#i never write solo scenes. i should get on that more.

[last-starry-sky]

kinktober day 17 - masturbation

ghost x soap x f!reader (pt. 1, pt. 2 HERE )

[MDNI - NSFW - MIND THE WARNINGS: 1.2k, established ghost/soap, ghoap is weird and overprotective of reader, solo masturbation.]

tag list (lmk if you'd like to be added!): @slut-lmao, @mishaglass

You honestly didn’t expect this when you moved in. 

Sure, you had lived with guys before. That didn’t bother you. Those guys had always been your friends or lovers, though. People you knew. You had known them before the conversation of moving in together had ever come up, and the decision was always more of a practical one than anything. You just didn't expect this.

Sharing an apartment with Johnny and Simon was a different beast entirely. To start, they were in control of the situation. It was a room in their flat they were advertising. You wouldn’t even have to be on the lease, just show up and move in. Drop your rent check with one of them whenever you felt. No rush. They were also in a relationship. On the surface, it was a statement that should have made you more comfortable. You wouldn’t have to worry about either of them hitting on you or it getting uncomfortable if you brought someone back for a little fun. 

At least, you had assumed. Sitting at the little table that served as the dining room, crowded against the wall in your chair by large (Johnny) and larger (Simon) with no exit as they grilled you made you want to melt through the floorboards. You just wanted to eat your cereal. 

“Not tryin’ t’ get in y’ business-” Johnny had said, eyes bright and smile nervous, trying his best to cover his twitchy demeanor.

“I am,” Simon cut in bluntly. You crunched your cereal, wide eyes on the black-clothed, solid slab of a man as he glowered across the table; half-lidded, black eyes pressing down on you. “Who’s the bloke?”

“Wha-” you started to say, milk dribbling down your chin. Johnny thankfully picked up the conversation for you.

“Guy who brought you back late last night. Heard you talkin’ in the hall,” he said leaning forward, biceps flaring against the hands he had tucked around his chest. “He somethin’ or . . .”

You let his sentence spool out, chewing the last of your mouthful before answering. You had woken up not thirty minutes ago and this was quite a lot to process. Your brain was hardly online.

“Brandon?” you asked. “My coworker?”

Soap instantly relaxed. He leaned back in his chair and looked at Simon, his hand gesturing at you.

“See? Told ya.” Simon didn’t take his eyes off you, hand flexing around his mug of morning coffee. You were starting to feel more like an inmate the longer he fixed his heavy, unflinching stare on you.  “Birdie wouldn’t do that to us.” 

From then on, any male company was out of the question, at least in your room that you paid for each month. You thought about going out, maybe picking someone up, but having Johnny and Simon observing you constantly put you on edge. You knew that the second you tried to leave all dolled up on a dick-getting mission, they would run interference. You just knew it.

You rolled your eyes and squirmed under your sheets. It was the middle of the night and here you were: horny and the two men who seemingly wanted you to die alone occupying your mind. You threw your hands over your eyes with a huff. It sucked, because they weren’t bad looking guys, just protective. 

You dashed that thought away as soon as it crossed your mind. They’re a couple, and no matter how much it seemed they wanted to keep you to themselves, they only had eyes (and hands) for each other. You pulled yourself out of bed, shivering as your feet touched the cold floor. Matter of fact, it was a rare night where you couldn’t hear the two of them in the next room fucking like it was their last night on earth.

Creeping across the room to your dresser, you opened the bottom drawer. You wouldn’t go without, not with your pussy waking you up like clockwork, leaking and needy, just in time to listen to the smacking and bed creaking in the room behind you. You’d just have to take things into your own hands is all. 

You pulled out your favorite dildo from the box you had hidden in the back of the drawer. It was perfect: long, thick, and heavy enough to fill you without hurting, and the texture was close enough to a real cock, with prominent veins and a lovingly sculpted flared head and balls.

You dropped your sleep shorts before you slid back into bed. You kicked the covers back to give yourself room, splaying out your legs as you teased your entrance. You could hear the small, wet noises the head made as you slid it up and down through your slick. Not wanting to wait any longer than needed, you pushed the head in. You suppressed a whine, not wanting to wake Johnny or Simon. Lord help you if they took issue with this. 

You forced the length of the dildo farther and farther inside you, wincing as the head snugged up against your cervix and the balls plugged your entrance. You loved that part, breaking yourself in. It was almost how a real guy would feel, how you wanted to be treated, but Simon and Johnny had other plans. 

Fucking Johnny and Simon, you thought, pumping the length of the shaft in and out of your pussy in a smooth, strong rhythm. Fucking cock-blocks the both of them. You would assume two huge, muscled guys . . . both with hands large enough to palm your ass, throw you around, maybe pick you up and bend you in half-

You clenched as you pumped the fake cock all the way in, veins stimulating the sensitive ridges inside. You let out a quiet moan, the squishy sound of the silicone forcing through your juices (thankfully) loud enough to cover it.  

Fuck, you were already close. You hadn’t been at it for more than a minute or two. It really had been too long. You looked down your body at your pussy. You were a mess, lips smeared with glistening slick, your clit fat and throbbing, begging for touch. You closed your eyes and lay back against your pillow. 

It was easy, so so so easy to imagine a certain someone between your legs. Your hand took on a different pattern entirely, thrusting into yourself at a cruel pace. Your free hand clawed at your pillow. It was the same pattern you heard pounding into the mattress nightly. You could imagine his stubble against your neck, his hands palming your hips as he nipped and kissed you. 

“‘s good lil’ cunny f’ me, right bird?” he would ask, not giving you time to answer, “Why we had to keep it to ourselves. Treat it right.”

You managed to pound the shaft three more time into yourself before you seized around Johnny’s imaginary cock. You bit your tongue to keep in your wailing moan. You lay against your sheets, sweaty as the aftershocks worked through you. That was . . . incredible. Possibly the hardest you’d come in ages. 

You clenched at the piece of plastic inside you, feeling your release trickle out around it. You just came the hardest you could remember, and it was while you were thinking about your asshole, overprotective, taken roommate.

You scrubbed your hands over your eyes. You were so so fucked.

[autumnscribbles]

come back | r.c

summary: you and rafe get into a fight on a night out, when you’re left to find your own way home, you find yourself in a bad position

warnings: drinking, creepy men, i think that’s about it

wc: 2k

a/n: my first official rafe fic!!! thank you so much to the person who sent in this request, i’m a little rusty but had so much fun writing this! pls send more :) enjoy

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

You let out a loud laugh as JJ continued to tell you one of the most ridiculous stories you’ve ever heard. Between fits of laughter, you took small sips from your red solo cup. You were starting to feel tipsy, the alcohol coursing through you. It made everything funnier, and you found yourself leaning in towards JJ, unable to control your laughter. You clutched your stomach as he laughed along with you, his own laughter triggered by how much you were laughing. It was always an endless cycle with JJ, when one of you started to laugh, it was over.

“I’m gonna go get another drink,” you hiccuped, as you stared down at the empty cup in your hand.

JJ patted your leg and nodded at you before you stood up, making your way over to the table where the drinks were. The room spun slightly around you as you clumsily poured yourself another drink. You were mixing it yourself, and chuckled at how heavy handed your pour was. You tilted your head back as you took a sip, nodding to yourself in approval.

As you turned around to head back to the couch you were sitting on, you bumped into a familiar chest. You looked up at your boyfriend, smiling drunkenly at him.

“Hey! There you are!” you cheered, leaning your head on Rafe’s chest as you inhaled his familiar scent.

“Took you long enough,” he scoffed, stepping to the side and approaching the same table you were just walking away from.

“What does that mean?” you asked, furrowing your brows as you took another sip.

“It means you should probably lay off the liquor and maybe don’t hang all over JJ like an idiot,” he retorted, his eyes glued to the table in front of him.

You thought it was hypocritical, him telling you to stop drinking as he poured himself another rum and coke. He drank as much as he wanted, whenever he wanted and you never said a word to him about it. JJ had been your friend since childhood, your family taking him in when he had no one else. You grew up together. Your friendship would always be special.

“You should lay off the liquor,” you muttered under your breath as you walked away from him, going back towards JJ.

“Running back to him?” Rafe called out to you.

You turned around, seeing his bright blue eyes darken as he looked at you. His jaw twitched as he clenched it. You knew he was biting his tongue. Holding himself back from saying something he would really regret.

“You know what Rafe? You’re childish. JJ is my friend, and you know it. Maybe you should stop drinking and you wouldn’t be so fucking delusional,” you bit back.

Rafe rolled his eyes and you walked back over to JJ, plopping on the couch beside him again. He looked concerned as he asked you if everything was okay. You assured him you were perfect, and tapped your cup against his as a cheers.

You ignored Rafe as you saw him walk passed you, not even sparing you a glance. You knew you upset him, and that he was bothered. For once, you didn’t care enough to do anything until you got home. You didn’t want to cause a scene, and more importantly, wanted to have fun with your friends.

After a few rounds of pong with John B, Pope, JJ, and Kie, the alcohol was really getting to your head. You realized you hadn’t seen Rafe since your argument, anXd thought maybe you should look for him.

“I’m gonna get some air and look for Rafe,” you said to your friends, voice raised to be heard over the music. They nodded at you before setting up for another game.

You weaved through drunk, sweaty bodies before stepping outside. You breathed in the fresh air, closing your eyes as everything spun.

“You should lay off the liquor,” you muttered to yourself as you stumbled down the front steps.

You assumed Rafe would be outside. He usually stepped out for air when things were tense between you. He used it as a way to calm down. You were surprised when you didn’t find him.

You glanced down the street full of parked cars. You couldn’t spot Rafe’s truck. Did he leave? Would he? You felt tears springing to your eyes, suddenly feeling guilty for what you said to him. You pulled out your phone, calling him. It rang and rang, but eventually left you on voicemail. You shot him a quick text before sitting on the steps, spinning head in your hands.

“Hey…” you heard an unfamiliar voice behind you.

You looked over your shoulder to see someone you didn’t recognize. Obviously a kook, based on the polo shirt and khaki pants he had on. You had never seen him at one of these parties before. Or maybe, you just never recognized him.

“Hey,” you muttered, pulling out your phone to see if Rafe answered.

“Lost your boyfriend?” he asked, sitting down comfortably beside you. You felt yourself slide over, wanting distance from him.

“No,” you shook your head. “Just waiting for him.”

“Don’t think he’s coming back, sweetheart. I saw him get in his truck,” he chuckled. “I could drive you home though.”

“I’m good,” you answered shortly.

You stood up, taking a second to regain your balance. You had to go home. To find Rafe. You realized you didn’t have the keys to your place. Rafe had them. You came together and were going to leave together. You guessed you’d just knock until he answered once you got there.

You knew you should tell your friends you were leaving, but in a drunken haze you were too focused to go back inside. You’d just text them later.

The boy on the stairs was in a conversation with a clone of himself, so you started walking. The cool evening hair sent a slight chill down your spine, your shoulders exposed. You tried to walk as quickly as possible without falling.

When you heard footsteps behind you, you reluctantly decided to look behind you. You were surprised to find the boy from the stairs and his friend walking a few paces behind you.

You felt your heartbeat pick up a bit, your hand clutching your phone tightly, willing Rafe to call. You took a turn, and realized they were not too far behind you. Enough distance to try to make it seem like they weren’t following you, but you knew.

You decided you’d take the short cut. You had to go through the woods, but it wasn’t too far. The boys behind you wouldn’t know the path, even if they saw you turn off. You’d just run, you thought to yourself.

As you dashed quickly into the woods, your breath was loud in your ears. You were trying not to panic. You would be fine. You heard the footsteps behind you, branches cracking under their feet as their pace picked up. You’d run as far as you could.

Eventually, you slowed down, catching your breath. You squeezed your eyes shut as you tried to listen for the boys following you. Your heart beat hard in your ears as you took deep breaths. You didn’t hear them anymore. You were in the clear.

You pulled your phone out of your pocket and flashed the light, realizing you had no idea where you ended up. You were surrounded by trees, no path in sight.

