#i was listening to valley and this sort of

[writingsfromhome]

Rules to Break

A/N: not much to say about this, just a super fluff first-impression one shot.

—————————————————

He noticed her the first time she came in, but only because she was holding a copy of his favourite book. She’d lain it on the countertop as she squinted up at the menu and asked him if they did an iced Americano.

“We do,” he wanted to ask her about the book but when she meets his eye he’s suddenly nervous. He could tell she was in a rush, after working as a barista for nearly two years Harry could tell that when a customer looked past you even when they looked directly at you…it was not time to engage in small talk. “Is that all?”

“Uhm yes,” she bites her lip and glances at her phone. “Will that be long?”

He was right, “I’ll get started on it now for you.” Harry’s coworker shoots him a look as she moves aside from the espresso machine. He was supposed to be on cash strictly. But Americanos were easy and there were only two people in line.

“Pretty privilege,” she mutters. She was always going on about how life was easier for pretty people. Harry didn’t disagree, but also thought she benefitted from the same thing. He thought it was smarter not to say anything lest she bite his head off though.

“Here you are,” Harry pushes the drink at the pickup counter. She looks up from her phone, book tucked under her arm.

“Oh! That was quick. Thank you,” she smiles at him and this time she looks at him. Why did she make him so damn nervous?

Harry saw her a few times a week since then, usually with a friend but there were some times by herself in the far corner of the cafe. Her headphones on and typing away furiously at a laptop.

He never denied he was a romanticist, he fell in love easily and always. It never stuck of course, he was in love with the idea in his head, and it was easy when you worked in a cafe that was a revolving door for interesting people carrying small pieces of their lives on show while he made their drinks or took their orders.

The danger came from regulars; he had a rule not to romanticize regulars. But it was a rule he had to break when it came to her.

Today, she orders her usual and finds the only available seat near the sink. It was exam season so the cafe was mostly filled with students. Which meant it was too busy for Harry to keep an eye on her, him and his two colleagues work around each other as they pump out drink after drink.

3 hours later, Harry takes his 15 minute break. She’s still at her table, a friend had joined her. They talk animatedly over whatever’s on screen.

While her friend scans the screen, she sits silently. Then her eyes flit up and find Harry’s staring. Shit. He looks down at the water in his hand, turns awkwardly, and shuffles to the break room. It felt like she’d broken the fourth wall…it was uncomfortable as Harry remembers everything he knew about her was her coffee order, a shared book interest, and fantasy. He had to stop doing this.

Harry avoids her general area as he finishes his shift. He takes lunch in the break room, and focuses on the customer in front of him. One after the other.

Close to the end of his shift he risks a glance that way, and he’s surprised to still see her there. She must have ordered something when he was on his break because a second drink and half-eaten sandwich sits on her table.

The woman herself is staring into space, Harry thinks she’s day dreaming but she could be deep in thought. Maybe there was no difference. She snaps out of her thoughts and glances back at her screen. She must have noticed Harry though because she looks back up to him. This time she smiles. Harry nods and turns back to pouring the espresso in front of him.

Why did he nod? Was that supposed to be cool? What the fuck?

This was getting ridiculous. It’s been over a month of romanticizing someone just because she came in with a book. For all he knew she was holding it for a friend. He had to get over this—this was why he had that rule. He could obsess over someone he’d made up in his head for too long if he saw them too often. He had to stop.

“Can I uhm, get you a refill?” Harry decides to approach her table. “Seems like you could use one?”

“Oh,” her voice is soft, surprised when he appears at her table. “As much as I’d love that, I think I’ve had enough coffee for today.”

“Oh,” well that didn’t go how he expected. This was the other part about Harry’s fantasies—the reality always let him down. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she laughs. “Sorry have I been here too long? Are you subtly kicking me out?”

“No!” Harry realizes she’s smiling about it a beat too late. God he was normally not this awkward. He forced a laugh. “You have been here for some time, I thought you could use a refill. What are you working on?”

“Oh this,” she tilts her screen down lower. Government secrets.”

Harry waits a moment, unsure if her deadpan was really good or she was joking. She cracks a smile though and he laughs.

“You’re quite a serious one then,” she opens her screen back up.

“I’m…I’m really not. I’m mostly an idiot, ask my colleagues.” Harry glances back at the other side of the countertop and risks sitting in the seat opposite this woman. “To be honest I think I’m just a bit nervous.”

“Nervous?!”

“You’re intimidating!”

“Me!? Oh my god nobody has ever called me intimidating!”

“Nobody’s ever called me serious!” Harry laughs.

“I guess we don’t know each other at all,” she shakes her head with a laugh. “Intimidating.”

“You come in here regularly and just type away at your laptop all seriously. Your government secrets intrigue me.”

“My government secrets huh?” She smirks and Harry blushes.

“Yeah,” Harry pushes on. “Obviously. What else.”

“So is it true about regulars, do baristas actually remember our drinks?”

“Yeah,” Harry’s relieved at the switch in subject. “Iced Americano, sometimes with an almond croissant.”

“Hey that’s me,” she grins. “I’m actually writing a…well it’s supposed to be a novel. Right now it’s a fucking mess.”

“That’s what my mum calls me,” Harry jokes. “But I’m sure your work is great.”

“Nah not yet,” she leans forward on the table. “Does your mum actually?”

“She’s said it once, last Christmas.” Harry wasn’t sure if this was oversharing but she nods for him to continue. “I graduated with all these distinctions and now I’m just working at a coffee shop. I think she’s worried I’m not going to do anything with my life.”

“It’s not all cracked up to be,” she rests her head on her hand. “I had a job right out of uni, hated my life for over a year before I just said fuck it and quit. I live at home again, like I’m a bloody teenager. But…I think I’m happier.”

“I’ll put you on a call with my mum, say that exact same thing to her. Please?”

The pair laugh out loud, any awkwardness from before completely gone.

“It’s like I’m so burnt out from studying and never getting a break. I don’t want one part of my life to just rollover into the next.”

“Yeah!” she agrees.

“And, she doesn’t think it’s a real job, but I model on the side. I actually like doing it with this job so-“

“Of course you do!”

“What?” Harry watches her lean back in her chair and cross her arms.

“I should’ve know you model.”

“You should’ve?” He can’t help but grin.

“Yeah,” she looks like she’s putting the pieces together about Harry. “Your government secrets no long intrigues me, I know what you use them for.”

The unexpected joke makes Harry laugh, a bit too loud. His team lead calls out his name and reminds him his break is about done.

“Sorry,” she whispers to him. “Didn’t mean to get you into trouble.”

“It’s alright.” Harry chuckles. “I’m off in a half hour anyway, I haven’t got much work to go back to.”

“Oh,” she nods stiffly. “Alright.”

“Okay,” Harry gets up. “I’ll see you around Iced Americano.”

“That’s an awful nickname.”

Harry just shrugs and gets back to work, which is mostly cleaning up at this point. He realizes he should have asked if she had plans, they could grab a bite to eat since he knows she’s been here most of the day. Maybe he should ask now.

Harry peeks over the sink but her seat is empty and everything is gone from the table. He glances around the room but she had left. Disappointed. He felt a bit let down.

On the other hand, he realizes that this was the first time someone in his head didn’t let him down. She was bright, and funny, and really nice to him even though he cringed at how creepy he’d been. The disappointment stabs at him again. Oh well. There was always next time.

Once his shift finishes, and he changes out of the T-shirt that smelled like burnt coffee beans, Harry says his goodbyes and leaves. He turns to the right where the bus stop is but pauses when he spots a familiar figure on the bench.

“I was going to go home. But then I decided I would wait out your shift. And then it felt weird to go back inside so…”

“Aren’t you cold?” It was a brisk December evening.

“Fuck yes,” she hops up and walks over to Harry. “D’you want to grab a bite?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he couldn’t hide the relief in his voice. She had stayed.

“I know a good spot but it’s about 20 minutes walk?”

“I’m alright, I thought you were cold?”

“Not with company,” she threads her arm through his and they laugh at her cheesy response.

“It’s the company you make along the way,” Harry joins in.

“Exactly!”

They head in her direction and it occurs to Harry. “I don’t even know my company’s name.”

“Oh my god,” she laughs and sticks her free hand out to Harry as they continue walking. “I’m Y/N!”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Harry.” he shakes her hand and they laugh again at how weird they’re being.

“I know,” she smiles up at him. “Your name tag.”

“So I’m the only one who’s been in the dark.”

“‘Fraid so. Remember when you thought I was intimidating?”

“And you thought I was serious,” Harry laughs. She was an open book and he was always cracking jokes. How quickly they went from strangers to something else.

“We were naive then..but I’m still interested in this modelling you do. What’s it for?”

Harry explains his other job to her, the kinds of shoots he landed. What he was aiming for gig-wise. By the time they reach their destination Harry had asked Y/N about her novel and she was happily explaining to him what she wanted to write. He was happily listening.

Harry was glad he’d broken his rule because the mysterious girl in the corner of the cafe was splitting the mystery wide open. And turns out she was actually really cool.

[noah-price]

@pscentral​ event 26: minimalism

SILICON VALLEY (2014 - 2019) TOP 10 RATED EPISODES ON IMDB insp (1, 2)

[fruixtii]

@llondonfog @rayroseu @hanafubukki

SOBBING AND SCREAMING AND BREAKING MY WALLS…WHY IS THE BOOK 7 SOUNDTRACK SO GOOD!!!!!

[awkwardtypeos]

I played Stardew valley this whole weekend in bed a little sick and I had a vision

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

I just opened my document of my women of classic rock playlist and seeing it again is like...ah, yes, the project I will literally never finish because there is no way possible that I will become aware of every single woman who ever contributed to rock music history. But it's a great idea! Just one that can never be fully realized.

