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erenjaegerwifee · 4 months ago

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Secret Is Out 2

Request: Can I request a Jake Sully x Neytiri x Human/Avatar reader poly fic? Part 2 to Secert Is Out.

Reader accidentally walks in on Jake and Neytiri having sex. She gets embarrassed and is about to leave but they ask her to join them. Includes - Jake and reader giving into temptation, Jake calling reader baby or babygirl, Neytiri wanting to just watch as her husband pleasures reader, reader being hesitant at first but with Jak's soothing yet dirty words, she finally gives in.

Paring: Jake Sully x Neytiri x Fem!Avatar!Reader

Warnings: MDNI 18+, NSFW, orals (m & f recieving), p in v, switch Jake, switch reader, sub neytiri, threesome, girl x girl, facials, titty playing, face sitting, kissing, cum eating.

Word Count: 3k

Disclaimer: All my characters are aged-up! If you have and issue with that feel free to scroll and do not interact with my account or any of my posts.

“Hey babygirl how you holding up in here?” Jake asked you as he walked into your marui pod like he lives there. It has been about 6 months since you decided to stay at the reef and life has been better. You are closer to your daughter that ever before and Jake has been feeling a lot like he was when he was your husband. You aren’t sure how to feel about it but it is very nostalgic, you never thought you’d feel that way again.

“I��m fine Jake you do not have to come every day to ask how I am doing, Kiri isn’t here” Kiri moved in with your shortly after you decided to stay, it was nice finally being a family. Of course, her siblings are still her siblings and they come around often to your marui pod, you have great relationships with all of them. You only really ever see Neytiri when you all eat together. You and Jake, both said it would benefit the children for them to see us getting along after everything that has happened and she agreed.

She does not hate you, Neytiri is a kind woman, but not one of many words. You've seen her move closer to you whilst eating gradually and now she opts to sit right next to you which is something you did not expect from her. She is beautiful and strong; you do not go out of your way to put yourself in situations with her you still don’t fully know how she feels about you.

“I know I don’t have to come here every day, but I just want to make sure you're settling in fine.”

“Jake, I’ve been here for six months, I settled five months ago... why are you really here?” you look up from your weaving basket to his face. “I don’t know babygirl, it’s nice to have you around again, it’s not like we spent much time together after the divorce, I want to make sure you know I am sorry for how it happened, it wasn’t fair to you. I let you deal with an entire pregnancy and birth of our first child alone.”

“Our first child? Jake she is our only child. And it is not your fault, I choose to keep that from you, we have had this conversation more than a doesn’t times now Jake, it’s not like you don’t know your daughter. You just didn’t know she was yours.” you said to him.

“Ok real talk, Neytiri thinks you should be more involved in the children's lives. You don’t do much besides sit in here all day, go out enjoy the beach, you always loved the beaches on earth when we would drive down what’s different?” Jake said

“Jake you aren’t seriously asking me that are you? What's different now is we aren’t together anyone. I want to keep those happy married memories to myself, I stayed to be closer to my daughter, to the children, not to enjoy the fucking scenery” You huffed.

“Ok maybe that came out wrong, how about you think about it and later in the week we call all go have a nice fun beach day without doing chores, we can have a cook out, like the old times and just relax.” Jake pitched his idea to get you move involved and it just kind of made you mad. Why would you want to do out there and be around him and his new wife and their perfect kids. Not that your daughter isn’t the most special being on this moon. It's the principle.

“I’ll think about it okay?” You sighed and went back to weaving while Jake took his leave. You knew being here would be hard but you didn’t think it would be this hard. You don’t want to watch the love of your life who is now your ex-husband fall all over another woman. How is that even remoting fair to you? Doesn’t help that she is probably the most gorgeous woman in this entire clan.

---

The next few days went on normally, Jake still stopped by to remind you about beach day. You went shelf searching with Kiri and Tuk, you ate meals as a family every day. You even rode an ilu for the third time since you’ve been at the reef with Neteyam and Lo’ak.

All in all, it was a good week so you decided to agree to the beach day with Jake, mentally preparing yourself to be unfazed by his love for his new woman. You walk slowly over to this marui pod, it was only a couple doors away from yours. The kids had gone out the metkayina children to explore the reef and would be back by dinner so you had time to speak to Jake and Neytiri about making plans.

You expecting them both to be at home because of the giggling you heard before you got there, good sign the marui flap was open so you thought nothing of it when you walked in. However, your eyes were meet with quite the scene, jake was sitting in the corner of the marui pod leaning back against the wall looking down at his wife between his legs as she jerks off his cock. His hands are in her hair holding it up slightly but not a full ponytail. Her tongue darts out to lick the pre cum off his tip and you hear him gasp in sync with yours.

You feel like you brain lagged when you saw them you didn’t know what to do but you couldn’t stop looking, “What the fuck!” you yell and covered your eyes. You heard them scramble but you don’t move your hands so you aren’t sure what they look like right now. “Y/n! What are you doing here?” Jake asked.

You peaked through your fingers to see Neytiri sitting on her calves still between Jake’s legs, topless. Jake has his hand cover his dick like you’ve never seen it. You drop your hands and dart your eyes between then. “I came to tell you I want to do the beach day thing...clearly, I came at a bad time. You could have shut the flap no one wants to see this” your eyes kept getting drawn from Jake’s poorly covered cock to Neytiri’s perky tits, you tried to look away but you just couldn’t. “Sorry, we weren’t expecting you to come by, not that we mind...” Neytiri spoke up, sounds like that sentence had a double meaning.

Only then you clocked the way she looked at you, like she wanted to eat you. Neytiri stood up slowly, her tail swayed as she walked up to you. You couldn’t move a muscle like you were frozen in time, she appeared as if she didn’t care whether or not someone saw her half naked form when she stepped outside directly in front of you. She walked circles around you curling your tail around her hand running her fingers down your back. “What are you doing?” you ask her softly.

“I am observing you. Ever since I have known you, I have respected you. I can smell you, normal people would walk away from a private moment, not disrupt it. So, what are you doing?” her voice was smooth, calm, as if she knew exactly what you were thinking.

“Unintentionally disrupting.” Your eyes follow her now as she takes your hand and pull you into the pod, this time closing the flap. She pauses her movements next to you and looks at Jake. You mimic her action looking at him as well. The only two women he has ever loved standing in front of his naked form, he isn’t sure what to do but he knows he wants to do it. “I see the way you look at her, she is not just your ex now ma Jake, she is the mother of one of your children, maybe after this a couple more” Neytiri spoke to him.

She took your hand guiding you to walk closer to him and you make no move to fight her. “He was yours first, show me how you please him I want to learn.” you look at jake and his eyes darted to his now wife then back to you, he sees your hesitance to join them, but he doesn’t want anything more. You drop to your knees and you feel Neytiri’s hand above your neck untying your top. When it falls to the floor in front of you, you see Jake dart his eyes down to your tits and back up to your face.

Maybe it was the human genes but your tits were on the bigger side. His eyes dart back down and he licked his lips trapping it between his teeth. “Are you sure about this?” your question is directed to Jake; he is the one you need to know wants you before you put yourself more into this position. Neytiri joined you between Jakes legs and he looked at you both before letting out a breath, “yes babygirl, I want you, remember how much fun we used to have, how much you watched to fuck around every corner, under every tree? I know you want this just as much as we do. I know everything has been tough but let me make it up to you. Your hands swatted his away from his cock and you took it in your hands, you stroked it a couple times before finally saying something.

“He likes it when you roll your tongue around the tip, pay attention to it, makes him feel good, like this” your tongue darts out and you kitten lick his tip taking the pearls of pre-cum into your mouth.

You close your lips around him circling your tongue listening to the way he moaned at the feeling of you on him again. Neytiri pulled your hair up into a ponytail and held it on top of your head as you sucked on Jake’s cock. Her other hand moves up and down his thigh as she moved her head under your running her tongue over the length of his cock.

Jake thought he was gonna lose his mind, he never had two women together before, let alone two women he loves sucking on his cock. You pull your head off looking up at him when you speak again, “He likes it when you suck on his balls too”

Neytiri wasted no time going down lower to run her tongue on his balls. You crawled up to his face letting hair fall down your back lining your cunt up with the tip of his cock. You were directly over him now but made no move to sink down on him. You let your cunt making his cock wet feeling the way every shift in his position hit your clit.

“You want me?” You whispered to Jake as you looked him in the eye, “want me to sit down on your cock baby?” your mouth went down to kiss along his neck loving the way he submitted to you so easily. “Y-yea, yea please” he whimpered, making Jake turn into a puddle under you has never been difficult. “Awe, you already know what to do, I don’t have to remind you” you smile into his skin before you pulled back sitting up on your knees.

You hand come down behind you and pull Neytiri up from Jake’s cock by her hair, her hand flies up to yours as she squeals but quickly pat down and follow your movements. “Lay down” you say to Jake and he waste no time scooting down on his back and watches as you tell Neytiri to sit on his face. Jake thinks he is about to explode and he hasn’t even got his cock in one of you yet.

He had forgot how good it felt to let go and let you take the lead, Neytiri is a strong woman, but in bed she was a sub through and through. Jake was always in charge of her, not of you. “All your weight sweetheart, he won’t break” you pushed her down by her shoulder and watch as her body slumped forward as his tongue on her clit.

She looks so pretty when she moans like that, so beautiful, you almost got lost in just watching her get off on his face. One of Jake’s big arms wraps around Neytiri’s thigh and the other comes to look for your hip. You finally allow yourself to sink down on his big cock. It’s been so long since you felt it, the sting of the stretch is amazing. You sit for a second before starting to bounce slowly on his gradually increasing your pace.

Every time Jake moans into Neytiri she doubles over until you and both only inches away from each other. One of your hands comes to your neck and she pulls you in for a heated kiss. Her tongue rolls around yours making a mess out of both of you. Neytiri comes easily on his cock, rolling her hips until she slides down his chest until she is seated on his abdomen. Her hands come to your waist holding you as you bounce up and down on Jake’s cock.

Neytiri kisses down your neck to your tits and sucks on the nipple greedily. Your moans become louder and your pace becomes messy as you let go on Jake’s cock. He feels the way you gush wetting his cock inside you. He had to take a second to look away so he doesn’t cum inside you so quickly, he knows he is in for more. When you slow down and stop your pace Neytiri hops off Jake and before you can she speaks, “Ma Jake, please her, I want to watch you please her, like you used to” you look at her still breathing heavily before your eyes switch to Jake.

“Yes ma’am” he says before he pulls you off his dick and flips you over on all fours. “She likes this position; she used to bend over and take it anywhere you know?” he said to his wife as his hand brushing the skin of your back. Hearing him tell her those things makes you skin hot, your neck feels like it was on fire, you were blushing. Your skin turns purple and she sees it smiling at the sight of you getting flustered.

You push your ass back into him letting him know you wanted him to stick it in like you always had. Jake chuckled behind you remembering all the different ways and places he fucked you and make you take his cum. His cock slips into you once again, not as painfully as the first time but you still feel the stretch. His cock immediately started hitting you g-spot making you mewl into the air.

Your head doesn’t take long to drop and Neytiri brushed your hair over your shoulder so she can see your face from neck to you. Her toys with her clit watching the way your brow furrowed and your nose scrunches feeling Jake thrust into you so deeply. “F-fuck Jake” his thrust speed up at your words. He always loved hearing you say his name, loved the way you feel apart on his cock.

“Feels good babygirl? Taking me so fucking well” he says through gritted teeth. His pace speeds up turning your whimpers in full blown screams, you can’t help it he feels so good inside you, he always knew just how to make you cum. Jake watches the way your ass bounces against his body and he almost loses it. The jiggly of your ass sends him way back to when he first buried his cock on it, to the first time he buried his face in it.

He would never want you to feel like this is all he loves about you but by Eywa Jake has always loved your ass. The way it moves when you walk, the way it looks when he used to slap it when you would walk by, when you would press it up against him when you slept. Makes him think about fucking you all the time. His hand comes down hard on your ass making you mewl loudly as he rubs the area.

“Look baby, she’s gonna cum on my cock” he smiles as he feels your walls clamp down on him hard, he always knew how to manipulate your body the way he wanted. You don’t really process the way Neytiri smiles at this, the way she was so pleased Jake did exactly what she thought he would do for you, make you feel good.

He slows his pace and pulls out of you letting you fall to the side. You lay and watch the way Neytiri smiles and leaps into Jake’s arms as they indulge themselves in a heated kiss. It was one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen him do, and Jake used to do incredibly hot things. He pulls away from her when he sees you sit up on your knees like Neytiri and move closer to them. He pulls you into a heated kiss and he has both his arms wrapped around you both.

Your hand moves down to stroke his cock that was still hard when you felt Neytiri’s hand too. “You didn’t cum” you whisper against his lips.

“Oh, I’m about too babygirl” he smiles before he lets you both go standing up on his feet in front of you. Both you and Neytiri look up at him with wide eyes as he begins stroking his cock over your faces. “Tongues out” he demands as he speeds up his pace and cums on your tongues and cheeks, some even landing on your chest. He looked down lovingly at you both as you share sweet kisses tasting his cum on your skin.

Best thing he ever did was invite you to beach day.

🪸I hope you all enjoyed reading! This was a fun request to make and I definitely enjoyed it!

🪸Reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated

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#jake sully x neytiri #neytiri x jake #jake x reader #jake smut #jake <3 #jake avatar #avatar jake sully #jake sully smut #jake sully x reader #jake sully imagine #dilf jake sully #neytiri atwow #neytiri x y/n #jake x neytiri x reader #neytiri x reader #neytiri avatar #neytiri #neytiri sully

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lonelypep · 1 year ago

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every smash bros character ranked by how good of a cook i think they’d be.

82: piranha plant

eating this dish will kill you instantly. turns out he spit some poison in there while no one was looking. and yeah, that sucks, but if you even accepted a meal from this guy i think you have bigger problems

81: ridley.

let’s be real, if you let this guy into the kitchen, you made a huge mistake. it’s like john mulaney’s horse in a hospital sketch: you never know what he’s gonna do next. you’re too focused on getting him out.

80: king k rool.

king k rool is many things. a king, a pirate, a scientist. but he is not a cook. he’ll try, but he has literally no clue what he’s even doing in the kitchen.

79: yoshi

yoshi will give you a dish and you’ll be like “what the fuck is this” and he’ll talk about how it was made from the finest newborns of his home planet. i’m deciding to ignore it but it’s really nagging at me.

78: sonic

sonic shouldn’t be on this list. because he wouldn’t make you any food. he’ll go to the local sonic and get a burger in about 3 minutes. it sucks. disqualified.

77: pac man

what can i say. it tastes like literal plastic. i don’t even wanna know how he made it. i’ll give it back to him but the nice thing about pac man is he wouldn’t give a shit.

76: bowser jr.

fuck this guy. he rage quit at making a grilled cheese. now there’s a literal canonball in the stove. now no one else can use it!! this is what happens when you spoil kids.

75: pikachu/pichu

these two are in the same category since they’d make the same thing. they’d get store bought french fries and fry them with lighting outside. it’s consistent, it works, just not really filling. and they don’t know how to make anything else.

74. wario

don’t get me wrong: he knows what he’s doing. he’s the burger king of smash. he’s this low because the burger is the most unhealthy shit you’ll ever have. eating it gave you chronic diarrhea, gastrointestinal issues, and permanently damaged your taste buds. but god fucking damn was it a good burger.

73. hero

he gave you a single piece of bread with butter on it. it’s not bad but…really dude?

72: olimar

he didn’t make you a bad meal, in fact it was one of the best here. but that’s because he didn’t make you something. it was the pikmin and he’s trying to pass it off as his own and the pikmin don’t know because they don’t speak english. 0/10: not fucking cool dude.

71: kazuya

honestly? i don’t trust this guy. i was too intimidated to even ask his name. from what i can gather no one even invited him to the party he just showed up and made a mediocre meal. what’s weird: someone came into the kitchen and claimed this guy killed their whole family. we never saw that guy again. needless to say, kazuya wasn’t invited to the afterparty.

70: link (botw)

don’t get me wrong here, link is a five star chef. he’s just really unsanitary. apparently he cut the meat and vegetables with the same sword he killed calamity ganon with. i don’t wanna taste that guy!! have you seen him?? not to mention he pulled the meal out of his pants. i don’t even know how it fit in there.

69: inkling

she made a pancake and i thought it was good! but i absolutely can’t condone this. inkling left so much fucking weird slime and shit all over my house. and got really competitive when she heard i was getting meals from everyone else. i hope they’re all ok.

68: ROB

it was so processed. the most processed food i’ve ever had in my entire life. it’s not his fault, rob is a great guy. but this tasted like literally nothing.

67: ice climbers

when they told me they were making dessert, i trusted them. but i let someone else taste test first. my best friend was sent to the hospital because of tongue frostbite. didn’t even know that was a thing. i made the ice climbers pay for it (they’re fucking loaded)

66: villager

he made isabelle do it. and she made something great! but i’m not giving this cretin credit for having the money to afford a five star chef. you don’t deserve it because you sold a shit ton of tarantulas villager!!

65: lucario.

dude got really mad and destroyed my kitchen. he’s REALLY lucky he got the burger PERFECTLY cooked.

64: male byleth.

like this dude knows how to cook. he can barely make chicken nuggets. he has to eat in the school cafeteria simply because he never learned how to cook a simple meal. but he’s a really nice guy. total himbo. love him.

63: ryu

i asked this guy what he likes to eat. big mistake. he then went on to say that his training regiment doesn’t condone copious indulgence (his words) and he lives off of nothing but protein shakes. you do you i guess.

62-61: fox/falco

these two went into the kitchen and came out with weird alien food. i didn’t eat it but everyone else seemed to enjoy it

60: greninja

when he first came out i was so excited. he came out with the most finely sliced food i had ever seen in my entire life. but it was soooo watered down. everything tasted like celery. how do you make crab taste like celery?? how??!

59-58: simon/richter

these guys both made the same exact fish recipe, came out at the same time, and proceeded to fight each other. i didn’t get to try any 😭

57-49: every fire emblem character.

genuinely, i can’t tell these guys apart. or their food choices. honestly, my bad. i’m sure they’re good. but where do i even start.

48: sheik

she doesn’t know how to cook. she kidnapped someone else. normally i wouldn’t put someone like that this high but a. i have gender envy b. it’s for the greater good (or so she said)

47: cloud

dude made a great sandwich but he kept screaming random noises while he did. personally, i’m just glad he managed not to destroy the kitchen. that’s a first here.

46: captain falcon

he promised he’d pick up some pizza but got into a car crash on the way there. eventually he got there after the car crash was all sorted out, but got into ANOTHER on the way back. i’m honestly kind of impressed

45: steve

steve could cook an absolutely fucking KILLER meal. he’ll even offer to do it for free. but you shouldn’t let him under any circumstances. he took 13 hours gathering materials and while the wait was, arguably, worth it, i never want to experience it again. (side note: we asked captain falcon to get some pizza while waiting which led to the aforementioned entry)

44: sora

sora doesn’t know how to cook but he’s by far the biggest name at this party. everyone fucking loves him. he’s friends with GOOFY. this dude hangs out with GOOFY. this guys has hung out with GOOFY AND jack sparrow. bad food but i could listen to this guy talk for hours about his story. i’m sure i’ll understand it all.

43-40: pokémon trainer

this guys organization is fucking atrocious. if he can actually get his shit together he’ll cook up some nice vegetarian meals, but that’s a big if.

HONORABLE MENTION: sans mii gunner

sans undertale is a world renowned, famous chef. his recipes are simple, but cooked with such love, care, and finess it turns a simple cheeseburger into a masterpiece. sans undertale would easily top this list. sans mii gunner is not sans undertale. he bought the real sans’ cookbook and thinks he’s some kind of cooking genius. and sure he’s got the recipes but none of the skill to actually make it.

39-38: samus/zero suit samus

hooray! we’re out of bad cook options now. samus is a great cook, but she’s so used to her alien delicacies she doesn’t know how to cook on earth anymore. shame, but i trust her to produce something edible.

37: shulk

he is really good at the grill. unfortunately, he refused to put a shirt on and made everyone a little uncomfy. that being said, he showed me the beach boys and i had never listened to them before. so he gets points.

36-35: pit/dark pit

these guys don’t know how to cook but the flew into the sky and killed some mythical bird for everyone to eat. i couldn’t have any, i’m pescatarian, but everyone else loved it.

34: bayonnetta

she opened a portal to a waffle house and a bunch of demons came flying out. she didn’t make anything, but honestly, absolutely legendary experience that was.

33: duck hunt

you’d think a dog wouldn’t bring anything meaningful. this would be false. that is the freshest duck i’ve ever seen in my entire life. (didn’t eat it: pescatarian)

32: king dedede

he made his legendary homemade mashed potatoes. everyone loved them. so creamy… weirdly perfect. too bad i hate the monarchy. sorry bud.

31: meta knight

meta knight is a great cook and should be higher. but i don’t want him to be. because he’s so fucking pretentious. he sliced all the food in front of everyone and wouldn’t shut up about radiohead. hate this guy.

30-29: daisy/peach

these two put all their private chefs together to make something for everyone. great catering, great food, but they didn’t technically make it. love them.

28: mewtwo

as if mewtwo wouldn’t just read someone’s mind and cook something. but it’s not mewtwo’s food…so…. sorry dude you cheated.

27: dark samus

she really surprised me here. she cooked up the most exquisite alien delicacies i’ve ever tasted in my entire life. should be higher. but unfortunately, i had to get a space parasite removed from my system by regular samus. honestly though… it was worth it.

26: ganon

he was rude to everyone about his cooking skills and wouldn’t stop bragging. asshole am i right? but surprised everyone by grilling his god damn heart out. he’s a bad try hard but like go off i guess.

25: isabelle

she’s trying her absolute fucking best and she deserves the world here. amazing cook, we need to save her from the island.

24: little mac

dude went so hard. brought new york pizza ALL THE WAY FROM NEW YORK. ok, not literally, but he made a damn good pizza

23: snake

full disclosure: snake doesn’t know how to cook. also no one knows he’s an agent. but he has to cook to blend in so you BEST BELIEVE this man is going to COOK like his life depends on it.

22-20: young link, ness, and lucas

all these guys are incredibly mature for their age. surprised everyone at this party. i had deep and philosophical conversations with all of them about appreciating life. i fucking cried. oh and they made everyone sandwiches, and even took my pescatarianism into account.

19: rosalina

she brought weird space ice cream and i felt my mind expanding as i ate it. love her.

18: mr game and watch

he feels like everyone’s dad! and he’s one of those cooks who cooks in front of everyone. dude flung his meals onto everyone’s plates expertly. love him.

17: joker

originally much lower on this list, joker showed up at my house and attempted to make a grilled cheese and made the worst thing i’ve ever taste. then he said something about gru from despicable me and stood in the corner for an hour. originally i had him towards the bottom but then he doordashed five gigantic burgers, ate all of them in one sitting, and then made me an expensive curry that tasted fantastic. dude went hard.

it was at this point i realized i made a mistake with the numbers. like hell if i’m going to fix the whole thing.

22: zelda

she made some weird food but damn was it pretty to look at! crystals, magic power, i mean good vibes all around here.

21-20: pyra and mythra

i feel like i should put them here since they’re confirmed to be good cooks in the game. but between you and me, i didn’t invite them. i’d consider some entries before this to be better cooks but at this point i’ve been working on this list for 8 hours i do not wanna go back and fix things please i mean this whole list is a joke no one should take this seriously

19: banjo and kazooie

these guys can fucking cook. they’ve been living on their own for a while so it makes sense but it still surprises me. they made a really big stew and even brought free puzzle games.

18: wolf

GRILL MASTER. dude knows what he’s doing on that thing. i’ve never seen better spatula work. holy shit.

