#originally in the back I was just going to write the ‘I��m gon make it out’ part

[illfoandillfie]

Hey how are you? 😊 so this might sound a little cheeky but I've noticed a real lack of roger fic material out there and since its my birthday today (22 oh my god 😯) .. I was wondering if youre not busy .. perhaps you might like to write a little roger x reader smutty blurb for me please? 👉👈 only if you would like to of course 😁

oh happy birthday!! I hope it was a good one! Your lucky we like things a little cheeky on this blog and also any excuse to write rog smut lmao.

~~~

You were on the road when you realised what day it was. Your grasp of time was spotty at best when you were travelling and Roger’s was completely hopeless without the set dates of a tour to keep him on track. And this trip was no tour. Just you and Roger, crossing a few European countries off your bucket list. You knew it was sometime before early June because that’s when you were due to switch accommodation but it took stopping in at a petrol station to know for sure. Roger refilled the rental car and you took the chance to stretch your legs, ducking inside the store. You were mentally weighing up whether you should buy more snacks or hold off until you reached the tourist spot you were planning on visiting when you saw the paper. A language you couldn’t understand but a few words jumped out and the date at the top of the paper. Your birthday. You found Roger as he finished paying for the fuel. 

“I’m 22 today.”

“What?”

“It’s my birthday Rog,”

He stopped with the key in his hand, a look of concentration on his face as if he were trying to wrap his head around a maths problem, “Shit, is it? Happy birthday love. I should have got you something.”

“Don’t worry, I totally forgot it was today too.”

“D’you want a keychain with your name on it becasue I think I could get one of them inside.” He pointed back to the dingy store with his thumb but you just laughed and shook your head as you climbed into the passenger seat. Roger started the engine once more and you took off. 

It was a peaceful drive, the radio playing recognisable pop music between bursts on conversation you couldn’t follow, fields of flowers passing by your window. It was wound down so your hair caught the breeze and you could smell the sweet aroma of the blooming fields muddled up with that of Roger’s last cigarette. You barely saw any other traffic, and what you did see was all headed in the opposite direction. 

“Y’know, we don’t have to go see this ancient ruin thing,” Roger suddenly said, “we could do something else.”

“What else is around here?”

“Well,” his hand came to rest on your thigh.

You chuckled, “I should have known. What got you going this time? The hills kinda look like boobs, is that it?”

“No, Jesus,” he laughed, “nothing like that. Just thought it could be a fun way to celebrate your birthday.”

“Oh yeah?” You were interested but didn’t want to give in too quickly, “You really wanna drive all the way back to the house without anything to show of our day just to have the sex we’d probably end up having before bed anyway.”

“Two things. One, that makes us sound like the sort of couple that only has very predictable and boring sex because they’re desperately trying to keep the magic alive. And two, I never said we had to turn back.” His hand was still on your thigh, slowly moving higher.

“And where would you want it then?”

“Up your arse if your offering.” he turned to throw you a wink and pulled his hand back to the steering wheel, “Side of the road works for me, if you’re into it. No one else around. We could just pop into the backseat, christen the rental. And then we turn around, stop in at that bakery we passed closer to town and pick up some cupcakes or pastries or whatever they have. Take it back to the house where we can sit in the sun and eat it, maybe with a glass of champagne. Have an afternoon nap. And then when you’ve got your energy back I can wear you out again.”

“That your idea of a birthday present?”

“I’ll even tie a bow around my cock if you like,”

“Well it sounds fun but I don’t think I want to fuck in this car. Lord knows how many other perverts have driven it before us.”

“So should I turn around then?”

“Pull over.”

Roger grinned as he did what you asked, pulling up onto the grass beside the road, under the shade of a tree. You stretched your arms over your head as you got out of the car.

“You up to jumping a fence, Rog? Fuck me amongst the flowers?”

“I’m not getting a bee sting on my arse again,” he said, wrapping his arms around your waist. He let his hands fall to your arse and you expected him to kiss you. Instead you squealed in surprise as he picked you up and dropped you to sit on edge of the hood of the car. The quiet road was behind you as you leaned back on your hands, Roger’s fingers already unbuttoning your jeans and pulling them down your legs.

“What if someone else uses this road?”

“They wont see us until they’re already passing us and then they’ll wonder if they saw us right. At worst we give someone wood while they drive.” He flung your jeans through the open door before finally leaning in to kiss you, smiling and eager. You snuck your hands down to grab his bum, giggling as his hips jolted forward.

“Ms needy,” he mumbled against your lips moving his hands down to his own pants, hastily undoing the fly and pushing them down to his knees.

“birthday, ‘m allowed,”

“s’pose,”

You let your legs fall open a little wider to accommodate Roger as he pulled your undies to the side and eased into you.

“Good girl, you okay?”

“Mmhmm, just,” you dropped your head forward onto his shoulder as you tried to adjust, “just give me a few seconds okay?”

“Take as long as you need love, the longer I get to be in your cunt the better,”

You groaned at that, louder than you meant but the road was still deserted so you didn’t mind. “fuck I – just fuck me Rog,”

“Yes ma’am,” his fist tightened suddenly in the back of your hair, pulling your head up so he could look at you as he pulled out a bit and then thrust back in. You gasped at the sensation, clutched at his shoulder to keep yourself steady as he repeated the motion again and again, gradually picking up the pace. Roger let you fall back against the hood, your back arching as you moaned for him. It left him free to push your legs even wider, to put more weight into each thrust, to rub your clit as he encouraged you to cum.

“That’s it love, sound so fucking hot. Gonna cum soon?”

“Y-yeah, yes,”

“Wanna feel you cum Y/N. T-then I’m – fuck – gon-gonna fill your tight f-fucking cunt, make you hold it all the wa-y home.”

Roger swore as you came, pulsing around him until he had no choice but to follow and make good on his promise. He leaned over you, one arm braced by the side of your head, as you both tried to breathe normally.

“You still with me love?” he asked softly, stroking your cheek until you opened your eyes again, “Ready to head back to the house?”

“Yeah, so ready,”

He dropped a kiss to your forehead before he carefully extracted himself from you. He pulled his pants up and then helped you with your underwear and gave you a hand to hop off the hood. You didn’t bother putting your jeans back on. Knowing Roger he’d try and make you cum again before you reached the bakery.

“Not how I expected today to go,” you laughed as Roger restarted the car and made a wide turn into the opposite lane.

“Think this might be a better plan than our original one.”

“Think you might be right,”

Roger laughed too, reaching over to give your thigh a quick squeeze, “happy birthday love.”

[nny11writes]

hello hello; first ALL OF THOSE WIPS OMFG LMAOOOOO second: i am INTERESTED in your wip ahsoka fails at being a teenager 👀

Me every time I sit down and can’t choose between up to 50 of my wips to work on at a time:

AHSOKA FAILS AT BEING A TEENAGER - The Full Fic Summary Basically

I’d say spoiler warning but at the rate I”m going we’re all gonna forget what it’s about lol!

So I think I actually posted the original version of this story but I can’t find it anywhere????? Which probably means I posted it here on tumblr and now the search function won’t let me live. :) Essentially I was expanding on it further, but the basic premise is that Ahsoka and Obi-Wan are working undercover on a midrim world. Ahsoka, who is posing as just a regular kid has to do regular kid things like go to school and not use the Force, etc. But she just...can’t? She’s a Jedi so her ability to notice things before they happen is disconcerting, she’s considered a try hard brown noser because god this is easier than trying to negotiate peace treaties while learning ancient poetry in between her pratical mechanical exams and maths. And she’s feeling it for the first time ever really.  She doesn’t like how people talk about the Jedi and the war, and is constantly about 0.3 seconds away from bungling the mission. (Obi-Wan, meanwhile shaves his beard, has hair to his waist and is doing his best to pretend he’s Qui Gon. Everyone thinks he’s weirdly hot and they all want him to be Master Kenobi for a costume.) This is where she meets an OC of mine (who’s name I need to change to sound less like my cat’s name lol), a sweet chubby togruta boy who is head of heels for her because she’s just the COOLEST ever. He essentially was a stand in as Ahsoka’s first crush, but without her having unmderstood it enough to make a Thing out of it before she met Lux and went, “Okay Tano, you missed out last time don’t let this one slip between your fingers like Moch or Riyo!” and then goes too hard for a boy she’s only got a passing fancy in. ANYHOW, it’s basically a high school AU set in the star wars canon, and would’ve ended with what I’d already posted with Ahsoka watching a Jedi Flick with Moch and complaining viciously about the actor playing “Ahsoka Tano”. Then Moch gets all dreamy about how he wants to marry Ahsoka Tano someday, and Ahsoka chokes hard. Obi-Wan calls her in the middle of her about to make a move and she leaves, but he has her fake school comm code so he keeps writing her and jokingly telling her she has to come back because she left her backpack at his house.

The epilogue was going to be a time skip to them meeting again as adults, and Moch finally gets to pretend they’re married to throw off some Storm Troopers. He tries to return some of her stuff and Ahsoka tells him to keep it so she has an excuse to return.

[countessofbiscuit]

For ask meme, H, M & R : )

(^▽^)

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

Tough one! I’ve gone fannish over content in every form of media—and indeed, in many genres, not just fiction (I started out on tumblr in the Age of Sail fandom, which is equal parts fiction and non-fiction geekery). I suppose I’ve historically been most actively fannish around TV shows and found them most inspiring for creating content. The timespans and episodic nature appeal to my instinct to “fill in the gaps.” It’s great when TV shows are complemented by books, because they generally inform what writing style I adopt and deepen the richness of the story’s world. But while I often revere book canon more than visual canon, I rarely read fic in solely book-based fandoms because I’m so sensitive about style. I tend to read more movie-based fic than anything. 

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Last time I went with Ahsoka, and honestly, she still wins out. I guess I’d like to be friends with the Organas, too, because they are such genuine people and holidays on Alderaan must be swish :p

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Anakin and Obi-Wan. I still get bowled over by feelings for them: how interdependent their relationship is and how their growth and trajectory as characters are so intertwined. They have a profound impact on one another for decades; and while I think the original sin of Star Wars is separating Anakin from his mother, Anakin’s ensuing relationship with Obi-Wan is what makes it a tragedy. 

For me, the poignancy is entirely captured in a line from the RotS novelization:

“This was not Sith against Jedi. This was not light against dark or good against evil; it had nothing to do with duty or philosophy, religion or morals. It was Anakin against Obi-Wan. Personally. Just the two of them, and the damage they had done to each other.”

I love that “damage they had done to each other”; it smacks not only of deep miscommunication and misunderstanding, but also something much more insidious: resentment. 

Admittedly, I’ve not read Master & Apprentice, and I don’t know how close Obi-Wan actually came to winding up in the AgriCorps. But between the prequel novelizations, TCW, and what I can infer from skimming ancillary Obi-Wan material, there’s this incredibly juicy timing implication re: Obi-Wan’s mission to Mandalore and the arrival of Anakin Skywalker on the scene. 

Namely: Obi-Wan, truly believing that he’s not-up-to-scratch as a Jedi and painfully aware of his attachment struggles, gets fobbed off by a Master who is more interested in this puzzling slave child in front of the Council; and in the full flush of feelings of shame and rejection, he might have thought to himself, right, I am going to walk away and go back to Mandalore.

But then Naboo happens, and instead of the clean break Obi-Wan wants, he gets saddled with this kid and a promise to a dead, beloved Master who’d sidelined him. 

And now, all eyes are on Obi-Wan: he has to do a complete 180, bury the dream of finding new purpose with Satine, and try harder than ever to be the Model Jedi for Anakin’s sake. 

And Obi-Wan is just … holding himself up to Qui-Gon’s memory, the Council’s scrutiny, and Anakin’s intense regard, and he can’t be the open-hearted parental figure that a traumatized kid needs, because dammit, this is the Chosen One! Obi-Wan cannot fail to make him a model Jedi, too. Obi-Wan has no time to mourn, either Qui-Gon or the loss of his self-determination. 

And I don’t think insecure Obi-Wan ever stops feeling unworthy of Anakin’s child-like hero-worship; equally, I don’t think Anakin—who’s like a megawatt empathy receiver—ever forgets those initial slippery ~feelings~ he got radiating off this new Master, who is wizard but who was clearly underwhelmed by and overwhelmed with Anakin from Day 1. Neither one chooses the other; they get stuck with each other, bury their grief, and try to jolly the other one along because they are both fundamentally good … but they needed a lot more help than the other could give.  

Anakin and Obi-Wan better each other by trying to live up to the expectations of the other. And while externally this makes them absolutely unstoppable, a tour de force of teamwork, I think inside, they are both slowly eaten up. Every time they can’t be perfect for the other—especially when the other one brushes it off—their insecurities still make them resentful. There’s a profound lack of true honesty that permeates their friendship, not helped by Anakin’s fear and fatalism that he burns himself out trying to overcome, or by Obi-Wan’s lingering disbelief in himself, his defensive sarcasm, and his inability to admit his own attachment to Anakin until it’s too late. Of course, none of this is helped by misunderstandings with the Council, the war, Sidious, etc. etc. OR, again diving into a bit of plausible headcanon, the fact that Anakin gets his secret romance, tries to have his cake and eat it too, while Obi-Wan had to ~abandon~ Satine when nine-year-old Anakin got stuffed into his arms. 

Man! I just eat it up with a spoon in each hand! I love the Accidental Parenthood trope, especially when it happens to unprepared, emotionally-stunted men! Anakin and Obi-Wan’s innocent handshake in TPM kills me dead every time! Oh, the incredible journey you two will take together, and what acute devastation awaits you at the end ;___;

[kweebtrash]

Want It With You (M)

Pairing: Johnny x OC

Genre: Harry Potter AU, Friends to Lovers AU, Smut, Fluff

Summary: Johnny is a sweet and caring Hufflepuff Prefect that has a way with animals and wants to be a Magizoologist. Alomena is a Slytherin who would rather spend her time in the library and in the greenhouses taking care of plants and helping them grow. They were an unlikely pair that everyone thought was strange but they were brought together by their half muggle blood. A secret room in the upper levels of the castle gives them privacy to hang out and forget about the stresses of school life. But after Alomena has a rather...interesting dream about Johnny she realizes that maybe they're more than just friends.

Warnings: brief talks about death

Features: Sweet/soft sex, shy and awkward moments, oral, fingering, riding, a bit of nipple play, a lot of caressing and kissing,

Word Count: 8.6k

A/N: This was for a smut prompt request (please dont request more at this time). the following prompts were requested.  53. we’re not just friends and you fucking know it, 55. what? does that feel good?, 57. if we get caught i’m blaming you.” 58. we have to be quiet,  59. tell me again, 60, you have no idea how much i want you, 61. say it. 62. if you dont like my teasing then why are you moaning, 67. i really want to kiss you right now. 82. friends dont do this kind of shit!

A/N pt 2: WE GON PRETEND HOGWARTS A COLLEGE BC I DONT DO THAT H.S. AU SHIT. Johnny and Alomena are both 21+ and also this time line is in present day rather than the late 80′s/90s of the original story. Alomena is a Herbology major, Johnny is in Care for Magical Creatures. Also i feel like this sucks??

