#fun fact the very first word of the game is ‘abigail’

[simplegenius042]

Music Monday, Ship Traits Meme & 5 Songs Game

Tagged by @josephseedismyfather @imogenkol @inafieldofdaisies @voidika and @cassietrn

Tagging @socially-awkward-skeleton @direwombat @adelaidedrubman @strangefable @strafethesesinners @rhettsabbott @g0dspeeed @josephslittledeputy @carlosoliveiraa @wrathfulrook @icecutioner @softtidesworld @shallow-gravy @derelictheretic @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @red-nightskies @starsandskies @ladyoriza @florbelles @skoll-sun-eater @cloudofbutterflies92 @afarcryfrommymain @titiagls @la-grosse-patate @minilev and @thewanderer-000

A song for The Silver Chronicles, ship meme for The UnTitledverse, Life, Despair & Monsters and A Radioactive Calamity Of Love, Bombs & Gore, plus listing five of my favorite songs below the cut:

Out of all the songs in Disney's Wish, the only one which really touched me was "At All Costs". In the context of The Silver Chronicles, it can be viewed in two ways; either Kamski Neon is declaring is promise that no matter the cost, he will protect Silva as she is the closest thing to family he has left, and her returning this promise, OR, Silva is reminiscing on Paul's past promise to protect and love her as a parent should, and echoes these words to Azriel in the present. [Fun fact: I did not enjoy Wish. I enjoyed very, VERY few things in it, and personally wouldn't recommend watching it, but you can do you.]

"If happiness was a tangible thing It would be you If you'd have told me the feeling you'd bring I'd think it untrue And people search for a wonder like you All of their lives You still amaze me after all this time

You pull me in like some kind of wind Mesmerized by the hold I'm in Leave you here, I don't wanna I wanna

Promise as one does I, I will protect you at all costs Keep you safe here in my arms I, I will protect you at all costs At all costs."

"What's pain, when I look at you? No way I could explain you, even if I tried to I'll never dream like I used to do If someone tried to hurt you, I don't See how that could happen I'd fight for you in ways you can't imagine Felt this, no, I haven't, I hope It would be all right to stay right here beside you."

"And promise as one does I, I will protect you at all costs Keep you safe here in my arms I, I will protect you at all costs At all costs

If you're ever feeling like you're lost I'll come find you Man all fronts, there's no ocean I won't swim across To be right by you And not just once, here and now, I swear on my response I'll remind you

And promise as one does I, I will protect you at all costs Keep you safe here in my arms I, I will protect you at all costs At all costs."

Rules: bold/color the themes that apply to your ship, and italicize the theme if it’s one-sided, within your story.

MARIO EMMET x CHARLIE EMILY (THE UNTITLEDVERSE)

height difference (6'3" vs 5'4") / mutual pining / first kiss / wedding / in-jokes / lgbtq+ (Charlie is Bi and both her and Mario are polyamorous leading to their future relationship with Elizabeth Afton) / family disapproves (Henry doesn't approve of his android-copy of his dead daughter romancing a shapeshifting alien that is carnivorous, but if Abigail was alive, she'd approve because she loves her boy and Charlie's a catch) / would die for each other / would kill for each other / fake relationship / arranged wedding / cuddlers / pda friendly (Mario is really touch-starved, while Charlie isn't) / and they were roommates / holding hands / secret relationship / opposing worldviews / getting a pet / have kids / want kids / grow old together (originally the plan before they eventually go from "android x shapeshifter-alien young romance" to "gods of the new world") / relationship failures / rests head on shoulder / share a bed / relationship doubts / they have a song / first date (for Mario) / sharing a blanket / mutual interests / study buddies (Charlie attempted this but Mario is not helpful whatsoever) / bathing together / crash into hello / accidental nudity / laundry / same hobbies / cooking for each other (Mario cooks the bigger and flavoured dishes while Charlie is more of a simpler easier food kind of person) / big fancy gala / forehead touches / hair stroking (Mario doesn't have hair) / sitting on each other’s laps / sexual tension / can’t be together / battle couple / Friends to Lovers / Enemies to Lovers (initially Mario thought Charlie was a rival apart of his species since her body that housed her soul was different from regular humans so he attempted to eat her) / Lovers to Enemies / KEEPING SECRETS (misunderstanding: Mario thought Charlie was apart of his species because of her physical forms difference from the rest of her friends leading him to believe she was trying to steal his territory/kill him in general while Charlie eventually thinks Mario knows something of her origins and eventually thinks he knew she was an android before she figured it out, which was far from Mario's deduction) / love after loss / exes / declaration of love / flirting / love triangle (Charlie had the choice between her gentle and supportive childhood friend whom she has great chemistry with but doesn't feel the same way for and stops her from doing impulsive dumb shit or the alien shapeshifter who initially tried to eat her mistaking her for someone else and is more likely to go along with her impulsive dumb shit) / destructive romance / envy (Mario was jealous of Charlie's integration in human society not realizing she was an android and not another of his species) / “I Don’t Want to Ruin Our Friendship” (especially considering Charlie was an android who thought she was human and Mario is a shapeshifting alien, neither had thought their feelings would be reciprocated) / shared values / slow burn / does not end well / happily ever after (at the very, very end of the series, they ascend to godhood because positions were open so... I guess?) / love letters

HAOYU ANABUKI x ICARUS GALATOS (LIFE, DESPAIR & MONSTERS)

height difference / mutual pining / first kiss / wedding / in-jokes / lgbtq+ (Haoyu is non-binary attracted to men and Icarus is ace and doesn't mind who the person is as long as their personality is worth hyperfixating on) / family disapproves (nah, Monika's happy for her half-sibling and Icarus' fam are just glad he's got a partner) / would die for each other (more accurately they'd risk their lives for each other but would avoid actual death at all costs) / would kill for each other (Haoyu doesn't like to kill but Icarus would let Hatter do the killing) / fake relationship / arranged wedding / cuddlers / pda friendly / and they were roommates / holding hands / secret relationship (mostly on Icarus side of things, but eventually he reveals Haoyu to his family) / opposing worldviews (Icarus believes personal satisfaction comes from doing good to others while Haoyu believes upholding self-interest is satisfying enough) / getting a pet / have kids / want kids / grow old together / relationship failures / rests head on shoulder/ share a bed / relationship doubts (Icarus side of things considering he (plus his alters) are Hatter's avatar/s) / they have a song / first date / sharing a blanket / mutual interests / study buddies / bathing together / crash into hello / accidental nudity / laundry / same hobbies / cooking for each other / big fancy gala / forehead touches / hair stroking / sitting on each other’s laps / sexual tension / can’t be together / battle couple / Friends Mutual Allies to Lovers / Enemies to Lovers / Lovers to Enemies / KEEPING SECRETS / love after loss / exes / declaration of love / flirting / love triangle / destructive romance / envy / “I Don’t Want to Ruin Our Friendship” / shared values / slow burn / does not end well (will neither confirm nor deny both of their fates in the ending of the series) / happily ever after / love letters (a gag that happens; Icarus attempts this and Haoyu opens up a portal to his universe and tells him face-to-face their feelings)

MARISSA "RESS" BISHOP x PIPER WRIGHT (A RADIOACTIVE CALAMITY OF LOVE, BOMBS & GORE)

height difference (6'2" vs 5'7") / mutual pining / first kiss / wedding / in-jokes (from to each others expenses to flirtatious teasing) / lgbtq+ (Piper and Ress are both Bisexual women) / family disapproves (Piper's little sister Nat thinks Ress is cool. But on Ress' side of the family, her deadbeat evil father Arcane Urias thinks humans are a regression to evolution and should be treated as livestock more than anything and if Ore, Ress' half-brother, was alive at the time, he'd approve her choice, but Ress human family members, the Bishop Crime Family, might not like the idea of her being with a JOURNALIST of all things) / would die for each other / would kill for each other / fake relationship / arranged wedding / cuddlers / pda friendly / and they were roommates / holding hands / secret relationship / opposing worldviews / getting a pet (Dogmeat!... and whatever Ress keeps bringing home to freak out Piper and make Nat think she's cool) / have kids / want kids / grow old together (God Ress wishes she could do this with Piper) / relationship failures / rests head on shoulder / share a bed / relationship doubts (Piper has insecurities while Ress wrestles with the fact she'll outlive Piper) / they have a song / first date / sharing a blanket (Ress hogs the f***ing blanket) / mutual interests / study buddies / bathing together / crash into hello / accidental nudity / laundry / same hobbies / cooking for each other / big fancy gala / forehead touches / hair stroking / sitting on each other’s laps (Piper does this often since she knows it will fluster Ress) / sexual tension (oh god, it is so obvious to everyone) / can’t be together / battle couple / Friend(emie)s to Lovers / (Fri)Enemies to Lovers / Lovers to Enemies / KEEPING SECRETS / love after loss (at this point Ress has lost her closest friends and her own brother) / exes / declaration of love (Piper confesses this) / flirting (very aggressive teasing) / love triangle / destructive romance / envy (Piper was kinda jealous that Ress isn't self-conscious and very overconfident cocky attitude until she learned why Ress has this mask on) / “I Don’t Want to Ruin Our Friendship” / shared values / slow burn / does not end well / happily ever after? (at the end of the series? yes. post-canon offscreen though? Ress is likely to outlive Piper, something they're both aware of) / love letters

Now here's a list for my top 5 favorite songs:

Without You - Oh Wonder

Loser, Baby - Keith David, Blake Roman, Andrew Underberg & Sam Haft

Youth - Daughter

I Really Want To Stay At Your House - Hallie Coggins & Rosa Walton

Memory Reboot - Narvent & VØJ

[peachykoii]

…

I–

All right, y’all, I’ve got some things to say.

Spoilers for ramblings about Dislyte Unknown Collection Story Mode:

First, some positives!

• There were some pretty interesting concepts introduced: Raven having premonition and memory-erasing powers, using her wings + comet/shooting star + all how it influences the EU: the use of stone tablets, giving out only pieces of information to the public, not interfering with the future, etc.

• I liked how the Esper Union felt more gray aligned than straight up black or white considering its origins.

• I enjoyed seeing Triki a bit fleshed out, but let me just say that I'm biased about this because I literally don't have him yet so I don't know too much about him aside from the basics. A little disappointed to not have seen the whole crew. I was also hoping to see Zora and Ren Shi too. 😭😭 I will say, I can appreciate Yamato just coming around to be a menace and have fun, lol

• The silly and cute things like the Draw and Guess game, Tevor’s photo with Hilda??? (When and how even was this/could this happen, lol), commander Xuan Pin post-Immortal Fire and her relationship with Mateo, Alexa and Abigail having their moments together, and Alexa being a Wattpad writer amateur romance novelist on the side, lol.

• Lots of lovely and memorable artwork especially! Sachiko was obviously the devs’ favorite since they drew her so adorably, lol Assassin’s Creed reference?

Negatives.

• Y’all… This felt like an alternate universe rather than an addition to literally everything we’ve ever been introduced to in canon, so I’m just going to treat it as such. I could've avoided this and wouldn’t missed out on anything.

• Also, as interesting as it is, Raven being clairvoyant came out of nowhere, lol There’s no mention, reference, or anything anywhere suggesting this in Dislyte canon, besides the fact that Odin (Norse Mythology) has that ability. I do miss her bike and wolf though, lol The [Player] character gave more Mary Sue isekai’d into the game vibes rather than someone literally not from this world who’s experiencing Grandis and Miracles for the first time. If Markiplier can be canon in the universe but not in a weird way, then they could’ve done something along those lines for him too. Why exactly did Tang Na turn into a “Miramon”? Usually, overdrawing on your powers (could) just kill(s) you like in Gaius’ or Leora’s event. I guess it changed for then humanity/divinity balance. Where’s Discboom? She could’ve been a good lock instead. 😔😔

• What was going on with the writing and pacing? There were lots of typos, weird wording, and kind of a strange flow from chapter to chapter. Maybe localization editing was rushed? Like, I could appreciate trying a new style, but it also felt off-putting a lot of times and not as cohesive or seamless as it could’ve been. The Shackled Collection, the OG story mode, was much better in this regard. And then, there’s…

The ending…

• Honestly, it’s a bit hard to play devil’s advocate with that ending because from the standpoint of a first-time new player, who hasn’t been through Gaius’, Norah’s, or Embla’s event, the OG main story/Shackled Collection, or any other big lore heavy events, it might feel like “whoa, plot twist! That’s interesting!” But it’s still a little lackluster.

As a long time player whose way too DEEP and invested in Dislyte lore, characters, and world building, I was very disappointed.

I mean, he didn’t even have a hinted-at “I want” moment or off-putting conversation with the [Player] to help build it up. All the Anesidora moments literally could’ve been her talking to Embla or Hyde for all I know. I think that I needed better breadcrumbs not because I didn’t see the twist coming, but because it didn't really pay off. As if they chose him to be the villain for the sake of shock value instead of any substance. Why does he want the power? Gaius. Union Hub Director and Researcher Gaius? He was just like, “Good job, Mayor Abigail. Pot, kettle. Yes, I’m bad. AND I want a new world order. 😈😈 What'd you wish for, Sachiko!???” And was anti-climatically blasted away.

The Shadow Decree is more than just “bwahaha evil villainy because evil” kind of people and we’ve seen that several times now so there was a lot to work with. Personally, I’m anti-evil Gaius, but if they wanted to make it a bit more believable, here’s three different scenarios off the top of my head that fits Gaius’ personality and the whole fate theme going on.

1. Desperate Gaius “It’s been more than a decade of fighting and failure and bloodshed. I’m tired of seeing Raven hurt because of her [powers™] and witnessing both the Esper Union and SD fail at achieving what for mere humans and Espers is impossible. But then, I remembered Hannah’s private research from long ago all this time about [insert gate of promotion info to explain how that even cropped up]. And it was all true. Yamato finding [Player], Raven’s vision, and Abigail’s intel confirmed that even further. Hyde, not believing in [insert gate and wish stuff], had tried to counter it with his artificial esper project, but it devolved into something entirely different [insert Sieg]. But I knew if I wanted to prove it, I needed to take measures beyond just the Union’s resources. So, I reached out to Yamato and Hyde and the rest was history. Hannah told me that I could use my powers for good. With the full power of the Starlight’s Miracle Nexus, I can save this world from the havoc and turmoil the Miracles created — by making a new one.”

Or like, 2. Slightly Ominous Positivity™ Derails into Deluded Gaius, “Don’t worry, Raven and [Player]. Just as I trust you, trust me. Even if that was her final premonition, I trust that all will play out according to fate. If fate brought us [Esper Seven] together, if it brought Hannah into my life, then I know that it will lead me to where I need to be to help everyone that I can.” Slowly turns into obsessive, corrupted selfishness as he stresses over of Raven’s prophecy, learning about the Gate of Promotion does through Yamato and the Shadow Decree, corrupted with thoughts of its unlimited potential and what it can do for him; “Can you believe it? Fate brought us to the Starlight Miracle’s Nexus that can grant me the power to do anything. Raven was wrong. This is true destiny [taking all the divine power for himself]. Hannah, give me the strength to best this fate like you did for me to save everyone. I will succeed no matter who’s against me!”

Heck, even a 3. Turned His Back on the Light to Save His Friends Gaius “They���re my friends. Us Seven have been through more than you [Player] can ever imagine. So, when Hyde and Embla came to us [Raven and Gaius] with a truce and told me that we could use this power for actual good for the world... I had to make a decision. One that could change the fate of everything Raven knew, regardless of what she saw, but be our only chance at saving everything. I know Raven would never forgive me after what I did… especially to her… but as the Esper Union Hub Director, I will do anything and sacrifice everything I have to save as many people as I can, even if it means colluding and sinking to the darkest places. Even breaking bread with the dark forces I once knew as my comrades. I promised Hannah that I would help others. You need to understand that the ends will always justify the means.”

Or something like that since we know he can be incredibly selfless/borderline sacrificial when it comes to saving people close to him and up keeping this position. Also, is Leora’s backstory still the same bc I feel like she would’ve already tried to tell everyone about Gaius being a shadow councilor when she defected since she was mentored by Embla, a shadow councilor. They hold annual end of year All-Hands, for crying out loud, lmfaooo Ain’t no way she didn’t know.

