#i also shadowed a job and they said they were gonna call me with my pay and then just. didn’t. AND THEY WERE UNDERSTAFFED TOO????

[p0th]

why is it so normalized for jobs to just. waste your time when you apply to them. like, why am i forced to watch a video and do a whole ass personality quiz for a chance at working at A RETAIL JOB FOR MINIMUM WAGE!!!!

[reigningqueenofwords]

Oh, Sassy

Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: 3,610 Request: Anonymous. May I ask for Dean getting to know a car girl who is also a chef (like she loves food and stuff)? Take care of yourself and drink enough! Xx

“Y/L/N!” Your boss called out, making you slide out from under the car you were under. 

“Yeah?” You called back as you got up and made your way to his office. “What’s up?” Leaning on his door frame, you crossed your arms. “I was just finishing up Mr. Carson’s car. You know the one you jumped down my throat about this morning?” You raised an eyebrow. 

Your boss gave you a bored look. “This is Dean Johnson.” He sighed, motioning to the man sitting across from him. “New hire. He’s gonna be shadowing you while he gets used to the garage. Probably only a couple days.” He shrugged. 

You gave Dean a small wave. “Why me? I work odd hours because of the restaurant.” You reminded him. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to shadow one of the guys who are here all day?” 

“Nate’s last day is Friday, he’s moving, remember? Then Gage threatened the last guy I hired within two hours and made him quit. Kyle is…Kyle.” All you could do was nod at that, knowing exactly what he meant. Kyle was nice, but a bit out there. 

Sighing, you nodded. “Alright. Well, I’m only here for another hour. It’s up to him if he wants to help me on Mr. Carson’s car or meet me here tomorrow morning.” 

“I’m here, might as well start, right?” He smiled as he got up. “Nice to meet you.” Dean held out his hand for you.

You shook his hand. “I’m Y/N/N. Let’s go get started. Do you have something to change into?” 

He glanced at his clothes, then at you. “Should I? I usually work on cars in jeans and a t-shirt. Sometimes I’ll throw on a jumpsuit.” He shrugged. 

“Yeah, we had jumpsuits when I first started, but we all got tired of wearing them.” You motioned for him to follow you to the car. “Right now I’m finishing up this old 1993 Pontiac Bonneville. Mr. Carson will be in first thing tomorrow morning to pick it up, so you’ll meet him then.” 

“You make it sound like he’s a grumpy old man.” He chuckled. 

“Sometimes.” You said simply, wanting to get back to work. 

Finally, you were clocked out and walking through the parking lot. You lived just a couple blocks away, so you didn’t bother to drive. You had an hour and a half to clean up and get to your second job. “Need a ride?” Came Dean’s voice, making you look over. He was standing next to a beautiful 1967 Chevy Impala. 

“Nice car.” You motioned. “But I’m good. I live a couple blocks away.” You shrugged. “Thanks, though.” 

“Anytime.” He said simply before getting in. 

The next day, you yawned as you walked in, downing a large Monster Ultra. “Those things will kill ya.” Dean told you from where he was leaning against the wall. 

“But it keeps all you guys alive after I’ve worked most of the night.” You gave him a sarcastic smile. “And why are you out here…and not in the garage? Are you in time out?” 

“Oh, sassy. Nice.” He smirked, making you roll your eyes. “Let me guess, you’ve been put in time out before?” 

“Gage got mouthy my first week here, so I might have superglued a couple of his tools to his bench.” You shrugged. 

Dean threw his head back, laughing. “Oh, that’s hysterical. My brother would do that to me. Don’t give him any ideas if you ever meet him.” He shook his head. “And no, I’m not in time out. I was told to wait out here for my ‘babysitter’ by one of the guys. He didn’t give me a name.” 

You nodded, motioning for him to follow you to the back. “That would be Nate.” You told him. “Bummed that he’s leaving.” He was a chill guy overall, and didn’t really get mouthy like Gage. And he was all there, unlike Kyle. 

“So, you said you worked most of the night. Second job?”

“Yeah, I’m a chef.” You finished your drink and tossed the can into the recycling bin. 

His eyebrows shot up. “So, you’re a mechanic and a chef?” Dean couldn’t tell if he was more surprised or impressed, then remembered hearing you mention a restaurant the day before. Now that made sense. “Couldn’t pick one?” 

Laughing, you pulled your hair into a pony tail. “Nope. I used to help my dad work on cars when I was a kid. He died when I was 13, and I kept it up. When I was 15 I got sick. I binged Food Network for a few days. I went to culinary school when I graduated. Couldn’t find a job as a chef right away, so I got a job as a mechanic right outside of town. After working there a year, I finally landed a job as a chef. Quit my other job. And that seemed to be okay for a bit, but something was missing.” 

“You missed being a grease monkey.” 

You nodded. “I really did. Started working here about 9 months ago. Bossman likes to get on my case. I think it’s because I’m the only girl, but he’s not a bad guy.” By now you were used to it, and just dealt with it. “What about you? What’s your story, Johnson?” 

“Traveled a lot as a kid, and kept it up after my dad died about a year and a half ago. Finally decided I was tired of it. So, me and my brother picked a spot to stay put for a while.” Dean knew he was omitting details, but he didn’t feel he was truly lying to you. How could he say he was wanted by the FBI? And that his family had hunted spirits up until recently? That his brother had psychic powers? He would be honest as much as he could, while keeping out other things. 

“Losing a parent is tough. I’m sorry for your loss.” You said honestly. 

“Y/L/N. Mr. Carson is here for his car!” Your boss called down the hall. 

“Coming!” You called back before glancing at Dean. “Ready to see if he’s a grumpy old man today?” 

You and Dean got along great, and you found yourself crushing on him as the days went by. He was easy to talk to, and it was nice to have a friend at work. A couple weeks after he started, you approached him at lunch. “Hey, De? I have a question.” 

He grinned at you. “De, I like it. What can I do for you?” 

“There’s this awards thing for all the chefs in the state this weekend, and I kinda don’t want to go alone…” You explained awkwardly. “I was wondering if you’d come with me?” 

“Like a date?” He licked his lips, clearly flirting with you. 

There was no way to stop the blush that formed on your cheeks. “I-if you’d like.” Why turn down a date with a fun, nice, and handsome guy? 

“Do I need a suit?” 

“Unless you have a tux.” You joked. “But a suit should be fine.” 

Dean sipped his soda. “Guess we’ll have to exchange numbers. I can drive. We can arrive in style. Unless you have a nicer car than Baby, which I doubt.” 

“I have nothing as pretty as her.” You told him. “Dinner will be served at the awards, as well, so we’ll be well fed.” 

“Do I get to try your cooking?” He was curious, that was for sure. 

You pretended to think. “Maybe on our second date.” 

Dean leaned against Baby as he waited for you downstairs. He stood up straight when he saw you come out. “Wow.” He breathed. “You look beautiful.” 

“You look very handsome, too. You didn’t have to rent a tux, though.” You smiled. 

“It’s an awards thing, right? Gotta look good.” He brushed over the front of his jacket. “And clearly I needed it because you look… wow .” It wasn’t like him to be this speechless, but he was so used to seeing you in a tank top and jeans. He was used to seeing you with grease all over you, your hair pulled up out of your face. “Shall we?” He moved to open the door for you. 

Smiling, you stepped forward. “We shall. And hey, maybe you’ll be a good luck charm and I’ll win an award.” It would mean a lot to you if you did. 

“Hi, Dean, come in.” You opened your apartment door for him. The date to the awards had been a blast, even if you didn’t win anything. When he dropped you off after, you kissed his cheek and asked him out on a second date for the next night. Dinner at your place. 

His face lit up when he saw you. “Hi, sweetheart.” He greeted you. “Oh, these are for you.” He held out a bouquet of flowers. 

Smiling, you took them. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” You shut the door behind him once he was inside. “Can I get you something to drink? Beer, water, soda, milk?” 

“Beer. Thank you.” He looked around your living room as you went to put the flowers in some water and get him a beer. “So, something smells amazing.” His mouth was watering. 

“Thank you.” Handing him his beer, you sipped your own. “Baked potatoes are almost done, and then I’m making some steaks with butter garlic onions. Then, for dessert, homemade cherry pie.” 

“Love me some cherry pie.” Dean winked. “Sounds delicious, sweetheart.” One perk about staying in one place was not having to microwave his meals. “Maybe for our next date I’ll have you over for burgers. I make a mean bacon cheeseburger. I’m sure I can tell my brother to scram for a few hours.” He was already mentally planning a few dates for the two of you, wanting to spend as much time as he could with you. He pictured taking you to the movies, out to eat, to the beach, and to the fair. Maybe walking away from hunting was the best thing that happened to him because he’d met you. 

You smirked at him. “What? Are you worried your brother is more charming than you?” You teased him. 

He chuckled and shook his head. “More like I don’t want my baby brother around while we’re on a date.” He countered before taking a swig of his beer. “Want any help?” He asked when your timer went off. 

“Sure. Can you get the cheese and sour cream from the fridge and put them on the table? And how do you like your steak? Warning: you say well done and I’m kicking you out.” You gave him a playful look. You couldn’t help it, he made you feel fun . 

“You wound me. Do I look like the kind of douche that would order ‘well done’?” He put his hand on his chest. “Medium-rare, thank you.” 

“Good boy.” You winked before heading to start the steaks. Hearing Dean groan lightly, you giggled to yourself. 

One year from the date of that awards show, you were moving into the house that Sam and Dean rented. You got along with Sam, and had no problems with him staying. If anything, you felt it was a really good idea. Because you had two jobs, there were technically four incomes for one home (also, because you worked two jobs…you did the least amount of housework, only doing it on your days off). “That was the last box.” You grinned as you saw Dean coming down the stairs. “I am officially all moved in.” 

“Awesome.” He looked like a kid on Christmas. “Sammy has to work until 5, so he said he’ll meet us for dinner.” He took the box from you and went to take it upstairs. 

“So, this means we have a few hours to ‘celebrate’? Just us?” You followed him, eyes on his butt. “I work tonight, so right now would be perfect.” 

“I like how you think, sweetheart.” The two of you just seemed to fit together perfectly. 

“I’m home!” You called out as you shut the door behind you. 

“You’re early.” Dean glanced at the clock. “Like…4 hours early. What’s wrong?” He saw the look on your face and rushed to you. 

You sniffed. “Uh, remember Darla?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, the older waitress that told you she wanted to pinch my cheeks? Everything okay?” 

“She didn’t come in for her shift tonight, which is really unlike her. She has never missed a shift without calling, and even that’s rare.” You started. “So we sent Jimmy, the busboy, to check on her.” Your voice broke. “Poor Darla…Poor Jimmy.” 

“Baby, what happened?” 

“Her door was busted in. And sh-she was dead. Brutally killed.” He pulled you to him, holding you tight as you cried. “We closed early for the night, and the cops came to talk to everyone before we got sent home.” 

He hated that you were hurting, but beyond thankful that you weren’t the one that went to check on her. You didn’t need to see something like that. “Do they have any idea who killed her?” 

You shook your head. “I asked one of the officers how she died. The look on his face…” You breathed, pulling away slightly to look up at him. “He said he’s never seen anything like it, and if he didn’t know any better, that a bear got her.” 

“A bear?” He furrowed his brows. 

“That’s how bad she looked.” Letting out a breath, you stepped back. “I’m going to take a hot shower and take a couple sleeping pills.” You kissed his cheek softly. 

He nodded, rubbing your arm. “I’ll be up shortly.” Sam was supposed to be home from work soon, and wanted to talk to him about this. Something in his gut told him his two years in town were coming to an end. He watched you slip off your shoes and then make your way upstairs. He’d stay and grow old with you if he had the choice. Part of him had let himself dream about an actual future with you. The two of you working on Baby with a little you. Him watching you teach a little him how to properly chop on onion. Clenching his jaw, he forced down the tears. 

“Dean?” Sam paused in the door. “What’s going on?” 

Looking at his brother, he didn’t have to say a word. He saw that Sam understood what was going on. Sam knew that them living away from the supernatural was over. He was angry enough that he was losing his apple pie life, but even angrier that Sam was losing his. His baby brother had really just started letting his guard down in the last 6 months or so. Just in time for it to blow up in their faces. 

Dean jerked awake when his phone rang. “Hello?” He yawned as you shifted besides him. “Bobby?” He sat up. Dean had called him now and then to check in, but Bobby never called him. 

“You still in that town you told me you settled in?” 

“Yeah, we are.” He said softly, glancing at you before slipping out of bed. He didn’t want to risk waking you up. 

Bobby sighed. “Been hearing rumors from the town about half an hour away. Sounds like a crossroads demon.” He warned him. “I don’t know if it ever went your way…”

Dean groaned. “It has.” He knew that was what tore Darla apart. “Y/N/N’s coworker must have been one of them. She came home upset, and I can’t blame her. Darla was always nice.” He ran a hand over his face. “We had planned to keep an eye out just in case.” 

“Not gonna lie, was hoping it woulda passed your town by.” Bobby told him. 

Standing in the kitchen, Dean looked out the window into the backyard. The same backyard that you had just been lounging in the day before, in the bikini you’d bought just to wear for him. “Maybe it’s a sign, Bobby.” He said, letting his emotions show. “Maybe it’s a sign I need to get out of town. What’s next? Werewolves? Vampires? I can’t let her die.” 

“Dean, you’ve been there two years.” Bobby pointed out. “In those two years I’ve heard you happier than I ever have before. You’ve sounded more alive than ever before.” He was clearly trying to talk Dean out of leaving. “That woman loves you! And from what Sam says, she’s perfect for you. Walk away now, and you’ll always wonder what could have been.” 

“What happens if we decide to have a family one day, and then something comes after them? What if I can’t protect them?” 

“Boy, that’s a question every parent has. To this day I wonder the same damn thing! You boys might be hunters, but you’re my boys. At least think about things.” 

Sighing, Dean closed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Bobby. We’re leaving.” 

Waking up, you rolled over to cuddle Dean, but he wasn’t there. “De?” You blinked, slipping out of bed. Usually, if he couldn’t sleep, you could find him in the garage, so that’s where you went. “De?” 

He whipped around, blocking the trunk. “Baby?” He had clearly been crying. 

“What’s going on? What the hell is that in your trunk?” You moved over to look. “Why do you have so many weapons?” Your eyes went to him. “Why were you crying?” 

“Let’s go inside to talk. Sammy, why don’t you go start packing my clothes?” He glanced to Sam, who was off to the side. 

“Why does he need to pack your clothes?” Why weren’t you getting any answers? You pulled your arm from him as he tried to lead you away from Baby. “Talk to me!” 

“My name isn’t Dean Johnson.” He swallowed. “My name is Dean Winchester, and up until I moved to town…Sammy and I traveled the country hunting things.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “Hunting things? Like deer?” 

“I wish.” He let out a humorless chuckle. “Vampires, ghosts, demons, wendigos.” He listed. 

Blinking, you tried to let that sink in. “You’re telling me that’s all real?” You stared at him. “Say I believe you, why leave now? Why try to leave in the middle of the night?” 

“Because Darla was killed by a hellhound. She must have made a crossroads deal and her time was up.” He explained. “It was a wake up call. We can’t escape that life.” 

“You’re leaving me, us, because someone else was killed?” Of course you cared about Darla, but what did she have to do with your relationship with Dean? 

“What if the next thing that comes through targets you?” 

“By that logic- you running away from your girlfriend is running away from protecting her!” You countered. “What if something comes through, and you aren’t here? What then, Dean?!” 

“Us being here is like a beacon. Bad things just follow us.” 

You shook your head. “So, what the hell was the last 2 years? What bad happened then?” You locked your eyes on his. “What ‘bad thing’ followed you over these past 2 years?”

He looked down. “Nothing.” He admitted. “They were the best 2 years of my life. I let myself hope for things that I can’t have.” He managed. 

“Who the hell says you can’t have them? I’m here, aren’t I? I love you, and I think I’m pretty fucking good!” You threw your hands up. 

“Sam got out once. Had the apple pie life. It got his girlfriend killed.” He told you. “I can’t let that happen to you. I love you too much.” 

Clenching your jaw, you stepped closer to him. “So don’t let it.” You said firmly. “Teach me.” 

Dean whipped his head up to stare at you. “What?” He breathed. 

“Teach me. I’m a fast learner.” Your heart was pounding in your chest. “We stay right here while you teach me anything I have to know. I’m sure there’s a way to make this house safe, right?” He nodded a bit. “Then we do that. I’ll quit my job as a chef, and we keep working. All three of us. You teach me until you think I know what I need to know. Then we can leave.” 

