#highway man aesthetic

[phantombandit-films]

As someone that has always loved Adam Ant and been drawn to the whole aesthetic of highway/ bandit/ pirate stuff I’m literally so soooo incredibly happy to see more highway/ bandit shows this year!! We don’t have enough, but ‘The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin’ is fun. Sometimes I don’t really like that style of comedy but knowing how much Noel loves Adam Ant just makes it worth watching.

Can we also talk about how amazing ‘Renegade Nell’ looks!?!! Because OMFG.

[acquired-stardust]

Mega Man Xtreme Gameboy Color 2000

[libraryledge]

The Man in the Long Black Coat (A 1960's Story of Camaraderie) Pt 1

A/N: The A Complete Unknown trailer is incredible, and I certainly sense Oscar buzz! Here is the first of two parts of a short story inspired by the friendship between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.

Dylan's Perspective:

Fame is a bizarre concept. One minute no one knows who you are and the next you’re up on a stage and everyone is screaming your name like they own it. As of late, there have been one too many mornings where I question if this is what I’m meant to be doing. I love music. It helps me to shelter from the storm that brews in the external world. However, internally, everything is broken. 

People try to understand why I behave the way that I do, but no one captures who I truly am because I contain multitudes of personas inside of me. A neighborhood bully, who abandoned his roots when it came to grasping onto fame. A false prophet, who preaches about social changes, but sits back and does nothing. A lover, who somewhere along the way gets lost and places beautiful connections in jeopardy. It’s a sentimental journey as people try to cast labels upon me as if they sincerely know what happens behind the closed doors of my mind.

That’s where he comes in: the man in the long black coat. Mysterious, talented, and oozing charisma. His boots of Spanish leather stomping on the stage as he breaks tradition and sings from the heart. He tells me he’s a fan of my writing, and I reciprocate the sentiment. More importantly, he makes me feel like I’m not a jokerman, who is simply living to please the masses rather than try to stay true to himself.

His words help me realize that it’s not dark yet. This is only the beginning of the story, and it is still being written. I’ve always relied on a pen and an instrument to sift through complicated emotions. Why try to change me now? I just want him to know how grateful I am for his camaraderie. A tempest is brewing all around me, and it’s a narrow way out.  Fame is a bizarre concept, and perhaps I’ll spend my entire life trying to understand it. Although I may not follow in his footsteps and walk the line, his encouragement is enough to help me figure it out.

[sttinkky]

-IM THE HIGHWAY MAN

[hellish-cruelty]

The first time I watched Blue velvet, I thought the director had to be crazy to make a film so bizarre. It was the first year of college and I had no idea who Lynch was or of his greatness. The next time, I traversed an even darker path that lead me to Mulholland drive and you can imagine what kind of impression that had on me. It was peculiar and it is in these peculiarities that my curiosity thrived. I dived full throttle into the Lynchian universe and soared like a phoenix from the ashes, only this phoenix was dark and white, bizzare and ordinary, blue and happy and unspeakably aged.

David Lynch was larger than life, a man with a unique vision of the world. A surrealist artist who understood the human condition in its true essence. He was excruciatingly honest in his portrayal of the bizarre and expressed the human psyche unabashedly. To the moon man, to the beautiful beautiful weirdo, cinema loves you to the moon and back. Rest in cinema. 🎥

[chaostudee]

the boy is mine, lando norris

summary : y/n is a famous influencer dating lando norris renowned f1 driver. their relationship is very much in the public eye so when photos start to circulate y/n shuts them down. faceclaim : dina denoire warnings : none a/n : tysm for all the love on my recent posts!! hope you like this one xx

y/nusername a love letter to summer 🌺

liked by landonorris, alexandrasaintmleux, maxverstappen and 1,910,117 others.

user7282 ugh just them

f1fan this is what keeps me going through the summer break

landonorris ❤️

alexandrasaintmleux the most gorgeous <3

user1000 so aesthetic wtf

y/nlover we need a new vlog or grwm

username_527 yesss 🙌🙌 y/nusername soon ;)

carmenmundt so obsessed with you

landonorris my muse

liked by y/nusername, oscarpiastri, charlesleclerc and 3,456,890 others.

user611 screaming crying throwing up

f1fan518 need me a man like this cause whaaaat

username_56 what if i actually just layed on the highway tonight :)

charlesleclerc mate what camera is this??? like the quality is crazy

landonorris sony ZV-1F compact camera

f1lover ugh they are acc so adorbs

user729 i don't know who i want to be more

y/nusername summer dump pt2

quadrant new video out now ! lie detector with lando norris

liked by y/nusername, landonorris, f1fan_2 and 400,511 others.

y/nusername that's my man 😩

user82 yes queen you tell em !!!! f1fanlover me if i was a wag fr f1wagupdates she us a queen, she is a legend and she is the moment.

username omg this video was so funny pls

maxfewtrell y/n asked me to make sure this was one of the questions

y/nusername bro

y/nusername new video up on tiktok !!

》 username1 to be you

》 user619 first !!!

》 f1wags we need the lip combo plsss

》 user112 my idol

f1wagupdates new quadrant merch collection featuring y/n !!

liked by f1lover, user728, f1fan719 and 122,916 others.

user13 omgg this is everything

f1lover IM OBSESSED

y/nlover im brokeee nooo

user710 oh yes this is an actual slay

f1fan my parents

landonorris back at it ⛳️

》 carlossainz did u acc get it in the hole this time ??

》 y/nusername my pretty boy

》 maxfewtrell still better than you mate

y/nusername night out 🥂

liked by landonorris, alexandrasaintmleux, carmenmundt and 2,719,55 others.

alexandrasaintmleux literally a goddess

carmenmundt miss you gorgeous girl <3

landonorris that's my girl

y/nusername mwah

f1lover so naturally pretty

user745 dress from where???

y/nusername meshki xx

username810 she's such a girls girls i love ittt

landonorris

f1updates lando norris spotted at club in monaco with mystery girl !!

liked by f1username, lando4eva, user728 and 78,910 others.

user717 THIS CAN'T BE REAL OMG

user8282 I NEED A CONFIRMATION BECAUSE WTFFF

f1lover i rly hope it's not him.....

f1fan i'm trying so hard to be positive but it might acc be lando i'm acc going insane

user52 guys we can't even properly see his face don't overreact.

y/nusername the boy is mine

liked by landonorris, alexandrasaintmleux,maxverstappen and 5,663,523 others.

landonorris forever and always x

maxverstappen congrats you guys

alexandrasaintmleux so happy for you <33

carmenmundt oh i am so ready for this wedding

oscarpiastri congratulations !!!

georgerussell little lando norris is not so little anymore.

user728 i'm speechless

username22 told you they were just rumours

f1lover_21 no like fr people will belive anything.

f1wagupdates crying acc

user000 she shut all the rumours down, what a queen

username_33 my parents are acc getting married ya'll i'm not okay

taglist ⭑.ᐟ

@lottalove4evelyn

@hadidsworld

@llando4norris

@mxryxmfooty

@sweetestgirlintown111

[lovelaetter]

i need your thoughts on chaewon with a biker!gf PLEASE

i imagine the gf being a lot taller with big veiny hands perhaps g!p if you don't think that's too much...

as a chaewon size kink enjoyer, all i can say is: big YES. this girl, she gets so giggly around you, since always, all she can do is “oh i’m so small and tiny and defenseless i wish i had a strong tall big gf to protect me ooh” kinda pick me? yes but it’s not her fault you need to understand she is thinking with her pussy, okay? and it worked because look, you’re dating !!

very proud of you with the whole biker thing. she doesn’t know much about the mechanics but she learns a lot with you, listens carefully to everything you say, loves to see you so excited about it. i will have to go for the cliche leather jacket biker here just to say she steals yours a lot to the point you just bought her one and she keeps stealing yours because “it’s comfier”, also, because of that and because of how easy it is to find her around town carrying her helmet under her arm or just hanging around your bike at the parking lot people often think it’s hers and jesus christ you don’t wanna be one of the poor unfortunate souls that ask her something about it because she will open this smile and start “actually, i’m glad you asked, my girlfriend-” like her annoying ass can’t stop yapping about you… unless it’s a weird man then she will sense that from far away and just pick her phone and text you “babe, are gonna be mad if i get some blood on the helmet? there’s this guy…” but its not like she will need to do it because she got the strong big tall gf she wanted so she can play the defenseless princess all the time around you.

