#especially the ones who have tickets...to several shows

[floofyangelkitty]

Me listening to Midnights while the fandom burns

[mirohlayo]

CUTE, PRETTY AND PERFECT

( lando was ready to confess his feelings to you, but a misunderstanding changed everything. )

warning : fluff, so much fluff, lando being adorable

note : i want this boy guys. also probably my fav fic, it's just all cute omgg

word count : 3k

He was finally ready. He had finally gathered all his courage. Sure, he was stressed, but after months of hiding his deep feelings, he was determined to do it. Lando was ready to confess his feelings to you.

McLaren and their two drivers are now in Bahrain to test the cars for the pre-season. It starts in few days but they already started to work hard, especially on their new garage design.

As a friend of Lando Norris himself, he bought you a ticket plane for you to fly to Bahrain and spend some time with him, even though it was not the most exciting thing because you would just be around the paddock and the track, not doing anything special or funny. But still, you agreed to come because you couldn't spend a lot of time with him during the winter break. Turns out this man had fun traveling around the world.

But Lando had others plans. Of course, he dragged you and his others friends there to spend time with you, but he also wanted to do something. He thought about it a lot, also stressed about it a lot, but now he knows he's more than ready to confess to you.

This boy was already absolutely obsessed with you since the first time you met. Your smile, your laugh, your shyness... Every single thing you do only makes the situation worse and he feels himself falling more and more.

He's the type of guy to be confident to pick up girls and he has no problem to go for them. He is confident and shows no signs of weakness. If he likes a girl then he won't hesitate to show it to her. But with you it's totally different.

The so confident and flirty Lando finds himself so weak when it comes to you. His usual way of flirting no longer exists when he's with you. And you're the only girl he's ever met who makes him change his behavior like that. He is extremely shy around you. He's hesitant, he doesn't know if he's doing the right thing because he's too nervous about making you uncomfortable.

He is also no longer touchy at all. Usually he likes to be tactile with the girl he likes, but you are completely different. You have such an effect on him that he becomes clumsy. This is why when you touch each other suddenly, even for a short second, his whole being becomes alarmed. He blushes so quickly and hard, his heart beats so hard that he's sure we can hear it on the other side of the world.

Even his friends don't recognize him when he's with you. This is the first time he's been so shy and cautious with a girl.

This is why it was at first hard for him to get the guts to finally confess to you. But it's soon the start of the new season, so he thought confessing now would be a great idea. Because then if you reject him he'll be able focus on the races and get over it faster.

And the day finally comes. He starts to feel stressed. His heart is beating a miles but he tries to ignore it. He knows you're here, around the paddock, so he goes to looking for you. His thoughts have been the same for a few days: he hopes that you love him in return. He already spent five minutes looking for you, but it looks like you're missing. He was about to take the stairs to leave the McLaren building when he heard several voices coming from a room.

He cautiously approaches where the noise is coming from, and then presses his ear to the door. He listens carefully, and now he's hearing two voices. And he's sure your voice is one of the two. He would recognize it in seconds. He perfectly knows how your voice sounds. But soon the conversation you have with your interlocutor is breaking his heart in pieces.

"I already love him. God he's so cute !" You say in a excited way. He hears a girl's laughter. "Y/N, you haven't gone out with him yet." "I know but i can't wait. I think i'll go out with him in like two days or something like that" You reply.

Lando's heart misses a beat. Are you planning to leave him alone for another boy ? Are you serious ? Do you actually hate spending time with Lando ? He keeps listening, but he can't repress this feeling of pain.

"You're already in love with him right ?" The girl ask you. "Oh definitely. He's perfect. And he's so pretty too, look at him !" He assumes that you are showing a photo of this man to your friend, since there is a short moment of silence before you giggle. "Yeah, he's cute. I'm so happy for you Y/N" "I love him so much you know..." You keep saying.

That's enough for Lando. He doesn't know if he feels angry or sad right now, but he doesn't wait another second to leave the place, his breath heavy and jerky. So he spent all those months being so in love with you just to find out you're head over heels for another man ?

Jealousy runs in his blood. His feelings were always so deep and strong when it comes to you, so this jealousy is obviously hurting him. It breaks him, and his heart. His mind can't think properly. He wanted to confess to you, but your plan was to leave Bahrain and him in few days to go out with a man he doesn't know about his existence.

But he knows he can't blame you. After all, we don't decide who we want to love. Feelings can't be controlled. He fell so hard in love with you and it's not his fault, so he can't blame you for loving someone else. It's your feelings. But still, he's so in pain. The sadness is quickly taking hold of him. Because he realizes you won't be his girlfriend. And it sucks.

It's been two hours since he found out. He didn't want to think about this horrible new, so instead he went over his race team and started to work on the cars with the engineers. But his mind keeps playing again and again your so affectionate words that you said about this man he already hates with all his being.

He's talking with Oscar about the cars' grip when he hears a voice behind him. "Hello guys !". You walk over and you're now standing in front of the two drivers. Oscar greets you with a smile. "Y/N, it's good to see you here. I guess you missed Lando" the Australian grins at you, and gives his teammate a blow in the ribs.

But he doesn't move, and keeps a straight face. "I wanted to spend time with him but turns out he worked hard with you these two past hours. You steal him and our precious time." You points out to Oscar to tease him and he leaves his hands in the air, ridding himself of any accusation.

You feel Lando stiffen and he doesn't even dare to look at you. His jaw tenses and his arms are crossed over his chest. You frown. What's wrong with him ? "You prefer spending time with your so cute and perfect man huh..." He rumbled in such a low voice that you didn't understand what he just said. "What did you say ?" "Nothing. Just leave me alone, I am working" He turns back and walk away, leaving you alone with the aussie next to you.

You're so confused. Why he's like that ? Did you do something wrong ? Do you bothered him or what ? You send a look of confusion to the blonde guy next to you, and he too seems lost. He shrugs. "I don't know why his behavior is so aggressive towards you. When he arrived two hours ago, he didn't say a word and he seemed quite angry."

"Angry ?" "Yeah, well he wasn't too focused and sometimes I felt like he was about to cry". This is insane. You don't know what happened to him but it worries you. He was always so kind and caring with you, never getting angry at you. But it's so different today. It feels like he hates you.

Oscar pats your shoulder, gives you a small smile before leaving you here, thinking about everything that happened during those 2 hours.

-

He felt guilty. So guilty. Of course, it was the first time that he get angry at you. He was always trying his best to give you the best of himself but that day it wasn't the case. After speaking to you for the last time, it got worse. He couldn't stop thinking about what he told you. It was stupid of him.

But today was also not the day too. He's been ignoring you for two days now. He passed you a few times around the paddock but he always looked away quickly. He didn't really want to spend time with you anymore. And that got on your nerves.

He remembered that today you have to leave Bahrain and him to go out on a date with your man. Maybe your boyfriend even ? But you didn't warn him, so he wonders if you're really gone. Despite this thought, he didn't try to ask you and just figured you left without telling anyone. But as he walks towards the mclaren garage, your voice come from behind him. "Lando, wait !!"

He frozens. Are you really here ? His heart starts to beat faster and he turns around to see if you are there. His eyes dart out when he finds you standing here, in front of him. You look like you ran a marathon because of your messy hair on your face and your red cheeks. He clears his throat and tries to put himself together. "Are you... okay ?" You ask carefully. He seems surprised at first, but quickly get back to his straight face.

"Yes, I'm good." You feel like he was lying. "It doesn't look like though" His gaze shifts to the right. He avoids your gaze. "Why ?" He asks. "I don't know... You've been ignoring me for two days. You haven't spoken to me once since you asked me to leave you alone. I don't know if I did something wrong but I need to know Lando..." Your voice is about to crack and he notices it. He realizes he must had pain you. And it breaks him in pieces.

But he avoids whatever you're saying. "And you ?" His question make you lift your head up to cross his eyes. "Why are you still here ? You should be with your boyfriend on your date right now." He looks down at the floor, because now sadness and pain fill his whole heart. "What boyfriend ?"

Your question and your confused tone surprise him. His head lift up and for a moment your eyes meet, confusion can be read in both of your looks. No. He's sure he heard it right last time. "I heard you say you were going out on a date with a man today" You frown. "I don't have anything planned today. I don't even have a boyfriend or a man, Lan" You don't know where that comes from but it's just stupid. You are single, and if you should have a boyfriend of course you would choose Lando without hesitation.

After all, you fell in love with him too.

He's relieved. His heart slows down and he finally manages to relax. Now his whole being is relieved because it means he still has a chance to confess to you. "I know it's bad Y/N, but last time I listened to your conversation with your friend and you talked about a perfect and super handsome guy, who you were planning to go on a date with..." You were about to say something but he cuts you off. "So i thought you had someone you loved." His voice becomes quieter.

But now you understand. You start to laugh because you realized that he misunderstood everything. He looks at you, confused. "Lando, that day I wasn't talking about a human. But about a puppy. I'm going to adopt a puppy" You say between two laughters. His eyes dart out and his face looks so surprised.

Oh poor boy. He feels so dumb and stupid right now. How could he make such a fool of himself and distort your words? He has misunderstood every single word you said. And he feels even more foolish when he realized he was so fucking jealous of a puppy. A little puppy.

He blushes so hard now. Such a blushing mess. Not just his cheeks but his whole face is all reddish now, shame eats away at him. It's so embarrassing. But your cute laugh soothes him a bit. "Today was the day I had to pick him up and "go out" with him. But I was worried about you so I postponed the meeting" You explain and he feels even more embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry Y/N. No really, i misunderstood everything and i apologize for that. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ignore you. I'm so stupid" He doesn't stop rumbling and apologizing for all this stuff he created. "Hey Lando, it's okay. I am not mad at you. You didn't have the context so there's no point in apologizing." You put your hands on his shoulders and the touch gives him goosebumps.

It's not fair how you manage to have a hold on him. He's so desperate for you. "But I'm really sorry..." You stay silent for a moment. "But it was really a problem if I went on this date with a man ?". Everything goes into panic inside him. He can't confess, not now. Not after what just happened. "N-no, you can have a boyfriend and go out with whoever you want but... I mean, it's..."

He sighs and pulls backward. "Sorry. It's just that... I don't know how to forgive myself" he reveals. He nervously plays with his fingers and you can't stand this sad picture of Lando. That's why you got an idea. You smile to him. "Maybe you could come with me to pick up my puppy?" A grin takes place on your face.

And soon a grin comes out from his face too. He can't stop smiling like a child. "I'd love to".

-

"You can come". The old lady waves at you and the driver. You get up from your seats and enter the room where several puppies are playing around. You can't help but giggle. You love so much puppies and dogs. And so does Lando. He too looks in heaven. "Here's your little puppy." The lady hands you a cute brown puppy with big doe eyes.

You take him in your arms and without waiting another second, you attack him with kisses. You let out in between some giggles, while Lando stands there, looking at you with heart-eyes. But the more he looks at you and the puppy, the more he got jealous.

You kiss and hug the puppy like there's only you two in the room. All your attention is on the cute brown animal in your arms and you don't even look at the driver anymore.

Twice. It's the second time he got so jealous of a damn puppy. "What's wrong with me ?" he thought. But he can't help it. He desperately wants to be the puppy. To be the one who receives your kisses, your hugs, your attention. It's not fair. "You want to hold him ? I need to get the papers and stuff done" you ask to him and then right after he got the fluffy ball in his big arms.

Lando also has a dog. Of course he loves animals too. But here it's different. With a smile, you encourage him to wait for you outside while you finish to sign the papers for the adoption. So he waits some minutes, staring at the puppy. Or more like glaring at him. "You love stealing my girl from me huh ?" He asks to the fluffy ball, and he looks like he's about to pout.

But then you appear, a big smile on your face. You join Lando, too happy to notice the cute pout on his face. "Oh my baby, you're so cute" You take the little puppy back in your arms and kiss him again. "And me ?" Lando suddenly said softly, but you heard him.

"You ?" You ask surprised. Why he's suddenly like that ? You look at him with with a questioning look. "Am I cute too ?" He asks, still pouting. He doesn't think about what he's saying anymore, now he just needs you. You don't know what to say. But indeed yeah, his cute behavior melts your heart. "Am I pretty and perfect too ? Arghh fuck !!" He lets out a cry of frustration. "I can't get jealous of a puppy, that's so childish"

"Lando, what are you saying ?" You don't understand at all his behavior. He sighs and finally meets your gaze. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm such a child to be jealous of a puppy. Like... Like I want to be him so bad. I also want your kisses, your cuddles, your attention. I also want to be the reason of your giggles. I so want to be this puppy to receive your love too" You bite back a smile, but that's impossible.

You take a step closer. "You're cute too. So cute. And you're such a pretty and perfect boy too Lan." You grin to him. He didn't expect that. At all. But it genuinely melts his heart. He looks at you with adoration now, and he needs to fight the urge to kiss you. "I guess my jealous boy wants his kiss huh ?" You tease him. He blushes hard, and like a cute puppy he nods quickly. You don't wait a second to press your lips on his ones.

He smiles against your lips, and deepen the kiss by pulling you closer to him. His arms hold you tight, but he makes sure he doesn't crush the puppy between you two. The kiss is so sweet, Lando is savoring every seconds of it. You pull back, and rest yours foreheads together. "I'm so in love with you Lando. Maybe I love you more than our puppy" You laugh softly. He smiles with all his teeth, and press a kiss on your cheek. "I hope so, baby. I'm already tired of him stealing my girl away from me".

You let out a laugh, and like that, he presses a cute and small kiss on the puppy. His beloved puppy.

[lizardsfromspace]

Do you ever get kind of interested in a subject where nothing weird has happened yet but you know something weird is going to happen?

Anyway, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was originally a upscale resort community, and also still is: it's where rich people from Chicago kept their lake houses, and maybe still do. Its heyday was in the early to mid 20th century, where its status as a vacation destination was so set that Hugh Hefner even put the first ever "Playboy Resort" there. I haven't been there myself, so I may be wrong, but it doesn't give me, like, Pigeon Forge or Niagara Falls energy. The list of attractions online seems to be spas and parks and a few theaters.

