#or that the reason is that they’re meant to help people
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clairedelune-13 · 2 days ago
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Ok, but why does the game paint Illario like a typical mustache-twirling villain when he’s literally just a typical Antivan Crow???
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A guild of assassins not known for being saints.
They’re literally paid to kill people.
And their moral code is not exactly typical of your average citizen.
Illario “selling out” Lucanis can be seen as just him offering a helping hand to his cousin that doesn’t want a promotion.
Cousin, what are you doing?
Trying to arrange an accident.
I got you, bro. I’ll make it quick. 
In TWJ, Lucanis is literally trying to kill himself by being reckless on the contract.
Illario notices this behavior.
Lucanis is doing this for a reason. The only way he won’t be named First Talon is if he’s swimming with the fishes, that’s just how life is in the Crows.
Illario didn’t plan on Lucanis being imprisoned and force-possessed.
Just granted a quick death.
It’s incredibly interesting and nuanced.
Or could’ve been, if the writers in this game understood what that meant…
The sanitization of the Crows is so disheartening.
I’ve always loved the morally gray aspect to them.
I was so excited when I saw that they were a faction you can play, and granted it is still one of the better factions to play as in this game, but…
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Illario’s only crime it’s literally just being a Crow.
Everyone’s judging him and it’s just like, “Judge me too, then. I’ve been smashing people‘s shit ever since I started. I robbed Villa Dellamorte bare. I drove every merchant in the district to bankruptcy. Illario’s a halo-touting angel by comparison.”
And I love him to pieces.
Also, the blood magic does not make him Evil.
I am so fucking tired of blood magic being seen as
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Blood magic is literally a tool.
It all depends on how it’s used, just like anything.
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as-is-yours · 2 months ago
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since the news of the reshoots dropped i’ve seen a lot of people talking about their nightmare scenarios for worst possible tog2 plot lines and a lot of people have mentioned being afraid that they’ll explain why they have immortality and it’ll be stupid, so im curious:
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monards · 6 months ago
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i fear that i don’t acknowledge enough the fact that i KNOW rhinedottir's evil !!! and she's horrible !!! and that she's wholly ireedamable !!! i know and love and respect that fact !!! i'd shoot myself in the frontal lobe if hoyo made her out to NOT be wholly evil !!!! but the reason i always go on and on and on about her humanity and complexity is because. SHE IS ALWAYS DUMBED DOWN !!!! TO JUST THAT !!!! it's literally the greatest and most moving theme (IN MY OPINION!!!) in genshin, that human beings are COMPLEX !!!! and they're MORE than just evil or bad or wtv. we see this through every character to almost ever be introduced to us -> literally just take arlecchino as an example. if anyone was at all paying attention to the discourse around her when the fontaine teaser dropped (and. 4.0 in general) it was the BIGGEST thing to watch people argue between "she's a harbinger, so she's clearly the most evil and the big antagonist of fontaine because of these accounts we have right now !!" versus the argument of "we've only seen ONE perspective of her so far, and it's no duh that all this stuff sucks -- but there's no way she's JUST gonna be all these horrible things,, because literally nobody to exist is just horrible and cruel with zero to no good in them. and also that'd make a shit narrative by hoyo in a story driven game" AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED !!!! we saw !!! in REAL time !!! that while arlecchino was rightfully cruel and horrible and, yes the things she did were fucked up beyond belief and she should absolutely not be excused for any of it - she is NOT just evil ! she's shown to care, albeit in a fucked up way that only shows she's even more deranged ; but what's so incredibly important about her is the way that her being "evil" doesn't mean she's incapable of anything else. She is evil, yes— but so many of those evil actions have *motives* and *reasons* that explain them (but not excuse or condone!) and, although they don’t save her grace or anything of the sort, they DO show her true character. AND YHATS SO IMPORTANT!!!! She’s capable of being an antagonist while still being justified in some form, and given nuance and backstory and redeemable traits
I am !!! NEVER !!! going to say rhinedottir is a good person. she isn't! no shit sherlock ! how the fuck do you think im gonna go on and ignore the fact she sent both her kids to their deaths, and also fed one to another. dare i say, that is NOT anything good !!! suprise of the century !! woah !!! -- but what i AM gonna say is that she's much beyond that? hello !! not only has the point of her having not a zero good trait or will in her body been. proven false over and over and over again. but it's such ! Sad and not compelling is character choice for her *not* to be nuanced and complex and justified in a fucked up !! — like do you REALLY think hoyoverse (who is clearly capable of, and likes to make) complex characters, who are horrible, while not being *only* those horrible things, would pass up a golden (haha) opportunity to make a characters whose entire existence is JUST that??!,!2????
believe what you want! Do what you want! This is a silly video game that will be eroded along with time in a hundred in so years ! But god so help me, please don’t be willfully ignorant to the complexity and nuance of characters, just because you want a villain. No villain , real or not, is entirely evil. People are complex and multi faceted and people really, really need to hop off this cart of going “okay but stop saying she’s multifaceted because it takes away from her being evil” because it DOESNT! If anything, it makes her so much more compelling . Which is something some people can apparently. Not handle.
#this isn’t even MENTIONING that she survived the cataclysm and#the implications that you guys are going to immediately villainize the one that got their nation destroyed. rather than the ones#that destroyed and cursed the people of it#HELLO.#-> I don’t see asmoday fans! or phanes fans!#because people are SO ignorant to things when it isn’t shoved in your face#you guys care about Rhinedottir this much because she’s so publicized. but celestia is JUST as bad and I have yet to see more than like#three fans of them. the group/faction who fit people’s perception of Rhinedottir even more than#Rhine herself#(not including the istaroth fans. you are all lovely. I love you guys.)#(thank you for being insane over her.)#-> like yesss guys! let’s demonize and antagonize the war survivor who went through just as much trauma as everyone else#who was just human (a point which was just established in the Fontaine quest to be HUGE when it comes to such extensive trauma like that)#and is clearly fucked up in the head. a tad against her decison#IM NOT SAYING THAT EXCUSES HER??? NO SHIT IT DOESNT???#but GOD so help me. THATS HER REASON!#HER OERSONAL JUSTIFICATION! MOTIVE!#why do people have to be so obsessed with making her an unjustified and evil entity when she’s. not that#she’s justified! even if it isn’t by a practical standard!#but I need YOU to put yourself into her shoes for a second#how the fuck would YOU react to your people being murdered and cursed#being wholly antagonized by everyone to live#experiencing isolation from society#and then going through the whole ‘like teo thirds of my magnum opuses just died’ thing#this isn’t even! to MENTION! the fact she holds a fucked up sense of affection for them?#do you truly think she felt NOTHING#I don’t care if you wanna talk about her sending them out to be killed. that doesn’t meant she can’t feel grief#they’re DRAGONSdeidgned for destruction what the fucj did you expect#-> hate her all you want! that’s okay! but don’t villainize her for no reason other that uoucamt think beyond surface level#crepe rambles
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enrapture · 2 years ago
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stay alive.
#the happiest people can be going through shit#the saddest people#the meanest of people#all walks of life you could never know what they’re dealing with#life is so hard so fucking difficult#I didn’t think I would be here#so many years before this one I didn’t think I would be alive at all#honestly? I didn’t think I’d live to see today a few days ago even just the other day I felt it#it’s really hard to stay tonight even with a good thing like meeting my favorite band right now on the 31st#internally I won’t share these feelings and thoughts allowed y’all don’t care about that or even wanna hear what I feel and what I think#but yeah#I just wanna share this because I’m struggling with it sand sometimes it’s a good and bad thing to keep finding reasons to stay#but you should stay because you want to be here to experience life with others and to help others#that life wouldn’t be life without you and you would want to see your near future self happy among your childhood past near past selves#evolve and be happy you’re staying and relive your childhood and grow as a person#you’re meant to be here if no one else tells you that#means a lot being heard and understood#staying is just a. little difficult rn#I never thought I’d make it this far and I don’t like the act of growing and I don’t like how life is a lot of the time#but that’s a story for another time if desired and shared#I’m gonna hop off now#bye#internally I won’t share these thoughts#these feelings aloud because y’all don’t care y’all don’t wanna hear about the dark parts that stay and stick in my head or pass through#but I just wanted to share it for those that needed a sign to stay#to stay because I too am one of those that could use it#spread love#be there for those that struggle#life is so fucking hard#take it one day at a time
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hana-bobo-finch · 14 days ago
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i am one day late to my own character’s birthday but whatever better late than never. this image popped up in my head last night and I felt obligated to make it
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for context Tornado is the name of the only social networking site on fincg island and C.C. is. very into the occult and would definitely think this is a halfway decent thing to do (it is not)
og
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#pdbc#tag ramble INCOMING 💥💥💥💥💥#I don’t post about CC enough I think….a lot of you (the very few of you who are following the PDBC lore lmao) probably don’t remember her#I think I posted about her once and that was with a very beta design. she is changed now. more obvious that she’s fishkin now#anyway she’s wonderful. love her. she looks menacing here but she’s one of the more. not horrible characters lmao#her worst crimes are just being insensitive by accident I guess. and maybe enabling an absolute monster of a person but whatever#her lore is kinda underdeveloped unfortunately but it is being developed bit by bit#she’s like. really into the phonetic alphabet for some reason. fitting considering she’s an Oscar fish and o is Oscar#also as you can see in this stupid image. her last name is technically whisky but she doesn’t go by it ever#but its whisky bc 1. whiskey is W in the phonetic alphabet and 2. it means water of life#and yknow. she’s a fish. fish live in water. given human life. a good enough name ig#spirits and other stereotypically occult creatures and the like are very common so she likes to hang out with them#most people have a sort of spirit like being that shadows them called a wraith that are meant to protect you (basically plot armor lmao)#but her wraith is fallen meaning she is. completely on her own in a universe where bad things Will happen all the time#so she has ghost buddies for support! even the infamous piss ghost and sizzle ghost#pretty good at communicating with them I’d say. most people don’t bother because they find ghosts and spirits annoying :(#anyway though she’s clearly mistaken here because bellona. did not go to heaven 🥰 whoops#there’s more context than that but I think it’s funnier to leave it as that lmao just know she is Not having a heavenly birthday#also I don’t think I’ve ever talked about Tornado? it’s a very minor lore piece so I don’t think I ever bothered mentioning it#and if I did eh oh well. it’s pretty much the only social media that’s allowed on the island#it came to me in a dream so obviously I made it canon bc that’s where the best ideas come from#the app’s color scheme is mainly lavender and has an overall. as one could expect. tornadic theme to it#(tornadoes are very common on fincg island and also I find tornadoes fascinating so i think it’s cool but it’s really not 💀)#it has a ton of bizarre and useless features that nobody would ever need but they’re there anyway#my favorite is the medication vortex. you can click on someone’s profile and see what meds they’re on lmafo#you don’t have to fill out that information field but a lot do just for the goofs#its moderation team consists of two people. thankfully for them there aren’t really that many users#although sometimes the site is flooded by cryptic messages that are actually a cry for help from one of the mods but. oh well#anyway enough rambling goodnight
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foldingfittedsheets · 8 months ago
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Mattresses, unbeknownst to many, are a lot like cars. Every year new ones roll out, they’re always tweaking and innovating and you’ll never find the same one you loved decades ago when buying a new one.
Where I sold mattresses had a three month return or exchange program for this reason. New beds take a while to break in, and they’re a big expense. Your body is used to the old one. So we made sure people were loving it. If a bed got returned we’d take it back, sanitize and clean it, then sell it again on clearance.
To sell these we always had to disclose what clearance meant to customers, and they had to sign that they knew what they were getting. (FYI, not every company is as… forthright about the used bed situation)
In clearance we had beds that were floor models, we had returns, and more rarely we had old models whose line had been discontinued. These clearance beds were always final sale, so a bed could only be sold twice.
Now, the manager at the store I was working at had realized a vital fact. Clearance beds in the warehouse didn’t sell, especially old models that salespeople weren’t familiar with. And even more especially in odd sizes, like twin extra longs. So he set up a split king on the showroom floor to exhibit clearance beds, pulling all those forgotten twin extra longs out onto the showroom.
Almost all of these were brand new discontinued models. Beds I’d never learned in training were exhumed to be displayed. The manufacturers had moved on to new lines and they’d been left behind. Why would he take such in interest in selling old stock, you might wonder? Because we made double commission on the sales margin of clearance beds, and if we’d had a bed long enough they dropped the cost in the system so it was a fucking cash cow to sell these. Even with huge discounts the commissions were wonderful so it was a win win.
When I got started I was jazzed about this program, I was so on board to sell weird old brand new beds and make a ton of money. I had a wonderful older couple come in, looking for a split king adjustable set. This was a white whale sale.
The current clearance models on the floor were a latex mattress that was brand new despite being of an age to start first grade, and a tempurpedic floor model. The couple laid down and it was like magic. They each loved the bed they’d laid down on. They wanted to buy the whole shebang.
I. Was. Thrilled. I told them about the clearance program and what that meant, and they weren’t bothered in the least. I wrote up the sale then dashed into the back, fizzing with excitement to tell my manager what I’d done.
“You sold the death bed?!” He asked in delight.
I pulled up short, my smile freezing in place. “What…?”
“Didn’t you check the notes?”
I hesitated for a long beat then slowly shook my head. You see, dear reader, all beds had a personal history. Every clearance bed had logs written up by the person who took the return, as well as warehouse crew after sanitizing. It helped us know what to expect when selling them. “Wasn’t it just a floor model? You said it was a floor model…”
He slowly shook his head. I checked the notes.
It turned out, it had been sold as a floor model. The first time. But the company had made an exception and taken it back as a return two months later. Why? Because it’s owner had passed away.
I stared at the computer in horror and my manager shrugged. “They signed the clearance form. Technically it was a floor model.”
“We know for a fact that a man died in that bed!”
“What they don’t know can’t haunt them,” he said philosophically.
The man came back a week later for more sheets, utterly delighted to tell me how well they were sleeping. I clamped my teeth down around the secret of the deathbed, choosing to let them love their new bed without the stigma. Only one person would be haunted by that deathbed, and it was me.
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falesten-iw · 3 months ago
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There’s a bittersweet joy in witnessing the struggles of the Syrian people bear moments of hope, but it feels like a fleeting spark, a fragile light overshadowed by deeper, relentless forces. Can we call this freedom? Or is it just a brief pause in a cycle of pain that has gripped us for far too long?
For decades, the Middle East has been scarred by war, division, and unimaginable suffering. These aren’t random tragedies, they are deliberate, calculated acts meant to maintain control. As long as Zionism continues to reshape the region, inching closer to the goal of a Greater Israel, true freedom for any of us will remain a distant dream.
But freedom isn’t just about removing one dictator or another. Real freedom requires dismantling the entire system that keeps us in chains. It’s about a shift in power, a dismantling of structures that oppress us all. Until Palestine is free, until the people who are suffering are allowed to breathe, none of us can say we’re free.
This isn’t just a political issue for me, it’s personal. My family in Gaza is living through an unthinkable reality: genocide, freezing cold nights without shelter, hunger, and prices so high that survival is a struggle each day. They’re stuck in a nightmare that keeps getting worse, and their suffering is not just a faraway tragedy, it’s a pain that echoes through me.
And yet, despite the immense pain, I hold on to hope. Because I know that change is possible. Every small donation, every act of solidarity, can ripple outward and transform lives. This isn’t just charity, it’s resistance. It’s standing together to defy those who profit from our suffering. You have the power to be part of this change. Stand with Gaza. Stand for freedom. Stand for humanity.
This campaign is for 26 lives hanging by a thread, including two orphaned children and a family member suffering from hemiplegia after being hit by shrapnel during a bombing. She urgently needs surgery to replace infected plates in her body. The situation is dire, and every day is a battle. The video showing the injured family member was shared earlier in this post: Link.
Please help us ! Donate and reblog this post to spread our story.
Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.
Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link
Listed as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link
Listed on the Butterfly Effect Project, number 957: Link
Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link
If, for some reason, you couldn't donate via GoFundMe, you can donate via PayPal instead. Please keep the conversion rates in mind when donating through GoFundMe. Every 100 SEK is equivalent to 10 dollars, and 200 SEK equals 20 dollars and so on.
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pucksandpower · 3 months ago
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Love at First Wink
Charles Leclerc x medical student!Reader
Summary: in which Charles can’t wink, you think he might be having a stroke, fans (and media) notice something strange, and your love story is immortalized through Reddit posts
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r/NoStupidQuestions
u/LordPerceval · 16h
How do I learn to wink without looking like a weirdo?
Alright, so I’m 27M, and for some reason I’ve never really figured out how to wink without looking like I’m having some kind of muscle spasm or, I dunno, an awkward twitch. Like, I see people do it in movies or just casually, and it always looks so smooth and effortless. But when I try, either both of my eyes close (which, yeah, not a wink) or I just look like I’m really struggling.
It’s honestly starting to bug me because it would be nice to be able to wink in a fun way, like in a “just playing around” or “gotcha” kind of moment. But instead, I avoid it completely because I’m scared I’ll make things super weird or uncomfortable.
So, how does one go about learning how to wink properly? Is it just a practice thing? A facial muscle thing? Am I overthinking it? Any tips are appreciated, even if they seem basic. Thanks in advance!
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u/SmoothOperator · 15h
Ah, the ol’ wink struggle! Don’t worry, man, you’re not alone. First thing you gotta do is RELAX. If you’re overthinking it, your whole face gets tense and that’s what makes it look awkward. Try it in front of a mirror, and focus on just casually closing one eye without squinting or forcing it too much. It’s more about a light, quick gesture than a full-on eye close.
And yeah, it’s 100% a muscle thing, so if it feels weird, it’s probably because your face isn’t used to it yet. You’ll get there with some practice. Also, remember, winks aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re supposed to be playful and a little subtle. Don’t go for the exaggerated “movie star” wink, just keep it light!
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u/awkwardpenguin · 13h
I totally feel you on this. I’m 24F and still can’t wink without looking like a malfunctioning robot. I found it helped to practice with only one side of my face in the mirror first. Maybe try winking with your left eye only for a while, get that one down, and then see if the right side follows?
Also, don’t overthink it too much! Sometimes a half-bad wink can be charming if it’s done in the right moment. Shows you’re not taking yourself too seriously!
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u/TheRealMaverick · 12h
Dude, it’s just like learning to snap your fingers. Some people just get it, and some people gotta work on it. I couldn’t wink for years without looking like I had something in my eye. My advice: watch yourself in the mirror and do it slowly at first. Get the feel of which muscles you’re using. Start by squinting a bit with both eyes, then try to isolate one. Once you get it down slow, speed it up.
Also, fun fact: some people can only wink with one eye and not the other. So if your right eye’s just not cooperating, maybe you’re a left-eye winker!
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u/CouchPotatoSupreme · 10h
Haha, I went through this same struggle. My trick was to add a little smile to the wink. It somehow makes the whole thing look more natural and less like you’re trying too hard. Plus, smiling relaxes your face, so the wink looks smoother. Try it next time you practice!
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u/theeyeguy · 9h
It’s all about muscle memory, man. The more you do it, the more natural it feels. I recommend winking at random stuff when no one’s around — like your TV, the microwave, whatever. You’ll build up the muscle coordination without feeling weird about it. Eventually, your face will stop fighting you, and you’ll just be able to fire off a wink like a pro.
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u/ActuallySocrates · 7h
Are you maybe closing your eye too slowly? A lot of people mess up winking because they think it’s a slow, exaggerated thing. But the trick is to make it fast and subtle. You want it to be quick, almost like a blink but with only one eye. If you’re dragging it out, you’re probably straining the muscles too much, which makes it look awkward.