My Masterlist 

Request Masterlist

I was holed up in the library as usual, studying my life away. I didn't mind it all too much. Learning new things was my favorite past time and I loved to expand my mind and drink in information. I also particularly devoted to reading about plants; their uses, their poisons, and what potions they could make. It came with being a herbology major after all. I scribbled my quill pen against the piece of parchment that I had jotted several paragraphs worth of notes onto. It was at times like these that I wished I could go back home and be reunited with my laptop. The wizarding world thought so little of muggle technological advances but typing on a keyboard was way less annoying and definitely faster than having to dip a pen in ink every three seconds. I did miss the muggle world; it was hard being half muggle, half wizard. From the judgment, to the prejudice, to the feeling like I was in the stone age, it made me homesick more often than not. I typically tried not to get too much into my feelings about missing home but some days were harder than others. I flipped the page of the thick text book I was reading and sighed deeply, getting ready for another chapter. Just then I felt fingers jab at my sides making me sit up straight.

"Gotcha!" 

I looked up at the tall figure hovering behind my chair and rolled my eyes. "Johnny, be quiet! This is a library." Johnny was my best friend, you could say. He, too, was half muggle, half wizard and we had somehow bonded together during our first few years at Hogwarts. He had been a complete failure at herbology and took it upon himself to greet me so loudly and passionately that it scared my introverted being to the core. He then begged and pleaded, almost groveling on his knees, for me to help him pass the class. I found him utterly annoying and I knew right off the bat that he was a damn Hufflepuff. They were my second least favorite house, Gryffindor being the first. Some would say that was very stereotypical of a Slytherin but I wasn't one to frolic with energetic people. Johnny however was the exception and I had developed the biggest soft spot for him.

"Aw c'mon, weren't you at least a little scared?" He pulled out the chair beside me and plopped down, giving me a big cheesy grin.

"You know nothing trivial like that scares me so I don't know why you even try. Aren't you supposed to be off doing prefect things with the children?" I glanced down at the badge that gave him more responsibilities than most students here. Usually, he had to tend to the younger students that were just joining Hogwarts and be their mentor. He had a certain following and they seemed to enjoy his presence, taking to his bright personality quickly. The female students most certainly took to him too. He was the talk of the halls and it didn't matter what house they were in, every girl found Johnny to be utterly charming. I admitted to myself a long time ago that I did find him attractive and that his awkward laugh made me crack a smile every so often. I enjoyed his height and the comforting hugs he gave that warmed my body perfectly. And I especially enjoyed the time we spent in our secret room.

Our secret room was a small closet tucked away in a hallways on a floor that seemed deserted. The level was closer to the roof of the castle and barely a soul traveled through. We had no idea what it the room was for or why it was there. There hadn’t been any protection or disguise spells when we had first encountered it and it wasn’t an entrance to a secret passageway. It was just...there. There was a lone window that gave view to the quidditch practice field. I took no interest in watching the players but Johnny did every once in awhile. His other best friend, Jaehyun, was captain of Gryffindor’s house team and Johnny was his number one supporter. Other than watching Jaehyun practice, Johnny and I spent many nights curled up in the blanket fort we had created, projecting movies from our cell phones which we cherished so much. That was also a secret of ours, never revealed to the other students that were forced to live in the past. Those nights made me feel a little less homesick and like I wasn't alone.

"Nah, not until later on during patrols. I'm free right now and if you're not too busy shoving your nose in some musty old books we could," He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "Sneak away."

I perked up a bit at the idea. "How are we going to get up there without anyone noticing? Usually we go at night."

"We've gone a few times during the day, it's not that hard. Take a break and come with me."

He was a pro at convincing me to do things with him. I closed the textbook and used my wand to return it to its proper home. I gathered up my writing supplies and looked around, taking caution to monitor that no one would catch onto our plan. "Let me put this in my room and I will meet you up there, ok?"

He kissed my cheek and got up from the chair. "Awesome! I'll see you there." He left the library, only tripping slightly on nothing but air in his usual clumsy fashion. I made my way to the Slytherin door, saying my password to the painting and sliding through. I had to face my biggest enemy-the common room- just to get to my bed which was the furthest away in the girls dorm area. I always had to dodge around students that were hanging out to avoid socializing at all costs. I was deemed as an outcast, even in my own house. It never felt that I was quite welcomed so i busied myself in the library and the greenhouses. Plants made me the most happy. They didn't (usually) talk back to you, though they were great listeners. Taking to plants also put a scarlet letter on my back as the “house crazy” but that didn’t matter. Communicating with plants was important to me, another form of escapism and a way of honing my craft.

I dumped my supplies off and exited the space with some curious stares coming my way but I was mostly ignored. Bit by sneaky bit, I traversed to the secret room, looking over my shoulder in constant fear of getting caught. I managed to get there unnoticed and shuffled my way through the door, shutting it gently behind me. “I’m here.” I said, sighing a breath of relief. Johnny was already laying down in our blanket fort, robe and sweater vest tossed aside with his sleeves rolled to his elbows. He was reclined against the pillows with his hands behind his head as he smiled at me. “Come here, we have some episodes to catch up on.” He patted the space beside him and i sunk down onto the pile of blankets, smoothing out my skirt as i laid down. He removed his cell phone from his pocket and loaded up our favorite tv app. He used his wand to help project the show in front of us, giving us a better view. I settled against him, resting my head on his shoulder and holding onto his wrist. Occasionally, we held hands but lately that simple motion was making my heart palpitate and my stomach quiver with anxiety. I settled for his wrist as it helped me feel a bit more secure with my emotions. Hours passed so calmly that I somehow managed to fall asleep during our fourth or fifth episode. 

The dream I had was so vivid that it was frightening. Johnny had been on top of me, naked and looking into my eyes with a sweet smile on his face. He was thrusting into me, slowly and gently, cooing sweet words into my ear and running his hands all over my body. I held onto his strong arms, gasping and moaning every time a jolt of pleasure wracked through me. He was stunning and glowing in the candle lit area of our room. His lips morphed into his own moans that were like baritone notes in a symphony of pleasure. He was perfect in every way and I hated it. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to dream about my best friend like this. It was improper and way past weird. But my mind continued, ignoring my rational will to halt the lust filled thoughts. His lips were on me then, full, warm, with a feeling akin to the happiest memory I had. He was so full of love which only added onto me fear. My heart skipped beats and drove me to never want to leave from my place beneath him. I wanted to stay in my dream forever.

“Mena!” I heard my nickname in the midst of my dream and snapped up, gasping deeply. The room had darkened as it was now nighttime but Johnny had apparated a few candles to illuminate the space. I saw his face, half casted in shadows of the flames as he looked at me with concern. “You were making kind of weird noises in your sleep. Are you okay? Was it a nightmare?”

My whole face flushed and I couldn't bear to face him. I panicked and quickly scrambled to my feet. “I-I have to go. I-I’m sorry, Johnny!” I grabbed onto the door handle and ran as fast as I could, not even daring to look back at him. I heard him calling out to me but I didn’t stop until i made it back to my dorm. I threw myself onto my bed and stared up at the draped canopy as i tried to get my heart to stop racing. What the hell was that? How could i think about Johnny in that way? I had never thought of anyone like that before. It was completely out of left field. I covered my face that felt like it was burning, wanting to scream my lungs out. What was I going to do now? Had I been moaning in my sleep? Did he suspect anything? My mind was a jumbled mess and i figured a hot shower and some rest would solve it. I closed the canopy curtains so i could undress and felt the recognizable feeling of wetness on my panties. Oh come on! I ripped off my underwear, almost falling onto my face in the process, and slammed them onto my bed. This was not going to happen. Not now and not ever. I pulled on my robe along with my slippers then grabbed my shower caddy. I was determined to wash away this embarrassing dream from my mind completely.

Except I couldn’t. With the emptiness of the bathrooms and the cover of the water pouring onto the tiled floor, I dug my fingers into myself, panting as i tried to recreate how full and thick Dream Johnny felt inside me. Not only did I have a wet dream about my best friend but now I was touching myself to thoughts of him too. What was I thinking? Well, right now, I was thinking of getting off as fast as I could and furiously rubbing my clit to get me there before anyone caught me. I remembered the peaceful face he made while he was inside me, gently biting his lip with eyes closed, eyelashes dusting the tops of his cheeks, and the sounds he made. It had been right in our blanket fort, making it so much more special. It was intimate and everything I had ever wanted to experience. It felt like it made up for the few encounters I had with other men that left me unsatisfied and unimpressed. But Johnny was different. He cared about me and per my dream, I knew he was devoted to making me feel good. I know I would want to pleasure him as much as possible too. Anything to hear his deep groans in reality.

When I came I had to brace myself against the shower wall to try and stay propped up on my shaky legs. My head was now under the stream of water, dousing my curls and making them cling to my face. It snapped me out of my lustful vision and made me realize that I needed to get it together. I held my dirty fingers under the water, washing away the cum and telling myself that this was just a one time incident. No more, no less.

--

It was difficult but I hadn’t seen Johnny for a few days, mostly because I was still too embarrassed to face him but also because he was suddenly getting more busy with his responsibilities. I missed him dearly but I felt like I had no idea how to approach him anymore without visualizing him naked and on top of me. I spent my time doing what i did best-avoiding people in the greenhouse. I was  wrist deep in dragon dung as I worked to repot some Venomous Tentacula. I was all alone in the greenhouse, just the way i liked it. I was free to hum a tune I created in my head while I looked over the plant, making sure it liked it's new home. "Hopefully you'll grow a little bit better here. You hated that terribly dry spot in the corner, didn't you? I know, sweetie." Even the most fussy and volatile plant could calm down under my voice.

"Talking to plants again, huh Ms. Crowley?"

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Johnny walking towards me with his hands behind his back. I stood up straight as my heartbeat quickened. I wasn't expecting him to show up but it was a habit of his to come unannounced.

"U-um what do you want?"

"To give you my peace offering." He held out a small packet of fluxweed seeds. "It's not special but I know you love making healing potions."

I set my dragon hide gloves down on the table and removed my apron. I took the seed packet and looked up at him. "What do you mean by peace offering?"

"Well the last time we were together I figured I did something wrong with the way you ran out so fast. You haven't talked to me since soooo...here I am."

"Oh….nothing was your fault." I suddenly felt like an idiot for making him think I was mad at him. I just needed time and space to get my head on straight but one look into his honey colored eyes and i was instantly transported back into juvenile thoughts of romanticism. "I'm not mad, I promise."

"Sweet! I was seriously worried for a second. But now that that’s over with, can I interest you in a date?"

"W-what?!" I dropped the seeds instantly and fumbled to catch them. Johnny managed to get them when I failed and chuckled.

"I meant do you want to hang out? I’ve missed you so much.”

I tucked a few curls behind my ear and stared down at my dirt covered uniform shoes. “U-um...that sounds good. D-Do you want to meet in our room?”

“Actually, i was thinking we could be a little bit more adventurous.” He said with a mischievous smirk.

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“The Forbidden Forest.”

That certainly peaked my interest. I was a fan of the flora while Johnny was a fan of the fauna. Being a future Magizoologist, he was always eager to discover what creatures hid within the forest and which ones he could make friends with. He thought all creatures were cute no matter what they looked like and he had the ability to tame the wildest beasts in a heartbeat. We were similar in that fact. Passionate and with a certain knack for handling what most people wanted to stay away from. Though of course the forest was obviously forbidden sneaking in was all part of the fun. I smiled and nodded in agreement. “Let’s do it.”

“Ok, meet me there when the moon’s the fullest. I’ll leave you some signals so you’ll know where I’m at.” He kissed my forehead and gave my arm a little squeeze. “I’ll catch you later, ok? I told Jaehyun I would watch him practice today.”

“Did you mean get annoyed at the crowd of girls that scream every time he pushes back his hair?” Or squeal when you sit in the stands? I thought bitterly.

He chuckled. “Yeah. it’s not my favorite thing to do but he’s my friend and he needs me.”

“Have fun dealing with your bleeding eardrums. I’ll see you later.”

He gave me another one of his signature smiles and zipped out of the greenhouse, leaving me to clutch the little packet of seeds to my chest. It was just hanging out, like we always did. Nothing special. I just had to keep telling myself that. I set the seeds on the desk, sighing deeply as I slipped my gloves back on. Getting back to work was the best way to keep my mind occupied and away from all thoughts surrounding Johnny.

After a few hours in the greenhouse, i went back to the dorm to shower so I didn’t smell like soil and poisonous flowers. As i finished dressing in a warm green sweater and black leggings, i stared out the dorm window. The moon was hiding behind a few sparse clouds but it was full and heavy, beaming a perfect cast of light over the castle grounds. I bit my lip wondering if it was the right time to leave. It was driving me crazy just waiting. I got up and tucked my wand in the band of my leggings and crept through to dorm, trying to make as little noise as possible. With how much I crept around I might have as well been a burglar or a spy. I knew the paintings would try and rat me out and possibly the castle ghosts as well so I tried to take the path with the least possible amount of snitches.

Once I hit the castle grounds I decided to play it a bit safer and use a Disillusionment Charm to blend into my surroundings. It was way past curfew and I couldn't risk any repercussions for leaving the dorm, especially to go to the Forbidden Forest. My eyes caught sight of a tiny Bowtruckle that beckoned me to follow it. It must have been Johnny's "sign". I kept a few steps behind it, afraid that I might crush it. It finally lead me to a small clearing where I saw Johnny petting a giant Thestral. I fell back, shocked that such a creature would be within the forest and also because...I could see it-Johnny could see it. Thestrals only revealed themselves to people who had faced death and accepted it. It hurt my heart to realize he had gone through pain and anguish but he seemed so comfortable with the extremely rare creature, even placing a kiss on its skeletal nose.

I use Revealio to uncast my Disillusionment Charm and slowly got to my feet. If Thestrals didn't find a person worthy or a non threat they would attack in an instant and I certainly did not want to die today. "Johnny!" I whispered harshly. The Bowtruckle ran to him and tugged on his robes before crawling up to his shoulder. He turned towards me a gave me a warm smile. 

"Come here." He beckoned. "She won't hurt you."

"How do you know that for sure?! Thestrals are-"

"Loyal, kind, and are very helpful. She trusts me and I trust her. Just like you speak to plants, I speak to creatures and she definitely understands that you're no threat. So come over here " He extended his large hand out to me and I tiptoed towards him, avoiding eye contact with the bat winged creature. Johnny took my hand and gently set it on the bridge of the Thestral’s nose. "There you go. See? She's not so bad."

He was right. In fact the creature seemed to enjoy the attention and bucked its nose towards me, brushing against my cheek. I chuckled nervously and continued to pet her, flinching when she outstretched her wings. They were way bigger than I anticipated and still intimidating. Johnny held onto my waist when i took a step back and swallowed hard. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

“What? Like...on her?! I thought it was illegal to ride them? We’ll get in trouble with the ministry!”

“Don’t be such a goody two shoes! Besides, we can’t fly but we can ride it like a normal horse, that way we don’t get caught. Here, I’ll help you up.” Johnny grabbed a hold of me as if I was a mere toddler and he was unaffected by my weight. He set me on the back of the Thestral before getting on himself and grabbing onto the mane. She started trotting slowly and i could feel every movement of bone beneath me which was a strange sensation. I gripped onto Johnny tightly, burying my face in his back. I didn’t want to seem like a scaredy cat but I also couldnt help it. “So...what happened?” He asked as he steered us through the winding trees.

“What do you mean?”

“You can see the Thestral which means...you know. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but i thought I’d ask…”

“Oh…” I realized he was talking about me seeing death first hand and thus removing the creatures invisibility. “It was my sister. She was hit by a drunk driver and at first I was scared of seeing her body at the funeral. It was hard to accept that she was gone. I was only 6 and barely understood death back then. Everyone in my family kept telling me she was asleep but I knew she wasn’t just asleep. Eventually as I grew older, I found out more about the circumstances of her death. I was mad at my family for lying to me. I started visiting her grave soon after and I talked to her every time. It seemed like the flowers and grass around her grave began to grow when i spoke. That’s when I kind of knew I wanted to be in Herbology when I got here.”