17: kirby

kirby came in with some weird blonde hair and made some FANTASTIC ribs (that i didn’t have bc i’m pescatarian). weirdly, gordon ramsey went missing the same day…. i’m sure it means nothing.

16: mario

dude made some absolutely spectacular spaghetti. but he kept talking about how great he is and it really off put some people. kinda weird dude.

15: dr mario. dude brought 50 apples to the potluck. guess he doesn’t wanna see anyone in the office. and he didn’t because we ate them all. take that.

14: min min

she brought some soup dumplings which a lot of people hadn’t had! love her. literally fantastic. she had a whole arm for cooking. that’s what we call efficient.

13: ken

he’s kenough. he is amazing at barbecue. he can cook things with his hands, juggle, also he’s just a fun presence. (i made him make fake meat burgers for me)

12: jigglypuff

she showed up with so many pastries. like so many. not only that, but they were decorative!! she put so much work into that. love her.

11: luigi

he tried to make spaghetti like his brother but a literal fucking meteor slammed into his pot and cracked it. tough luck. then he offered to pay and i refused, but went out and got me some really expensive spaghetti anyways! he’s such a nice guy!! shouldn’t be this high… but i love this guy so much. he’s trying his hardest and i respect that.

10: toon link

toon link didn’t actually make anything. but his mom came and made everyone a salad. and honestly! his mom is some great company. she had so many interesting stories about his childhood. honestly she added so much to the function

9: terry

he is the BARBECUE MASTER!!!! literally what the hell how is he so good! everyone at the party kinda stereotyped him but he’s really really progressive with his views which you wouldn’t think for a big barbecue muscle guy in a baseball cap but everyone loved this guy.

8: mega man

the MASTER CHEF!! literally. he was on master chef. he uses thin round blades to slice vegetables, heats things perfectly, has an instance knowledge of spices, just damn. this guy knows what he’s doing.

7-6: bowser and donkey kong

common misconception: everyone thinks these two would have no idea how to cook. but these are FAMILY GUYS HERE!! they’re providing for absolutely gigantic families, these fuckers know how to make a sandwich and they did. initially they started off making separate sandwiches but they have a really similar recipe and decided to work together. and i really respect that. also turns out peach is just bowser’s kids’ babysitter.

5: palutena.

everyone expected her to show up with some absolutely mystical food. naturally, she showed up with the literal ambrosia of the gods. holy shit. unfortunately, she didn’t put as much effort into it as she could’ve.

4: sephiroth.

ok this guy didn’t really cook anything amazing. but his sheer fucking commitment to the vibe is literally legendary. this man has a long as sword he cut 10 veggies at a time with. he heat them with magic world ending fire. when he was done in the kitchen he surrounded himself with fire and gazed menacingly at me. his sheer commitment to the edge lord aesthetic is truly exemplary.

3: incineroar.

THE GRILLING GOAT!! this man is a grill master. he was prepared to grill ANYTHING. and i mean anything. fish, veggies, meat, fucking grilled cheese. love this guy.

2: wii fit trainer

she made the most well balanced and healthy salad i’ve ever had. and she made it taste extraordinary. she can be a little intense about fitness but i’ve never had a healthier meal in my life. it immediately lowered my extremely high cholesterol.

1. diddy kong

he’s about ten. he made you a pb&j. he had homework to do, but he made you a pb&j. he didn’t have to. he wasn’t asked to. he just wanted to make you a pb&j. he could’ve done anything else but he made you a pb&j. what heartless monster wouldn’t accept it.

1K notes · View notes

wintrwinchestr · 7 months ago

Text

bite the hand

the killer & the sound - chapter 3

summary: you hadn't expected joel to put such an abrupt end to... whatever it is you two had. or, what you thought you had, anyway. you write and perform a new song on the second night of the tour about it, and the consequences aren't quite what you expected them to be. how could something that seemed so simple at first have become so complicated?

warnings: 18+, smut, no outbreak au, no use of y/n, rockstar!joel, aspiring rockstar!reader, d/s dynamics, pretty major daddy kink, age gap (reader is early-mid 20’s, joel is early-mid 50’s), pet names (sweetheart, darlin', baby, babygirl, songbird(!!), etc), big time angst, daddy/mommy issues, religious shame, degradation (joel calls you a whore), spanking, fingering, oral (f receiving), unprotected piv sex, manhandling, one (1) kiss, spitting, smoking (reader & other characters), drinking (reader & other characters), getting walked in on, characters who need therapy sooooo badly, lots of internal monologue, let me know if i missed any!!

word count: 13.2k

a/n: as always, thank you so much for your patience and sticking around to see what i put our pookies through this time. these chapters just keep getting longer and longer but it's not my fault they have a lot to say!!!!! if you'd like an idea of what reader's lil diss track sounds like, i very much imagined gibson girl by ethel cain when i wrote it. thank you as always to my best babygirl kiers i love u to death. i hope you like this one, nice comments/reblogs appreciated if you enjoyed!!

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read this chapter on ao3

divider by @saradika-graphics

Jesus Christ, what the hell is he doing?

Joel has been in the shower for at least thirty minutes now, and he’s spent more than half of that time just letting the scalding water pound against his back as his vision goes blurry from the steam. He finished his “rinse off” within five minutes of stepping inside the bathroom, and now he’s just stalling, wondering how the fuck he’s supposed to go back out there and get in bed with you.

If it weren’t for the decades’ worth of tattoos that he can see when he looks down at his bare body, he wouldn’t be able to recognize himself right now. He’s always been one to hit it and quit it, love ‘em and leave ‘em, or whatever little figure of speech you want to use for just being a fucking playboy. Since when has he ever cleaned a girl up, given her his clothes to wear, let her sleep over after he fucks her? Though, he has to give himself some credit, it’s not like he was planning on letting you stay. He was just trying to preserve some of your dignity, but then, when did he even decide to start caring about shit like that?

Fuck.

When the tour bus jerks to life as the driver begins the trip to the next city, the loss of balance is enough to finally snap Joel out of the uncharacteristic morality spiral he’s now found himself in. He rubs his hands across his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and cursing under his breath, knowing that he can’t hide in here and avoid you forever. Besides, he’s getting old, and he has to sleep at some point if he wants to be at least a little functional tomorrow. And what is he so fucking scared of, anyway?

Joel turns off the water, and the knob screeches in protest as the dull roar of the shower fades into silence. He steps out of the stall and hardly makes any effort to dry himself off, solely focused on getting out of there before the fog evaporates from the mirror and he’s forced to confront his own reflection. He shakes out his hair and pulls on a clean pair of briefs, then sends out a silent prayer to whoever the fuck might be listening, begging for help in making it through the night without having to address whatever it is that’s gnawing at his conscience. He didn’t even think he had one of those anymore.

Joel enters the bedroom quietly, hoping that you’d be exhausted enough to have fallen asleep by the time he returned. When you don’t even twitch as he shuts the door behind him and climbs under the covers, he lets out the breath he’d been holding, and lays himself down as close to the edge of the mattress as he can without falling off the damn thing. If he can put as much distance between the two of you as possible tonight, maybe he can make it out the other side unscathed.

Just when he thinks he’s in the clear, having settled himself down with his back to you and situated his silk sheets and pillows to his liking, he feels you roll over in your sleep as you let out some dreamy little whine. Joel likes to keep it cold on the bus, and your shivering form must feel the heat still radiating off of him from his shower, because then you’re wrapping your little arms around his bicep and pulling him close. He wants to shake you loose, to put some extra pillows in between your bodies just for good measure, but he can’t be so cruel. Not when you look like such a goddamn angel, sleeping so peacefully with your hair spread out around you like a halo, long lashes fluttering against your cheeks. He wonders what you’re dreaming about.

Joel isn’t sure when exactly it happened, but somewhere in between that very first rehearsal and right now, the lines started to blur between a fun little fling he wasn’t going to think twice about letting go of once the tour ended, and something that he wants to sink his claws into and claim as his own. He has to face it now, whether he wants to or not—he can’t get himself to push you away, to growl at you not to touch him and to stay on your own side of the bed, because he doesn’t want to. What he wants is to tattoo his fucking name right underneath that shitty moth on your upper thigh, and therein lies the problem.

He has a history of breaking things, of being too controlling and rough and mean when he plays with his toys, until they fight back and tear themselves apart as they escape his clutches. But you seem like something that can’t be broken, that would glue itself back together just to get played with again the next day, and that sets off some alarms he didn’t know he was capable of hearing. Maybe he does still have a conscience, after all.

At first, Joel had liked how eager and willing and naive you were, how easily he could push and pull you this way and that because you didn’t seem to realize what this was. Or at least, what it was intended to be. Whether you were smart to his intentions or not was never really his concern before, but now… You’re nuzzling your face into his arm, breathing in his scent and letting it soothe you as it coats your senses, and it’s awakening something protective, possessive, in him. Joel has never been good at romance or love or relationships, and he had resigned himself a long time ago to the fact that he’d never be able to settle down. The life he lives can’t sustain something steady or healthy like that anyway, what with the touring and the groupies and the sex and the alcohol.

But now here you are, this fragile and yet unbreakable thing in his bed who he worries wouldn’t run away no matter how much he growled and bared his teeth. And god dammit, that scares him. Joel had thought he was done being scared, that he had left that feeling behind before you were even born, probably. And yet, here it is creeping up on him again, grabbing him by the throat and suffocating him. You’ve got real talent and beauty, with a promising future and blossoming career ahead of you, and you’d probably give it all up and follow him into the darkness if he promised to call you a good girl once you did.

Joel has never been a very good man, but something about you makes him really have to stare down the barrel of it now. He can’t do this to you, he can’t let you in, and he knows that. He’d poison you, if he hasn’t already. And he can’t give to you what you seem to think this is, what it could be, if he wasn’t so fucking damaged. So he decides it then, as he doesn’t stop his hand from brushing a stray strand of your halo out of your delicate face, that he has to put a stop to this first thing in the morning. And he has to be cold and concise about it, so that you’re perfectly clear on what the two of you are going to be from now on, even if it hurts you. You’re a big girl, and he trusts that you’ll get over it somehow, because letting this continue would hurt you a hell of a lot worse, in the end.

And you seemed to have taken it well, all things considered. He didn’t tell you the whole truth, the real reason why he decided to yank the arrow out of your heart when he was the one who shot it in there in the first place. Because then you’d know that he’s a broken man who also breaks things, and he can only shatter so many of your illusions about him in one morning. He knows this is his fault, and he was at least man enough to take the blame, he can give himself that. He had decided to paint himself as an actually respectable person who knows when he’s taken something too far, who definitely does have a conscience. Maybe you’re the one who lured it out of the dark cave it was hiding in, but he still can’t risk anything, on the off chance that he still is the same mangled man he always was and the one he will continue to be. So he lies to you, just a little bit, because what you don’t know won’t hurt you, and he can’t let you come any closer for fear of causing even more pain than he already has.

Joel watched as your bare legs carried you out of the living area and off of his bus, the tops of your thighs just barely concealed by his shirt he had lent you the night before. He didn’t react when you slammed the door on your way out, he had expected you to do as much. But he did half-expect you to turn around and spit a fuck you, Joel at him the way he would have deserved. It might have hurt less if you did, that way you would have left a sour taste in his mouth to replace the still-lingering flavor of your pussy mixed with the cum he had spilled inside you last night.

God, he is so fucked.

—

You had made sure to thank the audio technicians before you disappeared from the venue after your sound check, but otherwise avoided looking at or speaking to anyone on your way out. Especially him. You had held Angel close as you swiftly made your way back to your bus before Death’s Head had a chance to take the stage for their turn, not wanting to hear any more of Joel’s voice than you’ve had to today. Besides, it’s already been looping like a skipping record in your mind since this morning, refusing to let up no matter how hard you try to drown it out.

Mistake, respect, and professional are the choice words that are chanting themselves over and over again, so many times that they almost don’t sound real anymore, just a random sequence of letters and noises that you can’t make sense of. What happened last night didn’t feel like a mistake to you, especially not when he was so gentle in cleaning you up afterwards, when he brought you a glass of water, when he let you curl up against him in his bed, wearing his clothes. He sure as hell had plenty of time to decide that you were worthy of respect before he had you act like a whore on stage in front of tens of thousands of people for his own sick pleasure. (And apparently yours, but that’s not the point.) And now you’re supposed to believe that he suddenly had a change of heart overnight, that splitting you open on his cock and using your body to get what he wanted made him finally develop a moral compass and decide that he wants to start acting like a professional? Damn, maybe you are more powerful than you thought.

You just can’t believe you were stupid enough to let yourself feel something for him. He was just playing you like his guitar this entire fucking time, a pretty instrument that he can pluck and strum and draw pretty noises from, then put away without a second thought. He’s a celebrity, a rockstar, for fuck’s sake. Half of his songs are about sex, and if the rumors are true, he recorded the original intro to Kiss it Better while he was hooking up with some groupie in a bathroom. Just like you, he had probably used her to get what he wanted, then dropped her like it was nothing. Of course he never fucking cared about you.

You should burn the clothes that he sent you scurrying back to your bus wearing this morning. They’re currently shoved into the bottom of your plain-looking laundry bag in the corner of your room, though you’re half tempted to just toss the whole thing into the dumpster behind the venue and set it ablaze. But you know he doesn’t care about material things as much as he does his ego, and it’s going to be much more satisfying to set that on fire than some worn-out pieces of clothing, anyway. Destroying them also wouldn’t do anything about the way you keep catching an inhale of his cologne every once in a while, the masculine smell of it wafting from his t-shirt and carving out an undesired space for itself in your brain. You try to ignore the way your cunt flutters against your will at the scent, at the memories it conjures, and hope that she doesn’t develop a habit of betraying you like this when it comes to him. She almost gets the better of you, tempting you to second guess your plan to perform your scathing new song at the end of your set tonight.

Almost.

You’re feeling good about what you wrote, and you’d be even more upset with yourself if you backed out now, if you gave in to Joel once again, without him even knowing it this time. He seems to think that he knows you better than you know yourself, that he can make decisions for you and that he always knows just what to say to get you to do as he asks. For once, you want him to be fucking wrong about you.

The show starts in just under an hour, and you’re dedicating your last bit of quiet solitude to solidifying the new words and the motions of your fingers in your memory. While you were scribbling in your notepad earlier today, you had tried to ride the fine line between calling him out so blatantly and using descriptions that were too clichéd, and you’re happy with the in-between that you landed on. The song could be about anyone, but it isn’t, and if the shoe fits when he tries it on, oh fucking well. Plenty of men wear the same size, and if he wants to make yet another thing about himself, that’s not your problem.

Ideally, you had wanted to include the song in your sound check so that your band would be prepared for tonight, until you had let your eyes drift to the side of the stage and saw Joel observing in the darkness, just like he had done while you were performing the night before. You suppose it wouldn’t be very professional of him to avoid you like the plague the way you’re trying to do with him, but still. You had averted your eyes as quickly as you had spotted him, and decided that the song was just going to have to be a surprise for everyone, not just Joel. Your band members are smart enough guys, you’re sure they’ll be able to catch on and back you up when it’s time to unveil what you had been working on all day. But if they don’t, you’re prepared for it to just be you and Angel up there, the same way it has been for as long as you’ve been making music. Until recently, at least.

You’ve opted to get yourself dressed and ready in the safety of your bus, attempting to avoid a repeat of last night’s pre-show interactions with Joel by minimizing the amount of time you actually have to spend inside the venue. You doubt he’ll try anything, but considering how unafraid he was to volunteer himself as a witness to your sound check, you’d rather not risk it. So, you do your best to keep your distance as you make your way off the bus and to the side of the stage with Angel in tow, hoping that your viscous aura alone will be enough to keep him away.

Your band members are already waiting for you in the wings when you get there, and you tuck yourself safely behind the group of them as you wait for the lights to go down. You ghost your fingers along Angel’s strings one last time, just to make sure that your muscle memory is securely locked into place—it is, because you’re fucking good at this. You don’t need Joel’s whispered praises and soothing touches to know that you’re a star, and you don’t want them. You don’t. You fucking killed it last night, and you knew it before he told you so, because your ears were still ringing long after the audience had finished applauding and screaming for you. For your own performance, not for the on-stage degradation you endured because of a dumb teenage crush you couldn’t seem to shake off.

If your timing is right, you should’ve gone on a few minutes ago now. Each passing minute has you gnawing at your bottom lip and picking at your nails with increasing intensity as you and the audience both become more restless. You aren’t sure what the hold up is, but you just want to get out there and safely away from the possibility of Joel before you make one of your goddamn fingers bleed. You’re so consumed in your destructive self-soothing that you don’t hear the sound of jingling chains and creaking leather approaching you where you stand, followed by a clearing throat and the last voice you want to fucking hear right now.

“Tommy told me they’re jus’ tryin’ to fix a light or somethin’. Shouldn’t be too much longer now,” Joel says, and you stiffen as he speaks. He sounds earnest in the way he addresses the group of you, but the feeling of his gaze lingering on your skin tells you his true intentions.

Your bandmates hum in acknowledgement as they maintain their casual demeanors, while you shift your jaw and remain steadfast in your stoicism. Your face is calm and concentrated, but your fidgeting hands tell a different story, and the telltale habit is most of what prompted Joel to come over here against his better judgment. He so badly wants to take your hands in his so that you’ll stop tearing at your skin, to massage the worry right out of your palms and tell you there’s nothing to be nervous about, just like he did last night. Though, you’d probably bite his goddamn fingers clean off if he even so much as reached out a hand in your direction, and he wouldn’t entirely blame you if you did, considering that he’s more than likely the reason for your agitation.

Instead, he settles for asking, in as neutral of a tone as possible, “You okay, darlin’?”

Your gaze remains focused on the stage, on the mic you should be standing behind right now, if it weren’t for some stupid fucking light. After a pointed beat, you answer him with a short, “I’m fine.”

You can see in your peripheral vision that Joel nods and shifts his weight, moving a little further behind your band and closer to you. He lets a matching bit of silence pass, for some reason not using the opportunity to just turn around and walk away, before speaking again. “Quit messin’ with your fingers.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” you snap, whipping your head to finally face him. You peer up at Joel from under your eyebrows, putting on a stony face and doing your best to look intimidating even as he towers over you. Despite your efforts, your heart still flutters for just a second when your eyes meet, before he drops his own gaze to the floor and takes a step back from you.

“That how this is gonna be?” Joel asks, and you could swear he sounds a little defeated.

“Yeah, it is.”

You turn yourself back to the stage again, and he takes a deep breath, like he’s trying to steady himself and suppress a reaction to your attitude that he might regret.

“Look, can we–” he starts, but a sudden burst of screams and hollers cuts him off as the venue lights finally dim. You push past your bandmates and stomp your way towards the stage, feeling volatile and as determined as you’ve ever fucking been to give a killer performance tonight. You could’ve spit some real fire at him, told him to leave you the fuck alone like you had been so tempted to, but you didn’t want to scare him off. You don’t even need to check to know that he’s still standing exactly where you left him, and that he’ll probably stay there and watch you the whole time because he doesn’t know what the fuck he wants, apparently. Maybe you should bring him onstage for his public humiliation the same way he did to you, see how he likes it. But you have a little more humanity than he does, and if it all works out, he’ll have to watch you tear him down surrounded by his own bandmates and brother, and that’s gratifying enough for you.

When you and your band have all taken your places, you introduce yourself to tonight’s crowd with a newfound vigor, and begin your set with a chord so resonant it vibrates your bones. The sound surrounds you, grabbing you by the shoulders and shaking loose the wallflower version of you who performed these same songs just last night. It feels like a metamorphosis, like the moths that adorn the strap slung around your body and the one etched into your skin finally belong to you instead of him.

—

You sail through your set, never stumbling over a chord or missing a lyric, even in your anticipation to reach the end. While you thank the crowd and wait for their roaring cheers to die down, you finally chance a look at the side of the stage. Just as you had predicted before you went on, Joel’s silver-tipped boots are still planted in the same place they were thirty minutes ago. Perfect.

“Y’all have been amazing tonight, this was so much fun,” you pant into the mic. “I, uh… I actually have one more song before I go, if that’s alright. Just wrote it this morning.”

Another wave of whistles and applause engulfs you as you turn to check on your bandmates, who all wear confused expressions as expected. You step back from the mic to tell each of the guys the key and tempo of what you wrote, and ask if they can maintain something steady and follow along while you carry the melody. When they’ve all gotten the plan, they look at each other and wordlessly communicate a final decision, seeming to be up to the challenge.

You resume your place at the front of the stage, taking one last look at your victim before beginning to strum the song’s now-familiar echoing intro. The tone is a little Western, and you wrote it that way on purpose, just as an extra hidden jab toward the obnoxious midnight cowboy persona Joel had first lured you in with. Your haunting voice comes in a few measures later, singing lyrics that are unlike anything you’ve written before. They’re darker, more graphic, and they tell the story of a girl and a cold-blooded man covered in leather and tattoos, who got her alone one night and ripped her clothes off and whispered things he didn’t mean while he fucked her. And after everything was said and done, the girl had lied to herself, replaying everything that had happened between her and the cold-blooded man that night, convincing herself that because it felt good, because he was good to her, that it had meant something. She had bared her body and soul to him, only to find out that he had also been lying to her that night, playing with her like a doll who didn’t know any better, who was just happy to get looked at and touched and praised by someone she had once held on such a high pedestal. You let the lights embrace you and warm your skin as you bare yourself once again, trusting this time that it won’t end in shame or hurt or tears.

When the buildup of your lyrics and chords finally culminate in the song’s cathartic crash, the first thing you feel is relief, like a crushing weight has been lifted off your heart. The crowd’s enthusiastic response to your creation surrounds you, filling your ears and infiltrating your soul, and you can’t help but laugh at the overwhelming feeling. You gesture behind you for your band to meet you at the front of the stage, and you all bow together to another round of raucous cheering before making your way offstage. This time, you do remember to leave Angel behind, satisfied in what the two of you accomplished tonight.

You’re still reveling in the rush of your performance by the time you’re shrouded in the backstage darkness once again, so caught up in the feeling that you nearly forget what your moment of spontaneity was for in the first place. Or rather, who it was for. You didn’t have enough wherewithal to check if Joel would still be lying in wait once you exited the stage, mostly assuming that his ego would get the best of him and he’d just huff his way out to the buses for a smoke once he realized what you were doing.

You assumed wrong.

Before your eyes even have a chance to adjust to the change in lighting, a calloused hand is gripped tight onto your upper arm, dragging you deeper backstage as you exclaim in protest and try to snatch your arm out of the iron hold that traps it.

“What the—Joel?! Get the fuck off me! What are you–”

“Will you fuckin’ quiet down?” Joel hisses next to your ear. “Quit makin’ a goddamn scene, already made enough of one as it is.”

Despite your struggle against him, his size and strength overpower you, and before you know it you’re being shoved into a dressing room, the door getting slammed shut and locked behind you in a second.

“What the fuck, Joel?” you shout up at him as he backs you into the door, finally letting go of your arm to loom over you and brace one of his hands next to your head.

“I can ask you the same goddamn thing. What the fuck was that out there, hm?” He spits back at you.

You massage the aching finger-shaped marks on your skin where he had gripped you, eyeing him with an annoyed expression. “It was just a song, what is your fucking problem?”

He scoffs, rolling his neck as his brows twitch in disbelief. “Just a song, right. Everybody knew that shit was about me.”

Your heart hammers in your chest, both from the anxiety of being confronted like this and the aggravation caused by his egomaniacal tendencies. “You are so fucking self-centered, it’s insane. It could’ve been about anyone—”

“But it wasn’t, huh?” Joel interrupts. “Who else do they know that has a filthy title inked into his hand, as you put it. Gimme a break, sweetheart. As if that same title didn’t have you soakin’ your fuckin’ panties for me last night.”