Obviously that doesn't mean I'll ever give up on it, though, hence why I opened it for the first time in over a year to add new artists/bands I just learned of today.

Say what you will, but the perfectionist in me says 'If I put out a playlist that's "unfinished," no one will notice or give a shit if I add more songs/bands/artists later on.' So it has to be "finished" before I ever officially share it because I don't expect anyone to ever give it more than one, singular glance, if that. The point, anyway, isn't even really to make a playlist that people will listen to frequently, anyway - the point is to compile a thorough resource to introduce people to new-to-them bands and artists (or re-introduce them to ones they haven't heard or heard of in a long time), but the playlist only defines these artists and bands by a singular song, so if they catch listener's attention, then they have to go and find more music by these bands and artists. It's only meant to be an introduction! But a meticulous thoughtful one. That's what I'm trying for, anyway.

[leyiorr]

i can't stop looking at her t-t-t-t, FACE!

mdni.

satoru gojo is doomed.

why is he doomed, you ask? well, put bluntly, you, his girlfriend of five months, are driving him absolutely crazy.

crazy is an understatement, actually. insane, mad, mental, unhinged, deranged, bonkers - whatever you want to call it. he's holding on by a thread; the thinly woven string known as sanity growing ever weaker as the days roll by and turn into weeks.

of course, he's only blaming you. you hadn't actually done anything wrong.

you're the first relationship satoru's had in his life, and he'd be damned if some inappropriate thoughts ruin his chances with the love of his life. he'd never been happier - dating you gave him the kind of happiness he thought only existed in movies; the kind of giddiness of a child in a candy store.

he was devoted to you in every way, shape and form - you are everything he's dreamed of and more.

more.

that's right, you were more.

recently, you were the devil's temptation personified.

surprisingly, even after twenty-odd years of being one of the most attractive guys around, and having women throw themselves at him like he's some kind of greek deity, satoru is a virgin. i'll repeat that, he is a virgin. a fact that only suguru knows. a fact that he's neglected to tell his girlfriend.

he may have a flirtatious personality and the ability to charm ninety percent of the human race with one of his thousand-kilowatt smiles, but in truth, he had never dated anyone. ever. let alone got his dick in a pussy.

so when he starts wanting to go further, he's not sure how to bring it up without sounding like a horndog.

it all started when you wore a sleek black dress to one of your dates. it clung to your figure, fabric wrapping shamelessly around your every curve and tickling your midthigh at its end. and if that wasn't bad enough, it had a plunging neckline, giving the world - satoru specifically - an eyeful of the assets god gifted you with. your boobs were practically spilling out of your dress, the light catching your cleavage as you held his arm. he could feel himself salivating like some sort of perv. how was he supposed to focus with aphrodite's personal creation hanging off his arm?

his eyes began to drift to the flesh of your chest more than he'd like to admit. all sorts of r-rated scenarios ran through his head and he dared to entertain every. single. one. he could do so much with them, tease them, spit on them, pinch them, suck on them, put his dick between them-

“satoru?”

his gaze snaps back to your face at record speed. you notice how he's chewing his bottom lip, flush creeping onto his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. his hands are clammy; there's suddenly too little oxygen in his room.

“did you listen to anything i said?” your arms fold beneath your bosom and satoru almost implodes.

what do you expect him to do? the necklace around your neck has his initial on it, and it hovers over your tits almost mockingly. if it snapped, the letter would fall right between the valley of your breasts-

“satoru!”

he's choking on his saliva, apologizing profusely as he encourages you to continue your story - though he hasn't heard shit over the blood pumping loudly in his ears.

it's a battle no, a war between his rationality and his desires and he doesn't know which is winning. his rationality wins when he's around you - he just sucks in a breath and thugs it out, no matter how much his dick shouts at him. but in private, he's letting the desires win as his fists himself to the thought of you, your lips, your ass; your boobs.

the first time he sees you in a bikini he has to take a breather before he can get into a game of beach volleyball with you and the group.

(and even then he was struggling. every time you jumped for the ball the only thing he was looking at was your tits.)

he should be neutered. effective immediately.

it drags out for so long that you finally notice, and force him to talk to you about why he's avoiding you, and if you'd done anything wrong. but all you get is:

“baby, i'm so sorry- you're so pretty and i can't help myself. i didn't know how to bring up that i wanted to take our relationship to the next step, you mean the world to me and i'd hate to make you uncomfortable-” he trips and stumbles over his words-

“...is that it?”

and his eyes bug out of his head as he stares at you. weeks, months of agony over this and all you have to say is 'is that it'?

he doesn't even have chance to respond; to process your words before you're popping the top button of your blouse.

yeah, satoru gojo is doomed.

[starlightkun]

🎶🛌

[chaos-in-deepspace]

L&DS Boys: Pool Day | Fluff

Ngl I wrote this in less than an hour and a half. Been chilling in the pool a lot these days and needed to write something for it. Now I want y'all to make sure and read Zayne's part and pay special attention to it, okay? Listen to what he says. I'm serious guys, listen to Zayne.

♡(ᓀ‸ᓂ)♡ Disclaimer: This is an original fan work for “Love and Deepspace”. Do not repost on other platforms or plagiarize. All characters shown in this fic is 18+. ♡(ᓀ‸ᓂ)♡ Warnings: N/A ♡(ᓀ‸ᓂ)♡ Pairings: Xavier x Reader, Zayne x Reader, Rafayel x Reader

Blog Information | Masterlist

Xavier

The cool water lapped at your skin as you sank your entire body into it. A sigh of relief escaped you as you instantly felt better. The summer had just started and already it had been record high temperatures. Thankfully your apartment complex had a nice pool, and since it was one of your rare days off you took advantage, silently thanking the world that your apartment had mainly elderly and hunters so today nobody else was at the pool.

To make matters even better, you managed to drag your sleepy neighbor out with you. You had promised him pool snacks and the new lounge floats you had gotten. Unlike the inflatable ones, these were fabric of sorts and you just knew they’d feel absolutely amazing the moment you two got into the pool.

“Are you ready?” Xavier asked, placing a hand on the small of your back. You let out a small yelp, not used to him being able to touch your skin so easily like this. You looked over at Xavier in his own swim clothes, almost wanting to blush. Of course this man would be the one who chose a speedo over something else.

Still, you began climbing up onto one of the two floats you had. Your body dipped into the water below you and kept you cool and you let out a content sigh. You watched Xavier follow suit, getting comfortable. The lounge float was just as comfortable as you had come to expect and you were living for it.

You put on your sunglasses as you relaxed and turned to Xavier, “Hey Xav?” You called out, making the blonde man hum next to you, “If I fall asleep, you have to promise to wake me up.” You said, knowing you were playing a risky game at the moment.

“Only if you promise to wake me as well.” Xavier said and you could hear the small yawn he let out. You rolled over to your stomach and realized this position was even better.

“Xavier, if I fall asleep and you fall asleep then we’re screwed. Someone needs to be responsible.” You comment with a light chuckle. You watched Xavier paddle his float over to you. He hooked his leg over part of your float and grabbed your hand, making it rest on his own.

“If we stick together like this and keep talking, then we have a better chance at staying awake.” He noted. Well he certainly was right, and being this close to Xavier was certainly a treat. You could ogle the plains and valleys of his well sculpted body perfectly like this.

Sadly it seemed you two forgot one very important fact…how you two always managed to pass out during naps while talking. You don’t even know when you fell asleep, or how long you were passed out. All you know is when you woke up you looked at Xavier. His pale skin was currently a bright red as he laid on his back, sunglasses on and you knew you were screwed.

You didn’t even need to see your back to know you were burned. Your skin felt hot and uncomfortable and if you could see it you’d notice just how angry it looked. You went to poke Xavier, flinching to yourself when you saw the spot on his cheek you poked turn white then back to red.

Xavier groaned as he opened his eyes and turned to look at you. Even with his sleepy vision he could see your current condition. He let out a gasp, going to sit up and forgetting he was on a float as he crashed into the water below him.

You couldn’t help but laugh as he came up, shaking some water from his hair. Without his sunglasses you could see the sunburn went around his eyes, “Xavier…we fucked up.” You said after a moment.

“I can…see that.” He said, looking over your back then down to his chest, “We should head indoors.” He said, going to grab your hand gently. You got off of your float and Xavier grabbed both of them in one arm while still holding your hand. You followed him to his apartment and you noticed how he had a serious look on his face as he forced you through the corridors of the complex. Your complaints about leaving a wet trail from the floats and your body went unheard.

You had to admit the moment you got into his cool apartment you felt a bit better. Xavier finally let go of your hand and dragged the floats to his bathroom, probably to let them dry in the shower. “Sit down on the couch, but be careful.” Xavier said, his calm voice echoing through the apartment.

You had no idea what had gotten into him, but you did just as instructed. You winced as you sat down, your sunburned ass stinging with the smallest movements. When Xavier came back, he was holding a large tub of something.

“Lay on your stomach.” He said and you were still confused as you did just that. He walked behind you and soon you let out a long, drawn out groan of relief. The item in his hand was a cream or sorts and was cool. It soothed your irritated skin as he gently began massaging it into your skin.

“What’s that…?” You groaned, knowing it was familiar but you were still tired from your nap and couldn’t think properly.

“It’s some aloe. I had some just in case.” He said, his small laugh was like music to your ears, “I apologize, you’re burned because I couldn’t keep my promise.”

You hummed and looked back at him as he began working the aloe into the back of your thighs, “We both failed, Xavier. Maybe if you kiss it better it’ll heal for me.” You joked. You hadn’t expected Xavier’s cool lips to press on your burned shoulders. It did feel nice as you melted into it, his lips trailing gentle kisses over the worst burns. He then continued to put the aloe over all those areas as well.

