#elias' plant adventure

[lilypads17]

im such a dumbass omg i tried to propagate a FUCKING BASIL LEAF

[l-in-the-light]

Chapter 1128 comments

And the Strawhats in Uncanny Valley adventures continues! Some things I noticed from previous chapter turned out to be right, some still have no conlusion, and some I might have been wrong on haha (not losing hope yet!). Since the chapter is super fresh, everything is hidden under the cut below!

Strawhats finally made it to Hogwarts haha. What a cute color picture :D the chapter's title ("RPG") together with this double spread makes me think of Hogwarts Legacy ❤ I like how tiny Zoro is just sitting on the dragon's nose XD

Nami confirmed for us that those plants don't just look fake, they *are* fake. Also, gigantified? I dunno about you all, but I feel like this is exactly the opposite case here. We saw giants who are suddenly small and huge animals/pets... could it be that Strawhats have been minimized/shrunk?? Maybe to the size of the tontattas?? So they could fit the lego set.

No wind, no sea in sight... no wonder I found this place so eerie too, haha.

This is the Land of Gods. And all Gods happen to be animals. Needle God is a hedgehog, Ear God was a rabbit, The Great Iskar is apparently the cat. While I was hoping the sun god would be the cat/lion (apparently not the case, it's some sorcerer dude instead), I was right that every god of this land is actually an animal :D

I gotta say, lovely fantasy lego set. That bridge ❤ the castle ❤ and that lovely house with a tower ❤❤❤ I also like how plants have all different shapes and structures, they're not just copy-paste of one and same plastic tree! Wish I could build a set like this :3

This was a fun callback to Whole Cake Island :D

Welcome back to the mirror world, Luffy! Speaking of which, that chapter I took it from is called "Adventure in the Mysterious Forest". Feels really similar to the previous chapter's title "Adventure in the Mysterious Kingdom", doesn't it? They are more similar than one might think. Both times it took some time to figure out what's actually going on too.

Oooh, we literally broke through the 4th wall here, haha. This is a very neat room. Clearly someone really likes wood and sewing. Interesting that the bricks don't actually seem so small in comparison to the table. Definitely not lego-sized, more like duplo-sized. Or maybe even bigger?

The underside is still completely wrong though. It's either flat or completely hollow (but damaged bricks from chapter before were definitely not hollow inside). Which creates the question: how is it possible they stack on top of each other?!

Apparently plastic is now confirmed to exist in One Piece world. Oficially! Color me surprised :O I thought One Piece world wasn't that advanced and we definitely *never* saw plastic in this world before. But hey, it doesn't neccessarily mean that the current residents can actually *create* it. It might be remains from the Ancient Kingdom! After all we know that plastic can take up to 500 years (or even 1000 years, according to some sceptics) to break up and it never fully decomposes. This one though looks very well preserved, maybe it was stored in some safe place?

Still, if Sanji knows what plastic is, it means it's still being used, right? I still wonder if it means they can still produce it or not.

Someone who likes to watch animals and people trapped in the block world... a sick hobby... remember this bit of info, we will need it in a second.

Also, Usopp, please, there might be more possible explanations to this situation! Don't disappoint me like that!

Is it just me or is that door kinda unusual? Why the Z shape? And here comes our sun god. I guess whatever we expected, it wasn't THIS. What is that? Wendigo?? Or... Elias, is that you?!

This is Elias for all of you who never read this pretty fun series. He's a sorcerer. Curiously enough, his One Piece twin also has a sorcerer's staff. Is it a crossover? (yeah, no way, Oda doesn't do that XD but it's worth mentioning that the anime adaptation of The Ancient Magus Bride was done by the studio that is responsible for One Piece anime remake :D). But wait, before I jump too far away from One Piece, I need to show you all something. Because we MIGHT have seen that guy before once!

Here, at God Valley! He was an unnamed member of the God's Knights! Is it the very same guy? Is it his son/other family member? Or is there a whole cult of them? Does it mean we will finally learn more about God's Knights perhaps?! Also, since he's carrying a sorcerer's staff, does it mean we will finally learn more about magic in One Piece's world?!

Did he summon Strawhats' ship with magic and that's why they're now in this weird place? Did he shrunk Strawhats with his magic as well??

Also few other things to note here: 1. there are multiple, same looking doors in that corridor. I wonder what's behind others... even worse hobbies? 2. There's obviously a very human-looking face/eye behind that skull mask. 3. If it's indeed a God's Knight, that would explain Zoro's comment from before. "Someone's sick hobby". We saw another example of a sick hobby God Knights and World Nobles engaged themselves in: hunting for human "rabbits" at God Valley (and possibly many other, unfortunate places in the world). Speaking of which, I wonder if they still continue doing this kind of cruel entertainment games, even to this day? But of course it's never reported in the news so we would have no idea.

And now let's progress to my new favourite part, pointing out inconsistencies in Strawhats! Just like in my last commentary to previous chapter 1127 (leaving you with link in case anyone's interested), the Strawhats still show some odd behaviour (though it's not obvious at first glance). This time I won't focus on equipment going missing, but I do want to point out one thing:

I dunno how come people didn't notice it, but Luffy apparently does have his strawhat, it's not missing! Like yeah, in last chapter it wasn't there, but in this chapter there are a few shots when it's visible. And since we're speaking of Luffy...

Isn't this like the first time Luffy went into Gear 5 and didn't faint or get hungry or get "old" and exhausted after using it? He's completely fine this time around. Odd. This is definitely the first time it happened. Also poor cat.

"I'm still full from the rabbit"... This is not the Luffy I know xD

Nami charging people for skinship? Yeah, totally normal and to be expected... for everyone BESIDES Chopper. Allow me to refresh your memory below:

Nami had no problem bathing in front of Chopper, she even invited him indirectly to *join in*. In one of the SBS corners Oda wrote this as well:

"Chopper gets invited to bathe with the ladies a lot". Which means Nami would never charge Chopper any money for just a hug or even if Chopper saw her naked. The answer to "why" is simple really. It's because Chopper is a reindeer and doesn't have pervy thoughts about human females, that's why Nami and Robin feel safe being naked around him, hugging him etc.

So this is not exactly correct Nami's behaviour here. Now, let's look at Sanji:

Nothing seems out of order, right? Except the fact that Sanji doesn't sense women in trouble with his nose or his observation haki. It's actually thanks to this:

His sense of hearing. He hears people in distress even from far away. He hears "lady's tears falling". It's been always consistent. So Sanji is using wrong sense up there!

I feel like this scene exists only for Oda to remind viewers that Sanji should be afraid of bugs, so they can compare this moment with the one from the previous chapter, in which he claims they should eat the bees. Seems like Oda wants us to catch on to all those inconsistencies, huh.

The same here, Oda reminds us Usopp is usually very observant and sceptical, and he did not behave this way in previous chapter at all.

Also I totally agree, there's no way giants would have clothes ready at disposal in Strawhats sizes, haha. This almost counts as a 4th wall breaking comment ;)

And again, this is how Usopp usually acts: afraid, would rather take a safe route instead of risking a confrontation. Don't tell me Usopp became a brave warrior of the seas when I wasn't looking, come on. This here is the Usopp I know! Not the one from previous chapter who decided to test out if the illusion is real or not on himself!

Meanwhile, this throws me off. "I totally lost my cool"? Where's my Usopp's tall tale? Where is him trying to say he fought bravely, but the enemy did a dirty trick on him, and he lost in an unfair fight? Where's him blaming it all on Nami that he fell into a trap? Come on, Luffy asks him for a reason here, he believes in many lies of Usopp's, after all. He expects Usopp to brag, but what we get instead? An answer that sounds like truth instead. Since when is Usopp telling us truth?! That is blasphemy to his name!

Here, a comparison to Dressrosa. Usopp will always lie, no matter what. Unless he actually does some brave thing, then he will keep quiet about it and keep it to himself. But that's not the case with the cat. Also please note how Usopp blamed everything and everyone but *himself* when he leaves his friends in the dust. "Someone needs to survive to tell the tale", "This is all Franky's fault!", "I can't die over a little white lie!".

Yeah, whatever the deal is with that answer Luffy received, this is NOT the Usopp I know. Usopp telling the truth, tsk. I'm not accepting any of it!

Meanwhile we have Zoro and I still couldn't find anything wrong with him. Even though it amuses me to no end whenever he talks about "no idea which way the sea is". Zoro, Zoro, you never know where anything is anyway :D

All his comments seem accurate, including the scene with him itching for a fight, and he is very attentive, sensing any enemies/strangers nearby, as always.

I also couldn't find anything wrong with Chopper either. Nice that we found him finally! It's interesting he was the only one out of the diorama (a "temple" it is, apparently, huh) and apparently he had a collar on? None of the animals in the lego city wore any collars, so I guess that was only to prevent Chopper from running away. I wonder what the sorcerer wanted to do with him? Maybe turn him into one of the gods of the lego city? Since Chopper is an animal as well. What would his name then be? Perhaps the Antler God ;)?

I didn't mention it in the last chapter, but the "RPG" title is very fitting! It feels a bit like Strawhats are inside a game of some sort, with random enemies spawning. Ofc our pirates fit very well for the RPG heroes team in some fantasy realm :D even lego bricks and escape room mystery vibes fit the game idea!

Are those high heels btw? XD not judging him/her/they or anything lol.

Anyway, that's all for now. I still have no clue where we are exactly and I love the mystery :D the "temple" bit sure is so curious, but I won't pretend I have any clue about what's that about just yet. I'm still hoping for some trolls magic shanenigans though. Even if they're not trolls like I thought they are, the possibility of impostor Strawhats is still not dismissed ;)

I did enjoy their banters a lot in this chapter :D especially Luffy rushing to the "no one returned back from there" temple. Reminds me of that bridge in Dressrosa and "no one returned back to tell the tale" bit which scared everyone off besides Law and Robin haha.

Is the sorcerer somehow related to the "Green Fairy" alcohol? Maybe that's the origin of the "hallucinations" giants spoke about, a sorcerer kindapping chosen few who drank the alcohol, playing with them, and then returning some later when he gets bored, making it all seem like a prank? He does not look like the type who puts people back in the places they came from tho... if his comment of "I'm not letting you escape!" is anything to go by.

Can't wait for the next chapter!

[of-void-and-stars]

"From the back, they could have been twins: both of them skinny and angular, with the same unimpressive height, dark hair, and pointed ears that suggested elven ancestry. But then they turned toward the tables, and Tim got his first good look at Jonathan Sims and Gerard Keay."

ID: two pixel art pieces portraying a scene in the cafetaria of the Magnus Insitute, based on All of Existence, All at Once [AO3 link] by @pitviperofdoom - a Stolen Century (The Adventure Zone: Balance) AU of The Magnus Archives. The art is drawn from the perspective of Tim and Sasha (not shown) sitting at one of the tables and looking over the rest of the cafetaria where two detailed figures walk as well as multiple silhouettes of other people. The two figures are Jon and Gerry - in the first they have their backs to the viewer, in the second they are facing the viewer.

Jon is a brown skinned man with pointed ears and long black hair, wearing a pinstripe waistcoat with a dark green tie over a white button up, as well as pressed tan slacks and brown oxford shoes. He's standing with his arms crossed and holds a stern, disdained stare from behind oval golden glasses, under arched eyebrows.

Gerry is a pale white man with pointed ears and long black hair thrown over one shoulder. He has multiple line tattoos of eyes - small ones on his wrists and finger joints, and a big one on his throat. He wears black lipstick and eyeliner, as well as a lip and eyebrow piercing.

Gerry is wearing a long, sleeveless, dark grey coat with metal studs on the lapels and bottom edge as well as spikes on the shoulders, over a black long-sleeved shirt. He also wears ripped, grey cargo trousers and black platform boots. On the front of the coat a skull pin is visible, on the back there's art of a large, stark white middle finger being held up, with above and below it bloody red text that's partially hidden, in full it reads "Rebel Misfit". Thin metal chains hang front to back on one side of the coat. On the back of Gerry's trousers a few bright and colourful paint stains can be seen at the bottom edge.

The cafetaria has dark green walls, one of which is decorated with a large painting of Elias Bouchard - an older white man in a suit with grey hair and piercing grey eyes. The tables are white and circular, the chairs are red, blue and grey. There's a tall plant in the corner. On the table at the centre front lies a stack of books in different colours and sizes. The one visible title reads: Foundations. End ID

This is my art piece for the Rusty Quill Big Bang this year! Thanks to @pilesofnonsense for hosting the big bang and @pitviperofdoom for writing this awesome crossover, and of course thanks to my fellow artist for this fic @paintbrushinacoffeecup and their amazing art!

[galaxysodapopdraws]

Little “Classic” Shard! Since you know he’s the og metal sonic and such. He liked to escape chuck’s workshop and follow him everywhere. because his last dad eggman kinda forgot about him in a volcano and then replaced him.

Anyways as usual mini stuff about them:

Shard got his sailor mouth from chuck cursing a lot around him.

Shard wasn’t allowed out of the workshop alone barley at all because people feared he’d go evil again. But always escaped somehow but mostly just to hang out around nature.

The spikes on his back click like real stripes tenrecs! He does this to speak in Morse code and to annoy/confuse others.