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u/Pizza4Breakfast · 6h
Honestly, just own it. I can’t wink either, but I found that the more I tried to force it, the worse it looked. So now, when I attempt to wink and it looks ridiculous, I just laugh it off and it becomes this goofy thing instead of a weird thing. Sometimes confidence is half the battle, even if you’re failing at winking.
Good luck, dude!
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***
r/WouldIBeTheAsshole
u/UnmedicatedStudent · 9h
WIBTA for telling a stranger I think he might be having a stroke?
So, this is a bit weird, but I’m a 24F med student (just started my clinical rotations), and I’m currently studying at this cafe. There’s this guy sitting at a table directly across from me, maybe mid-to-late 20s? And for the last 30 minutes or so, his left eye has been twitching a lot. At first, I thought it was just one of those random muscle twitches that we all get, but it’s been consistent. It’s actually kind of intense, and he keeps rubbing his face like it’s bothering him.
Here’s the thing: as a med student, I know that eye twitches can be totally benign, but I also know they can sometimes be signs of something more serious, like a stroke or some kind of nerve issue. I keep debating whether I should just casually go up to him and be like, “Hey, not to freak you out, but I’ve noticed your eye twitching for a while now. I’m a medical student, and you might want to get it checked out, just in case.”
BUT I’m also aware that I could come off as a complete weirdo. Like, maybe he’s just stressed or tired, and here I am, a random stranger diagnosing him in a public place. I don’t want to embarrass him or make him anxious over nothing, but I also feel like I’d be an AH if I don’t say something and there actually is a problem. What if it’s a mini-stroke or something and I just sit here doing nothing?
So, WIBTA if I go up to him and suggest he sees a doctor?
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u/DrCoffeeAddict · 8h
NTA. I think there’s a way to approach it without making him feel super uncomfortable. Maybe go with something like, “Hey, I’m a med student, and I’ve noticed your eye twitching. It’s probably nothing serious, but I just wanted to mention it because sometimes it can be a sign of something that should be checked out.” If you keep it casual and friendly, most people would probably appreciate the concern rather than be freaked out.
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u/ItsNotABug · 7h
Agreed. NTA. If it were me, I’d rather someone point it out than have it potentially be something serious and not know. It’s all about the way you frame it. I mean, worst-case scenario, he’ll just laugh it off and say he’s been staring at his laptop too long. But best case? You could be catching something early. Definitely worth a try.
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u/ChillZebra · 5h
Soft YTA if you approach it the wrong way. I can see how he might feel embarrassed or weirded out if a stranger suddenly tells him his eye is doing something abnormal, especially in a public setting. I’d probably feel a little awkward. BUT if you go in with tact and don’t sound too alarmist, you could be doing him a huge favor. Just keep the conversation light!
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u/Caffiend · 4h
As someone who deals with chronic eye twitches (thanks, stress and caffeine), I’d probably be more embarrassed than anything if someone approached me about it. That said, I’d still rather know if it could be something serious. Maybe wait until he’s leaving, so you don’t put him on the spot in front of a crowd, but I’d say go for it. You’re NTA.
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u/LizzyBizzy · 2h
NTA! I think people overestimate how much others will be embarrassed by stuff like this. You’re coming from a place of concern, and if you’re polite and kind about it, I doubt he’ll be offended. If he is, that’s more on him than you. You’d probably regret it more if you don’t say anything and keep wondering if you should’ve.
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u/AllergicToYourDrama · 1h
Honestly? YTA. Look, I get it, you’re a med student, and you’re probably hyper-aware of stuff like this. But coming up to a stranger and telling them their eye twitch might be a medical emergency is a good way to freak someone out. He’s probably just tired or stressed. I’m not saying you should ignore it, but there’s a fine line between concern and overstepping boundaries.
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u/UnmedicatedStudent (OP) · 52m
I was worried someone might say this 😅 I don’t want to seem like I’m stepping into “know-it-all med student” territory, but yeah, it’s hard to shut off that part of my brain sometimes. I know I could be totally overreacting, and it’s probably nothing … but part of me would feel guilty if I didn’t at least mention it. Thanks for the input!
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u/PeachyKeen · 59m
NTA. I think the key is to not come across like you’re diagnosing him. Just be casual about it, like, “Hey, I’ve noticed this, and it’s probably nothing, but just in case, I thought I’d mention it.” If I were in his shoes, I’d appreciate someone saying something, especially if it’s coming from a med student who might know more than me about what to look out for.
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u/TheRealDeal · 49m
NTA. He’s probably just had too much caffeine or is stressed, but it’s nice that you’re concerned. Worst case, he thinks you’re a little awkward, but hey, that’s better than potentially missing a serious medical issue. You can’t control how he’ll react, but you’re not an AH for caring.
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u/DefinitelyNotASurgeon · 43m
NTA, but definitely approach with caution. Maybe frame it as more of a “Hey, this might be nothing, but I’m a med student, so I tend to notice stuff like this …” That way, you’re not jumping straight to “I think you’re having a stroke” but still letting him know it might be worth getting checked out.
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u/ItsNotThatDeep · 39m
YTA for even thinking it’s a stroke, lol. Just kidding! Seriously though, NTA if you do it politely.
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***
r/NoStupidQuestions
u/LordPerceval · 8h
[UPDATE] Tried learning to wink — got mistaken for having a stroke. But hey, I got a date!
So, a few days ago, I made a post here asking for tips on how to wink without looking like a malfunctioning robot. Well, I took all your advice, and I’ve been practicing … a lot. Maybe too much.
Fast forward to today: I’m at a cafe, sitting alone, just trying to sneak in some subtle winks at my reflection in the window (you know, totally normal behavior). I’m really focusing on trying to get one eye to close without the rest of my face getting involved. After what must’ve been 20 minutes of this, I notice this woman a few tables over, kind of looking at me, but I figured she was just judging my weird wink practice session.
Next thing I know, she walks over, says, “Hey, I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m a med student, and I’ve been watching your eye twitch for a while … I think you might want to see a doctor in case you’re having a stroke.” 😳
I nearly died from embarrassment right there. I had to explain that I wasn’t having a stroke, I was just trying to learn how to wink. She laughed (thankfully) and admitted it was an honest mistake, given how badly my face was contorting.
But here’s the plot twist: she’s actually gorgeous and super funny. After a bit more chatting, she gave me her number, and we’ve got a date this weekend. So, while I still can’t wink without looking like I’m in serious medical distress, I somehow managed to score a date out of it. Silver linings, right?
Thanks to everyone who gave me advice! I may not have mastered the wink, but I think things worked out anyway 😂
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u/SmoothOperator · 7h
Dude, this is the best possible outcome from this situation. Not only did you not have a stroke, but you actually got a date from it? That’s a win. Don’t even bother learning how to wink anymore — you’ve already peaked.
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u/awkwardpenguin · 7h
I AM DYING. This is hilarious. Honestly, I think this proves that failing spectacularly can sometimes be the most charming thing in the world. Good luck on the date, and please don’t try winking at her during dinner 😅
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u/theeyeguy · 6h
LMAO. As someone who’s been mistaken for having a stroke because of stress-related eye twitching, I feel this deeply. But I’ve never gotten a date out of it. Well played, my man. Well played.
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u/Pizza4Breakfast · 5h
This might be the best “I tried to wink and failed” story I’ve ever heard. Seriously though, props to her for actually coming up and saying something. It could’ve been worse — imagine if she just stared, unsure if you were in the middle of a medical emergency.
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u/TheRealMaverick · 5h
The wink failed, but your awkward charm succeeded! Honestly, I think you should lean into this. Go to the date, don’t even bother trying to wink, and just tell her the story again. If she was into it the first time, she’s probably going to love it even more when it’s an inside joke between you two.
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u/CouchPotatoSupreme · 4h
Okay, but can we just take a moment to appreciate that she approached you because she was genuinely concerned? That’s the kind of girl you want in your corner. Also, now you have the perfect “how we met” story. Future wedding speech material, just saying 😉
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u/DrCoffeeAddict · 3h
I have secondhand embarrassment but also secondhand joy for you. Sometimes life is better than any awkward wink could ever be. Good luck on the date, and hey, maybe you don’t even need to master winking anymore if you’ve already won her over.
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u/WinkFailSurvivor · 2h
This whole thing is perfect. I, too, have struggled with the dreaded “failed wink,” but I never thought it would lead to a date. I think you’re onto something here … maybe awkward winking is the new dating strategy?
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u/ActuallySocrates · 2h
Wait … so, your face-twitching efforts actually led to a potential relationship? This might be the greatest accidental rom-com moment ever. Well done. Keep us updated on how the date goes, but for the love of all that is good, don’t wink at her again unless you’ve somehow mastered it in the meantime.
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u/MedStudentCrush · 1h
As a fellow med student, I know she was probably embarrassed too after realizing you weren’t having a medical crisis. But the fact that she still gave you her number means your sense of humor (or tragic winking) really worked. You’re NAILING it, man.
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***
r/WouldIBeTheAsshole
u/UnmedicatedStudent · 7h
[UPDATE] WIBTA for telling a stranger I thought he was having a stroke because of an eye twitch? Well, now we’re going on a date.
Hey everyone! So, a few days ago I made a post asking if I would be the AH for telling a guy I thought he was having a stroke because I saw his eye twitching for like half an hour at a cafe. I’m a med student and my brain just could not ignore it. I was really worried that I might embarrass him or make things awkward if it turned out to be nothing.
Well … update time.
I actually went up to him and casually asked if he was feeling okay because I noticed the twitching. Turns out, he wasn’t having a stroke (thank god), but what he was doing was practicing winking. I’ll let that sink in. He was practicing winking at his reflection. In a cafe. For half an hour 😂
We both started laughing, and honestly, I was super relieved it wasn’t a medical emergency because I was prepared to call an ambulance or something. He explained that he’d been trying to learn how to wink for a while but couldn’t get it down, and I guess I just caught him mid-“training session.”
Here’s the fun part: after we laughed it off, we ended up chatting for a while. He’s actually really sweet and has this kind of goofy charm. I gave him my number, and now we have a date lined up for this weekend 😳
So, not only did I not make him panic about his health, but I also apparently picked the right guy to (wrongly) diagnose. I’ll keep you all posted if it leads to anything, but for now, we’re both just laughing about the most awkward way to meet someone.
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u/DrCoffeeAddict · 7h
I AM DEAD 😂 You’re telling me you went over to check on a potential medical emergency, and it turned into a rom-com meet-cute? This is the best outcome possible. Can’t wait to hear how the date goes!
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u/SmoothOperator · 6h
As the guy who gave him advice on winking in his original post, I just want to say: I feel partly responsible for this love story. I’m so glad his tragic winking attempts paid off in the end, even if it wasn’t in the way he intended.
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u/awkwardpenguin · 6h
THIS IS AMAZING. I read both your posts and now I feel like I’m watching the awkward wink romance saga unfold in real-time. You’re officially in the running for the best “how we met” story of all time 😆 Good luck on the date, and please let us know if he tries winking at you (but maybe tell him to hold off for now, lol).
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u/LizzyBizzy · 5h
Honestly, this just proves that the best way to get a date is to pretend you’re having a medical emergency 😜 But seriously, I love how this turned out. Sounds like he’s a good sport, and you’re a hero for not freaking out. Hope the date goes well!
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u/Pizza4Breakfast · 4h
Okay, I’m following this story like a serialized drama. I just read his update about you thinking he was having a stroke, and this is all too perfect. You both sound like such good sports about the whole thing, and I’m crossing my fingers that this ends up being a great first date! I’d pay to watch this rom-com, tbh.
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u/ItsNotThatDeep · 4h
So you’re telling me this guy tried to learn how to wink, failed so hard at it that it almost got him medically evaluated, and then still managed to get a date out of it? This man is living on another level of charm 😂
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u/ActuallySocrates · 3h
If you two get married, the wedding speeches are going to be incredible. “I thought he was having a stroke, turns out he was just practicing winking.” I can’t stop laughing at how absurdly perfect this situation is. You might as well stop looking, you’ve found the one.
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u/DefinitelyNotASurgeon · 3h
This might be the greatest series of posts I’ve ever seen on Reddit. First, the guy’s terrible winking attempts, now your heroic intervention that turns into a date? I’m invested in this. Please, please update us after the date. I need closure on this modern love story.
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u/CaffeineAndAnxiety · 2h
I feel like this is a public service announcement for all med students: don’t assume every eye twitch is a stroke, sometimes the guy’s just trying to wink 😂 But seriously, this is adorable and you handled it perfectly. Hope your date goes well!
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u/NoGuyNoProblem · 1h
This is amazing. The fact that you were so ready to step in and save the day, only for it to turn into this hilarious and kind of romantic story, is just too good. I really hope he doesn’t try to wink at you during the date though — that might be a dealbreaker.
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u/ChronicFailSurvivor · 1h
OMG, I just read both your post and his, and this is now my favorite Reddit love story. Please let us know how the date goes. I kind of want to see him attempt another wink, just to see how bad it still is 😆
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***
r/formula1
u/tifositruther · 14h
Why does Charles Leclerc’s eye always twitch when he hugs his girlfriend after a podium finish?
Okay, this has been bugging me for a while, and I’m hoping someone here can explain it because I haven’t seen anyone talk about it (or I’ve just missed it).
Whenever Charles finishes in the top 3 and goes to hug his girlfriend along the barriers where the team stands, I’ve noticed that his eye does this weird twitching thing? It’s super subtle, but it’s like a half-blink or something with one eye. It’s definitely not him just being emotional or sweaty, because it happens EVERY time. At first, I thought it was just a one-off, but now I can’t unsee it.
Is it just me, or does anyone else see this too? Is it like a weird superstition or just some involuntary thing? I’m genuinely curious, and it’s getting harder to watch his post-race celebrations without focusing on his twitchy eye.
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u/FerrariBoi · 13h
Dude, I’ve noticed this too! I always thought it was just him being super emotional or tired after a race, but now that you mention it, it really is every time he goes to hug his girlfriend. Now I can’t stop wondering what’s up with it either 😅
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u/SmoothOperator55 · 12h
I’m not 100% sure, but I think it might be some kind of superstition or inside joke between him and his girlfriend? Charles is a pretty sentimental guy, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this is some sort of cute thing they do. Or maybe he’s trying to wink and it’s just … not working?
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u/FerrariFaithful · 10h
I can’t believe I’m reading this post because I thought I was the only one who noticed that! It’s like a half-wink, half-blink, and I’ve been trying to figure out if he’s doing it on purpose or if it’s just nerves. Now I’m convinced there’s some weird Leclerc tradition we’re missing out on.
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u/NeedMoreDownforce · 9h
Honestly, I bet it’s just some post-race exhaustion thing. These guys are going flat out for nearly two hours, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his muscles just spasm a little bit after all that. But if it is some superstition, I want to know more because that would be hilarious.
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u/Charles4Prez · 6h
Oh man, I totally know what you’re talking about. I’ve noticed it every time he’s on the podium and it’s always when he hugs his girlfriend! If this is just him being tired, that would make sense, but it low-key feels like it’s some sort of wink. Either way, it’s oddly charming 😂
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u/GP2EnginePlease · 5h
LMAO, I’ve seen this too! I figured he was trying to wink but failing miserably at it because his face is always red and sweaty from the race. But if this is some kind of secret “thing” between him and his girlfriend, I’m here for it. F1 drivers and their quirks, man.
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u/Turn13Messiah · 4h
If this is a wink attempt, then Charles needs to work on his technique ASAP. But honestly, it’s probably some goofy little tradition they’ve got. Maybe he does it to signal something only they know, and we’re all just sitting here clueless 😂
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u/BoxBox · 3h
I actually love that this is a thing people are noticing. The man’s got the whole F1 world watching, but he’s still trying to pull off a wink at his girlfriend like a regular guy. If it’s a superstition, I fully support it. Leclerc always seems like the type to have little rituals.
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u/ZoomingAlong · 1h
I’ve never noticed this before, but now I need to go back and rewatch some podiums to see it for myself 😂 If it’s a wink, it’s not very good, but knowing Charles, it’s probably something personal and cute between them. Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s intentional!
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u/YellowFlagged · 53m
It has to be some sort of in-joke between him and his girlfriend. F1 drivers are superstitious, and it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen drivers have quirky little habits. Maybe it’s his way of “winking” after a good race, but he’s just too drained to pull it off properly.
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u/MegaDRS · 46m
Guys, I just went back and watched some old races, and yep, it’s there 😂 I never noticed it before, but now I’m convinced this is an awkward wink. Charles probably thinks he’s being smooth, but we’re all seeing that twitch. I’m officially obsessed with this now.
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u/ILoveMonaco · 32m
Can someone please just ask him in an interview at this point? I need answers. If it’s some cute tradition between him and his girlfriend, I’ll be even more of a Charles fan than I already am.
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***
“Charles, did you know you’re going viral on social media?”
The question hits him in the middle of media day. Charles Leclerc blinks once, twice, and tilts his head. He’s sitting in the usual F1 press conference setup — microphones lined up, lights a little too bright, cameras flashing constantly —but this question isn’t the usual stuff about strategy or the upcoming race.
He shifts in his seat, the corners of his lips tugging into an uncertain smile. “No, I … I didn’t know that.” He furrows his brows, clearly puzzled. “Why? What did I do this time?”
The reporter grins, clearly enjoying Charles’ confusion. “It’s not something you did during the race. It’s what happens after.”
Charles’ smile falters slightly, but his curiosity grows. “After? What do you mean?”
The reporter leans forward, resting his hands on his lap. “It’s your eye. You’ve been going viral for this thing your eye does after you finish on the podium. People are calling it ‘the Charles Leclerc twitch.’”
Charles’ face drops for a split second before he laughs, the sound awkward, and he rubs the back of his neck. “Oh, that. Yeah, I’ve seen some things about it.”
“You have?” The reporter raises an eyebrow, surprised. “People are saying it’s because you’re tired or emotional after races.”
Charles scratches his head, feeling the blush creep up his neck. “No, no … it’s not that.”
“What is it then? Do you even know you’re doing it?”
Charles is biting his lip now, looking down at the mic in front of him like it might save him. He doesn’t want to explain this, not here, not now, but the entire press room is silent, waiting for his response. He glances up and spots you standing at the back of the room, arms crossed, a small smile playing on your lips. You’ve definitely overheard the whole thing.
With a sigh, he finally says, “Okay, well … it’s not really a twitch. I’m actually, uh …” He rubs his palms on his thighs nervously. “I’m trying to wink.”
Laughter ripples through the room, but the reporter’s face lights up, not letting this go. “Wink? At who?”
Charles’ blush deepens, and he chuckles, glancing down again before meeting the reporter’s eyes. “At my girlfriend. After I finish on the podium.”
There’s a collective murmur of interest now, and Charles is laughing, embarrassed. He shifts his weight in the chair, clearly flustered.
“Wait, you’re winking at your girlfriend?” Another reporter chimes in, curious but amused. “Why after the podium?”
Charles glances back at you standing at the rear of the room. You smile at him, and he seems to relax, even though his ears are definitely burning red. He lets out another small laugh. “Okay, so this is kind of … a long story.”
The room leans in.
“It started a few months ago,” Charles begins, exhaling as if trying to gather the words. “I was sitting in a cafe, practicing how to wink-”
“Practicing?” The first reporter cuts in, eyebrows raised.
“Yes, practicing. I’ve never been good at it.” He laughs, but it’s clear he’s a little embarrassed about admitting this in front of a full room. “And while I was doing it, she-” he nods toward you, “comes up to me and asks if I’m okay. She’s a medical student, and apparently, my attempt at winking looked so bad that she thought I was having a stroke.”
