#hazel needs to have substance

[probablywhisper]

An entire page of Pyroclastic sketches!!! Oopsies someone is sickly

Dust!Sans belongs to Ask-DustTale

Hazel Froslight belongs to me ( @probablywhisper )

[jockwrites]

Can you write something aggressive please 😩

RIGHT HERE - p.b

warnings: smut, (r receiving,) use of drug substances, cursing

a/n: this is pretty short, not that aggressive tbh..but i’m trying a new writing style! also please please please send requests <3

for @billiesmainchick @doyouknowhowtob3nd

paige is manspread on the couch, the aroma of weed sorrounding her.

at the moment, she’s mad because you’d rather spend time with your friends than her. but this isn’t a one time thing—you always do this.

she thinks maybe she’s just overthinking, maybe she’s just in her mind too much. but regardless, if you called she’d answer. if you came in, angry, upset, she’d comfort.

no matter how mad she is, she’s always there for you.

but you aren’t answering her calls, and she’s starting to get heated minute by minute. that’s when she decides to call you one more time, just for closure so she can go to sleep. she’s already high as it is.

you giggle & laugh with your friends, noticing an incoming call from paige before accepting it.

“hello?” you speak into the phone, your smile blatantly obvious through your voice.

her voice is shaky, and there's a hint of anger in it "hey, where are you right now? who are you with?" she asks, trying to keep her tone even. but it's clear she's on edge.

you roll your eyes, knowing she’s just in one of those moods, “im with my friends, paige,” you huffed.

“why can’t you spend time with me? and why the fuck won’t you answer my calls?” she questions, her voice wavering. she’s getting upset, her voice shaking a little. she’s a bit too high.

you shake your head “paige, they’re my friends. and i didn’t answer because we’re having fun, i’ll be back soon.”

she scoffs, getting more heated “so i'm not important enough to answer? i'm sitting here alone, waiting for you. and you're out having fun with your friends. do i not matter to you?”

you get agitated, rolling your eyes as your hand comes up to rub your temple in distress and annoyance, “paige, i’ll be home soon. stop overreacting. yes, you do matter, but they just wanted to spend time with me.”

she laughs bitterly, “stop overreacting? really? you're telling me to stop overreacting when you're the one who keeps blowing me off?” her voice raises. she's definitely high and definitely pissed, “i've been waiting for you all day.”

you scoff, “paige, God. chill the fuck out i said i’ll be there soon.”

she pauses, her breathing heavy. silence. then she speaks, her voice low, “you know what? forget it. i don't give a fuck about your friends.” and with that, she hangs up the phone. you stare at your phone, confused. that was harsh.

you look around, then eagerly tell your friends you need to go, “hey guys, im gonna head out. paige needs me”

you get a simple, in sync, “bye bye,” from everyone before you get up to leave.

you don’t know what’s gotten into paige.

by the time you arrive to the apartment, she’s high as can be, her eyes bloodshot red. she’s in some joggers and a white tee on the couch, her legs manspread. her eyes are low, the expression on her face enough to scare a child. the stench of weed is thick in the air.

you walk in, noticing the unusual disposition she has, “hey baby, are you okay?”

she looks up at you, her gaze hazy as she speaks with sarcasm dripping in her voice. “yeah, im fine. just chillin.” she reaches for her phone, texting someone quickly before putting it down. “so, what made you come back after you fucking left me for those bullshit excuses of ‘friends’?” she asks, her voice husky and low.

you roll your eyes in annoyance, putting one hand on your hip, “paige,” you speak calmly, “i just wanted to have fun. am i not allowed?”

“take a fucking look around hazel,” she says, her voice a low mumble. her eyes are heavy, the high she’s on making her lazy, “they’re not your fucking friends. i’ve already explained this to you. i can’t let this shit keep happening, it happens again and again and i’m sick of it. fuck them.”

you furrow your eyebrows, “but they’re my friends paige. i can’t just not hangout with them.”

she sits up, her eyes finally focusing on you. her gaze is intense, serious. “bro, hazel, i don’t give a fuck about your friends. i’m right here, why can’t you see that? i’m the only one who’s been there for you. they just want you to come out with them so yall can drink and get fucking laid.”

you look at paige in annoyance, wondering why she’s so bitter all of a sudden, “paige, i do see you. but you need to stop, they are my real friends. you’re just jealous.”

she stands up, her face slightly red with anger. “real friends? really? are you fucking kidding me? they don’t give a shit about you, hazel. they only care about themselves. but you, you care about me. you always have. and i care about you more than they ever could.”

you’re getting agitated, the frustration clear in your voice.“paige, yes they do,” you protest.

she gets in your face, her breath reeking of weed. “no, they fucking don't. you're just too stupid to see it,” she grabs your dress, pulling you closer. “i've been waiting all night for you. you wouldn’t answer my calls.. you wouldn’t text me back.. i’ve been rolling crazy all damn night.”

you look paige in the eyes, going from a bright blue to dark grey. you lean in to whisper, “paige.. im sorry. i didn’t mean to keep you waiting on me.”

“you don’t act like you’re fucking sorry,” she hisses, her voice low and seductive, “you gotta understand baby, i don’t give a fuck about them.”

paige backs you into the wall, the dark scenery of the living room making it hard for you to see, “paige, please.”

she presses her body against yours, pinning you to the wall. her hand comes up to grip your throat, not squeezing, just resting there. “please what, hazel? please stop? please let you go back to your so-called friends?”

you look up at her, this interaction slightly turning you on, “no, paige. i meant could you forgive me,” you whisper, breaking eye contact in guilt.

her grip tightens around your throat slightly as she leans in close, her lips brushing against your ear, “forgive you for what, hazel?” her hand moves down your chest. her touch is so scary, yet so gentle. “for making me worry? for blowing me off?”

your breathing is speeding up, you gulping as her hand comes back up to your neck, “yeah, kind of.”

she leans in closer, her lips barely touching yours. her voice drops to a whisper. “you gotta let me prove i love you more than they do.” her hand moves from your neck, slowly sliding down to grip your waist as the other hand mimics.

you can feel paige starting to kiss your neck, biting your soft spot which makes you bite back a moan, “you can prove it baby.”

her hands move, groping your boobs softly as she kneads them. her kisses trail to your jawline, “it’s not gonna happen again, is it?” she whispers into your ear, her right hand going to grip your ass.

you moan, your arms wrapping around her neck as you speak, slightly breathless, “mhm, no baby, it won’t happen again i promise.”

she growls softly, nuzzling into your neck, her touch getting firmer. she picks you up by the back of your thighs, wrapping your legs around her waist. she carries you to the couch, lowering you down gently. she climbs on top of you, pinning your arms above your head.

you look up at paige, biting your bottom lip in pleasure, “what, you gonna punish me or something?” you provoked, pushing your chest up slightly.

she grins mischievously, leaning down to bite your bottom lip, tugging it gently. she kisses your neck, your collarbone, your chest, slowly pulling the shoulder straps of your dress down. she looks up at you, her eyes cold. “you wanna be punished?”

you smirk, “maybe.”

she growls softly, her hands trailing down your arms, your sides, to your thighs. she grips them tightly, parting them. she leans down, her breath hot against your core. she looks up at you from beneath your dress, her face neutral. "maybe?"

you nag, body desperate for friction, “yeah, maybe.”

without warning, she tugs your panties aside and dives in, licking a slow stripe up your slit. she moans at your taste, the vibrations sending shockwaves through you. her tongue circles your clit teasingly before sucking it between her lips.

you immediately moan, the sudden traction of her tongue onto your clit making you go senseless.

she continues to eat you out, her hands spreading your legs wider as she laps at your pussy. she sticks a finger inside you, curling it to hit that spot that makes you see stars. “you gonna stop acting like a bitch?”

you bite your bottom lip, hands going to grip her hair aggressively as you buck your hips against her face. practically grinding, “mm paige fuck! yes baby!”

she moans into your pussy, the vibrations intensifying your pleasure. she adds another finger, pumping them in and out rapidly as her tongue flicks over your clit. her free hand comes up to pinch and roll your nipple through your dress. “that’s my good girl, always listening to me.”

you let out a wave of curses and moans, the whimpers eliciting a sudden burst of energy in paige,“oh! paige just like that oh my-”

she growls into your core, her fingers pumping faster and harder as you buck your hips against her face. she can feel you getting closer, your legs shaking against her shoulders. she wraps her arms around your thighs to hold you in place as she doubles her efforts, “come for me baby, let me know you know i love you.”

you moan, grinding against her face as you grope her hair tighter. you use your free hand, going to pull your dress down further to knead your tits, “fuck paige you’re gonna make me cum-”

she sucks hard on your clit, her fingers curling inside you as she presses her palm against your ass. she holds you in place, not letting you move as she devours your pussy. she feels you tighten around her fingers and knows you're about to cum.

you start to approach your climax, your legs quivering, “paige please don’t stop ohmygosh!” you whine out.

she can feel you tensing up, your breathing hitching as you get closer and closer to the edge. she growls encouragingly, her fingers beckoning inside you as her mouth sucks hard on your bundle of nerves. “that's it baby. keep being a good girl for me.”

you reach your climax, riding out your high. she keeps going, drawing out your pleasure until you're boneless and gasping. she slowly eases back, wiping her face with the back of her hand as she grins up at you. “you did so good,” she climbs back up your body, kissing you deeply so you can taste yourself on her.

you kiss her passionately, wrapping your legs around her waist as you cup her face, “i’m sorry baby, i promise i won’t leave you alone like that again,” you promise, still out of breath from the static orgasm.

she deepens the kiss, her hands roaming your body possessively. she breaks the kiss to bury her face in your neck, breathing heavily. “you’re mine, you hear me? no one else gets to touch you like this.”

“i know, i love you.”

“i love you more baby.”

a/n: ok this took forever and it’s still bad but i wanted it to be perfect bc i didn’t like my other fics also new writing style who cheered! nobody. anyway thanks for reading pls pls pls send requests/asks other than just “smut” because that’s literally all i have .. also i used this website to help with words to use for my writing and it works like magic bro😭😭 ok bye yap yap

[everythingannoyingpjo]

Octavian: Final Thoughts

I don't actually think this is the last time we will discuss Octavian on this blog. However we've had a lot of good discussion about his character so I wanted to finalize my thoughts on the subject so that I have a reference I can look back on going forward.

Facts

Octavian is not 100% Evil:

Octavian is a child.

Octavian is a product of the culture he was raised in.

Octavian has reason to believe that the attack on New Rome was legitimate.

Octavian has reason to believe he is doing what the gods want.

Octavian is Definitely Guilty of:

Warmongering

Seeking power.

Being a jerk.

Octavian Might (Not) Have:

Killed Gwendolyn

Blackmailed Hazel

Prophetic Abilities

Been manipulated by Gaea

Intentionally allowed Bryce back into the military despite his questionable history.

Octavian's Narrative Function

An entrenched power for Percy, Hazel, and Frank to overcome. (But they already had the giants to overcome and didn't need a secondary antagonist.)

To make Hazel, Percy and Frank's quest more difficult. (His only opposition was in not giving them very much money and a crappy boat, but that could have happened whether Octavian was present or not.)

To make Reyna appear more sympathetic. (I feel like this could have been better handled a different way.)

To create a sense of urgency. (Again, there are other ways.)

Conclusions

Octavian Doesn't Make Sense

His actions, implied or directly stated, contradict his motives.

This could be because he's "complicated."

This could be because he's a plot device and Rick never intended him to be a "Real Character."

Octavian is Frustrating (Because)

He could have been "complicated."

Now I will never have the satisfaction of piecing his mysterious pieces together.

No one likes him.

I know how it feels to be unliked and the butt of everyone's joke. I don't like seeing people treated that way unless their truly irredeemable.

He doesn't make sense.

I can't even enjoy disliking him because he has no substance.

He serves no larger purpose.

The story would have been just as good as, or even better, without him.

Final Conclusion: Octavian is a poorly written character and an unecesarry plot device. We all cry for the villain he could have been. RIP.

[importantgalaxyrunaway]

Unexpected visitor (Matt Murdock x reader)

note: WHEN I SAY THUS TOOK FOREVER I MEAN IT ITS FINALLY DONE

warning ⚠️: injuries, Matt in pain, mentioned kidnapping, amazing reader, fluff and angst, a bit long

(takes place in season one) Crash! I hear my plants pot fall and the pictures on the wall shattered. I jolt awake at the noise. What could cause that noise in Hell’s Kitchen at 3 am? Only one answer a robber. Stupid! I’m so stupid! I had left the fire escape window open to temp in some cool air on this summer’s night. Well it had worked my apartment was filled with the crisp night air and all its smells. However I should no by now to not leave my window open during the night in Hell’s Kitchen. But the place was so hot and muggy I couldn’t stand it. I tentatively creep out of the comfort of my bedroom. I grab a book as a makeshift weapon incase I need it. I cross to the living space and with all the courage I could muster flipping the light switch on. And nothing could have prepared me for this sight…..

The devil on Hell’s Kitchen was bleeding out in my living room. Gasping desperately for air his blood seeping into the carpet.

now you had heard tales of the man in the mask, many tales in face from the news. They say he’s a terrioist that he blew up those buildings and shot those cops. Personally I didn’t believe that, he was the devil the city needed. Police don’t do anything there all in someone’s pocket though I don’t know exactly who yet. When my little sister got kidnapped by human traffickers we did everything we could with the police. We filed for a missing person and searched and searched but they said that there is nothing they could do. We knew that wasn’t true. They could have done something! They could have helped her! But nobody helped her nobody but the devil. She showed up at our doorstep one night saying that she had been saved by a man with a mask covering his eyes. In a dark suit but she had said that he had beat up her kidnappers and left her unscathed he had saved my sister. The man in the mask, the devil of Hell’s Kitchen, bleeding out on your carpet.

(third person-ish)

She rushed to his side kneeling down next to him, not caring about the bloody situation. She was a nurse after all. There was a long gash across his side it was so deep you could see the bone. “n-no hospitals”

the mystery man croaks out. Well at least you knew he was still conscious and you had no time to argue.You put pressure on the wound to stop it from bleeding out at first. He let out a sudden cry of pain that broke your heart. Even though you didn’t fully know him yet you feel somehow responsible for him and to care for him he had saved your sister afterall. You gently pulled off his mask to see whose life you were saving to see who you were saving and exactly how bad the damage was. A gasp leaves your mouth. His face was nothing as you had expected. He had chestnut brown fluffy hair, his beautiful hazel eyes were….unsighted?

was he blind? He looks almost…angelic

his face though covered in blood struck you with how beautiful it was. It wasn’t intimidating as it was with the mask on. As scary he was with it on beating up criminals it surprised you how vulnerable he looked. Covered in blood and confused sightless eyes darting around as you gently lifted his eyes up. (Like in the gif) he looked almost like a puppy who’s been kicked to many times. Your heartbeat quickened a considerable amount and you saw him slightly tilt his head to the side and groans at the movement.

