#hope you guys enjoy omg

[xo-codbby]

thinking about playboy!ghost x manhater!reader 🍒🖤

callsign: cherry. 18+

you loved your team but the truth remained the same, men simply sucked. too many times had you been burnt out, learning constant lessons over and over preferring to know someone properly before you introduced them to your bed. while ghost was just purely physical, just needing release. he didn't want to engage in deep conversation, he swore off of love years ago but there wasn't harm in chasing gratification for his physical needs even if he left a string of broken hearts behind him

ghost is cocky in the fact that he knows he looks good, he knows he has women at his disposable without saying a word. his bed warmed by frequent visitors, many wanting to come back but not getting the chance to. a soft scoff leaving your lips whenever you see a woman hanging onto his arm, practically lapping at his every word. the sight makes you recoil away but it only makes him want to aggravate you that much more

absolutely hating one another when you both first met.

according to him, you were too stuck up. your terrible attitude, your prudish behaviour, little miss know it all. he disliked it all and you had been the same, his arrogant cocky personality paired with his unbearable sarcasm. just another womaniser. you disliked him more than words could explain.

and yet the line between hate and love was a fine line indeed

getting teased around base relentlessly by him

"c'mere cherry, let me show you how to let off some steam-" "fuck right off"

ghost constantly offering you a quick lay whenever the team finished up a particularly stressful mission. gaz and soap chuckling at the snark you gave back, the only one to your defence was price offering a gentle hand and a stern look to ghost who rolled his eyes

but him getting so jealous when you get the attention of another man, when he sees you talking to someone else around the barracks it felt different. it felt intimate, too close for his liking. and with some forceful persuasion from price, he found out the new sergeant had taken a liking to you. and regrettably, you were starting to feel something for him too. he doesn't know why it pisses him off so much but he'll be damned if he doesn't wreak hell on the bastard

his absolute favourite way to piss you off is inviting a woman to his bed, making her scream and moan out his name as loud as he can,

"that's all y'can do f'me? louder doll, lemme hear just how good it feels"

as he's thrusting so deep into her cunt but it doesn't feel the same like it used to. he won't be able to cum until he's imagining your face, imagining the pretty sounds he'd coax from your lips.

how his cock would throb deep into your willing pussy, how he'd rub the tip of aching cock against your entrance relishing in the way you squeezed him so tightly. the very sight almost makes him groan out your name, even the thought of tasting your slick makes him shiver in anticipation.

and of course it's your room beside him, you're subjected to listening this woman's moans and how great he's making her feel. a warm feeling stirring deep between your legs but you refuse to engage in his stupidity cursing at him as you throw yet another book at the wall. the sounds only stir him on, competing with you who could make the loudest sounds.

it's only when price, again, yells out a sharp command from the depths of his room that it's silence once more

the next morning you're woken up by gaz and soap laughing and hooting at him, heading to the kitchen to see his dark brown eyes twinkle as he looks at you. he stands against the counter, a mug of tea in his hands. his balaclava pulled up over his nose while he eyes you up and down stalking your every move

"an' how'd you sleep, cherry?"

his voice is a hoarse rumble from having woken up, his cocky grin as he looks at you over. wondering if you had touched yourself to his sounds he let spill just for you, wondering whether you squeezed your legs tightly or grinded against the pillow for some relief

but your eyes roll and brows furrow, not wanting to entertain his bullshit. only offering a smartass comment as you look back at your phone. the very sight makes him want to pounce on you, to show you what you were missing

but say one day you get your heart broken and the feelings come head to head, piss drunk as you knock thrice on his door watching him open with a disgruntled look on his face

"bloody 'ell, y'gonna bash my door in-"

doesn't even get the words out before you've pulled him to your face and kissing him feverishly, the door slamming shut behind you both. but when you get to the bed, the alcohol and the heightened emotions lull you into a deep sleep as he sighs softly. looking around before setting you down and laying next to you. grumbling softly how you're lucky to be sleeping in his bed

he doesn't even have sex but he swears it's the most intimate he's ever been with someone

so playboy ghost, the man who would pay for ladies ubers so they wouldn't sleep in his personal space, the man who chose to fuck casually with no feeling, the man who swore off love altogether held you captive in his arms snuggling into you.

the very man who broke the vow he made not to ever get entangled with emotions had clung to you like you were his lifeline in a torrential sea and you had escaped his clutches like a thief in the night like he had done so many times to others. and perhaps if he wasn't so heartbroken he might've laughed at the irony of the situation, what comes around goes around

[galaxystt]

finished double life... so naturally i've started working on an animatic ;v; the lads are tragic and its their fault (and i love it)

[sunny-knight]

My masterpiece is complete, enjoy it…if you dare…

This took a while but enjoy my 52 slide slideshow that somehow has plot twists for some reason! It’s newbie proof too! I explain quite a bit of background that most people probably already know, but its concise enough I feel

(Twiggy don’t look at this I SWEAR 🫵 wait till Monday)

[cellpone]

SHE ATE THIS FIT SO HARD IDCCCC 💅💅✨️

Also I couldn't decide which ones better cuz the bg is kinda ass oh well

[coldslaws]

so guess which dlc i recently finished

bonuses ❤️ yeah im super late to mochi mayhem im sorry

[weevmo]

Howdy prefers not to be in the thick of battles, or any battles at all. But! He will do what he can with range weapons when need be. He's an old friend of Barnaby's and accidentally helps him meet Wally.

He's a shopkeeper first - and a Ranger second!

aka now that I'm creating a comic with him in it I had to finalize a design

[malarkgirlypop]

MEDIC! Part 42 (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

Fucking hell im sobbing, this is it, the last chapter! Thank you everyone for sticking along with me you are all amazing! I'm so sad this is finished, I feel kinda lost without Em and Don. I'm so sad but also wow I wrote and finished a whole story that's impressive for me. LOVE YOU ALL!!!

For the last time ever, this is based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, no hate to anyone involved.

Tag list: @imusicaddict, @b00ks1ut, @mstiemountainhop, @awaterfalls, @lovememadly92, @lucyfromtheoldhouse, @blueberry-ovaries, @next-autopsy, @saintmalosunsets, @anaso12 anyone else please let me know.

Time stood still for a split second before the clock ticked forward again. I stood exactly where I had left, my items I had dropped when I was struggling to free myself from the shimmer still laid perfectly where they had landed many months ago. 

I whipped around but all that greeted me was the dark street. 

No shimmer. 

No Don. 

It was as if I was on autopilot, I gathered my belongings into my arms and made my way back to my apartment. I fumbled with my keys before slotting them into the lock and twisting open the door. 

I placed my keys down on the bench with the rest of my belongings before trudging to the bathroom. There in the mirror stood a girl I hardly recognised. 

Her hair was windswept and unkempt, her face was blotchy and red, she wore an army uniform from the 40’s. 

She was out of place and lost. 

Shedding my clothes I stepped into the shower. Unlike before I was more aware of the damage on my skin. Cuts and bruises scattered my arms and legs. Scars and faded injuries covered me from head to toe. The last time I was in this shower I had been a different person. 

I washed myself until my skin turned red from the heat of the water and the scrubbing from my hands. 

Walking to my room, I slumped down in my bed and shut my eyes wishing to never wake again. 

—------------------------------------

The months flew by, I did my best to heal what was broken. I had promised myself that when I retired I would live life to the fullest, if not for me, for Don. 

I threw myself back into my studies, working hard towards my degree. It seemed to be the only thing that could distract me. I also went to therapy, I didn’t speak about the war I had lived through, it would’ve been too hard to explain, also maybe slightly crazy. 

We spoke mostly about the attack that had happened the night before I had left, it impacted me in more ways than I thought, it had closed me off to everyone again. 

My therapist encouraged me to form more bonds and have people in my life who I could trust. But it felt wrong trying to find people to fill the void of the ones I had left behind. So I kept to myself. 

I had tried my hardest to forget and move forward, I didn’t want to linger on the what if’s but the urge was too strong. I would spend weeks in the library scouring World War II books and reports, trying to find the names of the men I had lost. 

But the odd thing was that there was always a 101st Airborne, always an Easy company, but never the names of the men I had served with. 

They appeared to take the same course of action, the events that happened to us, had happened to them. But the men pictured and named were not my Easy men. 

It drove me to the point of insanity. I rushed home and dug all of the things I had brought back with me from the back of my closet. Just to ensure that it had happened, that I didn’t just imagine it all. 

Sitting on the floor surrounded by the items I had stowed away. My uniform, medic bag and phone all were proof that it was real. 

The medic bag sat unopened. I hadn’t been through it at all since I had arrived back. I sat gnawing on my lip, did I open it or not? 

“Fuck it.” I muttered, leaning forward and unbuckling the clasps that held it shut. I pulled it closer, sitting the bag on my lap. 

My fingers brushed over an unfamiliar material, I thought I knew exactly what I had brought back but this felt different. I hastily dragged the item from the bag. 