He nodded solemnly and sighed. “I understand completely. I lost my mom when I was about 12. I delayed my studies here because I didn’t want to leave the muggle world. I felt like I would be letting go of the memories I had with her if I did. But I knew she would want me to experience this side of myself. That’s when I eventually asked if I could be accepted as a student.”

“I would have never imagined you had gone through something like that. You’re always so cheerful and happy. Everyone loves you.” I said softly.

He scoffed. “Yeah, well...it’s not always easy to pretend, but I do. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there are times when I’m genuinely happy and enjoying my life but there are also time where I dont want to be here and would rather be home. That’s when I hang out with you because you understand how i feel. I really enjoy when we’re together...like a lot.”

I squeezed myself to him tighter and was grateful that he couldnt see my blushing cheeks. My brain was swirling with a culmination of thoughts and feelings. I had finally come to accept the fact that my feelings were past that of friendship. I was starting to fall in love with him after seeing him in a new light. But i knew I was just a companion to him. He saw me as a place of comfort, not as a lover. I had to accept that sooner rather than later. After all, I really didn’t want to ruin our friendship with awkward revelations and confessions. We had a moment of silence between us and I could only hear the echoing of the plants and nightly creatures that surrounded us. We were getting further away from the moonlight too and the forest was becoming increasingly darker.

“I’m going to turn back now. I have to do another round of patrolling soon anyway.” He said.

“Ah, ok. I understand. I actually liked this. Even if I thought she was going to kill me."

"Nah, never. They're gentle and even though I can see and talk to her, they train all the Thestrals here so I'm not actually that special."

"Of course you are, Johnny. You have a way with her that no one else does. You're incredibly special." I straightened my spine so I could rest my chin on his shoulder and kiss his cheek but I missed as he turned his head in the opposite direction to guide the Thestral. Instead, my lips pressed against the warmth of his neck, making all three of us jump up. The Thestral squaked and reared herself up almost throwing Johnny and I off.

"Whoa girl! Calm down! I'm sorry I pulled your mane! It was an accident!" He pet her wings that were now extended and flapping, whipping up dangerous winds before lowering himself to rub her neck. "Ssshhhhh, I've got you. It's ok."

I held onto Johnny tighter so I wouldn't fall off and soon enough she settled down until all four hooves were on the ground. "I-im sorry. I-i didn't mean to um…"

He said nothing, only clicked his tongue as a signal to get her to turn in directions he wanted. I was astronomically embarrassed and had no idea what to say. I joined him in silence again until we reached the entrance of the forest. He helped me down and we said goodbye to the Thestral. I actually hoped I could see her again. "Do you need to be walked back to the castle or will you make it there by yourself?" He glanced down at his watch and shut off the beeping alarm that had begun to sound. He was going to be late for patrol.

"No, no. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides the night is nice. I wouldn't mind the sneaky stroll back." I laughed.

"Ok, cool. Thanks Mena! I'll see you around!" Without another word he apparated himself to get into the castle as he would have far less repercussions than I would have if I showed up in my dorm instantly. There wasn’t another word of the kiss incident so I figured we both put it behind us...hopefully. When I finally made it to my room safely I set my wand on my bedside table, closed my canopy, and discarded my clothes for my pajamas. Staring up at the canopied ceiling I couldn't help the gushing smile on my lips. If I thought about it, the whole thing with Johnny was a little romantic. Basically an evening horse ride though a private forest with no one else around. Was it actually a date? He had said so before in the greenhouse but quickly changed it to "hang out".

No Alomena. Friends don't do this kind of shit! They don't think about each other in that way. We are strictly friends! However, tonight was the second night that I touched myself to thoughts of him.

--

We had somehow began to spend more time together, if that were even possible. Our secret room was frequented so much that we added more pillows, candles, and blankets to our sacred space. We even managed to transfer some muggle electronics into the room; a tv and old video game set up for optimal entertainment. Rainy days were spent with me reading a textbook and Johnny sleeping on my lap, my hand running through his hair. It was serene and utterly perfect but I was digging my own grave. The longer we spent time together the more I found myself have sweet dreams (and not so sweet dreams) about him. I dreamt of his lips on mine, my hand being overwhelmed by his, my head against his chest, hearing his awkward little laugh as the result of something I said. I had it way too bad.

I had been planning, for weeks now, on ways to tell him. So much so that I could barely concentrate on anything else. I was distracted in classes and even lost a house point or two for messing up during lessons (which was bullshit by the way). It was eating me alive and I would rather have my body turn frigid and soulless by a Death Eater at this point. There was a night where I couldn't sleep at all. I felt sick to my stomach and my chest burned. I kept playing flashes of possible rejection and destruction of our friendship in my mind. I was scared shitless but it had to be done. I was over feeling like this. I prayed that I wouldn't lose my best friend. I was getting ready to text Johnny to see if he could meet me at our room but he beat me to the punch which surprised me. We had the same idea. He most likely wanted to hang out, which made me even more nervous and sick. Nonetheless, I got up from bed and pulled on my comfy sweater over my pajama tank top and shorts and began my creep crawling to the upper levels.

When I arrived at the door of our room, things seemed way to quiet. “Johnny? Are you here?” I whispered against the door. Suddenly it opened and he pulled me inside, setting me against the back of it. His hands were above either side of my shoulders, pinning me between him and the heavy wood.

“We have to be quiet. If we get caught I’m blaming you.” He hissed.

“Get caught? Why would we get caught? What’s going on?” He was making me more anxious than I already was. I watched as his adam’s apple bobbed with a heavy swallow that was followed up by a sigh.

“Look, I have to tell you something. Something important and I dont know how you’re going to react.”

“You’re freaking me out. Please just tell me. I can’t really take it tonight. I’ve been feeling weird all day.”

“Me too.” He agreed. “I can’t...I can’t...God, I just...I really want to kiss you right now.”

I was stunned and couldn’t move. My entire body felt a heavy fire wash over me and my thought processing shut down. He...he had been feeling the same thing I was? I had been too nervous to tell him and too afraid of losing our friendship but here he was wanting to kiss me? “But J-Johnny...we’re friends and I don’t-”

“We’re not just fucking friends and you know it! I know you feel something for me too. It’s been happening for weeks now. Tell me you feel the same way, Alomena. Say it.”

I swallowed hard and avoided his eyes. “I don’t want it to ruin our friendship. What if something goes wrong? It’s whats been keeping me away from you all this time. I don’t want to lose what we have, Johnny. I dont want to ruin the good memories we’ve made. Besides, you’re more outgoing. You can have any girl you want.”

“Alomena, you have no idea how much I want you. You and only you. I feel the most comfortable with you. We have a connection and I know it’s scary to jump into a relationship but I don’t think our friendship would be ruined. I trust you…” He let his hands slip from above my shoulders to rest on my hips. He pressed his forehead against mine and breathed softly against my lips. “Tell me you want me too. Please.”

“I do, Johnny. I do.” I finally confessed. It felt like a car had been lifted off my chest and I could finally breathe again. I wasn’t scared anymore. In fact, I was so happy. Happier than I ever imagined I could be. My best friend was now the love of my life and wanted to be with me. I reached up to cup his face in my hands and closed my eyes. “Kiss me.” I whispered.

He didn’t hesitate. Not one second. The moment his lips were on mine, our bodies were crushed together against the door. He was overwhelming me in the best way, covering me with heat and desire. I moved my hands down to his chest smoothing over the school uniform he still wore. He had probably just finished his patrols right before he texted but I did find it a bit naughty that he was fulfilling the age old school fantasy in a way. I felt his tongue pry at my lips then, catching me off guard as to how much he filled my mouth. He became curious about my body and no longer kept his hands on the safety of my hips. He was diving beneath my sweater and tank top, his slightly calloused skin flush against me and closing in on my breasts. I pushed him away then, crossing my arms protectively over my chest as he took a step back. "Johnny!"

"O-oh...I thought maybe you would want to...i-im sorry. I wasn't thinking." He hung his head low and fussed with his hair nervously. 

"No, I'm sorry. I just...it was a lot at once."

"It's ok! It's ok! I don't mind waiting. I'm fine!"

I made my way over to the blanket pile and sat down, looking up at him. "Maybe we could go a bit slower?" 

His eyes widened and he nodded eagerly. "Yes. Yeah. Sure. Absolutely."

I giggled at his dorkiness and grabbed his hand, pulling him down beside me. "Do you think it's gonna be weird? Seeing each other naked for the first time?"

Johnny shook his head. "No. I've been dreaming about this." He quickly covered his mouth. "I mean not in a creepy way! I just- it so happened that-!" 

I pressed my finger to his lips. "I've dreamt about it too and maybe did some things I wasn't supposed to do."

"Like um…" His fingers danced across the smooth skin of my thigh before resting between them. "Here?"

I nodded and nibbled on my lip. "It's embarrassing to say now."

"No, please. Don't be embarrassed. I find it...incredibly sexy. I'm honored " He laughed.

I grabbed onto his tie gently and pulled him closer. "Have you done it to thoughts of me?"

"Oh totally. All the time. You are super hot in your uniform skirt."

"Johnny!!" I hit him playfully.

"Well it's true! I can't help it! I think your gorgeous. Is it okay if I see you now? You know without ...clothes."

Now it was my turn to duck my head. "You first." I said, hoping he would stall but he was way more confident than I was. His tie was cast aside then his button up and tank top underneath. My breath stayed trapped in my lungs when I saw him and I whipped around, trying to calm myself. I had no idea that he would have such a toned stomach and solid biceps like that. When the hell did he find time to work out?!

"Mena? Should I stop?" He asked, concerned.

No no no. Don't stop. Don't stop, please. But also if he looked like that up top what the hell did he look like down below? "U-uh, it's fine I just didn't think you would look like that is all."

"Look like what?"

“Like...all hot.” I cringed at my own awkwardness while Johnny just laughed and pushed me down gently. He propped himself up on his elbow and pushed my curls behind my ear.

“You can stop me at anytime you know that right? Even if I am really hot.”

I covered my face with both my hands and groaned. “Shut up!”

“Mena, you’re not a…”

“Oh god no. Just that, I haven’t really had any amazing experiences and it’s kind of lowered my expectations. No offense. Also it hasn’t happened in awhile…”

“Hmm,” He nodded. “Well then I just have to change that, don’t I?” He tucked his fingers under the waistband of my shorts and pulled them down, watching me for any signs of hesitation. My breaths were a little heavier but i diverted my eyes to avoid focusing on the way he was being so cautious with me. He wasn’t bombarding me or trying to get this over in a moments time. It was as if he wanted to drink in every ounce of me. He pushed my sweater towards my shoulders, nodding at me to help take it off. I tossed it beside us and instantly wanted to pull the blankets over me. “I didn’t think you would be this shy, especially around me.”

“I-i’m...just a little nervous is all.”

“Do you think i’ll hurt you or something?” His lips were now trailing from my knee and up my inner thigh in teasing kisses. He parted my legs gently and let his hand caress the skin of the other.

“Not at all! I don’t want to mess up either and make it not great for you.”

He popped his head up for a moment. “Don’t worry about me. I want you to relax.” He tugged on my panties and i lifted my hips an inch so he could pull them away. And there I was, bare and in front of my best friend that I had dreamt about for weeks. Now that the moment had actually come I had seized up with nerves but I was glad he was setting the pace. Lord knows I would have been the one fumbling around as if I were a Hufflepuff. He opened my legs wider so his broad shoulders could fit between them before adding a hesitant lick to my lower lips. My body jerked instantly and i gripped the blankets beside me. He settled his arm over my hips and prodded his tongue against me again, making lazy strokes and modest sucks. It felt...amazing. Such a simple act of taking the time to think about what I wanted made me flushed with eagerness. I tried to hide my giggle behind my hand but Johnny noticed.

“What? Does that feel good or…?”

I cupped the back of his head and smirked. “Very good. More Johnny.”

He had an excited smile before he dove back in with the strokes of his tongue, increasing speed. The tip would flick beneath my clit before sliding over it and taking it between his lips. He hummed around it which provided a tingling sensation that made me squirm. I bit onto my lip and tried to roll my hips beneath his anchored arm but he wouldn't let me budge. Over and over he tendered to the sweet area, occasionally dipping his tongue inside me and eliciting moans from deep within my chest. He was teasing me, I could feel it and was a squirming mess. "Johnnnyyyy," I whined. "Cut it out."

"Oh? You want me to stop?"

"Don't stop...that! But stop your teasing! It's annoying. I would like to get off at some point."

"if you dont like my teasing then why are you moaning?" He smirked.

I glared down at him, annoyed by his cockiness. "I'm gonna kill you."

He sucked his teeth and shook his head in disapproval. "Typical Slytherin. You're the one who said you wanted to go slow."

"Yeah but…" I pouted. "I didn't expect it to feel this good."

"I've got more planned, don't worry." He kissed above my clit then worked his lips over my stomach, nudging my tank top upwards like he had done with my sweater. I grabbed the hem and pulled it off before arching my back and pressing my chest towards him. He wrapped those daring lips around my nipple while his hand morphed over my other breast. Mewls were tumbling from my lips as I felt him press into me. He nudged his hips against my thigh and made the fullness of his uniform pants brush against the top. I worked my legs between his, settling myself against the center of his pants and making him groan deeply. "A-are you ok? Did I hurt you?"

He popped his lips off me and looked away. "Um...no actually. It feels…"

"I can touch you, um, if you want now."

"P-please?"

I nodded and wiggled out from under him. "Ok. I can do that." I pushed my hair back and reached for the zipper of his pants. "Is that all...like...you in there?"

He sat back on his elbows. "Well it's not my wand that's for sure."

I shoved at him playfully. "Stop! You jerk!"

He laughed and took my hand in his, kissing the back of it. "Is it...too much, you think?"

I unzipped his pants and wiggled them down, sucking in a breath when I saw how his boxer briefs clung to his form. "I hope not. My mouth is a little small so I hope I don't fuck up."

He shook his head and encouraged me to free him. I discard his underwear by his pants and lowered myself to the heavy heat between his thighs. I was nervous to say the least. He looked intimidating yet I was dangerously curious to have him inside me. I placed a few kitten licks to just his head, hearing him hiss softly. He laid back against the pillows and let me try to stuff his tip past my lips. It wasn't easy but he seemed to accept how my lips wrapped around him. Slowly, my tongue worked around the circumference, tracing ridges and sucking every so often. I broke my suction from him to drag my tongue up and down his shaft adding a bit of moisture so my hand could roam comfortably. He breathed out my name and dug his fingers into my hair when my thumb pressed into a particularly sensitive spot by his base.

It was my turn to smirk and tease him. I preferred to offer him strokes and lengthy licks rather than sucking on him completely. "Now who's being the tease?" He growled.

I shrugged and giggled. "Payback, Johnny." I sucked at the beads of precum that formed at his tip, not really enjoying the taste but being a bit satisfied at the way it coated my tongue. He guided my hand towards his balls, blushing as he would have rather showed me than say it. I lowered myself to them to grip them gently, adding pressure little by little so I would make sure not to hurt him. His stomach flexed along with his toes, curling tightly as his lips parted to groan. That sound was devilish and angelic at the same time. It made my heart flutter but I also knew it was pure sin and I yearned to hear more. I kissed his thigh before crawling up to his face. I planted a kiss on his lips and settled my wetness right over him. "I want to hear that sound coming from you all night."