You hate that you can feel your cunt flutter in response to his words. “Whatever, will you just let me go? This isn’t very professional of you, locking me in your goddamn dressing room just so you can throw a fit,” you retort.

Realization flashes across his face as he steps back from you, breathing a heavy sigh. “Professional…” he speaks quietly, testing out the word, searching for the meaning behind why you had used it so pointedly. “Jesus Christ, is that what this is about? You are such a goddamn child, you know that?”

Now it’s your turn to laugh, crossing your arms now that he’s given you the room to do so. “Didn’t seem to think of me that way last night. I’m a big girl, I can do what I want, why do you care so much if I wrote a stupid song about you?”

Joel shuts his eyes, scrunching up his face like he’s fighting against what he wants to say next. “Because, fuck—This ain’t what I wanted, okay? Said I wanted to keep it professional between us, not that I wanted you to make a goddamn fool outta me in front’a God and everybody.”

“Well, what do you want?” You push, stepping into his space as your blood begins to boil over. “Because I thought you fucking cared about me, and then you just told me to get lost this morning, like none of it meant anything to you—”

“Of course it fuckin’ meant somethin’ to me, Jesus Christ.” Joel says, so breathlessly it’s like the words escape his mouth before he can catch them. “Did this for your own goddamn good—”

“Oh, for my own good?”

“Yes, for your own good. Because I know what you want this to be, and I can’t give that to you, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Joel doesn’t answer, but he shifts his jaw like he considers it, and lets your angered breathing fill the silence.

“Huh?” You provoke, hitting your palms against his broad chest once. Your push hardly does anything to knock him off his balance, but you swear it makes his eyes darken. “Why not?” You demand a second time.

You can tell he wants to bite back, but he suppresses the instinct, instead backing away from you as he shakes his head in disbelief. “Y’ know what, I ain’t gonna do this with you right now. We can talk about this later.”

Joel makes for the exit, but you dart in front of the door handle, feet planted firmly on the ground as you block his only way out. You grit your teeth as you stare up at him, daring him to either do something about it or finish what he started.

He takes another steadying breath. “Really ain’t helpin’ your case much right about now. I suggest you move, sweetheart.” His voice registers a somewhat eerie calm, the kind that a storm usually follows.

“You don’t get to back out of this.”

“Ain’t backin’ out. Said we’re gonna talk about it later. Move.”

You stare at each other in strained silence for a few moments, neither of you in the mood to give in to the other. You doubt that you’re about to bear witness to the first time Joel has ever submitted to someone else, so you slide away from the door, making a vow to yourself to find him after the show and force him to make good on his word.

“‘S what I thought,” he huffs, unlocking the door and slinking out into the hallway. He holds his head a little too high for someone too scared to tell you how he feels, like it’ll eat him alive if he admits to anyone that he really does have a heart.

You step out of the room and watch him walk, waiting until he gets a few paces away from you to grumble under your breath, “Self-centered and a fucking coward.”

Either Joel wasn’t as far out of earshot as you had thought, or the angry thudding of your pulse inside your head had made it difficult to tell just how loud you had said your little dig. He stops in his tracks, giving you a second to sweat before turning around to face you. “What was that?” he asks, but you already know he had heard you loud and clear. He begins to stalk towards you, and that predatory sway of his shoulders has you suddenly feeling meek.

“N-nothing,” you lie, backing into the dressing room as he continues his prowl.

“Nah, go ahead. You wanna do this right now, we’ll do it right now. What’d you say, baby? C’mon.” Joel’s movement forces you backward until the base of your spine hits the edge of the vanity table in the room. You wince at the impact and the sound of the door slamming shut again, and then he’s bracing both of his hands on either side of your hips, caging you in. Joel’s hot breath ghosts against your face as his eyes seem to glow a fiery shade you’ve never seen before. “Say it again.”

You swallow hard, nervous eyes flitting around his face, unsure of the safest place to land, or if there even is one. “Called you a coward…” you admit softly, voice trembling.

“Yeah? I’m a fuckin’ coward? What else, hm? Why don’t you use your big girl words and say to my face what you really wanted to say about me out there instead o’ that bullshit lil’ poem you wrote.” He’s just being mean now, lashing out because you hit him where it hurts. But god fucking dammit, there’s something about the way he’s standing over you, how he’s using his size to intimidate you and how the smell of his cologne mingles with the fading aroma of his last cigarette, that begins to cloud your judgment. You can’t help the way a dampness begins to bloom between your thighs as a result of his demeaning words and close proximity.

You figure you don’t have much of a reason to hold anything back anymore, already having pissed him off by threatening his ego twice in one night. “I hate you,” you rasp, which is pretty much what the lyrics of your song boil down to. You do hate him, for saying all the right things and touching you all the right ways to make you think he wanted the two of you to be something, only to throw your naivety in your face, tell you that you’re acting like a child when he’s the one who tried to give up and walk out when something became more complicated than he could handle.

“Yeah, I bet you do. Think you can do better than that, though, huh? Sure had plenty to say earlier, don’t get all shy on me now, sweetheart.” He spits the pet name at you like it’s an insult, coated in the venom dripping from his sharp canines.

“Fuck you,” you snap, eyes welling up and threatening to spill over despite yourself.

Joel spins you around as soon as the words leave your lips, pinning your wrists behind your back with just one of his hands, using the other one to grip your jaw and make you face your own reflection in the vanity mirror. You shut your eyes tightly, not wanting to confront what he’s reduced you to, and he allows you to keep them that way for now.

“You want me to? That why you’re all fired up, ‘cause you need Daddy to fuck this bratty ass attitude outta you?” Joel rumbles next to your ear.

You struggle to shake your head in his hold, mumbling, “No, I don’t.”

“No? So if I reach my hand under this lil’ dress, I ain’t gonna feel that pretty pussy drippin’ for me?”

You aren’t sure why you bother lying to him again, humming an mm-mm that sounds more like a whimper.

“Hmm, let’s see about that, then,” Joel muses, releasing your face from his hold to bend you forward and flip up the skirt of your dress. “Would you look at that… panties are ‘bout fuckin’ soaked through, ain’t they?” You whine as he begins to rub your folds over your underwear, pulling back the crotch of them and letting it go so that you can feel the damp snap of the fabric against your sensitive skin. “Thought you were such a good girl… you like it a lil’ mean, hm? ‘S that why you pulled that stunt tonight, to get Daddy all worked up so he’d treat you the way you really been wantin’?”

You feel a stinging smack on your ass before you’ve even finished muttering a complete No. Joel’s rough hand does nothing to soothe the burn as he rubs it around your smarted flesh, squeezing at the plush of your ass with a possessive grip. “Had just about enough of you lyin’ to me tonight. Why don’t you tell me the goddamn truth and I’ll give you what you want, hm? Gonna ask one more time. You want Daddy to beat up this lil’ brat pussy?” He asks, moving his hand back to the wet fabric of your panties, circling your clit over the material with the pad of his finger.

You can’t help but moan at his crude language, releasing another pulse of wetness in response. “Mmh, yes, please—” you mewl.

“Open your fuckin’ eyes,” Joel barks, and it startles you into obedience. “Yes, who?” he challenges, making eye contact with your reflection in the mirror.

He continues his ministrations over your covered clit, and you force your brain to work through the distraction, to give him what he wants and not earn yourself another spank.

“Y-yes, Daddy, I want it,” you admit, your voice drenched in a pathetic need.

Joel swiftly yanks your panties to the side, practically tearing them clean off your body with one hand in an effort to expose your swollen core to him, not daring to release your aching wrists from the other one’s hold. He circles your dripping entrance with the rough tips of two of his fingers, not pushing all the way inside just yet.

“Think you owe me a goddamn apology first, hm?” he taunts, using his fingers to smear your ashamed slick around your entrance.

“Sorry, ‘m sorry–” you whine, pushing back into him impatiently.

Smack. “For what, baby? What’re you sorry for?” Joel presses, his harsh spank telling you to stay fuckin’ still.

“For… for writing that song… for calling you a c-coward… ‘m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry–” you cry. He shoves both of his thick fingers inside you as your reward, carving out space for them inside your little hole as he starts up a bruising pace, the obscene wet sounds of his movements filling the room and mingling with your broken little wails. It shouldn’t feel as good as it does, getting ordered around and talked down to and used like this by someone you said you hated only a few minutes ago, but you don’t really care to unpack that right now. Or ever. Maybe you were naive and immature in thinking that this thing you’ve gotten yourself into could ever pan out like what you’ve seen in the movies, but you think you could learn to be content with what he is willing to offer you—praise doled out as easily as he deprives you of it, a firm hand and fingers that can strum along your clit as expertly as he does the strings of his guitar, and a cock that makes you feel like someone else entirely, that can send you somewhere far away and bring you back down to earth at the same time. You let him use his fingers to pound all that angst and fire and attitude out of you as your eyelids flutter shut again, losing yourself in the feeling of him.

“How many times I gotta tell you, huh? Keep ‘em open, look, baby,” Joel commands, letting go of your wrists to deliver a light smack to the side of your face. You fall forward at the sudden release of his hold, catching yourself on the vanity table and digging your nails into the hard surface to ground yourself. His punishing hand forces your gaze straight ahead with a claw-like grip on your jaw, and your eyelids still feel so heavy, everything moving slowly as you look at yourself in the mirror. Your parted lips, smeared mascara, and unfocused gaze paint a debauched version of yourself that you don’t recognize, blurred by the sleepy submissive state he seems to be able to plunge you into so easily. “Take a good goddamn look in the mirror, at what I’m doin’ to you, and you tell me if you really want this.”

Every sharp thrust of his hand against your cunt knocks loose more and more of your ability to think, let alone speak. But you know by now that if Joel demands a response from you, he’ll get one, coherent or not. He seems to like it when your words come out a ruined mess of whines and slurred syllables, anyway, getting off on how hard and fast he can knock down those walls you attempt to put up and turn you into something so servile and saccharine.

“Want it, please, Daddy,” you beg, struggling to hold yourself up as his fingers get you closer and closer to your release.

“You sure about that? ‘Cause this is what you’re gonna get, sweetheart,” Joel grunts, the exaggerated word punctuated by the stretch of a third finger joining the other two inside your already fucked-out cunt.

“D-don’t care, just want you—ah—” you’re cut off by the sudden stroking of Joel’s curled fingers against a particularly tender and unfamiliar spot inside you. You begin to unravel at the overwhelming feeling, letting out little wanton pleases and Daddys as you continue to soak his tattooed hand.

“Fuck, gonna be the goddamn death o’ me, lil’ songbird, you know that? Tried to stop this shit before it could get started, tried to keep you away from me, but I just can’t seem to fuckin’ help myself, can I? We’d be nothin’ but bad for each other, but—shit—been thinkin’ ‘bout this tight cunt all goddamn day, couldn’t get the taste o’ you outta my mouth. Reckon I never will… In fact—” Joel pulls his fingers out of you in an instant, and you cry out from the sudden loss as you watch him suck them clean in the mirror. You feel dizzy, letting him manhandle you as he spins you around to face him and hoists you on top of the vanity table with little effort. He groans as he crouches, pulling your drenched panties down your legs and tossing them somewhere behind him. With your raw-looking cunt now fully exposed to him, he spreads your legs wide and curses under his breath, “Should’a done this shit last night, fuck—” before diving in between your thighs and licking a long stripe from your entrance to your swollen clit. He latches onto the sensitive nub, closing his eyes and sucking hard as his large hands force your legs to stay open. You let your upper back rest against the mirror as he works you over, and the cool glass sends a shiver down your spine as your hips tilt upward, allowing him better access.

He drinks from you as if you taste like his favorite top-shelf whiskey, growling into your flesh as he’s surely leaving fingertip-shaped bruises on the softness of your thighs. He alternates between swirling his tongue around your clit and fucking it in and out of your hole, beckoning you to spill yourself into his mouth. He savors every wave of slick that pours from you, each of your little cries and whimpers making his cock strain harder against the confines of his jeans.

You can’t help but let one of your hands drift to his hair, and he doesn’t stop you from grabbing onto his messy curls as you buck pathetically against his tongue.

“Such a sweet lil’ cunt, got me fuckin’ addicted to it, I swear…” Joel half-whispers, rubbing his thumb in circles around your clit to make up for the absence of his tongue as he speaks, your hips still desperately chasing after his movements. He spits onto your folds once, watching it drip between the curves of them for a moment before lapping up your combined juices and picking up where he left off. Your eyes are shut tight, brows peaked with need as you beg him to keep going, please, Daddy, gonna come.

Joel pulls away again just enough to tease, “Always come for me so easily, don’t you? Sing for me, songbird, c’mon.” A few more rough strums of his thumb and pulses of his tongue have you crying out, shaking where you sit on the table as you gush into his waiting mouth. Joel works you through it as you practically ride his face, your hips twitching with each overstimulating flick of his tongue over your sensitive clit.

He doesn’t wait very long for you to come back into yourself, the impatient bastard that he is, before he’s commanding you to open and using his strong fingers to yank your jaw downward. Your eyes blink open just in time to watch him spit a mouthful of your own release onto your waiting tongue, and then he’s pressing his lips to yours in a sloppy kiss, tongues twisting around each other as he forces you to taste yourself. So immersed in the distraction of finally feeling his lips against your own, you don’t notice when he loosens his grip on your face to grab one of your hands instead, placing it on his still-clothed bulge and growling into your mouth as you massage the hard shape of him.

“Feel what you do to me, babygirl?” Joel breaks the kiss to ask, voice low and eyes dark. “Even if I kept you away from me, wouldn’t fuckin’ matter. Still have to take care o’ myself one way or another, would just be pretendin’ it was your perfect cunt squeezin’ me instead o’ my hand, anyway. Might as well stick to the real thing, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you agree, lashes fluttering at his filthy words.

“Yeah? You want it? Want Daddy to split you open again?”

Your skin is burning hot, every one of your nerve endings on fire with need, and you don’t care how pitiful you sound when you answer with, “Please, Daddy.”

“Good girl,” Joel praises. He makes quick work of ridding himself of his belt, tossing it aside to join your discarded panties on the floor with a metallic thud before freeing his leaking cock from his jeans. He prods the thick head at your entrance, still so wet and stretched out from the earlier efforts of his fingers and tongue that he slides inside with hardly any resistance. “Greedy thing…” he hisses, holding onto your hips as he watches his thick length begin to slide in and out of you. A flash of silver catches his attention from the edge of his vision, and he focuses there instead, on the cross shaped charm dangling from your neck and resting between your breasts. He picks it up between his large thumb and forefinger, rubbing the pads of them along the smooth metal. “Probably shouldn’t be wearin’ such a thing anymore, hm? Now that I know how much of a whore you really are.”

“Not… ‘m not a whore,” you counter, but it’s so futile, meaning nothing at all when you really take a look at where you are now, how it all began, and how your voice cracks in your poor attempt to prove him wrong.

“Y’ are, though, songbird. ‘S okay that you are. Only for me though, huh? Jus’ Daddy’s whore? All mine?” Joel drops the cross in favor of cradling your cheek, hurrying his pace as he taunts you. There’s no use in denying it, not when his degrading words prompt your cunt to squeeze around him and provide more slick aid for his quickening thrusts, an involuntary whine escaping your throat. You’re seeing such a different side to him now than the one he showed you the night before, and you begin to wonder which one is the real Joel, or if either of them are, or if both of them are, somehow. Or if he even knows. You’re willing to take whichever one he decides to let you have, you think.

“Y-your whore, Daddy… wanna be yours, please,” you babble, his cock hitting you deep and hard as you let him fuck you so dumb you allow yourself to just give in and agree to whatever he says you are, whatever he wants you to be, just the way he likes.

“Fuck,” Joel curses through gritted teeth, removing his hand from your face and to grip onto the plush of your hip again. Your pliant state and filthy admission combined with that sinful symbol around your neck spur him on, and he uses his hold on your skin to fuck into you with abandon. “Really would just let me ruin you, huh? Tried to be a decent man for once in my goddamn life, but you just had to be a fuckin’ brat about it and start some shit, didn’t you? If you don’t want me decent, tha’s fine by me, baby. But lemme make somethin’ real goddamn clear to you,” he rambles, each slam of his hips into yours getting you closer to release for the second time. He delivers another sharp slap to your cheek with a You listenin’? and you nod to the best of your ability, finding it impossible to focus your eyes on him as that knot in your stomach begins to tighten.

“You want this, you wanna be mine, you can be mine, babygirl. Lord knows I’d find my way right back inside this sinful lil’ cunt, anyway. But this ain’t gonna be a fuckin’ relationship, you understand? Take it or leave it, songbird.” He slows his thrusts as he spells out his ultimatum, but they still make you ache, all the same. His fiery gaze bores a hole straight through your skull as he awaits your response.

“Take it, w-wanna take it, Daddy.” The desperation in your voice and painted across your expression have him returning to his punitive pace, grunting and swearing into the warm skin of your neck as your hands scramble across his back, pulling yourself into him and burying your face into his shoulder. His thick leather jacket helps to muffle your cries as he loses all control, using your body to chase after his own high.

“Course you’re gonna take it, filthy thing. Made to fuckin’ take it, Christ,” Joel rambles, your vocalizations increasing in pitch as you squeeze around him, whole body tensing as your sore pussy prepares to drench him one more time. “So goddamn desperate… Just take whatever I give you, however I wanna give it to you, always have you comin’ on my cock just the same, huh? Go on, babygirl, come for Daddy again, tha’s right…”

With his permission, and a few more just-right strokes of his tip against that sweet spot deep inside your walls, you’re spasming in his hold, whining that filthy title you had just used against him less than an hour ago. He spills his release into you at the same time, and despite the way he’s treated you and the words he’s spat at you tonight, it makes you feel whole again.

You breathe heavily against each other for a few minutes, neither of you wanting to let go as you both struggle to process what the hell just happened, what it will mean for the remainder of the tour.

A sudden knock at the door quickly yanks you out of your thoughts, offering a taste of what the future may hold much earlier than you were expecting.

“Joel? You in there?” a voice asks from outside the dressing room.

“Huh…? Yeah, just gimme a–”

The door opens before Joel can finish answering, and you can see clear as day over his shoulder that it’s Jesse.

He claps his hand over his eyes when he notices you, but you can still see how his cheeks burn red under his fingers as he shifts where he stands, undoubtedly trying to come up with the least mortifying way to get himself out of this situation.

“Jesus, kid–” Joel grumbles, finally pulling out of you and shoving his still-slick cock back into his briefs. He zips himself up as you tug the skirt of your dress back down to cover yourself, still feeling much more exposed than you’d like as you eye your forgotten panties laying just a few feet from where Jesse stands.

“Sorry! Sorry, Joel. It’s just, uh—”

Joel turns to face him as he finishes adjusting himself, and you’re thankful that he doesn’t walk away from you completely, using his broad form to provide you with what little modesty he can afford under the circumstances. “What, Jess?” he barks, exasperated.

“Um… The guys asked me to come find you, we’re on in like a minute—”

“Well, tell ‘em to hold their fuckin’ horses. I’m comin,” Joel orders.

“A-alright, I will, man. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you out there.”

Jesse leaves the room as hurriedly as he had entered, nervously fumbling with the handle as he shuts the door on his way out. “That kid ever learn how to fuckin’ knock?” Joel mutters to himself, picking his belt up off the floor and looping it back around his waist. He retrieves your ruined panties when he’s done and casually tosses them over to you, a stark contrast from the attentive aftercare he had provided last night. You slide off the vanity table and tug them back on over your legs, shivering at the feeling of the cool, damp fabric against where you’re so sensitive and sore, still leaking Joel’s spend. You fidget with the hem of your dress and try to ignore the way your heart sinks into your stomach, wondering what Jesse must think of you now. You haven’t really spoken to him at all since this whole thing started, and you doubt you ever will after what happened tonight. Of course, he’d had a front row seat to your obscene little performance during Kiss it Better, but it was all just an act, as far as he knew. But he has more than enough confirmation now to know that it very much wasn’t, and the humiliation of it all makes your anxious imagination begin to run wild. Your bottom lip quivers at the thought of Jesse running straight back to the guys with a shit-eating look on his face, eager to tell them all about how he just saw their opening act with her legs spread for Joel in his dressing room. Images flash through your mind of the band you’ve looked up to for so long now shooting you dirty looks backstage and whispering about you amongst themselves, sharing their doubts about if you really deserve to be touring with them at all. Maybe they’d call you easy, say that you’re just another dumb slut who gave it up for the first rockstar who asked, that your career will be doomed unless you grow up and learn to respect yourself a little more. And maybe they’d be right.

You can’t stop a few hot tears from rolling down your cheek at your catastrophizing, but you wipe them away quickly. This is what you asked for, isn’t it? Joel had given you an opportunity to leave this where he had ended it, and you were the one who had begged to be his, even after he showed you what it would look like, and told you explicitly what it would never be. You pull your shoulders back and make an effort to stand up a little straighter as he addresses you again, not wanting to look like some pathetic, defeated thing.

“You good? Need anythin’?” Joel asks, and it would be kind of sweet if he weren’t halfway out the door already.

You sniffle a little, but try to feign nonchalance as you shake your head and reply, “No, ‘m fine.”

You must not do a very good job of it, because he’s craning his neck to look down the hallway as soon as you finish your sentence, like he knows exactly what’s on your mind. “Don’t worry ‘bout him,” Joel says to you, giving an annoyed shake of his head. “If he knows what’s good for him he’ll go to his grave swearin’ he didn’t see anything. Kid knows better,” he reassures, and it does help to slow the unspooling of your thoughts some.

“Okay,” is all you offer, along with a small smile.

Joel nods curtly, “Okay.” And after another beat and a rake of his eyes along your form, “I’ll see ya, songbird.”

He’s gone before you can reply, and you let the sound of the door closing ring out in your ears until you’re left in total silence, save for the sound of your own unsteady breathing. More than anything else, you just want to head back to your bus and scrub yourself clean of him, to put on unstained clothes and remove your ruined makeup so that you have a better chance of recognizing yourself in the mirror if you’re unfortunate enough to catch a glimpse of your reflection. Maybe if you hurry the pace of your walk of shame, you can outrun the feeling altogether, you think, swinging the dressing room door open and letting it slam behind you as you make a swift exit, heading straight for the one place that even slightly resembles a home to you right now. You keep your head low as you wander the unfamiliar backstage halls, and hold the skirt of your dress down against the breeze that threatens to expose you yet again when you push open the venue’s back door. More tears begin to fall as your boots carry you up the steps of your bus and lead you to your private little room in the back, and you don’t wipe them away this time, although you can’t put your finger on why they stream down your skin so impatiently, one stinging droplet after another.

You sit down heavily on the edge of your bed, although you have a strange urge to kneel at the foot of it instead. Your fingers find their way to your crucifix as you contemplate the idea, and it hits you all at once how very lost you feel. You miss… something. Your mother? Perhaps not, but maybe the idea of having a caregiver, someone to turn to when you feel the way you do now, to help you sort through the tangled knot of emotions unraveling itself in your heart and attempt to make some kind of sense of it. She wasn’t the perfect mother, by any means, but she tried, and it was her first time being a woman too, after all. You are following in her footsteps, as many daughters aspire to do with their mothers, but you don’t think she would be very proud of the particular path of hers you’ve begun to find yourself stumbling down—the one that leads you to a man who won’t change himself, who can’t, but who you’ve somehow convinced yourself that you deserve, because you’ve never known a man who’s told you otherwise.