But Lake Geneva is more famous now for its most famous son, Gary Gygax. Over the course frigid Wisconsin winters, he and several wargaming friends who didn't become famous developed tactical wargaming into the game Dungeons & Dragons in the early 1970s. He also began hosting a small gaming meetup in Lake Geneva, later called Gen Con, which outgrew the town by the late 1970s.

As I understand it, Lake Geneva didn't really embrace its status as the Birthplace of Dungeons and Dragons. When Gygax died, there were fan-funded tributes here and there, and fans created a new convention in his honor called Gary Con where they played games from his time at TSR, but D&D was still a niche hobby and not the thing you define a rich people resort town around.

Then, whoops, shows like Critical Role turned D&D into one of the most popular entertainment properties in the world! Now there's D&D-themed events popping up all over the place. Some of this is normal, like efforts to fund a more prominent memorial for Gary Gygax, and a Dragon Days Fantasy Festival. But some are going further. Because there are now at least two proposals to create immersive, D&D-themed LARP experiences in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, population 8,227

One is a large themed restaurant/bar/wedding venue (?) called the Griffin and Gargoyle, which is supposedly opening in 2024, though all the art is concept art and they're still looking for investors.

The other one is Giantlands, the proposed theme park where the tickets will be NFTs, based on a game no one's heard of developed by the son of Gary Gygax by a company that legally can't call itself TSR anymore, but tried anyway before rebranding as Wonderfilled, and who also tried to make old Gygax games even more racist? I can't even begin to explain this. I think they got dunked on years ago but they were still hyping up its Lake Geneva theme park that's definitely going to exist this week (this is from August 11th)

What's incredible to me here is that they're boasting that their LARP theme park will be from the makers of Evermore Park. Nothing says quality in immersive fantasy roleplaying parks like someone whose main claim to fame is making that other one that failed. Wonder how many real tombstones and haunted dolls they'll buy this time. And this one appears to have fighting arena

I seriously doubt these are the only two pitches. Everyone with too much money and a love for theme parks feels the little voice in their head saying they can do the Star Wars Hotel right. I think what gets me here is, nobody would put anything like this in Lake Geneva otherwise. It's small, it's located in Wisconsin so it'd have to be seasonal, and it's less than two hours away from Wisconsin Dells - an entire town of kitschy roadside attractions - and even closer to Chicago, which is Chicago. Its tourism niche is beaches and homes around a scenic lake. The only reason to place anything there would be to honor Gary Gygax, and uh, I don't think the younger people who got into D&D with 5E really care about him, or even necessarily know who he is. Gary Con and most Gygax-themed events are for old-school gamers, not the Critical Role crowd. And they especially don't care about whatever Giantlands is. Giantlands as a game is so old-school there isn't even a PDF of the book, it's physical only. They want to build a full theme park around a game you can't even buy on DrivethruRPG. Anyway I hope all this open bc it would be funny

[signedkoko]

Signed with Love - Helluva Cast

What is this? - A valentines gift to my lovely readers! Its valentines/love letters from your favourites 🖤

Characters - Blitzo | Fizzarolli | Loona | Millie | Moxxie | Stolas | Striker | Verosika | Wally Wackford

Series Parts Hazbin Cast - Here! Overlords & Sins - Here!

Dear, Hey, Whats up

Oh what the hell, just be my valentine, we both know its about time I just fuckin ask.

I can't promise anything lavish, but what I do have is a kitchen and a comfortable couch. Maybe you can try showing me how to bake and we can eat what we make while watching some shitty romcoms.

Whatever makes you happy,

Oh come on, you know who wrote this.

Heeellloooooo!

I know you are usually the one to ask, but this year I wanted to change things up a little! Be my valentine?

While we could go somewhere crowded and wait forever for food, I thought maybe this year we could stay home, order a bunch of takeout, and spend time together?

And of course, I love you,

"Froggie"

Don't freak out,

I swear this isn't a ransom note, I just wasn't sure how else to ask you to be my valentine.

You know how we both wanted to go to the lovesick festival but ti was sold out? Well, don't ask how but I got tickets. Now we can go watch idiots get drunk and pass out in front of their girlfriends, and enjoy a bunch of our fav bands.

Outfit theme: Hot as fuck?

X Loona

Hi sweetie!

I know technically it's your turn for valentines this year, but I know you've been busy and I wanted to surprise you!

My parents called and told me they need someone to house sit while they are away for the week, so we could enjoy valentines on the ranch and I can show you my home! Especially the food and festivals I always tell you about.

Happy Valentines ❣

Millie

Hi dear ❣

Maybe it's getting old by now, but for yet another year I would love to have you as my valentine.

I don't know where I'd be without you, you make my hellish work at least a tad bit bearable and inspire me every day. I've already had to erase several rambles, so I'll save the rest of the sweet talk for the date. Just be ready in formal attire for 6, because we have a show to catch!

I'm sure you'll look amazing ❣

— Moxx

To the sweetest one I know,

I've been inspired by the books I've been reading to handwrite a letter to you, so you have something to keep for memory sake.

To have you by my side for another valentines is a dream come true, last year you pulled together such an amazing evening that I can only hope to outdo tonight. I would like to take you to see the stars, I know you've always asked and I believe it is about time.

Thank you for being mine,

Prince Stolas

Howdy darlin'

While originally I wasn't going to be home on time, I made sure to finish up this mission early so I can be there with ya for valentines. I'd call, but I know you swoon for romantic gestures, dontcha?

I'll handle all the details of our outing, just relax and don't worry your pretty head about a darn thing.

Can't wait to get home and see you again,

Who else?

Miss me?

I had to head out for a gig early, so sorry I couldn't catch you at the door before I left! I hope this note will suffice in the mean time.

Since I can't bring you, I have a limo headed to pick you up around five, that should give you time to get ready for the concert! Your pass is with the driver, and you've got front row seats, kay? I better see you cheering for me ❣

Happy valentines day,

Mayday 💋

Greetings, I say I say,

It's not everyday sheepish imps such as myself get such a heavenly opportunity to court a sweet thing like yourself!

For you, and you only my dear, I will spend such a lucritive holiday with my one and only. Should you accept, I am pleased to inform you that we have been invited to Ozzie's! Isn't he the kindest?

x x x x x x x

W. WACKFORD

Authors Note - Okay be honest with me WHO ARE WE ACCEPTING A LETTER FROM?? I gotta know,,, This is the last of the valentines series, I hope you all enjoyed!

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 2.9k words

warnings: explicit language, nothing else really?

summary: your life goes back to normal— how things were before you knew steve— and it’s fine (or at least that’s what you keep telling yourself)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN | ❝𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆❞

Spring Semester 2017

“This is how villain origin stories are born,” Robin said with a loud sigh as she closed her laptop for the time being. “Apartment hunting. Why does this suck so much?”

“Because everything’s severely out of our price range,” You responded, looking up from your own laptop. “Also, there are barely any three-bedroom options.”

“And the ones that are available and in our budget are very shitty,” Vickie added and you nodded in agreement.

The three of you were sitting on the carpeted floor in your dorm room. Living together for the next school year had been jokingly and playfully talked about in the very early stages of your friendship with Robin, but then as the months passed, it settled into an idea that actually became serious; mainly because of how much sense it made. And then Robin introduced you to Vickie and another friendship, and roommate, was born. 

Eddie was also set as a fourth roommate for a bit, but then he told you that he and Chrissy decided to live together for junior year, so it became settled that it would only be you, Robin, and Vickie. Which sounded great, and you were already excited about it since you hated living alone, but the apartment-hunting part quickly proved to be a lot more of a nuisance than any of you had expected.

“Fuck it, let’s just do a four-bedroom, then,” Robin said, shrugging. “There are a bunch more options for those, anyway. Like, the one I showed you guys yesterday. That place was perfect.”

“Did I miss the moment when our fourth roommate magically appeared?” Vickie asked, a playful smile on her face. 

“We can easily find someone else in one of those, like, Facebook group things.”

“That’s honestly not a bad idea,” You responded, already going to pull up Facebook on your laptop. 

Robin smiled. “Thank you. I always have great ideas.”

Vickie gave her a look. “Do I need to mention the ‘donating blood to get concert ticket money’ idea you had a week ago?” 

“No, that’s okay. We don’t need to discuss that low point.” 

You were the one who showed them Talia’s posting on one of the “searching for roommates” groups. She seemed nice and interesting and both Robin and Vickie thought so too. The three of you put together a quick message— briefly introducing yourselves and that you were looking for a fourth roommate— and sent it.

“Okay, fourth roommate, check,” Robin said once you pressed send. “Now, we have to get the place that I showed you guys yesterday.”

You laughed a little. “Let’s wait until she actually says something, Rob.”  

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

Initially, it felt equivalent to a family meeting. Well, more so what you imagined a family meeting would be like because the four of you never actually had to have one before. 

But then, it actually felt like you were giving some sort of speech or presentation because of the setup. Robin, Vickie, and Talia were on the couch and you were standing in front of the TV and explaining everything to them. 

You kept in most of the details— you and Steve agreeing to fake date, your feelings for Eddie being the reason behind it all, and how it was only meant to go until Spring Break. 

Aside from the fact that they all seemed shocked to learn that you had feelings for Eddie, their collective thought was that the entire relationship between you and Steve had seemed so real.

“We were just really good at faking,” Was your response to Vickie specifically saying how cute you two had looked together; especially during the one reality TV night where Steve came over and picked the show.

You remembered that night pretty well, but you didn’t remember any specific moments where you had felt as if you and he had to “play up” the relationship or lay the PDA on thick since Eddie wasn’t around that night, so you weren’t sure how that moment was considered a definingly cute one for the two of you. 

“Were you good at faking or was it not really fake?” Robin asked, giving you a certain look. 

“Definitely fake,” You didn’t hesitate to answer because you deliberately didn’t want to think about her question too deeply. “We’re not even really friends, and he just went on a date last night. Hence the Eddie punch.”

Eddie was still sleeping in your bed. When you got back from Steve’s place, you weren’t in the mood to wake him up or tell him to shift over and make room for you, so you spent the night on the couch. 

“Damn, it kinda sucks that we’re never gonna see him again. He was the only one that liked when I made the pumpkin cheesecake cookies,” Talia said.

Vickie laughed a bit. “The only reason we don’t like it is because that's clearly a Fall cookie, Tal, and it's Spring right now.” She then looked as if she thought of something. “Hey, but at least you won’t have to get stuck on a team with Eddie for game night anymore. We’re back to individual stuff or you being the referee.”

Talia smiled. “Thank you for reminding me.”

“Wait, that just made me remember something,” Robin started. “Guys, I need you to please hear me out on this one,” She paused for what seemed like dramatic effect. “I think it's time to bring back Monopoly.”

There was a collective groan that immediately filled the air upon hearing her suggestion. Monopoly was a near friendship-ending game for you all, and it was only meant to be played on the rarest of occasions; which actually meant never. 

You sat down on the small loveseat then, glad that the subject had been shifted and that your speech, mixed with a Q&A, was over. “Robin, why do you wanna ruin all of our friendships?”

She quickly shook her head. “Come on, it’s been months. We’re all much more mature and reasonable adults, and I doubt we’ll have any arguments like last time.” 

Before any of you could respond with any sort of rebuttal, your bedroom door opened and out walked a tired looking Eddie. 

“Somehow, I heard the mention of Monopoly and I’m here to immediately veto that suggestion.” 

Robin rolled her eyes at him. “Go back to sleep, Munson.”

The game night conversation continued, and from there, things were normal. And you didn’t mind the normalcy that your life settled back into over the next few days and then weeks— even though, at one point, the thought of it bothered you and you had missed a lot of the things that came along with fake dating Steve. Now you knew there was no point in missing any of it; in fact, it felt kind of dumb to. 

Your classes got more and more intense during the entire month of April, so there wasn’t that much time to think about Steve or wonder what he was up to. However, the moments you did think of him surprisingly hit hard. 

When you all ended up playing Monopoly at game night, after Robin’s many begs and pleads, you thought about Steve and how different things would’ve been if he was there. You imagined him as a pretty competitive Monopoly player, and felt almost certain that he would’ve either had the biggest rivalry with Robin or formed some sort of alliance with her; she was the one that actually ended up winning after an intense and exhausting seven hours of playing that night. You wished that he could’ve been there. 

And then there were the reminders of him that were left around— his t-shirt that you’d never gotten around to giving back to him, his sunglasses that you didn’t realize you’d stolen until you were finally finishing unpacking your stuff from the Mexico trip, and the bear that he got you for Valentine’s Day that you refused to ever get rid of, but you eventually stuffed Hartford away in your closet instead of leaving him on your desk to make things feel easier. 

Anytime one of those moments happened where you randomly thought about him, you immediately reminded yourself of the rule and simply buried yourself further in whatever school assignment you needed to focus on, or made abrupt plans with Eddie, Robin, Vickie, or Talia. 

It was late in the month when Talia wanted to set you up with a guy from one of her classes, who she claimed would be “perfect for you.” Initially, you were hesitant— more so leaning toward no than yes— but he had the Talia stamp of approval, so you let it happen. She gave him your number and there were a handful of text messages shared between you two that led to a museum date a week later. 

It wasn’t terrible. But, your heart wasn’t in it at all, and neither was your head most of the time. And by the end of it, more specifically as you were in the elevator headed back up to your apartment, you realized that you probably wouldn’t see him again. 

When you walked into the apartment, you spotted Talia in the kitchen and the entire apartment smelled amazing; which, of course, didn’t surprise you at all.

“Hey, what are you making?” You asked as you pulled off your jacket and hung it on one of the empty hooks next to the door. 