“You’re probably more burned than I am anyways. Did you even use sunscreen?” You comment after a few moments of silence. You had made sure to put some on before heading to the pool, but after hours of the sun even the sunblock wouldn’t be able to keep up without being reapplied liberally.

“I’ll be fine, I just need a nap.” He said, his large hands finishing their massage on all the pieces of skin you were burned. You slowly sat up, but Xavier went to push you back down, “And so do you. But first you need water.” He commented.

You smiled over at him and grabbed hold of his hand as he tried leaving, “Not so fast. We need to take care of your burns.” This time he didn't stop you as you sat back up. You saw the jar next to you and looked back at him. “Lay on your back, I’ll put some aloe on you.”

“That’s not necessary.” Xavier tried to protest with a pout, but you weren't having it.

“Xavie baby.” You said, calling him a nickname that always got him to blush, “Let me take care of you. Come on.” You said, motioning for him to do as you said. He let out a sigh and finally laid down.

You smiled, looking down at him as you covered your hands in the green goop. Today might’ve had a few failures, but being able to rub down Xavier’s body was almost a reward in itself. You then saw Xavier look off to the side then back to you.

“Perhaps if you kiss it better it’ll help them heal faster.” He said, using your words against you. You chuckled as you leaned down, kissing his cheeks before he grabbed your face. You were confused as he brought you in for a proper kiss.

“It hurts the most here.” He said after parting, running his thumb over his own lip. You chuckled, pressing another kiss there.

“Then it looks like I’ll have you pay extra attention to it.” You said, then kissed him again. Perhaps the sunburns weren’t that bad if this was the aftermath.

Zayne

Why Zayne never used the pool at his luxury apartments was beyond you. There were never any children running around, and oftentimes during the weekdays people were at work and couldn’t relax over there. That meant on your days off, it was just the two of you and a very nice and well kept pool. Yet whenever you brought it up, he would always say if you wanted to go he would, but he’s not planning on going by himself anytime soon.

So as soon as summer hit and the heatwave was at an alltime high already, you were dragging Zayne towards the elevator to head down to the pool. Your excitement was evident as Zayne adjusted the pool bag he had prepared. It was a large side bag and you were certain he kept a little bit of everything in there.

When the elevator hit the bottom level, you grabbed hold of his hand and began literally dragging him, “Come now, the pool won’t be going anywhere.” Zayne tried to assure you, but you weren't having none of that.

“The pool might remain, but every second spent dawdling is a second wasted.” You comment, “Time leaves us constantly so we need to catch up.”

He sighed and shook his head. As soon as you left the air conditioned building it was already sweltering hot. You could almost feel sweat clinging to your skin as you made your way to one of the pool chairs. Zayne had already opened the umbrella and laid towels down for the two of you.

Meanwhile you stripped off your pool cover and were about to run straight into the water. As soon as Zayne noticed your movements, he thought fast. Two large hands cupped under your armpits as he brought you up like a naughty cat trying to sneak off. You laid limp in his grasp as you processed what happened.

You slowly turned to him with a pout, “Zayne, what the ever loving fuck?”

“Eloquent with your speech as usual.” He teased as he went to set you down under the umbrella covered chair, “Aren’t you forgetting an important step?” He asked and you sighed with an eye roll.

“Nope.” You popped the ‘p’ as you looked away from the man.

“Perhaps I should remind you that sunscreen is necessary. I agreed to come to the pool if you made an effort to protect your skin.” He said and you groaned, “I’m sure you’re aware that a light skin tone only has a natural 4-5 spf, while skin with higher melanin has the max of 13.5 spf. That means no matter your skin tone, you still need to protect your skin.”

You couldn’t help but giggle, “Oh please keep talking about medical things with me, Zayne.” You joked and he shook his head.

“Your skin is the largest and one of the most important organs of your body, please treat it with the respect it deserves.” He said, grabbing the sunblock he had brought with him, “Now come here, I’ll help you apply it.”

“I can do it myself.” You protested, but he was already putting some of the cream into his hands. He looked up at you from his prescription sunglasses.

“I’m sure you could.” He said, “However I need to make sure you're covered properly and with enough product it’ll do its job.” He explained with an almost smile on his face. You rolled your eyes before opening your arms up so he could properly get you covered.

You glanced at the bottle and almost choked on your spit, “SPF 100? Isn’t that overkill?” You asked with an incredulous expression.

“Not at all, however we will need to reapply it after about an hour and a half since we’ll be swimming. I’ll make sure to set a timer.” He said and you once again groaned…that was until his hands were on you.

He had purposefully cooled his own hands as he began massaging the product into your arms, chest, stomach, and legs. His hands glided over your body respectfully as he made sure you were properly covered, eventually having you turn around so he could apply it to your back. You jumped when his frigid hands pressed on the back of your neck.

“H-Hey!” You whined and he just chuckled.

“My apologies, I’m just being thorough.” He explained as he worked on your back now. Once your body was covered you turned back to face him. You hadn’t expected his large hands to cup your face as he smeared some of the sunscreen there. Your hands went to wrap around his wrists as you tried backing away, but his grip was firm, “Stop fighting, unless you want a sunburned nose.” He scolded.

You finally huffed and relaxed into his touch. You were startled when he left your face, only to come back and press something over your lips. You opened your eyes and noticed he had a lip balm, one that also had some spf in it. You smacked your lips, noticing how it tasted sweet.

“Better?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yes, but.” You said and he hummed. You tugged him over to you, placing a kiss on his lips. He didn’t fight it, leaning in as your lips met his in a short and cute kiss. “You needed some chapstick too…”

“I appreciate you helping me put it on.” He said with an amused huff.

“Can I swim now?” You suddenly asked after buttering him up; already you were getting up. He gripped your waist and dragged you back down.

“Wait twenty minutes after applying sunblock before being exposed to the UV rays.” He said and now you just knew he hated you. You looked at him with pouty eyes and he just smiled at you, “Would you like to help me apply sunblock to help pass the time?”

Now you perked up at that offer, your hands already twitching as you nodded your head. He took off his own cover up and exposed his chest and you had to fight the urge to lick your lips at the sight. How he managed to be in shape while overworking himself was a mystery, but damn were you grateful for it.

You put some sunblock into your hands, running them over Zayne’s chest first and oh my goodness how were you going to be able to survive this. You could feel every single muscle of his as you massaged it in, looking up at him from time to time as you tried to remain focused.

Your heart was beating out of your chest as you realized how much you wished you weren’t out in public right now so you could squeeze his chest. You remained professional though and applied the sunblock liberally, and were almost disappointed when it all ended. Still, you both were now covered and you looked over at Zayne’s phone. He had already set a time and it said you had fifteen minutes before you could jump into the pool.

“Zayne, do we have to be a stickler for sunblock rules?” You asked after another five minutes. He looked over at you curiously.

“Are you asking me as your boyfriend, or as your doctor?” He asked and you huffed, rolling on your stomach on the towel.

“I hope you know imma spend the next hour and a half in that pool and I’m dragging you in there the entire time.” You said and he chuckled as he went to his bag and grabbed two drinks. There were two cans of milk tea and when he handed one to you, you noticed how cold it was. You sighed and opened it up, taking a sip, “But I guess this isn’t too bad.” You comment looking at the water.

“My top priority is your safety, however perhaps we can break a few rules. I’ll let you get in five minutes early.” Zayne said, clicking on his phone’s timer. You looked over and noticed you had six minutes left. Your eyes widened as you realized what he said.

You handed him your drink and as soon as the timer had a ‘five’ on it, you were running into the water.

Rafayel

“Fuck you, pufferfish.” You said, shoving the purple haired man out of the way, “I’m getting in first!” You cried out, your feet hitting the hot cement outside of his personal pool. The man in question was right behind you as he went and grabbed hold of you.

His grip on your wrist had you dragging behind him, “Tough luck, pearl, but the pool is mine.” He said, gaining the lead in his mad dash to the water.

This all started when you had been lounging at Rafayel’s home, realizing just how hot it was. His air conditioner was working, sure, but it was still balmy since you were right by the beach. Sweat clung uncomfortably to your skin as you had glanced over at the artist.

“Rafayel, it’s too humid.” You complained and Rafayel looked over at you. You could see the sweat dripping down his neck so clearly he was in a similar situation as you. He seemed to think something over quickly and then smiled.

“Perhaps I could take a break.” He mused, “I do have a pool out there. That should help with the current situation.” He said and you hummed. The thought of spending the day in a private pool was so nice. You had swam in his pool before, it had a tanning ledge, a hot tub with a small waterfall that bled into the pool, and several pool lounges. He had everything you could ask for really, which was to be expected.

“Let’s do it. I’ll grab some drinks.” You said, hopping off the couch and running to the kitchen. Rafayel called out for you, but you didn't hear him as you raced to his fridge. An assortment of soda and juices were stocked thanks to your insistence he have other things than just coffee and water.

You went for the apple juice, deciding it would be refreshing enough for a day like this. Rafayel had some tumblers that would keep it ice cold while you were outside. As you stood back up you bumped into Rafayel’s chest. You spun to look at him in surprise, “Uh need something?” You murmured.

“I asked if you had a swimsuit.” He chuckled and you realized that you didn’t have one at his place. You groaned and looked at him with a pouty face.

“No…” You mumbled and he shook his head.

“That’s fine, I bought you a few just in case. I’ll grab them for you.” Well isn't he being nice and accommodating. Something was up. Your eyes narrowed as you followed him. He went to his closet and that’s when you discovered the swimsuit line up he had.

They were either very promiscuous, or downright ridiculous. He looked between you and the suits and you groaned. You grabbed a pair with rubber ducks decorating it and looked at him, “You sir, are an asshole.” You said, heading to his bathroom.

“I did nothing wrong.” He said, a hand over his heart as you closed the door and quickly got changed. When you came out you choked on your spit. Standing in front of you was Rafayel, with a matching swimsuit.