The room bursts into laughter, and even Charles can’t help but crack up at the absurdity of the story. He runs a hand through his hair and looks at you again, his eyes softening. “Yeah, so she came over, all serious, genuinely concerned about me.”
You can’t help but laugh along with the reporters. You catch Charles’ eye, and he gives you a small, sheepish smile. The reporters are now fully invested, waiting for him to continue.
“So, I had to explain to her that I was just trying to figure out how to wink,” Charles continues, the redness in his face only deepening. “It was embarrassing, but we ended up talking for a while after that. And, uh … long story short, I got her number, and now we’re together.”
“That’s … actually adorable,” one of the female reporters says, and Charles chuckles again.
“But the winking thing — it became kind of our little tradition,” he explains, sitting forward slightly. “After every podium, I try to wink at her when I go to hug her at the barriers. It’s a way for me to say, like, ’we made it’ or something. It’s just this thing we’ve kept going.”
The room is silent for a moment, absorbing the story, before the questions start coming in again.
“So wait,” one of the reporters asks, his grin wide, “you’re telling me that this whole viral thing is because you’re trying to wink at your girlfriend after every race?”
Charles nods, smiling despite himself. “Yeah, but apparently I’m still really bad at it.”
“You don’t say,” someone mutters, and more laughter breaks out.
“And she knows this is a thing?” Another asks, glancing toward you.
Charles’ eyes are on you again. “Yeah, she knows. She tries not to laugh every time I do it. But, you know, we’ve kept it going. It’s like a small inside joke between us.”
The first reporter raises his hand again. “Do you think you’ll ever actually learn how to wink properly?”
Charles grins, shaking his head. “Probably not. I mean, I’ve had months to practice, and this is the best I’ve got.”
The press room breaks into chuckles, and Charles sits back, clearly more relaxed now that the story is out in the open. He takes a sip of water and glances up at the cameras.
“You got the girl,” the reporter adds with a grin.
“Yeah,” Charles agrees, looking at you with a warmth that softens his voice. “I got the girl.”
The room starts buzzing again, the other reporters already moving on to different questions about the upcoming race weekend, but Charles steals one last glance at you. You’re still smiling, your eyes crinkling at the corners, and he shoots you a quick wink — or well, tries to.
And of course, his eye twitches awkwardly, but this time, he doesn’t mind.
2K notes · View notes
chleem · 4 months ago
Text
Hallow's eve
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Oneshot; exes drew x yn
Summary: drew wasn’t the type to get jealous. And tonight, on hallow’s eve, is his first time experiencing this bitter emotion. 
Genre: exes to lovers, smut, angst, fluff 
Warnings: cursing, unprotected sex, (read at own caution
⋆.˚ don't copy or translate my work
♡⸝⸝ happy halloween! | mistletoe | mr & mrs starkey
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
“You can’t be fucking serious,”
Drew laughs bitterly, his eyes landing on you. 
The light blue corset, leathered mini-skirt, police badge, duty belt, and bunny ears are all too recognizable to him. A seducing touch to the costume of Judy Hopps from Zootopia. It shows off your curves beautifully, everything about it made you look more sensual than usual. 
But the main reason for his bitterness isn’t because of your costume, rather…who you’re matching with. 
His friend Paul. Whose wearing what was supposed to be Drew’s, the Nick Wilde costume. 
Fuck. It’s been a month since the breakup, and you show up with his friend?
“Shit, did you know about this?”
Drew forces his eyes away from you, turning the Keith. His lips are pursed, clenching on his jaw tightly. All the emotions are coming back to him all at once; regret, anger, and confused. “Does it look like I know?” He doesn’t even try to hide the sourness in his voice. 
Keith nervously glances to the side; he knows Drew isn’t over you. Hell, Drew didn’t even try to get over you, and everyone knew it. Dated for a year…how is one suppose to forget about that? “Shit man…”
Drew sighs, turning his gaze back to you. He hasn’t seen you for a whole month…and you looked beautiful. 
And Drew of course knew how much he missed you, shit, everything he did he thought of you. Waking up? Why weren’t you in his bed. Showering? Why weren’t you helping him wash his hair. Eating? Why weren’t you sitting in the seat beside him. 
And seeing you hold Paul’s hand, greeting others with a soft smile; that should be him standing beside you. 
“They’re…probably not even together,” Keith tries to make the situation look better than it is. 
Then, while you’re talking to someone dressed as a mummy, Paul distracts himself by planting kisses along your jaw. “Not together, huh?” Drew snickers at the audacity of Paul, doing that to you. He should know better than to touch what’s his. 
Drew’s whole costume feels annoying now. Obviously, breaking up with you meant having no costume. So, he improvised to dress up as Patrick Bateman, from American Psycho. 
He shrugs the clear raincoat off, hanging it on a random coat hanger that happens to be in a kitchen. He loosens his tie, pouring himself another round of drinks. 
When Drew glances at Keith, he sees a sly smile on his face. What the fuck-
“You’re jealous, man.”
Jealous? To Drew, it was an ugly and immature emotion. Only insecure people feel that way. Drew wasn’t insecure, god no.
No. That just wasn’t who Drew was, to be jealous. 
Besides, what’s there to be jealous of? He knows you too well, you’re definitely just bitter. Because out of all his friends, you hate Paul the most.
His mind was just playing tricks on him. 
But fuck- how much he wanted to punch Paul still, and claim the spot next to you. 
“No,” Drew laughs it off, sounding as if he’s being held at gunpoint. He downs the drink in his hand in one sip, and says more firmly this time, “no.”
Keith raises an eyebrow at him; obviously not believing his friend. “Nah, you jealous. Jealous that Paul gets all that now.”
Ew. That thought disgusts Drew. “Fuck off-“
Someone yells for a game of truth or dare in the living room. Drew’s eyes immediately find themselves on you, even with the huge amount of costumes in here. Paul ushers you to join; reluctantly, you follow him. 
Seems like Drew’s also playing. 
——
Amidst the loud Halloween party, a game of truth or dare begins. Refusing to answer or do the dare, results in a penalty drink. 
Paul’s hand on your thigh makes you want to throw up. You hated this guy; why, out of anyone, did you ask him to be your date?
Your stupid pride got the worst of you, refusing to show up at the party alone, especially with the chance of seeing Drew. You suspected that he must have moved on, so you decided to show how ‘well’ you were doing.
Wrong. Everyone close to you knew how many sleepless nights you’ve had in the last month, depressed and withered away in your room. Really, getting ready tonight was an impossible task too. 
Paul is…disrespectful, awkward, inappropriate, the list goes on. He’s not close with Drew; but still, it bothered you that he was always at hangouts. Once, he made a move on you (a rather rude, pushy one) while you were still with Drew. 
Yep. Now thinking back, you would’ve preferred to come alone instead of with this prick. 
“You good?”
Yeah, if you take your hand off me. “Lovely,” you manage to breathe out, focusing your gaze at the circle that has now formed in the living room. 
Your eyes land on Drew; pulling a random chair and sitting down, manspreading. He never looked finer, in his American Psycho costume. And plus, his hair. The last time you saw him, he had bangs. Not that this new buzzcut looked bad; it gave a whole new demeanor to Drew, one that was more matured. 
Wow. Looking at him, you realize how much you miss him. You wanted to go sit next to him, run your hands through his buzzcut, and just talk to him, hear his deep, calming voice. 
Shit. He makes eye contact with you, and for the first time, you can’t tell what’s on his mind. Is he mad? Regretful? Or does he…even care? You watch as his eyes scan down your body, lingering longer on your legs. Or rather, Paul’s hand there. 
“Alright…who wants to go first?” Some person you don’t know, speaks up, sitting down on the couch. 
The eye contact breaks, with Drew turning his face away, drinking the cup in his hand. 
Huh.
Someone volunteers for a dare, but you don’t show much interest. This is a stupid game anyways. 
During the game, Paul would whisper something dirty in your ear, which honestly, pissed you off more. When he kissed your jaw earlier, that was already crossing the line. But you could feel someone watching you intensively, so you go along with it; smiling, whispering back, responding to his touches. You hoped that someone would call on you, just so you could leave Paul’s side for a while. 
And as if some angel heard you, halfway through the game-
“Drew, truth or dare?”
That caught your attention, but you try not to show it. You make subtle glances in his direction, wondering what he was going to chose. 
“Dare,” his voice is deep, just like how you last remembered it. 
The person asking was his friend, Keith. He hung around so much, that you can easily recognize the mischievous glint in his eyes; he’s gonna say something crazy. 
You’re right; because he says, “7 minutes in heaven. With y/n.”
The people in the circle all murmur and woo, in anticipation. Great. Was there anyone here that didn’t know about the breakup?
You can’t help but smile down at your lap, at how ridiculous this dare is. Surely, Drew wouldn’t say yes, right? You couldn’t tell; his face showed no emotion towards that dare. 
“Say no, alright?” Paul’s disgusting voice forces you to look over at him. 
Did you want to say no? 
You take a good look at Paul’s face; maybe saying no isn’t the worst idea. Being locked somewhere awkward with Drew sounded better than…actually, better than anything. 
Suddenly, you feel a heavy presence standing close to you. And when you look over, it’s Drew. He stands in front of you, and he holds out a hand for you to take.
You look up at his face, hints of eagerness only you could notice. He nods gently towards his hand, telling you to take it. 
“Yo dude, she doesn’t wants to go-“
You take it. Your hand comes in contact with the familiar warmth, the hands that you always found comfort in. You let him pull you out of Paul’s arms, a little too rough, and you stumble a bit. 
You smile awkwardly, holding onto his hand hard to regain your balance. “Hey, I’ll be here waiting for you,” Paul continues to say. 
“Sure,” you force out, adjusting your skirt. Deep down, you’ve never been more glad to be rescued by Drew. 
——
He’s walking at a fast pace, and with his grip on your hand tight, you can tell how urgent he is. His patience slips away with each tug he gives to each door he passes by, occupied by strangers already. 
“Maybe we should just give up-“
The last door is budged opened, and when the two of you glance inside, it’s empty. 
“Great,” you murmur awkwardly, before forcing your hand out of his. You don’t want to do so; but given the current situation between you two, it’ll feel weird if you continue to hold his hand. 
You brush past him into the small bedroom, and sit yourself on the bed. This bunny headband was getting itchy, so you take it off, putting it beside you. 
You watch as Drew locks the door behind him, sliding his suit jacket off. Woah, woah, woah, is he stripping? “Um…what are you doing?”
His blue eyes stare blankly into yours; as he lazily rolls his sleeves up. “the walking, it gets hot.”
Oh. He…yeah, it might get too hot from all the fast walking. Why would he strip? Drew wasn’t that kind of person, what were you thinking? You look down at your lap; embarrassed of your own thoughts. 
Well…this is awkward. The only sound in here was the faint music from downstairs. 
And then Drew sits down on the bed, next to you. The mattress dips under his weight, his scent (he smells real good) hitting you, and just his overall presence. 
That damn buzzcut. What even motivated him to get his entire head shaved? You were curious; and you wanted to know what happened to him in the past month. Was he also miserable like you? Or did he forget about everything-
“Paul, huh?”
He’s leaned forward; so you can’t really tell his expressions. But his voice comes out deep and almost hushed, like he needed to force it out. 
Your heart was beating fast, why were you nervous? It was just Drew; you’ve dated him for a year, known him for more than that. Yet, every action and word he says can still made you flustered. “Well, he has a thing for me.”
Was that the right response? You weren’t sure; Drew answers a few seconds later, “I know,” you watch his back muscles through his see-through button up tense, “just didn’t know you had a thing for him.”
Almost forgot how well he knew you. “People can change,” you shrug, trying to act cool. 
That earns a ‘tsk’ of disapproval from him, and he leans back. He turns towards you; the pretty blue of his eyes staring into yours. “Not you.”
“Could say the same about you,” you bitterly reply, referring to the breakup. It was out of character for him to just dump you, saying he was ‘busy’. A dick move, to be honest. 
Drew rolls his eyes upward; as if thinking of a response. His lips are slightly pursed; and you see the amusement in them. 
“Am I wrong?” You press, and suddenly, the depression from the past month has surfaced into anger. Anger towards Drew. “You have no right to say that-“
“You’re dating Paul,” he emphasizes on the last part, his eyebrows furrowed at you. “Paul, for god’s sake.”
You shake your head, a sour smile on your lips. The anger inside of you begs to be released, and as a way of spreading it out, you stand up. So mad, you can’t even sit still. “So what? Why do you care, we broke up-“
“A month, only for a month!” He raises his voice slightly louder than yours, and he also stands up now. This escalated fast. “And Paul. Are you fucking serious?”
“Yes I am! More than ever, you got a problem with that?” You provoke, the two of you standing in less than a meter from each other. He stares down at you, and even with your angered mind, his proximity still drives you insane. “Let’s not forget that you dumped me-“
“You’re dating Paul?” He asks once again, realizing that you didn’t correct him from earlier. His face shows it all; betrayal and disgust.
 You laugh at him, rather distastefully, “Do you not hear yourself right now? You’re worried about that-“
“You dating him or not?”
He just stays in place, towering over you. That question lingers in the air, his jealousy heavy. He watches you, and you see a mixture of longing and frustration in them. He’s practically begging you with his eyes at this point. 
The devil on your shoulder pushes you to lie, “we’ve been seeing each other.”
He immediately steps away from you, pacing around the room with his hands running through his scalp. He turns back around to you, but stands at a distance now, “y/n, what the fuck-“
“Why are you getting mad at me?” You yell back, your voice cracking. 
“I don’t believe you,” he harshly denies, shaking his head. 
Fights with Drew was never like this; he would apologize quickly and fix the problem. Tonight? You might’ve just pissed him off to the point of no return. 
You tuck your hair behind your ears, before placing them on your hips firmly. “Well, that’s the truth, whether you like it or not-“
“I don’t fucking believe you, y/n,” he denies once again. 
“You saw him around me, what else do you-“
“I don’t believe you,” he repeats, closing the distance between the two of you again. You gulp at his presence towering over you; this time, there’s an edge to his demeanor. Knowing that you lied, it felt dangerous to be standing this close to him. “You’re bluffing, I know it.”
The sharpness in his eyes glints with challenge, searching for the truth in yours. He won’t be easily swayed; he knew you too well. 
You cock your head to the side, the same challenge in your eyes that mirrors back to him. You don’t miss it; the jealously in his. He’s jealous right now! 
No wayyy he’s jealous. Years you’ve known him; never once have you seen him jealous. Drew was that kind of person; unbothered and sure about himself. At first it frustrated you, it seemed like he didn’t care. But you soon learned that it just meant he trusted you, never questioning about your friendships or interactions.
But still, he’s jealous right now! For the very first time! And you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t tease him about it. C’mon, this man was jealous of Paul. How cute. “You’re jealous,” you say, failing to hide the amusement in your tone. “You’re fucking jealous right now-“
“No,” he firmly denies it. 
“Yes, you are. You, Drew Starkey, is jealous-“
“I’m not fucking-“
“Yes! You’re jealous!” You point out, a bit too cheerful at that. You almost forget that you’re suppose to be angry at him, “You’re bitter that it’s not you-“
“Gosh, you’re driving me insane,” he groans, throwing his head back in frustration. “I don’t feel that way-“
“Oh, you totally are,” you say, taking a few steps back and snickering. Gosh, this is fun to make fun of. “Drew Starkey’s jealous for the first time-“
Drew’s lips come in contact with yours, his tongue thrusting into yours urgently. 
Woah.
You didn’t even realize he had closed the gap again; his hands cupping your face to trap you into him. You hit his chest to push him away; but the longer his lips attach to yours, the softer your hits were. 
Alcohol. You taste that on his lips, pretty sure yours too. 
Yet, like a second nature, your body and brain reacts to Drew in a submissive way, kissing him back. You can’t help it; the warmth of his hands on either sides of your face, his soft lips…everything about him. Everything about him is endearing to you. 
In this moment, you realized you could never truly get over Drew. And quite frankly, you don’t want to. 
He pulls away, but his hands still remain on your face. “I’m not jealous,” he murmurs, his lidded-eyes gazing down at your lips then back your eyes. His chest under your touch rises and falls, the beat of his heart fast. 
The urge to fight or tease him disappears; you just want to be in his presence, in his touch, feeling the warmth of him. As if it could solve all your problems.  
“Shut up,” you breathe out, pulling him down by his tie and kissing him. 
Drew immediately kisses you back; never been more glad to be ordered to shut up. His hands move down your body, until they come in contact with the strings at the back of your corset. 
You feel him struggling with undoing it; probably distracted by your lips on his. 
Gosh, was it so hard to undo a couple of strings?
You force him onto the bed, and he immediately readjusts himself to a nice position. You quickly put your hands behind you and untie the strings, while Drew undos his own tie, his eyes never leaving yours. 
“Was that so hard?” You tease him, letting the corset fall off you. Drew’s mouth is slightly opened as his eyes drift lower down to your naked chest; his fixated gaze giving you a confidence boost.
“Mmhm,” he lazily replies; hands pull you into his lap by the waist. His lips attach them to yours again, and your hands work on unbuttoning his shirt. He kisses down your neck, laying love bites on it. 
“Shit…” you moan. Drew’s lips were skilled, and they knew where you liked it. 
His hands knead your breasts, just as you got his last button undone. Your hands roam around his chest, abs, then coming back up to run through his scalp. Huh. It’s gonna take some time to get used to no hair to tug on. 
His lips move down to your chest, and he starts to suck on your nipples. He fully makes out with them; his tongue sloppily tugging and devouring them in. It sends pleasure down to your core; and you start to rub against him, feeling the material of his pants harden. 
“Drew…” you voice out, hands feeling his scalp. It feels, weird and comfortable. 
He pulls away, his chest heavy as he looks up at you with hungry eyes. “Yeah?”
“Lay back,” you order, wiping the saliva that drips down the side of his lips. 
Drew gulps, before nodding. His hands remove themselves from you, hurriedly discards his shirt, and he scoots himself further down the bed. You get the clear look of his boner through his pants; damn. 
Your hands go to undo your duty belt; when they come in contact with metal chains. 
Huh? You look down and see, that it was the handcuffs you got for Judy Hopps’ character. 
The dirtiest idea pops up in your mind, and you look back up at Drew with a smile. His eyes are squinted at you, eyebrows furrowed. The two of you share a look; and then he shakes his head in disapproval. “No. I’m not getting handcuffed.”
This was never tried over the course of your relationship with him, and now that the opportunity presented itself, you had to try. You pout, taking the metal chains in your hands. You dip onto the bed, crawling between his spread legs. “Please, baby. It’ll be fun,” you flirtatiously say, your hand crawling up his thigh. “I’ll make it feel good.”
“You always make me feel good,” he murmurs, his arms tucked behind his head. 
“Pretty please then?” Your hand comes in contact with his boner, and you grip it through his pants. 
He moans under your touch, his mind fighting the battle to not be seduced by you. 
You knew how much Drew liked to touch you, always having his arm around you either lovingly and protectively. He took pride in being the person that gets to touch you whenever he wants and wherever. So of course, he wouldn’t be so happy to be handcuffed. 
You swing the handcuffs, giving him a soft smile. 
After a few seconds, he moans again, this time out of frustration, “fine. Do it.”
You smile ear-to-ear, happy that he agreed. You straddle his waist, as he offers his hands to you. You fasten one around his wrist, the material digging slightly into his skin. “Does it hurt?” You murmur, even though you were already moving onto his other hand. 
“I’m good,” he assures you, and when you glance down, you see that your breasts are directly in front of his face, a distraction provided. You shake your head, a soft smile on your lips as you bring both handcuffed wrists and hook it on the headboard. 