A gasp left my lips and tears almost immediately streaked down my face. My thumb brushed over the metal, Donald G. Malarkey. It was his dog tag. He had somehow snuck it into my bag and didn’t tell me. 

I could feel rough metal on the other side of the smooth metal. I flipped it over to find, ‘My Love, forever’. The words had been scratched into the back of the tag, Don had done it. I knew his hand writing anywhere. 

Clutching the thin piece of metal to my chest I rocked myself back and forward as I sobbed. It was the closest I was ever going to feel to him ever again. The thought that he wore this so close to his heart for all the time we had been together made me cry even harder. 

I upturned the bag letting the contents spill onto the floor, I rummaged through the belongings like a mad woman. 

Was there anything else he had put in?  

A paper I didn’t recognise was hidden under bandages, I hastily pushed everything else aside grabbing the paper as if it was going to disappear.  

I shook as I stroked my fingers along the unopened parchment that had been folded in half. His scrawly handwriting grace the blank paper. 

‘To Em.’

A shaky breath left my lips as I slowly unfolded the letter. My heart smashed against my ribcage but it felt nice to feel again, even if it was just pain. I had been so numb on autopilot. I couldn’t wait anymore, I needed to know what he had written. 

 My beloved Em,

I don’t know when you are reading this, but I hope that you are well. Know that I miss you dearly, and that I think of you always. 

I write this now after you had left to go and say your goodbyes. 

It took me a while to understand, but I do now. I know you inside and out, I know you as kind and gentle. You only want to share your love and happiness. 

You made the brave decision to give up everything so that we might have a chance to live and be free. You have made a sacrifice I never think I could do, and for that I admire you dearly, Em. You’re so courageous, your heart is unshakable. 

That is why I love you. Your soul is pure and good. I love your being and essence and everything that makes you, you. 

I love the way your curls fall into your face when you laugh, and the way your eyes crinkle at the sides when you smile. I will miss the sound of your melodic voice, and soft lips. I’ll miss the way you tell stories and the hugs you give. I miss you even now, when I know you’re only mere metres away. 

There will not be a day that will go by that you won’t be on my mind. Sleeping or awake you will forever be at the forefront of my thoughts. When I am sad, happy, excited, depressed, lonely, or content I wish to only share my thoughts with you. I will never not talk about you, your name will forever be on my lips.   

I hope you have found my small gift, and that you hold it close to your heart and think of me. 

Know that I am well Em. 

I am content with your decision. I will live for you. 

I hope you do the same, I hope you reach all of your dreams. 

There’s a quote I love, “missing someone is your heart’s way of telling you that you love them.” 

I miss you more than life itself, so I’ll love you for infinity. May my love for you reach you in your time now and you feel me wrapping myself around you now. I wish I had a photo of you, it scares me that I might forget your face. 

But the men and I will keep you alive in our memories, I will share every story I have of you. I will go home and tell everyone that I was going to be wed to the most beautiful girl in the land but she made a decision that let us be here today, and in turn she couldn’t stay.  

Please Em, my only wish is for you to be happy. Surround yourself with people who love you like we loved you. I need to know that you are being loved and cared for.

I don’t want to finish this letter, I wish I could write you pages and pages and fill them with the love I have for you, but alas there are not enough words in the universe that could perfectly summarise my feelings for you. But I will leave you with this poem.

I will love you as long as the sun burns in the sky,

As long as the moon shines its light into the dark night, 

Until the raging blue oceans become calm and run dry. 

I will love you until the end of time. 

With all my love, I hope to find you again. I will wait for you in every lifetime. 

Donald Malarkey, your one true love now and forever. 

The sobs that left my mouth were short and sharp as I struggled to intake air. My tears landed on the paper as I clutched it to my chest. I had read the words over and over again, I could hear his voice in the writing. 

After my sobs had subsided I continued to search through the contents of the bag. A flash of metal caught my attention. A dry chuckle left my throat, Speirs’ lighter lay amongst my belongings. His initials were carved into the metal, it didn’t come with a note, but the act alone was heartbreaking. It was Ron’s trusty lighter, one that he didn’t part with easily, but still he had slipped it into my bag for me to have to remember him by. 

I woke up the next morning on the floor of my room surrounded by memories. I slipped Don’s tag around my neck and tucked it into my shirt. Just when I was losing faith they had given me the motivation to live again. 

So I did just that. I opened myself up again, I graduated and started a new job as a full time nurse. I did as they had asked and surrounded myself with people who loved and cared for me. But no one could ever take Don’s place, that part of my heart was tightly locked which he only had the key to. 

A year passed and the hurt lessened. Never did they leave my thoughts, the amount of times I went to share stories only to bite my tongue. But I wrote them all down in my diary to ensure that the memories I had of them were never forgotten. 

—--------------------------------

“Hey Em, patient in room 12 is wanting to speak to you.” Izzy, the nurse I had befriended when I had started, peered her head into the nurses office. 

“Sure.” I smiled brightly at her, getting up from the notes I was finishing. I made my way to the room, assisting the patient to unhook from the fluids they were getting so that they could go to the toilet. 

“Em!” I heard from behind me. I sat the patient back down on their bed as we had made our way back from the bathroom. 

“Yeah?” I turned to see an excitable Izzy. 

“The girls and I were going to go out for dinner tonight. Come!” It was a Friday for the group and  everyone seemed to be very thrilled for the weekend. 

“Um…” I teasingly thought about the offer. The brunette didn’t let me think long, rushing into the room to slap me on the shoulder. 

“You’re coming!” She tugged gently at my arm. 

“Says who?” I wound her up more. I had befriended her as she had reminded me of George. She was bright and funny, always with a big smile on her face. We had both started at the same time and bonded over being ‘new and dumb’, we joked. It was easy to make friends with her, it was as if they had known each other in a past life. 

“Emily Lane!” She full named me, causing me to giggle. 

“Shall I pick you up?” I asked as I sauntered away. 

“AHHHH!” Izzy squealed in delight, running after me to pounce on my back. “We are going to have so much fun!” 

I never picked up Izzy, she had followed me home. Demanding we got ready together. I watched her dance around the room singing into the hairbrush she had found lying around. She looked insane having half of her eye makeup on as she sung poorly into the makeshift microphone. 

“Thank you, thank you.” Izzy bowed to the non-existent crowd taking in her applause. 

We finished our makeup, mucking around wasting time we didn’t have doing a fashion show, which was basically Izzy prancing around like an idiot and me curled over in hysterics. 

“If you keep going not only are we going to be so late, my makeup is going to be ruined!” I chucked a pillow from the couch at her head. 

Finally we made it to dinner only ten minutes late. We shared good food and stories around the table. I smiled, glancing around the table at the people who were in my life. Don would’ve been proud of me. 

Izzy squeezed my hand from under the table as she lent her head on my shoulder. “I have a surprise and you can’t say no.” 

I pretended to be mad at her but the smile stuck to my lips as she fluttered her eyelashes at me. 

“What is it?” I asked, a huge grin broke onto her face. 

“Karaoke!” She cheered as did the rest of the table. “You have to come, I’ve invited some of my friends too.” Izzy elbowed me in the side. 

The older nurses with children and earlier bedtimes left, leaving the younger nurses with more energy to do karaoke. Izzy’s friends slowly trickled in joining us in our fun night out. All of them were lovely and so funny. I wiped the tears that leaked from my eyes as Izzy and Lyla sang a duet together, they were so off pitch but that didn’t stop them. 

They plonked down next to me out of breath. “Your turn!” The girls pushed me from my seat. I looked back into the crowd and they smiled excitedly up at me. I picked a random song.  

Stay by Rihanna played out from the speakers. I sang along as the group cheered and whooped. I didn’t care if I sounded bad. I sang loudly as I waved my hand in the air. 

The room door swung open and I lost my words. There in the doorway was a face that I couldn't forget. 

“SING!!” Lyla cheered. But I couldn’t, nothing worked, my mouth hung open and tears filled my eyes. 

I watched Izzy jump up from her seat and dragged the person into the room. 

“Em!” She ran towards me with the person in tow. “This is my friend, Don.” 

It was him, head to toe, he looked exactly like my Don. 

“Pleased to meet you, Izzy has told me a lot about you.” The man stuck out his hand for me to shake but I was still so frazzled. His voice was exactly the same. I blinked, pinching my leg to make sure I wasn’t in some weird dream. 

“Are you alright, you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” The modern Don tilted his head in concern. 

“I’m fine.” I uttered out in shock, I politely shook his hand, almost melting at his touch. It was the same. Had he come back to me? 

“Have we met before? You just seem familiar.” He asked. Izzy stood between us as we stared at with a confused look on her face. 

“I’ll leave you guys to it.” She departed the conversation, leaving us staring at each other with our hands still connected.   

“Do you want to come to the bar with me? It's a bit loud here.” He asked, never taking his hand from mine. I nodded, my mouth still hung open. 