“I can’t ask you to do that. You have a life here.” The pain couldn’t be hidden from his eyes. “You don’t want to live motel to motel. Eating shitty food and sleeping on crappy beds.” 

You cupped his cheek and gave him a soft smile. “You know why I want to do this?” 

“Why?” 

“Because I love you too much to let you walk away from me.” You kissed him softly. “I can’t see my life without you. We all have some money put aside, and we can put even more aside between now and when we leave. That’ll get us a couple nicer motel rooms now and then, right?” 

Dean looked in your eyes, wondering how the hell he got so lucky to find you. “You believe me?” 

You took a breath. “Mostly.” You admitted. “It’s a hard thing to wrap my head around, but I’m sure as you tell me more, and as you teach me- I’ll come around.” Your heart told you to trust what he was saying. “Please, let’s go back inside, tell Sam to stop packing, and talk.” 

“You won’t hate me for taking you from the two things you love? Cooking and working on cars?” 

“I’d hate myself for letting you walk away.” 

[katyawriteswhump]

Freestyle love (Steddie holiday drabble)

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 22 prompt, Sports AU.

Nobody ever wanted Eddie Munson on their swim squad, and uni competition was no different. Until Steve Harrington decided to play by the rules.

WC: 966. Rating: T.

CW: none really. Tags: Enemies to lovers, whump, university/college AU.

***

"Munson's freestyle times smash half the teams.'" Steve pushed his wet hair from his eyes, double-checked the stopwatch. “He’s in."

"That science geek pond-scum?” asked Steve's swim co-captain, standing with him beside the pool. "No way. You read the numbers backwards again, Harrington?"

"Shut up. I’m calling this one."

When Steve broke the news, Munson pulled off his swim-cap and a mass of dark, damp hair tumbled out. “One of your teammates said my tats automatically disqualify me,” said Munson.

“That’s bullshit.” Steve actually found Munson’s freaky tattoos bizarrely compelling. Oh, and the body beneath—all lean rope-like muscle, not massive shoulders, but a decent swimmer’s physique. “We need you. You beat most of the sports scholarship guys.”

“I know.” Munson shrugged. “And you can take my place on your dumb squad and stuff it up their buttholes.”

“What the heck, man? Why did you trial, if you don’t want in?”

“To show you over-privileged frat-house dicks you ain’t special. I qualify every year—you’re just the first knucklehead to notice. Anyhooo.” He poked his tongue out stupidly. Steve planted his hands on his hips and couldn’t glare harder. “I’m off to Who Soc.”

“What Soc?”

Munson’s shoulder clipped Steve’s as he passed—possibly an accident, but he nearly toppled Steve into the pool.

“Screw you, man! Crawl back to your den of Satanist freaks, like I care.”

“Yeah?” Munson poked out his tongue again, wiggled his fingers. “Hexing you, Harrington. Oooooh, bet you’re pissing yourself.”

***

Eddie had simply been getting one back for the little guys, against all those over-pumped numbskulls. 

He still felt bad when he heard what happened at the inter-state semis—some moron dived into the pool on top of Harrington in the shallow end, breaking his leg.

It bugged Eddie. So much he wound up visiting Steve at the hospital.

When Eddie sidled into Steve’s room, Steve’s pale face—peeking from behind his plastered leg in traction—said it all: What the heck?

“Hey,” mumbled Eddie. “Guess I’m the last person you expected.”

“On my list of expected visitors, you were somewhere below Elvis.” Harrington seemed pissed. Also genuinely bewildered.

He was still sexy as hell.

Especially now Eddie couldn’t find it in his cold, metal-loving heart to hate the guy. Mmmm, and was it kinda wrong to wanna lick those well-muscled arms, and picture him shirtless… even when Harrington glowered at him from a hospital bed?

Eddie raised his palms in half-hearted surrender. “I owe you an explanation. I’ve been doing swim trials since Middle School. My time is always good—the place I grew up in was right by a lake—yet nobody ever gave me my place on the squad before. This face never fits.” He gurned a silly grin. “Then you went and flew in the face of all the laws in the universe and offered me ‘in.’ I guess it... blew me away.”

“I was only following the goddamn rules.” Steve grumpily puffed his flatter-than-usual hair from his eyes.

“Yeah, and I was a dick, and the Hex thing was dumb. I didn’t really… you know…”

“I don’t blame you for my stupid accident.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not a complete moron. I'm scraping a pass in English Lit, okay?” As the atmosphere softened, Eddie shuffled nearer Steve’s bed. “Good job. Who's gonna keep me here on a sports scholarship now?”

“Sorry, man.”

“Jesus, it’s not your fault!” Up close, Harrington looked exhausted, possibly even in pain, with dark smudgy shadows around his eyes. “You know, you can do something to make this less shit.”

Eddie’s heart squeezed oddly—gratefully? “What?”

“Take my place in the squad.” Steve mumbled toward hands clasped in his lap. “I recorded your times, made it official. The place is yours to claim. I'd tell the team myself… if any of them came to visit.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nobody’s got time for a swim co-captain who’ll never swim competitively again.” 

A lump clogged Eddie’s throat. Harrington’s face worked strangely, too… Shit, shit, shit! Eddie reached out, tentatively squeezed Steve’s shoulder. Steve looked up sharply, eyes large and liquid. Damn, the boy was tense.

“That stinks,” said Eddie.

“Yeeeah.” Steve’s laugh was shaky, while Eddie’s mind raced: 

“Dude, I’m in a ton of non-sports societies. D & D, model-making, Who Soc… Uh, maybe not that one for you. I can bring a few of the guys and gals here, see if you get into anything.”

“I don’t need YOU to find me friends.” Harrington’s spikiness proved short-lived. He unleashed a resigned sigh: “Look, man, I’m not exactly in the mood for parties, but… If you wanna come back… that would be cool.”

Suddenly, neither of them could look at each other. Eddie’s face was burning. Could he actually be into me?

“Tho’ if you’re not fresh from swim practice when you arrive, I’m not interested, Munson.”

Eddie hooted: “You blackmailing me?”

“I can play dirty, ya know, buck expectations, too.” Steve went in for the kill. He smiled up at Eddie, a proper, hot-as-hell smile, which reached his too-pretty brown eyes. 

Is he hitting on me?!? Eddie gawked like a goldfish.

“See you tomorrow?”

***

On the day of the national finals, Steve watched from the stands. When Eddie slammed home for victory on the final leg of the freestyle relay, Steve was on his feet—okay, propped by his crutches—cheering his head off.

As soon as Eddie could get away, he clambered, wet and dripping, through to the rear of the stands and planted an even wetter kiss on Steve's lips. Steve threw his arms around his boyfriend. It was great to finally be with somebody to whom only the real things in life mattered. 

"Love you, Champ," he whispered in Eddie’s ear.

"Love you, too." Eddie kissed him again.

Victory had never felt so hot.

***

Thanks for reading :) Also part of my steve whump fic series (mainly steddie) on ao3

[ianthoni]

Listen, Anthony's IG stories be about unconditional love and whatnot. I don't give a flying rats ass, they're about Ian 😎

LISTEN whenever i share my thoughts ppl call me crazy. But hear me out. I'm running an update account (@ian-anthonyupdates ) and im following his stories since december. And i believe all his stories about destiny/finding the true love/unconditional love/universe/sun-moon coded, fire and water coded stories are about Ian. And i have a ten pics limit so im gonna show a little bit whats in my head. (Check spirituality/lover boy tags in my updates profile you're gonna see what i mean i think half of them are related to Ian if not most) (the unconditional love videos he share is gonna be last)

Starting from his art pieces and their connection to Ian. This post was shared on the night of eclipse. For you guys to fully understand this whole interaction i need to start from the beginning of the day. Ian shared he watched the eclipse that day. He sharing a meme and a shadow of the eclipse (I'm gonna explain more in the next part) and then Anthony shared the red painting you can see at the back. Around the same time. That was Ian's FIRST ever comment in Anthony's painting account. He also followed Anthony's painting page and said 'this one was my favorite one so far'. And that night Anthony shared this heart, with the painting Ian liked at the back. Heart with an eye in it. Now eye is a keyword for us remember that it's gonna come up later in this essay lmao also noticed the tray in the table? Yeah it is coming in now.

Now here is the part tray comes in. That first tray is Anthony's tray. We can see it on the story he shared from the same day. And the eclipse story is Ian's story, he was watching the eclipse. Did you notice something? It is Anthony's tray, theyre watching the eclipse together. Now you may say that tray didnt come out in the factory as one piece. But remember it is from the same day. And its up to you if you believe it or not im just giving my observation. And remember this is the same day he liked Anthony's painting and followed his account. It is very very possible that they were together and maybe he even watched Anthony while he is painting.

After that watching the eclipse story. Anthony made an eclipse painting. Very obviously the sun hugging the moon. I love sun and moon ianthony stories because Anthony himself said Ian is like the sun. And we all know the romantic meaning of moon and sun, how sun illuminates the moon, how moon is in love with the sun and always around it. So it fits them. And Anthony shared this painting a few times after he did it which he was not doing that at the time. Like he wanted someone to see it and like it, comment on it like he did before with the red painting. But it didnt happen sadly :/ (this also might be the reason of instagram drama but im not opening that can of worms)

Now the EYES. Anthony and his obsession with blue eyes. This is definitely coming from looong before (i.e all his past gfs being blue eyed) but you know who's the first blue eye he met? Yeah you guessed it right. Ian. It doesnt even have to be love, but i think ian's eyes was always a safe place to him, something warm and remind him home and makes him feel happy cause Ian makes him happy. And he always complimented ian's eyes, how theyre beautiful and whenever Ian wears blue he always mention it, he even said "your eyes are out of this word" in Jared Leto live stream. So he loves blue eyes of a special person. And if you noticed before he loves drawing them too, either just blue pupils or full blue eyes but there's a couple of them. I'm specifically sharing this one cause he put a secret message in this. "I see the universe in your eyes" he shared lots of stuff about universe and destiny and love. And talked about him and Ian meeting again was universes job/ destiny. So i think he is associating Ian with the destiny/universe/galaxies stuff. NOW whats MORE interesting is Ian shared that story 7 hours after Anthony shared his painting... Interesting right. Oh btw Anthony always share his painting steps but he didnt share the i see the universe in your eyes. Like its a secret message just for one person to get it. And that person get it and send his own message back.

To accompany the eclipse painting, he used two songs, one that talked about a "longing" and another that was called Bliss and was the same piece that was playing in another story he shared that was about "consciousness observing the feeling of falling in love". (Which makes the romantic connotation of the eclipse painting undeniable). To make it even more interesting the same day he posted that eclipse painting he posted a picture of himself in lan's office, under a tapestry depicting a sun.

Ok this is getting SO LONG. But stay with me. The first one the hug. I shared that the hug looks exactly like their hugs. This is not obviously just that. The caption is more important. "Our differences makes us complete. Anthony talked about Ian and him being opposites in multiple videos till now. They're like water and fire, sun and moon, yin and yang. But this doesnt change the fact that they always find each other. If anything they're so happy with it now. They're getting along more than before.

Well do i have to say anything? Friendship always wins.

Again water and fire hugging allegory. I love that he's thinking of each other like that. He also make comments about Ian bringing the fire, also the fact that he's sun literally fire ball. Ian's favorite movie rrr had water/sun allegory. So it is obv to me he thinks of them when it's about opposites falling. Oh and he also have a "in order to live life we need fire" tattoo.

This one is so funny cause i didnt get it until they talk in the live stream. He talked about how he saw Ian going for a walk and he said can I join you too? And ofc Ian said yes and they went for a walk around together. He literally shared this the day Ian and him go for a walk together 😭 he said life is pretty good actually after spending time with Ian is so🥺

This was also from the same day he went on a walk with Ian. I think it fits. Watch hot tub live stream for the full walk story.

This was the day after they spend time together, going for a walk, shooting day. He missed someone.

Tbh this is pretty self explanatory too. He did see Ian as coming home, a safe place, like turning back home after a Kong tiring day, just like he did with meeting with Ian again and glowing with him each passing day.

Well Ian is pretty LMAO and i don't see he's posting this about someone new. Like idk 🤷🏻

Again the unconditional love theme. He share a lot of stuff about this actually. I think it fits them. He loves Ian without a reason.

People think the first one is about someone new. Cause of the way it says "and then one day someone walks into your life" like someone walks into his life just now. But i see this as him remembering their first meet. How Ian walked into his life that very day in 6th grade and how he changed his life completely. Anthony is so talented don't get me wrong but if they're smosh now, if he is Anthony Padilla™ now its because of Ian. Ian was with him from the very beginning. He was helping him, encouraging him, supporting him when he was a shy lil teen in front of the camera. I think Ian is the one that walking in his life and completely changing it in the best way possible.

Unconditional love, a theme he is posting about very occasionly. Since we're that deep and ppl already call me delulu im just gonna write what i write to friends when i see his unconditional love stories.

Unconditional love means he would love him without expecting anything in return. This doesn't mean there's no love returning back to him but means he would love him even if there wasn't. Even if Ian didn't hug him enough or kiss him enough or share him with the world the way he wants it. He'd still love him. Cause his love is unconditional. He doesn't need any of this. He still loves him without getting to shout out to the world.

He is meaning he would love him for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish. This is basically a wedding wow. It doesnt mean he thinks Ian wont make him laugh or he is not beautiful or hes poor, no he means even if he had nothing he'd still love him. Hence the unconditional. They loved each other when they were little boy's that have nothing and look like little gremlins. And i think its not gonna go away soon.

Oh also did you notice something? The very beginning of the video. Is basically the same as the ornament in Ian's room. With a bright and rising sun in it : )

Ok bye love y'all 💖

[darkenamour]

Platonic Daddy! Yandere! Wilson Fisk x Little! Willing! Reader x Reluctant! Platonic Mommy! Vanessa Fisk

This was messily written. I wrote as it came to me. I will edit this.

Warnings: Kidnapping, Gun Violence, Violence, Human Trafficking, Yandere Behavior, Forced Relationships, Forced Breastfeeding.

KingPin (DareDevil series/comics) inspired.

Summary: You started working in a shady restaurant and met a scary regular. Somehow you ended up kidnapped and with a new set of "parents"

You were just a waiter at a restaurant, nobody really. All you did was wait tables all day at some restaurant that never had a full house since you've worked there. One man was a regular, he would come in four times a week for dinner. He wasn't the only regular, but he was the most memorable regular. With his enormous height, heavyset body, complete bald head, stark white suit, and bright blue eyes, he was utterly noticeable.

The only other waiter, the first time he came, was intimidated by his physique so you had to be the one to take his order. The man looked so tired, as if he just woken up, and it compelled you to give him a cup of coffee on the house. He ordered two different plates and a fountain drink, of which he had three refills. You waited on him like any other person, cracked a few jokes, and wished him a good day. Before he left, his plates and cup empty, he personally gave you a tip and thanked you for the coffee. The tip was a fifty dollar bill.

It wasn't completely unknown to you that more unsavory people would come into the restaurant. Ranging from small-time thugs to ring leaders of criminal organizations. It was a blessing and a curse for the restaurant and its employees. Everyone actually paid for their meals, some would leave big tips like the man, and it kept the business going. There would be times someone would get too much and create a ruckus, once there was a shoot out once, which you thankfully didn't witness. Because of the danger you were able to easily get a job, a job you desperately needed.

Ever since you graduated, you haven't been able to land a job due to inexperience. As the years went by you were desperate to find a way to no longer be a burden on your family. So you decided to walk around the more dangerous parts of the city and found a help wanted sign in the window. Your coworkers were great, the chefs were friendly enough, and your boss, the owner, gave you a decent wage. It was truly a blessing even if the environment was dangerous.

It had been six months of working, two months of knowing your memorable regular ("Call me Wilson."), when you witnessed your first shooting. A customer was complaining about their food, a street thug, and gave your coworker a hard time. Your regular, the large man, was just about to tell you his order when a shot rang out. The thug had just shot your coworker, your friend, and your fight or flight response came in. You were in fight mode.

Grabbing the first empty chair in arms reach, you slammed the chair on the back of the fleeing thug's head. They went down hard, dropping their gun, and cursing you. Their two friends got out their own guns and pointed at you, before they could shoot, a large shadow towered over you.

"Now, that's no way to treat a lovely lady." Wilson, your regular, said in a gravelly voice. The others paled and lowered their guns.

"Lovely lady my ass, she busted my skull open." The thug on the ground shouted, still turning around holding his head. "I'm gonna fucking kill the bitch." As he turned around and saw Wilson, he also paled. "Mr. Fisk, sir, I didn't see you there." He stammered.