“I fucking hate you.” You laughed, realizing now why he had gone through the trouble of getting these swimsuits. It was so you guys could match at his pool, “Wait, so if I had gone for the revealing one…?” You trailed off.

“It’s too late for that now, pearl.” He teased, “But I’ll have you know they make very flashy male swimsuits nowadays, in several different styles.” So the ones he showed you…damn you regret your decision. Still, seeing him in something ridiculous like that was enough to make you less bitter.

“Fine, whatever, let’s just get to the pool.” You said, walking out with Rafayel following you, then you said the most childish thing of the day, “Last one in's a rotten egg!” You then began booking it.

You forgot that the two of you combined was a bad case of competitiveness. It led you to the now, where you both were playing dirty to get into the cool pool. You were screaming at one another, attempting to trip or thwart the other.

As soon as you were at the edge, Rafayel yanked you back. You hooked your ankle around his to hold him in place. However this caught both of you off balance. Next thing you knew, the cool water was enveloping the two of you. You looked at Rafayel under the water with wide eyes as you two realized what had happened.

You broke through the water and began laughing immediately. Rafayel soon emerged as well, grabbing onto your shoulders and pouting, “You dropped me into the water.” He whined and you were still laughing.

“I dropped us into the water.” You corrected him. He couldn’t help the smile on his face at the confession.

“Ya, I guess you did.” He huffed before using his weight to push you down. You could hear his voice clearly despite being under water, “But that doesn’t mean I can let you go without punishment, my dear bodyguard.”

You went to scream but you knew your lungs would fill up. Rafayel then dunked his head under the water and swam closer to you. He took his hands over your eyes, covering them and you felt a soft peck on your lips.

Suddenly you could breathe underwater and you chuckled at his antics. He took his hands away as he looked at you with eyes swimming with mischief.

“You’re the absolute worst, fish.” You said, dragging him closer to you. You pressed another kiss on his lips, and you loved how red his cheeks and ears got.

“How am I the worst? You’re supposed to protect me, yet you let me fall in the water.” He complained, but his arms were wrapping around you as he said so. His nose nuzzled against your own as he held onto you.

“Oh how cruel of me to put the fish back into water. I’m just the worst.” You said with a sigh, “Now come on, I want to soak in the sunshine.” You began tugging him to the surface of the water. Despite his pouting, he allowed you to drag him up.

You went over to the tanning ledge, laying on your stomach and relaxed. “Need sunglasses?” Rafayel said, swimming next to you and splashing you with the water.

“Do you have some?” You asked and he shrugged before his eyes furrowed.

“Hey…how are your feet?” He asked and you looked confused. You sat up and looked to see if you had managed to get a cut on your foot at some point. You didn’t see anything as you turned back to him.

“They’re fine…why?” You asked.

“Good…think you could run and get us sunglasses then? They should be near the front.” He said with a smirk, knowing he got you.

This time you would admit, you did push him into the water…well more like kicked him. He was the one asking for it though as he let out a shrill scream before the large splash of water filled your ears. You regretted nothing.

Did y'all hear what Zayne said? Apply sunblock 20 minutes before being exposed to UV rays, no matter what skin color you got. Reapply every 1 - 2 hours as well if you're going to be swimming or sweating a lot (or as directed by the bottle). Your skin is a large and important organ of your body so take care of it you guys!

[ariaste]

Is there disability rep in RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND? It seems like pirate books get overlooked for how often they show characters with disabilities.

Jesus christ okay listen. You've activated my trap card, because YES EXACTLY. Disability is one of the CORE TROPES of any pirate story -- is it even a real pirate crew if there aren't people missing some of their bits? And it's not just side characters, is it! Is a pirate captain even a proper captain without a peg-leg, a hook, or an eyepatch?

And yet when we see these characters, or at least when I see these characters, my brain does not register them into the category of "oh, here is a Disabled Character". Like it is wonderful that we are seeing more disability representation in media these days but... It's often not very satisfying, is it? They're like "Here is a very carefully presented Character In A Wheelchair So You Know She Is Disabled-Disabled 😌" and there are all of these rules this character has to follow to be """""properly"""" disabled in exactly one specific way with no variations, and always there is an Issue with her (almost always a woman??) ability to navigate her wheelchair through the landscape so that the media can Prove They Are Being So Thoughtful And Aware Of The Difficulties.

I don't know about you, but for me it always sort of smacks of insincerity. Or like, the overtly intentional and deliberate sincerity, which then comes across as a bit unnatural and uncanny valley. We as the audience are not permitted to simply experience this character as a person, we are forced by the deliberateness of the narrative to experience her as a Disabled Person. Which.... Sure, that's better than not having any disabled representation at all, but there's SO MUCH FURTHER we could go with it! But the first step is for the media creator/s to stop going "look, a Disabled Person [delicate gasp] Wow she's so brave" as if she's a fucking zoo exhibit and start going "look, a Person. she's disabled, and has some other personality traits and hobbies as well."

(I feel like we also went through this journey with Strong Female Characters too, didn't we? Where we had all of these weirdly awkward """sincere"""" attempts at people writing Strong Female Characters and Oooh She Is So Strong, And Ooh Her Femaleness, She Grew Up With Brothers... But that was not what we wanted, we wanted the writers to chill out and just write a woman who was a PERSON and stop making it weird.)

Anyway, back to pirates, because I think we've really been overlooking pirate media for the fact that the disability rep is just right out there in plain sight, and it's so normalized that it would be weirder if it WASN'T there, and the media creator isn't loudly trying to win brownie points for being Virtuous And Inclusive™. (And just because tumblr reading comprehension is piss poor sometimes: yes, there's a difference between trying to be virtuous and inclusive and trying to be Virtuous And Inclusive™, and I bet you can recognize it when you see it.)

Pirate media doesn't make it weird! Pirate media doesn't try to camouflage the fact that a character is disabled ("Yar, and here's No-Legs Bob, on account o' he's got no legs, that'll teach 'im to make jokes like he's pretending to fuck the cannon" "somebody hold me up and i'll fuck the cannon again" "[raucous laughter throughout the whole crew]") nor does it deny that their disability causes problems sometimes (the ol' "peg-leg got stuck in a knothole in the deck" gag, or the classic "whoops, tried to stab someone with my hook hand but they dodged and it got embedded in the planks" gambit). Pirate media offers a huge VARIETY of disabilities too, instead of just One Token Wheelchair User -- you've got people with prosthetic limbs, you've got people partially or fully blind or deaf, you've got people who are mute (and also btw look at this amazing parrot or monkey they have, it killed a man once), you've got elderly people who aren't quite as spry as they once were but oooh they Know The Sea like nobody else, you've got people who struggle a lot with their disability and need extra help and support AND people who are not slowed down at all and just livin' their life the way they do.

Y'know. Actual diversity.

Also the only time pirate media draws deliberate attention to the disability is 1) if there's a cool story behind it that is somehow relevant to the plot ("[captain looking balefully at his hook hand] me hand was bitten off by a WHALE.... i've been chasing that whale for the last forty years....") or 2) if it provides a fun way to show the culture and community of the crew as a whole (see the No-Legs Bob example, above). Also notice that in pirate media, you are allowed to directly address the disability and make a harmless, casual joke about it ("No-Legs Bob" again) and it doesn't feel mean or weird, it's just.... descriptive. It's just the way that pirates be. Yep. No-Legs Bob ain't got no legs. So what? It is there in his name and yet it still doesn't feel like it's the only thing about him.

The vibes are just.... UTTERLY DIFFERENT from the disability rep i've seen in other media. And so i think we should be looking at pirate media more and striving to emulate it when it comes to disability rep, because THERE'S SOMETHING HERE, they're doing something INTERESTING, there is something worth thinking about and studying, what are they doing and how are they doing it and how can we replicate that in other things? (Also, even real life pirates were better about disability than many other folks -- they had PENSIONS for crew members who couldn't work anymore.)

ANYWAY back to your question of whether there is disability rep in Running Close to the Wind.

Short answer: yes. Long answer: do you want a whole inventory?

Captain Teveri has a prosthetic eye (it's covered in gold leaf, inspired by this Tumblr Heritage post which I'm sure we have all seen). Also facial scarring, which is not really a disability but still does not get a whole lot of representation.

Many of the crew have hook-hands or peg-legs

Avra says you are not a real pirate until you are missing some of your bits, and makes some joke about how he only has a Weird Toe or something

A side character, Skully (so called because he has a hobby of carving skulls in things and is currently working on carving a GIANT skull into the face of the cliff overlooking the entrance to the pirate cove, because obviously every pirate cove is required by the Trope Laws to have a skull cliff but my question was WHO PUT IT THERE? answer: this guy), has two peg-legs and a hook hand and still goes abseiling by himself to carve the skull onto the cliff, nbd nbd. Probably got the best abs in the book, but tragically Avra, the POV character, did not think to notice them

Elderly grandmother in a wheelchair who threatens to stab Julian the Super Hot Monk through the ear with a knitting needle

Julian is described as standing out from everyone else explicitly because he's NOT missing any bits and that's odd (comes kinda close to missing some bits, though, he plays around with alchemical explosives at one point. man's on track to be missing a couple fingers sooner or later, so just... y'know, let him cook, trust the process, he's still growing as a person)

(this one is a joke) arguably Avra's Weird Luck Thing could count as some kind of chronic illness, considering that it is a thing which materially affects his life and which he does not have control over and cannot predict when it will come into affect. DISCUSS. (again: a joke)

[steps gingerly off soapbox] thank you for coming to my TED talk

(Also: RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND comes out in ten days on June 11th! It's a comedic fantasy novel about queer pirates stealing and trying to find a buyer for the most valuable secret in the world and fighting back against oppressive institutional powers! You can read a review of it here and the first chapter of it here, and you can preorder it here.)

