you moved, your gazes locked. You wanted to say something, anything to break the tension, but the words caught in your throat.

Patrick’s lips were so close to yours at that moment.

Your breath hitched as both his hands found the softness and warmth of your cheeks, holding the flesh.

You tilted your head, just enough to close the gap and in a move that felt almost inevitable. His lips brushed yours—soft at first, like a question. You feel that?

When you didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss, one of his hands moving to your neck.

In that moment, everything else ceased to exist: the world outside of the dancefloor—the crowd, the flashing lights, the music—faded away.

The kiss was heady, slow, a direct answer to the question that had been hanging in the air between you two.

When you finally broke away, breathless, your forehead rested against his, both of you struggling to regain some semblance of control.

Needless to say, that night you didn’t fall asleep alone. And you certainly didn’t fall asleep in your bed.

[gabgabwrites]

MOTHER F*CKER | Patrick Zweig

summary ⇝ Patrick is a local mechanic, and when you come it to get your car checked, he’s in love, but when your little baby girl comes into the frame, Patrick can safely say you’re one hot MILF!

warnings ⇝ language, smut! p in v, unprotected sex, breeding kink (well duh), daddy kink if you squint, RUSHED ENDING, it’s actually a little cutesy fanfic. mdni

sorry it’s like my shortest fic 🙁

based off this request here!

Patrick is working as a mechanic, and one day you bring your car in because it's been making these weird sounds.

And when you climbed out the vehicle, Patrick thinks you're hot. You're maybe a little bit younger than him but by good heavens he thinks you're in your prime, and when he sees your little girl climb out the car, interested in looking around the shop in childlike wonder, he almost groans.

You must be taken, a mother who's probably married and is that gorgeous? Yep.

He smiles, wiping the grease off his hands and onto the old towel around his neck before approaching you both. "Hey, ladies. What brings you in?" He asks with a kind smile, glancing between the two of you.

You blink up at him and smile, your hand holding your daughters. "Hi, I came in because my car is making funny sounds. I know it's an old car but not that old. Is it fine if you have a look or do I need to book an appointment or...?"

He nods, holding back a little smirk at the sight of you holding your daughter's hand. "Yeah, I could have a look. There might be a bit of a wait though, if you're cool with that." He glances down at your little girl who seems to be distracted by an old car parked off to the side.

You nod. "No, it's fine. Hazel and I will go wait outside." You shrugged, looking down at your carbon copy.

He nods and watches you walk out, keeping his eyes trained on your figure as you go. Once you're through the doors, he turns his attention away from the entrance and over to the car you just brought in, popping the hood and beginning the inspection.

As he works away at your car, he finds himself stealing glances every now and then through the garage doors as your little girl runs around the parking lot.

Watching her make daisy chains out of the weeds while you look over old cars, he can't help but think you're even more beautiful in the natural lighting.

After about 45 minutes, Patrick wipes off the last of the grease and closes the hood. Before heading to the entrance to find you, he takes a deep breath and tries to compose himself a little bit. His eyes stay on the parking lot, keeping watch for you and your daughter.

He finally spots you sitting on the curb, your daughter settled into your lap sound asleep as you quietly hum a tune, running your fingers through her hair. He stood there a few feet away, debating whether he should interrupt you or not.

After a few beats of contemplation, he figures he should go and get you. He starts with a few quiet steps towards you before making enough noise to get your attention.

You look up and smile at him. "Finished?"

He smiles back, nodding as he stops in front of you. "Mhm. You've got a loose alternator cable. And as for the sound, it seems like the problem is with your exhaust."

You frown. "Oh, how long will that take to get fixed?"

He runs a hand over his chin, "If I order the part, it should only take a couple days, hopefully. Do you have a way to get around in the meantime?" He asks, his eyes trained on your sleeping daughter in your arms.

You nibble on your bottom lip. "I can call my sister."

He lets out a soft chuckle, "Or I can give you and your little one a ride home. It looks like you've got your hands full there." He says, nodding towards the girl asleep on your lap.

You glance down at her then back up at him. You didn't really have much of a choice, and he seemed friendly enough.

If need be, you did carry a taser in your bag. "Yes, please? That would be great."

He smiles, the corner of his eyes crinkling just a little bit with it. "Alright. 'll help you to the car." He says, offering his hand to help you up.

You happily took it, feeling his calluses scrape your fingers. He helped you up, his hand slipping away as to not linger too much. He starts a slow pace away from the garage, looking back every few seconds to make sure you're following him.

After passing through the main doors to the lot, he leads you over to a large black pickup truck. Opening the passenger door, he gestures for you to get in, his eyes focused on you.

Once you're settled in, he closes the door behind you. He circles around to the driver's side, keeping an eye on you and your daughter through the windshield as he climbs into the vehicle.

You decide if you should tell this man your address, then again if someone breaks in, you know the name of the company he works at, so you tell him.

He nods, repeating it quietly after you before starting the car. He glances over at your daughter again. "So, how old is she?"

"She just turned two in September." You tell him, with a small smile

He hums quietly, a small smile forming on his own lips. "She's a cutie, got her mama's looks." He says as he begins the drive to your address.

You couldn't help the small chuckle that left your lips. "That she is."

The car falls into a comfortable silence as the drive continues. He watches the road as he drives, stealing the occasional glance at you from out the corner of his eye.

After not too long, he pulls up in front of your house, looking out through the windshield at the small and cozy home.

"Are we here?" He asks, cutting the engine before turning to glance at you again.

You nod. "Yes, thank you so much."

He smiles, unbuckling his seatbelt. "It's no problem." He says, opening the car door and climbing out. He circles around to your side, opening up your door before holding out his hand to help you and your sleeping little girl out.

Once all three of you have exited the car, he closes the passenger door before facing you again. He can't help but be drawn to how soft you look, a warm and content smile on your lips as you hold your sleeping daughter tightly in your arms. Patrick clears his throat. "So, uh, you should tell your husband about your car, wouldn't want him worried, right?"

You blink a couple times, a little startled before you realize what he's insinuating. "Oh," you murmur, a small laugh slipping past your lips. "I actually don't have a husband." You say with a small smile.

He blinks at your confession, the realization slowly settling in. "Oh, really?" He asks, his hand moving up to idly rub the back of his neck. His heart seems to skip a beat when he considers the implications of that sentence.

You nod again. "Yeah, didn't work out, but at least he still tries to look after our daughter."

He nods as he listens, his heart beating a little faster at the knowledge that not only are you absolutely stunning, beautiful, and gorgeous, you're also single. He can faintly feel a blush beginning to travel across his cheeks so he looks away for a second, taking a deep breath to compose himself.

Patrick cleared his throat again, his hand still rubbing the back of his neck as he looks back at you. "You make for an amazing mom though, considering your little girl seems as sweet as they come."

"Thank you, I do try."

He smiles again, his eyes roaming over your figure one more time before nodding towards your front door. "Well, I better let you get inside before it gets late. It was a pleasure meeting you."

You nod. "You too, I'll be back at the shop in a week? It was about a week you said, right? If not, uh, I’ll give you my cell for you to phone when my cars finished."

He nods, feeling a little disappointed to have to wait for you to return to the shop but he doesn't show it, instead continuing to give you a friendly smile.