He hiked my legs up high to his ribcage and moved his fingers behind me, stroking my slit and gathering the cum he left behind. "I'll trade you." He worked a single finger in and that was enough to make me bury my face in his neck. "Each one you give me I'll be sure to return the favor. How's that?"

I mewled softly and nodded, wiggling my hips back against his finger as I wanted more. My clit brushed over his shaft as I did so making both of us shyly moan out into the confined face. Soon enough another one of his slender fingers filled me, curling slightly and drawing more out of me. I cried out and gripped onto his free hand, entwining our fingers together so I felt like I had some stability. He bucked his thighs to work me forward so our lips could crash together again. Those kisses were going to damn me to hell with how addicting they were. He had a way with moving his full lips smoothly over mine and coaxing my tongue to meet his. Occasionally, he would give it a little suck which made a moan reverberate between us. "Do you...think you might be ready?" He asked during a small moment where we separated for air.

I looked down at him, searching his eyes for the gentleness and patience he always gave me. It was there, beneath his hormones running amok, and gave me that sense of comfort I had with him. I pushed his hair back and smiled, placing a quick kiss on him. "Yeah, I think I am. Oh, do you have a uh...um…"

"Oh! Ye-yeah. I kinda brought one with me just in case."

"You were planning on this from the start, weren't you?!" I pouted.

"I said just in case! I didn't know it was gonna turn out so well. But you're glad I have one, aren't you?" 

I rolled my eyes and scooted off him. "I guess so...jerk."

He chuckled as he tore into the wrapper before sliding the condom on. "C'mere, silly…" He worked himself over me this time, making me victim to reliving my dream and staring up at all his beauty. This was the moment I had thought about, that I touched myself too, that I craved. All of my churning feelings that had driven me crazy for weeks lead up to this and it was finally happening. I didn't know what to feel but it was definitely a culmination of excitement and need. My fingers wrapped around Johnny's strong biceps as he guided himself to my entrance. His eyes were flickering from his cock to my face, gauging if everything was still alright. I gave him an encouraging nod and he pressed against me, pushing through just a bit. 

I winced and dug my nails into his skin. He had to make miniscule thrusts before his head filled me completely and almost made my body collapse into the blankets. He shushed me gently, adding kisses everywhere and nuzzling my neck. He whispered sweet nothings to get me to relax and not focus so much on how he was stretching me further than I had been before. He knew it would be a bit uncomfortable for me and tried his best to take his time but I knew he needed that release as much as I did. "It's ok," I whispered in between kisses. "Please Johnny. Please."

He shifted his hips forwards adding inch by inch until he settled in as much as he could go. I felt a heavy warmth in the pit of my stomach and the sting of my body trying to accomodate, pulling me closer to him. He didn't move until I relaxed my lower half and sunk down more onto his shaft. By the way his brows furrowed and eyes squeezed shut I could tell that me wrapping around him was driving him insane. That first full thrust was enough to dive us into an abyss of never ending fever. His fluid movements became less and less overwhelming and more pleasurable to the point where I felt confident to roll him over and straddle his hips again.

"M-mena?" The look of surprise on his face was priceless. It was like his eyes didn't know where to even begin looking but was fixated on the way my body looked above him. I planted my hands on his chest and worked my hips in little circles, driving him deeper inside me. "Fuck, you look so gorgeous."

I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smirked at the boost of confidence he was giving me. I had to admit, taking control like this was enticing. Just as much as Johnny liked me on top of him, I loved the way he looked beneath me. He moaned louder as he tossed his head back against the pillow. His hands clutched at me, encouraging me to bounce rather than roll my hips. His own snapped against the back of my thighs to plunge deeper into my depths, making me feel all he had to offer. His moans shifted into haphazard breaths and growls that I never expected from him. I gripped his chin and pulled him into another heated kiss. He took the opportunity to force his hips harder, drawing out pathetic whimpers and whines.

I clenched tight as I felt an actual orgasm building inside me. It was the first time a man was helping me achieve it and it made Johnny seem like a damn godsend. That fact that he shifted his hand between us to massage my clit had me in love with him even more. That attention made my body shudder deeply and beg him not to stop. He chuckled as I got too loud and tried to shush me so I wouldn't draw any potential attention. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth to silence myself as my body crackled with electricity. I wanted to scream out his name as my body caved in and shuttered with my harsh orgasm but I swallowed it down. I collapsed onto him in a heap of heavy breaths and he squeezed me into a bear hug. "I got you…" he said softly.

He always did. Always took care of me, even now during the first time we got together. He was perfect in every way. As I calmed down and enjoyed the way he rubbed my back, I came to the realization that he was still lying in wait inside me. I lifted my head from his chest and kissed him. "I want you to feel good too."

Johnny kissed my forehead lightly. "Would it be okay if I did it from behind? I kinda...like that."

"Of course. Whatever you need, Johnny." We shifted into the position, my back bowed deeply and face buried into a pillow that I clutched tightly. The sound of us crashing together had me blushing but the way he plowed rougher into me had my being rosy with ecstasy. I sunk my teeth into the pillow and fisted the case tighter, taking in the rougher side of my best friend that I had never seen before. This underlying secret turned me on even more and I willed him to keep going until my knees gave out and I couldn't walk. He pressed his chest into my back and reached out to grab both my hands, holding on tightly. My name was mixed in with staggered breaths and slightly deeper moans that showed him unraveling and seeping into the barrier that separated us.

I tried to keep us up but his weight and my weakening frame wasn't enough and we fell against our blanket nest. It was oddly comforting to be crushed beneath him though it was getting harder to breathe. "Johnny?"

"Hmm?" He hummed sleepily.

"You're crushing me."

"Oh! Sorry!" He pulled out gradually leaving a bit of my cum to flow out of me. I snapped my legs shut and curled up quickly, hoping he didn't notice. He discarded the condom beside us with a knot at the top to tend to later and spooned me tight, pulling the covers over us. "Are you comfortable staying here?"

"I'd rather be here than in the dorm with no privacy. I like our little spot."

He nodded against my hair and held onto my hand once more. "Maybe next time we can try to do it in the Forbidden Forest."

"Do you want to die??! What kind of proposition is that?!"

"I'm kidding! Kidding! But I wouldn't mind finding some other secret spots to call our own." I could already hear the smirk in his tone.

"Oh yeah, you're my boyfriend now and the pervert jumps out."

"Boyfriend?" He questioned.

I looked back at him. "Aren't we-?"

"Yeah but it just…" His cheeks flushed and he hid against my shoulder. "It's just nice hearing it finally."

I giggled and reached back to ruffle his hair. "Oh Johnny...you're such a hufflepuff." 

[boyfriend-vernon]

j e a l o u s y

g e n r e - s m u t

w a r n i n g s - s e m i - c h e a t i n g,  u n p r o t e c t e d    s e x, 

o r i g i n a l  c o n t e n t - i did write this and the original that can be found on wattpad at the user ong_seunguwu

o r i g i n a l  i d o l - k i m  t a e h y u n g 

a u t h o r  n o t e -   don’t be a fucking cheater. ever. under any conditions. no matter what. it makes you a shitty human. also please do not engage in unprotected sex unless you are in a long term relationship with a trustworthy partner. that being said please enjoy sex as much as you want with the use of aforementioned protection! lastly, never ever ever make yourself feel like you aren’t good enough to get any man (human) that you want. you deserve the best and you are perfect enough for any human you want to get with. 

Vernon was great a reminding you that just because you came to the club with someone it didn't mean you would stay together at the club. Drink after drink and girl after girl, that might as well have been his motto. After you watched him grind with the 4th girl of the night you had had enough.

You made your way to the bar, pulling your short dress up a little more and adding an enticing swing into your hips. You eyed the men at the bar until you found one who seemed to be alone and wasn't all that bad looking. As you ran your fingers through your hair you leaned on the bar beside him.

"Can I get what he's having?" you ask the bartender as you made a gesture towards the man you made your target.

The man beside you looked up at you and you smiled sweetly at him. He couldn't help but smile back. As your drink was placed in front of you, you thanked the bartender; who assured you it was his pleasure and turned to your prey.

"Are you here alone?" You question loudly over the booming bass of the club music.

The man shot back the rest of his drink and then nodded, "Yea, I was supposed to meet a date here an hour ago."

"Well shit, I'm Y/N. Consider me your new date!" You exclaim feeling a sense of pre-victory wash over you.

"I'm Choi Seungcheol, but everyone important calls me Coups and since you have declared yourself my new date; please call me that," he replied with a smirk.

You had decided he was even more attractive up close. If you talking to him didn't get Vernon's attention then maybe it was for the best.

"Well Coups," you said smiling sexily, "could I talk you into dancing with me?"

He waved at the bartender for another drink and you grabbed yours taking a decent swig.

"Well, it isn't like me to turn down a beautiful woman, so I guess I will have to oblige," Coups responded with a smile. The bartender set the drink down and Coups shot it back before rising from his seat.

"C' mon Y/N, lets dance." He grabbed your hand and lead you to the floor. As you walked with him you looked around for Vernon in the most inconspicuous way possible. You finally saw him. He was still dancing with the same girl from before. The rage within you lit a new spark and you were determined to either give this Seungcheol guy the best night of his life or make Vernon regret dancing with anyone besides you. Of course, your hope was for the ladder.

As you finally reached a generally clear part of the dance floor the opening notes for your favourite song began to play. You almost cackled out loud when you heard them. Tonight, you were going to be the winner of this game. With your dress already hiked up leaving very little to the imagination, you almost felt bad for Coups.

Normally your confidence in yourself wasn't this high, but tonight you knew you looked good and the confidence was the best accessory to pair with your stunning looks. You wrapped your arms loosely around Seungcheol’s neck and began to roll your body. You were just close enough to him to touch him when your hips rolled, but far enough that he would have to pull you in if he wanted more.

His hands slid down to your lower hips as you turned around, bent over and rubbed your ass against him. You stood back up just in time to see Vernon walking your way. You smirked lightly and ignored him storming closer as you let Seungcheol guide your hips in a grinding motion to the beat of the song.

Vernon was less than 5 feet away when the song ended and you turned to Seungcheol. He smiled down at you, "Damn, Y/N. I have to say this has been a good date, but I see you have accomplished what you needed to."

You looked up at him in shock as he winked at you, before kissing your cheek and walking away. He knew. He. Fucking. KNEW! You didn't have much time to be astonished, shocked, thankful, or intrigued before Vernon’s large hand was grasped tightly around your wrist. He drug you towards the front of the club quickly and full of rage.

His grip didn't loosen at all. He drug you all the way to the taxi line outside of the club. He opened the door to a taxi and waited impatiently for you to get inside before he walked around and climbed in himself. He sat next to you in complete silence except for his instructions to the driver on where to go.

You were kinda scared so you tried to focus all of your anxieties into a cosmic thank you to the all-knowing Coups within the club.

When you finally reached your home Vernon was out of the taxi and had your door open before you could even remove your seat-belt. He paid the driver and thanked him coldly before grabbing your wrist harshly once more. As soon as you both stepped foot inside he had the front door locked and you pinned up against it. You struggled against the tight grip he had on you.

One hand had your hands pinned above you, the other was wrapped around your throat just tight enough for you to need a little extra energy to breathe.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing in that club Y/N?" he demanded.

Without a response, you rolled your eyes.

"Y/N if you roll your eyes at me again I'll make sure you can't walk tomorrow understand?" His eyes darkened and his hold on your throat tightened.

"Yes." you strained.

"Yes what, Y/N? Now is the time for manners."

"Yes sir." you choked out. He removed his hand from your throat and your lungs burned as they soaked in the needed oxygen. Your hands were still pinned above your head and the look on his face made you instinctively press your legs together for friction.

He noticed and without missing beat his free hand was in between your legs keeping you from the much-needed friction.

"So, would you like to tell me now what the fuck you were doing with that guy in the club?" he questioned again.

"I was just doing what you were doing with all those other girls," you reply looking anywhere but his eyes. Your sense of victory now gone and replaced with nervousness and slight disgust in yourself.

He dropped your arm and moved his hand to your chin, lifting it so that you had no choice but to look him in his dark brown eyes.

"Princess, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just dancing," he replied, "I didn't mean anything by it. None of those girls were you."

"Yea, well, they might as well have been replacements for me because you basically forgot my existence! That is the only reason I even danced with that guy! I just wanted your attention." you exclaimed, finally showing how pissed you really were.

"Baby I-", he began, but you cut him off.

"No Hansol! It happens every time and so I finally decided to do something about it. Now you're all mad at me like I was in the wrong, but really it was all yo-."

Now it is his turn to cut you off, but with his own lips instead. He kisses you hard, asserting complete dominance within seconds. His tongue explores your mouth. As he pulls away he bites your bottom lip lightly.

"Baby girl, let me make it up to you," he smirks lightly, "if you doubt my love, let me fuck it into you."

He removes the hand from between your legs and lifts you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. He carries you down the hall and into your bedroom. He places your feet back on the floor and turns you around so that you are no longer facing him, but the headboard instead. He moves your hair to the side and slowly unzips your dress letting it fall to the floor.

He brings his mouth to your ear and licks the shell of it before whispering to you, "Once I remove this lovely bra and these beautiful panties I want you to crawl on to the bed and stay on your hands and knees for me okay?"

"Y-yes sir." You reply shivering slightly.

He removes both your bra and underwear at an agonizingly slow pace. As soon as they are off you eagerly climb onto the bed, remaining there just how he told you to. You hear some shuffling and then the sound of his shirt and pants hitting the floor. You bite your lip with anticipation. You close your eyes as you feel the bed dip behind you, but they spring open when you feel his tongue pressed against your core.

He licks a thick strip from your entrance to your clit and groans at the taste of you. You gasp and let out a moan as he gently nibbles on your clit. Your arms and legs are quickly becoming weaker and weaker.

The only coherent word that can be heard exiting your mouth in the slur of moans is Vernon’s name. His tongue dips in and out of your entrance and he moans causing vibrations making you moan louder.

"V-Vern, I think I'm gon-," is all you manage to get out before you orgasm. He continues, as he laps up your juices. Your arms and legs shake as the powerful pleasure rolls through your body in waves. He hums in appreciation at the taste and pulls himself from out under you. He stands from the bed and removes his boxers. His member springs free and he smirks to himself, knowing how weak you'll be tomorrow. He watches as your body trembles while you try to hold yourself up. He returns to the bed and slowly turns your body over.

"Round two princess," he says, his deep voice dripping with want as thick as honey.

His dick grazes your slit and you shudder again due to the sensitivity.

"Already soaking again huh princess?" he questions cockily pushing just the tip inside of you.

You moan out loudly, "Vernon please! J-just fuck me!"

He chuckles lightly, "Your wish is my command." he replies before ramming into you roughly.

He grinds into you, moaning as you tighten around him. You are basically screaming by the time your next orgasm hits. He groans loudly as he reaches his climax.

"C' mon princess, cum with me." he pants out as he lifts your leg over his shoulder. You grip the bed sheets and scream out his name in pleasure as you both cum. He continues thrusting into you until you are seeing spots in your vision.

Out of breath, he collapses beside you. Your body trembles lightly and you are both panting heavily.

"So, do you see now how much I love you?" he questions presumptuously.

You roll your eyes.

"Hey, what did I say about that eye-rolling crap, huh? Just because I'm tired now doesn't mean I will be in 5 minutes understand?"