overall, big turn on for her, she’s all for the aesthetic too, loves to sneak a few pics of you and you both together all the time on her insta, her mind 100% like “hehe the tiktok girlies will love this one”, she’s so silly. not to mention how she loves to go on late night rides on a highway with you where she can do nothing but wrap her arms around you and rest her face on your back, feeling the wind hit her body, she will never say no to this, in fact will beg to go with you. and you make a stop at this spot that is so beautiful during nighttime, just you two, hugging her from behind, talking nonsense, laughing… everything is romantic, babe. but let’s not pretend she isn’t the one to ruin said moments by asking suddenly to go home, looking up and blinking her adorable eyes at you just because she got too horny to handle it, like yeah, who would thought the bike’s vibrations would go straight to her pussy haha who would imagine that don’t even accuse her of such thing. horny gremlin chaewon.

now let me me talk about size a bit because i want to and i can this is my blog. she loves how you tower over her easily, no she’s not making fuck me eyes, she simply has to look up at you like that! still on the late night rides things, loves when you are just as horny as her and can’t even wait to get inside her apartment, will press your body against hers right there at the garage of her building, shushing her cries with kisses as your fingers find their way inside her with no care if someone walks in or about the cameras, it’s okay, it’s dark and no one can see her there, you cover her up just fine and all she has to do is be quiet.

obsessed with your hands, she totally compares hands sizes, all the time, it makes her knees weak how easy it is for you wrap her waist with them and do so many things with her body, throw her around and in the way you like best, bounce her up and down your cock, she doesn’t have to do a thing but be there like a toy and it’s so good, everything she ever wanted.

[centrally-unplanned]

California Crisis: Gun Salvo

I watched the 1986 OVA California Crisis, and it was really good! This anime, if you have heard of it all (which is unlikely), is famous for two things. One is its look:

Which in anime form did not exist before, and has not existed since. When you research “California Crisis” in English the source everyone pulls from is this essay by longtime industry man Fred Patten, and he describes it as “the over-solarized art style most commonly associated with the commercial artist Patrick Nagel, who was very ‘in’ at the time.” I believe him on that being an influence - he worked with the creators after all - and my primary documents from said creators are quite limited; but those that I have never mention him. They certainly were aiming for Americana - but what is causing this unique look is the use of thick, black outlines on the inner shading of the characters (something Nagel doesn’t really do), which producer Yoshikazu Tochihira mentions as a common technique used on vehicles in anime at the time. Given how heavily cars and ‘copters feature in this, I think the look was also sort of its own idea to create stylistic cohesion between the key parts.

I am not going to say it always works - on our main girl Marcia it is sketch, those eyes man:

But for our boy Noera it comes out a lot nicer:

He has less demand to be “typical anime”; bishoujo can’t blend here but surfer bum absolutely can.

You get used to it over time though, and it excels at capturing the idealized West Coast aesthetic. In particular, by being “not anime” it really helps you feel like it is somewhere else than Japan. The OVA is filled with long panning shots of detailed Los Angeles streets and beaches, named restaurants and garbled English menu items aplenty. Our friend Fred Patton - who isn’t a fan - comments that “Animation fans at the time said, only half-humorously, that it looked like the main purpose of the video was for a handful of Japanese animators to come to California and take a road trip from San Diego to Los Angeles for location shots.” But that never happened - this was made on a shoestring budget, and according to the same source as before no such site visit occurred. Instead, reference material was gathered by ���searching bookstores, travel agencies, libraries, and even the American Cultural Center”, and it was a lot of work to get the details even half-right from that. Stop spreading lies, Fred Patton! Wait until you get my strongly worded comment on your blog, I don’t care if you passed away 6 years ago (RIP an absolute legend), get your facts straight!

Aided in this sense of immersion is the OVA's second source of notoriety: the absolutely banging city pop soundtrack by pop star Miho Fujiwara. The OP, Streets Are Hot, lives up to the name, straight fire:

And while not as peak, the rest of the OST doesn’t disappoint. Anime Youtuber STEVEM has a video on California Crisis that digs into the music side, as the history of city pop is absolutely his jam; for me I will just comment that it is a little lost now how western city pop was in Japan. Today it is of course “peak Japan” after its 2010’s retro internet boom, but if you listen to pop music from 1970’s Japan you still hear a lot of blending of western musical sensibilities and more traditional Japanese vocal stylings and instrumentation. City pop was one of the earlier genres to fully shed the past and embrace synth instrumentation and modern vocal approaches. And the aesthetic often pulled specifically from California - these are not album covers that scream Tokyo:

All of this is to say that this OVA is not only of its time, but it also embodies its time - a paean to the California Dream of the 80’s Tokyo youth:

Fucking vibes, man, for this alone the OVA really hits for me. Though of course, for all the Americana it is still an anime:

(Which by the way, Marcia rides a motorcycle on the highway and is clearly like 17, so Noera's rejection of an offer of sex here is more linguistic evidence for the bifurcated meaning of the word “lolicon” to refer to both actual prepubescent eroticization but also any preference for “youth” over “maturity” in typologies of femininity, intersecting with the bishoujo boom of th- okay okay, put the gun down, I’ll move on, geez…)

Sadly for California Crisis, its contemporary audience disagreed quite strongly with this being a symbol of the era; it was a huge flop. The OVA was the flagship project of a new anime venture by producer Hiromasa Shibazaki called Hiro Media Associates, and that shoestring budget was some very thin string. Shibazaki was launching his own anime+ magazine at the time, Globian (as seen in the links above), which was used to advertise their works - but towards that goal California Crisis only ever produced a single promotional image, which you see utilized everywhere it is mentioned:

So it just didn’t have the resources behind it to draw in a crowd. And the crowd it did draw in, best I can tell, wasn’t enthused; the art style was off-putting, the plot itself is a bit of a meandering mess, the long panning shots are ~vibes~ yes but also ~budget~ and obviously so, and the ending is a bit of a vague question mark. It was supposedly going to have a sequel, but Hiro Media, and Globian alongside it, closed shop soon after it was released, leaving audiences feeling that it was unfinished.

I won’t begrudge anyone their taste, or pretend it is not a very uneven work. However, I want to redeem the OVA’s core narrative from its reputation; I think it is honestly great, and it absolutely does not need a sequel. So let’s get into the plot - this is a story of a 20-something bar hand Noera, who runs into motorcycle-riding teen Marcia alongside a quasi-sentient UFO orb that just crash landed on earth. It beckons telepathically to be taken to Death Valley, a call which Noera resists but Marcia commits to heart-and-soul. Along the way the military, the CIA, the Soviets, every deep state boogeyman you can think of, all try to stop them, car chases and gunfire akimbo. Our duo bond, eventually they succeed, and the alien gives off a Kubrickian abstract flash of light and then vanishes - roll credits.

Ignore all the details, the mechanics, the CIA, all that shit. Puzzling and unsatisfying when you are watching it as a 17 year old, sure, but you are smarter now, you can separate the wheat from the chaff. Instead, why does Marcia want to follow a random alien orb into Death Valley?

Hilarious levels of on-the-nose buzzword dropping, oh sure. But behind that? Marcia is a teen, looking for meaning. She watches TV, reads books, dreams of being a hero, a protagonist, and this is it - the call of adventure! She is being offered the slot of main character and she isn’t going to turn it down. She literally name-drops Close Encounters of the Third Kind as part of her motivation, she is story-brained. When you first hear this line, you are like Noera, you eye roll it. But on reflection there is nothing more American than being the center of the universe - it truly is the American Dream.

But Marcia is not the main character of this story - the singular promotional image is lying to you. Noera is as well, and he has wisdom she doesn’t. Noera lives in the city fringe on a low wage service job, driving a beat-up Chrysler he presumably maintains himself. A blue collar man of habit, a himbo before it was hip. He follows Marcia to protect her, he casually rejects her post-car-chase adrenaline-rush-induced sexual advances. And, while they are escaping the military by hiding in a bar, he runs into an old high school friend Jack - who happens to be one of those military agents!

We have been seeing this guy the whole OVA, running the entire alien hunt operation. Top of the class, super genius, going places. Noera is unphased, and he and Jack reminisce about gags and girls from the old days. Noera congratulates his friend for “getting out” of his hometown, as it were, and then plot-duty calls, Jack’s real life calls, and he has to leave. As he does, Noera calls out to him, “Come visit me!":

And Jack leaves without saying anything:

Because it isn’t highschool anymore, right? This guy is in the Big Leagues, he isn’t gonna schlep out to some podunk bar in Long Beach because a dude he used to help do his geometry homework offers him a dri-

Oh, nevermind! Because none of that shit matters, right? We are all just dudes, let’s share a beer.

Marcia stares unaware through the entire scene by the way:

This is Noera’s “culminating moment” for his story, and she doesn’t track it.