"Yeah, it'll probably take about a week for the part to get here. Here, let me get my phone. Gimme a sec..." He said, taking a few steps back before digging into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out his phone. He walks back over to you. "Here, just put your number in there, l'll give you a call when the cars done."

You shift your daughter to your one hip while reaching for his phone with your now free hand

He hands it over, watching as you begin to type into his phone with a small smile on his lips. His eyes flit between your own and your little one, who's still fast asleep against your shoulder.

"All done." You smile, handing him back his phone.

He takes it back from you, holding it for a few beats too long before he pockets it again. He can't help but feel a little breathless at your smile, his heart racing a little faster than it should. "Uh, I guess I'll see you in a week then."

And he does. Patrick also was sly, so while he fixed the more serious parts of your car, he'd lightly mess up another, just enough to have you concerned but nothing major, only to see you again in his shop (he charged you 30% of what other customers had to just because of his other alterations)

You start to notice the increase of issues with your car every few months and have to make the frequent trips back to the shop. But the thing that changes is the way the handsome mechanic, Patrick, seems to behave around you. He's a little more sly, a little more cocky and a little more flirty as time goes on. You can't help but notice the change.

And so it was no wonder when you began to get flustered around him, drawn to his flirty remarks and lingering touches.

The way you'd react to his flirting only feeds his ego, driving him a little more wild and crazy each time. The way you'd blush and stutter, trying to keep your cool would only make him want to push your buttons more, to have you flustered and squirming for him.

Eventually, you two started seeing each other, he'd take you on little dates while your sister baby sat, or the three of you would do something altogether.

As your relationship with Patrick grows, he's more and more drawn in by you. He loves spending time with you but seeing vou interact with Hazel and vice versa, seeing how you are as a mother makes him want you in a whole other way.

Was it too quick for Patrick to want to put a ring on your finger? Yes. But you two weren't getting younger.

He knew he was moving a little fast but he can't help it. You make him crazy, make him want things he hasn't dared to think about for too long while staring at your lips, your neck, your wrists... he was gonna marry you if it was the last thing he ever did.

He eventually moved in (bills were equally split). He's living in your home, sharing your bed, your shower, your kitchen. And he could honestly say he's never been so happy. He's got a beautiful fiancé who's also the most caring, perfect woman he's ever met. It almost makes his life perfect.

Almost.

Except now he needs to claim you. Mark you as his. So it's no wonder when he has you on all fours, arched back and sobbing while you're taking his cock, relentlessly bullying your cunt. "Shh-h-h, ma. Don't wanna wake Hazel up, do you?" He asks, pulling at your hair and feeling you clamp around him.

Your little girl is asleep in the other room, and Patrick knows you're trying your hardest to keep quiet so as not to disturb her. But he doesn't want to make it easy for you. He grips your hip a little tighter with one hand while the other starts moving along your back, feeling every inch of your skin under his fingers.

His pace picks up, his eyes never leaving your body as his gaze travels over your arching figure. "You sound so good, ma. Trying really hard to keep that pretty mouth of yours quiet while I breed this cunt. Gonna knock you up nice. Don't you wanna make me a daddy?"

The mention of getting you pregnant has your stomach in knots. You can't help but whimper, your brain trying to come up with a coherent answer. "Y-Yes! Wanna to make you a daddy real bad."

His hand moves down your body, resting on the soft flesh of your stomach. "Yeah, ma? You want me to fill you up? Get you pregnant with our baby?" He asks, his voice a little rougher than before.

You moan, feeling your heart and pussy flutter. "Fuck, yes. Need to...to..."

"Need to what? Need to take my cum in your sweet, needy little hole? Need to have me fill you up until you're leaking? Want me to breed you real good? I'll do it. I'm gonna fill you up so good, you'd never forget who your daddy is."

Your heart hammers against your chest, his words making a knot tighten in your gut as a shiver runs up your spine. "Yes, please, need you to, want you to fill me up!"

"Want to have my baby?" He asks, giving your hips a light little smack. "Want me to knock you up nice and good?" You could only nod, feeling your lower belly stir. Feeling you nod eagerly has him groaning quietly. "You're gonna look so damn pretty pregnant, ma." He growls, his fingers gripping you a bit tighter like he was holding onto you for dear life.

You could feel his hips stutter.

"Gonna be so sweet on you, ma. I'll spoil you so damn much. My sweet little wife, all filled up with my baby. I...oh." He moans, his pace becoming a bit less steady as his fingers flex on your hips.

You felt him spill inside you, never feeling as full as you did. That feeling alone pushed you to your own orgasm.

Patrick held you against him while you trembled through your own release, his eyes watching your body shaking under his touch. His breath felt heavy, his own heartbeat a little too fast as he watched you. His hand slid up your back, coming to a rest between your shoulder blades before his lips made contact with your skin, leaving a soft kiss there. "Think it worked?" He asks quietly.

"There's only one way to find out..." You said through a grin, voice breathless.

He lets out a small chuckle, his lips moving over to your neck. "Guess we'll have to try and try again until it does." He murmurs before nipping your skin gently.

You anchored yourself into the bed, preparing for a long night ahead of you when a high-pitched voice called out for you.

"Mama!"

Just a few words was all it took to have reality setting in. The two of you freeze, your heart beating a little faster as the realization of what you were doing just a moment ago dawns on you. Patrick slowly pulls back, sitting up and away from you on the bed, his eyes glancing at the door.

"Well, duty calls." You mumble, standing up on wobbly legs to grab your gown and wrapping it around yourself.

He watches you get up after a few beats, admiring the sight of you in your gown before he slowly gets up himself, grabbing the pair of boxers he laid on the bed only a few hours before. Once you're both decent, he opens the door for you so you can go to your daughter.

Hazel's in her bed, her big eyes staring up at the ceiling and her tiny hands grasping a handful of her blanket. She turns her head towards you when she hears you walk in. "Mama? Thirsty."

You felt your bottom eyelid twitch, but nonetheless you smiled. "Okay, baby. I'll go get you some water."

She gave you a small nod and a sleepy smile while you made a mental note to remind her that she's not supposed to get out of bed whenever she's thirsty.

You were about to exit the room when you heard her tiny voice once more.

"Mama?" You turned back around to her. She looked at you with those big, innocent eyes of hers. "Read me a story, please?" She asks quietly.

You let out a soft sigh. "Okay, my angel. I'll go get you water while you pick out a book."

Her face immediately lights up at your answer, a smile stretching across her lips and revealing her missing two front teeth. "Okay!" She eagerly responds before crawling over to dig through the pile of books on the floor next to her bed.

You can't help but shake your head at her eagerness to always have a bedtime story as you leave her room and close the door behind you. Once you're in the hallway, you glance towards the bedroom you and Patrick share, and find him sitting on the bed, a bemused look on his face.

"Wait until it's your own child calling for their dad." You told him with a pointed look before turning and disappearing to the kitchen.

Patrick just lets out a quiet chuckle, he can't wait for that day to come. He grins to himself as he leans back against the pillows behind him, his mind filled with the idea of a miniature version of you or him or both calling him 'Dad'.

The thought alone has his heart clenching a little.

[kittenfangirl20]

*Lucifer was having a terrible time at the divorce meeting, Lilith seemed to want to have as much money as she could from him*

Lilith: I can’t believe that you are replacing me with Adam, have you seen him recently he looks like a pig.

Lucifer: Adam is pregnant with my children, you have no right to insult the future Queen of Hell like that.