[merakiui]

thinking about more toxic yuri and sapphic awakenings for our beloved fem riddle who is just oh-so-obsessed with her best friend. <3

i love the idea of riddle not understanding girl code or anything of the sort because she’s never had any normal friendships with girls her age. what do you mean some girl friends are naturally closer and candid with one another? what do you mean it’s okay to change clothes or borrow clothes? there are friends who do that? she can hardly fathom it!

aaaaa the absolute panic she endures when the both of you are caught in the rain and you offer to take a warm shower with her. riddle can’t believe it. showering together? as in, bathing nude?????? together?!?!? isn’t that indecent? shouldn’t you take turns? oh, she’s so overwhelmed and flustered. and you just shrug: “we’re both girls. does it really matter?”

only it does for riddle, who is hopelessly obsessed. she tries so hard not to stare and make it obvious, but she can’t help it. you’re so beautiful and soft. she watches water droplets roll down your bare skin, between your breasts, down the valley of your shoulder blades, and she’s clawing at the bars of her cage. it doesn’t help if you take the shower head down and playfully spray her with water to get her to loosen up and not be so self-conscious. it takes all of her restraint not to let her gaze wander lower and lower. riddle spends the entire shower only half-listening to you as you talk about your latest fling or a new café you recently tried. she’s too busy keeping herself in check.

aaaaaa omg OMG. and riddle being besties with cater, who is her go-to when she needs him to run background checks on your dates and one-night stands. :) it’s not stalking; it’s just being resourceful, she tells herself, but cater knows there’s more to it than just her wanting to keep you safe.

[dixonsbrat]

𖥔 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𖥔

summary ; steve has been admiring you for some time now, and you’ve been wanting him too, but one halloween party finally pushes you both to make a move.

pairing ; steve harrington × fem!reader

notes ; nsfw, pet-names (baby), self-fingering and female orgasm, mentions of bodily fluids, cussing, dirty talk, mentions of alcohol (let me know if i forgot any)

do not transfer, translate or share my work to any other sites.

droplets of sweat gathered on the nape of your neck, pooling in the valley between your breasts, as you danced in the middle of the crowded room. the music was loud, almost too loud, but there was an undeniable electricity in the air. not from the atmosphere or the array of eyes on you from people you had never met. not even the alcohol that coursed through your system, but only between you and him. 

him, steve harrington, the only person whose attention truly mattered. 

you could feel his deep, lust-filled gaze boring into you from across the room, watching you so intently you were sure you were going to combust. he stood leaning up against the wall in the far corner, one arm raised to steady himself while the other held a cup to his lips. he adorned a recycled halloween costume as robin remained by his side, talking about who knows what, but despite the little nod here and there, all he could focus on was you. 

steve loved watching you. he loved watching the way your body moved to the music. he loved watching the way you would meet his gaze, the slightest glint of a smirk tugging at your lips before continuing to pretend that he wasn't even there. he specifically loved watching the way your skirt would hitch up your thighs the same way it would whenever you went into his work. 

he was sure he was the reason behind it. no, he knew he was the reason behind it. that you would purposely pull your skirt higher just for him, and even more so when you would bend over in the aisles pretending to look for something on the bottom shelf. being well aware that he was the only one that could see you. 

he knew what you were doing — that you knew what you were doing — stringing him along and playing hard to get. you were challenging him. you weren't giving in to him like every other girl that looked his way recently. 

you were making him work for it - for you. 

except tonight he had other plans. tonight, he was finally going to get what he wanted. at least, so he thought. 

"listen, i know it was my idea to crash this party, but it's kinda lame," eddie joins you, disrupting your dancing and slowing down your movements. "y'wanna find the others and get out of here?"

eddie was right. the party itself was lame. the only thing giving you any sort of entertainment was the free alcohol and the look on steve's face; steve who had now disappeared from where he stood only a moment ago as you peer over your friend's shoulder. 

the munson boy waits for you to answer, your attention now absent from the conversation as you scanned the room rapidly but there was no sign of him anywhere. eddie repeats his question, but it's not until he snaps his impatient fingers in your face that you finally return to him. 

"c'mon, let's find steve and robin and we'll go back to mine. can finally show you that new riff i learnt on the guitar," he imitates playing his sweetheart, hair bouncing in an unruly mess, as more bystanders begin to stare.

you laugh, giving him a slight nudge, "okay, munson. i'll search upstairs, you search downstairs."

the two of you pan off in different directions, you heading for the staircase by the front door as he began in the kitchen. as you pushed your way through the crowd, weaving yourself to the entryway, you spot robin at the bottom of them, but still no sign of steve. 

you call her name, but your voice falls on deaf ears over the music. she twirls around, hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt when she finally spots you and a relieved smile bestows upon her lips. 

"we're gonna go back to eddie's. where's steve?" you raise your voice, leaning towards her ear so that she could hear you. 

"he went upstairs. something about needing a moment away from the music,” she gestures upstairs where there were far less people. "i'll go get him."

she turns to head up the stairs but your hand catches her arm before she can so much as put her foot on the bottom step, "it's okay, i'll get him. you go find eddie and we'll meet you at his van."

robin nods, though there seems to be a knowing look in her eyes, a hint of a smirk as if there were some obvious secret only you didn't know about, and she traipses off toward the kitchen in search of eddie. 

once alone, you take one look up the large staircase and let out a deep breath. this was it, this was the moment you were finally going to tell steve that if he truly wanted you so bad, it was about time he did something about it. 

with each step, your heart seems to beat a little bit faster. the top of the stairs growing further away and when you finally get to them, there are only a couple of small groups of people scattered along the balustrade. you weave your way through the crowd once more to find the bathroom and just as you're about to knock, it opens before your hand can graze the wood with your knuckles. 

steve stands on the other side, eyes widening when he sees you, but the sight of him causes the breath in your throat to catch. his dishevelled hair, deep pink lips and dark eyes entrapped by a red tinge - he was truly a sight for sore eyes. 

"y/n," your name falls off the tip of his tongue like sweet honey, sending an immediate wave of bumps across your skin. "are you okay?" he looks almost concerned, brows furrowing when it takes you a moment to answer. 

"uh, yeah. we're going to ditch the party and, um, and..." you pause for a beat, words turning to a jumbled mess inside your head and all the confidence you had tried to bestill had disappeared. "... um, head back to eddie's. we're going to head back to eddie's." you repeat it a second time for safe measure. 

he nods, slowly, his eyes purposely falling to your lips as he exhales and leans back against the doorframe, "yeah. i mean, we could do that..." his words are even slower, pulling you in with each syllable. "or... we could talk about what's really going on here?"

this was it. this was the moment he was finally going to do something about it. 

"i have no idea what you're talking about." you lift your right shoulder into a shrug, pursing your lips before gazing up at him through your lashes. 

his lips part as he leans in closer, his face so close you could feel his alcohol-saturated breath on your cheek. "so, i'm just imagining you pulling up that pretty little skirt of yours on purpose, huh?"

you almost gasp, throat tightening with need. need for him. "apparently... though, it's nice to know you've been thinking about me."

the devilish grin on your face now infuriates him because, once again, you were in control. 

a breathy chuckle leaves his lips, fingers raking through his hair, "what am i going to do with you?"

"i don't know. what are you going to do with me?" a moment of realisation passes through his eyes. you want him to do something about it, want him to finally give in to the urges. all this time, he had been waiting, and now, here you were, allowing him to have what had been torturing him. 

while his head races with a million thoughts, in reality, only seconds had passed by, but those few seconds were more than enough to build a wall of tension. his gaze falls to your lips once more, and in a heated movement of passion, he finally takes the leap and presses his to them. 

soft moans reverberate through his neck, daring to carry you away as your fingers curl through his hair. you press yourself against him, almost knocking him over, but he answers your neediness and pulls you into the bathroom to close the door and lock it. 

all the tension, flirty looks and suggestive gestures that had been building up over the past few months had finally started to unravel in a matter of seconds. igniting you both so much so that you were sure to catch fire. 

the kisses seem to last forever, despite feeling rushed, and when he starts to trail his lips down the side of your neck, you're left a hot mess as you try to regain your breath. your core was already aching for attention, throbbing within your underwear, as his hands ran rampant all over your body. 

he glides his tongue across your skin, hair tickling your face as he begins to suck lightly, "you've no idea what you've done to me. how badly i've wanted this." he mumbles against you, sparking thought in your mind, and at this, you gently push him away and slide yourself back on the counter.

"is that so?" you breathe heavily. "tell me about it."

there's a glint of confusion in his eyes, brows slightly furrowing, as he stands between your legs. you had so much power over him and you planned to keep it that way. 

if you gave in to him so easily, all the long months you had spent teasing and hinting at him would've been for nothing. he needed to know that you weren't going to give yourself up to him just because he wanted it - he needed to earn you. 

"d'you really want me, harrington?" your words are low, breathy, sending shivers down his spine as he gazes into your eyes. 

"fuck," he nods, the word shakily falling from his lips and he swallows hard. "i want you so bad."

your lips quirk up once again, heart beating so fast it was thrumming in your ears. you lean forward, lips barely grazing his, and whisper, "tell me what you want... while you watch me touch myself." before planting your teeth around his bottom lip and tugging on it.

"w-what?" there's a hitch in his voice as you feel yourself growing wet within the confines of your underwear. he's stunned. eyes wide and jaw taut. 

"tell me what you want, and i'm yours, but... touch me, and you lose." your words are barely above a whisper but they're enough to send shivers down his body. 

his breath catches in his throat, letting out a small gasp, as his dewy brown eyes bore into you once again. only this time, there was determination clouding them. he wanted you. he wanted you so bad, and he was going to do everything he could to get you - to finally feel you.

he opens his mouth to speak but stops when you lean back against the mirror, hitching your skirt up and spreading your legs before him. revealing the black lace underwear you had worn in anticipation. the same pair that he had only ever caught glimpses of. 