“Fuck,” you whispered.

You started walking where you thought you had come from, hoping to end up back on the path. You’d tripped over something, landing harshly on the hard ground. You hissed in pain as tears started filling your eyes.

You dialled JJ, thinking maybe you had a better chance of reaching him. No answer. You tried Rafe again, and again, and again.

The third time, he picked up. His voice choppy on the other line because of the bad service.

“Rafe?” you cried, overjoyed that he answered. “I need help I-I was walking home and I cut through the woods to get home but I’m lost.”

“Y/N?” Rafe answered. “Where are you?”

“The woods, I-I don’t know where exactly. Please help me, baby,” you cried.

You couldn’t hear his reply as the call dropped. You cursed under your breath again as you began to cry. You didn’t even know if Rafe heard you. You felt yourself starting to crash, the adrenaline wearing off and the effects of the alcohol hitting you all at once. You felt your eyes flutter shut, and succumbed to the exhaustion.

You eyes opened again to a faint sound in the distance. You sat up, disoriented, your head pounding behind your eyes. You winced as you tried to figure out how much time had passed.

You heard a voice in the distance, and as it approached you realize they were calling your name.

Rafe.

He came.

“Rafe!” you screamed as loud as you could, trying to signal to him where you were.

You heard his footsteps pick up as they got closer, and you kept calling out. Eventually he was in front of you, crouch down as his hands cradled your face.

“Baby, oh my god,” he breathed. “I’ve been looking for you, are you okay?”

“I’m sorry I acted like a bitch,” you cried, falling into his chest. “I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”

“Shhh I shouldn’t have left you there. I was a fucking asshole. I’m so sorry. What if something happened to you?” he rambled, holding you close.

“These guys were following me so I cut through the woods. I tried to get away,” you breathed. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“What? Who?” he asked angrily.

“Doesn’t matter,” you sighed. “I just wanna go home.”

*

Rafe brought you inside and into the bathroom, turning the light on.

“You’re hurt,” he whispered. There was a cut down your leg, bleeding from when you tripped. You were covered in dirt, leaves, and branches.

“It doesn’t hurt,” you told him.

“Fuck,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry baby, I can’t say it enough.”

He turned the shower on, the steam starting to fill the room. He helped you gently peel off your clothes and step in, where he joined behind you. He rinsed off all the dirt and blood, and gently massaged your head with shampoo to wash out the dirt. You began uncontrollably sobbing as the warm water fell down your body, and you were so worn out you didn’t even know why anymore.

Rafe dressed you into your favorite pyjamas and brought you to bed, tucking you in gently. All while whispering that you were okay, that he was sorry, and that he loved you. He set down a glass of water beside you, urging you to drink it.

“Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Cold?” he asked.

You shook your head, reaching your arms out to him. He fell on the bed beside you as you lay on his chest, his heart beat faster than normal.

“It’s okay, baby,” you whispered to him, your eyes beginning to close. “I’m okay.

“I don’t know how I can forgive myself,” he said. “What if those guys..” he stopped himself before continuing. He didn’t want to voice what he was thinking. It was unimaginable.

“I shouldn’t have ignored you, or walked away when you were clearly upset. It was stupid,” you muttered.

“It doesn’t matter,” he whispered. “I was just being jealous and stupid. I overreacted.”

“As always,” you chuckled, making the corners of his mouth turn up.

He watched as your eyes began closing, your previously stressed out facial expression smoothing out.

“Just rest, baby,” he cooed as he rubbed his hand along your back. “I won’t leave you again.”

You finally gave in to your exhaustion, just happy to be safe and warm in Rafe’s arms. You didn’t care about the fight anymore, or anything that happened. All that mattered was you were safe. You were okay.

He came back. He would always come back.

[come-see-our-show]

I saw an early screening of the Mean Girls movie last night, so here is a summary of my thoughts, comparing the movie musical to the Broadway musical, which I was lucky enough to see live in 2018!

Changed that I liked:

The usage of social media in the Broadway show made it very clear that it was written by adults who didn’t know much about Gen-Z. It was probably one of the worst parts of the show in my opinion. But Tina Fey must have done her research since 2018, because the way the movie uses TikTok, memes, vlogging, and FaceTime to push the story forward worked VERY well. I think there were some influencer cameos, but it didn’t feel they were included to show how “young and hip” they were, It actually added authenticity.

The diversity within the cast and changing last names to reflect the characters’ backgrounds (Karen Smith ➡️ Karen Shetty, Janis Sarkisian ➡️ Janis 'Imi'ike)

Cutting down “Meet the Plastics.” It’s a very exposition-heavy song and doesn’t need to be super long, even though the full version is quite catchy and fun.

All of the new jokes landed so well, probably because Tina Fey’s writing style is better suited for the screen as opposed to the stage.

This is more of a comparison of the musical vs. the original film, but a big change was The Plastics’ weaponized wokeness (which I talk about here).

The production design for most of the songs was very different. The stage musical has a lot of rock songs, which were changed to a pop sound for the movie. I personally prefer rock musicals, but it was a good way to give the movie a separate identity from its predecessor so it doesn’t risk becoming a carbon copy. It worked on some songs (“Someone Gets Hurt” and “World Burn”) but not on others (“A Cautionary Tale” and “Revenge Party”).

Cutting the joke about Regina’s ass being big. It was a very low-brow joke, which I’m not a fan of, and was just really immature. Thank God that was changed to her falling, which still shows her being embarrassed without her body being the joke.

Explicitly making Janis a lesbian! (It’s only implied in the stage show with “It’s not even true… I only have one butt”) And she goes to prom with a girl while Damien dances with a boy! ALSO THERE’S REJANIS LORE AND IT’S SO HEARTBREAKING I LOVE IT

megan thee stallion just… being there

Miss Norbury and Principal Duvall being a couple and owning a dog together!!!

As a low mezzo, I appreciated whoever decided to lower the key for “I’d Rather Be Me.” I felt very represented 🩷

Having Cady be raised in a single-parent household so it focuses in more on her relationship with her mom. Jenna Fischer was so motherly and sincere and brought a warmth to the movie. Their scene together near the end made me emotional (you’re never too old to ask your parent to stay with you until you fall asleep) (also this is my request to make jenna fischer my mom)

Changes that I didn’t like:

Cutting BOTH of Damian’s solos??? (SHE’S LEAVING!!!!!!!! JUST LIKE MY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Cutting “More Is Better.” It wasn’t necessarily a memorable song, but it did give both Cady and Aaron more depth, both as separate characters and within their relationship.

While cutting some of the songs helped with pacing, cutting HALF of the score made me forget that it was a musical sometimes, which sucks because I really like musicals!!!

Other stuff:

The movie was marketed horribly. One of my friends didn’t even know it was gonna be a musical because there were no songs in the trailers 💀 (Also, this isn’t just a Mean Girls problem. The Color Purple also didn’t have any songs in the trailer. I didn’t even know Wonka was a musical until I saw it in theaters, so that was a bit of a shock.) If you’re producing a musical movie, maybe your focus groups should be musical fans, because that’s still a HUGE market.

Auliʻi Cravalho’s voice is STUNNING! She and Jaquel Spivey had great chemistry and their friendship felt so genuine!

The opening and ending transitions from the garage were everything to me

The EDITING

Angourie Rice is a great actor and fit Cady perfectly… except for her singing. Out of the entire cast she was easily the weakest in terms of vocals and it was pretty disappointing since she’s the LEAD. I could barely hear her in the new song “What Ifs” because of how quiet and breathy she was. I think it’s a better written song compared to “Roar” though.

Jon Hamm cameo!

Ashley Park cameo!

I cannot stress enough how funny this movie was. I was probably laughing louder than everyone else in the theatre.

I lost my shit during “Meet the Plastics” when Regina unzipped her jacket and Cady was staring at her boobs. She’s just like me fr 🏳️‍🌈

I know that Regina is a horrible person but I couldn’t find it in me to dislike her in the slightest. She just served too much cunt 😩

Christopher Briney is a good actor, but I don't think he was the right choice for Aaron Samuels. I would hate to ridicule anyone for their looks, but it still plays an important part in casting. Aaron is supposed to be a somewhat naive, wholesome, hot jock (and Regina has high standards, so he better be a fucking model). Briney is definitely a cutie, but gives off “smoldering badboy with a secret sensitive side” energy, which isn’t what Aaron should be.

The fantasy sequences (Stupid With Love, Revenge Party, October 3rd). I LOVE when movie musicals USE the medium to tell stories in a way that they can’t on a stage!!!

THE CHOREO!!! Everyone freezing then shaking in “Someone Get Hurt” AHHHH that entire number was HYPNOTIZING!!!!!!!!!!! My friend told me the choreographer’s name is Kyle Hanagami, so shout out to him. (also reneé rapp was so fucking hot while singing that oh my lord)

I will be calling my pimples “face breasts” from now on (avantika ilysm)

DAMIAN’S FRENCH COVER OF THE ICARLY THEME SONG 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

why was there a 0.5 camera shot of cady during revenge party 💀

“I’d Rather Be Me” was so much fun and I felt so fucking empowered. And the transition from the song to the bus was just *chef’s kiss*

“donut worry i am still your freend” 🥺

Lindsay Lohan cameo!!!!!!!!!

NOT ENOUGH RENEÉ RAPP 😭😭

Overall, the movie was not perfect, but the Broadway show already had plenty of flaws, so it’s understandably how that would affect the adaptation. I still a LOT of fun and would definitely see it again. Go stream Snow Angel by Reneé Rapp. i love women 🥰🥰🥰

[indierpgnewsletter]

The Tom Bloom Phenomenon and Sub-cultures Generally

For the first time ever (as far as I can tell anyway), there are 5 games in the top 10 of itch.io that are from the same creator.

Tom Bloom is an artist probably best known for his comic, Kill 6 Billion Demons. He’s also one-half of Massif Press and co-creator of the tactical mecha game, Lancer. And recently, he’s been publishing games under his own solo label, Chasm.

So far, under Chasm, he’s put out three products, which are all in the Top 4. Magnagothica: Maleghast is a miniatures war game without the miniatures. The assumption is that you’ll play it online using his stylish art. Cain is a dark investigation game where trained supersoldiers hunt down monsters created by trauma. And then there’s Games for Freaks, which is a little magazine that contains supplementary material for his other games.

As far as lineage goes, my understanding is that Bloom’s primary touchstone for narrative games is Blades in the Dark (oh, look, a new supplement is out). He tends to combine that with various degrees of crunchy combat, stunning art, shonen anime aesthetics, and angst. They sound interesting but I don’t know if I’ll ever get to play them. Lancer was definitely too rules-y for me.

I’m talking about this because I think it’s interesting that more and more, the huge diversity of RPG clusters are becoming apparent to me. This newsletter tries to take a wide view of the gaming scene but because I’m writing it, there’s a focus on storygames. There’s thriving groups and sub-groups that I almost never talk about – those around World of Darkness or GURPS or the 2d20 games from Modiphius or all the new Osprey Games or Jenna K Moran’s work or even solo games or larps or lyric games. And of course, there’s geographies and technologies and on on.

It’s not about the absolute number of the population of these various sub-groups – that’s not where their notability comes from. The point for me is that there is a huge diversity in the breadth of “who is playing tabletop RPGs”. There is a huge variation in what is considered approachable, fun, interesting, life-affirming, comforting, and so on. Anyone still talking about what games are or should be (without the requisite nuance) is just wasting their time.

We don’t all share the same context anymore. The games that you know aren’t the games I know. The way you play isn’t the way other people play. And this is a part of broader cultural trends – globalism, the rise and fall of mass culture, consumerism, monopolization – all of which I’m not smart enough to explain in 600 words. But it was also always the case – maybe it was just a little harder to see.