*Lucifer wanted to hit Lilith, but then he saw that he was getting a text from Adam saying how much he loved him and missed him, also he said that Charlie wanted to come with him and Cain to the office if that was ok, Lucifer responded that it was ok back at the palace Adam went to Charlie*

Adam: Your dad said it was cool for me to take you with me to the office.

Charlie: That sounds great, it gets boring here.

Adam: Don’t worry things can get interesting at the office, but don’t worry, I will keep you safe from some of the more deranged clients.

*Charlie couldn’t help but like Adam, unlike Lilith, he seemed actually care about what she thought*

Adam: So how do you like your coffee, I can send the order to Lute since she gets the coffee orders for the day.

Cain: Remember dad you have to drink a smoothie now instead of coffee for the babies.

Adam: I know, besides Lute refuses get my Frappuccino.

Charlie: like the cupcake Frappuccino with extra sprinkles.

*Adam sent the text to Lute to Charlie her coffee, just then a metal song came on*

Adam: I love this song.

*Adam started to sing along with the song, meanwhile Lilith was wanted Striker to go after Lucifer once the divorce was finalized so Adam couldn’t become Queen of Hell*

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

Stoliz Au

Adam sipped on his coffee out of his "Hell's Greatest Boss" mug as he overlooked Pentagram City. His workers, Lute and Emily were at the conference table trying to figure out ways they could get to the human world.

Adams oldest son Cain sat there on his phone looking very interested in anything that had to do with work.

Here at Adams Angelic Assassination, they started out by protecting sinners. Either from other demons or from angels on extermination day.

Turns out people would pay a pretty penny to have someone on earth killed.

It has been a few years since Adam was cast out of heaven for questioning things. They took his halo and his powers before casting him down.

Lute and Emily didn't want him to be alone in Hell so they willingly fell. Adam reconnected with his son who was homeless at the time.

They all needed money so that's when Adam came up with the idea for his business.

Lute sighed: It's impossible! There is no way to the human releam without our angelic powers.

Emily: It's okay Lute, we'll figure something out.

Adam turned: She's right Lute! And I actually have a plan.

Lute: You do?

Adam: I do. I know of a book and where I can get it. It's our ticket up top.

Yes Adam knew where to get this book, but could he sneak in and out without being noticed.

Emily: How will you get it?

Adam smirked: Leave it to me and my stealth skills.

*Adam scouted out the royal palace, he knew the largest collection of demonic grimoires were housed in the Morningstar palace including one that could take him to Earth, thankfully Adam still had his angel wings so he fly over the gates surrounding the palace, there was a party going on, his eyes went to Lucifer who was off in a corner drinking while Lilith was talking with her friends, Adam’s heart filled with longing over seeing his first love, but Adam was here for a reason and it was to get a spell book, he hid his wings thankful for the all black outfit he took to wearing now that he could use to hide in the shadows, but before he could open the door to Lucifer’s room, he was tackled by a pair of hellhounds who dragged him to Lucifer*

Adam: Shit.

*Lucifer was chugging down a bottle of absinthe when he saw a pair of hellhound guards drag Adam in front of him, Adam had a sheepish smile on his face and he couldn’t help but realize how handsome Adam was, in fact he had a strong desire to pin Adam to the bed and have his way with him since he hadn’t shared a bed with Lilith since Charlie was born*

Hellhound 1: We saw this man trying to sneak into your room.

Hellhound 2: What should we do with him?

Lucifer: I will deal with him myself, don’t tell anyone what you saw.

*the hellhounds handed Adam over to Lucifer and the former angel reluctantly followed Lucifer up to his room, once they were alone Adam became nervous*

Adam: Look, I can explain-

*Adam’s words were cut off when Lucifer kissed him on the lips, Adam found himself returning the kiss enjoying the feeling*

Lucifer: I missed you so much Adam, in more ways than one.

*Adam felt himself getting wet with desire, one of the punishments was they took away Adam’s favorite thing, his dick, before throwing him out of Heaven and now he had a pussy instead much to his annoyance, but now he saw a way to use it to his advantage and it would give him something he had always wanted*

Adam: You realized what you missed out on and now you can have it.

Lucifer: Yes.

*they ended up on the bed, they kissed as they frantically pulled off their clothes down to their underwear, Lucifer rubbed the underwear covered erection against the wet area of Adam’s panties, they pulled off their underwear and Lucifer slid into Adam, Adam had to hold back a moan of pleasure by biting into Lucifer’s shoulder which made Lucifer even more turned on, Adam moved his hips along with Lucifer’s thrusts, after a long and passionate dance on the bed, Adam climaxed and Lucifer cum inside of Adam*

Lucifer: That was amazing, is there a way I could convince you to come around more often.

Adam: Maybe if you let me borrow a grimoire to help me with my new job.

Lucifer: Done, but you must come back to me at least once a month. How about full moon night?

*Lucifer had the grimoire appear in Adam’s hands*

Adam: Sounds perfect to me.

*they both fell asleep, Lucifer holding Adam and Adam holding the grimoire, in the morning Adam had to get dressed and sneak out, but before he could sprout his wings, he fell off the balcony and onto the table which had Lilith having breakfast with her friends.

Adam: Sorry, I fucked your husband….. actually I’m not sorry.

*Adam sprouted his wings and flew off*

@things-arent-what-they-seem66

[rylem33]

My Dinner with Andrea

Outside the entrance of the upscale restaurant, Natalie glanced nervously at Ethan. “Are you sure your mom really wants me here tonight? I mean, she barely tolerates me on a good day.”

Ethan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know she can be intense, but trust me, Nat. She means well. She’s just… picky.” He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “I think she’ll come around eventually.”

Natalie forced a smile. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot. We’ll make the best of it.”

They took a deep breath together before entering the restaurant.

Inside, Andrea was already seated at an elegantly set table. She rose, greeting them with a firm hug for Ethan and a polite nod for Natalie.

“Ethan,” she said, a faint hint of warmth in her tone, “could you be a dear and check on our reservation for next week? I want to make sure everything’s set.”

“Of course, Mom.” Ethan smiled, then turned to Natalie, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before walking away.

Once they were alone, Andrea turned her gaze to Natalie, her eyes narrowing appraisingly. “Natalie,” she said softly, her fingers reaching into her bag to produce a small box. “I thought this might suit you.”

She opened the box to reveal an ornate, antique necklace, its gold chain gleaming in the light. “It’s a family piece,” she continued with a cool smile. “I think it might bring out your best qualities.”

Surprised by the gift, Natalie hesitated before taking it. “Thank you,” she murmured, clasping it around her neck. As soon as the necklace settled against her skin, she felt a warm sensation spread over her.

Ethan returned moments later and they settled in at the table. Andrea folded her hands primly, her gaze drifting between the two of them.

“So, Natalie,” she began, her voice measured. “How are things at work? Ethan mentioned you’re in marketing. What is it you do again?”

Natalie straightened, trying not to let her nerves show. “Yes, I work on social media campaigns. Mostly planning and tracking how they perform.”

Andrea gave a polite nod, her eyes flicking briefly to Ethan as if to gauge his reaction. “Interesting. And how long have you been with your company?”

“About three years now,” Natalie said, feeling herself relax slightly. “I’ve learned a lot since I started.”

