#i don't need men's approval and i don't need women's approval. i have been laughed at my entire life so this is not new to me

[stump-water]

i cant stop thinking about how the traumas & shit that really screwed me up & screwed me over blunted my compassion & how that interacted with the shit that power insulated me from. it's not just that shit in society you benefit from insulates you from other people's problems. you know? it's how THAT compounds with all the other pain you're in. i truly believe you can build a deep bias without meaning to, just by living in this world and being hurt by it. there's a system you're benefiting from. you don't wanna admit that it's hurting you too, and so you resent the people who are being targeted very deeply by that system and trying to speak out about it

[bumblesimagines]

Headcanon:

Being Oberyn's lover

Request: Yes or No

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs, GN!Reader

~~~

Oberyn is an infamous man for several reasons, some of which include the rumors of his usage of poison during duels and an interest in the dark arts. Posion-laced swords and dark arts aside, one of the most notable things about him is his multitude of lovers. From men to women, nobles to brothel workers, Oberyn is no stranger to sex and hardly a stranger to love. He may have a wandering eye but his heart remains fiercely loyal to his lovers/paramours and his many daughters whom he deeply cares for despite their bastard status. 

As such, it is no surprise that you catch Oberyn's eye during one of his trips with Ellaria throughout Westeros. He needs little convincing to speak to you and is as smooth as butter when he begins flirting. While he enjoys giggling maidens or blushing lords, his interest spikes when you come off as indifferent to his charm. He is a Dornishman and Dornishmen love a challenge, especially when he notices your eyes linger on him for far too long to be uninterested. 

Of course, Oberyn mentions his interest to Ellaria, for she is essentially his wife and the mother of many of his daughters. Ellaria provides her approval and encouragement, even going as far as befriending you and acting as some sort of wingwoman to her lover. You quickly put together her involvement in Oberyn's plan to woo you and while it's unusual at first, you learn that it's not so odd in Dorne. A cat-and-mouse game ensues and Oberyn's interest becomes all the more clear to others.

Oberyn's main love languages are gift-giving and physical touch, although he'll provide every other love language known to mankind. Since Oberyn's interest extends past sex, you'll be properly courted by him and this will include countless lavish gifts. He is a prince, after all, and his wealth knows little bounds. You can expect a variety of gifts, from clothes to brooches and anything you can think of. You mention wanting something? Expect that very thing sitting in your room the next day. Oberyn is also very handsy with his lovers and always has a hand on them or has them sit on his lap. He's still a prince and gentleman, however, so he will keep his hands to himself until you are comfortable enough with him. Once he has that green light, expect to find his hand resting on your waist or back, and don't be surprised if it wanders.

 You nod along to the lord as he speaks, absentmindedly listening to the conversation about lands and such. None of it really interests you as you're the thirdborn in your family and the likelihood of you ever needing to know much of what he spoke of was slim. The conversation shifts onto his children as he recalls a funny story and then begins the prodding.

"I hear you remain unwed." The Lord hums thoughtfully and strokes his beard. "We've been searching for someone to wed my second eldest-"

"My Lord," A familiar voice greets from behind and sends a welcomed jolt up your spine, unable to contain the smile before it breaks out on your face. Oberyn steps up beside you and his lips curl up in a genuine smile for you, the palm of his hand pressing soothingly against your lower back and slowly creeping to wrap his fingers around your hip. He holds eye contact, even as he speaks to the man. "I'm afraid I'll have to steal this one from you, My Lord." He simply states and without waiting for a response, he sweeps you away from the sputtering lord. 

"Oberyn," You laugh softly and send an apologetic look over your shoulder right before Oberyn leads you fully out of the room. He spins around on his heel and cups your face, his warm skin pressing against yours. His eyes lack their typical sultriness or grumpiness, instead replaced with a fond look that makes you want to look away. He leans forward and kisses you gently. 

"How are you, dearest?" 

Once Oberyn manages to convince the head of your family, you find your belongings packed and ready for Dorne. Oberyn and Ellaria show great excitement and contentment over this, talking about all the things they wish to show you and the people they want you to meet. Dorne is a hot, desert and mountain-covered region but Sunspear is a gorgeous castle surrounded by the ocean and the shadow city. Oberyn's family is welcoming, if not a bit exhausted with him, but they're still warm and kind to you. Though Doran is semi-distant at first, his children are much friendlier and happy to get to know you. After Doran and his children, Ellaria introduces you to the Sand Snakes, Oberyn's countless daughters. Their reactions vary and some are more welcoming than others but all are accepting of their father's decision to take you as a serious lover.

While eager to show you his home, Oberyn first gets you acquainted with your new bedroom and the bed. Oberyn is a versatile lover, although he enjoys being the one in control most times depending on his mood. You can expect to spend a lot of time in bed with Oberyn, and sometimes even with Ellaria. Oberyn is a giver and he'll often have you pinned beneath him until you can take no longer before peppering you with kisses and cooing gentle words in your ear. 

Oberyn is a thoughtful and dutiful lover who ensures you'll never feel left behind or cast away. However, you must be fine with sharing him with others, and even if you find this difficult at times, Ellaria will provide soothing words of advice and comfort. Oberyn will ensure to push away any worries or insecurities and he'll even encourage you to seek out your own lovers, just as long as you always return to him. 

If you are a lady, you can surely expect to fall with child soon after arriving in Dorne. Ellaria, who basically becomes your sister, tends to you and helps you through the process of pregnancy and labor. Oberyn will grow protective during this time and you'll often find him resting his hand over the bump or speaking to it. He'll ensure you are being treated with the utmost care and by the very best. Whether son or daughter, Oberyn will love his child, and the Sand Snakes will be incredibly protective of their newest sibling. 

Oberyn is one of those lovers that still courts you well into the relationship. He continues providing gifts and trying to make you swoon all over just because he feels like it. Getting with Oberyn means having a thoughtful, open-minded lover, a kind sister, and countless deadly stepdaughters willing to fight in your honor if they have to. 

[shadowystan]

YANDERE! husband x f!reader– marriage can't be that bad, right? (wrong)

YANDERE!husband who's the epitome of wealth and fame. He can give you the world, yes, but why would he?

YANDERE!husband who treats you like the dirt beneath his feet from the very get go. Misogynistic and conservative to a fault, he believes women should really just sit back and let their men do the work.

(While they, of course, rot off in kitchens and behind sewing machines.)

YANDERE!husband who was sure he was going to get a pretty slave of a wife. Now, pray tell, why does his woman refuse to even touch him on the first night of their wedding?

"I won't sleep with you."

Headstrong and stern, you don't seem like a docile little thing. Far from it actually. Your brows are furrowed and there's a certain determination behind your eyes.

It's infuriating. 

YANDERE!husband who may as well be a cliche high school bully with his jabs and manhandling. He isn't abusive. But that's only because you're tied down to him, anyway. Why must he get physical when you don't have anywhere to go or money to call your own?

Or. Well. Do you?

YANDERE!husband who frowns deeply when you tell him you're going for a job interview. Surely, you must be joking?

Ah, that's right.

YANDERE!husband who smiles big and chokes out a hearty laugh. "That's a good one! You're funny, wife."

You were, in fact, not joking.

YANDERE!husband who's appalled, eyes blown wide and lips slightly parted when you wake up at 6 in the morning the next day with a snugly wrapped pant set around your body, looking like the embodiment of a classy business woman.

"I got the job," You dryly inform him.

YANDERE!husband who's a pissbaby. Complaining to his parents how you aren't obedient or submissive. Blaming his old man for not 'giving' him a feminine, exclusively child bearing wife.

YANDERE!husband who tries restricting you. He's richer and more influential than you. Why can't he stop you?

He fails to understand you have legs. And a healthy, working mind.

YANDERE!husband who after putting you on house arrest comes home to you working from home on your laptop. YANDERE!husband who's beaming and shining when he confiscates your electronics the next day, thinking you'll stop being so stubborn only to find out you sent the kitchen staff home out of spite.

YANDERE!husband who, after a while, realises that letting you just work is better than coming home to a starving stomach.

YANDERE!husband who's not really, well, a yandere yet. Or.. is he?

YANDERE!husband who just needed one action from you to turn completely obsessed. A curt nod of approval here, an amused eyebrow raise there and he's putty in your hands.

But does that make him kind? God, no.

YANDERE!husband who shows just how terrifying he could be after finally falling for you. The childish, humorously masculine man you knew is gone now.

You're a strong person but YANDERE!husband is scary to say the least.

"Don't wear this."

"Dress modest, wife."

"Behave."

It's not fine anymore. He makes you feel unsafe. He is unsafe.

YANDERE!husband who fires every single one of his maids and servants. 

"You'll be the one cooking now, dear wife."

Has he always been this tall?

YANDERE!husband who flashes you a calm smile, suffocating you in his presence when you refuse to cook or clean.

YANDERE!husband who simply says:

"It's better to learn now, dear," He takes a step forward, figure towering over you. A hand reaches out. You don't flinch.

His smile widens at that, large hand gently patting you on the head, calloused palm smoothing out your hair.

"Really," He continues. "It's every housewife's duty to do so."

Your eyes widened and dread filled your stomach.

"I'm not a-"

"Plus," He cuts you off. Has his smile always looked so vicious? "A mother should be ideal. If we have a girl, – God, I hope not – you'd have to know a few things to pass on to her, yeah?"

A chill runs down your spine. You gulp, lips trembling as you voice out your next word.

"D-daughter?"

He grins, looking awfully boyish for someone who has just indirectly told you that you won't be going to your job anymore.

"Heh, you'd prefer a boy too, right? They're superior."

You let out a shaky breath.

"I.. We won't be having a child."

He paused. Your heart stopped.