"Yes sir!" you reply with a light smile.

He laughs and pulls you close.

"I really do love you Y/N and I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"I forgive you Verns. I'm sorry I danced with that guy tonight."

"It's okay love. We all make mistakes right?"

You nod weakly and he kisses your temple. You both drift to sleep in each other's arms.

[selcier]

Obikin Fanfiction Recommendations Part 2.

Hi all! I’m back with another short list! Once again: This is by no means an extensive or exhaustive list. These are simple a few fics that I remember vividly for various reasons. Many of theme are masterpieces in their own right without the added benefit of being fanfiction. And many are fics that I have read over and over again. These are also fics that have inspired me to to my own writing. 

Like last time, there are many fics that are not on this list that I actively read and love and I’m always looking for more! I have excluded works that I love but are in the beginnings of their development as a cohesive story. This list also does include tumblr ficlets. If you have any recommendations to send me, please do! I have tried to tag authors when I know them on tumbr. 

What Dwells in Us by caudipteryx

Three months have passed since Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Tatooine. He has settled into a quiet, humble life in the desert, watching over the infant Luke from afar.

It’s not going to stay that way.

Favorite Line:  No. Why do I torment myself by looking at impotent symbols of an unalterable past? My brother is dead, and I am on my knees before this false-bottomed chest like a grieving man before an open grave. It’s fitting, perhaps, that our lightsabers shall be at rest together beneath a humble pile of clothing. After all, the one who called himself Obi-Wan Kenobi died with him. This is from chapter 1 - so no spoilers :) But it so nicely wraps up all the anguish and pain from Obi-wan’s character. And how deeply he misses his friend. *sobs*

Tumblr Prompts: Stairs by @glare-gryphon

Every time we climb the stairs, something changes

Principle of Superposition by @lacontradictionvivante

Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent undercover on a mission to the Outer Rim planet of Bar Neth. Originally a desert planet, the Republic sequestered its land for an experimental terraforming project. After decades of colonization, Bar Neth has become a patchwork of lush farmlands and desert remains. A fellow Jedi Master has alerted the Council of smuggled goods aboard a small craft during a routine customs evaluation at the Mid-Rim hyperspace lane border. Headed for Bar Neth, the former Master-Padawan team don their least conspicuous civilian outfits and tuck their lightsabers away in hopes of learning more about a curious band of smugglers.

Things do not go as planned.

Favorite Line:  He rolled onto his side to stare at Obi-Wan, the light of an old lantern casting a gentle orange glow on the man’s face. He looked younger when he was sleeping; less like a master and more like the man that shared citrus flavored ice treats with him in the Temple cafeteria after a long day of lightsaber training. Oh Anakin, you utter sop. *cries*

just a little bit by retts @clarespace

Anakin took a deep breath and leaned into Obi-Wan's space. Obi-Wan kept his ground and arched a brow at him. This was curious.

'I like being tied up,' Anakin whispered conspiratorially.

Obi-Wan blinked. 'I beg your pardon?'

Favorite Line: 'I like being tied up,' Anakin whispered conspiratorially. Obi-Wan blinked. 'I beg your pardon?' Haha just that opening sucked (!!) me in right away. Can’t you just hear Obi-wan’s incredulous surprise?

The Other Side of Paradise by @glare-gryphon

Anyone born of Tatooine knows better than to wander too far into the Wastes. It is a savage, inhospitable place: a land of dragons and raiders and ghosts. Farmers dare not set down roots, travelers dare not pass through its heart. It is cursed land, long-ago scorned by the gods of their people. Anyone born of Tatooine knows that should you stay too long, the Wastes will show you your past, your failures, your regrets. You will see what was and what could have been and what never will be. Those hills can drive a man mad.

It is there that he finds Obi-Wan Kenobi, at last.

Favorite Line:  Kenobi leans down, pressing one last, lingering kiss to Vader’s lips, and it feels like something inside of him breaks. The heart he’d thought long burned from his chest cracks, shatters to pieces on the sandy floor of the small hut. He wants to sob; to fall to his knees and beg forgiveness; to remain curled into the man’s chest until dawn and Obi-Wan realizes that this isn’t a mirage created by the desert. But he can’t. God, this fic reaches into my chest and rips out my heart. 

Pacify Her by lorraineblake

Anakin´s and Padmé´s relationship is a problem. Obi-Wan knows exactly what to do about it.

Favorite Line: With careful hands, the blond finished his objective and walked to his own bunk to get rid of his boots and outer layers. Falling to bed only when he was free of the confines of the most oppressive articles of clothing.

“I´m a piece of shit…” Anakin swore before covering his closed eyes with his flesh hand and eventually letting himself to fall to a deep post-orgasmic slumber. Yes, Anakin. Yes you are.

obikinweek day 1 by @glimmerglanger

“ Anakin hated it when Obi-Wan was injured enough to require a bacta tank; it gave him too much time to think.”

Favorite Line: Padme blinked her shining eyes. She said, “I didn’t cause that.”

“We did,” Anakin said, and the words sat before them, a bomb ticking down, running out of time. “I did, Padme. I should have been there and instead I was…” He was with her, in her bed, living the lie he’d made for a life. “I should have been there.” I’m so sorry Padme, but he’s right. Holy shit this piece gets to me. 

The Eighth Memorial of Byyzem by @fireflyfish

Part 3 (?) SCARverse

“ Ben Amidala wasn’t a fan of vegetables and, in fact, secretly believed that they were a Separatist plot to make him eat gross, icky things. Like lettuce. Who eats lettuce and really enjoys it? “

Favorite Line: “Your master was Obi-Wan Kenobi, right?” Mercy spoke up, her blue eyes wide with curiosity. “Mummy told me that.”

Anakin inhaled sharply and nodded, trying to keep the mood light. “Ah… yes. He was. I… I was very lucky to be his Padawan.” The pain in this is spectacular. Did I rec any happy fics at all???

Under the Four Moons by arnediadglanduath

On the cusp of destruction and despair, Obi-Wan manages to reason with and subdue Anakin on Mustafar. Now, with practically the entire Galaxy wanting him dead, Qui-Gon Jinn's former apprentice must decide if he has the strength and resilience to save his former apprentice from the temptation of the Dark Side, despite his resentments of what he has done. Can he save the Chosen One before he destroys himself? Or is is it already too late?

Favorite Line: “I was always rubbish at meditating. After we stopped doing it together I couldn’t center myself.”

“You could have told me.”

Anakin sighed.“I wanted to prove myself to you. If I couldn’t accomplish a task as simple as meditating, how was I ever going to becoming a good Jedi?” Doesn’t this just sum them up perfectly? 

[kyberled]

As an OC blog, did you have any characters in mind while creating your character you took inspiration from? (from the burntout meme)

Easy Meme for a Burnt Out Mun

Yes and no. See, I originally didn’t intend to create Braig as a character at all. In fact, he was Rodi’s idea. Way back in the day, my main blog was over at @asiifisms​. Rodi, at the time, had a bunch of muse for her Obi-Wan, @highgrcund​. We had our boys chatting in a thread, and they got on well enough, and we got to talking. Rodi suggested an AU where K/H Braig was Obi-Wan’s padawan, and, well. 

At first, he started as just an AU. But then we decided to make him younger to fit the AU, and that changed him a bit; then we got to talking about upbringing, and that changed him a bit. Then we talked about his education, and that changed him a bit. And then he started interacting with more people, and I got more into the SW lore and universe, understood more about the Order, and more and more people ended up falling in love with him and he just– Basically, a lot of things happened to change him from that AU. So I made him his own side-blog, and then his own full blog, and now, the only things that are the same are his name and I guess his scarf? And the scar he gets across his face. 

I originally considered changing his name, once I finally realised that he was nothing like my King/do/m H/eart/s boy. His new name was going to be Bréan (Pronounced BREY-on), but I never went through with it. So many people already had custom tags with his name in it, and we had so many nicknames made (Braigimus, Braiggo, Braigos, Braiglet, etc), and shipnames (Braigsoka, mainly; We could’ve made Bréba, probably, but I’m not sure it looks quite as nice as Braiba) that wouldn’t have worked, and so many reasons I never went through with it. (Sidenote: I recently started listening to the broadway OST of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Claude Frollo has a brother named Jéan, pronounced almost the exact same as Bréan, and let me tell you, that threw me for a loop.) After I decided I didn’t want to change his name, I thought to myself that I still really liked how ‘Bréan’ sounded, especially if you paired it with Braig - Braig andBréan. For a time, I debated giving Braig a Force-Sensitive identical twin brother, with whom he got up to shenanigans with, before Bré left the Order, fell to the dark, became a Sith, and one inevitably had to kill the other, because I’m awful. After that, I decided that Bré would be a non-Force-Sensitive twin of Braig who still lived with either their father or their mother. Then I made him older, since I thought that would be a fun dynamic, then I made him look less like Braig, I kept him as Braig’s moral opposite but in different ways, threw him in the exact opposite living conditions (a slum in the Outer Rim vs. the Jedi Temple on Coruscant), renamed him to Karvan, and made him Braig’s half-brother by a different father. They don’t know each other exists, and don’t have any reason to think they’re related, when/if they ever meet. 

So his name stayed the same. He loses his scarf when he’s about 16, but has it before that. His scar’s… Mostly the same, except he only has the one visible one, and his goes down past his jaw onto his neck, while KH Braig’s doesn’t, and the origins are from two very different events. But, I feel like I can’t possibly discredit the influence my trash son had on this sweet boy, and how - I’m not sure this counts - he was the inspiration for Braig in the early stages of his development. Sort of. 

A lot of Braig’s ‘mannerisms’ have been inspired by Obi-Wan: His love of tea, his penchant for proper etiquette and manners, the way he tries to straighten his appearance out and avoid looking too scruffy, and the way he strokes his chin (an invisible beard) when he’s very deep in thought. A lot of this comes from how Rodi and I wrote him as being raised largely by Obi-Dad since day one; Papa had a lot of influence on his boy, in-canon and out, so it makes sense to me that he’d pick up on things dad did. Honestly, a lot of this wasn’t intentional, but rather something that happened over the course of our writing together, so I suppose that counts. 

Braig’s hairstyle, as he gets older, was inspired by Qui-Gon, but you already know that. Rodi honest to god messaged me in the middle of a skype chat saying she’d been thinking about how Braig would look with a Qui-Bun and attached this sketch:

And I was SOLD. Absolutely, 100% sold. 

(If you can’t tell by now, whenever I say Rodi has 50% custody over Braig, it’s not as much of a joke as you’d think. He wouldn’t be who he is without her. [Neither would I, but that’s beside the point.] Hell, he wouldn’t even exist. She’s the one who even got me watching TCW in the first place.)

(Rodi probably has just as much if not more influence on this boy’s appearance than the original K/H character did.)

I don’t remember if it was my or Rodi’s idea to make him a Force-Healer; I just know it came up in a chat we were having. And I know making him a doctor changed how I envisioned him, but making him a Force-Doctor even more so. Because he had to be someone who the Force would… Choose, for lack of a better word, to be a healer. Especially once I did more reading into healing - he had to be someone who could and would focus enough, who had the patience to do the necessary meditation, and so on and so forth. So I think that had something to do with it all, too. 

He’s indigenous because some nice anon suggested it ages back, after asking me about his real-life race and me answering I hadn’t decided. (My K/H boy is latinx.) Heidi, wherever she ran off to, suggested Booboo Stewart as a faceclaim, and we all know how perfect he turned out to be. So that wasn’t really inspiration, either. It just happened.

He’s as cuddly as he is because adults showered him in affection when he was a baby and I guess nobody ever stopped. It started out just with Obi-Dad, of course, but has since spread to Shaak, Eeth, Yaddle, Mace, Depa, Quin, A’sh, and so many more. So nobody ever weaned him off the cuddle bug, so now he snuggles everyone he’s comfortable with. 

I don’t know where his love of flowers came from; I guess that just happened. I do know that he got his journal, which is now his most precious belonging, from Obidad, in another skype chat with Rodi. I know he can heal without the Force, using either ‘standard’ or herbal/natural medicines, because Cad and Hora taught him. I know he can play holochess because of Obi-Dad and Mama Ti, and cards because of Xann and the folks at Aruk’s bar, and he’s learning how to cheat at cards from Quin, because of course he is. I don’t know why he likes stars so much, but I know Obi-Wan takes him stargazing, sometimes. He likes getting his hair brushed out because Obi-Dad and Boba and Cody do it for him and it’s relaxing. He knows Vapaad because Mace decided to teach him, Tusken from A’sharad, Chaulis because of Nihrik and Reyvahl, and Mando’a from Bes’laar and Wolffe and Cody and Boba and Satine. I don’t know why he likes reading so much or why he so desperately wants to be published in the Archives, but I know Jocasta has encouraged that greatly. He likes lullabies because of Shaak and Obi, hot chocolate especially because of Shaak and also Hora, and operates under the assumption that he can get away with murder because apparently it’s true. 

To make one (1) soft boy, it takes a village, not a Batman. 

Honestly, a lot of his growth and development has come from interacting with all my partners on this blog, and I couldn’t be more thankful. You’ve all helped bring him to life and develop this intricate canon and flesh him out and just, wow.

But enough of that.

The biggest inspiration for Braig? My dojo. I’ve been training in various martial arts for fifteen-plus years now, and we’ve always been harsh on our traditionalism. We actually had the oldest living student of Yagi Meitoku visit us not so very long ago who’d been training for sixty years (Not sixty years old, he has been training for sixty years), and he said, of all the schools he’s been to, ours had the most similar energy to Meitoku Daisensei’s, so that was really cool for us; Our grandmaster of kung fu (who’s also grandmaster of the Shaolin Fist in Asia) has said that our school has kept our forms closest to the patterns/ways he first taught it decades ago, which is also really cool for a few reasons. We’re HUGE on maintaining tradition, right down to the way we take our jackets off (that’s right, you can take your jacket off wrong). It’s pretty obvious that the Jedi are heavily, HEAVILY influenced by East-Asian ideals. So I thought it only make sense that I put dojo culture into this kid. The self-imposed perfectionism over his forms and kata, the dedication he has to his tasks, the way he tries to present himself to the general public, how he handles and treats weapons, how he rarely if EVER crosses his arms, how he fixes his posture, the playfighting he does with his close friends, hell, even how he stands when idle (a loose approximation of ‘parade rest’) all comes directly from my dojo. His philosophies are MASSIVELY dojo oriented. Even the fact that he just wants to keep people safe comes from something my Hanshi told us years and years ago at a Ni Nen Keiko that really stuck with me for some reason: “The strong must serve the weak, not the other way around.” That is a MAJOR influence for how Braig views the world and his role in it. So if you talk to him about philosophies, or ask him for an Aesop’s-Fables-esque story, he’s probably gonna say something I picked up over at the dojo. 

I teach there, too, I teach tiny children and pre-teens. So a lot of baby Braig’s ways of expressing himself comes from them, they’re how I understand tiny children operate and thus are my references for writing a tiny child. That, and my brothers (also dojo rats like me). 

Honestly, I think that’s why I never lose muse for Braig. I go to the dojo at least three times a week, every week (perhaps two on weeks when we’re closed for long weekends), and every time I’m there, if he’s been fading, this boy comes right back, because that’s him. This is going to sound majorly cliche, and it’s not really a character, but he’s been inspired by the dojo spirit, and it’s constantly being renewed, so, so is he. 

