#lucy just seems like a singer to me that's it

[amphibifish]

rod was a violin kid by force and not by choice i think. or he was a chorus kid.

[vxsellie]

KINDLY, DARLIN' - 𝐸.𝑊

summary. after seemingly endless days on the road, you find yourself at a random country bar in the middle of nowhere. entering with the sole goal of getting your hands on come kind of alcohol, your attention is soon drawn elsewhere. to a girl and her guitar. notes. ok funny story! this idea came to me from a 5 sec interaction i had with a complete stranger. i went out to a bar, gave ten bucks to the singer, & he said the line that the title is based off of , which the prompted my brain to conjure up an entire love story (he's prob double my age lets be so fr) Also! idk if any of u will like this comparison (if not, just ignore this). but, as i wrote this, i imagined ellie's voice like lucy gray's from the hunger game's. like the slight country drawl, strong vocals, yes yes yes yes Also x2! anyone who follows me should know that im absolute SHITTT at writing smut. but, for some reason, that doesn't seem to stop me from creating works of garbage for my own amusement. anyway, if you reach the smut & realize that it's literal trash, i won't blame u for clicking off of this. just a warning! warnings. brief mention of creepy old men at the bar, depictions of alcohol, public flirting ???, eventual smut, drunk sex in a bathroom LMAO, oral (r! receiving), fingering (r!receiving) wc. 5.1k

𝓕uck your back hurts. Well, if you're being honest, everything hurts. Your neck, back, stomach, legs, hands. Everything that's capable of aching, does.

However, rather unfortunately, you suppose that's to be expected after driving for nigh two days straight in your shitty truck. It's a 90s pickup, the white paint peeling and the tires in desperate need of care. The beige seats are worn and stained, evidence of age having taken its toll on your poor vehicle.

In spite of your truck's needs, you're far more interested in your own ⎯ getting a damn drink.

You're currently coasting through the backroads of some small western town, streets made of dirt and buildings all decrepit. You've never heard of this place before, the name having already slipped your mind due to how utterly foreign it'd been to your mind.

Your headlights cast a yellow glow onto the dirt before you, your tires crunching against fallen leaves and loose rocks. You pass gas stations, wooden homes, dollar stores, an immeasurable amount of churches, and no liquor store. Most shop signs are staked into the dirt, the few billboards all dilapidated in some way ⎯ broken letters, flickering lights, or completely torn from the ground somehow.

Then, by either the grace of God or a wondrous turn of fate, your eyes stutter on a certain sign. A broken wooden one advertising a bar. Your interest is instantly piqued, wheel turning toward the building without hesitation.

You don't give yourself the chance to even think before you're hopping out of your truck and walking into the bar.

The moment you push open the wooden double doors, the sound of boisterous laughter and heavy cowboy boots meet your ears. Perfect.

You stand in place for a moment, craning your neck with narrowed eyes are you examine the atmosphere. To the left, there's a bar with almost every stool occupied by an overweight old man. To the right, there's a pair of barn doors with the word 'restrooms' carved into the wood. In the center of the space, there's bucking machine ⎯ a drunk teenage boy holding on for dear life while his group of friends cackle at him from the sidelines.

Then, on the side of the building opposite you, there's a small stage. It's only elevated a foot or so, wood rotting a bit on the edges. But you hardly care for the conditions of the stage itself. What you find yourself drawn to is the person on it.

In the center is a stool, an auburn haired woman perched atop it with an old guitar situated on her lap. She strums the instrument in an upbeat tempo, leaned forward slightly as she sings into the microphone before her. There's a small crowd in front of the stage, girls admiring and boys whistling.

Considering how run-down this town is, you hadn't expected to stumble across a bar that's so fucking packed. There's barely any open stools at the bar, the bathroom doors are rarely sitting still as people continue to pass through them, the mechanical bull being gifted coins non-stop. But you can't complain.

After so long alone on the road, it's nice to be in such an active atmosphere. It's not calming, of course, but you welcome it lovingly nonetheless.

Watching the auburn for a few moments longer, you then turn on your heel and saunter over to the bar. You're forced to sit beside someone as the lack of stools forbids you from not having a neighbor.

"What can I get'cha, hon'?" The bartender asks you with a tip of his cowboy hat. In his other hand, he wipes the outside of an octagonal glass cup.

"Got any whiskey?" You inquire, leaning your elbows on the sticky countertop.

"Mhm," He hums, turning around to grab a bottle from the shelves behind the bar. He sets the glass onto the counter with a light clink, popping the bottle open. "'N' how would ya like it?"

"Neat."

He nods once more, pouring the liquid into the glass with a flourish before sliding it across the wood toward you. The moment you grab it, he's turning away to tend to another patron. You drink it quickly, downing the glass in one large swig.

As you place the glass back onto the counter, you feel eyes boring into you. Hoping it's someone of interest to you, you turn only to find a duo of old men chuckling at you. Their cheeks are rosy, bellies full ⎯ therefore likely drunk. You roll your eyes as the bartender refills your glass without a word.

Now with an entirely new bit of determination, you down that glass even faster. Another refill. Another singular gulp. Another refill. Another gulp. Another. Another. Another.

You're now swaying a bit atop your stool, feeling pretty good all things considered. The men continue to gossip among themselves, pointing at your ass. You feel disgusted ⎯ not at yourself, but at them for their fucking audacity. Part of you wants to knock their teeth out. But you're not that drunk.

So, instead, you take the mature approach and simply pick up your glass and exit the scene. As you walk away, you hear their chuckles increase and you suddenly regret not punching them.

Your heavy boots thud against the wooden flooring as you walk aimlessly around the bar. You push through an amass of bodies, everyone too drunk to care for your harsh shoving. Then, before you know it, you find yourself situated in the very front of the stage, glass of whiskey in hand.

The woman's voice is laced with a slight country drawl, her boot tapping against the leg of her stool to count the beats of the song. She nods her head as she sings, a small grin lighting her features.

The dim lighting of the bar doesn't do her justice. But you still manage to notice the freckles that dot her face, the cupids bow to her upper lip, the small scar on her right eyebrow. Or maybe you're just drunk and enamored by her. God, what if she finds you creepy? What if she thinks you're some fucking creep? What if she⎯

She looks at you and you swear your heart gives out right then and there. And, if that weren't enough, she winks. You feel your cheeks heat up and you blame it on the alcohol. You down the rest of your whiskey, suddenly feeling very hot. A light chuckle shakes her chest, ringing throughout the space. Nobody else thinks anything of it, of course, all too drunk and preoccupied to give a shit. But you find yourself fantasizing about all the other ways you could make this woman laugh like that again. Oh fuck you are a creep.

In a desperate attempt to salvage the residual bits of dignity you have left, you pull twenty bucks from your back pocket and step forward to drop it into her open guitar case.

She raises a brow, tipping her cowgirl hat in your direction with a smirk. "Thank ya kindly, darlin'."

Somehow, she'd managed to thank you in tune with the song, keeping the beat going without missing a second. It's almost impressive. Okay, it's super impressive. In fact, you feel your heart speeding up again, mind playing on loop the sound of her addressing you. Her country drawl, her smirk, her long fingers grabbing the bridge of her hat. Fuck.

Impulsively, you end up turning on your heel and heading right back to that damn bar. The bartender just grins as he pours you another serving, likely having noticed the flush to your cheeks and the desperation of which you placed the glass down.

"Mind if I give y' some advice?" He asks, leaning forward a bit.

In an act of self pity, you don't have the energy to deny him. "Why the hell not?"

"I ain't gotta clue who you're blushin' over, but my advice is that." He nods toward something behind you. You cast a glance over your shoulder, eyes landing on the bucking machine. You almost laugh, turning back to him with an unimpressed expression. "Listen, y' ain't gotta be good. Y' jus' gotta move your hips right n' I swear he's all yours. Trust me. I've seen it work hundreds of times."

You don't dare to correct him on the gender of your current infatuation, instead deciding to take a few more drinks for a bit of liquid courage. I mean, seriously. How else will you get this woman's attention? Plus, what do you have to lose? You'll never see her again after tonight. The least you could do is try.

After another few drinks, you're staggering over to the mechanical bull with a few coins clutched tight in the palm of your hand. The wait for the stupid thing is way longer than necessary, everyone competing for the longest time lasted on the machine.

You lean your empty hand on the frame of the wooden fence that encircles the rider, watching with reddened eyes as yet another person is flung onto the ground with a heavy thud. He rubs his head with a groan, though his sounds of pain quickly fade into laughter as he brushes off his jeans and stands upright, returning to his boisterous friends with a crooked grin.

Unease begins to lick up your spine, the logical part of your brain wondering why the fuck you're doing this for some country chick you don't even know the name of. You're strong, sure, but your luck would lead you to breaking your neck.

You look over your shoulder casting a glance in the direction of the bar. The bartender gives you two thumbs up, flashing you a grin with missing teeth. As encouraging as that is, what really pushes you to continue is seeing those two old men. They're sitting side-by-side, lustrous smirks on their face as they stare at you, leaning over every few seconds to mutter something in the other's ear. Yeah. Fuck them. You're doing this.

As you make it to the front of the line, you're overcome with naught but confidence. Whether that be due to the sound of the woman's singing growing nearer or the sight of the gross old men, you don't know. Though, honestly, it's likely because of the sheer amount of whiskey you've downed in the past hour.

"Coins." The blonde woman demands, palm of her hand facing you like a bill you've been avoiding. You place the coins into her hand and she opens the gate, hinges squealing as the prior rider stumbles out with a streak of dirt under her eye.

You walk into the ring, feet staggering a bit already from your drunkenness. You hoist yourself onto the bull, situating yourself until you feel a bit less awkward atop the back of the metal animal.

It begins rocking slowly back and forth. You find it easy at first, not really needing to use your hands. You still do, though, not much trusting the machine to not throw you off the moment you let your guard down. It picks up the speed, more. More. More. More. And, before you know it, it's thrashing back and forth. You hold onto the saddle, a dazed smile spreading across your face as you find yourself having fun.

It spins in a circle, your eyes suddenly catching on the woman on stage. She has the perfect view of you from her pedestal, her stool bringing her higher than the crowd just as the bull brings you.

She's still singing into the mic, her voice drowned out by the sound of chatter and cheers ⎯ though you're not sure if they're directed toward you or her at this point.

You've stayed on longer than you anticipated, the ache in your back returning as the bull yanks and dives under you. But you hold on, suddenly remembering the bartender's advice. You don't want to switch up whatever tactic you accidentally built into habit, but the point of this is to get the woman's attention.

So you wait until it spins back around. Then, while her eyes are pinned to yours, you shift a bit, back moving more fluidly as you roll your hips against it. Nobody else would think anything of it, the act so subtle that you simply appear to have altered your position. But she noticed. You know she did. Because her voice caught in her throat, causing her to have to take a sip from her water and apologize into the mic before resuming.

Your confidence spikes at this, suddenly feeling much more egoistical than you did when she was a complete stranger you made eye contact with once. Now you know you have an effect on her.

So you do it again, maintaining eye contact as you roll your hips against the bull suggestively.

Just as before, nobody else pays any mind, far too focused on the fact that you're stayed on for so long to give a fuck about technique. Honestly, if anyone were to notice, it'd be those creepy old men. And, hopefully, they're aware that it's pointed at this woman and now them. Though you doubt they'd care. Creeps like them rarely do.

The singer, with her eyes now pinned to you ⎯ though, everyone's now are ⎯ switches her tone a bit. Her song alters from an upbeat bar tempo with little meaning to having more directed lyrics to a girl with mesmerizing eyes. Again, nobody else picks up on this. She sings about a random girl with stunning eyes, never digressing past that.

But you know; and she knows. And that's all that matters.

She sings a certain line, something more lustful about the way you look at her. Something suggestive about the way she's imagining you. You instantly falter, your grip slipping.

You fall to the ground with a thud, the entire bar making a sound of disappointment and empathy. You don't care, though, not giving a single damn about the bull riding. All you care for is that fucking singer.

You hit the ground, breath knocked from your lungs. You cough, pushing yourself onto your hands and knees. Your head spins, the alcohol finally catching up to you. Another cough is yanked from your heaving chest as you groan.

The blonde coin-collecting woman allows the next person into the ring, not waiting for you to give your say. As the next man enters, he offers you his hand. You, desperate for assistance, take it with a grateful smile. He hauls you to your feet, muttering quick compliments on your performance on the bull. You thank him before brushing past him and exiting the ring with staggering steps.

A few people from the crowd compliment you, offering words of encouragement for the 'next time you go up'. You give them half-hearted smiles, chest still aching slightly from your fall.

You shove through the crowd, nearing the restrooms you'd seen at the entrance. You push the doors open and head into the women's side.

You brace your hands on the edge of the sink, glancing in the mirror for a brief moment ⎯ examining the small cut on your cheekbone and the bruises that are beginning to form on your shoulder and hip. You then lean down, positioning your mouth under the faucet before turning on the water. You drink it, relishing in the taste of cool liquid rather than burning alcohol.

"Mm, look who it is."

You smack your head on the faucet with how quickly you straighten. You groan, rubbing your temple as you turn to face the person standing behind you. The singer. Well fuck, that makes the head smack twenty times more embarrassing.

Somehow, she's even more alluring up close. Her pale green eyes bore into you, lashes lidding them slightly. Her skin is lightly tanned, freckles likely produced from a life spent under the sun. Her forearm has a tattoo covering the rippled skin there, lean muscles adorning the rest of said arm.

You play off your staring by narrowing your eyes at her, "Followin' me, are ya?"

"Nah." She shakes her head, stepping forward to wash her hands in the sink beside yours. She tips her head down, looking at her hands as she scrubs, hat coming to block her face from your view. Unfortunate. "Jus' comin' t' wash the filth off my hands. I wouldn't worry, though, darlin', I'm sure that Smilton boy'll check up on ya."

Your brows furrow at this. "Smillin boy?"

"Smilton." She corrects you rather harshly, looking up to meet your eyes through the reflection of the mirror. "Farmer's boy. Rich. Brunette. Helped y' up after the bull."

Realization hits you like a brick. She's jealous. This woman that you've never met, this woman that you stressed over impressing, this woman that you bruised yourself to get the attention of. She's jealous because some farmer's boy helped you stand up. A smirk tugs at your lips, an idea lighting your mind.

"Hmm," You hum lowly, brushing past her to dry your hands on one of the scratchy white towelettes. "He is quite handsome, ain't he?"

"Suppose." She replies shortly.

Your smirk only deepens, drying your hands achingly slow. Because you know she's aware that she has no right to be jealous. And that only serves to make her more pissed off. How interesting.

"What's his first name, if y' don't mind me askin'?" You speak casually, talking with her as though everything that passed between you two prior to this hadn't happened at all. It's driving her insane and you can tell.

"I dunno." She says, turning the faucet off to dry her hands beside you. "Somethin' with a J?"

"Oh, c'mon," you coo, turning to her with those eyes you know she adores. "I know y' know more than jus' his last name."

She looks away, clearing her throat with a set jaw, "you're right. Know his first initial too. It's a J."

You chuckle lightly, releasing the towelette to trace your fingertips along the soft skin of her bicep. "Yeah? And what's your first initial?"

Her entire body seems to tense, breath hitching in reaction to your touch. She looks at you from under the bridge of her hat, green eyes glinting with something informal. Something unfit for a casual conversation between two strangers in the women's rest room. You feel your heart stutter at the sight, having to make an effort not to fall to your knees before her in this very moment.