"what's the matter, harrington? you like watching me... don't you?" you ask, coyly, batting your lashes. 

he groans, lulling his head back to reveal his adam's apple bobbing as he swallows once more. you lift a finger to touch the tip of his chin, letting it trail down his chest before landing between your legs. he watches your hand as if his life depended on it. 

you slowly trace the edges of your underwear where your core was barely covered. lips poking out around the thin material, gathering up your wetness when your finger starts to rub small circles over the top of them. 

"are you wet?" steve asks, and you nod, brows arching from the touch already. 

he shuffles nervously on his feet, pulling at the material around his crotch to give himself more growing space, but his eyes never leave you. not for a second. and they only double in size when you finally move your panties to the side, confirming your answer - your sweetness glistening under the dim bathroom glow. 

"holy f-fuck, y/n," he retorts with astonishment, almost falling to his knees at the sight of you before him. "you're killing me here."

"tell me more," you press the tips of your fingers to your tongue, collecting the saliva that had gathered, and gently start moving them across your sweet little bundle of nerves. 

"you're so fucking pretty, baby. i bet you're so warm too. i bet your pretty little pussy is so fucking warm," his words caress your ears as your movement starts to speed up, building up the sensation in your core. "i want you so bad. i want to feel you wrapped around my cock. every fucking inch of you."

a small chuckle falls from your lips, as you now press your middle finger into your hole. moaning at the feeling and slowly you begin to fuck yourself, all while steve's eyes remain trained on you. catching a glimpse of you fingering yourself but focusing on your facial expressions and the way you're making your own mouth fall open with ecstasy. 

"fuck your little hole, baby," he says, almost demandingly, which again makes you want to prove that you were still in control. so you add another finger. "fucking hell, i want to taste you so bad."

"mmm-yeah? you wanna taste me, harrington? you wanna know what my pretty little pussy tastes like?" your words are slightly muffled, as you continue to penetrate yourself. fingers gliding in and out of your goodness with ease, hitting just the right spot as the top of your palm rubs your clit, causing your hips to buck up a little. 

his hand involuntarily falls to his crotch, he didn't think you noticed. but it was a little hard not to when he begins palming himself through his pants as his eyes burned with so much desire. desire for you. 

you can feel the coil within your core on the verge of breaking, ready to snap as you near your end. the pleasure of it all becoming too much, as your hips buck more rapidly, face contorting and mouth falling agape. you grab onto steve's jacket with your free hand, gripping the material and bringing him closer. 

"f-fuck, i'm gonna cum," your breathing is unsteady, all over the place as you get closer, wrapping your arm around steve's head to grab a fistful of his hair. “make me cum, harrington.”

“show me how you cum, baby. show me how pretty you look when you let it all go. you do that and i’m gonna fill you up so good,” his voice is low as he presses his head to yours. “you want me to bury my cock in you, don’t you?”

"mmm- fuck yeah," your moan is cut off by steve's mouth as he presses his lips to yours once more. immediately gliding his tongue across them for permission and you give it to him, letting his tongue enter. 

and just like that, you're overcome with stimulation. a wave of sensation coursing through you but steve doesn't pull away, instead, he muffles your cries with kisses as he takes in the sight of you. completely vulnerable as you chase your high. chest rising and falling at a dramatic pace as your hips twitch and buck, eyes glazed over and brows arched. to hear the sweet noises you made, muffled or not. 

it was a sight he had only seen once, but, oh boy, did he want to see it again. 

"oh, fuck," you sigh, words split by your panting as you try to regain your breath. you still hadn't stopped fingering yourself, only slowed down the movements as your creamy goodness collected along them. 

"i'm that good of a kisser, huh?" steve chuckles, staring down at you still slowly pumping your digits into yourself, eyes unwavering from the wetness that covered them. 

"whatever makes you sleep better at night," you smirk, finally pulling your fingers from your pussy at the same time someone knocks on the door. "i guess that's our cue to go. eddie and robin will be waiting for us."

you both slide off the counter, your underwear slipping down to your feet as you quickly wash your hands. but rather than pulling them back on when you’re done, you gather them and scrunch them into a ball. 

"what are you doing?" steve asks, confused when you pull the pocket of his jacket open and slip them inside. 

"think of it as a parting gift," you smile, patting it closed then lean up to place a soft kiss on his lips, "plus, it's easier access for later."

[vickyvicarious]

It's kind of striking how Jonathan already is expressing doubts and fears, he isn’t ignorant of what situation he might be in, but when the Count gives him food and a bed, he dismisses these fears as his mind playing tricks.

The warm hearth, the meal, all this transferred him from the darkness and the snarling, howling wolves outside, to the light and the safety of Castle.

So Jonathan stepping from the outside, is trembling, shocked, but now this powerful old man is giving him a warm fire, security, and food. He's now putty in his hands.

In retrospect then, Dracula manipulates Jonathan from the beginning, putting him in grave danger, and leaving him alone in the cold and surrounded by wolves. Later, he plays the kind host, providing Jonathan with food and shelter. Jonathan is now like a grateful puppy, completely dependent on Dracula for his basic needs, but he is unable to recognize this due to the carefully orchestrated emotional roller coaster Dracula has just put him through.

From the start, Dracula is doing textbook abusive, gaslighting codependent tricks to manipulate Jonathan, one could say...

I feel like as readers, it can be easy to dismiss just how easy it would be for characters to dismiss their fears and doubts once somewhere warm and well lit. Unless someone is truly already a believer in the supernatural, anyone would probably try to talk themself down, just because... well, the idea seems kind of silly, doesn't it? Sure, there were scary stuff happening, but - really, my host is impersonating his own coach driver? Why? Spontaneous fires in the woods that can be seen through a solid human form? Wolves that are driven off by a commanding gesture alone? What kind of ghost story is this? Jonathan sticks to his guns fairly well, being firm about what he's certain he did see, but he admits to having fears and doubts he's not going to mention because they aren't logical, they're fearful speculation about things that for the most part, probably are things he's always considered impossible.

So, yeah. Leaving Jonathan outside in the courtyard alone for a while, to really marinate in his fear and distress at realizing he's trapped alone, surrounded by wolves and who knows what else, and has no idea where to go to seek help... by doing so, Dracula not only has time to run around and take off his disguise, but he primes Jonathan to see his invitation inside as a welcome relief. At least it's better than being exposed to the threats outside. (Though interestingly, it seems it still took several invitations before Jonathan actually came all the way in.) It's setting Dracula himself up as a welcome savior. He brings Jonathan inside, out of the cold and dark to somewhere well-lit and warm. He feeds him, he's courteous and friendly, he shares Mr. Hawkins' praise with him. Jonathan gets to smoke a cigar and relax a bit. He gets to tell the whole story to an interested audience. * Of course he feels better than before. And it's thanks to Dracula. Dracula is the one who can protect him from all that scariness out there, who can make him feel comfortable again. It's a good way to build trust and influence quickly, by positioning himself as a friend/protector.

But Dracula can't restrain himself. He pushes too much, too soon, and Jonathan feels rightfully creeped out:

As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder. It may have been that his breath was rank, but a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal. The Count, evidently noticing it, drew back; and with a grim sort of smile, which showed more than he had yet done his protuberant teeth, sat himself down again on his own side of the fireplace. We were both silent for a while; and as I looked towards the window I saw the first dim streak of the coming dawn. There seemed a strange stillness over everything; but as I listened I heard as if from down below in the valley the howling of many wolves.

As soon as Dracula touches Jonathan, he feels repulsed. Part of this may be some kind of instinctive reaction to Dracula's supernatural nature. Maybe it's related to the memory of how incredibly strong his grip was earlier. Maybe it's simply because Dracula is being an overfamiliar creep - that would be plenty of reason on its own. (And I'm sure his terrible breath doesn't help matters.) But regardless, Dracula hasn't established enough trust between them here for Jonathan to welcome this touch. And he's not quite established a fearful enough power dynamic for Jonathan to force himself to accept the touch. Politeness is the only reason Jonathan doesn't move away, but his feelings are made obvious by his shudder.

Dracula pulls back, tries to play it off, but they still fall into a silence that is clearly a lot less comfortable than before. And the atmosphere around them reflects the sudden distance too: Jonathan notices dawn coming (presaging a physical separation as well, but also Dracula's power waning right after this blunder lessens his emotional power over Jonathan). Eerie elements creep back in: Dracula's frustrated smile shows his teeth more than all his deliberately charming ones have done before. Wolves are howling, which pleases Dracula and upsets Jonathan - the final exchange which they have before Dracula sends Jonathan off to bed, and one which seems to bring Jonathan right back to a much more distressed state of mind as he relives the night's experiences over again.

Dracula spoils his own fun a little bit here, because he puts Jonathan back on guard. And I think it's clear he's a little annoyed at himself for it. He finds Jonathan so interesting/enticing that he's having difficulty playing a long game. At least a part of him wants to jump right in to more intimate/threatening actions, and though he mostly restrains himself, the mask still slips and his victim notices. Which is lucky, as Jonathan needs that guard up to keep himself safe.

* I just realized that Jonathan does say that he "told [Dracula] by degrees all [he] had experienced" on his journey. I hope to god that doesn't include him mentioning the crucifix lady's gift with any kind of specificity, or else I fear very much for her life.

[blackdollette]

girl im so high rn i need euronynous who go to church w a super innocent reader and he slowly corrupts her (cnc 😛) and she starts to believe he is god xx

-🎀

thank you for this!!