So, tl;dr, he’s not really inspired by any specific characters, as far as his OOC creation goes. Or maybe he’s been inspired by a bunch of them. Depends on how you read it. But I’d say he was inspired more by lessons, and philosophies, and interactions with the many people who have come together to shape him and his life into what it is, now. 

Oh, and, of course, the light of my life and my best friend, @ectochoir / Rodi.

Blame her, not me.

[withlovecb]

Marriage Talk: Proposing Without The Ring

Right now, I’m sitting at my desk, drinking a light roast cup of coffee and the inspiration to write is here. #WithLoveWednesday in full effect, lol.

Okay, so the other day, my boyfriend and I had a conversation. He raised the question of, “What if I wanted to marry you, but my proposal came without a ring? How would you feel about that?” First of all, whenever he brings up the topic of marriage, my stomach always drops. I don’t know why. I always feel in that moment, like I want to throw up lol. Honestly, I didn’t know how to answer that question, so I sat there, quietly for about one minute, which honestly felt like the longest minute of silence in my entire life. So he decided to fill in the silence. He explained to me that he doesn’t want to rush the ring. He wants the ring to be a perfect symbolism of the value he has placed on not only this relationship but myself as well.

He broke it down to me like this. “It’s not that I don’t want to get you a ring. It’s just that, given the fact that this ring placed on your finger, is to symbolize “us,” I feel it’d be inappropriate of me to put just anything in place of that just for the sake of having a ring. The unity of us isn’t just anything. It’s special, and highly valued, to us, if no one else. So anything that symbolizes us should be an equal. The ring that symbolizes that, I’m not looking for it to be gaudy and have an extensive shine, not necessarily. I need it to have an elegant cut, minimal imperfections and the perfect color, embedded in a prestige setting to get it to be valued to nearly as much as I value us. So, back to the original question, if i wanted to marry you, but my proposal came without a ring, what would you say?”

To answer his question, because I know he is reading this, especially because I included him in this post (rolls eyes in back of head, lol): Yes, I would definitely, no questions asked, marry you if you proposed to me without a ring. At the end of the day, that ring doesn’t solidify much of anything, in my opinion. It’s just someone else’s tradition to live by. In the long haul, it’s just you & I; making our own traditions and our own rules, lol. You love me enough to propose to me, I’m down with you. Ring or no ring. So, does this mean I’m engaged orrrr? Lol.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what the responses of other women would be. I pondered on how many women would be open to the idea of a marriage proposal without a ring. So, I posed this question to a few of the women in my life of various ages. If your boyfriend asked you to marry him but the proposal came without a ring, what would your answer be and why?

Here’s what they had to say:

Arianna F., 20 – “My answer would be yes because it’s about love and not about a ring. I’d rather go get a tattoo though.”

Shaquarah H., 28 – “Yes, because a ring doesn’t matter. Been with the man for 10 years. He nor I are going anywhere. I would ask my man what the hell took him so long and just go buy my own damn ring lol.”

Lauren L., 27 – “I would still say yes. Marriage is about the commitment, not the ring. The ring of course is a symbol of love to infinity and beyond, but if for some reason the ring wasn’t physically present at the time he feels he’s ready to make that commitment, I wouldn’t chastise him for that.”

Tanyria T. 25 – “It depends on how the proposal was done. If it was just him lying in bed like “Will you marry me?” He knows I’d be like ‘Do better!’ lmao. But if it was thought out, I’d say yes and we could go ring shopping together.”

Jasmine T., 28 – “Yes. Because the ring is just the material part. The paper is the material part. The fact that he wants to make you his own and not drag you years down the line playing house is more important. There are people that have beautiful rings and are the UNHAPPIEST people you would ever want to know. I know of people who have gone to the Justice of Peace and are in love. Follow your heart. Pray on the fact that this man asked your hand and your heart.”

Shanel ‘Nellz’ T., 30 – “No question. It’s a no. The reason I say no is because seeing is believing, actions speak louder than words. The next thing you would have to ask, even if you considered it, would be how long would I have to wait? Are you financially stable? And I hate to say it but type of ring describes the quality of woman you are to him. Your ring should be at least three months’ salary of your man’s paycheck.”

Monique B., 49 & Fabulous – “If I loved this man with all my heart, and he’s treated me all along with the love and respect I deserve, then my answer is unequivocally yes! I’m not big on the materialistic side of things and I’m not really a diamond girl anyway. He could be working on what he feels is a representation of his love for me, which could be an opal or even a jade ring, for all that it matters. A diamond or ring of any magnitude doesn’t equate to stable or respectful marriage. We can clearly see the astronomical rate of infidelity and divorce in this society. If he’s a good man, he’s a good man even without ring in hand.”

Melissa A., 27 – “YES! Lol, in my opinion marriage is a big deal and is much bigger than a ring and ceremony, it’s a commitment. A lot of people are infatuated with the idea of marriage but don’t really think about what comes with it. The ring is cool but I’ll take the commitment.”

Tawanda ‘Mom’ B., 50 – “Yes, because it’s not about the ring when real love is involved. The ring can always come later. Just focus on the love and the reasons why he proposed.”

Megan N., 27 – “I would still say yes, because if I am in a relationship with him, it’s because of more than material, and if I know there is no ring, it’s because it’s something he can’t do at the moment. Also, he would’ve known I wanted a ring because of the communication.”

Jonae L., 27 – “To me, that’s just a conversation. Knowing that’s what we’re working towards. A mutual agreement. I would say yes but I wouldn’t consider us officially engaged.”

Akqra S., 23 – “Depends on the relationship. If you’re a man of your word, I would say yes because it’s not about the ring, it’s about the commitment and how loved and secured I feel in this union. But, I need that ring at the altar. I want people to know I’m taken and I don’t have to say it lol.”

Courtney S., 27 – “YES! F*CK THAT, I LOVE THAT MAN. We can work on the ring.”

Yanique F., 26 – “Yea I still would. Love makes marriages work, not rings. It better be coming a little later though, lmao.”

Toni F., Fabulously 50 – “Well!!! As for me, I’m gonna need that ring, I’m just saying. Yes, if I love that man like no other, that’s great, however he WILL get on my nerve sooner or later and I will need that ring to look at. Besides, diamonds are a girl’s best friend *sips wine* … (Her real response) Baby, I have loved a man like no other and at the time, I would have worn his sock on my ring finger to show I was his and he was mine. Shoooooooot. Oh, I’m fabulously 50.”

Danielle F., 27 – “If Sean asked me to marry him tomorrow I know for a fact I would say yes. If there was no ring with the proposal, the answer would be the same. That being said, what actually changes? If your with someone and you know you are both in it for the long haul, I feel marriage is already implied. I don’t think I would start planning a wedding until I had a ring.”

Nia P., 27 - “No, because if you really know me you would know my values and what I want, which is a ring. Like I said before, I’m not being materialistic, but I’m an investment and you need to invest in a ring and really show me you are ready to be committed for life. Plus, I’m into romantic love stories and a ring with you getting on one knee confessing your love to me is a dream of mine and any man that wants to be my husband will know that. Like if you ready to ask me to be your wife, we would have had the whole ring talk etc., so you’re going to know what I want and what I expect.”

Gwen R., 54 - “If this man has shown me unconditional love, honesty, respect and commitment and is working hard, great provider, he can put a ring pop on my finger because, I don’t give a daaaaaamn. I know we both gon’ shine like a diamond.” 

Diamond M., 26 - “Marriage has never really been a goal for me. But if I know for real it’s a forever thing I would probably say yea. But ain’t no wedding without no ring. And just know that I won’t be tellin’ people he’s my fiancé lol.”

To be honest. I’m shocked at the responses. I didn’t think that so many women would respond ‘Yes’ to the question at hand. And I was intrigued by the responses to those who answered ‘No.’ I want my female readers to think about this and share this question with your friends or family members like I did. My family had me over here in tears. Listen to the responses you get. Share your opinions / comments with me on my Instagram @withlovecb. I want to hear what some of you have to say on this topic.

I will end this with the great words of Helen Keller, “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.”

Love y’all, -CB.

[callmetippytumbles]

Pick a song for every letter in your URL

I know I am late AF with this post, so much for that resolution.  I have finished the Spotify playlist I made for this days ago, but I just have not sat down and written this part. I am doing it now. This post and all subsequent productive posts are brought to you by the new ADHD meds that I am testing out on a Sunday.

I was tagged by @lizzybeth1986 and @maxattack-powell. If you tagged me as well, I am sorry I did not mention you here, it got lost in my activity feed.

I am not going to tag anyone else, because I am hella late, but if you want to do this tag feel free to do so and tag me.

Here is the list.  Yes, I talk about the tracks because I am extra like that.  I used to do music reviews in college and I still like doing that. The music review part is below the “Keep reading”.  I made a whole playlist though so I will not link to any songs. See below.

C--Cadillac by Miguel This song is fun and one of my favorites from the Get Down soundtrack. I watched this during that dance competition scene, and I too would like to do the Hustle to this song in a scene-stealing dress.  A--Alright by Kendrick Lamar This song gets heavy play.  Especially if I am just going through it and I just need to be encouraged.  Sometimes all you need to hear is "We gon' be alright" to make it. Love this song. L--Lovely Day by alt-J Okay, so there are a bunch of covers of this song.  I love the original by Bill Withers. I like the Jill Scott version. I chose to share this one.  I think it is because of the tone and feel that this version brings as opposed to the others.  First, it's sonically different.  The other versions are upbeat and lean into that feeling of the song. This one doesn't do that.  It's haunting. The song plays like everything in your life is shit. Just terrible but because this person is in your life you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and you can make it through.  This song is not something you play in anticipation of the beginning of a good day. Instead, the song is something that you play to make it through that day. (Many TRR fans will connect to that feeling. It should be on all of your angsty playlists.) L--Lookin Ass by Young Money, Nicki Minaj Look I know men can be trash. I like to play this when I need a reminder.  The n-word is all over this song.  If that is not your ministry, then this song is not for you.  I like it because its a woman calling men out that want to judge women but are in no position to do so. I live for that.

M--M I L K by Leikeli47 This song is perfect for working out and just feeling yourself.  I play this when I am working out but need a reminder that I am working out for me. The base and beat is just hypnotic and can pace a run or a speedwalk. E--Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him by Yoko Ono Say what you want about Yoko Ono, you have to admire her artistry.  I like her music. This is one of my favorite songs. When I read reviews of Double Fantasy, a lot of them shit on Yoko Ono's contributions even though she is on ALL of the tracks, produced the tracks (including the tracks that Lennon leads), and wrote/co-wrote them.  Double Fantasy is intended and created as a joint album. It was designed to be a conversation.  That's why the tracks alternate.  That aside, I am drawn this particular song.  The straightforward lyrics, and that guitar that echoes and chimes in the background.  The music, like the actual organization of the instruments on the track, is impressive. The instruments from synthesizers to the base, the guitars blend in a way that is layered but not excessive or cluttered. This is a track that is very well suited to Ono. Her vocals match the mood of the song. The song is a delicate song about a woman and led by one. Definitely deserves a listen.

T--That's All by Genesis The song is mesmerizing.  The grand piano, to the drums to the base build to make this constant pace that sticks with you.  It has excellent repeat value.  Phil Collins vocals really match the frustration of the lyrics. I--I'll Call U Back by Erykah Badu This track is on one of Erykah's mixtapes.  This song is an exhale.  Everything from the beat to her voice, to the mood, is about chilling.  Erykah is very unbothered on this track. She'll call you when she calls you.  A song that is this deliberately mellow could easily meander and play for several minutes, but that isn't what happens here.  It's very short.  That is a deliberate choice too.  She is not going to spend a lot of time or energy to reclaim her time.  Unlike Lookin' Ass which is about telling a man off aggressively, this is shooing someone away and going back to doing you. Play this track when a debt collector tries to call you and fuck up your day. It's fun. P--Plastic 100°C by Sampha Sampha is the kind of artist that has an incredibly unique voice that is used a lot for features.  He was the man singing along with Solange (who is a Cancer like me, won't stop claiming that) on “Don't Touch My Hair”. Also, he features a lot on SBTRKT tracks (like “Something Goes Right”).  His features are good, but his solo songs deserve way more shine than I feel they get.  This song has a sense of drama to it even is the instrumentation is really delicate and lush in contrast. It was written after he lost both parents to cancer and he found a lump in his throat while his career was growing.  Before I found out about the events of his life that inspired this song I kept thinking of intense vulnerability, how scary that really is but opening up and exposing yourself despite that.  He sings "It's so hot I've been melting out here/I'm made out of plastic out here/You touched down in the base of my fears." You hear the panic in his voice. It's a gorgeous song.  Like its waiting to be turned into a songfic. P--Phantom Punch by Sondre Lerche This is kind of a departure from his usual very thoughtfully arranged, very romantic fare.  This man is a FUBU romantic.  He is a romantic that writes for romantics. This song is still about someone who is infatuated with someone.  It's just really lively with a focus on electric guitars and synthesizers.  It makes you as giddy and filled with energy as Sondre is.   Y--You Come Through by PJ Harvey I am a person that likes a ballad, plenty of my favorites come from artists that are not known for them.  I think why I enjoy if not prefer ballads from artists that do not always set out to do them because it's like being let in on a secret.  You are seeing an artist expose themselves in a way they don't usually don't.  This is one of those tracks.  PJ Harvey is a force of nature.  You are more confronted by her work than you are entertained.  This song is entirely different.  It could be viewed as a confession of love and mourning a love lost or even both. The lyrics leave a lot of room for interpretation.  What is unquestionable is the vulnerability that she conveys during the performance of this track.  The track is bare and stripped so that her vocals are the focus and not the music backing them.  Her vocals are softer and restrained as opposed to at full force. This combination creates the effect that you get as a listener that you are an interloper on her private thoughts and emotions as well as becoming as vulnerable and exposed as she is. It's beautiful.