I think there are a lot of people who, like me, have a curiosity that exceeds their grasp. Thanks to Rascal, I get to do some spelunking into these communities. But I really can’t do them all. And I really shouldn’t. I’m excited for folks from all these groups to speak for themselves to others – to articulate their own contexts and speak passionately about what brings them together. That’s not easy honestly. It’s hard to talk about games without some critical language and some broader sense of the landscape and so on. But at the same time, we can figure that out along the way. I’d definitely like to help.

This first appeared on the Indie RPG Newsletter: https://ttrpg.in/2024/11/03/the-tom-bloom-phenomenon-and-sub-cultures-generally/

[mono-dot-jpeg]

[10:02pm] - aphelios & sett

a/n; in which i make aphelios silly skrumblo than he already his. test run for writing league. but it's heartsteel phel so, it's probably gonna be fine. i loved watching the bloopers. it was so cute, i need more. they should make a small web series like how kpop groups have their small web series where they do random shit or vlog ugh. im totally gonna write that someday.

[ooc phel and sett????] [i threw in poly! settphel in here despite wanting to make it a solo phel fic]

aphelios is really bad at getting your attention normally.

which is fair. you and alune are busy being the limited staff for heartsteel. you help yone work the technicals [and filming] and alune is more of the social part of managing.

but since their debut was nearing closer and closer, you have been more occupied with your manager duties. kayn had been especially chaotic during filming, causing you and yone to attempt to fix everything that was broken by the others.

to summarize, it has been a very long week for heartsteel.

mostly for the quiet boy since he has not gotten some much-needed love and attention from his lover. he could've gone to sett for that love and attention, but the redhead offers more than enough of it. and also he took too many takes for his scene, and phel swears he can still hear the ringing in his ears from the bell.

he's been trying to get your attention now since it's been much less busy, but he hasn't had much luck.

poke.

poke. poke.

you feel cold fingers poke at your face as you rest on bed, completely exhausted. you don't really complain about the comforting hands that gently cup your face until you feel a familiar pair of lips on yours. aphelios watches your tired eyes open and squint at him before you give him a small smile. "hi phel.."

he can't bring himself to be mad at you from the lack of attention with how sweet you look. he can't help but sigh before settling right next to you on the bed, head resting on your chest and body curling up close to you for warmth. there's never much need for words when he's so endearingly expressive. his lips jutted out just a bit in a cute pout as he looked up at you with pleading eyes, a surefire sign of him wanting your attention. "where's sett?" you murmured, gently playing with phel's hair.

aphelios makes no sign of an answer, tugging the blankets to cover you and him better. he even goes as far to lay right on top of you, trapping you in his hold. "phel.." you whined, "i just wanted to know where he was."

the look in aphelios's eyes says everything you need to know, "i need attention."

you can only smile as you finally give him his needed attention. "okay, okay, i'll stop. but you know i just woke up from my nap. what am i gonna do?"

you get no response as expected as the silent man presses his face against your chest, not caring to even spare you another glance. "god, what am i gonna do with you?" you mutter fondly. "with you and sett.. wait until he starts getting all clingy too.." placing your hands on his cheeks, "absolutely insufferable." you joked, squishing his face.

"babe! i lost aphelios!" you're holding back your laugh as sett barges into your shared room. he reminds you of a sweet doberman who just loves their owner. "have you seen him-" aphelios shifts under the blankets, head peeking out to look at sett, annoyed. "oh. uh. hey phel." sett smiles sheepishly. "i forgot that you wanted to be with them today because they've been so busy."

you laugh, "don't be mad, phel." he sends you a look before burying himself under the sheets once again and clinging onto you. "at least let sett join. i haven't given him much attention either. especially after what happened with some of the props during filming." you sighed, remembering yone scolding to the boys and alune laughing behind the camera.

the blankets shift before the blue haired mute opens a side of the covers to let sett in. and ever the energetic and excitable boyfriend, he almost looks ready to dive straight onto you and aphelios. but he holds back, shifting around awkwardly as he moves onto the bed. he finally lets his excitement out, reaching around to hug both you and phel the best he can. "god, i missed this."

"it was only a week, big guy."

"longest week ever!" he groaned as you feel aphelios nod in agreement.

"you two are so dramatic." you slam a poro plushie against sett's and aphelios's head.

"you love it!"

[harlotofupdog]

This was meant to be a groveling apology post but it turned into a rage meta post.

I have so many fics that I want to read or finish reading from writers whose work I truly adore, and so much art that I want to stare at and squeal about, and I just haven't got to it. There are fics that I am so in love with and I just… I can't open AO3 until I can just sit, y'know?

I know that literally no-one is counting on me for this stuff because I am a tiny wonker, but I feel perpetually awful about it nonetheless. I also have a bunch of fic stuff (writing and beta) that I never get to, and I'm now at the point where I'm so overwhelmed by all the things I need to do that I'm paralysed by procrastination. There's probably a few topsy-turvy chonkadonks of recent news that haven't helped, but the main thing is…

FUCKING HOTEL ROOMS.

I spend so much time in hotel rooms. I used to love hotel rooms. It felt like a little treat every time I stayed in a nice one. Bright white sheets, little sachets of tea and shitty instant coffee, minibars, dressing gowns, inconvenient power outlets, unflattering mirrors - I loved it all. But now I fucking dread them. They are my ultimate (bad) liminal spaces - just fancy transit points between the airport or the train station or the closest fucking McDonald's where I can eat a zillion nuggets until I feel better.

I've tried to be productive in hotel rooms, I really have. I bring my laptop, I bring my sketchpad. Sometimes I have a couple of free hours in the evening, and god, why don't I use them? Instead, I sit and think and scroll while I drink all the shitty tea and shitty coffee and sometimes an entire bottle of red or whatever tiny booze they have in the minibar.

It occurs to me, after 6000 years of fucking hotel rooms, that they are… Heaven. They are, right? Crisp, light, bright, stifling. There's the concierge in their nice suit, the fancy faux marble foyer, elevators that sneak up from behind and then DING as if you're the arsehole for facing the other way, mirrors fucking EVERYWHERE jump-scaring you with your own face, the end of the toilet paper folded into a little triangle... (whose bum needs that? A tiny triangle before the rest of the paper? No-one's bum needs that!)

And Heaven is always watching, isn't it?

The binful of teabags, the crumpled up packets of crisps-for-dinner, the empty bottle of wine - they will all be SEEN, along with the sanitary bag and the snotty tissues and the laddered stockings that I've wrenched off in a rage because now I have to go buy more. (WHY DID HOTELS GET RID OF BIN BAGS?)

We haven't even made it to the mortifying ordeal of ordering room service as a solo business traveler. I order the club sandwich, because that is the first thing you should order in a hotel, always - this is a rule. I eat it, it's fine. Club sandwiches have probably hauled me back from the edge of madness/chicken nuggets at least four times now. The next night, though, I don't want a club sandwich. I want something else.

A pizza.

There is no option to order a half pizza, and if I order a whole pizza, I will eat the whole pizza. So I order a whole pizza, obviously. I eat the pizza, because of course I do - it's not great, but it's kinda okay and it's something to do because I can't do any of the other things like live or breathe or exist in regular human form.

But when the pizza is gone, I look at the empty tray sitting on the slimy glass-topped desk and the realisation hits: they will know I know they know that I sat on my pristine bed, shoving melted cheese and prosciutto into my mouth, probably in full view of some late night meeting in the next building over, while staring at a wall and fervently wishing I were elsewhere.

There is probably sauce on the sheets and a bit of rocket on the floor that I can't find, and the TV remote is greasy af. It's basically a murder scene and I will feel guilty for the next millennia and a bit.

In conclusion...

Heaven is a panopticon and so is the Hilton. But Azi showed up for it, and so will I. Hopefully we can all make it back to the comfy, dusty book-filled spaces for good one day.

[ami700]

I want to talk about Solo Leveling (MY OPINION)

There was another post before this one, but I deleted it, and made a longer version with more explanations.

Warning: Long article (sorry)

I'm writing this in a very upset state, and I was angry moments ago, so please don't blame me (not that I really care, but I don't really want to see arguments in the comments either). This is my own opinion, and so does everyone else, I want to clarify my point of view. If you don't care, then just skip this post.

(At least I won't curse so much)

#English isn't my mother tongue#

First of all, let's talk about, how did I get to know the manhwa Solo Leveling?

A few years ago, when I was in the tenth grade, during quarantine, I was spending a lot of time on the phone, and in one of my friend’s posts, I saw pictures from that manhwa. Of course, I ignored it at first, and therefore I was not a fan of Korean culture, but a lot of posts started talking about it, so I decided to ask my friend.

And so I started reading that manhwa. Of course my first impression of her was good. It was fun, and I was curious about it, especially about the system and the secret behind it. I liked the idea of ​​monsters, dungeons, and hunters. I liked Ju-hee a lot, and Woo Jin-chul as well, but I didn't really care for Jin-woo. I mean, he was okey. After I decided that I liked it, I decided to continue reading it.

Over time, I started to get a little bored, since they always only showed Jin-woo, and more importantly, never cared about the other characters (Yeah, it's SOLO Leveling, and it should be only about Jin-woo, like many other fans say. But, why did you dear author made the side characters so interesting?!), and also, Jin-woo started acting a little condescending and arrogant on several occasions just because he gained power. (Do all Koreans only get serious when they get something special? A power or an ability, or beauty..)

The development of the story over time became somewhat boring, and I slowly began to understand that this manhwa might not be my type, but I decided to be patient a little, and see what happens. And here, BOOM!! Japanese hunters are bad people. Okay, this isn't the biggest problem. It's ok.

Min Byung-gyu died, and that was so disappointing. He didn't even have enough scenes. And I was so sad about it.

And of course Jin-woo was the best and the coolest, the greatest the PerFect and-!!!

Yeah, that's what I've been always reading in comments. What about Baek Yoon-ho? Choi Jong-in? Lim Tea-gyu and Min Byung-gyu??

No, Jin-woo should be the only person on the screen.. 🤷‍♀️

Regardless of all this, and with the hope that I might see more of Baek Yoon-ho and Woo Jin-chul, I decided to read the light novel, after the first season was finished.

Believe it or not, I almost cried because this novel disappointed me a lot. I also have been waiting for Jin-woo and Ju-hee's dinner.. but it didn't happen. 😪

And that made me start to hate Cha Hae-in so much.

First, she wasn't as helpful for Jin-woo as Ju-hee was. Second, she just appeared suddenly, and became the best girl in the manhwa all of a sudden, and everybody just speaks about her in comments, along with Jin-woo. She suddenly became the best in everything, despite that we never saw how did she actually win a true battle against monsters. She only got defeated, and always needed someone to save her. But Ju-hee despite that she was weak and scared, she followed Jin-woo in dungeons just to take care of him. And now, only because it's "true love", he loved Cha and not Ju-hee. Really? Is that the only explanation you have? If you saw a drunk old man in the street, will you love him because it's "true love"? Oh wait, Jin-woo wasn't drunk, he had a good smell. Yeah, Cha liked him only because of his smell, but when we look at how much Ju-hee cared about him and liked him (she asked him to take her out for a dinner), it was nothing. It's not true love.

Wow! You guys are so intelligent! I really respect you all!

I had no reason or motivation left to complete the manhwa. Characters and art style. ONLY!!!

Finally, the manhwa ended and I felt relieved that I would never have to read this trash again (Sorry, Solo fans)

I didn't really regret reading this manhwa, because I liked some aspects of it, the most important of which were the characters. What bothered me a little was that they completely forgot about the other characters. At least in the first season there were more shots of the side characters.

Now, let's move on to the main point.

Why do I hate Solo Leveling, or rather, why did I start to hate it this much?

First of all, the way Solo fans compared it with jjk.

I'm sooo sorry, dear Solo fans, but everyone knows that Jjk is better than solo in many aspects (I don't say most people hate solo, I'm just saying most of people prefer jjk)

Firstly, the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen is more interesting than Solo Leveling plot. Yes, many haters may say that Jujutsu Kaisen ideas are borrowed from other anime and plots, and it has nothing new. Excuse me, my dear, don't you see that Solo is full of borrowed ideas more than Jujutsu Kaisen? Titans? Hunters? Ranks and game system? Also, even though the plot of Jujutsu may seem a little copied, it's not to an obvious degree like Solo. There are still some new things in Jjk.