We left the small karaoke room we occupied and made our way back over to the main bar. 

“So do we know each other?” Don asked again. 

“No we don’t.” I shook my head. 

“Well I want to change that.” His smile grew wide as he stepped closer to me. “I don’t know why but you feel important.” 

And at the moment I knew everything was going to be ok. 

Because he had found me again.

Just like he had promised. 

---------------------------------------------------

THE END!

[myokk]

before it felt like a sin, ch. 3

ch.1, ch.2

pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!MC

word count: 2300

summary: Eloise never wanted to be different.

And yet, her differences are what have defined her life up until this point: growing up as a squib in one of the most prominent wizarding families, being exiled to muggle society, and then attending Hogwarts at the age of sixteen.

She finds herself thrust into the life she should have been prepared for from birth but was denied. As she navigates this new life and her new precarious position in her family, she must come to terms with the fact that maybe what she dreamed of her whole life isn't turning out how she ever expected it would.

a/n: this is how I wish the duel could have gone in the game...😇🙏

I also want to reiterate that this fic is REALLY CANON DIVERGENT!!!!! I will NOT be following the game’s plot at all really with this (it really starts to diverge around chapter 6/7 maybe I don’t remember), and I don’t see Eloise as the game’s MC either.

Eloise was being woken up altogether too soon for her tastes. Something soft was hit her face, and she sat up groggily, pushing it away. She blinked as she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. It was disorienting not knowing where she was, although, as she rubbed her eyes, it was slowly starting to come back to her…Something happened yesterday, she thought. I…

“Come on, sleepyhead!” exclaimed Imelda, throwing more clothes on top of Eloise. “The house elves left these last night at the foot of your bed while we were sleeping. If you don’t hurry up, there won’t be any more food left for breakfast. And, you know that the first day of classes is the most important…”

As she continued rambling on, Eloise got up and started putting on her school robes. A dark grey tartan skirt with dark green and silver stripes, a cream button-up with puffy sleeves that she tucked into the skirt, a black ribbon to tie around her neck, and her Slytherin robes on top. She didn’t know how to feel about the day that was ahead of her; she felt a strange mixture of elation and apprehension.

“…you’re taking too long. I’ll wait for you in the common room,” Imelda concluded, giving Eloise one last look before striding out of their dormitory. All of the other girls had already gotten ready and left for the morning, which wasn’t really a surprise to Eloise. As soon as her head hit the pillow the second time, she had fallen into a deep sleep and hadn’t heard the bustle of the girls preparing themselves for the day.

She finished lacing up her boots, and after one last glance in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, headed out to find Imelda.

When Eloise walked into the atrium, she was struck by how different it felt in the morning. It was truly as beautiful now as it had been eerily peaceful the night before. Once again, light piano music playing in the background - Eloise smiled to herself, recognizing the Gymnopédies by Satie. Her piano lessons had been the only bearable classes at the muggle school, and she had excelled at the instrument, often practicing during her free time.

The piano music blended in with the murmurs of students standing or sitting in small groups around various tables filled with breakfast foods and scrolls of parchment. The greens and blues coming through the windows felt refreshing, and the whole room was glimmering under the reflections of the water playing across various surfaces. She could see plants swaying under the water, with schools of fish weaving between them. It felt…magical.

Eloise’s eyes were drawn to Ominis and she started walking to him, standing by the same window where they had been sitting earlier. Instead of being in shadow, however, he was now illuminated by the rays of sun shining through the water. He was smirking to himself as he listened to the two first-years next to him. As she got closer to them, Eloise heard them speculating about the possibility that they would get to see a mermaid.

“Oh! I think I just saw one!” one shouted at his friend, pointing out the window. “Oh, wait…it was just algae.”

Eloise walked up to Ominis, smiling despite herself. 

“Is this your idea of a good time?” she asked him, while he was simultaneously asking her how she had slept. They both paused as soon as they heard the other start talking, and then both started speaking at the same time after an awkward pause.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I…I slept well,” Eloise said, blushing. “And you?”

“As well as I ever do,” he replied. She noticed that the dark circles under his eyes were still very prominent, although they didn’t look eerie in the morning light. He indicated the first-years with a jerk of his head, changing the topic. “I doubt mermaids find us that interesting. I rather think they purposefully avoid our common room so as to not be treated like creatures in an aquarium.”

Eloise laughed at that and tilted her head playfully. “And just where did those two even get the idea that they might see a mermaid?”

“That, my dear, is a mystery. I surely have never seen one before,” Ominis said, standing up straight and taking his wand out. “I have been hearing a lot of chatter about you this morning, you know. It seems like reality has been mixed with fantasy in the tales of your journey here, and nobody knows the full truth.”

“Except for you,” Eloise pointed out, stepping into place next to him as they walked through the common room. She spotted Imelda, supervising some students playing chess and instructing them on the moves they should be doing. Imelda looked up and saw Eloise, and interrupted her own advice mid sentence.

“Eloise!!” Imelda bellowed as she practically ran across the room. Was this girl ever not purposeful in everything she did? The students around them looked up from what they were doing to watch her, and maybe get the chance to hear a first-hand account of what actually happened to Eloise. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were attacked by a dragon last night?”

“Oh, er…” Eloise couldn’t figure out how to respond to the other girl. Imelda didn’t seem worried or scared about what Eloise had gone through the previous day; rather, she seemed indignant that she hadn’t been told about the attack. Beside them, Ominis was laughing.

“It must have been terribly exciting,” Imelda went on, ignoring any response Eloise may have started giving. “A real dragon and all. I wish I was with you guys, I’ve actually prepared for what I would do in that very situation. I would definitely have diverted its attention away from you on my broomstick, and actually the best strategy would have been to…”

“I doubt you really would have been able to do anything,” Eloise interrupted. “It was terribly frightening, but at the same time the whole thing was over so quickly that I haven’t had time to process it yet.”

“Well, you can tell me about it on the way to breakfast. Maybe once you learn how to ride a broom, we can practice what to do together. You have first-hand experience, after all!” Imelda looped her arm through Eloise’s. She shot a look to Ominis. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking her now. We have a long day ahead of us, lots to do you know. The usual. Anyway, Sebastian’s coming over so it’s not like I’m leaving you completely alone.”

Before Eloise could even react, she was being marched up the spiral staircase that led out of the Slytherin common room and they were off to breakfast.

“Duelists, take your mark,” Professor Hecat said to the two students standing on top of the platform in the middle of the room. The duelists in question looked at each other warily, steadying their wands. Eloise was exhilarated. This was the type of class she had been daydreaming about while she sat wasting her time embroidering landscapes.

Professor Hecat hadn’t wasted any time putting the students to work. Although at first, many of them had scoffed at the thought of Leviosa being a useful spell in combat, Eloise listened attentively and focused on the correct wand movements. Maybe it didn’t actually matter, but she was determined to make sure that nobody would think that she didn’t deserve to be there. She had a lot of catching up to do, but between the books Professor Fig had given her and the knowledge she retained from reading from her family’s library as a child, she already knew a lot. She was quite pleased when the feather levitated as soon as she said the incantation, as there were other students who struggled to get theirs to even twitch in an upward direction.

Now, Eloise gripped her wand tightly in her hand, shifting a bit as she stared Sebastian in the eyes. He had said that she would get ‘a proper Hogwarts welcome’ and she was looking forward to it.

If the rumors she had heard before class were true, Sebastian was the best duelist in their year, and quite possibly at Hogwarts. Although she felt a little apprehensive at the thought of facing him, she hoped that he wouldn’t hold back on her just because she was new. Even if she had fought the guardians yesterday in Gringotts, she wanted to prove to herself that she could keep her wits about her in the heat of battle. 

Maybe her stance was a little too stiff, her movements too by the book. But that could only be changed with experience.

Sebastian smirked slightly to himself, no doubt thinking that this would be an easy victory. In the background, Eloise heard Professor Hecat say they could begin, but she was more focused on her opponent’s face. As soon as she saw him raise his wand and begin to open his mouth, she shouted “Protego!” and the shield blocked the spell he attempted to send shooting her way. His eyebrows raised in surprise - apparently he hadn’t been expecting her fast reflexes.

Quick as a whip, she shouted out “Levioso” and Sebastian was in the air. She hit him with a few more curses before he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He pushed himself up quickly and went back into position. Wand out, now more wary of her capabilities. He blocked her next attack and went in for one of his own, which hit her shoulder. Eloise hissed in pain and immediately shot out a volley of quick jabs in his direction, a few hitting their mark before he put up a shield.

Sebastian was grinning as they circled each other, looking for an opening. The rest of the class surrounded the platform they were on, cheering them on. Both continued to attack and put up shields, without any clear winner in sight. It was obvious that they were very evenly matched.

“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said as they were catching their breath between attacks. “I haven’t had a fight this good in a long time.”