T--Transit by Robin Hannibal I noticed that I chose a lot of deceptively simple songs that are quite complex, like vanilla.  This track leads with the drums.  You hear the drums in the track before the keyboard or Robin's vocals.  The lyrics are about a complicated relationship. "Break up, just to make up" are some of the words to this song.  While the relationship described is complicated, the arrangements don't seem that way.  The song doesn't sound fraught or in a state of panic.  Robin is not in any kind of emotional anguish while performing this track.  It's calmer and mellower.   U--Until Then by Broadcast Until Then is a song on an album full of beautiful, stand out tracks. The Noise Made by People is a delightful album and worth a listen.  It's very nostalgic without going full-on throwback in a way that seems like a poorly executed 60's costume.  The album feels like it should be the score and soundtrack to some kind of play, but it isn't.  Until Then feels the most like a track that could be sung in a theatrical production.  The climax just hit, and all of the characters have reached ruin, and this is the song they are all singing before the plot tracks their recovery from said ruin.  This could be a reprise sung by a musical theatre group or sung on the album by Trish Keenan.  Both work. M--My Love by Jill Scott I have to say; I do not really like songs that intro with a conversation break and not the song starting.  I can do a quick sample but do not interrupt the music.  I am here for the music.  I can make an exception for this song.  My Love is about a woman who finds out a man that he may have been on again/off again with is marrying another woman and she is confused by this.  I may have played this on repeat after the TRR1 finale.  Halle may have too.  Jill croons "My love is deeper, tighter/Sweeter, higher, flyer" comparing herself to the woman the man chose to marry but this is quickly followed by "Didn't you know this?" like he should have known better. It's not mournful like "I miss this man so much." Jill don't play that.  The tone is more like "you dared to choose her and not me, and you knew better."  It's poetic, soulful and lush.  Even if Soul is not your thing, this song could still find its way to your catalog. B--Blind by TV on the Radio TV on the Radio is what happens when you let art nerds start a band. This song is on the Young Liars EP.  It's the longest song on the playlist, clocking in at over 7 minutes.  This song uses that time to kind of lumber around the issue presented in the lyrics.  It's about a guy who suspects his girlfriend may or may not be cheating on him. The words go through all of the questions, the doubt, action and inaction that happens when confronted with that kind of situation. This track features organs, a droning beat that builds as lead singer Tunde Adebimpe sings with a voice filled with melancholy and ambivalence. It's a compelling track.   L--Lost in the Plot by The Dears If Adebimpe in the last song sings with a voice with melancholy and ambivalence, Murray Lightburn of The Dears sings like is either about to have or recovering from complete emotional upheaval.  His voice is just filled with such intensity and fervor you are forced to reckon with whatever emotions he is dealing with.  This song in particular really showcases this.  By the time he is shouting "It's the same old plot", you are just as over everything as Lightburn is. E--Elephant Woman by Blonde Redhead Elephant Woman is the opening track to Misery is a Butterfly.  The song is about being broken emotionally as well as physically.  It was reportedly inspired about when Blonde Redhead lead singer, Kazu Makino, being thrown off her horse and severely injured as a result.  It grapples with feeling betrayed by something (but can easily apply to someone) you love and struggling with the damage after the fact.  It's set to beautiful and haunting strings and whirling guitars. You ache when Makino delicately sings "Now inside and outside are matching." It's beautifully crafted and magnificent to listen to. S--Sleeping Ute by Grizzly Bear While it feels weird to close a playlist with a song that was an album opener, this just feels right.  If you are someone who likes guitar riffs (looking at you @lizzybeth1986), this song opens with some great ones. It's a song that deals with restlessness and seeking reprieve from chaos.  The arrangement reflects those themes by opening with trashing cymbals and guitars that sound like they are on top of each other and it mellows into a calmer melody as the drums fall back and the guitars come into foreground like the calm after a tumultuous storm.

[tubbotums]

((What do you think warrants a retelling of RWBY? Is it just a fun world, or is the story actually misguided?))

Oh boy, grab your popcorn and get ready to listen for a while. Gonna put this under a cut so people who don’t feel like reading it can skip.

Do I love RWBY? Yes, I 100%. This show has done so much to change my life and has quite literally changed me as a person. It’s put me on the career path of wanting to make my own animated show, tell stories etc. It’s allowed me to meet new friends, and had it not been for the show I wouldn’t even be here typing this. When the new episodes are coming out, every Saturday I wake up at like 10:50 in the morning and wait on both my laptop and phone app so I can watch the episode at exactly 11 when it drops. Most of the time I have to wait, but regardless you see the point. My drawer has RWBY merch, my desks have figures and plushes, hell even my backpack is a RWBY one and I wear a sweatshirt that’s RWBY related basically everyday.

However, in my opinion, the show is heavily flawed from a production standpoint.

RWBY is a very inventive show, I’ll give it that. It tries to do so much with so little, and I applaud it for that. What Rooster Teeth has created is a unique world with lovable characters that have inspired so many. It’s hard to believe that this company that made this show were making Halo parodies in 2007 and still are. RWBY is probably at this point their most popular show, and the most popular web series as of now (discounting live action stuff like Content Cop or whatever). Hell, Warner Bros. Japan went to RT wanting to dub it  and air it there so people could experience it in Japanese. It’s wonderful to see this show blossom and grow. But it has one thing holding it back from truly being great in my opinion.

It’s being produced by Rooster Teeth.

Like I said before, I applaud Rooster Teeth for doing what they’ve done with this show and for all the hard work they’ve done with it. I love their content and the people responsible for bringing the show to life. But for what it wants to do, Rooster Teeth is far too small of a company to produce it and don’t have the necessary people to make it what it can truly be. It’s a show that has so much untapped potential, and I keep waiting for it to tap into it and show me what it can really be. But I get nothing, and waiting every episode after every episode gets tiresome.

RWBY likes to take from a lot of different things for inspiration, but I feel like it’s too scattered and all over the place from it’s inspiration to make logical sense. I hear Final Fantasy (which I see in the character designs, weapons and dust as a concept), but then I see Game of Thrones, Gurren Lagann, and other things that don’t even remotely cover the genre that RWBY is in. I’ve brought this up to people before and have been told that it’s “Monty’s true vision” and that “I just don’t understand it and shouldn’t question it”. God bless Monty Oum, he was a great animator and a wonderful man who I would love to meet and pick apart at his brain. But the man couldn’t tell a story, which was why he brought on Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross, the lead writers of the show.

But before I get into M&K (who I both met and are lovely people), I want to touch up on the show’s inspiration. Monty wanted to create a show that revolved around his fight scenes, you know the stuff that you saw in Dead Fantasy or Red vs Blue Seasons 8-10. He didn’t care about the story and wanted to show off his fights and creative, lovable characters. If that’s what the show was going to be, I wouldn’t watch and I wouldn’t care as much as I do to write this. In my unpopular opinion, the show needs to stray away from Monty’s original ideas and gather more from outside sources that are doing the genre right. Shows like Hunter X Hunter, My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist, Sailor Moon and more that I can’t even list off the top of my head. These shows tackles themes present in RWBY and do it leaps and bounds better than what the show does. It’s frustrating to watch Gon Freeces or Izuku Midoriya get character development and progression that changes them and the path of the story but see Ruby Rose become a side character with no development since the beginning of the show. I’ll also add this in, if you want to take out My Hero from this list you can since RWBY started airing before MHA first published, and it has it beat by a few months I think? But I think the point still stands.

Now for Miles and Kerry, who I both love so much, there’s a lot of controversy around them. A lot of people, especially on this site, hate them and want different writers for the show. I’ve heard names like Lindsay Jones (voice actress for Ruby) and Mica Burton (a RT employee) as people who “should” be writing the show. Here’s the big issue with that:

Neither one has produced a show before and has written a script. Know who has? Miles Luna, who wrote three seasons of Red vs Blue. 

Yes, both are still amateurs and not professionals. They’ve been doing this for about a little more than half a decade, which isn’t a lot of time in the content production world. But this leads to another problem: Amateurs are writing this show. I don’t doubt the effort both of them put into making this show. They have A LOT to deal with, considering what happened with Monty, the show’s sudden boom in popularity, and much much more. But the fact that more experienced script writers aren’t writing a show this big is an issue, and you see it all the time in the show. They like to go with this “tell don’t show” approach, which doesn’t allow us to see the world and make it feel alive. We have to trust everything the characters say instead of actually getting to see it ourselves. We don’t see the racism Blake talks about except for a sign in a background shot that shows up on screen for two seconds. TWO SECONDS of seeing this one “No Faunus” sign is more signs of racism than we ever got from 4 and a half volumes and almost 20 minutes of exposition on it. There’s also just some really bad characters in the show as well, just really poorly written. I think my best examples are almost every villain, especially Adam and Cinder. I think both are just really shitty in every aspect and don’t add anything unique? If Adam wasn’t abusive and crazy, his cause would be more sympathetic and the White Fang would feel more like a Civil Rights group like they should be instead of a terrorist group like they’re portrayed to be. Cinder’s whole deal is just “I want power”, and the big question is why. We have no explanation as to why she sides with Salem and what her motives are. She’s just a puppet for the big baddie and that’s not right considering Cinder was the main antagonist for three volumes and will have just as big of a role going forth. A backstory can really help with this, but until we get one she’s a mediocre, borderline shitty villain in my books.

If the show was handled by, lets say Studio Madhouse, or Studio Bones, and if those don’t really sound familiar lets even throw in Toei, the show would be a lot better handled. Shows like My Hero, Hunter X Hunter, One Punch Man Season 1, Fullmetal Alchemist, Miraculous Ladybug and more have come from them and have done phenomenal. The writing, worlds, characters, all written in this just amazing way that I can see RWBY being written in. I can see RWBY having this expansive, almost unexplored world that we the viewers and the characters are going to explore together. But Rooster Teeth can’t provide that simply because they don’t have the money to. That’s no knock against them either, it’s just a fact. A RWBY fight will never look as good as Midoriya vs Todoroki or Meruem vs Netero, and that’s because the budget and time isn’t there. I just want to see this show thrive and become something special like these other shows, because I know it can be that. I know it can be tightly written with a power system that makes sense and a world that’s rich and vast, with different people having different motives that makes us really question who is right and who is wrong.

Aside from all that, what do I think the show does write? It creates really likable characters that almost everyone can relate to. All of Team RWBY is really likable, same with JNPR. The cast as a whole is colorful, and they’re the main reason I come back to watch the show week after week. The music is also pretty good? But tbh I wish there was more variety in the soundtrack as well. But aside from the characters and music I can’t think of much else.

So, with all that being said, I want to rewrite RWBY to fix these issues and tell my own version of the story, the version I’d like to see. A lot of people in this fandom might not agree with me on the ideas I have and my opinions, but quite frankly I’ve gotten tired of hearing people tell me that my ideas about the show are lesser because it doesn’t align with their views or Monty’s views (which are basically the same thing). I’m doing this because of my immense love for the show and because I want to see it be better. Please don’t take these words as anything harmful and as an endorsement to not watch the show. If you haven’t, I’m actually begging you to go watch RWBY. It’s a fun adventure, but it’s just very flawed and something I as an objective viewer who pays Rooster Teeth for early access to episodes cannot overlook. I’ve done it for far too long thanks to people and I’m sick of it. This retelling also is going to help me as a writer in making a long running story, and while most of the outline is made thanks to the show, there are still going to be a lot of differences from the canon counterpart. 

So please, go watch RWBY if you haven’t so you can see what I’m talking about, and to also let yourself be immersed into a wonderful world with wonderful characters. I love this show with a passion, and this retelling is being done because I want to see it do better is all, like I know it’s capable of.

[starstuffandalotofcoffee]

The Lik The Bred anthology with commentary

This is reposted directly from the poetry listserv I mentioned in my last post. It’s called arspoetica and if you’re interested in more you may sign up here. Note that I am a mere subscriber and have no part in running this list, and also this is a lovely example of internet ourobouros-like actions: the author of the email gathered these poems from Tumblr, sent them to me via email, and now I’m posting them back on Tumblr and giving you a way to access future emails. It’s the circle of life, or something.

Me, fifteen minutes ago: "my name is Cow..." M: Are you going to share the cow poem tonight? Me: Nah. I mean, I'm really tempted to, but, you know, it seems a little silly. Me, five minutes ago: Screw it, I'm gonna send the cow poem. This is unlike other Ars Poetica, and I realise not everyone is as endlessly fascinated by the language arts of the Internet as I am, so maybe this is not for you.  You'll be returned to your usual diet on Sunday. A couple of months ago there was a Reddit thread about health inspection violations, and a user by the name of Chamale told the following story: "My stepdad used to be a baker in an authentic recreation of an 18th century New French fortress. Because they sell bread to the public, the health inspector came by, and she was ripping into my stepdad for violations like the stonework walls, the doorless entranceways, or the lack of a mosquito zapper. He pointed out that they were following the highest standards except for things that would destroy the authenticity of this 18th-century bakery. The health inspector relented and agreed to give him a pass after verifying the food storage area was secure. They went to the shed, which was a doorless building attached to the bakery. As thehealth inspector went in, there happened to be an escaped cow licking all of the loaves. My stepdad could only say, 'Honestly, this never happens.' They passed the health inspection." In response to this, another Reddit user named Poem_for_your_sprog (whose work is generally worth a look, btw) wrote him a little poem, with vaguely ye olde spellings: my name is Cow, and wen its nite, or wen the moon is shiyning brite, and all the men haf gon to bed - i stay up late. i lik the bred. And the internet did what the internet does, and latched onto this ditty and wrote sequels and variations, often in a call-and-response fashion with a conversation between some other creature & the Cow (and yes, I'm about to share several of them with you).  Someone even recorded the poems to the tune of 'Greensleeves'.  And I got really excited because as far as I'm concerned, this is what poetry is all about.  When I tell people Irun a poetry newsletter, I often get these strange responses about how they don't really like poetry and aren't "a poetry person", implying that enjoyment of poetry is an exclusive club practised only in the rarified atmosphere of literary circles and the academy.  To which I say: fuck that noise.  Poetry can and should be accessible and funny and touching and easy to enjoy, making its readers want to respond in kind.  It should allow us to celebrate together and share our sorrows and develop our ideas, be they ferocious political critiques or philosophical meditations.  You should not let preconceived notions about what who is and is not "a poetry person" dictate whether you can enjoy poetry. Go out and enjoy reading and writing!  Share your verse!  Seize the day!  Lik the bred! ----- my name is Dog and wen its tea, i hope they giv sum foode to me - i hope they shair befor its gon - they never do. i don't get non. my name is Cow, and this is tru - my caynine friend, its up to yu. so just be brayve and smart insted - and be like me. i lik the bred. ----- my name is Cat, no cares have i be it sun or moone that lytes the sky by night i prowl by day i stretch i salute yu, Cow yu bold old wretch. o clevr Cat who roams the barn i promys yu i mean no harm - as yor a friend with stelthy tred i invite yu to lik sum bred. ----- i am the Bred with yeast i ryse mine amber crust doth pleas thyn eys the Cow and Cat whos tongues delite upon my crust both noon and nite are easy stop'd by dor and slat. perhaps the baker noes not that? ----- my name is Cow and in the spring when other Beastes are frollicking, upon yor legs i rest my hed and in my dreams i lik the bred.

end note from me, starstuffandalotofcoffee. Ars Poetica’s author was unable to credit the other verses. I believe the last verse is from the talented and hilarious @sashayed.. I don’t know who wrote the rest and they may be from the original reddit thread, but if you do and you can send me a source, I’ll edit this with credits.

[eloarei]

Because I like shipping and statistics, I guess.

(Sort of prompted by this post. ...Or maybe it was this post.) So, here's me, looking at all my ships and deciding if they (and their canon relationship) count as the “emotional heart of the story”, OR if I were to reach in and rip them (primarily their relationship) out, would the story be torn apart? YES = they are necessary to the story! NO = the story would get on fine without their relationship UNCLEAR = their relationship has an uncertain importance to the plot Before you read the whole long list (and keep in mind, these are just my ships, and not even all of them, and just my opinions), have some statistics. TOTAL SHIPS = about 87 YES ships = 56 (m/m = 28, f/m = 28) NO ships = 15 (m/m = 9, f/m = 6) UNCLEAR ships = 16 (m/m = 8, f/m = 7, f/f = 1) and because the original intent of this post (as mentioned here) was to see if m/m ships tend to be the “emotional heart of the story” (aka do I mostly ship m/m and is that why?) : M/M ships = 45 (YES = 28, NO = 9, UNCLEAR = 8) F/M ships = 41 (YES = 28, NO = 6, UNCLEAR = 7) F/F ships = 1 ^^; (UNCLEAR = 1) And have one more set of stats, dealing with if these ships are canon or not. (“Mostly Canon” are ships whose canon status is debatable, like it was never explicitly stated, or it's an option, like in some games.) CANON = 27 (m/m = 5, f/m = 21, f/f = 1) Mostly CANON = 12 (m/m = 2, f/m = 10) Not Canon = 48 (m/m = 38, f/m = 10) So, I could probably stand to analyze these stats a little more, but the overall takeaways I'm getting are these: – My ships are fairly evenly SPLIT between m/m and f/m. – MOST of my ships are relevant to the overarching story of the series. --Most of my ships are NOT CANON, but not by a huge margin. --The “heart of the story” is SPLIT between m/m and f/m ships in my favorite series. Feel free to scroll through my 87 ships, if you want to see how I labeled them (“heart of the story”, versus not). Includes some reasoning, in most cases. Ships (or their series, in a few cases) listed under the cut: Killugon, Leopika, Oumugi, Cobymeppo, UsoNa, ZoLu, Hanna/Zombie, McHanzo, Reaper76, Roadrat, Promptis, Gladnis, DekuMight, Mammet, Genosai, Victuri, Destiel, Shakarian, Jaal/Ryder, Newmann, R/Julie, Kataang, Zukaang, Korrasami, Wuko, Gigolas, ZADR, Wolfstar, Fawkes/LW, Gob/LW, Nick/SS, Trying Human, Otasune, Bosselot, Torikoma, Noragami, Oremo, Gamako, JeanMarco, CLAMP, Taibani, Tiger/Bunny, Okabe/Kurisu, 93, 58, Otani/Koizumi, Doctor/Rose, Johnlock, Sterek, Hannigram, Rumbelle, Hopurai, Sorriku, Akuroku, Leo/Ezio, Haytham/Ziio, JakDax, Nate/Elena, Lutecest, GoldenHeart, Mitjo, Blackice, Felix/Calhoun, Om/Shanti, Grocket, Max/Furiosa, Capable/Nux, Seregil/Alec, Thom/Goran, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Jesse/Suze, Mabelmando, Muck, Vito/Wilhelm, Lewis/Vivi, Fry/Leela, Goliath/Elisa. Good lord I can't believe I typed those all out. Well, anyway. Now you don't have to bother clicking through just to satisfy your curiosity, if none of those piques your interest.