Andrea tilted her head. “Three years. That’s a good amount of time. And I imagine there are opportunities for growth?” Her voice held a faint edge, and Natalie couldn’t tell if she was genuinely interested or subtly prodding.

“Oh, definitely,” Natalie replied, smiling with more confidence. “There’s a lot of room to move up, and I’m excited about it. I’ve been setting goals, and I’m determined to make a real impact.”

“Haven’t you?” Andrea replied, her eyebrow lifting slightly as she studied Natalie’s expression. “Planning ahead is one thing, but sometimes it’s more practical to focus on family, don’t you think?”

Natalie hesitated, thrown off by the unexpected remark, and glanced at Ethan for reassurance, though he was adjusting his napkin, only half-listening. “Of course,” she replied quickly, “but it’s always been important to me to have something of my own. I really enjoy working toward something meaningful.”

Andrea’s polite smile remained cool, her gaze unwavering. “I see. That’s… admirable,” she said, taking a sip of her water. She turned to Ethan, smiling faintly. “Ethan, you’ve always known what’s important. Being a provider. Right?”

Ethan gave Natalie a soft smile. “Mom.” He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Natalie’s. “I think everyone has their own path. I respect Natalie and her goals.”

“Indeed.” Andrea’s gaze drifted back to Natalie, her fingers tapping lightly against her glass. “And what about outside of work, Natalie? Do you stay active?”

Natalie blinked, sensing the appraisal in the question. “Oh, well… I try to go on walks,” she said, realizing too late how it might sound next to the poised, immaculate woman across from her. But suddenly, an image flooded her mind. She was jogging through a scenic park, her toned muscles working as she powered up a hill. She wore sleek, high-end workout gear that fit her perfectly, and heads turned as she passed.

She blinked, momentarily disoriented, then recovered and smiled. “Actually, I’ve been really focused on fitness lately,” she replied smoothly. “It’s really important to stay in shape. I make it a priority every day.”

Ethan raised his eyebrows, a puzzled look crossing his face. “Wait… when did this happen? I mean, I didn’t even know you liked running, let alone did it regularly.”

“Oh, I make the time,” Natalie replied, her voice more confident than she’d expected. “It’s important to look and feel your best.” Her arms appeared more toned, her frame subtly more athletic. She felt a thrill as she noticed Andrea giving her an approving nod.

Ethan looked between Andrea and Natalie, frowning slightly. “But I’ve… never seen you go running, Nat. Not even once.”

Natalie shrugged, her confidence growing. “Well, maybe you just didn’t notice.” She shot him a smirk.

“Well,” Andrea said, “it shows that you have discipline, Natalie.” Andrea continued to query, her eyes narrowing slightly. “And how do you spend your free time, Natalie? What do you do for fun?”

“Oh, um…” Natalie hesitated, caught off-guard by the direct question. “I mean, I usually enjoy reading, watching movies, spending time with friends.” She shifted uncomfortably, realizing as she spoke how plain it all sounded.

Andrea’s gaze sharpened, her tone neutral. “Friends,” she echoed. “Yes, a social life is important. But I assume you get out more than that?”

Natalie’s mind blurred, and suddenly, a memory burst to life in her mind. She was at a lively club, dressed in a sleek black dress, laughing loudly as she moved through the crowd. The music thrummed around her, and she could feel eyes following her as she danced confidently, drink in hand, commanding attention with her energy and laughter. She wasn’t just out for the night—she was there to be seen, to revel in the spotlight.

The memory faded, leaving Natalie with a thrill of exhilaration. “Actually,” she replied, her voice a little louder and more energetic, “I’ve been going out a lot lately! Drinks, clubs… just enjoying life, you know?” She leaned back, a wide smile on her face.

Ethan blinked, clearly taken aback. “Wait… clubbing? Since when?”

Natalie shrugged, her smirk widening as she brushed off his question. “Oh, Ethan, I’ve just been having fun,” she said, her tone almost playful. She noticed the pleased glint in Andrea’s eyes and leaned back, basking in the attention, feeling a strange satisfaction in her new, bolder self.

“Well,” Andrea said, “it’s certainly important to enjoy life and have an active social life.” She paused, her gaze thoughtful before continuing, “And tell me, Natalie, where do you see yourself in five years?”

Natalie was about to talk about her career goals, her plans to move up in her field and make a name for herself. Her work had always meant a lot to her. But before she could speak, another vivid image took hold. She was in a luxurious home, her time devoted to attending elegant events and looking picture-perfect on Ethan’s arm. Career ambitions were left far behind, replaced by a refined, effortless lifestyle focused entirely on supporting Ethan.

The image faded, and she felt a strange contentment at the thought of not working, of just being there for Ethan. “Actually,” she said, her voice softer, almost dreamlike, “I’ve realized that career ambition isn’t everything. I think I’d rather just… focus on supporting Ethan.” The words came out easily, and for the first time, the idea of letting go of her own ambitions felt right, even exciting.

Ethan leaned forward, his face a mixture of surprise and confusion. “Wait… Nat, since when? You’ve always cared about work, about building something on your own.”

“Oh, Ethan,” she replied with a light laugh, waving him off with a simple, dismissive smile. “I just think it’s time to focus on being a good girlfriend…. and, you know, maybe having a family someday.” Her voice had taken on a softer, simpler tone. A serene smile settled over her face.

Andrea’s smile widened, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. “Exactly, Natalie. Those are the qualities that last. Isn’t that what you want in a partner, Ethan?”

Ethan glanced between the two of them, looking more unsettled than ever. “I mean… sure, but…” His voice was tense, uncertain as he looked at Natalie.

Natalie giggled lightly, her words flowing out easily and without a hint of her previous ambition. “Oh, Ethan, there’s nothing wrong with simplifying things! It’s all about what really matters, right?” She flashed a soft smile as Andrea watched her approvingly.

Andrea’s gaze settled on the necklace at Natalie’s throat, her eyes gleaming. “Natalie, tell me, have you ever thought about refining your style? Presentation can mean everything.”

As she listened, Natalie felt another warm pulse from the necklace, and an image overtook her mind. She was browsing a designer boutique, her fingers gliding over luxurious fabrics. She could see herself in the mirror wearing the latest trends, entirely focused on looking good….no, looking hot.

“Yes,” Natalie murmured, her tone soft but cheerful. “I think quality is, like, super important. You know? It’s all about looking… amazing.” She glanced down, a delighted smile spreading over her face as she noticed how her dress now hugged her frame perfectly, the fabric clinging to her curves in a way that made her waist look tiny and her figure even more striking. She gave a little giggle, feeling pleased as she noticed Ethan’s gaze lingering on her and catching Andrea’s approving nod.

Ethan’s confusion deepened as he took in her sudden transformation. “Nat… are you okay?”

“Oh, Ethan,” she replied lightly, giving a little laugh as she dismissed his question with a casual wave. “I’m just, like… great!” She glanced over at Andrea, who gave her an approving nod. Feeling a pleasant warmth at the silent approval, she flashed a wide smile, entirely pleased with herself.

Ethan’s growing confusion shifted to suspicion as he looked between Andrea and Natalie, his gaze settling on the necklace, its delicate chain glinting in the low light. “Natalie… where did you get that necklace?”

“Oh, this?” Natalie touched it with an innocent giggle, her fingers lightly tracing the necklace as a warm hum pulsed against her skin. “Your mom gave it to me!” she replied with a wide, cheerful smile. “She said it would bring out my best qualities.”