When shard first turned organic the first thing he wanted to try eating was a chili dog since sonic is obsessed with them. Chuck agreed and made him one even though he knew it probably wasn’t a good idea giving new life something so greasy and spicy. Shard took a bite and spat it out immediately wondering why the fuck sonic loves them so much.

Also shard’s favorite food is pizza if you’re wondering.

Shard has a bedroom in chucks workshop that used to be a supply closet he hide him in when guests came over. It’s now filled with plants, sketches shard drew, and random junk he finds that peaks his interest. Plus and picture of him and the secret freedom fighters (Elias, silver, blaze, and marine)

And finally, the reason why out of all people shard took an immediate liking to chuck (despite chuck’s dismay originally)? Simply because he reminded him of eggman aka his og dad except better. Because Chuck was willing to find him and give him a second chance and home.

….honestly I need to draw more of them doing stuff together. But like looney toons adventure missions and maybe how he found shard/shard became organic. Idk maybe when I got the time, anyways hope y’all like it!

[myillusions]

CHARACTER SHEET

Gilded Robin

Ophelia Robinette

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

Appearance

Ophelia “Robin” Robinette is five-foot, six inches in height, with lightly wavy ginger hair mixed with golden honey which sits at medium-length just beneath her shoulders. She often wears it either down, in a messy bun, a high ponytail or plaited.

Ophelia’s eye colour is green with brown flecks and long eyelashes. She adorns brown eyebrows and a light flutter of freckles, with soft, plump lips and smooth skin. She has a slim face with round cheeks and a defined jawline. She has two barely visible fangs due to genetics.

Ophelia flaunts with a fit, robust physique, which is curved in a slight hourglass figure. She possesses a tattoo of a lotus on her lower spine.

Whilst being in favor of her looks, Ophelia appears as more so a damsel then she’d prefer, where in reality, she is much adjacent to a lotus; beautiful, graceful and pure on the surface, but the roots are firmly planted in mud and water.

Personality

Ophelia Robinette; when first coming into contact with her, is commonly described as a compassionate and community-based yet apprehensive woman.

Though, like most, Ophelia is quite complex. She is rather sardonic and reticent, though isn’t afraid of a friendly chat. Most around Jackson would determine her as resolute.

She is sedulous and quick-witted in near all of her actions, the struggles of the apocalypse clearly weighing on her decision making. This doesn’t deter her from being sardonic, though, whilst also having her churlish moments.

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“Pride; it will cost you everything and leave you with nothing.”

Priscilla Hanes

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

Appearance

Priscilla Hanes is five-foot, eight inches in height. She adorns curly, jet-black shoulder-length hair. She has stunning, piercing blue eyes with sharp features.

Priscilla almost constantly looks sleep-deprived and possesses a tattoo sleeve on her left arm.

Personality

Priscilla Hanes is an outgoing, assertive woman who can come off as rather churlish. She is extremely adventurous, which can cause her to often wind herself up in lamentable situations. Priscilla is exceedingly witty and not afraid to speak her mind.

After getting more accommodated with Priscilla, most find her to be extremely sympathetic and warm-hearted.

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. Right?”

Elias Robinette

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

Appearance

Elias Robinette is six-foot, one inches in height with a scruffy, unkempt head of brunette hair which falls by his eyebrows. He has light green eyes and a honed jawline.

Personality

Elias Robinette is an earnest, yet vastly despairing man whom consistently makes ridiculing and satirical comments.

Many would describe Elias Robinette as a survivor.

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“Hemingway said that courage was grace under pressure. He also shot himself point blank in the face.”

Joel Miller

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“Maybe there’s nothing bad out there, but so far there’s always been something bad out there.”

Ellie Williams

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow… too soon?”

Tommy Miller

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

“Just because life stopped for you, doesn’t mean it has to stop for me.”

Maria Miller

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

"Be careful who you put your faith in. The only people who can betray us, are the ones we trust."

Tess Servopoulos

❥ ∞ ✯ • ➳

"It's a miracle any of us are alive."

Note: Photos are not mine! I got them all from Pinterest.

Will be updated.

[undeadunhingedchaos]

I never know how to start...

.... I ain't even sure how to tag things properly.

I eventually wrote an important part of my "it could be a whump fic but the truth is that I've been trying to write that book since I was 13"

It's my fantasy book. With sci-fi, guns and a pinch of apocalypse...

It's called Adventurers of the Shambles.

'Cause that's what they are. Maybe I should, for once, give some context.

For example, my characters. The afore-mentionned Adventurers of the Shambles.

Calypso : a mermaid who took an human form.

Jake : a pirate, kind of the leader of the Adventurers.

Anita : a sharp shooter, retired assassin and Calypso's oldest friend.

Bertha : a werewolf built like a tank.

Gil : Jake's best friend, the team's engineer/ mad scientist...

Cecilia : the team's medic/healer...

Liam : Cecilia's brother, a hunter.

Muse : an extravagant musician.

Gontran : the team's cook and Muse's bf.

Sam : not sure about his role, his special skill is climbing and he's always here to help, whatever it is for...

Cyrano : a librarian a little out of his element who dubbed himself the team's strategist - and their world's historian. (He's good at only one of these and it ain't strategy...)

Pietro : a tailor also out of his element and the reason the other characters still have recognizable clothes....

Maria : Pietro's wife, a shy and naïve seamstress who learns to stand up for herself...

Elias : A cat-demon, and Calypso's bf and partner in crime...

Arethuse : Calypso's long lost human sister.

Shikishima : a half-elf, retired assassin who fell in love with Anita and tries so hard to redeem himself. (It fails spectacularly before getting better)

Harmony : the Goddess of Plant Life, summoned into this realm by Shikishima's antics...

Theo : a greedy pirate

Nefertari : a princess from ancient Egypt who traveled in time and learned martial arts with so much enthusiasm.

Atalante : an elf princess Shikishima freed from a curse. She has healing powers and found her calling as Cecilia's apprentice.

Dimitri : a deserter who fell in love with Calypso and got unexplicably cursed to always end between Calypso and guns...

Zzzuizzz : an elf looking alien. He rarely speaks and is easily scared...

Janet : a seductress and a thieve. She's Theo's accomplice and dreams of being treated like a princess.

Olivia : The team's second mad scientist. She's quite shy, so clumsy, and has a crush on Zzzuizzz.

Nadeshiko : an elf made of paper who speaks even less than Zzzuizzz and lost all her memories...

Levi : Levi is hard to explain without spoiling anything. Let’s say she's Undead. (Not as in "a Hollywood Undead fan" though if she knew about them she'd love them)

Is that too long ? 'Cause they're only the title characters, the Adventurers of the Shambles, those who all live together in a magical house on wheels. They're a messy, chaotic kind of found family...

[uh-velkommen]

I decided to revisit Skam

(but this time under the influence of a certain type of plant) to see if anything new stands out or if my perception of the show has changed. I started with season one because I really don't ever rewatch seasons one or two and while I cant say if the certain plant I had consumed had any effect on my viewing experience, I did notice some things that I wanted to vaguely talk about.

First of all, season one does a REALLY good job at setting the precedent for the show's tone and it's characters. There are so many moments where a camera lingers on an action in order to be comical and the characters truly feel like real people with their own personalities. For example, I always thought of Jonas as the perfect boyfriend. He's like the ideal feminist dude... until you watch season one again and go, "wtf he's a lying gaslighting twat!?" But since I'm watching as an adult now, I can really see how these characters are just babies who don't know right from wrong. Jonas doesn't lie to Eva about talking to Ingrid because he finds it funny to manipulate his girlfriend, he's doing it to save his own ass. It doesn't make him a bad person, he just thought this was the only way to keep his secrets and then as the show goes on, we see him grow and change. (Also can I just point out how absolutely hilarious the cabin scene is where Elias crashes their hyttetur, because the whole time we're watching Eva get ignored by Jonas due to Isak's presence and then suddenly Isak is ALSO getting ignored because Jonas "acts like a different person around Elias").

Watching as an adult really adds a new perspective, as well. Not only do I know where the characters end up but I can also make sense of their irrational behaviors. (Also want to point out P. Chris is an absolute BABY in season one, as in he looks 12). For a moment, when i started my rewatch, I got this strange sense of awareness. I became aware that I was watching a show, I was aware that these were just people playing characters because I now know how these people are in real life but what brought me back in was trying to hyper analyze the characters personalities. For example, Eva just mostly mopes and cries in season one but every now and then we see that she's ultra sarcastic and pretty funny because of it. Then you notice how well she and Noora bounce off of each other because of that. (I'm still trying to fully understand Isak though. His actions can't ALL be narrowed down to his internal identity struggle and friendship jealousy, can it?)

Finally, this is mostly because I'm really attached to season three specifically but watching season one doesn't do much for me emotionally. It's not some crazy thrilling adventure. There's not some big party or plot twist at the end of every episode. I remembered this season as having a lot of back and forth/on and off crap with Eva and Jonas but recently I realized that the show is broken into two acts. The first half is full of Jonas making mistakes. We're on Eva's side wondering why he's always lying and not prioritizing the relationship. Then in the last half, we're on Jonas's side. Realizing that Eva really does struggle to balance her school life and friend with her relationship. She makes it so easy for others to play on her insecurities and i really like the characterization of a person who is smart but ultimately just bad at school.

Final thoughts (for season one at least): It really is worth the rewatch if it's been years for you, as it has been for me. Also if you feel like you're a true adult now and you're able to view these characters as your children, it's really interesting to think about how you would react as the parent in some situations since there is a real, unspoken, emphasis on how their home life and parental figures influence the way they are and interact with each other. Lastly, this has always been a strong point and it doesn't go away with time: The characters are SO strongly written. Everything they do makes sense for who they are and some of their behaviors don't just happen for the sake of the plot. This is a show that has truly been thought out down to the T.

[sandstormcz]

So there's more problems with the Assembly. Great. Beau was not surprised that that bunch of old manipulators couldn't stay chill for literally two minutes. But it's fine, it's fine! She loves her job. It's kinda shitty that she has to go bother Caleb and Essek about teleporting her again, but that's okay. It's that or weeks of travel and while she could use a vacation with Jester and Fjord, it was a pressing matter. So there she was, in Caleb's office, Essek, disguised as a half orc, holding her and Caleb's hands.

"Now.. I have personally never been to this location so-"

"It's fine Essek it's fine, we can walk"

"Ja Essek, besides, we're going to the middle of a city, it's not Aeor shatz. I'm sure they'll notice us anyway"

Essek seemed nervous almost, but he pulled them all closer and as they all took a deep breath, teleported them.. somewhere in Whitestone.

The goal was to get to the sun tree

And even though he has truthly never been there, his aim was better than he expected. Not the Sun tree, but they still managed to land in a garden of some sort.. maybe aiming better than they could if they tried.

The voice of the Tempest, meters away from them, was.. gardening. She had her back to them, growing out new plants in the fresh patch of soil. And she wasn't alone.

That was about all she noticed in the split second before she fell to her knees, dizzy from the spell that just got her there.

And with that soft thud, in an insane blur of yellows and oranges and browns, The voice of the Tempest was facing them, ready to dispose of any danger that suddenly appeared behind her. They all raised their hands as if to prove they come in peace. She was beautiful, magnificent and at the moment absolutely terrifying. For but a split second, until she noticed the official Cobalt Soul and Academy robes. She lowered her hand

"I see you have found quite an unexpected way of transportation. Expositor Lionette, if I'm not wrong?"

Still dizzy, she quickly stood up and folded her arms.

"Yes, that is me, this is my colleague Professor Caleb Widogast and his assistant Elias Feik Nem" she announced, blinking rapidly to get rid of the vertigo. And it was at this moment, with her vision clearing out a bit,that she started noticing the other person behind the woman in front of her

Beau might have had problems identifying The voice of the Tempest, if it weren't for her antlers, or that vibrant cloak she was told to look for.. but this woman next to her.. she seemed awfully familiar. No, she was almost certain she has seen her somewhere, she just couldn't place her.

"Very well then, I wasn't expecting you this soon. The rest is not yet here and we have a revival to get through but alas. It is my pleasure to greet you in Whitestone."

She was pretty sure the woman was looking at her the same way, unsure of where to put her, like she had wanted to remember but couldn't.. Ah. That's who she was then.

"We are glad to have the opportunity to meet you, even in these very unfortunate circumstances" Caleb responded instead of her.

"We are also glad to see that our old friend is with you. It is good to see you again, Vilya" Beau didn't think this would have much effect on the druid before her but while Vilya just smiled, The voice of the Tempest seemed shocked, mouth agape.

"Oh that's right! Dear, these are the adventurers I told you about.. or well, the two of them at least"

"Expositor Lionette am I to understand you were one of the brave heroes that saved my mother?" She seemed almost in tears. Wait no hold on mother? Oh Jester will never let them live down how Travelercon saved the mother of the FUCKING VOICE OF THE TEMPEST

"I am sorry, I'm not sure I follow, you're.. okay that.. it would appear the Mighty Nein did a lot more than- " the woman stepped closer and hugged her. What. The fuck. Did she just get a hug from the literal leader of the Air Ashari?

"Thank you. Thank you all so much."