Eloise just grinned in response, before shooting off another spell in his direction. It was expertly blocked with a flick of Sebastian’s wrist; in response he volleyed off a jinx towards her.

Eloise crumpled to the ground, yelping as she grabbed her ankle. Sebastian was immediately at her side, crouching down and looking at her with concern.

“Eloise? Are you okay?” He looked down at her ankle and then abruptly looked up and back at her face, a faint pink redness dusting his cheeks. He may have been dueling her, but it was distinctly different to be so close to her like this.

In response, Eloise grinned mischievously and quickly levitated him off the ground, getting to her feet at the same time. With a few quick curses sent his way, soon Sebastian was lying sprawled on the ground outside of the little arena Professor Hecat had erected.

“Not fair,” Sebastian exclaimed, rushing to his feet. He looked at Professor Hecat, who was looking between the two with a pleased smile.

Eloise smirked at him, only responding with, “Slytherin.”

Sebastian laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, making his brown curls even unrulier than they had become in their duel. He held his hand out to her and she shook it formally. “Good duel. You can definitely hold your own and I won’t underestimate you again.”

Professor Hecat clapped her hands together to get the attention of the class. “I hope you all paid attention to these two. Ten points to Slytherin for an excellent demonstration of what we learned today. On Wednesday, we will continue with practical application of the techniques learned during this class. I expect to see flawless wand work and concentration. I demand excellence from my students as I know you are all capable of achieving it. Class dismissed.”

As Eloise was gathering up her things, Sebastian sidled up to her. “Really, that was quite impressive. You seemed stiff at first, but it would seem you have fought before. You definitely give as good as you get.”

Eloise blushed and tucked some strands of hair that had come undone behind her ear. “Well, really, I had only read about the techniques before. Haven’t really had much time to put all of that theory to use yet.” She smiled shyly ad Sebastian, who was looking at her with his jaw open. “You fight really well, too. I had to use all of my focus. It’s kind of exhausting, actually.”

“But exhilarating, right?” Sebastian asked eagerly. The two of them started to head out of the classroom together, dwindling behind the rest of the students. Entirely absorbed by their conversation. “Everything else goes out of focus and the only thing in the world is you and your opponent.”

“Yes! Exactly that,” exclaimed Eloise. “I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

“Well,” Sebastian said slowly, dragging the word out as he thought. “You know, there might be a way. To continue. I normally would never do this, but…you know…”

“Know what?” Eloise prompted as Sebastian trailed off.

“You’re a really good duelist. Intuitive. There’s a certain exclusive club of sorts, one that may or may not be unsanctioned, where you can continue to hone your dueling abilities.”

“Exclusive and unsanctioned?” Eloise asked with a smirk. “You can count me in.”

“Excellent,” Sebastian replied, smiling broadly. “Sometimes, to make the most out of your experience at Hogwarts, you need to bend certain rules. They’re more like guidelines, anyway.”

“Merlin, Sebastian,” said Imelda, walking up to them and crossing her arms. “Don’t let yourself fall into any of his schemes. That boy is in detention practically every other day.”

“Or maybe,” Eloise said, “he’s just not good enough at avoiding getting caught. I, on the other hand… Come on, Imelda. Let’s go to lunch.”

She laughed as they walked away, leaving behind a dumbstruck Sebastian. He shook his head in disbelief and headed off to his next class.

next chapter

[glitchedrabbit]

Revisited Nightmares Chapter 1 Part 2

previous - next

-

WOOP okay yes part 2 is finally out…we are getting somewhere guys WOOOO

[korn-dogz]

Sharing a stage

Summary: you’re in a band opening for Korn when their on tour and sparks start to fly with you and Jonathan

WARNING: drinking, mention of drugs and smoking, smut

This was a request from @niniackerman I hope you enjoy! also this takes place around the time their first album released 

You’ve been playing in this band for a while now, your friends said you were pretty good at guitar but you never thought so. You were good friends with the lead singer Corey, that’s how you got in

It was just a normal day at the recording studio when Corey ran in excitedly “guys! Guess what?!!” He didn’t let anyone answer before he spoke again “Jonathan Davis the lead singer of Korn just called me and asked if we could open for them on their next tour!!” Everyone even you jumped up in excitement, you didn’t believe your band was gonna be this big one day, you couldn’t believe Korn asked your band to open for them!

It had been their US tour so it was gonna be about a month being with Korn, to say you were excited was an understatement, you dreamed about the tour all week, it kept you up thinking of the fun you were gonna have. You practiced hard, you didn’t want the Korn members to think you sucked, you really liked Korn and didn’t want to make a bad impression. When the day came to meet up with the Korn members to rehearse 2 days before their tour; you were so nervous, you forgot how to act, but you pulled yourself together and went to their rehearsal

*cmon, you can do this! Don’t freak out, be normal* you reassured yourself walking into their studio with your bandmates. Corey opened the door and there low and behold was 5 men looking at you guys “hey! Thanks for agreeing to tour with us” Jonathan greeted Corey and you forgot how to speak in that moment, as if he was gonna talk to you “it’s no problem!” Corey said nonchalantly ”this is my guitarist Y/N! My drummer…..” he went on to list everyone but the way Jonathan looked at you when he mentioned your name made your heart skip a beat

Rehearsals went great, you even got to talk to munky and head, they taught you some cool riffs and really got to know them. but the whole time you couldn’t stop thinking about Jonathan, his eyes, the way he twisted his hair in his fingers….your mind lead to a dirty place, but you quickly pushed those thoughts of him away. You entered their studio with the thought of Jonathan and you left the studio with the thought of Jonathan…. You couldn’t stop thinking of Jonathan that enter night, you tossed and turned but the thought of him couldn’t get out your mind

It was finally time to go on tour, Korns manger rented out a huge bus for the two bands to share, you couldn’t believe you get to share a bus with Jonathan, it was a dream come true. Korn was a handful to be around “if you’re gonna tour with us, you gotta learn how to drink” you overheard Reggie say to Corey, it was more then just drinking, smoking, and drugs. You didn’t do drugs but it was a hard thing to refuse when you hung out with them, Jonathan never pressured you though, he was always kind to you, he would ask “how’s your day?” Or “what are you up to?” Simple things like that made you fall for him even harder

On the first day of the tour, your band finished up their set and got off stage, it at intermission at this point so Korn was up in 20 minutes, you walked off stage and one of your staff handed you a water bottle. You sat there, letting your thoughts get the better of you when you feel a tap on your shoulder, you turn around and saw Jonathan standing behind you holding a beer “hey, you did really good out there, I’ve never seen someone play like that before” your face was burning hot “you really think so? I’m flattered… thank you” he smiled warmly as he twisted his hair in his fingers, you two sat there enjoying the moment when you heard his name being called “I have to go, but I’ll see you after my set, bye Y/N” he waved at you and you waved back, you enjoyed his company, even if you two stood im complete silence

Korns set was over and Jonathan came up to you “hey Y/N! How was my set?” He jokingly said, referring back to earlier “it was amazing, you have a truly beautiful singing voice” you wanted to butter him up a bit, just like he did to you, you looked up at him to get a better view and he had a slight tint of red on his face “thank you… it means a lot” he was cute when he was nervous. You two talked for a while until you guys had to go back to the bus for the next city.

That night you spent a lot of time thinking of Jonathan, the way he complimented you, he was so cute…. and yet again you find yourself thinking of him in a different manner, you quickly brushed those thoughts away as you tried to get some sleep. The next morning you were pleasantly woken up to Jonathan nudging you awake, you smiled at him as you spoke with a raspy morning voice “morning Jon” he looked at you and said good morning back “um, you overslept and everyone is outside except for you” you got up quickly and accidentally hit your head on the top of the bunk beds “fuck!” Your hands went up to your forehead to feel the damage, it wasn’t anything you just hit your head “you ok?” Jonathan tilted his head “yeah- I’m just uh a bit clumsy..” you were embarrassed that Jonathan had to see that but you pushed through it and got ready to meet everyone outside

You all had breakfast together, and the whole time you couldn’t stop looking over at Jonathan and thinking about this morning. After that it was time to practice before your show in Iowa started, you practiced some riffs before Brian came up to you “hey Y/N! I was wondering if you are seeing anyone right now. I’m asking for someone else” your mind started to think of who that someone could be “no, I’m not seeing anyone right now, but I’m flattered that one of your friends has taken a liking to me” head nodded and went back to his area. You finished up practicing at deciding to have a little drink, you didn’t have a mini freezer on your side so you had to go to the other side to get a beer. You surprisingly didn’t see anyone on the other side, the guy must have gone off somewhere, you went over to the freezer and took out a can of bud light, you opened the can but then you hear Jonathan voice muffled, you press your ear against the door to have a better listen, there was Jonathan and head talking in the other room

Jonathan: thanks for asking them for me…. I couldn’t do it myself

Head: when did you become such a pussy? And plus you just meet them like a week ago, I don’t know if they feel the same about you dude