“Don’t move” you hushed in a gentle tone. “This is going to hurt a lot but I need to clean the wound”

you unscrew the rubbing alcohol and wet the gauze with the substance a considerable amount. He grits his teeth in anticipation. I started cleaning the wound pouring more rubbing alcohol, he lets out an agonized scream. His back arches off the floor slightly in pain abs flexing. You then start the process of stitches….

——/

“shh shh” you soothe him as soon as your done. Caressing his face and brushing his hair out of his face a thin layer of cold sweat had come over his body. His hair had stuck to his forehead and you pushed it back away. He leaned into your touch like a man starved, savoring the feeling.

how long has it been since he’s been touched like this? It must have been ages. Hes so much more beautiful than I could have imagined

“it’s over now. It’s over it’s ok, “ you keep stroking his face.

he looks up at you with desperation in his eyes. “T-thank you.”

He manages with a quivering voice. But even so you can tell he’s very grateful. You scratch his chin lightly and he hums in pleasure.

“your so brave, you risk your life saving our city. Take so much pain. No one forced you to do that. Your so brave—“

“Matthew” he tries to prop himself up on his elbows but instead cries out in pain “or Matt” he chuckles bitterly clutching his side.

“y/n l/n” you say pleased to know the strangers name, it was a show of trust. “And than answers my next question of weither you can stand” you put your hand on your hips still kneeling at his side looking at this beautiful man. His eyes shut in pain.

“Matthew” you cooed in a voice and sweet as honey. In Matt’s mind the sugary voice engulfed him for hours in his pained state it was like a line in a storm. His eyelids fluttered open. She stroked his hair and went down to scratch his slightly bloody stubble. He let out a small moan almost unable to hear it but it was there. He leaned into her touch placing his weight of his head on your hand. You keep scratching his stubble as you ask your next question. “Are you blind Matthew?” You ask tentatively not knowing if it’s a touchy subject.

”yes i am” he breathes out

poor thing he must be in so much pain

“how are you fighting then?” You still couldn’t wrap your head around it.

“there are other ways to see” he smirks but the little gesture even seems to take energy out of him.

“Well who did this to you?” You put your hands on your hips. He doesn’t answer his eyes are screwed shut. Then suddenly his body goes limp and his head falls back on the pillow. “Matthew! Matt?” You quickly check his pulse and breathe a sigh of relief. He wasn’t dead. He must have passed out from the pain. You get off your knees and stand up. He didn’t deserve this. None of this. He’s helping people. And he certainly doesn’t deserve to be on your couch if you were in that much pain you’d know that you would want to atleast be on a bed. So with determination you start to carry his body. You struggle to get him off the couch a bit but eventually you scoop him up, and half carry half drag him to your bedroom. Normally having a man this attractive in your bedroom would be a good thing but you can hardly celebrate how much pain he’s in. You hoist him up onto the bed pushing his feet on. Carefully taking his boots off and setting them on the ground. Then tucking him in with your softest blankets and comforter. You’ll sleep on the couch Tonight he deserves this bed more than you. Thinking about anything else he need you set a glass of water on the nightstand.

I’ll tend to his other needs in the morning

you think before taking a blanket and pillow and retiring to the couch for the night.

——-

when Matt wakes up he is immediately aware of a few things. He’s tucked in to a soft bed with a comforter. The scent of something cooking fills the air. And there is an awful throbbing pain in his side. He feels so warm he doesn’t want to leave. He can’t put his finger on it but he feels like he’s being comforted, like he’s safe, like someone took care of him. He opens his eyes just for convenience not to see obviously and hones his senses in. Hes on a bed not his own he knows he doesn’t have a comforter this soft and fluffy. Tentatively he touches his side, it’s stitched up neatly and cleaned it doesn’t seem to be infected. Then a collage of scent hit his nose. Pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes and orange juice. He blinks rubbing his face to see if he smelled that right, sometimes when he’s hurt his senses don’t work as intended. But he did. He sits up with a wince to his side. And a woman’s form hurries to him from the kitchen and sets down a tray on the side table

“Jesus woman, your an angel” he says rubbing his side

“didn’t know what to make” plus you stress cook a lot “would do that if I were you, could irritate the wound”

“You saw my face that, you shouldn’t have—” he says stopping rubbing his side

“should I have let you die!? No. Eat.” You firmly say, basically an order. Pushing the food towards him and he scarfs it down. Matt didn’t realize how hungry he was. Many time more than often he forgets how to take care of himself. You eat your plate of food alongside him.

her food is heavenly. Matt thought. He doesn’t even remember the last time he’s had a home cooked meal like this. Finally you break the silence after your both done eating

“I didn’t expect you to be blind. Going around fighting criminals blindly. That either means you’re very brave or very foolish.” You state matter of factly

he gives a devilish smirk “do I have to pick one?”

you chuckled and your heart fluttered a little bit, for a man who had been bleeding out last night he was surprisingly charming

“I like you already Matt”

the day goes on as you let him stay there and insist he rests. The both of you talk not about his personal life of course, he’s so mysterious he won’t let you know anything else. He says that he’s already made a mistake telling you his name and blames his bloody delirious state for that. But at the end of the day he’s well enough to be upright and as soon as that happens he wants to go.

“I don’t want to endanger you angel” he brushes a strand of hair behind your ear. “I’ve already been to much of burder” though the touch was relatively friendly it feels electric, your heart beats incredibly fast.

“you help a lot of people, if you ever need a nurse again or just want to visit don’t be afraid to slip in” she chuckles a bit, trying to make lightheartedness even though it felt like your heart was beating out of you chest. strangely, he tilts his head to the side as you do so but he decides to not comment, strangely you get the feeling he somehow Knows how attractive you think he is. Before putting on his mask that cover his eyes he steps towards you and puts his hand under your chin.

“I hope one day we can meet up without me being hurt” he says with a slight humor. Then he leans in and kisses me. I waste absolutely no time in reciprocating. His plump pretty lips move against mine in tandem easily his tongue traces my bottom lip asking for permission and I let it slip in moaning as he does so. There is no question of Matthew Murdocks experience finally he pulls away and you know he has somewhere to go

his tongue darts out to lick his lips he feels the taste of your lips on it but the action looks like it’s second nature. “I have to go” he puts on his mask and now he’s fully in his “man in black” “devil of Hell’s Kitchen” getup. “I’ll be back…eventually” and he opens the window and slips through the window sill and onto the fire escape and into the now; night. When he slipped through the window sill and bent over you had seen just a little of his back as his too tight shirt rose up. The sight and thought alone made you shiver with arousal. And then mysterious man went into the night

[ellemaru]

Simon "Ghost" Riley General Headcanons

A/N: This is just headcanons that have popped up in my head or whatever but I'm trying my best to keep it lore accurate/based off of lore. There will be some mentions of abuse, mental health, substance abuse (alcohol and drugs) and body dysmorphia due to how his character is.

General Appearance:

Starting with appearances, I think he's 6'2-6'4 and weighs 200-230 lbs (189-195 cm and 90-104 kgs).

He has prominent muscles, but they aren't Arnold Schwarzenegger huge but still large enough to the point that most people are impressed.

He has short, blondish hair where in the winter, it darkens to a light sandy brown if he doesn't go outside.

He had more of a fair and cool undertone but after spending time in the Middle East he darkened up slightly.

Everyone he knows always debates whether his eyes are green, grey or hazel but he personally thinks they are hazel with a light blue on the edges.

His nose is slightly hooked but is also kind of crooked from the front due to it being broken a gazillion times.

General Personality:

As proven previously with the "Alone" mission, Simon is a pretty funny guy.

I feel like there's a common misconception about him that he's super serious and cold and has no emotion but that's FAAAAAALSE.

When he's not on duty I'm a firm believer he acts sassy with the others to be funny.

He obviously knows that there's a time and place for everything but he also knows when a joke or sarcastic comment is needed to lighten the mood up.

I feel like his enhanced ability to read the room kind of stems from him having to always observe and walk on eggshells with his dad in the past.

Like if he misread his mood he could've potentially gotten hurt, leading to Mama Riley defending him causing her to get hurt too but that's for another post.

Back to the humor I feel like a lot of times he's just unintentionally funny like he'll say something, and because of his delivery people laugh and he just sits there confused like "???? I didn't make a joke"

100% a workaholic with no work-life balance because who needs that when your job is your life!

Once the guy starts working, he ain't gonna stop until he says so.

Super observant, he notices the fine details so if you think you can cut corners around him? You're mistaken.

Simon is moody af but that's definitely heightened by his kinda crappy mental health.

General Family:

He hates his dad.

Did I mention he hates his father?

For sure a mama's boy but not in an "I was my son's first girlfriend" kind of way.

He looks up to his mom like crazy and still has an emotional attachment to her from when he was young due to his father being emotionally, physically, and mentally abusive to him.

Anytime he comes back from a mission, has a rough day, or just needs advice on a decision or life he ALWAYS calls Mama Riley.

She's literally his rock because he sees her as someone who is steadfast and strong who goes based on the facts and how she takes things for face value, similar to Simon. I think this also gave Simon an admiration of single mothers and women in general since he grew up with more of a perspective from his mother than his father.

He loves Tommy to bits and pieces, and they were hands down partners in crime back in their teenage years before Simon enlisted.

If you go around Manchester, you can still see some of their graffiti tags on different things.

When Tommy became a drug addict, Simon was there for him from day 1 till he finally got clean.

A/N: This isn't much but if y'all want more I can work on another that's more detailed! Requests are always open so leave some suggestions on things you want to see!

[darkfantasysworld]

This idea popped into my head randomly. Shorter post.

Female reader x demon, pastor (no lines), & pastor's son

TW/CW; Bl00d, religion, and child/infant sacrifice

You snapped out of a daze and looked down at your pussy, it hurt for some reason, that's when you discovered your cross inside with blood on it. You immediately pulled it out and got out of bed, your sheets and blankets had the red substance on them as well. You felt it trickle down your thigh as you cried, you walked into the bathroom and started the water for a bath, using a washcloth to try and clean some of the blood from your body. You got in the tub and cried harder, the reality of the situation crashing over you like a tidal wave. You were assaulted and with one of your crosses nonetheless, that was the only logical conclusion you could think of. You lived in a small town and were friends with basically everyone so you didn't know who would want to do this. You cleaned up and sat in the bathtub for a few hours, thinking before finally getting out and patting yourself dry. You wrapped a towel around yourself and walked back into your bedroom. You pulled the bloodstained bedding off and carried it to the laundry room then placed it all in the washer and turned it on. You went back to your bedroom, this time with a bowl of warm, soapy water and a brush, both of which you set on the nightstand before getting a bottle of peroxide from your first-aid kit. You walked over and poured some peroxide on the bloodstained mattress, watching it bubble up. You grabbed the brush and wet it before scrubbing the bloodstain and dabbing it with a black towel.

You cleaned everything up, your bed still had a slight stain but you did what you could. You put a baggy hoodie and sweatpants on before leaving the house to get groceries and try to see if anyone was acting different to you. While shopping you saw the town pastor with his son, you had always had a small crush on him and would say hi whenever you saw him but you couldn't shake the feeling that him or his father might have done this to you. You were somewhat out of it as you shopped, your mind kept going back to the bloodied bedding and cross. You walked down each aisle, making sure you got everything you needed and once you were done you went home.

You were putting groceries away when someone knocked on your front door so you opened it. "Hey, how are you? You didn't say 'hi' in the store earlier so I figured I'd check on you." The pastor's son, Noah, spoke, his light brown hair almost looked like honey in the current lighting, his hazel eyes looked into yours with a hint of concern in them. "I'm ok.. I just.." you paused, looking at him before looking at the ground. "I don't think I can talk about it.." you sniffled slightly, your mind flashing back to earlier. "Hey.. I'm here for you.." Noah responded, placing his hand on your cheek. You don't know what happened but you just lost control and fell into his arms, sobbing.

You don't know how or when but when you stopped crying you realized you were on the couch, sitting on Noah's lap while he held you, his fingers tracing small patterns under your shirt and on your skin. You stayed there, enjoying the gentle touch and quiet whispers of "it's ok.." , "I've got you.." , "let it all out.." , and "I'm here.." from Noah. You closed your eyes and relaxed, letting your breathing return to normal as you sniffled. You finally decided to tell him, he's the pastor's son so you trusted him with this information. "A cross..? Inside of you..? Sounds like a possession case my dad worked.." Noah pulled out his phone and you sat there, confused until you heard a ding from his phone. "The demon's name is Voxix, he's a servant of Asmodeus. Voxix likes to… impregnate… virgins by possessing them and… masturbating as he's inside of them…" Noah paused and looked at you. "What?" You asked, confused as to why he paused. "He's almost impossible to exorcize." Noah responded, making you hide your smile. You didn't really believe in that stuff, you found it silly. "I don't think it's a demon's baby, but thanks Noah."

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, your stomach grew and you weren't acting like yourself. Your skin became almost gray, your eyes turned almost white with little bits of color still showing, your hair was messy and knotted. You became sick, throwing up quite often, you assumed it was morning sickness, that it would eventually go away but it didn't. You got to know Noah more, he was really sweet throughout the whole pregnancy, almost a little too sweet but you didn't mind. You snapped out of another daze, this time you were restrained with Noah and his father, John by your bed. John was in his robes, throwing holy water on you, it felt like it burned and they began speaking in Latin but you blacked out before you could even slightly understand what their motives were. You opened your eyes but this time you saw a large man in pure darkness, he had black horns that made a vague heart shape, the horns had pink stripes, creating a unique pattern, he had a long black tail with a heart on the tip that looked sharp. The man had dark grey skin, pink eyes, and short black hair with an undercut, he also seemed to have tattoos but they were pink and seemed to have a slight glow. "Ah.. mortal.." The male spoke, walking towards you. You couldn't move, yell, or speak for some reason. "Shh.. you'll be ok.." He said, running his hand through your hair as you felt some sort of pain, you thought maybe it was labor pain but surely you'd be awake for that. "Mm.. it's time.." The male said in an almost seductive tone as he disappeared right before your eyes.

You woke up screaming as your body pushed the baby out, you looked around confused and watched as John threw the baby into a fire, all you got to see was your baby's red skin and some sort of black features. You cried out for your baby when suddenly the male from the darkness walked out of the fire. "Ah.. much better.." The male spoke before looking at John and Noah, you suddenly realized you were in the woods with no one else around. "Thank you, John, for bringing me to this realm." The male said, giving a slight bow to the brown haired pastor. Noah stepped towards you and leaned down, giving your clit a gentle kiss. "You did so well.." Noah whispered in your ear before kissing your neck.

[wondereads]

An Extended List of Retellings

It was recently Tell a Fairy Tale Day (02/26), so here's an updated and expanded list of retellings for all fairy tale- and folklore-obsessed readers!