Chasey chasey fighty fighty Death Valley journey and Marcia delivers the orb, she wins, with Noera’s help she saves the alien. And so it pulses out a sparkly rainbow, something that could maybe be interpreted as a thank you, and then leaves - giving them absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. Marcia is left on a panning shot, shocked and disappointed, holding a now broken piece of useless glass. She was never the main character of anything. She just ran an errand.

This is such good American Dream commentary! It ends the way all stories about the American Dream end - with it being a sham. Because it is. It’s all narrative, all marketing, all the outside trappings of something disconnected from the inner reality. Since this isn’t a midcentury novel but an anime OVA, the trappings of success aren’t a detached suburban home and 2.5 kids - it's being the hero of an action adventure epic. But fiction is fiction no matter the genre. Marcia doesn’t get that yet - but Noera already did before the VHS tape began to play. And Marcia’s budding realization is paralleled with Noera's own showcase of the socio-economic dilemmas that more typically define the genre - success doesn’t change who you are or what you need.

Once you step back from the sci fi spycraft stuff - which admittedly trails off - and see the themes, the ending is perfect, a sequel would totally ruin this. This is the best 80’s anime OVA commentary on the American Dream done through an otaku lens around. Definitely beats all the others in that category, for sure. Totally.

Anyway if you wanna fight me about my hot take meet me at the Waffen SS bar in 1980’s LA where I will be getting the shit kicked out of me for yelling my center-left political opinions while tipsily standing on the bartop:

All that research and I still have no explanation for this shot.

[slimepuparibaba]

What do you think about the set-up for Skyhaven? Physically, because I'm having trouble putting it together.

It's a floating island on top of Linkon City. We know this, but how do you get in and off of it?

Everything I've read on the cards talks about trains, but what if there's an emergency? Do they move in their little flying cars? I haven't seen like a highway connecting the two. If it existed, it'd kill the aesthetic and remoteness of Skyhaven, and honestly, I think Linkon is a little behind in terms of technology to allow a jet to just park wherever.

What if Caleb needs to get to MC fast?

The only thing I've got at the moment is him straight up jumping off Skyhaven with his evol. Of course, the overprotective yearning jock would probably do it, but it seems like a reach. There must be a better way.

What do you think? 👀

Wait, this is actually so interesting. Thank you so much for the question, lemme cook for a second--

Okay, so here's my current understanding of Skyhaven as of current:

Skyhaven is a floating island above Linkon. Best way to get there is via skyrail / train. An example of a skytrain exists in the graphic of Lucid Dreams, Caleb's Myth, as that seems to be a skytrain to a Skyhaven Amusement Park. There is also good chance that an airport for Skyhaven also exists if someone doesn't want to take the train, since... you know, Skyhaven in the sky. Doesn't seem like there's any flying cars that exist in the 2048, which is interesting. Haven't heard a lick of a mention of a flying car, and Caleb also drives a lambo that doesn't fly so.

I would imagine if there was an emergency in Skyhaven, the Farspace Fleet has evacuation vehicles. Since they're such a big faction in Skyhaven, they will have the technology to create ships or other kinds of jets, planes, etc that allow for safety evacuation. But from what it sounds, majority of the time, Skyhaven only needs to be under lock down (no one can leave Skyhaven, there may be curfew, etc) and them Fleet will take care of things. Also it is very likely (and by likely I mean pretty obvious) the Fleet has backing from Ever so they will absolutely have the means necessary to take care of emergencies. If anything, the emergencies are likely just orchestrated emergencies. But that's just me--

What IS interesting is that Caleb's "house" isn't actually a house, but said to be more than just a house. Place is a gigantic island that's floating around, it's huge, it's gigantic. Also man has a personal landing dock for his jet. Which is insane by the way.

With this in mind, this is what me and my sister think would happen if there was an emergency Caleb and he had to immediately get to you. We got three possibilities.

Man is actively breaking the fucking sound barrier with his private jet to get to you. He's the Farspace Fleet Captain, he's flying to you almost immediately. While Linkon may be slightly behind in terms of technology, there will probably still be landing pads, ESPECIALLY considering the Farspace Fleet seems to be a pretty influential faction that even the World Evol Government has to abide to, and Wanderers are such a common occurence that I wouldn't put it past them to have multiple landing strips somewhere. He will find somewhere to land, hell he'd land in the fucking forest and bolt to you fast as possible. Doesn't matter. If he has to kill someone to get to you, he will. He's above the law in that moment.

The chance of Caleb being ten steps ahead of you is also very likely. Him being Colonel allows him more chances for him to keep an eye on you, to watch your every move. What's more, he doesn't seem above being extremely over protective of you. Man is very perceptive. He would very likely lock you up before the problem even happens. But assuming that the problem was sudden and not even he could catch wind of it, if anyone gets in his way, he will kill them and rush to your side as fast as possible. When you're hurt, he has extreme tunnel vision.

And now, crack theory territory: Caleb will somehow be able to use the Spatium Core to his advantage. That specific Aether Core is held together via gravitational pull, and can manipulate space freely. The Main Story does show how this Aether Core can come into play, and there is a good chance Caleb will be able to properly figure out how to wield it and manipulate it. The moment MC is in danger in the future, I wouldn't be surprised if we find out a Spatium Core is with him and he starts to use its power.

And I'm just saying, Caleb can do a lot with his Evol. If he's somehow able to manipulate it HIMSELF to teleport to her, I also would not be surprised. Do I know how gravity works? No. But man can make blackholes, stop the rain from moving... damn it all if I can't see it happening where by some miracle happens and he can make fucking PORTALS using gravity and spacetime.

[jessybarnes]

Fixer Upper

Pairing - Mechanic!Jensen x Single Mom!Reader

Rating - 18+ Only! Minors DNI

Tags - Angst, Anxiety, Fluff, SMUT, broke down car, walking alone on a deserted road, being a single mom, mentions of an ex, mentions of abuse, NSFW gifs, unprotected sex, reader on top, Jensen on top, and I think that’s it, but let me know if I need to add more to the tags. 

Word Count -  2.4k

Beta - @winecatsandpizza

Fic Aesthetic - Yours truly

A/N - This is a repost from my old Tumblr account. I am in the process of transferring all of my fics over to this blog. I hope you enjoy! :)

“Dammit!”

You slammed the driver’s door to your car and kicked it for good measure. A new car was definitely a need, but who could afford one in this economy? Much less a tow truck and a mechanic. To top it all off, your AAA membership you had expired a month ago. Part of you wanted to just set the hunk of metal on fire, but that would make you feel better for all of five minutes before you’d really be shit out of luck. 

The afternoon sun reflected off the hood as you reached for the release latch. As soon as you lifted it up, hot grey smoke poured out making you cough. 

“Well, that’s just fuckin’ perfect. Icing on the damn cake.”

You put your hands on your hips and turned to look at the long stretch of highway that went in both directions. Not only was your car broken down on the side of the road, but the nearest town was at least twenty minutes in both directions. To make things even more annoying, your phone had died about ten minutes before your car did so it looked like the only thing left to do was to start walking. 

Grabbing your keys and purse, you locked the car and started walking along the shoulder of the road. At least it was nice out, not a cloud in the sky, and fairly warm. The faint feeling of a summer breeze blew strands of hair out behind you as your car became smaller and smaller in the distance. A fence came into view after about fifteen minutes of walking, and if you were being honest with yourself, it was pretty inviting. 

You brushed one of the wooden planks off and plopped down on it with a sigh. Maybe your Mother was right, maybe you should have moved back in with her until you could get back on your feet. But no, you just had to be stubborn and prove to her that you could make it on your own as a single mother. Swallowing your pride wasn’t something that came easily for you. So, you’d do what you always do and find a way to fix whatever was broken. 

Just as you were about to get up and start walking again, a red Chevy truck came into view. You had never thought about hitchhiking, but the thought of it driving past seemed worse than the former. Your hands waved to get the driver’s attention and then gave him room to pull off on the shoulder of the road. What you weren’t expecting was the most gorgeous man you have ever seen get out and approach you. 

“Everything okay, ma’am?”

Your mind was still reeling from the fact that this man was talking to you when you realized he’d asked you a question. 

“Umm yeah, I uhh…my car broke down and my phone died so umm…I was just going to walk until I found civilization.”

A look of concern flashed across his face as he looked around. 

“How long have you been out here walking? I don’t see a car anywhere.”

You shrugged like it was no big deal and gestured in the direction of your unreliable hunk of metal. 

“Cars a ways that way. I’ve been walking for maybe twenty minutes? I don’t know. I kinda lost track of time.” 