Your friend groaned, holding their side, you dropped the chair and went to their side. It looked like they were shot in the leg, you took off your apron and put pressure on the wound.

"Look, I didn't know you came to this joint." The thug continued to stammer. Ambulance and police sirens could be heard outside. "Listen, I'll never come back to this place, I promise."

"That's a promise you can keep behind bars." You heard the guy scramble, a loud wet crunch, and a scream. You looked up to see Wilson stepping the thug's hand, that was reaching for his gun. His friends ran out in a panic, the police came in to take the thug and question everyone. Your friend was taken to the hospital.

When your family heard what happened, they begged you to quit, find another job. You compromised with them, sending your resume to different job openings, only quitting when somewhere else hires you. Wilson still stayed a regular, still giving you large tips, and your coworker came back a month later. Everything went back to normal, but you never received a call back from the places you applied.

When it was your anniversary of working at the restaurant, your coworkers set up a small party after closing. It was dark when everyone started to go home. As you approached your car someone behind you covered your face with a cloth and your world went dark.

Voices shouted around you as you woke up.

"I'm just saying this is a bad idea."

"Please, that Chinese bitch asked for girls, she didn't say from where."

"But, the Kingpin's rules."

"I don't give a shit about his rules. He broke my fucking hand and almost sent me to prison. All over some fat bitch in a shitty joint."

You noticed you were tied up and your mouth was taped shut. You were in the back of a van with two other girls in the same position. One girl started to panic and screamed behind her closed mouth.

"Shut them the fuck up." You look up and notice the thug that shot your coworker and his friends.

The one sitting in the back took out a needle syringe and injected the screaming girl with it. After a while the girl went limp.

"Shot them all up, we're almost there and I don't want any of them struggling." After a sharp pinch the world was no more.

The next time you woke up, you were naked and in a room with other girls. They were either naked like you, or wore plain lingerie that barely covered anything. After a while someone threw a bag filled with plain lingerie, and you noticed you, and other bigger girls, were the only one left without clothes. Later water bottles were thrown in, only enough for half of the girls. Some girls were selfish and hogged a whole bottle, others shared. What felt like a whole day, a few buffer men came in and took a few girls by force. The next day more men came in to take more girls. It kept repeating, after the fifth time you and the other bigger girls got lingerie. More girls were brought in.

After what felt like two weeks, you were nibbling on some stale bread when they took all the bigger girls. You were terrified, wondering what will happen to you. You and girls were lined up in front of a group of people, a girl squeezed your hand and you squeezed back. When you looked around, you were surprised to see Wilson in the group. He also seemed surprised when his eyes landed on you.

"As you can see Mr. Fisk, we in fact respect your wishes." An Asian man in front of an elderly woman said. She was sitting in a chair and said something in her native tongue. "I always make sure to leave your territory alone, never picking from your fields."

"Is that so?" Wilson said. He stepped forward and took out his hand. "Come here, y/n." He called out. You clutched onto the other girl. "It's all right, sweetheart, I'm here to take you home."

The old woman shouted. "I'm sorry, but I think you're mistaking the merchandise for someone else." The man then tried soothing the old woman in their native tongue.

You felt your eyes water at being called merchandise, you were a human, not a thing. Wilson called out your name again. You let go of the girl. He said he would take you home and you wanted to go home.

When you reached him, you threw your arms around his middle and cried into his chest. He patted your head and rubbed your back. "It's alright, it's alright. Now tell me, who brought you here?"

"The guy that shot my friend and his friends." You said between sobs.

"My poor little sunshine, you must have been so scared." He kissed the top of your hair. "Don't worry, everything will be alright now." He used his strength to leave you in his arms. You buried your face in his shoulder, clutching the front of his suit. "You broke our deal."

The woman shouted. "We had no idea she was one of yours. Whoever brought her to us is at fault." The man translated.

"Whoever brought her here was under your orders. " He started to walk away. "I expect compensation for the kidnapping of my daughter." There was a sharp inhale. Daughter, why did he call you his daughter?

He brought you to his limo and settled you in his lap, covering you with his jacket. "It's alright, princess. Once we get home you'll have a nice bath, a warm meal, and I'll tuck you in bed. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Your body felt numb, but nodded. Finally getting clean, real food, and a bed sounded like a dream. You pressed close to him to get warm.

When he carried you out of the limo, you didn't recognize your surroundings. He took you to what looked like a luxury apartment complex. Taking the elevator, he pressed the top floor button. It looked like his private condo took up the whole floor.

He finally sat you down in a chair in the bathroom. He filled the overly large tub with warm water and bubbles. When the tub was full you expected him to leave, but instead he started to take off the lingerie you wore. You shrieked and scooted away from him.

"It's alright, sweetie. I know you're scared, but you should let daddy take care of you." He said.

"I can wash myself." You stammered back.

"I know you're my big girl, but daddy hasn't seen you in days." He grabbed your arm, preventing you from moving away. Taking off the last bit of article that covered you, he picked you up and placed you in the tub. Grabbing a washcloth he started to scrub your body. You jumped at that.

"Please, I can wash myself." You cried.

"No, no," he shook his head, "I said I was going to take care of you. Daddy will make everything better and you'll get to see your friends tomorrow. Doesn't that sound fun?"

It scared you, having a large man handle you. You had no idea why he kept calling himself "daddy", or why he was insistent on treating you like a child. He was just a regular at the restaurant you work at. You decided to comply. If a man could easily carry someone like you around, who knows what else he could do.

When he finished giving you a bath he picked you up from the tub, wrapped in a large towel, and carried you to a bedroom. He placed you on a bed and dressed you in childish looking underwear and soft pajamas with your favorite childhood characters. Not only was it embarrassing, but it had you questioning why the man had such clothing in your exact size. He picked you back up and sat you at a dining table.

"You sit there while daddy gets you your favorite soup." When he left for the kitchen, you debated on whether or not to try to leave. You decided against it, you had no clue where you were and he did say you were going to see your friends tomorrow. Maybe he wasn't that bad of a man, maybe this was his strange way comforting you.

As promised, he came back with a bowl of your favorite soup and a juice box. Before you could grab the spoon yourself, he lifted the spoon to your face. "Open wide." He looked at you expectantly.

"I can feed myself." You stuttered, feeling your cheeks blush. You looked at the ground embarrassed at the situation even more.

He placed a hand on your chin, forcing you to look at him. Looking up, you felt smaller than you ever had, especially with his large stature. "Just let daddy spoil you, ok?" Once again, you wordlessly nodded, afraid of what might happen if you said no.

He fed you like a baby, wiping your face after each spoonful, and occasionally held up the juice box for you to drink from. When the bowl was completely empty, he picked you up again. "It's time for bed."

He took you to the same bedroom as before. You finally looked around and saw what looked like a child's bedroom. Your favorite color painted the walls, shelves filled with children's books, a desk covered in coloring books and crayons, a toy box, childish furniture, and a bed with sheets covered in your favorite childhood characters. It made you bewildered why the man had such a room in the first place.

As he tucked you in bed, he gave your forehead a kiss. "Sleep tight my little princess. Daddy has to take care of business, but if you need anything the nanny will be just outside, ok?"

"Ok." You said automatically.Nanny? So he's keeping a guard on you? There goes your ability to escape and go back home to your family.

Finally laying on a soft bed after days of barely sleeping on the floor, you eventually feel asleep. By morning Wilson was waking you up. He took you to the bathroom to do your business, without leaving, and gave you a brightly colored toothbrush. Today's saving grace was that he allowed you to walk, but held onto your hand. He still changed your clothes, putting on something that you would normally wear. You ate breakfast without help and he took you to work via a chauffeur.

Before you could jump out of the car, Wilson asked for a kiss. So close to freedom, you gave him a kiss on the cheek. He finally let you go after he gave his own kiss and wished you a good day.

When you walked into the restaurant, you were ambushed by your coworkers once they saw you. Apparently Wilson told them he would bring you back, but they didn't believe it. The owner asked if you actually wanted to work today. You told them that you wanted to go home, since you hadn't seen your family yet. They took you home.

Your family was overwhelmed when they saw you, you all cried. They called the police to inform them you returned and they came to question you. You gave them the descriptions of the three men that took you and two people that were behind it. You didn't mention Wilson picking you up, only saying you managed to escape and run into someone who helped you.

After winding down, you had a celebratory lunch with your family for your safe return. No one went to work that day and held onto you tight. When it was a little past your working shift, a knock came from the door. When a knock came from the door, you were surprised to see Wilson at the door when a family member opened it. When he asked for you, your family was suspicious of him. You blurted out that he was the one that helped you, that made the family welcome him in open arms. They insisted he stay for dinner, to show their appreciation.

The women, and few of the men, were in the kitchen preparing traditional dishes for an army. Wilson sat with you on the couch, your family treated him like he was a part of the family. When he placed an arm over your shoulder, some of your family members gave a teasing glance. They were the ones insistenting you should have been married already. If only they knew he didn't see you as a lover, but as a daughter.

You couldn't help but cuddle into his side, enjoying the feeling of being small. You haven't felt small in years, you usually were the biggest person in the room. When dinner was ready, you began insisting that your favorite food was the best. You plated most of the food for Wilson, almost forgetting his strange nature from yesterday. When the day winded down, only your closest family members stayed over. Wilson left as well, you gave him a hug goodbye.

It took two days for you to return to work, you were grateful that you even still had a job. Wilson came in that day for lunch. When no one was looking, you gave him a kiss on the cheek. He seemed surprised by that. When he finished, he gave you your usual tip and a note that asked you to come home with him during the weekend.

You felt nervous and questioned your sanity for actually going to his place. He babies you the whole weekend, treating you like a toddler. You enjoyed cuddling with him on the couch while watching children's movies and shows, when he fed you, when he changed you, when he carried you around, and when he would call you nicknames. Your "nanny" was someone called Hildy, a no nonsense woman that treated you like a child without asking questions. It made you feel carefree, like you had nothing to worry about for about two and a half days.

It was a routine for about a year, your family thought you were dating, your coworkers never questioned Wilson's behavior towards you. You never once imagined that you would be in the situation you found yourself in. One morning, when Wilson left for "business," you groggily got out of bed to ask Hildy for a glass of water. A woman was in the living room with her, demanding where Wilson was. When she looked at you, with your bed hair, she assumed you were sleeping with him. You made a face at that. "Gross, he's my daddy." You told her. Later you were properly introduced to Vanessa.

Vanessa did not accept the type of relationship you had with her boyfriend. Well, not at first. After your third week, she saw everything that Wilson did with you. She was still hesitant, but you guess Wilson told her something because she started to join him for lunch at your workplace. You treated them like normal customers and she seemed nervous the whole time. The next weekend, Wilson had her feed you and read you a bedtime story. The next week he had her change your clothes and cuddle you while watching tv. Then it escalated to her bathing you. She tried to touch you in a sexual manner while bathing you, you screeched and cried like a child. Wilson was angry at her and kicked her out. You didn't see her for two weeks.

The next time you saw her, she apologized and promised to never do that again, you were weary of her. You clung to Wilson whenever she was around, hiding behind him, hiding behind daddy. He kept you safe. But he wanted Vanessa to be your mommy. When it seemed like you weren't getting used to her, something happened.

When you entered the condo after being picked up from work, you noticed Vanessa waiting on the couch. She was wearing a loose button up, and gestured you to her lap. Daddy didn't let you hide behind him, he picked you up and sat you on her lap. You started to cry, wondering what was happening. "She's just being fussy, aren't you princess?" Daddy cooed. "Our poor baby must be hungry. Don't you think so, honey?"

"Yes." Vanessa stammered.

"Well, aren't you going to feed her?" Vanessa started to clumsy unbutton her shirt. You wanted to panic, to pull away from her, but daddy kept you in place. Vanessa exposed one of her breasts.

"Here, eat." She tried to push her breast into your force. Daddy stopped her and scowled.

"Don't force it, let her latch naturally." He patted your head and adjusted you so your head was next to her breast. "Come on sweetheart, aren't you hungry?" He encouraged. "Has daddy ever let you astray?" No, daddy has never let anything, or anyone, hurt you.

Shyly, you latched onto her nipple, she gasped and daddy praised you. As you sucked, you tasted something sweet and warm. You sucked harder and more of the sweet nectar came rushing into your mouth. Vanessa was lactating! "That's a good girl, eating without a fuss." Daddy praised. "And mommy is being so good at feeding our precious baby."

You could hear Vanessa cry, but you didn't let it bother you. You were hungry and she was feeding you yummy milk. When her breast was empty, you whined for more. Daddy took out her other breast since Vanessa was still crying. You drank until you sucked her dry. Happily humming with a full stomach, you nuzzled into your new mommy. She gave you nice warm milk and daddy said she was mommy. Your weekends now included drinking milk from mommy, who cried from happiness at being able to feed her baby.

[xbadgerbearx]

chapter one: new hire

summary: When a tall stranger is suddenly hired into the King's Club, your world shifts abruptly--whether for better or worse. As he unravels the threads of his history, you find yourself running from your own. Can you confront the shadows of the past, or will they ultimately consume you both in the end?

pairing: Kid x reader

word count: 2k

warning: spoilers!

notes: I did give Kid's character a name, but it came from an interview that Dev Patel did.

Redlight: masterlist ... [2]

There was a new man in the kitchen today. 

He seemed nervous as he made his way over to your area–you were washing dishes. He was here just the day before when he was escorted into Queenie’s office. It was surprising that not only Queenie didn’t immediately throw him out, but that she also gave him a job. His eyes met yours briefly before turning away to busy himself with some miscellaneous cutlery. You did the same, although you noted how beautifully big they were.

The peacefulness of working in silent tandem would be interrupted when Alphonso, your “manager,” showed up. “New guy, huh? What’s your name?” Your ears perked up, also wanting to know what the quiet stranger's name was.

“Bobby,” he answered unconvincingly.

Alphonso hummed before making his way closer to your station. “Wear your cap properly,” he chided one of the cooks. “We don’t want one of your pubes in the curry.” Alphonso stood next to Bobby–who was next to you–and only made it up to his shoulder. “Bobby,” he repeated with humor. “I think we’ve met before, right?”

“Don’t harass the new staff,” you reminded him impassively. The tall man quickly turned his attention to you. He hadn’t heard you speak until that point–he liked your voice. Alphonso waved you off.

“You like tequila, huh, Bobby?” Bobby walked around the short man to pick up a dirty pot to clean. “Patrón, Don Julio, the one with George Clooney in the photo?”

“I just want to clean the dishes, okay?” He took his place beside you, which was at the sink.

“Coke? Morphine? MDMA?” Alphonso continued. 

“Alphonso!” you snapped as your actual manager intervened. 

“Oi, Alphonos, eh, I’ve told you many times to stop hassling my staff.”

“Quality control, man,” he answered nonchalantly as your manager walked away. “You’re gonna thank me for this one day!” Alphonso got close to the new hire. “Stay cool, Bobby. Stay cool, hmm?” Alphonso turned his attention to you. Leaning against the sink, and right in your way, he laughed. “And how is it being in the kitchen today, hmm? Better than up there?” He extended a single finger up. 

“Alphonso,” you started calmly. “If you want to keep your finger, I suggest you get out of my way.” He quickly slid off to the side, but he was still leaning against the sink. You brought the newly dirtied dish to the sink to start rinsing it. 

“Okay, okay,” he smirked. “This is her on a good day, if you can believe it,” he said pointedly to the new hire. The tall stranger raised an eyebrow, but ultimately said nothing, “You should see her when she’s really on duty. She’ll have you-”

“Alphonso,” you interrupted, eyes glaring. “If you don’t leave us alone, a leg won’t be the only thing you’ll be missing,” you reminded as you walked past him and into another part of the kitchen, leaving Bobby alone with the short man.

“If it pleases her majesty,” he mocked while doing a small curtsey. The tall man looked at Alphonso quizzically. “Whatever Queen Whore wants, she gets,” he laughed, but Bobby frowned. 

“Don’t call her that,” he said quietly, eyebrows furrowed, but Alphonso wiggled his brows playfully instead with a smirk.

“Hm, what’s that, Romeo? You like her or something?” he grinned.

Bobby opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out as you strolled back into the area, this time holding a fresh set of towels. Alphonso laughed as Bobby scowled at him. 

“Alphonso, if you don’t leave this second, I’ll get Queenie myself,” you cooly explained, ignoring all eye contact and continuing to dry the dishes.