I don’t know, y’all. I’m just rambling at this point.

I really needed the seasoning Gaius was missing in his life if they’re going to make him bad. He wasn’t a very compelling bad guy. 🤷🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️

Furthermore, it felt like they potentially retrofitted the general Dislyte lore/world building for a lot of stuff?

For me, one of the biggest things was everything around the Gate of Promotion in the Nexus. “The Miracle Nexus, the source of all Miracles,” Mkay, but how did they learn about the Gates? How did Narmer and Cang Ji, dudes who LOVE researching and exploring Miracles, not find it or learn about it years before? It’s been about 10+ years since the whole Miracle-Miramon situation began when the Esper Seven explored Miracle Prime and you’re telling me that supposedly somehow only now Yamato, Gaius, Raven, Abigail and the SD know about the Gates? And if Raven’s premonition gave that info, that still doesn’t explain why everyone else knew about it before then like Xuan Pin, Abigail, and Yamato. And about the lock too. Who gave everyone this knowledge? Like, Did the [Player] character come with a manual that Yamato’s been making leaks of or something, lol? He’s supposed to be a whole ‘Miracle destroyer’ and no one else is interested in that?

All in all, all I can say is that it was a choice and I had fun if I just think of it as an OVA or Isekai AU or something.

Bonus pics bc Hall’s censored for some reason lol AND my bby girl, Jiang Man, is looking cute here.

[seerofmike]

Mike's Media Medley--April 2024

henlo and welcome to my monthly diary review thing where i talk about movies/shows/games i experienced for the first time this month. there are a lot of things i watch/play throughout the year that i really like but don't ever get the opportunity to talk about due to the restrictions of my 7 game/7 movie restrictions on my end of year list + the fact i limit movies to 2024 releases. this list encompasses movies and games from any time period that i watched or played for the first time ever this month.

feel free to reply to this post with things you think i should watch or play!

here are some things i watched and played for the very first time this april:

2024 movie/show releases: Monkey Man, Civil War, Abigail, Fallout

non-2024 movie/show releases: Alien (1979), My Octopus Teacher (2020), The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

games: fallout 3 (2008), the battle of polytopia (2016), let's build a zoo (2021), mineko's night market (2022)

my thoughts on all of them below, in alphabetical order--movies/shows first, then games:

Abigail (2024)

this movie was honestly pretty fun. enjoyed it more than i was expecting tbh, i used my membership tuesday price on this cuz i did not feel like paying full price for a ticket to see this. kind of thought it would be just dumb "ooh evil kid" shock horror

and like. don't get me wrong it is definitely ooh evil kid horror but the twist is given relatively early with only minor padding for a bigger twist later. thought it was decently funny and it works well enough as a singular movie but i don't see it warranting a sequel which the ending might be building up to. and though it was fun everything was like. Fine. directing was fine. acting was fine. music was fine. probably would not see it again but did not hate my decision watch it

60/100

Alien (1979)

YES this is really my first time seeing Alien, i am pretty unfamiliar with basically everything about Alien, nothing i say will probably be new

first off the sound was like. really quiet? and idk if it's because my theater had the volume too low or if that's the way it was mixed--it is an old movie after all--but i couldn't hear a lot of the dialogue and i feel like it would've boosted my enjoyment of the movie a lil more but i did really like it

specifically the art direction and set design. the alien planet and the ship, the fossilized skeleton on that big chair all with this really distinct weird black mechanical look that is also like. weirdly alive. and how that extends to the nostromo having parts of it as the movie progresses that looks like the alien. biomechanical is i think the word for it? its awesome. epic, even. makes u paranoid

big fan of the directing as well. very claustrophobic at some scenes. the refusal to show you the alien in full for a while. reaction shots instead of direct sight of the gore and horror (the cat when the janitor dies, ripley hearing parker and lambert die as she runs)

the thing that detracts from the movie for me is the sexual violence undertones. just simply not a fan

p good, might need to rewatch with subtitles to appreciate a bit more once i understand the actual plot lmfao. also this movie is very sweaty just like love lies bleeding. maybe i like sweaty movies. 80/100

(more under the cut)

Civil War (2024)

this movie was not very good

i was not going to see it and then i heard that it was less a typical war movie from the perspective and soldiers and shit that it was more about war correspondence and that piqued my interest as someone who used to want to be a journalist. turns out it's not even that much about war correspondence either. the main characters are war photographers but it all feels like. pretty surface level?

not to mention i understand the intent of keeping the politics of a theoretical civil war part 2 vague so as to not actually incite any specific kind of rage or controversy from either side but like. its a civil war movie. about war correspondence and photography.

the emotional hook of the movie just does nawt work for me. the young photographer lady is incredibly dumb. why does she do the things she does. why does she jump between the cars like that when she's so obsessed with the main lady. i had other gripes with her but i dont even remember all of them because this movie is already a distant memory. the bonding between them does nothing for me and just feels really forced and corny.

that being said there are some nice shots in this movie. it's well-directed but the sound design is really fucking carrying. all of the gunshots are LOUD and impactful and i think that really helps with the conflict where the wishy washy centrist politics fail.

30/100. not the worst movie ive ever seen but i would not watch it again.

Fallout (2024)

yeah yeah the show is really good. acting is good all across the board. was fun seeing the fun references / easter eggs to fallout. i was particularly interested in norm's side of the plot and lucy was a really refreshing protagonist. i think maximus was the weakest of the main plotlines but i'm hoping they go somewhere with his darker side because while i think it was the weakest i think he has the most potential

like lucy and the ghoul are pretty squarely set on their own sides with their own clear morals (or karma, good and evil) but maximus is someone who wants to be a good person but is often just. not good at being a good person. he's naive and not very competent at his job tbh but is still being heralded as a new wave of the brotherhood of steel. very interested to see where all that goes.

enjoyed it a ton. 85/100

Monkey Man (2024)

dev patel really made a movie about the healing power of trans people and he's awesome for that

good action flick with some scathing political commentary that i wish i was more well-versed on indian politics to say something substantial about but i could Feel the contempt for modi/the bjp and hindu nationalism as a whole

it's shot & edited sooooooo frenetically and i think this works a lot of the time HOWEVER at some points it is like. an active detriment. i never really feel nauseous when movies use shaky cam but this movie's camera is not just shaking. that shit is rocking. vibrating. particularly when he's outrunning the police thats when it gets Bad

otherwise i really enjoyed it. the action hits. the aesthetics and cinematography are probably my favorite of everything i watched this month! that being said i probably wouldn't watch it again just because i'm not the type to rewatch action movies like these i think ive only ever seen john wick the one time

75/100

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

it was fine. it's a documentary idk i don't have much to say. doesn't really feel right rating it but i watched it and the visuals were breathtaking but like it doesnt rly have a plot or anything. its neat. nice background thing to put on while you do something else

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

yeah yeah. unique color palette and color grading. directed well to suit the framing device. everyone and everything is smartly positioned onscreen.pretty good performances from people who have to just dump like 60 lines of dialogue on you all at once. yall know this one is good its wes anderson go watch it its 40 minutes long

75/100

video games:

The Battle of Polytopia (2016)/Let's Build a Zoo (2021)

putting both of these games here because i really don't have a lot to say about them, i played them both very briefly. in let's build a zoo's case, literally for five minutes. the battle of polytopia was boring and after like two runs i was like ok welp that's it for me. i did play the mobile version so that might be part of the problem but idk i don't think the gameplay loop would've grabbed me even if expanded. let's build a zoo had atrocious UI and controls on console and i immediately got pissed off trying to build an enclosure and uninstalled

Fallout 3 (2008)

i am not immune to propaganda

is this game good? not really but my favorite elder scrolls game is oblivion so you should know i, for one, love bethesda jank. love walking around in a big ass world full of weird people and discovering places and just taking a look around. frankly i don't care if i died five times to the same pack of super mutants. i'm having a good time.

not super deep into the main story and have only completed about ten quests but i'm into it

Mineko's Night Market (2022)

man i like. really wanted to like this game. it has a really cute art style and a good sense of humor, and i like management and sim games. unfortunately it just failed to grab me. i had a chuckle or two for the first hour i played but after that i was just really bored running around looking for flowers and i quit before i even got to attend the actual night market. i played it through my dad's gamepass and i usually end up quitting games quickly due to buying them on steam and needing to decide if i like them or not under 2 hours. otherwise i try not to quit games that early unless they're super boring or glitchy/unplayable. unfortunately even without that time limit looming over my head it just wasn't really doing anything for me.

if u got this far into reading this i love u

[vanillasakura]

revswanson here ily

❤💞🤎 with abigail

and 💝 hehehe

ily2!!

❤️Modern Day Thing I would show to Abigail:

I kinda just wanna take this woman to a Target and show her everything lol, but there’s two things I have to pick:

If we’re talking about things that would make household chores easier, easily a washer/dryer. Not having to do laundry by hand alone would be such a weight off her shoulders

But I’m not gonna tie her down to housework and all that, so besides that, I’d also wanna show her how much transportation has evolved, no real reason why other than I think it would be neat

💞Favorite quote from Abigail:

There’s this one conversation she has with Tilly about how hard it is to be a woman when so many men take you for granted. If you talk to her right afterwards, Arthur says something along the lines of “It isn’t all that bad” to which Abi instantly replies “And what would you know about being a woman?” I don’t know why this random quote stuck with me so much I just love it

🤎If I could build a house for Abigail, what would it look like?

We all know she wants to live on a ranch but I’m gonna take Beecher’s Hope a step further and build a house kind of like the one at Emerald Ranch. I adore Queen Anne houses (I think that’s what they’re called?? Not sure) and I wanna build a nice one of those, with a porch that wraps around the first floor and a room inside for a piano. Photos of people and things she loves up on the walls, kitchen with space enough to cook, a nice big room for Jack and Rufus (with a built in bookshelf!) And of course a nice bedroom with a ton of trinkets and other little odds and ends!

💝Talking about my favorite character:

There are like a million reasons that I love Abigail and I’m only gonna very briefly be able to talk about them here. For starters, I really admire how she’s still able to keep her head up and hold onto her dreams even after everything she’s been through. She doesn’t ever give up

Personality wise, Abigail is much smarter than people give her credit for. Next to Hosea, she’s the most observant person in the gang, and is one of those people who can instantly tell almost everything about somebody just by looking at them. She observes people really well, and has a keen eye. She’s sharp-witted and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and you can see her giving John a piece of her mind in the earlier chapters.

She’s also caring. She becomes one of Sadie’s only confidants, comforting her in a way that isn’t “oh you’ll feel better!” but rather “This sucks. I know this sucks, but the thing is, you have to stay strong. I’m here if you need me, but I believe in you.” In Colter, she sits with John after his attack, even after all the shit he put her through. In the end, she gives him another chance, and they end up being able to build the life she always dreamed of together. She’s an amazing mother to Jack, encouraging his interests and always pushing for what’s the best for him.

I could keep going on and on but this post is getting long enough as is. Abigail is such an amazing character I have no clue how to condense everything I love about her down into just a few paragraphs

[afictionalwhore]

SDV Bachelorettes’ Love Languages (hc)

This post is brought to you by my dear friend bribing me.

No kinks this time because I just struggled on that one.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Emily — Gift Giving and Quality Time

When it comes to giving and receiving gifts, Emily is not at all materialistic. She always has gems and crystals ready anytime she feels you need one.

Don’t bother trying to give it back. She’ll say you need them more than her.

Though she’s a giver, receiving gifts puts Emily over the moon. It’s the thought that counts for her. The fact that you were deep in the mines thinking of giving that amethyst to her rather than selling it speaks volumes to her.

Emily loves spending time with you, even if she can’t commit as much time as she’d like to with work.

You visit Emily at the saloon at least every Friday, as you know it’s the busiest, most stressful day and seeing you will help put her at ease.

Visiting Emily and spending time with her, be it meditating together or trying on clothes she’s trying to make, mean the world to her.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Haley — Gift Giving and Physical Touch

Haley, like her sister, is not materialistic when it comes to gift giving. She appreciates the thought the most, especially as you have to travel for some of her most loved gifts.

Haley is the only person who does not like the most valuable item, prismatic shard. That being said, too many expensive gifts will make her feel like you’re trying to buy her love.

Haley is not touchy until she gets to know you better, but once she’s comfortable with you, she can’t keep her hands off you. She wants to hold your hand around town, watch the sun set on the beach with her head on your shoulder.

If you fall asleep while cuddling her, she’ll lazily play with your hair or trace patterns on your skin.

Haley is absolutely showing you off through PDA. You work hard and she can’t believe someone like you would be interested in her, especially since she was so mean to you in the beginning.

She will steal your clothes and wear them, even if they aren’t fashionable. Additionally, she will try to dress you. It’s a very hands on activity where she essentially turns you into a doll.

Haley used to call you a dirty farmer. She feels bad about it every time she sees you’ve cleaned up for her when you go to hold her.

You used to think that she was trying to make Alex jealous, always hanging onto you and kissing you, but you learned that’s just how she's affectionate.

Gift her a teddy bear with your cologne/perfume, something that she can hold and think of you. She will try to act tough, but on the inside, she’s crying with how sweet the gift is.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Leah — Acts of Service and Quality Time

Leah is like any artist. She often forgets to take breaks when she’s working on a piece. She’ll forget to eat, to drink, you name it. You’ve made a habit of bringing her lunch that you made or bought from Gus.

You learn ways to help Leah, such as cleaning her brushes and tools. You organize her sketchbooks for her. She may think you think she can’t handle herself, but once she realizes it because you care about her and want her to be able to better focus on her art without stressing about cleaning, she’s incredibly touched.

Leah likes to spend time together, but she doesn’t always want to be doing something with you. She’s perfectly happy just being in the same space as you and doing your individual things.

Walks in nature!!! Leah adores dates with you that are just taking a stroll through the woods or on the beach.

Leah wants to consider you a muse, like Elliot. She is more focused on nature however, trying to avoid love due to her ex. Things just happen naturally for her, and she finds a lot of inspiration in you.

She’ll ask you to model for her. Maybe there’s a certain hand pose that she can’t quite get down. She’ll maneuver your hands for her to get just the right reference.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Penny — Quality Time and Acts of Service

With her mom, I can’t imagine Penny being very touchy-feely. However, I do see her being really appreciative of quality time with her s/o.

As the relationship progresses, Penny will melt into hugs and cuddles with you.

Penny likes planned out dates, things that she knows you put a lot of thought into. It’s a combination of her two love languages. One of her favorite dates is when you plan a picnic for her under the tree with artisanal goods from your farm. Goat cheese, jams, bread from wheat you grew. The effort put into this date blew her away.

Penny also enjoys spontaneity on occasion. Knock on her window in the middle of the night and tell her you missed her. She’s a romantic that loves the cliches she reads in the library while the kids study.

Speaking of the kids, help lighten Penny’s workload with them by taking them on a field trip to the farm. Tell them how crops work. Let them help with the animals. They’re learning hands on and having fun. The kids will love it, and Penny’s opinion of you will skyrocket.

Penny sees how hard you work on the farm and will often ask if there’s any way that she can help. She doesn’t want to be a burden, so she won’t take the initiative. Bonus points if it’s a job you can work at together. She’ll act exasperated if you tell her that her company is help enough, but she thinks that it’s really sweet.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Abigail— Quality Time and Words of Affirmation

Abigail is very vocal, so words of affirmation as a love language comes naturally to her.

Abigail likes to hear how you feel. She grew up knowing she was loved, but she never heard it. Sometimes hearing you say “I love you” takes her aback, but she soon grows accustomed to it and finds that she actually loves how open you are about your feelings with her.

Because of her dad pushing traditionally femenine roles and interests on her, Abigail needs a lot of reminding that her feelings and interests are valid.

Abigail loves spending time just chilling with you. Even though it happened early on, she considers your first date when the two of you played video games together in her room.

She loves going into the mines and exploring the woods with you. It’s a win-win situation. You get help with your work while getting to spend time with her, and she gets to spend time with you while doing something that she loves.

───────･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.─────────

Maru —

I honestly see Maru having a mix of all of the love languages. Maru is also very logical versus emotional.