Not to mention that Jjk's characters are tens and hundreds of times better than Solo's. God, I'm really sorry that I wiped your dignity on the ground, Jin-woo's husband/wife, Gojo is really weak in front of the great, handsome, perfect, invincible master that all the girls love. Gojo is a weak trash, who is worth nothing in front of everyone's favorite handsome cool guy, and no one has the right to protest, I'm so soOorrRRRry!!~

Now let us move on to dear fans who started comparing the LOseR Gojo and our great, ideal King Jin-woo, instead of comparing him to Sukuna, who is considered the strongest in the series. Dear, are you jealous that Gojo is more popular than your Jin-woo? If you want to seem like the person who compares the characters according to the strongest from each series, I advise you to think of a smarter trick next time, because the strongest here is Sukuna, not Gojo. Don't worry, no one will hate you if you express your opinion respectfully and say that you hate Gojo.

SPOILER

I never deny that jujutsu has flaws, especially the events after Gojo's fight against Sukuna, and the way in which Sukuna lost, without us seeing him at his full strength.

End of spoiler :)

But please, do not compare a simple work to this masterpiece. Solo Leveling is not bad, it has its flaws just like jjk does, but jjk is obviously more popular and better than Solo in many ways.

Okay, it's alright to prefer something more than the other, but why the insult? Why this much of hatred? If you don't like something, please, stop reading it or watching it, just leave. I hated Solo, but I never insulted it before in front of other fans who like it so much, because I would never want the same for me, for the work I love, but when you guys offend something I love, I feel the urge to offend what you prefer. You can say you hate something, it's not wrong, but without insulting, please.

Solo Leveling has a simple plot, not to mention that it left out a lot of interesting characters. And excluding Ju-hee is the worst skip, just for the sake of a _____ who loves our perfect Jin-woo's smell. (I'm sorry, Cha fans, I couldn't take it anymore. I'm so sorry. No, really, I'm sorry. I'm following someone who loves Cha, and I don't want him to get angry, But I really want to say this).

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY MY FRIENDS WHO LIKE SOLO, I'M SORRY.. 🙁🙁🙁

In general, everyone has his own opinion, and I respect every person's opinion, but I do not and would never respect insulting and cursing. I really had enough of people who curse Jjk, because I like jjk so much, despite that I was really really really disappointed by the end of Shinjuku arc. But it does NOT make solo better in any way. I don't care what others would say, but I'll never take my words back. I hate solo, I hate Cha Hae-in especially. I don't care about people who say Jin-woo is definitely stronger than Gojo (I know he is, but what would you expect from a manhwa? It always makes every hero too special, overrated, and invincible. It's not even exciting, even a bit. There's no a normal logic in such plots, the hero should be always the best, and others are trash.) 🤷‍♀️

But, making Jin-woo stronger than Gojo doesn't mean Gojo is worse. Gojo is the best, and Jjk is the best, no matter how much you adore your Jin-woo.

Fans are one of the main reasons why did I start to hate Solo Leveling, Jin-woo, and Cha Hae-in.

I talked too much..

I warned you, but again..

I'm sorry :)

[stickthroughthephases]

Bi-Han headcanons from the top layer of my brain

He's just my little guy, a little rough but he's basically harmless

Cannot cook (freestyle wise), BUT he can chop like nobody’s business and he can also be very thorough because of his perfectionist tendencies so if you give him a recipe you will have an edible meal 

Not a huge inside pet person, but I think if you were to bring in a pet he wouldn’t be opposed to it, he just doesn’t see any reason to engage with the pet 

You don’t go shopping together very often as most of the supplies come in bulk month by month or for dairy, weekly. He likes to accompany you when you go which is why he schedules a day off, finds visiting town useful to understand how everything is working in the area and if there are any local threats 

Most meals he eats alone or with his brothers, because of a tight self-imposed schedule but once he has a partner, he makes an effort to have at least one proper meal which usually ends up being dinner, especially if they aren’t a morning person

As I’ve mentioned here, I’m not entirely sure these guys have a meticulous hair care routine but if their partner offers, Bi-han would have no problem letting them handle his hair (you have to build up to that because of this post)

If his partner is free for the day, and he is just doing paperwork or sitting somewhere, he would like to have them nearby, if you read to him or talk his ear off it makes him feel good because he has issues

Issues include not having enough quality time with family and he realizes how lonely it’s made him even if he tried to hide it so he makes up for it in subtle ways like eating with his partner or just having their presence a few feet apart

I don’t think he would like to shower together, I think showers are very standard for him to simply get clean and exit and by having another person it takes more time so…solo showers…unless…

Slow writer, he likes his writing, for official documents at least, to be legible and pristine so he takes his sweet time writing. Sektor got him a computer but he didn’t like that so they compromised on a typewriter and Bi-han built speed and now writing documents doesn’t take five million years

He has a GREAT memory, not photogenic but damn near close, however, you best hope you don’t do something offensive to him, he can forgive but he’ll never forget

His bun is too tight, and he gets headaches but refuses to change up the style because it's the only one that gets the job done (if it’s really bad you might just catch him with his hair down in his office, near the end of the day whilst he meditates or trains)

*You know that scene from Modern Family when Jay gets Gloria fluffy slippers and she becomes nice, yeah that’s Bi-han, he’s a bit more mellow and pleasant to be around when his hair is down which is…not a lot but still*

If you guys like these, should I write headcanons for someone other than Bi-Han...?

[elceeu2morrow]

'Louis Tomlinson has proven he's not just an ex-boyband star, he's a rocker'

Some know him as 'that guy from One Direction', others, including myself know him as arguably one of South Yorkshire's finest exports but Louis Tomlinson is only getting better, writes Daniel Bird

Image: Mirrorpix/Daniel Bird

Daniel Bird Assistant Showbiz Editor 17:31, 12 Nov 2023

Louis Tomlinson may only have two solo albums but he's proving to be one of the artists people should keep an eye on.

Having burst onto the music scene in 2010 as one-fifth of One Direction – a band created by Nicole Scherzinger on The X Factor after all five members were rejected, he's proven he's not just an ex-boyband singer. While singers from bands tend to keep a low profile and venture into other industries after a split, Louis is on a one-way ticket to becoming a mega-star in his own right.

Known for never losing his Doncaster accent and humour, the 31-year-old is currently embarking on his Faith In The Future World Tour, performing to thousands of die-hard fans every night – which he deserves credit for.

Although he may have come from one of the biggest bands of all time, the cheeky chap isn't afraid of getting up close and personal with fans – much to the dismay of his security who leap into action when he jumps off stage and runs to the barricade to see fans. In recent weeks, Louis has seen his expensive vests ripped off him, with fans even going as far as tickling him.

This, however, hasn't stopped him from putting on an incredible show. Despite only releasing two studio albums as a soloist (his second topping the Official UK Charts), he's pushing himself to the limits and playing arenas across the world. Most recently, he performed to around 21,000 fans at Manchester's AO Arena on November 11.

Walking onto the stage may be daunting for some, but Tomlinson showed no signs of fear as he opened with The Greatest – ironically, perhaps the greatest opening track. Throughout the night, he performed hits including Kill My Mind but also paying tribute to his One Direction days, belting out Drag Me Down and Where Do Broken Hearts Go. But since his pop days, Tomlinson has edged towards a more EDM and synth sound before finding his comfort in rockier tracks. He'd previously stated he'd taken inspiration from the likes of Sam Fender, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys and Manchester legends, Oasis.

Image: Mirrorpix/Daniel Bird

Nowadays, fans can expect the odd pop hit but also enjoy punk rock as well as indie pop and soft rock.

However, despite being in the business for almost 14 years, Louis remained grounded and acknowledged that Manchester was the start of his career. Between songs, he recalled his first audition for The X Factor in front of Simon Cowell, Scherzinger and Louis Walsh, being in the city. He told fans: "This is where I did my very first audition, so to be back here on my own it definitely feels full circle and I couldn't have done that without you.

[yellowocaballero]

Reading 'Solo Leveling' (a webtoon/webnovel about a guy who uses a game-like interface to level up and fight monsters and become ridiculously OP and the coolest and hottest guy in the whole wide world) really proves something to me that I've thought about.

The goal of a story is to achieve what it wants to achieve. Different genres have different certain marks the story should achieve. If it doesn't hit those marks, it's not a good example of the genre. In a lot of was it's not even a good story - it doesn't entertain the audience in the way that they want to be entertained. A romance novel isn't a bad story because it doesn't feature great action scenes, but neither is it a bad story because it doesn't delve deep into the sociopolitical implications of neocolonialism. Does it make the reader feel happy? Is it cathartic? Is there a happy ending? Then it's a good romance story - even if you think stories shouldn't need happy endings.

The 'satisfaction' of stories like Solo Leveling is the fact that is very entertaining to watch a guy be super powerful and mow down bad guys and have everybody around him go "WHOAH that's a cool guy". Maybe it's cool because you're projecting, or maybe you like great action scenes, or because you like 'underdog gets powerful' stories. It's a power fantasy. That is the goal of Solo Leveling, and so long as I'm going "WHOAH COOL", then it's a good story. And Solo Leveling is the example of the power fantasy video game dungeon OP protag. It does those elements, it executes them competently, it's a good story.

This is the third of these types of stories I've read more than 5 chapters of. The first was Omniscent Reader's Viewpoint. And baby. This is no ORV.

ORV a big reaction to Solo Levelling in a lot of ways, since Solo Levelling was very genre defining and influential, and it's hard to write these OP stories without having a relationship to Solo Leveling. It's like the most popular webtoon out there. The OP hero, the gaming interface and rules, the gods fucking you up, power fantasy - they're all checked off by ORV. It doesn't subvert them much. You watch kdj pull one over on a shmuck and you're like HEY YA BABY and you watch him utterly decimate some schmuck and you're like WHOAH COOL. You like ORV, basically, for the same reasons you like Solo Leveling. They're the same genre and in a lot of ways the same story.

But ORV has driven me nuts and after a while Solo Leveling has gotten boring. Because ORV has a fantastic supporting cast that puts the MC's OPness in relative perspective. Because there's cool action scenes with different teams, of different dynamics, giving freshness to each chapter. Because you get to see kdj slowly implement some nuts gambit of the course of the entire arc and when we finally hit the end point where it all comes together it's FUCK YEAH. I'm leaving out the actual depth here. But ORV and Solo Leveling do the same thing, except ORV has a great deal of other story elements that build into the main 'point' and escalate the satisfaction, joy, and intensity of those points. You don't read these OP hero novels for the supporting cast. You read it to watch a dude be cool. But ORV's supporting cast - and, like, the fact that they're actual characters, even the women - gives us a lot of other smaller 'hey yeah!' moments, gives it buildup, makes the OP moments meaningful, and gives a grand climax and huge satisfaction when kdj does what the SL guy did by himself. And the supporting cast is only one example of this. A story is a good story if it accomplishes its point, but a story like SL will never really deliver its promises nearly as well as ORV could. Not because ORV is deep and has """themes""" or fucked up shit like that. The 'WHOAH COOL's are just better. Because ORV knows why stories are good and what makes a good story.