Ethan’s face paled, his mouth opening slightly as he turned to Andrea, a flash of anger in his eyes. “Mom… you… you gave her that?” His voice was thick with alarm.

Andrea’s smile remained perfectly calm, her satisfaction barely concealed. “Yes, Ethan. I thought it was time. Natalie deserves to reach her full potential, don’t you think?”

Ethan turned back to Natalie, frustration and alarm flashing in his eyes.

“Don’t try to fight it, Ethan,” Andrea continued. “The changes can’t be reversed.”

Natalie only tilted her head with a blank, cheerful smile, her voice light and sing-song. “Oh, Ethan. Are you upset? I like being your girlfriend. I can, like, be supportive and stuff.” She giggled, the sound bright and carefree. Her ambitions, once so important to her, seemed like distant memories now, replaced by a calm that felt perfectly right.

Ethan clenched his jaw, his voice thick with frustration as he struggled to hold on to his anger. “Mom, you’ve made her into someone else… someone you want her to be.”

Andrea placed a gentle hand on his arm, her voice smooth and assured. “Ethan, this is exactly what you need, a woman who values simplicity and devotion. Someone who will support you without all those complicated ambitions.”

Ethan looked back at Natalie, her features soft and sweet, her giggles almost childlike as she smiled up at him. She seemed so different, yet wholly pleased with who she’d become. Ethan’s anger slowly dissolved into reluctant acceptance.

With a sigh, he nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re right, Mom. You always are.”

[callsign-relic]

dont look at me ive just been like fiending over the titan au for the past . 30 minutes just foaming at the maw about it

also my first anon here yay yay yay! yippee! but anyways onto BUSINESS.

ive mainly just been thinking about titan!megatron being a tiny bit . obsessed????? possessive? over a little human like sorry i just enjoy the difference in culture, language, and size especially TOO much.

something ive mainly been thinking about is just. this little human walking around in this strange, dangerously alien city thats absolutely massive, the buildings a cold steel, but the second they put their hands on anything the warmth from their hands just barely stir the nanites in the titan that makes whatever they touched bloom into a soft blue hue

colored footprints leave behind a trail that fade slowly over time, the blue hues melding into greens and yellows the longer the human lingers in an area as the surrounding area soaks in the warmth

meanwhile megatron has been keeping an eye on the little thing since minute one, shifting things around quietly to keep the human close and most importantly safe, one wrong move and the little guy would go kersplat if he didnt keep an eye on them

so he does, watching the human just taking in the alien cityscape with an awe in their eyes that megatron could barely understand

also something ive always like. not really disliked ?? more like. gotten enough of the “waah im a little human who knows nothing!! ):>” thing, like I KNOW ITS MOST TIMES SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE. A READER INSERT but idk! i just wanna see people flesh out the human more in these kinda things

like what if they were a architect before finding themselves in the depths of the titan? what if they studied everything interesting about the structures inside megatron, said titan watching them with curiosity as they quickly write down something in a notebook that they slowly fill over time the longer they spend inside him

or maybe a linguist! slowly deciphering the little bits of cybertronian that they can find to understand the alien language, over time learning that the walls were almost covered in poetry, maybe making some of their own in inspiration of the titans, maybe megatron would be elated to learn that someone else has the same interest? like i mean the guy is probably extremely lonely, even if its self imposed there would still be some kind of yearning to be understood if you catch my drift??

gahh SORRY FOR THESE THOUGHTS BEING SO JUMBLED i just had to write this stuff down or it’d never leave my head lol BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE? MAYBE?

Eeeee these are so cool thank you so much for sharing!!!

I love the idea of the human having some background to them. An architect or a linguist or anything, just something that gives them a purpose to be interested rather than just “ooo big alien”. I feel like once Megatron sees the human’s attempts to reach out and communicate, maybe he would try and reach out too.

This tiny creature, smaller than dust, yet he still tries to communicate with them, because of how interested they seem in him too…

[cowboylikeyouu]

i finally watched the making of deadpool & wolverine and wrote down every thought that popped up into my mind while watching, have fun lol

god hugh jackman is gorgeous

they’re talking about all the different ideas they had for this movie and honestly??? i would eat up every single one of them they should still do it lol

god hugh jackman is GORGEOUS

man i missed them sm i haven’t watched dp&w in TWO MONTHS?????

i will never shut up about the deadpool suit in this movie it’s SO AWESOME it’s a blessing for my eyes every time it’s on screen

"that’s what we were striving for with rdj in endgame, is to give this iconic fictional character an amazing ending." yeah well only that endgame‘s ending SUCKED and i will never forgive anyone for it <3

ugh hugh jackman is gorgeous

i could watch him speak forever

i‘m SO glad ryan made that "i should use his body as a weapon" pitch bc GODDAMN that opening scene will never get old

ahhhhhh i love that we‘re getting some insight in the stunt/fight stuff, SO interesting !! the shitty iphone test videos are hilarious

they should’ve made a "he ACTUALLY broke his toe when he kicked that helmet!!!!" reference when ryan kicked logan‘s skull lmao

the marry puppins SNOGGING ryan bts clips will never get old lmao funniest shit ever

THE SUIT LOOKS SO GOOD UGHHHH am i having a gender or a sexuality crisis over it???? guess we’ll never know

EMMA CORRIN ILYSM

shout out to british people gotta be one of my fav genders fr

all the different lines ryan screamed out of the honda????😭😭 honestly they should’ve just kept all of these idc about logic

EMMA CORRIN

"and i knew the fans would love it" ohhh hugh i think we all love it a bit too much

"and yet, i wouldn’t say wolverine is a straight man" awesome, thanks, case fucking CLOSED.

"which i don’t recommend, sending a 10 minute voice memo to anyone"

*me looking at the five 10-20 minute voicemails i send my friends every single day*

THE SUITS LOOK SO GOOD TOGETHER (their asses do as well)

GOD hugh jackman is gorgeous

"what we refer to as the van fight" no babe that’s the honda odyssey sex marathon actually!!

"violence is our love language" ITS CONFIRMED (everyone knew. BUT STILL)

choreographing this scene (all the deadpool vs wolverine fight scenes really) must’ve been SO FUN like UGH just coming up with all this violence knowing that it won’t affect your characters in the long haul and you can add of many of it as you want????? THE DREAM

THEM HUGGING IN THE HONDA???😭😭 brb gotta cry

I LOVE YOU EMMA CORRIN

CHRIS EVANS LOML

it’s unfair how attractive he is i‘m gonna throw up

reminder to myself to finally learn johnny‘s monologue i wanna be able to randomly hit people with it

OHHHH i actually did NOT realize that was hulk‘s bed from ragnarok??? which is weird bc i used to watch that movie religiously. but hey that’s so cool!!

channing tatum talking about gambit is so heartwarming man so happy for him😭

jennifer garner is so pretty i‘m so gay lord help

me

dafne keen‘s voice sounds SO different when she’s not playing laura, CRAZY

EMMA CORRIN MY LOVE

just once just ONCE i wanna walk through a street filme set like this UGH it looks so cool & surreal

"this is our baby yoda" i have to be this annoying person i‘m sorry but HIS NAME IS GROGU

i don’t know shit about music but i could listen to people talk about movie scores for hours on end (how did you know sideways is my fav youtube video essayist???)

good fucking god hugh jackman is gorgeous

lmao they should’ve kept the "zoooombies wake uuuppp" again, idc about logic

EMMA CORRIN ‼️‼️‼️

ohh hugh jackman is gorgeous (put your greasy tits away you preening slut)

ugh i‘m getting emotional help

well that was awesome, gonna cry myself to sleep now byeee

(have i mentioned how gorgeous hugh jackman is?)