*Key at the end of the post*

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (Fairy Tale-esque)

Alice's grandmother is known for her collection of stories that has spawned a cult-like following, spawning plenty of fanatics to follow Alice and her mother around. But this new group is strange, weirder than the rest, and when they take Alice's mother, she must literally dive into the world of her grandmother's stories to save her. (YA, low fantasy)

Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (Fairy Tale-esque)

Ama remembers nothing. All she knows is that she was saved by Prince Emory from a vicious dragon. It seems she will be taken care of for the rest of her life as a pampered princess, but as she learns more about her new home, the more darkness seems to well up around the edges. *read trigger warnings* (NA, high fantasy)

The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker (The Frog Prince)

Princess Emeralda is about to be caught in an unfortunate engagement, but she finds an escape in a talking frog. A frog who claims he is a prince, a perfect excuse to escape a betrothal. What she doesn't expect is being turned into a frog herself with no clue how to change both of them back. (MG, high fantasy)

The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker (Sleeping Beauty)

Princess Gwen was tragically cursed to fall into a magical sleep, so when her younger sister, Annie, is born, she is given only one christening gift—the ability to resist any magic. When the curse comes true and Gwen falls asleep, Annie sets out to find her sister's true love and wake the kingdom again. (MG, high fantasy)

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Peter Pan)

From an orphanage in London, Peter and his mysterious friend, Molly, arrive at a faraway island. There, pirates and adventures abound, but nothing is as exciting as a precious new substance that can cure wounds, give flight, and keep people young forever. (MG, low fantasy)

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (Alice in Wonderland)

When Wonderland, land of dreams and imagination, undergoes a bloody coup, Princess Alyss Heart is forced to flee to the real world, taking on the name Alice Liddel. Years later, she is needed to win Wonderland back, but is it time for Alyss' imagination to be saved? (YA, low fantasy)

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley (multiple)

Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have bounced from foster home to foster home before their formerly-unknown grandmother takes them in. She seems like everything two children could want, but Sabrina doesn't trust her. Not only does she serve outlandish foods and have an outrageous amount of locks on her house, but she seems to believe their town is full of fairy tale characters, all with mysteries that need solving. (MG, magical realism)

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (multiple)

Agatha and Sophie are best friends, but they couldn't be more different. Agatha is ugly and unpleasant and Sophie is pretty and kind, so when they're taken to the School for Good and Evil, it seems obvious who's Good and who's Evil. However, when the girl's places are switched, they must put things to rights. (MG/YA, high fantasy)

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (The Little Mermaid)

Lira is a vicious siren, known for her collection of prince's hearts. However, a serious mistake of hers leads the Sea Queen to transform her into a human, trapped until she can bring her the heart of Prince Elian. Lira is a practiced killer, but Elian is a trained hunter, and sirens are his prey of choice. (YA, high fantasy)

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (multiple)

Alex and Conner have had it rough since their father's death, but they find comfort in their grandmother's book of stories. When she leaves it to them on their birthday, they never expected for it to be a portal to another world. This world is full of all the fairy tales they know and love, but they're trapped there, and ways back are hard to come by. (MG, low fantasy)

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (King Arthur)

In an attempt to move on after her mother's death, Bree attends an early college program. However, she starts to see things, things her friends can't, and she soon discovers a secret society on campus made up of the descendants of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. However, this group, the Legendborn, may be tied to Bree more than she knows. (YA, magical realism)

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson (Caribbean and Yoruba Mythology)

In a futuristic world modeled off of Afro-Caribbean history and mythology, criminals are sent to the world of New Half-Way Tree. No child has been sent before until Tan-Tan is taken by her father, who is on the run from the law. When Tan-Tan's experience takes a turn for the worse, she finds strength the figure of the Robber Queen from myth. *read trigger warnings* (adult, science fiction/fantasy)

Splintered by A. G. Howard (Alice in Wonderland)

Alyssa is a descendant of the famous Alice Liddel, but it's not all roses and tea parties. Madness runs in the family, and Alyssa has heard bugs and flowers speak to her since she was young. It's only when she's a teenager that she learns it's a curse, and the only way to free her family from it is to return to Wonderland and put the original Alice's mistakes to rights.

Stain by A. G. Howard (very loosely The Princess and the Pea)

Princess Lyra is destined to bring her kingdom, one of perpetual day, and their rival, a kingdom of perpetual night, together. However, when her wicked aunt steals her identity and casts her out, she loses her memories and is taken in by a witch from an enchanted forest. There, she lives in disguise, known as a young boy named Stain. (YA, fantasy romance)

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (The Frog Prince)

Sunday is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a powerfully magic number. Anything Sunday writes comes true, so she takes care to only write what has already happened. She finds someone to share those stories with in a talking frog near her home. Little does she know that the frog is an enchanted prince; specifically, the prince responsible for the death of her older brother.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Cinderella)

Ella was given a gift at her birth from a fairy, but it's done nothing but make her life miserable. Forced to obey every direct order, Ella loathes her gift of obedience, especially when she is forced to deal with a demanding father and a horrible stepfamily. Ella takes it upon herself to track down the fairy who 'blessed' her with some help from her family's cook, Mandy, and the charming Prince Char. (MG, high fantasy)

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (Snow White)

Aza is by no means the fairest of them all, but she has the unique gift to imitate others and throw her voice. In the kingdom of Ayortha, which values song above all else, it's an invaluable trait. One the new queen of Ayortha, Queen Ivi, plans to capitalize upon. Ivi lacks singing talent, so she hires Aza to help her deceive the kingdom, but how long can they keep up the charade? (MG, high fantasy)

The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine (multiple)

Six stories: The Fairy's Mistake (Diamonds and Toads), The Princess Test (The Princess and the Pea), Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep (Sleeping Beauty), Cinderellis and the Glass Hill (Cinderella), For Biddle's Sake (Rapunzel), and The Fairy's Return (The Golden Goose) (MG, high fantasy)

Ash by Malinda Lo (Cinderella)

Abused by her horrible stepmother, Ash finds solace in stories. Those stories seem to come to life when she encounters a faerie, and her wishes of being stolen away may finally be granted. However, Ash begins to doubt that course when she meets the king's huntress and she finds herself torn between two worlds. (YA, fantasy romance)

Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell (Peter Pan)

Gwendolyn has always thought her mother was crazy for thinking monsters were chasing them, but then she and her best friend are kidnapped. The place they're taken to, Neverland, is full of deception, and Gwen must find out how to get them both home and whole again. (YA, low fantasy)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)

Cinder is a cyborg in a futuristic world ravaged by sickness and prejudice, but she scrapes by as a mechanic. One day, during a job for no one other than the prince, she discovers information that could tip the balance between the people of earth and the dreaded Lunars. (YA, science fiction)

The Squire's Tales by Gerald Morris (King Arthur)

A series retelling the tales of the Roundtable, beginning with Terence, an orphan who becomes squire to the famous Sir Gawain. Together, they must foil a plot against King Arthur as Terence discovers his own abilities. (MG/YA, historical fantasy)

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Beauty and the Beast)

Agnieszka is forfeited by her village to the wizard known as the Dragon in exchange for his protection against the horrible Wood. She finds herself more of an apprentice than a servant, but the Wood is stirring, and it's up to her and the Dragon to drive it back. (NA, high fantasy)

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Rumpelstiltskin)

Miryam has brought her family's moneylending business back from the brink of bankruptcy. All is going well until an ill-timed boast on the roads lures the attention of the king of the Staryk, fae-like creatures made of winter and obsessed with gold. But there's a bigger threat that threatens to consume humans and Staryk alike. (NA, high fantasy)

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes (Alice in Wonderland)

Dinah has trained her whole life to become queen of Wonderland alongside her father, finally earning his love. However, out of the blue, her father brings home her half-sister, his illegitimate daughter. With conspiracies brewing, Dinah must hold onto her throne now that another candidate has entered the picture. (YA, high fantasy)

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (Shim Cheong)

As their home is ravaged by storms and floods, the people of Mina's village sacrifice a young girl every year, hoping she may be the "true bride" of the sea god. One year, the offered girl is Shim Cheong, Mina's older brother, Joon's, beloved. In an effort to save her, Mina throws herself into the sea to find a fantastical world under the surface. (YA, historical fantasy)

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (The Wizard of Oz)

Amy is a friendless teenager from modern-day Kansas, so a surprise trip to the land of Oz would seem like a blessing. But this version of Oz is twisted, dark, and ruled by none other than the other girl from Kansas, Dorothy herself. (YA, low fantasy)

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine (Snow White)

Lorelai is the crown princess, but she's also a fugitive. Ever since her kingdom was taken by a wicked queen, she and her brother have been forced to run for their lives. She and the queen share one quality, magic, but if Lorelai ever uses it, she'll be guiding the queen straight to her. (YA, high fantasy)

The Blood Spell by C. J. Redwine (Cinderella)

Blue is an aspiring alchemist, hoping to turn other metals into gold to help the people of her city. However, when her father tragically dies and a cruel woman seizes everything Blue knows, she has to turn to her childhood rival, Prince Kellan. Kellan has his own issues, such as a growing pressure to marry, but the worst is the disappearances that seem to rise in number every day. (YA, high fantasy)

Half Upon a Time by James Riley (multiple)

Jack the 13th is supposed to be a hero, save a princess. He thinks that isn't likely to happen until a 'princess' from our world literally falls into his arms. Soon, Jack realizes that this girl's grandmother can be none other than the famous Snow White, but she's been kidnapped, and it's up to Jack and the 'princess', Meg, to save her. (MG, low fantasy)

The Evil Queen by Gena Showalter (Snow White)

Everly lives the life of a normal teenager until she discovers she's not of this world. In this other land of magic, she's a part of a prophecy, one that mirrors the classic tale of Snow White. That would all be great if she weren't destined to become the story's villain, the Evil Queen. (YA, low fantasy)

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (Chang'e)

Xingyin's mother, Chang'e has been imprisoned on the moon for years for stealing the Celestial Emperor's elixir of immortality. When Xingyin's magic flares and she is in danger of being discovered, she must flee the moon. She ends up in the Celestial Kingdom, where she works her way up, hoping to find a way to free her mother. (NA, high fantasy)

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (The Snow Queen)

The Snow Queen made a mirror meant to show people the worst in the world, and when it shatters, a shard gets stuck in the eye of Hazel's best friend Jack. When the Snow Queen whisks him away, Hazel must travel through a treacherous, wintery forest to save him. (MG, low fantasy)

Malice by Heather Walter (Sleeping Beauty)

Alyce is the infamous Dark Grace, whose powers bring curses and misfortune, unlike her sisters, who can conjure gifts and beauty. She dreams of escaping the prejudiced Kingdom of Briar, but her growing powers and an involvement with the royal family could keep her trapped forever. (adult, fantasy romance)

KEY

MG: middle grade, ages 8-12

YA: young adult, ages 13-18

NA: new adult, ages 18-early twenties

adult: ages 18 and up

high fantasy: fantasy stories set entirely within another world

low fantasy: fantasy stories split between our world and another

magical realism: fantasy stories set in our world, often interwoven with aspects of modern life (not the Latin American literary movement!)

historical fantasy: fantasy stories set in a historical setting of our world

fantasy romance: fantasy stories focused on romantic plotlines instead of other forms of plot

[fantasyismyonlyrealescape]

Whumptober 2024: No. 5 - Sunburn/Healing Salve/Heatstroke

Characters: Jey Uso & Sami Zayn (SamiJey)

Rating: General Audiences (fluffy!Jey/Sami at the very end)

Word Count: 849

A/N: Another addition to Whumptober. Cheers!

Summary: Sami Zayn and the Arizona sun don't mix well during an outdoor wrestling event, something that he finds out the hard way. Jey Uso is there to help him out afterwards.

Cross posted on AO3 under user wrestlinginjeans.

“Ow, Jey!” Sami complains loudly, wrenching his arm out of the other man’s grip from where they were sitting on the bed in Sami’s room, medical supplies strewn all over the bed spread.

“Come on, Sami.” Jey sighs, reaching out for Sami’s arm again. “We need to get this taken care of before it gets any worse.”

“I’m good, Uce.” Sami declares only to wince slightly as Jey’s fingers wrap around his reddened skin once again.

“Nah, you ain’t, Uce.” Jey retorts, a pointed look directed at Sami’s face while the redhead tried to hide the fact that he had just winced. Jey’s grip on Sami’s arm loosens then, the Samoan bending slightly in order to grab the bottle of aloe from its place off to his right.

“What made you think that wrestling three matches in the Arizona heat shirtless was a great idea?” Jey admonishes, depositing a generous amount of the green aloe substance onto his hand and rubbing them together.

“It was for a fundraiser!” Sami retorts quickly, arching his back slightly at the introduction of the cooled liquid on Jey’s hands as it makes contact with his badly burned back. “I didn’t know what the facilities would be like…”

“Sami, that’s your Canadian talking.” Jey says without any real heat to his words, shaking his head a little at Sami’s unpreparedness. “It’s July in the desert. Did you even bother to pack sunscreen?”

The silence from the redhead answered the Samoan’s question loud and clear.

“Okay, so next time, pack sunscreen. I’ll help you remember…” Jey sighs, shaking his head a little at Sami’s predicament. Truth be told, the redhead in front of him was burned, badly. His normally pale skin was a brutal display of a variety of various reds and pinks, his skin already beginning to blister in some places. The aloe appeared to be providing some relief, but Jey could feel the heat coming off the burned man in waves every time his own skin got anywhere close to Sami’s.

He makes slow work of applying the aloe, wanting to make sure that he covered every square inch of Sami’s body that was exposed to the elements that day. Sami had been mostly quiet through all of this but judging by the tension in the redheads shoulders that Jey could feel as he worked on that area, he was hurting.

“Sami, I’m almost done here and then you can lay down…” Jey says sometime later, rubbing the last bit of aloe from his hands onto Sami’s chest. Finding a comfortable position for the sunburned man would be a challenge as both his front and back seemed equally burned. Sami, having been mulled into a semi-sleep state as the aloe had begun its work, nodded lazily.

“Here, Sami. Let’s get you laid down and then I can see about getting you what else you need,” Jey states, jumping off the bed and arranging the pillows slightly before helping a sore Sami onto his back as gently as he could. Jey takes a moment to study Sami, noting how much more tense Sami was since laying down.

“I’ll be right back, Uce…” Jey states after a period of silence, giving Sami a small reassuring smile before disappearing out of the room. Moments later, Jey returns with a bundle of items in his hands.

“Cool cloths, Ibuprofen and water for you,” Jey explained as he put the non-spillable items down on the bed, noticing that Sami’s eyes were closed. “Hey, Sami. You with me?” Jey asks, brown eyes meeting pain filled hazel a moment later as Sami’s eyes open. “Good, now this’ll help,” a cold cloth is placed gently onto Sami’s chest, the redhead letting out a shudder as the cool material is pressed there. “It’ll help soothe the sunburn, Sami,” Jey explains, making quick work of the childproof cap on the medication bottle. “Now, take this,” Jey instructs, holding out a pill and a cup of water. “Here, let me help…” Jey adds, passing the pill to Sami before placing a hand behind Sami’s head to help him take a drink. “You need to keep drinking, but imma stay with you so that I can look after you…” Jey explains, watching as Sami’s eyes begin to drift closed.