Maru will hold your hand in public, but she tends to keep physical affection limited to private spaces.

She’s a very dominant person who often initiates things. She also likes to be the big spoon when you cuddle.

When it comes to gifts, anything that could be used towards a project, Maru loves it. She will even consider soil samples from your farm or rocks you dig out from the mines a suitable gift. Bonus points if it’s something she’s mentioned recently.

Because these gifts are used for her work, she also sees this as an act of service, especially if it’s something that you had to go out of your way to get for her.

You also will stick around and help her with her projects or bring her lunch or something to drink while she’s working.

Maru doesn’t necessarily need to hear how much you love her. Instead, she wants vocal affirmation about her work. To her, your support is enough to show you love her. If you didn’t love her, you wouldn’t care about her work.

Come to visit Maru at the clinic and she’s over the moon. Her job can get boring, and she’s likely to talk your ear off. Your visits will have to decrease as Harvey may get upset if she’s constantly talking with you and not doing her job.

Maru likes to spend time with you while working on projects, but she feels like it’s not exactly quality time. That being said, she likes to sit by the lake with you or on the bench near the Saloon. While Maru is talkative, silence doesn’t bother her when she’s with you like this.

[forthegothicheroine]

terribly sorry if this is a bother, but i would Love to hear your ranking of the Into the Dark movies.

Looking at the big list, it looks like I actually missed a couple, so this is my ranking of the ones I did see. Some incidental spoilers.

19. Treehouse

Man, of all the horror movies not to kill off the main character...

18. Uncanny Annie

Working with board games for a living, there is so much more you could have done with the idea of an evil board game than just giving it a creepy little girl horror host! Make fun of Arkham Horror and its intricate and convoluted rules system, where the players die if they forgot one stupid expansion special rule! Or do a low budget adaptation of LJ Smith's Forbidden Game, that would kick ass.

17. They Come Knocking

There's just nothing really to say about this movie, which is a shame because the Black Eyed Kids are very visually creepy, and the idea of them haunting an RV where you can't easily escape them has a lot of promise. It shouldn't be trite and boring. Alas.

16. The Body

This was apparently based on a short film, and that makes sense, since after we learn the genuinely entertaining premise it kind of devolves into padding. I will give it points for a hot villain, even if he's bargain basement Johnny Lee Miller playing bargain basement Patrick Bateman.

15. Good Boy

Great premise, mediocre execution. I love the idea that a dog can also be a werewolf, and I love taking the fact that dogs react when their owners are anxious to a deadly conclusion, but the movie just sort of petered out instead of going somewhere.

14. All That We Destroy

This should probably be higher up since it's very well made, but I hate the main characters. True, I am supposed to hate the main characters. Still, if I'm supposed to hate the main characters and I do hate the main characters, is that good or bad?

13. Down

I was conflicted about where to put this on the list since I love the first half and hate the latter half. Turning a romantic comedy premise into a bottle episode thriller is done really well, with the tension rising as we see the truth behind these characters past their sexual chemistry, but then it becomes a psycho chase movie, and just a meh one at that. Maybe just watch it until the reveal.

12. Midnight Kiss

This is just kind of a basic slasher (or a giallo? Maybe that's a better word for it, what with the black gloves and the fact that the killer has an actual motive), but I've rethought it upon reading reviews pointing out how cool it is to have a shlocky genre movie about gay people. They don't get killed because they're gay, the bad guy isn't a bad guy because he's gay, but the gay characters and setting are still vital to the plot, and that is indeed pretty cool. And even before considering these things, it's fun with a stylish bad guy costume.

11. A Nasty Piece of Work

This one is basically a worse version of the movie Cheap Thrills, but it has Julian Sands and is arguably less of a bummer, so that's not nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if evil rich people forcing their workers to perform increasingly fucked up things for monetary prizes becomes its own whole genre.

10. Pooka

This one is has actual ambition, artistry and a very creepy monster design, but I don't like movies that tell you two thirds of the way through that it was all a dying dream and didn't really matter. I don't even like Mullholland Drive.

9. Flesh & Blood

This one should probably be lower down since it's not breaking any new ground and you can instantly see where it's going, but I have a special appreciation for it because in my opinion, it handled its plot much better than critically acclaimed Hannibal handled the very similar Abigail Hobbes plotline. Flesh & Blood understands that a girl rebelling against her emotionally incestuous serial killer father figure is her goddamn story, not something to make some other man sad.

8. Pure

Very genuinely creepy! Even creepier knowing it's only barely an exaggeration of actual father-daughter purity pledges! But I actually think it might have worked better without the supernatural angle; all the most disturbing and striking moments were the mundane ones.

7. Crawlers

Am I the only one who likes this movie? It has bad reviews on letterboxd but I thought it was fun! I like the drug-dealing survivalist heroine, I find her narration very entertaining, and I was satisfied with the concluding 'spot the imposter' test with the shapechanging aliens. They could have done more with the pub crawl premise, though (I think the movie Grabbers is supposed to do that better.)

6. School Spirit

As soon as I saw that this was a slasher movie pastiche of The Breakfast Club I was fully on board. (The kids are arguably more sympathetic than their Breakfast Club counterparts!) The villain reveal gets a little silly, but I appreciate the Psycho reference, and the final girl's speech to the killer is absolutely iconic.

5. Pilgrim

The first one I saw, cheesy yet engaging enough to make me want to see all the others! I would watch a whole franchise about either the villain or the final girl. (I also want to mention that I like how Into the Dark's colorblind casting gives us a mixed race family with a black heroine, which adds some unspoken subtext to her conflict with the pilgrims.) I should request this for Yuletide one of these years.

4. New Year New You

This was a very good thriller riding on its very realistic villain; most of us don't personally know a Jason Voorhees, but plenty of us know childhood bullies and all of us know of loathesome influencers. Unfortunately, the realistic characters make the increasingly unrealistic easy kills and resolution harder to accept. Still worth watching. And it's cool that it has an all-female cast!

3. Culture Shock

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't spoiled myself for the twist, but it was still very good! It's very interesting how it turns from a gritty real-world thriller to a full on Twilight Zone episode. The way classic Americana becomes grotesque reminds me of the Fallout games, which in this case is a compliment. And it actually had something to say, which not enough horror movies do.

2. I'm Just Fucking With You

This one is the best actual horror movie, genuinely disturbing and scary. The line between petty internet trolling and cold-blooded sadism gets blurrier and blurrier. It lets you know that if you actually met the Joker you would fucking hate him.

1. Pooka Lives

This is probably not actually the best movie, but as a former reader of Slenderman blogs it warmed my heart. (You don't have to watch the first Pooka movie, though the tonal shift is artistically interesting.) It's such a funny take on the evolution of creepypasta, plus Rachel Bloom kills Will Wheaton! This is what I want from low-budget horror comedy.

[coldmorte]

Hey! I really really like your blog and all the Dutch content, and I read your posts on Molly and Dutch and I just felt like sharing my thoughts :) If you don’t feel like it, just ignore this

I like Molly, even though I agree that she’s very much a snob and very paranoid at times.

It’s always felt very clear to me that Molly really, truly loves Dutch. And love makes you do stupid, desperate things (just look at Arthur).

Molly’s interaction with Abigail is about Dutch’s love for Molly, not the other way around. It’s Abigail saying that Dutch doesn’t love her and Molly lashing out (probably to protect herself from the truth).

This is brought up again in An Honest Mistake, when she talks to Arthur about Dutch, questioning how Dutch seems to him. When Molly says, “I really love him, you know,” Arthur averts his eyes and doesn’t look at her. I’ve always seen this as Arthur knowing Dutch doesn’t love her in the way Molly wants him to, if he loves her at all.

I’ve always seen Dutch as being kind of ahead of his time when it comes to certain progressive ideas (especially as it pertains to race), but when it comes to women, he’s very much a product of his his time. The way he talks about them and to/at them, whether it’s Molly or Abigail or Mary-Beth or Sadie, is often either dismissive or condescending.

While he doesn’t outright say it, the way he acts around the women at camp has always left me feeling like he prefers women (at least the ones he takes an actual interest in) to fit into the roles society has carved out for them; they have to be beautiful and docile and romantic-minded for him to take an interest.

You’ve said yourself, that Dutch deals with a lot of self doubt and that stems from wanting to be seen as a great and powerful man, who the people in camp can look up to, and women (especially young women) were (and to some degree stil is) seen as symbols of status. Molly is a beautiful woman from a wealthy family; she could have anyone she wanted, and she chose Dutch and ran away with him, leaving her old life behind – that’s the ultimate powermove on Dutch’s part.

I’ve always thought of Dutch as a romantic, the way he talks about love and how it’s the one thing worth living for, and I believe that he may have at some point actually loved Molly or at least convinced himself that he did, but the second he grows tired of her and realises that he doesn’t actually love her, he’s moving on to another, younger woman.

His inner romantic and his ego and need to be perceived as powerful are at odds with each other, and as the game progresses we see how his romantic and kind side wilt under the weight and pressure of his responsibilities as a leader and his need to be perceived as powerful and a great leader.

Those are my thoughts at least :)

Hello!

Thank you for the ask and the kind words! That really does mean a lot!! 💜💜💜

I am very grateful for your message, and no!!!! I don’t want to ignore it!! That wouldn’t be very fair of me, as I feel like you bring up some good points to discuss. Also, I appreciate the respect in your message and for taking the time to write so much out! I’d be happy to give you some of my time in return 🥰

(Warning: SPOILERS below)

I’m going to take your points one at a time here. So, starting with liking Molly, it’s totally fine! I don’t want to be too negative on my blog, and I don’t want people to feel like they have to think the same way I do. That wouldn’t be any fun, so it does make me happy that you can enjoy her character. I don’t want to take that away from you!! By all means, love her to your heart's content!!! ❤️

Furthermore, though I don’t personally like Molly, I don’t think she was a truly bad person. Just like every other character in the game, she had flaws and made mistakes. I primarily wish I could have gotten to know her better because she was presented during a very dark time in her life. I feel like this affected my perception of her, and I might have seen her differently, if I had gotten the chance to interact more with her character (especially outside of the RDR2 timeframe). Everybody deserves not only to love somebody, but everybody also deserves to have faith that the person they love can truthfully say the same back to them. I felt bad that Molly died such an unhappy, loveless death.

About the love Molly had for Dutch, I agree that she loved him. My point in bringing up infatuation was to primarily highlight the reason and the degree to which she honestly loved him. Did Molly love Dutch for the man he was, or for the idea of the man he was? Maybe, it was a mix? I am not sure there is enough information to give a conclusive answer to this (as I somewhat mentioned before).

To be fair, the same thing could (and should) be asked of Dutch. Did he truly love her, or did he just love the idea of having her at his side? Again, it would be fascinating to see the early part of their relationship. It would answer a LOT of questions. You mention that Dutch arguably saw Molly as a symbol of status, and I agree that it was very plausible. I think, to some degree, both Molly and Dutch saw each other as being favorable for what they represented, unfortunately.

In regard to the interaction between Molly and Abigail, I realize my response was unclear about this (that’s my bad). I'll try to write it better here, but this is really complicated to put into words! I'll do my best!!

What I said was that Molly got angry at people she “perceived” as challenging her love (this was subjective to her POV and not necessarily reflective of true reality). My original answer was not objective (nor was it meant to be - I was trying to write this part from her POV), and there are a few layers I want to analyze here. First of all, from an objective perspective, you are correct. The conversation between them was ultimately about Dutch not loving Molly the way she wanted to be loved. However, the first thing Molly did was state to Abigail that she loved Dutch. If she didn’t see this point as being in question, why did she feel the need to immediately justify it before saying anything else? To me, it seemed like she needed to actively prove that she loved him to others.

This was also seen with Karen and Arthur. The conversations with Karen were confusing because they didn’t have much context, but perhaps, that was the point - to show the extent of Molly’s paranoia (in other words, that there was no context and that she was imagining Karen to be against her out of insecurity). Molly continually complained that Karen said bad things about her, and she insisted that she not only loved Dutch, but that he loved her as well. Then, as you mention, Molly emphasized to Arthur that SHE loved Dutch (it was not directly about his love for her). Again, by constantly having to profess her feelings, it was as if she thought people were doubting her on some level.

But here is where the contradiction comes in - I believe that Molly was smart enough to know that this doubting wasn't entirely genuine. She knew it was never really her love that she should have been concerned about. Although, by focusing on herself, it was a way to deflect from her insecurity regarding Dutch and the fact that she knew, deep down, he didn’t truly love her (at least, not anymore). That’s why she got so upset when Abigail, for instance, brought this point up. As soon as the conversation shifted from Molly’s love to Dutch’s love, she lashed out and stormed away.

So, to try to summarize this all up, what I am trying to say is that Molly “perceived” challenges to her own state of emotions as a means of shifting away from her concerns about Dutch’s feelings. She knew her "perceptions" were really more like lies to herself. Molly wanted the conversation with Abigail to seem like it was about her because she felt she was more in control of that and could handle it better. From a neutral perspective, the conversation was definitely not about Molly - it was entirely about Dutch, which Molly knew (she just didn’t like Abigail directly pointing it). I hope my response makes more sense? Sorry, if I am still being confusing!

Now, as for Dutch and his progressive ideas, I think a lot of them were formed in his youth. Little information was given about his childhood, but he did seem pretty sensitive about the fact that he grew up fatherless. His dad died in the Civil War (a conflict primarily centered around the issue of slavery and states’ attitudes towards it), while fighting on the side of the Union. One reason Dutch was probably so progressive in regard to race was because of his anger over losing a parent to racially-motivated violence. Racism seemed like a waste of time and life, so he was bitter towards people who still harbored racist sentiments. He knew firsthand how destructive they could be.

Minimal insight was provided into Dutch’s relationship with his mother, other than the fact that it was quite strained and unhappy. He left home at a young age and essentially disowned her. He obviously didn’t keep in touch with her, judging that he didn’t even know she died until years after the fact. Could this have affected his attitude later in life (towards women)?

I suppose it’s possible. Maybe, Dutch would have looked better on women, had he been closer with his mother. I consider his attitude towards women as pretty average for the era. It’s not entirely fair to compare him to Arthur, who was very progressive for the time and definitely above normal standards. As you say, I think Dutch was a product of his time. In RDR2, he didn’t come across as physically abusive, nor did he overtly sexualize women. However, he did seem to expect women to act in a subordinate manner. It's not great (and I certainly do not agree with his attitude), but again, the contemporary standards in regard to gender roles did not exist in 1899.

Lastly, I COMPLETELY agree about Dutch being VERY romantic, sentimental, and idealistic. This wasn’t just limited to interpersonal relationships either - it also fit his entire perspective of America and the values he held dear. Just take a look at some of his quotes:

“The promise of this great nation - men created equal, liberal and justice for all - that might be nonsense, but it’s worth trying for. It’s worth believing in.”

And:

“If we keep on seeking, we will find freedom.”

In the beginning, he had such high hopes and strong faith that he could find a way to live free from social and legislative demands. Compare that to the end, where he started to say things like:

“You can’t fight nature. You can’t fight change.”

And:

“There ain’t no freedom for no one in this country no more.”

Dutch wanted to believe that there was a chance to live free from the threat of control, but as he started to lose people he loved and got closer to losing his own battle, he started to take on a much more cynical tone. He began to realize that his romantic notions and idealistic visions of life were not always obtainable - no matter how hard he tried to reach them - and it broke him. This change in his life outlook was kind of similar to his interpersonal relationships. When he realized they were a lot of work and not always happy/perfect, he seemed to grow frustrated. Love requires a lot of patience and energy. Despite full effort, love still does not always succeed.

Also, I just want to add that I think Dutch knew he had a problem with his pride, but he tried his best to maintain his tough, confident persona because he didn’t want to be perceived as weak. He definitely realized he messed up in putting his pride first in the end, but at that point, it was too late. Whatever was left of his idealistic aspirations in life died with Arthur up on that cliff.

Anyhow, I’ve said more than enough. I’d like to once again thank you for the ask!! I hope my response was worth the time to read and that it makes sense. Feel free to share any more thoughts you may have!!!