[reigns-devotee]

Paring: Jimmy Uso, Fem!Reader

Warnings: Oral, body fluids, PinV, Minors DNI, 18+, Smutty

Word count: 2,755

Summary: What happens when you get a writers block? Do you do the unthinkable to overcome it?

You’ve known Jonathan—Jimmy Uso, as the world knows him—since you were twelve years old. Now, at twenty-three, you’ve carved out a life for yourself in your own cozy home, the result of a successful writing career that you’ve poured your heart and soul into. Yet, despite the achievements that surround you, you find yourself at an impasse with your current project, My Detox. The pages are filled with your thoughts and ideas, but every time you reach the chapter dedicated to sex, the words seem to not slip through your fingers like sand.

Frustrated, you push your glasses up onto your forehead and toss them aside, the metal frame clattering lightly against the desk. Rubbing your temples, you sigh heavily. It’s maddening how your lack of experience in the realm of romance and sex has you second-guessing every word. Watching porn to get a better sense of things? Fuck no—there’s no interest in that, and the very thought makes you cringe.

Just as you’re about to retreat into another round of self-doubt, a sharp knock interrupts your thoughts. You pull yourself away from the desk and navigate the soft carpet steps down to the front door. When you swing it open, it’s as if the universe decided to send you an angel: Jonathan stands there, a broad smile lighting up his face, his presence instantly lifting the weight from your shoulders.

“Hey, how you been doin’, Y/N?” he asks, slipping off his shoes and placing them neatly by the door as he steps inside.

You walk toward the kitchen, your heart warming at the sight of him. “To be honest, awful,” you admit, reaching for a can of cola from the fridge, its chilled surface a small comfort against your palm.

Jonathan raises an eyebrow, concern flickering in his dark eyes. “Aye, I don’t think it’s smart to drink a Coke this late. What’s got you feeling so down?”

You pop the can open, the fizzy hiss punctuating the air as you turn to face him. “That’s exactly why I need it,” you say, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I can’t even write a damn sex scene. It’s so fucking irritating.” 

His laughter fills the room, warm and inviting, easing some of the tension in your chest. You lean against the counter, grateful for his presence, knowing that he’ll listen without judgment. 

Jonathan strides across the room, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he reaches for the can of cola. With a swift motion, he pulls it from your lips, the cool metal clinking softly as he holds it out of reach. “We can sit and talk about the book if it’ll make you feel better,” he offers, his voice steady and reassuring.

You nod slowly, the corners of your mouth lifting just a bit. “Alright, sounds calm, I guess.” The idea of discussing your writing with him, sharing your struggles, feels comforting. However, before you can dwell on it too long, he surprises you by tossing the can into the trash can with a decisive flick of his wrist.

“Lead the way,” he says, gesturing toward the stairs with a theatrical flourish, as if you’re about to embark on a grand adventure rather than simply moving to another room. His enthusiasm lightens your mood, and you can’t help but chuckle at his antics.

You take your time walking up the stairs, savoring the familiarity of each step, the plush carpet underfoot cushioning your ascent. It feels like a small journey, one that transports you away from the nagging frustrations of the day. Jonathan’s presence beside you makes the climb feel less daunting, and you appreciate the way he falls into step beside you, his casual demeanor bringing a sense of ease to the air.

Once you reach your room, you don’t head for your desk as you usually would. Instead, you find yourself gravitating toward the bed, a haven of comfort and soft blankets. You sit down, sinking into the plush mattress, and Jonathan follows suit, settling next to you. The bed creaks slightly under his weight, and you can feel the warmth radiating from him as he takes a moment to gather his thoughts.

For a while, there’s a comfortable silence between you, the kind that speaks volumes without the need for words. You glance at him, noticing the way his dark hair falls into his eyes and how he leans back slightly, resting on his hands. It’s a casual posture, yet it exudes confidence and openness.

“So, tell me about this book,” he finally prompts, his gaze steady and encouraging. “What’s got you all tangled up?”

You take a deep breath, feeling the weight of his attention as you prepare to share your frustrations and ideas, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he can help you untangle the mess swirling in your mind.

You launch into a rant, pacing back and forth across the room as the words tumble out in a frustrated stream. “I just… I don’t know how to even *get* them to that point, you know?” You gesture vaguely, feeling flustered. “Like, how do I make it realistic? They’re just… standing around. Maybe I should have deepened the tension, built it up more. It’s just so clear to me that there’s not enough of it.”

Jonathan watches you patiently, his gaze warm and attentive. “Where did you stop writing?” he asks, his tone gentle, coaxing more out of you.

You look at him, feeling a bit sheepish. “They were, well… basically just sitting in bed after talking about all the weird stuff that’s been happening over the last few months,” you explain, shrugging. You know it sounds flat, lacking that spark that you’re so desperate to capture.

He shifts a little closer on the bed, the mattress dipping beneath his weight as he leans in. “You mean… like this? Or should they be further apart?” he asks, his voice lowering ever so slightly, sending a ripple of awareness through you.

Your breath catches in your throat, pulse racing as you realize how close he’s gotten, his eyes locked on yours with a sudden intensity. “Yeah,” you murmur, your voice soft, almost breathless. “That… that might be it.”

“Maybe,” he murmurs, leaning in just a fraction closer, his eyes glinting with mischief, “you’ve just gotta build the tension… like this.”

Without warning, his hand finds your thigh, warm and steady, his fingers pressing gently into your skin. His touch is slow, deliberate, easing higher until his fingertips brush the hem of your sleep shorts, sending a shiver up your spine. The closeness, the heat radiating from him, everything suddenly feels heightened, more intense.

“I–Jon, what are you—” You start to ask, your voice catching as your cheeks flush. But before you can finish, he cuts you off with a quiet, soothing murmur.

“Shh, ma… just helping you with this scene,” he says, his tone gentle yet commanding, igniting a spark low in your belly that you hadn’t felt in ages.

The warmth between your legs builds, a magnetic pull drawing you toward him, your heartbeat quickening. Unable to resist, you rise to your feet in a haze, and he follows, his hands tracing down your sides as he slides his fingers under the fabric of your shorts. The sensation is electric, his touch firm yet achingly gentle.

Before you can process what’s happening, he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you back onto the bed, the world spinning as you sink into the softness of the mattress. His hands find your hips, grounding you as he settles between your legs, his gaze intense and unwavering, locking onto yours with a raw vulnerability that sends a thrill through your core.

For a moment, you’re caught in a whirlwind of emotions, your mind racing with a thousand thoughts—questions, hesitations, desires—but you don’t pull away. Instead, you look up at him, feeling the tension between you build to an almost unbearable peak, his lips so close you can feel the warmth of his breath. 

Jonathan’s grin is teasing, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark. “Maybe… they should kiss,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that sends a thrill racing through you. The suggestion lingers in the air, electric, and without a second thought, you close the distance between you, crashing your lips against his with a hunger that surprises even you.