[taerwen]

Catgirl Fantasy

Tags: @mad-elia @tobilikesomlettes

@tobilikesomlettes gave me a dumb suggestion on what to write... so I took it and made it BETTER. Here’s the first chapter of my fantasy... thing. Everything is subject to change, this is just a draft, so pLeAse feel free to make suggestions and give feedback.

Chapter 1

Tibby hovered over her dagger instinctively, the tavern fight was nothing compared to her ventures, yet she had been raised to be weary of conflict. Three moons had passed since the villagers had been troubled by her presence, and she’d come back to the unchanged village for one task. She planned to be in and out of the tavern in less than a fortnight, one tavern fight was nothing less than an entertaining event. 

The fight was between a scrawny, pale human man that appeared to be in his mid-twenties and a rogue Hoart. Tibby observed the fight with little interest. She had already noted both of them when she scoped out the room upon entering, but it didn’t take a genius to realize that the young Hoart would emerge victorious. The man had drunk his fair share of drinks and succumbed to his friends’ teasing. He thought it’d be impressive to approach the Hoart, he didn’t plan, and he was now facing the consequences. Young humans of little importance sought power and made these mistakes all the time. It was a phenomenon splashed over history. Although humans were reckless and ambitious, they were not stupid. The man would not make this mistake again. He would decide he wasn’t made for the world of adventure and become a blacksmith or a carpenter. He’d settle down and raise children in the same village he’d never set foot out of. Tibby envied him.

The fight had attracted a crowd of villagers and travelers alike. The unassuming village was located on an important route and was merely a road stop for beings on adventures. Everyone in the tavern had a story to tell, and Tibby couldn’t care less about them. The Hoart rammed his head into the man, his horns colliding with the man’s chest. It was a low blow for a tavern fight. This should’ve been the end of the collision, but two of the man’s companions emerged from the crowd and pushed the Hoart against the wall, leading to an all-out brawl. Tibby rolled her yellow eyes and looked over at the pub owner, Gideon, who seemed overall unbothered

“Aye! Violent bastards,” Gideon muttered quietly. Most beings, and especially not humans, would not be able to hear his musings, but Tibby and Gideon were Feliars. Their hearing was superior to all other beings, and their eyes were able to see particles of dust gathering in the air.

They locked eyes and she shook her head to show her sympathy for his situation. He was a middle-aged, jaded Feliar whom Tibby had mutual respect for. Other than herself, he was one of the few Feliars who spent any time in Kirie. He traveled there when he was young before the village was anything but a small settlement of a few families. He entered with ambitions and passions and built Kirie from the ground up. He was a hero to the people of Kirie, looked up to and admired by all, probably the only Feliar in all of *world name* treated with that level of respect. He could’ve become the lord, built up his power, and expanded Kirie to be an impenetrable power, but he chose to settle down and be the resident grumpy pub owner. He gave up all of his power to spend his days with drunk beings. Tibby admired and hated him all at once, but he’d never know that. Looking at him now, no one would be able to tell that he was once young and powerful. Tibby wasn’t there to see his story unfold, but she knew that despite the history, he couldn’t have had a sunny disposition, even back then. 

Tibby drew her attention back to the fight. The Hoart had the companions backed into a corner. The scrawny boy ducked as the Hoart attempted to headbutt him again. He then grabbed at the Hoart’s legs and attempted to pull them out from underneath him. The Hoart planted his hooves firmly on the ground and grabbed Scrawny Boy’s shirt and threw him across the room by his collar. The boy landed on the edge of a table and fell to the ground, unconscious. The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and screams. The Hoart didn’t have time to celebrate, though, as a blonde boy jumped up and grabbed him by the horns, pulling him down as a tall, dark-skinned girl with braids punched him in the gut. The Hoart squealed as the crowd cheered. The Hoart erupted in rage, pulling the blonde boy over his head and pushing him against a wall.

Tibby found herself silently reacting with the crowd, until she took a look at Gideon’s wearied, green eyes and decided it was time to intervene. Before she could, though, a glint of gold caught her eye. She directed her eyes to the corner of the room, noticing a being who had somehow slipped her attention. A cloaked… human? No, that couldn’t be right, no human could have passed her without her noticing. He was rotating a coin and was looking directly at her. He lifted his head to raise his drink to her. He had black hair and hazel eyes. He was clad in human clothes, but there was no way he was a mere human. There was just something… off, about him. Before she could study him more, though, she got distracted by the sound of glass breaking. a table had been knocked over and glass was shattered everywhere.

She sighed; Gideon would owe her for this. 

She stood up and stepped into the light. No one paid any attention to her. The Hoart was beating up the blonde man. The crowd didn’t seem to be bored with the brawl. Her job didn’t give her time for dramatics, but she smiled at the situation in front of her. They wanted a show? She’d sure as hell give them one.

Tibby pushed through the crowd; her cloak’s hood pulled up covering her face. She pushed her way to the middle of the crowd and took in the scene. The blonde man had gotten out of the Hoart’s clutches, and the two humans were circling in on the Hoart. She smirked and decided this was her moment. She stepped into the circle, standing in between the two humans, unclasped her cloak, and revealed herself. Her gray hair shined as it whisked into the light. The crowd’s heckling turned to animated murmurs as they took in her appearance. Her yellow, feline eyes, her light brown skin, her gray hair tied in a long, messy braid, her leather corset covered in daggers and poisons. She was a Feliar. A sly, untrustworthy, slum of a Feliar. A dangerous one, too.

“Excuse me,” She purred, “There seems to be a problem, and it is disrupting our generous host. I’m sure it would be no trouble to take it outside. Gideon would surely appreciate that, yes?”

The crowd looked at Gideon as if this intrusion was his fault. They seemed to forget that although he was their ally, he was still a Feliar. 

She had the crowd's attention. The humans looked at each other, debating whether to take her up on that offer. The Hoart noticed that the people’s attention was elsewhere, and took that opportunity to grab the boy and slam him onto the table. Tibby sighed. Beings could be so inconsiderate.

Tibby walked up to the Hoart, who was at least two feet taller than her and tapped him on the shoulder, calmly. When he didn’t respond, she climbed on top of him, grabbed him by the horns, and pulled him to the ground, jumping away before she got crushed. He landed with a thump vibrating the whole tavern, and looked up at Tibby, enraged

“This doesn’t concern you Feliar,” He spat at her in disgust, reaching to pull her legs out underneath her.

She stepped back and smirked. The Hoart pushed himself up from the ground and charged at her. She let him build up momentum and then stepped away from him as he collided with the wall. The crowd went wild. Money was being exchanged; bets made. The Hoart got himself back up and started circling Tibby. Assessing her as a real threat, he seemed to be weighing her up. The humans had fled, but the crowd hadn’t dwindled. Tibby used this time to figure out how she would take this out of the pub. The crowd was blocking the door, and the Hoart was too large for Tibby to drag out. Unless she wanted to kill him, her only option was to flee and hope that he followed. 

The Hoart charged at her, and Tibby ran, pushing through the crowd, bringing bystanders to the ground. Now that she was out of the tavern, Tibby grabbed a tranquilizer herb from her belt and prepared to bring this ridiculous fight to an end.

Before she could, though, a horn was blown in the distance.

“Shit,” She cursed under her breath.

That vile sound wasn’t much of a threat to Tibby in most places, but she hardly expected to hear The Imperial Hoarn active here, of all places. Gideon made sure that the Hoarn, the king’s imperial “peacekeepers,” would never take control of his precious town, the only Hoarts in Kirie were rogue ones or regiments of Hoarn who were using Kirie as a rest stop. 

Tibby made to break for the nearest alley, not in the mood to break out of prison today. Before she could, though, her face was covered by a strong pair of hands. She was pushed into a firm chest. She tried to struggle from the being’s grasp, but she felt her strength slipping away from her.

“Don’t worry,” A deep voice rasped, “I’ve got you now.”

She fell into his arms, slipping deeply into unconsciousness.

[bittercape]

2022 fanworks roundup

For a year where I, by all appearences, did nothing at all for the first half, quite a lot happened.

ART

I painted Bucky and Clint as pirates for the Winterhawk AU Bang, and was claimed by two amazing writers. The resulting fics are from the water thrown, discarded by veryrach and free as the wind that blows past me by flowerparrish, and they're both amazing <3

For the Winterhawk Big Bang, I made art for Hold Your Nerve by Inktastic1711 and for don’t care what you did (as long as you love me) by veryrach.

For the Rusty Quill Big Bang, I made art for The Haunting of Elias Bouchard by With_the_Wolves

FIC

I would have tried to sort this into fandoms or ships, but honestly they do get a little bit mixed up. So, chronologically:

Boris the Soviet Love Hammer

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton, 11k, explicit

For the Winterhawk Big Bang I wrote a shenanigans-filled adventure featuring my favourite things to write: Competent Clint, Thirsty Bucky and Helpful Tony. Hopefully, one day, someone will see fit to draw mermicorn Clint like the world deserves. This fic is blessed with art from amoredition.

of people wrapped up tight in the things that will kill them

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Jason Todd, 7k at 19/31 chapters, mature for violence

For whumptober, I haven't yet managed to finish Bucky, Clint and Jason's no good very bad day. Now that kinkmas is over (more on that later) I will hopefully have time to do it.

Raps at my window, waits at the gate

Jason Todd/Slade Wilson, 2865 words, explicit

At this point I had fallen into the DC hole courtesy of Jason Todd (new blorbo!) and the magnificent fic Give Thanks To Broken Bones by thepartyresponsible, who is one of the most brilliant writers out there and I recommend everything they've ever written. After this brief flailing break: My first adventure in DC features new OTP Jason Todd/Slade Wilson (because I absolutely cannot resist a grumpy old bastard) and my favourite type of Tim Drake, the slightly unhinged version. Regular readers might be able to see a pattern here.

What Spring Does With the Cherry Trees

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton, 32k, explicit

The Winterhawk Olympic Big Bang made me finish this, which has been in progress for more than a year and the is the longest thing I've ever written. This is a bit different from my usual pace - it's a slow story that lets Clint and Bucky take their time to grow closer and fall in love. For this story I was lucky enough to collaborate with three artists: Dr. Girlfriend, VexedBeverage, and Call-Me-Kayyyyy. All their works are embedded in the story.

Baguettes At Dawn

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton, 45k, explicit

Another labour of love on which veryrach and I have been collaborating on since February. It's a silly and fun bakery AU, spawned from a single pun I brutally eradicated from Rach's soft & delicate desires; hopefully, close to 45k of sourdough and madeleines later, the slaughter of a single pun was worth it.

American Thighs

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton, 3k, teen and up

For the Winterhawk Wonderland Exchange, I got back on my bullshit and wrote fake dating, a meat market of a christmas party, and a devious Natasha.

For the Batfam Kinkmas Exchange I wrote a whole pile of works. That's what happens with new blorbos, I'm told.

The Seduction of Jason Todd

Jason Todd/Slade Wilson, 3565 words, explicit

Truth be told, I struggled a lot with this. I got my assigment, grasped the wish for fluff&smut like a baby koala, and then I realised fluff does not come naturally to Deathstroke the Terminator. Sincere apologies to the disproportionate amount of friends who had to suffer through my wailing about this for six weeks; but I do think it was worth it in the end.

Man of Milk and Honey

Michelin Man/Jason Todd, blessedly short at 1k, explicit

I don't know what to say about this. A comment about how the Michelin Man was made of ice cream combined with the prompt and the general vibes in the server planted a seed in my mind and I had no choice but to inflict it on everyone else. You have been warned.

Take Of Me What You Please

Jason Todd/Slade Wilson, 2667 words, explicit

I wanted to write a treat for Jack, who saw me hovering at the edge of the pit, and joyfully dragged me in. Incidentally, I also fullfilled my own Christmas wish, so no vicarious motives here.

Get Me A Taste Of Some Chaos

John Constantine/Jason Todd, 4k, explicit

I could not resist the detailed and varied request, and so we have 5+1 times John Constantine met Jason Todd, featuring swords, tentacles and various magic bullshit.

Get Into Your Slide

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Jason Todd, 2476 words, explicit

Rach is, for all intents and purposes, my partner in crime, and my main cheerleader, my worst enabler. She deserves the world, but rather than that, I wrote her some porn for Christmas. Or rather, due to scheduling reasons, for New Year's.

Lay This Body Down

Jason Todd/Slade Wilson, 1621 words, explicit

There's a long and involved story about one word prompts and the Birdwatchers server, but the relevant part here is that I signed up for the word Bind at the very end of a long marathon, and decided to combine it with a kinkmas treat. Mostly to push myself to get it done. Shibari and kink discovery.

Total word count, excepting the works on which I am listed as co-creator but haven't written a single word:

117.267

My previous record was 61k in 2020, it's no wonder it feels like a lot this year.

[lilypads17]

:D got some seedlings!! tomato and bell pepper!! shes just in the plastic walmart bin until i get pots in an hour or so im at my grandparents

[triviamurderparty2]

please tell me bout your Wakfu ocs!!