And now here you sit, alone, in the dark cave of your too-big bus on the second night of a career-changing national tour, crying girlish tears and missing something you can’t place but that you know you can’t go back to, wishing someone could just wipe your mind clean and tell you that you’re good and that you’re not a disappointment to your mother and God even though you don’t really care what they think of you anymore, anyway. You need someone to tell you who you are, and Joel seems to know the answer—a good girl, a whore, his songbird. You shift at the memories of when those names for you have spilled from his mouth, and you’re reminded of the wet fabric still pressed against your core. It feels good when he tells you who you are, after all, when he slots himself inside of you and makes you feel like something he owns, when he makes you feel perfect and floaty and beautiful and like he knows you better than you’ve ever known yourself.

And how could something that feels so good ever be bad for you?

—

The whiskey burns as it slides down the back of Joel’s throat, but it still isn’t strong enough. All it does is remind him of the igniting spark that led to the blaze now engulfing him—when you’d both had a few glasses of the stuff swimming around in your blood streams in the green room of last night’s venue, when he’d lured you onto his lap and teased the wet spot on your panties and asked if you’d let him touch you. He knew you were going to say yes, but it was still the respectable thing to do, and he had liked hearing you beg for it all pretty and polite. He fears that’s the last he may have seen of that version of you, that what he did this morning had stomped out the little delicate, glimmering light that had drawn him to you in the first place. And if it wasn’t snuffed out then, it’s surely nothing but a wisp of smoke now.

Joel had recognized when everything had started to become too real too fast, in the dark of his bus last night when even in your sleep, you had seemed to consider him as something warm and comforting and safe, instead of the beast that he knows himself to be, with too sharp of claws and too loud of a roar. He had tried to do the right thing for once in his goddamn life by finally thinking about someone other than himself, so why didn’t you take the opportunity to get out of this while you had the chance? What is it that you see in him that he knows for a fact isn’t there, has never been there? You had retaliated because you had wanted this to work, because he had hurt you when he shoved you away, but he can’t possibly fathom why you’ve chosen to fight so hard for this. And he’d only gone and proved himself right when he responded to your reprisal the only way he knows how, especially when you’d used that word against him that he’s always been avoidant to admit about himself—coward.

And you were right, weren’t you? Joel is a fucking coward. He does everything in his power to pretend otherwise, to show his fans and the world a version of himself who’s never for a second thought of himself as anything less than God incarnate. And maybe except for Tommy, no one has ever been the wiser to his ruse, until you. And it scares him, to be seen so clearly. Because then he might actually have to try to understand where all these defense mechanisms came from in the first place, and he can’t have that.

Coward.

Joel tosses back the last of the amber liquid in his glass, releasing his white-knuckled grip on it and slamming it back down onto the green room’s bar cart. He knows that his band and about twenty thousand people are waiting for him to buck up and emerge from yet another hiding place, and he realizes that this is becoming a pattern with you—you awaken some long-dormant feeling from deep inside of him, it makes him feel threatened, and he retreats until it goes away and he remembers how to paint his mask back on. And the one time you didn’t allow him to run away, he lashed out like a caged animal and undoubtedly gave you a pretty solid idea of what he meant by “for your own good”. And yet, you were so desperate to be allowed any part of him at all that even in his most volatile and beastly state, with his talons out and his teeth bared, you didn’t run away. You didn’t even try. You didn’t want to. You took everything he had given you like it was a privilege to do so, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever understand why.

Joel shakes himself out, hitting a solid hand against his cheek once in order to bring himself back from the depths of another unwanted episode of introspection and self-loathing, and lets the burn of the whiskey dissipate as he makes his way to where the rest of Death’s Head is waiting for him. He can feel their eyes on him without even needing to look, and snaps out a defensive I don’t wanna hear it before any of the guys get a chance to say anything.

Tommy shrugs, stepping up to Joel with his arms crossed. “Wasn’t gonna say nothin’.”

Joel finally turns to face the group, giving each member a scrutinizing once-over in an attempt to read their body language, to suss out if they’re just pissed because he left them waiting, or if Jesse ran his mouth while he was gone. When Joel’s examining eyes land on the dark-haired guitarist, Jesse’s quick to shake his head, mouthing the words they don’t know. Satisfied, Joel nods once in understanding, adjusting his jacket and cracking his neck before turning toward the stage again.

“Y’all ready, or what?” he mutters rhetorically, not bothering to wait for an answer before he marches his way into the spotlights and allows them to enshroud him, burning up what remains of that cowardly version of him, if only for the remainder of the night. Joel picks up his guitar, swinging the strap around his chest before fiddling with his mic stand as the deafening sound of the crowd reminds him of who the fuck he is, or at least, who they think he is. Who he pretends to be. And he gets to believe it for the next two hours. If he plays the part well enough, maybe he can lose himself in it entirely. But then, hasn’t he been trying to do that for the past couple of decades? It hasn’t seemed to work yet, but it doesn’t hurt to keep trying.

Or maybe it does.

—

You feel a little better now, more at ease, now that you’ve had some time to focus on taking care of yourself. It’s easy to forget the wonders that a hot shower can do for a girl, especially when you have to fight against your own brain just to get up and take the ten or so steps towards the bathroom, when you’d much rather stay curled up in the same position on your bed until your skin adheres to the sheets. Now having scrubbed away the tears and the sweat and the tacky dampness between your thighs, you emerge from a cloud of rose-scented humidity as someone you think you understand a little better now, who deserves to be taken care of instead of reprimanded for only doing her best with what she’s been given.

With clean hair and skin and a comfortable change of sleep-ready attire, you decide to finally make some efforts to unpack your suitcase and make your little room feel more like a home. You hang your dresses up on the rack, set your shoes into a somewhat orderly line on the carpet below them, and place your jewelry neatly onto the antique tray you had carefully packed away to bring along with you. You had found it in a little thrift store downtown, when you had first left home and decided you needed something that was only yours, something pretty and special that you could look at everyday and know that it was the very first step in building the life that you had always wanted for yourself. The brass needs a little polishing, but it’s still one of the most beautiful objects you’ve ever seen, and the way the ceiling lights glint off the metal brightens up your space just enough that it feels a little more familiar to you now.

Your earrings and other necklaces fill the blank space in the center of the neatly carved filigree, and you make the decision to add your crucifix to the pile of silver studs and chains. It’s strange how such a simple charm can make things feel so complicated. You haven’t taken it off in so long that you fear the guilt that might come with removing it, but you figure it will still be there for you if you ever feel like clipping it around your neck again. And if that feeling never comes, then you’ll deal with that then, too.

For now, you breathe a little deeper without the weight of the thing resting against your chest, and smile to yourself when you hear a small group of excitable-sounding male voices approaching your bus. Your bandmates file through the door a second later, though you’re suddenly shy to greet them as you emerge from your bedroom, worried that they might be pissed at you for what you sprung on them earlier in the night. You lean against the doorframe as they each collapse onto the living area couches, cracking open beers from the minifridge and passing them around to each other.

“Hey, you,” greets your floppy-haired drummer, Max, patting the cushion next to him. If any of the guys were to be easy going about what you put them through tonight, it would be him. You’re happy to see that he doesn’t seem to hold any animosity towards you. “You want me to crack one open for you?” he offers.

“Um… sure,” you agree, approaching the group and relaxing into the open seat next to him as he hands you a bottle. You take a few swigs while the guys begin to talk amongst themselves, waiting for an opportune lull in their conversation for you to chime in.

It comes about halfway through your beer. “So, listen,” you start, setting the sweating bottle on the table in front of you as you feel their gazes shift in your direction. “I’m sorry for pulling that on you guys tonight. This whole thing is just as big for y’all as it is for me and… I guess I forgot about that, for a second,” you say, although the end of your sentence kind of sounds like a question. “I really appreciate how you backed me up out there, that’s all.”

It’s rare that the four of you get sincere with each other like this, and your apology lingers in the air for a moment before someone else speaks up.

“It’s alright, kid.” The comforting voice comes from Scott, your quiet and kind-eyed bassist. “We’re all professionals here, yeah? We’d be some sad fuckin’ musicians if we couldn’t improvise every once in a while.” You laugh at that, and his lopsided smile warms you when you meet his soft expression.

“I mean, I kinda fucked up a little bit,” says Joey, your rhythm guitarist, ever-reliable for lightening the mood. “You sounded badass though, so whatever. Nothin’ you need to apologize for.” When you turn your head to look at him, he looks slightly uncomfortable with the way Max has him pressed up against the wall, but his gaze is sincere. “You wanna talk about it, though? Some pretty heavy shit you wrote.”

You do consider it, but shake your head, having reflected on it quite enough for one night. “Not right now,” you reply, and he gives you a sympathetic smile in return. “One of you have a smoke, though? Think I’m just gonna get some air and call it a night.”

“Now, how are you gonna ‘get some air’ with all that smoke in your lungs?” Scott jests, and you give him a look before standing up and holding your palm out flat to him, making a hand it over gesture with your fingers.

“Don’t give me shit, dude, I know you have one. That’s why I asked.”

Despite his protest, he digs the pack out of his pocket and slides one out, playfully holding it hostage against his chest. “Still shouldn’t smoke ‘em, though. Gonna ruin your voice one of these days.”

You roll your eyes at him, but laugh, anyway. “Fine, tonight’s my last one, I promise. Just gimme.”

Scott extends his hand out to you, and you snatch the cigarette out of his hold. “Light, too?” he asks, and you nod, leaning down to him with it in your mouth already.

You make a quick exit when the tobacco begins to burn, trying to fill the bus with as little smoke as possible, but not before making your appreciation known to the guys one last time. When you step out into the chilly night air, you wish you’d brought a sweater to wrap around you, but figure the flame between your lips will warm you up soon enough.

The Death’s Head bus is parked just up ahead, and you can make out Jesse’s silhouette in the moonlight, his back leaned against the idling vehicle as he puffs his own cloud into the sky. The sound of your bus’s door shutting behind you draws his attention your way, and you give each other a friendly nod as you each burn through your cigarettes.

“Can I join you?” he asks, having to shout in order for his voice to reach you over the rumbling engines.

The fears you were ruminating on a few hours ago all come rushing back to you in an instant, but his inquiry seems casual enough for you to let your guard back down a little. It would be rude of you to decline, and it might be nice to get to know him a bit more if he’s offering, you suppose.

“Yeah, okay,” you reply, nodding for good measure in case your voice didn’t come out loud enough. His long legs close the short distance between you in just a few seconds, and you shove your unoccupied hand into your pocket in an effort to come across more relaxed than you feel. You’ve never been great at small talk, or meeting new people, especially ones who’ve walked in on you after having just been fucked by the lead singer of his band.

You’re grateful that Jesse decides to break the silence first. “So, uh… you two, huh?”

“Mhm,” is all you offer, kicking a rock around the asphalt with the toe of your shoe.

“Yeah… Well, I don’t want you to feel weird around me, or anything. We can just forget it ever happened.”

You can’t help but release a puff of smoke through an awkward giggle. “Sounds good to me.”

“And I didn’t tell the other two, just so you know.”

His admission makes you pause, trapping the rock underneath your shoe as you peer up at him. “You didn’t? So… they don’t know?”

Jesse shakes his head. “Don’t think so. Well, Tommy might, just ‘cause he knows Joel better than anybody, but Eugene’s probably clueless. They’re all good guys, they won’t give you shit for it even if they do find out… I might, though, just for fun.” He nudges your shoulder with his as he jokes, and it makes you laugh a little more earnestly this time. “Just… be careful, that’s all. And I want you to know you have a friend in me, if you ever feel like you need one.”

His kindness is nearly enough to bring you to tears. You feel so relieved that everything the worst parts of your brain had conjured up had all been a lie, that Jesse isn’t who you feared he’d be, and that he’s offering you his friendship, even after he’d seen you in such an embarrassing and compromising state tonight.

“Jess!” Joel yells from the doorway of his bus, and the harsh gravel voice startles both of you out of the moment you’d been sharing. “Finish up, kid. Takin’ off in a few.”

Jesse nods, raising the end of his cigarette in acknowledgement before stomping it out on the pavement. “It was nice talking to you. Remember what I said, okay?”

“Okay,” you nod, and he’s handsome and boyish when he smiles back at you before following his orders and jogging back to his own bus, sliding through the door past Joel’s broad form.

Joel’s expression is hard, but otherwise unreadable as he juts his chin at you, wordlessly suggesting the same direction he’d just barked at Jesse. He shuts the door behind him as he steps inside, and you think on Jesse’s words as you finish puffing your smoke down to a nub. Be careful, he’d cautioned, and it’s like he had been waiting outside for you to make sure he had a chance to tell you that. Remember what I said, like it was important to him that you took his words to heart. You finally toss the end of your own cigarette onto the ground, letting it sizzle out before heading back inside and carefully passing the now-occupied bunks as you make your way to your own little sanctuary.

You’re still buzzing from the tobacco as you close yourself into your room and crawl into bed, and you can’t decide if the emptiness of it makes you feel comforted or afraid. You don’t necessarily wish you had Joel’s heavy, lumbering form tucked in beside you, but you hadn’t anticipated how having a bed to yourself would leave you with only the company of your own thoughts. You try not to dwell too much on Jesse’s warning, instead trying to snuff it out like the smoldering end of your cigarette so that it doesn’t prevent you from getting some much needed rest.

Even for being a bed inside of a tour bus, you have to admit that it’s one of the most comfortable, luxurious things you’ve ever slept on, especially compared to the lumpy double bed from back in your apartment. You don’t fight it when sleep begins to pull heavily on your eyelids, the incoming wave of it washing away any lingering anxieties as you allow yourself to relax into the plush mattress.

You hardly rouse even as the bus heaves forward on its trip out of the parking lot, leaving everything that happened tonight exactly where you left it, the ghost of it now left to wander the halls of the venue instead of haunting you as you travel to the next one. And there’s something comforting in that, you think, in the idea that nothing on this tour is permanent, that your life begins anew every 24 hours in a city you’ve never been to that doesn’t know your name yet.

And maybe that’s how you’ll figure this whole thing out, by taking it one day at a time, fluttering as close to the flame as possible without touching it, because you kind of like feeling the heat on your wings. As long as you’re careful when you dance around the fire, then there’s really nothing to be afraid of.

But only time will tell.

tag list: @beefrobeefcal @iamasaddie @rebel-held @dilfgestivo @zliteraturehoe @joeldjarin @kamcrazy123 @hellowoolf @rexamongthestars @stevie75 @luxurychristmaspudding @noisynightmarepoetry @mewantpeepaw @pedritoferg @alex-does-art-things (if your name is crossed out, it won’t let me tag you!!)

message/comment/ask if you'd like to be added!!

#my writing #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller smut #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x you #the last of us fanfiction #tlou fanfiction #rockstar!joel #tk&ts

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myfairkatiecat · 3 months ago

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okay so shannon giving us a keefe pov seems actually lowkey important and what i would do in the story rn but I'm not convinced she's going to use it to do the things I feel like we need her to do.

let me explain.

Shannon set Sophie up as a character who behaves certain ways. A lot of those ways are very good, and she's certainly a hero, but she also has character flaws that get worked through. For example, she can be a little reckless (personally I would have made all the same choices) (I know we think of Keefe as the reckless one but he's a different type of reckless) she can prioritize the wrong things, she can be disorganized, etc (all things that are super valid and understandable and make her relatable btw. I am a sophie foster defender)

and BECAUSE sophie is the protagonist, we see all of this develop. She has certain qualities that are a little stagnant sometimes, at least if you look from the outside, but there's actually a ton of development going on. She hears others' opinions on her actions, good and bad, and the reader sees how this impacts her and how she grows and changes, even if that change is nonlinear or in many ways she stays the same and just grows more mature.

Here's the thing about Keefe. he wandered out of side character territory and into second main character territory starting at the end of everblaze and peaking in legacy. And Shannon has been INTENTIONALLY writing him with consistent character flaws since the beginning, explainable by his past circumstances in fascinating ways. But we aren't there to see a lot of the falling out for that stuff.

A lot of people complain that keefe never faced consequences for stealing the caches or never had the black swan or adults yelling at him or mistrusting him or his friends avoiding him. And like... we do not know that. It could simply be that that was just not Sophie's problem at the time. Sophie also may have simply not been one of the people giving him a difficult time about it. In fact, we know she wasn't, but boy oh boy Fitz certainly didn't bounce back in less than five seconds. And we don't know what the Council and/or black swan did with him that sophie just wasn't involved in--and bc it didn't become relevant to the plot from sophie's perspective, sophie being the actual MC, it just seems unimportant.

Another thing is that Keefe has a lot of the same character flaws throughout the series, but they do shift somewhat with his experiences, and that's without us even seeing in his head, you know? So here's the thing.

Shannon went and started developing Keefe like a second protagonist (who is interestingly also an anti hero in some ways) and even if you aren't a person who thinks he's the most developed character on the paper (disagree but see where you're coming from) he's DEFINITELY most developed in shannon's brain, and that bleeds through. But then we ONLY see Sophie's perspective BECAUSE THIS IS SOPHIE'S STORY, and everything revolves around what is relevant to the plot from her perspective, and then keefe is just in the background being extremely important and relevant and having all these extra issues that we ONLY ever see from sophie's perspective.

Unlocked was... well, it was half a book, and only half of it was keefe. I actually do think his perspective was enlightening in some ways, but a full keefe book at this point kind of seems necessary to me. Because... he's taken on the role of another main character in this story, but we don't see any of that development happening, and for a lot of people i can see that getting taxing. Now I get that those same people also wish keefe would just. step back from the plot. and i get that! but I think with the way he's involved in the plot NOW, seeing his perspective is important, because sophie's POV (especially with her unreliable narration) doesn't give us enough of a window into the complexity that is keefe's worldview right now, especially with all the ways he keeps impacting things. it's just a really important perspective to have at this point.

Shannon, if unraveled is just keefe trying different human foods and giggling like a kotlc react on wattpad, I will probably enjoy it bc i love your work always, but i will also be shaking you by the shoulders because we need this book and you better spend it doing the things we need

#jsyk ofc i respect all of shannon's decisions in her own series #but BECAUSE of how important this perspective feels to me atp #i just hope shannons USES it yknow?#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #keefe sencen #kotlc unraveled

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gothamite-rambler · 2 months ago

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Jason has to make a mighty sacrifice to save Bruce.

Context: Typical fight with Bane, Batman wasn't prepared. Jason decided to save him. The duo are on better terms and Jason is even liked by Bane, but it's Bane.... It's Bane.

Jason: Can I have my dad back?

Bane: No.

Jason (exasperated): Come on, man.

Bane: I don't hate you, Jason; I hate him with a burning passion. I can't let him leave.

Batman lay bruised on the ground, suffering from broken ribs, a black eye, and with his leg bent at a disturbing angle that no sane person should ever witness.

Bruce (coughing, wincing): If you just give me a minute, I can still take him down.

Jason leaned past the hulking Bane, taking in Bruce's pain and twitching on the ground. He let out a heavy sigh, thankful that his helmet concealed his growing frustration.

Jason: I get it, Bane. You’ve got a laundry list of issues with this guy, many I could see us agreeing on. But he’s technically my father, so I sort of have to save him—family and all that crap.

Bane: While I admire your attempt to patch things up with the old man, I can’t just let him waltz away…

Bane extended his hand, and Jason groaned, already dreading where this was heading.

Bane (cunningly): Without some sort of compensation?

Jason: What’s the minimum amount of money I can throw your way?

Batman (weakly): For the love of God, don’t give him any money! I’d rather die—

Jason (shouting): Batman, shut the hell up and wince quietly for once!

Bane: Continuing our bargaining, I'm not sure monetary compensation will suffice. What else you got young man?

Jason sighed, yanked off his backpack, and unzipped it, desperately searching for something to offer. He really just wanted to talk some sense into the overly muscled foe, not trade his stuff to save Bruce.

Jason: The fact I'm doing this proves I'm selfless— Want a gun? I have like three... on safety I think.

Bane (shaking his head): I’m not a gun guy; I prefer to use my fists.

Jason: Fair enough. How about chocolate bars? I’ve got five in here.

Bane (dismissively): I’m on a diet.

Jason fished out the current book he was reading, a "Bridgerton" series book. He was sure Bane wouldn’t want that, and he definitely wasn’t planning to trade it—until the villain snatched it right out of his hands.

Jason (alarmed): Hey, that's mine!

Bane: I’ve never read this Bridgerton book.

Batman (twitching in agony): Bridgerton?! Oh, god, that hurt. Why did I yell?

Jason sighed, conflicted about parting with his precious book.

Bane: A man of culture, I see. Penelope is quite the captivating character.

Jason (a hand on his helmet, covering his eyes): Yeah, she's a gem, and that was a collector’s edition I paid a pretty penny for!

Bane: I can tell—signed and everything.

Jason (defeated): Yep. If you let him go... You can keep it.

Bane (nodding with a thumbs-up): Deal. Pleasure doing business.

Bane strolled off with the book, whistling happily. Jason clenched his fists and slapped his hands together, too furious to find words for a few moments.

Jason: That was the collector's edition! I waited three months for that, and now it’s gone! This is what happens when I try to save this man. Batman, get your ass up so we can bail!

Batman: Uh, funny story… I wasn’t going to let Bane see this, but he seriously messed up my leg. I can’t even stand on it.

Jason groaned, facepalming. He shook his head, regretting his decision to come to Bruce’s rescue tonight. With a mix of annoyance and sympathy, he trudged over, muttering curses under his breath, then he hoisted the cape crusader's good leg and dragged him toward his car.

Jason: You’re buying me that book. Same edition, and don’t act like you don’t have the cash for it!

Batman (trying to lighten the mood): That seems fair… So, what’s Penelope like in the books?

Jason: Bruce, really not in the mood right now.

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major-comet · 5 months ago

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The Best Red vs Blue Watch Order Guide Ever. Of All Time.

So. You want to watch Red vs Blue, huh? Maybe you read my long post about how it's so weirdly incredible yet impossible to recommend and now you want to give it a shot. Or maybe you have seen the show before, but it's been a long time and/or you didn't watch any of the mini-series or anything and want to give it another go. Either way, looking at a show with a 21 year history is kind of daunting, and you have no idea where to start.

Well luckily for you, I've done the work for you.

This watch guide will cover all 19 seasons of the main show, most of the mini-series, and some of the PSA's and other such bonus content. There will be links provided for where you can watch everything I talk about. This Google Drive (from reddit u/Exitity, unsure if they also have a tumblr) has all of the individual episode uploads, and most of the stuff I'm going to be talking about, although I'm trying to use YouTube links wherever I can. Any links will be colored in light blue for additional visibility.

Couple of quick things before we begin.

When possible, watch the individual episode uploads rather than the "complete" editions. The "Completes", while they may provide a more streamlined viewing experience by cutting out all of the bumpers and outros and such, accomplish this by cutting out a lot of jokes. RvB has a lot of jokes that happen during the fade to black at the end of an episode, and a lot of those get lost in the edits. There's also some things that just straight up get cut for seemingly no reason. Side note, the DvD/Blu-Ray versions seem perfectly fine, and honestly are even better to watch than the individual episodes if you have them. They're like a best of both worlds - adding some extra music and such (ESPECIALLY in the first 5 seasons) that really helps make a nice presentation of the show. If that's an option available to you, I recommend it. Otherwise, stick with the individual episodes.

At the end of each entry in the list, I may present a Side Quest section. This will include anything I feel you should watch that isn't necessarily canon, but helps add some extra life to the series. This may include some behind the scenes stuff or a selection of the PSA's and the non-canon mini-series. This stuff can be really great for building out the characters in a way that doesn't necessarily affect the greater story, and can especially be good for interactions between characters that maybe don't interact much in the main show. Anything I put in a Side Quest is strictly optional, but will add to your viewing experience. Obviously, there's a lot more bonus material than what I'm putting here. I'm just putting down some of the highlights. And if you end up liking the PSAs and such then just know: there's so much more for you to explore.