“Thanks…” Jey hears Sami mumble, his expression tight with discomfort as he tries to relax against the soft fabric beneath him.

“I got your back, Uce… Always.”

Jey can’t help but notice the small, tired smile that forms on Sami’s lips at Jey’s admission that he would always watch his back as he settles into bed next to a sunburned Sami.

“Likewise, Jey…” Sami manages to mumble before sighing softly and drifting off to sleep.

Jey had more to say to Sami, so much more, but for now this would have to be enough.

“Love ya, Uce…” Jey whispers softly in the direction of Sami, knowing that the injured man could not hear him. Still, it felt better to say it. Carefully, Jey bent down and pressed his lips to Sami’s warm forehead. “I’m right here…”

[steveharrington]

i'm the opposite of you when it comes to booksmart vs. bottoms (i think booksmart is p much perfect and the only thing i liked about bottoms was ayo's wardrobe) and I was just wondering if you would expand upon how you felt about each movie. i was so excited for bottoms so it was disappointing when i didn't like it.

oh man i have not watched booksmart since it came out in 2019 BUT i personally just found it pretty unfunny and some of the aspects that are meant to be empowering for women and teen girls just came across very. insincere and surface level to me. best example i can give is the two main characters saying “malala” to each other as a code word in their friendship? to me that is very 2012 leslie knope #im with her writing where they think simply namedropping an outstanding feminist public figure in a throwaway joke makes their movie overall More Feminist. like look we mentioned malala! when really they’re invoking her name without any substance, yk? i don’t really know why we’re supposed to applaud beanie feldstein’s character for finally seeing the girls around her as people with their own skills and values at the ripe age of 17 years old and then giving a big speech at graduation where she’s essentially like “hey good news i finally see you all as people :)!” BUT i do think it has some funny jokes and a rlly good cast

bottoms to me is just endlessly funny. i do get that it has a very specific type of humor that probably is not for everyone, the incoherency and surrealism of the world the characters live in might be off putting or frustrating for some viewers. i love bottoms because pj and josie, to me, feel like real teenage girls instead of the personification of feminist bumper stickers with catchy slogans. i love that they are not setting out to change the world, they literally just want to lose their virginity and have lesbian experiences. i think one of the funniest jokes in bottoms is when hazel says like “if we keep this up we might be able to take on huntington you guys” and pj responds “no if we keep it up we can put our fingers inside each other, grow up” like her ONLY goal is to have lesbian sex and to me that is so real and refreshing. plus, the movie doesn’t frame pj and josie at the end as these models and paragons of feminism, but rather as real girls who are figuring out their own wants and desires

i guess i would say i simply identify more with pj and josie’s experience in high school. josie definitely understands the value of a community of girls coming together and learning self defence, buttttt that ultimately comes second to her crush on isabelle. that feels authentic to me. josie and pj do not consistently model textbook feminist practices (pj’s favorite show is entourage, she’s not a feminist!!!), they antagonize and manipulate other girls, and they really only understand the value of their community of other girls at the end of the movie. BUT that all makes them feel more like real people than the characters in booksmart to me, and the narrative doesn’t frame them as heroes that we need to be looking up to. if anything, the end of bottoms acknowledges that they are murderers <3

to me the strongest and most empowering women in fiction are those who feel realistic and true to life, and i literally feel like i’ve met pj and josie as a teenager. the characters in booksmart, as well acted as they are, didn’t feel authentic to me when i was 18 years old watching it just post-graduating high school myself

[alitgblog]

i forgot what volume we're on but THOUGHTS

first off what do you meeeaan we're getting the finale next week 😭

heart rate challenge is fun because of the costumes and dances and flirting in front of someone's partner you get to do, but god the results sucked. I don't care for the drama of Jin having the highest heart rate with Sienna and I don't care about Sienna rubbing it in MC's face. Can we move on???

Especially because literally on the other side of it, I just picked that MC would have her heart rate raised the most by Logan for fun, and that resulted in NOTHING. Maybe like one comment that flew under the radar during Logan's date, but nothing fun. I just had to hear about Sienna sticking her tongue in Jin's ear or whatever.

Speaking of Logan, he's just another victim of not enough screen time. Like Tyler, Hari, and Logan all seem great but you barely get any chance to talk to them outside of their intro episodes and then by then you're expected to have already made a decision on who to pick. At least Hari is around for a while, but I simply have not really talked to him since Casa aside from hearing how he's fumbling Hazel. And between Tyler and Logan, who in my mind are basically the same personality going only for MC, I kind of prefer Tyler because at this stage in the game, Logan needed to have put more pressure. Or have been an angel sent like Oliver idk he has some substance. Once again, just a waste of a good looking sprite.

I also miss LIs that had their own personalities. Like I think that's why the OG boys are fun at first: each of them being distinct enough but all having reasons to go for MC. But the bombshells this season all seem to kind of just be "yeah I like MC because she's confident and knows what she wants" and that's it. It feels gameplayer-y which is maybe why I'm less intrigued for their routes. Even small things like Lucas liking a girl that puts in effort vs Henrik liking a girl that tells it like it is, so then you kind of have to "compete" with the other characters even though it doesn't make a difference later on with who you pick feels like it gives the characters more dimension.

I also think this is why Bea and Claudia have such compelling routes this season compared to the male bombshells (and vs. some of the other wlw routes in other seasons). They have potential partners that could give them what they want, although we know ultimately probably not. Also why I think if Hari's storyline was more fleshed out and you got time with him, that when he comes back with Hazel, his story could be more interesting.

Also I liked Logan better with the hat on, he needed a different haircut lol.

Stop it please with the texts interrupting conversations there has GOT to be a better way

also fusebox trying to squeeze out as many gems as they can out of us with more of those "i heard gossip do you want to know?" choices 🙄

the pancake challenge is lame. it just made me miss s2 cake decorating challenge 😭

also at this stage in the game, i feel like we should've gotten Mr. and Mrs. (I can't remember if we already did that). But a fun food challenge is fine too, it's just that this one wasn't fun. Also the options all being either "do it correctly" or "fail on purpose?" was very lame and probably contributed to it being boring. Once again, make it more like the s2 cake decorating challenge or paint challenge in difficulty if you're gonna do this.

Also no one else flirting with MC at this point? the other LI's don't have a CHANCE. That's why it's called tempting fate, because it's all temptation and yet while they all claim to want MC, no one is really talking to her what a shame

How does Sienna have the energy to be this much of a hater?? I kinda wanted her to have a small redemption at the end of her time but we never got it. And plus with her being so mean, it's so hard to imagine that at one point she charmed Jin into even considering her, so I feel like for logic's sake, we should've seen some of what Jin saw in her.

And once again we fall into the same problem this season has had which is way too many things at once because what do you mean they had three SEPARATE firepit meetings to dump islanders?? Give them some room to breathe!!

But yeah for some reason a couple is getting dumped right before the recoupling. We say goodbye to my frenemy couple Emel and Oakley. I hated them at times, but I miss them so dearly. They do not deserve to leave. I think that should've gone to Sienna/Max or Liam/Bea. If anything, since it's a public vote they should've had those three couples be at the bottom and then everyone else vote on who they'd like to dump and then however the math works out it ends up being Emel/Oakley, just for realism if the game really wanted to dump them. I understand that it had to be them because there are LI's in every other couple, but that's why I think they shouldn't have this dumping here in the first place.

Then the final recoupling. I touched on this briefly already, but oh my god no one got a chance. This may be the first time since season 2 that I'm sticking with the original person I chose to couple up with the first time I played through (ok technically S5 I did end the game with Suresh but that season is special and in a bad way). And maybe it's just the way I've been playing, but it does seem like in the last few volumes, you really only get to talk to the OG boy you chose or the Casa boy you chose. But I haven't really talked to Claudia since Casa and I'm so sad about that. Haven't talked Max much either, so I thought maybe he was sticking with Sienna? Haven't talked to Hari. Haven't talked to Bea. For some reason before the final recoupling, MC had a chance to talk to THEO? I was under the impression that if you're on a Claudia route then you're not on a Theo route but I guess he was an option the whole time, which was becoming clear in the last few volumes, but I'm still in awe every time he shows up trying to talk to MC. (Side note: a well written Theo friends to lovers route is brewing in my head and I think it would've rivaled a Jake S1 route so that's a shame it doesn't play out that way). Logan also had that chance, but both of those were gem choices, so they don't count in my head.

So no Claudia and Bea? I literally wanted to scream when Claudia said she was choosing a boy 😭😭

Logan is with Bea just because she needs to escape Liam, so I understand why, but they just seem so odd to me. Especially when Oakley and Emel were right there! Should've let them stay, at least they pretend to like to each other!!

Oh but I will miss Liam actually. Unfortunately he has much more personality than Logan so that's a shame but unsurprising that the more boring person stays the longest in love island lol.

Shouldn't have to pay gems to get people to not watch Jin's girlfriend announcement

also fusebox you already got your dig at us for thinking it was gonna be a zodiac themed season, are you really doing this again?? 🤣🤣

And then Max and Sienna go home in ANOTHER dumping. I'm exhausted. They couldn't have written one more volume to spread these out?

yeah yeah and hideaway again

anyway to prevent this post from being too too long I'm going to make a second post (yet again) with my ideas for how to fix these episodes because I've been okay with most of the recent volumes but idk this one in particular, although having the same problems as before, annoyed more than the others lol

still one of the top seasons of the game imo and definitely an improvement from s7 which I still haven't finished

[pleasejustletpercyrest]

I’m surprised I haven’t caved and done this yet, but I NEED to talk about how fucked up it is that ole Papa Ricky missed out on prime ace/aro representation via Leo Valdez in favor of? Ruining part of his character arc? Let’s get into it.

Essentially, Leo’s entire character is based off of the loser boy who relentlessly flirts with anything that moves because he’s desperate. We see this in almost every book until he starts to get serious, and of course when the Calypso plot line begins. IGNORING THAT ENTIRE SECTION OF THE BOOKS, and instead looking more closely towards the whole “seventh wheel” thing, I would very much like to point my gay little finger and declare Leo on the a-spec.

Leo as a character is very performative, and we see him taking the role of the comedian, or the resident funny guy along with his throwaway usefulness as the engineer and repairer. In his POV multiple times we see a deeper exploration to his thoughts and actions, while in everyone else’s eyes, he’s just annoying, funny, and hyperactive. While this is an entirely different post I should be making in the name of Leo Valdez and all of his quirks and flaws, I also think that this inherently plays into the loneliness and separation that we see over and over again casting him as the third/fifth/seventh wheel.

I think there’s also something very telling about that desperation. Besides Rick very quickly throwing him into a romance to solve most of his “problems”, a lot of the earlier books show him flirting and throwing himself at women, but there’s no SUBSTANCE to it. In my personal experience, and in something very often seen in the aro/Ace community, to fit into social norms, you often try to attach yourself quickly to people, or convince yourself and your peers that you are experiencing crushes/attraction for a way to fit in to conversation and convention. Unintentionally, Rick wrote this little playboy character who is SO EASILY read as queer, specifically ace/aro!!!!

While we can only give the books so much credit for diversity and representation (as they are written by a cishet white man well past his 30s), the way that Leo is written so stereotypically gives me FUEL to headcanon that he is better than written. I like to think of his third wheel era with Piper and Jason as a sort of PART 1 to this realization, and then PART 2 comes around with Hazel and Frank. There could have been so many silly interactions if he was actually pursued as a queer character, and I will forever rage because of the sloppily thrown labels after HoO with Nico’s coming out arc.

(Once again, big W for the representation being shown, but I do have some issues with the execution)

I just imagine Leo, confused, watching these relationships on the Argo II and taking notes about what romantic attraction looks like. He has messy notes scribbled on his palm like:

-Laughs at joke that is NOT funny because they are blinded by love???

-Look like idiots holding hands and staring into each others eyes

-‘I would die for you’ but in a sexy way (aka how to date in demigod 101)

-Whatever the fuck Percy and Annabeth have going on

Relationships, specifically romantic ones, seem to be the only way that Rick truly allows important interactions to happen. What happened to declaring your loyalty but in a platonic sense? What happened to fighting for the power of friendship? What happened to Grover?!?!!!

I also truly believe that there could have been an entirely new angle explored between Nico and Leo’s relationship, and how they could’ve become tentative friends after Leo comes back from the dead, especially after the death of Jason Grace. I see perfectly an interaction that would go something like:

Leo, approaching Nico wearily at the dining pavilion: hey man, how did you realize you were gay?

Nico, not paying much attention, absolutely destroying a bowl of cereal: didn’t like women, liked men

Leo, nodding seriously, knowing full well that he isn’t gay but also not straight: I see…

ADDITIONALLY there could have been such a fun friendship with Piper and Leo if Rick Riordan wasn’t a coward and actually gave Piper a character arc where she was established as queer instead of just sprinkling it in at random. Piper, as a daughter of Aphrodite, with that ‘love sense’, I truly believe they’re could have been such fun scenes such as:

Piper, suspicious that Leo isn’t straight: so…you have any crushes?

Leo, panicking because now he has to think of someone who could reasonably be seen as someone he was crushing on: uh, um, uh, what’re you? A cop???

Piper, getting literally no vibes of any attraction whatsoever from Leo, throwing her tf off: uh, maybe

This also leaves the very real, very hilarious question of what Leo would see if he ever met Aphrodite. As Jason sees a lot of Piper, and Percy sees basically just Annabeth, I think it would be interesting to have an internal dialogue of Leo meeting the goddess of love and having her features shift constantly to try and fit an impossible attraction by melding together traits that are stereotypically pretty or beautiful.

Not all of this was entirely coherent, but I have very strong feelings on this headcanon and I am HORRIBLE at articulating anything in a way that makes sense. Thank you for, once again, coming to my Teddy Talky.

[sluttyforpascal]

(Anti-) Hero - Joel Miller x OC

Chapter 1 - Welcome to Texas

Summary: September 2002. In the aftermath of her father's death, Jess Young travels to Austin. With her life enough in shambles as it is, her goals are simple: sort through her father's possessions and then sell the Texan home. Things in life are never that simple, though. Especially not when her father's friend-and neighbor from across the street-tries to keep an eye on her. Joel is a total piece of ass, which is highly distracting Jess from said goals. Will Joel capture Jess' heart... And panties? 😈

Warnings: Joel being hot AF, but sadly that's it (for now...).

Wordcount: 6k.

Author’s note: Ahhh Joel Miller... I. Am. Obsessed. I couldn't help myself and somehow this idea for yet another multichapter monster emerged. There's much filth that needs to be written. 🥵🔥 A special thanks to my dear friend @fizzyxcustard, who listens to me rambling about my Joel obession. You mean the world to me!! 🥰🥰❤

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

-Seneca

Thursday 26th of September, 2002.

The taxi had brought her from the Austin International Airport to the suburbs of the city and though Jess usually enjoyed taking in the scenery along the route or talking to the cab driver, today she would not even have noticed if a purple elephant had been rampaging across the street. Even the cab driver—a handsome guy named Earl—had fallen silent, for his client was too distraught to even tell him who she was visiting or where she was from.