"Ah, of course," He threw a soft smile your way, as if understanding your situation. "Of course, of course; we'll have to teach you how to become a perfect wife first, yes?"

Fuck.

[arcane-vagabond]

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter One

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter One

Pairing: Jake "Hangman Seresin x Reader

Summary: Jake "Hangman" Seresin is a notorious leader within the Dagger Gang of the old western territories of the United States. You, a recently orphaned socialite from the eastern seaboard, find yourself swept off to live with your older brother who has set down roots in said western territory. Determined to to make the best of your situation, what will you do when said outlaw sets his sights on you?

Warnings: Language, reader being a tad bougie, flirty Jake, ogling men, use of y/n...I think that's it for this one?

Word Count: 2.95k

A/N: Here it is! Chapter One! I hope you all enjoy reading this! As always, likes and reblogs are very much welcome as I crave validation. And again, this blog is 18+!! You are responsible for your own reading! You can also find this story on AO3 written under arcane_vagabond!

Series Masterlist || DGU Masterlist

People bustled about the small town as your carriage passed by. Children ran ahead of their parents, men stumbled out of what could only be the local tavern, and women dressed entirely too scantily waved at anyone who passed by.

Frowning, you sat back in your seat, once again contemplating how you ended up in this situation. Peering out the window, you looked up to see a tall, wooden building painted in a fresh coat of white paint. Blue shutters hugged the windows along the walls, and a wooden sign with your family’s name hung just past the set of stairs. Most importantly, a tall man stood at the base of the steps, grinning from ear to ear.

A grin of your own broke out, and the carriage had barely stopped before you threw the door open and practically flung yourself out and into the arms of the man before you.

“Benji!” You exclaimed with a laugh, hugging your brother tightly. He reciprocated with a chuckle, resting his cheek on top of your head.

“It’s good to see you too, Scout.”

It had been months since you had seen your brother. Benjamin had insisted on moving out west before you in order to get things settled, and you were to stay home and oversee that your family’s heirlooms were shipped safely to your new home. That had been six months ago, and now here he stood before you, still clean shaven, but he had definitely developed a darker complexion during his time in the town of Maverick. Pursing your lips, you look up at him.

“Benjamin, how much time have you spent in the sun these past months?” You scolded. He had the decency to appear ashamed as he ducked his head down, offering you a sheepish smile.

“Longer than you would approve of, I’m sure y/n. But, the house needed seeing to and land was not going to till itself,” he smirked, taking your arm in his and walking up the steps of the building.

“The house?” You inquired with a raise of your eyebrow. Benjamin nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Oh, Scout. You’re going to love it! It’s a grand, old thing. The furniture has already been placed, but of course you’re more than welcome to rearrange. I’ve even set aside a small plot by the side of the house for you to garden.”

“You have?” You asked as you walked into the building. A parlor of sorts greeted you with newly made furniture and various pieces of artwork hanging on the walls. A door opened up into the hallway that held, what you assumed, the offices for the firm.

“Oh, Benji,” you breathed, placing a hand over your heart. “Daddy would be so proud of this place.”

Benjamin’s chest puffed up in pride as he led you down the hall and into his office. You passed a woman who came out of the office closest to the door. She was beautiful with her dark hair pulled back and her blue dress perfectly complimenting her complexion. She offered you a smile and then looked expectantly at your brother.

“Benjamin,” she began, “aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“Of course,” chuckled Benjamin. “Y/n, this is Natasha. Natasha, this is my younger sister, y/n.”

“Please, call me Phoenix,” she said, offering you a hand. You took it and gave it a firm shake. “A pleasure, Phoenix.”

“Your brother has been so excited to see you. All he ever does is talk about you! I feel like I’ve already known you for years,” she teased, causing him to look embarrassed. You chuckled and dropped your hand back to your side.

“I know the feeling. He’s gone on and on about the ‘remarkable, young woman who I’ve had the great pleasure of taking on as my new secretary.’”

“Must you two tease me so?” Benjamin groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“I have work I need to return to anyway,” laughed Phoenix, already turning to head back to the entrance. “Don’t be a stranger now, y/n.”

“She seems nice,” you said to your brother once Phoenix had rounded the corner. Putting a hand on your back, Benjamin guided you into his office, taking the chair opposite you as you both sat down.

“She certainly keeps things interesting around here,” he laughed. You scoffed, thinking back to your earlier conversation with your driver.

“As if things need to be more interesting around here,” you muttered. Benjamin gave you a perplexed look, and you sighed.

“I know all about that…Dagger Gang, Benji. Outlaws running about? Honestly, I don’t know how I let you talk me into coming here.”

“The Daggers are nothing to be concerned about,” he started, stopping when you shot him a skeptical look. Sighing, he continued, “They don’t usually cause trouble for those in town. Maverick has a sort of…truce with them.”

“Usually?” You questioned, still not convinced.

“There have been the odd occasions,” he stated slowly, seeming to pick his words carefully. “Usually when the odd person in town picks a fight or one of them gets too rowdy at the tavern. It’s nothing to concern yourself with, Scout. Really.”

“If you say so,” you relented, dropping the subject and looking out the window. Benjamin sighed in relief, and the pair of you sat in silence for a moment.

“I really am glad you’re here, Scout,” he said softly. Turning to meet your brother’s gaze, you saw the familiar fondness in them that you had missed the past six months. Benjamin was eight years your senior, and had declared himself as your protector from the second you were born. He had been one of the many constants in your life, and now he seemed to be the only one left.

Sighing, you replied, “You’ll have a lot more convincing to do in order to make me decided that this was a good idea.”

Benjamin cracked a smile, and placed his feet on his desk, leaning further back in his chair.

“I’m willing to do that,” he grinned.

“Get your feet off the desk, Benji,” you scowled. “We’re still civilized even if we’re living in the middle of nowhere.”

Ignoring you, Benjamin reached down to open a drawer, pulling out a packet of paper. Dropping the large stack onto the desk with a loud bang, he looked back up at you with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

“I’d love nothing more than for you to keep me company, Scout, but I still have paperwork I need to do before I’m finished for the day. If you’d like, you can sit here while I get it done, or you can get acquainted with the town you’ll be calling home.”

“Without an escort?” You spluttered, eyes widening in shock. Benjamin let out a hearty laugh, his head falling back as his shoulders shook.

“Welcome to the west, baby sister.”

You walked slowly down the dirt road that ran through the center of the bustling town. Each building was painted a different, bright color which made it easier to distinguish which business was which. A group of young boys suddenly ran in front of you, nearly knocking you to the ground. Stumbling back a few steps, you managed to regain your footing as the boys shouted an apology back at you from over their shoulders. Looking after them with a bemused look on your face, you felt a chill run up your spine as you hear a low chuckle from the porch of one of the buildings. Glancing up, you saw two older men leering at you. Both missing several teeth and covered in layers of dirt, you suppressed a shudder as one of them gives you a gummy grin. Smiling politely, you quickly made your way down the road.

The sun had started to set, and a chill settled in the air. A stark contrast from the heat of that morning. Slowing to a stop, you watched as several men went around lighting the lanterns outside of their businesses and along the streets. At least some things were reminiscent of home.

Lost in thought, you didn’t notice the large figure walk up behind you. You jumped when said large figure bumps into your back. You spun around to come face to face with a beautiful, buckskin stallion. Placing a hand on your chest and letting out a sigh of relief, you gave a halfhearted glare to the horse before you.

“You scared me,” you griped, earning an ear flick from the stallion. Turning to face the creature fully, you placed your hand gently on its snout, stroking lightly.

“My, aren’t you a pretty thing?” You cooed. The horse swung his head up and down as if nodding in agreement. You giggled, moving your hand to stroke his neck as he nuzzled into your hand.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything for you,” you laughed, earning another ear flick. You wondered how long he had been left out here. The reins attached to his bridle were tied around a post along with three other horses who paid you no mind. Humming, you look into his eyes.

“You know,” you began thoughtfully, “it wasn’t even my idea to move here. I left all of my friends back in Baltimore. I would go to parties in the evening and go for a stroll in the park the next day. There’s none of that here, I’m sure. What even is there to do?”

The horse moved closer, pushing his head into your arms.

“Perhaps you’ll be my friend,” you mused. The horse lets out a snort and you laugh out a breath, smiling softly. Your father had loved horses, and he had made sure to pass on that love to his children. Many happy memories were made riding along the countryside of your family’s country home.

“You’re right,” you relented, “I doubt I’ll be seeing much of you after tonight.”

You continued to stroke the horse’s neck, murmuring soft praises as the large beast seemed to bask in the attention.

“Well, darlin’. There must be something special about you, huh?” Came a male voice from behind you. You whipped around just as a sturdy body leans against the post. He was unbelievably handsome. Gold hair complimented golden skin, and green eyes held twinkles of mirth and mischief with a smirk to match. He wore a simple, white cotton shirt with a brown vest and wool pants. His boots and the blue bandana tied around his neck looked a little worse for wear. You blink as you realize that you’ve been staring for longer than would be deemed appropriate.

“I’m sorry?” You questioned, still caught in a daze at the beautiful man before you. You didn’t even think men like him existed in this part of the world. The man gestured to the horse you were still cuddled up by.

“Whiskey here doesn’t warm up to just anyone,” he grinned, resting a hand next to yours. “In fact, he doesn’t like much of anyone accept me.”

You didn’t answer, not sure how to respond. Instead, you turned your attention back to Whiskey who was attempting to nibble at the strands of hair that had fallen out of your updo. Giggling lightly, you pushed the horse away and take a half step back.

The man took a half step closer to you, the grin having given way to a salacious smirk. “I haven’t seen you ‘round these parts before. You new in town?”

“Yes,” you answered politely. “I just arrived here.”

“Figured,” he chuckled. “I would have remembered seeing someone as pretty as you walkin’ around.”