His hands immediately find your waist, sliding down until they cup the curve of your backside, pulling you closer as the kiss deepens. Your tongues meet, a playful clash that quickly becomes more heated, a tug of war that neither of you seems willing to lose. The sensation is overwhelming, your breaths mingling, growing heavier with each passing second. Desperation builds within you, and without thinking, you press your hips against him, grinding yourself shamelessly in search of relief.

Jonathan lets out a soft, breathy groan, the sound full of pent-up desire, before he firmly turns you over, guiding you down onto the bed beneath him. His weight settles over you, warm and solid, and he leans down, capturing your mouth in another searing kiss. His lips trail from your mouth down to your neck, lingering there as he nips and sucks, each touch drawing quiet gasps and soft whimpers from your lips.

He doesn’t stop there. His kisses continue, trailing lower, his mouth exploring the sensitive skin at the base of your throat before making its way down to your chest. With practiced ease, he slips a hand behind your back, undoing the clasp of your bra. He pulls it away, and in the next moment, his mouth finds your breast, his lips capturing one of your hardened peaks as his tongue teases and flicks, sending jolts of pleasure through your body.

A moan escapes you, his name slipping past your lips as your hands clutch the sheets, your body arching beneath him. He pauses for a brief second, looking up with a smug grin, clearly reveling in your reaction. Then he continues his path downward, his lips leaving a trail of heat as he kisses down your stomach, his hands following the curve of your waist, his touch both possessive and tender.

When he finally reaches the place where your need is most intense, he looks up, holding your gaze with an intensity that makes your pulse race. You feel utterly exposed, completely at his mercy, yet you’re exactly where you want to be.

Jonathan’s eyes never leave yours as he leans down, his gaze smoldering with intent. He tilts his head, capturing the delicate hem of your thong between his teeth, the metal of his grillz glinting against the fabric. His touch is teasing, deliberate, his movements slow enough to make your anticipation mount. With a knowing smirk, he sits up, using one smooth motion to slide the material down your legs and cast it aside before settling back between your thighs.

He trails his hands up your legs, leaving a path of warmth in his wake as he draws closer, his breath hot against your skin. Placing a series of feather-light kisses on the sensitive flesh between your legs, he lets his lips linger, each kiss sending sparks of pleasure through you. Slowly, he shifts to gentle licks, teasing your core with just enough pressure to make you shiver, your body arching instinctively in response to his touch.

When he finally wraps his lips around your swollen clit, a sharp gasp escapes you, and you find yourself moaning his name, “J-Jon!” Your voice trembles with the raw intensity of the moment, and your back arches as the pleasure coils within you, hot and insistent. Instinctively, your legs start to close around him, but he’s quick to press them apart, his strong hands gripping your thighs to keep you open and vulnerable beneath him.

With a quiet groan, he begins to work you over with a fervent intensity, his mouth moving in a rhythm that leaves you breathless, his tongue exploring every sensitive spot, every inch of you. His hands hold you firmly, grounding you, as he devours you, each flick and swirl pushing you closer to the edge, until every thought, every worry fades away, leaving only the pulsing heat of the moment between you.

You look down at him, your breath coming in shallow gasps as beads of sweat trickle down your cheeks. With trembling hands, you reach out, cupping his face and tilting it up to meet your gaze. Your voice is soft, filled with raw need as you plead, “I need you now… please, Jon.”

His expression darkens with desire, and he rises up, positioning himself between your legs. You watch as he shoves his pants down, his movements controlled yet urgent. He looks back at you, his voice a low growl, thick with intensity. “Say it again.”

Your body shivers at the command, his deepened tone sending a thrill down your spine. “I need you… so bad right now,” you repeat, voice barely a whisper as you feel the ache within you grow unbearable.

He lines himself up, the tip of his cock pressing against your entrance, and you can already sense just how much he’s going to fill you, even without looking. His gaze locks onto yours, filled with a challenge, his voice dripping with hunger. “One more time…” he demands, his tone laced with control.

“I… really… need you—” Before you can finish, he pushes forward, slowly easing himself into you, inch by inch. Your mouth falls open, every word stolen from you as he fills you completely, stretching you in a way that makes you gasp. He lets out a low, satisfied moan, his breath hot against your ear. “Ma… you’re so tight,” he whispers, his voice filled with awe and desire.

He begins to move, his strokes slow and deep, each thrust deliberate, making you feel every inch of him. The pressure is overwhelming, and you can’t hold back the sounds escaping you. “So big… so fucking big,” you whimper, your voice trembling with pleasure.

A growl rumbles in his chest as he quickens his pace, his thrusts becoming more insistent. “Keep talkin’ like that,” he warns, his voice rough, “and I’m gonna fuck you crazy.”

Your body arches beneath him, your own voice betraying the intense sensations flooding through you. “You’re… stretching me so well,” you murmur, your words barely coherent.

In one swift motion, he flips you onto your stomach, his hands firm as he lifts your hips and positions you to his liking, your back arching under his guidance. He plunges back into you, his rhythm wild and unrestrained, each thrust driving deeper, pulling raw cries from you with every movement. His head falls back, a series of deep, breathless moans escaping him. “Fuck, Y/N… tight as fuck,” he groans, his voice filled with a mix of pleasure and frustration.

His hand reaches up, gripping your hair and pulling you up slightly, your back arching even more as he moves inside you with a relentless intensity. Every sensation blends together, the world blurring until all you can feel is him, overwhelming you in every possible way.

“Jon… oh god… Jon…” you cry out, the sound echoing around you as he pushes you further, taking you over the edge.

The sudden sound of the door swinging open snaps you back to reality, the sharp creak echoing through the quiet room. Everything stops, and you jolt, realizing with a rush of embarrassment that you’re still at your desk, glasses tossed haphazardly to the side. The vivid daydream dissolves, leaving you breathless—and there he is. Jonathan. The very man who had just occupied every inch of your mind.

He steps into the doorway, looking at you with raised eyebrows. “I’ve been knocking on your door for a long ass time,” he says, his voice laced with impatience. “What’s going on—” His words trail off as his eyes drift downward, catching sight of the evidence of your desire: the way your hardened nipples press against the thin fabric of your top, your cheeks flushed a deep, unmistakable shade of red.

A knowing grin spreads across his face, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than necessary. He closes the door behind him, the soft click sealing the space between you. Without breaking eye contact, he murmurs, his voice low and commanding, “On the bed… now.” His words hit you like a Drako in your chest.

His words hang in the air, thick with intent, leaving you stunned yet undeniably drawn to obey.

[marlynnofmany]

Ever write something that's never seen the light of day? Ever write a whole novel that you decide isn't worth editing into shape? I have!

Once upon a time, I had this character I'd written little experimental drabbles about, and I wanted to give her a full book of adventures. When NaNoWriMo rolled around, I went for it: the idea seemed promising. She was a human veterinarian working on an alien world, and things out of the ordinary were happening.

In this case, there was a flying city veering dangerously off course, and escaped animals turned out to be part of the problem. There was another intelligent species on the planet, who were very cool -- they looked like hadrosaurs and were mostly conjoined twins. There were evolutionary and cultural reasons for that. There was a forbidden forest, and lots of interesting characters, and the dangerous alien predators turned out to be allergic to humans.