"you're my religion." | euronymous

religion. - lana del rey

✮⋆˙ [tags] @faesucksass @lustkillers @mayathepsychic1999 @josibunn @si1nful-symph0ny @vanlisbon @livingdead-reilly @oliviah-25 @lankysimp@auggiethecreator @livingdead-materialgirl @monkeyfart@imoonkiss @nom-nommmm1 @xxbl00d-cl0txx @k1ll3rh0rr0r @wildathevrt @mommymilkers0526 @greenxgloss @wild-rose-35

female!reader x r!euronymous

word count: 622

contents: slightly smutty, public teasing, not proofread

“you ever been to a place like this before, sugar-tits?“

euronymous’ arm tightened around your waist as he picked you up out of the passenger seat of his van, setting you on the sidewalk as you two gazed up at the large, white church in front of you. 

you looked up at him, shaking your head as he started to walk you to the entrance. it was a bright sunday morning, bringing in nicely dressed people of all sorts to listen to this morning’s sermon. pastel-coloured, overly-modest dresses heavily contrasted the skintight mini dress that euronymous had you put on for the occasion, revealing just enough of your cleavage and hips to make you stand out.

euronymous, dressed in black jeans (not torn, shockingly) and a black button-up shirt that was tight enough to show a sculpted figure underneath with his hair done up in a tight bun, leaving two strands out, looked down at you, watching as you fiddled with the cross necklace that rested in the valley of your breasts. from a normal person’s perspective, you and him looked like two whores ready to turn the church into a brothel.

you had to admit, you never thought that oystein aarseth, terror incarnated and the lord of chaos, would be taking you to church. you had made the mistake of stepping into his record store, mindlessly looking through his inventory. but he viewed you as a piece of fresh meat, ready to be chewed and swallowed.

you felt two of his fingers inching underneath your dress, finally resting on your ass as you and him walked into the church. instantly, you felt the disapproving glares of almost everybody on the premises. just as embarrassment began to coil in your gut, euronymous sat down in a little pew at the very back of the church, pulling you down by your hips until you were perched on his lap, his thigh between your legs and making your dress slowly move up your hips. he was loving the view. he had gotten front-row seats to the show of his life.

“you comfy like this, angel?” he wrapped his arms around you from behind, making you lean back on him a little more. you nodded, thanking the heavens that you were out of the pastor’s view. 

you felt euronymous’ hot breath hitting your back as the people in the church stood, rising as the choir began to sing hymns. you could just barely hear him muttering how his music was much better than this. his leg had started to bounce ever so slightly underneath you, your breath starting to hitch as he massaged slow circles onto your waist.

you bit your lip, suppressing a noise but letting a little whimper slip through your teeth. euronymous let his fingers dig into the plush flesh of your ass, shaking his head with disapproval. “oh c’mon, baby. look at you, already becoming such a mess. you can’t just blatantly sin in the church.” he spoke tauntingly like he was a greater being chastising you for your misdemeanors.

you felt your cheeks burning up, partially from embarrassment, mainly because of lust. how sinful. you gasped softly as he pressed his knee into your burning core, bringing his lips to your ear to whisper to you, just as the sermon began. “i want you to behave yourself until we get out of here, got it?” he brought his hand to your cleavage, twirling the cross around your neck between his fingers. you swallowed hard, muttering quietly. “yes, euro…”

he gripped you tightly, almost to the point of pain. “yes, who?” his quiet whisper was edged with the sharpness of a blade, making your heartbeat spike one last time. 

“yes, master.”

author's note: i did not write this with the intention of being blasphemous towards anyone's religion!

[fridjitzu]

So I recently realized the reason why Jean Jacket didn't (as far as we know, anyway) try to hunt the parkgoers at Jupiter's Claim for the six months or so that she was hanging around the valley (at least, until the Star Lasso Experience, but I'll elaborate on my theory about that under the readmore):

The territory was already claimed (lol) by another large, one-eyed floaty thing.

I mean, yeah, it doesn't look much like a fellow sky roomba, but lots of animals are easily spooked by things that only sort of look like things that are dangerous to them. That's why eye spot mimicry is so popular in butterflies and moths, after all, and why cats are so easily spooked by cucumbers.

But then, why did she come anywhere near the arena for her weekly horsey snack for the six months before the SLE? It's on the very edge of the park, but it's still next to the main area, right?

Well, guess who isn't facing in the direction of the arena?

She might have been just pushing her luck each time, seeing how much more territory she could steal behind Lil' Jupe's inflatable back, or maybe she was just thinking "It's not looking at me, so it doesn't care if I hunt the horses that show up in this gulch". Either way, no eye contact = not a threat.

Of course, there's still the question of why JJ suddenly changed up her behavior during the SLE incident. There's evidence of her rampaging through the park itself when OJ arrives on the scene, like the suddenly empty petting zoo, and the pig on the sheriff's building.

My theory on that is: with that horse statue stuck in her craw, she was in pain, and was fixated on looking for a way to flush her system out. Much like how Gordy acted aggressively and didn't listen to his offscreen trainer like he presumably normally would, JJ was too agitated by pain/discomfort to give a shit about respecting presumed territory lines, and it's not like Lil' Jupe was doing anything to stop her in the moment. She just had "ow ow ow still sore, must find more prey and eat it, that will flush out the sore thing" going on in whatever her equivalent of a brain might be.

(a minor tangent: I will note that there's what appears to be a body of water next to the park, which I think would have probably worked to flush the horse statue out just as well as pureed parkgoer, but who knows if JJs even know how to drink water? They live in clouds, they can probably absorb all the water they need from the atmosphere.)

(Here's screencap proof that I'm not just pulling that detail out of my ass.)

Anyways, back to my main point:

The implication that JJ had been considering Lil' Jupe a rival sky beastie defending its territory for that whole ass six months before the main events of the movie also makes the final confrontation kinda extra dramatic (and funny) in context. It's not just her having sudden beef with a random thing with an eye this time - from JJ's perspective, it's her rival, whose territory is frequently swarming with prey, and now, instead of just lurking near the ground, it's in the clouds with her! And she's already agitated and upset from beefing with the Haywoods, so no wonder she jumped to trying to eat it so quickly. (Not that it ended well for her. Nobody fucks with Haywood, after all.)

[rendy-a]

Hi! I saw that your requests were, so don't mind me dropping in^^

I constantly see Malleus/or Sebek x Reader fics where they give reader a rock or smt for the dating ritual and reader is clueless- ye non of that.

Reader is the definition of Goblin core or just Goblin in general, the moment Malleus/or Sebek presents the rock, they run to Rumshackle to get their pretty rock and later reader is like "have a rock of love... My love for you"

Can I request something similar as a scenerio for Malleus and Sebek? (If you don't feel like both, then plz do Malleus)

Thanks!

Thanks for dropping by! It does feel like a fae would be one to gift something strange and mundane as an important gift. Here is your request of getting an unusually random item from the fae boys as a romantic gesture. Hope you like it!

It wasn’t every day that one got courted by a fae prince.  You’d become somewhat of a legend among the first-years for taming the fearsome dragon prince.  When your dear Malleus happened to approach you while in a group, all the other students would freeze up, but you’d just smile at your sweetheart and wait to hear what he wanted.  It was usually to present you with some sort of gift.  You’d become used to receiving gifts, sometimes of immense value, as an everyday occurrence.  You’d just smile at the jewels or such and wish your boyfriend a happy day before going back to your business. 

Your friends, though, they were always eager to check out what you’d been gifted and bemoan their own luck at not receiving such riches.  “Ah,” sighs Ace, “my last birthday, I got socks.  Look at what you get for it just being Tuesday!”  Ace lifts the bejeweled…whatever…and moans again.  Sometimes, no one was quite sure what the gifts were, but each gem-encrusted piece gave off an air of sophistication.  You consoled Ace good-naturedly while also mentally planning a visit to see Lilia later and ask for more information on…whatever this was.

Lilia was always more than happy to invite you in and hear more about his ward’s courting progress.  “Ah, a gilded corset cover.  How nice.” Lilia smiles at you knowingly.  “I’m sure you were happy to add this to your ballroom staples for your future in Briar Valley.”  You pictured it; men and women dressed in elaborate clothes, decorated with such things as bejeweled corsets.  Well, you tried to picture it before shaking your head and leaving that in the category of ‘things you’d figure out later!’  You returned the short fae’s smile, “Ah yes.  I’ll just store that away with my other ballroom garments and accessories.” You flash him a tight smile and he chuckles at you before handing you a book.  “Thought you might be interested in this.  Many old fae customs and traditions in there.  For, oh I don’t know, someone looking to learn more, so they don’t have to go chatting up their grandpa every time they get a private gift.”

You’d smiled at him gratefully and accepted the book.  You were glad to read up on the culture of Briar Valley and found it quite fascinating.  There were even a few notes specifically on dragon fae.  In retrospect, you had recognized a few of the things mentioned in Malleus’s behavior already.  It felt good to be in the know for once instead of always running to Lilia for help. 

You were especially glad to have that knowledge before receiving the gift you’d gotten today.  You were hanging out with your friends in the Basketball Club, listening to Ace brag about things he’d actually done (scored 2 baskets from the 3-point line) and things he’d only imagined (breaking past Jamil).  That was when you noticed a sort of hush had fallen across the gym.  You closed your eyes and felt a sort of sensation, like electricity or a storm brewing, that you knew meant your sweetheart was nearby.  So, it was no surprise to you when you opened your eyes and turned to find Malleus at your side. 

You smiled up at him warmly and greeted him.  He returned your smile and greeting with a soft fondness that was characteristic of your relationship.  “Dearest Treasure, I have today a boon for you.”  Saying this, he pulls from the air a branch and holds it out to you.  You gaze at the leafless twig and back up to his nervous expression.  He waits patiently but cautiously for your response.  A great grin spreads over your face and you accept the branch.  “Oh Malleus,” you say, barely containing a tremor in your voice, “this, this is wonderful.  Thank you, it was just what I was dreaming of.”  You beam up at him and show your branch to your friends.