Anyway I'm fucking begging you I have tears in my eyes this is why your fic needs more than the hot ship of the day I promise it won't detract from the ship it will make the ship BETTER but you have to get WHY you like these homosexuals so much and it's NOT just because they're CUTE sometimes there's OTHER REASONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT LIKE THE WOMAN YOU'VE BOOTED AND -

[honey-dont]

stex month day 13: flat top!

favorite actors: SO many. ross dawes is my forever fave but i also love delano williamsen, dennis courtney, luuk hartog, todd lester, mark davis, richard mylan, marcel brauneis, and paul treacy! plus whoever played him in tuacahn, i've never been able to find a cast list </3

i think a lot of actors tend to play him pretty one-note so i love when people balance his jerk asshole side with his softer caring side! plus he's always fun comedic relief, shoutout to ross for smacking himself in the face with his own brick. and how can we forget dennistop's goofy helium laugh. love him

favorite songs/scenes: watching him mess around in freight and the blues is SO fun he's so funny <33 the lil spin and suspender snap paul does is adorable, also love him bothering this poor random woman in the audience with his brick. i mentioned ross above but him climbing around on the set like a jungle gym is so so cute!! also tuachan flats getting super excited to see rusty and waving at him!!

love literally all of his and dustin's interactions too, esp when he waves off the rockies for teasing him ough. their little goofy solo in freight!! <3

AND ofc all of his and rusty's interactions! him being a little shit to poppa and rusty jerking him back by his couplers....peak sibling behavior. love him giving rusty his helmet back after he gets beat up, esp how ross does it bc he doesn't tell him to give up!! he still believes in him!! brb exploding

him and poppa/momma are rly fun too, flat top is definitely their least favorite child but they still care about each other <3

honorable mentions to dinah giving him a cheek kiss too it's so cute

OH wait one last thing. when he hears about cb's plan and he looks SO disappointed in greaseball bc that's him finding out that his hero isn't who he thought he was and UGH. it's so good

wait i lied one more. him and rocky messing around during the megamix and throwing the brick to each other <3

favorite costumes: london!! oh my god all the little details are so good like he's quintessentially 80s london punk and it shows. his little socks! the steel toes on the skates!! the bigass frankenstein bolt collar <3 i'm especially fond of his earlier fluffy black & silver wig, it's adorable

i also loooveee the 3d glasses makeup but the bit where he just had graffiti scribbled all over his face is so funny like "hey what should we put on him to show that he's rebellious?" "just write SEX + DRUGS" "ok got it"

also brick on a chain my beloved <3 AND in late london where his belt was made of wood planks to show that he's a flatcar!! so good

i also have a fondness for on ice flats. his stupid nail boots. and tuacahn bc i respect the decision to put him in a crop top and chaps

favorite ships/friendships: flatdust is my train otp i love them i love them i love them <333 they have it all....friends to lovers....sunshine/grumpy....introvert/extrovert....good stuff. their friendship is so sweet to me bc they're total opposites and yet! special shoutout to that one boot where it genuinely looks like they're about to start making out onstage

i love him and rusty too, they're absolutely siblings to me and wind each other up all the time but they still care for each other! also him and cb in a frenemy situation bc cb thinks it's funny to push his buttons

his hero worship on greaseball is also really interesting bc it ties into his whole self-discovery arc imo

headcanons: he's physically the weakest of the freight and he absolutely has a chip on his shoulder about it </3 i hc him as a bulkhead so engines tend to dislike him too due to him being prone to derailing at speed, so he's desperate to prove that is he is cool and strong actually!! he's also like 5'4" without the boots lmao little guy

he's scared of thunderstorms but won't admit to it so dustin will hold his hand and pretend that he's the one who's scared ;-; he also helps dustin out in his garden sometimes but he sucks at it so he just gets to stand there and be moral support. guy who doesn't get the concept of seeds and will just rip up whole flowers for dustin to plant

also very rarely smiles bc he doesn't like his tooth gap :( dustin thinks it's cute tho

unpopular opinion: flat top is such an interesting character bc like. he does NOTHING and yet he has one of the strongest character arcs in the whole show! it's all about him figuring out who he is and where he belongs and it's so fascinating to watch unfold in the background. him racing with rusty in the final would've been such a good culmination of that

also i don't think this is unpopular but on my knees begging him to be punk again like that's his whole point

anyway sorry for writing an entire essay i'm normal about him.

(last two pics are commissions from arachnidal and sparemayonnaise!)

[elliereject]

creep .1

* in which you’re dragged to a frat party and spend most of it lingering in the corner, that is until a certain auburn-haired girl with unusually sharp canines appears next you and turns your night into something much more interesting.

* loserish!reader, vamp!ellie 😫, hemophilia if you squint, creepy ellie…duh, depictions of a singular graphic scene at the end, kissing, biting, heavy petting. that’s pretty much it lmk if I missed anything..nsfw in future chapter(s)

* this is one of the only things I’ve written recently that I’ve enjoyed writing and found decent so I hope u enjoy it, I’m glad I got this out before Halloween too, I’ve had vamp!ellie rattling around in my head a for a while, yk, fellow writers..I’d love to see..werewolf!abby..haha jk jk, unless 🫣..

*mdni

wc ~ 1k

pt 2. coming soon

“God, ★ can you go dance? It’s a fucking party loosen up!”

You held your red solo cup up to your “friend” and gave her an awkward smile. “I’m good over here!”

She sighed and rolled her eyes before slipping back into the sweaty crowd.

This was the most uncomfortable you’ve ever felt in your life.

It was a Saturday night; the chilly air, crunchy leaves, and overall mood of the season had deluded you into wanting to go out and socialize, so for the first time in a long time you agreed to attend a frat party with a “friend” you’d met in one of your classes.

It took you almost an hour to get ready, and as you reapplied your eyeliner for the fifth time you hoped that the saying “when you look good, you feel good” was true and you didn’t spend 20 minutes picking your outfit in vain.

Once you were ready, your “friend” picked you up from your dorm and the two of you walked over to the party, she was already a little tipsy from pre-gaming in her dorm with her roommate who was going to some other party so you had to make sure she didn’t stumble onto her face more than once.

The makeshift bouncer, a senior named Grey, or Grug or something gave you a once-over before looking at your friend who had to clarify you were with her, which definitely didn’t deflate your confidence.

Before you were even in the crowded, humid house, you knew you weren’t going to enjoy yourself, you never really did at parties if you were being honest, but you didn’t think your “friend” would ditch you to go grind her ass on some random chads and brads, yet here you were, nursing a cherry seltzer, and there she was, shaking ass.

Yay, college!

You were about to take another sip from your cup when a presence suddenly appeared beside you that made you jump out of your skin and caused your drink to slosh onto the already sticky floor.

“Shit! What the fuck?” You asked, looking up at the figure who seemingly appeared out of thin air.

“Fuck! Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you, you just looked bored.” She replied, her voice was gravelly and her eyes, the colour of jade. Her auburn hair was cut short and freckles were scattered across her face. Safe to say she was hot. “I can go get you another drink?”

You waved it off, “It’s fine, it wasn’t that good anyways. Plus I should probably pay more attention to my surroundings, even if I am bored.”

She hummed out a sound of understanding, “Not your scene?”

You shrugged, “Not really,” you eyed her outfit, blue jeans with a green flannel and a brown leather jacket, converse. “Doesn’t seem like yours either.”

“Really? Cause I like just made out with Bryson in the storage closet, it was suuuupper hot.” She said, pointing a ringed finger to a blond dude clad in a football jersey who was currently shoving his tongue down a blonde girl's throat.

You allowed yourself a small smile, hot and funny? Yikes.

“Pretty sure his name is Brickson, but close enough.”

“What the fuck kind of name is Brickson?” She laughed, “Did a brick fall on his head after he was born or some shit?”

You shrugged before smiling, fully, “Judging by how flat the top of his looks? Probably.”

She snorted at this and you couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, you made this hot, funny, cool girl laugh, you!

“Hey, so don’t freak out but that guy’s been staring at you for the past 10 minutes.” She said, flicking her head in the direction of said guy.

You turned your head to look at him, he wasn’t..unattractive. He was muscular and had on a sports jersey that seemed to small for his build, his hair was cut into a messy mullet and when he met your gaze he…winked.

You cringed and looked back at the cool girl, “I hope he doesn’t think anything’s gonna happen, he’s not really my type.”

She gave you a knowing smile before asking, “And what exactly is your type?”

You shrugged, “Preferably someone with boobs.”

She sighed, “Can’t relate, I love penis.”

You gave her a pointed look and she laughed, “What? Not believable?”

You rolled your eyes, “Not in the slight—“ your eyes widened as they looked past her shoulder. “Shit, he’s walking over here.”

“Wanna do something crazy then?” She asked quickly, her jade eyes meeting yours and you found yourself nodding before she even finished her sentence. Hell, you’d bark if she asked you to. “Just follow my lead.”

Her large hand wrapped around your waist while her other found purchase on your neck, before you could think her lips were on yours. Slightly chapped but soft and enticing, kissing her was easy and you felt like you could do it forever.

Her skin was so cold you could feel it through your clothes. Your mind was completely encapsulated by her presence and just as you were starting to get used to it, she pulled away.

You thought whatever moment the two of you shared was over but you were wrong. Her lips trailed along your jaw, and her grip on your waist tightened. The hand that had been holding your neck was now on your hip, caressing back and forth with tenderness that had your thighs clenching, wanting more.

Each kiss felt like a snowflake melting into your skin until she was down to your neck. She kissed and nibbled on it before pausing.

“What’s wr—Ow! What the hell? Did you just–bite me?”

She chuckled after pulling away, “Never gotten a hickey before?”

You went quiet, because, well you haven’t but you’re sure it didn’t result in genuine blood trickling out of one’s body.

You traced your fingers over the mark and winced, it was most definitely going to leave a scar. She must’ve seen the discontentment on your face because she spoke up.

“Don’t worry, it’ll heal up quickly, you won’t even notice there was something there by tomorrow.” Her eyes clung to drops of blood dribbling down your neck.

You scoffed, “Let me guess, you’ve done this before?”

“Kind of.” She shrugged after what looked like reluctantly peeling her eyes away from your neck. “That guy’s gone though, must’ve scared him off.”

You smiled at her, “Must’ve been my presence, I can be pretty intimidating.”

She laughed loudly at this and you felt your confidence inflate once again. So much so, that the idea of asking for her number even popped into your head. But it was overtaken by more rational thoughts,

What if she thought you were weird? That you were moving to quick? Or what if she was just looking for someone to take home tonight, which you wouldn’t be opposed to but—

“Hey.” She snapped her fingers in front of your face.

“Sorry, what’d you say?” You asked sheepishly, you can’t believe you spaced out in front of her, you could’ve sworn she was hypnotizing you with her laugh or something.

“You do need to pay more attention to your surroundings,” She said, giving you a small smile, “Never know what kind of creeps are lurking around at these parties.”

You rolled your eyes, “I’m sure I can hold my own against a Chad or a Brittney.”

“I’m sure you could but—“ The music that had previously been wafting through the room turned up abruptly and you’d missed the last part of what she said.

“What?!” You shouted, putting your hand up to cup your ear.

She chuckled softly and leaned down so her lips were practically grazing the shell of your ear, the smell of mint, whiskey, and something metallic filled your senses.

When she spoke, a shiver racked through your body, “But if it was someone a little smarter? More discreet? If they snuck up beside you and covered your mouth? Or slipped something in your drink? Pulled you away? Would anybody notice, would anybody care?”

You pushed her away, her cool, easy going demeanor suddenly shifting into something eerie and uncomfortable. Her jade eyes gazed at you curiously as a blood-curdling shriek ripped through the house.

She jutted her thumb over her shoulder, “That’s my cue. See you around, ★.” She said, giving you a genuine smile, and it was just now you finally noticed her unusually sharp canines.

You gazed down at your drink as others pushed and shoved around, scrambling to get out of the house, away from all the horror.

And as you pulled a small scrap of paper out of your empty cup, 10 numbers and a name scrawled across it in red ink; you finally looked up to see your friend's lifeless body sprawled across the living room floor, her limbs bent in odd angles.

Yay, college!

[hebuiltfive]

Once Bitten Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

AO3 link here!

Scott, one of the most excelled vampire hunters for the last century, has one last battle with the vampire who’s claimed him as her arch-enemy.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I hadn't been sure if I'd be able to get anything out in time (October has been a wild month) but here we are! The morning of the 31st with a story I'm quite proud of for once!

There is a potential for this to be expanded upon, and I do really want to write more for this AU... I just have many fics on the go at the moment and no real time to get them written, so we'll see!