“I got bored, so I decided to do a quick roasted chicken. It’s in the oven now,” She said, shrugging as if that was entirely normal. It would never not amuse you how her boredom would always spur on elaborate meals. “So, how was the date?”

“It was fine. Good, actually,” You answered after the briefest moment of hesitation. “He was pretty cool and we had a lot in common and stuff. But, I don’t know… It just didn’t feel right, I guess. My head was in a different place a lot of the time. Thinking about other stuff.”

“About Steve?”

Hearing her say that, surprised you. “What? No. I haven’t talked to him in like a month.” 

She gave you a quick shrug. “That doesn’t mean that you can’t think about him.” 

“I guess that’s true, but I haven’t really thought about him,” You said. It was a small lie that you were okay with telling because you didn’t want to admit or even ponder what it meant that you did think about and were so easily reminded of him sometimes. 

“I’m kind of surprised that you two aren’t friends or something,” She told you as she went to grab something from the fridge. “I don’t think I could do a whole fake dating thing with someone and not, at least, be friends with them after it.”

You leaned back against the counter. “We came up with a bunch of rules when we started it, and that was one of them.”

“To not be friends after?”

“Not exactly that, but pretty much, yeah. The rule was to go our separate ways once the fake dating was done,” You shrugged. “Becoming friends was the last thing on both of our minds when we came up with that since we were basically strangers at the beginning of this. And when we were ending things, we both knew that it would be impossible to be friends after because of all of the lies that started this.” 

She looked at you then. “But we all know the truth now, though. So you two could be friends and none of us would question it.” 

Talia’s words made complete sense and they were something that you should’ve realized and thought about a lot earlier than this moment. You were quiet for what felt like forever because you didn’t know what to say in response. Your immediate reaction was to still say no, you couldn’t be friends with him, but if she followed up and asked why, you knew that you wouldn’t have an answer. 

When the oven started beeping, it felt like a very “saved by the bell” kind of moment. Talia pulled out the chicken from the oven and let the conversation shift from there. “You got back from your date just in time, by the way. You wanna try this?” 

“Of course, I’ll never turn down anything you make.”

You went to your room first to change out of your date outfit and put on some pajamas instead and then you joined Talia back in the kitchen. The chicken was quite literally perfect, which didn’t surprise you, and you retreated to your room for the night after you finished eating, while Talia put on a documentary that she had to watch for one of her psychology classes. 

As much as you tried to focus on anything else as you lay in your bed, you inadvertently spent the rest of the night thinking about Steve— it was too hard not to. 

You thought about every moment that you had been reminded of him over the past month— how it hadn’t felt like much at first, but when you thought about it all at once, it was a lot. You also thought about what Talia said and why you and he weren’t friends even though it was pretty obvious that you should be— what else could explain why you both had prolonged and dragged out the conversation in his car the night you two “broke up”? Neither of you had wanted to let the inevitable happen. 

All of this was about more than just following the rule to you. Of course, it was about more than just that. 

Deep down you knew exactly why you couldn’t listen to what Talia said— why you couldn’t text him, go to his place, or do anything else to lean into that short-lived friendship you two had that you actually had a feeling was still there— but right then you refused to admit it. 

Instead, you grabbed your phone and put on a random podcast just so you could use the noise to drown out your thoughts and force yourself to fall asleep.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

It wasn’t until a few days before finals that you thought about Steve again. It was kind of hard not to because you ran right into him— or more so tripped over him. 

The campus library during the week before finals week was probably one of the worst places to be, but you were in a last-second search for a book that you needed to do an essay on and you refused to buy it online because, for some reason, it was way too expensive.

Your eyes were trained solely on the spines of books as you searched for the one in particular when you tripped over something in the middle of the aisle. It wasn’t a full-on fall, just a very awkward stumble, but it somehow felt just as embarrassing. 

You let out an abrupt yelp in the middle of your stumble and heard a voice before you even got to see what caused you to trip. “Oh, fuck, I’m sorry.” 

You recognized Steve’s voice immediately and it sent a surprised jolt through you as you turned to look at him. He was leaned back against the long bookshelf with his legs stretched out and there was a textbook opened in his lap. He must’ve just been sleeping because you saw him rub his eyes and let out a quick yawn.

He looked up at you as he crossed his legs under him instead of having them stretched out in the aisle. He seemed as if he was surprised to see you too, but from the look on his face, you could tell that he saw it as a good surprise; you weren’t sure if you could say the same just yet. “Shit, now I feel worse knowing that I just did that to you.”

That got the smallest smile out of you. “Yes, you should feel a thousand times worse for almost ending my life.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why are you sleeping here?” You asked. Both of you were keeping your voices low because you were on one of the quieter floors of the library. 

He shook his head. “I’m not sleeping. I was taking a break from studying for a test and just resting my eyes for a second.” 

“So sleeping?”

“A very brief nap,” He corrected.

“Ah, okay, got it,” You nodded, words coming out completely sarcastic. “Sorry for interrupting your very brief nap then.”

“Sorry for almost killing you.”

“Thank you.”

You knew that you should’ve let the brief conversation end there. You should’ve looked away from him then and continued searching for the book you needed to find. But, you didn’t. 

Instead, after the briefest moment of lingering silence between you two, you sat down across from Steve. The book and the essay that you needed to work on became the farthest things from your mind for the time being.

You didn’t have the strongest grasp on what you were doing right then and why you were doing any of it, but you decided not to question it. Instead, you simply did what felt good in the moment. 

You leaned back against the bookshelf opposite Steve and crossed your legs as well. “Hi.” 

He gave you a questioning look at first— maybe he was also expecting the conversation to end in that previous spot; like it would’ve with any other two people who weren’t really friends that had just randomly bumped into each other. 

But then, he was smiling, a genuine Steve Harrington smile that felt really nice to see. “Hey.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

a/n: ….. i'm sorry for the cliffhanger !!!!

next part!

taglist (lmk if you want to be added or taken off<333); @eddiernunson , @loulouloueh , @the-aster , @blckburd , @totally-bogus-timelady , @yujyujj , @irhdifartzamfyaa , @mochminnie , @munsonssweets , @blckbrrybasket , @xprloki , @definitionwanderlust , @dwcode , @sun-fiower-seed , @keerysfolklore , @damon-loves-pie , @lodeddiperrodrick , @bisexual-and-intellectual , @munsonburn3r , @negomi123 , @khena , @facexthexsunshine , @seatbacksandtraytables , @suckerfordylansstuff

(if your user is crossed out it means i can’t tag you</3)

[ingravinoveritas]

This past week, I traveled to London to see Macbeth. Everything I had heard and seen about David, Cush Jumbo, and the overall production convinced me that it was not to be missed, and so I took the crazy chance of purchasing a ticket months ago, and it was the first time I've ever gone to another country just for a play.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been going to Broadway shows, and the experience of live theatre has always been something incomparable and incredibly meaningful to me. Seeing something beyond Broadway, however, never felt possible until now. This opportunity arose at a moment when I was finally able to seize it, and now that I have attended the play not once, but twice (thanks to a lovely person who was able to help me obtain a £25 day ticket), I can say that Macbeth was, without question, the most amazing thing that I have ever seen on stage.

What follows is my review/thoughts on the production, and I will try my best to avoid spoilers (though fair warning that one or two may arise, so proceed with caution).

In high school, Shakespeare was something we were taught. It was an assumed part of the curriculum, labeled as a classic. Yet it seemed to exist in a time capsule--a product of its era, and of an English language barely proximate to the one we speak today. We learned Macbeth on the page, in annotations and themes and meter, rather than something pulsing, beating, living. Something that makes us feel. And for nearly two hours in a beautiful Victorian theatre in a little corner of the West End, all I did was exactly that.

I felt. And after seeing this play, I am not the same person on a molecular level that I was before.

Everything about this play--from David's mesmerizing portrayal of Macbeth to Cush Jumbo's wrenching turn as Lady Macbeth to the entire ensemble cast to the staging choices (light, sound, and so on)--is extraordinary. It is breathtakingly ruinous. It is so fully immersive that by the end you somehow feel bruised, viscerally disgusted and wrung out in equally beautiful measure.

It's almost misleading to say that we the audience are simply watching the play, because thanks to the binaural audio design (headphones), we are in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's minds, and become accomplices to the characters' wicked deeds. When the porter (Jatinder Singh Randhawa) comes on to provide comic relief at exactly the perfect moment, it soon becomes clear that it is a distraction from our own discomfort at what has just happened. But it is a short-lived respite, as we are soon plunged back into the action and the characters' spiraling descent into madness.

In terms of David specifically, seeing him on television or on any screen profoundly pales to seeing him on the stage. In much the same way that the stage is Michael's natural habitat, it is also David's. The way he moves, the way he holds himself when he's not even speaking--which I got to see up close when he knelt directly in front of me on several occasions--is meticulous. David becomes the character he is playing, down into the pit of his soul. He disappears so thoroughly that I very quickly forgot that I was even watching him.

So many people can recite Shakespeare, but there is a marked difference between recitation and what David does. Together, David and Cush make Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel like the Bonnie and Clyde of the Elizabethan age (only hornier). And the themes the play invokes--greed, fear, jealousy, power--are shown to be themes not of a particular era, but of humanity. David especially is so preternaturally good at making all of that unbearably real. He not only makes Shakespeare accessible to the modern world--an already difficult feat on its own--he makes it timeless.

For the last ten minutes of the play, I felt like I stopped breathing. The evil that Macbeth perpetrates, and the realization that he has not become like this, but rather that this is who he has always been, hits full force. As much as this play is very definitely an ensemble piece, David is the standout. He commands the stage, and at no point is he more powerful than when Macbeth is falling apart near the end.

(On a purely aesthetic level, this is also when David looks most beautiful--the wild hair, the form-fitting shirt heaving with the rise and fall of his greyhound lean chest, and the majestic sweep of the kilt with every frenzied movement. The complete erosion of the line between sanity and insanity, but also showing us how tenuous that line was to begin with. And he is utterly gorgeous while doing so.)

It's also at this moment in the play that we see how skillfully David has manipulated the audience. Where Michael uses a character's emotions much more overtly and aggressively--sniffing the audience out, stalking around the stage, feeling as if he's about to pull you up with him--David is far more controlled. He draws you in slowly, carefully, and it's only when we see the depths of Macbeth's depravity (notably killing Young Siward) that we realize the truth:

He got us. He made us the witnesses to Macbeth's malice, made sure we couldn't look away. And now we are complicit.

If I had to pinpoint any negatives about the play (which is extremely difficult to do), it's that there is only a brief moment where the pacing lags just slightly, and it's because David is off stage for a considerable period of time. The cast is absolutely incredible, bar none, but the energy doesn't quite maintain that high level when he is not there.

Also, from a sensory standpoint, this is very much not a sensory-friendly production. There are several instances of sudden loud noises in the headphones (which I found especially jarring), as well as the use of flashing lights, and considerable use of smoke at multiple points. All of these were more acute because I was sitting in the Stalls (second row), so I can only speak to it from that vantage, rather than from other locations in the theatre. But for anyone who is autistic (as I am) or has sensory-processing challenges, be advised that this play is definitely inaccessible in those respects.

When I left the Harold Pinter Theatre that night, I felt as though my entire central nervous system had been rearranged. There genuinely is no way to be normal about this play, because it is not a normal play. It takes apart everything you know about Macbeth and puts it back together in the most unexpected, electrifying way. It is the beauty of destruction, and no one embodies that more perfectly than David. Even days later, I can still feel the buzzing of my skin, the blood rushing through me, fingertips tingling from some heady combination of arousal and fear. (Or as Dr. Frank N. Furter once put it: "A mental mind fuck can be quite nice...")

The moment the lights went to black, every single person in that theatre was on their feet in a standing ovation. The applause was thunderous, and seemed even louder in the wake of the complete silence that preceded it.

I had sat in that silence--awestruck, captivated--and thought to myself that I could watch this production forever. And I would go back and do it all over again right now if I could. If you have the means, the opportunity, it is an experience I cannot recommend highly enough.

David is truly a master of his craft, and yet performs without a hint of ego. He gives everything he has and leaves it all on the stage. And what he and this team of people have come together to give us is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

(Pictures taken on 10/12/2024.)

[chiscribbs]

As promised, to show my thanks for getting Grown Apart AU through to the next @tmntaucompetition round - here's a little bonus treat:

A visual chart detailing all the major character relationships in the AU's first act! Enjoy!

(Click "keep reading" for some additional information on a few of the dynamics shown above.)

Splinter & Mikey - When the boys were still very small, Splinter used to take them with him on his excursions out of the sewers (either to get supplies or to search for the two missing turtles). During one of these trips, Mikey got separated from his dad and brother - they eventually found him, mostly unharmed, but the traumatic experience left a lasting mark on Splinter and he has worried about his youngest son ever since.

Leo & Raph - Leo and Raph are the first of the estranged brothers to meet, face-to-face. Raph finds Leo snooping around Draxum's lab and attacks him. Leo manages to escape, with his newly acquired portal sword, but the lab is destroyed in the clash. The two proceed to fight each other on multiple occasions after this, forming a sort of battlefield rivalry.

Donnie & Mikey - By complete and total coincidence, Donnie ends up saving Mikey's life after Draxum drops him off the roof of a building. Mikey takes this as evidence that Donnie is a good person and decides to trust him (despite Leo's protests). Realizing this, Donnie uses Mikey's "misplaced" trust in him as a ticket into the Hamato residence so that he can hide out there until he's apprehended the oozesquitos.

Raph & BM's Assistant - Although Big Mama and Draxum don't work together often, their business does tend to intersect on occasion. Because of this, Raph has had the odd encounter with Big Mama's masked companion. They've never spoken, though (not that BMA would speak even if they had gotten the chance).