"E," is all she whispers.

"Last name?" You whisper back, matching her for quietude.

"Williams." She manages.

You hum, eyes following the movements of your hand. Had you not been so drunk, you'd likely never have the balls to be so flirty to her. But, as it turns out, your intoxication is good for something. Well, something aside from staying on some metal bull.

"How pretty," you whisper, leaning forward so your mouth is now right beside her ear. Your breath fans across her skin as you continue. "Now tell me your full name, will ya?"

Her eyes are pinned to your face, pupils tracing your features as your hand traces her arm. She finds herself mesmerized by you, entranced by your every detail ⎯ the slope of your nose, the curve of your cheek, the arc of your brow, the height of your cheekbones, the line of your jaw. She imagines running her tongue along each of these points, imagines committing your to memory using naught but her mouth.

"Ellie." She replies finally, watching closely as your eyes raise to meet hers. Her heart stutters in her chest at that, as it always does when you make eye contact.

Your gaze flicks between her eyes and lips, hand slowly inching up her arm. "Ellie?"

The sound of her name rolling off your tongue is enough to send a spark of heat to her core. That paired with the way your fingers are lightly tracing up, up, up. You move your hand over her shoulder, along her collarbone, up the side of her neck, and finally rests to cup her cheek in your palm. She leans into the touch, eyes fluttering.

"You're such a fuckin' tease," she mutters, voice low as it's weighed down by desire and a deep need to feel your skin on hers.

You ignore her words and move to lean in close enough that your noses brush. Then, with your breath fanning across her skin, you ask, "this okay?"

She doesn't say anything, instead abandoning the towelette completely and grabbing your face in both her hands. With a sudden sense of ferocity, she presses her lips to yours, pulling your body flush against hers.

"I'll take that as a yes," you chuckle between kisses.

"Quiet," she murmurs, too needy for your touch to have time for conversation. As much as she loves hearing you talk, shed much rather talk via action rather than actual words.

You giggle against her lips, your arms coming up to wrap around her neck. She hums, hat falling to the tiled floor with a light brush. With each passing second, her actions become more and more desirous, suddenly pushing your back against the nearest wall. You let out a huff of air from the impact, your lips quirking up to form a small smile, regaled by Ellie's sudden desperation for you.

She tilts her head, peppering kisses down your chin and along your jaw. They're harsh and hungry, nipping your skin in some places purely to see your brow furrow at the feel of her teeth.

As she trails down to your neck, you tip your head back against the wall and open your eyes to blink up at the wooden ceiling. Your hands fist Ellie's hair as she leaves bruises down the column of your throat.

Still well and drunk, the room swirls around you. The lights seem to shift with each blink, making this all so much more intoxicating. Your nerves are already on edge due to the alcohol, so the feel of Ellie kissing them is absolutely maddening.

You feel as she presses kisses along your collarbone, tongue grazing the taut skin there. You shift, legs pressing together as she grows more sensual in her act of quick intimacy. This movement doesn't go unnoticed by her, however, her lips quirking into a small smile against your skin as she feels rather proud of how quick she's turned you to putty under her.

She moves across the bare skin of your chest, plump lips taking time to memorize each detail that adorns you. You move again, the heat between your legs growing harder to ignore.

"Patience, darlin'." She instructs. "I'll get there when I get there."

You frown at this, "well get there faster."

Her kisses suddenly cease, looking up at you through her lashes. She tilts her head at you innocently, blinking as she waits for you to correct yourself. To reword your restive demand. "Don't be rude, now."

You can feel your dignity push at the back of your throat, pride yearning for a moment to speak. Seeing as you're normally the one making orders, this feels quite stranger. But, after the long journey you've taken, you suppose you've earned a bit of time to sit back and let someone else take the lead.

Ellie draws a line of kisses between your breasts and down your stomach, kneeling before you as her head comes to situate itself in front of your waistband. You can't help but admire how she looks from here, hair in your hands as her eyes are pinned to your denim jeans as though it's a buffet and she's a man starved. After a moment, she lifts her head to look at you.

Eye contact. Sparks shoot through your body. Somehow, something as simplistic as meeting Ellie's gaze can make you feel indescribably nervous. Pale green irises bore into you, waiting for you to utter words of consent. You do so, giving her the go-ahead.

As soon as you do, Ellie wastes no time hooking her fingers through your belt loops and pulling your jeans to your knees. She leans forward, eyes lidded.

"Wait." You pant, tugging on her hair to halt her movements. She seems rather annoyed by your sudden interruption, but looks up at you kindly despite her own irritation. You rolls your eyes at her evident pique. "What if someone walks in?"

She sighs heavily at that. "I locked the door."

"Oh, okay." You nod. Though, just as she's about to lean forward again, you stop her once more. "Wait. How did you know to lock it? You were all pissy when you first came in here."

"I didn't know." She explains hastily. "I simply hoped."

You huff out a chuckle, shaking your head fondly at her admittance. Then, finally, you don't stop her when she leans forward.

She traces her tongue along the outside of your underwear, the fabric between you only adding to the pulsing in your pussy. A shiver wracks through you, causing Ellie to grab you by the hips to hold you still. She traces circles into your hips with her thumbs, a gentle motion when compared to the needy movements of her tongue as she draws small circles into your clit.

You tighten your grip on her hair, drawing a grunt from the back of her throat. The vibrations from her mouth against your pussy makes it hard to keep back your own noises.

When she finally shifts your panties to the side, you nearly collapse at the feel of her mouth against you. She licks a long stripe up your vulva, a shaky breath yanking from you. The sound only urges her further, taking one hand and drags her middle finger up your center. You shift, leaning heavily against the wooden walls as standing upright suddenly seems impossible. Then, without warning, two fingers shove right into your hole.

Your hips jolt, moving far more than initially seeing as Ellie is now only holding on with one hand. Whilst thrusting her fingers in and out of your needy pussy, her tongue circles your clit with that same neediness, mirroring you for desperation.

Your head falls back, thudding lightly against then wall. At the sound, Ellie ceases. You almost whine at her sudden stopping.

"My eyes are down here, darlin'." She says lowly. "Let me see you."

Begrudgingly, you oblige, lowering your head to make eye contact with Ellie. She's on her knees, legs folded against tiled flooring as she resumes her lapping. You huff out an airy moan as you have to actively stop yourself from tipping your head back again. She holds your gaze the entire time, adding to the intensity of the feel. Her eyes are lidded, shoulder moving as her fingers recommence.

This all paired with your dizzy head and swimming vision makes for quite the climax, core knotting progressively as Ellie doesn't dare to stop. "Fuck," you pant as you buck your hips against her face, forced to watch as you do so. With another heavy breath and an arching back, you utter, "I'm⎯"

She seems exponentially proud as she hears you say this, regardless of if you finish your sentence or not. She pauses only for a moment to say, "yeah?"

"Mhm," you hum, though it comes out more of a moan than anything.

"Do it, darlin'."

And you do, coming undone right atop her face. She, admittedly, relishes in it, hydrated only by what you're able to provide her with. You see stars and they're swimming too, circling your head in a celestial body of pleasure. And Ellie watches, for once allowing your head to fall back as she deems this a one time exception. Because there will be a next time.

You're panting as you lower your head to face her once more, her gaze never having left your expression. She makes out with your pussy sensually as to bring you down from your high. Then, as gently as she can, she situates your panties back on correctly and pulls your jeans to rest as your hips, remaining knelt in front of you as she zips and buttons them just as she'd found them.

You watch with a twinkle of fondness behind your irises, unable to look away from the expression of adoring concentration she wears. She then uses your hips as a support system to haul herself back to her feet, leaning forward to press a kiss to your lips. You can nigh taste yourself on her.

"Not bad for a stranger at a sketchy bar." You muse, picking her hat from the floor and situating it atop her auburn tufts of hair. She watches you, analyzing your every move.

"I'm not just a stranger." She reminds you as your eyes find hers, your hands coming to drape around her shoulders. "I'm a stranger who wrote a song about you."

"Mm," you hum, "so you're a stalkers stranger?"

"I prefer the term passionate." She says, shooting you a playful scowl.

You chuckle, "passionate for what? Stalking and preying on drunken women?"

"Pfft-" She scoffs. "You're not drunk."

For a moment, you consider agreeing with her. To save her the pain of realizing you hadn't been sober for this. But you know better than to lie to her. So, through lidded eyes ⎯ ones that should have been a rather telltale sign of your intoxication ⎯ you give her a look, not even needing to voice the truth aloud for her to understand.

"Well fuck." She groans, taking a step backward and causing your arms to fall to your sides.

Frankly, you'd expected her to be much more angered than that. Because you know you would be. After writing a song, chasing down, then tongue-fucking someone in the bathroom, the worst news to receive would be that they'd been wasted the entire time.

"I'm sorry," you're quick to apologize, for some reason feeling the need to earn her forgiveness.

"How're you planning to get home?" She asks.

"I hadn't thought about that." You admit.

"How about this," she suggests, "I give you a place to stay to apologize for fucking you while drunk and you let me take you to dinner tomorrow to apologize for not telling me beforehand. Deal?"

A smirk works its way to your mouth, "deal."

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[certifiedwhore4slashers]

Manipulative

pairing: coriolanus snow x f!reader, past oc x f!reader.

summary: he’s fallen way too deep, and he knows that.

a/n: i am in no way romanticizing nor defending his actions, he sucks as a person, this is for funsies, keep that in mind. remember he’s literally responsible for mass murders of children. also this idea is cliche ik ik. but, if you want more I will do more with original ideas.

reader has somewhat long hair, BUT no other descriptions of the reader. and I don’t usually do that. just for this post:)

warnings: yandere themes, toxicity, manipulative behavior(manipulation) obsession, possessiveness, no fluff, implied/referenced murder, slight blood, narcissistic tendencies, delusion, unhealed trauma, implied stalking, mild violence.

The meadow was where you’d often go. Ever since the games, it was a stress reliever, humming some songs or even just listening to the birds chirp.

After Coriolanus was sent to be a peacekeeper, You were sent home. District 12 was your home. You sat down on the cold rock. You were more of an creative artist than musician. Sometimes you wrote songs, and sometimes you wrote poems or just stories.

But you didn’t feel like doing anything today, just admiring the breeze in front of you. You were fairly zoned out when you hear a twig snap, and turn around.

You sigh of relief.”Sorry. Still have those instincts from the games.” You rushed over, not doing much. Still in disbelief he really was there.

You didn’t expect him to be here. But here he was. “It leaves quite the impression, He chuckled. It was a long embrace, and you say,”You found me. Quite surprised.”

“You figured I would, He teased. “Not this fast, and really it was hope, You tease right back, lips on his, it was passionate and sweet, ideal for a reunion.

“The sun’s hot, come in the shade, You offer. He had some ice, now melted and offered it.”Here. For you.” “Thank you, You reply.

You were very thirsty. The moment the water hit your tongue you were in heaven. “This must be the only cold thing in November, he joked.

You laugh in response.”So, Coriolanus Snow, What are you doing in the Meadow?” You were half joking. You never were fully serious. At least until it came to your feelings for him.

“Spending some time with my girl, He replies. The word My, a possessive tone, You notice. But brush it off.

“It’s unbelievable, You admit.”Truly. But I was surprised they brought me back. I swore It was all me.” “But it wasn’t, he points out. You look at him.”Clearly they didn’t believe me.”

His lips were on yours again, long and passionate. You two hadn’t seen each other since the games ended.

“Well, It was hard to believe for me too, He admits.”Tell me what happened after.” It was difficult to recall everything. The games were a nightmare. Especially the Arena. And Mayfair.

As the two of you share the water, You couldn’t help but wonder as he told stories, exchanging them, if something was wrong.

“Poor Jessup, You say sympathetically.”He didn’t deserve that. It was you, though, wasn’t it? The one who killed Bobbin?”

“I had to, Coriolanus replied.”He tried to kill me.” “I’m not saying what you did was wrong, but I suppose killing is for survival in the Arena, You reply. Snow only nodded.

“I heard the others brag, You say.”So I know. I thought the worst happened. You know, that you were dead.”

Heading back up beside him, You still couldn’t believe he was here. Whatever relationship you had, seemed to grow.

“What have you been up to? He asks, curiously.”It’s been a while.” “It has, you laugh.”And truly, not much. A few performances here and then. At the Hob, Maude Ivory’s an amazing singer like Lucy Gray.”

For a mere moment, You were in complete bliss. And that night was a normal evening for the Covey. Your parents were killed, well, your adoptive parents. They took you in, then Maude Ivory came along, your younger sister.

You became a part of the Covey. Until of course, their murders. But you had her, at least. “You want one? A peacekeeper asks, referring to liquor.”You might need it for your performance.”

“Sure, You grin, taking a swig, not making a reaction to the bitterness of it.”You’re right. I might need it.” Lucy Gray was a beautiful singer, but tonight, let you perform.

“Are you sure? I’m not the songbird, You tease. “I’m sure, and Maude Ivory wanted you to, She sweetly says. Your cousin was always the songbird.

“Besides, I think he’d like to hear you sing, Lucy Gray smirked. You knew who she was referring to. Truly the one who knew of your relationship, but by accident.

You wore a yellow dress, not too short but not too long either, and sunflowers in your hair. You wanted to have a good impression.

You tease her,”I think he’d like to hear you.” But you went up there, guitar in hand. A talent that you and Lucy Gray both had. It was the genes, you swore.

But you amazed the crowd as you sang. You were no Songbird. But you had some talent. And the whole time your eyes were on him.

It made him feel more special, in a way. Like the only person could make you feel this happy was him. Him. You were his, at least in his eyes.

But you did a wonderful performance. You mostly did instruments and stood in the background. You didn’t sing much.

Even though you were aware he was there, you went on, even with butterflies in your stomach. It was later that evening that things went downhill.

You said goodbye, even to Coriolanus, saying,”I shouldn’t be out so late anyway. But I promise, straight tomorrow. I’m sure you have peacekeeper things to do, anyway.”

He smiles.”It’s alright. You must be tired from that performance.” You laugh, then nod, quickly kissing him, then moving along.

You didn’t notice that he followed you. He was quite literally, obsessed. Especially after hearing your sweet voice. Since finding your home in the Seam, it wasn’t hard to follow you, and pretend he was there for something else.

Sometimes, he’d meet you there. Other times, didn’t even know he was there watching. He’d call it protectiveness. But it was really a sense of possessiveness over you.

That’s what it really was.

He heard your voice in your room, you sang to yourself. You sang a love song. That wasn’t hard to understand.

He had a sense of jealousy. It was clear the lyrics wasn’t about him. A past one, maybe. It wasn’t Billy Taupe. He had Lucy Gray. So who could you mentioned?

He was bloodthirsty. Or at least, had a taste for violence. He’d never say it or admit it. It was like he was a rebel. And he hated rebels.

But that didn’t stop him from feeling this way. As you danced and sang a little. Coriolanus defended his behavior, he was being protective of you. That nobody would hurt you.

He had fallen way too deep. And he was aware. You might feel the same about him, just as equally obsessed as he was. But that night, he wasn’t looking for trouble. Not much, anyway.

Someone stood beside him, admiring your singing. “Peacekeeper, huh? The male laughed. Coriolanus turns.”Yeah. Punishment. Not a choice.”