You ignore the kisses he trails on your chest; and tug on his hands to make sure it stays there. “Hey, stop it,” you warn him, before getting off. 
By instinct, he tugs his wrists wanting to keep you atop of him, but the handcuffs stop him. “Ride me, c’mon,” he whines, getting impatient with the restraints of his hands. Look, you haven’t even started and he’s already whining. 
Drew looks very hot in this angle; usually in charge, to be in a position where he physically couldn’t do anything. 
You giggle, undoing the duty belt and shimmying your skirt off. You lean forward between his legs, looking up at him with intrigued eyes. “Have some patience, baby,” the nickname drives him crazy, throwing his head back in frustration. 
His reaction makes you grin. You can see the struggle on his face—wanting to be annoyed but unable to resist the pull of your playful teasing. It’s the kind of tension that makes your heart race, as your hands go and undo his belt. 
The belt comes off, next was the zipper, then his pants. You tug it down to his knees, his dick piercing through his boxers. It’s begging to be sucked by you. 
You pull it down, his dick practically springing out. “Fuck,” you moan, leaning down close to it. 
Drew thrusts his hips, making the tip hit your nose. You look up at him, furrowing your eyebrows. You didn’t like how impatient he is right now, “stay still.”
“Sorry,” he murmurs, biting down on his bottom lip. “You look pretty from this angle, though.”
You give him a smug smile, before opening your mouth and taking his tip in. He immediately groans at that, as your mouth moves lower. 
The tug of the handcuffs is heard, as well as Drew saying, “wanna touch you.”
You smirk against his dick, one hand gripping on his thigh, another one going up to his balls. You massage one side; while your mouth skillfully takes Drew in. 
But Drew decides to take a step further, and thrusts his hip upward. That makes you gag; his tip hitting almost the back of your mouth. You immediately pull your mouth out, “stay still,” you say, more firmly this time. “Or I’ll leave, and you’ll stay here handcuffed.”
Another tug of his handcuffs, “didn’t mean to.”
“Be a good boy and stay still, okay?” The lust, tipsiness, combined with Drew’s vulnerable situation serves as a huge boost to your confidence. 
“Yes ma’am,” he murmurs, relaxing his entire body now. You’re in charge now; the handcuffs remind him of that. 
You give him a glare as a warning; you don’t miss the small curl at the corner of his lips. You take him in again, your hand squeezing his balls gently. You start to bop your head up and down, tongue wrapping and sucking his dick. 
“Shit,” you hear him groan, “just like that, babe.”
His soft moans ensure you that you’re doing a great job, as well as the occasional tugs of the handcuffs, his hands dying to touch you. Your head bops faster with each passing second, the pleasure of sucking his cock pooling in your undies too. 
It’s when you feel his cock twitch inside your mouth, you pull away. 
“Babe, what?” He manages to breathe out, he couldn’t believe that you just denied him of an orgasm. 
That nickname sends a bigger impact to your core than it should’ve. You sit up and lean forward, planting a sloppy kiss against his lips. He kisses back immediately, eager and needy. You pull away, “didn’t know you were this whiny.”
He forms a small frown, which makes you giggle, “I’ll let you cum, stop whining,” you kiss along his neck, down his chest, abs, and stopping right before his dick. “You got a condom?”
“You think I planned this?’ He tugs on his handcuffs. Right. He definitely wasn’t planning on fucking his ex-girlfriend. 
You get off the bed, rummaging the nightstands, hoping for condoms to be here. Nope. “Fuck,” you frustratedly groan, pushing your hair to one side. “Now what?” 
That question lingers in the air, the two of you staring at each other. No condom, and two horny adults. There was only one solution. No, two solutions. But who in their right mind would suggest that one-
“Raw,” Drew speaks up. 
“Raw?” You’ve never gone raw before; the risks of it overpowering the pleasure of it. You glance that Drew, seeing how calm he was to suggest that. Then at his dick, which was still erected. 
“Unless you want to go back downstairs.”
Oh god. You didn’t want to; you wanted to have sex with Drew. But you had to be honest; the idea of raw sex was terrifying. 
“Y/n?” His blue eyes meet yours, “sit down first.”
You sit back down beside him, placing your hand on his lower stomach. “Raw?” You’re more asking yourself, yet you look at Drew’s face. 
Drew. Going raw with Drew. Drew. Not some random guy. The Drew that you’ve found yourself get really into. Okay. Maybe if you two didn’t break up a month ago, you would’ve gotten to that point with him anyways, right? 
“You okay?” He asks gently. 
You give him a soft smile, getting yourself between his legs yet again. “Can’t be any different than a condom, right?”
He smirks at your agreement of this, “hope so.”
You lean forward and give him a quick peck on the lips. “Stretch yourself out first,” he reminds, looking down towards your core. You take your underwear off, sitting back and spreading your legs. It gives Drew the clear view of your pussy; and he groans at that. “Need help?”
He tugs on his handcuffs. Pretty sure it’ll bruise his wrists if he continues to move against them. The sly smile on his lips tell you everything; “I got it,” you assure him. 
You line two fingers against yourself; and then put it in. “Shit,” you groan at how wet you are already; thrusting your fingers in slowly.
You can’t help but compare your own fingering to Drew’s; finding his more satisfying to your core. Nevertheless, you stretch yourself out just like Drew says, picking the pace after a few seconds. “Fuck,” you hear him groan; and after a couple of sloppy thrusts, you pull out, finding yourself stretched. 
“Good?” He asks, watching as you straddle yourself on his waist again. 
“Perfect,” you practically purr, leaning forward and kissing him. You feel his smile against your lips; him kissing you back tenderly. 
You pull away and look down; aligning yourself with his dick. Shit. 
You sink down, feeling his cock enter you slowly. You moan loudly at the feeling; no barriers between the two anymore. When you sit down fully, you’re sure his tip hits the back of your core. 
Drew throws his head back in pleasure, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Feels real good,” he murmurs, his eyes fluttering to stay open. 
You giggle gently at his reaction; and you raise your hips, ready to start moving. You move up, then slide back down on him. “Shit,” you curse, the sensation unreal. 
Raising your hips again, you start riding him, at an unusual slow pace. Your nails dig into his shoulders, transferring the pain there. “Wanna touch you,” he voices out, tugging on the handcuffs. 
“You touch me all the time,” you hum, continuing to slam yourself up and down him. He groans at that, a knowing smile on his lips. 
“Touch yourself for me, then,” he thrusts his hip upwards, causing you to moan at the friction. 
You do as told; bringing your hands up to your breasts and squeezing them while bouncing. You’ve never felt this much pleasure; the feeling of Drew watching you while you ride him, your hands all over while you imagine it being him. 
The sound of skin slapping, heavy moans, and the tugs of Drew’s cuffs fill the room, as well as the rising temperature in here. This sex experience reminds you just how much you and Drew are compatible for each other; easily kinky and fond together. 
You feel the familiar hotness fill up your core, your movements getting more sloppy. “Close?” He asks, sounding breathless. 
“Yes,” you moan, your hands back around his shoulders. 
Drew leans himself upwards with his upper body, and he gives you a messy kiss. His kiss sends you over the ledge; and you feel the knot coming undone. He pulls away with a smug smile, “came all over my cock.”
“Shut up,” you smile, pulling him back and kissing him again. You liked kissing him more than you should. 
“Hey, can you undo these for me?” He tugs on the handcuffs for the nth time tonight. 
“Should I?” You cock your head playfully to the side. He playfully thrusts upwards towards your core, and you groan at that. “Fuck, Drew.”
“C’mon, undo me,” he begs, his blue eyes staring teasingly into yours. 
Gosh, this man. It’s unfair how attractive he is, from his looks to his actions. Everything, just touches your heart. You pull out of him, the stickiness around your legs don’t feel as gross as they should. But you do miss the warmth of him, feeling bit empty. 
You search around for your duty belt; grabbing it off the floor. It had three little compartments around it, and you rummage around each one. The cheap material makes it hard to open each. 
“Babe, you’re taking forever,” you hear him behind you. 
You ignore his comment; working your way to the last one. Surely the key had to be in the last one, right?
Is it; and you throw the belt back down, turning back to him. “Were you always this impatient?” You ask, unlocking both of his wrists. 
The handcuffs shoot down as soon as you’re done; and he flips you under him in one fast motion. You let out a shriek, not expecting to be pinned in mere seconds. He looks down at you with a small smirk, “my turn.”
“What?” You let out a nervous giggle, his hold on your wrists tightening. 
You let out a loud gasp when he shrinks his length down into your core; pushing it fully in at once. Shit, shit, shit. His lips attach themselves to your neck, leaving love bites, eventually moving down lower. “Drew,” you manage to breathe out despite feeling the weight of him down on you. 
“Yeah?” He mumbles against your skin, one hand intertwining with yours. 
“…feels good,” you admit, even though it was unexpected to be pinned down. Having his cock fully in you; felt like heaven. Now, he’s gonna give you your second orgasm of the night; halloween? Must be Christmas. 
“I’know,” he kisses your jaw, his other hand now kneading your breasts. “Besides, haven’t cummed yet.”
Oh. You were consumed with chasing your own orgasm, you didn’t realize that Drew hasn’t had his yet. 
Drew starts to push his body into yours, picking up the pace after each thrust. He hits your exact g-spots, knowing your body all too well. You moan loudly in his ear, mixed in with his. Just like that, your second orgasm slowly forms.
“Shit,” he curses, his hands locking tightly with yours. 
Okay, raw sex definitely felt better than condom ones. Or was it because it’s Drew? Either way, you want to do this more, honestly. Maybe the handcuffs too. 
“Close, Drew,” you breathe out between thrusts. 
“Same, babe,” he kisses your cheek.
The knot comes undone for the second time tonight, and you cum over his dick. At the same time, you feel it twitch inside you; his turn. 
Drew gets ready to pull out, but you hurriedly wrap your arms around his shoulders. “Cum inside me,” you urge him, wanting to feel yourself filled with his orgasm. 
Drew gives you a lazy smile, lips leaning towards yours. And this kiss, was more endearing, his tongue moving in a soft tempo. He cums, and you feel the warmth of him mixing with yours. 
You smile back against his lips; you’ve never had such mind-blowing sex. 
He eventually pulls out of you, reaching for the tissues on the nightstand. You let him clean you up, leaning against the headboard; the two of you staying silent to recover from what just happened. 
And slowly, the realization of what happened, fogs up the both of your minds. Lust is gone, now only left with clarification. Clarification of what’ll be next, between the two of you.
“Drew?” You speak up, as he finishes and cleans himself up quickly, throwing it in the trash after. 
He sits by your legs, his blue eyes looking up and meeting yours. “I miss you.” That confession catches you off guard. You gulp, looking down at your lap. “I’m sorry,” he adds, voice cracking. 
Your heart aches at that; and you feel him move to the spot besides you. He pulls the covers up, covering the both of you. “I’m sorry,” he repeats once again, “I’m, I’m a stupid fuck.”
“You are,” you agree, still looking down and playing with your fingers. 
“I just…we dated for a year. And, I just got scared?” The last part was almost as if he also didn’t believe himself for feeling that way. 
“Why?”
“I don’t know, just…something I feel. But I realized, not being with you was worse,” his hands wrap around yours, and you look up at him. His blue eyes are mixed with regret, sincerity, and…love. Well, at least you interpret it that way. 
“Took a month away from me to realize that?”
“Yes. I think that just shows how idiotic I am. Trust me, the past month was horrible.”
You giggle, “you can’t just dump me whenever you feel like it.”
“First and last time,” he promises.
“What?” You look at him questionably. 
“If you’ll take me back.”
Do you want to take Drew back? Your mind was screaming no, but your heart was telling you to spend forever with him. He really hurt you, and he really is an idiot. But he’s your idiot. And one year of dating has told you that he does make stupid decisions, coming to regret them later. 
Fuck it. You always listened to your heart anyways. “Fine, if you insist,” you playfully say, your hands intertwining with his again. You missed holding onto these hands. Then, your eyes drop to his wrists, seeing the red spots around them. “Drew, those handcuffs-“
Drew’s other hand cups your face, and he sends an attack of his kisses to your cheek. You laugh loudly at that, which just drives him to give you more. “Hey-“ he kisses your lips, the two of you leaning down until your backs hit the mattress. 
“I…”
“Hmm?” You stare into his eyes. He stares at you all smitten, his lips slightly open in awe. 
“I…love you,” he confesses. 
Oh. Oh. The butterflies in your stomach fight to get out, and you let them. You love Drew. Yeah, you love Drew. After everything you’ve been through with him, you deserved to be loved, to be loved by him.  “I love you more,” you emphasize on the last word. 
“Fuck,” he kisses you, his arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you closer into his arms. “Driving me insane. Insane, y’know that?”
“I’know,” you giggle, the two of you staring lovingly into each other’s eyes. You’ve never felt happier. And when your hands run through his scalp; you’re reminded of his buzzcut. “Hey, why did you shave your hair?”
“It got annoying,” he rubs circles around your waist, “and, well, I missed you.”
“so you shaved your hair?” 
“…yeah,” suddenly he gets shy, burying his face into your neck. You smile at that, feeling like he’s a little baby. 
After a few seconds, he murmurs against your neck. “Hey, y’know what you should dress up as next year?”
“Next year already?” You look down at him, him looking back up at you. 
“Yeah,” he pulls away, “Lola bunny.”
Lola bunny? Wasn’t that the cartoon character? From Loony tunes? You furrow your eyebrows at Drew, “why?”
He gives you a grin, “kinda…my childhood crush.”
“Really?” This is the first time he’s telling you this; and you can’t help but grow amused at that. Lola bunny? Maybe that can explain why he’s so weird sometimes. Cute weird. “Will you be my Bugs then?”
“Of course,” he immediately says, “not Paul, that’s for sure.”
Paul. You’re suddenly reminded of that gross man you asked to come with you; and also of Drew’s jealously. Hey, he’s jealous! That thought is bought up in your mind once again, thanks to Drew himself. What girlfriend would you be if you didn’t tease him about it? “Oh, you were so jealous.”
“Jealous? No,” he denies, even with the small smirk on his lips. 
“So it’s okay if I see Paul-“
“We’re together, now. Like, literally a few seconds ago,” he cuts you off. “Screw Paul. Or any other guy.”
“That’s jealousy,” you smile, pointing at his face. 
He bites on your finger, causing you to shriek and put your finger down. “Just love you a lot.” 
Your heart warms at that; but it doesn’t change your mind about how jealous he was. “Drew, you don’t need to be jealous. I’m yours.”
He chuckles, “I’m not jealous!”
Okay. He might never admit it. His pride, and his overall aura, jealousy just won’t be something he wants to bow down to. 
“Of course,” you rest your chin on his forehead. “Of course.”
“I wasn’t jealous!” He continues to hum. 
“Shhh,” you coo at him, rubbing the skin around his shoulders, which feel firm yet soft. Your eyes are falling heavy, and in Drew’s arms, you knew you could get some comfortable sleep. The first time; for the past month. 
You close your eyes, ready to drift to sleep, when Drew says, “I think we went over 7 minutes.”
“Huh?” You lazily reply, your brain ready to turn off. 
“Nothing.”
That was the end of the conversation; and you drifted off to sleep, knowing that Drew was beside you. The familiar scent of him dozes you off, and you feel safe knowing he’s going to be taking care of you. 
Lola bunny. Maybe you should dress up like her next year, fulfill Drew’s nasty fantasies. Huh. Maybe. 
-------------------------------
word count: 6.6k
ִ ࣪𖤐 a/n: petition for drew to be patrick bateman 🙋‍♀️
happy halloween! what are you dressing up as??? hope you enjoyed this oneshot, kinky and got really sweet in the end. pls ignore any mistakes; i hate proofreading. anyways, happy halloween! ik im already looking forward to christmas ;)
elevator | other | mr & mrs starkey | mistletoe
1K notes · View notes
femimation · 3 months ago
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Jax and Ragatha are both eachother’s antithesis and parallel.
That is to say: They’re doing the same thing in opposite ways.
In the Jax post I made I mentioned at the end that I think Episode 4’s mask theming goes beyond the main focus of Gangle, specifically that it also applies and is shown through Ragatha and Jax’s storylines.
Let’s dive into that more! The episode literally starts with an interaction between these three.
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Obviously Gangle’s comedy mask would have to break to kickstart this episode, and obviously Jax would probably be involved in that, but I still think it’s very deliberate that this scene only contains these 3. They’re the characters the episode is about and that you’re supposed to pay the most attention to. They’re the ones wearing masks, (literal or metaphorical) following the episode’s main theme.
But focusing on Ragatha and Jax, the both have very notable behavior changes in this episode for different reasons. Ragatha acting different because of the stupid sauce and Jax after the training/employee reevaluation/torture thing.
Heeeere’s where I may lose some people: I think their behavior changes are meant to evoke the typical behavior of the other in some subtle ways.
Some specific examples before I generalize: On the stupid sauce, Ragatha essentially repeats a sentiment Jax made earlier in the episode.
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She isn’t “acting like Jax,” she says it in a bit of a nicer Ragatha-y like way. She even acknowledges that she was being rude.
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On the other hand, once Jax is mellowed out, he asks Pomni how she is. The past three episodes have had Ragatha constantly doting over Pomni and asking her how she’s doing.
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Which again, is not to say Jax is “acting like Ragatha” exactly, he’s nowhere near as interested or overbearing as Ragatha typically is.
But that’s all still part of my point, they aren’t mirroring the other one to one, not even close, but their roles are swapped regardless.
Ragatha speaking her mind to everyone however rude it may be: Telling Gangle she’s annoying, Zooble that they’re grouchy, Jax that she hates him, complaining about Pomni’s connection with Gummigoo.
Jax being calm and even downright friendly: Exchanging pleasantries with Pomni, not messing with Ragatha in her… state, (barely even reacting to her) going along with the adventure until it’s over.
Not exactly like the other, but evoking the other. I think this is written purposefully.
Why? Refer to the title of this post. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these two’s own respective focus episodes are going to be back to back as episode 5 and 6. They’re the same and they’re opposites.
Ragatha’s “mask” is being overbearingly caring, wanting everyone to like her and think of her as nice or even motherly. She will act like this regardless of how she really feels about something.
Jax’s “mask” is being unbearably antagonistic, wanting everyone to think he only cares about his own entertainment and that their wellbeing never even crosses his mind. He will act this way regardless of how he really feels about something.
Their swapped roles in this episode is a display of these masks beginning to slip, making their parallels abundantly clear.
Gangle’s drawing posted on Glitch’s social media really runs this all home for me.
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Gangle draws herself with Pomni and Zooble, all happy and talking with eachother. Pomni and Zooble are upfront with the other characters, they aren’t wearing masks. The both make effort throughout the episode to be there for and help Gangle. Therefore, they can be connected with. Their care is always genuine because they’re always honest.
Ragatha and Jax can’t be connected with. Ragatha, despite probably being a genuinely sweet person, is too far behind her mask to reach and tell what of her is genuine and what is a performance. Jax… acts like Jax. Even though he’s probably quite an average person behind the mask.
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Jax and Ragatha are both unreachable to the other characters for the same reason, despite their typical behavior being so opposite. Their true selves are both hidden behind opposite masks.
946 notes · View notes
parkerslatte · 5 months ago
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Unexpected
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Azriel x Fem!Reader
Word Count: 1k
Warnings: mentions of complications during birth. child with a disability.