I had fun writing it! But the end didn't come together in a very satisfying way, and a few other aspects didn't live up to my expectations, and basically I was underwhelmed with the end result.

So I put it aside and did other things, then on a different NaNoWriMo, I wrote out a different idea for the same character. That became A Swift Kick to the Thorax.

At this point, the first book is non-canon, since those dinosaurs with the flying cities aren't mentioned in SwiftKick, and they would have been involved in the interplanetary dealings with Earth. But they're not gone forever. Just like I used a couple other facets from the original story (escaped animals, no-trespassing forest), these guys might show up in something else later.

Maybe they live on another planet. Maybe they'll come live on this one eventually. Maybe they live in another storyverse altogether, and they're talented magicians. (I have another rough draft on the hard drive that they'd fit into pretty well, actually.)

They say no writing is ever wasted, and that's very true. It can be material to draw from later, bonus material for Patreon, and heck, any writing is practice. You don't expect a piano player to gripe about a song played badly.

Writing never expires! Maybe I'll see those dinosaur twins again someday.

[laufire]

#Yeah exactly. Like. We are missing Jefferson's motivation in this conversation. #Jefferson put himself into prison. Obviously he was manipulated into doing it and then targeted further once he was in prison. #But he put himself in prison due to a whole Thing about himself and his relationships and his political position and his superhero status. #It's not a question of Red Hood applying himself and moving mindless pieces around on a board. #Same thing with the Pierces and with Mia and (hypothetically!) with preboot Roy. Red Hood is the cameo passing through *their* stories. #And obvi a fan can get really excited about an interesting well-written cameo. But just because a cameo is cool doesn't make him The Protag #Also: you don't get Red Hood if you don't see his persistent admiration of the heroes. Yes he's nasty and bitchy and bitter. #AND YET at his most bitter he spends like all his time either snarking with bitchy backhanded compliments (and they are compliments!) #or unironically *gushing*. I know in comics culture we believe respect and admiration = totally ass-kissing a Gary Stu. #But think about it. Is it impressive to get a verbal tongue-bath from a buddy who is always on your side? #Or is it more impressive to be so good that your enemy who has been discarded and heartbroken by your cause #*still* trusts in your goodness? #(Not only talking about Dick and Jason here but also Jason despite his edginess valuing the goodness of Black Lightning and Onyx and #Donna and [under Winick] possibly Damian--and yes--much to *my* chagrin--Batman.) (via @thecruellestmonth)

so many people miss the point of what jason was doing when he made himself the red hood. the red hood is A Bad Guy, not A Hero (NOT a Bat). this means he's not following vigilante justice rules, which allows him to do what he wants to do.

ironically this is best illustrated, imo, in a story where the opposite happens; where being A Bad Guy bars him from taking action. in "outsiders: pay as you go" (vol. 3. #44-46 + annual #1), jefferson pierce is in jail, having turned himself in after being tricked into thinking he'd committed murder. jason finds out about it by spying on deathstroke, and he goes with this information to dick and his team (which includes anissa pierce), and later also warns them about a hit being put on jefferson.

I once saw a post that interpreted these actions as jason seeking help for a jailbreak he couldn't pull off on his own. ridiculous lol, especially as this is written by winick, who loves his hyper-competent jason (he's the one who made him that way, after all). jason doesn't even participate in the jailbreak, because the red hood is A Bad Guy. as he himself says, jefferson is a hero, one of The Good Guys, made to second-guess himself and take himself off the board.

the way to restore him to heroism is NOT by having a notorious criminal break him out of prison. what would that accomplish, even if jefferson himself allowed it? (he would not. hell, his instinct is to distrust the information because of who it comes from lol). it would not prove his innocence, and in fact it'd probably make things worse for him.

so instead jason goes to The Heroes (to dick, in particular; anissa's presence could've been a consideration, maybe as a fellow child-of-a-felon, but it was dick, and dick's values, that he was trusting here). he gives them the information and the means necessary to help and save jefferson, but he doesn't publicly intervene himself. because he's A Bad Guy, and they don't go to the rescue.

[pink-lemonadefairy]

i want to seduce people with knowledge of very obscure historical events and niche topics of the world but my memory fucking sucks shit

[starry-bi-sky]

"Stillborn? No, still born" Danyal au -- VLAD MASTERS THE BITCH HIMSELF

*Points at Vlad* THIS MFER GOT SOME TEEFS TO HIM. !! Okay okay, Vlad Masters in the stillborn au is different compared to most of my other aus in the fact that I am far more heavily leaning into his original ambitions of wanting a family and being desperately lonely. Because you know what wanting a family implies? Wanting to be a parent.

Fucked up father figure that could've been Vlad. Complicated love-hate relationship between the only two halfas in existence.

Danny hates Vlad, but he hates even more that he's genuinely considered his offers of mentorship. Vlad is the only halfa around, and they both have fire cores. Danny has these powers he doesn't understand, can barely comprehend some days, and can't control. But Vlad does. Vlad can. And Vlad wants to help him. He's the only other person who can get close whenever Danny runs too hot. Whenever his igneous hair cracks, splits, and spits back out into magma and his friends can't get close, Vlad can.

His hair is made of magma, which runs so hot that people need specialized suits in order to get near it. He physically cannot get close to the living as a ghost unless he's calm enough for his hair to cool into igneous rock. Which isn't as often as he would like. And sometimes he's too hot for other ghosts to get near unless they have fire cores -- which Vlad has.

There have been many times when Danny's having a meltdown (literally) and gone somewhere to be alone, to let his anger and hurt and loneliness overflow and spill out, that when he's come back to, Vlad's right there with him as an anchor. It's desperately frustrating, it's the only time they can get along. They don't say anything, Danny just turns and clings onto the only person he can touch as a ghost.

Its not fair. Vlad wants to kill his foster dad, and Danny can't let him do that. But he wants to be trained by the man, he wants his help and wants what he can offer. But Vlad can't step away from his revenge long enough to let him. It's just not fair. He thinks for a moment that maybe it could work, and then Vlad does something to remind him that no, it can't.

Vlad Masters sees too much of himself in Daniel Brown -- from the way he holds himself, to the defenses he puts up, his quiet anger that builds and builds and builds until it explodes. That simmers beneath his skin. All the way down to the fact that they have matching cores. This boy is cut from the same cloth as him, and by god does he want to help him. He's always wanted to be a father, and Daniel Brown is too much like him for him to ignore. He genuinely, truly cares about Danny and his wellbeing.

He wants to help him, child just let him help you. Let him kill your foster dad so he can adopt you himself and help with these powers that terrify and intrigue you -- he knows what that's like to have something that you can't control, to have a heat that you can't cool down from. "We're in the same boat you and I, let him help you please."

But his methods are all wrong, and Danny is too much like him -- stubbornness and all -- for him to agree when they oppose each other so greatly. But again, Danny is much like him -- which means that Vlad is equally stubborn, and in every single one of their fights he's parental. He's annoyingly parental. He drops his interest in Maddie to focus his efforts in trying to coax Danny onto his side. It's like trying to get a traumatized cat to trust you, and on some levels it works. It's like he makes some progress, and then moves too quickly and the cat immediately runs off and you have to start back from square one.

TL:DR; Vlad and Danny both want to find family in each other but they're too different to get along and ultimately they are doomed by the narrative to be at constant odds with one another unless one of them is changes, and it doesn't matter who.