Alphonso tsked and swatted the air with his hand before deciding it would be wise to leave. “You better be careful with her,” he announced as he was leaving. “Five men entered a room with her, and only she came out-” he cackled. “Alive!” He then chastised a cook for bumping into his leg before exiting the kitchen. 

Quietly going back to work, you ignored Bobby’s glances and carried on with your day. He was quietly thinking about his earlier interaction with Alphonso. What did he mean by that? And Romeo? He had some things to ponder over… 

When your back was turned, he noticed that when you washed the dishes, you spent extra time cleaning your already clean hands.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next time you worked with Bobby, he was tasked with preparing Queenie’s tea. He seemed a little lost, but you quietly helped him before sending him to her office. He was surprisingly in a light-hearted mood at the moment. A cook made you bump into a table and almost knocked Queenie’s favorite cup off, but he caught it. Instead of a snide comment or remark, he just laughed and handed you the cup. His positive mood improved your own, slightly sour one. You wore a small smile.

“I never got your name,” he said quietly after a while as he put the sugar bowl onto a tray. 

“And I never got yours,” you replied as you grabbed the small milk pitcher.

“Oh,” he chuckled. “It’s Bobby.”

“No it’s not,” you stated nonchalantly, as if it was a simple fact. Bobby looked at you confused, although his heart beat a little quicker, fearful that he’d been spotted out already. He was quiet as he gathered his thoughts. Then he had an idea.

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled nervously. “You got me. I-I’m Romeo. That’s my name” He was wearing a big smile, sure that you would buy this one.

You paused what you were doing and met his eyes. “Romeo?” you asked in disbelief and he nodded hesitantly. “Romeo?” you asked again. “So why ‘Bobby?’” 

His smile fell slightly and he shrunk into himself. He chuckled a little, seemingly to stall for time. “I, uh, well-” he shrugged as he tried to form a sentence. “You know Alphonso. I said that to get him to leave me alone,” he said unconvincingly. He was bad at lying. 

Staring at him for a few moments, a smile slowly formed on your face. “Sureeee your name is Romeo,” you drawed. “And I’m Juliet.” The tall man laughed, his smile reaching his eyes. He had a nice smile, you noted. “Anyways, Romeo,” you emphasized sarcastically, obviously not buying this name either. “Queenie’s tea is done. Probably shouldn’t keep her waiting too long,” you directed, handing him the finished tray. He took it gratefully and made his way to her office.

You didn’t expect to be interrupted so quickly after sending him on his way, but Sita–an escort–came over to your station. It surprised you seeing the state she was in; she had just been crying and was wearing a plain chemise. “Queenie wants you,” she murmured before hurrying off. 

Heading towards Queenie’s office, you could see the new hire and Alphonso already in there. You knocked on her door and she waved you inside. “See? How hard is it to learn some fucking manners?” She berated Alphonso. You waited on her couch and got comfortable. Bobby glanced at you as he was pouring her tea; he was surprised at how…confident you were in her office. Queenie went over to her safe. “Hey, you,” she snapped at Bobby. “Face the wall.” He turned around, which allowed you to discreetly admire him in his uniform. 

Queenie finished her discussion with Alphonso. “Tell Naqeeb that if the maal is good, we’ll buy some more for Chief Rana.” She handed a stack of cash to him. You could see Bobby stiffen. “Get it sorted by the weekend. He is coming with his boys. Remember, only the best serve the VIPs.” Alphonso left, and soon Bobby as well, although not before giving you a quizzical look.

Queenie sat behind her desk and got comfortable in her chair. “I need you to be on your best behavior this weekend, got it? No funny business, not like last time.” You scowled but nodded in understanding. “Good. And wear that little red dress you have, you know it’s his favorite.” 

Rolling your eyes, you sighed. “Okay. Anything else?” You stood up from the couch and made your way to the door. 

“Yeah. Watch over that little goat fucker. You seem to keep him in check.”

“Who? Alphonso?”

“Yeah, him, whatever. He seems to harass my employees less when you're around,” she smiled. 

“Yes ma’am,” you chuckled before leaving her office and heading back to the kitchen. You scanned the area for your Romeo, expecting him to be there, but he wasn’t. 

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

Bobby was currently hurrying after the shorter man. “Alphonso! Hey, uh, good job with Queenie, huh? She really respects you.”

Alphonso scoffed. “The only person in that room she remotely respected was your little work wife. What do you want?”

“Um, look. If you- if you,” he stopped to calm himself before starting again. “Look, if you need any help with the VIPs…”

“Hey, new guy. You know what happens to earwigs around here? You hear nothing, you see nothing. Got it?”

“Look, I’m just saying. If you need someone to go and do the job…”

“Does it look like I need help from someone like you?” Alphonso continued walking, but the tall man grabbed his shoulder. “Hey! What the fuck, man?”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” He was looking slightly more desperate. “Look. You want to make some money? Guaranteed?”

Alphonso humored him, but he did look interested. “Go on.”

The tall man quickly found a piece of paper and wrote an address. “Come to this place tonight…bet on Khan. You’ll make a killing.”

“How the fuck do you know?”

“I-I’ll be fighting him.” Alphonso scoffed before laughing at him. He obviously didn’t believe him and told him to fuck off. “The monkey will win the first two rounds and go down in the third.”

The shorter man became serious. “What’s in it for you?”

The tall dishwasher replied, “I want a promotion,” before patting him on the shoulder and leaving to go back to his job.

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

You didn’t see Romeo or Alphonso for the rest of the evening after what happened in Queenie’s office.  Your shift was over and you had just finished washing your hands when Alphonso strolled over. “Hey, baby-” he smiled.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Okay, okay.” He straightened himself before lowering his voice. “I need a favor. Well, not really a favor, but I’d appreciate it if you went with me to this place.”

“Where?” 

“I’m not sure. That tall fucker–the new hire–gave me this address.” He passed the piece of paper with hurried writing over for you to see. 

“...And you want me to go?”

“Yeah!”

“Pass.” You hung up the towel and took off your apron before folding it over your arm. Alphonso followed you as you made your way to the exit.

“Aw, come on! You’re gonna make me go to this sketch ass place by myself?”

“No one is making you go.”

“Yeah, but aren’t you at least a little curious about Bobby?” You slowed to a stop. Alphonso smiled, seeming to sense his victory in winning you over. “I mean, come on. No one knows anything about that guy. He just keeps to himself and washes dishes. He said that if we go and bet on this guy named ‘Khan,’ then we’d make a lot of money.”

“I don’t even think his real name is Bobby…or Romeo,” you muttered to yourself, finger pressed to your lip as you looked away in thought.

“Soooo…” Alphonso looked at you hopefully. A few moments passed before you rolled your eyes and relented. “Yeah, baby! Come on, we’ll take Nicki!”

“Your scooter?”

“Hey, now. Nicki is not a scooter. She’s a classy rickshaw,” he huffed before smiling. “Let’s go before we’re late to the show.”

“Show?!”

[chaosbarelycontained]

Don’t Think ‘Cause I’m Talking We’re Friends

North Country Boy Chapter 9

Pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x AFAB!OC

TW: Sex (in a flashback - they’re young but definitely old enough), passing mention of physical abuse.

Words: 3.3k

Synopsis: Ghost gets a little jealous and Soap manages to get Jules to divulge some history.

Ghost hunkered down on the roof of the safe house and peered out into the darkness, as alert as he could be for any signs of threat. There were pinpricks of light from the village further down the valley and a quiet hum of conversation from the house below but the night was peaceful. The rear door creaked open, drawing his attention, and a shadow cut through the warm yellow glow from the open doorway. He began to turn away from the distraction but a soft, cooing voice drew him back.

“Look at you, y‘andsome bastard,” Jules murmured, her voice thick with affection.

Trying to convince himself he didn’t have the slightest bit of interest in what Jules was doing and who she was talking to, Ghost sidled up to the low wall surrounding the roof and peered over. Her face was lit by the glow from a phone screen but he couldn’t see who was on the other end of the call.

“I’ve missed you, Mikey,” she cooed and that sent him over the edge, literally. Securing his rifle, he slipped over the wall and dropped to the ground, landing almost silently with only a faint huff of air to mark his exertion.

“No calls on deployment, Sergeant,” he said, his gravelled voice low with warning.

Jules startled and he had a brief flash of satisfaction at her look of panic, her hand halfway to her Glock before she realised who was there.

“‘M not on a call, Lieutenant,” she snarked, turning back to the screen in her hand.

“No point in lyin’, Princess, I ‘eard you.” He pushed, grinning slyly beneath his balaclava.

“If y’must know, I’m tryin’ t’keep our arses safer,” she said, a little distracted now as she tapped at the screen.

A small beep sounded and Jules bent to pick something up from the ground, which looked for all the world like a toy helicopter. She booped her nose against it affectionately with a small kissing sound and tucked her phone into one of her pockets.

“Ok Mikey, time t’work,” she hummed, petting the little helicopter once more before flicking the rotor into motion.

“Is that an ‘ornet?” Ghost asked, having had the benefit of their use on past missions but never having seen one up close.

“Yeah, best drone ever, aren’t y’Mikey? Gonna do such a good job f’me.”

“Mikey?” He wasn’t jealous of the way she spoke to the drone, not at all.

“Magic Mike. The most souped-up drone my SRR team could make.”

Ghost grunted and watched as Jules retrieved her phone, tapped the screen a few more times and activated the thermal imaging camera.

“We increased the battery life an’ the motor speed. We also programmed him to fly on autopilot as well as by manual control so I can set him off now an’ he’ll be back to us in a couple of hours. We can get realtime footage if we need to an’ any hostiles in that old fort won’t even know he’s been for a visit.”

Ghost didn’t say anything as he watched Jules set the co-ordinates and send the drone out on its recon mission. She stared out into the darkness for a moment, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth in that nervous gesture she’d never lost. Glancing down at her phone, she checked the video feed and, sensing his interest, tilted the screen so he could see it. The drone had already reached the edge of the village and he could see the glow from the dwellings and even each individual person inside.

“I’m gonna turn the live feed off now t’save battery but he’ll alert me when he’s in position an’ then we can ‘ave a look at what to expect.”

Ghost grunted his acknowledgment again, nodding his head in praise and admiration at her actions. She readied herself to return inside but stopped and tilted her head in his direction.

“Oh, an’ Lt?” She said, her voice dangerously sweet. “I’m not yer fuckin’ princess.”

He could have sworn she put an extra sway into her hips as she returned to the warmth of the house, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Dawn was just about breaking when Bravo team roused themselves from an unsettled night’s kip and readied themselves to ship out. The smell of coffee and crap ORP breakfast food permeated the air. Jules and Price sat in one corner, looking over the footage from the drone, which had appeared back at the house just an hour before. There were fewer hostiles than they’d expected and the heat thrown out by one particular room in the semi-abandoned fort indicated to Jules that that was where she needed to be.

“I’d put money on that bein’ a server,” she said to Price, who nodded his agreement, stroking one hand over his beard. “If I can get in there then we’ll get the intel we need.”

“Roger that. Ghost? You and Tiger are heading for this room,” Price called out as Ghost entered from the bathroom.

Jules looked up as Price addressed his lieutenant and her jaw dropped at the sight of him. He’d replaced his usual painted balaclava for the full-faced skull mask that he’d taken to wearing on missions; something that the team were used to, but not Jules.

“What the fuck is that, y’melodramatic shit?!” She gasped, completely forgetting herself. “Did they ‘ave a sale on at the fancy dress shop or summat?”

Soap nearly choked on his coffee and Gaz had to rescue him, slapping him on the back whilst trying to hold in his own laughter. Even Price barely managed to swallow down a snicker.

Ghost just stared at her, glaring daggers behind the sanctuary of his mask. It took longer than with most people but finally Jules gave in. Her eyes dropped sheepishly to the screen in her hands and a faint blush raced over her cheeks beneath the black, tiger-striped, camo paint she wore.

She refused to speak to him and barely even looked his way until they were geared up and ready to load into the vehicles. The sun hadn’t broken over the horizon yet but the sky had lightened just enough for their figures to be visible as Price directed them to the jeeps.

“Soap, you ride with Ghost and Kelsall; Gaz and Roach with me.”

Ghost immediately began to make his way round to the driver’s seat but was stopped by a hand on his chest and Jules stared up at him, her jaw set determinedly.

“Absolutely fuckin’ not,” she gritted, shaking her head. “The last time I was in a car wi’ you, y’almost ‘ad us over the central reservation on Alan Turing Way. ‘M not chancin’ that again.”

Ghost snickered at the memory but let her take the driver’s seat, slipping into the passenger’s side before Soap could call shotgun. The Scot didn’t bother, he was too busy trying to connect dots as his eyes flicked between the two of them with a look of suspicion on his face.

They’d been travelling in their small convoy for only a few minutes before Soap popped his head up between the two front seats, his arms resting along the headrests as he asked the question both Jules and Ghost had been dreading.

“So tell me,” he grinned cheekily. “Jus’ how well d’you two know each other, eh?”

* * * * *

“I can’t believe y’nearly wiped us out back there. Rob’s gonna twat the fuck outta ya,” Jules exclaimed, barely able to breathe through her adrenaline-fuelled laughter.

“He dun’t need t’find out does he?” Simon replied with a wince and a smile but his laughter died in his throat the longer he looked at Jules. “‘M sorry Jules, really, I didn’t mean to, it were just-“

“Weren’t your fault, Si. That Corsa came outta nowhere,” she interrupted, stopping the spiral of blame that she knew could plague him. “No harm done an’ I won’t tell our Rob if you don’t.” She grinned at him, her eyes sparkling in the light from the kitchen window, chin tilted cheekily upwards as she scanned over his face. “Wouldn’t be the first secret we kept from him, would it?”

“Don’t know what yer talkin’ about,” he said lowly, his hand snaking around her waist as he walked her backwards until they stopped against the wall next to the back door.

He tried to blame adrenaline for the electricity that thrummed through his veins but the feel of her beneath his palm, the way she arched into his touch, called out his lie. Her arms curled around his neck drawing him down closer and he went eagerly, nudging her nose with his before ghosting his lips across hers.

“Tease,” she giggled quietly.

“Says you,” he murmured back, the cocky smirk on his face dissolving as his reached up to cup her face with one large hand.

Simon closed the gap between them, capturing her top lip with his and Jules melted into him the way she always did. The soft noises she made sent head spinning and he pulled her tighter against him, sinking his thigh between hers in an attempt to get even closer. They’d done this - played this game - so many times now that it was almost second nature.

He slipped his hand under her top, his thumb teasing across her pebbled nipple, and she moaned quietly, arching her back instinctively towards him. Their tongues tangled together, deepening their kiss, and Simon let his other hand trail down to the waistband of Jules’ jeans, tugging on the button to gain access to her wet heat. His brows drew down into a frown when she pushed him backwards a little but then his face brightened again in understanding when she unlocked the door and pushed down on the handle.

“Come on.” She smiled softly, lacing her fingers with his and pulling him towards the open door.

They toed off their shoes in the kitchen and, with a finger to her lips, she led him through the house and upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

“Your Mam?” He asked quietly, his eyes flicking concernedly towards the door.

“She’s already asleep,” Jules murmured with a smile, stepping up to him and drawing his face back to hers with a gentle finger on his jaw. “She’s on the 4am shift at the caff.”

Simon finally let his guard down and grinned back at Jules, bending his head to capture her lips once more. Jackets were shrugged off as Jules guided him towards the bed and they tumbled onto it, their actions clumsy with lust. Jules tangled her fingers in Simon’s dark blond hair, wrapping her leg around his to draw him closer, pushing up into him as he ground his hips against hers.

It was different this time, in her room, lying on the soft mattress in the warm. Their hook-ups were usually round the back of the shops or on the park; quick fumbles with hands under tops and barely a zipper down to aid in a speedy cover-up in case of discovery. More recently they’d taken advantage of the back seat of Simon’s H-reg Nova, trying to ignore dubious, dusty smells whilst their hands brought each other to a hurried climax.

Simon’s hand slid underneath Jules’ top once more and he hooked his fingers over the cup of her bra, tugging to free her breast, but she stopped him with a soft noise. He pulled away, a small frown creasing his brow, worried he might have overstepped, but she smiled gently at him and shuffled slightly. Moving back to give her space, Simon’s breath hitched when Jules worked her arms through the sleeves of her top and then pulled it over her head, tossing it away into a corner of her room.

A soft blush painted her cheeks as his eyes raked across her almost naked torso and he saw the slight question on her face when she tentatively reached out and pulled at the bottom of his t-shirt. He didn’t think he’d ever managed to take it off quicker than he did right then and it became a flash of navy blue as it joined Jules’ top on the floor.