Jonathan: I’m not a pussy! I just- i- i got stunned when I first saw them…. I felt like i couldn’t speak

Head: damn dude! You’re really head over heels! Hahaha! I can’t wait to tell the rest of the band about this

Jonathan: Jesus…. Just don’t tell Y/N, or I’ll kill you

You heard them approaching the door so you quickly got out the room before they could see you. You couldn’t believe Jonathan has a crush on you…. You just now had to figure out how to return his feelings. You decided that after the concert ended you were gonna tell him how you felt, you only knew him for a week but it feels like you knew him for years. Your set finished and you went off stage, one of the staff handed you some water and you sat down, thinking of what Jonathan said about you when you see Jonathan coming up to you

“Hey Y/N! Your set was amazing you’re really talented…” he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck “hehe thank you Jon” your voice came off more flirty then you meant it to, but he just melted at your voice. It was time for his set and you hung around the side of the stage to watch him, he noticed you and kept on glancing at you every chance he got. He was truly beautiful, cute even; you wanted to kiss him so badly, and now you’re gonna get the chance to. When he got off the stage he ran off into another room in a hurry, you where confused and slowly walked over to the room he was in, you cautiously opened the door and saw Jonathan curled up in a ball sitting on a tiny brown couch “Jonathan? Are you okay?” You walked into the room fully and closed the door behind you “huh? Oh- hi Y/N…. Sorry you have to see me like this…” he sniffed a little before putting his head back down “can I sit down beside you?” He looked up from his knees and nodded. You gently went over to him and sat down, you titled your head towards him and look at him with worried eyes “when shows end I usually go into a room and don’t come out for 20 minutes, it’s because i want time to think I guess….” He sounded sad, you knew what that poor guy had been though “yesterday, when I came up to you after my show, I wanted to talk to you, instead of going to my room” he wanted to talk to you….. you mentally started freaking out as he looked at you with puppy dog eyes, he was so cute “wow… that means a lot to me Jonathan” you smiled widely and played with your thumbs nervously, you decided to make the first move when he uncurled himself out of his ball “Jonathan?” He looked over at you with those same eyes “yeah?” This was it, it was now of never “um, can I kiss you?” His eyes widened at your words but he quickly softened them “yeah, I’d love that” you put a hand on his leg and slowly inched yourself towards him

Your lips caught his and you closed your eyes at the sensation, his lips were so soft….. he was perfect. He leaned into you more and he put his hand on your cheek as he deepened the kiss. He started to move his other hand up your waist and it gave you shivers which made you release a quiet whimper, you felt him grin against your lips as his hand made its way further up your chest, but before he could do anything he pulled his hand away and brings it back to his own shirt. He lets go of the kiss to take off his shirt, you’ve seen him on stage with his shirt off but nothing compares to his chest up close “you like it?”he said teasingly “yeah, a lot, I’ve always seen you with your shirt of on stage but.. it’s nothing compared to this” you kissed him harder this time, putting your hands on his hairy chest. He pulled you closer to him and ran his hands through your hair, you broke the kiss and started to kiss his neck, the noises he made when you bit on his sweet spot was so hot…

You made your way down his neck and to his chest, you started to gently lick and bite his nipples as he throws his head back. You kiss your way down his chest and made it to his happy trail, which, is that hottest part of the man. You tugged on the waist band of his purple Adidas tracksuit looking for consent, he nodded his head eagerly, and you pulled down his pants, there you could see his needy cock begging for attention through his boxers, you pressed down on his clothed tip as he let a groan “please… stop teasing me..” you giggled as you slowly pulled down his boxers, his hard dick sprung out and was leaking with pre cum “you’re so excited, just from us two making out?” You chuckled as you held him in your hand “ive- I’ve wanted this for a while now haha..” he was getting impatient with his needy cock in yours hands. You decided it was enough teasing and you ran your tongue from the bottom of his dick to his tip, once you got to the tip you sucked on his tip hard; which made him moan and grab into your hair. You like ether reaction you got out of him so you went further down, his pubes tickled your nose a bit as you gagged a bit on his length

“Shit… You’re so pretty when you gag on me” you smiled around his dick, you didn’t know he was a dirty talker…it made things more fun with him. You started to pick up the pace as you feel him twitch in your mouth “oh fuck.. mhh! I’m so close” he had a tighter grip on your hair then before. To speed up the process you used your free hand to play with his neglected balls, he let out a loud moan as his hand flew to cover his mouth; afraid of someone knocking on the door and ruining your moment ”fuck! Fuck! I-I’m cuming!” He shuttered as he pushed your head all the way down his cock as he came into your mouth. You swallowed all of his seed and took your mouth off of him

He caught his breath as he smiled at you “t-thanks” he put his clothes back on as you recovered from swallowing his cum “anything for you Jon~” you giggled as you helped him put his clothes back on

you two sneakily slipped out the room without anyone getting suspicious, and headed backstage “dude Y/N, where have you’ve been? We’ve been waiting for you” you awkwardly laughed “heh, sorry I got….. lost” you quickly came up with an excuse as you saw Jonathan talking to his band members, you two shared a glance and headed into the tour bus

You and Jonathan sat next to each other on the buses small couches, when he thought no one was listening he leaned in “um so, does this mean we’re dating?” You never did tell him how much you liked him, oh well, you’d save it for another time “yes, it does cutie” you kissed him on the cheek as you heard head gasp “OH MY GOD! THEY JUST KISSED!” You jumped as you didn’t realized head was in front of you the whole time “JONATHAN LIKES Y/N!!!” He was obviously drunk but it was funny to see him jump around and point at the two of you. You laughed as you looked over at Jon who was red as a tomato, he was covering his face, you leaned in close and whispered to him “I really really, do like you Jonathan, I just wanted to say that you make my heart flutter every time I look at you, I wanted to say that before we become serious” you kissed hi earlobe and pulled away going to go tell head yo shut up. You left Jonathan a blushing mess



[einsatzzz]

KHRe-OCcurrence #1: Purpose

Note: Read this first for more context on how the scene in the comic started.

I was originally gonna wait till OCtober to draw and post something about this webcomic anthology I recently thought a title for, but how can I wait when @myrmyrtheorca dropped such a banger answer to an ask I sent?

Anyway, the KHRe-OCcurrence series features various really short comics that show interactions between KHRe OCs and my friends' wonderful OCs. It "occurs" (and reoccurs) in these AUs that conveniently allows them to interact despite their respective lore. Updates will be irregular for this one, it depends on inspo too.

Read below for the comic ↓↓↓

Thank you for reading!

AD: READ KILLER WHALE IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, LINK HERE 🫵🫵🫵‼️‼️‼️

[spaceorphan18]

Ahh, I didn't know you liked Bridgerton! (I was away from tumblr for a moment and just now catching up on your blog) I'm obsessed with Penelope and Colin. How did you like season 3? I always love reading your thoughts! I saw so many people complain but I mostly really enjoyed it. I wish it didn't have so many random plotlines, and I didn't like the insta-baby but overall they're my favourite couple in the show haha.

Hi Nonny! Welcome back to the Tumblr! <3

I hope you don't mind me indulging a little with your ask, lol. If you've followed me for any length of time, you do know I can't shut up - but I realized I haven't really said my actual thoughts on the season, etc, I just started meta'ing and haven't looked back. So, pull up a chair, Nonny, as I chatter non-stop for a bit about Bridgerton and my thoughts on season 3, lol.

I'll put it under a cut to save the rest of your souls....

Part 1: How did we get here?

Am I big fan of historical romance? No, not really. Did I expect this show to ever have a grip on me? Not even a little bit. How in the world did this happen? Idk - it appears that favorite tropes and character designs and dynamics seem to transcend genre. And I'm an old sap.

The tl:dr version is that I watched Seasons 1 and 2 after Season 2 came out. It was fine. Not a huge fan of Season 1, I did like Season 2 though. And then kind of forgot it existed. Eloise was by far my favorite character - because I liked her spunk. And the friendship between Eloise and Penelope was the best part of the show.

And then I was reminded that Season 3 dropped and did not expect the shock that I got. I went in completely blind - I hadn't seen a single promo. I did know, because I looked up the books when I originally watched, that it would be Pen and Colin's story. But I was kind of fascinated at how they were going to go about it. Penelope was not a stereotypical leading lady. And Colin was very boy-ish looking in the early seasons. How was this going to work?

Oh man, the glow ups. The glow ups got me. Pen is so, so gorgeous this entire season. When she's wearing her hair down, omg... Or that one look where she's like a housewife writing in her journal. God damn, girl. She can get it. And then Colin... ha. When he got out of the carriage, I was like - oh shit. It was the pirate coat. A good pirate coat will always do me in.

But more than that - really, the dynamics of the characters just really sold me. I love friends to lovers. I love the angst and the pull. I love the whole she fell first he fell harder. I love that I unintentionally just go for the same kind of characters and their dynamics over and over and over.