Early RvB is very much a product of it's time, and sometimes you'll get hit with a line that stops you dead in your tracks. Adult-oriented comedies can always be a minefield, and RVB's roots as a show made for Halo fans in 2003 definitely don't help. However, while this is the most common in the first five seasons, it never really stops being an issue. The purpose of this guide is simply for watch order, but if you have any specific trigger-related questions about any season of rvb please feel free to shoot me an ask or even a DM - i'm more than happy to help.

Okay, let's begin, breaking it down by arc.

The Blood Gulch Chronicles

You may hear people telling you to skip the first five seasons of the show and just pick up with Season 6. Those people are lying to you and do not have your best interests at heart. The first five seasons are pretty much strictly comedy, and from Season 6 onward the show starts to explore deeper themes and stories while still falling back on that comedic foundation. Skipping straight to the deeper stuff doesn't work very well IMO, because those five seasons are spent getting to know the characters we're going to be following for the rest of the show. The stuff that happens in Blood Gulch never stops being important - whether it's side characters showing back up again later on, or laying the foundation for a lot of the moments and story lines that make some of the later seasons so special.

Anyways, the watch order.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Out of Mind - Mini-series

Season 5

Blood Gulch Side Quests

Tattoo Point/Counterpoint - Season 1 PSA

A Message to the Science Community - Season 2 PSA

Real Life VS. The Internet - Season 2 PSA

All of the deleted scenes, honestly, but This One in particular because asphodel and I quote it all the time.

The Outtakes/Bloopers - I'm not gonna put the link for these and the deleted scenes for every arc, but just know that you should watch them after every season/arc. There's some great stuff in there.

The Season 5 Alternate Endings

Either watch it Now, or after you watch the finale, but I highly recommend the 2003 Season 1 DVD Commentary. It's just Burnie (Church/Lopez/Vic) and Geoff (Grif), and it's really nice.

If you've ever watched any behind the scenes stuff for RvB or even rooster teeth as a whole, you have almost certainly seen This Clip, which is a behind the scenes of the voice recording for Grif and Simmons' lines in episode 1.

The Recollection

Recovery One - Mini-series

Season 6 - Reconstruction

Relocated - Mini-series

Season 7 - Recreation

Season 8 - Revelation

Recollection Side Quests

First! - Season 6 PSA

Small Rewards - Season 6 PSA

Rock the Vote and Rock the Veto - PSAs made to encourage RvB viewers to register to vote. Which at the time you could do on your xbox 360. These are here mostly as a "wtf" historical piece.

Halo-Ween - Season 7 PSA

Valentine's Day - Season 7 PSA

Fire Safety: Where There's Smoke... - Season 7 PSA. genuinely one of the best.

Holiday Plans - Mini-series

The Reach PSA series - Three parts total, only part one is linked.

Project Freelancer Saga

Season 9

Technically there's two mini-series that take place during Season 9 - being M.I.A. and Where There's a Will, There's a Wall. I really love them, and would recommend watching them after S9, but if you really want to roll into S10 you won't miss much. Weirdly there's a place later on that would be a great spot to circle back to these, but I'll save that for later.

Season 10

Project Freelancer Side Quests

This is a great spot to circle back to older side quests you may have skipped, btw.

The Season 10 Table Read BTS - Season 10 was the first time they ever did a full cast table read for the show, and it's cool to see a few snippets from it and hear the crew talk about it.

Matt Hullum Talks to Himself - watch this after M.I.A. it's a live table read of part of the script, with a focus on a conversation between Sarge and Doc (who have the same voice actor)

This 10 Year Retrospective that was put out around Season 10. Watching it now, knowing that they were about halfway through the lifespan of the show / company gives it a whole new perspective.

RT Oz - PSA

Remember Not to Forget and Voting Fever - PSAs made to promote the launch of Halo 4. Voting Fever is one of the Best Ever (and listen to the full version of That's How Voting Works afterwards!)

This Interview between Burnie and Trocadero talking about the music the band has done for the show. This playlist also has a bunch of other behind the scenes and other such bonus stuff from the DVDs and Blu-Rays, it's great to keep around.

The Chorus Trilogy

Season 11

The Chorus Journal Entries - Only three have fully machinimated versions, the last one is just the log entry. Bridges the gap between 11 and 12

Season 12

Season 13

Chorus Trilogy Side Quests

#1 Movie in the Galaxy - PSA

Getting Away From it All - PSA

#1 Movie in the Galaxy: 2 - PSA

Uh. I think the RvB Holiday Special goes here

Matt Hullum (Sarge) reading an excerpt from 50 Shades of Gray at a book signing.

Season 14 - Anthology

I get it: not everyone loves the Anthology format. I truly do recommend watching all of it at least once - or if you haven't in a long time. My only Side Quests are to say that this is the perfect time to go back to M.I.A. and WTAWTAW if you skipped them after season 9, and that if you skipped the #1 Movie In the Galaxy PSAs during Chorus, watch them now before the third one, which is in this season.

The Shisno Trilogy (seasons 15, 16, and 17)

Season 15

Season 16 - The Shisno Paradox

Season 17 - Singularity

Shisno Side Quests (this is taken from our survey data because it's been so long since I've watched much of any shisno-related stuff)

Hard Truths - PSA

Diversity - PSA

Cultural Appreciation - PSA

Lopez's Technical Guide to Empathy - PSA

Unreal Estate - PSA

Caboose's Guide to Finding Your Home - sequel to the Guide to Making Friends from season 14

RvB: Zero + Family Shatters

okay so here's the deal. If by this point, you're really just interested in the characters you've been watching for the past 17 seasons and not so much the story or anything - you may not get much from watching Zero. I do think it's interesting to watch, if only because I think it's got a lot of missed potential. Zero is not served well by being a season of RvB, I think I would have liked it a lot more if it were stand-alone, though that doesn't fix all of my issues with it. If you wanna jump straight to the series finale, you absolutely can. It's a pretty short watch, though, and I've heard that Family Shatters was better. I'll watch that one at some point.

Zero

Family Shatters - spinoff

Restoration

This is it! The series finale.

I'm not doing this with an other season (though I do recommend going back and watching all the teasers and trailers at some point), but before you watch the finale you should watch The First Trailer For It. I think it sets up the season really well, and helps make some of the rushed set-up exposition in Restoration make a little bit more sense. honestly this should just be considered the first scene of the finale. Then watch the finale, and then you are done with all of the main show of Red VS Blue. Go forth, and be free.

Final Side Quest

I'm putting anything that came out in the nebulous time between Zero and the finale in here. I'll come back and edit this once we find out what on earth is going to be on the Blu-Ray.

Offensive Driving

First Person Tutor

Moving Out

The Video RT Made to Announce Master Chief and Blood Gulch Were Coming To Fortnite. This played at the game awards and my soul almost left my body

This is also where I'll put QvsA, which is the Grimmons mini-series, though I haven't actually watched it myself yet. They're all on youtube.

My all-time favorite RvB fan edit - doesn't actually have any clips post-anthology, but I think the end is a great time to watch it.

If none of this makes sense, or you just have any questions at all - I am More than happy to help answer your queries. I hope this helps :) Also if any of the links are broken please let me know.

#comet posting #rvb #red vs blue #rvb watch order #red vs blue watch order #rooster teeth

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pepperf · 4 months ago

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A good tragedy should be about a) inevitability, and b) what you are ultimately fighting is yourself. The reason TUA s4 failed so badly was that it felt extremely evitable, given their history, and what they were fighting was a combination of their sort-of stepmom and sort-of brother the Giant Blob. Like. That was not the inexorable hand of fate. That was weird city-eating goop set in motion by an arch-villain. Any half-decent superhero show would figure a way out of that.

And, sure, they might have made a tragic ending work for these characters, but they needed to show the inexorable steps that led them there from the start. Instead, all their past history shows us that they will make a terrible mess, they will try to fix it haphazardly, with everyone pulling in different directions, and end up creating a different mess instead, and none of them will ever cooperate with Five's plans.

Heck, they weren't even responsible for this one, it was their dad and stepmom's actions that brought it on. They were merely a side-effect. It's not their hubris - so it's not satisfying (in a tragic way) to see them be destroyed for it.

I get the aim of making a superhero show that has the superheroes be the problem in the end (tbh, this has been done a million times already, I don't know why SB thinks it's so clever), or having them sacrifice themselves heroically and no one knows - but like, it needs to feel earned, it needs to feel like the absolute last resort, that they've tried everything else and this is it, the only option. But they didn't try much else, here - even with all their enhanced powers, which had the potential to throw in some wildcards. No - they tried talking to and then hitting the Bennifer Blob, and then...blergh, we give up, let's all die and hope that fixes things. It was an unspectacular end, and it felt like such a waste of all that potential - of the show, the characters...

I know SB has said he planned this from the start, but it honestly didn't feel like it. Maybe he planned the general idea of them failing but never worked out the exact details, and when it came down to it, he didn't have a good apocalypse in mind? That certainly feels like his MO - lots of build-up, and then no follow-through. idk, whatever it was, it was just kind of a lame end to a show that I'd loved so much -and that was what really gets my goat. I wanted to feel like, whatever the ending, they'd thrown their hearts into it, and instead I was left feeling like the showrunners had already kind of moved on with their lives, it's only a TV show, just hit some popular beats, stick an ending on it, shove some CGI in, and hope the next thing we're pitching gets picked up. And it did feel very much like a showrunner issue, bc the actors did their absolute best to sell it. But there's only so much you can do with being eaten by a CGI blob.

We had three good seasons, and I am going to move on, once I've got some fic off my chest - but I'm just kinda disappointed that we didn't get one final season of great material, some stuff that makes me keep wanting to think about how it works, what happens next, how to explain X or Y - all that fun, fandom stuff.

Anyhow, much like Steve Blackman, I don't know how to end this. Peace out, y'all.

#tua s4 #tua s4 spoilers #the umbrella academy #how to fuck up an ending 101 #long post

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graciereadshannigram · 3 months ago

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hey fam, my spreadsheet is FINALLY up to date so i am FINALLY getting back to the monthly rec lists! here's the cream of the crop from July :)

as a reminder: the ingredients for a five star rating typically (but not always!!) include some combination of a.) believable characterizations of both Hannibal and Will, b.) compelling plot and/or character arcs, and c.) high quality smut.

that being said, my judgment of the aforementioned ingredients is powered almost exclusively by vibes and as such, is incredibly subjective.

you can find past recs below:

February March April May June

and if you have any recs of your own for me, PLEASE SHARE.

without further ado, let's go!

One Way Out of Many by hellotailor

Word Count: 59937 Summary: Hannibal planned to keep Will in the dark about his encephalitis so he could watch that brilliant mind burn itself up and become something new. In a world without daemons, he might have got away with it.An AU incorporating elements of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, beginning partway through the first season of Hannibal. Due to the existence of daemons, the course of the Chesapeake Ripper case is drastically altered — and so too is the relationship between Hannibal and Will.

Everybody say "Thank you, Serri" because this fic was SO GOOD. I didn't know how I'd feel about the mortal instruments crossover, but it was highly enjoyable.

Long Flights Can Be Torture by ThisIsMyDesignHannibal

Word Count: 6334 Summary: Will and Hannibal are finally flying to somewhere they hope to settle down. Will’s nerves are making him restless…but how better to entertain himself then by toying mercilessly with the man he loves? Will wants to see just how far he can coax Hannibal out from behind that impeccable person-suit, preying on his insatiable attraction, and pushing him as far as he can…just, you know, for fun. Hey, long flights can be torture!

Will flirting with the stewardess?? Secret butt plugs???

certain dark things by multifandom_fanfic_writer

Word Count: 28090 Summary: “Now, you will kneel.”Will opens his mouth and issues his Command. And Hannibal, who has spent forty-four years defying his dynamic, who has never once in his life followed anyone’s commands--falls to his knees.

Blood Will Have Blood by idonthaveyourappetite

Word Count: 13481 Summary: Will and Hannibal are living in a post WotL limbo, a sexless pretense at domesticity full of tension and frustration. Will, unable to get over his guilt and complicity in their new life together, has been holding that part of himself back, but subconsciously hopes that Hannibal will push him, HARD, to take that next step. Hannibal, although increasingly frustrated, has been infuriatingly patient with him. Finally realizing that patience isn’t helping either of them, Hannibal forces Will to confront and accept his desire, giving him exactly what he needs. Their first time is exactly how they both need it to be.

And Cure His Heart by ThisIsMyDesignHannibal

Word Count: 10460 Summary: Will’s irritability and frustration have been mounting since going on the run, and Hannibal has been bearing the brunt of it. Unconsciously craving one particular way Hannibal can help him quiet his whirring mind, it’s time for Will to face up to what he needs, swallow his pride, and ask for it. This time, however, actions speak more eloquently than words ever could. Relinquishing control can be its own form of therapy. Relief is often found in surrender.

Oh my God, Will not knowing how to ask Hannibal for what he needs? And the devastation when Hannibal realizes how he's been neglecting Will? Chefs kiss, perfection.

I'll Take Care of You by sourweather

Word Count: 6339 Summary: After an Acute Stress Reaction and continued trauma at work leave Will feeling desperate for release, Hannibal reveals that he has a very effective technique for Letting Go

Whoops, I like fics where Will is put into subspace as "therapy" SUE ME.

Cuisine Euphonique by thecountessolivia

Word Count: 35335 Summary: Nightmares brought on by a gruesome case lead Will to some unorthodox therapy in the form of a YouTube cooking channel.[Completed]

This fic was absolutely incredible and I desperately wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

Hannibal Lecter and the Great Cat-astrophy of 1812 by slut_arc

Word Count: 1582 Summary: If Will Graham knows one thing about owning dogs (and a cannibal), waking to complete silence is suspicious.Whatever could be distracting Hannibal and the dogs so greatly that they left the house without even eating breakfast?

cat dad Hannibal cat dad Hannibal!!!

the distance is quite simply much too far for me to row by softhan

Word Count: 15355 Summary: Hannibal is having a rough time recovering from his injuries post-fall, and retreats into himself to avoid confrontation with Will while he's still weak and ill. Having to play happy husbands hardly helps

Fake relationship AND vulnerable Hannibal??? it hurts, but it's worth it.

Consenting to Dream by emungere

Word Count: 32188 Summary: A seduction through physical objects. It starts with a scarf loaned to Will on a cold day, but Hannibal, as usual, isn't satisfied with anything small.

Possibly one of the sweetest sugar daddy fics I could imagine reading, oh my god, I love them so much. Will having to get comfortable with allowing someone to care for him? OUCH.

Conduit by mokuyoubi

Word Count: 9288 Summary: No one has ever known Will as well as Hannibal, and if only he could get over his reservations, he knows that they could be amazing together. Hannibal, happy to have Will in whatever capacity he is able, is only too willing to give Will anything he wants, even if it's someone other than himself.Or, Hannibal watches while Will has sex with a woman, and Will gets off on how much Hannibal gets off on it, and voila, sexuality crisis averted!

This was very hot, 10/10.

I Don't Even Like Lana Del Rey by perpetuallycaffeinated

Word Count: 4328 Summary: Will’s thoughts were going in a very inappropriate direction, and he had a growing suspicion that they were being led in that direction by a firm, determined hand. He gave another half-hearted bark of a laugh and threw back the remaining coffee like a shot. “Maybe Zeller and Price changed the wrong number’s ringtone. Jack’s not the one listening to me when I feel like I’m coming unhinged and feeding me the best damn food I’ve ever eaten in my life.”“No,” Hannibal agreed quietly, “he is not.”The tension and low thrum of arousal were making Will speak impulsively. He knew this, but he’d just finished his drink. There was nothing he could use to stop the question, blunt and presumptuous and rude.“So, what, you’re my daddy?”

Dancing with the Beast by proser

Word Count: 86347 Summary: In order to catch a mediocre serial killer, Will must pose as Hannibal's date for a series of pretentious social events.Hannibal is dramatic and jealous as ever, and Will is having a great time without the encephalitis. Of course, it's a love story.

FAKE RELATIONSHIP AND IT'S SO GOOD.

Never Conquered, Rarely Came by thisisthefamilybusiness

Word Count: 3242 Summary: Normally, this is the part where Will would pick up his cell phone and leave an anonymous tip on the police crime hotline, tell them there was a cannibalistic serial murderer lurking around the area code of the phone number given in the ad. But not today. Not when his very bones ache and all the raw and bruised places on his skin throb in time with his pulse. Not when exhaustion is slowly eating away at him in a way that has nothing to do with how little he slept last night.Not when these ink-stains on his fingertips and the man behind them are his last chance to get away.Fill for HannibalKink for this prompt: "Will is in an abusive relationship but can't see a way out - he's tried to leave before, but his partner is in law enforcement and always manages to track him down while pretending to be the understanding, forgiving, loving type. One day, Will stumbles across an ad in the Classifieds of the cleverly worded cannibal-seeking-fresh-meat-but-veiled-as-private-cooking-classes type, and decides to answer. Hannibal is pleased when his ad bears fruit, then surprised when his intended dinner apparently knows exactly what he's in for."

this starts off TOUGH, but it's such an interesting concept and it really is a happy ending.

#gracie reads hannigram #hannigram #hannigram fics #hannigram recs #will graham #hannibal lecter #hannibal #murder husbands #nbc hannibal #mads mikkelsen #hugh dancy #hannigram fic

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nitrateglow · 1 year ago

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Favorite films discovered in 2023

2023 kind of sucked, but it was a fruitful year for me as a movie geek. I finally got around to seeing films that have been on my TBW pile for years now. I also gave myself a challenge that I actually completed: watch at least one film from every year between 1900 and 2023.

Anyway, I'll stop beating around the bush. Here are my top 20 favorite film discoveries in 2023. (The order is very, very loose from 5 on down. I genuinely had a hard time narrowing the list down to 20, let alone ranking everything.)

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (dir. Mikio Naruse, 1960)

This well-regarded drama follows Keiko, a bar hostess who's just turned 30 years old. She has limited options as an unmarried woman in postwar Japan. Considered "old," she has to marry soon or scrape enough money to buy her own bar. With its jazzy score and first-person narration, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs has a noirish vibe but it certainly isn't noir at all. Though the film is tragic, what moved me so much was Keiko's character. She has a tough lot and her story is ultimately tragic, yet she is determined to keep going, even if life won't give her a break.

The Boy and the Heron (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2023)

Miyazaki's current "last film" is certainly his most abstract and puzzling. I imagine it'll be one of his more divisive titles in the years to come, but count me among its fans. While being "in the know" regarding the current state of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki's 60+ year-long career in animation allows one to better appreciate the many allusions and themes within the film, it stands just fine on its own as a surrealistic adventure about grief and the power of art. Also, damn, I LOVE hand-drawn animation so much.

Black Cat (dir. Kaneto Shindo, 1968)

Kaneto Shindo's Black Cat is yet another confirmation of my feeling that horror pairs best with humor or heartbreak. While there are some morbidly funny moments, Black Cat is largely a devastating supernatural horror story about a young samurai who encounters two mysterious women in the woods, not realizing they are the ghosts of his murdered wife and mother. Even worse, they've sworn to kill any and all samurai they encounter, since their deaths were the result of raping, pillaging samurai-- but they remain human enough to desire an exception. I was creeped out thoroughly by the chilly atmosphere and imagery of this film. I liked it even better than Shindo's Onibaba and that was one of my favorites from 2022!

Malcolm X (dir. Spike Lee, 1992)

I usually dislike big movie biopics for being stuffy and formulaic. Malcolm X avoids both of these issues. Directed to the hilt by Spike Lee, this film is passionate and compelling, about as far from a stuffy Oscarbait biopic as you could imagine. Also, Denzel Washington is AMAZING in the titular role. Like, we're talking one of the best performances I have ever seen because not only is Washington convincing as Malcolm X, he also perfectly portrays his arc from zoot-suited young criminal to uncompromising activist leader. I was absolutely mesmerized the entire time-- it's a long movie that never feels its length and I'll definitely be revisiting it in the future.

The Kiss Before the Mirror (dir. James Whale, 1933)

James Whale’s horror movies are listed among the finest 1930s cinema had to offer, but his other works remain woefully overlooked. The Kiss Before the Mirror is a strange marital drama set in a dreamlike interwar Vienna. A lawyer defending a murderer who shot down his cheating wife comes to discover his own wife in the midst of a casual affair. Will this discovery lead to another killing? Despite the lurid plot elements, Kiss is closer to Kubrick’s introspective Eyes Wide Shut than a typical 1930s melodrama. Both husband and wife are complex characters struggling with destroyed illusions, making the story a hell of a lot more complex than you'd expect.

Five Miles to Midnight (dir. Anatole Litvak, 1962)

I am so glad I ignored the meh reviews on this one because I would have missed out on one of the best thrillers I've seen in years. Sophia Loren is a woman desperate to shake off her narcissistic, abusive husband played by Tony Perkins. When Perkins is wrongly believed dead in a plane crash, he hides out in Loren's apartment so they can collect the life insurance money, split the funds, then part amicably. This being a Hitchcock-style thriller, it doesn't work out that way. What sells the film is the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Loren and Perkins's miserable, mismatched married couple, and a noirish sense of doom lends a great deal of atmosphere.

Shoes (dir. Lois Weber, 1916)

Shoes is the best Lois Weber film I have yet seen and it still packs a wallop a century-plus since its initial release. Mary MacLaren plays a young woman single-handedly supporting her family on a five dollar a week salary. She wears shoes that are falling apart but can never seem to save enough for a new pair-- that is, until an unsavory way of getting the cash presents itself, much to her horror and temptation. This is a heartbreaking little film that showcases a lot of what I love about 1910s American cinema. There's less glamor in the settings and nothing at all genteel or cleaned up about the poverty on display. MacLaren is wonderful in the lead too, her performance a quietly compelling portrait of quiet desperation.

Jeopardy (dir. John Sturges, 1953)

Barbara Stanwyck was in such a wealth of films that I can forgive myself for not realizing this one even existed. After seeing it, it's easily in my top five favorite films of hers. On the surface, the plot sounds like fodder for sleazy sex fantasy: a housewife on vacation is kidnapped by a hot escaped convict. She's racing against time to save her husband from drowning after the tide comes in at the beach where he's trapped; the convict has a very specific price for any aid he's willing to offer. Stanwyck's characterization complicates the situation and the direction amps the tension to a breaking point. Great, great stuff!

Girlfriends (dir. Claudia Weill, 1978)

This film came across my path in a weirdly personal way. One of my sisters got engaged this year. We've been close all of our lives and shared an apartment for years, so this is going to be a big change for both of us. Girlfriends is about a young woman whose best friend is getting married, meaning she'll be on her own for the first time. In addition to making this adjustment, she's a photographer currently hired for weddings and bar mitzvahs, but dreaming of entering the larger world of art galleries. I guess you could say it's a 70s version of a quarter-life crisis film (Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha takes A LOT from it). The performances and direction are exceptional, having that unglamorous, lived-in vibe I love about the films of this period. It also just happened to come into my life at the most resonant time, so there's that.

Ivan the Terrible, Parts One and Two (dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1945 and 1958)

As a person who hates the idea that realism is the only valid form for cinematic drama, Eisenstein's hyper-stylized Ivan the Terrible movies are a joy. The compositions are like something out of a painting, the acting is operatic, the writing mythic and sweeping. The dance number in Part II is one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever. Best of all, the films rise above their propagandist origins, becoming a fascinating study of institutional power set against individual charisma.

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (dir. Emilio Miraglia, 1972)

I've been getting more into giallo lately and The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is among the more memorable titles. You have the fashion world setting, a disguised murderer running around in a red cloak, over the top kills, a villainous junkie who looks like Bucky Barnes, a spooky castle with death traps, the works. It's a movie where I don't really care too much about the plot. It's the off-kilter, sinister atmosphere that draws me in, as with most giallo movies.