~ Faith 💜

[fangirlings-things]

A bit of patience

Fandom: Hannibal

Pairing: Will Graham x adoptedson!reader x Hannibal Lecter

Word count: 1K

Warnings: mentions of death

Summary: Will and Hannibal decide to take you fishing, which doesn't please you so much at first

@daleanjustwantstohavefun said: Hello ! Could I please request a Hannibal fanfic where Will and Hannibal are like father figures for Male Reader. (Kind of like Abigail, but without the death part) Maybe they went fishing together, something like that.

A/N: hi love! I loved this idea and tried my best here (only mentions of death because well, this is hannibal!) i hope that doesn't bother you and you like this piece, thank you for requesting 💕

gif is not mine

“I can’t believe you guys convinced me to do this” you said loudly to demonstrate your annoyance, putting all the stuff they had made you carry in the grass and then you sat down, sighting heavily.

“Come on, this is not so bad” Hannibal told you, eyebrows raised as he searched your face for a better humor. He also put the things he was carrying in the grass, much more graciously than you had, of course. Everything that man did was gracious, you had quickly realized that, even before you started to live with them.

“Fishing is great. It only demands a bit of patience” Will said, giving you an incisive look. It had been his idea to go fishing, in a river not so far from his house. You had thought your week with Will would start out calm inside the house, maybe reading a book or watching some TV. His idea of fishing came as a surprise and couldn’t actually talk him out of it, since he had already invited Hannibal too.

“A bit?” you raised your eyebrows at him and the expression on your face must have been quite a sight because Will laughed, throwing his head back a bit, which made Hannibal smile. You couldn’t help but smile either.

Will and Hannibal did all the work, putting things in place and setting up the gear so the 'fun' could start, as Will himself had quoted. You just watched then, slightly squeezing your eyes because for some reason that day was being distinctively sunny.

“(Y/N), come help me with the lures” Hannibal called and you sighted one more before getting up and going to sit next to him. He handed you some fish bait to put at the hook and as you did, he spoke as if he was thinking out loud. “The mind of the fish can be very interesting, if we think about the fact that the same fish can be caught by the same fisherman on the same day. He sees the bait, gets caught and if returned to safety, tend to make the same mistake again”

“Some people are just like fish” Will said from his spot in the grass, looking over to the both of you with his eyes also slightly squeezed because of the sun. “They make the same mistakes over and over again”

“And sometimes, they get eaten by the world” Hannibal concluded the line of thinking, eyes on Will. Their gazes were fixed on each other as they spoke, as if that was some case they were working in together.

“Did you guys just psychoanalyzed the fish?” you shook your head in denial, looking from one of them to the other. They both looked at you in confusion, as if nothing unnatural had happened and the conversation had been completely normal. You laughed, which confused them even more. To your family, made by those two incredible man, that was in fact, a normal talk.

“Okay, let’s put it in the water” Will said, having gotten up and put his fishing rod, that had a spinning reel behind him, motioning his arms backwards. Taking a deep breath, he moved his eyes forward with enough force to send the line to the middle of the river, where it now rested. Will sighted happily as he sat back on the grass, steading the fishing rod with both of his hands. His eyes, didn’t leave the other end of it.

You and Hannibal did the same, putting your fishing rod's into the water one after the other. You three sat side by side, talking here and there or just making silence as you watched your respective rods. And even though you hadn’t at first liked the idea of going there, the fact that you were with them and they were enjoying themselves meant a lot. You owed those two a lot. Everything, in fact. They didn’t have any reason to take responsibility for you when your mother, your only family, was murdered and still, they did so. Will formally adopted you and you got to spend your weeks with them. One of Will, one of Hannibal. And honestly, you had nothing to complain about. They could be a little weird and off sometimes, but it was their personalities, and you loved them just like that.

“(Y/N)! Look!” Will’s tone was amazed, as if the most incredible thing had just happened. He pointed to the river with his left hand and you saw that the end of your fishing had disappeared. Meaning, it was under water. You had caught one.

“Go on, (Y/N). You got this” Hannibal said, encouragingly.

Instantly your body began to move, even though you had only fished once in your life, years before with some friends during a hot weekend. You got up to your feet and began to pull at the rod, spinning the reel back to the fish would be brought to you. You chuckled when it worked, the line getting closer and closer to the grass. But then, a sharp sound filled the air and all the pressure the fish was putting against you was gone. The line had broken.

You felt disappointment fill your whole being as you sighted heavily. You had been so close.

“Sorry, kid” Will said, looking really sad for your loss. He had seemed so happy before, to see you doing fine in one of his favorite activities, that being fishing. You had already made him proud by loving dogs.

Hannibal analyzed the upset expression on your face with caution. “You want to leave?”

“No” you said, looking to the both of them. You saw the affection they had for you on their faces. The caring that you feared you would never receive again. You loved those men, you really did. Your whole life you hadn’t had a father and all of sudden, you had gotten two of them. “I want to stay. I’m not leaving today without getting at least three fish”

“Shall we make this a competition?” Hannibal suggested, smiling as he looked from you to Will then back at you. He knew you were competitive. More and more games of chess had told him that.

“Fine by me” you locked your gaze with Will’s and smiled.

He chuckled, shrugging a bit. “You’re going to loose”

“We’ll see about that” Hannibal replied, winking at you.

You smiled and went to work to get your fishing rod fixed, not wanting to waste any time with your lure out of the water.

[hecohansen31]

It Was Fun Till It Lasted

Duncan Shepherd x F1 Pilot Female! Reader

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

I have been a bit silent the latest weeks, but I just got hit by the inspiration train as of lately (even more after all the F1 glory we have been getting) and I just thought about a small drabble, about Duncan in the race car universe.

Not as a driver, but more like a sponsor.

This is very PWP, even for my sentimental ass, so I do hope that you’ll like it, even though it isn’t the most perfect thing ever (just to warn you).

Also I just wanted to give @guiltyfiend a big shoutout because she has been a constant source of inspiration for me with various fics (‘Quid Pro Quo’ has been the main reason why for the existence of this drabble) so do check out her lovely fics!

I am also personally, maybe (since I don’t feel apprecciated in the other fandoms I am in) of making a few comebacks in this fandom, if any of you would like iit obviously!

So, please, if you want more, don’t forget to leave some kind of feedback I truly apprecciate it from the bottom of my heart and it’ll truly make my heart beat stronger and my fingers write faster!

Don’t ever ever forget to support your beloved writers with feedback, if you liked what they wrote!

Have a nice reading!

SUMMARY: Galas can be annoying things, but when an handsome fellow accidentally drenches you in champagne there are many ways your night might change.

WORDS: 5,4 K

WARNINGS: Mention of Sexism, Misogyny, Harassment On The Workplace, Inaccurate Portrayal of The F1 World, Inaccurate Way Of Cleaning Champagne From Clothes, Sex, Slight Dirty Talk, Mirror Sex, Oral Sex (Female Receiving), Sex Between Strangers.

You sipped slowly from the flute of champagne you had managed to steal, meanwhile your boss wasn’t looking, since you had been instructed to avoid getting yourself drunk till you got the trophy in your hand, to avoid replacing the ‘drunk Kimi meme’ in the F1 world.

But it was difficult for you, an introvert, to feel at ease in a room full of different people.

A few of them were gladly ignoring you, but more were looking at you like you were some kind of freak in a costume, which was probably the best description for being one pilot of the only all-female team existing in F1.

You had grown up with the myths of Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda, thanks to your grandfather and his the passion for fast cars and elegant ones, raising you as some kind of substitute to him, who had never been able to race, having had various problematics with his own health.

An heartattack at seventy had taken him away, just as you signed your first contract with the F2.

You had been partnered with a male pilot, and although the car wasn’t the fastest, you had managed to become much better than your partner, eventually getting yourself fired because females, in a place like F1, couldn’t raise to fame, throwing you in a depression that had brought you almost on the verge…

… but then your newest F1 stable had brought you back, giving you a car that wasn’t definitely one of the best you could have gotten but it had gotten you through a nice first season, and you had actually arrived at the sixth position in the constructors’ championship, alongside your partner…

… who, right now, didn’t look less bothered than you, at this fancy party.

But Abigail could definitely hold the curious gazes better than you.

You might have needed something more than champagne to get through a night like this.

You had begged your stable director to just bring Abigail, the social butterfly out of the two of you, but he had just insisted that ‘having two beauties on his arm would have done him and the stable more good than just one’.

And aside from the blatantly sexist part of the comment, you knew he was right.

Sponsors had been rushing to you this season because the media had focused much attention on the importance of new female figures in races, but now that the novelty was rushing off a few had decided to let you go, so you had to grab a few new ones, convincing them through either the use of your talk and your feminine charm.

‘… I had almost thought that he’d ask us to sleep with the sponsors to get them to stay’ had commented Abigail, as you both set yourself up for the night, the elegant rented dresses waiting for you on the comfortable bed of the expensive suite of the hotel ‘… it was this close to becoming an episode of ‘Law & Order: SVU’.

And now Abigail was being her usual chatty with a few sponsors fawning around her, as you tried to down the flute of champagne almost as if it was a full bottle of vodka, something that you honestly missed and stared at the expensive drink in the glass.

If only your glare could turn it in something that would give you more liquid courage.

A few of the rookies had been tried to talk with you and you had been extremely happy to have someone approach you, but soon the chat had diffused itself and all the drivers had been called back by their own director, and you had found yourself alone, again, and with annoying stares upon you.

Many of the pilots from the other stables had tried to get you in bed with them, and you knew that there were various bets going on about getting you or Abigail to finally relent your ‘haughty pretenses’, not to talk about the fact that the entire media platform and magazines had been set up on you and Abigail, waiting for any false step of yours.

You had been dubbed ‘the sole chance for feminism to raise’ and everyone was waiting for you to fall.

To prove that F1 wasn’t female territory.

So, you had been rigorously swearing off any coupling with the other drivers.

The fact that you found it already quite difficult to combine your training and the various galas you had to attend with an healthy social life, certainly did help with the whole ‘chastity promise’ thing.

And you never regretted such a choice during the race season.

The ‘no sex’ rule helped you during the competition, keeping your mind in the game, but now that the driving season was ended and you were finally enjoying your well-deserved holiday, you couldn’t help but hate thoroughly the situation you had landed yourself in, only able to rely on your hand and a few interesting toys.

But otherwise, utterly frustrated.

And yet unable to come up with a solution on such a short notice.

Dicks didn’t grow up on trees, these days.

You just bumped in them, apparently.

Because, as you were halfway through having your second drink of the night, counting on the fact that the director of your stable was halfway through a successful talk with some well-dressed older gentlemen, hence making him quite busy already and unable to check up on you, you clashed against a wall.

A wall of muscles, at a second glance.

A breathing wall of muscles, at third glance.

But you were far more interested by the fact that the bump-in had just made you spill your entire drink on your Givenchy rented dress, the one that costed more than your apartment rent, something that made a loud ‘shit’ leave your mouth and making the ‘wall of muscles’ raise his head towards you, as he noticed the stain.

And then, when you noticed that ‘wall of musclea’ had a pretty face and an even prettier body, a softer ‘shit’ left your mouth.

What a way to make an impression.

“Oh Gosh, I am sorry!” American accent, no British accent.

That was probably where Mother Nature had drawn in blessing him with all the ‘fucking handsome man’ gifts.

His handsome face was elegantly touched up by high cheekbones and feature that had something of roguish matched with elegant traits and darker colors, making him stand out as someone who wasn’t definitely a pilot or a journalist.

Which was ideal for you.

Such an refined face was matched with an elegant tailored body, the suit definitely made for him and him solely, knowing perfectly how to highlight each and every trait of a body that was obtained through attentive work, a careful one that was meant to impose itself or pump his muscles with no aim, but to give him a lean appearance of power.

That definitely worked with you.

“… oh” brain to Earth, brain to Earth, (Y/N), say something intelligent ‘… it was an accident’.

Tell that to the lady that will want the dress back.

But for now, that wasn’t your main concern.

Which was the handsome man in front of you.

But you couldn’t just hump him right there, not only because you were pretty sure that it would have been described as ‘sexual harassment’, but all the spotlight was set up on you, hence all the cameras were focused on every little small mistake you could have done, intensifying them in a way that didn’t happen with men.

You had to be perfect, but even more than that.

You had to be the male everyone thought you were, although you lacked of the attributes.

So, flirting was considered a hellish sin.

“Gosh, I am… extremely sorry” he repeated again, as his eyes shared a quick glance with yours, and you just nodded your head as if you had to confirm to him that you had heard him clearly the first time, before ducking to the restroom, hoping to be able to scrub away the stain, at least to avoid its yellowish color on the stark white of your dress.

But before you could start raising the dress off your legs, where the stain was more evident, you were followed inside by the man, and before you could utter any protest, he caught the ones in your eyes.

“I swear I am not a creeper” he raised his hands as if to reinforce this “… I just… you shouldn’t scrub on silk, it’ll just ruin the fabric, just ran the water and then wait for it to dry, some alcohol and a bit of bleach might also help, the stain will come out, with a single wash… I swear”.

You had a million questions for the stranger, unsure if you shouldn’t have already screamed at him for having entered the ladies restroom, but you just assumed that he was the first handsome guy ever to come with a cute personality.

And good domestic knowledge.

That was meant to always do something to a lady.

“… thank you” you settled on uttering, comforted by the fact that the guy turned around to leave you some privacy, but you couldn’t just let go such an opportunity, even more when you were in some kind of secluded area, and he didn’t look like the type that had a secret go-pro camera under his clothes.

Some girl that you had once met in a bathroom at one of the races had turned out to have one, as she egged on commenting some shit over Abigail.

Unluckily for her, Abigail was in the other stall and she had flushed in the noisiest way the water, before appearing with some kind of triumphant aura around her.

“… can you please stay?” ‘people will probably doubt you on your “abilities” if you come out after five minutes’ you almost wanted to utter, as a test to know if he looked just like a sex god or he fucking was, although with the way his cheeks blushed of a light red, you simply bit down on your tongue “… just to help me get the stain off, properly… you seem to know much more than me about it”.

“Things happen in college” he commented, as if it was an explanation.

What kind of parties had he been in college?

You just remembered the rush to grabbing the cheapest and most efficient alcohol.

He reached out as kindly as he could to start on the farthest part of your dress, where it wasn’t straight up skin tight, gently dabbing it with a piece of paper you had handed him, the fabric destroying itself on the dress, but the stain became a bit less prominent.

Enough to pass as some kind of enrichment the stylist had done on the dress at the last minute.

You hoped you could make the lady that had rented it to you buy this shit off too.

Because you either managed to get the stain out or get yourself a sponsor for the new year, or you’d have had to probably start living on the road, with only a few shining trophies for losers, such as the one you were supposed to grab tonight, for ‘best promising team’.

As if there was some kind of competition, between your small team and various established ones…

“… what are you doing at such a party?” you knew that conversation during this kind of thing would have gotten it to seem less sexual than it truly was, and although you were as good at small talk as you were at handling a crowd, you did your best to sound as relaxed as you could be.

But your question still sounded like one out of a police interrogation.

“Friend of a friend” it was more like meaning ‘none of your business’ but kinder, and you couldn’t deny his own right to privacy “… by the way, I do think that I should give you my name… in case you want someone to curse for the dress, I am Duncan”.

“I am (Y/N)” you were glad when no light of recognition shone in his eyes, just as his hand lightly grabbed the back of your upper thigh, to make the dress adhere perfectly to your skin and dab the stain more properly, a light shiver at the touch made you understand how truly touch-starved you had been “… and you look as out of place as me in this fucking gown”.

“Don’t tell anybody, but…” and he lightly leaned in closer to you, enough that you could feel the strong but comforting perfume of his cologne, something that smelt extremely male and yet, you couldn’t detect a trace of toxic masculinity in it “… I have never seen a single race of F1 in my life”.

Just what you needed.

“… oh tell me about it” you played coy, as his hands raised up from your legs skillfully avoided your ass, instead choosing to grip on the outer part of your hip, handling you with care but a sureness that made you want to relent the whole ‘male image’ you had created around you.

What would you have given for a night in which you didn’t have to be the one in control, constantly checking every detail!