His lips met hers again in a breathless rush, their tongues moving together as their hands stroked over newly exposed skin. Jules’ arms were around him, her fingers playing up and down his back, over the ridges of scars from years of his Dad’s belt. She already knew, of course she did; she’d been there for the aftermath of some of it. Every sweep of her hands over him sent waves of sensation rippling through his body and he ground against her again and again, wanting to hear more of the soft moans that spilled from her.

Jules lifted her shoulders from the bed just a little when one of Simon’s hands snaked around, unfastening her bra with familiar ease. It too joined the growing pile of discarded clothing and then Simon’s mouth was no longer on hers, instead trailing hot, wet, kisses across her chest and down to her bare breasts.

When his tongue laved around her peaked nipple Jules let out a throaty groan that sounded almost deafening in the silence of the house.

“Shhhh,” he admonished through a chuckle whispered against her lips and she smiled back at him.

“Your fault,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling devilishly in the light from the street lamp outside the window.

Small, soft kisses grew in intensity and the pair became lost in each other once more. Jules wound her hand down between their bodies and palmed Simon’s cock, which strained against the fabric of his underwear. He grunted at the feel of her hand, despite the barrier between them and bucked his hips a little harder. He worried for a second that he’d overstepped when her hand left him but when she began to shuffle a little he realised that she was sliding off her knickers his face flamed.

“Have y’got any, y’know…?” She muttered, suddenly seeming shy despite their lack of clothing.

“Yeah. I mean, you wanna…?” He asked, somewhat in awe.

“Yeah.” Jules nodded, her face as red as his felt. She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth and finally looked at him. “Only if you do though. We don’t ‘ave to, I jus’ thought…we’ve done loads an’ I just really…Jesus, way t’make things awkward, Kelsall,” she muttered, hiding her face with her hand.

Simon laughed softly, moving her hand away from her face to press a kiss against her forehead.

“It’s never been awkward wi’ you, Jules,” he murmured, kissing down her nose and across her cheeks until she was smiling again and he’d chased away every trace of her embarrassment.

Lifting himself up to sit on the edge of the bed, Simon shucked off his boxers and fumbled around in his jeans pocket, looking for the jonny he kept in his wallet. Rolling it onto his painfully hard cock, he turned back to Jules, who lay naked on top of her dark blue duvet, surrounded by suns, moons, and stars.

“Are y’proper sure, Si? She asked again and Simon rolled his eyes.

‘Y’know, I don’t think I’ll bother. I think I’ll just kneel ‘ere with mi dick in mi hand like a fuckin’ spanner.”

“OK, OK, I’ll shurrup then!” Jules laughed quietly.

“Probably fer the best,” Simon responded, crawling over her to pull her in for another kiss.

It was Jules who reached between them, grasping his cock around the base as she spread her thighs wider and lined him up with her entrance. He scanned her face, checking once more, before pushing forwards with his hips and sliding into her warmth. She gasped and he stilled immediately, his concern for her overriding his urge to continue.

“You OK, Princess?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m OK. It feels…good. Don’t stop, Si, please.”

Simon nodded, moving his hips again as he thrust gently into her but rapidly picking up the pace when she wound her legs around his hips and gripped him tightly. He buried his face in her neck, her soft noises music in his ears, urging him on. Conscious of the knot that was rapidly tightening in his belly, Simon slid one hand between them searching for that familiar spot between her legs. His long fingers found her clit and he circled it just the way he knew she loved, the way that usually had her squirming against him in the back seat. Her salacious groan almost sent him over the edge and, as she tightened around him, it only took a few more stuttering thrusts before a rush of pleasure overtook him and he came, buried to the hilt inside her.

Chest heaving, he continued to work her clit, kissing up the column of her throat and along her jaw until he felt her clench around his cock. The sound of his name spilling from her lips as her climax hit set his heart on fire. He held her as long as she needed, stroking his hand across her cheek and pressing kisses against her sweat-dampened skin.

Eventually Simon shuffled down the bed and disposed of the condom into the bin beside Jules’ desk. He fumbled around for his boxers, pulling them up over his thighs before he was stopped by tentative fingers on his forearm.

“What’re y’doin’, Si?” Jules asked, her voice a little quivery and unsure.

“Thought I should, y’know, ‘ead off. Make sure our Tommy’s alright,” he replied quietly, jerking his head towards the door.

“Y’can stay if y’want. I don’t mind.” She shrugged, aiming for nonchalance, but he could see behind the mask she tried to wear.

“D’ya want me to?” He asked hopefully, turning to face her, and she threw the covers back with a smile.

“Jus’ get back in ‘ere, knob’ead,” she ordered, and so he did, wrapping her up in his arms.

* * * * *

Ghost said nothing, merely stared out of the window, surveying their surroundings with his grip tight on his rifle but his shoulders were tense and his breaths shallow. Jules swore under her breath at the way he ignored Soap’s probing. She glanced quickly back at the Sergeant before returning her gaze to the dim trail ahead. Sucking in a breath, she opened her mouth to speak and the tension in the front seat became almost palpable.

“I knew this lad once, Simon he were called. He were ma brother’s mate, lived on our street. Top lad, worked at the local butchers. Cocky little shit though. He had this fuckin’ cowlick on the back of his head, his hair never laid straight.” She huffed out a laugh that held a spectre of affection.

“Oh yeah? So wha’ happened?” Soap urged.

“He joined up, delusions of heroism probably.”

Ghost snorted, his hand reaching up to scrub subconsciously at the back of his helmet, as if he were trying to smooth down his hair.

“Decided he were gonna try out for the SAS. He got in, obviously. Came home for a bit on extended leave an’ then went back. No-one heard from him again. Assumed he’d jossed it.”

Jules shrugged, feigning nonchalance; as if the tale had no meaning to her, that the loss of a lad who’d “lived on her street” was of no consequence. She could feel those chestnut eyes boring into her and she’d never been more grateful for the balaclava that hid her broken expression. She kept her gaze fixed on the trail ahead, guiding the vehicle towards their location. Swallowing down the surge of emotion, she caught Soap’s eye in the rear-view and offered him a shrug. He responded with a friendly wink and Jules appreciated that more than any words he might have uttered. She tamped that part of herself back down into its vault and closed the door to the past. They had a job to do and no haunted memories would stop her from fulfilling her duty.

Taglist: @aykxz98 @spicyspicyliving

[amethystfairy1]

Amethyst… You can’t be doing this to me😭

No, but seriously, how am I supposed to get through finals while I have TT and TTSBC on the brain? That is to say, I absolutely adore your work! Reading it made me want to write again after… 6 years, I think. I’m debating participating in Beyond and I might just bite the bullet at this point.

Now let’s get down to business. You said you liked rambles, so I would like to offer my own thoughts.

First, for TT, does the hurricane have anything with a maybe missing siren/merman we haven’t heard of in a while?👀 I also remember you mentioning at some point that there might be a Xornoth appearance, so now my brain is full.

As for TTSBC, (I was debating for a while if I should even share this, but here goes nothing) I came up with a sub-species and was wondering what you would think.

I’m imagining there is a community of something called shadow mutants. They are like the second removed cousins of the voidwalkers. They are, first and foremost, living shadows. You know how when it’s dark and you can’t be sure if what you see (or more precisely, can’t see) is the darkness or just shadows? I’m basing them on that whole felling. A kind of mutant that is the boogieman of the under-city.

They are reclusive, much like blazeborns, they just do their own thing. They live in caves, mostly in the deep dark, making their homes out of the shadows and darkness. Their whole thing is that they can disappear in the shadows and live there their whole lives. When they are little, they have to learn to use glamor to maintain a “human” body, and even then, they have the shadows moving on their skin and pitch black eyes (I mean that the iris and the sclera are black).

They can take over shadows, be it that of an object or a person, but they have to be careful. When they take over a shadow, their “body” stretches or contracts to fill out the space and it can feel like breaking bones and tearing muscle. It takes a lot of glamor control to make it so that the mutant isn’t hurting in a situation like this.

They both worship and are afraid of lights, as light is the thing that creates shadows, but take the object away and the shadow effectively “dies”, so they have to think about when and what shadow to take over. The most powerful ones can even control the object or person in whose shadow they are.

If they chose to live between the folk in the under-city (a lot of them chose to never leave their shadows, never using their human body), they work odd jobs, but mainly as cave explorers and/or armed forces for some of the mobsters down there.

It’s a universal truth about them that in fight or flight situations, they hide. If they are felling threatened while in a shadow, they will either stay there and wait, or move over to another one, jumping from object to object to get away. If they are in their physical body, they will try to get to the closest corner and make themself as tiny as posibile if they don’t have shadows they can hide in. As a last resort, the shadows will peel of their skin and act as a distraction, moving on the walls or behind them, creating the illusion of something bigger.

So…

What do you think? I hope you enjoyed my rumbling and you take care of yourself.

Now I have to go back to finishing my project for todays presentation (I’m a procrastinator at heart, it’s my own fault, but I’m gonna get through it just so that I can post some of the works I have drafted).

I LOVE THE RAMBLING!!!

They sound so cool!? Shadow mutants? That's so spooky and awesome sounding! I love the concept of them moving between shadows and using glamor to materialize, that's such a fun dynamic!

Oooo does it have to do with a certain missing mer? Maybe, maybe, that's certainly a good catch there, not many people pointed it out because they were too busy worrying about Gem going after Scar's head 😆 Hope your presentation went well! Thank you thank you for sharing your subspecies idea, I loved it!!! 💖

[applbottmjeens]

WEST COAST YOUTH

tags: toxic and jealous phillip graves as usual, MW2!Era, Peak Gremlin Anna, This mf is sexist and kind of a douche, hates this girl but also wants 2 smooch her so bad just date a man tbh, Phillip Marshall Graves you're too old to be acting like this, Anna has 0 self preservation skills, This man does not treat her good

summary: The beginning of something addicting- Phillip doesn't want Anna talking to other men and deals with it like a man. (The worst way.)

Goddamn Californian girls.

West coast, liberal, chatty, young things. Usually hated their guts, but goddamn this one was just persistent.

Being annoying was her love language. And like a child or a nest of wasps, the more you reacted, the more she acted up. Somehow, against all odds, she made this into a charming trait.

She's a pretty girl in a job full of men. He hates how hyper aware of it he is now. Of how many other guys she spends her time with other than him.

He wasn't special was he? This was how she was with every guy..Right?

She calls Ghost, “Spooky” and punches his arm as thanks. She randomly sings club songs with Soap and asks him for piggyback rides. She pesters her Captain with questions over call like she pesters him. And for a girl who claims to hate this Sergeant Garrick, they sure do text a lot.

He wished she chose to stay in the Shadow Company. He could watch over her more then- keep a closer eye. Have the authority to tell these other goons to stay away from her.

But when Laswell called- she couldn't say no. She “owed her too much” she said.

They weren’t anything. Not officially. There was no labels, nothing telling them that they couldn’t fuck other people or anything. But dang it- if he didn't hate it when she gave another man those fuck me eyes. When they were together, they belonged to each other. What happened when they were apart for work was none of the others business. That was the rule.

She didn't seem to mind. Free spirited, California girl like her was just someone to occupy his time, right?

This wasn't love. He was too old for shit like that. He had his chance and blew it in a bitter, bitter divorce and his firstborn son being raised by some Governor chump. He didn't love her. And while he was certain she was pretty head over heels for him, she wasn't pushing for much.

He didn't think too much of it till he saw how much she and MacTavish got along. Messing up eachother's hair. Constantly talking to one another-

It's driving him nuts. Seeing how she laughs at his jokes as if the man she actually wants to be around isn't right there.

She walks into the room after talking to Soap, and smiles when she sees Phillip pouring himself some coffee.

"You two sure talk alot." He mentions.

"Same MOS kinda. We talk all the time." She answers, leaning on the counter by him, arms crossed.

Phillip can't take it. He bites the bullet and asks her directly. “Is there anything going on between you and MacTavish?”

Anna makes a face and snorts. “...Ew. No. Also if there was, it wouldn't be any of your business-”

“Annie.”

“Stop calling me that. I'm not a child.” She sneered. She never got around to that nickname. But he's not kidding around.

"Then stop actin' like one and listen t'me." He says firmly. He puts his coffee mug down and moves towards the smaller woman, forcing her to turn and face him.

“I don't. Want you. Flirting with other men. You understand?” Graves’ grip on her arms tightened. “...Just me.”

Anna doesn't speak for a moment. “You askin' me for a commitment?” She blinks in disbelief.

“I'm asking you not to make a fool outta me.”

She scoffs and shakes her head.“...I'm not gonna roll my stops for a guy who ain't even my man. Don't play with me, Phillip.”

She rolls her eyes like the goddamn brat she is. Does he really have to spell it out for her?

Phillip speaks low, his hands moving to her waist. “Well I am your man.”

“Wait-”

“We're together now.” He states firmly. Her usually mischievous eyes are wide and surprised. Gosh, that was cute. He'd caught her off guard.

“Wait-...Don't I get a say in this?” He cuts her off with a kiss. She melts into his arms, breathless when he finally pulls away, eyes blinking in dizzy disbelief.

“...Any more stupid questions?”

Her cheeks are still flushed. “...N-no?...I think?”

He loved shutting her up. And now he had her all to himself, and nobody could take that from him.

Well except maybe HR. But he had his way around that too.

He was keeping her. Consequences be damned...

[littlexscarletxwitch]

hi is it okay if i make a request for florence? i was wondering if you could do one where it’s flo’s first time seeing reader and trying to get to know them. maybe reader works on set of a new movie she’s in and caught flos eyes and she does everything to try and get their attention to talk to them, however it ends is up to you, thank you :)

── ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎ 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘁

paring: florence pugh x gn!reader

tag(s): fluff, oblivious kinda trope (?), r being clueless

warning(s): grammatical errors, unedited, not proofread

word count: 1.4k

note: I actually have no idea what a makeup artist does on a set, so just go with it. While writing this a had a female reader in mind, but I'm pretty sure it works as a gn reader as well. I'm so sorry this took so long, anon. I really hope you like it and that is, somehow, what you wanted. I'm not a native english speaker, so please let me know about any sort of mistake. Hope you enjoy! <3

requests are open! + check my rules here <3

As soon as you walked into the makeup trailer, Florence’s eyes immediately found your frame.

And all she could do was stare at you, admiring your beauty, watching over every movement of yours. She just couldn't take her eyes off of you, it was as if now you were the only person in the world. She could tell you were new to this environment, her working place. She could tell you were nervous, looking down at your feet, as if you were afraid to face her or do the wrong thing. 

“Hello, there,” she said, trying to get your attention. 

“Oh, hi. Um, have you been here for a long time?” you finally looked up to her.

Truth was she had been waiting for about half an hour, but once she took a look at you and saw your puppy eyes, she couldn’t just say that to you, afraid you would break down in front of her. 

“No, I just got here. I’m Florence,” she gave you her hand to shake. 

Accepting her hand, you said, “Y/n, the new makeup artist, but I think you already figured that out.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/n,” Florence liked the sound of your name falling out of her lips. 

“You too.” 

“Hey, by any chance are you the same Y/n that does Hailee’s makeup?”

“Yep, that’s me,” you gave her a shy smile, the fact that she knew you made your cheeks go red. Which Florence noticed and chuckled at your reaction. 

“Oh, great. Then I trust I’m in good hands.”

“I really hope so, or else I’m gonna get fired,” you joked, earning a genuine laugh from her. “Um, should we get started?” you asked once her laugh died down. 

“Oh, yes, of course.”

Florence sat on one of the chairs in front of the mirror and let you do her job. This was supposed to be a makeup test, she wasn’t sure if that was what it was actually called but it was the name she gave it. After all, they would test different shades of foundations, shadows, blushes and find the right one for her skin tone that also had to match her character's personality. 

Ten minutes in, she couldn’t take the silence anymore. Sure there was background music playing, a playlist you put on before getting started. She could hear the faint voice of Harry Styles. But she didn’t want to hear his voice, she wanted to hear yours. All of you intrigued her in ways no one ever had. She could tell you were shy, otherwise you would have started talking right away, so she had to take matters into her own hands. 

“So, um, why did you become a makeup artist?” That was the most stupid question she could ever ask you, but her brain was working properly at the moment, although she didn’t understand why. 