Summary: When Azriel is late to one of Feyre’s flying lessons she begins to panic as the shadowsinger is never late. But when he shows up with three young children that look exactly like him, more questions sprout in Feyre’s mind.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Masterlist
•••
Feyre waited exactly where she and Azriel had completed her last flying lesson. He had yet to show up and the longer she waited, the more anxious she became. Azriel was never late, in fact he was always there long before Feyre arrived. Even though she knew he was most likely fine, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts go to thoughts she perhaps wished would stay away. 
Only moments before she was about to lower the walls around her mind to reach out to Rhys, loud happy giggles were heard through the bushes. Feyre sat up on the rock she was perched on. 
A young girl, perhaps around eight years old, stepped through the bushes and Feyre couldn’t help but think the young girl looked awfully familiar. The young girl stilled and shyly stepped back once she noticed Feyre. 
Another young girl, Feyre guessed she was a couple of years younger than the first, stepped through the bushes. She looked at Feyre and drew back slightly. 
Finally Azriel stepped through the bushes carrying a young boy the same age as the second girl. Feyre looked between the four of them, stunned.��
“Sorry I showed up late,” Azriel said, setting the young boy down on the floor. Feyre noticed the young boy not putting any pressure on his right leg and lent on his sister for support. 
“What is this?” Feyre asked, clearly at a loss for words. 
“They’re my children,” Azriel said as if it were obvious. 
It was in fairness. But the complete casualness in which Azriel spoke was what was off putting to Feyre. The three children were clearly related to Azriel if the wings sprouting from their backs was anything to go off. The oldest girl looked almost identical to Azriel. The same shade of hair, the same colour eyes, the same quiet demeanour. The only thing Feyre couldn’t place was the shape of her nose and lips. The younger girl and boy still resembled Azriel and the other girl but they seemed to inherit most of their looks from their mother, whoever it was. 
“You have children?” Feyre asked. “Since when?”
Azriel looked at the oldest girl. “Selene is seven, so seven years.”
Feyre shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.”
Azriel smirked and it was clear now that he was just teasing her. “I know. The reason why I never told you is because I only tell people I fully trust, and you are becoming that. That is why I brought them today.”
“But Daddy, you said that you had to bring us because Mummy had to work,” the young boy said, limping over to a rock. 
“Shhh,” Azriel said to his son who smiled wide, one front tooth missing. 
Feyre smiled. It was nice to see Azriel in this light. “Who’s their mother?”
A small blush coated Azriel’s cheeks at the mention of his children’s mother. “Her name is Y/N. After Rhys went Under the Mountain, I met her. I did feel guilty because I found happiness in a time where I didn’t know what was happening to my brother. But she helped me through all of the pain and misery she helped all of us really.”
Feyre looked at the three children as they bickered amongst themselves. “What are their names?”
“Well the eldest is Selene, named after my mother. Then the twins are Elowen and Tiberius. Elowen is older by a few hours. There were some complications with their birth, it is why Tiberius walks with a limp. He sometimes cannot gather the strength to walk or stand, though that rarely stops him from attempting to join Cassian in training.”
Feyre looked at the young boy who was smiling widely. “You are lucky, Azriel.”
Azriel smiled at his children. “I know.”
“Will I be able to meet Y/N at some point?” Feyre asked. “She sounds wonderful.”
“Yes you can,” Azriel said. “In fact she has asked about you on a few occasions.”
“Why have you never brought her to a family dinner?” Feyre asked. 
Azriel folded his arms across his chest as he looked at his children. Within his eyes Feyre could only see the pure love he held for them. Only a singular shadow lingered around Azriel’s shoulders, the rest of them were surrounding his children, both playing with them but protecting them first and foremost. 
“It was more to do with trust than anything else,” Azriel answered. “I don’t let just anyone around my family. It took me nearly three years to even introduce Cassian, Mor and Amren to Y/N. I am a protective male, it is in my nature. Even though I am sure Y/N can protect herself– she teaches self defence classes for anyone who believes they need them.” At the mention of Y/N, Feyre noticed the shift in Azriel’s tone. He sounded softer, more thoughtful– he sounded in love. 
“Anyway,” Azriel continued, “when Selene was born, I knew at that moment I would stop at nothing to protect her. I wouldn’t let anything harm her or even come close to hurting her. The same goes for Elowen and Tiberius. I am nearly five-hundred and fifty years old, I have made a lot of enemies over the years. If any were to find out about my family then they will all be put at risk and everyone knows I will slaughter a path to get to them, it doesn’t matter who is in the way. I know I should have told you about them before now as you have done far more than exceed my trust.”
“It’s okay,” Feyre said in reassurance. “You had your reasons for not introducing me. Valid reasons at that.”
Azriel only nodded and straightened his posture. “Now, are you ready for that flying lesson?”
“Are you going to go easy on me since your children are here?” Feyre asked, hoping to fill her heart.
Azriel snorted. “Absolutely not.”
Feyre sighed before feeling a small comforting tap against her arm. She looked down to find Elowen. 
“Good luck,” the young girl said with a tight lipped smile. 
She was most definitely Azriel’s child. 
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lowkeyerror · 6 months ago
Text
Summer Secrets
Regina George x Reader
Word Count: 13.2k
Notes: minor homophobia, some angst, cursing, fluff, soft Regina (only for reader), cheating (technicality), takes a lot from the movie but timeline may be different.
Summary: When tasked with showing Cady Heron around school, you two quickly become friends. When Cady comes in contact with Regina George you feel obligated to help her out. Things get complicated from there because you have a soft spot for the mean girl.
An: Full disclosure have never written this much for a single post, but I'm excited to share it with you guys. I hope you like it likes, replies, and reblogs are always appreciated 💜
Masterlist
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For some people high school felt like the end-all-be-all of life. It made sense to some extent. Spending your formative years locked in a building with other hormonal youths forced to participate in some social hierarchical bullshit that only benefited the one percent, sounds like a nightmare. If you were lucky enough to do well, you’d get to spend some time as one of the top one percent. However, any wrong turn and you’d be remembered for whatever mistake you made for the rest of your school career.
It sounds over dramatic (cause it is), but it’s true. It’s your junior year in high school and people are still calling Janis Ian a pyro lez. On the other side of things, Regina George still enamored people. Many people fade in and out of popularity but not Regina. She held her crown in an iron clad grasp and would die before she let it slip.
You didn't really understand how Regina became popular. As far as you were concerned popular meant well-liked, but it didn't seem like anyone genuinely liked Regina other than Gretchen and Karen. Regina was cruel, but she was pretty and had money which in some convoluted way made her the queen bee.
You didn't play into the social dynamics of North Shore. You weren't some outcast or loner who was proud of being different, you weren't a nerd who got bullied by jocks, and you were not some popularity-obsessed junkie. You were just a person.
Someone who went to classes, ate lunch, then went to more classes, and subsequently left the school premises. So, while the school might have been a magnet for chaos, you felt like your experience was pretty normal.
Unfortunately, the normal way you went through school was about to drastically change.
For some unknown reason you had been selected to give a new student a tour of the school.
“Alright Katy this is Y/n, she’s going to be showing you around today. You got the same classes and lockers close enough together so, be friends or something and have a nice day,” principal Duvall was quick to usher you two out of his office.
“My name’s Cady by the way not Katy,” she broke the silence as she followed you down the hallway.
You stopped in front of her locker, “Welcome to North Shore Cady, try not to get sucked in to all the chaos.”
The girl gulps as she places her belonging in the locker, “Chaos?”
You take in her appearance, and she shifts under your gaze, “North Shore is kind of like that scene from High School Musical where they’re dancing in the cafeteria singing about the status quo. You seem like a sweet girl Cady, and the last thing you need to do is find yourself with a label on your forehead.”
Cady hears what you say, but she’s stuck on the fact that you called her a sweet girl, “I’ve been home schooled my entire life and now I feel like I’m being tossed to the wolves.”
You laugh, “I’d say that’s a pretty accurate analogy. As your guide, I can try to keep you out of the drama, but you are a new student, so you’ll get some kind of attention.”
You take Cady to homeroom and have her sit by you before class starts. You make a little small talk with her, until you’re interrupted.
“Y/n, who’s the new girl?” Janis plops directly behind you.
“Cady, this is Janis.”
Before Cady could speak to the goth girl, Damian interjects, “Is that your natural hair color? It’s gorgeous.”
Again, before the girl can speak for herself, the boy takes some of her hair in his hand, “See, this the color I want.”
Janis swats his hand out of Cady’s hair, “Sorry about that, Damian is too gay to function sometimes. He’s not the best with boundaries.”
The conversation doesn’t go any further as Ms. Norbury walks in. Ms. Norbury’s attempt at introducing Cady goes comically bad, but it’s not something that she harps on for long before starting class.
The rest of the classes seem to go by quickly and soon it’s time for lunch. You can see Cady’s head spinning as she looks at all the cliques.
“Who do you usually sit with?”
You shrug, “I usually don’t eat in here, it’s super stuffy. But if I do it’s usually either with the stoners or the art kids.
You stand quietly in line before Cady speaks up again, “What’s your label?”
“I don’t have one. I’m not some outcast or jock or anything like that. I’m an actual human being and labels are overrated.”
She nods slowly smiling, “That’s pretty cool.”
One you both gather lunch you go and sit at the edge of the stoner table. You give some greetings before turning your full attention to Cady.
“Ok, don't freak out but I won't be here tomorrow. So, you’re going to be on your own,” you break the news to the ginger.
She falters a bit, “Oh okay.”
You see her eyes land on Janis and Damian.
“Be careful with those two.”
Her eyebrows furrow, “Why they seem cool?”
You elaborate, “They are cool, but they have labels and roles to fit in to. They’ve got an affinity for ditching class and making up schemes. So don’t get sucked in to that stuff alright?”
Cady nods and then you see her eyes sparkle, “Who is that?”
You follow her line of sight and find yourself in a brief staring contest with the school’s queen bee. Your eyes dance over her features and time seems to slow down for a moment, until she finally looks away from you.
“That’s Regina George.”
“She seems important,” Cady says, noting how everyone around seems preoccupied with her.
You counter, “She carries herself that way, so no one really questions it. Regina is the most popular girl in school. The two with her are Gretchen and Karen. Some people call them The Plastics.”
“Got it, so I should steer clear?”
You shrug, “She’s a massive deal and some people would grovel for even a minute with her. She’s got a lot of influence around here. So, I would just say be careful of interacting with her. She’s as mean as she is pretty.”
“I don’t get it.”
You sigh, “It’s nuanced. You shouldn't be seeking out interactions with her but trust me you don't want to turn her away or brush her off if she approaches you. She can ruin the rest of your time here, so careful of her.”
One last time you look in Regina’s direction to see her laughing at some poor kid.
Cady sees this but decides against questioning it. The rest of the day goes by quickly and by the end of the day, you might just consider Cady your friend. You exchange numbers and tell her to make good choices in your absence.
It was some time the following night that you got a text from Cady.
Cady: I think I messed up today.
Y/n: What happened?
Cady: I got invited to sit with the Plastics.
The text conversation ends there as you can’t help but call the girl. She picks up immediately and starts rambling about her day. You silently listen from the other end of the line, almost in disbelief that all of that could happen in one day.
“So, you got encouraged to sit with Regina and her friends by Janis and Damian, who also made you skip class,” you try to follow.
“Yes.”
You continue, “And you have a crush on Aaron, from Calc?”
Cady blushes on the other line, “I don’t know? I just think he’s cute.”
You run a hand over your face, “Jesus Christ Cady, I’m gone for one day and this is what you get in to, Aaron is Regina’s ex."
She scrambles over the phone, “I don’t know it just happened. What do I do Y/n?”
“Tomorrow’s Wednesday, so the best advice I can give to you is wear something pink,” you joke over the line.
“Damian is letting me borrow his shirt.”
You couldn’t contain your laughter.
“It’s not funny, Y/n,” she whines.
“Tell him to keep the shirt. You can borrow something from me instead.”
Cady is grateful but she has a curious tone as she asks, “You don’t seem like the pink wearing type.”
You speak coyly, “What have I been saying about labels Cady? You can’t put me in a box. Fun fact pink is one of my favorite colors.”
Cady’s next words are hesitant, “Maybe if you wear something pink too, they’ll let you sit too.”
“Cady, I have no desire to sit with Regina and her friends, but I don’t want to throw you to the wolves without at least trying to save you. So, for you, I’ll wear the pink, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll let me sit.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Cady praises you over the phone.
You chuckle, “Anything else?”
“Nothing that I can think of. You’re the best Y/n, I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
You smile, “Goodnight, Cady."
When the conversation ends you get out of your bed and head for your closet. For the most part it was filled with t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, and the occasional formal attire. You have to go deep into the back of it to actually find what you’re looking for.
You’re hesitant to pull it off the hanger. It’s a simple pink bomber jacket. It’s cute and the material is soft. Cady could wear it. The one thing that gives you great pause about letting her borrow it, is that the jacket had been gifted to you by Regina George.
You had grown up in North Shore, so you were always aware of Regina George. You’d gone through school together, even sharing some classes together. All this to say you knew the girl’s character. She had always been mean.
It was 2 years ago when your parents decided that a family vacation during the summer would be good for everyone in the house. You weren't complaining, it was good to get out of the city.
Your parents had gone all out and rented out a beach front property for the 3 months you had away from school. It was a gorgeous property, and you often found yourself enjoying the scenery.
The last thing you expected to see was Regina George. Yet coincidentally the home your folks rented was right next to a property owned by Regina’s family.
You didn’t have any need to acquaint yourself with her. So, for a few weeks into the vacation, you didn’t approach her. That didn’t stop you from looking at her. You always knew she was gorgeous, but it was a shame her personality didn’t match.
Eventually your staring caught her attention.
“Y/n, right?”
You frown as the sun you were using to read is blocked. You look up to see Regina standing in front of you. Her blue eyes pierce yours curiously.
“Yep, how can I help you?”
“Why so formal?”
You finally meet her eyes, “Well you are the most popular girl in our grade.”
Regina’s eyes divert from yours, “We aren’t in school right now.”
You nod, “You’re right. So, I can just tell you to fuck off.”
She sets up her things next to yours, “You could, but who says I will listen.”
You laugh a bit, “What do you want, Regina?”
She sighs, “Is it a crime to want some company?”
“It’s not,” you answer, before returning to your book.
“I haven’t seen you here before. I come every summer,” Regina tries for small talk.
You sit the book down and give the girl your full attention.
“My parents saved up to rent out a beach front property this summer. They said it’s good for family bonding,” you say.
“I’ve only really seen you,” Regina comments.
You shrug, “My parents are enthralled with each other. They’re rediscovering how much they love each other. Where are your parents?”
You see her shift under your gaze, “My dad is on some business trip or something and my mom is out somewhere with my little sister.”
That first interaction spurred on by Regina started something of a summer friendship. You had no expectations of keeping it when the summer ended. So, when she came to you nervous one of those summer nights saying that it was better not to interact at school, you weren’t surprised.
You told her you expected this from her and that it was fine, but that maybe you could continue this friendship next summer. That night she hugged you for what seemed like forever as an apology.
When school started back it was like you were strangers. You were surprised to receive some texts from her here and there. You’d always answer, and you’d be lying if you weren’t looking forward to summer.
When the next summer rolled around, as soon as your feet hit the sand you were nearly knocked to the ground. The queen bee locked her hands behind your neck and her legs wrapped around your waist.
“You miss me or something, Gina?”
“You have no idea, how much I’ve been looking forward to it.”
She pulls away to look at you but doesn’t unhook her legs from your face. The two of you stare at each other for a moment before you clear your throat. She drops down smiling innocently as a blush spread across your face.
“You look good,” Regina comments.
Your hand scratches the back of your neck, “Puberty or whatever, I guess.”
Her hand finds yours, “So what’re we doing first?”
Last summer was different than the first. It didn’t feel like you were further expanding the friendship, it felt like you were building something different with Regina.
Those suspicions were confirmed when her lips met yours one night when you both were watching the waves.
“You aren’t supposed to kiss me, Gina,” you whisper against her lips.
“Why not?”
You open your eyes to look into hers, “Because when we go back to North Shore, I’m going to miss this.”
She pulls away, “I’m sorry, I just-”
You chase her until her back is flat on the sand. You hover over her lips, before pecking them, “Be mine for this summer Gina.”
You can see the sadness in her eyes as she speaks, “I’m going to break your heart, Y/n.”
Your hand cups her face, “I know, but that’s not your problem.”
Regina shakes her head, “I care about you, Y/n. I don’t want-"
“Just let me down gently baby,” you plead with her.
She sees the desperation in your eyes as they search hers. Regina didn’t want to hurt you, she needed you to stay away from her. For once in her life, she was thinking about the consequences of her actions. However, pushing you away was not an option.
She captured your lips again. You deserved more, but you were begging for her. All she could do was keep her promise and let you down gently.
You thought you had prepared yourself for the summer to end. That was far from the truth because when you woke up the day before you left, Regina was already gone.
You thought she left without saying goodbye. You were wrong. When you went to the patio of your summer home, you found her goodbye. She left you her jacket, a letter, and a seashell necklace.
The letter itself had a few tear stains on it that made it hard to read. You didn’t think Regina was the type to put pen to paper, but you were used to being surprised by her.
I’ve tried writing this a bunch, but I keep fucking it up. I should’ve started with Dear Y/n or something, but that just didn’t sound right. I’m sorry for so many things, Y/n. You told me to let you down gently and here I am leaving without saying goodbye because I'm selfish. I’m mean, I’m selfish and I’m not good for you. When school starts, I have to uphold this image and as much as I want to say that it’s not me. It’s not true. I’m that girl that you know back home, but here with you… I feel this responsibility to be better. This summer meant everything to me. Every moment with you meant everything to me. I wish we could stay here because I’ve never been happier. I will never be happier then I was here with you. I don’t deserve to be. I hope this was gentle enough, baby.
Love,
Your Gina
Reading the letter stirs a plethora of emotions through your system. You let Regina break your heart and you hadn’t faced her since. The thought of getting close to her at school scared you. You knew the girl you had feelings for didn't exist during this time of year and if you got in her way, she’d surely take you down.
The next day you find yourself wearing a pink tank top mostly covered by your black zip-up hoodie. You send Cady a picture of the jacket advising her to find something that matched.
You arrive on campus and patiently wait for Cady to show up.
“Pink might be your color Y/n.”
You roll your eyes, “Shut up Janis and what are you planning with Cady and Regina?”
“I can't shut up and explain at the same time so…”
“I’m serious Janis. Cady is fresh meat for someone like Regina.”
Janis claps her hands together gleefully, “Fresh meat or a blank canvas. Regina stood up for Cady yesterday, which means she's taken an interest in her. Queen bee sees potential, which means Cady is either a successor or a threat.”
“Ok, what does any of that have to do with you?”
Damian enters the conversation at that point, “Oh it’s a part of her plan for revenge on Regina.”
Janis smacks the boy a few times. The end up play-fighting before you get between them.
“Enough! Revenge for what exactly?”
Janis’s eyes darken, “That information is classified I'm afraid.”
You glare back at her, “You shouldn’t drag Cady into this.”
Now it’s Janis who rolls her eyes, “If she wants to help out a friend who am I to stop her.”
You get up as soon as you spot Cady. With one final look back to Janis you say, “Friends don’t use each other in revenge plots.”
Cady’s outfit was simple, but cute and the jacket would go perfect with it. You greet her with a smile.
“Nervous?”
“More than I was on the first day,” she frowns.
You grab her by the shoulders and shake her a bit, “You got this and even if it flops, you have me ok. The biggest thing to remember is you have to be yourself alright?”
“Janis and Damian said I shouldn’t be myself around The Plastics,” Cady put her head down.