Little Miss Sunshine (dir. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, 2006)

It took Alan Arkin dying for me to finally get around to seeing this much beloved 2000s gem. I expected to only be interested in Arkin as the drug-addled, foul-mouthed grandpa, but the entire movie is so warm-hearted and hilarious that I fell in love with it whole hog. The characters are all quirky without being Quriky (tm), if you know what I mean. And I love the final message about just living your life and not worrying about whether or not you're "successful" in the eyes of society. An old theme to be sure, but done so, so well here. (Also, the mercilessly satirical jab at child beauty pageants is pure gold.)

Pom Poko (dir. Isao Takahata, 1994)

I feel like a lot of western anime fans only see Pom Poko as "lol that movie where the tanuki have comically oversized testicles." And yeah, that is indeed something in this movie but there's so much more. It's one of the boldest films I've ever seen, an "animated documentary" (to use Takahata's words) about a village of tanuki waging war against humankind's encroachment upon the natural world. It's such a genre grab-bag, critic Daniel Thomas' description fits it best: "The story weaves through slapstick comedy, social commentary, satire, surrealism, and tragedy. It changes moods much the way the tanuki change form, bending and molding into a new shape, and relentlessly moving forward." I still think Only Yesterday is Takahata's best film, but Pom Poko is strong competition and yet another film I can see myself rewatching many times to come.

Bullet Train (dir. David Leitch, 2022)

I still kick myself for not seeing this in the theater when it came out. Bullet Train is a wonderful lark of an action film. On first watch, I recall thinking it was like a live-action anime shot in a very Tarantino-esque style. I've seen it a few times now and I enjoy the hell out of it every time. And if you don't like it, well, you just might be a Diesel.

That Cold Day in the Park (dir. Robert Altman, 1969)

Another film with a so-so reputation that I really enjoyed. Sandy Dennis (who's gradually becoming one of my favorites with every performance I see from her) plays a virginal rich woman who takes in a handsome young guy one cold day. Her initial kindness quickly curdles into erotic obsession and her house guest has his own secrets. It's an early Robert Altman film and not his most polished work, but that makes it all the more fascinating to me. It's a creepy psychological thriller with a haunting ending, as well as an interesting time capsule of the late 1960s.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (dir. Russ Meyer, 1965)

Where has this movie been all my life?? It's a bizarre campfest about three criminally minded go-go dancers who romp across the California desert, strewing all kinds of havoc in their wake. It's such a strange movie that I don't know how to describe it properly: it's got a New Wave sensibility to it all the while indulging in exploitation B-movie nonsense. Definitely a fun film to watch with a group.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (dir. Chantal Akermann, 1975)

I finally bit the bullet to watch this one after it topped the 2022 Sight & Sound list. Do I think it's the greatest film of all time? No, but I don't like singling out any work of art for such a designation. Putting aside all the drama that ensued when this was granted GOAT status, Jeanne Dielman is a striking film. It's definitely not something you just throw on casually-- you need to set aside the time to watch it and be in the right headspace. My initial mild interest morphed into a sense of anxious dread as the film ground along its three hour runtime, its protagonist struggling to retain her total sense of self-possession and control as she's thrown off her groove by unexpected events.

The Wicked Lady (dir. Leslie Arliss, 1945)

This is not high art by any means. It's melodrama with a capital M, laying the cheese on thick. Margaret Lockwood plays a devious, scheming femme fatale in 18th century England who's a gold-digging noblewoman by day and a highwaywoman cavorting with bad boy James Mason by night. This is easily the most entertaining of the Gainsborough melodramas I've yet seen, dripping with soap opera antics, sumptuous costumes, and camp-a-plenty.

War and Peace (dir. Sergei Bondarchuk, 1966-1967)

There is no substitute for reading Tolstoy's massive novel, but this 1966 Soviet version is definitely a fine work in its own right. Filmed in three parts, it's about nine hours long and it does a good job capturing the interior lives of the characters in the source material. Everything about it is just breathtaking: the costumes, the sets, the massive numbers of extras during those battle scenes. It's the kind of intellectually and emotionally stirring epic that makes all those hours fly by.

The Sweet Smell of Success (dir. Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)

I often chafe when people act as though all 1950s American cinema were Leave it to Beaver wholesomeness and buttoned up repression. Some of the nastiest Hollywood movies I've ever seen came out of the 1950s and The Sweet Smell of Success is prime among them. Among the best of the late classic noir period, it follows Burt Lancaster as a popular but monstrous newspaper columnist who uses his power to control the lives of everyone around him, particularly his sister, to whom he has a borderline perverse attachment. The dialogue is as sharp ("You're dead, son. Get yourself buried." "I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic.") and the cynicism as thick as the best of Billy Wilder. If you love noir, you can't miss out on this one.

What were your favorite film discoveries of 2023?

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tippenfunkaport · 2 years ago

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Bow's Character Arc

There was a discussion on Twitter from people who were confused about Bow’s character arc and whether he had one (he very much does, and it’s actually one of the clearest / most spelled out in the entire show!). To help anyone experiencing that confusion and because it’s never a bad idea to understand how character arcs work if you want to be a writer/storyteller, I might as well break Bow’s character arc down for anyone who might find it helpful.

Buckle in, it's nerd time!

At the most basic, a character arc is a change (usually growth) a character goes through over the course of a story. Usually good (positive change arc) but sometimes bad (negative change arc). It’s very often a reversal aka the character is often in the exact opposite state by the end of the story than how they start it out. It can be trickier to follow in an ensemble story like SPOP because there are a lot of characters with parallel story lines going on and multiple arcs colliding in different ways, but She-Ra does a really good job of giving each of the four leads arcs (with Catradora as the main leads, Glimbow as the secondary) near equal time.

Yes, including Bow.

What I think throws people about Bow’s arc is it’s based on hypocrisy.

Meaning…

He encourages his friends to talk it out and share their feelings… while hiding his own feelings from his dads and repressing his frustrations with having to be the middle man between Adora and Glimmer (Season 4)

He declares that average people (such as the kitchen staff at Dryl) don’t need the princesses and are just as capable of fighting the Horde themselves… while he believes himself and his abilities inferior to Princess Entrapta’s

He reminds the others (esp Adora) about the need to accept help… while refusing any help for himself (think about “Don't worry about me. I'm the one who worries about you. Can we go back to that? Please?” in Pulse through to that moment when he agrees to let Glimmer take him to check on his dads in Return to the Fright Zone and literally leans on her)

I think a funny way to sum up his character issue is: Not me, though.

This arc progresses across all five season as he gradually changes. He starts the series out repressing his feelings from both his family and friends while doubting his abilities and refusing to ask for help (he IS Adora’s mirror, after all!). Over the course of the series he learns to express his feelings instead of bottling them up (The Beacon > Reunion > really all of Season 4 but it comes to head starting with Boys Night Out through Beast Island > Stranded), gains more confidence in his tech skills (The Frozen Forest > Signals > Flutterina > Mer-Mysteries > Corridors), and starts to learn to ask for help (The Beacon > Pulse > Return to the Fright Zone).

Which of course all culminates in The Heart Parts 1 and 2 where he finally wraps up all threads at once by

a) asking Scorpia to trust him (putting faith in someone else to help)

b) completing Entrapta’s program to unchip everyone (proving he IS as good a scientist as she is)

c) giving the speech to everyone on Etheria rousing the common people to fight Prime (average people can make a difference… which he now fully believes that includes him).

And while you can make the argument that confessing to Glimmer is part of his arc to share his feelings, the fact is that he completes a full character arc without ever behind reduced to just someone’s love interest because none of his character growth is tied to his romantic relationship at all (which was what the original tweet claimed). It's all his inner journey to have faith in himself and his abilities and how they relate to his friends and loved ones.

And thus the guy who starts the series as “only one around here who’s not a princess” with doubt in his tech abilities ends the series as confident Tech Master and future King of the regular people he sought to inspire, which is about as textbook a reversal as you can get.

Does it come out of nowhere?

His character arc progresses and takes significant focus in the following episodes….

S1:E6 System Failure

S1:E10 The Beacon

S2:E1 The Frozen Forest

S2:E3 Signals

S2:E7 Reunion

S4:E3 Flutterina

S4:E4 Pulse

S4:E7 Mer-Mysteries

S4:E8 Boys Night Out

S4:E10 Fractures

S4:E11 Beast Island

S5:E3 Corridors

S5:E4 Stranded

S5:E9 An Ill Wind

S5:E10 Return to the Fright Zone

S5:E12 Heart Part 1

S5:E13 Heart Part 2

That’s 17 episodes out of 52 which means his character development gets approximately 32% of the focus of the entire show… which for an ensemble cast like this where he’s one of four leads is just about dead on as it's over a quarter of the episodes.

That's a significant chunk of screentime with multiple episodes devoted specifically to his character journey.

Is his journey as flashy and action sequence-y as what Adora, Catra and Glimmer get? No, but it's a) a show marketed to girls so it makes sense they get the more cinematic scenes and b) his arc is more emotional and thus didn't need to hinge on big action like theirs did. Though considering the culmination of his arc is him as a 100 foot tall hologram speaking to the entire planet, I personally feel like that was pretty hard to miss.

If you look at all of this and still want to say that Bow did nothing or had no character arc, I think the thing to ask yourself is: why is it so important to you to discount the accomplishments and character growth of this character specifically?

In conclusion, this is the face Bow makes when he spent five season growing, changing and kicking butt as Tech Master and Voice of Reason and you say he did "literally nothing"...

#spop #shera #she ra #bow #meta #literary analysis #if I had more free time I would do a whole series analyzing the writing in this show #because it's so well done #spop bow #glimmer #adora #entrapta #tippen's posts #you all forget I'm a writing nerd until I bust out the craft talk don't cha?#i would like the record to show that I put the picture sets side by side #to show the start and end of each part of his arc #but tumblr ignored that layout

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swanhookheart · 7 months ago

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I finished with Bridgerton season 3 earlier today, and it left me feeling a little icky.

Spoilers ahead. Reader beware.

We've been given hints - some subtle, some less so - about sapphic Eloise for four years. Hell, we got more "Eloise might be a lesbian!" articles this season than ever before thanks to her closeness with Cressida. The groundwork has been laid for three seasons, the hints have been dropped, and with the Cressida "friendship" (which is giving "and they were roommates!") AND bisexual Benedict confirmed canon, it seemed like maybe now was the time to get her wlw storyline that the show has been teasing since the pilot on the road.

And instead of doing anything with that, which was out there on a silver platter for the writers to work with, they introduced a whole new, totally canon-divergent plotline with no warning, in the last five minutes of the season.

Let's be so for real; they're probably not going to make THREE of the siblings queer. Meaning it is highly unlikely that we'll ever get to see a sapphic Eloise. And if that's the case, why tease it? Why all the PR articles talking about it and interviews with Claudia Jessie where she's like "hmm, maybe" if they're not going to do anything with it? That feels a little queer-baity. They've been teasing for years, and this is the third season in a row where they've done nothing with it. If they continue to do nothing with it and don't make our girl El a little fruity, then that'll feel like a betrayal. Don't hint at stuff you don't intend to explore further.

Bi Benedict made total sense. All the signs were there. It tracked. Sapphic Eloise would make total sense. This??? I mean, yay for rainbow representation on the tea party dancing show, but shoehorning Michaela into the very last few minutes of the show while again doing nothing to act on any of the El queer hints feels... well, it feels like a bait and switch. With so much PR and so many articles and videos and speculation about Eloise being a lesbian this season, that was a big part of what lured me in. We kept getting "Eloise might be gay" and "looks like there's an LGBT character this season!!!" teasers back-to-back. They 100% knew what they were doing with that. So, to then be given Michaela is like "oh... umm, okay." It's great, but it's not what was teased at all and so that is disappointing.

But if I, a sapphic, claim it is disappointing, I am called homophobic. Can't win out here.

There was also no reason to introduce Michaela so early, unless the writers were setting that up to be THE wlw storyline among the Bridgertons.

And that is what is pissing me off. Like, we know that you were drawn in by our hints at an LGBT love story, and we know that a bunch of the teasers and PR we put in front of you made it seem like that would be Eloise. But we're not doing that, actually. Here's something we just pulled out of our asses with minimal to no foreshadowing instead. Happy pride. uWu🌸

Can you blame me for feeling a little led astray by that?

I want to be abundantly clear: I am not knocking the fact that we are getting representation in the first place. There is so little sapphic representation to begin with! That is not my issue. It's the implicit promises, made and broken, both in all three seasons and particularly in the promo for this specific season, where everything pointed to a queer Eloise and then it was all "haha, just kidding, but here's your consolation wlw".

#bridgerton spoilers #bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #eloise bridgerton #wlw representation #rant #unpopular opinion

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shrinkthisviolet · 3 months ago

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8 for Iris and Joe?

Gladly! This is set during late s1. giving Iris the catharsis she deserves. I think she and Joe do have a separate heart-to-heart in canon in which he apologizes, so you can choose to see this as an additional one or replacing that one. I don't remember enough about that one to say for sure which reading is better 😅

(I'm also not super solid on Joe's character so apologies if he's a bit OOC here)

“Were you ever going to tell me the truth?” Her dad sighed. “Iris—” “Dad.” Her voice came out strong but wobbled slightly. “He’s my best friend. My best friend since we were nine years old, and you made him keep that from me!” “You don’t understand—” “Don’t I?” “No, you don’t! I…” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “He threatened you, Iris. Stuck a picture of you to the walk, a knife in your heart, warned me to stop. How could I let Barry tell you after that?” “I got kidnapped by Tony Woodward,” she snapped, “because my name was on my blog. You know why my name was on it, Dad? Because Barry tried to tell me to stop, to back off, and made the stupid mistake of calling my bluff. Because you were forcing him to do something he didn’t wanna do, and he lost his senses.” “Hey, now,” her dad frowned, “Barry’s an adult—” She scoffed. “Which is it, Dad? Is it how could I let Barry tell you or Barry’s an adult?” “Both! Both, Iris, all right, I…” he sighed. “You don’t understand. The guy we’re dealing with—” “Kidnapped Eddie.” Iris’s eyes flashed. “Eddie, my boyfriend, my fiancé—get that look off your face, Dad, it’s him I love, and you’ll never change that—who I could’ve saved if I’d had any idea what the hell was going on.” “You don’t know that!” “I know I would’ve had more of a chance!” “No you don’t!” “Yes I do!” She scowled. “He’s a speedster. I get it. I can’t stand up against him myself. But he knew who I was, didn’t he? This whole time. And so does literally everyone else in this city who’s seen Barry around! Doesn’t take a genius to spot his best friend in the whole damn world!” Her dad winced. “Iris…” “You’ve had me in gloves since I was 8. I beat Barry who knows how many times before finally giving him enough pointers that he could stand a chance against me…or any bully.” She narrowed her eyes as his widened. “Oh yeah. That wasn’t just Barry improving naturally. It was me, coaching him between you teaching us. Me, running drills with him. Me, teaching him other moves that you hadn’t shown him yet, that I knew from watching you!” “Baby girl, I...” “You want to protect me.” She sighed. “I get that. I do. But Dad…I’m not a kid anymore. And I’m no secret to any enemy of his with half a brain. Barry’s in danger as the Flash? I’m in just as much danger as his known best friend. And you know I can handle myself. So what’s the issue?” “The issue,” he whispered, “is I don’t want you getting hurt. You don’t have the speed Barry does. You—” “But it was never just about that. You never let me join the force, but you let Barry become a CSI. He’s in the field every day—but you don’t mind. You treat him like a colleague…you treat me like a baby.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Iris.” She pursed her lips. “Are you?” “Yes,” he agreed tightly. “Yes, I am. I had no idea you felt that way.” “I was never subtle about how I felt.” “No.” He chuckled dryly. “No, you weren’t. I guess I just didn’t wanna hear it.” She nodded, but her expression had softened slightly. “So?” “So?” She glanced at him shrewdly. “No more secrets?” He hesitated, then nodded. “No more secrets. And…and I’m sorry we kept this one from you for as long as we did, baby girl.” Iris rushed into his arms, and he caught her, hugging her tightly. “You should’ve told me before Eddie,” she mumbled. He chuckled. “Yeah…yeah, you might’ve solved the whole damn thing for us in five seconds flat.” Her cheeks warmed. “Dad…” “It’s true, isn’t it?” He sighed. “You’ve got a nose for trouble, baby girl, for better or worse. Makes you sharp as a whip though…and we sure could use more of that.” She pulled away and kissed his cheek with a smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”

prompt list!

#lavi’s prompt fills #iris & joe #iris west #iris west allen #joe west #the flash

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stevetonyweekly · 11 months ago

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SteveTony Weekly - February 11th - Week

I’m traveling this weekend for my niece’s quinceanera so I’m sharing a list of my favorite fics that I posted on twitter last year. It’s still some of my favorite fics of all time, so this week go show them some love or send me some of YOUR favs, and I’ll be back next Sunday with our regularly scheduled weekly reading.

~*~

Open Field in Front of Him by orphan_account

Steve Rogers's football season is functionally over after a loss to Rutgers, but he finds a distraction in Tony Stark (yes, THAT Tony Stark). A college AU Stony fic.

In Trouble Deep by FestiveFerret, SirSapling

"Whoever did this has a reason, and Stark needs to be with someone who can protect him. He won’t exactly be able to protect himself like this.” Fury looked at the baby consideringly. “No, it’s you, Steve. Besides, he likes you. Suck it up, soldier, you’re stuck with him.”

The Twice-Told Tale by arysteia

For someone he'd hero-worshipped for so long, Steve Rogers in the flesh is a pretty big disappointment. For one thing, he keeps looking at Tony as though he reminds him of someone else, and even if he never says anything, Tony's pretty sure it's his father. A lifetime of not measuring up to Howard's expectations is more than enough, thank you very much, and he's certainly not going to make an effort to live up to any of Steve's. Steve's pretty clearly failed to live up to his expectations, in any case, and that's not hypocritical at all.

Bulletproof by foxxcub

At age fifteen, Steve Rogers had been in love with Tony Stark.

By age twenty, he’d (mostly) gotten over it. And then he promptly became Tony Stark's fuck buddy.

dick drunk by mistymountainking

“I’m going to fuck you stupid,” Steve says, pulling away only a fraction of an inch to say it, a promise as deep and certain as the look in his eyes, “and you’re going to take it. Aren’t you, Tony.”

Tony wants a drink. Steve gives him something else.

Sixpence In His Shoe by scifigrl47

Steve and Tony should really read the fine print on what they're signing. Then again, some mistakes are not really mistakes.

Straight on till Morning by Sineala

Tony Stark resigned his commission in Starfleet five years ago, after a disastrous away mission, and he swore he'd never go back. He just wants to be left alone to build warp engines in peace. But the universe has more in store for him than that, as he discovers when Admiral Fury comes to him with an offer he could never have expected and cannot possibly refuse: first officer and chief engineer aboard the all-new USS Avenger, a starship of Tony's own design. What's more, the Avenger's captain is Steve Rogers, hero of the Earth-Romulan War. Believed dead for over a century, Steve is miraculously alive... and very, very attractive.

But nothing is ever easy for Tony. As he wrestles with his secret desire for his new captain and his not-so-dormant fears, another mission starts to go wrong, and Tony becomes aware that Steve has secrets of his own -- and the truth could change everything.

For the Love of a Dragon by Captain_Panda

If it was between you and your dragon, who would you save?

Deep in the Heart of Me by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)

Veteran single dad Steve runs a tattoo shop. Pepper arranges for Tony to get that tattoo he always wanted, and he winds up with the mother of all crushes instead. Jumping out of airplanes is one thing, but love requires real courage. Steve struggles with letting someone into his life. Tony tries to keep his heart intact while Steve works on his issues.

Craving a realistic depiction of a romantic relationship featuring PTSD, mental health issues, and characters who discuss their problems? This might be for you. No magic fixes here but a happy ending is guaranteed!

Never Too Late for Love by Sineala

Steve has always believed that a soulbond is a blessing -- a rare and beautiful miracle, joining the thoughts and feelings of two people forever, from the first time they touch. Steve knows he's not going to be one of the lucky ones. He knows Gail isn't his soulmate. But he loves her, even if they're not soulmates, and he's going to do right by her. After the war's over, he's going to marry her, and they're going to settle down. They'll buy a house. They'll have children. He'll see his family again. Maybe Bucky will live next door. It's going to be a good life. He doesn't need a soulbond. He'll be fine without one.

Then Steve wakes up sixty years in the future to find that his wonderful life has moved on without him. His family is long dead. His fiancée married his best friend. And the only purpose he has left is leading the Ultimates, a misbegotten team of superheroes with flaws too numerous to count. Steve hates everything about the future -- but most of all he detests Tony, flashy and flirtatious, who embodies everything Steve hates about a world he never wanted to live in.

And, oh, yeah, Steve has a soulmate after all: Tony fucking Stark.

Toy Soldiers by copperbadge

When Steve Rogers, five foot four and a hundred and ten pounds, met Tony Stark in a bar, he didn't expect it to lead to a relationship. Or that Tony would find out he's not an art student during a SHIELD rescue mission in Afghanistan.

there are still beautiful things by meidui

The day Tony takes Steve home from the New York Army National Guard is the best day of his life.

I've got you under my skin by sirona

Five times Beijing 2008 Olympics Gold Medalist Tony Stark thinks it's going to be no more difficult a job to get ready for London 2012, than what he has just achieved. That is, of course, before Coach Fury comes to visit, and offers him a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a part of something much bigger than himself. Swimming AU.

The Foodieverse by copperbadge, scifigrl47

It's an AU where everyone works in the food industry. That makes total sense and is definitely not wildly irrational on any axis.

do you fondue? by calciseptine

Tony has done crazy things in the name of food, but falling in love with Steve Rogers really takes the cake.

Homefront by copperbadge

Steve Rogers is a capable leader, a kind and cheerful man, a good friend, a strong role model, and a loyal soldier. He's also teetering on the edge of suicide.

stress relief by romanoff

They don't love each other. They barely even like each other.

The Jar by Sineala

The Avengers are ridiculously competitive people, and what starts out as a silly late-night team discussion quickly becomes a contest: their names. Not the code names -- the nicknames. Who can go the longest without using them? They pledge to spend a week not nicknaming each other, and they'll pay up every time they mess up. This hits Tony the hardest, and not just financially. Tony's got a lot of nicknames for everyone, but most of all for Steve -- and when Tony can't use the names he's already got, the names he uses reveal feelings he had no idea he had.

Celestial Navigation by sabrecmc

Celestial Navigation: 18 year old Omega!Tony finds himself Bonded to Captain Steve Rogers. He isn't happy about it until he is.

By request, here is CN in one place without other stories and artwork.

ad astra by Areiton

The first time he kissed Tony Stark, the stars danced overhead.

#stevetony weekly #steve rogers #tony stark #stevetony #stony #iron man #captain america #stevetony fic #stony fic #fic rec

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gimmie-a-sammich · 4 months ago

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Between Two Thorns | Chapter 4 | Simple Terms

Pairings: Mafia!Ateez x Fem!Original Character, Mafia!??? x Fem!Original Character, Mafia!Jeongin (I.N) x Fem!Original Character, feat Stray Kids

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) Mafia au, smut, angst, fluff

Summary: After an unforeseeable event, Amelia Lee finds herself torn between love and loyalty. What will her choice be? Her twin brother and the only family she's ever know? Or the man she never expected to fall in love with? Every decision, though, comes with a price.