Donnie & Raph - They're aware of each other's existence, thanks to their parents' occasional dealings, but haven't actually seen or spoken with each other. Big Mama largely limits Donnie's interaction with anyone outside of herself and hotel staff, and she's especially reluctant to let him meet other mutants (once she learns of their existence) or Draxum. This hasn't stopped him from listening in on some of her business chats via his surveillance tech and finding things out that way, though. Raph only knows Donnie as Big Mama's mechanic and the one responsible for her criminal empire's recent upgrade in technological advancements.

Splinter & Leo - Because of the incident that occurred when they were younger, Splinter has always had a soft spot for Mikey. Leo doesn't exactly resent this fact, but he does often feel like he gets short-changed on all accounts - when Splinter isn't around, Leo is responsible for keeping them both safe and out of trouble. When Splinter IS around, a majority of his limited attention generally gets directed towards Mikey. Thanks to this, Leo is left feeling both a little attention-starved and desperate for some independence. He's too proud to admit to his dad that he feels unseen, though, so he instead opts for causing a little mischief to get the desired attention.

Raph & Mikey - After learning that Raph is not only a mutant, like himself and Leo, but that they were created by the same person - Mikey becomes determined to befriend him and change his mind about humanity. He considers Raph part of the family - even before finding out that Lou Jitsu is their real father, thus making him their real brother. Raph doesn't quite share the sentiment, though - as far as he's concerned, Mikey's the one who's on the wrong side of the fight and no amount of niceness is going to convince him otherwise. (It does, however, make it a lot harder to hate him...)

Donnie & BM's Assistant - These two have a history that goes back several years and has soured with time...on Donnie's end, at least. He used to be close to BMA, considered them a friend for a little while, then something happened to change his opinion of them and caused him to see them as a rival. But what about BMA? What effect, if any, did the loss of Donnie's trust and friendship have on them? As with all things surrounding this character, it's a mystery...

[canonicallyobserving911]

The BS Tommy said to Buck during the breakup scene was classic, "It’s not you, it's me" language.

I'm so happy they're over and I'm still celebrating the demise of that awful relationship. IMO, it should have ended in season 7 but I digress.

There were so many things in the BT 2.0 breakup scene that felt obscure and oblique to me and I've already posted about a couple of them (linked here). I'm still planning to do a full post on all of it but I think I figured out why the BS Tommy said during it seemed so out of left field. Two weeks ago, I posted about how the show went out of its way in 8x5 to illustrate the reasons why Buck and Tommy weren't compatible and I included an explanation of the way Buck believed Tommy was his boyfriend even though Tommy didn't consider Buck to be his (linked here). But in 8x6, everything about whatever they had was flipped and made to seem like Tommy really cared about Buck but HE DIDN'T.

The truth is he's always known Buck wants Eddie and I think it's possible he was planning to end it during dinner after he gave him the Lakers tickets. It seems like he was trying to get Buck to realize or admit he'll always be in love with Eddie but there's one thing he didn’t count on and that's Clinger!Buck. When Tommy said he could "Take Eddie" to the game, it was his ploy to see if Buck would take the bait and he kind of did when he asked him if he'd be ok with it. But Tommy turned it into one of his rude, unfunny dry ass jokes by responding with "And die." Who TF even says that? No one just like that whole "vision in a cone" line he said in 8x1.

Anyway, my point is Tommy used the classic "It’s not you, it's me" breakup language on Buck because it was the only excuse he could come up with to end it. He had tried everything else with his dismissive attitude, laughing at him with his coworkers and not kissing him anymore but Clinger!Buck was holding on for dear life. The final straw was when Buck said, "I want you to move in with me" and it was the thing that sealed the deal and Tommy realized he had to get out and it’s the path he chose to do it.

They didn't know each other after 6 months and the proof was the anniversary gift and Buck not knowing anything about Tommy beyond the physical (déjà vu for all of Buck’s other relationships). Has Buck ever even been to Tommy’s house? Eddie has and it's CANON because Eddie said it in 7x4.

Tommy prefaced the breakup with several compliments when he said how handsome and great Buck is but then he said that BS about his heart would get broken and he wouldn't be able to take it 🙄. In the few episodes he was in, they never discussed love or anything else other than that daddy kink joke in 7x10. Therefore, their relationship was surface level so why in TF did Tommy say that?

The only answer that makes sense to me is he was having fun but Clinger!Buck was ready to take it to the next level and Tommy didn't want that. He told Buck that in 7x4 when he said "Dating someone you meet on a call never ends the way you expect" but Buck missed the memo and he’s still misunderstanding the assignment.

Eddie had already told Buck that in 6x15 but it’s evident Buck still doesn't realize he’s on the same hamster wheel he's been on since 2018.

The point of this post is Tommy did the "It’s not you, it's me" to breakup with Buck because that's what people say when they don't want to admit the truth. He was softening the blow of dumping him because Buck was being left behind again just like he was with Abby, Ali, Taylor and Natalia. Buck broke up with Taylor and Natalia but he didn't end it for the right reasons. He was unhappy with Taylor but their breakup wasn't about that and he knew Natalia was all about death when he started dating her so there's that.

It was a $hitty reason to end it especially with all the other things they could have used to breakup but for whatever reason, TM (showrunner) chose this option and I don’t like it because Tommy came out unscathed. He should've had to answer for his racist and bigoted past but he wasn't held accountable just like Gerarrd and that sucks.

Buck’s in love with Eddie Diaz! He always has been but he’s still on the hamster wheel and he won't get off until he asks and answers the questions regarding what he wants for himself.

[dinarosie]

Even if Snape's inner motivation for joining Voldemort was a desire for acceptance, control, power and belonging, surely to achieve that he must have harbored some toxic beliefs about muggles and muggleborns? I cannot imagine someone as intellectual as Snape would not try to justify the dislike for muggles and muggleborns of the other purebloods in his head? He probably thought muggleborns were lesser in some ways to purebloods and muggles were ruining the world or something. He couldn't rationalize Lily's hatred for the dark arts and people like Mulciber, therefore I think he held delusional and negative beliefs towards muggleborns and muggles because his mind distorted the truth to fit his selfish narrative. He was moving in pureblood circles, heared their opinions all the time I believe he started believing some of that stuff too even if he wasn't violent about it. He tried to appease Voldemort, strived to be his follower he must have internalized some of the anti muggleborn beliefs in order to do that. What do you think?

Prejudice in the wizarding world isn’t something exclusive to the Death Eaters or even to one specific time. It's woven deeply into magical society, and even after the Second Wizarding War, we don't see convincing evidence that these biases are completely eradicated. Throughout the books, we see that many characters even those like mcgonagall, Hagrid and Weasleys, who oppose Voldemort's ideology still display some prejudice toward Muggles and other magical beings. They may not condone Voldemort’s tactics, but for example they actively try to sever all ties with their Muggle relatives as if they don’t exist at all or they show amusement at using magic to fool Muggles (think Ron, teenage James and Sirius). This reflects a norm and heritage within wizarding culture, a subtle acceptance of superiority that has been passed down for generations. This societal undercurrent of prejudice was so pervasive that, in the early days of the First Wizarding War, many actually supported Voldemort’s rise, at least until his methods became excessively violent. If the prophecy hadn’t intervened, he might have won, showing how ingrained these biases were.

When it comes to Snape, I get frustrated with interpretations that try to paint him as some "mini-Nazi" from age nine. Looking at his childhood, it’s clear that young Snape didn’t have a love for the Muggle world—and honestly, can you blame him, considering the harsh, painful reality his family life created there? To him, magic was a ticket out, a lifeline. But what’s interesting is how he responds to Lily’s magic, a Muggle-born witch. Instead of seeing her as “lesser,” he immediately recognizes her as one of his own:

“You are,” said Snape to Lily. “You are a witch. I’ve been watching you for a while. But there’s nothing wrong with that. My mum’s one, and I’m a wizard.”

Here, he embraces her as part of the magical world. He doesn’t see her as an outsider; instead, he’s excited to introduce her to magical world and help her feel like she belongs. This moment shows that even from a young age, Snape saw her magic as normal and valid (natural and valid like him and his own mother), even if she was Muggle-born.

I think it’s reasonable to believe teenage Snape (like most of the wizarding world) had some biases, especially given the difficult conditions he grew up in and the House he was eventually sorted into. But I don’t think these biases were the main driving force behind his choices. His prejudices weren’t extreme enough to fuel violence against Muggles or Muggle-borns. There’s no evidence that he ever wanted to actively harm someone simply because of their heritage, even in his Death Eater days. So, while he likely absorbed some prejudices from the pureblood-dominated world he was in, it’s clear that these beliefs didn’t reach the fanatical level they did with the other Death Eaters. And as he matured, these biases seemed to fade even further, to the point where he ultimately sacrificed his life to protect people.

Part of the differences between Lily and Snape’s perspectives on the Dark Arts, I think, can be traced back to Hogwarts’s own black-and-white view on magical disciplines. In some wizarding cultures, Dark Arts are studied and understood as a form of complex magic, not inherently evil. Interestingly, these communities, despite their engagement with Dark Arts, don’t necessarily produce other Voldemorts, so perhaps the Dark Arts have legitimate applications beyond harm. This difference in perspective is, I think, part of why young Snape couldn’t fully grasp Lily’s rejection of Dark Arts. To him, the Dark Arts were an area of knowledge, filled with awe and potential power, rather than just danger and malice. He believed that by mastering these aspects, he might impress her. Rowling’s narrative makes sense this way; Snape wasn’t trying to seduce her with dark ideas, but rather to share something he found fascinating and intellectually rich, even if misguidedly so.

[anoant-haikyuu-dump]

Timeskip Nekoma HC dump

The restaurant Fukunaga works at part-time is a hibachi grill, whenever the team does a group meet up they all go together and he gives them the full show. They cheer and whoop as if they're in an actual stadium, no other group pops off for the onion volcano quite like them. Kuroo tries to explain the science behind all the tricks but Yaku and Tora shut him up fast ("Oh my god stop talking, you’re ruining the meat with all that yapping")

Kenma uses his friends for stream content whenever they’re in town. Chat is constantly baffled at how many celebrities he went to high school with— a model, a comedian, several pro volleyball players, a high ranking member of the JVA?? Its all fun and games until they start exposing Kenma’s high school secrets, Kuroo stoops so low as to pull out the childhood photos and gets kicked out. Tora's a pretty regular guest and chat's favorite punching bag (to be fair he's really fun to bully with how easily provoked he is). Ironically some of chat's favorite guests are two of the non famous ones— Kai because he's super chill and Inuoka cause he has such contagious energy

Whenever any of them see one of Lev's billboards or magazine covers in the wild they take a picture with it and send it in the group chat. When they're out with him in person and see one they love making a big deal about it to embarrass him but this only feeds his growing ego

Kuroo's constantly hooking his friends up with free volleyball tickets and flying them out when something cool is going on, same with Lev/Fukunaga when they have shows and Kenma with conventions. Inuoka, Teshiro, and Kai's bosses are always like "How can you afford so many front-row tickets and business-class flights?!" and they're just like "friends are loaded."

Fukunaga makes more than enough from his comedy gigs but he keeps working his restaurant job because it gives him the best stories. The amount of insane customers he gets in a single night is enough to fuel entire shows, plus his boss is chill and lets him take home leftovers ingredients (which he uses to cook dinner for himself and Tora after he gets off practice)

Inuoka is THE babysitter, not just for the Nekoma alums but for anyone who remembers him from hs. He's great with kids, especially young ones cause he has enough energy to keep up, and the volleyball parents love that he practices with them. In addition, a lot of the students Teshiro and Inuoka work with are avid Kodzuken fans so the two of them make sure to snag a bunch of autographs every time they visit. One time for fun Kenma drops by unanncounced and the kids flip their shit

[soda-sparkss]

HOME-BOUND

Its me again, hi <3 I've made yet another Welcome Home Au called Home- Bound where You're on a Train to Escape Your Mundane Life. Every friendly neighbor has their own cart on the train, with Julie's being the first one you're seated at and Wally's being the conductor car. Make your way through this whimsical little train ride that seems to last for Eternity! Where are you headed? Who knows! Trying to Escape the train once you're on will result in a proper Punishment. If you get off before the train Stops, there will be no moving from the spot that you landed on. Any physical or emotional violence caused to the train will result in consequences varying in severity depending on how much damage you've done. Please do Remember that the train is your Home the train is your Home the train is your Home the train is your Home the train is your H Oh, and one more thing! Don't Forget Your Ticket.

Cars are in order starting from the back. Sleeping/Boarding Car Jullie's Car Poppy's Car Sally's Car Howdy's Car Frank's Car Eddie's Car Barnaby's Car Wally's Car/Conductor Car

First off, We have our Humble Conductor, Wally Darling!

Being at the front of the Train, Wally has many responsibilities as a Conductor. Once you board the Train, he will come back to the Boarding Car to punch your Ticket. It is Imperative that you have it, lest you be sent right back to the station!

Second up is Barnaby B Beagle! Wally's very very very close "Friend".

In this lovely dog's car, he can be found cracking so many fun jokes! Heck, he has an entire book full of Comedy skits from passengers who were Fortunate enough to make it up to his car all the way from the Boarding car! Though, if you want to leave, you'll have to give him another skit to add to his book!

Next up is the darling Mailman, Eddie Dear!

This dearest mailman send out all the letters and Tickets to future Residents of the Home Bound Express. He's quite the workaholic, especially during the nighttime hours! If you happen to make it to his car, be in for a load of sorting letters, snacks, and lovely stories about all of his travels on the Train! Poor guy is a afraid of snails too..

Next up is the trains Librarian, Frank Frankly!

If you enter his car, you'll be greeted with books up the Wazoo! He will insist you look at any one that interests you. The books are written by him and consist an encyclopedia of facts about every existing bug on the planet. Not one bug left out! Unfortunately, if you want to leave, you'll have to take a quiz. Find a book about a specific bug he tells you about, read through it, and then tell him what you learned. Careful not to let the bookflies(book butterflies!) distract you! After you tell Frank the facts you learned, you have to navigate your way through a maze in the garden behind his library. Don't worry, the bugs will guide you!

