#i hope that you are able to take some time to do st nice for yourself today :) like get a nice beverage or other treat!

[naramdil]

Of course your passive aggressive ass would support Selena

Justin really made so many careers Selena and Hailey need to thank him, because of all the Disney kids Demi deserved the hype Selena’s talentless ass gets

What a way to down another woman Hafsa do better, nasty for no reason when Hailey was a model before and a ballerina before that she has worked for what she has got and obviously is a wife so I don’t know how that is a drag

Bella getting dragged as well by that puffy faced loser, lord her instagram is a mess

omg.. first of all it's truly not that serious to me, I genuinely am not following any of this closely. but how are you calling selena a puffy faced loser and then telling Me to do better when it comes to talking about other women akjhdakjshd that's so mean!! I haven't even said anything mean like that about hailey! I don't have anything against her, if I were her I would just live my life in bliss and not care abt fame whatsoever. I also like the brown manicure w the vanilla chrome powder, that is cute. I've also considered trying a product from her skincare line, but like I don't rly have a vested interest in any of this drama. I'm sure that all parties involved are doing just fine given their tax brackets. and I'm sure their publicists are thrilled

[ravengards-rogue]

✧ tags : afab + fem!reader, top karlach, bottom reader, strap-ons, breaking the bed, act three spoilers (vaguely), karlach is the weensiest bit of a bully, 18+

.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡

Karlach can't keep her hands off you.

Not her fault, in her defense. She had to spend an incredibly long, incredibly daunting leg of your journey not being able to touch you at all. Really, some of the hardest shit she's ever done in her life - even with her time in Avernus being Zariels' little lapdog.

Now that she has the privilege, she has to make the most of it. Her engines burning her up from the inside so she ought to make the most of everything. You especially. Who knows what will be left of her memory when her soul ends up in fugue plane? She hopes and prays her last memory is the feeling of you tucked in her arms all safe.

That being said, she's always on you. She likes fucking you whenever she can, wherever you'll let her. You're proper cute when she sneaks into your bedroll and lets her hand underneath your waistband, muffling little moans into the side of her neck as she holds you. Got the prettiest little voice she's ever heard when you whine for her, grip her forearm and beg all teary eyed.

That's been good and well - fucking amazing really. But there's been one thing that Karlach has been dying to do since she's gotten back to Faerun which is fuck you. Like, really fuck you.

She makes you cum in other ways. Whatever available, really. Hands, mouth, the muscle in her thigh when you're especially needy. Gods, she's grateful to see you like that. Leader of the pack all soft and trembling her bedroll all night, a sight for sore eyes.

But she wants to fuck you. She needed a strap to do that, and those sorts of things are only easy to find in the city - not in the middle of nowhere in the backwaters of the Sword Coast.

She knows you want it too, always begging for more.

You're in the city now, though - and you've visited Sharess' Caress, and now Karlach finally has something to fuck you with. You're finally in Elfsong song now (no more sleeping on dirt!) and the rest of your party has gone off to explore the city. There's plenty of business to attend to. The two of you offered to stay behind, hold down the fort.

(And well, no one was really going to stay after that were they? Not with the happy couple around, with Karlach eyefucking you as openly as she possibly can at least.)

She really is glad that you have all this time to yourselves for now.

Now that she's finally, finally fucking you - she isn't sure it'll be easy for her to stop.

You're pretty laying underneath her. Naked, sweat making your skin sheen as Karlach stands back on her knees and fucks you on your back. Your chest bounces every time your ass meets the thrust of her own hips, your voice trembling as she gets into proper pace to fuck you.

She gives you a wicked little smile, watching with abject fondness as her cock slides into you again. Shiny with your arousal, your cunt is tight with resistance even as she goes slow. You mewl, your hands reaching to push against Karlach's abs.

"Too much, Karlach, can't—" You gasp as she bullies the swollen head back into you. "S-senstive,"

"Didn't take you for such a quitter, soldier. You were just begging for it and now it's too much," She goads, fucking you deeper. You groan as your spine arches, nails scratching at her waist. "Try a little harder, baby."

Your voice breaks into a pathetic moan, weakly trying to push her out. Legs shaking as she fucks another inch into you. You're so wet she can hear it, hear how soft your pussy gets trying to accommodate around her length. Whimpering you close your eyes and shake your head.

"Too much. I c-can't cum again, can't."

Fuck you're delightful. It's nice when Karlach gets the chance to render you as helpless as you always make her feel. Pitiful and tender, she hums a little as she bottoms out again. Her eyes go lidded with want as she looks at the place in where she's inside of you, stretching your tight little hole. Fucking pretty thing you are. Pretty face and pretty heart and the prettiest pussy she's ever seen in her life. She's mesmerized how something so big can fill something so small. You stretch around her cock so well, so perfect.

"Of course you can." She murmurs. Hot hands curl around your wrists, your arms straightening out in front of you as Karlach holds them. Your fingers brush against your abdomen again but don't find the same purchase as Karlach holds you down. "A little more and you'll make another mess for me to clean up like always, huh?"

"Karlach," You whine, your eyes fluttering open. Your lashes are wet with overstimulated tears, mouth curled in a soft and pouty flush. "Karlach,"

She laughs, sharp teeth showing as she rolls her hips - undulating slower. A soft pace to ease you into it again. She knows just the right angles. You like two ways. Hard and heavy, her hips fucking into yours

She steals a glance at your desperate face and settles on the latter. "I'm right here, pretty girl. And I'm not going anywhere, either. Now hold on,"

It's the most she spares as a warning before she sets a brutal pace. She use your hands for purchase as she pulls her cock out, and thrusts all the way back in with a loud, unforgiving groan. Her clit digs into the leather backing of the strap when she does, delicious friction making her head feel numb.

You cry out as she thrusts deep and hard, cock buried to the hilt again.

She keeps the same brutal, unforgiving pace. The room sounds with the weight of her thrusts, skin smacking against skin and the soft internal whirr of her engine noisy. Lewd, wet sounds mix with the visual of you laid underneath her, tits bouncing with every smack of hips.

She throws her head back back, euphoria washing over her in a haze.

"Fuck yeah, that's it baby. Feels good. Feeling me right in your stomach?"

You nod deliriously as your hand curls into a fist, struggling to keep up. She laughs at you as she ducks her head to meet your mouth. You kiss her with immediate fervor chasing her lips aimlessly while she fucks you hard and deep.

Her name sounds so good from your mouth, she doesn't think she'll ever get sick of it.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡

[chiyuo]

“such a pretty girl…”

rosa diaz x fem!reader

what happens when rosa diaz finds an innocent little girl at shaws bar?

smut!! wlw - men dni!

warnings: corruption kink, dacryphilia, marking, collar, usage of pet names (pretty girl, bunny, baby, princess, etc.), oral (both receiving ), usage of strap (r receiving), calling a strap her cock, roughness, praise, degradation, and light sadism

a/n: i’m so scared guys this is my first time writing smut please be nice

you looked so cute, drink in hand, y/h/c locks cascading down your exposed shoulders and back, the edges of your slightly messy layered hair brushing your collarbone. it wasn’t until gina pointed you out from across the bar that rosa had looked at you, but the second she did, she was glad. she thought about your pretty, innocent eyes filled with tears of bliss, never being able to be fucked so well.

it wasn’t until you set your drink and phone down and waved that rosa was snapped out of her trance. she sat for a moment, talking to gina in hopes that she masked her excitement well. after she felt enough time had passed, she got up and sat in bar stool next to you.

“hey,” you whispered, a soft smile playing at your pretty lips. rosas eyes were locked on your lips before meeting your beautiful y/e/c eyes. “hey, pretty girl. what brings you to shaws?” she asked, slyly moving her hand towards yours, her curly mane spilling out onto her perfect face. “a birthday celebration for my cousin. they left a while ago, though…” your words trailed off as you felt her left ring covered hand touch your exposed thigh.

“oh really?” she smirked, squeezing lightly. “has anyone tried to take you home today, princess?” you flushed at the nickname, feeling butterflies swirl in your belly, biting your lip. this woman was making you feel so funny for some reason. “tell me, bunny, have you ever slept with a woman?” rosa asked, a hint of a smirk playing on her full lips.

“um, no, actually. i’ve never really been with anyone where it wasn’t a quick handjob, or something. i didn’t really like it much, though.” you responded, unable to make eye contact. “what a shame. maybe i should fix that for you?” rosa smiled, her eyes flashing with amusement.

“you never told me your name”, you said, biting the inside of your cheek. “rosa. rosa diaz.” the woman responded before squeezing your thigh. “y/n…” you sighed breathlessly as she rand her nails up and down your thigh lightly.

“what a cute name for a cute little bunny. how about we go to my house and i teach you some things?” she asked before paying both you and her tabs. you nodded shyly, thanking the bartender for the drinks, smiling as he gave you a thumbs up in response and a friendly wave goodbye.

as you left the bar, the cool new york city air hit you, most lights were off except for some street lamps and 24/7 bodegas’ neon lights. even though it was so dark, she still looked so pretty. “did you drive here, baby?” she asked, holding onto your hand loosely. “no, i’m in walking distance”, you explained, smiling at the feeling of her warm fingers interlaced with yours.

as rosa unlocked the door to her apartment, it was less than a minute until you were up against a wall in between her toned caramel arms, her cold yet soft lips making contact with your neck. “i’m not going to stop until you lose all your innocence and scream my name so loud that we get a noise complaint..” rosa bit down lightly onto your neck. “be a good girl and wait on the bed, it’s four doors to the left. can you do that, bunny?” she hummed in delight as you nodded, fixing the photo that hung above you of her and what seemed to be her family, straightening it.

when rosa entered the room, she’d stripped herself of her shirt and pants, leaving her in her black sports bra and boxers. you could drool at the sight, but that would be simply embarrassing for you, so you bit your lip instead. she set down a bag, pulling out a pink collar with a heart on it, a pink dildo, and a black 7.5 inch strap.

your eyes widened, not entirely sure what to do with all of those, when she stepped behind you and pulled up your hair for you. she ordered you to get down off of the bed and to get on your knees in front of her, you quickly complying. “such a good bunny. now, our safe word is ‘cop’, alright? if you’re overwhelmed or want to stop, say it and i will immediately.” you nodded in understanding. “use your words, princess.” she hummed, running her thumb across your bottom lip, pulling at it slightly.

“yes, i understand.” you breathed out, picking up the collar curiously. “can i wear this?” you asked, examining the pretty pink leather. she nodded, before taking it and clipping it around your neck. “get undressed, baby.” she ordered as you scrambled to get your cute clothes off. “good girl. now, as i get ready, you’re going to suck this pretty pink dildo, alright?” she said, handing the thing to you, it’s pure size shocking you.

she turned around, adjusting the harness of the strap before putting away some spare clothes. you tenderly caressed the dildo before bringing it up to your soft lips hesitantly. you licked the tip softly, your tongue swirling around it. soon enough your were licking and bobbing your head on it like it was the sweetest lollipop, fueled by the fact that you knew that she had used this to bring pleasure to herself during so many nights.

she chuckled softly, admiring how pretty you looked on your knees, taking a cock into your mouth. after she decided it was enough, she slapped it across your cheeks gently, attaching the harness of the strap on securely. she smiled as you instinctively leaned closer to the cock, finding your unsureness and nervousness cute. as you hollowed your cheeks around it, she grabbed your head lightly. “good girl, baby.” she praised, throwing her head back at the sight.

soon enough, tears of pleasure formed in your eyes as she throat fucked you, moan after moan leaving your mouth. “that’s it. there we go.” she smiled, keeping your head in place with her firm hands. once it was wet enough, she lifted you onto the bed, demanding that you get on all fours, pushing down on your back lightly to make it arch more. she rubbed her fingers down your wet, puffy, and sticky slit, admiring your swollen clit and lips.

she used her fingers to toy with your entrance to prepare yourself for something so big. she lightly pushed the tip in, relishing in the way that your breathy moans escaped your lips, before shoving the rest of it in. “you’re so fucking tight, bunny, taking it like such a good girl. my sweetheart…” rosa husked, thrusting into you at a pace that made the bed shake and your ass and thighs giggle.

she reached down to toy with your clit, adoring the way that your eyes rolled back and babbles fell from your pretty lips as she thrusted into you. “my little bitch,” rosa smirked, smacking your ass lightly. with the way you were screaming, she could tell you were close. “are you going to cum, bunny?” she asked, almost mockingly.

you nodded fiercely, still unable to stop yourself from moaning. “yeah, all over my big fucking cock,” she thrusted into you at an animalistic pace, your back arching more. as soon as you felt your climax approaching, she grabbed onto your ponytail and shoved your face into the pillows, feeling that tight coil snap.

as you fell into the bed, she pulled out gently and slowly, laughing at how you whimpered after feeling so empty. she flipped your tired body over, hovering over you. “are you okay, pretty girl?” she asked, gently caressing your cheek. “mhm” was all you could respond with before she started leaving heart shaped hickeys from your neck to you core, shivering at her cold yet soft lips.

she quickly grabbed a sharpie, writing “property of rosa diaz” on your tummy, smiling at her handywork before licking the cum off of your thighs and sensitive pussy. she moaned at your taste, diving in. she gently swirled your clit around her mouth and used her tongue to stimulate your folds, leaving wet open mouthed kisses, careful not to overstimulate you too much.

you felt your second high approaching, feeling that tight coil tense up. as soon as she tenderly kissed your clit, stars exploded in you eyes, seeing colors, your screams slowing to moans to whimpers, holding onto her hand.

she gently licked the cum off of you, carrying you to the bathroom to clean you up with a warm washcloth, praising you on how good you were for her, before tucking you into the bed with a kiss on your forehead.

a/n: ik it’s bad pls don’t come for me it’s my first time writing smut 😭😭

[luckykiwiii101]

A Tendency To Kill…

And It Takes One To Know One….

Hey Upper East Siders.

Words out that it’s been…6 months since you’ve been sitting on your ass, procrastinating. Maybe that why it’s so flat…

Wait…you haven’t been procrastinating?

What a shame. When B built a bridge, it all came crashing down. Well maybe, the bolts weren’t strong enough.

Persist once. Shame on you. Persist twice. The blame’s on you. Persisting is nothing if you aren’t out to persist forever. Because your persistence should result in the 3D also showing you proof later…meaning that you can’t just “stop” persisting when it’s right in-front of you. If you know what I mean.