“She’s always been a singer, the male explained.”didn’t have much faith.” He wanted to know how the male knew that.

“How do you know? Coriolanus asked, curiously. “She wrote that song about me, the male bragged and seemed proud.”One of these days she’ll get back together with me.”

You never mentioned your ex lover much. Only that he hurt you, and that he was still infatuated. You were right about that.

“She isn’t interested, Coriolanus says, coldly. His fists clenched, along with his jaw, both from the rage he was feeling.

Maybe it was his narcissistic tendencies that were showing. A feeling of shame. A feeling that, he was superior than the male standing in front of him. He’d do so much better.

And with that, he swung. He could’ve shot him. But it was the easy way. And he didn’t deserve the easy way. His blood thirst took over a little, and like Bobbin, didn’t know how far his strength would go.

He stands back, his knuckles bleeding and blood on his uniform he’d have to explain later. Maybe it was a mistake coming to visit you. Your singing had stopped.

He pants. What had he done? Standing over the body, Coriolanus realized what he truly had done. And what could he do? He didn’t want a career as a peacekeeper; but his future would be damaged even further. He had to do something.

The Lake.

It brought him good memories. Swimming alongside you and the covey. But he’d have to hide the body somewhere.

It took a lot of his strength; but didn’t wear him out to drag him to the lake. It wouldn’t be too hard hiding evidence. His body would eventually disappear and Coriolanus doubted anybody cared about him. You didn’t anymore.

And he just watched. After the blood washed off, He walked away. He left the Seam. He'd come back. But You'd be aware of it.

Morning came, and peacekeepers came knocking at your door. The whole morning was a mess. When you did eventually meet up with Coriolanus, you decided on telling him about it.

“Did you know? She asked.”I’m assuming every peacekeeper knew. The guy I used to go out with was murdered. Found in the lake.”

“We were informed today, but I wasn’t the one who found it, He lies. He did not like lying, but he had to. He held a tight grip on you.

And he wasn’t letting you go.

[ghostofhyuck]

NCT Dream who's most likely to have kids in the future. 

AN: Okay don't take this seriously, just a thought lol.

Lee Donghyuck

I mean, Haechan did mentioned that he wants to be a father so he's most likely to have kids. I chose two because I feel like he wants his kids to have siblings, ohhh and he's definitely a girl's dad. He'll give them bear onesies especially the matching one. If he had a son, he'll match his outfit with him. He's also very protective of his kids. 

Na Jaemin

Yes another one thank you. Not surprised given that he has three children already just kidding. Jaemin is fond with kids that's why he's second. I believe in Na Jaemin girl's dad supremacy and yes two daughters. Two pretty princesses with a pretty Dad. He'll spoil them rotten and give them the cutest room ever, painted pink of course. He's also protective of them and he lets his daughters play with Luna, Lucy, and Luke. 

Huang Renjun

Renjun seems to be the type who'll settle when he found the one. He's very endearing and the way he treats Dreamies as his kids, feels like he do want to have kids someday. I feel like he's a boy's dad, he's very familiar with boys that's why he prefer it,,, like does that make sense. And just one, because in this economy,, why would you want more than one? I think he'll be happy with just one kid. 

Zhong Chenle

Just like Renjun, Chenle would probably be the type who'll settle once he's really really serious with them. He seems to be the type of dad who'll spoil their son, base from how he treat his nephew and Daegal. I think that he's a girl's dad too! but a son is okay too. Probably the type who will indulge his kids with their hobbies. You like ballet? Okay I will enroll you to a ballet school, you want to be a singer? Okay he'll train them but will not let him sign under SM.

Mark Lee

Mark seems to be more career-driven, so he's at the least likely. If he did had kids someday, I feel like he'll have two, and he's definitely a boy's dad. I feel like the way Mark was raised is also the way he'll raise his kids. Especially with his faith, I know it sounds cheesy but I think that Mark's number one influence in his kids would be his faith. 

Park Jisung

This kid, he will die a virgin. Joke, I feel like it'll take time for him to find a significant other and if he did, he'll just have one kid. He's a boy's dad, definitely. And he'll see himself in his son, so he'll cherish him dearly. Maybe accidentally brought him to a dancing class one day so that he can also be a dancer like him. 

Lee Jeno

I placed Jeno in the least likely to have kids in the future because I don't know. That's just how his vibe radiates. He'll most likely be like Lee Dongwook in the future. Hot Dilf who's actually childless. He seems to be the type who's contended with his single life with his pet cats. If he did settle down, Jeno would probably have two kids and he can both be a girl's dad and a boy's dad. He seems like a chill father for me too. 

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

Billy and his songbird || Billy the kid x singer!reader

Summary: Billy is captivated to say the least when he watches you perform on stage.

Warnings: none that I can think of

Wc: 983

A/n: crap summary but I've always wanted to do a crossover between tbosas and btk lol. this was so fun to make, ALSO nothing you can take from me has to be one of the top three songs on the soundtrack along with pure as the driven snow and the ballad of lucy gray baird. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

Divider by @pommecita

The sun hung low on the western horizon, casting long shadows across the dusty streets of the small frontier town. The swinging doors of the saloon creaked as a lone figure stepped inside, his silhouette framed by the fading light.

The murmurs and laughter of the patrons hushed for a moment as they turned their attention to the newcomer. The dimly lit room flickered with the warm glow of oil lamps, and the air was thick with the scent of whiskey and cigar smoke.

The stranger, a tall and lean figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat pulled low over his eyes, scanned the room before his gaze settled on you. A slow grin crept across his face as recognition sparked in his eyes.

You were unaware of Billy’s gaze with your back turned to the crowd as you tuned your guitar ready for your performance for the night.

Billy looked around, his eyes scanning the room until they locked onto a familiar face: Jesse Evans. The two had esse crossed paths many times before, sometimes as allies and sometimes as adversaries, but tonight, it seemed like old times.

“Billy!” Jesse called out, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Well, I’ll be damned. Thought you were avoiding us. Billy smirked and tipped his hat as he approached Jesse and the others at a table near the corner that had a good view of the stage. “Just needed a bit of a break, Jesse. Couldn’t resist the allure of Sante Fe and the atmosphere ‘round here.”

Jesse slaps Billy’s back, “Well, you came on a good day, kid. Y/n’s singing tonight.“ He cocks his head to you on the stage as Billy’s eyes roam your figure. “Jesse leaned in toward Billy. “You know, we used to get mighty excited whenever we heard she was performing. She’s got a voice that can make even the toughest outlaw shed a tear.”

Billy raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “Is that right? Well, I reckon I’ll have to hear it for myself.”

Jesse smirks at his friend as Billy catches on to his smirk with a roll of his eyes. “How’s everyone’s night goin’?” You speak in the mic as the saloon erupts in loudness, a few cheers, whistles and the sound of hands hitting tables, showcasing their feelings.

You chuckle, “Good, good, that’s what I like to hear,” a mischievous glint flashed across Billy’s eyes as he hears Jesse chuckles beside him, a playful nudge to his stomach.

“Oh! Is that bottle there for me?” Your eyes widen the slightest as you see one of the locals walk over to you with a flask in hand. “Of course, doll,” Cal grins up at you as the crowd loudens. “Oh, come on, ya’ll. You know I gave up drinking when I was 12,” You playfully wink.

The crowd erupted in laughter and amusement at your customary banter. Billy found himself captivated by your charm. “It’s to clear my piles, ya’ll. To clear my pipes” You assure them jokingly, throwing the flask back to the crowd with a grin.

You turn your head to give a sign to your band to start the song you prepared. The crowd hushed, waiting for the music to start, “You can’t take my past,” your bandmates start off, “you can’t take my history,” the crowd was silent in awe as they listen to the melodic voices that filled the space.

“You could take my pa,” “but his name’s a mystery.” You take a step forward to the mic, “Nothin’ you can take from me was ever worth keeping” your eyes flutter shut as you hear a few whoops from the crowd.

“Oh, nothing you can take,” your eyes open and Billy swore he saw them sparkle, “was ever worth keeping,” the corner of your mouth tips up to form a small smirk as the upbeat song comes to life causing an eruption of cheers from the patrons.

You wore a huge smile on your face as your fingers skilfully strum your guitar. “C’mon!” You encourage the already hyped up crowd full of cowboys and cowgirls; your boot tapping on the wooden stage as they clap along, already boosting your adrenaline.

“Can’t take my charm. Can’t take my humour. Can’t take my wealth, cause it’s just a rumour.” The way you effortlessly and gracefully twirled around the stage, your voice and stage presence mesmerising and commanding everyone’s attention—Billy was truly and utterly enchanted—you, the enchanter.

“Nothing you can take was ever worth keeping. No, nothing you can take was ever worth keeping,” Billy couldn’t help but feel his head lightly bopping to the beat, his eyes looking around to see everyone else just as captivated by your presence.

You were having the time of your life, like always whenever you sang, your heart pumping with adrenaline, “Thinkin’ your so fine. Thinkin’ you could have mine.”

Billy couldn’t help but be enchanted by your performance. He leaned against the wall, a half-smile playing on his lips as he watched you sing. Jesse and his gang, too, were caught up in the infectious energy of the moment. It seemed like everyone in the saloon, regardless of their affiliations, was having a great time.

“Thinkin’ you’re in control. Thinkin’ you’ll change me, maybe rearrange me, think again if that’s your goal.” Your eyes roam around the practically full saloon before you lock eyes with none other than Billy the Kid in the corner.

You saw him a few hours prior from a distance, but that was it. Now, his blue irises were staring straight at you, his lips lightly upturned as his finger taps along to the beat of the music, your fingers still dancing over your guitar strings, not missing a beat.

You both stared at each for what seemed liked hours but was merely a few seconds; and, for those few seconds, something unspoken passed between you.

A playful smile made it to your lips before you tore your eyes away from Billy’s. “Can’t take my sass. Can’t take my talkin’,” Billy’s watches your figure as you move across the stage, leaning forward to the crowd, “you can kiss my ass, then keep on walkin’,”

An amused expression flashed over Billy’s face, “She’s good isn’t she, Billy?” Jesse shouts over the loud music as Billy chuckles, nodding his head. “She’s somethin’ alright. A songbird.” Jesse snorts at him, “a songbird, huh?” he echoes as Billy’s eyes fall back onto the stage that you controlled.

“Nothin’ you can take from me is worth dirt.” Your eyes lock with one another, “take it ‘cause I’d give it free, it won’t hurt.” Your eyebrow lightly cocks at his direction as Billy’s lips parted. It seemed as if it was only the two of you in the saloon, everyone fading in the background.

The crowd falls into a hush, sensing the end of the song, “Nothin’ you can take was ever worth keepin’. No, nothin’ you can take was ever worth keepin’.” The upbeat tempo once again affiliated the saloon as the pleasantly surprised patrons clapped, danced, and tapped along to the catchy beat of the song.

When the song reached its crescendo, you finished with a flourish, your fingers dancing over the guitar strings. Everyone in the saloon cheered and whistled, and you couldn’t help but bow, acknowledging the appreciation.

“Ya’ll have a good night, thank you!” You exclaim into the mic before turning around and packing up your equipment. “We’re havin’ a drink, join us?” Annie, your bandmate comes up to you, placing her hand on your shoulder.

You smile up at her, “Thanks, Annie. I’ll come join you guys later.” As you stand back up, you lock eyes with Jesse Evans. You were well acquainted with the man, the two of you hanging out whenever you were free. He was sat a table with Billy, his gang the next table over.

He beckoned you with a smile as you reciprocate it, signalling to him that you’d be there in a sec. “Hey, sweetheart,” Cal drawled, obviously drunk as he had a cigarette in between his lips.

“Hey there, Cal. Enjoying yourself?” You politely smile at him as her offers to hold your hand as you descend the stage stairs—although you were quite capable of walking down yourself.

“Wanna join me for a drink, eh?” “Uh-“ “-what do ya say?” Your eyes lock with Billy’s who was staring you down. “Thank you for the offer, Cal. But I’m gonna have to decline,” You quickly say as your feet quickly moved away, leaving him there.

“Popular, ain’t ya?” Jesse chuckles, moving the seat back beside him for you. “Mind sharin’ a drink with us?” He pats the seat as your eyes flicker between him and Billy. You returned the smile, taking a seat between Billy and Jesse “I’m a busy girl but I’ll make time for ya. Always a pleasure to share good company,” you playfully wink at Jesse as you hear Billy softly chuckle.

“Lovely to finally meet you, Mr. Bonney,” You extend your hand out gracefully as he looks down at it before looking back at you with a smile. “Please, the pleasure is all mine.”

The conversation flowed as freely as the whiskey, and soon, the saloon was filled with the sounds of camaraderie. You found yourself in the middle of it all, laughing at Jesse's stories, clinking glasses with the gang, and sharing glances with Billy that spoke volumes.

"It was Billy's first time here watching your perform y'know," Jesse pipes up, his glass of whisky close to his lips before he throws his head back as you look at Billy who was already looking at you. "What'd you think 'bout my performance Billy?"

Billy pretends to ponder, rubbing his jaw as you giggle. "What can I say, darlin'? You were great out there. I couldn't keep my eyes off of you," he admits as you grin at his bluntness.

As the evening drew to a close, Jesse stood and stretched. "Well, Billy, it's been a pleasure catchin' up with you. But we've got a long ride ahead of us tomorrow."

Billy nodded, his gaze lingering on you. "I reckon it's time for me to hit the trail as well. But before I go, there's somethin' I've been meanin' to ask." You looked at him, curiosity in your eyes. "Ask away."

Billy hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Would you mind if I walked you home? It's not every day a man gets to meet a singer as talented as you." You smiled, touched by the slightly expected request, you nodded with a gracious smile. "I'd be delighted, Billy."

As you and Billy stepped out into the cool night air, the distant sounds of the bustling saloon faded, leaving only the soft murmur of the wind and the occasional creak of a swinging sign. The moon cast a gentle glow on the empty streets as the two of you walked side by side.

"Quite a night, wouldn't you say?" Billy remarked, his tone a mix of charm and genuine admiration. You hummed. "Never thought I'd find myself walking home with an infamous outlaw." You smirked as Billy reciprocated it, "Life's full of surprises, darlin'," he tips his hat.

[honeyjars-sims]

Part 2 Prologue #4: Besties

It’s later in the afternoon. The cake has been cut, presents have been opened, and now everyone is just mingling. The sun is starting to set and Chantal and I are chilling on a bench, too stuffed to move after filling up on chocolate cake and ice cream.

As we chat, I spot Glynnis and Hollis walking towards their apartment and give them a wave. I thought they might stop by and chat, but they seem busy. Chantal sees who I’m waving to and lets out a small gasp.

“Oh my God!” She cups a hand over her mouth. “That’s Hollis Abernathy!”

“Yeah, she’s my neighbor. Do you follow her on Simsta?”

“Yeah, but that’s not where I know her from. Her parents own a bunch of businesses in San Myshuno. She’s the heiress to a huge fortune–or at least she was. Here, look.”

She pulls up a gossip site on her phone and hands it over to me. I see an article from a couple of years ago with a picture of Hollis stumbling out of a club. Plastered in big, bold letters at the top of the page is the headline, "HOLLIS'S WILD NIGHT OUT."

I get a few lines into the article before I start feeling like I’m invading Hollis’s privacy. Besides, I’m not going to judge her off of what some tabloid said about her 2 years ago. People change; I know that as well as anyone. 