You blushed, suddenly unable to maintain eye contact. This seemed to embolden the stranger.

“So, sugar,” he started, “how much for your debut?”

You looked at him with eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

Chuckling, he continued. “How much is it going to cost me to have you in my bed for the hour?”

Surely you had misheard him.

“I beg your pardon?”

“C’mon, honey. It’ll be worth your while,” he smirked, running his eyes up and down your form. “Promise it’ll be good for you too. Hell, I’ll even pay for the night.”

You felt your cheeks heat up with embarrassment, and in a most completely undignified manner, you began to splutter, trying to maintain your sense of calm while feeling a red hot wave of rage overtake you.

“How dare you!” You shrieked. You saw the smirk on the stranger’s face falter. Good.

“What’s the matter, darlin’?”

“The matter,” you seethed, “is that you have just assumed that I am some woman of ill repute, sir.”

He paused, studying you. “Well, I just figured since you were dressed up so pretty, it must have been to draw in customers.”

“I’m not a whore!” You shouted, drawing looks from passersby. The man held up his hands in surrender. In any other situation it would have been almost comical how frightened he seemed of you considering how he towered over you.

“My sincerest apologies, miss,” he offered, trying to hold back a grin. You turned to walk back towards your brother’s firm with a scowl. Stopping, you peered over your shoulder, fixing the stranger with another glare.

“I would advise you, Mr…?”

“Seresin. Jake Seresin.”

“Mr. Seresin,” you breathed. “I would advise you to not make such horrible assumptions next time you come across a woman you don’t know.”

You didn’t wait for his response as you continued walking. You hadn’t made it ten steps before a shadow blocks the last remaining rays of the sun from your field of view.

“What are you doing, Mr. Seresin?”

“Call me Jake,” he smirked. You frowned up at him, stopping in your tracks to face him.

“I most certainly will not,” you huffed. “Now answer my question.”

Jake stared at you for what felt like entirely too long, and you started to fidget under his gaze.

“Well, since I accidentally insulted you,” he cocked his head at your glare, “I figured the least I could do is walk you to wherever it is you’re going.”

“While I appreciate the gesture,” you said with gritted teeth and a polite smile, “that is entirely unnecessary.”

“Nonsense,” Jake chirped, “what kind of gentleman would I be if I allowed a beautiful young lady to walk around unescorted through town?”

You gave him a dubious look which only caused the smirk on his face to grow into a full blown grin. Huffing once more, you turned back towards the path and began walking. Jake slid up to your side smoothly and offered you his arm. You scoffed at him, and he raised his eyebrows. Scowling, you took his arm and tried your damndest to ignore the obnoxious grin on your companion’s face. It took you only minutes to arrive back at the firm, and you turned to face Jake who glanced from the firm back to you.

“The lawyer?” he questioned, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Yes,” you stated simply, stepping away from him to put some distance between the two of you. Jake crossed his arms and stared up at the building.

“You come here to join your fiancé?” He asked, tone even and face still unreadable.

Surely he wasn’t... “Are you jealous, Mr. Seresin?”

Jake looked at you then, jaw set and green eyes ablaze. “Answer the question, darlin’.”

You shook your head. “No. I’m not even engaged. Benjamin is my brother.”

He seemed to relax at that. He gave you another look that you couldn’t quite place before shifting back to his now familiar smirk.

“I don’t think I got the pleasure of your name, sugar.”

“I highly doubt you’ll need it,” you stated simply. He raised an eyebrow.

“And why is that?”

“Because I don’t believe our paths will cross again, Jake,” you said, lips curling in a small smile.

“Ah, that’s no fair, darlin’. All I want to know is your name,” he grinned, leaning in so close that you could feel his breath fan across your face. Your own breath catches as you locked eyes with him.

“Just my name?” You whispered. He nods.

“Just your name.”

At that moment, your brother and Phoenix chose to walk out the door, stopping in their tracks at the sight before them.

“Scout?” Benjamin said hesitantly at the same time Phoenix said your name. Jake’s eyes shifted to the pair, and that smirk settled on his face once more. His eyes flickered back to you as he leaned away and you found that you were able to breathe normally once again.

“Y/n, huh?” he chuckled. Then he cocked his head and gave you a mirthful look. “Or is it Scout?”

“It’s neither to you,” you scowled, causing him to let out another laugh.

Benjamin walked quickly down the steps and down to your side where he leveled Jake with a stare.

“How can we be of service, Hangman?” he asked tensely, and you looked up at him with a puzzled expression. Hangman? But that was the name of…

Your head whipped back around to look at Jake who just grinned at your brother before shooting you a wink.

“Just escorting your sister back to your door, Benjamin. Wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea, would we?” He grinned, not taking his eyes off of you. Benjamin stiffened beside you.

“Yes, well,” he began, “thank you, Hangman. It’s greatly appreciated.”

“Anytime,” replied Jake, already turning to walk back. He gave you another wink. “I’ll be seeing you around then, Scout.”

And with that, he turned on his heels and walked away. The three of you watched him walk away in silence. What on earth had just happened?

[hazelchooseme]

The beginning | Hazel Callahan

You need help from the club so you are going to ask them.

English is not my first language.

this is going to be a series (hopefully)

Song recommendation: Girls Make Me Wanna Die by The Aces (Hazel coded fight me)

Enjoy 🌱

When you talked about the problem with your teacher, he recommended them to you. It's not like you haven't considered it, but they were honestly kind of intimidating. But in desperate times desperate solutions. And now you needed their help. Cheering yourself up, you opened the gym door at the same time someone fell painfully to the floor with a hollow sound.

"Suck my pussy, Sylvie!" PJ screamed at the top of her lungs.

With unsteady steps you approached them.

"Hi" you spoke with a soft voice.

They all stopped watching PJ's obscene dance celebration and turned to look at you. Even Sylvie who was still laying on the floor.

"I need your help"

"And this one?" PJ asked in confussion looking at you up and down. "Nevermind you are hot" She approached you moving her hair. "What does my lady need me for?" she asked with a flirtatious voice.

You looked around for help.

"Leave her alone" Josie pushed PJ away from you and stood in front of you. "Hi, I'm Josie, you say the you need our help?"

"I know who you guys are" You said looking around at the familiar faces.

"So you knew my name" PJ asked in a flirtatious voice, again.

"Shut up" Josie said as she pulled PJ's ponytail.

"You killed the Huntington guys" you began to explain "My ex... He's been a pain in my ass since I break up with him. He doesn't stop calling or texting me, he has even followed me to my house several times. I don't know what to do. I went to the principal but he told me I shouldn't have broken his heart"

"You want us to do the same thing that we did to those Huntington guys?" Josie asked confused.

"I'm in"

"Shut up Sylvie and get up you're going to choke on your blood" PJ looked at you with a smile "It would be a pleasure to kill for you"

"No, it wouldn't be, wait. We can't kill more people" Josie's exaggerated gestures were kind of funny but you didn't laugh. "We wouldn't even know how, that time it was an accident"

"But it was funny" Stella remembered.

"I didn't say it wasn't, cause I enjoyed it. But we can't kill people... Or more people"

"What about just hurting him" You were sure that the one who just spoke was called Hazel. "Like... Something that is not going to kill him but that is going to cause him intolerable pain"

They were silent for what seemed like minutes.

"Well, it doesn't involve murder so why not?" PJ said as the others shook their heads in approval.

"Now we are gonna end up in prison" Josie complained quietly.

"You know that men think that women are not capable of things like that, we will be fine, don't be a bitch" PJ made everyone sit on the floor "We need a plan, a strategy, something that makes us look smart."

"What about a bomb under his car" Isabel suggested.

"We cannot repeat script, boooring" The one with the ponytail complained.

"What about under his bed?" Brittany said.

"Now we are talking"

"We just said no murders" Josie shouted. "We are gonna help you just... We need time to think of something... legal"

"Boring"

Ignoring PJ Josie turned to see you "Where do you live?"

"Near the store that sells drugs and food for flamingos"

"Perfect" she clapped "Hazel will walk home with you in case your ex shows up"

"Why me?" she asked looking up.

"Because you also live near that store"

"Not so close actually"

"Hazel!"

The two had a strange staring contest where it seemed like they were communicating.

Suddenly Hazel began to nod her head, making her hair strands move in a somewhat hypnotizing way. Wait what? "Ah! that's true, I practically live inside the store, it will be fine, we can go... together. Yes. If you want, cause I want if you want. If you don't want to, that's fine too. Yes"

"Stop" Annie coughed under her breath.

"Smooth" Sylvie scoffed.

What had you gotten yourself into?

[a66-1]

Whiskey. Neat, please.

Simon x Bartender!Afab!Reader

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 |

⚠️tw⚠️ cursing, weird guys. (warming up on this one ::)))

a/n: first time in a while writing something longer. (I, me, my, pronouns.) Bear with me please :) (d'ya get what the title hints at? No? okay.)

Fucking busy night. Christ, should've let Christy take this shift..

I wiped down the bar from whatever other nasty people have been putting their unwashed hands on it before more eventually ruin my efforts. It was barely 11pm and the bar was already fucking packed with men and women determined to forget the rest of their weekend in this dingey place. My boss made me take a shift for someone, and Christy politely offered to take it, and I stupidly declined.

I needed the money, for christs sake.

The speaker surrounding the top of the main drink bar in the middle of the bar started playing too sweet by hoizer, and I hummed softly in approval. I slung the towel over my shoulder, walking back behind the bar to start wiping down some glasses that have been way overdue.

My co-worker, Shelby, bumped my hip with hers. I glance over to her, a what the hell? look on my face. She giggled, and oogled her eyes over to a group of people presumably, but I didnt follow her gaze.