But what’s “persisting” if you don’t take it seriously.

If you ask me, you’re too bold playing around with the only thing holding your hope for a bright future. Or any future at all.

The only way to persist is, with a tendency to kill.

Woah woah woah!! Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here and unleash the murderers roaming tumblr.

What I mean is…murder the old state. Until it no longer exists. Replace it with your new state.

You’ve already created the monster that you call “yourself” today. So what makes you think you can’t create another one. Except, this new one will be more in your favour. Completely in your favour.

Done with being nice. Because look how ever so far that’s gotten you…

You’re out to kill. (Metaphorically incase some of you illiterate dumb fucks can’t get this information into your brain, as usual, because if you did, you’d be sitting in your mansion right now, or wherever you desire, just anywhere but your lazy arse).

A wise girl once said, peak failure is the moment you’re too lazy to get off your metaphorical arse and persist, even though it doesn’t require getting off your physical arse. How embarrassing. Now how do you stoop that low….into your couch. You’re leaving a dent. It’s been ages. The springs must feel a new awakening when you finally choose to get up. If you get up. Don’t you feel butt hurt? Like literally? I cant imagine. How will you be able to do anything? Instead of running on treadmills and getting absolutely nowhere, quite literally. Instead venture into your mind, and actually get somewhere. You know you create your reality. Yet you refuse to…

The old you no longer exists. The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. And I mean literally. Get the hell off your phone, and start applying instead of scrolling tumblr searching for answers you already know the answer to.

You haven’t truly persisted if you haven’t drowned the old state in the new state. You’re somebody else now. And if you ever return to your old self, then you never truly claimed your new state. Only call yourself a success when you actually persist. And currently, by the looks of it you aren’t.

Cmon, try it. You’ll start to like who you become along the way. Wouldn’t it be satisfying to give yourself what you deserve?

Well either way, it’s not my problem what life you choose to live. Nobody’s going to shake you out of your trance when we all leave with our success stories, and you’re just…here.

And if books could kill, we wouldn’t wanna be you…since all you really seem to do is look for more info in them. It’s about time they bite your face off. You’re supposed to be attending Constance Billard/St Jude’s private school, not Hogwarts.

I hope I don’t see you here instead of enjoying your summer with your dream life. How many summers have gone by? I’m losing track. Well I guess some things never change…especially you.

- gossip girl

[ineffablesuffering]

Sick Days (Aziraphale x Crowley x Reader)

I wrote this as a form of comfort as I am finally getting over this cold that I had.

Warnings: like one swear word, Crowley being soft for the reader

Pairing: Aziraphale x Crowley x Platonic!GN! Reader.

Word Count: 1,095

Masterlist

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

You lay in bed, the thought of moving was, to simply put it - unbearable. You had awoken with a pounding headache and felt like your sinuses were trying to escape from your face. Everything hurt and your body couldn't decide if it was too hot or too cold. Great. You were sick.

You had meant to have plans with Crowley and Aziraphale feeding the ducks in St James Park and a spot of lunch, but clearly that wasn't happening today. You sat up in bed and instantly the room starting spinning around you. You let out a deep cough and you whine at the feeling in your chest. You put a hand to your forehead to try and ground yourself as you reach for your phone before sliding back down into your bed. You had planned to call Aziraphale and tell him you couldn't make it, but the room kept spinning and forced you to close your eyes to make it stop.

The next thing you remember is your phone ringing a few hours later. "Shit," you mumble. You must have fallen back asleep. You pick up your phone, answer it and put it to your ear. "Hello?" you rasp.

"Y/N, I just wanted to see if we're on your way?" It was Aziraphale. You groan and turn to face your clock. You should have been at the bookshop by now. "My dear? Are you quite alright? You don't sound yourself." He asks.

"I'm sorry Aziraphale, I was meant to call you but I must have fallen back asleep, I'm not feeling too great." You rasp out, your throat feeling like it was on fire. "I'm not going to be able to make it today."

"Is that Y/N?," you hear Crowley shout in the background, "Tell them to hurry up, times a ticking."

You try to let out a laugh, but it ends with you in a coughing fit, wincing at the pain in your chest. "You two go on ahead without me, we'll catch up soon."

"Are you sure? We can always rearrange?"

"Aziraphale, I'll be fine," you say as another cough racks through your body, "I've been ill before."

"Well, make sure you rest and we will see you another time. I hope you feel better soon my dear,"

"Thank you 'Zira, I'll talk to you later," you say as you hang up the phone before placing it on your bedside table. You groan as you drag yourself out of bed, in search of water and hopefully some form of medication.

A short while later, you had decided that you couldn't sit in bed any longer and you were curled up on your sofa, watching your comfort show, eating your comfort food and taking small sips of some hot lemon and honey water when there was a knock at the door. You muted the TV, praying that whoever was knocking would go away. The knocking persisted.

"They're  probably asleep Angel," you heard a muffled Crowley. This got your attention and you made your way from the sofa to the door.

"Maybe, but I'd feel better if I just saw them." replied Aziraphale.

You open the door to find the angel and demon standing before you. They took in your disheveled state, your skin pale except from your blood shot eyes and your nose being red, your hair messy and a headache strip on your forehead, a blanket haphazardly wrapped around your shoulders and your comfy clothes on. A true sight for sore eyes.

"What are you two doing here?" Your voice quiet in an attempt to not irritate your throat even more.

"We came to check on you, and see how you're feeling." Aziraphale said, "We brought you supplies" he gestured to the bag that Crowely was holding.

"You really didn't have to," you say

"We know," said Crowley. You give him a small smile, "and don't think this is me being nice. I'm just following orders."

"I wouldn't dream of it." You say stepping aside inviting them in. Aziraphale smiled at you as he walked in, Crowley sauntered in behind him handing you the bag that he was holding.  You closed the door behind them and peer inside the bag.

"Jesus 'Zira, I have a cold, I'm not opening a bloody chemist." You say to him as he walks towards the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, taking the dishes you had left on the table with him.

"Well I didn't know what you needed, so I bought everything."

You smile at the gesture, he really was so thoughtful. You make your way back over to the sofa where Crowley had already made himself at home. You roll your eyes, expecting nothing less from him. He gives you a grin.

"Move over," you whine at him as he lounges across the entirety of the sofa.

"Or what," he says playfully.

"I'll cough all over you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Crowley, be nice." You hear Aziraphale call from the kitchen. He moves rather quickly.

"Bitched," you cough.

"Fuck off," he mumbles, throwing his sunglasses onto your coffee table. You take your place on the sofa next to Crowley, and lean your head on his shoulder. "Comfy?" he says with a smile. You nod against his shoulder as he wraps an arm around you.

"I hate being ill," you complain "everything hurts." Crowley just chuckles, giving you a squeeze. Aziraphale returns with two mugs in his hands. A cup of tea for himself, and a cup of green tea with lemon for you. "Thank you." You rasp as you take the mug off of him.

"Don't be silly," he tells you taking a seat beside you. "Just make sure you drink it while it's hot, it's supposed to help with your throat."

"Aye aye captain," you joke before a coughing fit racks through your body again. You feel Crowley run his hand up and down your back in an attempt to help soothe you. The couple shoot you a sympathetic glance when you're finally able to compose yourself again. "I'm fine, I'll be fine." You say picking up the TV remote and unmuting it. "And because you have crashed my pitty party you have to watch whatever movie I want to watch and I want to watch The Sound of Music." Crowley laughs from beside you as Aziraphale let's out the most unangellike groan. You smile at him, before finding the movie and pressing play. Maybe being ill wasn't so bad when you had your favourite celestials to keep you company.

[boqvistsbabe]

truth or dare - matthew tkachuk

A/N: this is for the summer fic exchange!! I got the chance to write for @ohmyeyesmyeyes as a part of @wyattjohnston 's summer fic exchange. I was pretty nervous because tbh I havent written in so long mostly because of writers block, but here it is! Super excited to have been able to take part in this especially cause it got me out of a writer's block lol. I absolutely loved doing this. Also in this Matt and McDavid are friends. Hope you enjoy it!!

Warnings: Some swearing but I think that's it! (also my computer started acting weird halfway through so the formatting got a little funky so apologies for that)

Wordcount: 4,705

So it finally happened. Matthew had won the Stanley Cup. And you somehow found yourself driving from St Louis down to the Lake of the Ozarks to celebrate with him and his family. 

To be completely honest you don’t know why you were invited, Matt and you texted every once in a while for birthdays and other holidays, maybe congrats on a game or promotion, and maybe saw each other when he visited home occasionally but nothing like when you were kids growing up together. You were in the same grade as Brady and quickly became best friends with him. With how much family means to the Tkachuks, you were easily brought in as one of their own. Being brought on family vacations, going to the lake each summer, and traveling to the boys’ and Taryn’s games was a big part of your younger years. Though you were best friends with Brady, there was always something about Matt that drew you to him. He treated you just like one of his siblings always teasing and trying to beat you in games but as you got older things changed. You’re not exactly sure when or why but he stopped messing around with you so much, he still hung out with you but when it was just the two of you it was less teasing and more deep talks about the future and what it held for both of you. Of course, you ended up having a little crush on him, he was too nice and familiar for you to not. Even though you never told a single soul about it, you had a suspicion Chantal knew anyway.

When he made it to the NHL he moved and you stayed in St Louis you kept in touch, making weekly calls and texting all of the time. Then he got a girlfriend and you started hearing from him less and less. You understood of course, things change as you grow up and life goes on. Though you still stayed close with Brady and Taryn when they moved on to college and the league.

Flashforward to playoffs this year, you were watching whatever games of Matt’s you could like always and then the Panthers won, and you got a text from Matt saying you should join the family at the lake to celebrate “like old times”. You had asked Taryn if she thought it was a good idea when you FaceTimed the night after and she told you of course and looked at you like you were stupid for suggesting otherwise. She didn’t know about the silly little crush you still had on him so of course she would think that. Brady knew though, not fully but you slipped up one time when you were drunk and he won’t let you live it down. 

So here you were taking time off work for the first time in forever, driving two hours to get to the lake to celebrate a man you were probably in love with. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew’s POV

“Brady would you stop that!” I was fed up with him bugging me right now. Everyone had made it to the lake so far, Sasha, McDavid, all the other guys their plus ones, and of course my family. The only one left to show up was Y/N. At first, I wasn’t even sure she would accept my offer. I knew she had been working a bunch and honestly didn’t know if she was keeping up with hockey anymore. She liked it a lot when we were younger but things can change. And with us not being super close anymore I didn’t know if it would be worth it to her. Thankfully according to Brady, she left like two and a half hours ago so she should be here any minute. 

But Brady won’t leave me alone about the whole Y/N thing. I don’t see what the problem was, I wanted to see an old friend and this was a good excuse to do so. Well, that’s exactly what I had told my family, it’s not entirely untrue. I just didn’t tell them about how when I was lifting that cup in the air I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to have her there with me. When I first made it to the show I was still hung up on her so I dated around to distract myself. Never anything too serious, the whole point was just to get my mind off of her so I could focus on hockey I wasn’t trying to get caught up on someone else too. Of course, it never really worked, which is why I got up the courage to even ask her to come. As soon as I got back to the locker room after that game and had a moment to myself, I texted her. Brady was there and being nosey as usual saw my text from over my shoulder and won’t stop bugging me about it. 

My plan was just to have her come here to just see her again. Yeah maybe partially because I want to see if that little spark is still there, but also just because I hope we can get closer again. I hope we can.

~~~~~~~~

Y/N POV 

You pull in front of the garage, put the car in park, and give yourself to breathe for a second. The second doesn’t last long though.

“Y/N!!! You’re here!!” Taryn was running up to your car with Brady right behind her. And there he was, Matthew Tkachuk standing there in all his Stanley Cup Champion glory on the porch watching his siblings pull you from your car and into a big hug.

“Matt you can’t just stand there and watch them maul me and not even try to do anything!” You shouted over to him even as you squeezed Brady and Taryn tighter. It had been months since you had seen either of them in person and you were planning on savoring every moment you had with them, and Matt before you all had to return to your busy lives. 

Matt started making his way to the three of you a big smile on his face, “Ahh you’re right, I’ve got to join in.” 

Next thing you knew, another set of arms was wrapped around you. Maybe Matt was right, it was gonna be just like old times. They all let you go and you turned to give Taryn her own hug first.

“Hey kid, I missed you.” Somehow it feels like she’s gotten taller since the last time you saw her. Taryn responds with a, “You’re not that much older… but I missed you too.” 

Brady’s next and you get a hug and a big paw messing up your hair like he always did when you were younger. When he lets you go you turn to the only one left, Matt who’s standing there smiling at your interactions with his siblings. You’re trying to fix your hair from Brady messing it up and he reaches over and tucks a piece of hair back to help out. Then Brady says something about helping Mom with dinner and drags Taryn along with him. 

You mumble a thanks to Matt and he opens up his arms and you step into them. 

“Thanks for coming, it means a lot,” Is mumbled into your hair. 

“Yeah of course Superstar.” The old nickname falls out of your mouth unintentionally.  

“Oh my gosh, I’m never going to escape that am I?” You’re still hugging him.

“Definitely not now with the Cup to prove it.” He laughs but is still hugging you too. 

You take a step back and wipe your hands on your shorts not knowing what to do with them. 

“Alright let’s get your stuff and then I’ll help you get it inside, you’re staying in Taryn’s room since she’ll be in the basement with her friends.” 

“Alright works for me.” 

~~~~~~

As you make the trek up the two flights of stairs to the upper floor you’re grateful for Matt taking your bags. You forgot how steep the stairs were. You make it to Taryn’s room before you notice that the corner room, the one next to yours has plastic covering the doorway. Without turning you ask him what happened.

“Oh a big storm came through a couple of weeks ago and a tree fell on that corner of the house.” He shrugs and reaches around you to open the door to Taryn’s room. 

“Isn’t that your room though?” You haven’t moved into the room yet.

“Uh yeah, I’m just staying on the couch and keeping my stuff in Brady’s room.” He nudges you forward and you move into the room, setting your backpack on the bed before turning to him.

“Why don’t you take Brady’s room and make him sleep on the couch? This is like your thing, you shouldn’t be sleeping on the couch.” 