The man shook his head and looked firmly down at you. 

“Yeah, I’m not letting a pretty lady walk alone on this stretch of road. At least let me take you and your car back to my shop. You look like you could use a break.”

Did you die and go to Heaven? There is no way that you got this lucky. The one car you see on this deserted road turns out to be a mechanic and he’s this good-looking? Yeah, no, things like this didn’t happen to you. 

“Thank you, sir. I don’t have much money, but I can give you what I have for gas.”

He shook his head again and opened the passenger side door. 

“Please, call me Jensen. I don’t want your money, sweetheart. It sounds like you need it more than I do.” 

“Thanks, and you can call me Y/N.”

You smiled at him and climbed into the cab of his truck. The ride to your car and back to his shop took less time than you anticipated. You quickly found yourself warming up to Jensen. He radiated kindness and you felt like you’d known him for years. You told him you were a single mother, and how your daughter was staying with your parents until you got yourself moved into your new apartment. Mentions of your ex came up, but you tried to avoid delving too much into your past life with Tanner. He’d been abusive, and you pushed those memories to the back of your mind at all costs. 

Jensen pulled his truck into a big open yard and you noticed an arched sign that read Singer’s Auto stood high above the entrance. He lowered your car to the ground and unhooked it from the hitch before leading you inside. 

“Can I get you something to drink? I’ve got water, coffee, sweet tea, whiskey, rum, and any type of soda you can imagine.”

For the first time all day, your smile met your eyes. This man was too good to be true. If only you could be in a relationship with something this amazing. Jensen had to be either gay or unavailable because there was no way he was single with a personality like this. Let alone his looks. 

“I’d like some sweet tea, please. Thank you so much for doing all this. I’m sure you’ve got a family to get home to, and the last thing you probably wanted to do today was help a hitchhiker and her piece of shit car.”

The confused look he gave you made you instantly regret your words. Here was this man going out of his way to help you, and your brain-to-mouth filter probably just fucked everything up. You didn’t want him to think that you didn’t appreciate everything.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jensen. I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but I just have this mindset where I wait for the other shoe to fall. I’ve never really done well in the relationship department, and I’ve always been let down eventually. You’ve only just met me and you don’t need this kind of turmoil. I should probably go. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”

It took a moment for Jensen to get his bearings, but once he did you felt his hand gently grab your wrist. He slowly spun you around to face him, and his eyes bore into yours with a fire you hadn’t seen on a man before. 

“Whoa, whoa, sweetheart wait a minute. Can’t a guy just help a beautiful lady out without her thinking she’s being a burden? Y/N, listen, I’m not doing this because I feel like I have to. I’m doing this because I want to. There’s just something about you, something that draws me in, and I can’t seem to put a finger on it.”

For a few minutes, you both were silent. Staring into each other’s eyes with such intensity made you want to look away, but something stronger kept your gaze locked onto his. Ever so slowly, Jensen closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss you. His kiss ignited a fire in your core that had been dormant for as long as you could remember. 

When he pulled away, his pupils were just as lust blown as your own. Soon you were pushed against the nearest wall, his work uniform becoming disheveled along with your outfit. 

“I don’t know what it is Jensen, but I have never wanted someone so much in my life. I only just met you, and the thoughts I’m having scare me, but at the same time it’s thrilling.”

Your hands came to rest on his muscular chest as his hands cupped your face. 

“It scares the shit out of me too, Y/N, but I really want this,” 

Jensen admitted as he continued to devour your body with his eyes.  

“Do you want this as much as I do? If you don’t, we can stop. I’ll fix your car and we can both be on our way.  If you’d let me, though, I’d love to show you what it’s like to have a real man, Y/N.”

Instead of answering him, you pressed your lips firmly against his. Immediately his arms traveled down your small frame and came to rest on the back of your thighs. Without breaking the kiss, you jumped and wrapped your legs around his waist. His clothed erection pressed against your pussy making a small moan escape your mouth. 

Jensen began leaving a trail of kisses along your jaw and down your neck. He grabbed one of your breasts in each hand and began to massage them gingerly, his thumbs grazing over your nipples making them harden instantly. 

“You have entirely too many clothes on Y/N.”

You smirked and stepped away, slowly unbuttoning your shirt. It sent heat straight to your core seeing the effect you had on Jensen. His eyes roamed your body like a starving man, and the arousal in his pants was hard to miss. 

“You know, I’m no expert on lovemaking, but I’m pretty sure it’s easier to do when you’re naked, Jensen.”

A low growl escaped his throat as he stalked toward you like he was a predator. He picked you up and flung you over his shoulder making you squeal. 

“Jensen! Put me down! Where are we going?!”

“Bedroom.”

The one simple word held many promises as he climbed the stairs with ease. Seconds later you were placed gingerly on the comforter of his bed. He only left you for a moment to turn the light off and shut the door, and then he was on you again. His calloused hands pushed your shirt off your shoulders and slowly pulled it off each of your arms. 

Even though he was undressing you agonizingly slow, you relished in the fact that a man was paying this much attention to you. Your ex was a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy who was only interested in getting off before going back to his video games. Your mind completely forgot about your ex as soon as Jensen pulled down your bra exposing your breasts, his lips closed over one of your hardened nipples greedily sucking into his mouth. 

“Mmmm Jay … Fuck that feels so good”

He moved to the other nipple paying it as much attention before leaving a trail of kisses down to your navel. 

“You’re so beautiful Y/N”

Jensen made quick work of the rest of your clothes before taking his off as well. If you thought he was gorgeous with clothes on, he was even more glorious without them. Perfect was the only description appropriate for the man that stood before you. 

“C’mere Jensen. I won’t bite.”

You winked at him invitingly, and he let out this full-body laugh that was contagious.

“Y/N I don’t know if I believe that.”

He climbed onto the bed and positioned his body over yours before pulling you in for another kiss. His tongue swept your lower lip asking for permission which you granted almost immediately. Your body arched up, his cock hard as a rock pressing against your leg.

“Please … need you.”

Jensen smirked against your pulse point, grinding himself along your slick folds. 

“Gonna have to be a little more specific Princess. Where do you need me exactly?”

If you could form a coherent thought you’d make a smart-ass comment, but right now you barely knew your name. Much less able to speak in full sentences. 

“Fuck me, Jay! Wanna feel your cock inside me. Please!”

Jensen lined himself up and slowly thrust inside you, his cock filling you up inch by inch was almost enough to make you cum right then. It had been a while since you’d been with a man, and he hadn’t prepped you. 

“Unnghh fuck … you’re so wet and tight for me, Y/N.”

Your nails dug into his biceps, his forehead resting on yours as you both got used to each other. 

“Make love to me, Jay.”

Ever so slowly, he pulled almost all the way out before slamming back into you. His moans were barely heard over your cries of need. The steady rhythm of his cock hitting your sweet spot made the coil in your lower belly tighter and tighter. You wouldn’t last long with him like this, and you wanted desperately to make him cum with you. 

“Let me ride you, Jensen.”

The look he gave you was almost primal. In a matter of seconds, he had flipped over onto his back and helped you sink down onto his throbbing length. 

“Christ, Y/N, I’m not gonna last like this.”

Using the muscles in your thighs, you rose up off his cock and looked deeply into his eyes.

“Neither will I, Jay. Want you to cum with me.”

His hands held onto your sides as you began to ride him. His hips rose to meet yours, thrusting his cock deeper into your soaked cunt, and pretty soon he was completely in control again. Your cries echoed off the walls as your climax neared. 

“J-Jay! I … I’m so close baby! Please … make me cum!”

One of his hands left your side and began rubbing circles around your clit.

“Your wish is my command, princess.”

Seconds later, he felt your walls tighten around his cock, as you both fell over the edge together. Your chest heaved as you aid beside him on the bed. He covered you up before cradling your face and kissing you sweetly.

Jensen pulled away, his smile met his eyes as he looked at you with nothing but love.

“So, how about some sweet tea?”