As she sat on the worn backseat and vaguely registered Nickelback’s ‘How you remind me’ coming from the stereo, the synthetic fabric burned against her bare legs—the Texan heat making it even more uncomfortable. Jess suppressed a groan and shifted in her seat. She knew she should have opted for her long sundress, but the denim shorts and flimsy Metal band-shirt she wore instead were rather comfortable; it made her feel safe within herself. And though Jess had spent the first years of her life in the south, apparently it was easy to forget how unforgiving the Texan sun could be—hence her current, uncomfortable state.

‘It’s hot today, don’t you think darlin’?’ Earl tried, his last attempt to engage in a polite conversation with the lady. ‘Yeah,’ Jess agreed, her deep blue eyes fixated on the back of the seat in front of her. She heaved a sigh, feeling a bit guilty she hadn’t obliged in some casual banter earlier. ‘I hadn’t expected it to last. October is right around the corner.’ ‘Summer’s not your favorite season, then?’ Earl asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror. His handsome hazel eyes observed her with interest. ‘You strike me as a lazy summer type of gal.’ Jess chuckled at that. ‘No, I am not.’ ‘Christmas, then?’ She momentarily thought of her mother and her overfondness of Christmas decorations, and shook her head. ‘Definitely not.’ ‘Spring?’ Earl tried. ‘No? Are you more of a Halloween and pumpkin flavored drinks type of lady?’ ‘Yeah, I do love fall.’ Jess caved in as she brushed her long, raven curls over one shoulder before glancing outside. She recognised the block they were driving on, which meant they were almost there. ‘What about yourself?’ ‘I like all seasons,’ the cab driver replied with a grin, and it made her wonder briefly if Earl was one of those people who liked to stay impartial on most topics—either too scared to make a bad impression or too dumb to function. ‘Every season has its benefits,’ Earl went on, stopping at a red light. ‘But if you’re makin’ me choose, I would pick summer. I like the warm weather and the late night parties that come with it… Where we smoke somethin’, if you know what I mean.’

Jess eyed his golden curls, and a small smile tugged on the corner of her lips. ‘Are you abusing substances that you shouldn’t, good sir?’ She quipped. ‘Nah,’ Earl countered. ‘Just the occasional bit of pot, you know. To chill.’ ‘I hear you.’ ‘Really?’ Earl said, watching her through his rearview mirror again. His hazel eyes flashed with interest. ‘You smoke?’ ‘Just the occasional bit of weed,’ Jess said with a grin. ‘A bad habit I picked up in highschool, mostly to annoy my mother.’

Their conversation was cut short, for they had arrived at the end of the street and consequently her father’s home. Earl stopped the car in the curve of the cul-the-sac and took in the suburban bungalow. Jess’ father had painted it in a faded blue color awhile ago and the color went nicely with the low, gray roof, white painted window sills and the patch of grass stretching out before it. Even the red Ford F-250 that was still parked in the driveway matched the color scheme nicely. ‘Nice place,’ Earl remarked. ‘Is it yours?’

Technically, it was. Or would be soon. But since Jess didn’t want to share the details of her life with a practical stranger, she settled for the easy answer. ‘No, it’s my dad’s,’ she replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the cab door. ‘I’m staying here for just a while.’

Earl got from his seat to retrieve her suitcase from the trunk of the car, while Jess gathered her bag from the backseat before following him. She slammed the door behind her and eyed the silent street while waiting for her baggage. It was around half past three, the sun just coming down from its daily peak. Since it was a Thursday most of the neighborhood was at work, except the elderly couple sitting in the shade of their front yard across the street—the Adlers, if she remembered it right. They had been at the funeral.

��Hi sweetheart!’ Mister Adler called as he waved enthusiastically her way. Jess couldn’t help but smile at that and waved back.

‘Here,’ Earl said, directing her attention back again. ‘Here’s your suitcase.’ ‘Thanks,’ she murmured. ‘What do I owe you?’ ‘Twenty bucks?’ he said with a laugh, though he had driven her all the way from the airport which must have cost her much more than just twenty dollars. Earl watched her retrieve the money from her purse. ‘And…’ he continued after he had accepted the money, scratching the stubble on his chin. ‘Maybe I can call you sometime, y’know?’

The move was cheesy, but sweet. Her first instinct was to decline—she had a fiancé, after all—but then the realization hit her. Like her dad, Adam wasn’t in her life anymore.

‘Sure,’ she said with a nod and rummaged through her bag again, now for her notebook and a pen. She scribbled her phone number on the paper and tore it from the book. ‘Here,’ she said. ‘That’s my cell.’ ‘You got a mobile phone?’ he remarked as he accepted the piece of paper. ‘Nice.’

There was a small awkward silence, in which both of them didn’t know what to say. Jess shuffled on her feet, unsure how to continue. ‘I have to go,’ Earl finally said. ‘Have to get back to the city. I’ll call ya, okay?’ She nodded and watched as he got in his car, started the engine and turned in the cul-the-sac. Forcing herself to smile, she waved her ride goodbye as he disappeared in the street.

Then, she paused at the front of the yard—keys in one hand and her suitcase in the other. She knew she was stalling, but she granted herself a few seconds regardless. For entering her dad’s home like she owned the place, meant also accepting the fact that he truly was gone.

Dad’s place looked exactly like how they had left it the day after the funeral. Jess dumped her suitcase under the staircase in the small hallway, and moved to the living room on her right. She eyed the sparse furniture—her dad had been a practical man, not needing more than a television, comfortable chair, a couch no one sat on and a small dining table.

She heaved a sigh and moved through the living room into the kitchen, where the breakfast bowl she had used on the morning after the funeral still stood in the kitchen’s sink and a forgotten glass of water sat on the counter. Mom had been eager to catch their plane, pushing her daughter and daughter’s fiancé to hurry up.

Jess leaned against one of the bar stools, half expecting her father’s heavy footsteps on the stairs, excited to see her. ‘I miss you, dad,’ she mumbled, a lump forming in her throat. Her fingers traced aimless circles over the stone kitchen counter. ‘Wish you were here… You’d know what to do with me…’

The silence was deafening. ‘Please,’ Jess whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Her fingers faltered. ‘I… I don’t know what to do, dad… You’re gone and he—’

She couldn’t bear to say the words out loud, for the memory was still too fresh. Her chest burned, like someone had ripped her heart out of her cage. Adam had betrayed her, and the worst thing about it was that she hadn’t seen it coming. At all.

Diiiing.

‘Shit,’ Jess mumbled, quickly rubbing away the tears from her cheeks before making her way through dad’s home to the hall. Why mister Adler already was calling on her after she had been here for just five minutes was beyond her, but because she wasn’t exactly familiar with the neighborhood it would be wise to be on her best behavior. So when she opened the door, she was surprised to not find mister Adler, but Sarah Miller standing on her porch.

Jess knew the thirteen year old a bit, for their dads had been best pals from the moment the Millers had moved into one of the homes across the road—now six years ago. Though Jess’ father was twenty years Joels’ senior, the Millers had been quick to adopt her father as a part of their family and as a consequence, Jess had heard much about the family before even meeting them in person. Apparently Joel was a single father who had just started as an independent contractor in the construction business and Sarah was this quiet kid that—upon closer inspection—turned out to be equally funny and smart. So when Jess finally visited her father a few months after the Miller families’ arrival, she had expected to meet a typical American dad and his bright daughter. But as it turned out, her father had left one important detail out.

Joel Miller was anything but the typical American dad: he was a total piece of ass and he didn’t even know it… With his dark, tousled hair, his deep brown eyes, scruffy facial hair and sweet smile Joel had captured Jess’ heart—and panties, let’s be fair—the second he had greeted her, effectively turning her into this weird, clumsy gal she didn’t recognize.

Sure, she had experienced her fair share of crushes and dalliances before, but this was different. Something switched whenever Joel came around the corner; she laughed too loud, choked on her drink or said something extremely stupid. Her dad—who knew her too well—had teased her endlessly about her crush and at one point Jess had suspected him of matchmaking. Which, as she had told her dad, was highly inappropriate, for at the time she had been in a relationship with Adam.

‘Jess?!’ Sarah inquired with a small chuckle. ‘Are you in there?’ ‘Oh,’ Jess said, a genuine smile lifting the corners of her mouth. ‘Hi Sarah! I didn’t expect to see you this soon! I just arrived five minutes ago.’ ‘I’m sorry for disturbing you,’ Sarah quickly greeted her neighbor. ‘But my dad isn’t home yet and I forgot my keys. He will murder me when he finds out. I saw you entering mister Young’s—Carl’s—house, and I know he kept a spare for us. So I thought maybe you could help me find them and save my life?’

Jess laughed at the girl’s direct approach and leaned against the doorway, the hard wood uncomfortable against her shoulder. ‘I would gladly help you, but I have no idea where my dad kept your key, so you have to help me look. Deal?’ Sarah quickly obliged, her beautiful hazel brown curly hair bouncing as she nodded. She straightened the blue backpack that hung over her shoulders. ‘Come in,’ Jess said while stepping aside. ‘Do you want something to drink?’

Unfortunately, their search for the spare key turned out to be futile and after an hour, both Jess and Sarah had to accept the fact that they would never find out where Carl Young had kept the Miller’s house key—or his own spares, for that matter.

Both girls had resorted to the couch, initially exhausted by their search. Though it was nearing half past five, the Texan heat was still quite unforgiving, and the only way to cool off was lying splayed out on the couch, allowing the fan to wash over them—a cold glass of Coca Cola in hand.

‘How long are you staying?’ Sarah inquired, watching Jess taking a sip from her drink. ‘Dad said he wasn’t sure anyone would come back here….’ ‘I don’t know,’ Jess mused, watching the ice cubes float in her drink. The fan brushed over her face, her own hair ticking her cheeks. ‘A month, maybe two. I need to sort out all my dad's—Carl’s—stuff and I have an appointment with the notary to settle some affairs next week.’ ‘What will happen to the house?’

Jess shrugged, unable to present the teen with a clear answer. ‘I need to figure that out too. Maybe I will sell it, maybe I’ll stay.’

It was weird saying the idea out loud, for it only had existed in her own mind since she had boarded the plane. With her relationship with Adam in shambles and her mother living in the big city, the only thing that tied her down to Staten Island was her job. The school board hadn’t been too happy with one of their teachers taking unpaid leave when the term had just started, so Jess wasn’t even sure her spot would be there when she came back. If she’d come back.

In the background, the first tunes of INXS’ ‘Need you tonight’ emerged from the radio. Jess grinned brightly and despite the warmth she jumped from the couch. She had been addicted to this record back in 1987, when she had been just sixteen. ‘Sorry, I have to,’ she told Sarah—who was watching her in both typical teenage annoyance and amusement—and placed her drink on the radio before turning on the volume.

‘All you’ve got is this moment,’ Jess sang along with Michael Hutchence as she bust out her best dance moves. ‘Twenty-first century is yesterday….’

Sarah watched Jess making a fool out of herself and rolled with her eyes, though a small smile adorned her lips. ‘You look like my dad right now,’ she told her neighbor over the music. ‘’And trust me, it’s not a compliment. How old are you anyway?’ ‘I’m turning thirty in December,’ Jess replied with a laugh. ‘Which is—as my kids at school inform me—the equivalent to the age of the dinosaurs.’ ‘Yeah,’ Sarah agreed before taking a sip of her own drink. ‘That’s pretty old. Though my dad is even older than you are.’ ‘Oh, really?!’ ‘He turned thirty-five today,’ the teen told her. ‘So if you are turning into a carnosaur, don’t worry—dad’s probably of the herrerasauridae family.’

Jess laughed at the girls’ smart-ass notion. ‘Well played, young Miller,’ she quipped. ‘Have you bought him a gift?’ ‘Not yet,’ Sarah said, a frown now decorating her forehead. ‘I wouldn’t know what to get him and besides, he probably will be home late again. All he does is work.’ Jess heaved a sigh and turned down the volume again. She picked up her drink, absentmindedly rubbing away the condense the glass had left on the radio. She felt sorry for Sarah. Spending time with her dad must be important to her, especially because he was all she had.

‘We could start with buying a cake,’ she offered. ‘And see what Walmart has to offer that could be to Joel’s—your dad’s—liking?’ ‘You would do that?’ Sarah chimed, her dark brown eyes pleading for her neighbor to say yes. ‘But I have no money.’ ‘It’s nothing,’ Jess replied with a vague gesture from her hand. ‘I need to get some groceries anyway, and I think we should do something nice for your dad, don’t you agree?’ The teen nodded. ‘One problem, though,’ Jess murmured, her eyes scanning through the living room. ‘We still have to find the keys of my dad’s truck….’

It was around seven when the girls returned from their shopping spree. They had picked up some pizza on their way home—caprese for Sarah, pineapple for Jess, and pepperoni in case Joel showed up—and now were lounging on the couch while enjoying their meal and watching Legally Blonde that was showing on tv. Jess watched Sarah as she enjoyed her pizza, and laughed with her when Elle reprimanded Warner with the iconic burn of 2001: ‘What, like it’s hard?’

Sarah had picked up an Aerosmith and Nirvana CD—‘then he can finally listen to them on repeat in the car instead of one song on the radio’—and had chosen the most elaborate cake design they could find. And though the thirteen year old swore she would pay Jess back, the latter one refused kindly. It must be hard for Sarah that her dad was doing overtime on his birthday, and Jess hoped that Joel would return home soon.

She had just taken a huge bite of her pizza, when the doorbell rang again. ‘That must be dad,’ Sarah concluded, scrambling herself together. ‘Got it,’ Jess muffled with a mouth full of pineapple and rose from her seat. With the last of the pizza part still in her hands she walked towards the door, quickly swallowing her food before opening.

Joel Miller was still as hot as she remembered. He was leaning against her porch, his dark brown hair tousled from his day at work and his dark eyes observing her in a curious, though friendly manner—but if one would look closely, one could easily see the exhaustion written in them. Joel possessed a so-called ‘roman nose’, with a prominent curved bridge that ended in a sharp, though rounded tip. His full lips were crowned by a thick, dark mustache and his cheeks sported a messy scruff. It seemed like he had just arrived home: there was some construction dust on his temple and he still wore his work clothes—a simple black t-shirt that clung nicely to his defined torso and gray, worn jeans—both in the same rugged state. In his hands he held the note that Sarah had hastily scribbled on Jess’ counter before they left for the store, the post-it paper looking small compared to his palm.