“… neither a fan of the whole race panorama?” he asked, as his eyes trained themselves on your stomach, barely covered by the white of the dress, showing him a bit of skin behind it, exactly as the absence of your panties, a crazed decision of Abigail, who had thrown away your seamless granny pants.

‘They might be protective when we race, but these are shit’.

You knew you shouldn’t have lied to him about not belonging in the racing setting, but you just wanted to have one night in which you weren’t the prodigy, the promise, ‘the sole chance for freedom to raise’.

You just wanted to be (Y/N).

“Definitely not”.

“Brought here by a boyfriend?” now he was scanning his own ground, and he had a small break from his cleaning duties, as you caught a glimpse of that damned profile, the kind of thing you saw on expensive old coins.

He was definitely some kind of emperor in his own right.

“Nope” you mumbled, before you gave him back his own same coin “… just brought here by a friend of a friend”.

He smirked at his words being spit back at him and you smiled almost foolishly.

You even let out a soft giggle.

How fucking long had it been since you had giggled?

And done it because you honestly wanted.

And not because you were forced in front of journalists or potential sponsors.

His hands were now on the side of your chest, against the slight hill of your bra (you could have forsaken panties, but you needed that support), his hands lightly tracing the ridge of the silicone part where the bra stood attached to your skin, sweaty due to the fact that you had been wearing the whole thing for five hours, before of the event.

“… and you had an idiot spill a drink over it, in the span of an hour” the words were meant for self-deprecation, but the smile that accompanied him was utterly confident.

Had you had panties, they would have definitely hit the ground soundly in that moment.

“… it could have been worse” you mumbled, just as your eyes twinkled with secret meaning.

‘You could have been a complete twat or old enough to be my grandpa’

“… you couldn’t have known how to get out champagne stains” you joked, settling up on a more PG-13 comment, unsure of what to do, since it had been quite some time since you had last flirted, and although his hand told you a story, you weren’t exactly sure if he had gotten all the clues of the game.

He laughed so brilliantly that also a light blush joined your soft giggle.

“Gosh, that would have been awful” his tone was joking, but his eyes were onto you, as they searched some kind of confirm in yours, and you just had to lean in to sign the deal, leaning down to kiss him.

You had never been one for one-night-stands and neither for quick fucks in a restroom, but with the way he lightly gripped you, making sure to position you on top of the elegant porcelain sink, careful to avoid the water: it wouldn’t have been neither.

And you were completely swept away.

He definitely passed the ‘kiss’ test.

His hand went through your hair perfectly, but careful of the small updo you had done, his fingertips lightly scraping the baby hair on your upper neck, in a way that kept you grounded, just as his lips lightly bit onto your upper lips, leaving you wanting for more, just as he backed away with a cunning smirk.

One that spoke of that technique never failing.

And before he could perform again that cocky enchantment, you kissed him.

Releasing on him entire months of sexual frustration.

And you had to say that you surprised him, enough that you were worried that your suddenness would have scared him, but he just needed to regain the control, before his hand without any care went to mess up your updo, in a way that instead of grounding and relaxing you, made you tense up, just as his hand splayed your knees wide onto the sink to have him come up between them.

And after the passionate kiss you had been sharing, you found yourself quickly locked, with one that gripped you by the hair against the cold mirror and another one splayed on your knee

The fabric of your silk dress lightly caressed the skin of your inner thigh, right as his elegant and expensive pants did the same with your core, making you feel that you shouldn’t have seriously worried about the ‘five minutes thing’, or at least you hoped.

But the package seemed fucking good.

“… so, would you like to have a bit more of help?” the way he pronounced the word ‘help’ sounded downright sinful and how could a girl deny him, as your own hands moved to gently tap on his sharp cheeks, the scratchiness of a cleanly shaved beard making you feel like this was all real.

“Just don’t get my dress dirty” it was a whisper, but your eyes played with the dominance you wanted to relent to him, and he just looked intrigued.

“Then spread your legs properly, little one” and as if under a spell they opened properly and let him adjust himself against them as his hands lightly raised up to collect the dress away from your legs, stopping right up on your hips and leaving a bit of dress to cover you, as if he had to leave you some modesty “… good girl”.

You purred at that, leaning in the light petting of his grip having become less pronounced as a grip and more a caress.

“…  I saw you out there in the crowd and I wanted to buy you a drink, because you looked at unease as me, I thought that you could use that” he commented as his face lightly moved down to the crook of your neck, his nose making a teasing trail down your profile, just as his beard lightly scratched your skin, making it redden simply for his lips, before he covered it of purplish bruises “… I thought I had done the worst thing ever since with pouring a drink over you”.

“… couldn’t stay mad when you fucking looked like a sex god” you muttered unable to deny the truth, your body arching right against his as his hands, gently dragged he strap of your dress down your shoulders, revealing the awful skin-like bra, but he just seemed focused on your collarbones, his hand working slowly to ease the bra away from you, eventually dropping it onto the small tissues box over both of your heads, so it wouldn’t get on the ground.

An attentive gesture, exactly as the way he gripped tightly your breast, making sure that your nipples were lightly caressed by his thumb, right as he bit down on the softer flesh of your neck.

“I am glad that my good looks were of some use” he joked, and gently looked up at you “… and let me tell you, I have a tongue that will make you forget all about my clumsiness”.

“I do think that I deserve an apology” you muttered, as your eyes met again, your lashes cornering perfectly your hazy eyes, breathy and soft “… a vocal apology”.

And he simply smirked down at you, falling on his knees with a sound thud, as you pushed yourself further down the sink you were on, till you felt the painful dig of the faucet in your back, enough to make you moan in protest, but soon the look of wonder on his face as he unveiled the secret underneath your dress was definitely a relief against the uncomfortable position.

“… didn’t know that you were one of those girls that go without panties” he pushed a knee up on you to spread you further to him, as he took in the proper masterpiece that had been revealed to him down there, and his kisses moved up on your inner thigh “… look like the pretty girl turned out to be a bad bad girl, no wonder I am about to fuck you like a fucking bitch in heat in a restroom”.

And you blushed at the profane words.

But it was just more endearing for you as he pushed himself to properly settle against the nest between your legs, already oozing soft milk and sweet honey, his lips lightly pushing against your own, as he dragged the same beard you had felt on your cheeks against your cunt, the sensation making you hiss, right as again your lips came to soothe your ache.

The plumpness of his lips made you unable to stop yourself from moaning out loud, your eyes closing just as he delivered a slap to your thigh, a silent warning to keep your eyes trained on him and you did, as his lips sucked your softest piece in his mouth.

His tongue was instead a blessing inside of you and this time you were the one delving a bit of pain to him, as you grabbed strongly his hair, some kind of relief to keep you grounded as your body became like a cloud, weighted down just by the tension in your whole muscles.

“Fuck, you do know how to have fun” he mumbled tightly, as he released your cunt, something that made you protest loudly “… when was the last time somebody fucked you this good, (Y/N)”.

And before you could properly reply, his finger slipped inside you, making you hiss out at the feeling of being full, so unlike the stretch of your own fingers, so slight that now you needed a minute to calm yourself from everything, as you waited to answer his reply.

And he gave you a moment to breath, before his finger lightly probed further, reaching inside with a wayward gesture that made you choke up on your own words, as your back arched against the mirror and the hand that wasn’t in his hair gripped so tightly the sink that you were sure you had left an acrylic nail there.

“… a long time for sure” he smirked so devilishly that it broke you thoroughly.

And then his tongue matched his finger and before you knew it your floating was interrupted by your skyrocketing to the ground in a pleasurable trail that brought you back to all the earthly pleasure you could ask for, leaving you numb and tensed, your eyes rolling back as you lost sight of what was going on with you.

And then as you regained, your legs were slack over Duncan’s sides, his lips teasing again the skin of your neck, but no intention to punish you with any pain or tease you, instead there was a desperate soothing in his gestures, as you slowly came back to reality.

Fuck, you honestly should do this more.

Sadly, half of the guys that wanted a hook-up wouldn’t have ever done anything like what Duncan just did with you.

And would probably last five minutes, indeed.

“… was that enough of an apology?” he asked as soon as he saw that you had regained some semblance of calmness.

“Definitely yes” not that you could reply with much more.

Your fingers spoke louder as they went to his belt, undoing it with a bit of problem since you were slightly trembling, but he tried his best to let you do it, but before you could lower the pants, he gently grabbed your hands, something soft in his eyes, as he made you look up at him.

“We don’t have to do this…”.

“Oh, c’mon…” you mumbled, but his question was sincere and you couldn’t help but blush lightly “… I am pretty sure I want to do this”.

He mumbled softly, as he grabbed something from his back pocket, as you lightly lowered pants and boxers in one move,

And you weren’t disappointed,

He was definitely a big guy.

Larger than longer, with a light curve that made you painfully ache for having him inside of you, already half-hard, and your hand gently moved up and down on him, in a gentle foreplay that was completely uninterested about the knocking on the door, eventually dissipating in curses.

“… gotta be quiet baby” he commented, as he pushed his wallet on the side of the sink, getting a condom out of it, something for which you were thankful, because although you were on birth control, he was a complete stranger to you, and although the thrill of it just made it all just more daring, you would have preferred avoiding anything that might have given you an awful month “… I don’t know if you will, since I’ll make you feel fucking good”.

You just smirked at him, with a smile that told him ‘I can take it, sweetheart’.

And he just silenced it with pushing himself inside of you.

The penetration gave you an unpleasant stretch, and you needed a minute, as your whole body shifted against him, completely pushing himself in your arms, and to his credit he didn’t do much more than steady you, as he gave you the time to adjust yourself on him, till your whole body relaxed but your own insides.

Gripping him tighter.

Goading him closer and deeper.

And he gently set up a slow rhythm, making you feel each inch of him, till you were hypnotized with the way his hips moved against you, his upper body lightly stroking your clit, as wetness oozed down him, lubing him up, as he took up more speed and you found your back pushed against the mirror with such intensity that you were sure it would have been broken soon.

But you couldn’t give a fuck.

He gently pushed you in another position turning you around, so that you could face the mirror, meanwhile he took you from behind, the angle being deeper and the slight curve of his cock hitting the perfect spot.

And the fact that you could see yourself being fucked by him was only a bonus.

The way his face became so deformed by pleasure gave it all some kind of dreamish state, as the pleasure intensified desperately and you were there just on the right spot, but not enough stimulation was there for you, till he brought a finger in your mouth, and you sucked him inside, looking at the wanton expression on your face, before you closed your eyes.

And pleasure overtook you.

It didn’t take him too much time for him to finish alongside you, as his hand lightly went in your hair again, pushing as a way to grip on reality for a last time and your muscles spasmed around you, desperately and tightly in a way that almost made you wonder how it would have felt to have his seed on you.

And not in a plastic wrapper.

But for now that was all you could do.

Your legs trembled but he steadied you, something that definitely gave him more credit than you thought, expecting him to simply tug himself back in and disappear, maybe stand a bit next to you, to wash himself, but to his credit he gently  handled you better, till you were again seated against the sink, the facet now digging painfully in you.

But you were definitely sore in more pleasurable places.

He gently got you back in your dress, adjusting your bra on your sweaty skin, too sensitive for the powerful orgasms you had felt, his silken touch making goosebumps appear on your skin, as your nipples lightly peaked and he couldn’t stop himself from gently sucking one after the other in his mouth, as you moaned almost as a protest.

“Don’t start something you won’t finish” you warned him, as his eyes twinkled with teasing happiness.

“… I would… but I do think that people need this restroom” and he was right, since you felt somebody halfway through calling the security and you shouted out calmly a soft ‘sorry, I just stained my dress and I am trying to get the stain away’ “… but if you want, I can… leave you my number, for more fun…”.

Which you were tempted to take, honestly.

He was handsome, he had a good dick game and he was definitely respectful of boundaries.

But you knew these things always got too complex for you.

First of all because had you given him your number, you would have to admit the truth and secondly as much as you were free right now a partner that was repeated a few more times was dangerous, because feelings might be developed.

“… I…” but how could you let down a guy like this.

“… you aren’t the type” a sad smile appeared on the man’s face, no hard feelings for sure, but definitely uncomfortable at your rejection and you couldn’t help but simply nod “… got it, well it was fun till it lasted”.

And to his merit he didn’t do anything that might have been rough against you, choosing to instead smile politely as he cleaned himself a bit, before he exited with one last look at you, as if to check if you had changed your mind, but you simply stood painfully uncomfortable off the sink as you dabbed a bit more the stain.

“… thank you for the suggestion and…” ‘…the fucking amazing sex’.

“You are welcome”.

And with that he disappeared from the restroom, as you thought he’d disappear from your life.

The only trace of him was the faint stain on your dress and the slight blush on your cheeks as you joined Abigail again.

‘… somebody got lucky’ she simply muttered, as she twirled her glass, another one in your hands, as your eyes searched for Duncan, he joined a few of the investors, but your eyes diverted immediately from that sight, worried the connection might be seen and questioned ‘… at least one of us got laid tonight’.

You simply elbowed her, as you smiled lovingly at the sponsors.

But you definitely felt rebirthed after the restroom session.

Maybe you were wrong about not seeing him again.

Not that you hadn’t to wait much to meet him again.

That morning you had been asked to take part at a reunion of the stable, alongside a few sponsors that you had found at the latest event, it was a way to get them to know the ‘talents’ they’d fund, and as you expected old and older people to approach you, you were surprised to find Duncan standing there.

Hadn’t he been a complete stranger to the F1 platform?

And as your grew nervous and more nervous, your stable director came up to you and Abigail, slinging an arm over you both as he moved to get you and present you to him, making you blush as much as he did, but he was extremely professional.

You couldn’t, when you discovered he was your newest sponsor.

‘Girls let me introduce to you both our latest sponsor’ your boss commented softly ‘Duncan Shepherd’.

And he was Duncan fucking Shepherd.

The heir to the Shepherd foundation.

What the fuck had you done?

---

Duncan Shepherd (I don’t really have a taglist anymore, so if you are interested on being there for Michael do let me know, and I’ll add you, if I ever think about writing something for him again!):

@blakewaterxx​, @melodylangdon, @avocodys​, @ahsbitch​, @littlegirlsdontplaynice​, @accio-rogers​

[lycanhood]

Thoughts on Motherland: Fort Salem (So Far)

Hey so I know I may be a little behind on this one, but I’ve finally binge-watched Motherland: Fort Salem and I’ve had alot swirling around in my head about it for the last few days. This is a little bit of a review and a little bit of rant, but there will be SPOILERS ahead which I’ll try to mark accordingly. 

I think the concept for this show is so fucking cool. Really and truly, alternate history in which the witches of Salem made a deal with the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form a military and fight the New World’s wars in exchange for mercy from extermination essentially. So they form a Witch Army. And Army of Witches!! That’s fucking cool. It is. Sadly, I think the concept may be entirely too cool for Freeform. 

By that I mean to say that this super cool and entirely edgy idea is just too heady for Freeform to do properly. This idea belongs on HBO or Netflix, because those networks thrive on subject matter like Motherland: Fort Salem. (Sidenote: wtf is it called that? Just name the show ‘Fort Salem’. That kinda tells us everything we need to know about the premise right there in two word. Adding ‘Motherland’ in there just makes it too long and oddly Russian.)

There are just alot of little things about this show that kept it from realizing what I felt could have been some pretty amazing potential. I’ll try to organize those little things as best I can. But the one big problem I had while watching this was that the best thing about this show is it’s alternate history premise isn’t given enough attention.

What I mean is...I’m interested in the show, because I’m interested in what the world (what America) might have looked like if we had a military operated by supernaturally powered women for the past 300+ years. And Fort Salem just doggedly refuses to actually show me that world. The show doesn’t like to explain itself or really explore what it means to be a woman (witch or otherwise) in this alternative America. Most of the show takes place on Fort Salem, a military headquarters of sorts that is mostly strife with political games, attack strategies, training drills, and odd rituals. I have so many questions about this world: Are non-witch women treated differently due to the fact that their country is run and protected by women? There’s a female president in this timeline, so that’s certainly a possibility. If there are male witches as well, why don’t they fight in the same army as the female witches? And since they don’t fight in the main army, what is their mysterious role in this world? We see them making weapons and babies, that’s about it. In 1x5 “Bellweather Season”, the unit goes to a wedding which celebrates a 5 year contract of marriage between the couple. What’s up with that? Why only 5 years? Are they expected to have a child during this time period? if they do have a child are they expected to stay together longer than the 5 years? How many times are the male witches expected to get married? How many children are expected or allowed? Because this show is full of only-children which is statistically different from our own reality. How long are wicthes expected to serve in the military? They’re entire lives? We don’t see any female witches living as civilians at any age (other than Tally’s mother due to tragic circumstances). 