I have quite a few that are still being developed so I won't cover them (unless asked after this post LOL)

Elias I'll start with Elias! Elias, full name Elias Creed, is a Sacrier who lives in Bonta and runs a shop with Liam there until he ends up taking leave and becoming an adventurer. He has an interest in birds and collecting animal teeth. He has a hobby of creating bird treats and making animal teeth displays. He's not as aggressive as other Sacriers, and takes time to think things out. He likes talking more than listening, though he's got open ears for anyone who needs to talk!! He hates dungeons and being underground. He doesn't like bugs, but he's willing to mess with them if they're to feed a bird. Random but he doesn't like chocolate because he's allergic! He's been following Cooper's modelling career since he first started, he collects the magazines he's in and has a few posters!! Elias also just likes to get magazines in general, he likes to stay up to date with pop culture. I should mention Elias and Liam are like. Besssst friends since childhood!!

Liam Liam is more aggressive and wreckless than Elias, he doesn't think things through as much. He has a passive interest in dangerous and medicinal plants, he has a venus fly trap and an aloe plant. Liam and Elias run a shop in Bonta- it works like this ..!! Liam's parents run a shop in Brakmar, and they trade inventory- so Liam and Elias sell Brakmarian wares in Bonta, and Liam's parents sell Bontarian wares in Brakmar. Both Elias and Liam are originally from Brakmar btw!! Liam keeps the skulls that Elias takes the teeth out of just for the interesting display. Liam also has a fondness of knives, particularly throwing knives- wherever he goes he always leaves some kind of damage from knife throwing practice. Liam also really likes bow meows!!! His biggest weakness, he'll drop everything if he sees a cute cat! A fun fact is that whenever the shop gets shipments of magazines (specifically those with Cooper in them) he always saves a copy for Elias.

Cooper Cooper is a male Iop model!! He started modeling in his late teens, and his own manager. He's smarter than most Iops- but he still gets confused really easily and IS a Iop, so it's very surprising that he's able to manage it all himself! He models because he enjoys it, and it pays quite well. He's actually quite outgoing and doesn't get into many fights. He doesn't read social cues too well, so he can't really tell when people are picking fights with him, anyways. Cooper is originally from a smaller town somewhere near Bonta, not that it's important- just something I have written. Due to the money he gets from modeling, he's decently wealthy- but prefers to send money to his family rather than keep a ton of kamas on his person, even so he has enough on him to treat himself and friends regularly. Cooper really likes Gobbowl, so he's often attending the games in Bonta- however, he's terrible at the sport himself. Around the time Elias and Liam become adventurers, Cooper also goes on temporary leave because he's a bit bored with his life, and decides to become an adventurer for a bit as well. Cooper runs into Elias and Liam by chance- Elias is totally flustered so Liam ends up being the one to talk to Cooper into traveling with the two of them since they're a bit more experienced in the adventuring department. Cooper is surprisingly polite for a Iop, but is still pretty aloof and oblivious. He doesn't like card or board games because he has a hard time telling what his opponent's up to, and because of it, just generally avoids gambling altogether. Because of THAT he's generally a buzzkill for greedy ecaflips when he goes to taverns- OH speaking of taverns he has an incredibly low alcohol tolerance lol.

Lova Nor Lova!!! I love herrr, she was the first Wakfu oc I actually made a proper reference image for. She's incredibly kind and has cute sneezes. She's a good friend of Elias' who was asked to take over the shop while Elias and Liam were on leave. While they were gone, she ended up taking over the shop and making it a lot more homey, bringing in more customers. She starts selling her homemade items (clothes, plushies, etc) and plants for a wider demographic in the shop, and it actually works very well! Her creations are beloved by people who stop by the shop, so she ended up starting to send some of those items to Liam's parents for their stock as well. She loves sewing and caretaking, overall helping in general. I guess, it could also be bad, as she is a major people pleaser. She's more in touch with her Sadida roots (see what I did there..heh) than her Eniripsa roots, and thus..isn't very good at healing. She's always trying very hard to get better at healing and potions. She tries to heal with unconventional methods as well- so far her most effective method is that of baking. Lova has a real sweet tooth, she loooves cakes and pastries. She doesn't take things very seriously, and is very relaxed all the time. Lova also really likes fluffy and soft things, and loveees animals!! She actually doesn't eat meat at all, but does use eggs and milk etc, so she's vegetarian and not vegan.

thank u for reading all that omgg ;;

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

The Magnus Archives OCs

Oc Count: 5

Name: Arwen Ingrid Katz

Birthday: September 20

Likes: Peach tea, romance novels, interior design, cotton candy, cartoons

Dislikes: People touching her hair, sewing, heights, abandoned buildings, traveling

Personality: Kind, nurturing, sweet, loyal, passionate 

Ship: Martin Blackwood

Side note(s):

Arwen’s parents love The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books, hence the name 

She works in the library, where all the statements are and she receives as well as brings statements to whoever requests them 

She doesn’t like people touching her hair because of a bad experience with a supernatural creature 

Name: Mavis Alana Whitlock 

Birthday: February 28

Likes: Collecting mugs, creepy things, calligraphy, dancing, history

Dislikes: Big roller coasters, darkness, comedies, long walks, being late

Personality: Curious, simple, genuine, sweet, witty 

Ship: Jonathan Sims 

Side note(s):

Despite the fact that Mavis has worked at the Magnus Institute for years now, she didn’t actually meet Jon until he was searching for a statement while Arwen was out 

Name: Clara Edith Florence 

Birthday: August 14

Likes: Crafts, fruity drinks, plants, adventures, blanket forts

Dislikes: Complaining, too much tv, hail, most vegetables, dolls

Personality: Intellectual, trustworthy, thoughtful, adventurous, diligent 

Ship: Tim Stoker

Side note(s):

Clara is another archival assistant, having got the job via Sasha and that’s where she met Tim 

Name: Daphne Elise Ward 

Birthday: September 25

Likes: Creepy things/the occult, being productive, mystery books, mythology, pottery 

Dislikes: Closed spaces, fights, chalk/chalkboards, the color green, disorganization 

Personality: Compassionate, reasonable, optimistic, imaginative, loyal

Ship: Elias Bouchard

Side note(s):

When Daphne began working at the Magnus Institute neither she nor Elias expected to fall in love 

She’s his personal assistant to be specific, so they spent a lot of time together even before they began dating

(Spoiler) obviously she didn’t know that he was an avatar of The Beholding for a long time 

(If you can’t tell I’m an Elias apologist) 

Name: Danica Odette Cromwell

Birthday: November 1

Likes: Christmas, white chocolate, writing, cooking, history

Dislikes: World War talk, arguing, gossip, heat/summer, incense

Personality: Happy, genuine, curious, intelligent, funny

Ship: Michael Shelley (pre-Distortion)

Side note(s):

Danica began working at the institute just a few months before Michael as a researcher

She and Michael grew close while working in the library together (when they had nothing else to do of course) and Michael finally asked her out one day while in there

[xxanadusunset]

Elias Leone

for @buglaur ‘s bc ♡

twenty-four. she/her. bisexual.

insecure. noncommittal. adventurous.

inner peace. evergreen harbor native.

compassionate. irresponsible. well mannered.

Elias is a sim with her head high in the clouds, constantly dreaming up her next adventure. She is a firm believer in trying anything once, because how else will you ever know what you enjoy? Although she is constantly saying yes to everything, Elias struggles with keeping her many commitments, leaving her socials low most of the time.. which does not sit well with her many insecurities. Trying to find balance in all aspects of her life, Elias is on the pursuit of inner peace.

Due to her most recent “cleanse” Elias is currently off of social media, thankfully her friend showed her Cathal’s and Cillian’s post! With her mood swiftly switching over to flirty, Elias truly hopes her insecurity won’t get in the way of getting to know the twins. She finds herself instantly attracted to both of them, and wants to see what the vibes are like between them.

•Spent last summer cleaning up the Ohan’Ali Beaches

•100% not a fan of the bubble blower

however she will drink kava well passed being dazed

•still sleeps with her pepper penguin

•picks up odd jobs here and there, lives off a small inheritance

•took a local juice fizzing class, and is obsessed

•mostly hangs at the community space in Downtown Evergreen

•has a hard time maintaining close friends, and often times feels like a loner

•she’s a bit messy in her apartment, bowls left out, plants, books and souvineers on any empty space

•cooks breakfast every morning

•energetic lifestyle in progress (you can rarely find this girl sitting home for anything longer than sleep and food, maybe having someone to share the space with would change that¿)

@buglaur your sims are soooo gorgeous!! Thanks for giving us a chance to mingle with them… ♡

[aereres]

Loving You Was A Mistake - Elias Lindholm | Rock Band AU

Summary: Elias was trouble, Amelia could tell from the moment they had first met. With his flirty smile, stormy eyes that brought crowds of girls to his feet, and a cocky personality, he was the last person Amelia wanted to deal with. But with alcohol flowing through her system, she had never been the one to make good decisions.

A/N: I kinda like how this fic turned out, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

Word Count: 12,6k

Warnings: SMUT, drinking, anxiety and panic, heartbreak, swearing

“Rum and coke,” Elias yelled over the loud rhythm of the music he hated - the music he listened to almost every night. The bartender spared him a quick look, nodding his head as he registered the order before leaving the guitarist on his own to look at the thick mass of dancing bodies in the middle of the dance floor.

Elias Lindholm had been the party scene ever since High School, in search of fun, girls, alcohol, and drugs. It was who he had grown up to be, no shame in what he loved to do, and his rise to fame truly didn’t change his lifestyle: in some way, it made his nightly adventures even better.

There was a moment before a manicured hand grasped his arm, grabbing his attention. His charming smile appeared on his lips without an order, and he was left to face the smaller girl who had touched him with hungry eyes.

“Looking for something, sweetheart?” Elias said, enjoying the way her hands slid from his bicep to his chest.

“A man to spend the night with,” her words were said in his ear, her sweet voice not as sensual as he had hoped it would be. His light eyes searched for hers, a hint of sexual tension filling the air as he put his needs before everything else. He wasn’t going to refuse a night of sex, especially if it was with someone as hot as the girl in front of him.

“A man to spend the night with,” he repeated, smirking as he let his hand ghost the curve of her ass. “I can work with that,”

The girl smirked too, lips slowly inching closer to his as the music surrounding them subsided. He was left to kiss her hungrily, not a care in the world that he was in the middle of a packed club. Elias just kissed her, trying to lure her to his bed, just like he did every night.

He pulled away just when he couldn’t bear it anymore, turning around to take a sip of his drink. Except, it wasn’t his drink. Dry martini was burning his throat as his flushed face took a look of disgust, his eyes roaming around to find the bartender in search of an explanation.

All he was faced with, though, was another face of disgust, pretty lips pulled in a pout as the girl next to him swore. “Fucking hell,”

The liquid inside her glass was dark, and Elias could only guess she had taken a blind swig of the alcohol - just like he had done. “Where’s my martini?”

Elias smirked as he forgot about the girl he had just kissed, taking a seat next to his new companion as he switched their drinks confidently. “There you go,”

The woman next to him turned around with her features tugged in a frown, hands moving quickly as she pushed the glass of martini back to him. “There’s no way I’m drinking that. You just exchanged spit with that chick, man,”

Elias chuckled, jaw clenching as he gave the new stranger in front of him a once-over. Her dress was tight against her skin, red lipstick sticking out even under the dark lights of the club. She was breathtaking, and the girl from a few minutes prior was already more than forgotten. She was part of the past, the woman in front of him was the present.

“Looking for someone to dance with?” He asked smugly, finger ghosting over the rim of his glass, the print of her lipstick still coloring one side.

“You definitely wouldn’t be that someone,” the woman stated, signaling for the bartender to come closer, ordering another glass of dry martini.

“Put it on my check,” Elias said, ignoring the woman’s annoyed groan. His eyes went back to her, smirk still painting his lips. “What do I have to do to learn your name, sweetheart?”

The woman laughed ironically, eyebrows arching as she took a good look at him. “You think I’d be interested in you? Very funny,”

“We both know you’ll end up in my bed, by the end of the night,”

Elias’ words made the woman scoff, eyes rolling as she grabbed the new glass of martini the bartender had just passed her. “Keep telling yourself, scout,” she hummed, tipping her head back and taking a large gulp of the drink. “I got better things to do than to sleep with an egocentric asshole,”

Elias just smirked, his stubbornness making his body light up on fire as he watched her stand up from her stool. He was going to have her. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart,”

“The name is Amelia,” she hissed his way, looking behind her shoulder. “Just so you can stop using those basic pet names on me,”

“Elias,” he smirked, watching her hips sway as she left his side, disappearing behind the tall wall of people on the dance floor. Elias was left to himself as he looked down at his drink, a grin forming on his lips as his new acquaintance stayed on his mind.

Amelia was still scoffing as she headed for the dance floor, hips automatically swaying to the rhythm of the music as she found a spot in the middle. She felt numerous eyes on her as she danced, hands feeling her body up as she pushed the tension off her shoulders.

Who the fuck did that stranger think he was?

He was a very good-looking stranger, if she had to be honest, but he for sure wasn’t worth her time. He let his charm get to his head, she thought as she danced, shaking her head softly when she realized just what she was doing. She was thinking about him, and he didn’t deserve to be talked about.

So, she danced, even with strangers. She couldn’t exactly place it, but dancing with random men sent her body in a frenzy. She heated up as she swayed her hips, forehead growing sweaty, throat drying. Amelia felt like an animal, the club her natural habitat.