And then, you know, between the first part and second part, I rewatched the first two seasons, which was helpful. (Though, still not a huge fan of season 1.) Was addicted to the promo tour (my god I love a good promo tour). And @ckerouac - got me to watch Derry Girls which really cemented my love of Nicola Coughlan. And, you know, once you start going down a hole, you just have to keep on going until you get to the other side.

Idk how we really got here, Nonny, but here we are! Lol

Part 2: My thoughts on Season 3

So, briefly, I just fell in love with Part 1 right off the bat. LOVED IT. Part 2, honestly, I felt disappointed after seeing it the first time. (I remember episode 6, in particular, thinking - wow that was not a very good episode).

And then... I rewatched it and then rewatched it again after watching Seasons 1 and 2 and kind of started to take it a part a bit, and it's grown on me. A lot! I actually do really love the season as a whole and appreciate what we've got...

Breaking it down a little more:

Pen and Colin's story: I still do think the first half is stronger. The whole Colin helping Pen find a husband, Lord Debling (who is a doll), Colin figuring out his issues, that carriage scene... ooff, all really, really good. The second half - there just needed to be more. At first, it was hard to watch them go through a wedding while being mad at each other, but I feel like now that I've had time to digest it all, it is /so/ good. It's a really, really fascinating dynamic going on there. I could and probably will go on at length about it later... a couple of things, though

They just needed more. The plot was so delicious. I did love the conflict over lady whistledown and I wish we had seen that tension played out better and resolved better. The end of episode 8 was a bit to fast. I swear - Season 4 better have some solidly good Polin moments or idek... They've been such a big part of the show as a whole, I hope they get to continue their development, even if it they go back to their Seasons 1 and 2 focus.

The season works better if you remember what happened in seasons 1 and 2. I had zero memory of the plots from the first two seasons going in. I didn't realize Colin's personality had changed. I couldn't remember any of the Polin moments in the first two seasons. This third season makes a whole lot more sense being built from what came before it, and honestly, I kind of love that. It makes the story more layered and engaging.

As for the insta-baby, I mean, they set it up at the beginning of the season, but it wasn't something I needed to enjoy the couple. I do wonder if they'll go back and explore that 9 months, or if things will pick up after post-baby.

Also, on perhaps a shallower note? I thought the actors had great chemistry. And I have so much respect for Nicola Coughlan for allowing herself to be presented in such a way. She is GORGEOUS in every aspect and the backlash over her body is ABSURD. If you can’t get on board that a larger woman can be seen as desirable than you can fuck right off because she is amazing.

Poor Luke Newton has gotten some push back, too, which I think is a little unfair. He's not expressive the way Jonny Bailey is, but Colin really isn't Anthony, and is much more an inward character. And the awkwardness of his attempt at rake-ishness in the beginning is supposed to be awkward. Colin isn't smoldering like the Duke from Season 1, either. He's a sweet, romantic kid who adores his bff-turned-wife, and the whole season (I mean, can we talk about the all the mirrors?) is about cutting through the bullshit we do to try to mask who we really are.

The thing about Luke Newton that I really appreciate is that he really understands who his character is and keeps that front and center. Colin is trying to be something he's not, and the real Colin slips out unintendedly, and that kind of subtly is hard to play.

The absolute best moments were when they laughed together - they both really shine when Pen and Colin are allowed to be the sweet friends they've been all along.

Anyway tl:dr - loved their relationship, and my heart will just be broken if we don't get more good development as the seasons continue.

Penelope and Eloise: The fact that this relationship was angled as another romance per se was also delicious. As I said above - Pen and Eloise were probably my favorite dynamic pre-Polin and it was devastating to watch them work their relationship out. But again, it was all so delicious. I loved it and thought it was perfect.

The Featheringtons: I LOVED THEM! They were perfection. I love that they leaned into some really good comedy with the sisters. Not only were they able to show off Nicola's excellent comedic skills, the family as a whole was just a whole delight. I loved the sisters. I loved their husbands. I even liked Portia - and, honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of her in earlier seasons. I loved that they linked Pen and Portia, it really made them seem like mother and daughter.

Colin and his family: There were some fascinating dynamics!

Colin and Eloise: yes, the third part of the platonic love triangle I loved their dynamic during the season. Eloise never really knowing how to handle Colin. The fact that they're close and yet awkwardly so. The fact that they both care so much about Pen in different ways and how LW just hangs over both dynamics. Ooff, so good.

Colin and Anthony & Benedict (and let's throw George in here, too): Love it. Wish there had been more. The brothers are hilarious and wonderful together and just I ate it all up with a spoon. Also, as an aside, I love that George is slowly coming into focus. The kid is adorable.

Colin and Francesca (and let's throw Hyacinth in here, too): Hilariously, Colin and Francesca speak zero times to each other during the whole season. Isn't that weird? Really, their plot lines do not intersect except tangentially for family moments. It's so weird. I feel like I have no sense of this dynamic. As for Hyacinth - I adore her, and I feel like she has more personality than Francesca :P

Colin and Violet: I kind of loved this. She's a mother who understands her kids. And even though Violet wasn't around that much for the A-Plot, I like what role she did have to play in getting Colin to act.

Alright, so the rest of the subplots... It did feel like an abundance of them, but was there really more than previous seasons? Or was it the fact that Pen and Colin usually were subplots, and now that they're the main focus, everything else kind of shifts awkwardly around them?

Anthony and Kate: I love them to pieces, and wish there had been more of them. Their dynamic remains sexy and smart. Kate remains one of the best characters on the show, and is such an intelligent woman. I'm so glad she had wonderful, insightful conversations with her new family. I really would have loved to have had a Kate and Penelope scene. Also, the India thing was awkward - I lol'd because it clearly was written as an 'out' for the couple. But it's ultimately fine. But yes - bring back Kanthony in future seasons. I really don't care how much Jonathan Bailey is doing other things.

Cressida Cowper: I thought she was a fantastic villain, and the fact that she was so wrapped up with Eloise was kind of delicious. I don't think they needed to linger on her private life as much as they did. But I was fascinated that there seemed to be some queer coding in there, and wondered, for a bit if she was going to be a lesbian. I also think her ending was a little weak and she just kind of scampered off without any reprieve. I do wonder if she'll be back, tbh.

Francesca: Oof. It was intriguing on first watch but I find it incredibly dragging on subsequent watches and have a tendency to skip over it. I think this is the one plot line that really could have been cut down. I understand that it's set up but it was kind of meh for me. However, I am totally fine with her love interest being changed to a woman. Let's do this bisexuals! Speaking of which...

Benedict: My god, it felt like the show doesn't know what to do with him - and I am hoping Season 4 is his, because they NEED to do something with Benedict. So, to be clear, I LOVE that they made him bisexual. But the woman he was with was so boring, and I just did not care - because I knew it ultimately wasn't going to go anywhere. And, what was with the never ending orgy? Did we really need to cut back to it ten times? Please, show, give Benedict something interesting to do.

The Mondriches: Look, I feel bad saying it, but these people ultimately served no purpose to the show and could have been lifted right out. I'm sure the actors are lovely but if they're not going to directly service the story, then why are we wasting our time? Though, at least they really aren't the ones taking up the most time.

The Queen: They could have played up the rivalry between her and LW a lot more, and they just didn't. It felt... a little anticlimactic. Also, now what do they do with her as a character? Meh.

Violet and Lady Danbury's brother: I just don't care. I get it. I get that Violet should have something to do outside her children. But there are already a million plots, and not everyone needs to have their own individual story. By the time they threaded this in around episode 3 it did feel like too much.

Did I miss anything?

So... that's how I felt on everything. I have seen commentary about the pushback on Season 3. There are some things I agree about and a lot I don't.

About the actors: I disagree, Nicola and Luke are a delight, and they don't deserve the pushback they've been getting.

About the subplots: It is too many, and I do think they should have either made the season longer, or cut a few things.

About Polin not being as steamy: I think Daphne and Simon's soft core porn-a-thon set an expectation that doesn't necessarily work when you're going for other tropes. I did like the steamy scenes we got (though the last one should have been longer -- we better get some happy sex in season 4 or I will be annoyed) but Polin doesn't have the same dynamic as (what is their shipper name??) Daphne/Simon. We were never going to get the porn-a-thon.

Kanthany didn't either in Season 2, I don't know what to tell people. I appreciate that they're servicing the story they're telling and not just relying on sex. But, I will say, it is still the romance genre, based on books that do feature a lot of sex, so I can understand disappointment in some respects. There is a reason people watch these things, and when it's not met, it can be frustrating.

Idk, what else are people bitching about? (that's rhetorical) I think two years is too long a wait for a show like this. And the anthology aspect of it can make it hard when the focus shifts. People adored Anthony and Kate and to shift it to a very different type of love story can feel jarring, especially, I think if you've spent the past two years digesting what we've already had.

And then there are some people who are just never happy.