“Hey, look at me. You don’t need to try to fit in with them. Regina invited you to sit, which means she wants you there. Think about it like that,” you try to ease her nerves.
She nods, giving you a small smile in return, “That makes sense. Oh shit, they’re looking at me. Do you have the jacket?”
You turn to find Regina and her clique looking curiously in Cady’s direction. Quickly you pull the jacket out of your bag. Cady reaches for it, and you pull it back slightly.
“This jacket is important to me, ok? I need it back at the end of the day,” you warn her.
Cady’s attention stays on the popular girls until she sees Regina’s gaze shift towards you. Again, the two of you are in an intense staring contest.
“I’ll give it back to you at the end of the day,” Cady repeats.
You hand her the jacket and go to walk off. Her arm catches your wrist, and you turn around. It’s a bit too fast and the girl almost falls, so you steady her.
“Careful,” you scold her lightly.
Her voice is light as she questions you, “Where’re you going?”
“To my locker?” You say curiously.
“Well, mine is close to yours so I didn’t really expect you to- sorry it’s silly. You go, I’ll see you-”
This time it’s her that goes to pull away. You drop your hand into her’s leading her towards the lockers.
“No, you’re right. Sorry, I’m just kind of used to doing my own thing. It makes complete sense for us to go together.”
“I didn’t mean to make a big deal out of it,” she apologizes.
Your hand lets go of hers as you get in front of your locker, “No big deal, let’s just get through today.”
Lunch comes sooner than you want it to. You try to hide your nerves for Cady’s sake. She approaches Regina’s table with you not too far behind her.
Before she sits down, she clears her throat and looks at Regina, “H-hey it’s cool if not, but I was wondering if my friend Y/n could sit here maybe?”
Gretchen goes on some tangent about it being disrespectful to ask and says that Cady should be disinvited just for even bringing it up, “I mean who do you even think you are?”
“Are you done Gretchen?” Regina replies not even looking at the girl.
“I- I,” she stutters and sits silently in defeat.
Regina eyes look at Cady as if she’s bored, “Is she at least wearing pink?”
You unzip your jacket revealing the pink tank top underneath. Regina looks briefly at shirt before letting out an exasperated sigh, “Only today.”
The answer shocks Gretchen and Karen, but they don’t say it. Cady sits at the edge of the table while you decide to sit next to Karen, in a way that separates you from the main group.
“Cute jacket. Where’d you get it?” Regina says to Cady.
The question alone makes the food on the lunch tray unappealing to you.
Cady answers seamlessly, “It was a gift.”
It’s a good save. If it hadn’t been Regina’s jacket it would have been the perfect lie. The blonde lets it go with a hum before she starts diving into the stereotypical gossip of the school.
It’s hard being this close to her. You had done what you could to stay away from her at school, but here you were sitting across from her trying your best not to stare.
Gretchen goes on explaining the rules of The Plastics to Cady for what felt like forever. You mindlessly scroll through your phone wishing the lunch period would end.
Cady definitely didn’t need you here. You had decided that you were going to leave the table, but before you did, you felt her eyes on you. It was like you were glued to the seat.
“So, we’re going to my house after school to study. Cady are you in or out?” Regina asks, but it’s really a demand.
“Yeah, for sure I’m totally in,” she says excitedly.
“One day offer loser, are you in?” Regina looks at her nails, but it’s clear she’s talking to you.
Gretchen speaks up again, “Regina you can’t be serious? Sitting with us was one thing, but-”
“I’m sorry, was I talking to you Gretchen?” Her voice was ice cold.
Cady looks at you with eyes that were basically saying ‘pretty please’.
“I’m in,” you say against your gut feeling.
Once lunch is over you all disperse. Cady corners you before you go to your next class, “Oh my god that went so well. Regina even asked us to come over.”
You bury your head in your hands, “What have I just agreed to?”
“Hey, this is a good thing, right? If it's not its only one hangout,” Cady’s hand finds your shoulder giving you comfort.
“You’re right, it’s just- Regina’s kind of intimidating up close,” You mumble.
Cady nods, “Very intimidating. Did something happen between the two of you?”
You make a face that creases your eyebrows, “Who? Me and Regina.”
“Yeah, I've seen you staring at each other, and it just feels like tension,” Cady says.
You avoid the truth skillfully, “Well, I've known Regina a long time. I’ve seen what she's capable of. It’s pretty scary. It’s not really staring on my part more like freezing in fear.”
“She can’t be that bad. I think she’s kind of sweet,” Cady admits.
You shake your head, “What did I tell you before Cady? Regina George is mean.”
Cady scoffs, “Everybody keeps saying that, but no one is giving me any examples.”
“Watch her the rest of the day, you'll get it then,” you say knowing that Regina couldn't go too long without letting her mean streak show.
It didn’t take long for Cady to see what you were talking about. Regina treated their peers like they were beneath her at every chance she got.
When your last class was over, you both made your way to Regina’s jeep. Cady is stopped on the way by Janis and Damian. You decide against staying for that conversation. You expect the ginger will catch up to you.
When you get to the car Regina is already there waiting. It is slightly strange seeing her without a boy or her friends. Cautiously you approach her, but not to close. You keep your head down as you stand what you deem as near enough to her car.
“Get in,” she says after an awkward silence.
Your hand barely touches the door to the back before she speaks up again, “The front seat.”
This causes you to look up at her, but she’s already making her way around to the driver’s side. You follow her orders and get in the passenger seat next to her.
You can’t remember the last time you felt this fidgety. Your hand finds a spot firmly on your knee to keep it from bouncing out of control.
“You gave her the jacket,” It’s small when she says it.
It’s a challenge for you, but you make eye contact with her, “She’s just borrowing it. I would never give it away. “
The conversation dies there as Karen, Gretchen, and Cady arrive at the jeep.
“Regina, why is she in my spot?” Gretchen complains about your presence once again.
You start to remove the seatbelt to get in the back, but Regina’s hand grabs your wrist.
“Gretchen, when did you start asking more than 2 stupid questions a day? Nothing in my car belongs to you. If she were in the driver's seat, I would expect you to get in and shut the fuck up. So, get in the back and stop being so annoying.”
You could see Gretchen shrink under Regina’s words. Part of you feels bad for her, she was just acting in the way Regina usually would approve of. You were already making things complicated when they didn’t have to be.
The rest of the girls pile into the back of the jeep and it’s awkward for a moment, but eventually the chatter starts naturally. Once again you feel out of place.
You can’t stop thinking of the feeling of Regina’s hand on your wrist. Her skin on yours provides you with a sense of comfort. It’s almost like you were remembering that you knew what she felt like. You’re craving her touch; the thought alone makes your face burn with embarrassment.
Pulling up to Regina’s house feels surreal. It’s bigger than you thought. It almost felt wrong to go inside. Regina ushers everyone upstairs quickly trying to avoid her mother. You move the quickest, slightly afraid that Mrs. George might recognize you from the summer. Cady takes time to properly greet the woman.
If being in her house felt wrong being in her room felt even more invasive. It’s as pink as you imagined it be, but not in a childish way.
This is when Cady tries to fold you into the conversation, “Y/n, actually really likes pink.”
It’s so sudden having all the girls look to you for conformation. You try to regain your usual attitude, rather than the bundle of nerves you've become today.
“I think it's pretty cool,” You shrug.
Karen’s eyes widen, “You talk?”
You laugh as the other girls roll their eyes, “Yes, Karen I talk.”
“Well, you haven't said anything this whole time so how was I dose to know,” she tilts her head to the side.
She has a good point. From that point you try to engage me with the girls. It isn't so bad. The more you talk with the others the more you begin to relax.
That was until Mrs. George came upstairs with snacks. You excuse yourself to the restroom. It isn't until you’re out of the room that you realize you have no idea where it is.
“Follow me,” Regina appears from seemingly thin air.
You follow her and the two of you end up in front of the bathroom door. You stand there not saying anything to each other.
“Well, are you going to go?”
“I don’t actually have to go, I was just saying that to leave the room in case your mom recognized me,” you explain.
Regina nods, “Right makes sense."
Another long pause.
“I’m sorry, for coming here Gi- Regina. I was just trying to be there for Cady,” you don't look at her as you speak.
“Looking out for your new girlfriend, I get it,” there’s some venom in her tone.
“She’s not- I’m not into Cady.”
Regina falters, “It’s not my business, I shouldn’t have assumed.”
That was her way of apologizing. You don’t know what else to say. Your eyes linger on her, taking in her appearance this close.
“Stop looking at me like that,” she says before heading back in the direction of her room.
You sigh, “You look good, Regina.”
That seems to stop her in her tracks. She turns to face you again, “You can't say stuff like that.”
You take the opportunity to joke, “Do I need to say you look so totally fetch instead or…?”
She rolls her eyes playfully, “You’re annoying you know that.”
It’s completely different than how she said it to Gretchen. For this small instance in the hallway, she sounds like your Gina. It makes your heart flutter but sickens you all at the same time.
Re-entering Regina’s room you see the girls looking at a weird book. You see the shift in Regina’s features instantly, “Why is that out here? “
“Your mom thought it would be funny,” Karen answers, flipping through the pages.
You can't help but read one of the pages aloud, “Ms. Norbury is a PUSHER, a SAD OLD DRUG PUSHER.”
The book is filled with girls from school, it’s surprising you had escaped the pages. It’s then you’re reminded just how effortlessly cruel Regina could be.
Janis's revenge plot was starting to make more sense. You hated to agree, but maybe she needed a fall from grace.
“I have to go,” you say gathering you're things.
Regina moves to block your exit. She looks at the rest of girls like they’re idiots, “Why aren't you guys grabbing your shit? She has to go that means you all have to.”
The girls scramble to pick up their stuff. Regina grabs her car keys from the vanity, signaling that she was doing drop offs.
She takes Gretchen home first, then Karen, next is Cady. You notice Cady doesn't have on your jacket when you get a glimpse of her. Slight panic bubbles inside of you. If she left it at Regina’s, you'd likely never see it again. You get a text as you come to this realization.
Cady: The jackets in your backpack
Y/n: Cool thanks
When Regina parks in front of Cady’s house you say goodbye and tell her to text you later. When she leaves the car, the energy shifts drastically.
You knew Regina did this intentionally as your house was only a block over from hers. It would've made sense to take you first, but she waited to have you alone in this moment.
“Can we talk?” You see her hands tightly grip the steering wheel.
“Well now is as good as it's going to get, isn’t it?” You say picking at the sleeves of your sweater.
Regina sighs, “You were never this timid on the beach.”
“You and I both know you're a different person there. I never thought I’d be in this situation with you here, forgive me if I’m cautious around the queen bee,” you rebuttal.
Her grip tightens, “You’re scared of me.”
You shake your head, “I’m not scared of you, Gina.”
“Then why?”
You look out of the window, “I’m scared of the way you make me feel. I look at you and all of a sudden, I want to be back on that beach. This is as close as we’ve been during the school year, and I can’t make a habit of this. You let me down gently, but that doesn’t mean my heart isn’t broken.”
“I told you,” it’s a whisper from the blonde.
“I would do it all over again,” you still can’t look at her.
Regina feels herself losing her composure. Before she can drive any further, she pulls over in a random parking lot. She shakes her head as tears build behind her eyes.
“You’re not supposed to say shit like that, Y/n. It’s cheesy and overplayed. It’s something you say to people that you care about, and you shouldn't care about me,” she begins to breathe heavily.
“Gina-"
Her hands find her hair as a groan leaves her, “I hurt you Y/n and you just let me. Why don’t you hate me?”
Your hands reach for hers. She lets you pull them from her scalp.
“Regina, I’m not some stranger you met on vacation 2 years ago. I grew up here, with you. I knew what I was getting into. I did it anyway,” your thumb runs over her knuckles.
“You didn't want more?”
Your eyes soften, “I wanted you in every way you’d allow me to have you, Gina. You weren’t just some summer fling to me. It’s just- I knew you'd never go for that. You have this image to uphold, and I fuck it up.”
“You shouldn’t care about my image. You should be calling me a coward and a liar. I don’t get why you haven’t even tried to expose me,” she goes on.
“I don't care about school politics,” you say.
She sounds desperate as she speaks, “But I do, and you could ruin me.”
Against your better judgment your hand caresses her cheek. She looks up at you and you lean forward.
“I gain nothing from hurting you Gina,” your lips graze hers as you speak.
“Fuck it,” Regina closes the gap between the two of you.
Her lips against yours feels better than you remember. Neither of you are eager to pull away. When you do your forehead rests against hers.
“I was so stupid thinking I could stay away from you,” Regina says trying to catch her breath.
“I missed you too,” you tell her.
“We have to figure this out. I’m not ready to… show this side of myself to the school, but I need you,” Regina admits.
You shrug your shoulders, “We could sneak around. No one has to know.”
She searches your face, “Are you sure?”
You nod, “Positive.”
People often make jokes about famous last words, but that honestly felt like yours. Life became a lot more hectic after you suggested that arrangement between you and Regina.
A lot of it was a blur as she began to pull you into the janitors closet whenever she got the chance. Sometimes for talking and sometimes to makeout.
Off campus you would find yourself at the blonde’s house quite often. The two of would hang out in her room for hours. On occasion she would borrow her mom’s car to take your somewhere out of the city.
While things were going great for you with Regina. Cady was slowly but surely making her move on Aaron. You didn't think it was wise, but if it made her happy, then you supported it.
Cady had also kept her seat with Regina and friends. It seemed like she was finally progressing towards actually becoming a member of their clique.
You hadn’t been around much, but you hoped this meant Cady was done with whatever Janis had been planning. Playing both sides wouldn’t be good for her.
“Are you going to Chris Eisel's Halloween party?”  Cady asks as she goes through her locker.
“Probably, everyone is going.”
She nods her head, “I think I'm going to try to get with Aaron at the party.”
Your eyes widen, “I don't know if that's a good idea.”
Cady dismisses your warning, “Regina and I are cool now. I think I'm going to tell her I like him and see if it's ok that I take my chance.”
You look at her as if she was crazy, “Cady getting with the queen bee's ex-boyfriend is not smart.  Telling her about it beforehand only gives her prep time to take you down.”
“It will be fine.”
You knew that it, in fact, would not be fine. Your suspicions were confirmed later in the day when you were in Regina’s room.
The blonde paces back and forth silently. There’s a scowl on her face. You let her try to cool down for nearly 15 minutes, but at this rate there would be a hole in the floor where she walked.
“So, you talked to Cady,” you lightly poke the bear.
“Who does she think she is? I let her into the most influential group at the school and now she wants to fuck my ex. If she gets with Aaron there’s a chance that I look like an idiot,” Regina was furious.
“How would that make you look bad? You dumped him, right?” you try to follow.
“It makes it look like I’d allow anyone to have the things that I have. Dating Aaron would push her up the social ladder. Being one of us and dating him would make her more popular than me,” she says it like it’s obvious.
“Right,” you’re still confused.
Regina groans before finally sitting on her bed next to you, “You wouldn’t get it. You’re not into the school politics or whatever it is you say.”
You wrap your arms around the blonde and she leans back into your touch, “Just try not to destroy her too bad, ok? She’s, my friend.”
“I’m going to put that ginger bitch in her place,” she threatens.
You sigh, but there’s not much else you can do. You warned Cady that this was a bad idea.
“No more talking about Cady. We have episodes of Malcolm in the Middle to watch,” you kiss the top of her head.
“You’re right, I don’t want her cutting into our time together,” she places a kiss to the side of your jaw.
You knew that whatever happened at that party would be bad, but for now you decided to ignore it for now. In hindsight, it was a mistake. It was almost as if all the time you were spending with Regina made you forget that when everything was said and done, she was mean.
The party’s already in full affect when you get there. It’s almost impossible not to spot Cady in her costume.
“I see you went for the scary over sexy look,” you shout so that she can hear you.
“I thought this is what they meant by costume. Not just a pair of mouse ears,” you can barely make out what she’s saying over the giant plastic teeth.
You laugh, “Well I think it’s pretty cool for what it’s worth.”
“Thanks, I hope Aaron thinks so too. Who are supposed to be?”
You pull out your tiny comb and run it through your hair, “Well me sweetheart, I’m grease lightning.”
She giggles at your antics, “I don’t why, but that makes sense for you.”
You chat with Cady enjoying the party atmosphere until you get a glimpse of Regina, “Wow.”
Cady turns her attention to the blonde, “She looks amazing. Is she-”
“An angel,” you finish Cady’s thought.
Cady watches as your eyes rake Regina’s entire form, “I’ve never seen you look like such a fan of hers before.”
It’s a task as you tear your eyes away from Regina, “I’ve said it a million times Cady. She’s mean, but damn she's pretty.”
“I’m going to go say hi, I’ll be right back.”
You don’t stay to watch the interaction between the two girls opting to get a drink from the kitchen instead.
In the kitchen your quest for a drink is postponed as you see Karen standing on the table, looking as if she was going to fall. In typical North Shore fashion, instead of helping her down people are recording her.
You take it upon yourself to walk over and extend your hand to the girl. She takes it gratefully, but still manages to trip on her way down. You’re reflexes work fast to catch her, and steady her on the ground.
“Y/n, you saved me,” she giggles and jumps up and down a few times.
You laugh with your response, “I did, but be careful next time I might not be around.”
“I was trying to find Gretchen,” the girl frowns.
You sigh, trying to figure out if you really want to take on this task. One look at Karen’s wobbly stance, and you take her hand.
“Let’s find her.”
It takes you longer than expected to find Gretchen. When you get a glimpse of her, she’s yelling at Jason over who knows what. You see if you wait it out if it will end, but it doesn’t. So instead, you decide to interrupt anyway.
“Gretchen!” Karen exclaims as you get closer to the girl with the loose curls.
“Karen was looking for you,” you tell her nonchalantly.
Gretchen looks at her clearly drunk friend and then back to the boy she was arguing with. She points her finger at him, “This isn’t over.”
She then takes Karen by the arm and begins to drag her away, “Bye Y/n.”
Gretchen turns back to you for a quick moment mouthing ‘thank you’ before she goes to take care of Karen.
You’re basically back to the middle of the party. You look for Cady and spot her standing still across the room. Her chest heaves up and down rapidly as she clutches her hand over it.
You follow her line of sight and feel your heart break in your chest. Regina and Aaron are locked in an enthusiastic kiss. Tears threaten to spill from your eyes, but you hold them at bay. You make your way over Cady deciding that the party is over for the both of you.
Your presence takes her out of her trance, “Let’s go.”
She looks over to see Regina looking right at her. Cady doesn’t hesitate to follow your lead out of the party. It’s not until Regina realizes that you’re the one taking Cady, that the blonde regrets her actions.
You don’t know how you end up and Janis’s place, but you do. Janis and Damian are watching some old Halloween movie in her garage. Cady starts telling the art kids what happened at the party. Janis springs up from her seat quickly comforting the girl.
You take this opportunity to sit next to Damian. Its then that you learn that Cady didn’t actually know why Janis wanted revenge. You find out some details you didn’t know either, despite being there for the debacle.
“Now you know that Regina George is not your friend, we’re your friends and we’re going to make her pay,” Janis says with her eye twitching.
“Pause, why are you here Y/n?” Damian acknowledges that you look just as upset as Cady.
You search for an answer, “I brought Cady.”
Janis narrows her eyes at you, “That’s not everything.”
You know you shouldn’t, but as the images of Aaron and Regina cross your mind you can’t hold it in.
Your head falls into your hands, “It’s complicated.”
The moment the two words leave your lips you find yourself telling them everything from the first summer to the recent rendezvous. By the time you're done you’re a mess.
“She told me this would happen, but I didn't listen. I’m so stupid,” you began to get angry at yourself as you harshly wiped your eyes.