What is the source of the witches powers exactly? They’re abilities are sonic/auditory in nature, usually requiring the use of their vocal cords. Why? How? There are brief moments where it seems like sound is less necessary like when Raelle heals, or when the witches use Linking to connect to one another. There is also the use of herbs/drugs to fly, that doesn’t seem to require sound at all. 

We’re told the female witches get some kind of power-up or energy boost from having sex (or perhaps just feeding off the sexually energy?) with the male witches. Hence, the Beltane orgy ceremony in episode 1x04. What’s up with that? Does this power-boast only come from sex with male witches or would sex with human men do just as well? Would human men have a less potent effect? And is the power-boost depended on heterosexuality? Because throughout Raelle & Scylla’s sexually relationship no such power-up is ever mentioned. 

See so many questions, that the show simply doesn’t feel the need to answer. I understand the desire to avoid bogging down a show with exposition. But their are ways to do exposition right and in interesting ways. Exposition is sometimes necessary, because the more the audience knows about this world, the more rich and detailed, and so close to real is is to them, the more likely they are to be invested in it. 

And make no mistake the world and my curiosity about it is what kept me watching. 

For much of this first season, the characters don’t have any room to become people. I don’t dislike these characters, but they have yet to really bloom into more than archetypes (Abigail: the legacy, the leader, the overachiever. Tally: the innocent, the hopeful, the lynchpin. And Raelle: the rebel, the cynic, the shitbird)

Alot of time in the early episodes were spent following the same formulate. Raelle runs off, ditching training to go wander around and finds Scylla. Abigail and Tally follow after her, because they need her to do well in training because they pass or fail as a unit. I can not even tell you how many times Raelle causally ditches training, gets caught, gets told how much trouble she’s in, and then doesn’t actually face any consequences at all. She has to do guard duty overnight once. And that was just for being late, not even all the times she leaves in the middle or doesn’t show up for training at all!

I just wish this show focused on different beats in the pulse of this story, and made more of an effort explore this world and these characters through the lens of 3 young women who have just been essentially drafted into the military. Instead of skipping all that training I wish I could have seen so much more of it! That would have been a fantastic way to explain this world’s magic system to the audience! It’s built-in easy action-paced exposition right there! That the show just has no interest in. 

And at last, I’ll talk about the show’s main romantic pair, Raelle x Scylla. Sigh. I’m not hardcore against this pairing. I’m really not. But I am frustrated with the way the writers chose to unfold their relationship. We find out early on that Scylla is an agent of the Spree (big bad witchy terrorists), and I hate that. Because then they try to make me ship Raelle x Scylla even though I already know that shit is going to end in pain and betrayal. I cam’t ship something that I already know is built on lies, dude. I just can’t. That could have been a big awesome emotionally reveal in the later half of the season, instead of the dreadful thing I was anticipating from basically the very beginning. I’m as big a fan of enemies-to-lovers as anyone, but not like this. It’s more fun when both parties know they’re enemies, you know what I mean?

Anyway, I know it’s easy to point at the writers/devlopers and say “Man, I would have done this so differently...” but in Fort Salem’s case it’s my biggest take away.

Even from the very first opening scene, where the Spree (Scylla herself) commits a frightening and ruthless act of terrorism at the mall. Okay, big bad introduction for the Spree there. But how about introducing the audience to the world of this alternate history first? Use that awesome premise. Do a cold open, Salem, Mass 1692 Sarah Adler is about to be hanged as a witch until she opens her mouth and changes the world forever. Show me that. Set the stage of history. The villains could have come later. They always do.

All in all, I don’t hate this show ( I know this may have turned out more rant than review, but...) I was just really disappointed by the execution of a premise I felt had great potential. But, it’s not necesarily too late. Season two can still course correct and pull us into this world outside the fort’s walls, and manage to bring the characters into their own as they find their way back to one another. I’ll keep watching, because if this show did anything for me, it made me curious. 

[scarfacemarston]

I was thinking about Abigail cheerfully reminiscing with Uncle about her days as a working girl (specifically crushing a john's balls). I get the impression she didn't exactly hate her old job, or at least liked having her own money. (You can see how ashamed she is when she has to beg Arthur for money because she can't afford new clothes for Jack.) What's your take on Abigail's life before John?

Trigger warning for completely  undescribed in canon teenage s*xual conduct and being groomed/tricked into s*x work. Trigger warning for  some of the gang’s shaming of working girls.  Be warned.

Thanks for the anon ! I always love answering questions. So I’ve actually studied the history of sex work academically because of the game so I’ll draw a lot from that to try to explain my theories. It doesn’t make it gospel, of course.

That’s a good question and I have a LOT of problems with that conversation. It makes no sense at all. At the very least, Abigail has her math wrong. She quit her time as working girl when she joined the gang and became exclusive with John. This was a year plus before Jack was born. It’s simply impossible. The epilogue is full of mistakes and I firmly believe this is one of them.  Her going back to work in that fashion makes no sense. No one would have cared for Jack. Also she was 22 and a mother. That was considered “Used up” and people would have figured it out quickly. She would have struggled to have find clients and no one would have protected her. She’s not defenseless, but let’s be real here. She would have only been accepted into the lowest of the working girl hierarchy. More about that here.  She would have lost the gang money, not earned it. You had to fight for territory with alliances, money and sometimes violence. Again - no way could Abigail do that. Then there’s also the rent she’d have to pay for the night, the doctor exams, the law, secrecy issues, fights over her in and out of camp. Just not possible at all. She had a madam and or pimp before. If you didn’t, you’d end up exactly like Mrs. Downes.  For her background - rdr 1 goes into it a lot more than rdr 2. We learned almost nothing about her in rdr 2. Abigail was an orphan like much of the rest of the gang. She lived in an abusive orphanage and ran away at some point to live on the streets. We don’t know when she was brought to the orphanage or when she ran away from it. That’s all we know. In rdr 1, she is said to have been in the same orphanage as John and they ran away together. RDR 2 seems to have thrown that away. Could lead to some interesting fanfics.  People hate me saying this and I understand- but Abigail was a teenager when she got into sex work. I understand it’s uncomfortable. It is. I hate it. However, people need to realize that it is a part of her character. Absolutely under no reason should it ever be glamorized, but to erase that fact also erases an important fact of her life and an explanation for why she thinks and acts like she does. This was not her fault so bringing up her past to make fun of her is even shittier of people. Feel sorry for her.  If you don’t like her - fine, but have it be because of her behavior. Not her profession. I absolutely do not believe she was brought into this profession by her own choice. First of all, she was underage and if it was her choice - it would be for survival.. Two, according to surveys and interviews conducted with working girls of the period - only a very small percentage moved west hoping to become a working girl.  Historically speaking and based off of her own words - she started off as a “legit” entertainer. Singers and dancers even if they never slept with their crowd/ clients were viewed as being “immoral”, same with laundry workers and waitresses. No joke.   So, Abigail is implied to have been a singer or dancer. She talks about how much she loves singing and the attention she got from it. Someone- likely a maternal older woman who could promise her steady pay, a warm meal and bed, plus the chance at being famous could have easily coaxed Abigail into a singing ��career” opportunity. Then, when Abigail was feeling secure and confident, switch up the tasks she would have to do. You can imagine how that went. One day you’re a singer hoping to be famous, weeks later, you’re a working girl.  I hate hate hate hate to say this, but she would have likely been around 16. 17 at the oldest based on the timeline.

If you weren’t a shopkeeper, teacher, or a house wife, you would have had been in an “Immoral” profession.  We don’t know when Uncle came to the gang. All we know is that he is the reason that Abigail is in the gang. Some conversations make it sound like Uncle was in the gang prior to Abigail whereas some conversations place Uncle and Abigail arriving at the same time. Both are creepy, but it’s how the story was written.  That audio clip surprised me because Abigail HATES her past as a working girl. I can only take it as there were the occasional funny moments even in such a shitty situation..   She explicitly says it so many times and sometimes, she’s to the point of tears. It’s heartbreaking. She just wants respect but whenever anyone is mad at her in either game - they throw out that she’s “just an uneducated whore”. She’s said this herself several times as well.  She’s very depressed and ashamed by it. I have said before that dresses very matronly She’s more covered up than Grimshaw or any of the other girls. Tilly is the second most covered up which is interesting. She’s also really wanting to go “legit” - or it could just be a preference. Please do not at all think that I’m shaming them for how they dress in the game.  As for Abigail, I think this is because she is one of the few confirmed working girls in the game and she so desperately wants to change and erase that era of her past. She wants to be the complete opposite of what she was and covering herself up completely is way to try and show that. She also brings it up in several camp conversations. Low Honor Arthur is viscous about it. Absolutely viscous. Micah talks about her being a former working girl, too in the most creepy of ways.

Honestly? The worst part by far is Grimshaw. Grimshaw seems to really hate Abigail and the feeling is likely mutual. Being a former madam, Grimshaw would have seen the crap that happened to Abigail all the time. You’d think Grimshaw would have sympathy for her - but nope. Grimshaw really disgusted me with how she tried to force Abigail back into prostitution and went as far as to threaten her with Dutch.  In the original draft of the game - all the girls were working girls so she tries to do the same with Karen, Tilly and Mary-Beth. It makes those “Get to work phrases” more disturbing. (Based on how Grimshaw goes about it. ) It’s also the same with how Grimshaw talks about how these girls are “just whores thinking above their station” or how Uncle says to “be nice because they are just two dollar whores who will die on their backs.” Horrifying content to be sure.

[vanillasakura]

IT’S FINALLY HERE <3

I first got into Red Dead around late July or so when I watched my friend and her dad speedrun the game, and one of the first things I came across for this fandom was Sapphic Week, so I’m very very happy to be able to contribute this year, especially as I’d be lying if I said the lovely ladies in this game weren’t the main reason I initially got into it and ended up buying it for myself.

Once again, a HUGE shoutout to @rdrsapphicships and Aldrig for hosting this event! I’m so excited to see what everyone creates <3 Without further ado, let’s get into it!

RDRSW21 Day 1: Music 

Title: Close Your Eyes (As it Eats at Us)

Words: 1857

Pairing: Abigail Roberts/Molly O’Shea

Warnings/Notes: Slight John bashing I’m sorry but this takes place early chapter 2 so... slightly warranted 

(Title from Close Your Eyes by The Midnight Club)

ao3 link

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Don't you know, when your eyes are closed, you see the world from the clouds along with everybody else?

Indeed, Molly was on her own much of the time. Dutch could only afford her so much attention, and when he was away from camp or otherwise occupied, there wasn’t anybody who really came up to her on their own will. Not exactly like she could blame them, Molly wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. Growing up, she’d always assumed otherwise, but after seeing how Karen and Tilly had told her to stop coming up to them and “being a bitch for no good reason”, she began to wonder if everyone back home was nice to her because they had to be. Even if Molly herself wasn’t a picture-perfect example of politeness, being anything but an angel to the O’Shea daughter could have been considered blasphemy. 

It was lonely, terribly so, but Molly wasn’t quite sure what she could do to remedy the situation. She wrote poetry, she read books, she went on walks in circles around camp, she looked out over the valley (Horseshoe Overlook really hadn’t gotten its name from nowhere), but more than anything, Molly watched.

She watched how Reverend had gradually stopped bothering pretending to read the bible, instead choosing to start downing drinks earlier and earlier. She watched how Bill devoured Kieran with his eyes, all but confirming her suspicion that the man did indeed want to bed the new camp member. She watched how Karen would clench her jaw when Mary-Beth asked how things were going with Sean, but would then take his hand later and pull him out of camp, the pair slipping away to either do each other or to do nothing at all. She watched how Arthur hadn’t bothered to take down the photo of the woman who did nothing but cause him pain even after Hosea had told him to do so, instead still glancing at it longingly every now and again while he cleaned his guns in his tent. She watched Josiah practice speaking in all sorts of different accents on the outskirts of camp, correcting himself out loud whenever something wasn’t quite right. She watched how Jack would try and weave flower crowns for his mother, small hands shaking as he attempted to tie the stems of various blooms together, putting the ones he had broken too short or knocked a petal off of in a pile to his left. She watched how John admitted to Javier and Pearson that, if he could, he would kill Abigail and never think twice about it. 

The comment shouldn’t have startled Molly as much as it did. She knew that John was a good man deep down, but the way that he uttered the confession without so much as a second thought as to if what he was saying was okay made her sick. Abigail was nothing if not kind, hard-working, and strong, nothing like the type of woman you would imagine deserved those kinds of threats. What made John that angry at her, Molly didn’t know, and she wasn’t quite sure that she cared to. 

After that night, Molly didn’t just stop watching. She’d heard people say worse things, many times, but there was something about the raw earnesty in which John had spoken that made his words haunt Molly like nothing else had. She decided to start watching Abigail more, justifying it by telling herself that it was for the other woman’s safety, even though realistically, there wasn’t much protection that Molly could offer her. 

And one of the first things that Molly noticed as she began watching Abigail was that the woman could sing. 

Abigail had this habit, whenever she was sitting in her tent on her own while working on something that needed to be done, where she would hum a tune, letting her own voice pop in here and there with the words that she knew. It was an uncoordinated affair, but it was never intended to be anything but. 

It was also adorable.

So adorable, in fact, that Molly decided that maybe she didn’t just need to watch anymore, maybe she could actually go and sit with Abigail. After all, much like her, Abigail was alone, more often than not. What harm could come of it?

“You need any help?” Abigail looked up from her work, pausing her humming as Molly stood by her, close, but not so much so as to suffocate the other woman. 

“Didn’t know you offered that.” Abigail responded, expression unreadable. 

“Hasn’t been something I’ve extended before.”

“With all due respect, Miss O’Shea, I don’t need anyone’s help if they only do so because they take pity on me, especially someone who ‘isn’t anyone’s servant girl’.” Abigail’s eyes turned cold, her brow furrowed, and Molly felt anxiety beginning to set in. 

“That wasn’t my intention whatsoever, I just…” she trailed off, and Abigail cocked her head, “I just don’t want to be alone. Is it okay if I enjoy your company? Just for a short while.”

Abigail sighed, chewing on her lip. “I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t know that feelin’ all too well. Truth be told, you’re the first person who’s come up to me in weeks.”

“I have no idea why that is, though.” Molly picked a sock out of the basket by Abigail’s feet, grabbing a needle and some thread along with it. “You’re such a nice person, it truly is a shame that others don’t recognize it.”

“ ‘Nice person’? Miss O’Shea, you hardly know me.” 

Molly felt the same dreadful wave of anxiety begin to rise inside of her again. “I may not have talked to you much in the past, but I’ve watched.”

“Watched? Me?”

“I watch everybody.” Molly admitted, stabbing the cotton with her needle. “Although I must confess, I do enjoy watching you. I know that isn’t exactly polite, though.”

“You’re right in that it ain’t, but I suppose I’m a hypocrite, so what does my opinion really matter?”

“You, a hypocrite? How so?”

“Gets lonely when nobody comes up to make conversation. Sometimes, you’ve gotta get your fix by watching others.” Abigail laughed. “You never really feel like a part of the group, but it can help alleviate the pain sometimes.” 

“Have you ever seen how Karen and Sean sneak off all the time?” Molly asked. “Lord only can imagine what shenanigans they get up to.”

“If I know either of them, they’re probably finding some tree to fuck up against.” Abigail said, a smile appearing on her face. “Although, on second thought, maybe not, given what happened at his welcome party.”

“At the welcome party? I guess you must have seen something I didn’t. Mind sharing?” Molly asked, her interest thoroughly peaked. 

Abigail snorted. “Well, you saw how the two of them were all over each other that night, right?”

“Would’ve had to be blind as a bat to not have.” 