Next up is the 'local' Grocer, Howdy Pillar!

Who can resist a Pillar who advertises his wares so well? He has everything from the little doodads to wild thingamajigs! Careful you don't get lost in the maze of his stock. If you want to leave, however, you must buy something or solve a little riddle of his!

Next up is the ONE AND ONLY!! Sally Starlet!

This Star is always putting on a Show!(With sleep and snack breaks, of course.) Her seemingly endless act will have you wrapped up in a world completely different from your own! Her whips and twirls will thread a story right before your very eyes! It's Almost Impossible to Look Away!! Also, nighttime shows are provided for people with insomnia, headphones are provided for those with sensory issues, plushies and hand santizer are provided for people with anxieties or obsessive compulsions.

And following right behind her is Poppy Partridge!

Who doesn't want an absolute sweetheart to take them under her wing and provide a comfortable place to Relax! Treats are baked for anyone who wants one! Beanbag chairs cots, futons, and a plethora of cushions are provided, as well as DvD players and a TV for Entertainment. Careful, too many sweets from this lovely Partridge will send you into a Deep Sleep.

Then we have the lovely Julie Joyful!

Julie is so playful! If you step foot into her car, you're in for a whole day full of fun games like Tag, Tic Tac Toe, and Hide and Seek! Hide and Seek is her favorite game! Though I can't say the same for her victims Passengers.

And then the Train himself, Home!

While Home is the train, pictured above is his physical manifestation. If he doesn't have a cup of tea, he'll probably be smoking Candy Cloud, which is their form of tobacco.

And Last but not Least, You!

That's right, You! YOu reading this right now! Go ahead and put yourself in the au, draw yourself interacting with the neighbors! You can use this base, I'll post a blank version soon enough! A HUGE huge thank you to @mumimoondrops and @severalbonez for helping me with designs and the story! Mumi is a co-owner of the au. Notes and Disclaimers: Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in Welcome Home. They all belong to @partycoffin. And while two people have already made train conductor au's I wanted to make my own story and designs for the cast! Design Inspirations: @chez-cinnamon, @clownsuu Tags: @3amclothesmonster, @dottyorange, @doggwwoggy23, @kennethmoop, @snowshinefivez5, @larzuen, @nyx-mrbones-2360, @vixxproductions, @sedittedice, @mumimoondrops, @ari-jay, @strugglebugglemoth, @wheatlover, @unpleasantbread, @mockhound, @purplefoxy14, and @anonymous-paperbag

[lokisprettygirl]

My Love is mine, All mine (18+) (CEO! Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Non Canon -Modern AU)

Read Chapter 2 here // Series Masterlist

Chapter 3

Summary : You wish that you weren't like this but how could you not be this way when you are married to a man like him?

Warning: 18+, smut, insecurities, mention of abuse, smoking, extreme insecurities and trust issues, mention of infertility, reader has anxiety, mention of infidelity.

Daemon looked at you for a moment as you told him that you wanted to join the NYC trip before he walked towards you.

“Are you sure love?” He asked softly so you gave him a smile that wasn't really genuine.

“I'm sure..you just came back and now leaving again..i want to be with you..i don't want to miss you” you placed your arms around his neck so he leaned down and kissed you, his lips lingered over yours for a moment and the sweet intimate gesture made you smile.

“I'll ask Sheena to arrange for your ticket”

And there went your smile.

She was his secretary and this was the basic part of her job. Marcus had the same job and so did the other secretaries before him but every time your husband mentioned her name so softly, something burned inside you. It reminded you of similar encounters with women who worked for him before and the intense emotions that had come with them. Though you knew it was part of their jobs and there was nothing more to it, you couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that came with it.

“Pack your stuff yeah? I'll have to make some calls darling” he kissed your forehead and stepped out of the bedroom with his laptop in his arm.

The flight was to leave a few hours later so you prepared your luggage, to be honest you didn't really enjoy the plane rides, they cramped your back and left you with a splitting earache. The boredom also sucked because Daemon would always work half of the time.

You were on top of his lap, with your wedding dress still on your body even though it's been two hours since he had taken you back home. You looked disheveled, Daemon had a few strange kinks and one of them was to fuck you all night long while your white dress was still on your body.

“Oh that's good darling..you look like an angel” he moaned and mumbled as you hopped up and down on him slowly.

“Mmmmhm? Mrs Targaryen is a good look on me” he smiled as you said that but then it faded slowly so you cupped his cheeks and kissed him.

“What is it dae?” you asked him as you kissed him tenderly. He could barely afford this wedding and the thought of not being able to treat you with a honeymoon was eating him up severely.

“I want to show you the world someday..i really do” you smiled as he said that. You didn't need a honeymoon or a fancy trip, as long as you had him you didn't need anything else. Money definitely made life easier but it wasn't everything for you.

“I know.. and I believe in you..you'll show me everything this world could offer” your fingers caressed his lip so he wrapped his arms around you tightly.

“Mmmm I'd never let you down babygirl..I'd never do anything that would hurt you I promise my sweet angel..thank you for choosing to be mine when you could have had anyone”

As the plane ascended, you snapped out of your thoughts to cast a quick glance his way. His casual attire - a purple long sleeved v neck shirt and black trousers- made him look so approachable that you just wanted to cuddle him, well fuck him first before you get onto that.

It frustrated you at times how much you still desired your husband, especially considering that people often claimed that such attraction wouldn't last forever. However, you knew that wasn't the case for you, he would always be the only man you'd ever want in your life and then you wondered if still felt the same way about you.

Glancing to your left, you spotted Sheena busy with her laptop, hearing the clacking of her nails against the keyboard. You knew you had never been drawn to a career like some of these high-flying women, and you often wondered if he found those traits attractive in a woman. The thought left a bitter taste in your mouth, making you question your worth all over again as a wife and a partner.

You turned to look at Daemon again and he caught your eyes this time so he smirked..

“Stop with that look”

“What look?” you let out a giggle so he looked at you, his eyes were sparkling with mischievous intensity.

“The 'I want you right now' look” he whispered quietly,

“Shut Up” he chuckled as he looked at you.

“Did you inform your boss you won't be coming?”

You squeezed your eyes as he said that. Well that wasn't really your priority at the moment.

“I'll do it when we reach”

“As a boss I'd be pissed if you were my employee leaving on a whim”

Your smile faltered as he said that, you didn't know whether he was joking or not but the statement upsetted you anyway.

“I feel as if you didn't want me to come with you” His head turned faster than a windmill as you said that,

“Are you joking? That's not what I meant-”

“Yeah whatever Daemon..I'm going to sleep”

“Baby-”

“It's okay” you unfastened your seat belt and got up to go exchange your first class seat with Sheena.

Daemon rubbed his forehead as he watched you walk away from him, it was nearly impossible for him to comfort you when you misunderstood him like this.

“Do you mind sir?” He heard Sheena's voice so he shook his head. He had to work on his presentation anyway so he decided to concentrate on that. He wanted Sheena to hear his pitch and give him her honest opinion.

“Is she asleep?” He asked his secretary a few minutes later so she looked to the side and you seemed to have your eyes closed.

“Close the blinds..she gets disrupted easily”

Your eyes teared up as he said that, he made no effort to go comfort you and on the top of it he was closing the blinds when it was just him and the secretary in there with him. You really wanted to cry in privacy so you got up and did the same.

You know very well that Daemon wasn't cheating on you and even if he was he wouldn't be doing it so brazenly while you were right there next to him but it still bothered you. So much so that you wanted to go back home and disappear to some place where you didn't have to see Sheena or every other beautiful woman he met on a daily basis. Your irrational jealousy was making you want to escape. You wanted to go back home and disappear, to run away from the intense feelings that consumed you whenever he paid attention to anyone else but you.

“You're a funny man Mr. Targaryen” Sheena giggled loudly and you heard that very well.

“Stark is a peculiar bloke, needs theatrics to be impressed” Daemon answered her so she giggled again. Okay he was not that funny Sheena you thought .

Ohh but he was, he was everything in one person while you were just you, so basic and nothing interesting to offer to a man like him.

About an hour later Daemon opened your divider and you were all bundled up on your bed so he picked you up and you woke up as soon as he had placed his arm under your head

“Sleep on me?” He mumbled softly so you hummed in response. “I'm sorry” he spoke again as he laid down with you on top of him.. and then you felt bad, this happened every time, he'd make a joke that you somehow took personally when you were drowning in your insecurities and you'd get upset like this and then he'd apologize for it which wasn't really fair to him. None of this was his fault.

“It wasn't your fault..I'm sorry”

You looked up at him so he wrapped his arms around you and tightened his grip.

“Shhhh it's okay..i love you my darling wifey”

“Love you hubby”

As you landed in NYC, you watched Sheena tailing you two so you asked her to join you both politely, until now she hadn't given you a reason to despise her, you had a god of a man and women desired him, that wasn't a crime really.

Before he left for the meeting you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him as sensually as you could.

“Getting me hard and uncomfortable when I have to pretend to be so prim and proper should be a punishable offense” he mumbled as he cupped your cheeks so you giggled in response.

“You can always punish me however you want”

“Mmmm I'll take you up on that” he kissed you one more time before he cupped your cheek “thank you for coming with me”

“I always come with you-”

“No I'm serious, I can't wait to come back to you.. I have something to look forward to now instead of coming back to an empty and cold bed” he mumbled as he squeezed your butt between his palms, a little more would have caused you both to turn off the lights and stay in this room so you pulled away from him.

“Mmm I'll wait for you”

As he was gone you were getting bored out of your mind so you decided to talk with Shelly, she was the only one who actually understood these thoughts you had in your head all the time.

“Is he extra attentive to you these days?” She asked you so you thought about it, well sex has been quite regular since he had returned from the trip but when it comes to attention he always made you feel prioritized.

“Not really..i mean he's always this way”

“Not to alarm you or anything but you know how they say that when men are tempted by someone outside of the marriage they tend to be more attentive to their spouses..it's a guilt thing..thats what Johnny did”

You sat up suddenly as she said that, you weren't even thinking about that to be honest. Now you have something to actually worry about.

About two hours laters Daemon called you and told you to meet him in the lobby as he wanted to take you and Sheena out for dinner.

“You don't mind sweetheart..do you ?” He asked you in relation to including Sheena for the dinner so you smiled, of course you mind, you wished she wasn't here at all.

“Her joining us for dinner? Ofcourse not” you mumbled softly so he leaned down to kiss your forehead. He was a good guy, a part of you knew he'd have done the same thing if it was some other woman, that's how he treated Marcus as well.

But then your mind drifted towards the part where you imagined them together if you were not here. Marcus left two weeks ago, that means that he had taken Sheena with him for the last week's trip as well, there must have been dinners and lunches together.

Perhaps they went to a local bar, had a few drinks, that's when their talks must have gotten deep and Daemon had decided to ask her about her past, she must have cried while telling him her experiences.

And then you pictured him caressing her arm to comfort her and then kissing her–

“Darling? Y/n?” He called out your name so you got back to reality..

“Yeah?”

“Are you feeling okay hmm?” He asked you as he rubbed your arm so you nodded, he had pulled a chair out for you so you sat down. Sheena also looked at you with a concerned expression on her face. Did you look crazy when you got lost in your head so often? You must.

Daemon sat down next to you and for a moment his scent and the gentle look on his face as he looked at you had calmed you down.

“Yeah.. how did the meeting go?” You asked him as you caressed his cheek lightly so he gave you a smirky smile.

“Great.. meeting again tomorrow.. hopefully the deal will get finalized”

“It will..I know it will”

“Your unwavering faith in me still astounds me”

You smiled softly as he said that, you had faith in him but not when it comes to your marriage.

Throughout the dinner Sheena barely spoke but you watched her eyes wandering.

Daemon was so easy to love and fall in love with, he had his way about himself, he attracted women of all kinds and that wasn't either of their faults, it became a problem only when those women didn't know their limits.

So for Sheena's sake you were hoping she won't make that mistake.

And for your sake you hoped Daemon won't hurt you eventually, the constant temptation on his way kept you on edge and you didn't really know how to get over it. Therapy wasn't really an option as getting therapy would confirm these fears you had, it would confirm that you had a problem.

Daemon wanted to make a few calls and discuss tomorrow's pitch with Sheena so you excused yourself and left for the room to go straight into the shower. You wondered what daemon was thinking about you joining this trip so suddenly, wondered if he had any clue of the madness rummaging through your head. As the warm water hit your skin you took a deep breath, this wasn't healthy you knew that. This was so damaging and you feared someday you'd do or say something so awful that it would push him away from you.

“You have been committing punishable offenses since last night” Daemon whispered in your ear so you gasped in surprise,

“What have I done?”

“To begin with you got upset with me then you got me so aroused before my meeting and now you are showering without me” his fingers slid down the side of your waist and as he placed his hands on your stomach you quickly grabbed it and placed it on your core for two reasons, one you really wanted him to touch you there and secondly you felt conscious of your belly sticking out after dinner. Five years of relationship and you still felt this way around him, not all the time but your insecurities were extremely heightened these days.

“You can punish me anytime”

A few minutes later he had you on the bed underneath him with his cock slipping in and out of you in a rhythm he had mastered over the years with you.

“Can I ask you a question?” You mumbled as you caressed his lips so he sucked on your thumb lightly before he hummed in response

“Do you still feel the same way about me as you did in the beginning? I mean in bed” your tone wasn't alarming, you just sounded curious so he leaned down to kiss you..

“No i feel much better now”

“mmm why so?” his eyes sparkled as you questioned him so innocently, He wondered if you would ever know how much he loved you, he didn't think he'd ever be able to completely express how he really felt about you.

“Because now I know you and your body thoroughly, in and out..i know what makes you tingle and what makes you drip on my cock and my fingers..i feel more comfortable now then I did back then because now I know that you'd always belong to me”

The next morning you decided to go swimming so you put on a swimsuit with a dungaree on top and went down as Daemon was still asleep and wasn't willing to go with you.