And I mean, I already feel a little 'meh' about Season 4. (It'll be Benedicts, there are so many hints...) I'll continue to watch, but I am incredibly sad that this was the year my favorites got to shine. My only hope is that Pen and Colin continue to occupy a space in the story... lord help us, though, in that it doesn't take another ten years to finish...

So.... them my thoughts! I'm sure I'll have more of them as I settle into this bright new world.

Omg, how cute are they????

[wheredidalltheusersgo]

Oughhhh serious daddon art.....

Warnings just in case:

artistic nudity but literally nothing is shown

[queenofbaws]

I love your writing so much!!! Can you do Josh finding out about Hannah’s crush on Mike? (He reads her diary. I just want some judgmental Josh please)

"'July 27: Well, I guess there's no use pretending anymore dot dot dot after spending all day at his house for his grad party, I think I just have to say it out loud dot dot dot I'm just dot dot dot - '"

"You don't have to read the dot dot dots you moron," Beth interrupted, shoveling another handful of Fritos into her mouth as she hunched over his shoulder, crunching those sonsofbitches riiiiiiight in his ear.

Josh soldiered on anyway, ignoring her wholesale: "'...in love with...Mike.'" They stopped then, him looking up and her looking to the side, Hannah's diary laying open (and at least momentarily) forgotten before them.

The silence lasted a hot minute there, Josh watching Beth with his eyebrows high, Beth watching Josh with hers somehow higher, and in that wacky way siblings had sometimes, they promptly spoke over one other - "She's gonna go for Mike when Matt's right there, huh," Josh asked the air as Beth similarly groaned, "Sam's right there," and once more they stopped, staring disbelievingly at one another.

"Well this is a peculiar development," Josh teased, using his finger as a bookmark as he shut Hannah's diary and focused his attention on Beth instead, "Sam, huh?"

six sentence sat(or)sunday!!!

[good-beanswrites]

Hi Beans, I’m finally here. Diluting the sad with fun and very OOC.

I don’t really have a lot of ideas about what to write, but I remembered that I shared my idea of Es with the chivalrous Argenti's personality. So. AU in a vacuum (maybe an actors AU, maybe not), where Es thought that it would be funny to surprise the prisoners with the behavior of a knight(maybe Jackalope came up with that idea, maybe just strange sense of humor). What about the prisoners' reactions? (gallantry and compliments to plants attached) I think Mahiru would have joined the drive even if she didn’t really understand what happened. Fuuta would probably say "ugh, cringe" and that would make him a great target for the rest of the day.

YESS ahahaha, this is such a fun idea! I wrote a little scene with a few characters, but honestly it's hysterical picturing any of them trying to figure out how to react to this new and sparkling Es... I went for a version where not even Jackalope was prepared, but I can certainly see him suggesting something crazy like that to shake things up omg. Thank you so much for the request! The original meme was made by Mug, and I couldn't help but do a doodle myself ✨🌹

Amane was the first to witness it. She fled as soon as possible, finding sanctuary in the common room. The others were surprised as she stumbled in, face pale and eyes wide. Very little could frighten the girl; it was not a good sign.

Yuno moved to comfort her. “What’s wrong?” 

Her eyes went distant with the harrowing memory. “It’s Es,” was all she said. 

“Did they do something cruel?”

“No. Worse.” Amane shivered. “They were… nice.”

“They were what?”

Amane opened her mouth, but paused at the sound of heels clicking down the hallway. 

She stiffened. “If you need me you can find me in my cell.” She disappeared as quickly as she came. The others, who had been listening in on the odd conversation, gaped after her. They tried to piece together what had been so unsettling. Still, Es’ boots approached. 

All eyes landed on the doorway. 

And Es appeared. They looked very normal. Jackalope hopped up behind them. All shoulders sagged in relief. Es surveyed the room, slightly surprised to find everyone staring. 

Then, they smiled. 

It was a genuine, bright smile. The blue-gray of their eyes sparkled with a new light. Their lips parted to release a lighthearted laugh, unlike anything the prisoners had heard from them before.

They glided through the room, heels clicking lightly behind them until they came to Muu. The others stood frozen in place.

Es swept their cape aside with a grand flourish of their arm. They held both her hand and her gaze with warmth.

“Why, hello, Muu! You’re looking as positively lovely as always. Has this fine morning treated you well?”

“Um…” She looked to everyone, her face pleading for a little guidance. They were too busy looking eagerly to her in astonishment. “Uh… yes?”

“I’m pleased to hear it.” They reached behind themself. The room let out a soft gasp as they produced a pale pink flower from underneath their cape.

“For you, my dear.”

They didn’t wait for her to finish stuttering a confused ‘thank you’ before they turned to whoever was standing closest. Mahiru’s own face lit up as Es turned their glimmering gaze her way. Fuuta scoffed, muttering something about this being the lamest, cringiest thing he’d witnessed. Es pretended not to hear.

“Shiina Mahiru… a smile like yours is rare to find in a place like this. I thank you for it.” They pinched their chin and angled their head, thinking. “The meaning of your name has to do with light, correct?” 

She nodded, unable to keep the giddiness from her face. The others watched as Es moved their glove behind once more. Surely there was no room for any more flowers hidden there…

Surely they were all mistaken – Es flicked their wrist to present a small gathering of yellow blooms.

“Something radiant for someone as bright as you.”

She fell over herself with gratitude and giggles. She tried to tuck it into her hair, and Mikoto stepped over to help her. The pair raised their eyebrows at each other in disbelief. 

This time, Es retrieved their gift before turning to their next victim. A classic red rose. They caught a prisoner’s gaze. 

“Oh, no. Nope. No way.” Fuuta held up his hands, as if it could ward them off. “I don’t want your stupid-ass flowers.” 

“Now, now, I see you’re playing hard to get, as usual.” They brushed their thumb along the thorny stem. “You know, the rose has a very similar approach.”

Fuuta’s face now matched the flower’s color. “Wha–” He stumbled backward, then took off running to the door. “I don’t know what weird mind games you’re trying to pull, but I’m staying out of it!” 

Es only clicked their tongue gently when he disappeared. “Always making things difficult, that one. All part of his charm, I suppose.” 

They followed to the entrance. Turning briefly, they flashed their smile once more.“It was wonderful to see you all! I will await our next meeting eagerly.” 

With a fluttery wave, they vanished. 

Everyone’s attention shot to Jackalope, who had paused in the doorway. No one could understand his voice, but his little rabbit face seemed to say, Hey, don't look at me. I have no fucking idea.

[baronessblixen]

O Holy No (7/10)

Today's prompt: Christmas tree-cutting disaster

Summary: Chaos, trees, and confessions. (wc: 2,351)

Tagging @today-in-fic

After several fits of laughter and a half-eaten bag of chips, her mother finally agrees to take a break. Scully helps her to the couch in the living room and by the time she returns with a blanket, her mother is already asleep. With a smile, Scully drapes the blanket over her, making sure to tug the edges in so she won’t be cold. How often has her mother done the same for her when she was younger?

One cookie victim tamed means there’s still one more loose in the kitchen. She doesn’t know how many cookies Bill has had but judging by his squirrel-like behavior, she fears it must have been quite a few. Back in the kitchen, she finds him finishing the bag of chips their mother abandoned. He glances at her with red eyes and shot pupils. He’s high, all right.

“Where’s the guy?” he asks, chewing with his mouth open.

“Do you mean Mulder?” Her brother nods, stuffing more chips into his mouth. It reminds her of when they were teenagers and Bill, towering over her and Melissa, would steal their snacks and interrogate them, claiming it was his duty when their father wasn’t home.

“He’s walking Toodles. Why?” She pretends to occupy herself with making dinner. Her mother must have been in the middle of cooking when the weed from the cookies hit. Scully has no idea what her mother was planning to make.

“Didn’t expect to see him here. Family Christmas and all.”

“Mom invited him.”

“I respect him, you know.” Scully turns to him, her face full of shock. “You can send him away a million times and he just comes back. He’s like-, it’s like- he’s like Toodles.” Bill snickers and as if to signal that the conversation is over, he opens the fridge, his face disappearing inside. She’s gonna ignore that he brother compared Mulder to a dog and decides it’s still better than Bill hating on him. Though his good-natured mood might just be because of the weed cookies. She’s tempted to keep a few, just in case Bill turns back into a grouch.

By the time Mulder and Toodles return from their walk, a new bond between the two newest family members, Bill has fallen asleep as well. He’s half leaning against the armchair in the living room, a gnawed at carrot in his hand that Toodles steals from him without a hint of remorse.

“Hey, you.” Mulder is grinning and putting his arms around her. He’s been gone half an hour and she missed him. She has it bad. Who knew a kiss and a night of passion could change so much about them? This is what she wants. She doesn’t want this cookie-cutter house that looks like all the others in the neighborhood, with interchangeable families. But she wants this. She wants them to come home to each other. Maybe a dog and maybe… no, she won’t allow herself that dream. Not today. Not this Christmas. It’s been two years since Emily and the memory of her, while scarred, is always present.