‘Hey neighbor,’ Joel greeted her, his lazy southern drawl wrapping around her like a silk shawl. ‘I’m lookin’ for my daughter. She left a note on the door, sayin’ she would be here.’ ‘Yeah, she’s with me,’ Jess said, eyeing him with a small smile while she told herself to just breathe. ‘She forgot her key and said she’s grounded forever now.’ ‘She tryin’ to find an ally now?’ Joel said with a smirk. ‘Smart girl, raised her well.’ ‘Well, it is working…’ Jess commented. ‘I mean, come on, Miller. Is forgetting a key such a big offense?’ Joel laughed at that and ran the hand that wasn’t holding on to the note through his hair, tousling it further. His tanned arm flexed. ‘It is when there’s no one to let her in,’ he argued. ‘Carl had one, and I don’t like t’give the Adlers access to my place, if y’know what I mean. Can’t leave my daughter stranded.’ ‘No, definitely not,’ Jess agreed, thinking of mister Adler. Her dad had told her that though the couple was kind, they were very meddlesome; the type that would rearrange your home while you were away—just to help, of course. ‘Though,’ she went on. ‘In the event I hadn’t been home… I can imagine spending a free afternoon with the Adler’s would have been enough punishment, don’t you think?’ ‘Sure,’ he agreed. ‘She can count herself lucky that you were here.’

There was a short silence, in which they observed each other—gorgeous chocolate depths burning in their deep blue counterparts. A small twinge burned in the pit of her stomach, the same one she had felt at the funeral when Joel had shook her hand to pay his respects. It had struck out to her that even in her grief-stricken state a simple touch from him was enough to make something spark within herself.

‘How are you holdin’ up?’ Joel inquired gently, pulling her from her thoughts. ‘Hadn’t expect to see you back soon.’ ‘Me neither,’ she replied, stepping aside to let him in, and vaguely sensing the cold half-eaten pizza part in her hand. ‘But I have to handle some affairs here.’ ‘How long will you be stayin’?’ Joel asked as he brushed past her, his eyes not leaving her frame. ‘I don’t know,’ she confessed. ‘As long as I need to. To go through his stuff, I mean.’ Her throat went stuffy at the reminder of the enormous task of cleaning her dad’s home and sorting through his belongings; she wasn’t ready for that yet. Joel nodded, offering her a sympathetic smile. ‘Lemme know f’you need my help, okay?’ ‘You already work too much, birthday boy,’ she told him while she sent him a cheeky smile. ‘I wouldn’t want to impose on your free time.’ Joel groaned at that. ‘She told you, huh?’ ‘Happy birthday,’ Jess congratulated him as she waved with her pizza part. ‘I hope you’re hungry, we got you pepperoni.’ ‘Y’didn’t have to—’ ‘Yes, I did,’ she argued before taking a bite of her pizza. In her haste she accidentally gobbled down a larger chunk than she’d bargained for; of course her clumsy, nervous ass did. Joel watched her struggle to maintain her dignity—which meant not coughing herself to death in his presence—but her trachea protested against her ego’s wishes. Jess toppled forward and went into the very coughing fit she had been trying to avoid. Joel was eyeing her with growing concern and after a few moments of hesitation, he carefully rubbed her back. ‘Keep it up,’ he instructed, his tone calm. ‘It helps.’

Of course it did, she knew that. But it also meant that she turned into a watery eyed, tomato faced mess; and that was a look she didn’t particularly pursue. Jeez, the man was only in her vicinity for a minute and she already had to make a fool of herself?!

‘You’re not allowed to cook on your birthday—’ she began, her voice unsteady because at the same time her throat managed to get the loose chunk of pizza in the right place. ‘It’s one of my dad’s rules,’ she added while looking at him through tear stricken eyes, ‘and it’s bad luck if you do. The fact that you dared to mention it almost made me choke, Miller!’ A grin tugged on the corners of his mouth, whether it was from her pun or her current disheveled state, she didn’t know. ‘I remember him sayin’ that last year,’ Joel remarked, his hand still on her back. ‘Carl took us out for burgers.’

Jess slowly rose from her huddled position and smiled faintly. The sweet taste of pineapple burned in her throat and she still couldn’t see properly through the tears, but her heart stung at the memory. She should have visited her dad more often, but at the time she had been so busy with her own, Adam-infused life… ‘S’okay,’ Joel murmured as his fingers brushed over her t-shirt once more, which set off a confusing array of emotions in her system.

‘Dad?! Jess?! What are you two doing?!’ Sarah called as she jumped from the couch and made her way through the hall. Upon eyeing the pair she laughed. ‘What happened here?’ ‘Didn’t you hear me almost choke myself to death?!’ Jess croaked, internally groaning when she felt Joel’s fingers leave her. ‘I almost died.’ ‘That’s for eating pineapple on your pizza,’ Sarah quipped as she turned on her heels and sent a knowing glance to her dad. ‘I warned you, Jess. People like you belong in hell.’ ‘You’re one of those?!’ Joel asked Jess with a grin while the three of them made their way into the living room. ‘She is,’ Sarah agreed as she eased herself onto the couch once more, her eyes sparkling with joy. ‘You don’t know what you’re missing out on!’ Jess defended herself half-heartedly, though she knew her chances persuading pineapple pizza haters to come to the dark side was usually a fruitless task. ‘Nah, it’s disgusting,’ Joel tutted. ‘The state of New York is ruinin’ your taste buds.’ He lowered himself next to Sarah on the couch. ‘Hi, kiddo. What are you watchin’?’ ‘Legally Blonde,’ Sarah said before pulling her father into a hug. ‘It’s pretty cool. You wouldn’t like it.’ ‘Lemme decide f’myself!’ ‘Dad! I’m telling you, it’s a girl’s movie!’

Jess let the pair bicker and went to reheat Joel’s pizza in the oven—a skill she had perfected over the past few years—doing overtime and still having to cook makes a girl creative. She tossed the cold remnants of her meal into the garbage bin; another consequence of nearly suffocating on her beloved pizza was that she had lost her appetite. As she listened to Sarah’s excited chatter and Joel’s low hum, she fetched two beers from the fridge. She knew his favorite—thanks to her dad—and as her hands searched for the bottle opener in the kitchen drawer, her mind drifted to Joel’s pretty eyes and to—

Ugh, he had no reason to be this hot, it was borderline criminal. Especially not after a long day at work, where he undoubtedly had busted his butt ordering others around and hauling stuff across the construction site. Jess peered in the drawer, her mind fixated on the way Joel’s biceps had bulged under his t-shirt. She shouldn’t think of him like that, she really shouldn’t—

‘D’you need some help?’ ‘What?’ she gulped, her hands randomly grabbing a knife, and he hissed at the sting it caused. ‘I was just—’ ‘Carl kept the bottle opener on the side o’the fridge,’ Joel told her as he made his way towards the sink and gestured at the drawer. ‘No need for searchin’ in there.’

Ah. Of course. Her father had been practical about life. He surely would have hated to spend hours searching for a bottle opener. Tears burned behind her eyes and Jess quickly grabbed the object from its place against the fridge. After lifting the cap from both bottles, she offered one beer to Joel.

‘Thank you darlin’,’ Joel rumbled, leaning against the kitchen counter before taking a sip. As he studied her with his dark eyes, Jess busied herself with inspecting the shallow cut she had made in her fingers. It drew some blood and she hissed at the sight. She was many things and possessed many talents, but blood—especially her own—always made her knees weak. And not the good kind of weak.

‘S’just a little cut,’ Joel remarked with a small smirk. ‘Hold it under the tap and you’re fine.’ ‘I’m not one of your men,’ she countered with a huff, eyeing him defiantly. ‘I don’t haul dangerous stuff around all day.’ ‘Glad y’don’t,’ he murmured, while planting his beer on the counter and turning on the faucet. Without ceremony, he got hold of her hand and pushed it under the cold stream. ‘I don’t think you’d be of use at the side,’ he continued. ‘You’d keep hurtin’ y’self.’ Would have t’fire you on your first day….’

That remained to be seen. If Joel stayed out of her way, she would be fine. If not… Well, then she was fucked—and again not the good kind.

Jess observed the water as it poured over their hands and slowly turned into a pleasant temperature. After a short while Joel pulled her fingers close and inspected the damage. ‘S’fine,’ he concluded before shutting off the tap. ‘It doesn’t even bleed, see?’ ‘Are you judging me, Miller?!’ ‘F’course not,’ he replied as he retrieved his hand and dried it on his shirt. Jess—her own fingers still hovering over the sink, dripping with water—couldn’t help but notice that his hands were littered with scars, roughened from his days at work. ‘I don’t believe you,’ she quipped, narrowing her eyes. She reached for the kitchen towel. ‘Remember I’m a highschool teacher, Joel. I can smell lies and omitted truths from a mile away.’ ‘Yeah, I was told to be careful around you,’ he replied with a grin as he leaned against the kitchen counter. ‘Teachin’ these unruly kids like my daughter must be a callin’ or somethin’, I really couldn’t.’ ‘Ah, they’re not that bad,’ Jess said. ‘I can boss them around all day, just like you do with your crew.’ ‘Why’d you think I’d do that, huh?’ ‘I got it from a very reliable source,’ Jess said as she fetched her own beer from the counter and took a sip. As the rich, deep flavor swirled through her mouth, she eyed her father’s friend’s handsome features. ‘I imagine you had the same source,’ she mused with a smile. ‘Tell me… What do you know about me that you probably shouldn’t?’

Joel sipped from his beer and observed her with an amused twinkle in his eyes. There were a thousand things she’d rather not have him know. The first and obvious one was the fact that she had a crush on him, but after that there were a few cringeworthy childhood memories she’d rather forget. It would be embarrassing if Joel knew how she had caught herself in barbed wire during one summer—trespassing farmer Jack’s property had seemed a good idea, until the world turned upside down—or how accidentally had dyed her hair orange instead of blonde.

‘Why are you lookin’ at me? I’m not tellin’ you,’ Joel finally remarked with a vague smile. ‘Promised him not to.’ ‘Aha! So he did tell you stuff he shouldn’t!’ ‘Not much,’ Joel admitted, despite his previous statement not to reveal any of the information he knew. The twinkle in his eyes was gone and now was replaced with genuine concern. ‘Just that he hoped Adam takes good care of you.’

Though Joel couldn’t know about their separation, his revelation still stung. Jess shrugged and bit on her lip. ‘He never told me that.. Did dad—Carl—have his doubts?’ ‘S’not my place to say,’ Joel confessed, his brows furrowing together. He shuffled on his feet and watched Jess sink to her knees to check the oven. The smell of pepperoni pizza filled the kitchen.

‘Almost,’ she commented quietly, her mind still stuck at Joel’s remark. It didn’t surprise her that her father had worried about her relationship with Adam; usually when her mother pressed her to do something—like pursuing a relationship with Adam—her father had been against the idea. Jess had often wondered if this had become her parent’s typical dynamic or if they truly were two opposites in every choice life had to offer.

‘Your dad was somethin’,’ Joel changed the subject. ‘Must be weird f’you, to be back here. With him not bein’ around here.’ ‘Yeah, it is,’ Jess agreed with a heavy heart. She looked up at him through her lashes. ‘I miss him terribly and to be honest I don’t want to be here—no offense of course. It’s just…’ she heaved a weary sigh while her gaze swept through the kitchen. ‘Everything reminds me of him.’ She rose to her feet and retrieved a plate from one of the cabinets. Joel watched her as she placed it in the sink and opened the tap. ‘Heating the plate will keep your pizza warm,’ Jess explained as she waited for the water to get hot. ‘I learned that from a chef I once dated. He was an ass, but he did teach me a useful trick or two.’ ‘Never thought of that,’ Joel murmured. ‘Cold pizza ain’t that bad, why complicate it?’ Jess laughed at that. ‘I bet single dads don’t have time to complicate their dinners,’ she told him as she dried the hot plate and fetched dad’s mittens from a drawer to retrieve the pizza from the oven. ‘Give it a try, Miller,’ she teased as she handed him a mitten and his plate. ‘It won’t kill you.’

Joel, Sarah and Jess spent the evening like a normal family would—at Sarah’s request they watched the rest of Legally Blonde while Joel ate his late dinner. Though the latter wouldn’t tell Jess if the heated plate had made his pizza better, Jess liked to think that it had. After Legally Blonde had ended, Sarah told her father and their new friend about her day at school and Jess was obliged to share the details of her trip from Staten Island to Austin. Jess could not bring herself to explain her breakup with Adam—it would surely result in a tsunami of tears—so when the topic landed on her ex she simply stated that her fiancé had been too busy to help her out. Though Sarah seemed to accept the story right away and chatted about Carl’s tendency to hoard stuff he liked, Jess felt Joel’s eyes burning on her. He probably sensed there was more to it, but he didn’t press her to share. She would probably have to tell him the truth, in time. But for now, his birthday turned out to be the perfect diversion for unwanted questions.

It was around half past ten when Jess found herself leaning against the doorframe of her porch, waving at Sarah who had just ran across the street with her father’s keys. Joel had stepped down from her porch—about to follow his daughter—but had paused at her lawn. ‘She’s a great kid,’ Jess told Joel as they watched Sarah disappear behind the front door. ‘I know a lot of teens, but Sarah’s one of a kind.’ ‘Yeah,’ he agreed quietly as he pushed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. ‘Don’t know what I’d do without her, y’know?’ ‘Well, for one you would not get roasted all the time….’ Joel chuckled. ‘I could do without being called old, yeah…’ He shuffled on his feet. ‘Listen, I wanted to thank you. For takin’ care of her and everythin’. You didn’t have to.’ ‘It’s okay,’ Jess said with a grin. ‘I didn’t mind.’ ‘At least let me pay you back,’ Joel offered, his right hand shifting to his back pocket and retrieving his wallet, which was in a rugged, worn state. ‘No!’ Jess cried out as she raised her hands defensively. ‘Not a chance in hell. We’re good. I have to thank you for the company, especially on your birthday!’ Joel shrugged and his hands fumbled over the worn leather. ‘I wouldn’t have done anythin’ special,’ he confessed. ‘Not after a twelve-hour shift. Probably would have ended up on the couch, watchin’ somethin’ stupid.’ ‘Legally Blonde doesn’t count as stupid?!’ she teased with a smile and was awarded with a cute grin. ‘It was okay,’ Joel concluded. ‘I was enjoyin’ the company, Young.’

There was a short silence in which their eyes met and Jess almost drowned in the beautiful molten chocolate hues. ‘Before I forget; here’s my number,’ Joel murmured as he retrieved a business card from his wallet. ‘Just in case. Y’dad would want me to keep an eye on you.’ ‘Very fancy,’ Jess commented as she took the card—careful not to brush her fingers across his. ‘Was an idea of your dad,’ Joel explained. ‘He told me I needed to be more professional or somethin’.’ ‘Though I also heard you have no trouble finding work,’ Jess replied as she admired the design. It was simple, neat—very Joel. ‘So you could always use the pile my dad probably made you buy to pick up ladies. Chicks like stuff like that.’ Joel laughed at that and Jess reveled in the sound. ‘And about keeping an eye on me…’ she went on as her gaze met his. ‘I can take care of myself, Miller. I’m not a damsel in distress.’ ‘I know that,’ he agreed. ‘Y’dad told me as much. But just… Don’t be stubborn and call me when y’need me. Or swing by.’