“Well, um, it was just a hobby at first. A way to get my mind off of things. But then because of a friend, somehow, I got to do Gracie Abram’s makeup for a red carpet and then I just kinda took off. Ever since then I worked with lots of different people,” you now softly applied eyeshadow to her other eye. “And then after I got to do Haillee’s makeup, she recommended me for this job, and here I am,” you noticed Florence’s eyes were looking right at yours. 

A lump formed in your throat once you realised how close you were to her. You always had to get this close to the other person while doing your job, but something about being this close to Florence felt different, almost intimate, even though the two of you had just met.

“Sorry, I said too much.”

“No, no, don’t apologise. So this is your first time working on a set, right?”

“Yes, it is,” you squint your eyes trying to find a matching foundation to her skin tone. 

“How are you liking it?” she gave you a grin, which, again, caused heat to rise to your cheeks. 

“So far so good,” you shrugged, mirroring her smile. 

[...]

It’d been a week since Florence first talked to you. The two of you became quite a pair, always being around each other. Whether it was you watching Florence do some scenes, hanging out in her trailer, grabbing lunch together, or just messing around in between scenes. 

She soon realised you were constantly on her mind. So much so, that some nights, when she face timed her little sister, she would bring you into their conversation and mumbled nonstop about you. That was when her little sister made her realise how much she actually liked you, and not just in a friendly way. It was way more than that. It was something deeper, something that made her chest warm and her stomach burn just by the thought of you.

But Florence wasn't sure if you saw her the same way. So she decided to leave subtle hints for you to pick up and figure out. She started bringing you coffee every morning, always making sure it was your coffee order; sometimes she would take you out for lunch, sometimes even dinner, trying to, subtly, imply it was actually a date but always was so afraid to admit to you. She started to text you on a daily basis, especially when she wasn’t needed on set, but she knew you were probably there. So she would text you, sometimes even call you, to know how you were doing. 

But nothing was working. You were clueless about her feelings for you. And the shooting was soon to be over, she wouldn't have that as an excuse to be constantly around you. Sure, the two of you developed a friendship, you two would probably keep in touch and stay friends, but that wasn’t what Florence wanted. It wasn't even close to what she actually wanted. 

So she had no other choice but to confess her feelings to you. If things went wrong then she probably wouldn’t have to see your stupid cute face everyday, given that the shooting will be over in two days. But if things went right, well she could only imagine what that would be like. 

So she patiently waited for the last day of shooting, still sending hints your way but it was pointless since you couldn’t pick up on them. And by the time everyones started heading to their homes, she quickly headed to your trailer. She knew you would still be there since you always were one of the last ones to leave the set. 

“Hey, you,” she said walking in your trailer.

“Hey, I thought you had already left,” you were packing your belongings. 

“Without saying goodbye, no way,” you chucked at her words. “I, um,” she cleared her throat. “I have something to tell you actually.”

She noticed her hands were starting to get a bit sweaty, her heart beating fast and felt the temperature in the room increase. 

“I’m all ears,” you were now facing her, making sure she knew she had all your attention. 

“I, um, you know what. I’m just going to spit it out: I really like you, Y/n. I’ve liked you after our first week working together. And I’ve been trying to tell you, but you didn’t seem to pick up on it. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, I just had to shoot my shot. So that was it, I guess. I shot it,” she took your silence as a negative so she slowly turned around and made her way back to the door.

“Flo!” you stopped her from walking away. “Hey, where are you going? Don’t I get a say in this?” you made your way towards her, placing your hands on her shoulders. You could feel she tensed under your touch, but a second later just gave in and relaxed. 

“I just thought–” but your lips got her off her words. 

She was taken aback for a second, not sure if that was actually happening or it was just something she imagined. But once she placed her hands on your cheeks, she knew it was all real. You were there, your lips against hers. Biting, licking, sucking. A smile formed on her lips once you two pulled apart and you rested your forehead against hers. The two of you were breathing heavily. 

“So, everytime we went out, it was actually a date?” realisation hitting you.

“Yeah,” she pecked your lips. “You just couldn't take a hint, could you?”

“Well, better late than never,” you smiled at her, and soon kissed her lips once again.

Likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated! <3

-M

[munsonsduchess]

Nothing but a Good Time

summary: your coworker has called out sick and needs you to cover her interview on your day off

w/c: 9,786

warnings: nothing actually, this is p tame

a/n: it’s not plagiarism if it’s my own work! this has been rattling around in my brain for a hot minute and since i won’t be able to update Shadow of the Moon till late sunday i wanted to put something out

if you enjoy this consider reblogging! it really helps me out 🫶🏻🤟🏼

(moodboard by me)

Of all days for something to go wrong it would have to be today. A day which, as you informed your editor when he called at the ridiculous hour of 9am, you weren’t even supposed to be working. You had checked and double checked before leaving the office the previous evening that you wouldn’t be on call today nor would they need you in the office, you had planned therefore to catch up on everything you missed while you were working.

Laundry, grocery shopping, catching up on that show you’d been watching. The basics. The universe however seemed to laugh in the face of those plans so there you were rushing out of a crowded train station trying to hail a taxi looking like someone’s lost teenage daughter.

All this for a band you didn’t even like. Which admittedly you seemed to be the only one in the office who didn’t but your editor had begged and pleaded and even offered you an extra day off for covering the interview when it transpired that the other colleague who was supposed to be interviewing the band had gotten a stomach bug from her kids and wasn’t fit to leave the bathroom much less travel across the city of london to go to an interview in an expensive hotel for a band your magazine was foaming at the mouth over.

So there you were, coffee stains blessedly hidden on your black shirt, standing at the reception of one of the most expensive hotels in the city waiting for the go ahead to do your job,

“They’ll see you now” a large man also dressed in all black with a very impressive mohawk called from the private elevators, “follow me”

With a sigh you did as the man asked and followed him into the lift where he stood in impassible silence until you reached the penthouse, of course it was the penthouse, where he waited for you to follow him down the plush corridor before stopping in front of the suite.

Well time to get this over with and go back to ignoring the every growing pile of laundry in your apartment.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

Walking into the suite you were actually pretty surprised not to be assaulted by the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke, it really did look as though the band even allowed the housekeeping staff in to clean the room. Not to mention all the appliances were still in their predetermined spots and nothing was missing or in the pool on the ground floor.

Standing in the main living room of the suite you started to take out the things you needed for the interview and found a comfortable seat next to a coffee table where you could set up your phone to record. You’d type up your notes later,

“Hey you’re that magazine chick!” a voice called from another part of the suite causing you to look up and find yourself staring into what could only be described as deep chocolate coloured eyes and a wild mop of curly hair.

No doubt in your mind this was Eddie Munson the lead guitarist and songwriter of the band. He had a very distinctive look

“I’m the reporter yes, it’s nice to meet you” you introduced yourself and held out your hand to shake the man’s,

“You’re totally not what I expected” he laughed as he took your hand and gave it a hardy shake, you didn’t know if that was supposed to be a compliment or not “the guys and I have been out sightseeing” Eddie continued, the bright smile never leaving his face.

“Oh really? Have you seen anything in particular?” you asked out of politeness not really expecting the outburst of energy that came from the man in front of you ,

“Eddie, chill man you’re gonna scare her away” another man said with a sigh, “Gareth. Nice to meet you”

“Likewise, you’re the drummer aren’t you?”

“That’s me. The good looking one”

“That isn’t what that article Nancy sent me said” Eddie said with a grin and wink in your direction, “besides chicks totally dig Jeff”

“Damn right they do” the man who’d followed Gareth into the room said, “ladies go wild for me”

“Yeah, yeah you’re just the best thing on planet earth and you’ve got your pick of the ladies” Eddie’s smile didn’t waver and it seemed as though this was some sort of inside joke between the three men as no one said more on the subject,

“Well if you’re all ready to get started” you gestured to the seats in front of you and picked your little recorder from the table, “so if you don’t mind i’m going to record the interview on my little cassette recorder here and then I’ll be typing it up and it’ll go into next week’s edition of the magazine. If you’re interested I’m sure you could pick it up from any newsstand”

“I mean we’re gonna be in town for another couple weeks so why don’t you just come by again?” Eddie said, you couldn’t detect anything but sincerity in his tone. He really did want you to come and hand deliver a magazine.

“Well I don’t know what I’ll be doing next week so I might not have the time” you answered, you weren’t sure if this was some sort of entitled rockstar behavior or something else but you’d done this job long enough to be on your guard when it came to celebrities.

Before anyone else could ask any questions you set your cassette player to record and started the interview. Luckily your colleague had already prepped a list of questions and things she wanted to talk about so you had no trouble following her notes.

The band was only too happy to answer questions and talk about themselves, you had half expected them to be like a lot of other ‘huge’ bands you’d interviewed in your time with the magazine - full of themselves, but they really did seem like three down to earth Midwestern boys. Eddie and Gareth had grown up together in a trailer park in Indiana and met Jeff later in life, they’d all shared a passion for music and started doing gigs in run down bars and clubs, at friends parties and really anything they could get a ride to. It was at one of these grungy bars in the middle of nowhere they’d been spotted and the subsequent rise to fame had been meteoric.

Throughout the interview the three men laughed and joked and poked fun at each other, at the music industry, they spoke passionately about things that were close to their hearts, causes they believed in and of course their families.

Jeff and Gareth seemed more than content to enjoy life on the road. The perks that came with being world famous Rock Stars but it seemed Eddie wanted more. He talked a lot about friends he’d left behind when the band made it big including a group of kids he talked about as if they were family,

“I mean you know what it’s like” he said gesturing to you, “you’re a mom”

It took you a second to recover from that before you raised your hands and spoke,

“Oh no i’m not a mom, you must mean Amy. She was supposed to be here today but her little one Jamie brought home a tummy bug and she’s not in any state to be anywhere but the house”

“I thought you were Amy!” Eddie said seriously, “shit I’m sorry I totally didn’t mean to offend you!”

“It’s fine, I know she was supposed to be here and that’s who the magazine told you to expect. I mean you probably thought I was a shit mom to be showing up looking like someone’s angsty teenager” you laughed trying to lighten the mood.

As the interview proceeded you found yourself reaching into the bag you'd brought with you for another cassette to keep recording. You hadn’t planned on the interview going on this long,

"That's a cool bag" Jeff commented and you reached for it, "are all of those patches for bands you listen to?"

You gestured to the little canvas messenger bag that had been your constant companion since university and the plethora of band patches decorating the front flap,

"I mean yeah, I work for a music magazine I've listened to a lot of music" you joked,

"We should get you one for us so you can have our band on your bag all the time" Eddie said, "we've got some pins too if you want one for the strap. I could get you one"

The rest of the interview proceeded after you'd switched out the cassette and you began to notice an almost imperceptible shift in Eddie’s behavior and his attitude towards you to the point where once the interview had concluded he offered to walk you down to the lobby himself,

“I could do with stretching my legs” he said with a shrug, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ripped jeans, “unless you don’t want me to go with you?” he held his hands up in a backing off motion

“No, I don’t mind” you offered him your own smile as you gathered up your things, “you can tell me what you like about the city”

“Dope!”

You suppressed a giggle at that. Eddie really just seemed like an over energetic teenager and you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t endearing. To the rest of the world he was the enigmatic, charismatic lead guitarist of one of the biggest bands in the world and yet here he was so excited to walk you downstairs.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

“Well thanks again for walking with me” you said once you made it to the front doors of the hotel, “it was really nice to talk to you”

“Yeah? You really think so?”

“Sure. I was sort of expecting you all to be massive dicks all things considered but you seem really nice”

“I am really nice, why don’t you let me take you to dinner and I’ll show you how nice I am”

That floored you. You stood blinking at Eddie as if trying to find a joke in his features but you couldn’t find anything but sincerity,

“You really want to go to dinner with me?”

“Of course! You’re cute and I think we’d have a lot of fun. Plus you can show me around, all your favourite places” he beamed at you and honestly you couldn't think of a reason to say no,

"Alright, you're on"

"You won't regret this sweetheart. Promise"

"We'll see about that won't we?" with that you got into a waiting cab and headed back to the train station still reeling with what had just happened.

One of the most desirable men in the world had asked you to dinner and you'd said yes. Maybe today wasn't such a write off after all.

God bless the stomach flu.

[faunusrights]

murphy's guide to uuuuuh writing objects/places/locations and things (because two whole people asked)

greetings. this guide may or may not help you, as is true of all guides and advice and tips and tricks. but it helped me, and since i'm the protagonist of this blog this is my definitive guide. it shrimply may not be yours. mileage may vary. that said, allow me to give you said advice in the hopes that it does, in fact, aid you,

so when i was a tiny tater tot you know what i hated writing? descriptions. a lot of people really hate it and so did i, because descriptions were just these big blocks of text that got in the way of the FUN STUFF. you know; the plot! the dialogue! the characters! and i see a lot of writers who, to this day, find themselves writing reams and reams of dialogue with no way of knowing where characters are or what they're doing/holding/interacting with, and even if they do explain, it tends to be a few lines like 'they're in the living room' or 'they're sitting on a chair' like we're directing a film.

[INT. CAFE] they are sitting in some chairs by a table. i'll let the props department decide what kind.

the reality is, you are trying to weave a world in which your reader can step into, and a big part of that is writing the uh. the world. and a few years ago i had a revelation that made writing scenes and descriptions so much fun that it's honestly now my favourite part of writing, and a huge part of this realisation comes from my work as a visual artist. so, i'm going to explain The Box.

now, i want to stress that The Box was not my creation. rather, that honour goes to eric hibbeler and his tutorial eric's thoughts on drawing backgrounds and props, which i'll add a link to in a reblog/reply so tumblr doesn't cast this post into the shadow realm (thanks, tumblr!) but the guide he made also applies to writing with just a bit of tweaking, and i'm gonna explain how.

this cardboard box is just a cardboard box, and it's likely the sort of box you're imagining if i say the words a cardboard box. it's nondescript and pretty generic, and in a scene that calls for a cardboard box, it'll do the job! when we write, describing stuff like the chair or the window or the carpet is vague enough that the reader will, usually, just fill in the visual gap with what their interpretation of the chair or the window or the carpet is. for all you know, their mental image of the scene uses the carpet from the shining! but the thing is, YOU, the writer, may have a WILDLY different vision on the carpet (or chair/window/box etc.) and that's where you need to step in and get SPECIFIC about details.

here is a different take on the same box. we've gotten much more specific about the box's history here; it's been used in a move or for storage at some point, it's been kicked around, taped up, taped down, put a in puddle at one point, had a cat give it a few scratches... it's not that many changes, not really, but the box has--say it with me--character.

character, by definition, means the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. what some writers tend to do, however, is forget this word applies just as much to inanimate objects as it does to the people in their stories. we give characters a lot of, well... character, and forget entirely about the things around them having just as (much if not more) to define them.

in essence, what changed my approach to writing places and locations and backgrounds was the realisation was these are also characters in my scene, with just as much contribution to the plot and the information being provided as any individual person in the same instance. it was only when i realised how important adding such character in visual art was that i realised the same applied to writing!

let's take, for instance, a bedroom in which two characters are holding a conversation. you may be tempted to keep your details sparse except for things that are directly plot relevant because you want to get on with the good bits, i.e. the talk itself, but what you can use the bedroom for is to tell information about the owner or resident without having to outline it in exposition. this is where getting good at giving character to spaces becomes very powerful as a tool.

Velvet's bedroom wasn't much to look at; a double-bed, a desk to edit her photos at, and a few pictures of her family and friends on the walls. Still, she sits down on her bed and invites Blake to do the same.