"I fuckin love that we get those.. Military men from time to time.. God, makes me take the night shifts just to feed my eyes," she gave another laugh, before going to pour a glass, noticing my uninterested response.

"Oh come on, girl, you're such a loner, you need to get yourself out there! Don't tell me that old dickwad is still trying to get in your pants again-"

I cut her off, scoffing, "Jesus, Shelby, shut up. I'm not interested in your weird taste in men." *I moved away from her, heading to another full sink. I slid the clean cups to the guys pouring drinks, huffing softly. Jesus, they need to actually staff this place..

I hear a seat slide back, and then shift forward. I tilted my head up, and I'm met with a weirdo, his chin resting on his palm, almost impatiently. I shift my stance taller, giving him a once over. I'm used to picking theses guys out from a crowed, incase he fucks with any girls here.

"Ya need a drink?" I offered, tapping the cup against the counter. He gave a slow, sideways smile under his mask.

"O' course. Made my mouth all dry with that bitter gaze you got on you." The guy snickered, before waving his hand once he noticed my unamused expression. "Kidding. Take a joke, darling."

I scoffed under my breath, and I learned my throat. "Whaddya want, sir?"

"I mean, honestly? You baby.. But drink wise... Maybe a whiskey, on the rocks." He gave me a weird smile. I poured the whiskey, and droped some ice in there, sliding it to him. He drank from it as I cleaned out more glasses, his eyes keen on me.

I tried to shift once more to another side of the bar, but the guy fuckin grabbed me. I pulled back, cursing at him..

And this big ass motherfucker comes out from God knows we're, and sits the guy down. He's got a Skull mask on, and clad with military gear.

"Sit." Was the only word that left his mouth. The guy huffed and pushed him off, cursing things at him. The skull masked guy turned to me, bowing his head slightly. I rolled my eyes hesitantly.

"Okay, Mr. Big ego who need to save poor women. I can handle myself-" The guy huffs to silence me.

"Was jus' helpin' lovie." He sat in the guys old seat, nodding his head towards me. "'M Ghost. Mind gettin' me a drink?"

I let my eyes examine this new guy, before nodding. "Uh.. I.. Yeah. I'll.. Grab you a.. Uh..?" I motioned for him to tell me. He smirked, and shrugged.

"Nothin' wild. I want y'to remember my order." He drummed his fingers for a moment before snapping, like he got some bright idea. "Whiskey. Neat, please."

(not proof read) thank you for reading! I'm working in the other parts, and this one might be longer maybe idk I'm tired.

-a661

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

“QTBIPOC”

And then they have the audacity to feel insulted when we make fun of their ridiculous acronyms.

Oh, just realized I typed a keyword, something that’s usually overlooked when speaking about wokeism: fun.

Do these people actually have fun? Because from the looks of it they have no irony let alone self irony. They don’t like to joke because it can “offend someone”, they can’t even tell a joke apart from a serious sentence.

So I believe this needs to be analyzed more in depth, maybe you can find something because I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that people with “certain beliefs” are less inclined to have fun and make jokes than, you know, regular folks. Oh, the horror to say “regular”, “normal” and so on. I deserve to be burned at the stake for saying this, I know.

They're some of the most joyless, insufferable, sanctimonious people on the face of the planet. The best comparison - and I realise this is not even slightly the first time it's been made - is the Puritans.

God, even modern fucking Xians at least find joy in the idea that a magical invisible space wizard loves them and plans to torture the heathens.

One of the reasons they're against comedy is that it has been historically used to challenge authority. When you laugh at authority, you become less or no longer afraid of that authority. They are now the authority. They are the ruling class. They occupy privileged positions in government, education, media, entertainment, tech, industry, everywhere. (For now.) And comedy is a no-no because they can't have their regime challenged, and they especially can't have people laughing at how incoherent and nonsensical it is.

These people are social constructivists, so they believe that reality itself is constructed through discourses - the way we talk about things. And all discourse is an expression of power. That's a real tenet of the ideology. So, they want to control the discourse.

I copied the following down some time ago, although I don't remember where it's from or who said it:

"They don’t use language to communicate they use language to manipulate"

They use language to create an alternate, parallel universe. "Trans women are women," "you can't be racist to white people," "you can't be sexist to men," "Islam is a religion of peace." These are all obviously false things. But the idea is to try to bed these ideas through language so that the words to object to what they're doing will not exist.

"Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it."

They redefine words to socially engineer the world the way they want it to be. Having any kind of fun works against this, because the versatility of language itself works against this. A double entendre, a pun, a song, anything that doesn't adhere to the approved language and message undermines the authority of their perfect, alternate universe.

It's not unlike how the church uses blasphemy to stifle unapproved thought. The Word of God is authoritative, and like a magic spell, the "wrong" words spoken aloud causes souls to be damned for eternity.

It's the same kind of magical thinking.

And then, of course, there's the fact this ideology is competitive. This happens in evangelical and charismatic Xianity too, where everyone compares themselves to everyone else and tries to keep up with each other to be more godly, more pious, more devoted to Jesus. The same thing happens here.

If you don't spot the problem, then the problem is you.

If you're having fun, you're not engaged in the holy sacrament of Problematization. To quote the execrable, repugnant scam-artist Anita Sarkeesian,

"Everything is sexist, everything is homophobic, everything is problematic, and you have to point it all out."

You're supposed to lecture everyone on why you're just more enlightened than they are, how they need to aspire to be anywhere near as morally sophisticated as you are. It's like luxury goods. They're showing off their high-priced, first-world, elitist ideals.

Rob Henderson describes "luxury beliefs" as status symbols.

Luxury beliefs have, to a large extent, replaced luxury goods. Luxury beliefs are ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class, while often inflicting costs on the lower classes.

When you think you're carrying around the moral-religious ideological equivalent of a genuine Hermès handbag, you can't be seen to be goofy and light-hearted. Being better than everyone else is serious business.

Here's a practical, real-time example of its competitive nature.

There's currently a ton of people huffing and puffing and posturing about abandoning Twitter/X and moving to Bluesky. But, what's happening on Bluesky?

The activists are now all now reporting each other. If you populated Bluesky with only far-left activists, then give it a few weeks, you'd then find a subset of extremely leftist people labelled "far-right" and "Nazis." Because that's how their ideology works.

Which is also why you should never be bothered about their attempts to label you. You just point out what they're doing to show how dishonest and manipulative they are, and you ignore them.

Intersectional moral superiority is a competitive sport. Kind of like veganism.

Lisa: Oh, the earth is the best! That's why I'm a vegetarian. Jesse: Heh. Well, that's a start. Lisa: Uh, well, I was thinking of going vegan. Jesse: [chuckles] I'm a level 5 vegan -- I won't eat anything that casts a shadow. Lisa: Wow. Um ... I started an organic compost pile at home. Jesse: Only at home? You mean you don't pocket-mulch? [takes out pocket stuff for Lisa to feel] Lisa: Oh, it's so decomposed!

By the way, these same people were huffing and puffing and posturing last year about abandoning Twitter/X and moving to Threads and Mastodon when Elon Musk bought and took over Twitter. Funny how they ended up back on Twitter/X. Almost as if Threads and Mastodon were failures, they need enemies to feel self-righteous, and storming off is part of their performative moralizing.

Most of them haven't actually deleted their accounts. Like Arnie, they'll be back.

So, yes. For a lot of reasons, they're humorless, joyless, killers-of-all-fun churchladies.

Which is why you have to laugh at them.

[my-mt-heart]

NYCC 23 Thoughts

I know Caryl fans are more than ready to celebrate. I am too for what it's worth. Believe me, I'm so ready, but I also have concerns that some may not want or need to hear right now. And I get it. Fandom is supposed to provide a space for us to enjoy our favorite shows and characters without real life obstacles bleeding into it. My blog has really pushed those boundaries over the past year and half, so if that's not what you're looking for, feel free to scroll on by or block. If for some reason my rants are of any use to you, however, then here goes another one. Ahem.

Four middle-aged white men walk onto a stage...

…And proceed to make complete asses of themselves.

This is my biggest gripe with TWDU right now. It perpetuates the same tired, limited perspective of the upper class, middle-aged white man in not one, but all of the new spinoffs. TOWL is supposed to be about Rick and Michonne, but it's no secret Gimple favors Rick. Dead City is supposed to be about Negan and Maggie, but the showrunner only goes on and on and on about Negan/JDM in his interviews. S2 of le spinoff is supposed to be about Daryl and Carol, but...well, I'll get to that. My point is, representation offscreen matters because it affects what we see onscreen and which viewers will be drawn to watch. Personally, I didn’t feel drawn to anything during that panel, not because Melissa finally being announced isn’t exciting, but because the people speaking on her behalf always find ways to ruin the moment.

If Gimple wasn't going to talk about his show, I don't understand why he needed to be there. If it was a tradeoff, I would've rather seen Melissa up there and hear what she had to say about her own return and her own character in her own voice. If that still wasn't possible, I fully respect that, but there has to be some other way to deliver news besides constantly relying on male EPs who don't understand what her fans value about her. I worry this is how it's going to feel when I'm watching S2. I want Carol, but not a misrepresentation of her. Greg Nicotero is directing the premiere. Okay...and what about the other two blocks? Any women/POC directors? Anyone who's going to honor Carol the way she deserves instead of treating her like an extension of Daryl's story?

So, yeah. About that title. First of all, “The Book of Carol” is an odd choice in itself. The biblical allusions are annoying because they don't speak to who Carol is as a character. I’m not mad that it implies we’re getting Carol’s POV—quite the opposite—but I don’t like the confusion it’s causing either. Let’s be clear, Carol is not a short chapter in Daryl's story. She is Daryl’s story. Calling Melissa a "series regular" is extremely poor wording, and a sincere fuck you to whoever approved it for the announcement. She is a lead with EP credit and creative input. I am so sick of AMC leaving it up to the fans to debate her worth. Tell us she’s vital to the show, tell us it’s her show, and use clear language. Stop giving her haters more ammo they don't need and stop giving her fans more anxiety they really don't need.