[lovewithoutresin]

TTPD and Substance Use/Abuse References

"I was a functioning alcoholic 'till nobody noticed my new aesthetic" - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)

"I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary" - Fortnight ft. Post Malone

"You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate" - The Tortured Poets Department

"And my friends all smell like weed or little babies" - Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)

"Florida is one hell of a drug" - Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)

"I got drunk and I dared it to wash me away / Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine" - Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)

"I'm always drunk on my own tears, isn't that what they all said?" - Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

"Put narcotics into all of my songs, and that's why you're still singing along" - Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

"The smoke cloud billows out his mouth like a freight train through a small town" - I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

"The dopamine races through his brain on a six lane Texas highway" - I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

"You tried to buy some pills from a friend of friends of mine" - The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

"In public showed me off, then sank in stoned oblivion" - The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

"These chemicals hit me like white wine" - The Alchemy

"He jokes that it's heroin but this time with an 'E'" - The Alchemy

"And your friends lift you up over their heads, beer sticking to the floor" - The Alchemy

"Breath of fresh air through smoke rings" - Clara Bow

"Half moonshine, a full eclipse" - Clara Bow

"Six weeks of breathing clean air, I still miss the smoke" - The Black Dog

"Standing at the bar like something's funny, bubbly" - imgonnagetyouback

"Cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you" - The Albatross

"You needed me, but you needed drugs more, and I couldn't watch it happen" - Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

"I'll drink what you think, and I'm high from smoking your jokes all damn night" - So High School

"They have their friends over to drink nice wine" - I Look in People's Windows

[libraryledge]

The Man in the Long Black Coat (A 1960's Story of Camaraderie) Pt 2

A/N: The previous part of this short story was from Bob Dylan's point of view. Now, in the second and final part of this piece, we explore Johnny Cash's view on their friendship.

Cash's Perspective:

For as long as I can remember, music has been my savior. When I felt alone and unwanted, it became my guardian angel and allowed me to find the light. When all I could feel was the hurt inside of me, it lifted my spirits and helped me to endure. Now, I’m in the spotlight, and fame isn’t all it’s cut out to be. 

At first I was hit with rejection, and this solitary man thought he’d never hear his hymns on the radio. I hung my head and felt like quitting, until an industry man came around and deemed my work good enough to distribute to the masses. Now, in my life, I perform for mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, all representing the family structure I wish I had. Music continues to be my guide, but I’m still a wanderer, searching for a thing called love.

Then I meet him, a scrawny kid from Minnesota with dreams and a never satisfied mind. He is hungry to learn from those that came before him, but quickly makes it evident that he has so much to teach them as well.  He’s a long-legged, guitar pickin’ man who takes inspiration from the poets and creates masterpieces of his own. To say I’m a simple fan is an understatement. If you could read my mind, you’d see just how much I admire his ways. 

Like me, the price of fame is beginning to take a toll on him. One piece at a time, I see him crumble under the pressure. However, I’ve been here before and know that we must hold on to the one thing that brought us here: the lyrics and rhythms of the songs that we play. Perhaps he and I are alone in this circus, where everyone expects something of us now. One thing I know for sure is that I’ve been everywhere, and I’ve never seen talent quite like his. He’s become a great friend, so I’ll keep encouraging him to chase the wild fantasies in his mind. As for myself, I may be wandering through the chaos like a rolling stone, but I won’t back down from the fight.

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Excessive Force : Tom Ludlow x Fem Nurse Reader (COLLAB W/ THE INCREDIBLE @johnwickb1tsch) - Chapter One Two Three Four Five

TW: abuse of authority, harassment, cops

The next day, you are driving home from a long shift in the wee hours of the morning when you see the dreaded flicker of blue and red lights flashing behind you. There’s hardly anyone else out on the highway, so there’s little chance they’re not directed at you. 

What the hell? You weren’t even speeding. You are exhausted. Did you drift over the line? Fuck. A ticket is the last thing you need right now. You make your way over to the side of the road, hoping you don’t get a flat from all the extraneous bullshit that peppers the asphalt. There really is no one around, and a little thrill of fear tightens your chest. Being a woman alone late at night in this situation isn’t exactly what you would call ideal. 

You know you don’t exactly look threatening, but you’re still careful to place your hands in full view on the top of the wheel. You glance in your side mirror at the black Dodge Charger parked behind you, momentarily blinded by those stupid flashing lights. However, when you set eyes on the figure who emerges from the driver’s seat, your heart plummets to your stomach. 

That motherfucker. 

He approaches your open window with all the swagger of a rooster, long legs and broad shoulders. Doesn’t look much like that burn is bothering him now. You know part of the bulk of his chest is a vest (and you’re glad he’s wearing it, considering his habits) but it still manages to fry the aesthetic center of your brain as you watch him. 

He bends down slightly to peer in your window, blinding you with his flashlight. So unnecessary. 

“Really?” you grouse, squinting at the bright light. 

Ignoring your complaint, he offers that shit-eating smirk. “Know why I pulled you over?” 

He leans on your window, and you know you stare at that large hand distractingly close to your shoulder for a beat too long, utterly betraying your thoughts to him. “No idea,” you sigh, tired, and pissed off, and you hate to admit it-entirely too titillated by his newest form of harassment.

Again, it occurs to you how very alone you are out here, at this time of the night. Even if there was another car driving by…there’s no way they’re stopping to help you. 

“For driving while adorable.” 

Of all the things he could have said in that moment-and you cannot help but remember the way he trussed you like a christmas turkey and said such filthy things in your ear that one time you treated him-it’s so cheesy it almost makes you smile.

“Are you kidding me?”

“And you were going 7 miles over the speed limit.”

This was LA. You took your life in your hands for not speeding at least fifteen over most of the time.

“You’re writing me a ticket for going seven over?” 

He doesn’t actually have the ticket book in his hand, and he looks around the deserted highway as though thinking about it. 

“Well. I don’t have to…”

Here it comes. 

“I’m not going on a date with you to get out of this. Write it up. Fuck it. I don’t care.”

He pays you a little frown, because he’s trying to be cute, but you’re just not playing his game. You imagine a man like this isn’t used to women not playing any games he asks them to. He has no idea how stubborn you can be. 

When he honest-to-god makes a pouty face, pushing out that beautifully full lower lip it’s all you can do not to reach out of the car and slap him-or maybe punch him in the dick-because it’s charming, and it melts your heart a little, and you so do not need this. You’ve been dreaming about him nearly every goddamn night since you first treated him and this is only going to throw gasoline on the fire-fuck!

“Did you forget that I have a boyfriend?” you remind him, for yourself as much as him. Maybe it’s not wise, to poke the bear while he’s actually almost being sweet-but you are mad.

His eyes narrow at you, and why do you get such a thrill from that? 

“Do you? Because the two of you seemed a little…awkward, together. Not sure I buy it.”

“Things are just new,” you defend. “What, do you want to hear about how he rubs my feet on my break?”

The glint in Officer Ludlow’s eyes is like a bared blade. “Just your feet? Honey, if you were my girl I’d rub you all over. For your health.” 

Fuck if that doesn’t send a spear of heat straight to your center, your heart thumping painfully in your chest. You hope he doesn’t notice you shifting in your seat, trying to relieve some of the absolutely diabolical ache between your thighs.

“Well…the break room has its limits.”

“Wouldn’t stop me.” The images that is going to give you when you lay down to sleep. 

“I’m sure it wouldn’t. But Julian is actually a gentleman.”

“Yeah? Pretty sure that’s code for boring as fuck.” 

“He’s not boring. He’s sweet. He’s taking me to coffee on Saturday morning, and you know what? I’m not going to think about you at all.” 

A greater lie was never told.

It almost feels like you finally scored a hit. His expression turns stony, unreadable, and you know it’s crazy but you almost feel bad about it. At last he straightens from practically leaning into your window, hooking his thumb in his belt. “Alright, sassy girl,” he says, patting the top of your car. “I’ll let you off with a warning this time.” With a final dark look he swaggers back to his Charger. 

It’s possible you watch him go in your side mirror-it’s really not fair, that God gave a man that annoying such a biteable little muffin of an ass.

[alyssaforevermore]

Unearthed ↦ Daryl Dixon season two, part five

Synopsis: Based on the events of The Walking Dead television series, Y/N Grimes, younger sister of Rick Grimes, attempts to survive in a world now inhabited by walkers. Family has always meant everything to her, but in this new world, can she keep her family safe and together?

Show: The Walking Dead (S1-S11)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Warnings: coarse language, violence, character deaths, drug and alcohol references, series spoilers and general The Walking Dead content warnings!

Tags: @1ivinqdeadqir1 @callmeyn @thegeorgiahuntsman @mellxander1993 @bigbaldheadname @cjmonsterwolf @abbi23323 @actuallyklee @lanxsee @livingdeadblondequeen @sweetz1919 @moonmark98 @sarahbaker2010 @ririi-3 @ryoujoking @hayley1998 @crazyunsexycool @gabriella-aesthetic @dixons-sunshine @strqwbrina @beardedstudentsuit (if you've requested a tag and aren't here, I sadly can't tag you)

Masterlist

You leaned against Shane’s car, surveying the people surrounding you. The highway heading into Atlanta was at a dead stop, everyone rushing around and trying to figure out what was going on.