“Okay, so what?” I ask.

“Nothing, I’m just surprised to see her here is all.” 

I shrug. “She seems pretty nice. I’m gonna go mingle some more before people start leaving,” I say, and I start to wander around. 

I see my dads are talking to Paul and Lucy, and they’re all laughing.

“Looks like you’re all getting along.”

“Why didn’t you tell us your roommate is such a comedian?” Pops asks. Paul beams at the compliment.

“Yeah, you should have heard the joke he just told us,” Dad chimes in. “You’d love it. What was it again? Something about a stick,” he laughs.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard that one,” I say. “Paul’s always joking around.”

“No wonder you two get along, then,” Pops replies.

“I’m glad for that,” Lucy adds. “I figured you would, but it would’ve been awkward if my brother and my work bestie didn’t like each other.”

“Oh, I’m your work bestie, huh? Not just your bestie. I see how it is.”

“You’re totally her bestie,” Paul interjects. “Trust me, I know these things.”

“Oh, come on, you know what I meant,” Lucy tells me. “I blame it on my pregnancy brain.”

“What, you’re pregnant? And you didn’t tell me? Some bestie you are!”

“I didn’t? I thought I did. Anyway, isn’t it obvious, what with how much I've been throwing up and how big my belly's getting?”

“I have four sisters,” I point out. “I know better than to make an assumption about a woman’s body like that.”

“And that’s why you’re my bestie.”

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

Transcript of article below:

HOLLIS'S WILD NIGHT OUT

08/17/2021 08:00 AM PST

Hollis Abernathy caused quite the scene on a wild night out celebrating singer Christina Dotson’s 18th birthday! Did someone forget to tell her that the drinking age is 18 in Del Sol? The blonde beauty was spotted downing drinks all night–despite only being 17-years-old.

Hollis’s parents, business-moguls Robert and Bianca, plan to give her access to a large trust fund on her own 18th birthday next year; however, friends of the socialite report that her recent antics are putting that plan in jeopardy.

“Her parents have had enough,” a source tells us. “They don’t like all of the negative attention her partying is putting on the family. They’re worried about how it will affect their reputation, especially with the Carlisles.”

Hollis has been dating 17-year-old Hunter Carlisle for several months, a relationship that was likely orchestrated by the pair’s parents who are reported to have a lucrative business venture in development. At first, Hollis and Hunter seemed like a match made in heaven, but things have quickly become hellish for the couple.

“Hollis and Hunter got into a huge fight at the party,” our source tells us. They were screaming in the middle of the club. People are saying they broke up. Christina was so embarrassed.”

Hollis’s wild night didn’t end there. Moments after her fight with Hunter, our photogs caught her making out with an unknown blonde woman. Could Hollis’s sexuality be the reason for her troubles with Hunter?

“I’m not sure if Hollis is interested in girls or not, or if she just wanted to make Hunter mad,” our source said. “But she seemed pretty into the kiss.”

The kiss was cut short when Christina and their friend Mikayla “Micki” Davison dragged Hollis away from her would-be lover. Hollis could barely stand as Christina helped her into Micki’s convertible. Once seated inside, Hollis began yelling obscenities at our photogs, to the dismay of her friends.

“You ruined my birthday!” Christina was heard sobbing from the back seat.

SMZ reached out to Hollis’s rep who simply said, “No comment.”

[runningfrom2am]

michigan cherry // part four

summary: walking into a saloon in a nowhere town, billy meets a singer who he just can't get off his mind after she slips through his fingers; onto another town, another show- following nothing but the stars in her path. until he sees her again. another nowhere town and equally dusty saloon, but this time, the band of kids who made up her family is nowhere to be found. he's running away from something, and she is storming full speed toward something else, and tangling into each other's lives may just get both of them exactly where they want to be.

pairing: william h. bonney x fem!reader

wc: 1.5k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: singer!reader (she’s giving very much lucy gray), probably a little bit ooc billy but hey i tried- anyway he’s a sweetheart, use of guns and violence, murder and violence but i try to keep it non-descript, oh also she’s an orphan sorry (once again, lucy gray vibes), strangers to friends to lovers trope eee

the songs in this chapter are "anything (demo)" and "Special Girl", both by Dodie !!

a/n: this is short today i know, but big things are coming! we just needed a bit more setup first :) i'm so excited!!

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // pinterest board // playlist

Billy had no idea your shows started as early as they did. In the two shows of yours he had had the pleasure of sitting in on, he had arrived after the sunset. So tonight, this time armed with your explicit invitation, he came while the sky was still orange and the sun was still peeking over the hillsides.

But there you were, strumming away on the stage already. He was hoping to get the chance to talk to you beforehand, but apparently, his opportunity was lost. Luckily, though, it wasn't as busy as it would be come nightfall. He could hear you a little clearer without so many people talking or shouting over poker games. For now, it seemed almost like you were playing for yourself, more so than for patrons of the saloon.

You had pulled up a stool from the bar onto the stage, and you had that guitar resting on your knee, staring intently at the strings as you plucked cord after cord from the instrument.

Billy could play, kind of, but he'd never heard it sound so beautiful.

"'Cause anything, anything, for another run with you..."

Your voice is soft and much quieter than he knew it to be, but it held onto the emotion behind the words. Your voice and your guitar seemed to mold into one, and he wondered if this song was about your friend. It must be.

Tonight he's less intent on hiding by the bar and getting a drink, more so on listening, really listening to you, so he goes over to the corner closest to the stage and sits, taking his hat off and resting it on the wooden surface while he listens.

You glance up at his now familiar silhouette for just a moment while he moves across the room, smiling a little to yourself before putting your focus back onto the guitar in your hands.

When the evening crowd rolled in, comprised almost entirely of the older male population of the city, you picked up the pace a bit. You picked your music mostly on the fly to match the audience, and especially with Billy in attendance, you wanted something at least a little more fun than sad.

You knew this song sounded better with the steady thrum of Max's base or the kid's little rhythmic snaps and drum beats, but on the guitar all alone, when you really gave it your all, it was still a crowd-pleaser.

"It's not my fault, I was raised by open mouths and teary eyes.

Passive, wistful lullabies."

You start, hitting the strings a little harder than you typically would, your smile growing beyond what it had been so far this evening.

"I found my worth in this world by proving I'm a special girl

Time, and time, again."

You always accentuate it with a wink, this time ignoring the whistles of attendees scattered at poker tables and smoking in corners to look over at Billy.

He wants to laugh, and you can see it even in the poor lighting and under the shadow of his hat.

Hopping down from the old and rickety stage that only sat a few extra inches off the ground, you crouch down to collect the change that made up the small tips in your open guitar case, resigning to counting it later in order to be polite. Your set had gone well, and you couldn't help but be in a bit of higher spirits than you were yesterday.

Having Billy there, even unsure what to consider him, made you feel just a little less alone. Someone who knew your story, at least a glimpse of it, made the already dim lights feel a little less blinding. Friend or not.

"Hey, girl." A rough voice calls from behind you, accompanied by heavy footfalls across the less-than-steady floors of the saloon.

With a small exhaled sigh and a roll of your closed eyes, you turn around and stand up after snapping shut your guitar case with the instrument carefully stored in it. "Hey there, enjoy the show?" You asked distractedly, turning to face the owner of the voice.

"Could say that." The man chuckles, giving a small shrug in response.

"Glad to hear it. Now if ya don't mind-" You try to dismiss yourself quickly as he stares you up and down, the look behind his eyes as he rubs his dirty palms over the scruff of his untamed beard making you want to cringe.

"Hey, hey, slow down. Let me buy you a drink." He stops you with an arm across your chest.

"I don't drink." You reply with a bitter and polite smile, gently pushing his hand down and away from you.

"Ah, so you do think you're some 'special girl', huh?" He replies through a laugh that's less than friendly. "Too good to even share a drink with a man who's offerin' somethin' kind to ya?"

Your expression hardens and your grip on the closed guitar case tightens, preparing subconsciously to swing it at him if you had to. It wouldn't be the first time. "Listen, mister, I-"

"Hey, that's enough." A familiar voice is one to cut you off, Billy's taller frame stepping in front of the man and cutting your view of him off. "Let the lady leave in peace if that's what she wants, aye?"

He's got one hand braced over his holster, and your eyes can only stay locked on it for a moment before the man bothering you speaks again.

"Aye." He agrees with a sigh, shocking you as he takes a small step back, eyes narrowed at Billy. "Just didn't take her much for a prude, that's all."

"Come on, let's get ya out of here, darlin'." Billy mutters, turning and bracing a hand on your back to guide you out.

His hand is still over the handle of his gun at his side as he does a quick scan of the room, seeing if anybody else is interested in speaking up about you.

The sudden tension in the saloon is palpable, and it just makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up as you step outside, even more eager than before to leave as you walk past his wanted poster on the wall. Just like always, you don't bother to look at anything posted on the walls.

The first few minutes of the walk are quiet, with Billy by your side and his horse in tow.

"Thanks." You speak quietly after a while. As much as you wanted to insist you could handle yourself, you were grateful you didn't have to this time around.

"You're not goin' around alone anymore." Billy replies, his tone more hard than you expected. "I'll be keeping an eye on ya from now on. And when you play from here on out, I'll make sure you don't walk away with less than ten dollars in your pocket. Sound fair?"

You look up at him, expression softening a bit as he offers to stick with you. "Don't you... have family of your own? A job? Somethin' you gotta hold onto?"

He chuckles at that. "Never been much of the stay-in-one-place type," he answered, his anger dissipating alongside the words. "I usually ride from town to town, finding work where there is any. Hell, I've been working as a bounty hunter, as a ranch hand, even as a guard for a train before. Been pretty much all over the place." The lie falls from his lips so smoothly that you don't question it for even a moment.

"I can't pay ya, if you're gonna be some kinda bodyguard." You reply with a sigh, shaking your head slightly. "I appreciate the offer, though. But I'm fine just fine on my own."

"You got robbed last time you were on your own, and that dirtbag could'a hurt ya." He pointed out firmly. "You're gonna have a bodyguard from here on out, it ain't safe for you to travel about all alone. I don't care how you pay me. It can be in drinks, a bed for a night, or it can be you singing me a song every night. But you'vegotta be guarded." Billy says, voice almost pleading. He couldn't stand the thought of you out wandering the west alone like this.

"I can pay in music." You smile, nodding at him. "And when I play, the bar owners usually set me up with somewhere to sleep. You can stay with me, take the beds."

His smile brightened, and his heart swelled with delight at the thought of you sitting by the campfire, singing that damn pretty voice of yours to him every night.

And for you, the appeal of having company was hard to resist. You've been robbed twice in just a matter of months, and if that were the beginning of a depressing pattern, you would never save up enough to get the kids back. Not to mention it did get kind of lonely.

"Sound's like a deal." He agrees with a curt nod, a small grin tugging at his lips. He had no intention of taking your earned beds from you- he'd be more than happy to sleep on the floor. As long as he was by your side now, he didn't much mind a single thing.

no taglist this time around!! my fics usually get over a hundred requests to be added to the taglist so instead i made a library! follow me over on @runningfrom2am-library and turn on notifs to get updates when i post new parts!!

[helloalycia]

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐑 [𝐓𝐖𝐎] // 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐘 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐃

summary: as Lucy Gray begins to spend more time with you, you wonder if it's only because of obligation or if she actually wants to spend time with you.

warning/s: mentions of cheating.

author's note: just wanna say that i really appreciate reading everyone’s thoughts on my stuff, whether it be an anonymous message or a comment on the post! it’s harder to get feedback on tumblr vs. wattpad, so it means a lot when i do! that’s all – hope you like this part 🥰

one / three / masterlist / wattpad

It was sweltering out today, much hotter than usual, and for some insane reason, Y/S/N wanted to spend the day playing in the park with her friends and I. I couldn't exactly deny her cute little face when she asked, so that was how I found myself kicking around a ball with a bunch of ten-year-olds.

I was so focused on not kicking it too hard to hit them by accident that I didn't notice Maude Ivory running into the park and joining the kids' side to play. I looked where she ran from and spotted the rest of the Covey waltzing in, minus Billy Taupe of course. They joined Maude Ivory's side, chatting to the other kids and Y/S/N, as Lucy Gray approached me with an amused smile.

"Why, how cute," she commented, and I finished kicking the ball to one of the kids before glancing at her with a quirked brow.

"What?"

She smiled as she joined my side, nodding to the kids. "Taking Y/S/N out. Playin' with the kids."

"Well, it was either that or have her cooped up inside. And I'm sure she'd be more annoying there," I joked. "Feels kinda pointless though, since it's hotter out here than it is inside."

She chuckled, about to respond, but Y/S/N ran up to me eagerly, interrupting our conversation.

"Y/N, do you have the skipping rope?"

"Hold your horses," I said with a suppressed smile, before kneeling down to dig the skipping rope from my bag.

"Hey, Lucy Gray," she was greeting the singer enthusiastically. "I liked your song the other night!"

Lucy Gray quirked a brow exaggeratedly, hands on her hips. "And what were you doin' out that late to hear me sing, sugar?"

As I stood up, rope in hand, I caught Y/S/N smiling nervously.

"My mummy took me on a walk around town and I heard it from outside the Hob."

"Well, that's no good," Lucy Gray said with a frown. "No performance should be heard like that."

"I'm not allowed inside," Y/S/N said with flushed cheeks. "Mummy and daddy says it's for grown-ups. Like you and Y/N."

Sighing playfully, Lucy Gray said, "I guess it's time to change that, don't you?"

Y/S/N's smile grew into a hopeful one and I glanced at Lucy Gray, wondering what she meant by that.

"We're headin' down to the lake to cool off," she said, this time to me. "You wanna join?"

I opened my mouth, not sure what my answer would've been, but Y/S/N jumped up and down excitedly.

"Yes! Yes! Oh, Y/N, please let's go!"

I blinked. "Erm–"

"Oh, please, please, please," she continued to beg, shaking my arm.

"You gon' say no to that little face, darlin'?" Lucy Gray teased, putting me on the spot.

I gave her a disapproving look, before sighing and giving in to Y/S/N. "I guess we're going to the lake."

Y/S/N grinned and hugged me quickly before looking to Lucy Gray. "Let me just say bye to my friends."

Lucy Gray laughed and nodded, watching her run off to her friends.

"You know you're gonna have to sing for her now, right?" I asked Lucy Gray with amusement, putting the skipping rope back in my bag and grabbing it.

"I'm well aware," she answered. "Though, it'll have to be after a dip in the lake. I could just about melt right now."

And if that statement wasn't accurate then, it was on the walk down to the lake. A much longer walk than I thought, I was already sweating through my shirt, but it didn't seem to bother Y/S/N who was chatting and giggling excitedly with Maude Ivory and Clerk Carmine up ahead. It was a heartwarming sight, though it made me wonder why we were here at all.

Yes, Maude Ivory and Y/S/N were friends, but never close enough that Y/S/N had been invited to hang out with her and the rest of the Covey. And all the same, I'd worked with the lot of them, but had never gotten close enough to them that they'd invite me out also. Lucy Gray invited me, and I hated that it might have just been because of the fact that I'd looked out for her recently. An obligatory friendship, if you will.

"Someone's stuck in their head."

A testament to that statement, I failed to notice Lucy Gray slowing down her walking so she fell into step with me as we walked through the woods.