“It’s just a stick,” you hear Ace whisper to Floyd.  Malleus’s mouth tightens a small bit and Jamil notices.  He immediately goes into full blown retainer panic mode.  “A stick of great quality!  Your Highness, I have never seen a stick of such fantastic proportion before.  Surely it is the greatest stick of all.”  Malleus preens at the praise.  Floyd tilts his head and only comments, “I don’t see it.  Land-dwellers sure are strange.”  You give your confused friends a small laugh before grabbing Malleus by the hand and leading him from the gym. 

You lean your head gently on his arm as you walk, smiling happily at your branch.  “It is a particularly nice branch, isn’t it?” you ask with a smile.  Malleus gives a contented hum from deep in his chest, “So what do you intend to do with it?” he asks carefully.  You look up at him surprised, “Why put is around my bed of course.  What else would I do with it?”  He laughs merrily, pleased by your response.  Yes, you know what this is.  The first branch of many that you will use to construct a dragon’s nest.  You can’t believe you’ve just received a proposal from a dragon.  You pull your treasured branch close to your heart and smile on.

It was a rock.  A round sort (but not perfectly round), with a crack running along one side exposing some glints of the interior.  It was most certainly a rock.  “It’s a rock,” Grim offers, “If you can’t eat it, what good is it?”  You look over at your companion disapprovingly, “Plenty good.  Plus, you eat rocks all the time, so I don’t think you should be one to judge.”  He gives you a disdainful look, “Only the good smelling ones.”  Then he wanders off, leaving you alone in your Ramshackle room with the rock.

You smile and wander around the room, trying your special rock in many different places.  You finally settle on the mantle in front of the mirror, where you’d see it every day when you got ready.  It really was a nice rock.  You turned it around to look at it closer.  The crack along the seam appeared as a flaw at first, until you noticed how its jagged shape resembled that of a lightning bolt.  Through the little lightning bolt gap, a few green sparkles of the interior layers were visible, peridot, you thought.  It was perfect.

You remembered a conversation you’d had with Sebek long ago on books he’d read.  You’d asked him for some of the stories from his childhood and he’d told you a tale he read as a small child about a brave bird that walked to the ocean to find a pebble for its beloved.  It sounded like something you remembered from your own world, and you told him so.  He smiled and said that this was an old traditional tale in Briar Valley.  Now, you understood what sort of tradition it had created.  Smiling at your pebble, you set yourself to your own task.

“Here’s a pretty rock,” Deuce offers it to you.  You examine it carefully before tossing it back on the ground, “No, that’s nice but it’s not the right rock.”  Ace walks over to a pile and picks up another, “How about this one?”  You look at him and roll your eyes, “Ace that’s just a regular rock.” He tosses the rock down in frustration, “That’s a regular rock, this is a regular rock, your super special rock is just a regular rock; Prefect, they are all just rocks!”  You frown but continue to scan the ground below you.  “You don’t have to keep coming along if you don’t want to.”  You knew that to most people, it would seem like a pointless endeavor.  Finally, Ace heaves a large and exasperated sigh.  “No, I’m coming.  I just don’t get it is all.  How about this one.  If you turn it just right, it almost looks like a heart.”  You smile and obligingly look at the rock, already knowing it wasn’t YOUR rock.  “It’s nice.  Why don’t you keep this one?” 

He moves to toss it but then appears to reconsider and pockets the unusual-shaped rock; it was a neat rock.  You don’t say anything but smile to yourself.  That was Ace’s rock; sort of average looking but when you twisted it right, it was a solid heart.  You didn’t need Ace’s rock though; you needed your rock.  Just like Sebek had looked until he found one that perfectly represented himself, you’d look until you found one that fit you just right.  That was the point of it all.  To journey as long and far as the penguin of legend and find a representation of yourself to offer to your partner. 

You didn’t know how long it had taken Sebek to find that perfect rock, but you knew he’d have never settled for less than the best.  He’d have climbed a mountain and traveled great distance; anything it took.  So…you’d just have to do that as well.  One day, you smile to yourself, you’d be able to return the gesture and offer back a rock, and with it, your entire self to him.  Then you’d place the rocks on a mantle together, maybe in a little cabin of your own in Briar Valley and live happily ever after.

[otsanda]

So @sayuri-of-the-valley and I were talking about the music in Good Omens 2 and particularly the similarities and differences in the music that happens 'Before the Beginning' (that's the song title) and at The Kiss (that's not the song title) and I have accidentally developed Theories and had Thoughts, so I’m gonna share them in case anyone else wants to weigh in.

First of all, the general musical structure is similar. They are both dramatic moments that start quietly, grow to a powerful crescendo at the Big Moment, and then resolve more quietly again, but with subtle changes that make them feel very different. Without actually going through and checking it, they sound to be at roughly the same tempo (around 140 BPM) and comparable time signatures.

Now, I'm treating these two dramatic moments and the surrounding music as two songs, although in the soundtrack the music surrounding The Kiss is actually divided into two songs itself: I Forgive You and Don't Bother, so that's. Fine. I'm normal about that. I'm sure dividing that in half doesn't Mean Anything at all. I'm NORMAL about it!!! Ah... anyways.

The instrumentation for both Before the Beginning and The Kiss is also very similar. Both songs start with orchestral winds and strings and add a powerful choral part (on the same pure round vowel sound, no less!) on the big crescendo. Both add orchestral chimes (bells) for that epic religious feel. Both the nebula creation and the kiss were a revelation. Something like a religious experience.

And then both songs resolve featuring wind and strings again, among other instruments. The "after" part of both songs also features more pitched percussion (harp, maybe a celesta, glockenspiel, possibly a dulcimer or some other fun, ethereal pitched percussion in Before the Beginning, but interestingly a piano in Don't Bother). Ouch. That hurts.

Now, to me: the piano is possibly representing the nightingale, Crowley and Aziraphale's love of Earth and humanity, whereas the glockenspiel and etc. may be more representative of heaven. Just a guess. I would have to do more careful listening for a more solid theory.

I don’t have perfect pitch so it’s hard to tell without getting out my instruments or transcribing the piece, but I’m willing to bet ‘I Forgive You’ is in the relative minor key to Before the Beginning’s mostly major key (I *think* ‘Before the Beginning’ might be mostly in the key of C major and ‘I Forgive You’ in A minor, but I could be wrong). Regardless, the former is major and the latter is more minor, but otherwise a lot of the chord structures, especially at the big moment, sound very similar.

More on instrumentation: ‘Before the Beginning’ uses more (ethereal?) flutes in the wind sections and The Kiss uses more reed-based, (earthy?) winds like clarinet, bassoon, oboe, etc. Different feel, but the same kind of structure. Both moments heavily feature a big string section for the nice full orchestral sound.

Before the Beginning has a lot going on musically before the crescendo and it intentionally feels kind of chaotic and unformed bc each instrument family is doing something a little different, building anticipation, etc. and then at the big crescendo, they all come together. Very powerful. Then after the crescendo, we get a subtle, playful reprise/variation of the Good Omens Main Theme. The strings and the winds are no longer entirely together at this point. They’re sort of playing off one another, leaving space. Having a conversation.

By comparison, in ‘I Forgive You’ the wind/strings start off playing together, in a sad version of unison before the crescendo (they both knew the conversation they were having wasn’t going to end well but they fundamentally *understand* one another now; they’ve been talking for millions of years). And AFTER the crescendo of The Kiss, the song ‘Don’t Bother’ DROPS the majority of the string section and gives the melody to a solo violin (alone!!!!). Even worse (better) the strings and the woodwinds and pitched percussion are no longer playing together. This time, they aren’t even having a conversation. They’re musically doing a separate lines. It feels extremely lonely (because it is). The violin is very exposed. The piano is very exposed. Even the chorus sounds exposed (smaller group of singers?). This ALSO includes a reprise/variation on the main GO theme, but instead of being playful it’s extremely sad (as though you didn't notice). The rest of the orchestra is still there, providing background, but it's not the same.

The Biggest Decision (the song after Don't Bother) has a lot more of those ethereally coded instruments again. Harp, pitched percussion. Full string section. Angelic chorus. Aziraphale is making the hardest/worst decision to return to heaven.

And to round it out, once we get to "The End?" we are back to piano. Our duo is separated. Now in place of the solo violin we have solo cello and piano. Gutting. We get notes of the ethereal celesta (I think). The piano keeps us grounded, but cello is a big focus. We also get more of that haunting chorus and violin runs. And then we end with solo piano playing the same 5-note run three times. Alone. After every other instrument has dropped out. Very lonely.

Just for fun, (and to end on a slightly more positive note), I went back and listened to the ox rib music as well, which was surprisingly consistent with some of my theories from up above and also not on the soundtrack so although I'm sure it has a name, I certainly don't know it.

In the ox rib section, there are more instruments before the first big moment (when Aziraphale tries the food) that are going back and forth. Again it sounds to me like they’re having a conversation… tempting and being tempted. Winds and strings (strings are tremoloing like at the kiss for that sweet, sweet tension), but also brass instruments. We have some more ethereal sounding pitched percussion, especially *before* he tries the food but afterwards it... switches to piano! Like I said: Earth!!!

The choir is on a different vowel altogether for this part (more aggressive and ominous, a taller Ah instead of a round Oh/Aw like the first two musical moments). The choir is also much more rhythmic. Again, increasing tension. And, of course, after he tries the food the music supports the tension of the scene by gradually building, getting louder and bigger after the key moment has already passed. It's super interesting that Aziraphale trying the food is actually quite quiet, but the music grows quickly afterwards. Sort of the inverse of how the other two scenes play out musically! Fascinating!!

Anyways, let me know what you think I got wrong and what I missed and if I thought something was a celesta when it was actually a glockenspiel or something. I am thrilled and devastated by this incredible music.