As you reached the pool Sheena saw you and came out of the pool, you could tell before she had a fabulous body underneath those tight business suits but watching her in that bikini was like looking at a fashion magazine, the longer you looked at her the more insecure you felt about yourself. You couldn't find a flaw in her but when you looked at yourself you saw each and everything that made you grimace.

“Mrs Targaryen. Good morning “

“Good morning Sheena..just call me by my name please” you said to her so she smiled and sat down next to you, even as she sat she barely had any far rolls sticking out of her. What was she eating you wondered.

“Sorry..it's a force of habit”

“It's okay.. have you been to NYC before?” you asked her to keep the conversation flowing so she nodded.

“Yeah I actually lived here for five years before i moved back to Edinburgh”

“Really, how old are you?”

“24 ..” you hummed as she said that, she was young and had accomplished so much more than you ever could, you got engaged when you were her age.

“Daemon told me you had good work experience in the field”

“Yeah I passed out of MIT when I was 18 so that helped..” she mumbled as if it was no big deal.

“Wow, that's amazing.. really”

“Thank you ..you're very kind”

A few minutes later you felt Daemon's hand grab your cheeks as he pushed your head up to make you look at him, he was standing right behind your poolside chair.

“One more offense is included in your punishment list..leaving me all alone in bed like that” he leaned down to whisper in your ear and you couldn't help but grin. He then sat down in front of you with his back to your chest before he passed you the sunscreen so you slid down his casual shirt past his shoulders and pressed a small kiss before you squeezed a dollop full on your palm to rub it in his skin.

You felt Sheena's eyes on you so you looked to the side and she quickly looked away.

Before stepping into the pool he asked for you to join him but you denied since you felt conscious of your body especially now in front of Sheena.

While he was swimming a minute later Sheena went into the pool again, she asked you to join but you denied again. She maintained her distance from him, they weren't even having a conversation with each other but you saw her watching him from the distance. You couldn't help but wonder if Daemon would have done something if you weren't here.

Later that evening he took you to the Stark’s celebratory party as the deal was finalized. Sheena was there too, of course she was, she was his personal secretary. This was getting exhausting for you, mentally and emotionally, it was toxic to think this way all the time, to think that the man who vowed to never hurt you or betray you would end up doing just that.

If you weren't so insecure about yourself, perhaps a relationship as loving as the one you had with Daemon wouldn't have felt so deeply terrifying. You always knew the day he'd betray the sanctity of this marriage would be the worst day of your life, something so irrevocably awful that you'd never be able to move on from that.

An hour later as you both made your way back to his room he already had a few drinks in his system and he was always in a certain mood when he was drunk like that, his inhibitions washed away as the alcohol kicked in.

In those nights he always preferred to take complete control of you, he tied you up and treated you like a filthy whore, with your consent of course. And tonight wasn't any different. He fucked you for hours in every position he could take you but there was always a sense of tenderness in his words and his movements, even when he was rough he wasn't cruel to you or your needs, you were his wife and he treated you like one, the constant whispers of his adoration for you made your heart skip beats every few minutes.

And during those moments, only for a fraction of second you found your insecurities washing away, the closer he was to you the better you felt but you knew the morning would arrive and then he wouldn't be there, he'd be at work and he'd be around her for more than half of the day.

“I'm just saying Jhonny used to be so shady when he was fucking cheating on me, all of a sudden I was getting flowers and gifts whenever he'd come home after fucking that whore”

You sighed as Shelly said that, you had just returned from the trip this morning and calling her was perhaps not something you really needed.

“No offense Shelly but Daemon is not Johnny, he would never be so cruel with me”

You mumbled confidently but deep down you knew you were lying to her, you always feared that Daemon would end up doing everything he has promised not to, that's what your dad did to your mum, that's exactly what your ex did to you, that's what men do eventually.

“And Sheena..I looked her up on Instagram..she looks like a certified maneater and daemon is following her as well so he must be seeing her thirst traps posts” she stated again, now you knew you'd sit down and stalk her to see if Daemon was interacting with her.

“Well he follows back every employee of his if they follow him first”

“Well all I'm saying is be careful and prepare for the worst, it hurts less when your mind's made up”

“Thanks ..ahhh listen i have to unpack so I'll talk to you later okay” you hung up and sat down to clear your thoughts. Talking to Shelly about this only stressed you out further, it wasn't her fault, she was speaking from her experience but her experiences only made you feel doomed.

In the afternoon you decided to go see Daemon, you shouldn't have, you knew that but you still went.

As you sat down in his cabin, you received a call from him,

“Heyyy” you mumbled softly so he sighed

“Are you okay? I'm kind of busy right now. You should have called baby..I'd have told you that” he spoke softly but his words still bothered you, your eyes teared up so you didn't even attempt to speak because if he knew that you weren't feeling so good he'd have left everything behind to come see you.

“DARLING? Are you alright?” He asked again so you cleared your throat.

“Yeah I just.. thought we could have lunch together..that's it . I'll see you tonight?”

You told him so he hummed in response.

“I'm sorry I'm just really caught up right now”

“I know i understand..I'm sorry “

“Love you” he mumbled quietly and then hung up the call, you looked behind and Sheena was standing there so she gave you a smile.

“Sorry y/n ..umm there's a meeting back to back and he asked me to look after you if you needed something.. anything”

She said to you so you gave her a fake smile.

“No thank you..it's Mrs Targaryen by the way..let's just stick to that”

You knew you were being rude to her unnecessarily and you felt worse as her smile dropped down.

“I apologize mam”

You shook your head as she said that before you walked past her to leave that place as quickly as possible.

When Daemon came home that night he kept staring at you and you eventually snapped.

“What's wrong? Talk to me..”

“About what?” You crossed your arms defensively so he sighed and took his coat off to sit down on the bed in front of you.

“Sheena told me you seemed upset” you chuckled as he said that.

“Uhuh did she tell you that I was mean to her and made her sad? Is that what she told you?”

“No..she just said that you seemed upset”

“Ohhh”

“Look I'm sorry..i was really in the middle of something”

“I know.. can we stop talking about it?” his brows furrowed as you said that, he never wanted to be upset with you but it infuriated him alot when you refused to share your worries with him like this.

“What is it with you darling?”

“Nothing I told you..”

“You know what, I'm too tired for this right now” he huffed as took his tie off.

“Yeah fine..you're always tired” you snapped back at him and his mouth opened in shock.

“What does that even mean?” He raised his voice a little so you glared at him..

“Let's just sleep okay?”

He sighed as you said that, mumbling a faint curse under his breath as he got up and went into the bathroom to shower and change for bed. This argument wasn't necessary or required at all but you were at the edge of your wits, these past few days you have been living in an absolute fear that he was going to dump you for someone like Sheena so when he came out instead of apologizing for your insensitive behavior you imposed a question that would only ruin this night for you because you knew he'd tell you the truth and you knew the truth would only bother you.

You looked him right in the eye while he was drying his hair and took a deep breath “Do you find her attractive?”

😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔

Taglist

@anukulee @erebus-et-eigengrau @daenny-t @123forgottherest @mcufan72 @dixie-elocin @shuichiakainx @ammo23

[urdrowning]

reconcile / l. williamson

AN i apologise for the quality. i am very much hungover as i write this. and idc if its mid february let me use this christmas gif my girl is ADORABLE my god i need to be in leah williamson’s arms RN

requested? - yes

word count - 2.5k (i’m proud of that)

—————

sarina had finally announced the england squad for the AC cup. you were elated to see you’re name listed. having recently recovered from a broken ankle, you were barely getting playtime. it’s as if nobody believes you’re truly fully healed, especially with jonas keeping you as pretty much a permanent bench warmer. knowing that sarina trusts you and you’re abilities is like a wash of relief and you’re over the moon. you assumed leah, your girlfriend, would be celebrating with you, as she’s repeatedly campaigned for your wellness and ability. but now it feels like it’s all been a lie.

you were out visiting your best friend, alex scott when you found out, she unsuccessfully attempts to lift you up in a hug of congratulations due to her shorter stature. you thank her before you realise that you have to go home and tell your girlfriend (even though she already knows, she’s on the same squad. but she’d pretend to act shocked for you anyway) excitement rushes through you as you practically ran to your car and sped home (which may result in a speeding ticket, but who cares, you’re gonna be playing for england).

rushing into your shared flat with a giant smile on your face to tell your lover the news, you’re greeted with a frown on her face before she utters

“you can’t do it y/n, you’re not ready.”

the smile drops from your face and it makes leah’s stomach twist with guilt, but she refuses to let it show and remains staring at you with a stern gaze.

“you.. i- what?”

you spluttered in shock. where did this come from? for several weeks she’s been by your side, fighting for you to get playtime.

“you can’t do it. you’re not ready to play in a tournament like this yet.”

your pride seems to shrink as you begin to fill with anger. how could she? all of her support and for what? just to belittle you and your abilities?

“are.. are you serious right now, leah?”

you hated this. you’re not a fan of conflict in general, but with your girlfriend? a nightmare. the thought of her being angry with you making your world feel as if it’s shattering.

but the anger that courses through you almost crushes the dread you feel, you’re justified in this argument, she isn’t.

“dead serious. you need to call up sarina and tell her you can’t compete. you’re not ready and sarina should’ve realised that”

she sighs. she hates this as much as you do. she hates to be the reason you’re upset, but she is adamant in her opinion.

“why? why, leah, am i not ready? because i have been working my ass off for weeks and you know this!”

you’re raising your voice, making her wince slightly, it goes unnoticed by you due to your unbridled anger and she scoffs at your lack of empathy as she snaps at you

“because you’re not capable enough! there’s a reason you haven’t been getting playtime you know, it's because you’re not trusted, y/n! you’ll slip on your ass and injure yourself again, you’ll put the whole fucking team in jeopardy, and i’m not ready to lose because of you being a loose end.”

word after word is like a stab in the gut. hearing it from a normal teammate? painful. but hearing it from your girlfriend? agonising.

“oh.”

you try to hide how your voice is raw with emotion, but you know it’s a futile attempt. she hears it anyway. she reaches out for you slightly.

“y/n..”

you move away from her touch, cold and distant. you don’t look at her, your gaze fixated on the floor. you know that one look in her blue eyes and you’re gonna break.

“don’t. just.. don’t.”

your voice shakes as you move away. you can’t be here right now. you can’t be around leah.

so, what do you do? you grab your car keys, turn towards the door and leave. leah doesn’t move. she doesn’t try to stop you. she’s dug her grave, she may as well lay in it.

you sit in your car for at least 6 minutes before you start the engine. tears fall from your eyes and warm your face. it feels as if your heart has been ripped out of your chest, you feel as if you’ve been stabbed in the back. out of all the people to doubt you, leah? the person you love most? why did it have to be her.

you wipe the tears off of you, take a deep breathe and drive. you don’t know where you’re headed, all you know is that you need to be away from leah.

why you ended up at alex’s house once again is beyond you. but here you are, sat on your bestfriends sofa, crying in her arms.

“i’m sorry, y/n. she’s being an absolute dickhead. you’re more than capable and she should know that better than anyone.”

she holds you tightly as she rants. vehemently disagreeing with leah, defending you so passionately. it’s as if she retired from playing as a defender in football to become your own personal defender instead.

“i appreciate it al but in all honesty i’d rather forget about it. i’m tired, i just wanna scream into a pillow for the rest of the night.”

she laughs lightly as she releases you from her tight grip, nodding at you.

“you know where the spare room is. stay as long as you need, okay? love you”

she truly means it, and although it’s not what you need, the small statement makes you feel a bit better.

“thank you, al, love you too. night.”

she squeezes your arm lightly, mumbles goodnight and leaves you to your own devices. you sniffle slightly and head for alex’s spare room. which has practically become your bedroom with the amount of times you’ve stayed here.

the minute you walk in you can do nothing but collapse on the bed, the past few hours have been a whirlwind of emotions and it’s drained you of any energy you possessed. you glance at your phone to check the time, only to be greeted by your lock screen, a photo of you and leah. she’s hugging you from behind, kissing your cheek as you close your eyes, smiling. you groan at the image as it causes more tears to spring to your eyes, you attempt to block the photo with your hand as you check the time to see that it’s only 5:54 pm. you sigh and contemplate your options.

you could either, stay in the room, look at photos of leah, cry and binge watch pitch perfect. or, you could simply just sleep and pretend that today’s fight never even happened.

you choose the latter, as the crushing weight of reality is too much to deal with.

…

so maybe sleeping it off wasn’t the best idea you’ve had.

after about 5 minutes of you forcing your eyes shut, and trying to force your mind to be calm. you realised that you can’t sleep without leah’s presence which then causes you to get emotional again at just the thought of her (you’re a little unstable there babes, but it’s okay, we don’t blame you!)

you text alex, asking her to come hold you again. you can hear the thumps of her footsteps before she opens the door and slides onto the bed

“i’m sorry about this.”

she smacks you playfully. opens her arms for you. you slot yourself into her arms and sigh. it’s nice, but it isn’t leah.

“don’t apologise, y/n. you’re my bestfriend. i’m here for you.”

you murmur a thank you as your eyes grow heavy. the emotional exhaustion mixed with the comfort of you’re best friends touch sends you into a deep sleep.

——————

you wake up to raised voices, the sounds making your newfound headache 10x as painful.

memories of the previous day flood your mind as you sit up in bed, you feel better after having rested, but still, the memory of the fight and what was said crushes on you.

shaking your head to clear yourself of your thoughts, you try to listen in to the voices from outside your door.

“i don’t trust that you won’t snap on her again though”

that’s alex, she has a protective tone to her voice

“i won’t. just, please. let me speak to her.”

you’d recognise that voice anywhere. anxiety fills you as you realise that she’s hunted you down. of course she has. you ran out on her. she’s probably come to end things with you officially.

you hear alex sigh.