I smiled a little, though I was definitely still overthinking. And then I decided to just come out with it. "You don't need to do this, y'know."

"And what is it that I'm doin'?" she asked with a stifled smile.

I couldn't look at her as I said, "Feel like you owe me for the past few weeks. Hanging out because of it."

"Are we not friends?" she asked, and when I looked to her, I saw the teasing glint in her eyes. "Can friends not hang out?"

I swallowed hard the longer she held my stare, brown eyes glistening golden in the sunlight. "Well, I– before everything, I just thought– we weren't–"

Oh, gosh, why did she always have me flustered?

She started to laugh, eyes squinting as she did. "I'm only teasin'. But to answer your concerns, I'm not doin' this because I think I owe you. I just always found you interesting, and I suppose it was finally time to see why."

I breathed out through my nose, unsure how to reply, but my face was definitely heating up at her words. Goddamn the pretty girl with the ability to make everything sound so smooth.

After what felt like forever, we finally reached the lake, particularly a spot where there was a dock, a boat and a little cabin. It must have been used regularly by the Covey as it looked well-worn, but it was stunning nonetheless.

It didn't take long for everyone to strip out of their clothes and jump right in, savouring the refreshing cold water of the lake. After helping Y/S/N out of her dress, I jumped out of my trousers and shirt before the two of us jumped in together, splashing everyone and earning both groans and laughter. A smile was fixed on my lips as I looked over Y/S/N, who was swimming to Maude Ivory and splashing her playfully, the two of them giggling like the kids they were.

"Much better out here, right?" Lucy Gray swam from behind me, a grin on her face.

"It is," I agreed, pushing my hair from my eyes. "We've been out here a few times. It's where we learned to swim, though not on this side. I didn't even know this existed."

"Yeah, it's mainly a Covey secret," she said, glancing out at the cabin.

"It's pretty," I said, following her gaze to it. "Thanks for bringing us. But I'll probably forget where it is. It's easy to get lost out here."

"I can teach you the route if you want," she offered.

"You're gonna have to now that you've shown Y/S/N this place," I joked, before looking out at my sister, who was having the time of her life. "She'll never wanna leave."

Lucy Gray laughed, a vibrant melodious sound, as pretty as her singing voice, that sent a flutter of butterflies in my stomach and a fuzzy feeling in my chest.

We swam in the water until the pads of our fingers and toes were shrivelled, playing games and enjoying the coolness against our skin, then we got out and dried off under the sun. I was chatting to Barb Azure and Tam Amber about everything and nothing as Maude Ivory and Clerk Carmine went to pick some herbs.

Meanwhile, Lucy Gray was giving Y/S/N the performance of her life, serenading her with all her favourite songs and making her the most excited I'd ever seen her. Y/S/N was sat cross legged before the brunette, watching her with adoration, like she'd never seen someone so enchanting.

I caught myself glancing over too, unable to look away when Lucy Gray's voice was so rich and captivating, declaring everyone's attention. The Covey were used to it, but I wasn't sure I ever could be. And right now, as she strummed a few chords on her prized guitar, the most beautiful ballad escaping her lips, her curly hair wet but drying, dripping little droplets of water onto her dress... I was certain I was utterly and hopelessly enamoured by her.

Trying very hard to remain present in the conversation with the others, I brought my attention back to them, but not before my eyes caught sight of Maude Ivory and Clerk Carmine pulling at some roots in the distance. Clerk Carmine, in particular, didn't look very happy, and I realised he was a little quieter than usual today.

"Hey, is Clerk Carmine alright?" I asked the others.

Barb Azure followed my gaze before sighing quietly. "Yeah, he just misses Billy Taupe."

I fell quiet, feeling guilty for some reason, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. Billy Taupe was his brother, and I couldn't have imagined how difficult this whole situation was for him.

"He shouldn't," Tam Amber said bitterly. "Not after what he did to Lucy Gray. To all of us."

"Yeah, that wasn't very nice, was it?" I mumbled, and they shook their heads in response.

It was awkward, or maybe it was just awkward on my end. They used to come to the lake with him, and now they were here with me. Wasn't I intruding?

"Y/N!" Lucy Gray called to me, as Barb Azure nudged my arm.

I zoned back into reality, looking up and realising Lucy Gray had been calling me a few times, now stood up and waiting.

"Sorry, what?" I said, confused and still a little distracted by all the Billy Taupe talk.

"I said I need a hand getting the fishing pole," she said with a chuckle. "C'mon."

"Right, yeah, sure," I said with a nod, before standing up and dusting my trousers off.

Quickly glancing around, I spotted Y/S/N with Maude Ivory and Clerk Carmine, collecting herbs. Trusting them to it, I followed after Lucy Gray and into the cabin, where she led me to some floorboards that came loose, revealing the fishing rods.

As we kneeled down to get them, she said, "Why the long face?"

"Huh?"

"Back there," she said casually, reaching in for the fishing rods. "What happened? Did someone say something?"

"What? Oh, no, nothing, sorry," I said, realising I needed to get a better grip on my facial expressions.

"No need to be sorry," she said in a way that was lighthearted but didn't feel like it. "I was just worried."

I glanced at her, wondering why she cared about me all of a sudden. Yes, she said we were friends, but was it just that or an obligation? Again, I was getting lost in my head, so I tried to ignore it and instead helped her grab the rods.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon fishing, cooking our catch up over a fire, and then the others took a well-earned nap under the tree in the shade. Only Lucy Gray and I were awake, myself unable to sleep so freely, feeling the need to watch over Y/S/N, and Lucy Gray doodling in her notebook.

"You think a lot," she spoke up, startling me. And when I looked to her with confusion, she said, "You're always stuck in your head, darlin'."

I pursed my lips, shaking my head as if it would clear my thoughts. Billy Taupe came to mind, as did Clerk Carmine's sullen expression, and I couldn't help but ask Lucy Gray, "How have you been lately? Y'know, with the whole Billy Taupe thing?"

She closed her notebook, hands pressing to the top. "As good as can be."

I watched her, anticipating she wasn't finished.

"It was a bet, y'know," she said softly, though not as upset as I thought she would be. "What he did. He wanted to see if he could have the both of us. I don't think she knew, Mayfair, but she ain't sorry about it either."

I frowned, my dislike for Billy Taupe only growing the more I learnt about him. He sounded horrible, and I wondered if he was always like that. Surely not, if Lucy Gray had loved him once upon a time.

"That's awful," was all I could think to say. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged it off, and as much as she played it off like it didn't matter, I knew it did. Even just a little.

"He isn't causing you any trouble, is he?" I asked with a hint of concern. "Him or Mayfair?"

"And what if he is?" she asked right back, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

I shrugged, not picking up on her joke right away. "I don't know... I can try to have a word with him, I suppose."

She laughed softly. "You're too cute."

That's when I realised she was indeed joking, and I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment, looking ahead.

"I appreciate it, but no thank you," she continued, nudging my arm slightly. "You're not to get involved, remember?"

I exhaled quietly, nodding. "Okay. Forget him. What about you?"

"What about me?" she played along, leaning on her knees and looking at me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, meeting her gaze.

She hummed, looking up in thought. "I was hurtin'. Still am, a little."

I nodded in ackownlgedgment, feeling bad for her. "Do you miss him?"

"For the Covey, yeah," she admitted. "He was family for a while. But not for me." Sucking up a breath, she leaned over her knees and looked out at the lake. "I may have once loved him, but not anymore. And I definitely can't trust him again."

I hummed softly, understanding what she meant. It couldn't have been easy to cut someone off who'd been so close to her and her family.

"Enough about him, anyway," she said, offering a smile my way. "He don't deserve my breath."

I returned her smile, deciding to change the subject. "Right... well, I guess now is the perfect time to thank you for today. For making Y/S/N the happiest I've seen her in a long time."

"She's lovely, and made me just as happy," she retorted nonchalantly.

My smile widened at her kind words, and then hers widened too.

"You have a pretty smile," she complimented.

I blinked, surprised and embarrassed, before mumbling an awkward thank you. She laughed at my dismay, before laying back against the blanket. I did the same, looking up at the sky peacefully.

"Y/N?" she said after a moment of quiet.

"Yeah?" I replied, not tearing my gaze from the lone cloud in the sky.

"I know we said we weren't gonna talk about it, but I'm kind of glad Billy Taupe did what he did."

I furrowed my brows together, confused. "Why?"

She paused, and then admitted, "Because I wouldn't have become better friends with you."

Naturally, a smile curled on my lips, and that familiar flurry of butterflies began making its way into my heart.

A few more weeks passed, and in that time, Lucy Gray was proving to be a great friend, though my crush on her was only growing bigger the more I spent time with her. As well as working together, the Covey would invite me to their place sometimes on our days off, merely just to hang out which was kind of them. It also meant spending more time with Lucy Gray, which wasn't a bad thing.

One evening, they begged me to let Y/S/N come see them perform, so after convincing my mum to bring her to see a few songs, they were both able to join me at work for a little while. I set them up at a nice table in the corner, away from any potential mischief that could occur and also giving them the best view of the stage.

"A drink for you," I said to my mum with a smile, setting down the tray on their table right before the Covey were due to perform. "And some crackers for you, squirt."

Y/S/N was practically shaking her chair as she eagerly awaited Maude Ivory's introduction onstage, and it was adorable to witness.

"Thanks, dear," my mum said, squeezing my hand. "You have time to sit with us?"

I chewed on my lip, glancing around. Everyone seemed to have a drink on them, and even Miles was looking at the stage, waiting for the evening to truly begin.

"I'm sure I can listen to one song," I decided, and Y/S/N grinned before tugging me onto the stool beside her.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulder before Maude Ivory walked from between the curtain, approaching the microphone. I'd seen their performances many times and yet it never got old.

"...and it's a special night tonight, because my friend, Y/S/N, is here to hear us perform," Maude Ivory gave a special shout-out to Y/S/N, who was ecstatic.

One by one, as the music built up, the Covey revealed themselves from behind the curtain, eliciting cheers and a round of applause from everyone, including us. It was Maude Ivory's solo first, and a great one at that, and I found my eyes naturally being drawn to Lucy Gray, as they always did, who was watching her with pride in her eyes.

After the song ended, we gave them another round of applause before I knew I had to get up.

"I've gotta work now, but if you need anything let me know," I told my mum, before offering Y/S/N a smile. "Remember, only a few more songs then you've got to go home. It can get rowdy in here when it's late."

"I know, I know," she waved me off, making me roll my eyes playfully.

I got back to work, keeping an eye out on my family and occasionally watching the Covey perform, and it was a wholesome experience. As more latecomers from the mines began to file in, the place was getting pretty packed, and I knew it was time for my family to head off.

"D'you enjoy the show?" I asked Y/S/N when we were all by the door.

She nodded with a grin. "It was amazing, Y/N, thank you!" Then she hugged my mum and added, "Thanks, mummy. Thanks for bringing me."

My mum chuckled as she hugged her back, glancing at me. "It was a fun evening, Y/N. And I'm proud of you. You're working hard, love."

I smiled shyly, appreciating the acknowledgment, and then someone's presence was beside me and I looked up to see the Covey stood there, having left the stage for a moment.

"We just wanted to say thank you for letting Y/S/N watch us perform tonight, Mrs Y/L/N," Maude Ivory said with a respectful nod.

"Yeah, thank you, ma'am," Tam Amber added. "We hope you liked the performance."

My mum chuckled. "Well, aren't you all adorable. It was no worry at all. And you're all very talented, you should be proud of yourselves. It's no wonder Y/N enjoys working here so much."

I felt my face heat up as they looked to me with teasing smiles. After saying our goodbyes to them, my mum left with Y/S/N and the Covey returned to the stage whilst I got back to work. They performed a few more songs before settling on a really cheery one, encouraging everyone in the audience to dance along. It was cute to watch everyone get involved, especially when they managed to hold a tune and still join the crowd, dancing along with them. Maude Ivory was still onstage, taking the lead with her drums and voice, and the Hob was suddenly transformed into a ray of excitement and laughter.

"Aren't you gonna join in?" Lucy Gray's voice made me turn around from a table I was cleaning, and she was standing there with a mischievous smile on her lips.

I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm working, sorry."

She gave me a disapproving look, before calling over to Miles behind the bar. "Miles, can I steal her for a song?"

He glanced at her, then at me, and I gave him a deadly warning look which only made him grin and nod his head.

"She's all yours, Lucy Gray!"

Lucy Gray's smile brightened the room in an instant. "I think you're free now, Y/N."

Before I could protest, she took the rag from my hand and threw it on the table before taking my hand properly and tugging me closer to the audience.

"I'm warning you right now, Lucy Gray, I have two left feet," I said weakly, both my hands growing sweaty as she kept ahold of one and placed the other on her shoulder.

"You'll just have to follow my lead, darlin'," she said with a grin, before suddenly waltzing me around the room at full speed, matching the beat of the song.

I let out a yelp, grip naturally tightening in hers as she manoeuvred us around the others, whisking us into a world that only consisted of my surprise, her melodious laughter, and the stare she wouldn't look away with. After a moment of getting used to it, it became enjoyable, and I began to smile nervously as she spun me around, her eyes sparkling with joy. Never in a million years did I see myself dancing with Lucy Gray, and now I didn't want anything else except that right now.

When the song finally ended, we came to a sudden halt, breathless and laughing, and then the whole room erupted into cheers.

My heart was beating ever so fast, and I knew it wasn't from the dancing.

"Can you take the rubbish outside, Y/N, please?" Miles asked as he finished stacking the chairs. "It's by the back door. Then you can head off."

"Will do," I told him, before heading to the back to do just that, already craving the sweet escape of my bed afterwards.

I grabbed the bag of rubbish before carrying it outside and going to drop it in the giant metal bin next to the Hob. Only, as the lid dropped close, I heard footsteps from behind me and turned around, confused. That was when I spotted Billy Taupe, walking unsteadily towards me and stopping a few feet away.

"Look, Billy Taupe, I'm not in the mood," I told him tiredly.

He laughed, before slurring, "Too tired from spendin' all night with Lucy Gray?"

"What?"

"You didn't think she actually liked you, did you?" he asked with a feigned sympathy.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, not at all fazed by his imagination and jealousy. "I don't know what you're talking about. But I am tired, so–"

He scoffed sharply, cutting me off. "Sure you don't. Why would you have noticed the way she looks at you, or all this time she's been givin' you lately, or the flirty smiles she's sendin' you? Right?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, waiting for him to get to the point so he could leave. "What do you want?"

He shrugged, playing dumb. "I'm just doing my part, dear Y/N! Warnin' you is all!"

I rolled my eyes, patience worn thin, and turned to head back inside, but he said something that stopped me in my tracks, annoyingly enough.

"You're just the next best thing," he told me with a cocky, dazed smile. "A distraction from me. I mean, think about it. When has she ever paid you any attention before? She clung to you as soon as I wasn't in the picture! She needed a replacement for me. You."

I clenched my jaw, glaring at him. "Leave me alone, Billy Taupe, you don't know a damn thing."

He began to laugh again, but I didn't stay to entertain any more of his idiocy as I headed back inside, letting the door slam shut behind me. He was a drunk, jealous fool, and yet I couldn't stop replaying his words over and over in my head. Was there any truth to them? Lucy Gray had never been so close to me before, so what was different now? Was I really just a distraction? A replacement?