Chapter Warnings: lies, deception, threats, mentions of torture, guns, typical mafia stuff

Word Count: 9.8 k

read here on AO3

Between Two Thorns masterlist

previous chapter | next chapter

“Checking the time isn’t going to make it go by any faster,” Hyunjin muttered, sitting on the top of the bench, feet resting on the wooden slats of the seat. He grew tired of Felix’s neverending pacing and need to check his watch every forty-five seconds. “He said seven. It’s 6:52. You know he’s not going to show up a minute sooner.”

The pair had been sitting in the park for nearly twenty-five minutes on the off chance Yeosang came early. Hyunjin surveyed the area beforehand, not wanting to be surprised. The bench he selected was entirely in the open overlooking the riverfront, few trees in sight. Inglewood Park lacked places to hide, making the risk of either party setting a trap slim. Yeosang chose the meeting place well if he wanted to avoid an ambush.

Felix paused his loop only to glare. “What I don’t understand is how you can be so fucking calm,” he spat, resuming his pacing.

“The fact that I am calm is the entire reason you brought me,” Hyunjin quickly shot back. “Do you want Chan here? He’s a fucking wreck. Jeongin? He’d pull some shit and Amelia would be dead before we knew it. So I’ll keep being calm, Lix, because someone has to be. Pull yourself together.”

Hyunjin ran a hand through his hair in frustration at the leader’s scowl. He wanted to let himself spiral and feed into the anger and paranoia surrounding him. But that wouldn’t help him get Amelia back. Somebody needed to keep an entirely level head and while Felix would hopefully step up to the plate in front of Yeosang, that responsibility currently fell on Hyunjin.

Much like it did last night when Jeongin destroyed his room in a fit of rage. Seungmin called him immediately, unable to calm his friend down. All it took was Hyunjin mentioning Amelia’s name for poor Jeongin to collapse in despair, guttural sobs leaving his body while his fists pounded into the floor. With his room in no shape to sleep, Hyunjin brought him back to his apartment to give Seungmin a break, especially when he was informed about a thrown picture frame narrowly missing Seungmin’s head. It let him keep an eye on the youngest in case he broke down again, but unlike Seungmin, Hyunjin had no issue knocking sense into Jeongin by any means necessary.

Or when he peeled Chan off the bathroom floor. Hyunjin noticed him sneaking away during the group meeting, but initially paid it no mind. He had been the one with Amelia, so it only made sense that he took her kidnapping exceptionally hard. But when his absence grew longer, Hyunjin felt the need to find him. He just didn’t expect it to be slumped against the bathroom wall with a bottle of whiskey in hand to drown out his feelings. Not once in their many years of friendship had Hyunjin seen him like this. Chan was the strong one, literally and figuratively, yet sitting before him was a broken shell. So again, Hyunjin spoke reason to someone in an unreasonable state, pulling him from his stupor enough to get him back in his seat at the table.

And he continued to stay calm now, snapping Felix back into the mindset necessary to bargain for his sister despite him nearly pulling out his hair with every step along the frosted grass. If Felix slipped up slightly, unintentionally offending Yeosang, then Amelia would be gone.

No, Hyunjin wasn’t calm because he wanted to be; he was calm because Amelia neededhim to be.

The frost steadily wore away from the grass, leaving a perfect line of Felix’s steps. Despite Hyunjin’s annoyance, he continued checking the time, watching as the minutes slowly changed and thought only of his sister.

6:55.Was she still tied up? 6:56. 6:57. Was she scared out of her mind? Crying and sobbing, begging for release? 6:58. How did he let this happen to her? What if they hurt her? 6:59. Was Amelia even still alive? 7:00.

“Felix,” Hyunjin dropped from the bench hastily. He looked over Felix’s shoulder, focusing on something in the distance.

Spinning around, Felix saw two figures walking towards them. He tucked his hands into the pocket of his black peacoat, gearing up for whatever conversation was coming. Hyunjin came beside him, mirroring the position and praying that Felix had his shit together.

Yeosang stared down the two blondes in front of him and couldn’t help but enjoy the power he held. However, the neutrality of their expressions impressed him. Neither showed an ounce of emotion, not even anger. Both stood tall, confident despite having no control over the situation. But it was all a farce.

While Yeosang continued studying the demeanors of Hyunjin and Felix, Mingi scanned the area looking for anything out of place. An ambush would be stupid on Oddinary’s part, but people did foolish things for love. And these men loved Amelia Lee to the point they would easily risk their lives for her.

“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Yeosang smirked and stood face to face with the two men. The sentiment was aimed directly at Felix, the pair locking eyes immediately.

Felix huffed, the air visible in front of him from the chilly November air. He attempted to gather his thoughts, wanting to come up with some sort of bargain to get Amelia back to him.

Though it was Hyunjin who answered with Amelia’s wellbeing on the forefront of his mind. “Before any conversation happens, we need further confirmation that Amelia is alive and unharmed.”

“No time for pleasantries?” Yeosang scoffed, but he nodded at Mingi next to him.

Mingi pulled a phone from his coat pocket. “It’s live. Timestamps are in the lower right if you don’t believe me.”

Hyunjin snatched the phone from his hand. Quickly Felix joined him. There stood Amelia. Well, more like there Amelia wandered. Appearing to be unharmed, Amelia paced the room. Hyunjin contained the smile that wanted to escape. Seemed both Lee twins took to pacing when stressed. But at least Amelia was untied and ungagged. Even on the tiny screen they could see determination on her face, not a single tear in sight. Too soon, though, Mingi took the phone from their hands.

“Tell me what you want, Yeosang,” Felix said sternly. “I’m willing to negotiate.”

Sharp laughter cut through the still air. “You think you have something to negotiate with?” Yeosang’s gaze pierced through Felix. “You took someone from me. It’s only fair that I do the same, don’t you think?”

“Amelia has nothing to do with whatever you think is going on.”

“Don’t play with me Felix. Lies will do nothing to aid your case. We aren’t stupid, despite your beliefs. It was only a matter of time before something ended this foolish truce I had with your father. How fitting that it was his son to ruin it. You’re half the leader he was.”

Somehow, Felix maintained his composure. Maybe it was due to the question of Amelia’s continued safety, or maybe it was Hyunjin’s grip on his sleeve that kept him in check. Yeosang clearly tried to bait him, especially by making comments regarding his father. It was an old insult, one he hadn’t heard in years. Still, it cut deep.

“State your terms,” Felix said flatly, not taking his eyes off Yeosang’s. “Or do you intend on flaunting my sister just to kill her?”

The statement angered Hyunjin. Why would he even mention Amelia’s death? But he couldn’t do anything about it.

Again, Yeosang laughed. “Kill her? No, Felix. I intend to keep her alive, as long you follow the rules.” Smirking at their silence and widened eyes, Yeosang continued. “It would be easier to kill her, a literal eye for an eye. But why make it easier on you? You can mourn a death. Eventually everyone moves on in some capacity. So why would I kill your precious Amelia, when I could keep her alive yet always out of your reach? My terms are simple. Let her go, and she lives. If you try to rescue her or make some sort of move against us, she dies.”

The air turned uneasy with a heavy silence, only the soft sound of the chilly river and the rustling of the evergreens breaking it. Felix clenched his fists and jaw at the unexpected terms. All his and Hyunjin’s preparations to negotiate a restructuring of territories, for Oddinary to give up anything that Yeosang asked, were in vain.

“There must be something you want from us, Yeosang,” Hyunjin said, quickly on the verge of losing his composure.

“What I want is you knowing that Amelia is alive and you’ll never see her again. To know that she is with me. That you will never know what or how she’s doing. For you to mourn the loss of the person you love most when she’s still breathing. If for some reason you force my hand and make me kill her, that death is on you. And you will have to live the rest of your pathetic lives knowing that you are responsible for her demise because you couldn’t let her go.”

Yeosang’s smirk grew at Hyunjin and Felix’s bewildered faces. Nothing they could offer him would change his mind. No amount of territory or money was worth more than the pain on their faces and the sheer horror that certainly ran through their minds. Amelia was his.

“Mingi,” Yeosang nodded at the blonde beside him. “Show them, please.”

Once more, Mingi pulled out the cell phone, offering it to Hyunjin and Felix. Only this time the videofeed didn’t show Amelia pacing around the cement room. She stood still, staring down a gun aimed at her face, not an ounce of fear cracking her resolute gaze. Hyunjin’s eyes widened and his heart raced. Felix’s pounded loudly in his ears, so loudly it nearly drowned out Yeosang’s next words.

“Now, Felix. Do you agree to my simple terms? Or does Amelia need another hole in her head?”

Felix’s entire body stiffened, not breaking his gaze away from the small video. “There has to be something you-” he cut off his statement when the barrel pressed against Amelia’s forehead. Still, his sister did not waver, standing strong and unblinking at the cool metal against her skin.

“This isn’t up for debate, something you continue to misunderstand,” Yeosang sighed, running his fingers through his hair in annoyance. “A simple yes or no will do. I’ll ask again: Do you agree to my terms?”

Attempting to gather his thoughts, Felix remained silent. He didn’t dare look over at Hyunjin even though he felt the stare boring into his side. There must be something he could do. Something he could offer Yeosang. But the sight of his sister facing certain death terrified him, completely knocking him down from being the ruthless leader he should be. His mouth went entirely dry and he struggled to swallow.

“Yes.”

The moment the hushed agreement passed Felix’s lips the gun dropped from Amelia’s forehead and out of sight. Hyunjin didn’t miss her exhale of relief, even though her face stayed stone cold at whomever stood before her. Their time watching her quickly came to an end when Mingi snatched the phone back from Hyunjin’s hands. Too distraught to say anything, Hyunjin only raised his head in defeat and looked at Yeosang’s smug face. How he desperately wanted to wipe that smirk off with his fist.

This was just what Yeosang wanted: having Felix distraught in front of him, eyes angered and chest heaving with the pain of his decision. Not only that, Hyunjin appeared a mess, futilely trying to hide his frustration and wet eyes. In a way, Yeosang owned them now. All because of their precious Amelia Lee. The exchange went smoother than he imagined. He anticipated more of a fight out of them. But he assumed seeing the very real gun against Amelia’s head took away any plans they may have had.

“Well, I’d say it was a pleasure,” Yeosang began, stepping backwards with a dramatic bow, “but we both know I’d be lying. You can assume your sister is alive. If my hand is forced, I’ll at least do her the decency of placing the body on your doorstep.”

With that, Yeosang completely turned away, not allowing either man another word with him. Mingi lingered for a moment, eyeing Felix and Hyunjin until Yeosang was a few steps away before turning to wordlessly follow him. The Oddinary pair watched them walk away and fade into the distance.

“What the fuck are we going to do about this, Felix? We can’t just let her go. Who knows what the fuck they plan on doing to her!” Calm Hyunjin had disappeared, replaced by a frantic and fumbling version. “There’s got to be something we can do, some sort of contact we can reach out to. Something”

Pulling out his phone, Felix dialed Changbin’s number. The rest of the Oddinary eight were on standby at the club, waiting for Felix’s word on the outcome of the meeting. Now that Yeosang was out of sight, Felix became the calm one, wearing the mantle Hyunjin tossed to the side. It needed to be him to take on all responsibility.

“We are going to do something,” he said sternly, casting a glance at him. “But I need your head on straight, like you’ve so kindly reminded me to do today. The others are going to be a mess, I can’t have you spiraling now too.”

Immediately, Hyunjin pushed his emotions to the side again. Felix was correct. The left hand man of Oddinary needed to step back up. He had allowed himself a brief moment, but that moment had now passed. Nodding, Hyunjin locked eyes with Felix just as Changbin picked up the call.

“We have planning to do.”

***

“Seems your brother agreed to the terms,” San stated when he pulled the gun from Amelia’s head. He made a show of taking out the cartridge and bullet in the chamber, handing both to Hongjoong to prove the gun was unloaded.

Even with the removal of the gun, Amelia’s expression remained unchanged. Eyes narrowed and arms crossed, she glared at the two men before her.

Hongjoong took the earpiece from his ear, San following suit. They had listened to the entirety of Yeosang and Felix’s conversation to know just what to do with Amelia. Their instructions had been clear: kill Amelia if anything but a yes came from the leader of Oddinary. Thankfully for Amelia, her brother didn’t put up an outward fight.

“Am I ever going to be made aware of these stupid terms?” Amelia raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.

Only smiling, Hongjoong busied himself around the room. San leaned against the wall, staring at Amelia. He was intrigued by how she stared so resolutely down the barrel of his gun. Wooyoung was right. She was spicy.

“When Yeosang’s back he’ll go through everything,” San said with an oddly playful edge to his voice.

Rolling her eyes, Amelia shifted her gaze to Hongjoong. “And what happened with my brother?”

Hongjoong turned his focus to Amelia. “Yeosang will tell you what you need to know, Amelia. We were just here to-”

“To kill me if things didn’t go the way Yeosang wanted.”

With a sigh, Hongjoong moved closer until he was mere inches away from Amelia. He reached a tentative hand out towards her waist, letting it land there when Amelia didn’t shy away. Without even realizing it, Hongjoong was already falling into Amelia’s hands, just like she wanted.

“Luckily we didn’t have to do that,” Hongjoong said softly, staring deep into Amelia’s eyes.

Even though he was only a means to an end in her mind, Amelia took in just how handsome Hongjoong was. Those big brown eyes looked at her kindly, but still Amelia saw a slight edge in them, the same one she noticed last night. One corner of his full lips twisted up into a small smirk while he studied her up and down, making no effort to hide his wandering eyes. At the same time, his fingers dug into her hips almost possessively. Although Hongjoong was much smaller than San in build, he was still toned and lean, carrying himself with a dangerous, yet graceful aura. In that way he reminded her of Hyunjin.

“Lucky for who, Hongjoong?” Amelia breathed, allowing the man to trace featherlight shapes on her side.

“I guess we’ll find that out.” Hongjoong’s smile widened and his free hand shifted to brush away a piece of her disheveled hair. “Yeosang will be back soon. He’ll explain how everything will look moving forward.”

On that note, Hongjoong backed away from Amelia, turning to nod at San. He removed himself from the wall, eyes not leaving Amelia.

“Try to behave yourself until then,” San smirked.

Amelia couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Because I can cause so much trouble in here amongst the cement. Worried I’m going to slam my head against the wall? Not like you’ve given me much to entertain myself with.”

San laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that echoed throughout the room. “I think we’d all prefer it if you didn’t do that, Amelia. Were you expecting a 5 star resort? A spa day with facials and massages?”

“Actually, some skincare would be nice if you’re offering.”

San’s eyes glittered with a smile, but Hongjoong answered. “We’ll see what we can do.”

After three firm knocks from San, the door swung back open. The taller man didn’t pay her a second glance back, yet Hongjoong did, offering her a pained smile before the door clicked shut behind them.

Once free of their presence, Amelia moved freely about the room, trying her best to not seem too flustered. All she wanted was answers, yet that was something not so easily provided to her. Knowing that someone was still watching her through the cameras, she kept her smirk to herself. After just a day Hongjoong seemed to be falling into her twisted scheme. Almost too easily. Amelia quickly questioned whether or not something more nefarious could be at play, but how much worse could her situation become?

What she really wanted to do was change out of her now uncomfortable clothes and wash her hair. But she was too stubborn to accept the clothes Wooyoung offered her and they still lay neatly folded on the edge of the bed. The odd acts of kindness left her uneasy and she was determined to remain firm in her opposition.

Amelia resorted to aimlessly pacing again while she waited, head tilted to the floor as she went between the concrete walls of her confinement. Somehow her thoughts were loud and quiet all at once, a raging storm and calm sea simultaneously. Anyone else in her position would be a blubbering mess, begging for release on deaf ears. Instead Amelia continued to run through options in her head and tried to keep the thoughts of her brother and the others at bay, an act much easier said than done.

She wondered just how this meeting went down with Yeosong. Did Felix bring Hyunjin with him? Or Jeongin? Or maybe Chan?

Chan.

He must be devastated. Amelia shook her head at the thought of the strong, unbreakable Christopher Bahng breaking knowing she had been taken under his alleged watchful eye. Failure was never an option for him and he failed at the one thing he’d always prided himself in: protecting the ones he loved, and there were few he loved more than Amelia Lee.

She could picture Seungmin and Changbin arguing over some sort of plan to retrieve her, Han piping in to give his always solid input and quickly bringing focus back where it needed to be. Minho itching to get his hands on anyone from Fever, inflicting his favorite forms of torture for taking her away from them. Felix with his twisted smile while he raised a gun to each of their heads to finally end their lives. Hyunjin laughing maniacally, teasing each man while Felix moved down the line. And then Jeongin…

How was Jeongin taking this? When it came to him all of Amelia’s thoughts became conflicted. She was entirely positive he would be a mess, his complicated feelings for her clouding his judgment entirely. It sent a pang through her heart when she realized he would have been one of the first to realize she had been kidnapped.

Entirely unaware of just how long she had been milling around in her own head, Amelia didn’t notice the metal door reopening. She jumped at the pronounced click when it shut, the first and only break in her armor to show thus far. Her pacing ceased when she shifted her gaze towards the door to meet Yeosang.

He still wore his long tan coat, hands tucked casually into his pockets wit a pink tinge still clinging to his cheeks. “Hello again, Amelia.”

“Yeosang,” Amelia responded curtly, recrossing her arms in front of her. It was odd he entered alone, only ever having come with San and Mingi.

“Now that I’ve met with your brother, I think it’s only fair that the terms we’ve agreed upon be shared with you.”

“I find it ironic that you have these discussions with everyone but the individual these terms impact.”

Yeosang chuckled at her response, stepping towards her slowly without breaking his gaze. “Unfortunately for you Amelia, you are nothing but a means to an end, the perfect way to exact my revenge on your brother and his petty club. Another pawn in my game of chess, although my hope is that I won’t have to sacrifice you as quickly in my pursuits. You see, I intended on playing a very long game.”

Even though being referred to as a meaningless pawn set Amelia off, she remained silent, digging her fingernails into the flesh of her arm to keep sharp words from spilling out. Still, Yeosang provided her space to answer, eyes widening in amusement when she didn’t.

“Now, these are simple terms, simple enough for you to understand I hope,” Yeosang continued, ignoring the tension in Amelia’s jaw at his snide insult. “When I said to make yourself comfortable, I meant it. You’re mine, Amelia Lee. There’s going to be no rescue mission for you, no knight in shining armor coming to save you from me. You’re going to remain here, out of your brother’s reach but always on his mind. It would be too easy to kill you, you see. I’d rather watch him and the rest of Oddinary suffer knowing you’re alive, but that you’ll never be theirs again.”

“Felix would never agree to this-”

Yeosang’s hand on her chin silenced her voice, but did nothing to quell the fire in her eyes. “Your brother agreed to let you go without a second thought, Amelia,” he hissed.

Amelia inhaled abruptly, each of her muscles tensing at his harsh touch. “Take your fucking hand off me before I-”

Instead his grip tightened, the pads of his finger indenting her cheeks. “It’s fucking adorable that you think you’re in the position to make threats.” His breath was hot against her face when he leaned in further, tone somehow becoming more menacing. “Now, I’ll make this even simpler for you. Any attempt at escape results in one of your precious Oddinary men dead, starting with Hyunjin. Follow this one rule and no one dies. Your brother and his idiotic crew have their own rule. If they come for you, you die.”

Amelia attempted to jerk her head out of his grasp, but Yeosang dug in deeper. “Do you understand me?” Both pairs of eyes burned with an unrelenting anger, Yeosang’s teetering on the edge of insanity, Amelia’s with a cold fury. It only angered Yeosang more. “I said, do you understand me?”

There was much she wanted to say. She wanted to cuss him out, to throw out every single threat she could muster. But Yeosang was right. What say did she have? None, absolutely none. Even if Felix did agree to whatever terms Yeosang provided him, she knew that he would never let her go easily. None of them would.

But in her current position, with Yeosang glaring dangerously and clutching her possessively, there was only one thing she could say.

“Yes.”

“Good girl,” his gaze narrowed before he removed his hand and placed it back in his pocket. The suddenness had Amelia jerking her head backwards, craving separation from him

Without another word, he turned on his heel, leaving Amelia dumbfounded and with a sore jaw. Three sharp knocks and the door opened and slammed shut before Amelia could process that Yeosang left. Her chest heaved while she talked herself down, again not wanting to put on the show she knew they wanted. No, the show he wanted. Once more she resumed her pacing, thoughts spiraling back towards an escape that would now be more difficult knowing that everyone’s lives were on the line. Her only hope was somehow being released.

An eerie sense of calm washed over her at the realization, her thoughts all going back to one man.

Hongjoong.

***

Somehow, Amelia knew how to push Yeosang’s buttons with ease. Never before had he met someone who could get under his skin, yet this tiny blonde managed to do just that in under twenty-four hours. Hell, grown men feared him. But not Amelia Lee. Oh, how that irritated him.

“Was putting hands on her really necessary?” Mingi asked coldly when Yeosang reentered the basement.

“It was only my fingers.” Yeosang didn’t want to admit the effect Amelia had on him and how his need for control overpowered him. Every set of eyes were trained on him. “She had an attitude. That isn’t going to fly-”

“Of course she has an attitude,” Mingi retorted. “We fucking kidnapped her.” He stood suddenly, walking past Yeosang and towards the secured hallway.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Yeosang questioned.

“To take her to her new room.”

“Do you think she’s earned that privilege?” Yeosang’s voice rose.

Turning around, Mingi strode towards his leader, staring him down angrily. “I think you’re letting Amelia get to you. It’s eating at you that she’s not cowering in the corner and begging for your mercy. She’s shown more balls than most men. So yeah, I think she’s earned the fucking privilege.”

Yeosang showed Mingi just as much disdain, more frustration seeping into his words. “And what if I say she needs to stay in the cell a few more days, hm?”

“Amelia’s attitude doesn’t mean we shouldn’t follow through with the original plan,” Seonghwa spoke up in an attempt to dissolve the budding argument. He had noticed Mingi’s soft spot for Amelia early on, but this protective edge towards her took him by surprise. “Mingi does have a point. Yes, she’s nothing like we expected her to be…”

“Cheongyang pepper vibes…” Wooyoung mumbled, earning a smack behind the head from San.

“But our intention was always to make sure she was comfortable, regardless of the circumstances that brought her here,” Seonghwa finished with a sigh.

Mingi and Yeosang’s staredown continued until Yeosang turned to face the eldest. Although he didn’t want to acknowledge it, Seonghwa was correct. Even he could admit his errors, even though those moments came fleetingly. “You know she’s going to fight every step of the way.”

“Would you expect something different?” Seonghwa smirked, standing up and patting Yeosang on the shoulder, simultaneously putting himself between Yeosang and Mingi. His attention turned back towards Mingi. “Take Joong and San with you… she seems to somewhat like Hongjoong at least. Let him explain what’s going on. Maybe she’ll settle in better in her own space.”

Hongjoong’s face flushed while a knowing look washed over Yeosang briefly before his smirk returned. Mingi looked at him for confirmation. Despite his anger, their leader still had the final say. With his nod, Hongjoong and San also stood, squeezing past Yeosang to follow Mingi.

“The rest of you, go about your day like normal,” Yeosang ordered, watching the trio disappear through the door. “The last thing Amelia deserves is an audience.”

Wooyoung jumped up, smiling. “I’ll go make sure her room is ready… I worked hard on it.”

Yunho placed his large hands on Wooyoung’s shoulders, steering him towards the staircase. “You’re not supposed to share that, Woo,” he whispered, but still loud enough for Yeosang to hear. It annoyed him just how much effort the others put into Amelia’s comfortability, something the members knew well/

Wooyoung’s shrill laughter echoed. Jongho shook his head, following the pair out of the basement and chatting to Yunho about lunch plans. Seonghwa remained, moving to retake his seat in front of the monitors.

“I can handle the locks,” Yeosang stated, focus quickly going to Amelia and her neverending pacing.