Honestly, it would’ve been easier to accept if S2 was formally called TWD: Book of Carol. The problem is "The Book of Carol" is not the title. It's a subtitle of a (sub)title, and it's bullshit. It feels like a scam, another way to try to convince us we're getting what we want when we're not really getting much of anything. I don’t know if they're worried about false advertising since S2 won't be a Daryl and Carol story—more like a Carol story which, again, I’m not mad about as long as it leads to a reunion and canon by the end. Or maybe they’re stubbornly clinging to the belief that Daryl’s name is what sells despite the atrocious ratings suggesting otherwise. Daryl AND Carol do sell though, so why not lean all the way into it? Why risk turning the show into a laughing stock with obnoxious titles? These characters don’t deserve that.

Another thing that worries me is how it'll be promoted. As "The Book of Carol" or Daryl Dixon S2? Is it going to vary based on who AMC is trying to placate? Is "The Book of Carol" going to be smaller than Daryl Dixon on all the key art? Including Carol in the title was supposed to show that Daryl and Carol are equals. That way, Norman and Melissa would also be treated as equals by viewers and by co-workers. This doesn't look very equal to me...

Why —why 😩— do they need to keep rehashing the filming location's origin story, and by rehashing, I mean lying about it and dragging Melissa and her fans through the mud when all we want to do is move the fuck on? I don't like that Gimple (savagely) threw Norman under the bus, and I don't like that Norman, whatever his intentions were, threw Melissa under the bus. Again, this is why we need to hear Melissa's thoughts on the show, specifically what Carol's (and Caryl's) journey will entail not just plot-wise, but emotionally. It's not fair to put all that responsibility on her to make everybody else look good, and I hope it won't come to that, but the people on that panel yesterday really weren't doing themselves or the show any favors. I was pretty unsettled by the number of times I heard the phrases "I wanted this" or "we wanted that." Has anyone ever taken the time to understand what their audience wants? Or has the show really just been a vanity project all along?

I was wary about Zabel pretty much from the start, but finally getting to hear him talk about Daryl cemented how poorly he understands who he is and more importantly what he means to fans. A man being torn between his former way of life and his new one is nothing groundbreaking. It's actually a pretty standard formula that can fit a lot of conventional heroes, but it does not work for Daryl Dixon. Daryl Dixon is not a conventional hero. Daryl Dixon is the most loyal character in TWD history, and it's been well established his loyalty is to his found family of over a decade--Rick, Michonne, Maggie, and especially Carol. We will never buy that Daryl could be torn between them and people he's only known for weeks/months. Someone who tries to force that should not be showrunning. Period. I am terrified to learn more about how Zabel views Carol because so far, it sounds like he doesn't think much of her at all. If he did, maybe he would've written something more substantial for her in the finale.

We'll see what happens on Sunday. Hopefully they'll release the S2 teaser. Hopefully it’ll provide more reassurance. Hopefully something will. At the moment it just doesn't seem like AMC is capitalizing on Melissa's return as much as they could, and they're definitely not capitalizing on Caryl yet. That being said, and I can’t stress this enough, I do trust Melissa’s judgment. If she chose to come back—and she did—it’s for good reason. The wait is going to be difficult, but next year we’ll have six full episodes of Carol trying to find her soulmate. Nobody is taking that away from us no matter how many times the men put their foot in their mouths.

[fucklovepayme]

FLPM Update 2023-2024

Hello guys!

A lot has happened since I last updated this blog. Let me start off by saying that manifestation is so fucking real, I don't care what anyone says. A lot of amazing things have happened to me this past year, and I am very grateful for it. My Saturn's Return (2020-2022) has been so damn rough to me, there was times that I gave up on life. I didn't care about my life or what happened to me. Thankfully that all changed in the beginning of 2023, I guess it is true when they say you have to go through your roughest time in life to receive your biggest blessings!

I manifested girlfriends that are chasing the bag too. I even became friends with some sex workers as well. It feels so good to hang out with true like-minded ladies, we get to freestyle together and hang out at more elevated events. And they are everything I manifested: young, pretty, supportive, and genuine. Unpopular opinion: I was getting tired of hanging out with slight pick mes, small-minded, and broke women. I want girlfriends who dgaf about these men, have an abundant mindset, and have money to do the nice things to come across the rich men we want.

I still dabble in sex work. I recently rejoined the infamous sugaring website (Starts with seek) and surprisingly it's not so bad this time around. Still have to scope out thousands of time wasters and the cheapies but I am meeting more POTs. I also joined some vanilla dating apps and set my settings to meet more established men. I've been out on some pretty nice dates with men that got coins and are not shy to spend it 🤑.

There's been some opportunities which I did some light escort activities 😅. I have a girlfriend that do threesomes with me for the right price. Sometimes we get approached at the bar or we pick out a guy that looks like a trick. If you would've told me that I would be doing threesomes for money (let alone free) 2 years ago, I would have laughed in your face. But now I don't give a damn and will proudly do it for the $$$$ and right man. I sometimes get approached when I'm out alone, and I do not take anything less than $1000. I was thinking about joining Er*s to get some steady tricks, but everytime I try to join it seems like the Universe intervenes and prevents my profile from getting approved :/. I'm still going to do my hoe-tivites until I get that wedding ring from my dream wealthy husband!

I've been hanging out with some powerful (and famous) men and women. I am not going to mention names for obvious reasons, but I met these people by simply being at the right places at the right times. I met a lot of celebrities growing up, but it's different hanging out with them as an adult 😊. At the end of the day, celebrities are just normal people with extra money and recognition.

I also became a home owner, and I did it in the time frame I gave myself. I made a goal list years ago that I wanted to be a home owner by the age of 30, and here we are! I achieved my biggest goal I set for myself, and I did it by myself. I am very blessed and grateful to be able to have my own property and I thank God everyday. Now I need a wealthy generous man who wants to pay for all the renovations I plan on doing!

My life is really a movie and I am enjoying every scene! I literally smile when I think about how much my life has changed this past year, mostly everything has been very positive and what I wanted. It's crazy how everything that has happened to me, started off as a thought, dream, or a journal entry. I believed in myself and did not lose sight of what I wanted in life. I'm so glad I'm a city girl that believes in myself and not a pick me or "bOsS bAbe", otherwise my life would not be as exciting 😉 I sometimes reflect on my adult life so far and I can honestly say that I have a lot of great experiences that the average person couldn't even dream of. I am living my best Samantha Jones and Toni Childs combined life that I have manifested since I was a little girl. Little FLPM would be in so much awe if she saw how she would be living her adult life 🥹.

Overall, I am way happier now than I was 2 years ago. I overcame the darkest time of my life and I am so strong for that and I'm proud of myself. Maybe in another post I will get more into detail of that time period, but right now it is still triggering. I am just happy that I am seeing more positivity into my life and I am open and ready for what's coming next! I will also be more active on this blog, posting at least once a week! Get ready to hop on this fun ride with me!

[dmbakura]

doing this meme with V cuz I FEEL LIKE IT WEHHH. warning for necrophilia, minor incest implications (with Bhaal) and SA mention 👍

1. vers-bottom, and very much a sub.

2. he's a dark urge so you can imagine violence and gore gets him off but even without the durge stuff he's still quite morbid. he has a bit of a silly side in bed too tho and if you can make him laugh (with terrible gallows humour especially) he's all for it. turn offs? uhh he doesn't really like chivalrous hero types at all and anything like that is likely to just make him really bored.

3. he's kind of a rapid fire cummer 🤨 lord have mercy that boy can squirt

4. his chest is pretty sensitive, especially around the scarring. his ears and neck as well

5. again, offering him gore, either killing someone/something or hell, even just talking about it really gets him going. but if you ACTUALLY want to get to know him, paying attention to his emotional needs and offering him a place to spill his thoughts and he's pretty damn easy lmao. he's not hard to seduce at all, he's quite lonely.

6. uhh pre tadpole, actually quite a lot. he kind of worked it into his killing schedule 💀 again, he's pretty lonely and doesn't feel safe with a lot of people so he only really found solace in dead bodies. post tadpole, after meeting Astarion, Abdirak, Halsin, etc he has way too many boyfriends to really bother with it at all

7. V would answer "yes". he probably likes riding the most, anything where his partner can touch him or look at him easily

8. 🧍‍♂️I don't really know if having sex with dead bodies counts as losing virginity. but anyways his first real sexual encounter with another person was at the temple of Bhaal. he got there late teens/early 20s and was curious and did it with another cultist

9. anywhere. bed, floor, sacrificial altar. he doesn't care and not much bothers him in terms of comfort

10. yep... it's not so much that he has an exhibition kink (I mean maybe a little) but he literally just doesn't care if he's caught

11. loud, extremely loud

12. ehhhm... I guess the closest thing is he learned a magic penis spell and uses it sometimes?

13. he *generally* prefers receiving. being a bhaalspawn, he's somewhat afraid of what he can do to another person, hence post tadpole he's pretty passive in sexual encounters with say- Astarion. however, he also has streaks where he REALLY wants to please his partner, so yeah i guess once he's more comfortable with his own autonomy he's more comfortable giving and being in control.

14. pretty often once he's with his boyfriends... you can imagine lmao

15. he wants to be understood, he wants someone to be able to handle him and make him feel like he won't fly out of control. he gets really comfortable when people take him seriously and pay attention to his needs. he's been neglected a lot of his life and he tries to portray himself as a mindless killing machine, but he really just wants to be known.

16. starved. he's a bit like Astarion in the sense that might come across as a mindless hedonist, but he really wants genuine connection and he's quite greedy for it when it's offered to him.