Admittedly, Billy Taupe's wish came true and I was distracted by his bold claims, unable to think of anything but. Whenever Lucy Gray hung around me so closely, or teased me in a way that could be perceived as more than platonic, I couldn't help but wonder if it was as Billy Taupe had said.

One evening, after work, I was finishing wiping down the tables when the Covey popped in, presumably to say their goodbyes to Miles and I. But instead, they came to me hopefully.

"We're gonna have ourselves a little bonfire when we head back home," Barb Azure said enthusiastically. "You wanna come?"

I smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, guys, but I have to wait until closing, and by the time I've finished cleaning, it'll be too late. You should go on ahead."

"Aw no, c'mon, Y/N!" Maude Ivory said hopefully. "We can wait!"

I chuckled, appreciating her kindness. "I don't wanna hold you up. Maybe next time."

"I can clean up tonight, Y/N, I don't mind," Miles suddenly chimed in from behind the bar, having heard our conversation. To be fair, we weren't exactly quiet and there was no one else here.

"Really?" I asked, surprised. He'd always been nice to me, but this was a little too much to offer to do.

"'Course," he insisted with a smile, before nodding encouragingly. "Go on, be a kid for the night."

The others cheered in appreciation as I gave him a grateful smile before running over to give him a hug. He was always so lovely to me when he didn't need to be, and I felt like if I ever had an older brother, I'd want it to be him.

"Thanks," I said once more, before grabbing my bag from the back and joining the others. "Okay, I'm ready."

Everybody was buzzing with excitement, both the adrenaline from their performances this evening still coursing through them and the eagerness to make the bonfire pushing them on. They were talking about the evening, myself merely listening in and smiling as they rambled excitedly, before Lucy Gray fell into step with me and nudged my arm slightly.

"How was work tonight?" she asked with a soft smile.

"I'm kinda relieved it finished early to be honest," I admitted with a sigh. "I've been picking up extra shifts and I'm certain my feet will fall off."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "It looked like there was a commotion between you and a customer this evening," she noticed. "What was that all about?"

I tried to rack my brain for memory of what she was talking about, and then I nodded in acknowledgement. "Ah, yes. That happens sometimes. A peacekeeper can't handle his booze and gets all touchy feely. Nothing to worry about. That's why Miles is there."

She frowned. "That's awful. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, of course," I reassured her with a small smile. "Miles has my back. And it doesn't always happen, honest."

"Still," she mumbled sympathetically, before shaking her head and grabbing my hand. "C'mon, you'll love this."

Goosebumps ran up my arm when she tugged me along to her house when it was in viewing distance. The six of us pulled the bonfire together pretty quickly, with Barb Azure doing the honours of lighting a match and starting the fire. It was cool outside, a usual summer evening in District 12, so the fire provided an additional warmth to an otherwise comforting evening.

We all sat in a circle around it, sitting on whatever chairs they had, all mismatched but well-loved.

"You know what this calls for," Lucy Gray said after a moment of quiet, the lot of us staring into the flames.

I was confused, but one by one they began to grin, and then they all jumped up at once to go and collect their instruments. I laughed when they returned and began to play yet again, though it was different to their usual stuff. Much more mellow, this music created the perfect ambience, and it was easy to see that they were playing for themselves rather than their usual upbeat tunes for an audience. It was refreshing, and oddly intimate.

I could have sat there forever merely watching them, all in sync with one another. Then Maude Ivory was tapping on her drum gently, with Clerk Carmine strumming at his fiddle absentmindedly, the two of them chatting. And Barb Azure was strumming loosely at her bass, Lucy Gray doing the same with her guitar, as they conversed with Tam Amber and I.

We stayed out there for a while, until the small bonfire was almost gone and the others began to get sleepy, heading in for the evening. Before I knew it, only Lucy Gray and I remained, and I knew it was late.

"I should probably go," I said to her when I noticed.

"A shame," she commented, making me roll my eyes playfully, a smile tugging at my lips.

She didn't speak, and when I looked over to her in the chair beside me, she was watching me closely.

"What?" I asked, curious and confused.

She shook her head and looked back to the fire.

"Well, that's not very nice," I said, feigning disappointment.

She cracked a smile, though didn't look my way. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"And who's stuck in their head now?" I teased, making her smile widen. "Go on, what is it? What's on Lucy Gray Baird's mind so late at night?"

She pressed her lips together, exhaling quietly, and then her eyes found mine, but she wasn't quite meeting my gaze. "You're pretty cute, you know that?"

Certainly not expecting that, my mouth opened slightly, baffled.

She began to laugh quietly, cautious of the others who were asleep. "That's why I didn't say it."

I licked my lips nervously, looking to the fire. "I– never mind."

"I mean it though," she added, and I awkwardly mumbled a thanks in return, face flushing, and not because of the fire.

So trapped in my own nerves, I didn't hear her call my name until she repeated it again.

"Yeah?" I answered, risking looking up at her.

She was already watching me, flames of gold dancing in her brown eyes and catching me off guard. Instead of speaking, she suddenly leaned forward, capturing my bottom lip between hers.

It would have been so easy to fall right into it, the warmth of her skin sending shivers across mine, and the taste of her lips sending my heart into overdrive, but I pulled back suddenly. She tried to chase me down, but I moved back properly, dazed. Wasn't it too soon?

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

I swallowed hard, unable to meet her eyes. "Lucy Gray–"

"Oh, no," she realised, growing embarrassed. "I read this wrong, didn't I?"

I couldn't think straight, not when my lips were still tingling from the kiss. "What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Y/N," she said apologetically. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

I shook my head, still in awe. "No, it's just–" I paused, trying to find the right words, and then Billy Taupe's conversation came to mind again. "It's not been long since you and Billy Taupe broke up. I'm not–" Embarrassed, I met her stare. "Whatever you're looking for, I can't be it."

It hurt me to say it, especially when the girl I'd been crushing on for years was finally liking me back. But I didn't want it to happen like this.

Her cheeks dusted pink, made visible by the dying light of the fire, and I immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to–"

"You're right," she spoke, upset. "It's not fair on you."

I didn't know what to say, and then she stood up, so I did too.

"I'm sorry again," she said, not looking at me at all. "Goodnight."

Turning, she left me by the fire as she headed inside, and I felt a huge weight pressing on my chest as I left too, both confused and a little hurt with how everything just went down.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

[r7leee]

when the mockingjay sings | l.g.b.

guess who’s back after two months 🤭 i’m so sorry y’all omfg 😭 anyway, hope y’all have seen tbosas (if you haven’t, IT IS SO GOOD, please watch it.) take some of my current gf <33

pairing: lucy gray baird x fem!reader

summary: your girlfriend comes back as the victor of the 10th hunger games, but doesn’t stay for long

warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, cursing, going off the movie since i haven’t read the book yet

word count: 1,259, should take about ten minutes to read (longest to date!!)

listen to: stubborn love by the lumineers

IT WAS EASY falling in love with lucy gray baird. her charming voice, her sweet smile, her beautiful, beautiful, face, her personality, really all of it made you fall face first for her.

her lust shone over you so easily. she could ask you to jump off a cliff, and you would happily do it just to make her proud. that’s all you ever wanted from her. proudness. acceptance.

so it was really no surprise for lucy gray or the covey when you tried to volunteer for her at the reaping.

you remember the firm hand on your forearm, the one that belonged to your girlfriend after you just pleaded to go in place of her. “don’t.” you gave her a look of anger, eyebrows knitted.

“‘don’t?’ you expect me to let you die out there?” you could see tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill out.

and it killed you. this wasn’t the bold lucy gray you knew. the one who would scare you from behind while you were making breakfast. the one who always kissed you in front of your family.

no, this was a different lucy gray. her voice began to shake. “i’m sorry.” and with that, she was gone, the gentle touch that was once on your arm a near punishment for being in love with someone so intricate.

the next few days were hell for you. you couldn’t eat, go out to your family, anything. all you could do was sleep. and you didn’t dare turn on your tv and watch the games.

so to get news that your girlfriend was not only the victor, but also well was overjoying to you.

the day lucy gray came back was the happiest of your life. the first second she saw you, she immediately sprinted, jumping up into your arms.

you giggled, running your hands through her hair. “i knew you could do it,” you whispered, tears of joy starting to form.

“ya, and i knew you couldn’t,” she whispered back, laughing at her own words. you couldn’t help but laugh, too.

everything returned relatively back to normal; you’d come to her shows, you two would hang out every day and walk in the woods, and you’d sit with the covey.

until one day.

you sat at the hob, waiting for your girlfriend to perform as usual. she had just gone off stage for a brief moment. it was taking longer than usual, though, and you started to grow concerned.

after a while, lucy gray and her band returned back on stage, but something seemed off about the singer.

you knew your girlfriend well, and you knew that this wasn’t the normal her. she appeared to be fine on the surface, singing her songs with a smile on her face, but you knew better.

so, when the performance ended, you immediately ran to catch up with lucy gray. she was two steps ahead of you, immediately sprinting to your seat.

she quickly rested her hands on your face. “i love you and i’m sorry.” she pecked your lips and just like that, she was gone, running out of the hob. no time for you to ask what she meant.

days had passed, and to your fear, you hadn’t heard from your girlfriend. no sign of her around town.

you went to the covey, asking them if they’d seen her. nobody had seen lucy gray since the day at the hob. and allegedly, two people had shown up dead at the hob the same night your girlfriend ran off.

great.

you knew fate was going to catch up to you eventually after your girlfriend survived the games. so you accepted you’d never hear from her again.

you hid in your room, only coming out to use the bathroom or eat. you cried endlessly those few days.

lucy gray baird was your everything, and she was gone. of course she fucking was.

11:30 AM IS when you woke the next day. truly, you woke up at a much earlier time, but you didn’t get up until the cons of staying in bed outweighed the pros.

you slugged into the kitchen, going to fix yourself a cup of coffee. your family was already out at work or school, so you were all alone. nothing to disturb you.

until you heard a knock on the door. nobody ever knocked.

you walked to the door, not knowing who was there or why they were. you slowly opened the door just an inch, just to take a peak at who was there.

you couldn’t believe your eyes. you thought you must be hallucinating from all the sleep, or maybe still dreaming. maybe you never got out of bed at all. “lucy gray?”

you quickly pulled her into your house, making sure to lock the door right after. before either of you could get anything out, you wrapped her in a tight hug.

it was a longing one. you thought lucy gray was dead, and she thought you’d never get the opportunity to see her again. the hug seemed to last ages, only being broken to litter each other’s faces in kisses.

“where the fuck have you been, lucy gray?” you asked, inviting her to sit down on the couch next to you.

“hiding. it’s a long story.” she took a seat next to you, leaning her head on your shoulder.

“did you kill mayfair?” you asked, genuine concern in your eyes. “i’m not mad if you did-”

“no, no, i didn’t,” she interrupted, reassuring you. “i was just too closely related to the situation. and then…other things happened, so i can’t stay for long.” your face turned into one of confusion.

“what happened?”

“i just said it was a long story.” she laughed, prompting you to laugh after her. that laugh sent you spiraling.

“well, at least tell me where you’re hiding.”

“up in the woods. gonna head up north here soon. i just came to visit to let you know i’m still here.”

“let me come with you. please.” you were pleading. you didn’t know how much longer you could live without your girlfriend. having to deal with the past few days for the rest of your life would end you.

“it’s not safe, (name)-”

“then why’d you even come? just to taunt me?” you fought back.

“no. i’m just saying you can’t come.”

“you have to let me. please. these past few days have been hell without you, lucy gray. i can’t have you stripped away from me a second time. i didn’t know much you meant to me until you got reaped, and right after you came back you left again. if you don’t let me go with you i might actually die.”

her face softened during your confession. she’d never had much reassurance in her life. nobody to ever really kiss the tears away. you were different. you were special.

she slowly realized how you were her everything, too. your hearts were both chipping, but they both fit perfectly together.

she sighed. “okay. pack your things.”

your eyes lit up, immediately jumping up from the couch to grab your stuff.

you knew your parents wouldn’t care about this eventually. there’d be the initial shock, but after time, nobody would care. you were always seen as nothing but another mouth to feed.

your bag full, you walked out of your room for the last time. lucy gray called for you from the doorway. “you sure?”

as you gazed at your house for the final time, you nodded, joining her in the doorway. “positive.”

[moreespressoformydepresso]

Hot take:

Coriolanus Snow did not love Lucy Gray, even though he loved her.

Bear with me for a second I know this sounds like an oxymoron but I promise I can make it make sense. The TL;DR is that both SnowBaird shippers and detractors are right, but also very very wrong. I’ll explain.

People who say Snow was genuinely in love with Lucy Gray are wrong. Flat out incorrect. And I say this so bluntly because of one simple factor: before the games, he needed Lucy Gray to promise total devotion to him. This 16 year old girl was about to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death and his concern was whether she was committed to him?? That’s not love. That’s need. Remember the saying “if you love someone, let them go”? It exists for a reason. If you truly love someone, you want what’s best for them. You want them to be happy, even if that means stepping away. Snow was not ready or willing to do this. If there was even a chance of him having to step away, he was prepared to just leave her to her fate to die. And this happened relatively early in the story when you look at the importance of events. Most of the moments we can point to and go “that’s a turning point for him” happen either during or after the games. Funnily enough this ties to a very simple fact of the story that seems to fly over a lot of fans’ heads, if they’re not just outright ignoring it.

Snow did not lose his mind or go insane over the course of the story. The whole point is that he was always this way, and looked every opportunity to choose to be a good person dead in the eyes as he dashed them to pieces, burned them to ashes and used the charcoal left over to draw happy little doodles on their graves. This story has two points, with the first being a subversion of the “uwu villain with a tragic backstory to excuse their actions” trope. The second one is gleefully stewing in all the ways the people Snow wronged in his early life haunted him until the day he died, especially Sejanus and Lucy Gray. That’s just one example of Snow not actually caring about Lucy Gray, but there are more. They’re sprinkled all throughout the story, culminating in the final scene where he attempts to murder her.

However

Coriolanus Snow did have genuine feelings for Lucy Gray. He was prepared to ruin his entire future to save her, knowing that getting caught cheating would destroy all he’s worked for his entire life. When he was forced to become a peacekeeper, he asked to go to 12 in hopes of seeing her again. He went out of his way to track her down and they shared genuine moments together. By now, he has no ulterior motive for being around her. No prize, no game to win, nothing to gain except happy memories. Snow wanted to be with her. And Lucy Gray wanted to be with him. There’s a skeleton of a genuine relationship there, inklings of the love story Lucy Gray was convinced they were destined to have. That wasn’t fake, those were real feelings and it could have been beautiful. If it wasn’t for one tiny little problem: Lucy Gray is not who Snow thought she was. She isn’t who he wanted her to be. In other words:

Coriolanus Snow thought he loved Lucy Gray Baird, when in actuality he loved the idea of her he’d created in his mind.