“Hey, don't be so hard on yourself,” Janis wraps an arm around.
“And I thought she was cruel before,” Damian looks at you sympathetically.
“She’s not going to get away with this Y/n,” Cady promises.
You shake your head, “Guys, I’m not out for vengeance. I just- it hurts.”
Janis rubs your shoulder a few times, “Don’t worry, we got your back. While Cady focuses on knocking Regina down a peg, Damian and I will make sure she stays away from you.”
Just as the words leave her mouth your phone begins to buzz repeatedly. You peak down at it and can see a bunch of messages from Regina coming through. You reach for it, but Cady takes it and simply flips it over on the table.
“No more, Regina George. “Now, what are we watching,” she says, and you nod gaining back some of your bearings.
So, you spend the rest of your night watching bad horror movies with your friends, trying to keep your mind off of Regina.
The next school day you don’t make it far without feeling a certain pair of eyes on you. Before you can turn to look in her direction Janis and Damian are by your side whisking you into the school building.
“I can’t believe you didn’t like disintegrate under her gaze,” Janis comments.
Damian follows up, “Yeah if looks could kill, you’d probably be dead right now.”
Your gaze stays on the floor, “She can look all she wants as long as she keeps her distance.”
That's basically what transpires your next 6 weeks at school. Janis, Damian, and Cady fail to make any sort of mockery of Regina, the popular girl debuts her rekindled romance, and you fall deeper into your depression.
Regina does try approaching you a few more times, but she consistently gets blocked by Janis, Damian, or Cady, for which you’re grateful. You don’t want to talk to her while she’s busy parading her boy toy around.
Every day is starting to seem longer than the last. You dread stepping on campus, because even if you manage to avoid seeing Regina, she’s all anyone talked about. It was like you were always surrounded by her and it was driving you insane.
It gets to the point where sometimes you periodically skip class, just to walk the empty hallways to get away from her. Skipping class seems to be your downfall as you find yourself being yanked into the janitors closet.
“What the fuck?” Your initial panic only increases when you see Regina blocking the door.
“We need to talk,” Regina says with a sharp tone.
You shake your head, “No we don’t, now let me out of here Regina.”
You try to push past her, but she puts a hand on your chest, “I’ve been trying to talk to you since the Halloween party.”
“For what, Regina? You put Cady in her place just like you said you would. I should've seen it coming,” your words come out harsh.
“I didn’t mean for you to get hurt,” her voice was small when she spoke.
You let out a bitter chuckle, “There was no way I wasn’t going to get hurt. What, you were just going to kiss and date Aaron publicly while keeping me on the side?”
“I don’t care about Aaron, I only care about you,” she shoots back.
“You couldn’t even run it by me. Maybe check to see if I would’ve been ok with it? Regina we were practically dating,” you argue to the girl.
Regina runs a hand through her hair, “I know that. I know I fucked up, I’ve been trying to apologize, to talk to you, but your guard dogs never let me get close.
You scoff, “My friends are protecting me from you.”
Regina sounds incredulous, “So you told them?”
Your hands go up feigning exasperation, “Yes, I told them. I didn’t really have a choice because when I left the party, I was a fucking mess, and they were there for me.”
“It was just a kiss, Jesus Christ you’re acting like I fucked him on the couch,” she complains.
The disbelief in your tone comes out, “You really don’t get it, do you? You want to know why it fucked me up so bad? Despite how mean you are and how vain you can be, I saw something in you. I cut through all the bullshit to find the actual human being with feelings. I got to know you better than anyone else in this hell hole ever will. Underneath all that toxic plastic costume that you wear is the girl that I loved. So, I’m sorry if my hurt feelings are too much for you, but it fucking sucks seeing the person you love kiss someone else.”
You didn't know when you got so close to Regina. The roles had reversed at some point, and you were now the one trapping her against the closet door. Her blue eyes peer into yours looking for any sign of deceit.
“You loved me?”
You close your eyes, “Don’t make me say it again. “
Regina doesn't have the words. She doesn't want to search for them. All she wants to do is kiss you. So, against her better judgment she hurriedly places her lips on yours.
You should push her away, tell her that this isn't an apology. Yet the only thing you can do is wrap your arms around her and pull her into you. The kiss is sloppy, and it sends you both into a frenzy. Neither of you break it even when you both know better.
When the door to the closet is violently yanked open, is when you finally pull away from each other. Aaron stands there looking between yourself and Regina. The blonde yanks the door back shut, and you drop to the floor as embarrassment sets in.
“Fuck, I have to go,” you say trying to pull yourself together.
“You can’t go we haven’t talked,” Regina tries to block you.
This time you’re gentle as you move her aside, “There’s nothing to talk about Gina. You were right, I thought I could handle the heartbreak, but this is too much.”
Leaving the closet your jaw clenches as you see Cady down the hall. Her attention that was on Aaron, shifts to you. Her eyes go wide as she begins to figure out what happened in the closet. You don't give her the chance to comfort you opting to leave the school entirely.
Maybe it was time to embrace the school’s politics. Becoming the outcast, loner, weirdo didn’t sound so bad anymore. Anything to keep you away from The Plastics and The Art Freaks. You didn’t want to deal with either side ever again.
Just like you had done with Regina you ignored all of Cady, Janis, and Damian’s messages. You and the block button had never been any closer. At school you resumed having your lunch outside away from the drama and stuffy cafeteria.
In class you kept your focus on the teacher ignoring any notes or whispers from the trio. It was a challenge, but it was for the best.
You kept your head down when walked the halls and your earbuds in. If you kicked out the outside world then it was like it didn’t exist. You should’ve been paying more attention.
That’s the thought that crosses your mind as you trip right in front of Regina George. You expect to hit the floor dramatically but are surprised when you feel her hands at your waist keeping you upright.
The entire school watches with bated breath waiting for your fate. You too, are curious to see how the queen bee will treat you with the public watching.
“Watch it… loser,” she mumbles, making sure to shove you lightly out of her way.
You can tell her heart isn’t in it, but it looks normal to the public. In some ways it looked like you got a warning, which Regina was kind enough to give to most people.
You didn't dwell on it much. She probably had bigger things to worry about with the talent show happening so soon. The Plastics never missed a year of doing their kind of provocative and surely cringe-inducing dance routine.
Extra credit was being offered in most of your classes for students who went. So, you had decided to go to boost up your grades.
On the night of the talent show, you take a seat in the back row. Most of it is uninspiring. You hate to admit that you really enjoyed Damian’s rendition of the Icarly theme song. It was weird, but in that sort of niche artistic way that made it cool to you.
When The Plastics get on stage you’re surprised to see Cady with them. It was unsurprising to see everyone recording the performance. You’re sure some weirdos would be glad to have that performance at their disposal.
 It is more difficult to watch this year than the previous. Something is more off key than usual. When the cartwheel spot is being set up you see Karen’s knee buckle first then Regina slams into the floor.
When she does, the crowd erupts. You shoot out of your seat as well. This is her worst nightmare. In a digital era, there’s no way that this isn’t going to go viral.
You don’t know why you’re running out of the theater, but you are. You didn’t know where to look for her, but she had to come to her car. You stand outside the pink jeep for what feels like an eternity.
In reality, it was only a few minutes before you could make out the figure of the crying blonde. You wait for her to get closer before attempting to say anything.
“Regina-”
She tries snapping at you, but it doesn’t pack much of a punch behind the tears, “It’s pretty funny, isn’t it? I bet you enjoyed every second of it.”
“Give me your keys,” you say without pause.
“What?”
“It’s dangerous to drive under intense emotion. Give me your keys, so I can take you home,” you reiterate.
Regina wants to question it, but she doesn’t want to ruin tonight even more. She put her keys in your hands. You don’t say anything else, simply waiting for her to get in the car.
When she does, you begin driving to her house. You can see her scrolling through her phone, so you snatch it from her at a red light.
“Stop,” you tell her, knowing she’s looking at her viral moment.
When you get to her house you follow her to her room. She faceplants on her bed and you watch as her body begins to vigorously shake with sobs.
You sit next to her your hand rubs her back soothingly, “I’m sorry this happened to you.���
“You’re not happy that your bestie usurped me,” she says sarcastically.
“I haven’t spoken to Cady, since the closet thing happened,” you admit to her.
She wiped her eyes, “Why not?”
“Well Cady’s the one who told Aaron to check the closet,” you tell her.
“That bitch.”
You nod, “Yeah, I know that she and Janis wanted revenge, but that was low.”
Regina’s eyebrow furrows, “What are you talking about?”
You fill her in on everything and you can see her get angrier at every word.
“You didn’t think to warn me?”
You fight back, “Last time I checked they were failing. I wasn’t in on the planning, and I don’t even know all that they did. But also, I don’t owe you anything Regina.”
Her tongue clicks against her cheek, “I guess that’s fair.”
You speak again, “I don’t really know why I’m here if I’m being honest with you. I saw you hit the floor, and I just felt like I needed to be here for you.”
Regina laughs softly, “Even after all of this, you’re still thinking about how I feel.”
You laugh too, “I don’t think I can help it. I mean you are the Regina George, massive deal and all that.”
She shakes her head, “Not after this. I will never be her again.”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
She looks at you, “I mean it doesn’t feel great, to be embarrassed for the whole world to see.”
“Fair point, but what is it they say about the head that wears the crown. Aren’t you a little bit relieved that you don’t have to be perfect anymore?”
She shrugs, “I guess so. My heart hasn’t been inn it since the last time we talked.”
“Regina, I don’t know if now is the time to-"
Her eyes lock on yours, “Please.”
Reluctantly you nod your head.
“I’m not a caring person. I don't usually give a fuck about anything but myself. I’m selfish and ruthless and cruel and mean. I really am everything that these people are saying about me. Except when it comes to you. I care about you more than I’ve cared about anything in a long time.”
She looks at you to make sure you're really hearing her.
“Kissing Aaron was so fucking stupid. I felt threatened by Cady and in truth I acted how I usually would. But I forgot to consider your feelings because I’m not used to considering others. I knew I fucked up and I wanted to fix it, but you were avoiding me. So, I kept the act because if I lost you at least I still had my power.”
“So, you care about your power more than me?”
Regina frowns, “No, I don’t, that’s what I’m trying to say. In that closet when you told me you loved me, it was like everything just clicked into place. We got carried away and then you left, but if you would’ve stayed just a second longer, I could’ve told you I loved you too.”
“Regina-”
“I’m almost done I promise. I could’ve told you any time after the fact, but it felt selfish. I was trying to do the right thing for once. You said that I hurt you too much and you were right. So, I thought it didn’t matter. I still don’t know if it matters, but if this is the last chance I have to say it, Y/n I love you.”
Your heart could come out of your chest at Regina’s admission. You’d love nothing more than to just pull her in and kiss, but something was stopping you.
“I love you too Gina, but what does that mean for us?”
Regina takes your hand in hers, “I want to be with you. Not just on the beach, but here, everywhere.”
You can sense there’s something she wanted to say, “But…”
“But I want to deal with the situation at school first. I want to change, but I still have to be mean for a while. I don't know if you’ll like that side of me,” Regina looks at her bedsheets.
You let a tiny smile come over your features, “I’m not really into school politics. So, I don't mind if you’re still a little mean. As long as you don't care that I want to be by your side.”
Regina has a smile that matches yours, “I like the thought of you by my side.”
“Good, because I don't plan on leaving.”
You can't wait any longer. You take her face in both of your hands and kiss her softly. Regina melts against your lips. It’s not like the kiss in janitors, it’s closer to your first kiss together. There’s a slight hesitation, but it’s not enough to stop.
“I love you,” she says against your lips.
“I love you too.”
You stayed at Regina’s pretty late that night. It was so late that by the time you got home you were exhausted. When your alarm went off in the morning, you snored right through it. You ended up making it to your third period right before the bell rang to start class.
You took your seat next to Cady. Something about her was different. She looks like Regina, more than usual. She wasn't paying any attention during class, to preoccupied with her makeup.
“What’s up with her?” You say to Janis, who sits directly behind you.
“Oh, well hello to you too stranger.”
You roll your eyes, “I’m serious, Janis.”
The artist shrugs, “I don't know. After last night I called game on the revenge, but Cady said she needed one more day.”
You frown, “Is worldwide embarrassment not enough? She’s viral all over the internet for her fall.”
“I thought so, but this is all Cady,” there’s some hint of worry in her tone.
You want to talk to the ginger, but the moment the bell rings she's out of the class. Once you’re out of class you head to the cafeteria for lunch. As you’re standing in line waiting for the food the loud chatter of the cafeteria drops.
You lift your head up to see why; it’s Regina. She’s not in her usual attire opting for something more comfortable, but just as cute in your opinion. She walked over to her usual table but was stopped from sitting.
You couldn't hear the conversation, but you did hear as Regina’s friend yelled, “You can’t sit with us.”
Nobody in the cafeteria moves to make space for the girl. Her mean nature finally biting her in the ass. You set your lunch tray down loudly, causing the attention to shift to you.
You hate the way everyone looks on, as you make your way towards Regina. Standing by her side in front of the entire school felt strange.
You hold your hand out for her to take and she does. You glare hits all the girls’ sitting at The Plastics table before lingering on Cady, “Let’s go outside, it’s stuffy in here anyway.”
Regina let you drag her out of the cafeteria towards the front of the school. You found a shady spot under the tree and sat there.
“You want me to sit on the ground?”
You look at her and then pat your lap, “You could always sit here instead.”
She takes a seat on the grass next to you, “I wouldn’t want to crush you. I’m so fat now.”
You frown and pull the girl into your lap. She squeals and tries to get away, but you lock your arms around her.
“Doesn’t feel like you’re crushing me.”
Regina looks away from you, “I’m wearing these sweats because I can’t fit any of my pants anymore. It doesn't make any sense because all I've been eating are these nasty bars that Cady gave me.”
You take the bar from Regina. The more you examine it the angrier you get.
“Don’t eat anymore of this shit.”
“What’s wrong with them?”
You feel your body growing hot with anger, “These are Kalteen bars. They’re for gaining weight.”
Regina’s facial expression darkens, “What?”
“I’m going to kill her. This is too far,” you start to stand, but Regina stops you.
“I will handle it,” Regina’s calm tone is unnerving, but Cady deserves whatever hell Regina invokes on her for this.
“Ok, but I’m here if you need me,” you squeeze her lightly.
“Thank you, baby. Not just for being here, but for what you did in the cafeteria. I know you don’t like the attention,” she places a kiss on your cheek.
You blush at her praise, “I don’t like it, but I wasn’t going to stand idly by why Cady tried to humiliate you in front of everyone again.”
“I don’t want to talk about her anymore. Karma will get her soon enough and her world will be burnt to a crisp,” Regina’s smile is small yet sadistic.
Maybe a few hours ago you would’ve warned Regina about taking it too far. Potentially you would have said something about the moral high ground. However, upon learning about the weight gaining bars, you decided that Cady needed to be humbled quickly.
You and Regina decide to ditch the rest of the school day. You spend the day at her house watching tv in her bed. It only takes a few episodes before you fall asleep, still feeling some grogginess from your morning.
After a few minutes of your soft snores, Regina begins her plot. She knew this would not only destroy Cady, but the entire population of girls at the school. They deserved it after the talent show and lunch today. If they thought she was a problem when she was mean, nothing could prepare them for when she felt vindictive.
“What’re you doing so far away,” you yawn and make grabby hands at the blonde.
“This is called full proof revenge,” she holds up the burn book.
Your eyes widen as you read ‘this girl is a fugly cow’, “Oh shit.”
“Come here.”
You follow her orders. She opens the book to a page that has your name and your picture, but no description, “Where’d you get this picture of me?”
Regina shakes her head, “Not important. You need to write something mean about yourself here.”
You give her a questioning look, “Why?”
“Because it’ll look suspicious if you aren’t in it,” she hands you a marker.
You don't think about it too much as you write ‘Gay Loner Weirdo’ above the picture.
“Simple, elegant, classy,” you hand the marker back to her.
“Timeless if you will,” Regina jokes.
You nod feigning insight, “Yes, it was either that or Regina George sympathizer, but that felt too new. Gotta make them think I was always in there.”
The two of spent the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company. It was a nice change for once. You found yourself thinking that you could get used to having Regina to yourself like this.
You expect chaos the next time you step onto campus, but you aren’t prepared for what you walk in to. The halls were a mess. Girls are fighting, running, and screaming everywhere you look.
“This is insane,” you whisper to yourself.
“This is what happens when you fuck with Regina George,” the girl appears by your side faux distraught on her features.
You don’t get to answer her before principal Duvall calls for all the girls in the gymnasium. A situation like this was unprecedented in the history of the school. So, it didn't surprise you that none of the faculty knew what to do about it.
They were trying some weird truth and unity trust fall that you thought was a shitty idea. Things were cringy at first, but it seemed like the message was working on a few girls.
When Janis gets up there things take a turn for the worst as she begins to air out Regina and Cady’s dirty laundry, “… and I find it so ironic because while Regina’s been calling me a pyro lez she's been busy having summer beach romances with Y/n. Pretty fucking gay if you ask me.”
She lets out a scream before falling into the arms of the student body who began changing her name and carrying her out.
The only students left in the gym were yourself, Cady, and Regina. Cady’s remorse finally manages to kick in and she starts to apologize. She doesn't get too far in before Regina storms off. You stay hot on her heels as Cady follows the two of you. Regina makes it all the way to the front lot before she turns around to start arguing with Cady.
The closer Cady gets to the blonde, the further Regina goes into the street. You’re somewhere in between trying to mediate the situation.
“Why don't we do this somewhere private for once? Where the while school isn’t involved,” you suggest.
“I don't have anything to say to her except that she's parading around as a cheaper version of me. She can imitate take it all, but she’ll never be as good as me,” Regina spits out.
“Regina, I’m-"
You look between the girl’s and that's when you see the bus coming from the corner of your eye.
“Regina!”
You scream her name, and your body moves on its own as you forcefully tackle the girl to the ground. You make sure to protect her head with your arms as you go down on the concrete. Everything feels like it’s slowed down as your arms connect with the concrete.
That feeling is nothing compared to the pain you feel in your leg. You cry out in pain at the feeling of your leg being run over by the bus.
“Oh my god, Y/n. Someone help, quit standing around like idiots. Call an ambulance or something, make yourselves useful,” Regina yells as the entire school looks on.
She repositions herself so that your head is in her lap as she holds your sobbing figure. She can’t help it as her own tears begin to fall.
When the ambulance comes, you’re loaded in and rushed to the hospital. As much as Regina fought to get into the ambulance, they wouldn't let her. She knew you were going to need surgery on your leg, it had to be completely broken. All she could do was worry and count down the moments until she would be able to see you.
It took a full day for you to wake up after the accident and another before you were allowed visitors. Regina was the first person there.
The first thing she did was kiss you, “Don’t ever do anything stupid like that again.”
You laugh tiredly, “I believe the words are thank you.”
“It’s not funny Y/n, you could��ve died.”
You readjust the bed to sit up straight, “I wasn’t going to let you get full on hit by a bus Gina. My leg will be fine after rehab. The doctor says I'm lucky that it broke clean, but I might have some permanent nerve damage.”
“But you'll still be able to walk?”
You nod, “It’ll take a few months, and I might have like a permanent limp, but I’ll be able to walk."
“You saved my life,” her hand interlocks with yours.
“I mean we don't know that. You could've survived being hit by the bus,” you joke further.
“Oh yeah, totally would've survived. Probably would be walking around with the hottest neck brace on the market,” she rolls her eyes.
“Super fetch neck brace,” you add.