“.. fine. but if you upset her, you’re out.”

of course she managed to find you. of course you would go to alex’s house. leah knows you better than you know yourself. she’s your other half, and now you’re about to lose that. it’s crazy that even after all the horrendous things she said to you yesterday, you’re sat here in anxiety about HER leaving YOU. god, the grip this woman has on you is insane.

a knock on the door ceases your inner monologue.

“come in.”

you cringe at the sound of your voice. the hoarseness of it is not at all pleasant.

the door starts to open and you see her shadow before you see her. your mind goes to overdrive. this is it, the end of the best 4 years of your life. she steps in the room and she’s holding something behind her back, you close your eyes, not wanting to see the box of your things she’s most likely collected. you’re not ready for this to be over, not willing to accept your reality. with a sigh, you open your eyes slowly to see that instead of a box, she’s holding.. flowers?

“for you.”

she looks shy. you look confused. if the tension from yesterdays argument wasn’t there, you’d have both laughed at each others faces. but instead you glance at the flowers in her hand. red and yellow tulips, your favourite.

you take them from her, clutching them tightly, you whisper a thank you.

“leah, what are you doing here-“

she cuts you off, talking quickly.

“i need to talk to you, will you hear me out? please, just listen to me.”

you nod, gesturing for her to continue. you won’t talk, you’ll let her say what she needs to say. you’re not in the wrong here, she is.

“y/n, i- .. i’m so sorry. i love you, i love you so so much and i am so sorry. you have every right in the world to be angry with me, i mean shit, i’m angry with myself. i can’t believe i let my emotions take control of me, i don’t think you’re a burden. you’re everything to me.”

she’s nervous as she speaks, stammering and playing with her fingers. it reminds you of when she first asked you on a date, over 4 years ago, she was shaking with nerves.

your voice is small when you speak, taking her words into account but also remembering the cause of the argument itself.

“so why did you say those things leah? why don’t you think i’m good enough to play?”

she frowns and shakes her head, her eyes are looking at your hands, clutching the flowers she’d given you tightly.

“i should never have said anything like that. you’re more than capable of playing, i mean hell, you’re incredible. i was just being selfish.”

she’s determined. she’s got a mission in her mind, and leah’s too competitive to give up on her mission. she’s not going to stop trying to earn your forgiveness.

“selfish?”

you’re even more confused. you can’t begin to understand.

“yeah, selfish. y/n, you mean the world to me. i love you more than i love anything. when you first broke your ankle during the match against chelsea and i saw you get carried off on that stretcher.. it was awful. seeing you in pain, it scared me so much. i know you’re healed now, but i’m scared, i don’t want you to get hurt again. i cant stand seeing you in pain and suffering.”

you sit there and process what she’s told you. taking in all the information, her fear of your health.

“my god leah, you need to learn how to be straightforward.”

you laugh at her. you need to teach her how to communicate better. she lets out a laugh. you’re not sure whether it’s because of your joke or if it’s out of pure relief, but the sight of her smile is enough for you to not question it.

“maybe i do.”

she smiles at you, still standing infront of the bed, looking at you. suddenly aware of how awkwardly she’s been stood there, you roll your eyes at her as you reach over to grab the hem of her shirt.

“get over here, idiot.”

you don’t have to tell her twice, she gets into the bed and melts into your arms. she buries her face on your chest as her arms wrap around your middle. you rest your head on the top of her own, gently stroking her back as you lay together. a contented sigh leaves her.

“i was so nervous. i was worried you’d not want to ever see me again.”

you smile slightly, both glad to know that you weren’t alone in your worries and glad that she values you so greatly, that she fears the thought of not having you in her life.

“not a chance, we’ve got too many plans together. i can’t really become y/n williamson on my own, can i?”

leah lifts her head from your chest as she moves her hand to cup your cheek. she gazes at you with an enamoured look in her eyes.

“i adore you, y/n.”

she leans in and your lips meet. kissing leah is unreal, her lips fit against your own perfectly, and almost every kiss with her is as special as your first. she pours so much passion into the kiss, as if she’s trying to portray how much love she has for you through it. you move a hand to her hair as the kiss deepens. you’re both in a world of bliss until a sock smacks the side of both your faces.

“oh no, you are NOT doing this in my house!”

alex stands in the doorway, hands on her hips looking like a very disgusted mother.

“ugh, alex! what’s wrong with you!”

you groan, your face flushed with embarrassment as you bury it in leah’s shoulder. leah laughs at you, her face flushed with both embarrassment of being caught and excitement of being with you.

“come on y/n, let’s go home, yeah? i’ve got some more presents for you back in our flat.”

she gets up and offers her hand towards you, you take it, smiling.

“gladly.”

[luvrsux]

“Maze”

word count: 3.7k

summary: you and your long term crush go out to a horror maze for halloween as well as his friends. it just so happens that you both get wrapped up in a secluded area alone together… and he’s also the flame emperor Sabo

cw: slight NSFW, barely proofread, grinding

If the shrieks of consumers wasn’t enough, being chased by actors in masks and makeup was surely going to send you to your grave.

Luffy was overflowing with excitement, though, meanwhile the rest of your party was more nonchalant than anything. Being close with the ASL brothers was a blessing on certain days but a curse on most days, especially this one. You question yourself on how exactly you caught tangled in this situation in the first place. Tracing back to it, you really should’ve reconsidered your decision.

“What are those?”

You peeked over the brunettes shoulder that was bare as pure usual. In his hand were several tickets of some sorts. You began to filter your brain with exciting possibilities, like a concert or a fair. He turns back to you with a devilish smile.

“Tickets” He says which causes you to frown. Of course he was being not only secretive, but also a complete smart ass. Not surprising from Portgas Ace himself.

“Oh, you got the tickets already?” Sabo chimed in from beside. His words left you clueless now that you were completely isolated in thought. The two brothers shared mutual fond thoughts about said tickets that you had no recollection of.

“Sure as hell did! When you showed me that flyer I just had to get em’” Ace beamed, his excitement pouring out from his eyes and tongue from the way he spoke. Sabo and him exchanged laughter, and hearing it made your heart begin to melt.

Sabo and you have been tied to the bone since the first memory you can remember. As time grew, you noticed that Sabo was starting to make you gush and blush at the smallest things, like helping with errands or even the slightest compliment. With agonizing days of denial, you came to the sudden conclusion that you had fallen for your best friend just a few months back. Ace, who can’t seem to not be nosy, is the only person in your close circle who knows—and he can’t stand it. He feels like he might as well grow gray hairs from the stress you out on him. Constantly making excuses to avoid explaining your feelings to Sabo, and so on. You began to think that those infamous tickets wrapped around Ace’s fingers had something to do with your little crush.

“How many did ya get? Enough for everyone?” Sabo asks, peering down at his hand that had every ticket tuckered behind one another that created an illusion that there was just one. Ace flipped through each one with a finger.

“One, two, three, four… Six! Yeah, got enough for everyone. Luffy asked for a plus one” Ace replied. Sabo’s smile was the equivalent of the sun on a summer afternoon. It was so bright and full of excitement, you found yourself gazing for a moment before displaying your complete confusion.

“Woah, where are we going?” You finally ask abruptly. The two brothers shift their overbearing excitement to you. Their eyes flicker amongst themselves before landing on your puzzled face once more. It’s as if they telepathically pondered if they should even enlighten you.

“We’re goin’ to a Fright Fair next week” Ace presented. Your mouth went agape and you blink rapidly. Surely, this has been an ongoing plan since forever and you seemingly never knew, which is exactly what they wanted.

“Woah, huh? I never agreed to that!” You snatch a ticket out of Ace’s hand that was now yours. You read the printed text on the paper to get a little more information, but was left with just the address, date and time.

“Because I knew you’d be a pussy and back out” Ace scrunched his nose up immaturely. You snarl and prepare a come back before a hand rested on your shoulder. Your eyes trail from its fingers to the face.

“(F/N), it’ll be fun! Promise” Sabo’s voice was like butter on toast with the way it was so smooth. All your tense emotions driven by Ace was now completely gone just by his tone. Boy did he have you in a trance. “You’re grouped up with me”

“Oh thank god. If I were to be grouped with Ace, I think I might drown in his ego” You cross your arms and strike a smug look at Ace who gasped dramatically. He ran his fingers through his rather messy locks dramatically.

“If you can’t handle this overwhelming handsomeness, just say that”

And there you were. In the middle of the park, ready for your demise.

The air was frostbite whenever you inhaled. Your body was thankfully covered in warm clothing other than your palms. Each time you spoke or exhaled, you’d accumulate smoke from how shiver the temperature was. Winter was sure coming in ironically hot.

“Oooh, Oooh! Let’s do the corn maze!” Luffy was practically jumping to the moon with his finger pointed out and his other hand resting on Zoro’s shoulder, his plus one. You could faintly hear Zoro scold at Luffy for trampling on him.

“I heard the corn maze has people in it that chase you” Ace wriggled his fingers in your face in an attempt to scare you but to no avail. You replied with the most unamused face you could muster before Marco gave him a knock on the head.

“Stop being a weirdo” He had a smirk plastered on his face while Ace scolded at him for hitting him. The entire group approached the maze that not many people found interesting. You might as well be the only party daring to go in.

Sabo was beside you closely. Too closely. Your shoulders were grazing upon each other while you waited for your tickets to get verified to enter. When the staff was explaining the rules and guidelines of how to be safe inside rambled on and on, it was blurred out due to the fact that your crush was so close to you. At some moments, you two would brush finger tips against each other but quickly retract. Until you heard the words ‘find your partner’, that immediately birthed eye contact between you two.

“C’mon, don’t be chicken” Sabo spoke with that smirk. That smirk that’d immediately send shivers down your spine when he grabs your hand to pull your forward into the horror attraction. You both locked hands for a few moments while inside until Sabo went to detach himself from you to mess with his younger brother.

The entire group decided to travel in one, but with space in between. Eventually, Luffy noticed Zoro had vanished and went on the search for him. Ace swore he saw something pass by and wanted to check it out, thus leaving you and Sabo alone. Together. Together alone.

You internally cursed at Ace for having to be alone with someone like Sabo, a man who made your knees weak by subtle gestures. Of course, you two being friends and whatnot, you maintained conversation with the blonde like he was any other guy. Deep inside, though, you felt like you were going to burst. On the bright side, this maze was just a regular night stroll. The alleged actors didn’t seem to exist, so having this moment to walk around and talk with Sabo was extremely refreshing.

“You remember when Ace drank milk and he laughed so hard it came out of his nose?” You giggle, barely being able to finish your sentence without laughing halfway. The memory made Sabo laugh equally as hard. Neither of you were taking this horror attraction seriously.

“You shoulda’ saw it when he drank booze for the first time! It was hilarious” Sabo cleared his throat to prepare himself for his award winning Ace expression. “‘Sabo it burns! It burns!’”

You both sprout in laughter in unison, practically shedding tears from it. You both took mindless turns and directions just to spent more time talking with each other. Even the voices of your beloved friends began to vanish. It was silent besides the hopeless laughter between you and Sabo.

“I got one! Do you remember when Luffy-“ Sabo began but his sentence was quickly cut in half when the rustling of the corn didn’t sound like the wind grazed upon it. Your smile quickly dropped, your cheeks feeling sore from how hard you were previously smiling. Sabo’s locks danced in the wind as he stood tall to sense anyone nearby.

“You heard that too, right?” Sabo asks, his face now deathly serious. You slowly nodded. Of course, this was expected. Although, you and Sabo have been strolling about without a care in the world for the last twenty minutes without anyone scaring you. You thought the whole “chase you down” thing was just a flux.

The rustling only got more and more intense the more it crept closer. With the low amount of light, you couldn’t tell which side was moving. All you could rely on was your fight or flight at this current moment—or Sabo. Your backs faced each other while the two of you began to eye the walls of corn until the rustling abruptly stopped. The rapid pumping of your heart began to slow once the anticipated jump-scare was absent. You exhaled.

“Probably was a stray cat or something” You shrug but there you saw Sabo still tensed and expecting something else to happen. Your defense was down and you smiled up at Sabo.

“(F/N) I don’t think it was a-“ Sabo began before a deep, growling roar came jumping from out of your side of the maze. The person wore a mask with fake blood on it and a knife that might as well pass off as a real one. You shriek louder than you ever have, surely your throat would be sore after. Just as his foot stepped out to begin his pursuit, Sabo grabbed your hand once again to make a run for it.

You were still in a state of shock to even realize Sabo’s hand was comfortably wrapped around yours. You knew Sabo was fast, but you turned back to see the actor miles away trying to keep up. Sabo took mindless turns to avoid the running actor, not even caring to look at the helpful wooden direction arrows planted around the maze. Eventually, Sabo yanked you into a secluded corner of the maze that had a wall of plantation covering the entrance. It seemed like this miniature area was supposed to be apart of the attraction but the growth of the corn had accidentally covered part of it. Sabo covered your mouth to suffocate your heavy breathing while he heard the actor run close and closer toward your location.

Your face was covered in red with the way Sabo’s hand was planted over yours. Not to mention the unknown hand that managed to rest at the crook of your back. Eventually, the thumping footsteps of the man that chased you down began to vanish off to look for its new victim, leaving both you and Sabo alone. He formed a pearly smile and removed the restraints off your mouth.

“Guess we’re safe now” Sabo breathed. You managed to form a smile of your own from your sheer amount of adrenaline. Your heart was racing hundreds of miles an hour. Sabo then began to burst in laughter. “The way you screamed was hilarious though!”

You playfully punch his chest but that didn’t budge his arm around your back a bit. Sabo didn’t seem to notice the grip he had against you until you stared up at him helplessly. His laughter died down when he caught himself lost in your own eyes. Smoke from your lungs were intertwining with each other with each breath.

“Oh- My bad…” Sabo stammered, quickly detaching himself from falling further in the trance you dwelled upon him. Your chest felt a sting once he separated from you.