Even if on her own, she danced until her legs couldn’t hold her up anymore, until she felt sweaty, until she couldn’t take it anymore. She went back to the bar just when it was really needed, hoping that the stranger from earlier had left and she could enjoy a drink on her own.

Elias was still there, though, uncharacteristically silent as he nursed another glass of rum and coke. He was surprised at himself for spending the night alone: normally, he would have been at home by midnight, having sex with the girl he picked up that night. Instead, he was there, eyeing his prey as she made her way towards the other side of the countertop.

Their eyes met, Amelia’s squaring him as her eyebrows furrowed. She couldn’t believe he was still there. Elias couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, and Amelia couldn’t help herself either.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the heat, but she couldn’t deny the sudden attraction towards the man a few feet away from her. All her self-control seemed to leave her body when he stood up from his chair, taking his time to make his way past the crowd surrounding them. She filled with jitters as she downed her drink, letting the alcohol burn her insides and wake her body up.

A firm body pressed against her back just as she put her glass down, a huff of warm breath hitting her cheek as a familiar voice snapped her out of her trance.

“I knew you’d give in,” Elias whispered in her ear, voice sending shivers down her spine. “You can’t resist me, nobody can,”

“Don’t let it get to your head too much, boy,” Amelia hissed, turning around to face him, her index finger stabbing his chest. “You’re still a stuck-up, egocentric dick that-”

Elias’ lips crashed against hers quickly, her body freezing for a sharp second before she could get comfortable again. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer just as his tongue parted her lips, his hands leaving a hot trail everywhere they touched.

Amelia felt in heaven for a second as she let him have control, her fingers burying themselves in his hair as he started to pull away, keeping him closer for one more second. Elias parted ways to call the bartender, ordering two shots before paying his check.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Amelia asked, confusion and annoyance coating her tone as she looked up at the man.

“I’m doing you a favor,” Elias smirked, grabbing the smaller glasses and pushing one her way. “Drink, so you won’t bitch in the morning,”

He made the shot glasses clink before throwing his head back and downing the drink, admiring Amelia when she followed his lead. Her features scrunched for a quick second before she looked up at him, grabbing the neck of his shirt to pull him down, their lips meeting quickly.

“You better make it worth it, asshole,” Amelia whispered against his lips, the smirk painting his features making the fire inside her burn even more.

“You won’t regret it, sweetheart,”

-

Amelia woke up in a gray, unknown room, head aching in the most terrible way and her mouth dry. She was confused, laying on her side as she looked around, trying to figure out just where she was.

It looked like she was in a hotel - the decorative plants and paintings being too basic for a normal house -, and definitely not her apartment. She was eager to find her phone and see where she was located, but huffed when she discovered her purse was on the other side of the room, too far away to reach.

Amelia laid back down, sighing as she tried to relax her tense muscles. She was uncharacteristically not worried about the fact that she had slept in a foreign hotel room after a night out, and she wasn’t too scared to take her time, either - it was a Saturday, after all.

She seemed to feel the weight of an arm around her waist just then, as if her body had been numb the entire time. A sudden wave of flashbacks hit her like a truck as she shuffled out of the bed, her awakening being rougher than she had expected.

She had slept with the stranger.

Amelia had slept with the cocky asshole from the club, and she was standing in front of his sleeping frame in just a pair of panties and a way-too-big shirt that certainly didn’t belong to her.

In a state of shock, she stumbled towards the window, parting the curtains to reveal a cloudy Times Square. She realized in less than a minute that she was inside the Kimpton Muse, the five-star hotel she could only dream about.

“Fucking hell,”

The sudden voice made her jump, spinning around quickly to see the stranger - well, Elias - stretching under the warm comforter.

“What the fuck did we do-” Amelia mumbled, a mix of exasperation and panic coating her words as one of her hands ran through her messy hair.

Her own voice seemed to scare Elias, his eyes jumping towards her as a satisfied smile painted his lips. “Well, good morning, sweetheart,” he murmured, sitting up on the bed and letting the duvet fall away from him, revealing his naked chest.

Amelia groaned at the sight, his toned body bringing back another set of flashbacks as she remembered his hands on her body, his lips on her neck. “Didn’t think you’d still be here,” Elias continued.

“Didn’t even know I was here,” Amelia mumbled back as she searched for anything to put on, in a rush to leave the room. A sudden wave of panic hit her as she remembered they had slept together, that she hadn’t just come back to his place to sleep in his bed. She also registered the ache between her legs just when she ran towards the closest trashcan. “Tell me we used protection,”

“Amelia, relax-”

“Elias, fucking tell me,” the woman hissed his way, a scowl on her face as her stormy eyes focused on his, his cocky demeanor slowly fading.

“We did,” the guitarist admitted, mindlessly pointing towards the en-suite. “You can go check the garbage in there,”

Amelia’s heart slowed down just after his answer, her body slowly moving towards the bathroom and checking, a relieved sigh leaving the lips when she saw a discarded condom inside the trashcan.

“Thank God,” she whispered under her breath, stepping back inside the room to search for her dress. Amelia wanted to leave the hotel - and Elias - behind as quickly as she could. They had made a mistake, and the quicker she could forget about it, the better it would be for everyone.

Elias was left to look at her as she scrambled around the room, running a hand through his messy hair as he held back a chuckle.

“What?” Amelia asked when she caught him staring, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Why are you rushing? Got somewhere to be?”

“As far away from you as possible,” Amelia spat out, discarding the shirt she could only guess was his and not really caring that she was topless. He had seen every part of her anyway, right? She pulled her dress back on, groaning when she struggled with the zipper.

“Why?” Elias asked, throwing the duvet away from his body as he stood up to help her. His hands were gentle as he touched her back, zipping her up before letting his fingertips linger against her skin.

“Because it was a fucking mistake,” she stated quickly, grasping her purse from the couch a few feet away and grabbing her phone, sighing when she realized it was dead. “It was nice meeting you,” she lied, grabbing her heels and keeping them in her hands. “Have a nice life,”

She didn’t leave him time to say goodbye, leaving his hotel room and heading for the elevators as quickly as she could. As she rummaged inside her purse, her fingers caught onto something cold, small.

Amelia’s eyebrows furrowed as she fished for the object, only to find a familiar ring. Elias’ ring. She had to search through her mind to remember when he could have lost it, and her only conclusion was when the two of them had been messily making out inside the Uber, right before getting to his hotel.

A huff automatically left her mouth, her inner self questioning whether she should bring it back to him or just throw it in the trash. The elevator opened, though, interrupting her inner monologue, and she was forced to do her walk of shame in front of the rich patrons of the hotel.

She felt like she truly started breathing again just when she reached Times Square, calling a cab and finally relaxing in its backseat. Amelia had slept with probably the most annoying stranger she had ever met, not only blowing up the promise she had made to herself to never sleep with cocky assholes, but also hating herself for it.

Why the hell did she do that?

All she could remember was how good he was, how earth-shattering the orgasms he gave her were, and how worth it he had made it.

She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she had enjoyed it. She had enjoyed his chasing, she had enjoyed his attention, and she had enjoyed the sex more than everything.

Amelia needed to forget about him, though, and nothing was going to stop her from doing that. She didn’t need a man like Elias in her life: men like him were a waste of emotions, a waste of time, and she had a life to live.

Yet, when she arrived home and emptied her purse, his ring didn’t go in the trash. She let it sit on her nightstand.

She needed to forget about him, but maybe that task could wait a little longer to be done.

-----

Elias didn’t know what he was doing, if he had to be honest. His mind was elsewhere as he sat on the couch of his hotel, guitar in hand as he strummed an improvised melody. The sounds were entering one ear and leaving from the other, working as background noise.

Chordback’s world tour had ended just a few weeks prior, and he was more than happy to enjoy his stay in New York, one of his favorite places in the world. Sure, it didn’t feel like home, but there was nothing as comforting as the Big Apple’s nightclubs for the guitarist.

He was the life of the party, and New York was the party.

Elias couldn’t understand how he had gotten there, though: on a Saturday night, alone in his room, missing the first ring he had bought himself after signing his contract. He couldn’t understand just why his body was so against going outside, why his mind was agreeing with that decision too.

One thing he was sure of, was the fact that he couldn’t get Amelia out of his head. Images of her naked body appeared in his mind, interrupting his sleep and leaving him hot and bothered in the middle of the night. And when he considered calling an old hookup to take care of the mess he had become? His body would just refuse to collaborate.

It had been one week ever since he had first met her, one painful week. He didn’t know what to do with himself anymore, and all he wished for was to have one more night with her.

Elias had never been one for encores, and he was shocked at his own self for even wanting the same woman that badly more than once. But he did what he had never thought he could do, grabbing his phone from the coffee table and dialing Chordback’s personal assistant’s number.

He took a swig of his beer as he listened to the hums of the line, gripping his guitar with force as he waited for Deborah to pick up. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hey, man,” The voice he heard, though, didn’t belong to Deborah. Matthew had answered the phone, words slightly slurred as Elias heard some munching coming from his bandmate’s line. “What’s up?”

“Chucky,” the guitarist chuckled breathily, running a hand through his hair as he rested his neck on the back of the couch. “Is Debby there? I need to ask her something,”

“Oh, uh- yeah, we were just making muffins,” Matthew mumbled. “Babe, Elias needs to talk to you- I’ll see you soon, man,”

“Yeah,” Elias mumbled, listening to the shuffling from the other line until the assistant’s voice ringed through his ears.

“Elias? You doing okay?”

“Yeah, no, I’m doing just fine,” the guitarist admitted. “I just need a favor,”

Deborah hummed, probably sitting down, as Elias blew out a sigh. “You didn’t just get someone pregnant, did you?”

“No, no!” Elias squeaked, making the woman laugh gently.

“Then what is it?”

A sudden wave of nerves hit the guitarist at that moment, his confidence long gone as he asked himself just what he was supposed to say. ‘I met a girl and I can’t get her out of my mind’ was definitely not something he would normally say. That wasn’t him.

The words came out before he could even stop them, eyes shutting close as soon as he finished his sentence. “I slept with a girl last week and she has my ring,” as if that was all he needed from Amelia.

“That ring?” Deborah’s voice grew more tender as she realized what he was talking about. The ring had a meaning deeper than one could expect, and that was why Elias couldn’t exactly live without it. “She stole that ring?”

“N-”

“Give me her name,” Deborah stated, voice serious. Elias kept silent for a second as he internally cursed himself out for being that stupid. Amelia hadn’t stolen the ring: he had been dumb enough to play with it while being drunk, and it fell inside her purse. “Elias, give me her name,”

He just wanted to talk to her.

“Amelia,” he mumbled, chest filling with regret. “I don’t have her last name, but I know she lives in New York,”

“Alright,” Deborah pressed, voice harsh. “She will hear from me,”

“Debby, I’ll handle it,” Elias interrupted her mumbling, selfishly using the mess he had created to reach his goal: talking to her again. “I just need her number,”

The woman on the other line stayed in silence for a second. “I’ll start my research right now,”

The call was ended quickly from her, leaving him in shock and silence in the middle of his room.

What the fuck had he done?

-----

“Hello?”

Amelia’s tone was painted with uncertainty when she answered the call, eyebrows furrowed as she balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder.

“Hi, this is Deborah Miller, personal assistant of the band Chordback. Amelia?”

“Uh- yes, that’s me,” Amelia mumbled, entering the back of the haircare store she owned to hear the woman on the other side of the call better.

“I’m calling regarding your encounter with Elias Lindholm, last Friday night,” the woman stated, making Amelia’s eyes close shut. Oh, God. She had fucked up. “I was notified by him that his ring went missing, and that you could be the one who stole it,”

Amelia stayed in silence for a second. She most certainly didn’t steal the ring.

“Stole it?!” Amelia almost yelled. “Ma’am, I don’t know what you’ve been told, but him losing his ring in my purse certainly isn’t stealing from my side,”

There was a moment of silence from the woman, Amelia’s hand resting against her forehead as she thought about the situation she had found herself in. All because of that damn stranger at the club. “I’ve given Mr. Lindholm your number so you could sort things out, but we won’t be afraid to take legal actions if the ring won’t be given back,”

Amelia was given no time to respond, the call being abruptly stopped right after the unknown woman finished speaking. She was confused to say the least, but the rage inside her made her body burn.

Elias literally wanted to sue her for carelessly losing his own ring, how was that her fault?

The bell of the store sounded just as Amelia’s phone vibrated in her hand, a text from another unknown user making her screen light up.

“I’ll be with you in a second!” She yelled at the customer, unlocking her phone to read the text.

Unknown: Hey, was wondering if we could meet up so I can get back my ring? x - Elias

Amelia rolled her eyes, face taking a look of disgust as she answered his text.

Tomorrow, five p.m. sharp at Upper West Side Central Park.

If Elias thought he was going to see her again after that, he was wrong.

-

Amelia was enraged as she sat near a tree, the cup of coffee in her hand long forgotten as her other palm held a ziplock bag. The ring was secured in there, ready to be given back to its original owner.

After the call, all she wanted to do was to give the ring back to Elias, and get back to her life - her life without the trouble that the stranger had brought as soon as they had met.

She had been threatened to be sued by his personal assistant - why the hell he had an assistant in the first place, she didn’t know -, so how was she supposed to believe he was someone to trust?