“Well,” Abigail continued, “at some point, I saw the two of them go into John’s tent, and given my proximity to them, it wasn’t hard to hear what was bein’ said and fill in the gaps.”

“So they slept together at the party? Can’t say that I’m quite surprised.” Molly tied up the thread as she reached the end of the tear, reaching for a handkerchief to work on next. 

“They sure did, but that ain’t the good part.” Molly watched as Abigail’s eyes laughed, full of a mischief that she had never seen present before in her usually quiet companion. “Sean has got to be the quickest quick shot I’ve ever seen, and given my history, that’s sayin’ somethin’.”

“No.” Molly covered up her mouth, stifling a laugh. 

“Yes! Poor Karen never even got hers, it had to have been the most pathetic thirty seconds in her entire life.” Abigail smiled, and Molly’s heart twitched. Why?

“Thirty seconds? Wow, if that’s so, then maybe they aren’t all over each other when they go out, and you’re right.” 

Abigail laughed, smiling at Molly. “Well, who’s to say, I’m not sure there even is such a thing as a constant when those two are involved.”

“You may be right there.” Molly puffed one of her cheeks out, trying her best to figure out what to bring up next. She was having a lot of fun, she should do this more often, especially as Abigail also seemed to appreciate the time they were spending together. “Okay, now is it just me, or does Bill look at Kieran a little too often for it to be considered friendly?”

“Oh, it’s not just you, no worries. I’m just a little surprised that out of everyone, he decided to be sweet on Kieran.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I mean, he’s nothing like the kind of men Bill’s been sweet on in the past.”

Molly stopped in her tracks. “Wait, you’ve known about Bill before this?” 

“Yeah, it ain’t that hard to figure it out if you know what to look for.” Unable to gauge Molly’s reaction, Abigail continued on. “I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, whatever makes you happy makes you happy, y’know? And if that means lovin’ somebody of the same sex, I sure as hell don’t see a problem with it.”

“We’re in agreement there.” Molly smiled, going back to her work, her heart beat now more palpable. “I mean, as nice as it can be to see everyone here fall in love-”

“Or lust.” Abigail interjected, a smirk on her face.

“Or lust, that’s true-- I still think that my favorite person to observe is you.”

“Hm? And why is that?” Abigail still had that smirk on her face, raising an eyebrow. “What about me is so interesting that you’d prefer to watch me than whatever the latest addition to the Sean and Karen saga is?”

“I, uh,” Molly flushed, suddenly aware of what she was saying and how weird it could be considered. “I just, I like watching you hum and sing whenever you work. Something about it is just, I dunno, very relaxing.”

Abigail clicked her tongue. “You really do notice a lot, huh?”

“Yeah.” Molly replied sheepishly.

“I guess it’s only fair that I tell you that I find watching you write poetry is quite calming.”

“You saw me doing that?” 

“How could I not? Both of us do a lot of watching and thinking, we’re both very similar in that regard.” she said, unbothered by Molly’s embarrassment. 

“I’m… glad, you can find comfort in something that I do.” Molly settled on. 

“The more we talk, the more I’m beginning to think that I just find comfort in you. Somethin’ about you just makes you easy for me to talk to.” Abigail smiled. 

“The same goes for you.” Molly sighed, nibbling on her lip. “We should do this more often. I’m having a good time.”

“So am I.” Abigail agreed. “It’s much better to be with you than to be alone.”

“It really is.” Molly shifted a bit, turning more towards Abigail. Maybe working wasn’t so bad after all.

[ayyyez]

For the matchup! 💖

I'd like your take on how I'd work w/ both Ino and Neji (separate monogamous relationships). I'm bi and my pronouns are she/her and I adore both of the characters but in different ways (thou they are def both part of the Best Hair Club™). I like how confident, determined, fierce and absolutely ✨ gorgeous ✨ Ino is as well as how kind and thoughtful of a friend she is. I like how freakin' SASSY Neji can be as well as I admire his passion, dedication, quiet reserve, and his deep love for his friends and precious people.

When surrounded by people I don't know very well, I tend to be more reserved but when I'm with those I like/trust my absolute goal is to get them to smile and laugh. I see myself as confident and funny but I really do like making people feel good and laugh, especially if they're feeling down. I hate conflict and can't handle arguments, being in them or hearing them. I care about the environment and the importance of inclusivity of people and I get very angry at seeing people be harmed/judged due to their identity and/or appearance. I cry easily at sad/motivational scenes in film/video games lol and don't shy away from showing others my emotions.

Hobbies of mine include hanging w/ friends, I love any kind of shopping, drawing, playing video games, cosplaying, LOVE petting and being around animals, watching nature documentaries as well as documentaries on LGBTQ+ and womens history.

Going places in nice but I'm also 100% up for a date at home. Hand holding?? The best pass time!! I diss out compliments faster than sharp shooters of the wild west and I NEED people to know that I care for them and I won't accept them feeling bad about themselves around my watch lol. I'd rather have a good meal than a lavish gift. A negative about me is I tend to be a horrid procrastinator when it comes to my work (classes) and keep some things to myself instead of talking them over w/ someone to help me if I need it. I have very colorful dialogue, could be considered crude to some but I enjoy using curse words in fun situations AND I will quote memes or vines unironically to get a reaction out of those near me. Laughs and scowls of disapproval are both welcome in my book lol!

I see myself meshing w/ Ino very well and personally I think Neji in a relationship with something more open about their feelings would be a good parallel. Thank you! 💖

Shawnie you really went and picked some of my favs too ahh so good! <3

Neji

Okay okay the fact you want to make people laugh and care about inclusivity just wins him over already. Seeing all your emotions and big heart really be making his heart skip a beat and falling in love! AND HOLDING HIS HAND HAS THIS MAN WEAK OKAY! DO IT! HOLD IT!

Just sit there and tell him how handsome he is and how beautiful his hair is. He will be a blushing mess but you make him feel so loveD?? Home dates watching you play video games (gets offended when you try to date someone *cough* sebastian in stardew valley). It’s a game Neji lmao. No but really he enjoys watching you play and he is really bad at games but tries. 

Dies the first time you use crude language but he gets used to it. It’s just s ingrained in him not to but then one day he does and you have a “HA WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!” moment. Lavish this man with teasing and compliments all at once and he will explode with emotions. 

Learns meme and vine references because of you. Starts using them too and it makes everyone double take. You just smile and nod like its normal. He will try and scold you for procrastinating and be like “but you told me to yell at you if you don’t do the work but I can’t yell at you so please do the work.” A small pout and he concedes lol. 

I honestly see this man as a disaster bi so the two of you have a mutual understanding in all things hot mess. The best bi couple to every exist: Shawnie and Neji! 

WATCHING NATURE DOCUMENTARIES TOGETHER! Crying when the mama animal dies. Crying while watching sad movies. Neji panics like “What do I do!?” and you’re just like “it’s just so sad!” Just tries to hold you and make it better lmao. Watches the rest of the movie stressfully. 

Ino

Being bad bitches together! Seriously the two of you will be queens who can rule the world at the drop of the hate. But there’s also delicious hot mess potential lmao. Just complimenting he hair every day and her offering to do yours every day. Best girlfriends. 

Just being drawn to each others way of caring for others? She holds a torch for people like you who are caring about inclusivity, the environment and just genuinely wanting people to be happy? She is one the same wavelength so her sweet heart be pounding. 

Friends to Lovers trope = this matchup. 

Okay now when you play stardew with her she’s like “Romance her, oh and her AND ABIGAIL!” And you’re like “I CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE I PICK HAYLEY!” Ino just goes ohhh “is it because shes like me ayyy you have a type!” it’s a fun mess. The two of you co-oping a farm together! 

She puts your drawings and doodles up on the wall, on the bathroom mirror and just everywhere she can see them. Wants you to draw the two of you so she can put it in her work diary. Oh and if you don’t like arguments she will step in for you! 

Watching LGBTQI+ documentaries together. Crying happy tears seeing the sweet couples who have been together for years. Watching sad movies on purpose and crying together. “WHy did we do this to ourselves???” 

A constant back and forth of compliments to each other. To the point they get really niche and obscure. But it makes it more fun. Laughs at your crude remarks. quoting vines together. Reenacting vines and tiktoks together. Just overall wholesome girlfriends tbh. 

[champagnesuperhoeva]

Seasonal depression is on its way back, so why not analyze another scene from Red Dead Depression 2???????

I’ve been meaning to do another screeching ramble about one of Red Dead Redemption 2′s many incredible scenes, but just couldn’t put my finger on which one. So I threw a rock and hit the Saint Denis bank robbery, that’s the story

strap in, motherfuckers, it’s time to regret the concept of empathy

It is such a missed opportunity that we weren’t able to chaperone the girls as they went about putting on their various bullshit personas to gather reconnaissance. I want to see Tilly reading a newspaper with glasses, a fake nose and a mustache

Something Red Dead Redemption 2 spoiled me on is just how much ROI they squeeze into every last line of dialogue. Not a single word feels generic or hamfisted. Every sentence, every twitch and blink, adds up to a greater whole. The more I watch, the more I unearth. There are several AAA titles that frequently get painted with the ‘Good Dialogue’ brush like Uncharted that don’t hold a candle to Rockstar’s work here. 

Take Hosea grilling Dutch here, for example:

Dutch acquiescing to Hosea’s justified criticism is depressing in its hindsight. Sir Spam der Linde is an arrogant blowhard that could give Dr. Gregory House a run for his money...and yet he still mumbles and bows his head when being told he needs to get his shit together. Compare this to earlier in the game, when he was snipping at both Hosea and Arthur for all their doubts and questions. Double that for the camp interactions you can find where Dutch and Hosea argue about the Blackwater Heist. 

Is reality finally sinking in a little for our manic pixie dream man? Does he just have a hard time bullying Hosea, who’s around 5,000 years old and doesn’t give a fuck? For every answer you get, you get another question...and I fucking love it. This character -- and the series at large -- toes the razor-thin line between transparent portrayals and thicc layers of intrigue. This kind of carefully sewn subtlety is sorely lacking in not just videogames, but mainstream media in general. Sometimes I still can’t believe I got to experience this game.

This little scene is just one of many ingredients to make you wonder that, if the bank job had turned out all right...if Dutch really would’ve started changing for the better. 

Arthur clutching his belt buckle like he clutches my neck in my dreams

So the plan is made and the cowboys are off to Sand Penis, and I bet nobody in the history of the world has made that joke before

Just the build-up to the bank sends goosebumps up my arms. 

Even with apprehension in the back of your mind, it’s hard not to get sucked into the whirlwind of adrenaline here. You have each member playing their part, from Abigail as the helpless damsel to Charles and Bill as crowd control. Great back-and-forth dialogue as characters anticipate what’s about to happen (with some delicious doubting from John). It’s like a group project, except you don’t want to slap your partners!!!*

*except micah ‘I Haven’t Scrubbed My Nailbeds In Fifty-Three Years’ bell

Fun fact: if Dutch hadn’t said ‘one last time’, the bank robbery would’ve been a success. Should’ve browsed TVTropes.

The direction of this game remains impeccable. 

This is a simple shot of a few dudes riding their horse...and it’s made just that much grander by the camera angles, slung low to the ground to create a stronger sense of scale. With the tense drums in the backing track and the sudden quiet that’s befallen our beloved anti-heroes, this provides the perfect finishing touches to one of the most memorable and stressful parts of the game:

The runway.

We start off this display of cowboy couture with Dutch Fam Der Linde, well-known in the West for wearing crushed velvet while hiking the open trail. Dashingly long coattails make up the bulk of this iconic look, with a sexy pop of red to round it all out. A complimentary red bandana lined with a hint of gold brings out the buttons, chain and belt buckle. Very regal. Much fucky. Still want to slap him for future crimes, so 9/10

A surprising comeback from the man who invented skid marks. Lavender pinstripes add a splash of character on an otherwise minimalist black ensemble. Complimentary silver bow on the hat and dark bandana makes me uncomfortably wet, so 9.5/10, would leer again

A classic suit with just a touch of more. A wide velvet collar with matching velvet cuffs create a refined softness, contrasting the gold buttons and dramatic coattails. Shoes shiny. Skin moisturized. Even his everyday ponytail looks fancier than ever. 15/10, if Javier kicked over my sandcastle I’d thank him

What are those????????? I think Bill got pranked by Uncle while out shopping for robbery gear. That, or he confused one of Susan’s tablecloths for a three-piece. The topmost layer of dust is so thick it could be peeled off and donated to charity. 3/10, could probably still pass for a picnic table

Shameless. Unacceptable. Walking around like a bootleg Egoraptor with a crinkly suit that looks like that oil-stained pizza napkin you keep forgetting to toss. Why did I take a screencap that makes it look like Dutch is jacking him off. Micah’s even jutting his beer gut out in an ominous foreshadowing for the Guarma chapter. ThereIsn’tANumberLowEnough/10

Arthur strolling in with that slow, confident walk that gets me pregnant in both legs, someone please fetch the plan B

Dutch calls a Hosea an artist and is most certainly one himself. He speaks with the affect of a poet, even as he’s holding a pistol in people’s faces and making them shit themselves in slow-motion. This man redefines stage presence. Why would he want anything less than the best, when this is the final hurrah of his iconic, infamous career:

THE RUNWAY: PART TWO

Bill out here just confusing everyone’s laundry for low-level loot. 5/10, may or may not be susan’s granny panties

charles: “is my iron giant cosplay valid robbery wear”

dutch: “no, charles, iron giant cosplays are not valid robbery wear”

dutch: “gorons from legend of zelda aren’t valid either”

JAVIER IF I GIVE YOU A 10/10 WILL YOU LEAVE

Here’s a little detail I didn’t notice (even after several viewings of this scene): Charles over in the corner looking like a dweeb.

Notice how awkwardly he holds that rifle: two-handed and with his knees bent, suddenly looking like he’s never handled a weapon before. This is such an odd contrast from the unapologetic badass we know. Remember, this is the same man who can wield a sawed-off shotgun one-handed like it’s nothing. One of the most adept physical fighters in a gang full of cutthroat motherfuckers. 

This detail on top of his dorky robbery gear? It’s actually a peek into just how out of his element he is. 

Charles has been with the gang for less than a year at this point. Even then, he’s usually helping with tracking, hunting and scouting. Whenever he goes off with Arthur on a mission, he’s always the first to suggest a peaceful route. This is not someone who’s used to robbing people for a living and it shows in the most adorable way. What you see here is a man putting on a persona of what he hopes looks like a bloodthirsty robber.

This whole scene is a fucking blast. Herding the upper-class elite into the far rom, figuring out the combination key under codenames, listening to the banter of the squad in the background. It doesn’t help I’m a slut for baroque-styled architecture and half my attention was on the pastel decor. Yeah, yeah, I know we have three thousand dollars on the line, but look at that gold filigree

These outlaws move like a finely oiled machine, not a detail out of place...which makes the ensuing mess all the more tragic.

...and this post is getting too long, so I’m going to post the second part separately. Ain’t I a stinker?

[cowboisadness]

Hang ‘Em High {Arthur Morgan X FemOC} Chapter 5

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x FemOC Summery: Belle Hawthorne is high society looking to escape her mean husband. A robbery by the Van Der Linde gang could be her chance. Can she escape his cluches and possibly discover what love should feel like?

. . . . . 

Chaper 5

The two weeks that passed were a struggle, the pain was easing now but i couldn't ease my mind no matter how i tried. Sitting out on the edge of the overlook would help slightly, looking out at the vastness of the wild lands, being the same height as the birds. But my mind always returned to him, to Frank. Surely after two weeks I would have heard something or read something in the papers that Hosea or Arthur would return with each morning. Arthur had said maybe he won't look for me, maybe he's not as possessive when it came to me...his wife. I doubted his words but hoped they could be true.

Getting closer to the others here helped as a distraction and Miss Grimshaw made sure my time here wasn't wasted, having me wash clothing or stitch ripped garments when I was feeling more useful. The girls were very kind, the only one I didn't speak too much being Mrs Sadie Adler. She had been through so much and was still adjusting but she seemed like a strong woman, all of the women do in fact. Abigail had to juggle a young boy and a man that didn't seem to want to be a father. Mary-Beth let me borrow some of her books, to be honest, they are awful romances but entertaining enough not to put down. Karen would share her drink with me while we sat round the fire, Javier singing into the night.