Matt shrugs, “ His girlfriend is staying here too so they get a room and I’m fine with the couch.” 

“Matt you should sleep here and I’ll take the couch and leave my stuff with Taryn and the girls.” You move to grab your stuff from him, but he doesn’t let you.

“Absolutely not, you’re a guest and Mom would kill me.” He’s got a frown on his face that you refuse to admit to yourself is cute. 

“I don��t care, this is your gig I’m taking the couch.”  With that, you run out of the room and bolt down the stairs and Matt is hot on your heels as soon as he figures out what you’re doing. 

It’s not hard to locate Chantal and Keith, they’re out on the back deck grilling and watching the kids (aka Taryn and her friends) play with a volleyball in the yard. It seems like some of Matt’s friends from hockey are here too because they’re taking up the chairs scattered around the deck. But you barely pay attention to them, you’re on a mission.

“Chantal can you please tell your son to liste-” You’re cut off by a strong arm around your waist and a hand over your mouth. 

“Mom don’t listen to her please.” Matt is out of breath behind you, holding tight cause he knows as soon as he lets go you’ll convince his mom to agree with you like always.

“You two are already back at it huh? Hi Y/N it's good to see you, honey. What am I trying to agree to?”  She looks amused at the spectacle of you two. She’s used to it, this is exactly something that would happen whenever you wanted one of the boys to listen to you when you were kids. You would run to Chantal and get her on your side without letting her know the real context so you would get your way. She thought it was hilarious and always sided with you because you were always right. 

“Mom she’s trying to take the couch and make me sleep in Taryn’s room.” You lick his hand and he immediately retracts it and Keith laughs. He doesn’t let go of you though.

“Y/N you’re a guest you know better.” She’s giving you a look and you know you’ve already lost.

“But Chantal it's Superstar’s celebration, not mine! And he has camp starting here soon, we can’t have him in pain from sleeping on a couch.” You heard a few chuckles from the guys at the nickname. 

“If it’s that big of a deal to both of you just share the bed, it’s a king and it’s not like you haven’t shared before. Don’t give me those looks, you think I didn’t know about your little sleepovers?” You feel your face heat and refuse to look at Matt’s friends who are now 100% interested in what’s going on, “ I don’t care what y’all do but I don’t want to deal with arguing right now, it’s day 1. Now shoo and get stuff to set the table.”

Without speaking he lets go of you and you both turn and walk right back into the house and into the kitchen, the sound of laughter following you. The next couple of seconds are completely silent before you both burst into laughter. You make eye contact across the island and start laughing again. Together you get the tables set for dinner. 

“You know she’s not wrong, it’s a good compromise.” You look over to where Matt is perched on the counter. 

“What?” He can’t be suggesting what you think he is, if he is it’s a bad idea. 

“We could share, the bed is big enough and we’re both adults.” He shrugs, “ I don’t see why not. As long as you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.” 

It’s a bad idea and you should say no, “Yeah I’m fine with it.” So your mouth and brain were not on the same page at all. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’ve forgotten about that agreement until everyone is headed to their rooms or cabins and you’re standing in the doorway of the room watching Matt put his stuff up. You tell yourself it’s fine and move to grab your pajamas out of your bag.

“What side of the bed do you want?” Matt pops his head out the bathroom doorway to look at you.

“I don’t really care.” You shrug, you’d prefer the side by the window but you weren’t going to say that.

“If I remember right you like to sleep closer to the window, so I’ll take the side by the door.” Matt winks before shutting the door to change.

You’re not going to think anything of the wink or of the fact that he remembers little things about you. Instead, you plug your charger in on that side of the bed and set your water on that side table. When Matt gets out you take your turn. You change first then brush your teeth and wash your face before heading out to the bedroom. Of course, you manage to open the door right as Matt tugs off his shirt. You pause for just a second, taking in his muscular back and arms. When he starts to turn around you look away and start heading to your side of the bed. You don’t know why you were so shocked at him taking off his shirt, he always slept without a shirt on. Maybe it just felt a little different now, you stop that train of thought before it finishes leaving the station. 

You grab two of the big decorative pillows that Matt threw on the floor and place them next to each other in the middle of the bed.

“Really? I’m not gonna give you cooties I promise.” That teasing glint is in Matt’s eyes, “I’ll stick to my side of the bed don’t worry.” 

You roll your eyes before flopping into bed and snuggling up under the covers. 

~~~~~~~~

Waking up the next morning with a heavy arm draped around your waist wasn’t something your brain was able to process that early. Turning you realized it was Matt who was all cuddled up close. You try to wiggle away but it doesn’t work and he just holds on tighter. Sighing you reach over to grab your phone. You pull up the text thread to Brady and snap a quick picture of Matt snuggled up with you.

Y/N: he didn’t stay on his side of the bed and now he won’t let me go.

Brady: don’t pretend like you’re not enjoying it, also you should be thanking me rn 

Y/N: ???

Brady: you forgot to close the door last night, got this on my way to the kitchen. Dw i was up first and i shut the door

Attached to his message is a picture from the doorway of the room, and it clearly shows you half lying on top of Matt, face tucked into his neck and his arm wrapped around you. Before thinking better of it, you save the picture to your photos. 

Y/N: well fuck, thanks

Brady: yw, breakfast is ready when y’all are

Y/N: perfect thanks

Turning around you poke Matt until he stirs.

“What do you want, it's too early for this,” his eyes aren’t even open.

“So much for staying on your side of the bed and its 9:30 its not that early.” You tease, poking him again.

Matt’s eyes flutter open and he takes in the situation. Once he realizes his arm is around you, he quickly retracts it and brings his hands up to rub his eyes.

“Whoops sorry.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all.

“Uh huh sure. I’m gonna go get breakfast.” And with that, you roll out of bed, grab your phone and water, and slip out of the room.

~~~~~~~~

Matt’s POV

“Fuuucccckkkk.” I stretch out across the bed. I didn’t intentionally cuddle Y/N last night but oh well. She’s a good cuddler. Maybe I can convince her to cuddle tonight. Actually, maybe I need to stop thinking like that. Sitting up I grab my phone and see a notification from Brady.

Brady: if you don’t want everyone knowing about your little crush maybe you should remember to shut the door 

Right after the message is a picture of Y/N lying on top of me with her face tucked in my neck and a leg hooked around mine, I assume she wasn’t aware of this but if she was she conveniently left that out when teasing me about breaking the pillow wall.

Matt: shit did anyone else see, i don’t want anyone to bug her about it

Brady: nah just me, i shut the door on the way downstairs and I was the first one up.

Matt: K thx, she said breakfast is ready?

Brady: ya, get your ass down here and eat its boat day

Groaning I push myself up from the bed and head downstairs. And if I saved the picture to my phone who can blame me, it’s cute. 

~~~~~~~~

Brady POV

If these two don’t get their shit figured out before the end of the trip I’m gonna scream. They obviously like each other, and I know for sure Y/N has liked him for years and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for him. They just need to do something about it.

~~~~~~~~

Y/N POV

Boat day means us “kids” are out being stupid and Chantal and Keith stay home and get to relax by themselves. It also means you get to drive the boat because that’s your favorite part besides the actual wake surfing. And Matt and Brady know not to argue with you about driving. With so many people though you had to rent a second boat. This meant Brady and his girlfriend were on the boat with Taryn and her friends and you got stuck with Matt and his friends. Not that it would matter too much because you’d stick close together for the most part. 

When you left the dock Matt was sitting in the back with his friends but now he’s moving up to sit in the chair by you. He doesn’t say anything, it's far too loud to have a conversation right now. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt’s POV 

I can’t stop looking at her. I’m trying not to be too obvious, but she looks so pretty. The wind is pulling the hair out of her braid and the blue of her swimsuit looks so good on her. And even though I know she grew up on the lake with us, her knowing all about the boat and loving to drive it is so attractive for some reason.

Once we get far enough out she gets the boat stopped so we can set everything up. The guys have already decided who’s going in what order so I’ll probably stick up here with her while she’s driving. Even though she didn’t seem to mind about getting stuck with us I still feel a little bad. Plus I like being in her presence. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N POV

“You know you can hang with the guys, they came here to see you.” You don’t turn to look at him, instead choosing to keep watching the boys get set up. 

“Yeah, I know but so are you. And I Like spending time with you so,” he just shrugs. 

So throughout the laps of the boys going one after another, he sat there next to you while you drove. Finally, it was his turn and then you were up next. And this continued till lunch when you all took a break to eat before starting back up again. 

It was the last run for everyone and Matt was up and you somehow ended up in the back watching him because one of the guys wanted to drive a lap. However, this lap was a little different. Matt ended up losing his balance and falling off the board but when that happened the board ended up catching his head as he fell into the water.

The boat stopped and he popped up like nothing was wrong but he had blood dripping down the side of his face starting at his eyebrow. 

“Matt you good man?” Came from McDavid. 

“Yeah, the board just barely caught me.” He seemed fine but you still wanted to make sure.

“Come up here I’m gonna check that out and make sure you’re actually okay.” You told him gesturing up front where the first aid box was. He followed without complaint. You motioned for him to sit in the captain's chair.

“I’m just gonna clean it up and put a bandage on it but once we get back to the house I might have to get something better okay?” You grabbed the kit and got an alcohol wipe out to clean up the blood. His curls had fallen in the way so you brushed them back before cleaning him up. He sat there without complaint, even though the alcohol probably burned a lot, looking up at you as you held his face to keep him still while you doctored him up. The cut wasn’t as bad as you originally thought, but it was still pretty bad. You grabbed the biggest band-aid you found and gently placed it over the cut. 

“Alright good to go.” You declared standing back up. 

“What no kiss for my boo-boo?” Matt teased.

Without even thinking about it you leaned down and kissed the band-aid before walking to the back of the boat to get ready for your last turn. Not even realizing the look Matt is giving you or the fact that Taryn is recording it all from where they stopped not too far away to make sure everything was okay. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner that night it was time for the firepit. Chantal and Keith were inside in bed already, and Taryn and her friends were watching a movie, which meant truth or dare mixed with a little alcohol. Just like if you were all teenagers again.

Though not everyone was drinking it did surprise you that Matt wasn’t. This was normally his bread and butter. And when you asked he just shrugged it off. 

By the time the game actually started, you might’ve been just a little tipsy. Thankfully Matt was sitting next to you so at least knew who you were next to. Though maybe you were a little bit more out of it than you thought because you couldn’t stop looking at Matt and you’re pretty sure it’s really obvious but you also don’t really care.

At some point, someone asks you the age-old question of truth or dare. Normally you’re a truth kind of person but even through the alcohol, you can tell that drunk confessions might not be the best idea right now. Of course, the only other option is dare so you pick that, which in hindsight still might not be a great idea because you are far gone enough to agree to whatever dare they threw your way. 

“I dare you to kiss Matt, on the lips.” 

Oh, that was, unexpected. Especially considering it came from McDavid. 

You glanced over at Matt who looked like a deer in the headlights. You nudged him and he turned to look at you.

“I’m fine with it if you are?” You whispered to him.

“Are you sure, you’ve drank tonight I don’t want that to be influencing your decision.” He looked concerned which you found sweet. And even though you were drunk, you still wanted to kiss him. This might be your only chance and the alcohol is giving you the confidence you need.

“I’m sober enough to consent to it, but are you okay with it?”

“Yeah.” He was still looking at you, eyes jumping around different parts of your face before landing on your lips. So you did what any sane person would, slid your hand into the curls at the nape of his neck tugged him towards you, and kissed him. Your eyes fluttered shut and one of his hands came up to cup your face and the other wrapped around you to pull you closer. 

You broke apart to a couple of whistles from the guys and Brady saying something about how he doesn’t wanna see that.

Matt was still sitting closer to you, but you didn’t move away until you stood up to grab another beer.

Later on when it was time for everyone to go to bed you were on wobbly legs so Matt offered to give you a piggyback ride up the stairs and of course, you said yes. He brought you all the way into the room and dropped you back on the bed before disappearing into the bathroom.

“Thank you Mattyyyy!” Okay, maybe you were still a little drunk. Matt reappears and sets a cup of water and some pills on the side table.

“Yeah, not a problem. I’m gonna need you to go ahead and sit up so you can take this and not feel totally horrible in the morning.” You raised your arms and he grabbed your hands to tug you up so you could take the medicine. Once you get it down you flop back onto the bed, kick your shoes off, and curl up under the covers. 

“Come on Matty I wanna cuddle and you’re taking forever.” He had just gotten into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. 

“Give me a second and I’ll be right out.” And sure enough he was. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt POV

I was royally fucked. 

That kiss, was good. Too good. Cause now I can’t stop thinking about it. 

After rinsing off my face I walked back out expecting Y/N to be asleep, but she was still awake waiting for me covers pulled back and everything. 

“Hurry up Matty,” she looked so cute snuggled up and ready for bed. So I climbed into bed next to her and she immediately tucked herself under my arm and was out a minute later.

Yeah I was in big trouble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N POV

Waking up the next morning sucked big time. Thankfully the planned hike was not until later this afternoon so after breakfast you could come right back upstairs to sleep some more. At least you could remember the night before. But also remembering the night before means you could remember the kiss and how good it was and then Matt getting you upstairs and taking care of you and of course you begging for cuddles. Which speaking of, Matt himself was still asleep and still holding you close. Though this morning you were able to roll out of his grasp before he could pull you back. You went to the bathroom and grabbed more medicine and some water before running downstairs and grabbing two granola bars. No one else seemed to be up either and you didn’t feel like making real food. 

When you got back upstairs Matt was sitting up in bed. You tossed one of the bars at him before crawling back in your side and opening up your own. 

“Everyone else is still asleep, and the hike isn’t untilater so after I eat this I’m gonna go back to sleep.” You exclaimed before eating your granola bar. 

“Alright. Thanks by the way. And if you don’t mind I’ll probably join you, we were up late last night and I’m tired.” You just shrugged in response because your mouth was full. 