In this instance, a reader gets the general gist of the location--it's a bedroom with bedroom-typical things in it--but the room lacks any characters or specificity, which sticks out for narrative reasons because velvet is full of character; her bedroom would be the same! so, we have to build on what her bedroom would actually be like in order to build its character and define velvet without directly saying what she's like as a person:

Velvet's bedroom was in disarray, as ever; she hadn't made her bed because she wasn't really expecting guests, and her desk was littered with all her photography gear from SD cards to lenses to all her cleaning supplies. A few last-ditch attempts to make the place look a little more organised took the form of straightening out all her framed pictures of her family and friends that took up all the wall space she could spare, dusting off her big pride flag over her bed before she plopped herself down, straightening out her duvet before inviting Blake to sit next to her with a smile.

now, the bedroom has prominence as its own source of information: we understand that velvet isn't really a tidy person by nature; photography is a big enough part of her life to dominate her personal space; her family and her friends are important to her; her identity is also a large component of her personality; she likes to try and give her guests a better impression even if it's half-assed. and we covered all that without velvet actually having to say any of that information out loud! wow!

normally, of course, i'd lace that information in a little more subtly and over a few paragraphs rather than in one big dump, but the effect is the same; when a space has character, you can treat it as a character that has just as much importance to a scene as the dialogue or the interactions two people have.

this concept can be applied to a single prop, like a box or a camera or a desk or the like, and can also be applied to a much bigger location, like a park or a school or a house or more. the idea is that often, things are never just in their generic form, but have history that impacts the way it looks or defines the person or people who interact with it.

you wouldn't write these two playgrounds in exactly the same way; they both have a swing, a slide, a bench, a sign, and a tree... but depending on how you write it, one has a kind of character for a setting, narrative, or larger location that's way different to the other! this ends up defining your wider world, too; maybe one playground is nice and new because the council got the funding they asked for, but the other is in an area known for having little investment? in the end, were these two parks humanised, they'd likely be people with very different personalities; that's the sort of approach you should have!

the TL;DR of this whole thing is that description is not the part where you start listing off items in the room or the building or the location just so your reader has a vague idea of where they are, but an opportunity to turn that space into a person who has a whole bunch to say about the people who are frequently present. you can even see this in action by writing the differences between, say, your bedroom and the bedroom of your sibling/parent/friend; chances are, they're VERY different spaces that represent two very different people! this is also true of a kitchen, your home, your school, your campus, or your workplace; the office of someone who works in IT won't look like the office of someone who works in accounting, even if they share a lot of qualities and items.

ultimately, think of the humble Box; sure, a regular cardboard box might suffice to give the reader an idea of what's in a scene, but when we give that Box a personality of its own, suddenly that Box has a lot to say about the person who owns it--and not all of them may be good!

[lagncx]

birthday

Erm. Enjoy. Sorry I don’t have fancy format. Wait here I got you!

ahem Tw: none really just fluff, a son, and laezel and shadowheart kinda ship in here. Please don’t take these serious unless you enjoy it. Leave likes it helps!

words: idk…if I’m guessing 700 or something

—————————————————-

   Your husband brushed your sons hair to the side neatly “Are you sure you want to go? You don’t have to.” He said and you groaned “Astarionnnn you asked him ten times and he answered yes ten times” he just huffed “I know but he’s never hanged out with his friends without us there!” You rubbed your eyes “and he won’t all parents are going to be there just not patrolling them” your son looked between you both his face all puffy “And! You agreed to watch La’zel and Shadowhearts daughter!” He did and he sighed they both adopted a real youngin and Astarion was somehow great with babies and they were busy with other things so they called him and he being so caring took the job as a challenge free of a fee. 

  Your son was 5 and he had the cutest smile like his father's teeth sharp and not many people know about your husband and son's little fangs. 

  You guys arrived at the home. It was large but not overwhelming and Astarion didn’t have to ask as you both were seated next to the cheese board and food facing the grass yard where the children played. “It’s so good to finally meet you, our boy has done nothing but talk about your son all the time!” Lorraine, mother to your child’s friend said. Astarion smiled as he bottled fed the little baby he was watching for your friends “it’s so nice to meet you also.”    Luckily Astarion had on a cloak and was in the shade but he had his eyes on your son as he ran around playing tag and all that kid stuff 

  Your son, Arthur had fallen on top of the other parent's kid. Astarion gasped “Oh! Darling are you alright” The other boy’s mother rushed over. “Alright let’s see the damage” she whispered wiping grass from your son's shirt as he wailed loudly, his mouth catching his tears. You got up and hustled over “Hey my little Prince what’s wrong?” You whispered kneeling down to see his busted lip. “Oh damn.” You cursed. His little fangs nipped his own lip. “Is he alrig-…oh.” Lorraine whispered before looking back at Astarion who was clueless

 “Listen Lorraine he’s-“ you started but before you could finish 

“A vampire.” The other boy said “Cool!” He smiled “no no. Not cool. You don’t know if he’s hungry!” Lorraine hushed her son’s excitement. You stood up immediately growing defensive “Excuse me!” You growled “He’s not some rabid dog!” You lurched over her, your shadow blocking the sun from her face.

“but your gonna know what a real one is.” You warned your nose scrunched with rage and disgust. Astarion ran over to your side cloak covering him holding the baby tightly (sweet dumpling had no idea what was going on and the sight of astarions beautiful chin was all she needed). 

  Star looked down at his boy who’s lip was bleeding watching him reach for his freind but your leg blocked the way as you stepped forward. Astarion sighed frustratedly putting a hand on your chest. “My son isn’t a monster. He barely got his fangs in and he’s still not ready for any real bloodlust yet. I’m sorry I know the scare is a lot, and please excuse my partner.” You snapped your head at him “Dont speak for me Astarion. I am an adult.” You huffed and he rolled his eyes “Darling please. They’re scared and that’s okay.” He said “The hells are they scared of?!” You yelled. 

  “Because my home was opened to you, my son and your son have been around each other countless times it is important information that I have to know!” Lorraine tried to reason with you “And monster never. Never. Came out my mouth!” She said her boy only pushed her out the way and went over to your little baby bat and hugged him “I’m sorry I fell and tripped you.” He whispered rubbing your sons back as he sniffled. 

Lorraine stood back watching the two boys. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Your boy said his voice broken and small his white hair filled with grass and leaves, astarion itching to pick them out but…he can wait. Lorraine’s husband walked over “Eh, it’s a bit of a shock but damn shits been crazier. Plus them boys love each other look at that. Brothers till the end. Plus you ain’t the only one with a kid with a bad reputation. Cept our boy who’s 14 he’s a theif. Not a cool undead being.” His accent was heavy. Throwing off the whole situation as you and star looked at each other shrugging. 

   After telling Lorraine there was no need to worry. You decided it was time to go HOME fucking bummer of a party and the food wasn’t even good.

—-

  Astarion brushed your sons hair while you put some balm on his lip. “Papa…am I a monster?” You blinked and looked at Astarion making eye contact 

“No.” “Yes” you both said at the same time. Astarion glared at you. “What?! I thought we were telling the truth” you could’ve swore air popped out of Arthur the way he slumped back sadly. Astarion sighed “you are a monster but your not a bad one. You can be but papa is also a vampire. And I’ll always be here to help. You come to me when you need it okay?” He smiled kissing Arthur’s nose making him go from frown to smile squealing from the small tickles. 

——

After  You laid your son to bed you crawled into the bed with your husband he was sewing your sons new custom wardrobe. “What do you think darling? Some flower designs? Vines? Thorns?…hm. Thorns” you smiled what was the point of asking if he was gonna decide himself. You smiled and pushed his hands out the way and kissed him a bunch “Astarion, I love you” you cooed “Ohhh no no you don’t what did you do this time?!” He fumed 

You sniffled “okay first kiss me a few times so I won’t be scared to say it” Astarion scoffed but kissed you back sweetly around your lips before pulling away “speak” he ordered.

 You sniffed “so you know how you said to soak his new clothes you made him.” Astarion nodded eyes wide “Yes and I put a paper with the exact order of how to.” He nodded “Okay so I put one of the clothes in the pink soap and rose oil first.” Astarion nodded “yes.” You stuttered tears coming up “stay with me love! Tell me the rest” he encouraged. “T-then I put the other clothes up to dry.” 

Astarion pushed hair out of your face smiling “Darling that’s literally everything you were supposed to do.” He smiled 

You kissed his hand and his knuckles “yes…and” you whispered 

“And?” He raised a brow smile fading 

“They were taking too long to dry so I decided to put some heat around with just a bit of fire bolt without throwing it but then they caught on fire and I think it was because of the oil!” You gasped letting it all out at once. You saw the way your dressers shook and the sound of the world shaking felt like the damn absolute was coming back but it was just the waves radiating from Astarion. You smiled “but I love you. And I decided to give them to a tailor to fix it so you wouldn’t have to work on it. ^~^” you smiled.

“WHAT!!” he yelled.

////

This is something from a few months back I decided to finish it and yk it’s just brain rot

[iloveaustinelvisandmannymore]

Daddy's #1

Pairing: Austin Butler x reader

Warning: Daddy kink, creampie, Blow job, Jealousy sex, Spanking, Dirty talk, Teasing and Mocking, Cuckholding, Ownership, Boss-employee/ lovers relationship, hair pulling,Dealmaking, Power Domenic, Mean Austin (well not the reader), Cumming in pants Just nasty stuff ya know the drill.

Summary: Austin Butler was your pimp and you were his number 1 money-maker. Austin needed to make a deal with another pimp, Daddy Harry so Austin took you with him and Harry take an interest in you. Your Daddy is not happy bout it so he shows just how much you belong to him, you and Harry.

A/n: Sorry for this taking so long but here it is! Also for those who don't know one of Austin's favorite colors is blue.

Austin kisses your neck and down to the valley between your breasts, his big hands kneading them before pushing them against his face and he shakes his head; motorboating himself as he blows raspberries. You giggle and laugh at his goofiness. Running your fingers through his hair and spoke up "What's wrong daddy?" "How'd you know?" Austin mutters between your boobs. "well I recall you saying "Nothing makes everything better but your breasts"." You mimicked his deep voice " What?" he raised his head and his eyebrow "I said you make everything better." He corrected you and you just grinned at him "Same thing." Austin shook his head in playful disbelief "Please, tell me." you begged him.

" I have to make a deal with another pimp," Austin rolled his eyes before he looked at you lustfully "You're gonna come with me but for now let's finish what we started." He smirked kissing along your jawline, his cock twitching inside of your cunt, distracting you from asking more."O-oh, Daddy." You mewled hopelessly as he began to pound you into the mattress as if he'd die if he didn't.

It was Saturday, the day of Daddy Austin's deal and you waiting to hear the familiar sound of his car horn, while you waited you looked over your makeup and lingerie in the body mirror beside the door of your apartment. You had on a rose-gold shadow with a dark brown on the corner of your eyes, blended perfectly with clear lip gloss to make your lips shine. You wear Austin's favorite set, it was baby pink with gold hearts paired with pink high heels and a light pink choker with another gold heart in the middle. Your hair was on the side to show off Daddy Austin's ownership over you, a tattoo of his first initial with a king's crown on top.

You smiled softly to yourself, it was wrong to be in love with your boss, you knew it. But It was hard not to. You met him when your friend suggested that you get a job at the club that open up 5 months ago, giving your dance history, you considered it. Blue, purple, pink, and white lights flashed around you when you had laid eyes on him, he was sitting on a VIP couch, laughing with what seemed to be his friends and a girl, a stripper in his arm.

You played with the hem of your shirt, you needed this job! So with a shaky breath, you quickly made your way to the VIP section. "S-sir?" you gulped as the whole group turned to you "I..um—" "You can't be here." the raven-haired woman under Austin's arm glared at you. "Can I help you?" Austin's voice was surprisingly deep and smooth "I need a job a-and a friend said you're hiring, right?" you stuttered. the girl scoffed and opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Austin stood up "Let's talk more in my office," He smiled and walked you to his office his hand hovering over the small of your back "Oh! I'll see you guys later!" Austin called over his shoulder.

You got the job even though you didn't have much confidence but Austin helped you along the way. It wasn't long before you became the crowd's favorite. The girl that glared at you, Scarlett, whose you've learned was her name, was not happy about it before you came, she was top dog and she was gonna let Austin know that but she didn't get the chance.

BEEP!

You inhaled and grab the long white fur coat Daddy Austin bought for your birthday, you quickly put it on, and grabbed your purse, keys, and phone. You locked the door to your apartment and ran as fast as you could in your heels to the pretty light blue Cadillac. Austin always had a love for old things, cars were no exception that was one of the many things you love about him. Austin didn't spare a glance at you as you got in the car, his hand on the wheel was white from how hard he was holding it.

You put your hand on his knee and his tensed body relaxes at your touch, as he puts the car on drive, he holds your hand for the whole ride, you don't say anything. knowing sometimes he needed silence to think and calm down. You realized why he hated this deal when you pulled to 'Falling.' one of Pimp Harry Styles's clubs, he and Austin had some kind of rivalry, and Austin felt like Harry was always upstaging him despite being just as a successful pimp and clubs owner.

Austin got out of his Cadillac and opened your car door, offering his arm to you which you took with a smile. You leaned more into his body and hummed a tune, feeling his warmth as he walked you into the lively stripper club, the music boomed loudly but you could barely hear it, it was like every time you were alone with Austin it was only you and him in the world. You gently massage his arm, doing your best to help, he only brings you to deals if he doesn't like the pimp or is uneasy around them. He doesn't say it out loud but you knew; you've become a safe space for him, someone to go to when he's in his head too much because you bring him down to earth.

"Austin! Welcome mate." Harry greeted, his curly hair resting again on his jawline, his black suit jacket sparkling in the fleshing purple and red lights, Harry smirked as his green orbs laid upon you "Who is this beautiful lady?" he asked without looking away from you "Her stage name is Cherry Valentine, and that's all you'll know." Austin spat "it's a pleasure to meet you miss Cherry," Harry said taking your hand and placing a kiss on your knuckles all the while looking up at you from behind his long beautiful brown lashes. Austin's jaw clenched.

You smile at him shyly as he lets your hand go "Let's go somewhere private, so we can talk about business." He said leading you to a VIP room you take this time to look around, Two beautiful women dance on the stage, one on the pole while the other seductively rolls her hips, Men and women rain them with money, and there's laughing, and talking, people taking shots as they watch the girls perform. "Here we are." Harry opens a door, and a single purple C-couch sat in the middle with a circular stage with a silver glittery polstandingod in front and the carpet is a furry white. You and Daddy Austin sat on the right side of the cushioned couch, facing Harry "Darling!" he called and like Magic, a girl with back-length pink hair walked dressed in a baby blue baby doll With black heels carrying a tray with two glasses of whisky. "Thank you." Austin sends her a smile, grabbing a glass, a blush spreads across her pale cheeks "Thank you, dear." Harry said taking a sip, "I recently have gotten a few new women, Some from Africa, Japan, and Puerto Rico. I haven't marked them yet, of course, and I thought why not have a mate get some, they're trained well and follow orders of reasonable command " Harry leaned back.

"Thank you but my girls are enough," Austin assured "Mate what bout your other clubs? I know 'Blue suede' is as popular as 'Falling'—" Harry started "They perform excellently." Austin fired back now full-on glaring "oh..So does she perform excellently?" Harry asked his eyes racking down your lingerie form, licking his bottom lip, his green orbs darkening. Austin leaned back, an idea in mind and a smirk on his face with a devilish glint in his icky blues "She's better than excellent." he replied, looking at you with an unreadable emotion as he stroked your cheek gently before tapping your chin.

You bit your lip to stop yourself from smiling while you shrug off your coat, letting it drop to the floor, you knew exactly what that meant. You put your knees on the couch and pulled his hardening cock out of his black dress pants, you swirled your tongue around the tip of his large cock, moaning at the taste of his salty pre-cum, you exhaled as he had trained you, and with an inhale you took his whole length down your throat, saliva leaked out from corners of your mouth your arousal created a darker pink of you light pink underwear, you bobbed your head along his member, and drool pooled around the base of his cock and pants. Austin watches harry focusing on the sight of his girl choking and gagging around his dick, his smirk growing wider, he grabbed your hair and forces himself down your tight throat without a warning, Harry groans as his cock forms a tent in his black pants.

Austin kept you there for a good 10 seconds before pulling you off and just as you take a sharp inhale Austin pulled you off the couch and pushed you toward Harry, you yelped as you catch yourself on harry's knees "Oh, I'm so sorry—" you started but was interrupted as you felt Austin pulling down your panties and pushes himself roughly into you, making you grip Harry's knees tighter to stop from crushing head first onto him. You looked everywhere but harry, Austin gripped your hips hard so that it would surely leave bruises as he pushed back you onto his dick, his thrusted had started slowly and deeply, his balls smacking against your clit "Fucking look at him." Austin growled grabbing a hold of your hair and forcing you to make eye contact with Harry, as he pounded into you. You could barely hold in your moans, he typically wasn't this rough.

Austin spanked your ass with his other hand leaving a sharp sting sd on your right cheek, "you love this cock, don't you baby?" he asked slapping your ass again harder this time "YES! L-love it so much!" you shouted cock drunk as you fought to keep looking at harry. The said man gulped, his dick stirring wake in his pants, a tent taking from as he is helpless to do anything that is if he wanted, Harry bit his lip to stop from moaning, your breasts bouncing his face. Suddenly you and Harry were brought back to reality when Austin laughed cruelly "Aww Harry 'Mate' are you turned on? So desperate for My woman that you're hot and bothered from watching me fuck her? Pathetic Harry even for you." Austin smirked looking Harry in the eyes as you nearly scream at his rough, animalistic pounding, it was getting too much, you are close and you were sure Austin could tell by your clenching walls.