‘Even when I have night terrors?’ Jess heard herself question, but by the time she realized how flimsy—and filthy—that must come across, it was too late. She bit on her lip, unsure how she could save herself from her clumsy mouth. Joel didn’t seem taken aback by her comment. He grinned broadly, an amused twinkle in his eye. ‘Yeah, Young,’ he replied in a soft tone. ‘Especially then.’

Thank you for reading this first chapter 🥰🥰 Feedback is highly appreciated, so if you have a minute to spare I'd like to know what you think of my work!

Until next time. ❤❤❤❤

Taglist: @fizzyxcustard @lathalea Let me know if you like to be added or removed!

[practically-an-x-man]

Terra (OC)

(picrew is @naylissah's, irl faceclaim/voiceclaim is Daniela Melchior)

Full Name: Terra (surname unknown) Pronouns: she/her (cisgender polyamorous lesbian)

Nicknames: none Pet Names: ???

Relevant Tags: #oc terra

Birthday: Unknown Age in Chapter One: 24

Universe/Fandom: Arcane

Physical Traits: 5'7", thin on the verge of being concerning (due to prolonged Shimmer addiction). Eyes are naturally hazel-green, but become pink-tinged through prolonged Shimmer use. Has warm-toned tan skin, with an ashy or pallid cast when her Shimmer abuse increases, pale lavender-colored hair cut just above the shoulders, pronounced cheekbones, arched dark eyebrows, medium-full lips, and a small bulb nose. Has two mechanical hands, beginning mid-forearm and made of rough gray metal. They are visibly prostheses but do not appear to have any additional weapons or features, though she can extend sharp spurs from the base of the palms as a self-defense measure.

Character Traits: Quiet, guarded, hoarder of gossip and information, secretive (of both her own and others' secrets), very loving towards her inner circle, has a hidden temper and vicious protective streak often hidden under her unassuming demeanor

Relationships:  -Family: Two unnamed and largely absent parents -Friends: Pluto (OC); Jinx (formerly), Silco (formerly), several loose friendships and acquaintanceships among the people of Zaun -Romantic Partners: Vi and Caitlyn

Additional Information: - Grew up on the streets of Zaun to two Shimmer-addicted parents, developed a low-level dependence on the substance from the age of 13 - Left that household at 15 to live with her best friend Pluto instead, and considers him a longtime platonic life partner - Terra picked up seamstress work to support herself, while Pluto made his living with odd jobs and tinkering - At 16, was briefly swept up by Silco and groomed in a similar way to Jinx, though she didn't have an affinity towards it and regularly butted heads with Silco and his other henchfolk - ^ Silco considered that project a failure, for her inability to assimilate into his group, and made plans to get rid of her - he sent her out on a task to gather information, then sent Smeech to ambush her - ^^ The attack was near enough to Piltover that Enforcers intervened before Smeech could kill her, though he succeeded in cutting off her hands at the forearms before he was forced to flee - Terra's prosthetics were also made by Pluto, and he continued to repair and maintain them up until he began to lose his sight - In her adulthood, Terra joined a tailor's guild on the edge of Piltover and continues to work as a seamstress and tailor, mainly repairing Enforcers' uniforms. - ^ She uses this job to gather information and gossip from Piltover, which she then sells to information brokers in Zaun when she needs money - She continues to be addicted to Shimmer, though her use of it fluctuates. Most of the time, she's managed to wean herself down to a diluted form of it (the dilution being to pure Shimmer as nicotine patches are to cigarettes)

[vivisviolets]

HIIIIII!!! omg I hope I’m not too late but I would really like to participate in your game if you’ll allow me😭 thank you in advance if you choose to respond to my ask, have a nice rest of your day <33

-m.a.🪲 (she/her)

sexuality: heterosexual; attracted to males

3 of my fav things: dancing, going to the movies, chipotle :)

MA🧀⭐️🍥

☆ The Emperor, The Hanged Man, Ten of Swords, Ten of Cups (bottom of deck) ☆ 20 (age/significant date), 2020, 666, Aries/Leo/Sagittarius placements (Sun, Venus, degrees, etc), Taurus/Gemini placements (Moon, rising, 4th/7th house, etc), channeled song I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

☆ you're all good my dear!!!! so funny bc i was just wishing to see a film, we're def synced rn lolz. the first image I got is brown hair- something about this person's appearance is very attractive to you,- obviously, circumstances can change so I don't typically give specific physical details, but yea- there will be something about this person's coloring or something about their face that will make you go a little goo-goo eyed I'm ngl BAHAH (I'm also getting birthmarks/moles, and hazel/green eyes)- it's giving first love/crush with the boy-next-door type of energy, because he'll have an average appearance, but there will be some sort of sparkle in him that will trigger this "love at first sight".

the movie theater is coming through heavily- I think this will actually be significant, either you will meet this person during a visit there and you'll randomly strike up a conversation with him and swap contact info- or this will be a date you two will go on- either way, you will meet via you going out somewhere (maybe you've already met them!), and putting yourself out there w/out expectation but just for the thrill of the ride of socializing!- some details regarding this person's personality are that they are cool with talking with anyone (fire sun sign energy), he's considered extroverted, driven- but he may be a little "loose" when it comes to his goals, or his ability to empathize and think of others might be a bit flawed I'm ngl (he's maybe an ESTP/ENTP if either of you are interested in mbti types). I'm hearing people describe him as being a "player" and "difficult to read"- but those opinions are coming from intensely emotional people who burned themselves- maybe by trying to "fix" this person into being who they wanted- instead of seeing him as he is and letting him be him… and I think what will be different with you is that while you have feelings for him and interest, you're also wanting to get to know him, and just be around him- he finds you so cozy to be with~

he is the type to be "guarded" but also makes connections wherever he goes, "he's just chill like that"- because he likes a good time (like that Owl City song- but I also got that I Gotta Feeling song from 2009 lol- you guys might bond over early 2010s music because of how youthful this connection feels)- which is why some may have the impression/judgment that he doesn't have any commitment/substance to him- and to be very honest, they have a point… those two versions of self are not a good path to be on, and he needs to feel a re-connection to his emotions/emotional development.. and that's where you come in- DO NOT get the impression that you are here to "fix" this guy because that is not the intention- you are here to give this person the choice to become better. and I mean choice- because Spirit is telling me you are good at communicating in relationships, in fact this may be a divine test to help you to grow your strength in relationship communication!! I'm hearing this will become a "functional relationship", as in you both will gain help from the other mutually (with all the added bonuses of being in a cute relationship 🎀✨)

there will come a time when you will face this person and go "Look, this is what I am looking for and what I am interested in." and you'll leave it at that, and from then on, this person will be the one to initiate dates, "how was your day" texts, etc- this will be a test for him! but I believe he will choose you over and lean away from his habits. (btw Spirit is just reminding you to not hold your breath for anyone btw, all choices you make are the right ones regarding this situation~!). because you are giving him a door, an entrance into something that he's never had before. it's peaceful, not manipulative or emotional- it's a choice he has to make. it will trigger his inner desire to stick to something, instead of spreading himself thin/everywhere. he's gonna love you, truly, funny enough I think the same things you find physically attractive about him- he'll find the same things attractive on you- he loves your hair (regardless of what it looks like he finds it so "shiny" like a little fairy- and how it seems to absorb all the colors in the light on the edges of each strand),- he also loves the way your eyes look when you smile, your forehead, your cheeks- he loves your face a lot- I kept spelling "look" lol- but what he'll ADORE most is how you carry yourself, how capable and stable you are towards yourself and others- even when you're going through hard things ❤️⭐️. he values the friendship he has with you above so much, he you to say what you want to say, and will do what he needs to do to build stability with you ♡. *i hope this was helpful my darling ♡~ consider leaving a tip on my Patreon if you enjoyed, or follow and become a violet~ doesnt matter to me tho :>~ sending you on your wayyyy, bye bye!!*

[crystlizabeth]

Need You Now..

paring: Joel Miller x Blackfem!reader

summary: you just had to see him you couldn’t get him off your mind..

warnings: Language, and mention of alcohol substances (unestablished relationship)

Fluff, emotions are everywhere. not the best written but i think its cute!

Its just some crush. Thats what you wanted to think but you sat alone on your couch drinking away the thought of him thats what you wanted to do. But everything just came back they way he looked at you, how his hazel eyes watched you through his long eyelashes. How his hand rested comfortably on the small of you back as he would greet you from behind.

Joel miller had this effect on you.

“This is so fucking stupid..” the way your words slurred together made you groan, standing up from your couch slightly stumbling. You wanted to see him so bad.. You needed him you just wanted his arm to wrap around you his warmth making you lose thought of any insecurities that lied in your head. Feeling the emotion slowly take over hot tears ran down your face.

You wonder if he had those thought about you, just wanting to have you in his presence being able to talk for hours in the warmth of each others arms. Soft kisses being shared as you just laid together.

Glancing over at your clock its about 12:45. You couldn’t care less you walk over to you front door grabbing the handle, just stopping for a second rethinking. Should i just go back and sleep this off..? Or should i just tell him.. your body gave you the answer opening the door and stepping out.

Jacksons street lights guided you to the porch you wanted to see. His, a light still on in his upstairs window. Walking up the stairs going to knock on the door you kuckles only hitting the door. You herd heavy footsteps from the inside come to open the door. The older man stood before you a worried look displayed on his features.

“Howdy.. everythin’ alright darlin..? Its late..” His voice was deep, but soft the way his accent thickened when darlin’ rolled off his tongue referring to you. Where you alright?

You didn’t say anything for a second you just kinda stood there observing him the look of worry on his face. He stood still wearing his work clothes a brown button up the sleeve rolled up half way, his dark blue wranglers being held up by a belt, him hin a pair a square pointed cowboy boots. “I just need you..”

His head tilted slightly “Sweetheart.. excuse me if I’m wrong but i think you’re drunk. You sure you’re at the right person’s house?”

God he’s oblivious. “I know where im at Joel i wanted to see you i just need you right now..” your hands messed with the sleeves of your jacket. Acting coy like a high school girl admitting her feelings to her crush. Adverting your eyes from his not wanting to face that feeling of rejection, just the thought made you tear up.

“Hey, Hey darlin’ dont cry just a little shocked. Here come in..” his voice was quiet as he grabbed you gently pulling you into his house closing the door to keep the cold out.

“Come m’er, theres no need to cry.. im here..” he pulled you in to a hug his arm wrapping around your body him carefully placing his arms under your hair wrap, some of your hair coming into your face as your head laid on his chest. Your arms wrapping around his bigger build the softest of his body causing you to melt into him. 

“Now are ya gonna tell me whats wrong?” He asked his chin resting upon your head.

“Im a little drunk in my fuckin feelings just wanting to be with you..” your voice softens at the last part.

A low chuckle coming from his throat “you’re all up in your feelings about me?”

You nodded against his chest “well i do half to admit I was on my way to your condo I couldn’t get ya off my mind..” he admitted.

You push away from him looking him dead in the eye “you bein’ for real right now?”

He laughed lightly at your sudden movement the look on your face making it better “Yeah i am..”

“Listen Beautiful its a quarter after 1 and bow that your here would ya like to stay, stay with me.” Joel spoke softly and his hands came up to your neck his thumbs rubbing your face lightly in comfort.

“Mmhm , that sounds amazing love..” you hummed, leaning into his touch. His hands brought you close giving you a small kiss on the forehead.

“Lets go then..” Joel said as his hands traveled from your neck down your arms to your hands taking them in his own. You trailed behind him up his stairs to his room.

“You look like you could use somethin’ more comfortable..” he said as he turned around a large t-shirt in his hands offering it to you.

You took it from him watching his movements as he took of the shirt he was wearing it sliding off his shoulders. Age may had gotten him but damn he still looked so fuckin good. He wasn’t as shaped in the stomach from what he would have from when he was younger, a small belly had formed his arms though. Christ. They where big full of muscle the way the flexed as he put on a shirts just the movement in general.

He looked back up at you, your mouth slightly open. “Would say tale a picture make it last longer but its a shame you can’t.” He spoke sending you a wink making you laughing slightly.

He was finished changing you on the other had had just been watching him the way he was just comfortable to change in front of you made you feel special you know? You finally pull your long sleeve over your head revealing to him the black bra you wore but also the tattoos that laid on you stomach and chest eras he knew you had some but wow they looked damn good on you. Also noticing the stretch marks on your body the way they where light and dark upon your brown skin including your arms the way the laid on your stomach and around your boobs made him melt. gorgeous pure beauty. You finally throw the green shirt over your head careful not to fuck up your wrap, discarding your pants you finally join Joel in his bed.

He lifted the blanket offering you a spot next to him that you happily accepted. You turned to your side looking at him catching him already looking at you “I reckon you want a kiss?” You stated sarcastically.

“If your offering.” He smirked.

So you did you gave him a kiss, a soft kiss nothing more.

[theladyofdeath]

The Holiday {5}

Ships: Nesta x Cassian / Aelin x Rowan

Written alongside @snelbz

Trope(s): Christmas, fluff, love at first sight, enemies to lovers

Summary: Nesta has just been dumped. Aelin hates her job. Both women need an escape from reality and with Christmas quickly approaching, it's the perfect time for a getaway. After discovering a trend where people can swap houses for a non-traditional vacation experience, these two women decide to spend the holidays in each other's homes. With their houses comes a series of unique experiences and a couple of handsome suitors. It's time to see just how much a change of scenery and two weeks of Christmas solitude and romance can change a person.

A/N: We're halfway there! Thank you all for reading! x

Rating: M for mature - language, smut, substance use, etc. 18+.

Inspired by The Holiday (2006).

Nesta was curled up on the couch, burger half-eaten on the coffee table, proofreading the chapter she’d been working on, when she heard a knock on the front door. She snapped her laptop closed, as she always did when she was writing, and froze. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was after eleven.

Fear shot through her for a split second until realized who it likely was.

Getting to her feet, Nesta felt the bottle of wine she’d drank in the two hours she’d been home. It may not have been the best idea to edit while drinking, but she’d go back over it in the morning.

Hugging the sweater she was wearing tighter around herself, Nesta headed for the door, murmuring something about egotistical assholes under her breath.

Before opening the door, she rose up on her toes to look through the peephole, confirming her suspicions. With a sigh, she turned the lock and braced herself for the winter night.

Cassian was standing on the top step, his arms tucked underneath each other to fend off the cold.

“It’s late,” Nesta said, before realizing it was not the best version of hello.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he replied, although he didn’t look sorry at all. He held up a scarf that Nesta found familiar. “You left this at the bar. I told Gwyn and Em I’d get it back to you.”

“And it couldn’t wait until morning?” Nesta asked, brow arched.

“I’d probably forget by then,” he confessed with a grin. “Honestly I’m surprised you’re still up.”

Nesta scoffed. “Why? It’s eleven. Surely I don’t seem that boring.”

She didn’t bother to mention that she was usually in bed at such an hour, but judging from the gleam in Cassian’s eyes, he already knew as much. 

“Forgive my assumptions,” he said, and his tone was aggravatingly mocking. He held her scarf out once more and Nesta snatched it. “So what did you think?”

Nesta blinked. “About what?”

“Tonight,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “My set.”