True to your word both of you were back asleep after setting an alarm to give enough time for getting ready before the hike.

~~~~~~~~~~

You were all about halfway through the hike when it happened. Somehow you had managed to trip over a tree branch that was across the path. Through this area of the trail it was a small path so everyone was in a single file line and just just happened to be in the back. So no one even knew you fell until you tried to stand up and couldn’t put any pressure on your left foot without yelping in pain. As soon as they heard you they all turned to look to see what happened. And even though he was leading everyone, Matt made it to your first.

“Hey hey, what happened?” He asked as soon as he got to you, kneeling down next to you.

“I got caught on the branch and hurt my left ankle. I can’t stand up.” You had tears running down your face. More out of pain than anything else. 

“Alright, you probably sprained it. I’ll take you back and they’ll continue on okay?” He reached up to wipe your tears away and all you could do was nod. Your ankle really hurt.

He turned around to face the group, “Hey Brady, you keep leading everyone and I’m gonna take her back to the house, she can’t walk.” Brady said something in response but you didn’t even hear him. Before they left Taryn came back to tell Matt to keep them updated and give you a hug. 

When the group started on their way Matt turned to look at you again. 

“Okay I’m gonna have you get on my back and we’ll get back to the house that way okay?”

“Okay, thanks Matt. I’m sorry you have to deal with this instead of finishing the hike.” You did feel really bad.

“Hey hey no it’s fine, you didn’t mean to do this. And I’d rather take you back and know you’re okay than have someone else do it okay?” You ignored how that cause butterflies to errupt in your stomach and just nodded.

“Alright I’m gonna stand up and help you up then get you on my back alright?” You just nodded again.

Matt stood up before leaning down to grab you bridal style.

“When I set you down stand on your good foot and I’ll get lower so you’re able to hop on easier.”

“Okay.”

~~~~~~~~~~

You made it back to the house, Matt checking on you the whole way, making sure nothing else hurt and making sure he wasn’t hurting you.

Once you get inside Matt sits you down on the couch and disappears. When he comes back he has an ice pack and a bandage to go around your ankle. You lean down to start to undo your laces but he stops you and does it himself.

“Hey let me take care of you.”

“Thanks Matt. I really do appreciate it.” 

He makes quick work of getting you all bandaged up. And you both decide to have a little movie night and Matt gets up to get snacks and turn the lights off. And when he sits back down, he’s sitting a lot closer than before. And you don’t mind.

Eventually you do end up cuddling together, him pulling you close and you tucked in next to him but still with your foot resting on the coffee table in front of you. 

And that’s exactly how everyone finds you later when they get back. 

~~~~~~~~

Matt’s POV

Someone is shaking me. I open my eyes half expecting Y/N to be telling me I’m on her side. But its Mom and I’m in the living room and the TV is showing the ending credits.

“Honey I think y’all need to go to bed its late and y’all are tired. Is she okay?”

“Yeah she’s got a sprain. Nothing too bad thankfully but she is gonna be in pain for a bit.”

“Alright honey, go ahead on up to bed, I’ll see you in the morning.” 

I untangle myself from Y/N and stretch before standing up and lifting her to head upstairs. When I make it to our room and kick the door shut, lay her downa dntuck her in before laying down next to her. And when she automatically cuddles closer who can blame me when my heart flutters for a second.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N POV

Today was the day everyone was leaving. Myself included. Thankfully the ankle I hurt was not the one I needed to drive. Matt of course helped me get everything to the car. By the time I’m ready to leave everyone but Matt and I are gone. And of course Chantal and Keith. 

I’m sitting in my seat procrastinating leaving. I have tomorrow off of work so I’m in no rush. And I want to keep talking to Matt who’s standing in the doorway of my car looking down at me with soft eyes.

“Hey Y/N?” Matt is suddenly serious.

“Yeah what is it?” 

“I like you.” 

“What?”

“I like you. Actually I think I kinda love you and I always have. And if you feel the same which I think you do, or at least I’m hoping you do, I’ll do whatever I can to make it work with us. Even though we would be so far apart. But I just had to telly you that before you left. If you don’t feel the same we can pretend this never happened, but for the record I really don’t want to have to forget that amazing kiss.” There’s a blush covering Matt’s whole face.

“Matt?” 

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m kind of in love with you too.” Relief washes over Matt’s face. 

“Can I kiss you Y/N?” 

You don’t answer, you just pull him close and plant one on him.

“And Matt,” he leans back to look at you again, “I think now is a good time to mention that I got a promotion that requires me to move out of St Louis.”

“I don’t care where you move if you want to I am willingto make it work no matter where you are.”

“Well me moving might make it a little easier on us.”

“Oh yeah? Where do you have to move to?” He rests his hands on your hips, a smile across his face.

“Well I kinda of have to move to Miami. So like maybe twenty minutes from you?” 

Matt’s smile somehow gets bigger as he lifts you up to spin around.

“I think that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

ASSMU Behind the Stage Ver.B [Otoya, Tokiya, Reiji, Eiichi, Eiji] - Translation

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

Eiji: Ichinose-san! It's been a while. I'm happy to be able to perform with you again!

Tokiya: I should be the one to say that. I’m looking forward to seeing your wonderful performance up close.

Eiji: (chuckles) When I hear you say that, I feel really motivated!

Tokiya: Let's work together and aim for an exciting show!

Eiichi: I never thought I would see and perform with you again at a live concert, Otoya! Let's showcase it at the venue this time as well. The brilliance of our souls! A true resonance!

Otoya: Y-Yeah, I guess so. You might be exaggerating a bit, but yeah, let's do our best together!

Reiji: Hey, wait a minute! Aren't you all already close? Let me join in, too!

Eiichi: Of course. This performance is only possible when ST☆RISH, HE★VENS, and QUARTET NIGHT are all present. With this lineup, we should be able to reach new heights.

Eiji: I have worked with Camus-san before, but I’ve always wanted to speak with you directly, Kotobuki-san. I’m looking forward to working with you!

Reiji: The same goes for me. How nice! This feels refreshing.

Eiichi: Our objective is to let the Angels experience the best music. Although we are usually members of different groups, I believe it would be wonderful if this could be a moment where we elevate each other.

Reiji: I think so too. Let's talk about some things before we start the lesson so that we can deepen our friendship. Come here, you two. Otoyan and Tokki, wait here for a bit.

Eiji: Alright. What is it?

Tokiya: (distant) Do you think Kotobuki-san is up to no good?

Otoya: (laughs) It's kind of unusual and funny seeing those three huddled together in a corner!

Eiichi: What’s going on? You suddenly leaned in closer, is it some kind of negotiation you can’t tell Otoya or Tokiya?

Reiji: Funfunfun… While I am also interested in that… Having common topics of conversation is important when getting to know each other, right?

Eiichi: Oh?

Eiji: Common topics…?

Reiji: I'll tell you all about those two. I used to live in the same room as them, so I know all sorts of things about Otoyan and Tokki.

Eiichi: About Otoya and…

Eiji: Ichinose-san?!

(Otoya and Tokiya suddenly come up to them)

Reiji: Ack!

Tokiya: It seems we need to have a discussion between us first before you can deepen your friendship with them.

Reiji: N-No, you got it wrong, Tokki! I was just going to talk about trivial things. Just some things that happened in the room we shared during the Master Course, you see...

Tokiya: I have a bad feeling about this.

Otoya: I’m also bothered by it! Shouldn't we talk about Rei-chan instead? Like the story about how he got so engrossed in frying karaage that he nearly set off the fire sprinkler…?

Tokiya: Or that time he almost mistook toothpaste for face wash while still half-asleep in the morning and caused a ruckus…?

Otoya: There’s also that time when the eggs in the refrigerator ran out and all three of us ended up buying a carton so we struggled to eat them for a while.

Tokiya: You don't have to tell them that.

Reiji: You remember it well…! More importantly, stop disclosing my embarrassing moments!

Eiichi: I see. It is precisely because you have such an unreserved relationship that you are able to communicate smoothly and develop an excellent working relationship.

Eiji: (chuckles) You all get along really well.

Otoya: (laughs) You could say that.

Tokiya: I hope there's no misunderstandings.

Eiji: No, I’m really envious. We'll do our best to create enough memorable stories for you to take back home.

Otoya: Eiji is right!

Eiichi: At times, we interact in a friendly and harmonious manner, and at other times, we engage in friendly competition, spending wonderful moments together. Good! Let's work hard to make sure the time we spend together leads to the best live performance!

Tokiya: Now, Kotobuki-san, don't be discouraged and set an example as a senpai.

Eiji: I look forward to receiving your guidance!

Reiji: Yes. If you rely on me, I will do my best to help. Everyone, follow Rei-chan!

Otoya: Yeah!

[quitealotofsodapop]

Im sobbing and jsut imagining MK and the Noodle Gang doing a visit to FFM during Slow Boiled (either not the version where DBK dragged Wukong to live st the palace or a version where Wukong managed to convince them to let him live in the conforts of his own home) and see him working on building a shrine. First, they immediately stop him because "Wtf you're pregnant! Put the hammer down!" before asking what the shrine was for.

"Ah, it's a bit... personal. I'd been meaning to rebuild this old thing for a while after it got destroyed in... the Burning..." Wukong's face faltered a moment here at the memories, "but hadn't been able to bring myself to do it. I figured I'd finally get around yo it."

It doesn't take long to realize this shrine was to honor an ancestor of some sort, although with Wukong being well known for not having parents (as far as they knew) they were confused and asked who the shrine was for. Wukong had a sad, almost nostalgic smile as he calmly, yet somehow enthusiastically, explained.

"He was the Elder of the troupe that led us when I was a cub, before I became the Monkey King. He-"

"Wait! You weren't always the Monkey King!?"

"*sigh* Yes, kid. Once upon a time, I was a cub just like anyone else. Anyways! He was a storyteller at heart and ancient, like, old enough to remember the Great Floods ancient! See, the thing about him is that he was like me, a stone monkey. So when I hatched, he took me in and raised me, taught me about our people. As much as he could, anyway. His memory was going, and he wasn't long for the world even when I was still a cub."

"THERE WERE MORE-"

"Yes, scholar... I was not the only Stone Monkey."

DBK can't keep his little bro locked up at the Bull palace for long. Red would sneak Wukong out if he asks nicely. PIF and DBK just sigh, they can't cage a free spirit.

Wukong getting the drive to fix things up around FFM, only for the Noodle Gang to stop him from doing heavy construction. You know Pigsy makes a choked squeal the first time he sees Wukong trying to climb a ladder unassisted.

When Wukong finally explains what he was trying to fix, the gang's hearts just drop. Is it well known that The Monkey King did in fact lose people in the War - to think that he lost the closest thing to a parent even before that surprises them.

Tang ofc is nosey and must known More.

Wukong: "He was called Elder Shítougùshì. He was the only other Stone Monkey I had ever met." Tang: "Another stone monkey!?" Wukong: "Yes. He stayed behind on the island after the Great Flood even as the other survivors left for higher ground. He wanted to make sure no one forgot the original troupe." MK: "Then... you were born into a whole troupe of monkeys like you..." Wukong: "Not exactly. I still popped out of a stone egg - the "Boulder" that held me... it was my mother." The Noodle Shop Gang, thinking hard about the King's current Egg issue: "OH." Wukong: "Yeah... Elder and my Stalwarts had been the ones to find me when I finally hatched. He tried his best to raise me with help from the monkey demon troupe, but he still passed on sometime after we rediscovered the Stone Palace. Then I set out to find my first immortality." Tang, jttw-brain firing: "HE! He was the old monkey that passed away and set you on the path to find Master Subodhi!" Wukong, smiling sadly: "Yes. Yes he was." Sandy: "He sounds like a fine man- monkey Mr King. Hope he's happy to see where you are now." Wukong, tracing the old shrine with his fingers: "So do I big guy."

After the convo takes place, the Noodle Shop gang conspire to fix up some of the shrines and statues around the island. They get DBK involved since he remembers what the island was like pre-Burning. The Bull King would also jump to help honor the man that raised his little brother into the King he became!

Wukong comes home one day and finds that the shrine to Elder Shítougùshì has been reparied - not exactly how it was before the Burning, but finally clean and completed. A little ceramic monkey figure sitting on the altar.

Wukong cries like a cub when he realises MK and his friends fixed it.

[antianakin]

It’s me again. If you could rewrite the sequels what would you change?

A lot.

Honestly, I feel like my ideal premise for a sequel trilogy would've been some sort-of combo of Lucas's concept for it and what we got in TFA.

Lucas's concept focused in on the OT trio again which I think would've been a mistake for a number of reasons, and I prefer that TFA chose to set it 30 years beyond the OT and gave us a new trio.

Lucas's concept had Maul and his crime organizations as the main villain which I would've particularly hated, and I do prefer the idea of the dregs of the Empire trying to rise again. There's merit both directions I think, continuing to have a Sith character for the symbolism of it really works for me, but I would've HATED for it to be Maul and I don't feel like the crime organizations were ever enough of a real threat to make them a viable issue for an entire trilogy. I also think there's merit to using a "newer" enemy instead of just bringing in the Empire yet again under a different name (except that Maul and his crime orgs aren't actually new). The dregs of the Empire attempting to come together and recreate what was lost has a lot of impact and feels more like a substantial threat, though, since we know what the Empire was capable of before and it's not hard to throw in a new Darksider to make them more threatening. It feels like it continues the more political aspects of the prior two trilogies to have it keep being the Empire in some form (the PT had what the Empire used to be, the OT had the Empire in truth, and the ST in canon ended up what the Empire became). So I'm mostly open to the options here in terms of what the actual major threat is, I think that having a Sith is necessary, keeping in the theme of the Empire is nice, but I could understand bringing in a newer enemy to show the new Republic having to come together against their first real threat without it feeling repetitive.

But the biggest thing for me that I like about Lucas's concept is that it focused on REBUILDING, both the Republic and the Jedi. The whole trilogy was about taking them from where they were at the end of ROTJ and showing how they were able to build something out of the ashes of the Empire. How do the New Republic and Luke's Jedi come together once more after decades of war and devastation? How are they able to rise up and face the darkness when it comes for them again? It creates a really nice resolution to the story we've gotten so far, where the PT shows how the Republic fell and the Empire came to be, the OT shows how the Empire fell, and then the ST could've shown how the Republic rose again. I think immediately destroying the New Republic and the Jedi in order to put the world back into the place it was during the OT was an ENORMOUS mistake. It's the one major grievance I have against TFA's narrative and the one place that I think the accusation that it was trying to recreate ANH too much actually holds weight. For me, the hopeful ending of TROS doesn't hit very well because now we have to contend with the fact that ROTJ had one too and it didn't last and it all got taken away, so what faith should I have that this time it'll somehow work out differently? We thought the Sith were gone last time, too, we thought Luke and Leia would help rebuild the New Republic and the Jedi last time, too, so what makes this happy ending different from the last one?

So if I were to do a complete overhaul of the entire Sequel Trilogy, that's what I'd do. I'd still set it 30 years post-ROTJ, I'd still bring in a new ensemble cast, but I'd focus on how the New Republic and Luke's Jedi were able to rebuild in that time and how they now have to withstand this new threat, whether it's something akin to the First Order or a completely new kind of enemy. It can be a STRUGGLE, they can have LOSSES, but I think eliminating the entire New Republic and Luke's Jedi in order to just focus on a new "resistance" makes no sense. I want to see this community LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES and actually figure out how to fight TOGETHER again, I want to see this world evolve from the one we already know so that they can face a similar enemy or an enemy of similar strength to the one faced in the PT and, this time, they will defeat it because the New Republic stood WITH the Jedi and didn't give in to selfishness and fear and corruption. I like the characters they introduced well enough, I think they're cool and interesting, and I really like the subverted expectations with characters like Finn and Kylo and how those were being set up in TFA, so I'd keep that, too, and maybe just adjust as needed for the slightly changed narrative.

If I had to keep TFA mostly as is and just make tweaks to try to "fix" the rest of the trilogy more to my personal liking, there's probably plenty I COULD make. I'd probably make it so that the destruction of the Hosnian Prime planets didn't completely eradicate the ENTIRE Republic somehow, like maybe some Senators just... weren't there that day or the planets represented in the New Republic still have planetary leaders who come together for some kind of summit to try to throw together a new temporary government really quickly. It's still a massive blow to the New Republic and the resistance maybe has to step up a little in light of that, but it's not left COMPLETELY on its own with no one to ask for help. I'd also have had Luke's Jedi not ACTUALLY be completely killed off, I'd have had him hiding on Ahch-To because that's where he's chosen to hide the survivors he was able to help escape from Kylo's massacre, students he's been continuing to train and teach in the safety of this island no one knows how to find and who are ready and willing to leave their shelter to help the resistance if only Luke could let go of his fears enough to agree to it. I'd even have Leia sort-of AWARE that this is why he's left, why he isn't helping them, even if she doesn't know where he's gone. So even though TFA implies that the New Republic and Luke's Jedi are all gone all over again, you can STILL FIX THAT MISTAKE.

And there's the usual stuff that most people talk about. I'd eliminate Reylo as a thing, obviously, I'd focus in more on Finnrey since they're clearly set up as co-leads and like two halves of one hero and all of that. I wouldn't sideline Finn as a character, I'd make sure his storylines about being Force sensitive and inciting a stormtrooper rebellion got their due in the second film. I'd have made Poe more of an actual second in command to Leia in the second film rather than tossing in Holdo as this unnecessary conflict, so that Poe's growth into a general in the final film actually makes sense. I don't think I'd have set the second film literally like IMMEDIATELY after the first one with no time for the characters to have grown in-between and make it so the timeline is insanely short which means the characters have no time to grow DURING the story either. Either the film needed to do a time jump of sorts to allow for the characters to have grown in-between, or the film itself needed to span across more like months rather than days. I'd have left Kylo as an actual evil character, no emphasis on weird sympathy stuff in the second film, no redemption, I'd have continued what was set up in TFA where he is explicitly NOT going to make a better choice, he's NOT going to be saved by familial love, etc etc. I'd have done something, ANYTHING with Snoke to make him more interesting and not killed him off in the second film. I wouldn't have brought back Palpatine (although connecting Snoke TO Palpatine isn't terrible, even if I would not personally have gone for the clone idea). I wouldn't have made Luke jaded and bitter to the point that he thinks the Jedi should all die, I think that this was out of character for Luke and pulls focus from Rey herself. I'd have done SOMETHING with Rey's parentage to follow-up on what was set up in TFA, made it SOMETHING important and relevant that gets revealed earlier on in the second film so she has time to react to that and grow from it (it didn't HAVE to be Luke's daughter or Palpatine or Obi-Wan or whatever, just... SOMETHING relevant to make the mystery worthwhile).

From a structural standpoint, I'd have hired ONE DIRECTOR to be in charge of the WHOLE TRILOGY and come up with an overall direction and vision for all three films, figure out the answers to the mysteries BEFORE STARTING FILMING so that they can be adequately set up and followed up on as the films progress. Is this a lot of work for one person to do? Yes. Is it still completely and entirely necessary? 1000% yes. This trilogy suffers from a lack of anyone knowing where this story was even HEADING, what the major character beats were going to be, what the major STORY beats were going to be, etc. And also I think the studio should've butted the FUCK OUT and not stepped in to try to make this trilogy somehow palatable to the greatest number of fans possible. I'd prefer a trilogy that had a clear and coherent story that I didn't personally like or agree with than a trilogy that ended up a paint by numbers bullet point sheet lacking in any kind of impact or emotions.

[tremendousconnoisseurgardener]

Ruthless! Player.

A Poppy Playtime AU

Author's Note: hello! This is my first time writing a Poppy Playtime fic. This is a different version of The Player, us, from the game, my version to be more exact. It will be a series of 4 chapters (for now), each one taking place in one of the game chapters. Some will be divided by parts.

This first chapter will be more of a way to show the Players life and intentions, as well his problems. Hope you like it!

Ps: “Reader” is referred as “Player”

Introduction:

Player: The Player is a already in their middle age; when younger, they went to a war and fought for a year on the battlefield. The war undoubtedly left scars, both physical and mentally. Although cold most of the time, they are calm, they don’t want to get involved in fights. When they came back home, after the war, they became a parent and started to take care of their child alone, after their partner left them for another person.

Player’s Child: he is a young man with a bright future ahead, he and Player would help each other a lot. He started working in Playtime’s Factory to gain some money, so that he can pay for his college. But, he disappeared, along with all staff from the factory.

Warnings!

This fics will have sensitive topics:

PTSD

Death

Blood

Gore

Swears

Consumption of alcohol and smoking

If you do not like any of these topics, you are free to leave. Have a nice day/night.

Chapter 0: Prologue.

August 8th, 1995

Player sat down on their couch in their living room as they read a pamphlet, it was for a Veteran Meeting Event to celebrate the heroic actions of those veterans. Player was happy because they will be able to see some of his comrades once again.

their son came in and sat beside them, he was adjusting his uniform to get ready for work

“Oh, it’s the event today? I thought it was next week.” He said, a bit disappointed

“Yeah, is it a problem?” Player asked

“No no… It’s because,Today is the “Bring your family to Work” day at the factory. The staff can bring their children and parents to take a look around the place for free, I thought it would be fun to bring you for a visit.” The son explained

“I see. Maybe i can leave the event early and-“ He was interrupted by his son

“Don’t worry. This meeting is very important to you.” The son said “Don’t worry about me, I just wanna see you happy. Ok?” He hugged Player, which in return made them smile.

“Ok… I love you son.”

“Love you too. Gotta go now, see you later!” The son said, waving a goodbye, he went to the front door and exited the house.

Who knew that those would be the last words that Player would hear from their son?

.

.

.

(The Present)

August 8th, 2005

After their son’s disappearance, Player did not take it very well. But, you can’t blame them, the only family they had is now gone, without explanation.

Player wakes up on their bed, the alarm blaring beside them, they turn it off and starts getting ready for their job, as a delivery guy. They walks around the house retrieving their clothes and going to the bathroom; the place where they live was a mess, it looked like it wasn’t cleaned in weeks, empty bottles of alcohol layed around the ground, dirty dishes overflowing the sink, it wasn’t a pleasant scenery

After taking a bath, Player put on their working clothes and went to the delivery agency to start his shift. There, some colleagues waved them a good morning, but they gave them only the cold shoulder. They sorted and placed the packages inside a truck, getting ready to deliver the boxes of products. They drove the vehicle around the town, finding the addresses for the products. It was a very repetitive task.

Finally, after delivering most of the packages, it was already night and Player’s shift ended; they brought back the truck to the agency and went home to take some rest. Not before passing by a liquor store and buying a whisky bottle. drunk ass

On the doorstep of their house, Player saw an envelope with his name on it, he picked it up and started to inspect the object. They noticed a logo from a company stamped on the envelope… It was Playtime’s logo…

Player kept staring at the package placed on a table, while they took sips from a cup full of whisky and smoked a cigarette; they were rather scared to open it, even questioning if it was real. But, curiosity got them first; using a knife, Player cut open the package and pulled out a letter and a vhs tape written “Vintage Poppy Commercial”

They read the letter, their eyes widened about what it was written.

“This… can’t be real.” Player said.

“Everyone thinks we dissapeared 10 years ago, wer’e still here. Find the flower.”

That’s what was written on the letter.

After chugging down half of the whisky bottle and being clearly drunk, Player laid on their bed and went to sleep, trying to forget what they had just read.

.

.

“Find me. Save me, I need your help.”

Player woke up shocked, their eyes shot open. They sat on his bed while his face was covered in sweat. The alarm clock marked 6AM.

“It was just a dream.” They assured themselves. They dreamed about their son, the factory, and heard a voice talking to them.

Player grabbed the again letter that was laying on the ground and took a closer look, noticing the clear spelling errors of a 5 year old and how it was written with red crayons. Maybe it was a prank, but why would a kid do that? And if so, how did they know their address? The disappearance happened 10 years ago, most people moved on or just don’t remember. That gotta be a clue, it doesn't make sense.

“Maybe I should bring that to the police.” Player suggested “no… they will think I’m crazy…” they said with a sad tone.

They grabbed, inside their pocket, a photo of them and their son when younger and looked at it, a wave of determination started to spread inside.

“I guess I don’t have any choice, I’m doing it myself!” Player said, getting up from the bed

They started preparing for their new mission, investigating the old factory. Player grabbed only the necessary, they opened up the closet and retrieved an old hunting rifle, caressing the wooden part of the gun. Besides that, they retrieved 5 bullets.

“That's enough, hopefully.” They said, putting the small amount of ammunition inside their pocket.

Not only that, but Player got a hunting knife, a flashli and, of course, a whole ass bottle of whisky and a pack of cigarettes, placing them inside their jacket pocket. Get some help my guy

Player exited the house and got inside their car, turning it on and drove to the abandoned factory. The path was long, it took almost one hour to get there, but after sometime driving on the road, they finally saw the factory in the distance.

A metal fence was blocking the entrance for the factory parking lot, but Player only accelerated the car even more, breaking the gate open, the lock and chains being thrown away. With a screech, the car stopped in the middle of the big parking lot that the factory had.

Player exited their car and lit up a cigarette, puffing the smoke while eyeing the place.

“Well, if I don’t find my son… At least I might find answers.” They said, throwing the cigarette butt on the ground and stepping on it. They grabbed the rifle and carried it on their shoulder “Honestly, I actually wanted to visit this factory before.” Player commented, while opening the front door from the building. With a deep breath, they entered the abandoned place.

.

.

.

(To be continue)

[hargrove-mayfields]

For ST Rarepair Roulette 💕 @st-rarepair-roulette

Word Count: ~5,000

Ships: Billy Hargrove x Chrissy Cunningham and Heather Holloway x Jason Carver.

Warnings: Implied/referenced child abuse, lots of arguing and misunderstandings, very mild references to sexual content.