17. he doesn't have tits or a dick so idk what to put here 💀

18. pre tadpole: Bhaal. worshipping Bhaal. utter devotion to Bhaal... yeah he desperately wants the approval and love of his father and it comes out in really unhealthy ways. post bg3 if he somehow finds the time to masturbate he's doing it while thinking about either Astarion, Abdirak or Halsin.

19. he prefers men but he's open to pretty much anything else. I'd probably classify him as bi with a male lean. he thinks women are hot too and kind of laments he doesn't have many female partners 😔 maybe I should give him a girlfriend too.

20. pain REALLY gets him off. he usually likes being punished or rough treatment during sex, and then being thoroughly taken care of afterwards. specifically he likes his pussy being spanked. also likes being bitten.

21. currently doing an RP with him where he and Astarion sneak in Gortash's bedroom and have sex 💀 but honestly there's probably been weirder places

22. neck probably. V would just say "everywhere. kiss me everywhere."

23. he was sexually abused by Kressa Bonedaughter during his captivity in the colony. he only remembers this when meeting her again and he Doesn't Take It Well

24. as mentioned above, yes. Abdirak basically makes it a requirement when they have their penance sessions LOL

25. decently often. not really all the time tho. it just sort of happens when it happens

26. so V had? a weird experience with being trans? his self consciousness only sort of came into play AFTER he got bonked on the head by Orin and lost his memory. his senses got scrambled, he was kind of surprised (?) he didn't have a penis? so for whatever reason he got a bit thrown off about that and thought Astarion might be weirded out by it, even though Astarion wasn't. he was also really unimpressed when he got his period and just went "how the fuck did i deal with this again?"

27. V likes a drawn out session... so long, ideally.

28. as mentioned above, he has a silly side. I've drawn this with him cracking puns while Astarion fucks him as well

29. I've mentioned it before but Orin did his top surgery and it was part mastectomy and part murder attempt. he got some pretty sick scars out of it tho!

[accio-victuuri]

tomorrow, may 3rd is the last day of the “may day” holiday and i hope that btf remains on the #1 spot and will be the may day holiday champion. this holiday ( april 29 - may 3 ) is truly more of a golden week for tourism and not everyone will have the time to watch. may it pick up once they come back and more of em see the good reviews. having said that, i noticed today how people’s daily weibo account posted about btf. then CCTV 1 in the evening, reported about the may day films and only showed clips/mentioned btf. also the front page of beijing daily? btf.

part of the article that talks about btf :

Jing Runcheng said, "In terms of quality, "The King of the Sky" is best, it not only expresses the main theme, but also balances the needs of the audience. The rhythm of the film is good, not procrastinating, suitable for young audiences’ watching habits. There are laughs in the first half and tears in the middle. There is a burning point at the end, and various elements that mobilize the audience's emotions. The protagonist's growth arc is well done, the lead actor Wang Yibo brought traffic dividends to the film, and the performance also received approval. The special effects of the aircraft in the film is a breakthrough. It can be seen that director Liu Xiaoshi has a deep understanding of aircrafts.

One thing i was so nervous about when BTF was ( finally ) released was how it will be taken by the government and the air force community. So far, it all seems positive. Notice how their roadshows were private screening for military personnel too. As much as this is a movie for entertainment purposes, it also wants to send a message to the people & to the world. This was further explained in LX’s interview released today where he said,

Liu Xiaoshi believes that only by being close to the current group of test pilots, feeling, seeing, and observing can their stories be written well. "We must write the stories of the Chinese themselves. We cannot blindly imitate western movies. They ride motorcycles, and we ride motorcycles in the movies. Chinese soldiers don't do that; They go to bars, and we go too, and our troops don't like that. .” ( source )

Even in earlier interviews, LX was saying yibo was afraid to make a mistake in a “movie like this”. Yibo understood what as at stake in taking the lead role for a movie like BTF. One reason why there was virtually no training/filming leaks was they were at a secure base. and of course, he wants to give justice to the story of these men & women who protect their country.

My point is — Yibo does not shy away from projects that may be sensitive/ high stakes. or stories that no one has ever done before ( one & only for example is the first break dance themed movie in mainland china ). This is why I adore him. He does the exact opposite of what people think he should do. He could have easily chosen to do a straight up comedy movie or even a romance and call it a day. That could easily rake up some money, cause historically, movies in this may day season are of that genre and gets the top spot. But no. Even off season, he can pick traffic-star friendly themes and be done with it. Less strain for him. ( no shade to other actors but you all get the point ) No. He wants a challenge. I’m honestly in awe of what he’s been doing with his acting career and it’s a joy to be an audience for all of it. I’m excited where he takes us next 💕

[ravennaortiz]

Chapter 3 of the Juice and OC Stormie Rayne story.

Warnings: As always this is an 18+ story. General themes of the show such as violence, drugs, swearing, smut etc. Mention of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault/harassment are in some chapters.

Clay nodded as Juice finished telling him what he had found on Half-Sacks sister. "I don't have any concerns that make me feel she poses a risk for the club. Does anyone have objections?" asked Clay looking around the table at the men seated. After hearing none he adjourned the meeting.

As the men filtered out, Gemma made her was in. "Stormies a sweet girl and so is Isabella. Makes me wish I had a daughter" stated Gemma wishfully as she sat down in one of the many chairs. "Hassling her already" chuckled Clay as he shook his head. "No" replied Gemma with some annoyance. "Just checking to see what she is made of.....and there is a spice that I can't wait to see come out" replied Gemma with a laugh. "I came in her though to ask a favor" stated Gemma changing the subject. Clay laughed, "of course you had an ulterior motive." Gemma ignored him before continuing on. "I was telling her about Luanne and Kira-Kira. Told her I could get her a job their but she declined doesn't want to do that line of work anymore. I can't blame her after what she has been through. So I was thinking maybe she could be the club's bar tender." explained Gemma pausing to gauge Clay's response.

"Does she know how?" asked Clay after a moment. "Yes, she made all kinds of drinks out here while we were waiting" replied Gemma with a smile. "Sounds fine to me. She can start when she's ready" replied Clay. "Thank you" replied Gemma before getting up and leaving.

***

"I hope my mom wasn't too much darling" stated Jax as he sat at the bar where Piney was sitting coloring with Isabella while Stormie cleaned up what she had been using to make drinks. "Gemma? She was fine" replied Stormie as she glanced up at the blonde haired, blue eyed guy. "I assume your Jax? She gave me a whole history" inquired Stormie as she caught the VP patch on his kutte. Jax frowned slightly. "What exactly did my mom say about me" he asked curious. "Lets see. Two kids, inability to keep it in his pants, married to a woman she doesn't approve off, ex wife is an addict to which she said you have poor choices in women. Piney did I forget anything?" relayed Stormie with a smile as she looked towards the older man. He had put her at ease right away when the clubhouse filled up hours ago especially after Isabella announced that "her mommy was scared of men" making Stormie cringe and flush with embrassement.

"I think that was everything" laughed Piney as he looked at Jax who shook his head with a small smile. "All true. At least my mom is honest when she talks shit" laughed Jax as he took the beer Stormie offered him. "Don't feel to bad. She gave me all the dirt on everyone" replied Stormie as she caught sight of Gemma waving her to her. "I'll watch her" stated Piney as he saw Stormies gaze as he nodded to Isabella. "Thank you" replied Stormie before walking off to talk to Gemma. "Don't go sniffing around her Jackson. She's had a hard enough life and doesn't need you making it more complicated" warned Piney as he looked over at Jax. "Why do people keep telling me that" muttered Jax as he sipped his beer and thought of how Half-Sack, Chibs and Tig had already given him separate lectures.

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[castlebyersafterdark]

hahahah what i love about that finn behaviour is that it could suggest he is truly more at ease around male energy, and does that mean he is more attracted to women (awkward around them as he likes them) or does it mean he is comfortable in male presence and would prefer to be in a male presence and be tended to and touched and held by men??

we can never know as will and mike themselves are such great examples of opposites ways of dealing with same sex attraction! we have steady quiet will, never blustering and flustered, who avoids men irl. and we have mike who is an absolute mess and leans into eddie's every touch! fascinating!

Combining these since they have similar energy!

Definitely validity here re: the energy in situations we are observing with these older men. It's not purely "oh not this man is hot" even though, if he truly is queer, there's a level there. It's a pretty universal experience for a younger person to want the validation and attention and approval of someone older, no matter gender or sexuality. But, the specific ways that I personally witnessed in these interviews in particular? It has a very underlying subtext that reads beyond just wanting approval from an older peer. The specific way that Finn laughs is just... so familiar. "Is that just his personality" some will argue and well, if that's just a part of his personality, well then his personality has the vibes we're discussing, right? It's entwined. The way he laughs a little too hard at times, the way he touches these guys, the looking immediately to them when he makes a comment. It is kind of safe, because you really can play it off as admiration and trying to be on the same level with these older men. A straight eye probably won't clock it as flirting, that's just an eager kid vying for approval. But the approval is intrinsically needed because it's caught up in wanting them to respect you and consider you an equal and you also feel that attraction, your mind wants to entertain the thought. The brain is firing off in many directions. Been there, babe. The way he carries himself in these interviews just... doesn't feel very straight. "Can't a man be secure in himself and be comfortable expressing..." - sure! But we're calling what we see. I see flirtation underneath several other layers of veneer.

Maybe he doesn't even realize he's doing it. I doubt his anxious ass is re-watching his interviews, but I wonder what he'd think of himself if he watched it back. Cannot even imagine. It's not like he's doing anything embarrassing, but the energy there. Oh, Finn. It's a valid read, for sure. There's got to be a reason so many of us in certain parts of the fandom get a queer read on him, and it cannot be from clothing or physical appearance because I'm gonna be honest - those aren't the biggest tells in his case. That isn't enough for me. Behavior and actions and spoken words are more indicative of this sort of thing.