Daddy Austin pulled out, and before you whined he manhandled you to sit on Harry's lap with your back against his chest, forcing your ass on harry's hard on, Austin thrusted himself back inside of your hot core and resumed his wild pounding, you moaned and whimpered, rolling your hips up. Austin's long fingers rubes your swollen clit with a hectic pace all the while you were in your world of pleasure, you couldn't hear Harry's soft moans and whines from the friction of your butt against his clothed dick, he clawed at the poor couch. You let out a long, loud moan as you reach your climax, Austin grunted, filling your abused pussy with his steaming hot cum, and harry swallowed down his moans, his cum filing his boxers, wishing it was him cumming inside you.

Austin jerks his cock out causing a little river of his seed to flow out of you, his chest rose up and down from his heavy panting, and after calming down Austin runs his fingers through his messy-sex hair and pulled himself back his pants, he quickly fixed his suite "Come on baby it's time to go." his deep voice a raspy, you with a little trouble got off Pimp Harry's lap and grabbed your coat, you wrapped it around but with you walked to your pimp, your feet give out just before you hit the ground Austin caught you in his strong arms and without sparing a look at harry, he makes his way to his car.

Austin gently kissed your forehead as he laid you in the passenger seat, he put the seat bait around your fucked-out yourself, shut the car door, and walked to the driver's seat. The drive was quiet but comfortable, when you stop at a red light, the street lights created a tan-like color on you both Austin called out your name softly, you turned your head and focused on him "Yeah Daddy?" you spoke just as softly Austin stay silent for a moment before he lifts his jacket and shirt to his chest, there on his hip, close by his v-line was a tattoo of your name initials in big, black cursive writing and a crown with light pink and blue jewels on top, a large lavender heart-shaped jewel inside of the front "I'm yours." He spoke up finally not taking his eyes off the road.

You smiled.

He loved you as you loved him.

Taglist: @babyxshy, @lovincherries @godlypresley, @galaxygirl453 @plasticfantasticl0ver, @dre6ming @lanadelray-gurl @purejasmine

[mrs-johansson]

Strangers in the night - Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

Part 16:

Date night for the Avengers?

Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson step out to dinner with the Cole sisters. Evans and the Civil Rights lawyer, Léa Cole went public with their relationship a couple of months ago and now they are hanging out with two of Hollywood’s highest-grossing actresses. Johansson seems to be spending her week in Los Angeles as Y/n Cole is shooting her new movie Bombshell. The two have been getting close this year, making multiple public appearances together. The Black Widow actress is set to star in Cole’s first directing film, Jojo Rabbit later this year. Sources say: “They enjoy each other’s company a lot. Y/n is a big fan of Scarlett’s work and they easily bond over their shared passion. Scarlett enjoys how exciting and new Y/n’s approach to the comedic history script is and both of them enjoy working together already.” The two’s relationship seems to be as private as possible. Maybe there’s more to it than we see.

I mean it’s not that bad. The last sentence is maybe the worst but other than that, there’s nothing wrong with it.

***

“So, you’re leaving for Europe, right?” Ellen asked from the opposite chair from me. “Yes, that’s the plan. But I’m gonna jump back home for just a couple of days before that,” I said. “Where exactly in Europe though?” “Prague in the Czech Republic. Very beautiful city.” “And are you nervous? I mean this is your first directing job. How are you feeling about that?” “I’m nervous of course, but mostly I’m expected. Taika is a very good friend of mine and it feels much easier to start all this with someone like him by my side. And of course the amazing actors on the cast, it’s really a privilege to start this journey with amazing people.” “Speaks of the actors in the movie,” Oh no, there we go. “Scarlett.” She said and I nodded. “You’ve been hanging out a lot recently, how’s that going?” She asked with a smile. She seems genuine. “Great, we’ve been going over the script a lot, preparing for shooting. She’s an awesome person, so yeah we’re friends.”

***

“Y/n,” Scarlett called out from the kitchen. “Yup,” I answered. “Come here for a moment.” I got up and walked to her. She was just fixing up some quick dinner while I dealt with some late stuff for the traveling stuff and our arrival, accommodation for the whole staff, and things like that.

“What’s up?” I stood next to her, watching as she moved around. “I was thinking…” she started and suddenly I got nervous. Don’t know why, I just did. “Yeah?” I cleared my throat and glanced at her face, looking for any sign of what she’d say. “And I thought maybe we could share an apartment while we’re there. I mean the staff and everyone wouldn’t think anything of it, but if they do, honestly I don’t care. And it could be fun, Rose will be there too, and I’m sure she’d be happy too.”

I smiled so widely, my face started to hurt after a while. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her and the way how casually she just said that. “I would love that. I’m just saying Rose and I will gang up against you,” I smirked and she laughed. Her cheeks rounded and slowly turned a shade of pink. “Oh I’m sure you will,” she looked at me after she turned off the stove.

Her light eyes were lit by the kitchen lights, while also showing the shadow of her nose on her left cheek. She had her glasses on which I adored so much. Her hair slicked back roughly, and her white shirt hung off her shoulder loosely.

“Scarlett, I love you.”

I couldn’t hold back. I just couldn’t. I love her. With every fiber of my body. She has it all. She makes me laugh when I feel the most dull, she brings me joy after a long day. Her thoughts make me wonder, while also fascinated. Her genuine laugh after the worst joke I made is my proudest moment of the day.

“And I love you,” her words felt like fresh air after coming up from under the water. That smile on her face is something I will never ever forget. She is different from everyone who I’ve dated before and it is probably the biggest blessing.

I pulled her into the most emotional kiss we probably shared so far. My hands on her cheeks and hers around my waist, holding me close. I had goosebumps from all the love I felt in that moment and I’ve never wanted to leave that moment. It was heaven on earth.

***

Telling our friends I think was the best idea in this time of our relationship because it was really going strong. Everyone was so happy and supportive which was the best feeling ever. I felt very secure in my place and so did Scarlett and it was so easy to share our love. We already talked about telling our families, and I felt really happy and at ease.

This week though, I fly out to Prague with Taika first then the cast joins us next week. I packed everything last night and I was ready to go.

The city was a dream. It was a whole different world than New York and I was very excited to explore all this. I settled into our temporary apartment and sent Scarlett pictures of the place, which by the way looked fantastic.

Taika and I started preparing everything. We got the table read ready for next week, checked the filming locations one more time, got to know Prague a little and it was quickly next week when everyone arrived.

***

“Y/n!” Rose started running as soon as she touched the ground. Stepping out of the car Scarlett was quick to notice me waiting for them in front of the apartment building. Her adorable smile was one of the highlights of the day.

“Careful there,” I called out to the little girl, and in a second she jumped into my arms. “Heeey,” I caught her and hugged her close. “I missed you, honey,” I kissed the side of her head and pulled away to see her face. Her blonde hair was cutely curled with a flowery clip attached. “I missed you too.” Although I noticed a little scar on her nose. “What happened to your nose, Rosey? Did you bump your nose?” I asked brushing a little piece of hair out of her face.

“I fell in school. We were playing,” she said while holding onto my hand. She is the cutest person. “Yeah, did you cry?” I asked softly and she shook her head and I dramatically gasped. “You didn’t?” “Big girls don’t cry,” she said proudly and I smiled. “You are a big girl, huh?” I stood up and then picked her up, turning to her mother.

I embraced her with a tight hold and let out a relieved sigh as soon as she wrapped an arm around me. “Hi baby,” her delicate whisper made me smile, and leaned my head against hers. “Hi,” I simply said since Rose was very close to me to hear anything.

“Should we check out your room, big girl?” I asked Rose and she smiled widely and nodded. “Let’s go then.”

***

The next day we got to the table read and I was nervous to talk in front of everyone. Taika and I sat in the front middle, and all the actors were around the long tables. Scripts, water, and nameplates were strictly placed for everyone. Once everyone settled down Taika looked at me with a reassuring smile. “I’ll start. Don’t be nervous though,” he patted my shoulder and stood up.

He made everyone laugh and honestly, it was worse going after him. I felt the pressure. I nervously looked around and my eyes quickly found Scarlett who was already looking at me. She sent me a soft smile and a small nod. Okay, so it’s visible that I’m freaking the fuck out.

The next thing I know, Taika just sat down and everyone was waiting for me. Okay, just look confident.

I stood up and cleared my throat before smiling lightly. “Hello everyone. I hope everyone got to settle in nicely and got to get rid of jet lag, if you did I’m jealous,” the room chuckled or at least smiled. “I’m very excited for all of us to work together, I think we all have very great opportunities to learn from each other. Taika and I worked on this for a while and it means the world to us that it finally comes alive and we couldn’t have imagined it better, thanks to you. And honestly, I just wanted to say thank you for being a part of our project. I hope you guys will have fun and enjoy this amazing city. And thank you again,” I let out a sigh and not gonna lie I got emotional a little bit from this.

I haven’t really realized what we’ve been doing for years with Taika. It is finally coming alive and I can barely process it. It’s an indescribable feeling.

***

Later that day, the whole cast was set to go out to dinner to get to know each other better.

“It wasn’t that bad right? My speech. Did I look scared as hell? I think I was even crying while talking,” I rented while also doing my makeup. Scar was getting Rose ready since she was already done.

“It was great. You looked relaxed honestly. It seemed like you knew what you wanted to say and everyone saw how grateful and excited you were. It was cute,” she said. “From your perspective maybe.” “From everyone's perspective. It was great, believe me.”

***

Weeks passed and I was having the time of my life. Directing was something that I enjoyed so much. It was a lot of work, yes but I loved every second of it.

“Let’s go from the top. Roman, you do what you did so far, it’s amazing buddy,” I smiled at him and he did too. “Thank you.”

“Alright, ready everyone?” I looked at Scarlett and she nodded, then at the crew and when it was settled I turned back. “Action!”

Once the cameras started rolling, Scarlett was unbothered by the outside world. Seeing her work just made me more in love with her. She was so passionate about it and it was amazing to see her do this.

***

Opening the door as quietly as possible, I slipped into the apartment like a fucking ninja. But then I saw the kitchen lights lit.

Taking off my shoes I slipped further into the flat. “Scar?” I whispered and the next second Scarlett’s popped out in the dim lights from the kitchen. “You’re home late,” she whispered, a sad smile on her face. I guess I look tired.

Dragging myself to the kitchen, I reached for my girlfriend, holding onto her hand first and then hugging her. “Why are you still up?” I mumbled with my eyes closed, my head resting on her shoulder. “I was learning lines and I couldn’t sleep,” she said. Her speaking vibrated off of her skin. “You okay?” I lifted my head and she nodded with a smile. “Of course, just tired that’s it,” she gave a kiss on my head and let me go. “You want something to eat? We had takeout for dinner, I got you some in case you’d be hungry,” Scarlett moved to the fridge. “I just want to sleep,” I yawned, waning against the counter. “Let’s go then.” “I’m gonna shower though,” I stood straight on my feet and made my way to the bathroom, but before that, I glanced into Rose’s room and saw her fast asleep in her bed.

Taking a shower I was moving so slowly but I managed to get into my pajamas after it. Scar was already in bed, reading her script and highlighting things with a pink marker. “I feel like my brain is not working,” I scooted into the bed, pulling the covers up until my neck, turning towards Scarlett. “You’re in tomorrow?” She asked. “Not until lunch,” I sighed. “Then you sleep until then, you’re gonna exhaust yourself,” with one more soft kiss on my lips, she put the script aside and turned off the light. As soon as she settled in, I cuddled up to her side. “Sleep well baby,” her arms wrapped around me. “You too, I love you.” “And I love you.”

[coffeesleep-ooc]

Kachina’s name is funny

Its 2 am and i cant stop thinking about this and i need to get it out bc every single time i look at her name i think of this and can’t even enjoy the storyline aaaaaa lmao

So! We’ve seen that genshin has a history of making up the most bizarre names ever, like idek what happened after inazuma or if sumeru’s names are this funny (idk much about the region it’s inspired in so forgive me for being uneducated), BUT, i do know this: there’s a poor npc in fontaine literally called Book, just Book, wtf genshin, there’s a lot of npcs and pplcalled weird things, and with Natlan that’s wven more obvious that while genshin team does great stuff for plotlines and inspiration for each region, they just say WHATEVER WHEEEEE for names. Bc, who calls themselves/their children Boba? Like wtf?! I’m not even mad about it just why??

I play the game in spanish btw, and Boba is like calling yourself silly or stupid, a friend told me that the English equivalent was also something along those lines so we know this is on purpose? Again wtf lmao

Then there’s the npc called Umi, isn’t that ocean in japanese? And said npc is from the ocean tribe dont get me wrong, if we want to make an accurate “inspiration” from America (America is a continent, ill throttle the person that says its a country thanks) it makes sense to have lots of names that come from different places bc we do have a mix of cultures that resulted in today’s life, but it doesn’t make any sense in Natlan’s whole description, bc these ppl are described as ppl that don’t go out of their country at all? They do receive visitors and i imagine one or two would probably want to stay but it’s still strange, noted, Umi is not the only strange name i’ve seen but i dont keep a notebook with all of genshin’s lore/plot/naming/etc holes bc i would have to make it a full time job. So far a couple things make no sense to me, BUT ALSO! Natlan is culturally rich and filled with stuff i approve, i mean, i like it so far, the legends, myths and way of interaction between characters is rivh and meaningful, i especially loved a quest about a shadow needles bc it felt like revisiting old myths from my memory!

the main quest relating to Kachina is also very interesting and despite it being complete fiction, the way the underworld is constructed is also reminiscent of myths and legends - ik its not called underworld, sorry, its 2am i forgot the name - that place felt to me like one of the scary tales ppl traditionally tell each other but with a very Teyvat element mixed in, and that’s good in my book

there’s also the apparent mix of maya, inca and aztecas in culture and storytelling? And its also true that America has more stories about wars and warriors known to ourselves and the rest of the world? I’d probably have much more to say about this if i had slept, but there are no towns named Fighting soul in my country for no reason, which i find funny and sad af bc wars are shitty excuses to steal and do awful awful things, but whatever. There’s also the way they captured the behavior of ppl in the coasts, kudos to them for that, obviously things irl are not always that good or pretty and some parts of America do have a lot of poverty bc corruption is also shit, but it is true that ppl (i’ve met) in the coast is much mote laidback than in the city, more prone to random music and parties and dancing, big big parties too, the surf part i have never seen in my country so no comments there

some stuff (like the food) is a bit so so for me (im still wondering where shrimp tacos were invented wtf, there’s also too much corn which i find hilarious), and im not even gonna talk about the saurian stuff bc his post is already long enough without talking about Kachina

anyways! in general i really liked it.

now, why is Kachina a weird name for me?

Bc my mother tongue is Spanish

the thing is, idk how many countries with spanish as their main language would have this two problems (or three…maybe)

nunber 3 and less important is the K, it’s overused in Natlan and i find it funny bc many ppl here use the c instead, the k it’s actually more rare in names unless your name is Katheryn or unusual (i once heard the name Ikza and I believe its cool, just not common)…just a thought but: Quinich sounds too much like Quiche so that’s why ill allow Kinich but the qu is way more vommon

number 2 the Ka is just fine, but the China. I just…China is a countey and I can’t help but think of it! Especially bc in spanish it aounds the exact same

number 1 and my biggest concern wity her name, and this is way more personal but I JUST CANT UNSEE IT! In my country we sometimes refer to young ppl as chino or china which is also the way to call ppl from China (probably not coincide but I haven’t researched why this happened to the slang in the first place) so maybe when someone is not listening to you or when they are being tricky or hot headed its bot rare flr someone else to say “¡Este chino/a!” Like saying “this little troublemaker!” Or smth like “¡esta china no hace caso!” Which means “this girl won’t listen/obey!” You could even say “la china de allá” which would mean you are pointing to a girl that is most definitely not chinese but it’s in your field of vision

its not used to denigrate anyonebut it is commonly used as slang by both adults and kids, sometimes even elderly will use it but in more informal situations…

this is why, it feels so damn weird to keep reading and hearing Kachina, sometimes i think im reading ‘pa aca china” kinda “come here kid” and other times im reading the equivalent of ka-girl

I obviously don’t blame the developers or genshin team for not knowing this (i do blame them for Poisson-Fish, Livre-Book, Boba-Silly, etc etc) but i just cant unsee it, even in serious situations its so weirdly funny and awkward

im re-baptizing her Kachi in my mind

someone save me from this misery 😂😂😂😂