“Hey,”

The voice that snapped Amelia out of her trance was more than familiar to her, the scowl on her face not fading as she looked up at the man. She stood from the bench, keeping the distance from Elias as she threw the bag his way.

“Now, get out of my way,” she spat, ignoring the way his smile faded. “And for good, this time,”

She turned on her heels, starting to walk away from the man she had grown to hate. She had a life, places to be, and as she had first thought, Elias wasn’t worth her time. “Wait- Amelia, what the fuck happened?”

He grasped her arm, stopping her in her tracks and making her jaw clench. “You’re really asking me that, Elias? After sending your assistant my way to threaten me?! Really?!”

Elias seemed confused as he let her words sink in, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait, what?”

“Oh, now you’re acting confused,” Amelia pressed, a look of disgust painting her features as she looked in his eyes. “I stole your ring?! Really?!”

Her words started to make sense just then, Elias’ eyes shutting as he realized what Deborah had done. She didn’t listen to him. “Listen, Amelia, I told Deborah I’d handle it, she didn’t listen,” his words didn’t seem to make a difference, though. Amelia was still furious, disbelief hiding behind her orbs. “I know you didn’t steal the ring, I don’t even know why Deborah thought you did,”

“You blew your last chance, Elias,” Amelia said, interrupting his monologue. “There was a reason why I was trying to stay away from you. You’re trouble,”

Her words hit the guitarist like a truck, his heart sinking to his stomach as he watched her leave without a single ‘goodbye’. As he stood in the middle of the park like a fool, he was left to his own thoughts.

She was right, was all he could think. He had been trouble ever since he had been a baby, so he wasn’t even blaming her for parting ways. He had brought chaos in her life, and she didn’t deserve it.

Elias blew his last chance, and there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was to see if the universe would bring them back together.

But he didn’t have much hope left in him.

-----

Elias had never been a hopeful person. He had been stubborn his entire life, but not hopeful, and not patient either. He wasn’t one to hope and wait for the universe to send a signal his way, he preferred to find the signal as quickly as possible, on his own.

With Amelia, though, he had seemed to quiet down. He knew he had no more chances with her, and he wasn’t going to make himself hate her even more. He was going to be patient, he was going to be hopeful: everything his mother had always wished he could have been as a kid.

The Big Apple was as loud as it always was, the music from distant clubs sending shivers down his spine. Elias needed to move on, and getting back in the party scene was the best option for him to succeed.

The bouncer in front of the club took one look at him, not even checking his ID before letting him inside, the blue lights feeling like home as he entered the packed space. Everything felt familiar as he pushed towards the bar, trying to get one drink in before starting to bring back the real Elias, the one that didn’t let a random girl stop him from living his life.

“Rum and coke,”

It felt like a déjà vu as he ordered his drink, smiling at the bartender before letting his eyes roam around the crowd of people dancing. He needed to forget about Amelia, and that’s what he was going to do.

As he got handed the drink, he kept his eyes on the scene, blocking out every thought. He needed to have alcohol in him before the night could start. The liquid went down his throat quicker than he had expected, his glass hitting the counter before he could join the mass of bodies in the middle of the room.

He let his body get used to the beat, the music so loud he feared for his hearing. But it was what he wanted, what he had missed. He wanted to forget about Amelia, forget about her stupid red lipstick, and her stupidly perfect curves.

Elias had turned into a man he didn’t know after meeting her, and he needed to get back to who he originally was. He wasn’t going to let a woman he had met once turn him into a man he didn’t know.

So, he danced. He danced with a pretty stranger that got attached to his hip a few moments after he had joined the crowd on the dance floor. He offered her a drink, fantasized about her luscious red lips on his body, and then realized just who he was thinking about.

In his head, who was kissing his body wasn’t the blonde grinding against him. It was Amelia. He grabbed himself a shot, and another, sequentially ordering heavier drinks with every passing hour. He knew coping with alcohol was never going to be a good decision, but he couldn’t care less.

By the time the clock hit one in the morning, he was drunkenly kissing the blonde from the dance floor, screwing the idea of making his hookup sign an NDA. He hadn’t made Amelia sign one, either, so why was he supposed to bother?

The woman was in his bed naked, ready for him, and by the time he was on top of her, Amelia had left his mind. As he kissed down her body, he thought that Amelia had become part of his past.

But as he fucked the blonde, Amelia was all he thought about.

-

Elias woke up in distress, sharply inhaling air as he sat up on his bed, pushing the burning hot covers away from his heated body. The hotel room was still dark and, as he looked to his left, his heart started beating out of his chest, his breath shortening.

The blonde from the club was sleeping next to him, cuddled on her side with her hair sprawled over the pillow. She was peaceful next to him, too peaceful for Elias’ liking as he left the bed, throwing a shirt on.

The foreign feeling inside his body made him rush out of the room to clear his mind, the need to breathe in some fresh air so desperate he took the stairs. Waking up next to a stranger had never been a problem for him, sometimes it even led to morning sex, if he was lucky. He had never had a small panic attack over a hookup spending the night.

So, why did he leave the room?

As he nodded his head towards the night staff of the hotel and headed towards the doors, he checked his phone. It was well past three, the moon still high up in the sky as he found himself in the middle of Times Square.

The city was still loud even at that hour, with cars driving past him and people quietly talking. He was grateful to be in such a lively city, he couldn’t live in his own silence anymore.

Elias let his body move with no destination, walking around the streets with an empty mind as he hoped to understand what went down just a few minutes prior. Maybe he felt trapped, when he woke up next to the stranger; or maybe, it was just the panic of waking up next to someone he didn’t know.

Either ways, he couldn’t believe that had happened to him after years of letting himself fall into hookup culture. He couldn’t help himself but wonder if that was how Amelia had felt like when she had woken up next to him. At least, he hoped she didn’t, the feeling being truly overwhelming.

Elias’ legs stopped him in front of a Chinese restaurant, its dim lights on even at three in the morning. It was lightly populated inside, but a familiar mass of hair was what really caught his attention.

There was no red lipstick, no tight dress, but he could recognize that woman out of the rest of the population in the blink of an eye. Amelia was sitting right behind the glass wall, eating dumplings mindlessly as she scrolled through her phone.

Elias’ body filled with jitters as he froze. There was a moment where he asked himself if it would have been a good idea to join her inside, her disgusted words from that day in the park playing in his head like a broken record. You blew your last chance, Elias.

He pushed the overthinking aside, though, and entered the small shop. He ended up at the register in silence, ordering himself some noodles even if he wasn’t hungry. His eyes couldn’t leave Amelia’s frame as he waited for his food to be done, and by the time he had his bowl in hand, his nerves were ready to knock him out.

He dragged himself towards her lonely table, sitting right in front of her. “Hi,” was all he said, heart skipping a beat when her eyes met his.

He was relieved to see that her face didn’t take a look of disgust, rather displaying shock as she dropped her chopsticks. “Elias,” she mumbled, scratching her neck as she let her phone rest on the table. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh- woke up hungry,” he mumbled, knowing just how big of a liar he had become in the last two minutes. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing okay,” Amelia said, plopping a dumpling in her mouth as she rested her chin on her palm. “You?”

“I’m fine,” he had just had a panic attack over a random girl, he wasn’t fine. Silence built up between them as they ate, the sounds of the kitchen behind them filling the air. The tension was still thick, but Elias felt relatively better for talking to her, it had been what he had hoped for for weeks.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out, her eyes snapping from her food to his face. “For everything,”

Amelia stayed in silence, eyes layering with a cold look as she remembered what he had done. “I know a stupid apology won’t fix things, but I just wish we could try to make things work. Even just as friends,”

Elias didn’t know how to be just friends with someone, so why the hell was he blurting things out like that?

Amelia gave him a strange look, a look he couldn’t decipher, but eventually popped another dumpling in her mouth. “I don’t trust you, Elias,” she mumbled, mouth full. “Especially after that shitshow with the ring,”

“I know, and that was my mistake,” Elias pointed out, running a hand through his hair. “But I’ll do anything to have you back, I promise,”

Amelia chuckled breathily, shaking her head as she looked down. There was a moment of thinking - probably wondering whether it was a good idea to give him one last chance - before she talked. “You need to keep your hands off of me, drunk or not,”

Elias nodded, looking at her as she kept talking. “I don’t need to make another mistake like that,”

“Alright,” the man mumbled. “That’s all?”

“And don’t bring trouble in my life again,” Amelia added, pointing a finger his way. “You do that one more time and we’re done,”

Elias only nodded, letting his light orbs find hers as he bit his lip. “I won’t fuck up, this time,”

“I really hope you won’t,”

-----

Amelia didn’t know why she let herself cave in. She had promised herself to stay away from Elias and the mess that was his life, but his beaten up face at the restaurant was more than pitying. She didn’t know if he realized, but the bags under his eyes didn’t look too well, and neither did his hollowed cheeks.

Regret had washed over her when his feeling spilled through his words, and as she laid on her bed in the darkness of her room, she felt pity.

Had she been too harsh on him? The deal with his ring had clearly been a misunderstanding, so her holding grudges just seemed petty, from her point of view.

But she also couldn’t help but ask herself if she had made the right decision by taking him back, even as friends. He was a dangerous game, and she stubbornly kept going back to play, just to eventually get hurt.

Elias was impossible to figure out, but something inside her soul was pushing her to him, pushing her to understand him and his life. She wanted to see what he really was about, who he could be. As much as Amelia tried to hold back, she couldn’t help the curiosity that filled her body whenever she thought about the mysterious man.

Amelia’s phone vibrated from her side, screen being the only source of light inside the pitch black room. She took a moment to breathe out a sigh before letting her eyes focus on the device, the name on the screen making her heart skip a beat.

Talk about the devil, she thought.

Elias had just sent her a text, and she despised her heart for letting his minimal attention get to her. She was better than that.

Elias: It was nice seeing you again yesterday. Going to a club tmrw, wanna join? x

Amelia sighed again. Was she ready to get back into that? Into the life of the party that was Elias Lindholm?

Her brain was asking her to just stay home, avoid the darkness of the New York clubs and the buzz of the alcohol; but her heart was opposing: it wanted her to see Elias.

So, she gave in another time, telling herself it was going to be the last one before sending him back a small text of approval. She didn’t know whether she would regret it or not, but she knew she was going to have the time of her life.

At least, she hoped so.

-

“Dry martini.”

“Still don’t get how you can drink that shit,” Elias yelled in her ear right after Amelia ordered her drink. “Tastes like pure shit,”

“It’s classy,” Amelia explained with a smirk, thanking the bartender with a raise of her eyebrows before letting the alcohol burn her mouth.

Elias only chuckled, taking a sip of his own rum and coke, as he let his eyes travel over Amelia’s body. She cleaned up well in one of her tight dresses, her signature red lipstick making his cock stir inside his pants.

The night had started well, with them meeting in front of the club before joining the crowd inside. Elias had kept his hands to himself, pushed intrusive thoughts away, and let the night roll just like how he had expected it to do.

After two rounds of dancing and a second drink, his views had very much changed. Under the influence of the alcohol, all he could think about was Amelia and how stupidly hot she looked. In some ways, keeping his promise seemed more difficult than he had expected it to be.

“Elias? You still there?” Amelia waved a hand in front of his eyes, snapping him out of his trance. The guitarist laughed, nodding his head before letting his eyes focus on the scenery surrounding them.

A familiar face struck out to him in the middle of the crowd, and it was a matter of seconds before the man he had recognized walked closer to where Elias and Amelia stood.

Jake Bates was as tall as Elias remembered him to be, his beard neatly trimmed surrounding the smile that painted his face. He was intimidating, just like back in the days, and Elias felt more than happy to see his old friend again.

“Hey, man! Long time, no see!” The guitarist yelled over the music, sharing a hug with the tallest man Amelia had probably seen. “What are you doing here?”

“Just enjoying a night at the club,” Jake admitted. “Congrats on the new album, by the way,”

Elias chuckled, thanking him softly as he remembered about Amelia just then, letting his hand brush against her lower back. “Jake, this is Amelia,” the guitarist explained. “Amelia, this is my friend Jake. We used to play in the same band back in High School,”

Amelia’s eyes widened, her hand sticking out to shake Jake’s as she introduced herself. There was a moment before she looked up at Elias, the realization of what he had said hitting her. “You used to play?”

“I, uh- I still do,” Elias admitted, scratching the back of his head. “I’m the guitarist of a rock band, right now,”

“That’s cool,” Amelia mumbled, body filled with amazement at the new discovery. “And you, Jake? You still play, too?”

“Oh, no,” the man chuckled. “I’m a personal trainer, now,”

“That’s great, man,” Elias said, smiling his way before another woman interrupted the conversation.

“Babe, I’m heading out to smoke, I’ll be back in a sec,” she yelled in Jake’s direction, smiling gingerly at Amelia and Elias.

“I’m coming with you, just lemme say goodbye,”

Jake turned around to face the old friend and the new acquaintance, wishing them a good night before leaving them on their own at the bar in silence. The music was still loud as they finished their drinks, both in their own heads.

Amelia thought she was stupid. She had just become friends with Elias, and still didn’t know anything about him. Hell, she didn’t even know if being a guitarist was a job or a hobby, for him. How could she maintain a friendship with him if she was in the dark about his life?