You see, this boy is the least reliable narrator to ever narrate in the history of ever, beaten out only by Humbert Humbert. And in similar fashion to Lolita it looks like people are making the mistake of taking his word at face value when the point the book tries to make is that you should not do that. Snow looked at his choice to keep bashing Bobbin over the head after he was already knocked out and decided to take it as evidence that all human beings lose their humanity when cornered (even though he was no longer cornered), he is very clearly not a trustworthy individual when it comes to making logical deductions. Especially because he can be neck-deep in denial sometimes. Snow never cared about Lucy Gray, the Covey girl, singer and performer who lost most of her family to a massacre and was forced to stay in one district rather than moving around like she used to. He cared about Lucy Gray Baird, district 12’s female tribute for the 10th hunger games. And those are not the same people. Tribute Lucy Gray Baird was locked in a zoo, forced to perform at all times to survive. Lucy Gray was free to be her authentic self (trauma not withstanding) and while she loves to perform, it’s a different kind. There’s no pressure, she can leave the stage if she so desires. She can roam as free as one can in the districts and no longer needs a mask to live.

In the book, Snow outright says he wishes she was still locked in the zoo so he knew where she was and she couldn’t leave. He loved the Lucy Gray that was contained. The one that was considered his by the people around him. The girl who relied on him completely because she had to. He loved what she was forced to be in order to not die, and when he saw the real her he wished she would be more like the girl he met. Which was not the real Lucy Gray. Snow loved the act she put on, and to some extent the control he had over her. He had genuine feelings for her, but not for the real her.

To conclude this rambly mess: shippers will pretend Snow genuinely loved Lucy Gray for all she was. This is not true. A certain subsect of people who hate this ship will say he never cared for her at all. This is also not true. And in a fandom for a book about the nuances of even the worst people on earth, that’s very funny.

[golden-bubblebee]

Supernatural season 5 pt3

HAHAHHA CASTIEEEL

This went from 'DEAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING' to 'Noo poor baby you hurt me' Real fast

WowWowWow

Dean winchester you take that back

Wtf do you mean 'you're not my father'

Bobby singer is the only father youve actually had you dipshit

John? He was your commander

Bobby singer, I cry

(You know why i don't shoot myself? Bc I promised YOU that I wouldn't give up!)

WINCHESTER PT3? IS THAT YOU?

IT ISSS

Yoo Cass, low blow. Very funny tho

'You know what, blow me cass' That's the face of an angel very intrigued by that idea

''Cass not for nothing, but the last person who looked at me like that, I got laid''.

No further comment thank you

"I don't believe"

"In what?"

"In you"

''Sam and Dean Winchester are psychotically, irrationally and erotically codependent on eachother''

So what I'm hearing is that Zacharia ships wincest

I have seen the 'I rebelled for this?' gif. But the scene itself is so much better omg

'What the hell happened to him?'(dean) 'Me' (Cass)

I'm sure that gets said in different contexts too

I do think this shows perfectly who the angels are. Richly and neatly brocaded, filled with promise. But in the end, it's all a sham. Their pretty, rich room is a shed

OH MY GOD

Thats mustve hurt

Couldnt they just

Paint the angel symbol on the inside of his jacket or smt

Instead of carving it into his fucking chest

Hes lying. He has to be lying

THE WINK OH MY GOD THE WINK DEAN I LOVE YOU

"The stupid son of a bitch brought me here"

I JUST DIDNT WANT TO LET YOU DOWN

This episode is goung to be like the Holmes house isnt it

Designed to kill

'Buffet, all you can eat' So youre nicely stuffed when we, eat you

GODS, SERIOUSLY?

Love that those boys literally went 'Hmmm no were leaving now'

Ghostfacers!

Lucy seems genuinly sad abt gabe taking the humans side

But then again hes lucifer so that might be fake

Oh man pestilence is one unpleasant guy

[humanbug]

Okay idea.Reader who is in a famous band and is kinda known as the womaniser or slut of the group talks about being a munch in an interview but then follows it up with how no guy or girl she’s ever been with has ate her out and then Ellie watching the interview and making it her mission to be the first.Your fics are always groundbreaking btw 😘

AHHGHDGFGT this literally is such a good idea WHAT!!! i HAD to make a lil mood board for it because it was such a creative idea like!! obv a mood board was needed. this was so much longer than intended but i just kept writing. enjoy!!!! (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

| NSFW 18+ MDNI |

warning(s): SMUT, oral!reader receiving, mention of alcohol/drinking, mention of weed/smoking, these bitches gay

This is the kind of music I envisioned the band singing ♫꒰･◡･๑꒱ Left Hand Free by alt-J Don’t Hate Me by Lola Young Christmas Kids by Roar Night Shift by Lucy Dacus (Reader) Breezeblocks by alt-J Sex, Drugs, Etc. by Beach Weather All These Things That I’ve Done by The Killers

You would never get quite used to the brightness of a studio during an interview. There were an excessive amount of lights facing you guys and they all seemed to radiate heat. You could feel the sweat dripping down your back as you tried your best to focus on the questions being asked. You were being interviewed by some magazine and so far the questions were not revolutionary.

Your lead singer, Oliver, was currently answering a question about how your band came together. The answer is not anything crazy, you had all met in college and realized you all had a passion for music. And about two years later you had released two albums and were currently planning to go on tour. You glance down at your nails realizing you desperately needed to get them done, the gel polish chipping. Your head whips up at the interviewer saying your name.

“So we’ve heard that you have a bit of a reputation with your fans. Now I don’t know if you’re one to kiss and tell but we’ve gotta ask the question everybody’s been dying to know. Is it true you’ve…spent quality time with several of your fans?”, she asks with a knowing smile. Everyone in the band laughs at her question, all knowing the reputation that you had. 

You laugh with an upside-down smile and shake your head at her bold question, “Well…quality time is sure one way to put it. I like to show my fans how much I appreciate their support! Sure, maybe there’s a specific way I show that appreciation, but I haven’t had any complaints yet!”

The interviewer chuckles at your sugar-coated response, “I see and your fans show their appreciation back?”. This interviewer is ballsy! Well…she asked! You might as well tell!

“This kind of appreciation is more of a…one-way street kind of thing.”, you laugh with a shy smile, “You know! They see our shows and buy our merch and I…deal with the bruises on my knees as a show of my appreciation!”. Fuck it! Ask a ballsy question, and get a ballsy answer!

Noah, your drummer, finds your response hysterical and throws his head back in laughter. The interviewer blushes and nods her head while laughing and says something along the lines of, “Well, I did ask!”, she moves on to her next question which is directed at Bea, who plays the keyboard. You daydream the rest of the interview, nodding every so often but you mostly let your mind wander.

–

“God Ellie! Another?”

“What!? It’s been like…an hour since the last!”, she exclaims as she licks the thin paper and seals the joint. 

Dina rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to the video she’s been watching. Ellie glances over and sees she’s watching some interview. 

“Who’s that? They look edgy.”, she snorts a laugh, finding herself so funny.

“They’re the band I’ve only told you about hundreds of times. I’m seeing them in concert tonight. Which you would remember if you didn’t have stupid weed brain all the time!”, she rants with a pointed look at Ellie, who has a joint hanging from her lips. 

Ellie rolls her eyes and leans over to watch the interview clip. 

‘...and I…deal with the bruises on my knees…’

“Wait, rewind it. Who the fuck is that?” Ellie scoots closer, suddenly very interested in the interview. 

Dina tells her your name and that you played the bass guitar and rewinds the video to the interviewer asking about how much you slept around and you basically admitting what a munch you were but Ellie found it very interesting how you had told her it was a ‘one-way street kind of thing’. 

“Do you think they’re still tickets on sale for tonight?” Ellie mumbles casually, opening her phone and typing your band name into Google. 

“Probably not for tonight but I bought two for me and Jesse but he had to do something for his mom last minute. So I have an extra! Why’re you suddenly interested anyway?”, she looks at Ellie with a skeptical look. Dina had been trying to get Ellie to listen to your music for months. 

Ellie tries to play it cool, shrugging her shoulders and taking a pull from her joint, “I dunno, guess they just look cool.”

Dina hums and looks at Ellie with squinted eyes, not convinced, but shrugs her shoulders. Happy she doesn’t have to go to the concert alone. 

–

Slipping your earpieces in you roll your neck and shake the anxiety out of your limbs. The sound of the crowd fills you with adrenaline and you peek out from the curtain. It was a sold-out show tonight, you guys were performing in your hometown and knew the crowd would have an amazing energy. Oliver being the lead singer was always the one to go on stage first, followed by Luna the backup singer, then Noah the drummer, then Bea who played the keyboard, and finally you who played the bass guitar and when needed acoustic guitar. 

As you walked onto the stage you blew kisses toward the crowd as you approached your guitar. Oliver was riling them up and thanking everyone for coming tonight. You had a different kind of nervous energy buzzing through you tonight because you were debuting a new song tonight and you were the singer of it. You were also very excited because you and the band had planned to go to your favorite bar after the show. 

The energy from the crowd was amazing and you got lost in your music. Your favorite feeling.

You hadn’t even realized that you had captured a certain someone's full attention as you danced and jumped around the stage, playing your guitar like it was your lifeline.  

–

Ellie felt like an absolute loser waiting by the doors for your band to come out but kept telling herself she’s been standing here for twenty minutes because Dina wanted to say hi to you so bad. She and Dina had shoved their way to the front so they could see you as soon as you came out.

As the door opens Ellie is severely disappointed when it’s not you but the dorky-looking lead singer. The crowd seemed to be thrilled though. They had waited several more minutes when finally you walked out of the door, head thrown back in laughter as you and Luna joked around. The crowd had thinned out allowing Dina to approach you with her poster in hand. 

You smiled brightly when she approached you, eyeing her up and down, maintaining eye contact as she spoke. She had gushed about how she had been a huge fan and this was her first time seeing you in concert. She was cute. Thick dark hair and stunning eyelashes. You kept smiling at her as you signed her poster. 

“We’re going to the Tipsy Bison tonight. You should come with us.”, you told her, taking a step closer, and biting the inside of your cheek. 

She turns around slightly and that’s when you notice her friend. Oh…fuck. You would have some sore ass knees tomorrow but these two were worth it. 

“Els? You up for going to a bar?”, she asks in a hopeful tone. Please say yes, Els.

She catches your eye and you hold eye contact, giving her a flirty smile. You expect her to shy away from your confidence but she glances at you up and down, her eyes returning to yours causing you to falter slightly, eyes widening and heart racing. The fuck? You are so used to being the confident one. Oh, you have to get to know her. 

“Yeah. I’m down.”, she glances at her friend, “You wanna ask Jesse if he wants to come?”Jesse? Who the fuck is Jesse? Was Jesse a fan too? Because Jesus the idea of these two was thrilling but a third person was making you nervous. 

The girl turns back to you, “Oh my god he would love that. Jesse is my boyfriend and he’s a huge fan. He would die if he could meet you guys. Would it be totally weird if I invited him?”

Ohh okay. Alright, she has a boyfriend. Damn. Her green-eyed friend, however? Ah fuck it, the more the merrier. 

“Not weird at all! We’re heading there in the next, like thirty minutes. I’ll see you both there.”, you smile, looking at the green-eyed girl with your best flirty eyes as you step back to regroup with the band.  

–

You’ve never been a fan of getting drunk, always preferring smoking over drinking. That being said, you did love a good raspberry vodka and Sprite. You were sipping on one as you lean on the bar enjoying the ambiance of your favorite place. Noah sat on your right and was chatting up some girl and Bea was on your left venting to you about how annoying her girlfriend was sometimes. Luna and Oliver were probably hooking up in the bathroom, they think you have no clue but they are not subtle, at all. 

A voice calling your name turns you around and you catch the girls from earlier along with a rather handsome man behind them, assuming this is Jesse. Damn. 

“Hey! I’m so glad you guys could make it!”, you introduce Bea and Noah to them and realize you never caught their names, “I– oh my god I never asked for your names.”

Laughing it off, the girl you first talked to introduces herself as Dina and her green-eyed friend is Ellie. Cute. Dina and Bea start chatting, as do Noah and Jesse.

Leaning on the back of your chair you catch Ellie’s eye, the vodka soda giving you a warm confidence, “So what’d you think of the show?”

Ellie steps closer to you and stuffs her hands into her jean pockets, “It was great. I had never heard of you guys till today but you’re amazing.”, her eyes scan your face as she talks.

“Never? Ouch.”, you jokingly cringe and lean back.

Ellie’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush, “No I mean not– not never I just– Dina showed me some interview, and I–”, she rambles but you cut her off. She’s cute when she’s nervous.  

“I’m joking! Calm down.”, you laugh and lean towards her again, “Which interview?”

Giving you a shy smile she rubs a hand along the back of her neck, “The one for Strings magazine? I think.”

“Oh god. That was an interesting one. I’ve never had an interviewer ask about my sex life before.”, you run a hand across your face as you chuckle.

She laughs at your cringing, “Yeah…can’t say I’d like to talk about my sex life on camera to a stranger. But I bet your answer will make her think twice before asking something like that again.”

“Yeah? You remember my answer?”, smirking at her as you talk.

She steps even closer to you, if you moved your hands they would brush against her, “It’s the reason I asked to come with Dina tonight.”

Your eyebrows raise at her confidence, “Oh? You curious about what all the fuss is about?”, biting your bottom lip and making your eyes look up at her the way you knew drove people crazy.

Ellie hums, “I’m more curious about what you said about it being a ‘one-way street’. Because if I’m not wrong? You mean no one’s ever shown you how much they appreciate you?”, she speaks with a smirk and you feel your face growing warm. This girl…

Your mouth falls open and you stutter, “I mean– I’m not– I’m not like some virgin…but no one’s…ever offered to…do that? I just– I’ve always– I enjoy it! So I figured, might as well.”, you ramble out and you can feel your palms grow sweaty, god you hope you aren’t making an absolute fool out of yourself right now.  

She leans in, her lips ghosting your ear as she whispers, “Anyone who hasn’t offered is a fucking moron.”, pulling her head back she speaks inches away from your face, “Because it was the first fucking thing that crossed my mind when I saw you.”

You swallow hard, eyes glancing down to her lips where they sit in that cocky smirk she wears so well. Ellie stands straight and takes a step back, she bites back a smile at your flustered state. For the first time that night, you’re at a loss for words, mouth opening, and closing as you try to think of something to say. 

Ellie glances down to her pockets, pulling out a thin tube and popping the cap open with her thumb, looking at you and tilting her chin, “You smoke? I’ve got some good shit.”

You mumble a breathy ‘yeah’ and slip off of the bar stool, shooting back the rest of your drink and taking a deep breath before you turn around and follow Ellie out of the bar. 

– 

Your eyes follow the roach that rests in Ellie’s fingers as it makes its way to her lips. God, you could jump her right now. Your eyes are heavy and a lazy smile seems to permanently rest on your lips. Her eyes drift to yours and look you up and down in a way that sends shivers through you. 

Fuck it. You step in front of her and grip the front of her flannel pulling her towards you, pressing your lips to hers. Your lips mesh together messily as the taste of raspberry vodka and weed mingles on your tongue. Her hands rest on either side of your face as you lean your body into hers. 

Ellie pulls back slightly and mumbles in a breathy voice, “Bathroom?”

You stutter as her lips begin to trail down your jaw, “My– our van is parked in the– parking lot. The– the back windows are tinted.”. Ellie mumbles against your skin to take you both there. 

You grab her hand in yours and quickly walk towards the van parked behind the bar. Oh! The others! Fuck! You grab your phone from your back pocket, open your band's group chat, and text them “Do NOT come to the van. OCCUPIED.”. Not waiting for them to make fun of you, you stuff your phone back in your pocket. 