“I hope you didn’t power yourself out,” she says, turning around in Mulder’s arms and tipping her face up to his. There’s mischief in his eyes.

“Do you have special plans with me, Agent Scully?”

“I do,” she says and leans up to kiss him softly. She can’t get enough of him and his taste. If she could, she’d drag him upstairs and have her way with him. And judging by his look, that’s exactly what he thinks she’s offering. She’ll have to disappoint him – and herself. “We need to go and get the Christmas tree. Usually, it’s Bill’s job. Today it’s going to be us.”

“I like the idea of us,” he admits, punctuating his words with a kiss. They need to stop kissing or they’ll never get out of the house.

“We need to go – now.”

“What’s the hurry?” Mulder asks, nuzzling her cheek and her neck. He makes a very valid and persistent point and she feels herself give in, her hands gripping his sweater, ready to tear it off. Toodles barks and they jump apart. Mulder grumbles. “Toodles, I thought we were friends,” Mulder says to the dog.

“Toodles is right. We need to get going. It’ll be too late otherwise and Mom would be sad.” She sees the change in his expression. Mulder is too much of a sweetheart and he loves her mother too much to cause her any disappointment.

“Lead the way, G-Woman.”

*

The Christmas farm is crowded, and instinctively, Mulder reaches for her hand. She can barely pay attention to the trees because it hits her that she and Mulder are a couple. They didn’t talk about it; between having sex all night, running into her mother, flying to San Diego, and confiscating weed cookies, there hasn’t been any time for serious conversations. And they aren’t very good at them anyway.

With Mulder’s warm hand around hers, she has to face the facts. They have crossed a line, one they’ve been tiptoeing around for ages. He’s flown across the country to be here with her and her family. What if they’re moving too quickly after all?

“Hey,” Mulder says, unaware of her conflicting thoughts. “What do you think about this one?” Leave it to her partner to choose one of the biggest Douglas firs they have here.

“Don’t you think it’s… too much?” What she really wants to know is whether he has the same doubts she has. Back at the house, everything was fine. Now, with Mulder grinning at her, his hand around the fir, she feels like she did the night they ran into a scantily dressed Diana; she feels the need to run away.

“I think it’s perfect,” Mulder says. “But we can keep looking if you want.” She sees him mouth a “bye” to the tree and her heart fills with love. This is Mulder. Her Mulder. And that’s the root of it all. The fact that this is Mulder makes this whole thing so scary. One wrong step and she’s going to lose him. Not just as her boyfriend – though she can’t imagine ever calling him that – but as her best friend and partner, too.

“What about this one?” The next tree is smaller, but still huge in Scully’s eyes. What if it doesn’t fit? What if they’re making a mistake? “Scully, it’s just a tree.” Mulder’s voice is gentle and reassuring. She nods, trying to keep her lips from quivering.

“Do you want to get one of those mini trees over there?”

“Let’s look at them.” The small trees are as lackluster as Mulder’s expression. He wants the big tree. He’s ready to jump in, just like always. Will she jump in after him?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks her, reaching for her hand again. “Damn Scully, your hand is ice-cold.” He sandwiches it between both of his, warming her. All she can do in return is stare at him. His eyes that are always curious and always searching for hers. His nose that she knows he struggles with and that she just loves. His mouth with the pouty bottom lip that she’s tasted now. His jaw that’s full of confidence and defiance. Her Mulder. Her love. Why was she so scared just moments ago? She's not anymore, not in the least. She opens her mouth, ready to say the words she’s been wanting to say, that he’s already uttered once before.

“Mulder, I lo-”

“Watch out!”

The words cut through the moment and are emphasized by a loud crack and a sound that reminds Scully of an old wooden door falling shut. She doesn’t have enough time to think about it. She sees Mulder blanch and reach out for her. She, however, remains rooted to the spot but turns around, glimpsing a bunch of blurred green before the fallen fir lands on her, burying her under it.

“Help me get it off her!” Scully hears Mulder’s panicked voice and her attempt to assure him that she’s fine almost ends with her having a mouth full of fir needles.

“Holy shit, Scully.” As soon as the tree is lifted off her, she’s in Mulder’s arms. “Are you okay?” His hands touch her everywhere, surveying the damage. “Talk to me, please.” He isn’t the only one waiting for her to say something. There’s a small crowd, some more shocked than others.

“We need a doctor,” someone says.

“I am a doctor,” Scully says. “I am… okay. Really.” Almost as if bored or disappointed, the crowd dissolves, and people continue to go about their business. Except for a man who’s wringing his hands.

“I’m so sorry,” he says. “My son, he… I should have made sure there was no one close by.” Mulder takes a step forward and Scully stops him with a hand on his arm.

“Nothing happened. I’m fine.” Mulder winces next to her. Once the man has taken the tree and his son away, she turns to him. His smile is shaky as he plucks a few fir needles from her hair.

“Green looks good on you,” he jokes feebly. “How are you? Are you really okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” She feels lightheaded looking at him and trying to keep up with his quick-fire questions.

“I think I-” Mulder catches her around the waist when she falters.

“Yeah, we’re going to the hospital.”

“Mulder, no. No, I’m okay. I just think- I think I need to lie down.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure. Let’s get a tree and-”

“Fuck the tree. I’m taking you home.”

“We can't go home empty-handed,” she says, gently touching his cheek. “Let’s get the first one you showed me. The big one.” She’s ready she decides. Her doubts almost felled her, but she won’t be easily beaten. Her head is spinning as she sits in the car waiting for Mulder. He’s grinning when he pays for the tree. Something good has come out of this after all.

Tara and Matthew are home when she and Mulder arrive back at the house. Matthew skids into her arms with a bright smile and a kiss on her cheek.

“There was an accident,” Mulder says to no one in particular. “We, um- Dana was, well…”

“What happened, Dana?” Tara asked, worried. Bill who must have slept it off is looking her up and down before he glances at Mulder, probably wondering if he can blame him for whatever happened.

“Some idiot-,” Mulder starts and Scully stops him, motioning towards Matthew. “Some guy wasn’t paying attention and a tree fell on her.”

“I’m fine,” Scully says as an answer to the collective gasps from her family.

“Go lie down,” Mulder says softly, his hand on her back. “I’ll bring you tea and something to eat, all right? Take it easy for today.” She finds herself nodding, ascending the stairs. Mulder is about to face Bill, Tara, Matthew, and her mother all on his own.

She removes the suitcase she never got around to unpacking from her bed and crawls under the comforter. The last few days are catching up with her quickly. She feels exhaustion sweep her away, her eyes heavy. She can hear her family including Mulder chatting downstairs and it’s like a sweet lullaby. She’s half asleep when she hears footsteps on the stairs.

“Hey, I’m sorry.” That’s not Mulder’s voice, it’s her brother’s. Scully pretends to be asleep, suddenly feeling more alert. “I’m still not- those weed cookies were something.”

“I just want to be around,” Mulder says softly, and Scully tears up.

“My mother said- when you two were still gone and we were, um, the weed was wearing off, she said to me, she said that you and I aren’t so different. That we both love Dana. I just wanted to know… is it true? Do you love my sister?” Scully holds her breath, thankful she left the door open. She can see their shadows dancing in front of the bedroom, and she can hear them loud and clear.

“More than anything in the world,” Mulder says without hesitation. There’s not a single hitch in his voice. He’s calm and soft-spoken. “She’s my best friend and my confidante. She’s the smartest person I know. She’s amazing at her job. She is kind and passionate. I don’t know why she chose this life, Bill. Or me. But she did. I know you wanted something else for her and hell, some days I do, too. She’s stubborn as a mule – I love that about her, too. So to answer your question, yes, I love her. I intend to be here with her as long as she wants me to be.”

There’s a long pause and Scully wishes she could see her brother’s face. She wishes she could kiss Mulder and pull him into bed with her. The pillow under her cheek is wet from her tears. Happy tears.

“I will still keep an eye on you,” Bill says.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else.”

“And I'm not going to hug you.”

“Oh please, no. I’m just going to check on Dana and see if she needs anything.” A moment later, one pair of footsteps retreats and another comes closer.

“Scully?” Mulder whispers and she can’t help but smile. She no longer wants to pretend. Neither does she want to run away anymore.

“I’m awake.”

“I brought you some tea,” Mulder says, “and a few cookies. Not the weed cookies. Your mother is making dinner. She sent me up to thank you for getting the tree. How are you?”

“Tired,” she says honestly. “Long day.”

“Very.”

“You’re tired too? There’s enough space here.”

“Scully, are you coming on to me? In your brother’s house?”

She wants to admit what she just heard and she wants to finish what she was about to say at the Christmas tree farm. Instead, she tugs him down to kiss him softly and with everything she feels for him. There will be time for words later.