“So… you play?” Amelia asked with her last ounce of courage, looking up at Elias’ light eyes as she let herself focus on him.

“Electric guitar, yeah,” he mumbled, tipping his head back to finish his drink. “I just recently finished a world tour,”

“Woah,” the woman muttered, a hint of amazement in her voice as the bullet points inside her head started to make sense: he had a personal assistant, he had no trouble partying every night, he stayed at one of the most expensive hotels in New York. Elias could be considered the life of the party, but Amelia realized he was just living the life of a rock star.

“You never told me what you do,” Elias changed the topic, making Amelia become the center of the conversation. “I’ve just seen you around at night,”

Amelia chuckled, calling the bartender over for a couple of shots. “I own a haircare shop, so we sell products for any kind of hair,” she stated, pushing three shot glasses Elias’ way. “Straight, wavy, curly, braids, wigs,”

Elias hummed, smiling her way as he downed his first shot, waiting for her to follow along. The tequila was burning his throat, but the sweet sight of Amelia’s features was enough to make him feel numb.

She was slowly letting lose thanks to the alcohol, becoming the carefree woman Elias had met on their first encounter, and there was nothing in the world that could stop his heart from beating as quickly as it did.

Amelia threw her head back, finishing her last shots just to frown lightly. The music suddenly changed, a squeal leaving the woman’s lips as soon as the darker melody entered her ears. “I fucking love this song!” She yelled. “I’m going dancing,”

Elias only chuckled, watching her hips sway as she left his side and joined the crowd on the dance floor. She let the music embrace her softly, her body moving to the beat as she lightly sang. The red lights of the club illuminated her face in the best way, putting her features on display as Elias stared at her, as if she was the only woman in the world.

It became painfully hard to just watch, Elias’ body trembling with need. He needed to be close to her, to feel her, to touch her. Flashbacks of their night together appeared in his mind, sending him in a frenzy as he let the autopilot take over.

He downed his last shot, leaving the countertop to reach the dance floor. The music was easy to follow as he snuck past people to reach Amelia. Her dark dress was everything he could focus on, and when he was able to let his hands rest on her waist, it felt like the whole world stopped.

It felt like they were alone in the middle of the dance floor, dancing the tension away, Amelia’s body so close to his he could barely breathe. Every thought about the promise he had made seemed to disappear from his mind, all he could think about being Amelia and her body under his. He couldn’t help his needs anymore, and she didn’t seem to mind his attention.

“Fuck,” he whispered in her ear, breathing ragged as he pulled her closer. “Amelia, what are you doing to me?”

She laughed giddily, letting her arms wrap around his neck as her back hit his chest. The need to lean down and press a kiss to her neck was burning Elias alive, but Amelia let all the sexual tension fade when she turned around and kissed him with everything she had.

Her lips were as hungry as Elias remembered them to be, and as he let his palms slide against the curve of her ass, he couldn’t help the feeling of déjà vu. “Bring me home, Elias,” she whispered seductively in his ear, letting her palms slide down his chest.

Realization seemed to hit him just then: the promise, his last chance. “Amelia-”

“Please, I want this, Elias,” she muttered, biting on her lip. She didn’t know what - or who - was possessing her body, but she knew she would regret it in the morning. Her body needed him, though, and she wasn’t thinking straight anymore. “I can’t keep myself away from you,”

Her consent was all he needed to tug her away from the scene, getting inside the first taxi leading to his hotel. With burning hands and heated bodies, they struggled to make their way inside his room. Drunk giggles were leaving their lips as Elias opened his door, locking it behind the two of them before he could lay Amelia on his bed, kissing her lips like he wanted to rock her world.

With her body sat right on the edge of the mattress, Elias fell to his knees, letting his lips find the crook of her neck, slowly moving to her chest. His kisses reached her breasts, fingers eagerly ripping her dress apart.

“Elias! I fucking loved this dress!” She whined, a low moan leaving her lips when his mouth found one of her nipples, interrupting her train of thoughts.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he muttered, out of breath. “Fuck, I’ll buy you the whole store,”

His hands sneakily found her underwear, pushing it down her legs as he kissed her stomach, spreading her thighs to take a good look at her center. She was glistening - ready for him -, and every ounce of responsibility in Elias’ mind seemed to disappear.

He blew cold air on her clit, loving the whine that left her lips at the denied pleasure. Elias chuckled darkly, letting his head dip down until his lips closed around Amelia’s clit. She breathed out a sigh, fingers carding through his messy curls as all the tension left her body.

The alcohol had gotten to her head, but she was sincere when she admitted to herself that she was more than conscious at that moment. His mouth on her heat was making her see stars, and all she could do was moan.

“Elias-” Amelia breathed out, the ghost of his fingers over her entrance making her strangle a scream.

The man only smirked, letting his eyes meet hers as he gave her bundle of nerves another suck, her moans becoming music to his ears. Eating her out felt like paradise, and all Elias was missing was to see her cum.

His goal was to have her at his mercy, totally helpless as she orgasmed around his fingers. All he wanted was to feel her, touch her, call her his own. He shrugged the last thought off as he inserted a finger in her wetness, her moan making his cock stir.

“Elias, I can’t-”

“Cum for me, princess,” he whispered against her pussy. “Let go,”

Amelia was able to take in a shaky breath before the most powerful orgasm she had ever felt had her body shaking. Her walls squeezed around Elias’ fingers as his mouth lapped up her juices, a proud smirk on his lips when he looked up at her.

Amelia eagerly cupped his cheeks, pulling him close and kissing him hungrily. She moaned at the taste of herself on his lips, her hands traveling south to strip Elias of his pants. She needed to feel him close, to feel him inside her again.

“This is the last time, Elias,” she whispered between kisses, knowing damn well she was lying to herself. “This is the last time,”

-

“Fucking hell-” Amelia hissed, her hand rubbing against her aching forehead. Rays of sunlight entered the hotel room, making her tired eyes squint. She breathed out a sigh, turning on her back as her thumb rubbed the skin of Elias’ arm on her waist.

As much as she hated herself for spending the night again, she couldn’t hold herself back from taking a moment to relax next to the guitarist, the events of the previous nights replaying inside her head.

The panic she had felt the first time she’d slept with Elias was nonexistent, at that moment. She didn’t feel the need to run away, to hide from him and hope to never see him again. She wanted to enjoy his closeness one last time, and she didn’t care it might make her look smitten.

Her heart skipped a beat when she looked to her side, noticing Elias was still asleep on his stomach, lips pulled in an involuntary pout. The thought of waking up next to him every morning found its way inside her brain, her chest filling with warmth as she let herself daydream. Because it was going to be just a daydream.

Amelia’s free hand tangled itself in his hair, softly massaging his scalp as a sense of peace made her blow out a sigh. Her eyes fell on the nearest clock just when Elias started to stir, a groan leaving his lips.

“Keep doing that,” he mumbled groggily, referring to Amelia’s motions on his scalp.

“Good morning to you, too,” Amelia giggled, fondly looking down at him, heart speeding up. His light eyes held tiredness as he looked at her, but she thought the look suited him, in some way.

“What time is it?”

“A little past nine,” she whispered, remembering a shipment of products was supposed to arrive by ten, the need to open the shop making her sigh. She wished she could spend the entire day in bed with Elias, her own thought leaving her quite shocked. How did she go from being cold, heartless towards the man sleeping next to her, to wishing to spend the day with him in the span of one night? She truly didn’t know if there was something wrong with her.

“Just in time for breakfast,” Elias muttered, sitting up against the bed frame and pulling Amelia closer to his body.

“I, uh- I’ve got to go open the store,” she mumbled. “It’s just Tuesday, you know,”

“Right,” Elias sighed, watching her as she awkwardly rolled out of bed. She started to search for her dress, at least until the guitarist pushed himself out of the bed too, opening the dresser and pushing some clothes her way. “Wear these, I can’t let you work in that dress,”

“Thank you,” Amelia said, voice a whisper as she let her eyes meet his. Tension filled the distance between them as Amelia pulled the large sweats and shirt over her body, thankful for the comfort they brought to her. Wearing the dress to work would have been an uncomfortable experience - especially if paired with a migraine -, and she was thankful Elias thought about it before she could.

Meanwhile, the guitarist was inside the en-suite, brushing his teeth as his eyes focused on her mirror reflection. “I owe you breakfast,” he slurred through the mouthful of toothpaste, spitting it out just after finishing his sentence. “Twice,”

“We’ll find a day to do that,” Amelia mumbled, joining him in front of the mirror to figure her hair out. She pulled it in a quick ponytail, walking back inside the main room to grab her purse and the rest of her belongings. “I just really have to go now,”

Elias nodded his head, joining her just to let his hands cup her cheeks, pulling her close for a gentle kiss. “Text when you get there,” he whispered, pulling away to kiss her forehead.

Amelia’s heart was ready to give out on her after his actions, her body automatically giving him a shaky nod before she headed towards the door, saying a weak ‘goodbye’. As she left the hotel, all she could think about was the way the morning had played out, how gentle Elias had been.

A little voice inside her head told her she could get used to it, but she shrugged it off. Loving a man like Elias unconditionally would lead to trouble, and she knew it. But if the moments she had just lived were part of what loving him would be like, then all she wanted was to be his.

To be his, unconditionally.

-----

Amelia didn’t expect it to go that far. She expected it to happen two times - both drunk and in need of release -, but she didn’t expect Elias to be that addicting. His voice, his touch, his kisses: they had all become something she couldn’t live without.

She found herself thinking about him at work, under the shower, right before bed, and she couldn’t even think of a life without him. To think she hated him, just a few months prior.

Amelia found herself accustomed to his hotel bed, spending more nights there than on her own, and Elias wasn’t one to push her away. She didn’t think he could. The way she looked at him - the same way he looked at her - was not usually how people looked at their one-night-stands - or friends-with-benefits, if you wanted to call it that.

To say she was confused was an understatement. The feelings inside her chest were something she hadn’t experienced before. They were called love, said an article online, and she had despised the word from the moment she had first seen it.

Amelia wasn’t ready to love Elias. Heck, she wasn’t ready to love, at all.

But when he looked at her, had sex with her, talked to her, all she could think about was love. As she headed towards the Kimpton Muse, under the streetlights and the New York moon, she wondered whether it was a good idea or not to be playing such a dangerous game. Opening herself up for him, letting him see all of her fragile parts, becoming vulnerable - it wasn’t something she wanted to do.

All the nights - and the morning after their second hookup especially - they had spent together had just been multiple mistakes. So, she entered the hotel with a task: making it clear that she wanted nothing to happen.

Amelia waved at the cute clerk down the hall, whose smile reached his eyes as he watched her pass by, before she headed towards the elevators. She didn’t exactly know why she was that nervous, but as she walked towards Elias’ room, she couldn’t help her hands from shaking.

There were slight sounds coming from his room, but she shrugged them off. When she reached his door, the sounds became more clear, more loud. They sounded like whimpers, grumbles of his voice occasionally reaching Amelia’s ears too.

She knocked. No response. She knocked a second time, waiting for anything to happen. Just when she was about to knock a third time, the door opened, revealing a disheveled Elias.

His pupils were dilated - their darkness replacing the light color of his orbs -, his lips were swollen, red, hair a knotty mess on top of his head. He gave her a once-over, the smirk Amelia knew so well painting his lips.

“Hey,” just his first waft of breath was enough to make her face scrunch. He smelled like pure alcohol, and even with one word she could tell he was slurring.

“Are you drunk?” Amelia asked with a whisper, looking around the hallway to see if anyone was around. She didn’t want the other rich patrons to see him in that state. Elias only laughed, nodding slightly.

“I also had some weed, such a shame you weren’t there to try it with me,” he slurred.

“Let’s get you back inside,” Amelia sighed, trying to push the door open just to be stopped by a loud yell.

“No!” Elias said, his own loud voice making him flinch. “No, don’t come in. Please, princess,”

His words had Amelia’s brows furrowing. She had been in his room countless times, why was he holding her back from entering? She had seen the hotel room in its messiest state, what was he worrying about?

“Elias, I can’t have people seeing you like this,” Amelia whispered, using just a small amount of force to let herself walk in. He was weaker than she had imagined him to be, letting her hands cup his cheeks to examine him quickly.

“Took you long, tiger,”

The voice was foreign in Amelia’s ears, the seductive tone sending shivers down her spine. She looked to her left, eyes falling on the messy king-sized bed where a much-sober girl was kneeling, half-naked.

The way Amelia’s heart fell to her stomach had her knees almost giving up on her. She gave the woman a quick look before glancing back at Elias, voice small. “I’ll, uh- I’ll leave you to that,”

“Amelia-”

“No, get back, Elias,” she whispered, the anger inside her staying at bay just because he was under the influence, basically unconscious. “I don’t- I don’t have time for this. Goodbye,”

Amelia was out of his room as quickly as she had entered, heart pounding. She found him with another girl. She walked inside the elevator in shock, eyes glazing with a set of tears she didn’t want to spill.

He didn’t deserve her tears, her attention even less.

That’s what she meant when she thought that loving him was going to be a mistake. At one point, she knew one of them would fuck up, break the other person’s heart, and then leave. That’s what she had foreseen, and that’s what had happened.