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

Scott hated a cliché. “Time heals all wounds”just wasn’t true, “thinking outside the box”was just dumb, and Gordon’s favourite phrase of “there’s plenty of fish in the sea” was so infuriating it often had Scott biting back sarcastic remarks in reply. Clichés were old and tiring. They were unoriginal and uninspiring. If he ever became president, an outcome that was unlikely despite his brothers constantly not-so-jokingly insisting that he “should run sometime”, he’d sincerely consider banning the usage of them. 

Therefore, walking into that disused mine and being greeted by sleeping bats had him understandably almost turning tail.

It was beyond ironic that he, a famed and skilled vampiric hunter, happened across such a scene. He didn’t dare count, cautious of losing time or becoming too distracted, but Scott estimated hundreds of pipistrelles, all handing upside down from the rafters. If he hadn't known better, he’d have called it a coincidence, but the tip-off they’d received earlier that morning suggested this was anything but.

Suppressing a shiver, he carefully passed the sleeping bats, ducking low to avoid disturbing them and being weary of where he was stepping. The floor was littered with old bolts and broken shards of glass. Every step he took delivered a crunch or a snap, and Scott winced each time, praying to an unknown deity that he wouldn’t awake the winged creatures. Night had already fallen and Scott was aware they’d be waking up themselves fairly shortly.

He had long since passed through the adit and had entered the mine proper. Tunnels had led him further and further, deeper and deeper, and the darkness was beginning to press in on him. When he had arrived, the sun had already long since set below the horizon. Cloud cover had meant there was no moonlight to help guide him, so Scott had made his way over to the entrance of the mine with the help of his torch. 

There was something about the mine that had him on edge, and it wasn’t purely because he was alone in the middle of nowhere.  His crossbow that hung over his shoulder was tugged closer, fingers biting into the leather strap that connected the weapon to the holster it was attached to. It was his most trusted trade tool and he never left for a mission without it. Scott trusted it so much, in fact, that he rarely brought another weapon out into the field with him, besides his basic hunting knife. Perhaps it was a foolish move during solo missions, but most of the time, on those specific occasions, Scott saw enough sense to carry extra weaponry.

It wasn’t needed tonight as this wasn’t a solo mission.  Virgil was on his way to provide necessary back-up, only Scott, as usual, had simply raced ahead. It was the arrogance of being certain he could handle whatever was about to be thrown into his face that had fuelled that decision, no matter how much Virgil had pleaded with him to just wait for once. If the tip-off was correct, Scott wouldn’t need back-up from his baby brother. It would be a simple retrieval mission. In and out, home in time for dinner…

Oh, he despised clichés! That was almost as good as nothing could possibly go wrong, and Scott knew how dangerous it was to say that line.

The further he went into the mine, however, the more Scott’s confidence waned. There was a niggling doubt in the back of his mind that had him questioning how wise it had been to bolt ahead. He tried to ignore the sceptic thoughts. There was currently no reason to have any worries about the mission, besides the bats perhaps, but even then, it wasn’t so uncommon to find the winged creatures in old mine buildings.

Before he’d left, John had run a full and detailed analysis of the message — once bitten, twice shy and all that. (Then again, in John’s case, thrice shy might have been more appropriate, though the less said about that, the better.) Nevertheless his brother was always thorough with his investigations, so when he returned to him with the licit figure of ninety per cent, assuring him that this tip-off was trustworthy and not a trap, Scott had no reason to doubt him.

He hadn’t doubted him at all… not until he’d entered the godforsaken place.

Scott ducked into a dug out side room. Inches of dust layered almost every surface, and chains and broken bits of wood strewn across the floor. A desk stood on one side of the room. Scott crossed over, examining the mountains of paperwork that had been abandoned when the mine had closed down decades ago. The sheets were tainted, soiled from time and grime. He began to leaf through them slowly, careful not to disturb too much of the dust. His torch shone beams of light onto the various pieces of parchment, highlighting scrawny handwriting and typed up messages. He didn’t read them, merely scanning the words and numbers for anything that might provide a clue as to why they’d been given the tip-off for here exactly.

As far as the data International Rescue had, the area was not known to be a vampire hot-spot. Being in the middle of nowhere, and thus without a steady flow of hot blood, it was not an ideal place for a nest. Experience, however, had Scott batting away the assumptions. It was never wise to lay any claim when it came to the Night Walkers. 

It wouldn’t have been too much to assume that this could be an elaborate trap of some kind. The thought had first crossed Scott’s mind the moment he’d set eyes on the hundreds of pipistrelles hanging from the ceiling. Nevertheless, he kept up his search. The clue had to be around somewhere, he just needed to find it.

The unbound sheets offered him no help and he dropped them to the floor one by one, dust particles rising as he did so. The specks irritated his throat and Scott found himself wishing he’d brought along a small bottle of water with him. He cleared his throat a few times as quietly as possible, still not convinced he wasn’t alone in the mine, but after inhaling a rather petulant granule, he succumbed to a violent coughing fit. His eyes watered and his breathing became erratic, but he soon managed to regain his composure. Scott wiped the tear trails from his cheeks with the back of his hand and continued on his search.

The dirtiest item on the desk was a large ledger. Scott opened it in a more methodic manner than he had dropped the parchment, fearful of breathing in another round of irritant dust. Yellowed paper greeted him, blank ink scrawling out lists of names. There must have been hundreds. Scott scanned them, the tip of his finger brushing against the sheets, collecting black dust. Some names had been crossed out with a simple line, while others had been violently scribbled. On occasion, the pen had clearly gone through the paper. 

“You won’t find the answers you’re looking for in there.”

Scott slammed the registry book shut and whirled around to face the newcomer. The shadowed figure stood in the doorway to the alcoved room, just out of sight, but he recognised the voice; cold, calculating and bitter. The words had been spoken in his head. She never did miss an opportunity to show off her telepathy skills.

“I can’t say I’m surprised that 47 sent you.” He replied, calm and casual. He’d be damned if he let the trepidation get the better of him, and he certainly wasn’t going to let her notice it.

“47 doesn’t know either of us are here. If I’m being honest, I’m hurt you won’t give me credit where it’s due.”

As the realisation clicked, Scott’s lips curved into a lazy smile. He shone the flashlight straight into her face, and Marion Van Arkel hissed and recoiled, momentarily blinded.

But Scott did not move to attack.

“He won’t be happy to know you’ve been planning your own missions.”

“He doesn’t need to know.”

“Still,” Scott continued, gesturing to the rotten rafters and girders, “you picked a nice place for an ambush. A mine? Nice touch, Van Arkel.”

Marion, her sight having returned to near perfect vision, advanced towards him. Her heeled boots clicked across the debris-littered floor and her lips twisted into a smug smirk. Whether they were red from paint or from blood, Scott couldn’t tell.

“I thought it would a fitting location to finally end this game of cat and mouse, no? Full circle, or whatever it is they say.”

God, how he hated clichés.

“Still hurt about your family going out of business?” To his credit, Scott attempted to sound as sincere as possible as he delivered the derision.

Marion, however, sensed his mockery and glowered. She stopped in her tracks, her arms folding across her chest in an overly exaggerated manner. “No thanks to you, I might add.”

He let out a low whistle, clearly amused by her discontent. “An heiress to a dead company. I'd offer you my condolences but I’m afraid I have no pity left to give.”

“You had plenty to give the humans—”

“They were innocent people!”

“They had no idea what was happening to them!” Marion retorted sharply. “Being enthralled means they know nothing.”

“That doesn’t make it right.” He frowned, scowling in disgust at her attempts to defend her family’s actions. “It’s a fate worse than death in some cases. They don’t call it Eternal Nightmares for nothing, you know!”

She caught sight of his altered demeanour, heard how his tone changed from taunting to revulsion, and Marion Van Arkel did what she did best; she pounced on it.  “Does that make you angry? To think about all those humans you’d failed to save from these Eternal Nightmares, as you put it?” She approached him slowly, her eyes glazed over with humour, laughing at his loathing. Some things never changed.

“You lured me here.” Scott changed topic, unwilling to allow her to jump onto his discomfort and use it to her advantage. “You lured me without the go ahead from your boss. Why?”

“I told you.” Marion lowered her voice to a whisper. “To end our game!”

“All you’ve done since you’ve got here is talk.”

“Do you not like talking?”

“Well, I fail to see how it will ‘end our game’.”

“All in good time, hunter. Patience is a virtue.”

Scott bit his tongue. If he heard one more damned cliché—!

His smile returned, easy and warm, without a trace of irritation. Marion’s words had left him feeling uneasy but all he had to do was wait, as she so instructed. Perhaps talking was good. It gave Virgil time to reach them… Not that he needed the back-up! Marion Van Arkel was a slippery vampire, one who Scott had been at odds with on a number of occasions over the last few years, but she was nothing he couldn’t handle.

Still, he’d have been lying if he said he wouldn’t have felt more at ease knowing there was someone else fighting in his corner.

“I’ve never been good at patience, Van Arkel.”

“So I’ve surmised. It’ll be your downfall, you know? You’ll rush ahead, just as you did tonight, so desperate to get the job over and done with, only one day you won’t get out of it. One day, you’ll lose.”

His cocky grin returned, full and flourishing. “And you believe today is that day?”

“I can hope.” Her finger, cold and slender, ran down the length of his jaw line,

Something twinkled in her eyes, something that made Scott feel uncomfortable, like he was left out of a joke and the punchline was soon to come and hit him unawares. 

“I can handle one vampire, Marion, especially if its you.”

He couldn’t let her think his guard was down for a second. Scott tilted his head, observing her curiously. If she hadn’t been a Night Walker, he might have thought her rather pretty. Indeed, he had tried to charm her the first night they’d met, before she’d attempted to eat him. The memory only made his smirk grow wider.

“Remind me again, Van Arkel, how many of our fights have you won?”

Scott paused for her to answer. Of course, she didn’t. He hadn’t expected her too. He watched as her twinkling eyes narrowed into a glare and refrained from chuckling, answering his own question for her. “Zero, wasn’t it?”

“That changes tonight!”

Marion threw the first punch. It was feral and angry, and it carried her forwards as Scott ducked out of the line of impact. She was quick to recover however, and before Scott had the chance to gain an upper-hand, Marion was lunged towards him again. Scott deflected every blow, attempting to land a few himself, but Marion was just as talented a fighter as he was. 47 trained his minions well, and Marion was no exception. She wasn’t as fast as some vampires, but she was still learning.

Legs kicked and bodies leapt, punches struck their marks and blood was left in their wake. Breathless but neither willing to back down, Scott and Marion continued their fight for minutes before she slipped up again, only this time Scott had been prepared.

As Marion stumbled, losing some of her balance after a particularly nasty hit, Scott circled around her. He caught her one of her arms and pulled it backwards, up her spine and into an arm lock. Then, with all his weight, he pushed them both forwards. Within seconds, Scott had her pressed against the rock-face, her second arm pinned at an awkward angle between her body and the wall.

“I don’t think it does.” Scott couldn’t help but smile arrogantly.

Though she was a vampire, and thus possessing vampiric strength, Marion was still classed as, what the hunters called, a Baby Vamp. Less than fifty years old and still learning and developing the traits that often gave vampires the advantages in a fight, Marion couldn’t struggle out of his hold, no matter how much she tried to.

“The night is not over yet, Tracy!”

“You don’t have to be like this. I know you know this is wrong. Marion, please.”

Despite his winning position, and at the risk of sounding like he wasn’t confident in his abilities, Scott had never been above begging. No matter who he was fighting, no matter what harm they had already done, he always gave them the option of redemption. He had seen vampires redeem themselves, albeit very few, and knew it was possible. Being so young, Marion was a prime contender for International rescue’s rehabilitation scheme. All she had to do was say yes.

She never did, however. Tonight was no different.

“You know nothing, Scott Tracy. Let me go!”

Marion struggled against his hold again, desperate to be free of him, but Scott held firm.