~~~~~~

“No. Nope. I don’t believe that for one second.”

Gossip. That’s all it is. Heather and Chrissy laying on the former’s bed, legs up against the wall, long hair dangling over the opposite edge of the bed, exchanging silly gossip.

Never the mean kind, Chrissy won’t allow that, it’s mostly their respective crushes and fascinations from school they talk about.

Or specifically, lately how much Heather doesn’t like Chrissy’s taste in boys. Or anybody, for that matter. In her heart of hearts, she knows Heather is just protective.

Still, Chrissy tosses a little stuffed fuzzball of an animal at her friend for that comment, “Hetty! Rude!”

“Look I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that Hargrove has like, actual feelings. I don’t trust him.” Heather elaborates, through her laughter.

See, she’d say the same every time, they both know that. What matters is whether Chrissy is bold enough to go through with it. She never has been so far. It’s one thing to have a crush, but to have someone openly pining back, that’s something more rare.

An opportunity Chrissy wouldn’t like to lose just to please her best friend.

She’ll try to win her over, “One date won’t be bad.”

But Heather will make excuse after excuse, “Every girl says that before the worst night of her life.”

Chrissy rolls onto her front, sighing so heavily the weight of Heather’s mattress lifts up, like she’s turned to the most stressed little helium balloon and floated away. Maybe she did, off into her imagination, taking her common sense with her.

Maybe she’ll entertain Heather’s concerns, but only if they’re productive, “Well how did you know Jason was being genuine?”

Heather's boyfriend. Track and basketball star, high class social asshole. Chrissys has never been a fan, to be entirely honest. Her earliest memories of Jason Carver were of him shoving over smaller kids in their church group and treating every recess game as pro-level sports. She still doesn’t see what Heather finds so charming about him.

She hopes maybe he’d changed, assumes he’d have had to to win over a critical heart like the one guarded in Heather’s chest.

Oh but Heather gives no such benefit of the doubt to anybody else, “I /don’t/ know it. But /my/ boyfriend doesn’t run over innocent children in his free time.. or whatever the hell it is Billy Hargrove gets up to.”

Chrissy has to laugh at that, it's so absurd, “Oh- He does not! Billy’s /nice./”

“Prove it.” Heather challenges, popping a gum bubble between her teeth to assert her seriousness.

“Hetty.” Chrissy warns, uninterested in playing that game.

Her friend isn’t having it. Heather rolls her brown eyes with so much force she literally rolls over on the bed, sprawling out over top of Chrissy like a beloved golden retriever with no respect for sharing space. It’s always been comfortable with her, coexisting without regard to self consciousness and mothers opinions and Godly image. Probably why she lets Heather get away with being a little catty sometimes.

Like now, as she claims, “Oh come on. Make it a game, have some fun, but show me he’s genuine. Or else I’m kicking his ass.”

“Fine.” Chrissy wants to be stern, but she cracks a little smile, her real, bright one, “If I'm supposed to threaten to kick Jason’s butt, I don’t think I’d be able to.”