She had caught him with someone else and, even if they weren’t in a relationship, it hurt. Amelia didn’t know if what she was feeling for Elias was really love, but her reaction to heartbreak was enough to answer all her questions.

Throughout her month of being Elias’ friend-with-benefits, Amelia had fallen in love with him. She was admitting it.

One lone tear slid down her cheek just as the elevator’s doors opened, revealing the quite empty hall of the hotel. Amelia wiped her skin, taking a deep breath before starting to make her way out. A familiar voice caught her before she could leave, the dark, slicked-back hair she had grown to recognize appearing in front of her.

“Hi, Amelia,” Andrew, the clerk she had waved to just a few minutes prior - and also had talked to whenever she was at the hotel, waiting for a cab to get back home -, said. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better,” she chuckled sadly, running a hand through her hair. “What’s up, Andrew? I’m in kind of a rush,”

Andrew took a second to look at her, clearing his throat. “I was wondering if you were free tomorrow? There’s this new place in the Upper West Side, and I thought we could go there together?”

The sudden invite had Amelia shocked for a quick second, her eyes widening slightly before she could nod her head. She was going on a date. With someone that wasn’t Elias. “Uh- yes! Sure!”

Andrew smiled, it reached his eyes. He pushed a stray hair out of her face before slipping her his number, the smile still on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Text me,”

He left Amelia on her own in the middle of the hall to get back to work, her heart hammering against her rib cage. She was going on a date with someone she genuinely liked, and it wasn’t even out of spite.

The events with Elias were quick to leave her mind as she thought about Andrew and how he had asked her out. Elias hadn’t even done that. She breathed out a sigh as she left the Kimpton Muse, heading back home for the night.

After what happened with Elias, all she needed was to move on. And Andrew was just the right person to do that with.

-

Amelia hadn’t been on a date in years. The last time she had been wined-and-dined had been more than a year prior to her date with Andrew, and it felt good to be back in the dating scene.

The restaurant Andrew had brought her to was the right amount of fancy, with finely dressed waiters and good food she would remember for a lifetime. The prices were affordable, and the wine was divine. It was the perfect place for a date, and the guy in front of her was the perfect date.

He had picked her up, helped her sit down at their table, and Amelia was pretty sure he was going to pay for her dinner. And he was listening to her, genuinely interested in what she was talking about, something Elias rarely did. He wasn’t one for talking.

Amelia shook her head at her brain’s mention of Elias, giving herself a mental slap for even thinking about him. She had a wonderful man in front of her, and there should have been no space for Elias during the date.

“I mean, the hotel is pretty crazy, right now,” Andrew kept talking, playing with the edge of his napkin as he did so. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but there has been trouble with the employees and I’ve basically been reassigned,”

“Reassigned?” Amelia asked with a frown, tone coating with curiosity.

“I’m still at the check-in station, but we’ve lost the bartender due to an argument with our boss; so now I’m a bartender, I guess?”

Amelia giggled, shaking her head at the craziness of the situation. “So now you have to learn all those complicated drinks?”

“Yes,” Andrew groaned, burying his face in his hands before peeking at her through the gap between his fingers. “And all the rich entrepreneurs always ask for the most intricate shit. Like, man, I’m from the Bronx. I don’t even know where to begin with that Upper East Side bullshit,”

His last sentence made Amelia laugh, louder than she had laughed in what felt like ages. She was having fun, and the night felt young. Her phone - which had been long forgotten inside her clutch for the entirety of the evening - seemed to snap back to reality with its loud ringtone, Amelia’s eyebrows furrowing.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, heart skipping a beat when Andrew waved off her apology. He let his chin rest on the palm of his hand as he admired her, watching attentively the way her face scrunched into a frown after reading the name on the screen.

Elias.

Amelia didn’t know whether answering was the right choice to do. Her heart - as gentle as it had always been -, begged her to swipe right, ask why he was calling. Her brain, though, reminded her she was in the middle of a date, with a guy that actually cared. So she swiped left, her phone became silent again, and she put it back in her clutch.

Amelia couldn’t even open her mouth to restart the conversation before the ringtone bothered her and the rest of the restaurant-goers a second time. Another string of apologies left her mouth as he scrambled for her phone.

“You should probably take it,” Andrew mumbled, pointing towards the device with a tight-lipped smile.

Amelia nodded, that time swiping right and pressing the phone to her ear. “What do you want?” She asked, words quick, voice cold.

“To apologize, I don’t know what happened to me last night,” Elias stated, sounding more than tired. “And I owe you an explanation,”

“I don’t need an explanation,” the woman stated. “I have to go, I’m busy, right now,”

“Too busy for me? Why don’t you come over?” The cocky tone of his voice made Amelia roll her eyes. “I can apologize to you and then we can make up the adult way,”

Amelia’s nostrils flared as anger filled her system, a fist balling under the table. “I don’t have time for you,”

“Where are you? I can send a car to pick you up,”

“I’m on a date, Elias,” Amelia spat out, voice coated with anger. “And I’d very appreciate if you’d stop calling me, right now,”

There was silence on his end, Amelia breathing heavily after her small rant. She clenched her jaw, too angry to be faced with his silence. “Goodbye,”

She ended the call, putting her phone on silent before sliding it inside her clutch again, taking a deep breath before looking back up at Andrew. “I’m sorry, let’s just pretend this didn’t happen,”

“An ex calling you up again?” Andrew asked, a smile on his lips.

Elias wasn’t exactly an ex, but Amelia felt like she could consider him so. They had had a friends-with-benefits relationship - that partially leaned into more from her side, apparently -, he had broken her heart, and she was done with him. Too many times had she given him a second chance, he didn’t deserve her anymore.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she answered, taking a sip of her wine. “Back to you, though. You were saying?”

The night went back in full swing, the conversation with Elias long forgotten after a few minutes as Andrew and Amelia went back to their own world. Amelia’s forgotten phone lit up in her purse with a text she would eventually see at the end of the date, a text from Elias.

I really owe you an apology. Tomorrow night, Kimpton Muse.

-

Elias wasn’t happy. He hadn’t been happy for a while.

The hotel room was as plain as it had always been, but he seemed to realize it just then, while being in a state of numbness. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than he had thought they would be, and his hair had reached a state where it was impossible to fix.

He had closed himself up in his room after the night, and he wasn’t ready to leave it. If anyone of his bandmates had seen him in that state, he wouldn’t have lived another day in peace. He felt delusional, not just because he couldn’t get out of bed to even take a shower, but because he ruined the best relationship he had ever had with someone.

Amelia had become the ray of sunlight in his dark life, she had brought happiness to his depressing days stuck in his hotel room, and she had become his person. It was too bad he couldn’t figure out how to treat her correctly.

It was the way he couldn’t control his own self from being the careless asshole he really was that had pushed her to go on a date with someone else, and he had lost her. He was sure about that.

At eleven, he was lying in his bed in a pair of sweats and a wifebeater. His suitcase was packed, resting beside him on the bedside table was a ticket to Calgary, a ticket to go back home if things with Amelia didn’t fix.

He was tired of staying in a hotel room that didn’t feel like home, he was tired of New York, and he couldn’t live with his embarrassment anymore. He wanted to go back home and build himself a new life. If he was lucky, with Amelia.

Her name brought back memories inside his head, like the day they had spent in bed naked, together; or the time she talked about her family to him. Memories he hoped to relive, maybe more than once.

As much as Elias had hoped to see Amelia one last time, the knock on his door came as a shock. He didn’t think he’d be able to see her one last time, and he most certainly didn’t deserve to even give her an apology, that’s what his mind kept telling him.

He scrambled towards the door, trying to hide the empty beer bottles littering the floor behind the closest curtains. He didn’t want her to see the mess he had become. When he opened the wooden door, the sight of the girl he had grown to love - even if he didn’t show it - made his heart skip a beat.

“Hi,”

“Hi,” Amelia reciprocated the greeting, voice cold.

“Uh- come in,”

As Elias opened the door wider for her, he hoped she couldn’t see just what he had become after the night. Amelia didn’t take a seat on the couch, and neither on the armchair, so he stayed on his feet, too.

Silence filled the air as he watched her arms fold over her chest, her mouth in a thin line. It was clear that she didn’t want to be there, in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” Elias started, biting the insides of his cheek when Amelia’s jaw clenched. “I fucked up. That night was a mistake,”

“Just that night?” Amelia spat out, a dry chuckle leaving her lips. “You think that only that night was a mistake?”

Elias didn’t answer her questions, taking a moment to think of what to say. “I went to a house party and got shitfaced because I couldn’t help it. I- I was confused,”

“Elias, you called me,” Amelia hissed. “You called me when you were drunk in your room, asked me to join you, and then I had to be faced with the reality that I was right all along. Nothing ends well with you,”

The information spilling out of the woman’s mouth was new. He had called her? In his hungover head, she had come over out of the blue, catching him in the middle of something with a girl he didn’t even know the name of. “I called you?”

“You did,” Amelia said. “And I came over to help you, Elias. I came over to take care of you for the night, because I knew you wouldn’t, you never do,”

Her words made his heart clench, regret making his eyes blurry with tears. “I’m sorry,”

“I thought we could have had something,” Amelia whispered. “I really thought we could. I was ready to give you my world, help you become the best version of you,”

“Why would you do that for me?” Elias asked, body numb as he let his back slide against the wall, his body hitting the floor soon after.

“Because you deserve to be loved, too,” Amelia sniffled, a lone tear slipping down her cheek as she looked down at him. “And I loved you. Well, I still do, I guess,”

Elias’ eyes closed as soon as the words left her mouth. Regret, pain, heartache, all wrecked his body into little pieces as he tried to stay calm, the pain in her tone punctuating the truth behind her words.

“But this can’t work out,” she whispered, her own hand wiping her tears away as she took in a shaky breath.

As much as Elias wanted to understand where she was coming from, he didn’t want to see her go. He wasn’t ready to let her leave his life that quickly. He had fucked up, but something in him took over, something that could fix the mess that he had started. “It can, Amelia. We can make it work,”

Her jaw clenched, the heartbreak she was feeling slowly turning into anger. “This is one of the reasons we wouldn’t work, Elias,” she spat out. “You can’t take a no,”

“Come to Calgary with me,” he ignored her words, lifting himself up from the ground to grasp her hands. She pushed him away with a scroll, a look of disgust on her face. “We can start from zero over there, I’m sure we could work out,”

“I have a fucking life, Elias,” Amelia raised her voice, not caring if she looked crazy. “You think I’m going to drop everything for you? After everything you’ve done to me?”

“You could open a store over there, and we could live together in an apartment,”

“Oh. My. God,” she scoffed. “Do you hear yourself? My store is here, Elias. My people are here, and so is the guy I have a chance to date. I’m not going to leave just to make you happy,”

Her words felt like a slap to the man’s face. She didn’t want him, and he didn’t get the second chance he had begged for. He didn’t know why he had turned into such a selfish asshole by the time the conversation had shifted, but he regretted it. There was no way he could fix what he had done, and he knew it. No apology would make her change her mind.

“Amelia-”

“Loving you was a mistake,” she stated, taking a look around the room before heading towards the door. “I was just too dumb to see it,”

Her words seemed to engrave themselves inside Elias’ mind as he watched her leave, ending their conversation, and the relationship they had built as well. Elias was left on his own once more, regret making the tears that had coated his eyes fall down his cheeks.

He didn’t know what happened to him, what had gone through his head when he had proposed to her to leave the world behind and start from zero. Amelia had always been an independent woman, and he knew he had fucked up the moment her nostrils had flared. There was no coming back, though, that time.

So he made himself courage, grabbed his phone and called for a taxi. He looked at the plane ticket from the distance, grabbing it just after a few minutes of thinking before zipping up his suitcase.

Elias used the phone inside the room to order room service. He felt numb as the hums of the line rang through his head, emptying his brain of any thought. The voice of a man snapped him out of his trance, his voice cutting the clerk off. “A dry martini,”

“Loving you was a mistake,” her words still rang through his head as he ended the call, their truth making his heart clench. He was unlovable, and it was all his fault. “I was just too dumb to see it,”

Taglist: @thirstyybitch @bellaguarneri @boqvistsbabe @trashforbarzal @tonguetiedstan​ @keithseabrook27 @heatherawoowoo​ @tysonsjosty​ @besthockeyfics​

[willowdied]

( @macabrepuppet soothes elias  ❛ you’re not alone. i’m here. ❜ ) 

he has never minded being alone, in truth. perhaps because he knows that even in moments that he was alone, he wasn’t. he has his moms. he has his two siblings, his twin. he has the grass and the plants. he has their animals... he has nature. and yet... emery leaves alone on a venture, short, a month at moment, but here he is with this sinking feeling in his stomach that he cannot shake, and reaching for his mother the moment that the words leave her mouth, in part to try and hide his eyes watering, but also needing that physical reminder, something he does not often seek. 

“ it feels like part of me is leaving. ” his twin, half of who he is, his opposite. oh emery really was the complete opposite of who he is, loud and adventurous and wanting more than their home or a quiet life in a village can offer, and he does not blame them. he is proud and excited for them, but it is his first night alone and he feels for the first time, just that way. he sniffs, and he shakes his head. “ i know i am not. i know it but i just feel so... empty. does that make sense?” he hugs her tighter, still not meeting her gaze, awaiting her response with baited breath.