Shane was flipping through radio stations, all of them only emitting static. Beside you parked Carol, Ed and Sophia. Sophia was playing checkers with Carl in the back of the Cherokee with Carol watching over them as Ed smoked a cigarette.

Helicopters flew overhead, catching your attention; they were headed towards the city.

“Are we gonna go soon?” Sophia asked quietly.

“I don’t know, baby.” Carol responded. “I sure hope so.”

Carol looked to his mother. “I’m hungry.”

“I know, Carl. We all are.”

Carol looked between Carl and Lori. “Why don’t I get him something to eat? Ed’s into all this survival stuff. We’ve got enough MREs to feed a small army.”

“I'd sure appreciate it.” Lori smiled.

“It’s no trouble.”

You watched as Carol disappeared to the other side of her car, the click of the door opening soon after. Then, the door slammed shut. You and Lori watched quietly as Ed scolded Carol for her offer.

Lori shook her head, turning to Shane who still sat in the driver’s seat. “Still not getting anything?”

“There’s nothing.” He sighed.

“Big shocker.” You responded. 

“No, I mean there’s nothing. The emergency broadcast stopped and that recording about the refugee center.” Shane collected his keys and got out of the car. “It’s all gone.”

“How is that possible?” You asked.

“I don’t know.” Shane responded. “I’m gonna go up the road, see what I can see.”

“I’ll come with you.” Lori responded.

Carol approached you, holding a few granola bars in her hands. “Ed must’ve forgot to pack those MREs. I found these in my purse.”

“Thank you.” Lori responded, taking one and handing it to Carl. She then turned to you. “Listen, do you mind keeping an eye on Carl for a minute?”

“Of course not.”

Lori turned back to Carl. “Shane and I are gonna go scout up ahead a little bit and see if we can find someone that knows what’s going on.”

“I want to go with you.” Carl spoke.

Lori shook her head, kissing him on the forehead. “You’ll be safe here.”

Shane nodded, placing a gentle hand on Carl’s head. “Hey, we’ll be back before you know it. Okay, little man?”

You watched as Shane and Lori disappeared into the crowd of cars. Carl went back to playing with Sophia, worries flooding your mind. What if they were turning people away now and that’s why the recording stopped? How could you possibly be safe here?

As every question raced through your mind, you couldn’t help but think about your brother. You missed him so much. It hadn’t even been twelve hours since Shane had told you he’d died. Everything was moving so quickly that you’d not had a moment to truly mourn him.

The sound of an explosion in the distance caught your attention as you rushed to pull Carl close to you. 

“Did that come from the city?” You asked quietly.

More helicopters flew past you, also heading towards the city, with even more explosions following.

You knew what this meant; nowhere was safe anymore.

…

It had been your first real night on the farm as a group and you had managed to get some sleep in your old tent. You were still weary of any walkers sneaking onto the property, but you felt much safer with the fence surrounding you. 

You visited Carl early in the morning, wanting to check on him before you started on your day. Aside from still being in bed rest, he was in good spirits. You admired him for that; despite everything he was still happy.

This was the first time in days that you felt like you could breathe. You felt like you were slowly getting closer to finding Sophia and you hadn’t stopped thinking about that abandoned house you’d found yesterday.

You were helping Carol hang the laundry when Lori made her way over, her face slightly more pale than usual.

“I can’t believe I slept in.” She mumbled, grabbing some clothing from the laundry bin.

“You must’ve needed it.” Carol responded. “Feeling alright?”

“Next time wake me, alright? Especially on laundry day.”

“We had it under control.” You responded, giving her a small smile.

“I had an idea I wanted to run by you.” Carol spoke. 

“What’s that?”

“Well, that big kitchen of theirs got me thinking.” She began. “I wouldn’t mind cooking in a real kitchen again. Maybe we all pitch in and cook dinner for Hershel and his family tonight. I’m kind of looking for things to keep my mind occupied.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” You smiled. 

Lori nodded. “After all they’ve done for us, It’s the least we can do.”

“Do you mind extending that invitation?” Carol asked Lori. “It might sound better coming from you.”

“How so?”

“Well, you’re Rick’s wife.” Carol responded. “That sort of makes you our unofficial first lady.”

Resentment began flowing through your body, Lori quickly taking note of the way your face began to tense up. She laughed it off as Rick approached your group’s area.

“Goodmorning, guys. Let’s get going.” Rick spoke. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

You cleared your throat. “Are you two okay here? I need to run something by Rick.”

The women nodded and you rushed towards where everyone was gathering around a car.

Rick placed a map on the hood of the car. “Alright, everyone’s getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl and Y/N found, she might’ve gone further east than we’ve been so far.”

“I’d like to help.” Jimmy spoke up. “I know the area pretty well and stuff.”

“Hershel’s okay with this?” Rick asked.

“Yeah. He said I should ask you.”

“Alright, thanks.”

“Nothing about what those two found screams Sophia to me.” Shane spoke up. “Anyone could’ve been holed up in that farmhouse.”

“Anyone includes her, right?” Andrea asked.

“Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high.” Daryl responded. 

“Maybe we’ll pick up her trail again.” Rick smiled.

Daryl shook his head. “There’s no maybe about it. I’m gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take a bird’s-eye view of the whole grid. If she’s up there, I’ll spot her.”

“Maybe you’ll see your chupacabra up there too.” T-Dog responded.

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, earning a glare from Daryl.

“Chupacabra?” Rick asked.

“You’ve never heard this?” Dale asked. “Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra.”

Jimmy began to laugh.

“What are you braying at, Jackass?” Daryl huffed. 

“So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?” Rick questioned.

“Do you believe in dead people walking around?”

“Well, at least I’ve seen that with my own eyes.” You smirked.

Jimmy reached for one of the shotguns, Rick stopping him. “Hey, ever fire one before?”

“Well, if I’m going out, I want one.”

“Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees.” Daryl responded, throwing his bow over his shoulder and walking away.

Jimmy began to walk away, until he heard Shane. “Why don’t you come train with us tomorrow? If you’re serious, I’m a certified instructor.”

“He and Rick both taught me.” You nodded.

“For now he can come with us.” Andrea offered, looking at T-Dog.

“He’s yours to babysit then.” Shane huffed.

Rick gave instructions to everyone else, before finally, it was your turn. Before he could speak, you pointed to where the farmhouse was on the map.

“I want to go back there.”

“I was hoping you’d stay here today.” Rick responded.

You shook your head. “If you don’t have a specific spot for me to search, let me go back there. We left food out for her. If she’s there, she’ll probably be expecting someone to come back for her.”

“I don’t think going alone is the best idea.”

“It’s not like I’m wandering around blind. I was there yesterday. I know the route there and back.” You argued. “I can’t just sit around camp, not when there’s a kid out there alone.”

Rick let out a small sigh. “Just be careful, alright? No unnecessary risks. Keep your gun ready at all times.”

“I’ve got this.” You smiled.

Rick nodded, heading off to join Shane while you collected some water for your journey and headed out.

…

You climbed the front steps of the farmhouse, your gun in your hands. Tapping the door lightly, you decided to make your presence known.

“Sophia?” You called out. “Sophia?”

You heard some movement coming from inside the house, prompting you to swing the door open and step inside. Just as you did, a racoon raced across the foyer and into the living room, causing you to jump.

“Jesus Christ.” You spat, catching your breath.

Then, you heard more movement coming from the kitchen.

“Is anyone there?” You asked. “I’m not here to hurt you, I’m just looking for one of my people.”

You kept your gun up, slowly making your way towards the kitchen. Your eyes quickly found the table, noticing the food you had left was gone. There was quiet shuffling coming from the cupboard and your heart nearly skipped a beat. It had to be her.

“Sophia, it’s okay. You can come out.” You whispered. “Your mom misses you. We’ve all been looking for you.”

You reached forward and slowly pulled the door open, freezing in place as you saw who was inside. A young boy, slightly younger than Carl and Sophia. He huddled in the corner, shaking as he held up a knife.

“Hi there,” You spoke softly, stepping back slowly. “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”

The boy remained silent, keeping the knife aimed in your direction. His eyes kept shifting between your face and the gun in your hand. Without much thought, you slowly placed the gun on the table behind you, holding your hands above your head.

“What’s your name?” You asked. “I’m Y/N. I have a nephew around your age.”

The boy wiggled himself closer to the wall. “Hunter.”

You smiled softly. “Where are your parents?”

Hunter frowned, shrugging his shoulders.

“Do you think you can put the knife down?” You asked. “I have some water if you’re thirsty.”

Hunter stared at you for a moment, uncertainty in his eyes. Then, he dropped the knife, slowly stepping closer to you.