Heather hums in thought before presenting a solution, “I’ll do the ‘defending of our honor’ if you help me test Jay back.”

“Pinky promise you’ll be nicer to Billy once we get proof?”

“That’s /if/ we get proof, but you have my word.”

The deal is sealed. They lock pinky fingers, one soft pink nailed and one a flaming red shade. In the ten years they’d been friends since Heather joined their class in 1st grade, not a single pinky promise between them has been broken. It just isn’t done.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of pressure. Talking about cute boys doesn’t feel as fun anymore.

Chrissy’s fluttery feelings start to set in, fidgeting with her hands to hope to drive them off. If she had her bracelets on, she’d shake them and enjoy the way they ring from the hard plastics and metals banging together, but it’s late, she’s in her pjs without jewelry. She picks her nails instead.

Redirecting, Heather hands her a stuffed Winnie the Pooh, and asks a question she knows will catch her off guard, “Soooo. What are you gonna do?”

“Hetty, I haven’t had time to think!” Chrissy complains, squishing poor Pooh between her hands, choosing to abuse the stuffed toy with her anxiety instead of her own skin.

“Oh come on. What do boys care about? Cars, sex, and sports. Pick one and he’ll show his true colors.” Heather says it likes it’s all just so easy, and she already knows it all.

Chrissy isn’t as sure. She considers her options,

“Um, sports sounds the least dangerous.. maybe?”

“Until he tackles your little ass.” Heather points out.

There’s a moment where they both sort of stop moving. They both know what Heather is about to do, but Chrissy's defenses are useless to stop it. She scrunches her body up as tiny as can be, but Heather has pounced, poking her sides gently where she knows her friend is ticklish.

Chrissy used to get all self conscious when Heather would do things like that. Not just touching her skin, so close to where she feels her strongest insecurities, but even jokes, little digs that had nothing to do with Chrissy’s appearance would get her down.

They have Billy to thank for the change. Dating or not, William Hargrove isn’t one to hide his affections. Everyone knows he’s had a thing for Chrissy for a while. It’s deciphering whether he’s chasing tail, or chasing the sweet girl he’d shown enough interest in to replenish her view of herself, hung around and flirted and laughed with so freely it healed a part of her broken heart.

She thinks maybe repaying him a little would increase the chances of getting the ball rolling, and getting Heather’s trust. “What if I cheer special for him during one of his games?”

“Uh, no!” Heather shakes her head, rolled curls bouncing in their pillow curlers back and forth, ”That just makes /you/ public about it. And he can spin that if he’s being an ass for real.”

“But I don’t think-“ Chrissy starts to argue, brow knotted.

Heather holds one of her hands, showing she is doing this because she cares, even if she’s being a little harsh, “Honey, I know I’m a cynical bitch, but I don’t want to see you hurt. Save yourself the embarrassment.”

“I don’t- Heather, it’s not embarrassing to be in love!”

A gasp, slow realization dawning. “You’re right. Oh my god, Chrissy you’re so right!!”

Heather kicks her legs with glee, fuzzy slippers going flying. Right out of a movie, she squeals with delight, infecting Chrissy too with her sudden joy.

Chrissy giggles, going along with it, “I am?”

“Uh, yes! It’s perfect!” Heather scoots closer until they’re shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the ceiling together. She talks with her hands, like she’s painting the picture for her. “Don’t /cheer/ his name. /Wear/ it.”

Only, Chrissy doesn’t think she gets it, “...How?”

“His varsity jacket! If a boy gives you his varsity jacket, it’s serious business. They protect those damn things like a firstborn daughter. If you can get Billy to give you his jacket, you might as well be hitched!” Heather explains, a ball of enthusiasm.

Chrissy knows her longing heart starts racing, probably obvious to Heather too this close together, “You actually think that would work?”

Heather flips up so she’s sitting, burning some of her energy in her dramatic motions, “Duh! You show up to a game repping his varsity, baby, that deal is sealed. I’m talking a proposal at the end-zone. A wedding between quarters. I’m talkin’ baby-making under the bleachers-“

Chrissy, face as hot pink as her pj tank top, interrupts all that, “Okay! Okay. That’s… I get it.”

“Do I make you blush, fair lady?” Heather drawls, in an impression of a boy, eyebrow arched, chest puffed out, lips curled, her voiced dropped ridiculously deep-

Chrissy covers her face, trying desperately not to laugh at the ridiculous attempt, “Heatherrr!!”

Heather clutches her chest like she’s wounded, taking on a sort of accent almost from how badly she’s doing her impression, “Ah! My apologies, maiden. How ungentlemanly of me.”

“Nobody talks like that! /Billy/ doesn’t talk like that!!” Chrissy argues, though she giggles at the unseriousness of it all. So it took a while, but Heather always does know how to make her feel better.

They drop the boy talk for a while, choosing to sneak downstairs and grab some snacks at two in the morning once Heather’s parents were definitely asleep, coming back up with a strange homemade trail mix. Dark chocolate chips, raisins, pretzels, almonds and strawberries. Certainly nothing outside of Chrissy’s comfort zone, careful not to push the limits of her recovery, though it’ll probably give them both a stomachache in a few hours regardless.

Leaned against some bean bag chairs right under the open window, enjoying the birdsong and cricket chirps, they share their homemade creation, and better, more smiles and lighthearted stories. Like they used to, before highschool drama and all.

Nearing 4, Heather turns to her, uncharacteristically dead serious, and declares, “I hope he makes you this happy.”

The realness inspires Chrissy to do the prying now, switching roles, hoping her friend will open up to her in kind, “Does Jason make you happy?”

“/Jason/ does. Our parents practically arranging for us to be married from the time we were newborns, hm not so much.” Heather sighs, drawing her knees in. She doesn’t quite shut down, it’s more for comfort, self assurance, which Chrissy understands. She gives her space to collect her thoughts.

“He’s my guy best friend. And I love him. In more than the best friend way. It’d be stupid not to end up together. But god there’s so much pressure!”

“I think you should do the jacket thing too.” Chrissy offers carefully, “I’m doing it to prove /my/ date isn’t a one-hit creep. You can do it just to remind yourself why you love your boy. And that he loves you. ‘Cause I know he does, Heather. But I know you’re afraid he doesn’t.”

Heather has tears in her eyes and a sad smile when she looks at Chrissy, “What is with you quiet girls and secretly being psychics?”

Oh how Chrissy wished she truly were a psychic.

At the beginning, she wasn’t nervous at all. Her and Heather bullshitted all the time, it wasn’t anything serious. But they’re all four on a date, wandering downtown around the various second hand stores, a typical stop for one couple, and the complete opposite for the others.

Seemed as good a time as any to go through with their silly plan, it wasn’t like it would hurt anything. Except she’d tried all kinds of things to get Billy to give her his jacket, and so far, none of them worked even a little! Not browsing through a selection of jackets at the stores, not shivering dramatically, not clinging to his side either.

Chrissy felt a chip in her little heart every time, feeling like maybe Heather was right. All over a jacket. She’d have her heart broken for a little bit of wool and leather.

With her boyfriend's name on it. Her boyfriend who actually holds her hand, and tells her she’s pretty, and doesn’t creep his hands under his skirt constantly.

She doesn’t know if she could get over losing that.

Her gait down the strip is admittedly less spirited, lingering behind Heather and Jay, but Billy never leaves her behind. He engages her in conversation too, hair blowing all over the place around his face, “How the fuck do you go outside in this shit?”

Chrissy looks at him, wearing an amused little smile, “Like, ever?”

“Yeah /ever/, Princess.” Billy sarcastically, but lightheartedly bumps her shoulder lightly with his arm, “Jesus, I should take you to California. Gonna miss winters without tiny fucking knives falling from the sky.”

Heather doesn’t lose track of that comment for a minute. Excited for Chrissy, she tries to plant the seed for their plan,

“What’s the matter, Billy? You too cold?”

“Hell no. But I’m not a chick the size of a baby deer.” Billy remarks, taking the bait perfectly well, rubbing Chrissy’s arms and feeling how cold she is, “Shit, you’re fucking frozen, Chris. Here.”

And without even thinking he peels off his varsity jacket and starts to hand it over.

Used to the cold, and despite her excitement wanting to make sure Billy doesn’t get uncomfortable, Chrissy protests, “No, no, no. Keep it. I can’t let your California sunshine freeze over.”

Billy disregards that, slinging it over her shoulders anyways, “Yeah, well I’m not letting all the fuckin’ little pixies that fly around your head freeze to death either.”

Jason scoffs at him, turning around to walk backwards with the group, teasing, “Dude, what does that even mean?”

Without even looking Heather flicks his ear, getting his attention back, “Just because you don’t understand romance doesn’t mean nobody can.”

He looks at her like a kicked puppy, but Jason is nothing if not stubborn, “Pixies? Sunshine? What happened to- beautiful and charming and butterflies in the stomach?”

“I don’t know, Jason. Maybe you should fall in love again and find out.”

“Who would I fall in love with? Nobody can beat you, Holloway.”

Heather rolls her eyes, flicking her hair like an agitated horse would it’s tail, “Ah, see you almost got a couple points there. Almost. You’re in the negatives though for using my last name.”

He tries to recover it suavely, “I could call you Carver instead?”

But that isn’t Heather's way. She counters intensely, “No. I’m not being a child bride, thank you very much. Besides, who says I’m taking your name? Maybe I could call you Holloway.”

“The.. I- Okay.” Jason just sputters, turning pink up to his ears.

Behind them, still lingering a good ways back, Chrissy hums, warm and cozy in her boyfriend’s jacket, “What are they even arguing about?”

Billy laughs about that, shrugs his shoulders, “Hell if I know. They lost me a long time ago.”

“It’s funny. Heather didn’t think you were good for me, but she fights with Jason all the time.” Chrissy informs him.

Billy stops dead in his tracks. Gently uses his hold on Chrissy's hand to spin her around to face him as he fell behind,

“Hold on. Take a step back. Heather thinks /what/ about me?”

Chrissy’s nerves spike so quickly she gets a little dizzy, “Please don't take it personally. I want my two favorite people to like each other. Please.”

Her beau steadies her, instead of freaking out, “No problem. I just find it.. fuckin’ weird.”

“It’s because of the way you drive. And smoke. And act. She thinks it’s bad for me.” Chrissy blurts, knowing it’s unkind but needing him to believe that she had no part in it.

He doesn’t seem too phased by having Heather’s disapproval, apparently learning faster than most people do, “Big fucking deal. At least you know I love you, right?”

“Mhm.” Chrissy nods her assurance, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Billy’s cheek and seal the promise.

“Right. Tell her she’s the one making Jason cry his damn eyes out the second he gets tipsy on a sip of anything stronger than a fuckin’ soda pop. I’m tellin’ you, Holloway has ripped out his heart and shoved it up his own pansy ass.” Billy sounds bitter, but not overly mean.

It’s something he’s thought about before. Good to know the gossip street goes both ways.

It’s why Chrissy doesn’t feel too bad telling Billy now, “She doesn’t mean to. I think she’s scared.”

“Sacred of Carver?…. He hurt her?” His voice drops, as angry and mean as Heather warned her about.

They don’t talk much about serious things, serious isn’t their kind of fun, but Chrissy knows about Billy’s life at home. About the type of man Billy could’ve been destined to be.

She rushes to make sure he doesn’t turn on his own friend for thinking Jason was the same way, “Oh no! No, not at all. Never. It’s her mom and her daddy. They sort of forced her to date Jason. She wasn’t ready. I think she’s ready now and doesn’t want to admit it. ‘Cause that would be like taking their orders.”

“Fuckin’ parents.” Billy eventually grumbles, not knowing what else to say.

It seems to be a common theme in their group. A bonding experience for all four of them, whether or not they’re open about it.

Chrissy doesn’t really feel like talking about that stuff anymore, sort of just mumbling, “Yeah.”

Because Billy is perfect, and none of the things Heather says at all, and the actual bullies in their lives makes her want to just hide. Billy notices the drop in her mood, and silently slings an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as they walk. Keeping her close. Safe.

Maybe someday things will work out beyond Hawkins. They have to. Winning the jacket was a silly, small victory, but it was a step.

Now Chrissy just wants, more than anything, her friends to be happy.

She holds onto Billy’s hand a little tighter.

The next time Heather and Jason get together, it’s for a study date at the end of that week. With Heather being a year above, the only class they have in common is the Biology two class Heather failed last year. There’s coloring sheets of bones and cells to be completed, so it’s not like they need each other’s help, but sitting on Heather’s bed coloring with colored pencils didn’t seem like a bad deal either way.

At some point, surrounded by all the color, Heather realizes something,

“Honey. We’re going shopping this weekend.”

Jason barely looks up from his work, focused on being neat close to the lines, “For?”

“Clothes. You’ve worn three white polos this week. I’m bringing some color into your life.” Heather pokes him with the flat end of the white pencil for emphasis.

Jason blinks, caught off his guard, “I wear green sometimes.”

“School colors don’t count. Yellow either.”

“I think I have, maybe, /one/ blue shirt.”

Heather digs in the pile for a turquoise-ish pencil, “Blue! Blue’s.. good! That’s definitely on God’s rainbow. Maybe a nice pair of blue jeans too, for once-“

That’s where Jason cuts it off. Because that’s where Heather went from playfully sharp to flat-out insulting, “Heather, please.”

She stays on the defensive, “I’m just saying. There’s nothing wrong with branching out from your choir boy uniform. That’s all.”

Sometimes it’s like she thinks if she pokes a bruise enough, it’ll make her seem like she’s strong enough to cause them. Like she’s all in charge and nothing can stop her.

Jason doesn’t want to stop her, he just wants her basic respect, “So what do you suggest?”

Not even sarcastic, just genuinely enthusiastic to share, Heather starts, “Pastels! Your hair is way too strawberry to be a dark dresser. Unless you go with emeralds, no more tacky green. Ooh, or even if you grow it out some! You know, actually-“

Jason runs his fingers over his neatly parted hair, protecting it, not hiding the concerned squeak to his voice, “No thank you, I happen to like my hair short.”

“Again, baby. Boring.” Heather just rolls her eyes, once again. Sometimes it’s like that’s all she knows how to do.

It stings.