This morning, Hosea asked me to join him in a game of dominos. Despite never playing the game before he was happy enough to teach me.  He was wise and seemed to be the only one of the guys that was more logical when it came to jobs that needed to be done and how they should be done.

“You sure you've never played before. It's a simple game but you got the hang of it quickly.” he said as he placed his tile down. “Used to play poker, blackjack and chess with my father. Frank never let me gamble, saying gambling is a man's sport that's too complex for a woman to understand.”

He scoffed at that and shook his head “Seems like a quality man, shame robbing him wasn't successful.”

I giggled, continuing our game in silence until Arthur approached, mentioning how he was going to Valentine to meet up with Javier, Charles and Bill. Hosea told him to keep out of trouble as Arthur turned to leave. 

I decided to cut the game short, telling him I needed to ask a favour before Arthur left. I made my way over to where he was saddling his horse, a beautiful Mahogany Bay Tennessee Walker named Barley. “Hey Arthur, could I ask a favor? If you're not busy.”

“Sure.” “I have a couple of things I'd like to sell, would you be willing to take me to a fence? He pondered for a moment, weighing out the pros and cons as he pulled out his cigarettes from his satchel and lighting one.

“Promise you won't fall off my horse again?” He grinned slightly, meeting my gaze. 

“I'll try my best.” I couldn't help but to giggle at his taunt, looking down the ground as i flushed with embarrassment. 

He nodded and blew out a puff of smoke as I turned to get what I needed. The first night I arrived my dress was ruined, now being used for rags and patches but my necklace and earrings were still intact and could sell for a good price. I put them into my new satchel, given to me by Charles as he had no use for it anymore. Him and Arthur brought back a few good pelts and meat a few days ago. I really need to gain the courage to ask if I can join in their next hunt. I hadn't hunted in years, that being another thing my father taught me. 

The ride to Emerald Ranch didn't take long, Arthur kept the ride slow thinking I might fall again, possibly seeing me as this delicate being that would shatter if we got anywhere near the speed of a gallop. The man at the fence, Seamus his name was, was more generous than I was expecting. $75 for the necklace and earring set. I didn't really care about how much I would get, I wanted to get rid. Frank bought them after all. I unconsciously fiddled with my hands as he counted the money, my fingers brushed over the ring on my left hand. Looking down at it, the three small diamonds glinting in the midday sun, thoughts of my wedding day flooding into my mind. White silk that pooled at my feet, a train following behind. The intricate floral embroidery that hugged around the bodice. It being so tight it lifted my chest till I felt like my breasts were directly under my chin. I felt like a princess marrying her prince. Life is nothing like Mary-Beths books. My Prince being the villain in my life. As i snapped back into reality i pulled off the ring without a second thought, handing it over to Seamus.

“How much for this too?.” I could see Arthur now staring at me out of the corner of my eye, he knew I was trying to rid myself of any memory of that man. Seamus took the ring, holding it close to his face as he examined it “Now this is nice. Not too old and made by one of the biggest diamond companies in New York by the looks of it.” He looked to me for confirmation. I nodded, mentioning that it was made only 8 months ago and one of a kind.

I came away with $175 in total, offering to give Arthur some as a thanks, he refused so I made a mental note to sneak it in his saddlebag when he wasn't looking.

He offered to take me back to camp before he headed to Valentine but i wanted to spend some of my new fortune, plus it was nice to be out of camp after two weeks of being in too much pain or scared to venture outside of it’s perimeter. Once in the muddy cattle town of Valentine, Arthur hitched his horse outside of the Saloon where he was meeting the others. He dismounted and held out his arms to help me down. I reached out to his shoulders and he took that as permission to hold me by the waist, making sure he was gentle on my left side. I was told my ribs would take a month or more to heal depending on how bad. Breathing was back to normal but the dull ache and sharp shooting pains still persisted. He headed towards the Saloon telling me to meet him back here when I was done. I'd never been to Valentine before, i haven't been to many places the last 7 months unless it was with with Frank at business parties or joining other business partners for a fancy dinner. I scanned my eyes around the various buildings and my eyes landed on my target, the Gunsmith. 

I don't need anything pricey or flash, just something capable of protection if the need arose. I was living with outlaws now, people who live a life of crime to survive and who knows what my life will be like when I leave. Maybe i’ll make my way to New York to find my brother, he might know where mother and father are now. I miss them all dearly.

A cattleman revolver seemed like the best option as I looked through the catalog, cheap and it would do the job. It had been a long time since I handled a gun. I still remember how displeased my mother was of my father teaching me how to get comfortable with one. I really should have asked for more lessons. I thanked the store owner for his help and his generosity in giving me a gun belt seeing as it was my first gun to own. Sloshing my way through the mud to the saloon, adjusting the belt till it was comfortable hanging off my hip I could hear a commotion behind the doors. Before I had the chance to ascend the stairs and push open the doors a loud smashing happened to my left, causing me to jump backwards as a body was propelled out of the window. Not some random someone, Arthur. Before I could react the saloon doors swung open, knocking me off balance as a huge burly man made his way out and towards Arthur, now on his feet ready to continue the fight. 

They laid into each other, fists flying in the air towards each other's face. I stood in shock, not knowing what to do until the large man had Arthur pinned to the floor, punching him relentlessly as he tried to block each blow to his face and gut.

An audience had circled them, grateful for the entertainment by the sounds of it. I couldn't just stand back, my feet unconsciously moving me towards the fight to somehow intervene but before I made it off the stairs a hand pulled my arm, pulling me back towards them gently. “Don't even try Palomita.” Javier said as he released my arm and then sat on the stairs to watch the show. 

“Aren't you going to help him?” My voice was louder than i expected, showing the anger i didn't know i felt about this current situation.

He just shook his head and giggled “He's a big boy, he can hold his own.” 

Letting out a huff, I turned to see that Arthur had now gained the high ground, punching the man in the face over and over as Charles and Bill shouted words of encouragement from beside me. Through the crowd of shouting onlookers a man comes through yelling them to stop. Intervening and stopping the possible last fatal blows. “Stop! Stop! Please!” he shouts, now facing Arthur “You won the fight already, surely that's enough?” he continues to beg, Arthur releases his grip on the bloodied man into the mud. “What business is it of yours?”

“No business, but please i beg you” the man continues to beg but Arthur just pushes him out of his way, making his way through the crowd as they now disperse. The fun now over. I hastily make my way over to him, passing the man still in the mud without even a glance, my eyes not able to avert from Arthurs sorry state, covered in mud and in obvious pain as he sits on a chair outside another store. At first I didn't know what to say to him. Is this normal for them? I shouldn't be making a fuss if it is. “Are you okay?” is all i can say, silently cursing at myself at my stupid question. He looks up to me as I kneel in front of him, he can sense my concern, snickering slightly as his hand reaches up to his jaw, trying to rub away the ache. “I’m fine. Don't be worryin’ bout me.” You can't help it for some strange reason, still wanting to help him.

“Let's get you cleaned up, the hotel has a bath.” I nod in the direction of the hotel across from us, hoping he will take up the offer. But before we can make our way an unfamiliar British voice calls over to us.

“Making new friends again i see Arthur”

We turn to the voice, a smartly dressed man making his way over to us along with Dutch.

“Look who we found sniffing about.”

“Josiah Trelawney...” Arthur calls to him as he takes a welcoming bow “...I thought you'd gone to New York.”

“And miss all this glamour? You must be joking.” They all laugh “How are you?” 

“Well. Quite well indeed…” His attention turns from Arthur to me as we make our way towards them. “...I’m sorry, we haven't been introduced. Josiah Trelawney.” He extends his gloved hand to me. 

“Bella Hawthorn. Nice to meet you.” i shake his hand and smiling politely.

“My, my. You still enjoy the company of high society women i see Arthur.” He smirks, not taking his eyes off me as he lets go of my hand. 

“Nothing like that Josiah.” I blush slightly at his comment but I excuse myself to leave the men to their conversation, motioning over to the hotel and hoping they didn't notice the sudden pink in my cheeks.

-----

The water was heated perfectly as Arhtur makes his way into the room, slight moans escaping his lips, placing what looks like clean clothes he must have had stored on his horse on a chair.

He shrugs off his sodden jacket, dropping it to the floor and he works on the buttons of his blue shirt and pulling the suspenders down his arms. I’m frozen, unsure of what to do before realising i should leave him to it. He moans in pain again as he attempts to pull his shirt off his arms, the fresh aches and pains making it a struggle.

Once again, without thinking, I make my way over to him to help, this time no one to stop me but myself. With his back turned to me, he jolts slightly at my touch as I gently guided both of his arms out of his shirt, it now joining his jacket on the floor. He turns to me, not meeting my eyes as he murmurs his thanks, his hands then turning to his gun belt to remove it. 

The silence between us is deafening and awkward, he's the one to break it. “I see you got yourself a gun.” 

“Thought i'd treat myself.'' I smile and finally turn to the door, pulling at the handle.

“I'll wait for you outside.” It was barely above a whisper but I didn't turn back for confirmation that he heard me. Instead I shut the door behind me gently, leaning against it and releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding in. 

[deadmansgun]

A Heartfelt Talk Under The Snow ||Drabble for a friend||

@bcrnitdown

I’m not feeling as festive this year, but I figured Xmas would create a very cute environment for this.

Anyway, Nightmares are absolutely terrible. Especially if they are more terrifying each time, if it becomes scary enough, it can even be slightly scarring. I apologize in advance for possibly(Likely) butchering Ashe in this but I’ll do my best to be as exact as I can, tho there’s no way it would ever be as amazing as your take on her is.

I hope this helps brighten up your day at least a little bit Anarchy <3

Please enjoy below the cut since it will likely be long.

After a busy week full of successful heists and robberies, the Deadlock gang was pretty much set for the holiday. Everyone at camp was in a festive mood and the decorations John had helped Ashe put up were really creating a peaceful holiday environment for everyone. The gang seemed to be having a great time, a bunch of the guys were drinking with a game of poker, some playing five finger filet and dominos, even horseshoe. It had been a very long time since he had been in a gang of Outlaws, but it was thanks to things like this, that would remind him that even a group of murderers, robberies, liars, cheats and thieves, could still be considered a family, and John had to admit, it made him remember the good old days of his old gang, the memories of his time there with everyone would forever remain in his heart, and he’d take them wherever his future would go.

Although this would seem like a mistake to his old friends, they had their own lives to live now, so whatever he did, was up to him. As for Uncle, well he would probably be fine, he had the whole ranch now, and honestly, he didn’t care too much for going back to Beechers Hope, precisely why he had decided to join them. Despite being back in the old life again, something very good came out of it. John had met Ashe. And despite the two of them trying to keep it professional, over time, it had developed into something much more personal and special. They had become very close and it was a connection that John cherished.

While everyone else got completely hammered in the background, while John and Ashe were drinking, they weren’t drunk yet, maybe a little buzzed but that was it, for right now anyway. 

As everyone carried on with their drunken holiday fun in the background, John and Ashe were sitting near a cliff. John had directed them to Shady Belle as their new spot for camp, and it had this cliff that gave off this amazing view of the water below and the beautiful environment after it.

[{ ☠ }] - “Ya know. it’s been a real long time since I celebrated the holiday season like this..” 

John speaks, reflecting on the only other time he had celebrated which was back with the Van Der Linde Gang, he was still with Abigail back then, but ever since he had joined Deadlock, the name Abigail Roberts was nothing more than a ghost to him now. Did he still regret failing to prove himself to Abigail? Well, sometimes, but not so much anymore. Though the odd time here and there, he did find himself wondering how they were doing, and if Jack actually followed his dream of being a Lawyer.

“I reckon it’s been’a few years then ain’t it?” She asked.

A nod in response.

[{ ☠ }] - “Yeah, last time I celebrated like this, I uh... I had me a family.”

Red eyes widened a little, she was pretty shocked at finding out he used to have a family. She felt the urge to make a playful joke about it, but seeing how different he was acting, Ashe knew this was a likely a deep wound for him, so she decided against it.

“A family? Like with a woman an’ child?” She softly asked, to which John gave a slow nod.

Ashe looked over at him, curious eyes as she observed him carefully. He seemed to be having a good time at first, but now, Ashe noticed a look of slight sadness in his eyes. Ashe was never the one to openly show affection, especially in situations like this, but when the moment called for it, Ashe could be gentle and sweet, of course, only outside of the eyes of the others in Deadlock, she had a persona to keep after all, but with John, she had no problem shifting to support him if needed, they had a special connection after all. so instead, she sat there and listened.

[{ ☠ }] - “Yeah.. I met after my group saved her, she joined us...sometime later, had me a son..Jack was his name. The boy never did like me much. Don’t blame him though,  I wasn’t the best father back then.”

[{ ☠ }] - “But t’make a long story short, after it all went to hell, I tried changin’ my life around. Makin’ an honest livin’ an such. One day, I had to pick up my guns again to protect the place we was stayin’ at. my old lady didn’t really like me bein’ some gunslinger and after me and my son got shot at by some revenge seeking bastards, she went and left me. Tried my best t’show her I could be a different man, even went outta my way t’make a bank loan so I could buy us a ranch. Two friends and I built it. Sent her a letter, but... she didn’t come back.”

Ashe listened in silence as he told his story, this had been the first time that John had gave this much details about his past, so Ashe was a little caught off guard by it all, but she felt for him. The poor man really had done his best, and the fact she still didn’t return to him after all that? It was sad. Her expression softens.

“I didn’t know ya had yerself a family before... wow, I’m real sorry John.” 

A slow nod of acknowledgment.

[{ ☠ }] - “I don’t blame her, if I was her, I’d leave me too..” The sadness in his tone was more evident at the end of his sentence.

Ashe would gentle rest a hand on his leg in comfort. A brief silence would follow, but a comfortable one even despite the grim topic. After the two stared out at the view watching the snow gently fall gracefully to the ground. It was snowy but it wasn’t cold out and was actually pretty nice.

With a gentle bite of her bottom lip, Ashe moved closer to John and gently rested her head on his shoulder. It was sudden, but John didn’t hesitate to tilt his head her direction so they were touching heads. After a few minutes, she would lift her head off his slowly but looked up at him slowly inching closer until they were touching foreheads.

“Personally John, I think you’re a much better Outlaw than a Father..” She would reach her hand up to gently cup his cheek caressing it gently.

“But ya know what? There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that, and I think yer a great man, perfectly bad, but ina’ good kinda’ way..Ah’m real glad ya joined Deadlock, My family, is your family..”

Ashe’s words made John’s heart flutter a bit, for others, that would probably be considered some kind of insult. But what she had just said, had been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him in a very long time, he was used to Uncle belittling him for everyone and being the target of Uncle’s jokes. He had no regrets about joining Deadlock.

[{ ☠ }] - “Ashe...y-” John’s sentence was suddenly cut off by Ashe gently putting a finger on his lips shushing him.

“..John.. look up.” 

John takes his head off hers for a moment to notice that there was a mistletoe above them. The exact moment John looked back down at her, she cupped his cheek, leaned in and kissed him on the lips. John was quick to wrap his hands around her waist while she put her arms around his neck. The kissed they shared had been a long passionate one, and the moment they pulled away, they went in for another and proceeded to escalate into a make out session, but a heartfelt one full of passion until they finally took a breather. The warmth of their personal campfire next to their spot on the cliff was keeping them warm, so laying on his sleeping bag, Ashe would lay her head over his chest.

[{ ☠ }] - “Ya think the others are wondering where we are?” John asks.

“Ahhh those guys can wait a little. Ah’m comfy.” She shifts her head to look up at him.

“Don’t think Ah’m headin’ back in anytime soon anyway..” She says giving him a little smile.

A soft chuckle followed by a warm smile of his own.

[{ ☠ }] - “Good, I ain’t moving either.” The two would lay there enjoying each others company for a while before John finally broke the silence.

[{ ☠ }] - “Ashe... you’ve given this fool right here, a home... thank you..”

A light blush on her cheek, but she’s quick to lay her head back down on his chest and hide it.

No John.. thank you.