“It’s in my backpack. Do you mind if I grab it?”

He shook his head, his eyes watching your every move. As soon as you handed him the water, he began to guzzle it.

“Be careful,” You warned. “Too much will make you sick.”

Hunter didn’t listen, finishing off every last drop before slowly handing the empty bottle back to you.

“Thank you.” He whispered.

You nodded, placing the empty bottle back into your bag. “Are you alone?”

Hunter nodded.

“How long have you been alone?”

“I-I don’t know.” He responded quietly.

You thought for a moment, unsure of what to do. What if his parents had left to find supplies and were coming back? What if they were dead?

You knelt down to his level. “Hunter, I need to know. Do you know where your parents are?”

Tears began to form in the boy’s eyes. “We were on a road when the monsters came. They told me to run. I heard screaming but I kept going. They haven’t found me yet. I found food on the table and I thought it was them.”

You tried to keep your composure but deep down you knew what had happened. In all the time searching these woods, you’d not seen any sign of any other adults; only the shuffled footprints of the dead.

“I have a place not far from here. We have plenty of food and water. It’s safe and my nephew’s there too. I’m sure he’d love a friend to play with.” You offered with a small smile.

Hunter looked back at the cupboard he’d been living in then back at you. “What if my parents are looking for me?”

“My friends are searching these woods for another little girl, Sophia. If your parents are nearby, I’m sure they’ll find them and bring them back to our place.”

The boy nodded, a small smile forming on his face.

You reached for the gun, causing him to jump back. “It’s okay. I’m just going to hold on to this, in case there are any monsters nearby. Okay?”

Hunter nodded once more, following you out of the house and towards the farm.

…

You approached the farmhouse, Hunter following close behind you when you spotted Rick and Lori by your group’s space. 

You leaned down, looking Hunter in the eyes. “I know this is scary, but I promise you’re safe here.”

He nodded, following you up the path.

Rick looked at you, then at the boy. “Who is this?”

Hunter hid behind you.

“It wasn’t Sophia at the farmhouse.” You whispered.

“His parents?” 

“We’re not sure. I’m going to tell everyone to keep an eye out for them while they search for Sophia.” You responded. “Any luck on finding her yet?”

Rick shook his head. “Daryl’s still out there.”

Lori knelt down next to her husband, smiling at the boy. “We should get you cleaned up. I’m sure some of Carl’s clothes would fit you pretty well.”

“Walker!” You heard Andrea scream. “Walker!”

Hunter clung to you, shaking as he had been when you found him. You ushered him towards your tent. “I need you to stay here for a minute, okay? You’ll be safe.”

He nodded, climbing inside and sitting so his back was flush against the tent wall. You zipped the tent up, promising you’d be back before meeting up with the others around the RV.

“Just the one?” Rick asked.

Andrea nodded, reaching for the sniper rifle. “I bet I can nail it from here.”

“No, Andrea.” Rick spoke. “Put the gun down!”

You all grabbed weapons, making your way towards where the walker was.

“You’d best let us handle this.” Shane said.

“Shane, hold on.” Rick responded. “Hershel wants to deal with walkers.”

“What for, man? We got it covered.”

Rick cursed under his breath, rushing back to the RV to grab his gun before following you all into the field.

You got closer to the walker, Rick pointing the gun in his direction. Then, you all stopped in your tracks.

“Is that Daryl?” Glenn asked.

“That’s the third time you’ve pointed that gun at my head.” Daryl hissed. “You gonna pull the trigger or what?”

A gunshot sounded in the distance, the bullet knocking Daryl to the ground.

“No!” Rick screamed, rushing over to his side.

You inspected his head, noticing that the bullet had just grazed his temple. You helped Rick and Shane pick him up, throwing his arms around them both.

“I was kidding.” Daryl spoke, just before passing out.

“Oh my god!” Andrea screamed, rushing towards you. “Is he dead?”

“Unconscious.” You responded.

“Look at him.” Glenn spoke, “He’s wearing ears!”

Your eyes landed on Daryl’s neck, spotting a necklace made of walker ears.

Rick ripped it off his neck, shoving it into his pocket. “Let’s keep that to ourselves.”

“Guys,” T-Dog spoke up. “Isn’t this Sophia’s?”

You turned around, seeing T-Dog holding her doll in the air.

“What the hell happened out there?”

----

AN: I'm so sorry for yet another long wait between parts! For this chapter, I reached the point where Reader was back in the farmhouse and my mind got spinning. In my eyes, Sophia was never there based on where Daryl eventually found her doll. I assume it got dropped in the creek and floated up stream at some point. This ultimately lead me to introduce a character I did not plan to bring in for a while: Hunter. I felt like this was a unique spot and it made sense for me and with what the show kind of already provided. I'm really excited to focus on that element sooner than expected and how Daryl will interact with him as well. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

[sirthisisa-wendys]

ill leave it anonymous because i love military aesthetics (but im not a big fan of them) buuut, would you do a part two about it? maybe the boys going back to their wife and family? have a goodnight my dear

Done and DONE!

Watch Your Six (The Return): Keizo Arashi/Takeomi Akashi/ Wakasa Imaushi/ Shinichiro Sano x Fem!Reader

wc: 1.5k

tw: nsfw

masterlist

Takeomi Akashi

Takeomi holds his pack on his shoulder, pushing through the bustling airport crowd with little patience. If only they knew where he was coming from and where he was going... they'd be less likely to stand in his way and prolong things.

"Ugh..." The sound of his ringtone blares from his pocket, and Takeomi pulls it out before answering the phone. "Akashi."

"Hey, where you at, man?"

"On my way," Takeomi mutters, pushing past a man in a business suit. "Tell me they haven't started yet."

"Not yet, but there are a few before them."

"How many?"

"Like... three."

"Fuck!" Takeomi ends the call and hurries out of the airport toward the parking area. He finds his car quickly, throws his pack into the trunk, and climbs into the driver's seat. It takes him only a little while to reverse and hurry out of the parking lot before hitting the highway.

If asked under oath, Takeomi would lie and say he hadn't been speeding. But if anyone pulled him over, they'd find his speedometer was going over the speed limit in multiples.

Luckily, no one pulls him over, and he finds himself in the school parking lot. Shaking fingers run through his unruly hair, and he even fixes his eyebrows - bushy from the rough nap he took on the flight - before stepping out of the car. Keys in hand, he confidently walks toward the entrance - even though it all hinges on the events that'll come later.

"Mr. Akashi." The receptionist smiles at him brightly, her pastel pinks and greens nearly blinding him. "They're in the auditorium. Would you like for me to make an announcement?"

"No," Takeomi murmurs, smiling at the older woman kindly. "I'll just hang out at the back. I want to see my kids perform without any distractions."

The auditorium is a large meeting room converted into a place for parents and guardians to gather for performances. While it's not the comfiest place in the building, Takeomi has come to love the space over the years.

"And now for Grade 5's recorder performance." Takeomi takes his place in the dimly lit audience, standing beside the doors with his arms crossed. He watches his twins join the stage with their peers, each holding the damned plastic thing he hated listening to while practicing. But as they play a simple rendition of "Hot Cross Buns," Takeomi suddenly thinks it's the most heavenly music he's ever heard.

"Hey, you made it," Sanzu hisses, approaching him quietly. "Senju and y/n are sitting in the second row."

"I'll wait here," Takeomi replies, his eyes still on his twins. "Don't want to make a fuss on their big day." Sanzu understands and stands with his brother until the performance is done and the lights come up. He sees his son's eyes search the crowd for someone he knows as people stand to clap. Takeomi claps too - genuinely proud of his kids - when his daughter gasps and drops her recorder before taking off toward him.

"Daddy!" His son joins them not too long after, both of them attacking him with hugs and recorder-less hands. You and Senju also come over, too choked up to speak as tears rush down your faces. "You came!"

"I never said I wouldn't be here," Takeomi reassures them, kissing foreheads and cheeks with abandon. "You both did amazing." When the kids have had their fill of love, Takeomi rises up to kiss you as well, holding you by your waist and treasuring the precious seconds he gets to spend with his family.

Keizo Arashi

The back door squeaks open slowly. The hinges on this door are loud as shit, Keizo thinks to himself, creeping into the kitchen before shutting the door.

A light in the living room flicks on.

"Thought you could sneak in, huh?" Keizo lets out a breath, feeling the disappointment of being discovered. You rise from the couch in a robe, your hair neatly pulled back. Keizo bites his lower lip and sets his bags down on the floor before cupping your face and kissing your lips a few times.

"I missed you."

"I know."