And the first point - it's another interesting idea. I'll admit I don't know Finn's personal life toooo deeply. I like Finn as a person and I like following his career - I've never been one who really paid attention to his relationships with people outside of the ST cast other than random little things I learned from scrolling tumblr. I'm slightly familiar with his IT days, but that was little boyhood and I'm not interesting in analyzing that too deeply. So is he in a circle of mostly male friendships as the implication? No idea, so I don't know if my insight is useful for him in particular.

There's definitely truths to sexuality and who you surround yourself with and there's also those who desire to fight against stereotype and gender roles, even unconsciously. Some straight men absolutely cannot be friends with women, a societal failing of them. Others have zero problem. I love the women in my life, and I know there's a stereotype that gay men get along better and surround themselves with women and I get that, but I also don't? My circle is pretty diverse. Some of my closest friends are straight guys and it's totally not any different than any other person's friendship. Not sure how great I am at analyzing this topic just because sometimes I get nervous making these grand generalizations!

I think for Mike and Will in the show however, since this is a show and easier to analyze than real life people - there is a pretty pointed connotation made when it comes to their friendships. There have been so many good analyses of Mike and his "boys only" moments. His uncomfortableness with women. He really seems to fall into a comfort level with the guys in his life. Which could simply be a story-telling hint on sexuality stuff rather than a commentary of friendships, but it can be twofold. Will certainly showcases a lack of female friendships and some criticize him for it, but he's also just a young boy when he says these things? "Girls play video games?" Etc. But that's also the classic 80s trope of boys vs. girls, nerds vs. heteronormative society, and then toss two gay kids into the mix. There's so many layers to consider. It's complicated. I'm going in circles here but both of these questions were really interesting to ponder. Will continue to do so but I'm gonna stop typing at this point haha.

[antisociallilbrat]

Saaaam, I don't know if this will interest you because it's a little crack-y but I need to tell someone of this Stozier dream I had earlier 😭

So earlier, I re-watched IT chapter 1 and 2 and like every other time when I get invested about something, I ended up dreaming about it in some way. Usually I just end up dreaming that I took the place of one of the main characters...

( last time I dreamed about IT, I dreamed that I was Eddie Kaspbrak in Chapter 1 and let me tell you, Sonia Kaspbrak is the worst and since I could "hear" Eddie's thoughts while everything was happening, I woke up crying lol also he likes Richie so much but is oh so repressed, my poor baby )

...this time, I dreamed of Chapter 2 and I dreamed that I was Patty. But the dream didn't follow the movie's plotline, instead, it was a whole different AU! As Patty, I'm apparently a noblewoman vying for Prince Stanley's hand in marriage ( think the ball dance from Cinderella ). At first I, as Patty, think that Stanley likes me enough– we danced, talked, had a few laughs. But then, a late carriage arrived and walks out, Richie MF Tozier, looking good as a fellow Prince and Stanley could not take his eyes off of him at all. What made this kind of crack-y was Richie announcing that he'll be vying for his hand as well and while the other nobles ( men and women alike ) all looked venomous at the added competition, Patty's first thought was ::

'Ah fuck, I'm not going to win this, am I?'

I don't know but I just find it so funny that I HAD to tell someone about it. Hope you did as well lmfao

That is funny, thank you for the giggle 😭

also I love a good royalty au, obsessed with them really, so thank you for sharing this. I can see Richie just showing up with an abundance of confidence to win Stan's hand.

Makes me like to think that maybe Richie was one of Stan's personal servants and the two have been pining over each other for years but they could never be together unless the court approved. So Richie- despite Stan's protests showed up to the ball to try to earn just that. Stan argued against it out of fear of backlash but he falls in love a little more at Richie's dumb bravery.

[namisweatheria]

I know I've complained about this before but it's so hard to find LuffyxNami things that aren't CisHeteroified beyond all recognition. Like no no no you do not get it. It's like that post that's like "some mf ships are like that woman is a lesbian but that man is a woman so it works out" except 10000x more genderweird and acearo spec and also poly because it's not just about them. They're just my two favorites and of course Luffy's relationships with everyone are always the most interesting, and I care about women the most always. Nami is everythingggggg.

That's why I didn't even ship tag that last reblog because I don't want anyone to read it and think I mean a hegemonic-ideal het ship that does not exist in my mind at all. Doing that to them changes both their characters and their relationship completely. I understand why a lot of queer readers wouldn't even think of them together. The thing is I just can only take so much yaoi in one boat. I NEED IT TO BE ABOUT A WOMAN SOMETIMES. I LOVE WOMEN. And I just think Nami's relationship with Luffy is the most dramatically interesting.

I think it's just different! It's not hard to understand why anyone would love Nami, but it is a little mystifying why Luffy gets so immediately attached to her. She is not nice to him. She doesn't have a moment that proves her to be "a good guy" like Zoro and Sanji and Usopp all do. She gets mad at him and tells him off a lot. He admires her intelligence, and her abilities, and he thinks she's funny. He believes she's good without any proof, and a lot to the contrary.

He understands her feelings, he picks up that something bad happened to her because of pirates right away. In typical fashion he doesn't set out to prove himself to her, he knows he's not going to change her opinion on pirates, and doesn't want to. He does want to be liked by her though, and picks up whatever scrap she throws over to him.

I think about that moment where she's like, "I'll work with you again if you get the map of the grand line, good luck", and he's like "wow thanks!" It's funny and it's weird. Like he's so happy such a capable seafarer would consider working with him again, and would wish him luck getting there. Combined with how much he looks for her approval later it's just like. I can't help contrasting with Zolu, how the two of them just instantly fit. How the thing Luffy admires about Zoro is also what he prides himself on, how he delights in fighting next to an equal he can trust. With Nami he does not have an ounce of the skills that he admires in her. A lot of the time he doesn't understand her or what she's saying, only that she's very smart and also right.

Obviously Luffy doesn't get intimidated but I think he's proud of himself for winning her friendship in particular. It just comes across that way. Meanwhile, it took Luffy a lot to prove to Nami that he was trustworthy and worth following. There was a post going around about how that's Nami's thematic role on the crew, the first one who he earned the trust of, the first and forever faithful in his ability to win. Her presence is proof that he's worthy.

Obviously he doesn't see it that way, but I do think there is that undercurrent in their dynamic, of a lot of effort given to someone who isn't easily pleased but already loves him too. There's just a kind of subtle aloofness that Nami has with Luffy because she doesn't show her affection in the same predictable ways as the others, doesn't fight next to him with a smile or laugh at his dangerous antics or feed him his favorite food or geek out together over something silly. She's just a lot harder than the others, honestly because she's not sympathetic to men! She's been through a lot! The loving thing she does is be there. The trusting thing she does is yell at him and bicker. She didn't get to be loud and express her anger before. Now she does, because she trusts them. It's so fucking cool and subtle and special and I'm crazy about it.

Like it's because she's a woman that it's like this- it's because of the sexism she's suffered and the cruel world of powerful callous men that she's scraped and gritted her teeth and fought tooth and nail to survive all on her own in.

It's because of that her trust was so hard to win it's because of that she shows that trust and her affection in subtle ways it's because of that their relationship is so interesting. There's so much more to her but it shapes her and it's so compelling.

I wish the queer fans who care about her cared about her with Luffy because it's not just another het ship you can follow their queer coding here too their queerness is not incompatible it's unique and interesting it's nonbinary dyke4fag it's acearospec queerplatonic undefined closeness it's a mutual importance to each other that defies all roles and expectations IT TOTALLY DOES NOT EXIST IN CANON SO WE CAN HAVE FUN WITH OUR OWN VERSION. STRAIGHT PEOPLE DO NOT OWN LUNAMI. CIS PEOPLE DON'T EITHER. THEY'RE MINE ACTUALLY I JUST PICKED THEM UP AND PUT THEM IN MY POCKET AND BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS I WILL BE SEVERAL STATES AWAY.

[whoami-24601]

International Incident Part 5

Part 1 Part 4

After the drivers decide that Lewis and Logan would do social media posts, Lewis calls Toto for an update. "Toto, what is going on? It's been almost three hours, man. This isn't ok. If we don't get out soon, we are going to come up with our own plan."

From the speakerphone, everyone could hear a gruff Toto say, "we haven't gotten much of an update either. Stefano and some of the FIA are negotiating with the representation of the country. The only thing we have been told is that they are not looking for money. We offered. They seem to want to make a spectacle out of this. They're unhappy with," Toto sighed, "a lot of things really."

"Like what?" Lewis was aware they needed to save cell phone battery, but it felt too important to cut the conversation short.

"Like," Toto hesitated, sounding exhausted, "all of it. Gay rights, women's rights, global warming, and our attempts at reducing carbon emissions. Something about a flag and sponsors, too. It just sounds like they want us to be stuck in the 50s or something. I have no idea how a race was even approved here." The drivers all started whispering amongst themselves with that admission. What were they going to do? Why was this being taken out on them?

"Money talks, Toto," Lewis responds. "We all know that. The big question is - what do they want us to do about it? Those things are much bigger than this one race here. We can't just pledge to set back humanity."

"No, no, we can't, and we won't. We need to figure out how to get you all out and get the hell out of here." Toto paused again to ask, "how is everyone doing?"

"Umm," Lewis surveyed the room. The duos and trios had started to separate again. The closeness during their planning session diminished as they heard Toto's comments. "I'm going to go with not great. Little water, no food, and we're basically on the edge of panic."

"I don't know what to suggest for you all but I will do my best to see if we can at least get you some food and water. Hopefully this ends soon."

"Yeah, ok, Toto, thanks for the update. I'm going to save battery again, so just call if you have an update. We may switch to someone else's phone after a while, but mine is still good for now. We'll text you if that changes." Toto had become the main contact since George and Lewis were part of the problem solving group, and they knew Toto would do everything in his power to get them out. The rest of the team principals were also aware that Toto was the only contact after the initial lock-in occurred.