“Look, if nothing I do is ever going to be good enough-“

Heather doesn't entertain that in the least. She slaps her hand over his homework page, making him look at her, “It’s not /you/. You know that it’s not you.”

No, he didn’t know that. Jason looks at her, confused, “What?”

“Just because you dress yourself, and you drive your stupid little station wagon around parading your image, doesn’t mean there’s not that voice in the back of your head. Maybe… maybe a tight fist too. Telling you what to do. You’re afraid.” Heather talks with her hands, just enough that Jason can see through it.

That she’s being showy to hide something.

Doesn’t mean he’s not been rendered self conscious and bare-souled all the same. He doesn’t like that, even after months with Heather not feeling safe showing her all his tender parts like that, “I don’t want to hear this from you.”

“Oh, so a girl can’t have opinions, huh? I should just spread my legs now and let something else do all the talking?” Heather heats the argument.

Jason just lets his head fall back, frustrated, “I don’t- You /know/ I don’t want that.”

“Oh please do enlighten me then, your graciousness.” Heather forces what Jason is thinking out of him.

So he lets it go, without regard to her feelings, even though he hadn’t wanted to, “Look, I’m not stupid. I know your parents are a problem, Heather. Everyone that’s read the paper knows Tom Holloway isn’t a kind man. You try to hide it, but you can’t keep it from me. And you can’t- just take it all out on me!”

“I wasn’t-“ Heather tries to backpedal.

He still doesn’t let her, “You were! You always have! Nobody has the key to the lock on your heart, but I’ve been trying anyways. And you just shut. me. down!”

“Jason…”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t meet for real until high school. I’m sorry I can’t save you because I’ve got my own.. shit to deal with. But, and forgive me for using His name in vain, Jesus fucking Christ Heather!”

“Jason..” Heather repeats, clearly more misty eyed than before, and opens her arms. A hug is letting him in physically, letting him get close even when the words aren’t easy.

Mostly, she hadn’t realized Jason could read her as easily as she could read him.

He takes the vulnerability to mean it’s safe to say, “I love you.”

“I know.” Is Heather’s response. It’s not easy to say it back, not when she chokes on it every time she tries to say it to her ‘problems,’ let alone a highschool boyfriend she was never supposed to fall for, not in her own heart.

It’s enough. Jason keeps holding her, lips against her shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

Heather repeats herself, “I know.”

Nothing else felt right to say. Because she /was/ sorry too, but saying it second would feel ingenuine. At least, she’d read it that way.

She closes her eyes and feels exhausted. It’s not supposed to be this hard. Their school years are drawing to a close, and yet she can’t even admit her own parents treat her like shit.

Maybe a silent tear drop or two drips off the end of her nose behind Jason’s back. If he noticed, he didn’t say a word.

After a while, Heather needs to do something, sitting and thinking and regretting not doing anything to help, “Can we call Chrissy and Billy and go get some ice cream or something?”

“Sure. I think I owe that to you for keeping myself so.. alone.” Jason admits, bashful but genuine.

And isn’t that just the thing. Heather gives him a tiny smile back, “Ditto, baby.”

Ice cream ran into the evening, all of them itching for an excuse to stay out. Chrissy was the last to finish her bowl of two raspberry scoops with sprinkles, half of it melted into sludge by the last spoonful, and even that’s not a distraction enough.

It’s early spring, which means, as the group informed Billy, that the Hawkins drive-in theater was opening back up. Nobody even needed to discuss it to know that’s what they wanted to do. There were a variety of chick-flicks and even more horror sequels in the box office, which meant the two week delay at the drive-in would make for some good choices at least. Most Hawkins residents would take their trucks out there, not some prissy little station wagon, but it would do.

At least, it should, but Billy started getting impatient with cruising along under the speed limit out to the wooded hill where the drive-in is, “Can’t this piece of shit go faster?”

Heather turned around slightly to face and scold him, “Well, we coulda brought yours if you hadn’t decided to buy the extra tiny, no room for fun model.”

Billy just snorted humorlessly, “We could fit if there was any actual fun going on. Leaving room for the Lord or whatever is what fucks it up.”

For that comment, knowing their company, Chrissy pushed Billy’s arm gently. Still, she didn’t seem to disagree too harshly, since she smiled through when he kissed her next.

Heather seemed irritated, though that tends to be her default honestly, as she huffed, “Not everyone’s a sleaze like you, Hargrove. Get used to it.”

Billy hadn’t even justified it with a response, just waved her off and used the same arm to swing it over the seat behind Chrissy. She was wearing his jacket again, hadn’t taken it off all week, curled into his side and wearing his name. In that bubbly way she does, she was also wiggling her hands about, not nervous, but happy.

Content.

Heather and Jason still had a ways to go to reach contentment.

The pair stay in the car for the movie, their counterparts in a blanket on the grass instead. Cali boy is out there freezing his ass off, but he’d said anything would be better than being trapped with relationship drama.

Heather and Jason try to ignore him.

They fail.

Jason turns to her not even a full twenty minutes after that comment starts working it’s way under his skin, “Heather?”

“Hm?” She hums to show she’s listening, but doesn’t look his way.

That’s not enough for what needs to be said, so he repeats, “Heather.”

“Yeah, that’s me. You need something?”

“I wanted- I just…. I’m sorry.”

Her pretty features screw up in confusion, “For what?”

“For not being good enough.” Jason informs, like it was the most clear thing, “You’d be happier with a guy like Billy. Maybe you could call up Steve-“

“No, fuck you if you think I could ever leave you.” She spits.

And then she grabs Jason by the collar of his polo and kisses him.

It’s nothing chaste, nothing at all like their usual peck of the lips. This is roaming tongues and hands.

Heather reigns herself in when she feels Jason’s hands, holding her hips up under the back of her shirt, shaking.

“I’m not gonna make you do anything. Sex isn’t my endgame.”

He sort of freezes, like it hadn’t occurred to him that Heather wouldn’t mind helping him in his devotion to modesty, “So what is?”

“An apartment. Maybe get a cat. I want to share a space with you long before we do marriage shit.” Heather explains lightly, smile on her face.

Jason relaxes his shoulders, “Make it a dog and we’ll see. Dogs are better.”

“Oh, ha-ha. Make it one of each and I’ll forgive you for that comment.”

Heather kisses him again, without any heat or intensity this time, just gentle, soft affection. She even lets him touch her hair, despite usually slapping his hands away for that. It helps that she’d brushed it out to be restyled before bed tonight, but still, she would have let him even if her curls were laying perfect.

When they pull away, Heather lays her head on Jason’s shoulder. Instead of watching Cat’s Eye on the screen, her gaze falls to their friends huddled up outside, and she muses, “How much you wanna bet Chrissy and Billy run away into the sunset?”

“I hope they do. Hawkins is Hell on earth.” Jason asserts, clearly serious because he usually wouldn’t even mention a place like that.

Heather sighs slightly, “Literally. The kidnappings, the murders. I can’t take much more of it.”

Confident, Jason says, “I’m sure they’d make room for us then. If we wanted to go with them.”

That has Heather sitting up straighter, surprised, “You would live in California?”

Sunny skies, living free- it didn’t seem very much his pace. The order and the mundanity of Midwestern life seemed better for Jason.

He just shrugs for now, “Who knows? We’ll see when we get there.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Heather wonders aloud, as she knows it, finding that Jason prefers to have his entire life planned out.

He only sounds a little tense as he tries to sound brave and strong, “Getting there.”

The tension between them had to have been coming from there. She wanted nothing more than to rebel and escape, while he, even when he was feeling crushed by the weight of parental disapproval, was nothing short of desperate to be back in their graces.

If Heather could be more open to discussion when that made her uncomfortable, and Jason less complicit to begin with, the pair would probably be on the right path again.

She lays her head on him again, and this time, Jason takes his arm out of one sleeve of his varsity jacket, slinging it around her like a blanket. Her heart absolutely soars. The promise to Chrissy was fulfilled, she and her honey were working out just fine now, after she’d gotten Billy’s jacket.

That’s gotta be a sign that things will work out for Heather too.

“Hey, Jason?”

“Hm?”

She feels compelled to finally confess, “I love you.”

It’s Jason this time who, after a soft little kiss to her forehead, says, “I know.”

[cowboybarzy]

not sure if you’re still taking summer vacation requests… but…

I’m in my Tyson Jost era. I’m thinking coastal California road trip or scenic Canadian road trip - no plans, no reservations just pure vanilla cream cold brew, pop punk singalongs, ukulele duets, the open road, beautiful scenery and friends to lovers.

that’s all! 💕

thank you!! love love love josty and I really like this one so I hope you do too!!

word count: 1.3k

come along the world trip

📍banff, canada with tyson jost

You had been on the road with your best friend Tyson for a few days now. Your ultimate goal was to end up in Banff, but your trip to get there was very spontaneous and you were just going to see what happened. After the crazy few months Tyson had, being traded from the Avalanche then seeing them win the cup without him just a few months later then being traded again a short time after that, he was exhausted and just happy to be at home to spend some time with you and his family.

But sitting at home in your small home town soon proved to be a bit boring. Tyson packet up his car, drove to your place, made you pack a bag and off you went. "Banff." Was all he said when you asked where he was planning to go. "Let's just see what happens."

While the drive from St. Albert (I hope that's still where his family lives lol) to Banff technically was only about a four hour drive, you had been on the road for days. He drove you to the Rocky Mountains and that's where you planned on making your way down to Banff. You stopped frequently to go hiking and explore the little mountain towns and then crashed in a nearest hotel for the night or once you had even spent the night in the car. Not the most comfortable night, but definitely the most fun. He had brought his ukulele and you spent a long time coming up with your own songs. It was an especially intimate night you shared, one that really brought all of your feelings for him to the surface. But not wanting to ruin the moment, you kept your mouth shut like you had been doing for the last few years.

Since he didn't live close to you for most of the year and you were only able to visit him every so often you were fine managing your feelings towards him, but every time you saw him, especially now sitting in such tight quarters, they just floated right back up to the surface.

"Alright, next stop: Banff." You had a relaxing morning in the mountains. A nice breakfast with a view, then explored the surroundings a bit more while your laundry was being washed. This hotel thankfully had a few washers and driers, because you had already run out of clean clothes since you didn't expect to be gone so long. But neither of you minded. With the clothes dry, you packed up again and left for your final destination. Not before stopping for your favorite vanilla cream cold brews that had been an every day staple on this trip.

"There! I saw the lake!" You opened your window all the way to see better, but the lake had already disappeared behind a mountain. But the glimpse you got was absolutely stunning. Everything around here was. Tyson grinned back at you, equally excited to see the famous lake with its quaint little town.

On the way, you had booked a small and overpriced Airbnb, but that was the only thing available so you took it. You got settled there, but immediately left again to go on another little hike. You stopped at a grocery store for sandwiches and snacks and off you went again. Keeping up with Tyson was usually difficult, but since he was tired from the season, you had no trouble staying beside him.

"I think I wanna move here," you said, taking a bit of your sandwich, when you paused to take a break. You had stopped at a spot that gave you a perfect overview of the lake below you surrounded by mountains and trees.

"It is beautiful here," he agreed. "I'm surprised you haven't complained yet. I've never seen you so active."

"Hey!" You punched him lightly in the arm. You were both laughing. You paused for a moment, then spoke again. "I'm just happy to spend time with you."

"Me too," he said wrapping an arm around you and pulling you close. He kissed the top of your head, like he always did, and even though your heart ached for him, you knew he didn't mean it that way. You pulled away quickly, taking another bite of your food to distract yourself. "I am happy you're here. I really needed this."

You nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "You're happy there though, right?"

"Yeah, I'm happy there." He brushed his curls out of his face. "Wish you were there though."

"Doesn't everybody?" You tried to joke, but it probably didn't come off like you intended. For how long have you wished you lived closer to him? Lived with him.

You both laughed awkwardly, as you could feel the mood change. Then you jumped up and started packing your food away. "Uhm. Let's keep going."

He did the same and followed your steps closely. But you didn't get very far before you felt his big hand wrap around your forearm and spin you around. You landed right on his chest and before you knew it his lips were on yours.

Frozen, you didn't react while his lips were still touching yours. Oh god. He was kissing you. He was kissing you.

"Sorry, I–" Tyson pulled away embarrassed, but your hands quickly grabbed his cheeks and pulled him back in. "... been meaning to do that for a while."

You smiled and kissed him over and over again until your sweet pecks turned into more. He had you pressed against a boulder and his hands firmly on yours hips as he explored your mouth. Gently, but so passionately you thought you were about to sink into the ground.

Breathlessly, you broke the kiss after a while, but his forehead still leaned against yours as you stood there in silence. In the distance there were sounds of a waterfall, birds, sounds of the forest, and people approaching, but you couldn't hear any of it. You were in a bubble of realization of what just happened, but no regret. Far from that. His gaze was full of love and happiness, which you returned, and although you thought it was impossible, you loved those soft eyes of his even more now.

"Tys," you whispered softly, tilting your head back to feel his lips again. He brushed them with his, gently teasing you.

"I don't know what happened, but after you visited me last time, something changed. I don't know but I realized how much I loved you and how deep down I always have. I was kind of scared to say something, but god, (y/n) when you say these things to me, I–"

"Now you know how I've felt these past few years."

"I'm sorry. I never meant to put you through that." He kissed you. And again. And a third time. "Can you forgive me for my brain just lacking?"

You nodded before he even finished asking his question. You wanted him and never once blamed him for anything. Desperately, you went in for another kiss with your arms wrapped around his neck.

"Wow, hold up," Tyson pulled back before your lips made contact. "I realized I just told you that I loved you. Isn't that a bit too soon?"

"No." You managed to pull him back in. "Tys, I've loved you all the time I've known you. You have no idea what you're doing to me right now, telling me that. Now would you please just kiss me! I've been waiting for this for years!"

"Yea, Ma'am," he whispered with a chuckle and finally age you that kiss you'd been waiting for.

[ask-half-blood-hill]

Meet the Demigods: Felix Pearce

Good evening, Camp Half-Blood! Sephora Chambers here, live from the Hera Cabin, ready to bring you another episode of 'Meet the Demigods!' Today we have the Nemesis head counselor, Felix Pearce!

Q1: Describe how you look to all the people tuning in!