"Need a shower?"

"Badly." You take his hand and lead him toward the bathroom in the main bedroom, helping him undress while the shower runs warm water. "You don't have to..." Keizo whispers, looking over his shoulder as you fold his uniform and put it away from sight.

"Did you get any sleep on the plane?" you wonder, changing the dead subject.

"Hardly," he admits, washing his face and patting it dry with a towel. "Did you get any?"

"I've been too excited. Couldn't sleep." Keizo chuckles, then undoes your robe, pleased but not surprised to see nothing underneath.

"You always know what I'm going to do, don't you, baby?"

What proceeds is a short interlude of the buff man pressing you against the shower wall, his mouth trailing over your wet skin as it pleased. Keizo's hard cock rubs against your ass, and after a little while of taking his torment, you part your legs, silently begging him to part your folds and enter you.

"Always had you on my mind," he rasps into your ear. "Can't stop thinking about you..." Keizo holds his cock in one hand and then slips into you easily. You moan loudly, shaking around his dick as he presses deeper into you. Keizo cries sharply, gripping your waist in both hands before moving back and forth without ceasing.

"Kei, 'missed you so much... missed you so much..."

"I can tell," he answers, straining to keep a coherent thought in his mind. "You don't have to miss me anymore. I'm right here."

Wakasa Imaushi

Wakasa is in the one place he's been dreaming of for months. But somehow, he still can't find the peace to fall asleep.

You're in his arms, still naked from the lustful romp you'd had after he arrived home - but somehow... it's not enough to ease him off to sleep. Even your soft breaths aren't enough. So what now?

The looming question keeps him awake until the morning, despite all his attempts to envision a solution. What now?

It bothers him as you prepare a full breakfast, placing a plate full of his favorite foods in front of him. But he can't seem to stomach much anymore. And he feels so dumb, staring at the television blankly and looking for a solution to his problems.

Only when you find Waka standing in the bedroom, looking out of the window, can you finally give him the solution to his burden. Your arms wrap around him, and he tenses up briefly before allowing himself to turn around and nestle his face into your neck and cry, somehow releasing every pent-up emotion he'd had for the past few months in one single moment.

"We'll figure it out," you whisper in his ear, a soothing sensation he hadn't had in a long time. "I'm just glad you're home with me. Okay?"

"Okay," he replies, tightening his grip around you and resting his head on your shoulder.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

Shinichiro Sano

"Daddy, look at my artwork!"

"Daddy, did you see the treehouse?"

"I painted you a picture, see?" Shin lets the sound of his rowdy home flood his ears as his children - two toddlers and the single baby in your arms - try to inform him about everything he's missed while he was away. Even the baby babbles in time with her siblings, her hands in her mouth while you usher the children into some semblance of order for dinner.

"Do you want carrots or broccoli?" Shinichiro sits at the table with nothing but love in his eyes as his kids ask for what they want with words. Real words.

The baby is placed in the high chair, and Shin takes up the role of feeding her for the evening while you prepare his food. "You still like beef?" you wonder over the noise of the children eating, and Shin nods, making faces in an effort to get his child to eat. The baby takes the spoonful of mashed peas and eats it, smacking her lips and clapping while the others laugh a little.

"She only does that when she likes it," his eldest reminds him, shoving a piece of broccoli in his mouth. You place Shin's food in front of him and take your place before pausing to dig in.

"I've missed so much," Shin wonders absentmindedly. "I feel like I've been away forever."

"It's only been a few months," you reassure him, squeezing his leg. "You didn't miss out on anything major."

"I lost a tooth!" one of the toddlers chooses to shout, pointing at her gap. "That's important!" Shinichiro smiles and wiggles her front tooth teasingly.

"And that one might fall out any second now!"

After dinner, the kids run about, renewed in their vigor and excitement. The newness of Shinichiro's return has worn off for the evening, but Shin lays next to you on the carpet, his youngest resting on his chest and nodding off.

"I don't ever want to leave again," he whispers, taking your hand in his. "Never."

"And you won't have to," you reply, kissing his cheek and rolling onto your stomach. "We'll always be here, together."

"Promise?" Shin's eyelashes flutter.

"Promise," you murmur, kissing his lips as a seal of your intent. "I promise."

[aotopmha]

Since I'm back into playing Sonic games, I'm also catching some of the news.

Out of all of the Sonic games to remake, seems Sonic 06 is under consideration?

My opinion on remakes in general is that I'd rather have something new.

Right now I'd just like a 3D Sonic game with wholly new levels that are unique and fun to play.

Give me a new list of boost stages or adventure stages or even zones in Frontiers except less generic and messy. The last truly original level themes in 3D were in Colors, which came out 13 years ago. Everything after it was full of increasingly derivative Green Hill/Chemical Plant/Speed Highway imitations or a bunch of generic theming like Winter Zone or Forest Zone.

But if you're going to remake a game, remake one that would gain from it and Sonic 06 is kind of a genius risk/reward idea.

It's still one of the most famous failures in gaming history.

Were it to succeed, we'd have a success story not so unlike Final Fantasy 14's or No Man Sky's.

It would be fantastic publicity/marketing.

But were it to fail or be less than great, they'd double down on the failure.

I'm of the opinion they'd have to overhaul the uncanny hyper-realistic art (particularly character designs) and definitely entirely rewrite the story.

I think Sonic's design philosophy just is not compatible with that hyper-serious and hyper-realistic aesthetic. It has the same issue the initial Sonic movie design had to me: it looks wierd and creepy when it aims to be "realistic".

One counter-argument I've heard in regards of this aesthetic along with storytelling style is that other similar mascot properties can be dark, but I think all of the actually good ones understand how far they can take it before it reaches that uncanny valley, jarring threshold. They understand the limitations of the aesthetics they use.

Sonic can be "serious", but just like everything else, it has always had its own brand of serious.

Scrap Brain Zone, Doomsday Zone and even Hidden Palace are good Sonic serious.

The final stories of Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 are good Sonic serious. Gamma's story is Sonic Adventure 1 is good Sonic serious.

They understand Sonic is a joyful series that has meaningful, darker ideas within, but isn't only those elements.

For example, I think the edgy elements of Shadow are best when they're fully sincere and bombastic, not when telling you how dark, cool and edgy Shadow is and how much you have to think how dark, cool and edgy Shadow is.

(Yes, I am also aware Shadow The Hedgehog's reliance on it is very much a localisation choice, but these elements are still present in everything after it, too. These stories sometimes want you take them so seriously, anything actually fun in there is smothered.

You can argue interpretations, but I think Sonic definitely shouldn't be joyless.)

That's what people who criticise Sonic for having any serious moments also miss: these characters still do have arcs and stories. Most actually good cartoons work that way just like any other stories and people who like Sonic like the sincerity in it along with the dumb cheese.

More on 06, though, I hate the Elise and Sonic romance stuff. I don't find any part of that appealing.

A few fandoms I'm in have a furry contingent, and I find anything to do with it squicky. I guess it's better than some other groups of people who find far worse stuff sexually attractive?

Mascot fursuits at least don't resemble anything human (or even animal, actually, they're hyper-stylised cartoon creatures I'd rather not think about in any sexual sense), so it's better than some of the really, really bad stuff?

I don't want to think about it any deeper than that.

So, I'm 100% for the removal of this aspect.

Gerald and Maria were handled well in Shadow Generations, so maybe just making it a simple friendship is the best solution because Elise is still important to the original story. Also make her a character that's not just an object to be kidnapped every few levels?

But the most important aspect of a potential remake is that Sonic 06 could actually be a really good game because a bunch of the level design is actually solid and there are some really solid gameplay foundations.

They already have it all there, so they don't have to spend time on making stuff up from scratch.

So, an 06 remake does have merit due all of the above points.

Personally, if I had to choose any remake above a completely new game, though, I'd actually like an Heroes remake (or even just remaster, as I don't think it's a fundamentally broken game like Sonic 06 and apparently one is rumoured for it, as well, actually) because I love the variety of level themes and the foundational level design in that game.

A lot of Sonic games are messy in the polish sense, but Heroes is up there.

I think it actually deserves it the most because what ruined it to me were very specifically the glitches.

Awkward controls and stage design you can at least learn to play around, but glitches are sometimes pretty firmly out of your hand and dying to them so often just completely sucked out the fun of the game by the end more than any Sonic game to me.

And Sonic 06's level roster is a lot less unique/fun/cool.

Hang Castle? Frog Forest? Egg Fleet? Even Grand Metropolis and Rail Canyon? The Metal Sonic fight?

Adjust the controls and clean up the glitches and that alone would make for one of the best Sonic games, I think.