“Maybe we should… Relax here” You say in attempts of transitioning the topic. Your chest was still heaving from the marathon Sabo put on you. “My heart is still racing” You giggle.

Sabo formed a smile and nodded, taking his fingers to comb through his waved, golden locks. He let out one exhale before facing you again. “Yeah, sounds good. I’m sure the others are having fun”

Sabo crashes down on the floor and rests his arms on his propped up knees. You sat closely by next to him, practically brushing shoulders. You two shared an awkward state of silence, hearing nothing but heavy breathing until it steadied.

“You have soft hands by the way” Sabo blurted out from nowhere, causing you to look rather perplexed. Sabo’s face then seemed to flood in with pigment and he quickly avoided eye contact. “Sorry! Felt like I need to uh-… Mention that”

You blink. ‘Stunned’ wasn’t even the word to describe your current state. You managed to giggle at his newfound flustered state which you found more than adorable.

“You think so?” You say, extending your hand to invite the blushing blondes. Sabo smiled and rested his own in yours, feeling the plush flesh on his finger tips more thoroughly instead of dragging you around the maze.

“Yeah, geez. What lotion do you use?” He snickers. His fingers still graze your palm, causing him to make you flinch a bit from being ticklish at his touch. Your hand goes from horizontal to vertical and Sabo follows.

“Your hands aren’t so bad yourself” You graze your fingertips against his palm for a moment to feel his own skin. It wasn’t the softest, but it wasn’t hard concrete. It was a mix of both. For a man like Sabo, who trains from day to night and was a bungling kid who practically lived in the forest as a hobby, his hands were quite comfortable.

Your fingers go from his palm to match his fingertips. They stay stuck together for a few seconds before the two of you are inching to interlock fingers between each other. When they fluently latch in between together, you felt a tingle from your palms to your chest that flared your cheeks with heat. Your eyes avert from the hand holding to Sabo, who coincidentally did the same thing.

The eye contact would’ve been enough to kill you, but the inching of his face postponed that for a moment. You believed that this was a dream and you desperately wanted to pinch the plush of your skin with your might to jolt you awake but, fortunately for you, it was reality. You reciprocated and maintained eye contact with the blonde until his lips were dangerously close to yours. The flickering of your eyes that went from Sabo’s to his lips did something dangerous to him. With a hand latching to the back of your head and one separating from your hand to connect to your cheek, you were now smashed against your long-term crush by the lips.

You let out a soft whimper from surprise once you two connected but it didn’t take long until you melted into his embrace. Your body was pulled in closer than you ever thought you’d get and, surprisingly, your lips synced together fluently. Your body took upon itself to climb and straddle Sabo, cupping his face while his hands rested on your hips. From what went from a soft, passionate kiss quickly swifter to a more rough and tender make out session.

Sabo’s fingers gripped the plush of your hips, his body itching for more of you but decided to be patient and let you take over any initiative. Your tongues began to swirl and dance with each other as time passed and the two of you were growing hungrier and hungrier for each other. Although, you finally parted lips to refill your lungs that have gone shriveled from the long make out session.

“Y’know I’ve liked you for a while now, right?” You finally confess. You felt as if you might as well rip the bandaid off considering you were now on top of him and devouring his lips. Sabo was heaving and licked his lips to savor the taste of your own.

“Wait really?” He says, a tinge of excitement buried in his heavy voice. He blinks and clears his throat. “I mean- I bet I’ve liked you longer”

“It’s not a competition Sabo, just kiss me” You smiled, adoring his competitive personality that he would pour out onto his two brothers continuously. The blonde had a beaming smile like a kid at a candy store before latching his hungry lips onto yours once more.

Sabo’s hand traveled along your back, slighting snaking up behind your light jacket and shirt to feel your bare spine. The coldness of his finger tips caused you to release a soft noise while in between his lips. Your mouth moved on its own and you realized you were now giving love to his neck. His neck had a practical necklace of pinks and purples along it. You swore you were about to tear off his clothes with the small moans and whimpers we released when your lips went down on his neck and collarbone.

You felt Sabo buck his hips against your sex, causing the both of you to begin dry humping from excitement. Your heavy breathing and whimpers were right beside Sabo’s ear. You gave him a nice bite of the lobe only for him to roll his eyes back and bite his lip. He never wished to be in his bedroom with you so terribly in his life.

The blonde’s hands began to clench the fats of your ass tenderly. His bulge was driving in your core and your growing anticipation to rip his jeans off was getting worse by the second. You pressed your forehead against his own to stare deeply into his eyes. Seemingly Sabo longed to see your face again, as a growing smile cracked in his moaning lips as soon as you locked eyes.

“I love you” You whisper with a smile.

“I love you, (F/N)” He breathes, itching to feel your plump lips again.

Your bodies rocked against each other rougher and rougher. You both were practically moaning and whimpering in each other’s mouths, screaming for more. The maze was still oddly quiet aside from the background noise from the other attractions.

“Quit movin’ like that before I tear your clothes off” Sabo chuckled while in between your lips. His remark made you form a giggle. You pull away and stare deeply within his eyes. You rocked your body against his now rock hard bulge slowly and roughly.

“What? Like this?” You murmur. You heard the blonde hiss and grip on your sides. You let out your first actual moan aloud when Sabo synced with your movement. His bulge grinned against your clit in just the right spots, you immediately wondered how it would feel inside of you.

“Sabo~…” You say before his hand quickly latched onto your mouth to seal it. Of course he wanted to hear you, but that meant only he could hear you—no one else.

“Shh, you’ll get us caught” He smiled. As he stared up at your flustered face, his hand slithered down to your sex only to rub it through the cloth of your clothes with his fingers. Sabo’s hand shifted from a hand to his two fingers to which you wrapped around your lips and swirled your tongue on his digits.

“I think I might just fuck you right here and now” Sabo breathed, completely aroused by the way you suckled on his fingers almost immediately. You nodded and whimpered, not even caring about the consequences.

“Sabo!? (F/N)!?”

The voice echoing your names was scarier than the actual attraction. You both jolted and your souls might as well be coming off your body. Sabo slowly slid his fingers out of your mouth, leaving a string of saliva connected together.

“I think that’s Ace…” You breathe out, not only from sheer terror but complete arousal. Your juices might as well travel down your thigh.

“We have been here for a while, huh?” Sabo laughed. The moonlight shined upon his face just enough for you to catch a glimpse of his rather adorable red cheeks.

“We should get going” You say, sliding yourself off of Sabo’s hot lap and standing on your feet. Your eyes widened with how large the log in his pants were.

“Yeah, you’re right” Sabo grunted as he lifted himself off the ground. He adjusted his bulge in his pants to make it less visible but it seemed to be rather difficult. You then felt an arm slither to hook your waist.

“But as soon as we get back home, I’m fucking you into next week” He growled in your ear and shivers went down your spine. Sabo went from an adorable, flustered boy to such a hungry dog in mere seconds.

His lips pecked your cheek to soften that tension he put on your shoulders and he went to interlock your fingers. Your face was speaking for itself; flustered beyond belief.

“C’mon! Let’s meet the others!” He said cheerfully, as if nothing happened in the last few seconds. His body jerked forward to escape the concealed alley you two resided in.

To both of your surprises, Ace and the entire rest of the group were not far from where you two almost sinfully danced in. Ace immediately laid upon you and came running, like he hadn’t seen you in eons.

“There you two are! It’s been ages, me and Marco beat the maze already” Ace smiled brightly. Luffy sprung up behind him like a jack-in-the-box.

“Zoro got us lost and almost left the whole park!” Luffy laughed, only to receive a nice knock behind the head by Zoro from his complete embarrassment.

“Hey are you two-…” Ace pointed at your hands that was comfortably latched with the nonchalant blonde that also had bright red cheeks.

“Ace lets go, Im starving here” Marco knocked Ace on the head to interrupt the upcoming fiasco that was about to erupt just by you and Sabo holding hands.

“Yeah… I’m pretty hungry” Sabo smiled, giving you a quick side eye glance with half lidded eyes that spoke numbers. The group figured he meant food like a normal person but you knew otherwise.

You blushed further, knowing exactly how your night was gonna end in just a few moments.

[sgiandubh]

Offer and demand

For comparison purposes, kindly find below what a devoted Ozzie fan will have to be prepared to pay for a pic with one or several of the participants to the Hublander Australia 'A Visit to The Highlands' event, this week-end, in Sydney and Melbourne:

On top of that, there is an extra option I have never seen for European events (and correct me if I am wrong). You can buy signed personal items and autographed pics for somebody who cannot attend (personal items cost a little extra, no idea why). Here is an example, for S:

Just to have an idea, remember (I will always LOL at this word, from now on, and that's really a shame, because I use it a LOT, irl) these are the prices in Australian dollars. A pic with S would cost you around 115 euros or 125 USD and the most expensive group pic would lighten your purse by around 360 USD or 333 euros.

All this, like for the Paris Landcon, are on top of what you pay for access and the rest of the side gigs, depending of your tier of choice. Those can set you anywhere from 200 Australian dollars for the standard entry ticket to 1800 Australian dollars for the Platinum Tier, where I hope S will pour you a dram or something - nope, not really, that was really a cheap joke, forget about it. You do the math, it's easy.

If you take the time to compare with the Paris Landcon, the discrepancies are clear. The Australian Lollapalooza easily costs the double. But before you screech and wail, do remember two things:

Prices in Australia and France are not really the same. Same goes for the disposable wages of the people buying these tickets. Same goes for the logistical costs (venue rent, talent accommodation and fee, insurance - very important!, other administrative expenditures like legal costs: never forget these people also sell licensed merchandise, which comes at an extra cost itself, etc).

Also, event organization is a business in itself. There is a market and a pool of potential clients for this type of business. Demand and offer meet (or should do so) on that market and the result of this encounter of sorts should reasonably reflect what the people are willing to pay for whatever you peddle around, from bagels to Scottish fantasies. Too expensive - nobody will come. Too cheap - the talent you hope to attract would, in all likelihood, not show up, especially if it takes 10 to 20 hours of flight to get there.

Now add to this the need to satisfy just about everyone in the room. The simple need to make sure that the person who paid 200 dollars for the basic ticket would not feel left behind those who paid nine times (yes, nine times, for Australia, land of plenty) more. That is not an easy task and those figures you have seen are not what you may think they do represent, on face value.

Last, but not least, a wee secret: the bulk of the talent's fee comes from those autographed pics you bought extra, the Q&A sessions and the Platinum Meet and Greets - isn't that a strange form of Marxist distribution circuit (but I digress, forgive the scholar). The rest is probably going to cover operational costs.

Nobody robbed you. Nobody forced you or hypnotized you. You will meet the real people, not some denizen of Abuja who pretends he is Mr. Blue Eyes. And S will not get richer after Melbourne, only more tired.

You're welcome.

PS: merci à toi; chérie, pour l'info and also a heartfelt thank you to you, New Friend on the Block. You know who you are! 😘😘😘😘❤️❤️❤️

[Edit]: @joey-baby tells me the Oz fans can buy the recording of both days. That is a local exclusive and I surely hope we'd see some of it in here. Thank you! 🙌

[ac3may]

" the wag diaries "

How You Met

~ Georgia Stanway ~

~~~~~~~~~~

it was evident to everyone who knows you that you and Georgia were meant for each other

it all began on a rainy autumn day in Germany

as an up-and-coming American singer-songwriter, it was your first time in the country

with your latest single blowing up on TikTok you had somehow managed to wrangle yourself a European tour

having come from a close but not wealthy family unit back in Colorado travelling at all was new to you

but especially travelling SO far around the globe

that's the reason you made it a mission to get out and explore every place you go

even when the weather is miserable!

which brought you to the hole-in-the-wall café you’d found yourself in

bundled in several sweatshirts and a rain jacket on top

rushing out of the cold and wet into the first local-looking business you saw

you had underestimated quite how busy the small business would be

so in your stumbling, feeling like a wet cat dragged backwards through a hedge, you ended up tumbling into someone

and it wasn’t just any someone

after recovering from the hot coffee you had spilt on yourself in the fall

and the feeling of the stranger's hands electrifying you through your many layers as she steadied you

you finally took in the full glory of the women in front of you

cheeks rosy from the cold, an amused smirk resting on her face 

Georgia was just as stunned to see you 

despite the wind-whipped hair stuck to your forehead and the bewildered animal look you had going on

you were obviously not from here 

sucking a deep breath she managed a cheeky smile

flustered and embarrassed you began stuttering out badly strung-together phrases of German in hopes of not being shamed out of the shop entirely

Georgia’s grin only widened as she realised that you had  mistaken her for a native

finally putting you out of your misery she, in her very English accent, boldly stated her most commonly used German phrase 

“entschuldigung, ich spreche kein Deutsch”

the confused look that crossed your face only reminded Georgia more of a puppy than you had originally 

so with a chuckle she held out her hand and introduces herself

only laughing harder at the embarrassed but relieved expression that crossed your face as she did so

after much debate over who owed who coffee the two of you found yourselves settled snugly together in the corner of the shop, drinks steaming in front of you

with conversation flowing but mugs long since emptied the pair of you are only broken from the bubble you created when your phone begins buzzing incessantly 

ignoring it once you’d sent an apologetic smile to Georgia as it rang again

after encouragement to answer you are immediately met with the worried voice of your manager (and older brother) 

after confirming where you were, and that you were safe he was quick to remind you of how close you were cutting it to sound check for your show that night

eyes widened at how long you had spent talking with the English women you’re quick to exchange numbers and a ticket to your show

it’s months until you see each other again though

and even longer before you became official

but Georgia had never been more thankful for the awful weather than she was that day

~~~~~~~~~~

Idk if what I’ve written is great but G is one of my favourite concepts so far! Let me know what you guys think.

We're moving through the WAG diaries nicely!! Reader Origin's and dating blurbs coming next unless I get some requests so feel free to make suggestions ◡̈