“No chance. All I have to do is keep you here until my brother arrives, and then—”

He was unable to finish his sentence. The sound of distant rocks falling echoed through to the alcove. The rumbling became closer and closer.

Marion, still struggling to free herself, began to laugh.

Capitalising on his momentary distractedness, she easily kicked his feet out from under him. To save himself from falling, Scott had no choice but to loosen his hold, but by doing so, Marion was able to finally slip out from his grasp. She delivered a swift kick to his exposed stomach, causing him to stumble to his knees and winding him in the process. As he tried to catch his breath, she sauntered over.

“You make my final win too easy.” Marion lowered herself to his level and pressed her rouged lips to his own. “I’d say let’s try again, go another round, but I’m afraid we’re out of time.”

Scott instinctively licked his lips. He stood to his full height once again, Marion backtracking a few steps. Her grin was wide and wild, not unlike it had been when she’d first entered. It was the smile of a smug winner, although Scott hadn’t bowed out of the fight just yet.

“Who said I let you win?” He slid his crossbow into position. Loaded with a single wooden dart he aimed it directly at Marion’s chest, above her defunct heart. 

To his surprise, she did not attempt to evade his shot.

But she didn’t need to.

In an instant, Scott’s vision blurred, his legs weakening. The crossbow was lowered before he even had the chance to fire it. He blinked, long and hard in hope that it would cure his bleary sight, but when his eyes opened again, Marion had become two fuzzy outlines. 

His fingers reached up to his lips.

His heart sank with dread.

“What did you do?”

“Alright, maybe you didn’t let me win, but don’t think I didn’t notice how easy you let me get the best of you this time. It’s a shame, you know? I had been hoping you’d best me just one more time, that our game of cat and mouse didn’t have to end tonight.”

The crossbow fell from Scott’s grip and dangled at his side. He crashed to his knees as they finally gave out and Marion, assessing it was safe for her to approach him again, did so. She unhooked the crossbow from his baldric and examined it curiously.

“This is such a funny contraption, so outdated. I would have thought you’re genius scientist would have created something more modern for you.” She threw it to the side, wood splintering as it hit the ground. “Still, it’s not like you’ll need it again.”

“What… did you… do?” Scott tried to ask her again but his words seemed to fade before he had the chance to fully realise them.

He started to sag to the side but Marion caught him before he fell. Helping to lower him to the floor, she brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. “It’s just a mild tranquilliser, don’t be so dramatic! You’ll be back to your normal self again in around half an hour… not that you’ll live that long.”

Scott could feel his heart quicken. Her cold, slender fingers stretched out across his chest; of course she could sense his fear.

“What… does that… mean? What… have you…?”

“Shush, now. You know, I am sorry it had to end like this…”

“Marion!” Another voice yelled from the tunnels beyond. Scott barely heard them call out, his senses slowly fading. It was another female by the sounds of it, though one he hadn’t heard before… Or maybe he had? Thinking was becoming a problem.

“Hurry up before you get trapped in there!”

“I’m coming!” Marion yelled in reply.

Scott winced.

“Like I said, it is a shame it has to end this way, Scott Tracy.” Marion brushed her fingers gently across his forehead, causing him to shiver. “We could have had so much fun, you and me, but alas, it was not meant to be.”

She stood, blowing him one last kiss, before she sprinted for the exit.

Scott laid in the silence. His eyes slipped shut and he could feel himself slowly fading away to the darkness. Half an hour Marion had said… but why had she dragged him all this way just to send him to sleep? What did she mean he wouldn’t live that long?

By the time the realisation would have hit, as the mine collapsed in on itself, Scott was mercifully unconscious. He didn’t feel the rubble crash down on him, he didn’t notice the pain from the various injuries the accident had dealt him, and he didn’t hear Virgil calling out for him as he painfully dug through the rubble in search of his brother.

There was nothing, and that, he would suppose, was a blessing.

… Damned clichés!

[harryshomebaby]

it's hard to find the right words to say and i truly never thought i'd ever be writing something like this. and i apologize if this doesn't all come out the way i want it to.

i hate that i have to preface this by saying that i was not a fan or a supporter of Liam in recent years and do not condone anything that he did. the victims of his actions still deserve to be heard and find closure that they'll now sadly never see...

but if you were anything like me, Liam Payne was a significant part of who you were growing up. 1 of 5 individuals that we looked up to as role models, and that created some of the online communities we're still a part of today. that built friendships we probably still have to this day.

a mature but loveable boy that we all fell in love with in the very early days of One Direction, or even later. with video diaries, music videos, and behind the scenes clips that shared a glimpse of his personality with us, and tweets that some of us will never forget (it's a snake habitat, turn around!!), we watched him grow up alongside the boys while we were growing up ourselves.

we even had the privelege of seeing a small part of where he grew up and the people who raised him in This is Us and the "Story of my Life" video. we got to know a little bit about his life before One Direction, with small stories and anecdotes from his mother, Karen, and his father, Geoff. we got to see how loved he was by his family, by the band, and by all of the fans that adored him just as much as we did.

i still remember when i first learned about One Direction in 2012 and couldn't tell Liam or Harry apart because their hairstyles were so similar. and the shock the fandom had when he buzzed his head.

we got to see the good in him... even if it was only for a brief moment. five years of a band that carried so many of us through dark periods in our lives and that connected all of us to one another in a way that many of us had never experienced before.

we watched him grow up, live through the prime of his career, and saw the subsequent downfall of who he used to be. after One Direction split up, he opened up about his struggles with addiction during their tours and it was clear that despite what we all saw, it was never as pretty as their management had made the band out to be.

it's completely devastating that he was still struggling with substance abuse in the end. that he was never able to get the help he needed. and i am deeply sorry to all of the people who became victims at his hand. to maya henry who only recently opened up about her relationship to Liam and who is going to receive even more hate than she already has because of this tragedy.

i am sad that he wasn't able to get better. to get sober and attempt to rewrite some of his wrongs. that his addiction caused so much harm to him, but also to so many others. i am sad that he was so deeply troubled in his youth that he turned towards drugs and alcohol, and was never able to truly get his life back. i am sad at what fame did to him at such a young age. and i am sad for every single person that he hurt.

the entire fandom is on my mind today. all of those victims are on my mind today. his family is on my mind today. his 7-year old son is on my mind today. Niall, Zayn, Harry, and Louis are on my mind today.

this is heavy. and it's hard. and if you're struggling with the news, you are not alone.

my 15-year old self is in mourning today at news that i never thought i'd hear only a decade after One Direction's time. i may have never been a true fan of Liam in his solo endeavours, but he was still a big part of my childhood and the band that partially shaped who i am today.

this isn't how his story should have ended. and i'm sorry that it did. we'll never know the true intent of what happened today, but i do hope that he is in a better place and can find peace, and i sincerely hope that everyone he hurt is able to heal.

rest in peace, Liam Payne.

we'll all remember the good times we once shared every time we hear a One Direction song.

-

if you're struggling with your mental health, addiction, substance abuse, or thoughts of suicide, please consider reaching out to someone. everyone deserves a chance to get better. ♥

Suicide Hotlines & Support Below ↓

USA:

Suicide & Crisis Hotline - 988 Crisis Textline - text HOME to 741741 Youth Helpline - (877) 968-8491 or text 839863 

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Suicide & Crisis Hotline - 988

Suicide Hotline - 1 (833) 456 4566 Kid's Help Phone - 1 (800) 668 6868 Tran's Lifeline - 1 (877) 330 6366 First Nation's and Inuit Hope for Wellness Hotline - 1 (855) 242 3310

Australia:

Suicide Lifeline - 131 1141 Suicide Callback Hotline - 135 247 Beyond Blue Counselling & Helpline - 1300 22 4636

Argentine:

Centro de Asistencia Suicida - 11 5275 1135 , 800 345 1435 Servicio Gratuito de Atención Médica y Urgencias - 11 5050 0147

Ireland:

Suicide Hotline - +4408457909090 Samaritans - 116123

United Kingdom:

National Suicide Hotline - 0800 689 5652 Mental Health Crisis Support - 01708 765200 Hopeline247 - 0800 068 41 41 UK Supportline - 0 (170) 8 765200

For a full list of hotlines & support in your country:

Or find a Helpline Here:

[bobbydagen24]

How I'd maybe change TBTs ending to try and make Bro zone less toxic.

Sorry I just had to get that meme out of my system don't take it personally I just want to keep things light hearted 😂😂😂😂

anyway I really feel like following the big argument and Poppy and Branch going off separate from Bro zone Branch should also get captured

I'd have him go down first by himself into the room where Floyd is, only to get taken by V and V before Poppy has to chance to come down from the air duct.

( remember Velvet was expecting Bro zone to come save Floyd so its not too hard to imagine she'd have a trap already prepared for when they arrived )

so afterwards she runs away after Branch tells her to realising she wouldn't be able to take V and V on by herself.

so she catches back up with Rhonda where the brothers were all going to go back to their homes since they figured Poppy and Branch would just save Floyd on their own and that they didn't want them involved anymore.

but after telling them that Branch was also captured obviously they all agree to put their petty crap to one side to go save the two youngest ( I'm not gonna write Bro zone as complete psychopaths 😂😂)

really its pretty simple this way the next handful of scenes can actually focus on the older Brothers aka the ones who frankly need the attention more than Poppy and Branch did.

since Poppy's arc was over after the scene directly following the argument so she and Branch didn't actually need any more screen time after that.

this way we can get a few more scenes of the older Brothers still struggling to work together despite their mutual goal of saving Floyd and Branch.

I'd have JD be the one to have the eureka moment of realising their family doesn't need to be perfect after overhearing Poppy

since ya know he was the one who actually had that problem making Branch have that realisation is kinda arsed backwards tbh.

I'd have one scene of Branch and Floyd being reunited only this time its while their both in separate prisons it can be nice and sweet but also have Branch nervously question him on why he never came back.

and maybe Floyd somewhat ashamed says that he went out on his own and tried to start his solo career but he failed very badly.

he wanted to prove he could maybe be his own person outside of his older brothers but he couldn't hack it and he was too embarrassed to face Branch and Grandma.

so he held off on coming back for a few years but when he did finally decide to by then the Trolls had already left so it was the same deal with JD Floyd saw the empty tree and their Grandma's empty pod.

and either thought that they were both dead or that they both had escaped together but either way he didn't think he'd ever see them again.

I'm not saying this is the perfect explanation for Floyd I'm just putting it fourth as one possible idea anyway back to Bro zone.

just before the climax I'd have one last scene briefly between JD Bruce and Clay where JD actually owns up to his wrongdoings and for causing the family to split apart with how he treated them.

and while they do say they appreciate JD finally acknowledging his behaviour they do also admit it isn't entirely on him as obviously they were just as quick to Break their family up both times.

anyway we head on to the climax this time while trapped Branch and Floyd actually get to witness their older bros all standing together to confront V and V.

and the climax can almost basically play out the same only this time after retrieving Branch's Diamond prison JD is the one who huddles everyone together to say the thing about them not needing to be perfect.

and him saying he'll step back and let someone else lead to which one of the other Bros reaction could be "" who are you? and what have you done with JD? "" lol.

anyway the Harmony goes as normal Floyd is saved as normal and after Floyd is back on his feet and Branch and Poppy have had their little moment.

then the Bro zone members have their moment with Branch and JD is the first to apologise given he feels the whole thing is his fault and he was the first one to walk away.

but Bruce and Clay and Floyd do step up to acknowledge their wrongdoings as well leaving the family altogether simply because they were angry with JD.

and also being so quick to want to walk away again in present day simply because it was easier than actually trying to deal with any of their problems and not actually taking his feelings into account.