She groans, “I love you, but you have to stop saying that.”
“I love you too, but I’m going to keep saying it,” you kiss the back of her hand.
Regina isn't the only one who stops to visit you. You’re a little surprised to see Cady stop by. The popular persona was nowhere to be seen. She looks the same as the first day you met her.
“I know you probably don't want to see me, but I came to apologize… for everything. I did exactly what you warned me not to and got caught up in the school politics,” she stands by the forest while she talks.
You motion for her to have a seat, and she does so cautiously. You let out a breath before addressing the girl, “I did warn you, but sometimes you have to make mistakes to learn and grow. When you sent Aaron to the closet, I was so upset with you. Maybe I could’ve forgiven you then, but your attitude just went downhill from there.”
“I know.”
“I’m not even mad about it anymore. I’m more upset about what you did to Regina. Some of that shit was pretty low, Cady,” you tell her.
“I know, I got caught up in Janis’s plan. I was so excited to have friends that I thought going along with it was ok, but it wasn't. What makes it even worse is that I got carried away and became someone I’m not. And now you're here in the hospital because of me,” she can’t look at you.
“Cady you weren't driving the bus.”
She stands her ground, “It’s the domino effect of my actions. No one would’ve been-"
You cut her off, “Cady this isn't your fault. You sound crazy. I literally kind of threw myself in the path of the bus. It was my choice, and I stand by it. Instead of taking accountability for things that aren’t your fault, maybe you should focus on the things that are your fault.”
“Like with Regina,” she says to herself.
“Regina, Janis, hell even Ms. Norbury. Apologize and mean it, that’s a step in the right direction,” you tell her.
“How do you always manage to have the right advice?”
“We're all just actual human beings at the end of the day Cady. Falling into these boxes that we think are desirable takes us out of the reality of the situation.”
She takes in your words and then stands, “I’m going to go work on being an actual human being. Maybe when it's all over, we can be friends again.”
You salute her playfully, “Go get em tiger.”
Despite your injury, time seems to go by in a blur. Rehab is hard and the handful of meds you have to take is annoying, but it’s worth it. You were doubtful about returning to campus before the end of the year, but you found yourself cleared a week before Spring Fling. You’d have to use a crutch, but for the most part you were alright.
“You know we don’t have to go to the dance, right? I’m content staying here and finally finishing Malcolm in the Middle,” Regina says as fixes the sleeves of your suit.
“I know, but I have to let my adoring public know that I’ve escaped the clutches of death.”
Regina stops her movements, “I’m being serious, Y/n."
You place a hand on her waist, “I want to go out and dance with you. Or at least attempt to.”
Regina blushes under your touch, “Might be a little difficult with the crutch.”
“It can sit on the bleachers for one dance,” your eyes are love-struck, staring at Regina.
Her face heats even more under your gaze, “Let’s go your adoring public awaits or whatever.”
For the second time in your school career all eyes seem to be on you as you enter the dance. It could be the fact that you looked good, or maybe that you were walking in with Regina George on your arm, or more likely that no one had seen you since the bus ran over your leg.
“Do people ever do anything besides staring,” you say to the blonde.
“Nope,” she pops the ‘p’ on the word.
You don't get particularly far into the dance floor on account of your crutch. Instead, you find yourself situated by the punchbowl. You urge Regina to go dance, which she does reluctantly.
“You know rumors were going around that you’d lost your leg,” Janis appears by your side.
You look down at your leg, “Still there.”
“Look I wanted to say I’m sorry for how everything played out. It wasn’t cool to try to involve you in the drama and I shouldn’t have said anything about your thing with Regina,” she apologizes.
“Apology accepted, I’m just ready to move on from everything,” you say earnestly.
“Janis,” Regina says cordially, as she puts herself in this conversation.
“Regina,” the girl answers in the same tone.
With a respectful nod the girl in the purple tux takes her leave.
“What was that about?”
“Well, I' told you that I wanted to change. The first part of that is making amends. Janis and I had a talk, we both apologized. So now, we’re civil with each other,” Regina reveals.
“That’s awesome baby, I’m proud of you.”
She looks away from you as embarrassment coats her face, “Yeah whatever, don’t you owe me a dance?”
You laugh and lean your crutch against the wall before offering her your hand. Your leg is strong enough for the two of you to sway together as a slow song plays.
“People are still watching, I think it’s the Regina George factor,” you say so only that she can hear.
“I don’t really mind it. It lets them know you’re mine.”
A goofy smile plants itself on your face, “Oh, am I?”
Regina nods, “All mine.”
You lean in closer to her, “Weird way to ask if I'll be your girlfriend, but I accept.”
Regina begins to sputter which keeps you smiling. The smug look on your face drives her crazy. She’s quick to place a soft kiss on your lips to regain some control of the situation.
“That’s so not fair,” you say against her lips.
“It’s girlfriend privileges,” she counters back.
When the song is over principal Duvall calls for the nominees for Spring Fling king and queen to go up on stage. You stand to the side and cheer loudly as your girlfriend gets on the stage. Tension slowly builds as the man reads of the kings name first before holding the envelope with the queen’s name in it.
Silence takes over the crowd as principal Duvall announces Cady as the queen of Spring Fling. When the girl gets on the stage, you notice she’s not dressed for the dance at all. The casual attire with a letterman jacket seems like a change of pace for her.
She takes the microphone and starts to apologize publicly to everyone she has wronged. She breaks the crown into pieces sharing it with the girls on stage. She also throws some pieces into the crowd before getting off the stage.
The ginger makes her way over to you and hands you a piece of the plastic crown, “Glad you could make it.”
You smile at her, “That was probably the corniest shit I have ever seen, but you seemed like an actual human being on that stage.”
“Learned from the best. I’m going to go talk to Janis, but I’ll see you around?”
“Definitely,” you reassure her and watch as she goes off to continue righting her wrongs.
Regina comes not too long after Cady goes. She leans her back against you lightly and you wrap an arm around her.
“I'm ready for summer,” she mentions offhandedly.
“Why?”
She tilts her back to look up at you, “I'm ready to sit on the beach and relax with my extremely hot girlfriend.”
Her eyes sparkle as they peer into yours. This moment feels like it could last forever. You get to be with the Regina George in a room where anyone can see. Yet you resonate with her words deeply. Nothing sounds quite as good as having the girl all to yourself, soaking up the sun. You can almost see the book in your hand while the blonde rests her head in your lap.
“Me too.”
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urbeachboy · 1 month ago
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consider : you, who are too aware for your own good . .
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you, who’ve recently moved to Gotham, a 19 year old uni student working a part-time job at a local café, trying desperately to make ends meet. you really don’t bother with all that vigilante and supervillain junk, always get home before 12:00 and stick to crowds.
but after a close call, getting nearly mugged and yet saved by a certain masked vigilante- red robin, maybe, judging by the red and the big yellow R on his chest- you think, ‘hey, this looks an awful lot like that one rich kid of Bruce Wayne’s.” and in an adrenaline-induced daze, you blurt out just what you were thinking; “You’re Tim Drake.”
He was only silent for a while (it was difficult to read him, even without the eye-mask- though you hadn’t seen him without it. It’d be much easier if you did) before he’d brushed you off with a small laugh and left you to walk home. Let’s say he kept a close eye on you that night.
The next morning, you woke up after a horrible dream and a terrible headache. The first thing you do; go to your phone, search up ‘the Waynes’. Compare each image of each individual to each image of each vigilante frequenting in Gotham and.. oh god. You’ve been proper enlightened. Will the cops be after you? No, you won’t tell anyone! They have no reason to!
Maybe the vigilantes will be after you.
..No! They’re meant to help people. They wouldn’t do something like that. Not to you.
However, the lack of danger in your path and the pitter-patter of footsteps on the roofs (the ones that are closer to the ground, at least) each night while walking home, sounding different everyday (though there’s almost a pattern. Mondays, they’re barely there, but you know it is. And it’s not belonging to one pair of feet. Tuesdays, they’re almost airy, but quick. Not like they’re running, more like they’re walking faster. Wednesdays, they’re a bit heavier, like the person’s a bit bigger, but that can’t be right. Thursdays, they’re familiar. Fridays, they’re like the tuesdays but they’re definitely running. And Saturdays, they’re not there. You think they’re not, at least- but you can feel the eyes boring into your nape, and you’d like to trust your instinct.) beg to differ.
Now, on a scale of one to ten, how absolutely fucked are you?
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novy2sirius · 9 months ago
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Astro Notes by Novy
— volume three
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Aquarius placements get a rep for being emotionless but are often quite sensitive but just really good at hiding their emotions
It’s not as commonly talked about as Leo placements but Libra/7h placements make amazing actors as well — example: zendaya is a 7h sun in western astrology
Asteroids in astrology are important but your regular natal chart planets, houses, aspects, degrees, and signs will tell you the most about your life and self
8h Venus' have the deepest most unconditional love for people. It doesn’t matter what someone does to them they will still have care for them and want the best for them no matter how toxic. They genuinely can’t help it
People with their North Node in the 12th house may experience lots of periods of isolation throughout their life
If you dream of dating your celebrity crush and have a Libra/Leo Sun, 5h/7h Sun, 5h/10h Venus, Venus at 5°/17°/29° or Sun to Venus aspects there is a possibility it could happen. Don’t lose hope — example: hailey bieber’s venus at 29°
I personally haven’t seen many same sign couples last long term. Not sure why
I’ve never met someone with Chiron in the 4th/8th/12th house that’s had an easy life. These people tend to struggle a lot emotionally and be very misunderstood by society/people in general. Even people who have known them for years
Your North Node isn’t your purpose alone it’s your potential. You have the choice to fulfill it or not. If you don’t you will reincarnate over and over until you do
Having more square/oppositions than trines/sextiles doesn’t make you a bad person. I’ve seen some people say this and I find it odd. Squares show obstacles we endure and oppositions show tensions/confusions we face in our life but just like Mars and Saturn energy they’re not inherently “bad” as these challenges can help you grow and you can turn them into positive energy if you choose to work through them properly
You’ll often be more attracted to the energy of the opposite sign of your 7th house than the 7h sign itself — example: if your 7h is in the sign sagittarius you might actually be attracted to gemini energy more often
The house your Sun is in can show you where you’re meant to shine and be successful — example: Sun in the 7th house can mean being successful in the arts or having lots of romantic relationships and ending up in a happy marriage one day
Your 2nd house sign can tell you what’s most important for you to value in this life — example: if you have your 2h in the sign cancer then you should value your empathy/emotions and use it for good
Neptune is associated with nostalgia. People with placements like Neptune in the 1st house or 3rd house may struggle a lot with nostalgia and remembering certain memories better than they actually were
People with a water sun and libra moon are usually extremely musically talented in some way — examples: ariana grande, justin bieber, madison beer, olivia rodrigo
Most same (sun) sign couples never work out in the long run. Same moon sign couples (especially in sidereal) are more likely to last
The 12th house is associated with catfishing because it’s the house of illusion and impersonations. Lots of people who have gotten catfished (long term) before usually have Mercury or Uranus in the 12th house for this reason
Mars can tell how you are in the bedroom — example: a Virgo mars will please you a lot since the sign is associated with acts of service. They’re definitely the type to make you finish first
Someone with lots of Libra energy in their chart will often hold grudges because they seek harmony and when someone brings lots of negativity to their life it’s unlikely they’ll put up with it long term contrary to the popular “people pleaser” reputation
I’ve personally noticed Capricorn Venus’ always make the best love songs
Check Mercury/Uranus’ house for insight on what you should post on social media to become more famous — example: mercury/uranus in the 10h could mean you can pretty much become famous from any type of video, mercury/uranus in the 7h could mean becoming famous from fashion/beauty/dancing/art videos or from posting with your romantic partner online, etc
Leo’s usually always have 3 or more children unless they’re infertile
Everyone talks about how Capricorn/Aquarius placements can show delays but Taurus placements can as well as the sign is associated with slowness. example — a taurus ascendant may glow up later than most (i’ve noticed this seems to be more true in my sidereal chart than western though)
Aries Venus’ do fall for people quickly but they can also move on very fast if you hurt them a lot. They hold grudges
A lot of Cancer’s have toxic relationships with Leo’s. Not sure why
Saturn is actually a planet that can give insight our job as well but not many people talk about it. It is the planet of “work”. example — saturn in the 2nd house can indicate being a singer, accountant, chef/baker, model, fashion designer, etc
Venus at 2° can indicate gaining wealth slowly over time. Most of these people gain wealth sometime in their late 20’s - 40’s
People with Venus to Jupiter aspects often end up being wealthy in life. Especially when it’s trine or square I’ve noticed
The house the Moon or Neptune is in can show where you have the most influence over others. example — moon in 5th house can indicate being a very influential actor
Everyone talks about Saturn in the 7th house being a bad placement but I think it’s very beneficial in the long run. Pluto in the 7th house is the real challenge. They often experience more toxic relationships than any other placement I’ve noticed
Aquarius Midheaven’s do NOT like 9-5 jobs. They hate being bossed around and often are more successful in careers where they have freedom and can share their own ideas with the world rather than be an employee
Leo Venus’ (and Leo placements in general) love very hard. It’s why the body part Leo is associated with is the heart
Gemini Ascendant’s will NOT marry someone who isn’t making them consistently laugh their ass off or who is too serious
Pisces placements are often great friends and really good at understanding people
Leo placements are known for being loyal but I actually find that they’re only loyal to the people in their circle not people outside of it that they’re not super close with
Cancer Saturn’s are very likely to spiral into a depression if they can’t let go of their past
I’ve noticed a lot Taurus Mars will apologize and then continuously do the thing they apologized for without changing
Aries stelliums are the biggest daredevils. They often love amusement parks and will ride all the scariest rides
Libra/7h Moons can make a lot of money from acting in romance films — example: leonardo dicaprio in the titanic
Juno in the 7h/8h is a green flag. These people tend to be very loyal partners
Sagittarius/Pisces actually have the bigger egos since they’re ruled by Jupiter the planet of abundance and the Sun represents the ego. Abundance of ego
Your solar return charts can tell about annual themes/energy, your lunar return charts can tell about monthly themes/energy, and your transits can tell about daily themes/energy
Mars/Pluto can show the things people tend to envy about us — example: people with mars/pluto in the 5h/7h should make sure they pick a very loyal partner because they tend to attract home-wreckers that try to ruin their relationships more than anyone else
People with Mars in the 7th house are always fruity. Like I don’t think I’ve met someone with this placement that isn’t at least bi
Libra/7h moons will legit move to a different location to be with the person they’re in love with. They love very deeply
Aries moons got anger issues for days but they’re really good friends to have because they won’t be the type to stay quiet when someone says something mean about you. They’re ride or die for their friends
Leo Jupiter’s (especially in sidereal) tend to have such amazing acting talent that people forget they’re watching a film instead of a real life tape
Capricorn placements often have the reputation of being hard workers but let’s talk about Aries placements. When they want something they will have it. They never give up, their ambition is insane
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oc-ology · 3 months ago
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How to get past the fear of OC posting
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People should create for the sake of creating but people post to engage with the community. However, posting can be intimidating and anxiety-inducing for a lot of people. It’s easy to say “do it scared” but much harder to put into practice. So, I’ve put together a few steps that lead up to doing it scared. These won’t work for everyone and this is meant more as general advice.
Step One: Why are you scared?
The first step is to figure out what about posting is scary for you. Oftentimes, it’s not as simple as “what if my post flops” or “what if people think I’m cringe”. Once you’ve figured out the surface-level reason, dig a little deeper. If your post flops, does that lead to you doubting the worth of what you’re creating? If you’re worried about what people think, is that because you’ve experienced judgement before or are worried your inbox will be flooded with criticism?
Identifying why you’re scared will not only help you understand yourself better (yippee!) but you can also then work on the source of your fears and anxieties at your own pace.
Step Two: Find ways to lessen your fears
One way of working through anxiety online is to find ways to mitigate the specific source of your fear.
Some fears have easier solutions than others. If you’re worried about people criticising your work, you can turn off anonymous asks (as most people are less likely to be haters when there’s a name attached to it) or turn asks off entirely, as well as limiting replies to those who have been following for a week. This way, if someone does want to be an unpleasant individual, it’s a little harder for them to do so.
A lack of engagement is a little harder to remedy. Here, the only real solution is to try and divorce the idea that engagement = worth. Remember why you’re creating an OC. Because it’s fun! It’s an act of creation! Because you want to find a community…? A community or OC friends will never just drop into your lap. You need to seek them out yourself. Look into discord servers, forums, tumblr networks (are they still a thing?), fandom events and exchanges, and most importantly: go out of your way to send asks/questions to others and build friendships with them! If you’ve got social anxiety like me, this is going to be a big challenge. Which leads to the next step…
Step Three: Start small
It doesn’t matter how small your first step is - so long as that step is forwards! If you’re nervous about OC posting, find the smallest thing about them and post it with the expectation of getting no notes. That’s right, I want you to go in and expect it to flop. Anything over one note is an automatic win. This first post isn’t about engagement - it’s about getting over the initial fear of posting. 
It can be tempting to just go right out the gate with elaborate explanations of backstory, lore implications, power levels, everything. But the trick really is to start small. Most people scrolling tumblr aren’t going to read a few thousand words on something they’re not invested in yet. TL;DR is a curse that I’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to. 
Instead, break up information about your OC into small pieces that can be posted one by one and have some kind of visual piece with it. People are usually more drawn to images than text. For example, which of these two things are more visually interesting?
What Perseus keeps in his bag:
Amulet
Tinderbox
A broken blade
50ft of hempen rope
25gp of silver powder
Waterskin
Rations (cheese, bread, sausage)
OR
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Obviously this comes down to personal preference but a lot of people would find the illustrated version to be more interesting. You don’t need to be an artist to do this either! You could make a version of that example in photoshop or a similar program. Picrews, moodboards, edits, game screenshots and photography can all be used to add a visual element to your posts.
Step Four: Why am I still scared?
Fear is not easily stamped out. Anxiety is definitely the kind of thing that lingers. These steps aren’t meant to immediately make OC posting not-scary. That’s something that will only come with time as you get used to it. Again: Do it. Do it scared. Gradually, it’ll be less terrifying and in the meantime, you might be able to make a few friends who also want to talk about your blorbo.
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lycandrophile · 4 months ago
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i’ve been working my way through a list of movies with trans men in them, and while i haven’t seen enough to really call this a pattern, i can’t help but notice that the movies i’ve watched so far portray trans men in a very particular way.
specifically, all of the trans guys are dicks.
the movies have decided that trans manhood is such a horrible, miserable existence that it leaves trans men as horrible and miserable people, and that because we’re so tortured, we must lash out and take it out on the people around us.
maybe the characters are mean because they’re dysphoric. maybe they’re trying to act the way they think real men act. maybe they’re trying to keep people away because they’ve been hurt before. maybe they’re being actively hurt by the countless transphobes in the movie and trying to protect themselves. the reason doesn’t actually matter — it changes from movie to movie and scene to scene. but no matter what the situation is, the movies want us to know that a trans man would react to that situation by being an asshole to everyone around him.
sure, the characters are somewhat humanized by the fact that we know why they’re so mean, but it’s clearly not meant to be something we see as justified. we’re supposed to pity them, if anything, not actually understand them.
and don’t get me wrong — i fully support trans men’s wrongs. i think we should be allowed to be angry and bitter and unpleasant. but i think we should be allowed to be happy too, and it really rubs me the wrong way that these trans men only seem to be allowed happiness when a cis person falls in love with them (or, in one case, after top surgery magically fixes them).
it sort of feels like the writers heard the word dysphoria and thought it must just be a synonym for hysteria.
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