"My hair is short, about just below my ear, and split dyed down the middle. Half red, half black. My eyes are reddish-brown, usually people just say they're red, and my skin is caramel tan, like my dad's. I'm seventeen, and about five foot seven. Usually, I can be seen wearing my coat with the broken wheel on the back- it was a gift from my mom."

Q2: Where are you from?

"I was born and grew up in St. Augustine, Florida, but now my dad and I live in Maine, which I don't mind. It's quieter, and closer to camp."

Q3: How do you feel about your siblings?

"I have two siblings on my dad's side, and they're a handful. One is eight, and the other is five, and they get into all sorts of trouble. Then there's my siblings here on my mom's side. They are the opposite, only ever visiting from time to time. Us Nemesis kids don't really make for the best snacks for monsters, so we tend to have an easier life in the outside world."

Q4: Who is your least favorite camper?

"Laying that on me, huh? Jeez, okay. Well, I don't like the Ares kids- too hot tempered, but also I don't like the Tyche kids. They're too lucky, it throws off the whole balance of things. Sometimes I like evening the playing field, and watching their faces when they lose something. Priceless. Yeah, Heather- I'm talking about you."

Q5: If you could build a cabin for any god not represented yet, which one would you choose?

"I know Ganymede mentioned that new cabins were being built. I'm excited to see Aether's cabin. With him being the primordial god of light and the air itself, it's gonna be nice. If I had to pick a god that isn't slated to have a cabin though... I hope the river gods get some justice. They deserve it, and I know they've got kids out there."

Q6: What kind of powers do you have?

"I am a lie detector, and I make it almost impossible for someone to lie to me. I can also sense someone's revenge and use it to sway them to one side or another, but I rarely do that. It's not fair. I can also naturally tell someone's weak point- physically or mentally, and I can able to take away the luck of someone on a whim."

Q7: Are the rumors that you can speak four languages true?

"Yeah, actually. I speak Greek, Spanish, English, and German. My dad was a lawyer in Europe for a few years before moving to the US. He taught me a lot in regards to law and order, though I'd rather play an investigative role rather than sitting in a courtroom for hours."

Q8: What is your choice of weapon?

"It's a bit unorthodox, honestly, but my mom gifted me with a dual-headed spear. It works, and it's perfectly balanced for close or ranged combat."

[naanima]

Oh, dear Ratboy. I really like it when he does long podcasts. It helps that he can communicate. Interview starts around the 1h.11sec mark. Dot points things of interest:

He has finished moving from Calgary completely, doesn't even have winter clothes anymore. LOLs.

When he first arrived in Florida he was happy to take a backseat, but the team wanted him to get involved in the leadership group.

He really loves living in Florida.

VGK was the best team they played. Boston & Vegas were very similar. Talks about how Boston slapped them during two of the regular season games, but they played really well against them for the other two games. And that's why he had the belief they could win. OMFG. He fucked up by jumping on the ice and got the penalty LOLs. It was all his fault.

He thinks players who come through in OT etc are the ones who want the puck on their stick. Good or bad they will need to be able to live it.

His dad always preached live in front of the net. Take some physical abuse in the games, earn it to score. Can't get your stick tied up. He learns a lot from Brady when it comes to spinning it off and getting it into the net. Watches every one of Brady's games.

When he switched to the Right Wing he watched a lot of vids of good right wing players.

Evolved as a player year to year. Same mindset as when he was a kid, "screw you I'm getting that puck." Paul gets on him when he gets into a bit of a shoving match on ice with guys he shouldn't. LOLS.

Offseason - earlier was PT, playing catch-up in strength, conditioning wise more cardio in the hopes to play more mins and faster. He feels he is better prepared this season. He is back to 100%.

Microphones on ice - good for the game. NHL gotta do a better job. It is evolving more via the players and teams. Players don't like it too much bcos they would feel like walking on eggshells. If it is used properly it can grow the game.

Wedding vids - makes athletes look crazier than they are.

Media/SocMed blowing things up. Keith talking about his team being "soft' - he was pissed bcos of how it got blown up. They had a chance to be in the playoffs and then they lost four games in a row. Ouch.

His current health - "Everything feels great." He didn't realise he broke his sternum, he thought maybe a collarbone, it wasn't how hard the hit was, it was the spot. He had to leave the game bcos he had to do concussion protocol. Game 3 didn't really hit him how bad he was. After the game he was not feeling great. Drove home that night with a sling, probably shouldn't have done that. The next morning he couldn't get out of bed. The day after he had to call Brady to help him get up, he couldn't even remember if he had a shower. LOLs. During one of the scrums he couldn't even really grab people's jerseys.

Getting into fights etc. Not that they want to get into a fight, it is more that they just hate losing. LOLs.

Sticking Jonathan Quick - doesn't know what happened, he has no excuses. He is not a fan of goalies that play out of their creases.

Buddies with Auston Matthews & other hockey players. It is the game. He would run almost everybody... except Brady for a lot of reasons, one of them being Brady would take him down. Lols.

Olympics & World's etc - a shame that they can't play together. It is sad. His first dream is to win a Stanley Cup, and then to win for the US with his brother.

Right now - being down in Florida outside; jetskis etc. Not going to buy a boat. Love hanging out with his family and friends. He used to not like the beach at all, but now he is there all the time. He is not into nice cars. Only into golf and stuff on the waters. No gators close to his house, they are close to the rink (wtf).

Him changing team - talked to Calgary that he wasn't gonna sign a long-term contract, worked together with the team, and with permission he had one week to talk to a handful of teams. Came down to Carolina, St Louis' and Florida. He just wanted to learn everything he could before he made the decision.

Going back to Florida in a few days.

Taryn is doing great, was injured last year/season and when she came back she was great.

Invited to 6 weddings, attended 4.

Jack Eichel - his hit. Haven't seen the video.

Fav goal in the playoffs - when Cousins scores. The Carolina one.

Barky is so chill, he thinks Barky is the best player he ever played with/seen. Loves watching Barky playing, during training he learns from him.

Scoring between his legs, his dad was pissed. LOLs. He used to do a lot of trick stuff, flipping his picks etc. He remembers watching Kane and Crosby doing it when he was growing up.

He will chat with his dad after games, and nowadays his dad trusts him.

He thinks Brady is great, a great scorer. Brady's goal is to get the team into the playoffs. Ottawa loves Brady, he is a god there. They treat him and his family well bcos of Brady.

His parents come to Taryn, Brady and his games etc.

It is fascinating to me that Matthew is so very much, "I did this", 'it is my fault", "we didn't play well enough", "the other team is better" etc.

I typed this as I was listening to this so there will be mistakes. LOLs.

[spicybylerpolls]

Hi. So, I know this isn't really what you do but I really like what you and your anons have to say whenever we open discourse in here and this has been stuck in my mind recently and I would really like to know you guys opinion on the matter. So here goes nothing, I guess.

I think it was you who I saw not that long ago saying that Finn is the one with the smartest career outside of ST out of the ST "kids". Which is an opinion I agree with. The second one will probably be Sadie, especially in recent years. Noah, Caleb, and Gaten seem to be trying to establish themselves in Hollywood more in recent years but I do think Noah is concentrating more on college and finishing ST5 atm while Caleb and Gaten seem to prefer Broadway.

Now, considering all this, I don't know why some people are so "worried" about Finn's career post-ST. Saying his "bright future" got ruined and he's gonna be all about angry teens, legacy movies, and 80s nostalgia. While I do think he's waiting for ST to finally be over to take on other roles he probably couldn't take before because of the ST image, I do believe he's gonna continue doing those kind of projects because he genuinely likes doing those movies.

I mean, look at him promoting Ghostbusters just last week. The only times that guy looked a little uncomfortable was when the ST questions came up. Now compared that to him promoting ST. I'm not saying he's tired of ST because he seems to be well aware that it made his career but I do think the ST fandom overwhelms him sometimes and with good reasons.

Honestly, out of the ST "kids", the one with the most "worrisome" career is Millie. Yes, she's very popular in and outside of Hollywood but she hasn't really established herself in Hollywood outside of ST/Netflix, not to mention that her projects seem to be catered more towards her female side of the fandom. There are also other things that I'm not gonna mention here but I think people can guess.

I know Millie kinda "blames" ST for not being able to take on other bigger projects but Finn and Sadie have been doing ST for (or almost) as long as she has and yet they're in big movies like It, Ghostbusters, and The Whale. Working alongside big celebrities like Paul Rudd and TS and renowned directors like Del Toro and Aronofsky. I know Finn and Sadie probably have more freedom since their characters are not as "big and important" as Eleven but still. It's a little weird, isn't it?

There's also the fact that the Godzilla movies seem to have dropped her because "she was too expensive for them". I don't know how old you are but I remember Twilight and how bad some of their careers got after they became "too expensive" for mainstream Hollywood.

Honestly, I think Finn and Sadie will be fine, at least for a while (we can never truly know the future, especially in Hollywood). Noah, Caleb, and Gaten will be fine too. I didn't mention Priya because compared to the other ST "kids" she has basically just started. Millie is the one people should be worried about.

Anyway, what do you guys think about this? If you don't want to post this, that's fine. Don't worry about it. Just needed to get this out of my mind and chest. Have a nice day!

PS: I'm not saying any of them are "bad actors" or anything. Just that some of them seem to have made some smarter career choices that others.

Hmm, these are all interesting points! I def agree that Finn and Sadie are at the top based on their overall career choices, although maybe I'd switch Sadie and Finn around slightly. I think Noah and Gaten are both wild cards given the fact that they haven't done as many projects outside of ST. I hope Noah's agent gives him better projects than The Tutor because he absolutely has the talent for it.

Caleb is a wild card too, but he's been good in the things I've seen him in like Concrete Cowboy. He also has a horror movie lined up called The Deliverance, but it's on Netflix so it's likely hit or miss. I think Gaten said somewhere that he was nervous about getting roles post S5, but you're right that his career has a lot of potential if he continues down the Broadway path.

"Now, considering all this, I don't know why some people are so "worried" about Finn's career post-ST. Saying his "bright future" got ruined and he's gonna be all about angry teens, legacy movies, and 80s nostalgia. While I do think he's waiting for ST to finally be over to take on other roles he probably couldn't take before because of the ST image, I do believe he's gonna continue doing those kind of projects because he genuinely likes doing those movies."

I think some are worried about Finn because they don't see him as being as good of an actor as the others maybe? I'm not sure how fair that is, and maybe I'm biased as a Finn stan, but I've never seen him as bad in any of the project's he's been it. With When You Finish Saving the World, he had an opportunity to work alongside some great people and I think he held his own. I think some of the issue may be that in some of his projects like Ghostbusters, especially the latest one, he really isn't being given the best material to work with. His co-star Mckenna Grace got all the meatier material.

I personally think Finn has A LOT of untapped potential and he just isn't being used properly. I know he doesn't have a big role, but I'm really, excited to see him in SNL 1975 as I think he has a lot of potential with comedy because he's funny as hell. And obviously, he has a lot of potential with writing/directing and with his music career too if he chooses to focus more on that side of things instead.

I find your points about Millie to be really intriguing! I agree with you that she hasn't established herself outside of Netflix other than the Godzilla movies, but I'm not sure I fully understand what you're getting at when you say, "her projects seem to be catered more towards her female side of the fandom" and, "There are also other things that I'm not gonna mention here but I think people can guess."

Opening this up to everyone! What are y'alls thoughts?

[heyimdove]

It’s been about a month since I finished Drinking Buddies and Diaries, so I have a quick story about writing it and how COOL fanfic readers are:

I don’t live in the UK, only been there once, and my short stint in London happened to coincide with a terrorist attack about a block from where I was, so my memories of it are tinted a bit off. When I think of London now, I mostly associate it with tons of low-flying helicopters (also one fantastic leek soup)((and public toilets that cost money))(((and a ferret on a leash I saw at St. James Park))).

So all the places referenced are almost entirely googled. And I spent FOREVER looking through various pubs near Soho/St. James Park/Berkeley Square before finally deciding to use the Goat Tavern (mainly because the big golden goat that stares down at you from the road). It just so happened that the pub had a controversial history and some neat secret underground tunnels- basically the kind of place I could see demons hanging around. Goats are so often associated with satanic stuff thanks to Ol’ Baphomet, so it really seemed to fit perfectly in a never-been-there-but-I-hope-this-works kind of way.

Well, actually, it turns out there are TWO Goat Taverns. Not far from each other. One has a golden goat, the other has a goat stonework thingy. The one without the golden goat had the murderer and tunnels, I think? Regardless, wtf London? Couldn’t one of you have been The Ram? The Alpaca? Some other even-toed ungulate?

Anyway, it’s too late to change it now, so Muriel and Crowley go to the Goat Tavern, meaning they go to both at once, meaning it’s one fucking pub in my fic, two pubs just mushed into one.

Despite this confusing development, a reader (egana) decided to make the trip over to the Goat Tavern (the Mayfair one). They said:

“I… shall be paying a pilgrimage to The Goat Tavern in honour of this fic later this week”

Obviously that was an extremely cool thing to say and I begged them to tell me what it’s like. It turns out they actually went!:

I have been smiling all day at this because it really makes the time I spent digitally trekking through all these little pubs and eateries to find the right one for Crowley to take Muriel to, when he couldn’t bring himself to dine at The Ritz with anyone but Aziraphale, entirely worth it. It sounds more angelic than I intended but I actually love that, because now it’s more believable that angels would enter it at all, despite that freaky staring goat.

Like bro are u kidding me

Anyway, fanfic readers constantly make me feel the warmest feelings towards the world and I love you all. I love that egana would take the trip out and even bother to follow up. The people I’ve been able to interact with since posting are just lovely. I was so afraid to share my writing with the world. As it turns out, the world is actually very, very nice.

Someone let me know recently that DB&D is the most-kudoed post-S2 fic (or was when she told me anyway, it might not be anymore), and that is so mind-blowing and heartening. I’ve been working on some personal novels lately, and it’s all thanks to the support and kindness from fic readers. So if you’re here because you read DB&D, you should know that you have helped resuscitate me. Thank you. If I ever get published, I’m dedicating my first novel to you!

And if I ever do get published, we can all take comfort in the fact that I would have an editor who will stop me from combining two real places into one. I still can’t get over that TWO GOAT TAVERNS exist on opposite sides of one fucking park