To which Branch then does agree to give them one more chance and they promise not to let him down again.

anyway most of the ending scene with Kismet's introduction and what not can stay the same tho I would like to add in a small detail of Bro zone maybe doing something.

like they all excitedly try to go in for a big group hug beginning to playfully pull Branch in against his will only for him to look visibly uncomfortable before the bros kinda realise their mistake and backtrack.

saying sorry and that they forgot showing a bit of growth from their earlier interactions in the film and showing that they are actually trying to take things at a slower pace as per Branch's wishes.

anyway yeah that's just a few changes I'd make to the films third act to try and make it feel a little more complete as honestly having Bro zone getting captured for the third act literally does nothing

in terms of character arcs the film continued focusing on Poppy and Branch following the argument scene even tho their arcs were done Bro zone were the ones who needed that screen time.

so having them be captured and literally forced to do the Harmony in a life or death situation does nothing for their arcs nor the story overall.

it'd literally be better if they never showed up in the movie again as opposed to showing up only to be captured and then forced to compromise in order to save their own skin

and then playing happy families in the end acting like they had a complete arc and they deserved forgiveness when they really didn't.

This way the movie actually puts it on them to make the effort to fix the family rather than putting it on Branch who was ultimately the victim in the whole situation both times.

[fangirlies]

Art Deco (x.t)

Pairing: Xavier Thorpe x fem!reader

Summary: You find yourself at a Nevermore party with your best friend Enid

Warning: mentions of alcohol many times, cursing. (If there is anything else I should add, please let me know)

Word count: 2,315 words

Inspired by ‘Art deco’ by the actual queen herself, Lana Del Rey. yes. i might mention her on every piece i write and i don’t want to hear any complaints.

You’re so art deco

Out on the floor

Shining like gun metal

Cold and unsure

You sing these lyrics as you slip on your skintight jeans. By night's end, were they going to cut your circulation? Absolutely, but you didn't seem to mind. When Enid urged you to dress to impress for the party tonight, you took her advice seriously. As soon as she said those words, it became clear to you who you intended to impress. After all, this was the first party you were attending  since arriving at Nevermore. You never really had time to mingle outside of the few people you knew because of Enid since adjusting to a new life, new school, and new friends wasn't simple to say the least. However, you planned to change that tonight. 

Young thing on the downtown scene

Rolling around at night

Got things that have yet to be seen

Like you’re rapper’s delight

You took one last glance in the mirror, adjusting the flyaway hair that was in your face, then picked up your phone and walked across the hall to Enid's room. Her door swung open before you even had a chance to knock.

“I’M SO EXCIT-“ her words cut off, “oh em gee y/n, you look so hot!” She said as she scanned your outfit.

“Thanks E, are you ready to go?”

“Yes and guess who I managed to convince to come with us?” Enid sang-- now pushing the door wider and exposing her roommate. Wednesday wore the same expression she normally wore, but you could tell she wasn’t so thrilled.

“Convinced or forced? Let me guess, she bribed you into coming out tonight?” letting out a breathy laugh as you asked the poor young girl being dragged to this party. “The offering was difficult to resist” the braided-black haired girl sighed as she walked past you into the hallway.

“I promised her I’d cover for her and hang out in Eugene’s bee house while she goes into Jericho” your friend let out a small giggle as she grabbed her coat and skipped away to reach her roommate. You, trailing not too far behind.

A little party never hurt no one

So you stay out late

A little party never hurt no one

That’s what your friends say

It wasn't until eyes began to follow your body down the stairs to the secret room that you realized how anxious you actually were. You felt absolutely nervous, but you had a gut feeling that Wednesday probably dreaded being here more than you did. Why was everyone staring? Where are you, exactly? You were so focused on your plan to speak to Xavier tonight that you failed to realize Enid leading the way behind an Edgar Allen Poe statue. 

 "Hey, happy you guys made it." you heard as Ajax's body emerged from the crowd of sweaty people. Your gaze shifted to Enid immediately. You could tell your nerves rubbed off on her as she was now speaking to her crush. The gorgon held out two red Solo cups filled with who knows what, Ajax continued, "I brought you guys a little something to start the night." As soon as you took a sniff, your stomach turned. Gross, you silently thought. Enid handed back the empty red solo cup to Ajax. “Is there any more?” she linked her arm with his before turning to give you a face and blending in with the crowd. That was impressive, the best plan to get your crush alone. You made a mental note of that one. Now being left alone with Wednesday -or so you thought. The dark-haired girl was nowhere to be found despite your best efforts to find her.

“Looking for me?” Xavier questioned with arrogance as he snuck up behind you, poking your sides teasingly.

You eventually glanced up at him after escaping his fingers, "You wish, loser." Could he BE anymore perfect? He had his hair pulled back from his face and was wearing a simple black shirt with baggy jeans.  Gosh you loved when he would pick up his hair. His lengthy hair usually covered up his adorable facial features.

"It's nice to see you enjoying your youth and not being such a nerd for a change” Before taking a taste of his drink, he stated, "I was beginning to think I'd never see you in one of these things.” 

“Parties aren’t really my thing”

The green-eyed boy grinned, "A little party never hurt no one," and motioned for you to take a sip from your nearly full cup.

You’re looking to score

When they all say hello

You try to ignore them

‘cause you want more

After a few hours listening to some of your favorite music and laughing uncontrollably at the ridiculous things your drunken friends were coming up with, you started to feel a little loose yourself. How many of these things have you had? At what point did they start tasting so good? You didn’t care, all that mattered was that you were having a good time. You drank all that was still in your cup in one gulp before dragging Enid out onto the dance floor by her hand. You let your body move freely, letting you hands lift past your head on the occasional beat drop. You felt as though you were on cloud nine. It's the most carefree you've ever felt. You saw your best friend's expression as you turned to face her and knew she felt the same way.

You were too busy enjoying the vibration running through your body to notice Xavier staring at you. He enjoyed watching you have fun and letting yourself go. His gaze was glued to your intoxicating smile. You were changing a variety of hues due to strobe lights. Oh my goodness, you were so beautiful to him. If he said he didn't love seeing your hips slowly swing to the beat of the music, he'd be lying. He asked himself, "How can I make her mine?" His attention briefly left you as he followed the hand that gently hit his chest.  Ajax chuckled and walked over to Enid on the dance floor, “Dude, you’re staring. . It’s kinda creepy” Xavier’s gaze shifted back to you. 

Over the music, you could hear someone shout, "Wow, look who it is!" close to your ear. To your dismay, you noticed that you were now facing Enzo as you turned around to check who was so relatively close to you. He was in your History class and would occasionally sit next to you to see if you’d finally take his offer on taking you out on a date. You always sweetly declined but he was persistent and that annoyed you. You gave him a sweet smile and turned your attention back to Enid in hopes that he’d go away and not ruin your cloud nine feeling. He drew closer to you as his hands snaked around your waist.

“You’re not going to say hello?” This time, he uttered a whisper only inches from your ear. You were taken aback. Starting to feel anxious. He was wasted. He was slurring his words, as if the smell of his breath wasn't enough of a warning. Despite your best efforts to get free of his tight grasp, you were utterly unsuccessful because of how much taller he was than you. . You were now starting to laugh nervously.

 “En-enzo, you’re kind of hurting me” 

He kept tightening his hold on you.

"She’s not interested."  Xavier showed up just in time, like a hero saving the girl in one of those Marvel movies. His face showed no amusement and his hands were shoved in his pockets. He placed himself between you and Enzo, putting some space between you and your classmate who was obviously intoxicated.

Judging by the expression on her face, Enid was certainly shocked when you turned to look at her. You watched Enzo stepping back and raising both of his hands as you returned your focus to the two boys who were in front of you.

"My fault, Thorpe. Didn't know you and y/n were a thing," He appeared to be nearly afraid of Xavier. Why? You didn’t know, Xavier was a giant teddy bear. He would never even consider hurting a fly. “You okay?” Xavier turned to you, interrupting your thoughts. In all honesty, the events that just transpired were a little more than you can handle. Not knowing if it was because of Enzo or the many beverages you had consumed, you felt uneasy and your stomach began to turn.

“Yeah. . . yeah, I think I’m just going to head up to my room, I’m- I’m feeling a little light headed” giving Xavier a small smile before saying your good byes to Enid. She offered to walk you back but you knew she wasn’t ready to go yet. You assured her that your dorm wasn’t too far and that you’d be fine. “Now or never” you whispered in her ear, slightly shoving her towards Ajax.

You started to make your way to your room.

A little party never hurt no one

Not you and me

A little party never hurt no one

We were born to be free

You eventually managed to open the statue, which perhaps wouldn't have been as challenging if you had been a little more sober. Then, you emerged onto the quad. You could hear Xavier calling after you, "Hey!” You turned back to face him as he jogged to catch up to you.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" You exhaled a sigh and put your hand on your chest as you spoke.

He apologized while chuckling. His laugh was your absolute favorite song. You could listen to it all day long if you could.

"Do you mind if I walk you to your room?" he asked, gesturing toward Ophelia Hall.

“What’d I do to deserve my own personal body guard, hm?” he laughed once more. Was he tipsy or were you just extra funny today? You brushed that thought away as you turned, continuing your way to your dorm with Xavier by your side. The events that took place during the party were completely ignored by the two of you. You were appreciative that he didn’t bring it up. The entire situation made you feel slightly uncomfortable. You twirled the stray hairs that were now falling on your face while giggling like a schoolgirl talking to her crush as he was telling you some story about Ajax accidentally stoning himself when he looked into the mirror. He could hardly tell the story because of how much he was laughing. 

As soon as you could see your room's door, your heart began to sink. You didn't want the night to end. You were finally experiencing some of that "cloud nine" feeling again, with Xavier serving as the reason this time. You stopped and stood right next to your door, now facing him. 

You avoided making eye contact with the attractive boy as you joked, "Thanks for walking me, I guess the monsters saw you with me and decided they couldn't stand a chance."

You knew that in any classic rom-com, this was the scene where the boy says something funny, the girl laughs, and then he says something sweet about how much he liked her laugh before kissing her. However, you were aware it was not what to expect in this scenario. You two were friends. Just friends. And you weren’t going to ruin the night by doing something irrational. 

He jokingly replied, "The monsters know better, plus who would I be if I let my girl walk alone?"  You giggled until you realized what he had just said. When Xavier recognized what had come out of his mouth, he too froze, his eyes bulging.

“I- I meant girl friend. Wait, not girl friend. Just like a girl that’s a friend, ya know?”  He stumbled over his words, trying desperately to correct his mistake but failing miserably. Ouch. You did what you knew how to do best and achieved a slight chuckle due to the awkward tension- attempting to hide the hurt of being referred to as a friend. I mean, its not like you didn’t know, y/n. Don’t act surprised. You were fiddling with your fingers as your head fell to the floor.

Xavier examined your face, knowing that he had just ruined this sweet moment between you two by talking entirely too much.

“I wouldn't mind if you were, you know.” After a brief pause, he said, "My girlfriend, I mean." Before your eyes met his, he gave your face one last inspection as he was about to open up to you. 

"Seeing you smiling and enjoying yourself out there made me realize that I want to be another reason for your laughter." As he moved closer to you, causing your back to rest against the wall, heart skipping a beat as he continued, “And watching that dick put his hands on you made me realize just how much I would hate seeing you with anybody else." He threw up his arms and leaned them against the wall over you.

Blushing and avoiding his eyes as you whispered, "Xavier, you're drunk."

"Perhaps, but maybe I've just been meaning to tell you this for a while. After all, "drunk thoughts, sober feelings"

Xavier approached your lips slowly as he awaited your response. Your mind is currently going crazy. Is this actually happening? Sparks were now shooting down your spine as you met Xavier's lips. When you let out a soft moan, Xavier smiled against your lips but kept kissing you.  You could feel your cheeks becoming a faint shade of rose.

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled you both. 

You looked up to see Enid with a huge smile plastered on her face as she sat on Ajax’s back. Man did that girl love piggy back rides.

“Are we interrupting something?”

————————————

A.N: oof I’d fold immediately on that dance floor. Kinda a slow burn, my Virgo rising makes me want to perfect little details so you can get the bigger picture.

PLEASE besties send me requests, I don’t bite 🤍

Part two of Need you now will maybe be up tomorrow night? Love to keep y’all waiting hehe

Hope you’ve had a good day friends! ✨🦋