Seonghwa shook his head. “Take a breather. It’ll probably be better if she doesn’t see you.” His smirk widened when he saw just how intently Yeosang studied Amelia through the screens. “I’ve never seen someone work you up this much, Yeo. Has she really gotten under your skin this quickly? Not even Woo can-”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Yeosang said abruptly. He didn’t want to sit and listen to Seonghwa’s teasing any longer, even though he wanted to see the interaction between Amelia and the others. “Avery’s on her way anyway.”

“Awfully early for her to be coming over, isn’t it?” Seonghwa said offhandedly, clicking the mouse to change the camera angle. “Do you trust her enough with Amelia here?”

Yeosang laughed harshly. “Do I trust anyone outside of us?” He didn’t expect a response to his rhetorical question, continuing on. “But Avery knows better than to go against me. It’s better to go about business as usual.”

“Especially if that business involves getting your dick wet, right?”

***

Much like he chastised Wooyoung for attempting last night, Hongjoong knocked on the metal door before it swung up, alerting Amelia to their impending entrance. The warning made sure she was already turned in attention. Her innate ability to keep a straight, yet determined face despite what happened around her still surprised the members, whether it be in person or while they watched her on video.

Unlike previous times, Amelia stayed quiet instead of throwing some sort of witty remark at them. Hongjoong attributed that to Yeosang’s threats and his behavior. She simply watched the doorway, but the trio didn’t enter immediately.

“Can we come in?” Hongjoong asked softly.

Amelia raised an eyebrow. “I’m not even going to acknowledge the irony of that statement.”

“We’ll take that as a yes then,” Mingi said, sliding past Hongjoong into the room and ignoring the small scoff of annoyance. San followed quickly, resulting in both the large men entering the room before Hongjoong. It only served to annoy him more.

Still, Amelia’s hazel eyes remained strong and unwavering with the three men before her. “Can I not get a moment of blissful, kidnapped peace?” she muttered.

San laughed. “You’re going to be seeing a lot more of us, especially with-” A sharp gaze from Hongjoong silenced him. Seonghwa had been clear on who should explain things, and it wasn’t San.

“What he means is we understand that your reason for being here is unorthodox,” Hongjoong began.

“Unorthodox?” Amelia’s voice raised, but did not falter. “You fucking kidnapped me and plan on keeping me here indefinitely. Don’t you think that goes beyond unorthodox?”

Mingi smirked at the weight of Hongjoong’s sigh when he raised his hands in defeat. “Look, we know it’s not ideal. But we don’t intend on being complete monsters with this whole thing,” he said from his perch against the wall.

“Sure, Mingi,” Amelia laughed cruelly. “You’re not complete monsters. At least I’m alive right? Just as long as I don’t try to run away and my brother doesn’t come after me? Only then do I end up dead in a fucking ditch. Very considerate of you, actually. Completely unmonster-like.”

Hongjoong took a couple of tentative steps closer. “You know just what kind of people we are, Amelia. Nothing we say is going to change that. But, what Mingi means is we don’t plan on keeping you confined in this concrete cell for the rest of your life.”

The slight shift in Amelia’s stance caught San’s eye. “Ah, that got her attention,” he chuckled.

It had, but probably not in the way San assumed. “What, am I going to get an allotted thirty minutes of outside time a day? Designated enrichment so I don’t descend into madness?”

“More than that, Amelia,” Hongjoong said earnestly, ignoring the spite and sarcasm flowing through her words. “We want you to be comfortable, as odd as that sounds coming from the men who kidnapped you. So, would you like to get out of this box so we can show you where you will be staying?”

“You’re speaking like I’m on some sort of luxury vacation.”

“Consider me your ever willing concierge then,” Hongjoong said playfully with a smile, gesturing towards the door with a small, yet dramatic bow.

This seemed too good to be true, although Amelia didn’t know where exactly her new quarters resided. It could all be a trick, one that ended cruelly for her. But Hongjoong seemed genuine. Flicking her eyes towards San and Mingi, she found the same earnest look in their eyes, both going as far to offer her thin, assuring smiles and nods.

“We’re not lying, Amelia,” Mingi said calmly. “Let us show you.”

She pursed her lips in thought. This wasn’t the time to make a mad dash, but it could be a chance at alone time with Hongjoong. Anything to further her cause. “It really takes all three of you for this? What an escort.”

“Well, in the words of Wooyoung, you are pretty spicy,” San laughed. He jerked his head towards the door. “Follow me.”

San didn’t give Amelia a chance to respond and abruptly walked out the door. Nor did Hongjoong. Instead, he stepped around her, apprehensively placing a hand at the small of her back to coax her into following San down the concrete hallway. She leaned into the touch, humming appreciatively. Mingi slid behind them, bringing up the rear and watching their odd exchange with wary eyes.

They paused at yet another door, yet Hongjoong’s hand stayed securely along her back. Mingi couldn’t help being confused by their closeness, questioning what was going through Hongjoong’s head. It wasn’t like him to be this touchy with anyone, especially not a prisoner, regardless of how beautiful Amelia may be.

Blocking the keypad with his broad body, San typed in the code to grant them entry back into the basement. Amelia was taken aback by the luxury she stepped into, quickly coming to the realization that she had been in their house the entire time. She knew the main Fever group lived well, but hadn’t expected this.

“You’re to take her straight to her room,” an unknown voice came from her left. “Make sure to share the rules.”

Amelia’s head snapped towards it and she was met with the biggest eyes she’d ever seen. But what caught her off guard most was how pretty the man was. He easily could have been a model, tall and elegant, strands of his shaggy black hair perfectly framing his face despite being pulled back in a small ponytail.

“Ah, forgive me,” he apologized. “I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Seonghwa.”

“I don’t think I require an introduction at this point,” Amelia said curtly, ignoring the apology all together.

Seonghwa continued to smile at her. “You absolutely do not, Amelia Lee.” With a quick nod towards the group he strode away towards the staircase.

Hongjoong applied gentle pressure, urging her to also move towards the stairs. “Let’s keep going.” His head dipped low towards her head, lips close enough to brush against her ear.

Obliging to his command, she continued to follow San. Immediately she blinked at the natural light pouring through the expanse of windows on this level. The subtle warmth felt so good on her skin, the air around her fresh and smelling faintly like vanilla. Just like the basement, the main level was lavish from what she could see. The space was immaculate, opening up to a grand foyer with just as grand of a staircase in the center. In its entirety, it was a perfect mix of modern and traditional, although it leaned more heavily onto the modern side. Quickly she found the large front door, quickly noticing the touchpad next to it.

She didn’t have long to survey with Hongjoong leading her up not only the first set of stairs, but also the second, taking them to the top floor of the mansion. Everything was in perfect condition, crisp and clean, light pouring through the many windows. Through them, Amelia saw a large garden and a glass atrium containing a pool. Beyond the landscaping though, she saw the thick brick wall that surrounded the ground. Another obstacle to figure out for her escape.

Turning right, San continued down the hallway until he stopped at a door with yet another touchpad. Unlike the others, this one was wide open. Before San could announce them, Wooyoung popped into the doorframe.

“Amelia!” he exclaimed, greeting her like an old friend instead of a prisoner.

Hongjoong pushed her through the door after him. Amelia fought to keep her jaw from dropping at the room before her.

It was massive. A large king sized bed settled along one wall, a soft gray comforter and endless amounts of pastel pillows arranged methodically on it. The wall in front of her was entirely lined with windows overlooking the backyard and a door that led to a small balcony already adorned with comfortable chairs and a table. Another cozy armchair and small couch surrounded a flat screen TV in another corner of the room. There was also a desk, minifridge, and microwave. Small floral decorations were scattered about, as well as what seemed to be some art supplies.

“Do you like it?” Wooyoung asked softly. “I picked it out.”

“Why?” It was the only thing Amelia could come up with. Why would they put this much effort into a room for her?

She hadn’t noticed Hongjoong entering behind her. “Because contrary to your belief, we do want you to be comfortable here.” He gestured towards the two doors in the room. “Closet on the right bathroom on the left. Both should be stocked, hopefully to your liking, but if there’s anything you need let one of us know.”

“So you bought me clothes… and bras and underwear?” Amelia scowled. “Pervy.”

“WE picked them out,” Wooyoung added with a smile. “Whether or not you think it’s pervy, Hongjoong doesn’t get all the credit because there’s good stuff. Stuff I found, for that matter.”

“Now… rules,” Hongjoong continued, once again ignoring Amelia’s insult. “This room is entirely yours, but we don’t intend on keeping you locked in here. You are allowed out… but one of us must be with you at all times. There’s a button next to the door that will alert us if you do want out and about. We’ll also be by periodically to check on you if you choose to stay in the room.”

“Told you that you’d be spending lots of time with us,” San chirped from the door. Both he and Mingi waited outside, giving Amelia some much needed space despite Wooyoung and Hongjoong being there.

Amelia’s eyes flickered between them, still in shock. Even though she didn’t want to accept it, this was a monstrous upgrade to the concrete dungeon. Additionally, it gave her access to more of the house and more of Hongjoong for her little plan of seduction. It was too good to pass up. So she uttered two words nobody thought she would ever say.

“Thank you.”

Wooyoung beamed at her, while Honjoong’s ears turned an unmistakable shade of pink. San and Mingi were in disbelief, but Mingi’s lips still curled into a small smile.

“We’ll let you be,” Mingi interjected from the doorway. He wasn’t fond of the way Hongjoong was staring at Amelia while she looked about the room and wanted to get him out of there. “Take a shower. I’ll come back and check on you in a couple of hours for lunch since you haven’t eaten anything. Sound good, Amelia?”

She turned and nodded at him. Amelia would rather it be Hongjoong, and judging the look on his face so did he, but her time with him would come. It would be better if he pined after her, anyway.

“Are there cameras in here?” she asked quietly, remembering the cameras covering the cell in the basement.

Wooyoung shook his head. “None.”

“Comfortable, remember?” Mingi added before focusing back on the two men in the room. “Woo, Joong, let’s go.”

Sweeping a hand around her back subtly, Hongjoong leaned in closer. “I'll see you at lunch.”

“Take a look in the closet too, Amelia… you won’t regret it,” Woo smiled when he walked by, following Hongjoong out the door.

San and Mingi lingered for a moment. She didn’t miss the way Mingi’s eyes followed Hongjoong until he was out of the room. The last thing he did before closing the door was throw Amelia a hesitant smile. The unmistakable pinging of the touchpad came through faintly, followed by the dull click of a lock.

Despite Wooyoung’s assurance about the cameras, Amelia tore through every inch of the room in search of a hidden device. In her pursuit, she found herself oddly appreciative of the effort he put into her room. With a few artful touches it could have been something she put together all on her own. It made her wonder just how long the crew had been watching her.

It made her all the more curious about what was hidden within the closet. She opened the door, expecting to find a simple, typical wardrobe. Instead she stepped into the walk-in closet with her jaw on the floor.

Clothes lined half the walls from top to bottom, shoes and accessories intermixed throughout the organized shelving. This was a model worthy closet and nothing she thought Fever would have provided her. Judging by how spot on the styling of clothes was, they must had been following her for weeks.

“What in the hell is actually going on here,” she mumbled to herself as she thumbed her way through some of the clothes.

Maybe a shower would help her get her thoughts aligned, because right now she was entirely confused by this treatment. She expected to be held like a literal hostage in a cage for the rest of her life until it somehow ended or she escaped, not in a fancy furnished room with a promise of being let out into the house, even if that was with supervision. It had her questioning if they were as monstrous as she thought. Well, except for Yeosang.

After she grabbed a matching lounge set, a comfy looking bralette, and underwear she went straight to the bathroom. It was just as extravagant as the rest of the room. The pristine marble countertop already had skin care lined across and she smirked at the sight of it, remembering her conversation with San. A large, enclosed glass shower and porcelain bathtub took up a large portion of the room.

In the linen closet, Amelia found plush towels and extra bathroom supplies. She grabbed one, setting it on the countertop before taking a long look at herself in the large mirror. For being stubborn and not taking advantage of the ragtag shower downstairs, she didn’t look too terrible. Her skin screamed at her, but her makeup remained relatively intact. Her scalp itched and ached from the top knot and she couldn’t wait to wash every inch of her hair and body.

After searching the drawers, she found a brush and took the time to comb out her ratted hair. Turning on the shower, Amelia stripped off her clothes and left them in a crumpled pile on the floor and entered the drizzle. It felt heavenly on her skin, the pressure perfect. The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were all high end, similar to what she used at home. She’d definitely have to thank Wooyoung, even if she didn’t want to.

Suddenly, it occurred to her that maybe kindness would be a better option for her. As much as she wanted to go down kicking and screaming, she needed to reel them in and somehow build up some sort of warped trust so she could get out of this place. So in the hazy steam of the shower she continued to plan every detail of her escape. If only she could find a way to contact Felix…

But she let that idea swirl down the drain with the rest of the water, not wanting to inadvertently put them in danger. No, her escape needed to happen on her own. And the sooner, the better.

***

Mingi knocked on her door a couple of hours later, waiting for her to assure him it was okay to enter before unlocking the door. Amelia had situated herself on the plush armchair, curling herself up beneath a blanket while she scrolled through the streaming services on the TV. They had absolutely everything, even CrunchyRoll.

“You like anime?” Mingi asked, watching her add her favorites to her list having already taken the liberty of creating her own profile.

“Of course I like anime,” Amelia responded coolly while she added Tokyo Ghoul to the list.

He walked behind the chair, leaning down on his elbows to get a better look at the tv. “You didn’t strike me as an anime type of girl, especially not a Tokyo Ghoul one.”

She looked up to find Mingi perched above and looking at her with a huge smile. “What kind of girl did you take me for then?”

“More of a Hallmark movie one,” he said seriously.

Amelia genuinely laughed. “Well, you couldn’t be more off the mark with that.”

Mingi’s grin widened. “At least I know you have good taste. Tokyo Ghoul is one of my favorites.”

“Well if I want company on my 36th rewatch I know who to come to.”

He rounded the chair, surprised by Amelia’s openness. “Can I sit down?”

At Amelia’s nod he plopped down on the floor in front of the chair, leaning against it so his shoulders brushed against her bent legs. His stretched out endlessly in front of him, arms crossed against his chest while he made comments regarding Amelia’s anime choices and recommending more of his favorites.

Speaking to him was much easier than Amelia anticipated and she found herself quickly falling into it comfortably. She had thought she would have to make the effort to play nicely, but somehow with Mingi it came naturally. Not a thing seemed forced, and he took no offense to any of her sarcastic comments, only matching them with ease. More importantly, he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say.

“Are you hungry, Amelia?” Mingi turned to look when he heard her stomach gurgling behind him.

“Nope.” With this, Amelia ws continuing to be stubborn, even though her body ached for something to eat after twenty-four hours without anything but water.

Mingi completely adjusted his body to get a better look. “Your stomach is saying otherwise. Think we’re going to poison you?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll take the first bites of whatever we give you. If you’re going down, I guess I’m going down too.”

“How very Titanic of you.”

“C’mon, we both know that floaty piece of wood was big enough for both of them,” he stood up, completely dwarfing her and outstretched his hand. “I can show you the rest of the house too, if you’re up for it.”

She eyed him quizzically for a few moments. His pupils somehow became larger and he gave her legitimate boba eyes. All he wanted was for Amelia to feel safe with them, but especially him. He felt an odd sense of guilt with the entire kidnapping, especially since technically he had been the one to do it.

“I won’t hurt you…” Mingi said quietly when he noticed Amelia’s hesitation at taking his hand. He meant it. He didn’t want to hurt Amelia. It was why he went with Yeosang to meet Felix instead of San. If something went awry in the plan, he didn’t want to be the one to pull the trigger.

Finally, Amelia clasped onto it. “Says my literal kidnapper.”

Somehow, his eyes became even wider. “What do you mean-”

“You don’t think I recognize your hands? Or that I wouldn’t realize there was a reason you and San were always with Yeosang? I saw San, just before you covered my face and knocked me out. I may be blonde, but I’m not dumb.” When she stood and met his gaze more fiercely, she could see the hurt in his eyes. For some reason, it bothered her more than it should. “I won’t hold it against you, though. Someone had to do Yeosang’s dirty work.”

Mingi just stood with his mouth open, not knowing how to respond and wondering if he should just deny her claim. But he knew better. Deep down, he knew lying would ruin what he desperately wanted to build with Amelia, as warped as his intentions seemed.

Thankfully, Amelia answered for him. “I’m being serious, Mingi.”

“I’m just waiting for you to spit in my face too,” Mingi laughed nervously, shifting side to side

“Oh honey,” Amelia smirked. “Do you think I’d pull that trick twice? That was a pleasure reserved only for Yeosang. Plus, the angle is all wrong for that right now. You’re too tall… I’m not trying to fight gravity.”

“Any sort of revenge I should be on the lookout for?”

“Maybe a kick to the balls.”

A smile finally returned to Mingi’s face. “I guess that would be deserved. Now, lunch or the house tour first?”

“Let’s see the rest of my prison.”

With another eye roll, Mingi took off towards the door, glancing back to make sure Amelia was following him. Unlike previously when he left the room, the door remained unlocked. He paused outside, wanting Amelia to walk beside him instead of behind. The thought of sprinting straight towards the front door crossed her mind for a split second. Freedom could be closer than she thought possible, but she needed everyone to let their guard down just a bit. They would be expecting her to try something now, so she would not give them the satisfaction of doing so.

Mingi’s tour wasn’t too detailed with him being more concerned about getting food in Amelia’s system. She learned that their bedrooms were split between the top two levels, along with office spaces, and a couple of guest rooms. The main floor housed the ‘fun’ rooms as Mingi put it. In this case it was the library, kitchen, dining room, their conference room, and a couple of different living rooms. The basement was the same, although there was a full gym and more of a movie theater style room hidden there as well. Mingi purposefully omitted anything involving Amelia’s cell, but did let her see the surveillance room even though it was shut down with her absence. He also showed her the way to the pool house, assuring her that after lunch if she wanted to go into it or outside for some fresh air and a walk around their grounds he would take her. Of course she accepted his offer, solely because she wanted to survey the wall. Anything to help plan her escape.

The tour officially ended in the bustling, yet immaculate kitchen. Wooyoung and San were loudly bickering about something while Wooyoung was busy at the stove and San sat at one of the barstools. Seonghwa watched the two of them intently, lip curled into a small smile. Hongjoong sat silently, eyes locked on the laptop in front of him and focused only on whatever played through his headphones. Two more men sat at the countertop, but Amelia didn’t know either of their names. One was as tall or taller than Mingi, but looked much more lean with a well kept mop of brown hair. The other was shorter, but stockier, looking muscular enough but not on the same level as San with clean cut black hair. Noticeably missing was Yeosang, not that his absence upset Amelia anyway. She preferred his absence.

At their entrance, the once loud atmosphere became entirely silent. Amelia was used to having eyes on her, but not like this. But she wasn’t one to let her confidence lapse, even in a situation as fucked up as this. So she strode into the room with Mingi, standing beside him to lean against the island’s counter.

“You’re actually out of the room,” San said with a dumbfounded smirk. “I’m impressed, Mingi.”

Hongjoong slid his headphones off his ears, catching Amelia’s eye before looking pointedly at the seat beside him. However, Mingi latched onto the side of her shirt when she moved to take it. She looked at him with confusion, but Mingi simply shook his head with a furrowed brow. When she made eye contact with Hongjoong again he seemed just as confused as she did. Her plan at getting closer to Hongjoong may be trickier than she thought

“Ah, we should probably introduce ourselves then…” the shorter of the two unknown men began, “My name is Jongho.”

“And I’m Yunho,” the taller one finished.

Amelia put on her best smile. “Hi.”

“Did you like your closet and everything else?” Wooyoung asked expectantly, pausing his stirring of whatever was cooking in his pot.

“Pleasantly surprised, especially with how spot on everything was. Thank you, really.”

Wooyoung’s eyes crinkled with his smile before returning back to his task. “I told you I picked well. Only the best.”

She bit back her snarky comment about the absurdity of it all. There would come a time for more harsh words, and now wasn’t it. Now was the time for them to be lulled into her false complacency and feigned acceptance of her new life.

“Are you joining us for lunch?” Hongjoong asked, eyes going between Mingi and Amelia. Just as Mingi was questioning his intentions with their guest, Hongjoong began to question Mingi’s.

“I’m making pasta, if you want some,” Wooyoung added. “Or there’s plenty of leftovers in the fridge, or I can make you something else or-”

Seonghwa’s soft laughter cut him off. “Calm down, Woo.”

“Regardless of what it is, Mingi gets the first few bites,” Amelia teased, looking up at him beside her.

Yunho furrowed his brow. “Care to explain?”

“Uh, well…” Mingi fumbled with all seven sets of eyes on him. “I promised that I’d taste her food to prove it wasn’t poisoned.”

Everyone erupted into laughter, especially with Amelia’s serious expression. “You all kidnapped me, how am I supposed to be certain you don’t have nefarious intentions with me?” she said without a hint of emotion.

“Our intentions are not to poison you, at least not purposefully,” Seonghwa laughed. “You never know with Woo’s cooking though.”

“HEY! I’M NOT THE ONE WHO ALMOST BURNT DOWN THE KITCHEN!” Wooyoung exclaimed angrily, pointing his wooden spoon at Seonghwa.

Thus ensued more bickering. Amelia sat and watched it unfold, studying the dynamics of the group to get a better understanding of them. They were all extremely close, that was easy to see. Obviously they had to be, considering they chose to live together. She couldn’t help but get caught up in some of what was happening around her, laughing at the insults to Wooyoung’s cooking before he was slathered with compliments.

True to his word, Mingi ate the first four bites of Amelia’s pasta even though Amelia watched Wooyoung finish the preparation of it. To further prove their point, San also took a bite or two. While eating though, Amelia couldn’t help but become curious over Yeosang’s continued absence.

“Does Yeosang not eat?” Amelia asked casually from her seat between Mingi and San.

“Oh he eats,” San said between mouthfuls. “But he’s out with Avery.”

Seonghwa groaned. “Can you not keep anything to yourself, San?”

San narrowed his eyes. “Amelia lives here now. You don’t think she’s going to meet Avery at some point?”

Internally, Amelia cringed at the thought of living amongst them for too long. Outwardly, she kept her kind, curious face. “Avery? Is that Yeosang’s girlfriend?”

Jongho snickered. “I wouldn’t go that far.” He threw his hands up at Seonghwa’s glare. “Really, Hwa? San has a point.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to share these things right away…” Seonghwa mumbled.

Mingi dipped his head towards Amelia, ignoring the new argument around them. “Avery is Yeosang’s… fling. He has many of them,” he whispered. “She’s been around for a couple months though, much longer than the rest.”

Through his voice, Amelia heard a bit of annoyance. Once more, curiosity got the better of her. “I take it you’re not a fan?”

Huffing, Mingi shook his head. Being honest with her about small things like this seemed to be a sure way of building trust. “Most of us tolerate her.” He leaned back up, noticing Amelia’s empty bowl and smiling that she ate finally. “Do you still want to go outside? It’s chilly, but sunny.”

Amelia nodded. “I could do with a bit of sunshine, honestly.”

“Care for some extra company?” Yunho asked with a bit of apprehension.

“How could I resist the tall entourage,” Amelia laughed.

Smiling, Yunho stood up, grabbing Mingi, Amelia, and his plates to take to the dishwasher. When Mingi stood Amelia followed, giving a small smile to those that remained in the kitchen while making sure to catch Hongjoong’s gaze. For a moment, she thought she imagined his wink before returning the headphones to his ears, but Mingi’s scoff reassured her that it wasn’t her imagination.

Things were falling into place more easily than she could have hoped for.

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