She hadn’t expected him to be so direct, which was ridiculous, considering who she was talking to. Crossing her arms, Nesta shrugged. She could snap and bite, but she would never intentionally downplay someone’s talent. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was talented. “It was pretty good.”

Cassian rocked back on his heels, eyes going wide. “Was that an actual compliment?”

Rolling her eyes, Nesta turned, ready to close the door in his face, but he caught it. 

“Wait, wait,” he chuckled. “I’m sorry, I was just messing with you. Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

She longed to go back inside, to reclaim her cozy spot by the fire, but there was something about his warm, hazel eyes that captivated her. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to stay here and verbally spar with him…and that scared the shit out of her. The whole point of this vacation was to get a break from men. This trip was about her.

But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to go back inside. “Why don’t you play more of your own songs?”

He made a face, shaking his head. “Drunk people don’t want to hear my originals. They want to hear Wonderwall and Freefallin’.”

Nesta scrunched her nose. “Which are the opposites of all the songs us sober people want to hear.”

Cassian chuckled. “Pretty sure I saw you down a drink or two.”

“Yes, but I can hold my liquor,” Nesta crooned, eyes narrowing. It was so easy with him, this quick witted banter.

“I respect that,” Cassian said, and there was something in his eyes, something in his tone that made her toes curl and her stomach fill with anxious nausea. 

Nesta cleared her throat. She was caught somewhere between wanting to invite him in and wanting to tell him to get the hell out of her sight. She did neither. Instead, she blurted, “I’m sorry.”

That little sensual grin on his lips faltered. “For what?”

“Threatening to beat you with a frying pan,” she said, quietly. 

The laughter that tumbled out of the man before her was glorious. “It’s enlightening to find a woman who can protect herself. No apology necessary.” Nesta wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Instead, a chill swept over her body and she shivered.

Cassian caught the motion. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. It’s late. Goodnight, Nesta.”

Nesta nodded, her bottom lip sucked between her teeth. “Yeah, goodnight.” He had barely made it down the front porch steps before Nesta called out, “Hey, about those originals.”

Cassian stopped to look over his shoulder.

“Who cares what the audience wants to hear,” Nesta said, keeping her eyes on the falling snow instead of Cassian’s intense gaze. “You should play them anyways. I have no doubt they’ll continue to show up to watch you play whether you’re playing the world’s most overplayed songs or not.”

His eyes softened and he smiled. “And what do I have to play to convince you to come back?”

She was sure there was a similar smile on her own face. “You’ll have to figure that out on your own.”

Before he could say anything else, she closed the door and made her way to bed, proofreading and edits long forgotten.

<.><.><.><.><.><.>

Bored.

Aelin was so very bored. She’d looked through Nesta’s bookshelves, finding quite a few books from her favorite author, but she’d read them all before. There were only so many times she could refresh Facebook before she felt like she was going crazy and Nesta’s movie collection was embarrassingly slim.

So Aelin was bored.

The sun was starting to set and not only was Aelin bored, she was hungry.

She could go for another burger, maybe a plate of onion rings, and there was a certain someone she wouldn’t mind splitting that plate of onion rings with.

But when she scrolled through her text messages, looking for the contact she’d saved as Delivery Boy, she couldn’t find it.

She couldn’t find any of her recent text messages she realized. It was like her phone had reverted back to a previous backup.

With a sigh, she tossed her phone aside. He had told her to let him know if she wanted company, and now she couldn’t even do that. Nesta’s note with his number on it had gone out in the trash the day before, and she wasn’t desperate enough to go dumpster diving.

She didn’t mind a little hunt, though. 

This town was tiny and someone who was out and about had to know where he was. Maybe she would still find him at the tree lot or maybe he was already sitting alone at the diner. There were only so many places to go in the little town and with the heaps of snow falling from the sky, she couldn’t imagine that he would leave the town limits. 

After hopping in Nesta’s car, Aelin drove at an alarmingly slow rate to the town’s heart, but when she pulled up in front of the tree lot, it was closed.

It wasn’t even 6:30, but Aelin had a feeling that things didn’t stay open as late here as they did in the city.

Her next stop was the diner, and although it was busy and full of life, there was no Rowan. Aelin sat down at the counter and ordered a grilled cheese and a cup of soup with another delicious chocolate milkshake. 

The same server from before was waiting on her and when she stopped to drop off a few extra napkins, Aelin asked, “Do you know how I can get in touch with Rowan?”

The woman lifted a brow, her eyes bright. “May I ask why?”

Aelin felt her cheeks burn. “I had his number but lost it. I was…hoping to get more firewood delivered. You know, so I don’t freeze to death.”

Her server chuckled. “Unfortunately, I don’t have his number. But I do know where he lives.”

Aelin blinked, eyebrows raising. “O…kay?”

The woman, more than a few years her senior, read the expression on her face and howled with laughter. “Oh, honey, nothing like that. He’s far too pretty for my taste. This is a small town, remember? He lives a few minutes up the mountain from my cousin.”

Aelin nodded, chuckling to herself, though she didn’t disagree that Rowan was pretty. “Great, could you tell me his address?”

“Don’t have that either,” she said, heading for the counter where a customer was waiting to pay. “Just look for the house with green shutters about halfway up the mountain.”

Before Aelin could thank the woman, she was greeting the father and his son and asking how their meal was. Finishing up her own meal, she glanced at the check and left cash on the table, with plenty left over for a tip. With a wave to the helpful server, she was out into the snowy Orynth night.

It wasn’t until she had passed Nesta’s cottage and continued up the mountain that she realized the unexpected flaw in her grand plan of hunting down Rowan. What if he wasn’t home? What if he was busy? Or out on a date? He hadn’t been very forthcoming when they’d talked about relationships. She hoped she wasn’t reading into things too far, but at this point, she was approaching stalker territory as she tracked him down, so she decided to see it through to the end.

However it ended.

Her nerves increased as she drove a mile, then one more, before spotting a white, two story house with green shutters. She wasn’t sure how popular green shutters were, but it wouldn’t hurt to ring the doorbell.

Aelin cut the engine and trekked through the snow. She peeked into the garage off to the side and saw Rowan’s truck. Good, she had the right place and it looked like he was home. 

With a deep breath, she ascended the stairs and rang the doorbell. When no one came, she knocked.

This time, she caught a tall shadow through the glass window and before she could form a complete, rational thought, the door was opening.

It looked like Rowan had been in the middle of laughing but when he spotted her, his smile faded into surprise. “Oh, Aelin. Hi.”

She wasn’t sure how he would respond to seeing her, but her heart sank. Feeling foolish, she said, “Hey. I’m…sorry to bother you. I just…I lost your number and the server at the diner told me—“

Rowan stepped out onto the porch and cracked the door behind him. “No, no, it’s fine. Is everything okay?” 

Aelin nodded, trying her best to come up with a random excuse. “Firewood.”

Rowan arched a brow. “Firewood?”

“I need more firewood.”

“You already went through that entire pile? It was supposed to last until you left.”

“Yes, well, I like to be warm.”

The sound of glasses clinking came from inside and it was then that Aelin realized soft music was playing, too.

Foolish.

She was so damn foolish.

“Oh, gods, you have a date,” Aelin said, backing back down the stairs. “I am so sorry.”

“No—”

“Don’t worry about the wood,” she rambled. “I’ll manage.”

“Aelin—”

“Have a good night, Rowan.” With shaking knees and cheeks that felt like they were on fire, Aelin stepped off the bottom step and into the snow with a crunch.

She had just turned her back to him when she heard, “Dad?”

Aelin froze before slowly turning back around. Behind Rowan in the now open doorway was his spitting image in leggings and a high ponytail. She couldn’t have been older than seven, and Aelin suddenly felt even more foolish as the child’s green, curious eyes studied her.

Rowan had hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Aelin with a breathy laugh. “You, uh…caught us during our tea party.”

Aelin was stunned. Shocked. Honestly, she’d expected literally anything but this.

Rowan turned back towards the door. “Sutton, why don’t you grab us a couple more snacks from the kitchen and I’ll be right back in, yeah?”

She nodded, her eyes still on Aelin, but did as she was told. The door clicked shut and Aelin could have sworn it was the loudest noise in the world.

Rowan’s hands were shoved in his pockets and he cleared his throat. “So…”

“You have a daughter,” she said, slowly.

“I do,” he said, his voice suddenly guarded.

She took a step back towards the house and then ascended the steps again. “You never mentioned you had a daughter.” She paused as she reached the top, pausing in front of him. “You also never mentioned you had a wife.”

“I don’t,” he replied, and she immediately picked up on the note of grief she could hear in his voice. “I’m a widower. She died when Sutton was two. Car accident.”

“I’m so sorry, Rowan,” Aelin breathed, wanting to reach out and take his hand. She didn’t though, she just stood there looking up at him.

This night had taken a turn she wasn’t expecting. Not that she had a crazy amount of expectations, she really was looking for someone to spend some time with. The cottage down the mountain was cozy as could be, but she’d realized how lonely she’d been feeling.

The shrug he gave her was irreverent. “Like I said, it’s been a while.”

“I’m sorry for intruding on your night, I just thought— nevermind, it doesn’t matter.” Aelin turned, hurrying down the porch stairs again. “Goodnight, Rowan.”

“You’re leaving?”

Once again, she froze. His voice sent chills down her body as she turned to meet his gaze and that humor that had returned to his eyes. Aelin blinked. 

“At least tell me why you really came before you go,” he said, and his tone had gone quieter. 

Aelin hesitated. 

“Because we both know you have plenty of firewood,” he went on. Gods, he was taunting her. With a chuckle, he opened his mouth to say something else, to surely pick on her some more, but the front door slowly inched open again. Sutton gave Aelin a shy look before motioning for Rowan to bend down. He did, and she whispered something into his ear. 

They both looked at Aelin, who rocked back on her heels, and Rowan whispered something into his daughter’s ear.

It was clear they were talking about Aelin, and she didn’t like it one bit. But, after a minute had passed of them going back and forth, Rowan rose to full height and Sutton asked, “We’re just about to make dinner. Do you like pizza? We’re making our own and you can make one too, if you want.”

Aelin started. Once again, she wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but that wasn’t it. 

Aelin looked to Rowan who was watching her with a small smile. He mouthed, Sorry. You can say no. 

But Aelin took a step forward and ascended the stairs, once again. “I love homemade pizza.”

Rowan opened the door wider and beckoned her forward. “But first we have to finish our tea party.”

Sutton was hilarious. She may have looked like her father, with her green eyes and silver hair, but her bright laughter, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, Aelin could see hints of someone else.

She found herself wondering about Rowan’s late wife as he and Sutton closed out their tea party and then they all three made their way into the kitchen. Even as Sutton bombarded her with questions about who she was and why she was here and Does the sky really sparkle in Velaris, Aelin kept thinking about Rowan’s nameless wife.

“I think that’s enough cheese,” Rowan said, raising an eyebrow as Sutton added a fourth handful to her pizza.

“You’re making yours and I’m making mine.” Her sweet voice was full of sass and Aelin already adored the little girl after spending only about an hour with her. “And mine is a cheeeeese pizza.”

Aelin met Rowan’s gaze just as he sighed, but she could tell his heart wasn’t in it. The smile on his lips gave him away. “Why don’t we compromise and put half of the cheese back and add something green?”

Scrunching her nose, Sutton shook her head. “Gross. Just cheese.”

“Miss Aelin has peppers and olives on her pizza,” he said, gesturing to where Aelin was assembling her own dinner. “If Miss Aelin is eating it, I bet it’s really good.”

With a wary expression, Sutton looked over at Aelin’s pizza. “Are the peppers hot?”

“Nope,” Aelin replied, popping a slice of raw bell pepper into her mouth. “They’re actually kind of sweet. Want to try?”

The little girl pursed her lips before stretching out her hand. Aelin placed a small piece into her hand and she examined it. Looking between her father and Aelin, she asked, “You promise it isn’t spicy?”

Aelin squatted down so she was on the same level where she sat at the kitchen table. “I pinky promise.”

She held out her fist to Sutton, pinky extended, and held her breath. After a moment, Sutton reached out and wrapped her pinky around Aelin’s, then she popped the pepper into her mouth.

After chewing for a minute, she made a face. “It’s not spicy but I don’t want it on my pizza.”

“You gave it a shot and that’s all that matters,” Aelin smiled, holding out her hand for a high five. “Good job.”

Sutton smacked her hand in a high five and then looked at her father. “Can I go play with my dragons, daddy?”

He ran his fingers through the length of her long ponytail. “Of course, sweetheart, I’ll let you know when dinner is ready.”

She bounded away and Aelin couldn’t help her chuckle. “She’s feisty, but adorable.”

He groaned, rubbing his hands up and down his face as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. “You’re telling me. The teenage years are going to be horrible.”

Aelin groaned, too. “Being a teenage girl…” She shook her head. “You couldn’t pay me enough to relive that.”

Rowan took a deep breath. “May the gods help me.”

Aelin laughed and watched as Rowan put all three perfectly made pizzas into the oven. She continued to watch as he closed the oven and slowly turned back to face her. He leaned back against the counter and said, softly, “I’m glad you stayed. We don’t get a lot of new people around here and Sutton has never been so intrigued with a stranger. I’m sorry if you thought the offer was weird.”

“I didn’t think it was weird,” Aelin said, stepping toward him. “And I’m glad I stayed too.”

Rowan’s eyes flickered down the hall before remeeting Aelin’s gaze. “Are you ever gonna tell me why you randomly showed up on my porch?”

“I—”

“If you lie about firewood one more time…”

Aelin huffed a laugh. “I think you already know the answer.”

“Maybe,” he confessed, “but I wouldn’t mind hearing you say it.”

Aelin sighed then shrugged. Her heart was racing and a nausea that she didn’t seem to hate was filling her stomach. “I guess I wanted to see you.”

His smile was something to behold as he said, “I wanted to see you, too.”

“You did?” Her voice was high and breathy, but as he pushed off the counter and approached her, she couldn’t find it in herself to care.

“I was actually planning to call you tomorrow,” he said, pausing in front of her.

She squeaked. “You were?” Apparently, she was unable to speak more than two words at a time.

“I was.” He looked down the hall again, listening for approaching footsteps. “Sutton is staying the night with her grandma tomorrow night. I know you’re having dinner with me tonight, but I thought it might be nice to go to dinner tomorrow night.”

“Like a date?” Aelin asked, breathless.

He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “Yeah, like a date.”

Aelin swallowed. “You do realize that I’m only here for another week, right?”

“I do,” he said, quietly, his head cocked to the side. “And I’d still like to take you out, even if it’s just this once.”

There was something spontaneously romantic about the idea of a one time date, of a night where two people could go all out because they may never see one another again. And this man before her, this gorgeous man who was weakening her knees, could without a doubt give her one hell of a night.

“Pick me up at seven?” She asked, and she had the urge to step close to him, to take his hand, to brush her fingertips along his cheek, but she wouldn’t, not tonight when his daughter was just down the hall.

“Seven,” he breathed and nodded, just as the oven timer went off.