You fumble with your keys and unlock the back doors, you step into the van and close the doors after Ellie steps in, making sure to lock them. You turn around and place your hands on either side of Ellie’s face and press your lips to hers. The sound of your breathy moans and sighs fills the van. Pressing your hands on her shoulders, you both lower to the carpeted floor with your legs straddling her. Your hand threads through her short auburn hair as your lips trace down her jaw and neck. You need to hear her so you give her hair a slight yank causing a quiet whimper to escape. There it is. 

“That was a cute sound.”, you let your lips ghost over hers as you tease her. 

Her cheeks flush a pretty shade of pink and her grip on your hips tightens, “Fuck off…I wanna hear what pretty sounds you can make, yeah?”. You ‘tsk’ and let your hands travel to the button of her jeans, one hand traveling under her shirt and tracing her skin with a feathery touch.

“What if I wanna hear you, huh?”, as you begin to lower her zipper her left-hand grips your wrists, and her right-hand grips your jaw yanking your face so close to hers you can feel her breaths.  

She shushes you as your lips meet with a gentleness that conflicts with the grip she has on your jaw, “Be a good girl for me and let me taste your cunt? Can you do that, baby?”. Her condescending tone turns you into putty and you are at a loss for words so you hum and nod your head. 

Smirking at your pitiful state she lets her hands slide down to your plush thighs, “Lay back for me baby.”

You obey wordlessly, laying back on the soft carpet and leaning on your elbows. Your face is warm and you can feel the familiar coil forming in your lower belly as Ellie places her arms on either side of you sucking harsh red and purple marks on your neck. Ellie places kisses down your chest and your stomach, lifting the bottom of your shirt to kiss your lower stomach, eyes on you the entire time. She unbuttons your jeans and slides them off your legs, cursing as her eyes find the growing wet spot on your panties. 

“All I’ve done is kiss you and you’re this wet for me baby?”, her fingers trace your inner thighs and she mocks you. 

The delicious feeling of lustful embarrassment fills your veins and you bite your bottom lip and nod your head at Ellie. Hooking her fingers in the waistband of your panties she slides them down your legs, tossing them behind her. 

She smirks as she looks up at you, “Tell me what you want baby. C’mon.”

“Fuck Ellie please”, you give your best puppy dog eyes. Her smirk grows and she ghosts her thumb over your clit, not giving it nearly enough attention.

“Please what? Huh? I heard your voice on stage. I know you’ve got it in you, baby. Tell me.”, she chides, thumb pressing onto your clit with more pressure.

“Please please fuck me. Please, Ellie, need you to fuck me.”

“Well since you asked like such a good girl.”, dipping her head down she places her warm mouth on your cunt. The feeling causes you to curse and throw your head back. Ellie devours your cunt like it is her last meal, the coil in your lower belly becoming tighter.

“Fuck. Fuck!”, the sounds filling the van are pornographic. Your head lifts and you glance down the length of your body. Sensing your eyes Ellie raises her eyes to meet yours, her tongue circling your clit perfectly causing your thighs to shake and you can see the mischievous glint in her green eyes. Your lewd moans fill the space. 

You throw your head back again at the feeling of her fingers filling you. A loud whine escapes you when her movement stops abruptly, bringing your head back up, your eyes meet hers and she resumes her movement. Fucking…this girl is unbelievable. The coil in your belly is becoming painful as her fingers curl and stroke the spongy spot that makes your toes curl. Your eyes water when she adds a third finger, stroking all the right places.

The coil finally snaps when she flattens her tongue against your clit, “I’m gonna– Oh my– oh– Fuck!”, your thighs clench as you ride your orgasm out on Ellie’s tongue. Her movements slow and she gently removes her fingers as you drop from your elbows and lay flat on the floor. 

“Holy shit. I don’t think– I’ve ever cum that hard.”, you mumble and cover your face with your arms. Ellie chuckles as she moves above you and pushes your arms away. Her lips gently meet yours, the dizzying sensation of tasting yourself makes your face warm. 

Leaning up on your elbows you raise your chin to look up at her leaning over you, “Have you ever wanted to go on tour with a band?”

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

Im pretty sure Alastar's soul is owned by Lilith or Eve.

Cause if Adam is in heaven and just having sex with whoever, I really think Eve isn't in the picture.

We would have seen her with him.

I do think he cast all blame of the original sin on her and she's in Hell.

Adam clearly lied or cheated his way to heaven. As in, no one seriously seems to know why he's here. Especially not Sera. Maybe not even Adam, but it's likely he knows and is hiding it.

So she could be using Alastar to fund this hotel to stick it to Adam to get him down here and torture her.

Or, the far more compelling angle I think they're going for....

I think it's Lilith.

I also think Lilith made Charlie keep her distance from her father because she blames him entirely for the fall of man.

Given what we know about the "story of hell" as it is provided to us in episode one.

Not to mention, a certain famous singer in Hell also went missing for seven years.

Alastar has also went missing for seven years.

I do think perhaps Alastar bit off more than he could chew and tried to take Lillith's soul. She is said to have a beautiful voice, and he's in the business of collecting voices. (Makes me wonder why he kept Husk Alive. Husk must of either really begged or he likes cats.)

But she was too strong for him and wrapped the chain around his neck.

The reason I'm inclined to believe Lilith owns Alastar over Eve,

Is like, Alastar HATED Lucifer on sight. Shakes the man's cane, discreetly wipes it on his jacket like it was dirty, and called him short to his face. This was even before Lucifer even got a word in about insulting the hotel.

It could be that he's Charlie's Dad, but if you remember the first episode, Alastar is the first one to mention Charlie's "Daddy issues" and broadcasted it on their first commerical.

Maybe he heard this from Charlie...but going after Luci's pride specifically (as he is the sin of pride) as her father, and constantly jabbing him with things to get under his skin.

Like Alastar knows he wouldn't win the fight for Charlie's affection. Like that is her biological dad and if they make up that's not much he can do on that.

His goal was clearly to annoy him.

So I think Lilith sent Alastar to the Hotel to protect and help Charlie.

And does that mean getting super protective and defensive toward a guy you've only heard negative things about from his ex-wife?

Also yes.

Like we all originally thought Alastar funded this Hotel as a pet project because he wanted to cozy to Lucifer's daughter and gain power by being a social climber.

THAT IS CLEARLY not the case anymore.

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Changes chapter 45

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The second she had run out of the house, Julie flew up into the sky. She didn't care if she was seen and if some mortal would freak out. She was freaked out.

She had recognised Lucy, vaguely at first, but the more the woman had talked te more familiar she'd seem. And then, of course, there was the boy she had recognised as Sam. Sam, who she remembered, from the summer camp Michael had talked to her about. Sam who seemed to know about vampires and how to recognise them. Sam, who seemed more than ready to reveal their true nature to everyone.

As she landed on the roof of Max' house, she pulled her legs up, leaning her head on her knees. Only then, when she was sitting there alone, thinking about all that had happened the past weeks, did she dare to let the tears flow.

She cried, thick, bloody tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were bloodred as she looked up at the shadow looming over her.

"Dwayne?"

Maria stood in front of the grave, a fresh bouquet of flowers in her hands. "I'm sorry, Shell," she said quietly, placing the flowers on the marble headstone. "It shouldn't have been you. You saved me in there."

She was quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"I'm going to try and take this company down. They'll burn for what they did to us. You'll be remembered," she added with a soft sigh. "I just hope you find more peace in your next life."

With those words, she left the grave behind, stepping into her car. She had a job to do.

"Is she alright?" Lucy asked as she sent her son and his friends upstairs.

"This was probably a bit much for her," Max said with an apologetic smile. "She's been through a lot, and sometimes that means her instincts will go in over drive."

"I don't know what happened to her, but I am quite certain that she is my niece. I want to make sure she is, before I inform my sister."

Max nodded, wondering quietly whether or not vampire dna would even work in a dna test.

"I'll ask her if she's okay with that." He brought the last plates to the kitchen, opening the tab and getting some dish soap. Lucy was about to protest, but by seeing his determined look, she decided not to. Instead, she grabbed the towel so she could dry the cleaned dishes.

"What was she like before all this?" Max asked, as he placed a soapy cup on the counter.

"She's always been a bit quiet, but she did have a, well, you know, quite a temper, pulling pranks. She knew how to have fun. Oh, and she was such a wonderful singer!"

Max smiled, a hint of sorrow apparent in it. Not once had he heard her sing, not even after returning her voice.

"She also liked cooking. Whenever she stayed with me, she'd always love to help."

"I'm afraid she's not longer like that," Max said honestly, looking at Lucy. "The people who took her, they broke her. They took a lot from her. It's been almost a year now since I fostered her, and she's come very far in that time."

Lucy nodded. "You're a good man, Max. Not many would do what you did."

"I'm certain you'd do the exact same thing, Lucy."

The woman blushed, a shy smile on her face. "Well..."

Max grinned, looking at her. "May I propose that we'll have dinner again, tomorrow. At my place. I believe Sam isn't quite ready yet to see you dating someone."

"I am so sorry about him, I really don't know what has gotten into that boy!"

"He's probably just scared I am going to replace his father," Max shrugged, "It's normal for boys his age to act like that."

"Well, if you're certain. But I would love to have dinner at your place." She gave him a small peck on his cheek. "And please tell Julie that if she wants to join, she absolutely can. I don't want her to feel unwelcome in her -" she paused for a second, realising the truth of her words, "her own home."

Max smiled, nodding. "Will do. I'll see you tomorrow at seven."

Dwayne didn't say anything as he sat down next to the weeping girl, gently pulling her closer. "Just let it all out," he said softly as his hand brushed absentmindedly through her hair. Julie didn't say anything as she cried and cried, and after a good thirty minutes, there was not a single tear left in her body.

"What has gotten you so upset?"

"Everything," Julie looked at him. "Everything is just so - my friend was killed, Maria is leaving town, I haven't seen any of you for ages, Max is dating a woman who happens to be my aunt but I barely remember her and it is so awkward and weird, and then her son seems to know about vampires and seems to be determined that either Max or I are vampires, and then David also acts like an asshole towards me and I just don't know why."

"I didn't think you wanted to see me. You were quite cold yourself when I came to check on you."

Julie nodded quietly, knowing that that was true.

"What scares you most about Max dating this woman?"

"That it's true," she said quietly. "That my mom really is out there, but that I don't remember her correctly or at all. Or that she'll think that Max hurt me, while all he did was safe me."

Dwayne nodded, thinking about an answer. "Sounds to me like you're just scared to see your mum again. I don't think she'd care about Max, I think she'd just be happy to see you again."

David was quiet as he saw Star feed, finally making her first kill. He had given her an ultimatum, and he felt a quiet satisfaction that she had finally agreed to do it. Things had been a mess lately. He had already admitted to himself that even though Star wasn't necessarily his type, there was something about her that made him want to be around her.

And then she brought Michael in. David shook his head, wondering if he ever could manage to get him to feed.

He distanced himself from Star, waiting next to a telephone box. Inside the phone was ringing. David stepped inside, closed the door, and picked up the horn.

"I assume you did as we demanded."

"Yes." Was all he answered, a sense of dread spreading through his bones. This was bad, he knew. Really bad.

When the Frogs got home later that night, leaving Sam behind at his place, they were certain of one thing. That girl had been a vampire, and that man was her protector. And it was their task as junior vampire hunters to do something about it. They grinned as they looked at each other, gathering the stakes they'd made.

Tomorrow, they'd slay a vampire.

Next chapter >

[sydneyofalltrades]

So I was rereading The Hunger Games and it was the first reaping and a line during the reaping stuck out to me.

As the children are being lined up like livestock for slaughter, someone (maybe the mayor? I can’t remember currently) is making a speech on former victors. Katniss makes a mention of saying “In 74 years, District 12 has only had two. Only one is alive now.” <- or something along those lines.

The one living victor is obviously Haymitch Abernathy, yet the only other District 12 winner was the Covey singer Lucy Gray Baird.

However, Lucy Gray’s games were deleted off all public records as Dr. Gaul wanted no one to have any reminders of the game, so how does Katniss or anyone of District 12 know of Lucy Gray’s win? Through gossip and rumors? Whispers in the Hob? The Covey was largely speculated to have remained in District 12 after Lucy Gray’s disappearance, did they tell her story?

It was just interesting to see a mention of Lucy Gray after Gaul’s and Snow’s attempts to remove her from history. I know THG was written ages before TBOSAS was, and perhaps this was just an error, but it seemed interesting to mention

[vickyvicarious]

cold is the night - the oh hellos

this is a very jonmina coded song, if you ask me

Oh man, I totally see it. Honestly, so much of it works for each of them individually as well as together. "Cold is the night without you here / just your absence ringing in my ears" is both of them them when separated in the first half of the book, as is "long is the road that leads me home / and longer still when I walk alone" honestly. It may seem more like just Jonathan on a surface level (especially as this is all the male singer before the female voice comes in), but if we are thinking of a less literal 'home' and 'walk' then it fits Mina too. Her home here is Jonathan, and the road is long and she walks alone because she doesn't know the way to him and cannot leave to find him for so long. The other halves of those first two verses don't fit quite as well initially but they kind of work in the sense of the 'memento mori'. Jonathan couldn't simply forget what happened to him and move on with his life - his trauma still affected him and Dracula was still out there. Similarly, later on when Dracula leaves England, they cannot surrender to the impulse to let him get away and just live on together because then Mina would turn into a vampire. In both instances "without the bad, the good disappears". And the lines "bitter is the thought of all that time / spent searching for something I'll never find" honestly works well for both of them in guilty retrospect about what happened to Lucy. Jonathan for not wanting to confront his memories when doing so may have given a key to save her sooner and Mina for both her irrational idea of exposing Lucy to Dracula in the first place as well as her ineffective efforts to help her in Whitby and her inability to be by her side when Lucy was dying.

Both of them have asked the other to "take this burden away from me / and bury it before it buries me". Both of them could say "many are the days I've wanted to cease / lay myself down and find some relief" especially in the latter part of the book. And the line about "heavy is the head that gets no sleep" needs no explaining for these poor sleep-deprived vampire hunters. The lines asking for apathy specifically to be taken away and buried make me think of Mina. Her lack of energy and apathy is a major symptom of turning into a vampire.

"Steady is the hand that's come to terms / with the lessons it has had to learn / I've seen the things that I must do / but Lord, this road is meant for two / so I am waiting here for you" is such a great verse because it could work for both of them in all the diverging directions there's tension about near the end of the book. For Mina, this could be her asking Jonathan to promise to kill her. She knows what she must do (or what must be done to her), but that road is meant for two not in the sense of him joining her as a vampire, but in the sense that she wants him to free her soul from that state. She wants him with her. She wants him to "take my hand and set me free" when it's too late.

And it can work just as well for Jonathan determining that he must turn himself against humanity if that happens. Deciding that this is what he must do, because the road is meant for two and he will follow with her. In this scenario Mina taking his hand would set him free from humanity and all the burdens of morality that weigh him down. Because despite how much he cares about all of those things and how much guilt he feels at the idea of becoming such and evil being, he cares about her more.

And it works too for both of them being determined to hunt down Dracula together to save her. They cannot stay behind, they cannot ignore this, they know what they must do. But they must do it together, they succeed as a team (even when not physically together) and leaving Mina out has been a harsh lesson Jonathan has had to learn. This leans more into the memento mori again but it still works.

This is a great song for the Harkers. And lyrics aside, I really like the gentle sound for them finding comfort together, no longer alone in the cold night.