Everyone settled back into their corners to call their loved ones. The problem solving team also found spaces they could speak somewhat privately, given everyone was stuck in a single room together.

As they walked very slowly back to their corner, Danny said, "well, I guess it's phone call time. Do we want to call one at a time? We can time the one person and provide support?" He turned to Max and Lando for their thoughts.

Max nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's good. I don't think I should call my dad, though. I'll call my mom and Victoria together." Daniel and Lando did not question the decision as they approached their former spot.

Daniel dropped himself down against the wall and opened his legs suggestively. "Anyone wanna come cuddle me?" His eyebrows jumped up and down as he surveyed the two men. Lando immediately blushed and shook his head no while Max seemed to contemplate the offer. "You in, Maxy?"

"Sure," Max answered nonchalantly, settling down between Daniel's legs and leaning casually against his chest. Lando stood with his mouth open at how easily Max had agreed.

Seeing Lando's reaction, Danny told him, "you missed your shot, Lan. Have to wait for the next time my legs are open!" He laughed at his own comment and opened his arm up for Lando to squish next to him, which he did without hesitation.

"Anyone want to call first?" Lando asked softly. He didn't want to call at all but knew it was the right thing to do.

"I will do it," Max said, pulling his phone out from his back pocket, awkwardly knocking against Daniel's legs.

Squeezing his legs back around Max's body once his arm was clear, Daniel teased, "Oh, Maxy," getting a chuckle in return.

While Max was turning his phone on, Lando rolled his eyes and debated about his own phone call. He knew he had to talk to his parents, but he also wished he could talk to his other friend Max. He debated what he needed to say, thinking back to Lewis' suggestions. His parents would absolutely know something was wrong if he just called to say he loved them, and if his dad figured out something was wrong and Lando wasn't telling him, he would get the information somehow. He had Zak's direct line after all. After a few minutes, Lando realized he hadn't been listening to Max. The call had started, and Lando tuned in to hear Max say, "you will be well taken care of if anything happens to me. I met with some lawyers to see to it." Lando raised an eyebrow and looked at Danny for his reaction. Danny was staring at his watch with an intense look on his face, nothing Lando wanted to interrupt. Once again, tuning back in, Lando heard Max say goodbye, and he loved them. Lando was also shocked to see the silent tears falling down his friend's face. He reached over, wrapped their arms together, and put his head on Max's shoulder.

"It is not a lie," Max answered the question Lando didn't ask. "I had lawyers draw up papers that most of my money and property goes to them if I die. I did it a long time ago, but I did not see the point in telling them before. They know racing is dangerous, and it did not seem important."

Daniel slipped an arm between Lando's body and arm so he could wrap both arms around Max. "You did good, Maxy. Your family is so proud of you." As an afterthought he added, "so am I." Max looked over his shoulder at Daniel, grateful.

"I'm proud of you too, Max," Lando added softly. "You deserve everything you've achieved. I just wish I could take away the bad stuff." Lando's head remained on Max's shoulder, so he didn't see the confused face.

"The bad stuff made me deserve the good stuff," Max responded.

Danny sighed and tightened his hold. "No, Maxy. You don't have to go through bad stuff to get good stuff. That's now how life works. You deserve it just for being you."

Max would not agree with his friends, but he did not see the point arguing, so he asked, "who is next?"

"Danny," Lando answered quickly. He bashfully looked back, hoping he would not disagree.

"Sure, sure," Danny conceded, pulling his arms back to get his own phone out. "Maxy, you want to time me with that fancy watch you've got? I probably need like a minute warning. Unlike you, who finished your call in less than 3 minutes!"

"Are you sure you do not need a five minute warning? We know how you like to talk," Max joked.

Daniel tickled Max's side in retaliation, thankful for the laughter it caused. Max squirmed a bit until Daniel stopped to prepare for his call. He was calling both of his parents together. He wanted to call his sister too but didn't think he would have time to arrange it and say what he wanted without raising too many alarm bells.

Lando desperately wanted to listen to Danny's call to try to help prepare him for his own, but as soon as Danny started talking, Lando zoned out again. He watched the different drivers in the room to see how they were reacting to calling their loved ones. Charles and Pierre remained the closest to them, and Yuki had attached himself to that group, or more specifically, Pierre. Pierre was obviously trying to be strong for the men on both sides of him. His face looked hard, likely trying to hide his true feelings. Meanwhile, Yuki looked terrible. He was so confused and staring at his phone like it was a foreign object he had never used before. Charles looked like he had finished his call if the tear tracks on his face were any indication.

Lando looked to the other side of the room to see George and Alex together, George on the phone, and Alex holding his hand while looking at his own watch. Fernando and Carlos were sitting near each other, each on their phones. Esteban was on his phone and talking animatedly while Lance seemed to be zoned out, staring at the floor in front of himself.

A hand touching his back broke Lando from his own reverie, causing him to jump. "I'm sorry, Lan," Danny said, continuing to rub up and down. "You ok? Are you ready to call your parents?"

Lando looked back at Danny, shocked that it was already his turn. He hadn't heard a single thing Danny had said. He can see the tears in his eyes, though. Lando took another look around the room, a deep breath, and turned back to Danny with determination. If everyone else could do this, so could he. "Yes, let's do this." Lando picked up his phone and realized his hands were shaking. He couldn't even unlock it in the first two attempts.

Danny reached over and took the phone from his hands. Without saying anything, he held it steady and let Lando unlock it. Once unlocked, Danny took it and turned airplane mode off and opened the phone contacts. Lando didn't understand why Danny was doing that. He could handle these basic tasks. He didn't see the point in arguing, though. Maybe Danny needed to help him to feel grounded. After a moment, Danny showed him his phone and asked, "this number?" Lando could see "Dad (ICE)" open and nodded. He might need to add his mom, but he would see if they were together first.

"Wait, what time is it in the UK?" Lando asked suddenly. The drivers were calling all over the world, and the timing was bound to cause some alarms to go off.

Max answered, "7pm." Of course Max knew without having to look it up.

"It was the middle of the night for your family, Danny?" Lando asked, concerned.

Danny grimaced and confirmed, "Yeah, I didn't think that through. They definitely know something is wrong, but they know to wait for more information." Then added softly as an afterthought, "hopefully."

Lando stared at the contact on his phone until the screen went dark. He felt shuffling next to him and realized Max had gotten up, and Danny had managed to maneuver them both so Lando was back between his legs. His knees were up on both sides, almost like a leg hug, while his arms wrapped snuggly around his waist. "Do you want to practice?" Danny offered quietly. Lando didn't know what to say. To Danny, to his parents. He leaned back against Danny's chest, thankful for the support. He glanced over at Max, now to his right, who was staring right back at him intensely. As they looked in each other's eyes, Danny stated, "you don't have to lie. Tell them you're having a bad night and you miss them. You just want to hear their voices. That's not too strange to concern them, is it?"

"My parents?" Lando asked with a forced chuckle. "They'd be concered for sure, but I think you're right. They'd be more concerned about my mental health than me being in a fucking hostage situation." Lando felt Danny kiss the back of his head but he didn't say anymore. Lando took that as his cue to just get it done.

Managing to unlock his phone this time seemed like a good sign he was ready. Lando clicked "call" and "speakerphone" quickly. He probably shouldn't do speakerphone given so many people in the room, but he just couldn't handle being the only one that could hear his parents' reaction.

"Hey Lando!" his dad answered, sounding happy to hear from him.

"Hey dad," Lando responded, trying to sound more upbeat than he felt.

"What's wrong?" his dad immediately asked, proving Lando failed his attempt.

"Nothing, just um, could you get mom too, please? I just want to talk to you both." Lando found himself rubbing his leg, trying to force out the nervous energy.

Lando's dad responded, "of course, give me a minute." He could be heard yelling in the background and walking through the house.

Lando felt another kiss on his head, this time just above his left ear. It felt more grounding than the rubbing he was doing. He pushed his head back into Danny's face gently, trying to say thank you silently.

"Honey?" Lando's mom asked, concerned. "Are you OK? Your dad said you wanted to talk to both of us. Do we need us to come to you?"

"No!" Lando exclaims much too loudly. He glances around the room to see if any other driver's noticed but just sees a couple of people looking his way. That was fine. Not too big a scene. "I just mean, no, I'm ok. You don't need to travel all this way just because I'm having a bad night. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow."

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" His mom asks.

"I, um, I just," Lando stuttered. He had no idea what to say.

Danny leaned over Lando's shoulder and spoke to the phone, "hey Mr and Mrs Norris, Daniel Ricciardo here. I'm sorry to scare you like this. Lando was just feeling out of sorts, and I thought a piece of home might make him feel better. I didn't consider how that would sound to you."

"Oh, honey," Lando's mom responded softly. "Thank you, Danny. What have I said about the whole Mr. and Mrs. Norris thing? You're an adult, and a close friend of the family. There's no need for such formality."

"Right, right," Danny agreed. "Just feels wrong, like I'm disrespectful if I don't call you that!"

"Well, I'm telling you I don't find you using our first names disrespectful at all," Lando's mom responded sternly.

Danny laughed and agreed, "Ok, Ok, I get it. I don't want to take away from Lan here. Unfortunately, we need to go in a minute. Lando, tell your parents you love them and not to worry about you."

Lando swallowed and did as told, "I love you. Don't worry about me."

"We're always going to worry about you," Lando's dad responds. "We love you too, Lando, so much."

"So much," Lando's mom adds. "Call us anytime, honey. And, Danny?"

"Yes?"

"You take good care of our boy, right?"

"I do my best," Danny answers with a slight catch in his voice. Lando's parents don't seem to notice and hang up after their goodbyes