Hunter x Hunter: --Gon/ Killua : YES, Gon and Killua's relationship IS the heart of the story. Without their intense friendship, many of the plot points in the story would never have happened. While Gon may still have found his father, the whole story would be extremely different, perhaps to the point of unrecognizability. –Leorio/Kurapika : NO. Unfortunately, as much as I love them, their relationship is not strictly integral to the story. --Meruem/Komugi : (mostly canon) YES. While it's not the entire story, their relationship IS vital to the fate of both characters and that particular arc. One Piece: --Coby/Helmeppo : UNCLEAR. While Coby and Helmeppo are not main characters, Coby was a catalyst in the early part of the series, and will probably be important again towards the end. Also, while Coby could have gotten where he is without Helmeppo, Helmeppo would likely not be who he is now without Coby, making Coby integral to Helmeppo's story. --Usopp/Nami : NO. I love them a lot, and they're both important to the story in different ways, but their relationship is not strictly necessary. --Zoro/Luffy : UNCLEAR. Obviously, Luffy is the main character, and Zoro is also super important. The story probably could have gotten where it was going without Zoro's involvement, but there have definitely been several key points which would have been different without him. (Early one, especially, and the end of Thriller Bark.) This one might require more thought. Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name: Hanna/{Zombie} : YES. While the story may still have happened without {…} (Conrad still showing up that night), the entire story would have had a different tone, as {…} is the narrator, and certain key events would have played out differently. Overwatch: McCree/Hanzo : NO. Admittedly, they don't have a lot to do with each other in canon, no matter how much I like them. Soldier 76/Reaper : YES. Their story was vital to the formation of Overwatch as we know it. Roadhot/Junkrat : NO. Not exactly vital to the overall story, although they do seem fairly important to each other. Final Fantasy XV:   Noctis/Prompto and Gladio/Ignis : NO. I mean, I love the ships, but technically neither of these ships are really super important to the overall story. I would be willing to listen to arguments for this one though, since obviously the relationship between the four of them actually is super important. Boku no Hero Academia: Izuku/All Might : YES. Nothing would have happened in this series if it weren't for the relationship between these two. Not only would Izuku be lacking the power to succeed, he'd have been lacking the training and also possibly the inspiration. Likewise, All Might would likely have stagnated, instead of grown as a character. Back to the Future: Marty/Doc : YES. There would be literally no point to the entire series without either character or their relationship exactly as it is. One Punch Man: Saitama/Genos : YES. Although it may be debatable, I believe that Genos' involvement with Saitama is critical to the story. Is it, at very least, critical to Genos' growth. Yuri on Ice!!: Viktor/Yuuri : (canon) YES. Canon-gay main characters; kind of the point of the story. Supernatural: Dean/Castiel : YES. Though Dean and Sam's relationship is probably still more important, I would definitely argue that most of the plot from season 4 on could not have happened without Castiel's involvement with Dean. Mass Effect: Shepard/Garrus : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. Garrus was fairly important to the story, especially early on, but even if he had never come around at all, the story would have been about the same. However, since you get to determine the story to some degree, you could say their relationship is about as important as you make it. Ryder/Jaal : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. About the same as above. Their relationship was important, but not significantly moreso than other characters'. Pacific Rim: Newton/Hermann : YES. Without them working together, the plot would not have been resolved. (One could even argue their arguing was critical to the story.) Warm Bodies: R/Julie : (canon) YES. Like most of my other book ships, these two were written with each other in mind. Avatar/Legend of Korra: Katara/Aang : (canon) YES. Though the story could have got along without their romantic involvement, their general relationship was absolutely vital to the plot. Zuko/Aang : YES. Their relationship provided most of the conflict from the early half, and much of the character development from the later half. Korra/Asami : (canon) UNCLEAR. If they had been only acquaintances, the plot would likely have carried on mostly the same, however the ending would have been different, of course. Mako/ Wu : NO. Their relationship made a couple of plot points in the last season, but the story would have got by okay without it. The Lord of the Rings: Gimli/Legolas : NO, although I'd be willing to hear arguments to this one. I don't recall that their relationship was particularly necessary to the plot's resolution. Invader Zim: Zim/Dib : YES. Literally the entirety of the story would be pointless without their relationship. Harry Potter: Sirius/Remus : YES. Primarily in the 3rd book/movie, but the story would have gone drastically differently if not for their past friendship. It would likely have had a huge butterfly effect. Fallout 3: Fawkes/Lone Wanderer : YES. Fawkes was key in helping get the GECK, and also having LW, y'know, not die in the DLC. If Fawkes didn't massively respect the LW, the LW would just be shit out of luck. And also dead. Gob/Lone Wanderer : NO. Poor Gob's just stuck slaving away as a bartender. Hell I don't think you even have to talk to him once to advance the story. =[ Fallout 4: Nick Valentine/Sole Survivor : YES. Nick is instrumental in helping SS find their son, and if it weren't for his respect for them, SS would have a very difficult time with several legs of the journey. And don't get me started on how their backstories are a mirror of each other! Trying Human: Rose/Hue, Longus/Don, Philena/EBE1, Quazky/Gracelis, FJ12/Pigment : (canon) YES. The charm of a good webcomic, eh? =D Metal Gear Solid: Snake/Otacon : YES. Moderately important in MGS1, Otacon and Snake's relationship becomes crucial in 2 and 4. Also, “Can love bloom on the battlefield?” Yes, Otacon. Yes it can. (I'd write a manifesto about these two if I had the energy.) Big Boss/Ocelot : YES. Quite a lot of the entire series would never have happened if it weren't for Ocelot's hero-worship crush on Big Boss. It's pretty important. Toriko: Toriko/Komatsu : YES. To be fair, I haven't read/watch this series in years, but the earlier parts of the series put a lot of focus on the budding partnership between these two characters. Ugh, talk to me about the part where they climb a giant beanstalk in order to eat a heart-shaped vegetable in tandem to commemorate their partnership. Geez. It's a little hard to say if their relationship was vital to the actual plot, because I'm still not sure what the plot was, but it was definitely vital to the story. Noragami: Yato/Hiyori : (mostly canon) YES. As the main characters, the story revolves mostly around them, and if they didn't care for each other, there would be no reason for half of the events to happen. Kazuma/Bishamon : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. At least one key backstory event only occurred because of their relationship, but the story might have happened similarly without it. Kofuku/Daikoku : (mostly canon) NO. I love them, but the story could probably exist okay without them. Ore Monogatari: Takeo/Yamato : (canon) YES, but obviously, as it's a romantic comedy. The story is literally all about them. Kill la Kill: Gamagoori/Mako : NO. Although they featured together in a few important scenes, the story could have progressed without them ever being in the same frame. Attack on Titan: Jean/Marco : NO. The entire story would have probably been just fine without them, although Jean might be a different person without Marco's influence. CLAMP: (mostly canon) YES. I'm just gonna go ahead and say that all of my ships from CLAMP series are vital to both the story and the characters' growth. This might be an exaggeration, but only slightly. Tiger&Bunny: Kotetsu/Barnaby: YES. Because, obviously, what's Tiger&Bunny without Tiger and Bunny? The story would have gone nowhere without either of them, and the focus on their growing relationship was super important. Steins;Gate: Okabe/Kurisu : (mostly canon) YES. The plot forces the relationship between Okabe and Kurisu in an interesting way, so it is sort of super relevant. Saiyuki: Sanzo/Goku : YES. Gojyo/Hakkai : UNCLEAR. To be honest, I just haven't watched the series in a while, so I'm a little cloudy on the finer points of this ship. I'd say they're important, and from what I remember they are important to each other's story, but I don't recall how vital their relationship is to the overall plot. Lovely Complex: Otani/Koizumi : (canon) YES, because it's a romantic comedy and these are the two main characters. Doctor Who: Doctor/Rose : (canon) YES. In love with two different Doctors, and (as far as I know) the only one to end up with one permanently! Their relationship was so damn important that it came back even after Rose retired as a companion! Sherlock: Sherlock/John : YES. The series wouldn't even remotely exist without their relationship. Teen Wolf: Stiles/Derek : NO. The necessity of either character to the overall plot is debatable; they certainly didn't have to interact in order for the series to continue, even if those were some of the best scenes. Hannibal: Hannibal/Will : YES. Though I never caught up with the series, it was clear even from the very start of season 1 that the relationship between these two was the drive of the whole story. Once Upon a Time: Rumpelstiltskin/Belle : (canon) UNCLEAR. Though they're both important to each other and other characters at multiple points in the story, their relationship is probably not all that important to the other characters. (To be fair, this is based mostly off of seasons 1 and 2.) Final Fantasy XIII: Hope/Lightning : NO? It's been a while since I played the game, and while I love Hope, I seem to recall that he wasn't terribly important? (Was anybody important in that game? What even was the plot??) Kingdom Hearts: Sora/Riku : YES. I mean, Sora did spend pretty much forever searching for Riku, and Riku did spend basically the whole time being a pain. Axel/Roxas : UNCLEAR. Roxas' existence and story probably could have happened without Axel. But to be honest, it's Kingdom Hearts; I could never remember all the fine details. Assassin's Creed: Leonardo/Ezio : UNCLEAR. I mean, Ezio would have died or failed several times without Leo's inventions, but Leo himself wasn't strictly necessary. Haytham/Ziio : (canon) YES. Well, Conner wouldn't exists without them, so. Jak and Daxter: Jak/Daxter: YES. There would have been literally no point to the series if it weren't for their relationship. Uncharted: Nate/Elena : (canon) UNCLEAR. A rare female love interest, Elena was there from the very beginning and throughout the whole series, kicking ass and helping the plot along. Could the series have gone on without her and Nate's intricate relationship? Probably. But who would have wanted that? Bioshock Infinite: Robert/Rosalind : (mostly canon) YES. Only because of their fantastic weird obsession with science and themselves was the cross-dimensional travel that made the plot happen even possible. Nimona: Blackheart/Goldenloin : (mostly canon) YES. Their relationship is central to the backstory, and the later parts of the story. Long Exposure: Mitchel/Jonas : (canon) YES. Again, because it is a webcomic, and they're specifically written with each other in mind. Rise of the Guardians: Jack/Pitch : UNCLEAR. While both are critical to the story, it probably could have gone on fine without their interactions. However, Jack's personal arc wouldn't have had the same emotion without Pitch's involvement. Wreck-it Ralph: Felix/Calhoun : (canon) UNCLEAR. Their relationship was a key point in the story, but the overall plot could have probably happened without it. Om Shanti Om: Om/Shanti // Om/Sandy : (mostly canon) YES. Without Om's love for Shanti, the entire second half of the plot wouldn't have worked out. Sandy's love for Om was also critical. Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket/Groot : YES. I think it's safe to say that the whole crew would have died if it weren't for Groot, and it's unlikely that he would have been there in such a capacity without his partnership with Rocket. Mad Max: Fury Road: Max/Furiosa : (canon) YES. Story couldn't go anywhere without them, and their relationship was important at certain points. Capable/Nux : (canon) YES. Though their relationship was not vital to the overall story, it played a huge part in the resolution. Nightrunner: Seregil/Alec : (canon) YES. Canon-gay main characters, obviously the story goes nowhere without them. HERO: Thom/Goran : (canon) UNCLEAR. Though the relationship between the characters is a key element in the story, it probably could have happened pretty similarly even if the two did not develop a romantic involvement. (Would've been a different story; still, Thom's other relationships are roughly as important.) Diana Wynne Jones' books: Howl/Sophie, Vierran/Mordian, Tom/Penny, etc : (canon) YES. All main characters, written with the intention of being involved with each other, they are vital to their stories. Robin McKinley's books: Narl/Rosie, Cecily/Little John, Beauty/Beast, etc : (canon) YES (mostly). Main characters written to revolve around each other, with the exception of Cecily and Little John, whose relationship was probably not strictly necessary for the overall story. The Mediator: Jesse/Suze: (canon) YES. Same deal with my other canon book ships: they were literally made for each other. Gravity Falls: Mabel/Mermando : (mostly canon) NO. Their relationship was only relevant for an episode, and had it not existed, most of the story would have been the same. Motorcity: Mike/Chuck : UNCLEAR. It probably ought to be a “no”, but the series didn't get that far, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. XD; The Reward: Vito/Wilhelm: (??? canon?) YES. I mean, the story was 100% about their bromance. Mystery Skulls Animated: Lewis/Vivi : (canon) YES. Poor ghost man just misses his nerdy girlfriend. Futurama: Fry/Leela : (canon) UNCLEAR, since Futurama didn't really have an overarching plot for their relationship to be relevant to. But GOD did you see the last episode? I mean, they were definitely a central plot point of the story, even if they weren't strictly 'necessary' to it. Gargoyles: Goliath/Elisa : (canon) YES, hella yes. Their relationship (both platonic and romantic) was greatly important to the overall story, many times. Though the gargoyle characters could have existed without Elisa, the story would have lacked most of its emotional component. (And that’s just about that! I left off a bunch of old ships, because there’s just no way I have the time and energy to list stuff I haven’t been into in years. Also I probably forgot some, but oops?) 

[junker-town]

When them Falcons gon get here: Atlanta unites as it waits

As the Falcons make one more charge into the postseason, the college football capital and transient, diverse Southern hub is finally bonding over its NFL team.

This article was originally published in 2013, ahead of the Falcons divisional round game against the Seahawks.

"Ay breh," he said, "Fuck with me, now."

He was selling weed, walking beside me in a way that made clear this was an A-okay location for broad-daylight drug sales despite a clogged North Avenue just feet away. I don't smoke, but had to admire the enterprise.

He was wearing a Brian Finneran jersey, a regulation dopeboy uniform in fabric color (road white) only. If Finneran, former Atlanta Falcons possession receiver from Villanova, had been there, he would've been the only white person in the area besides me.

***

Atlanta is one of the NFL's few majority-black cities, along with Detroit, Baltimore, D.C., on-field archrival New Orleans and possibly St. Louis by now*. The city proper's residents are 54 percent black as of 2010, though that's been dropping over the years as black families move to the suburbs and whites move inside the perimeter, defined as the I-285 loop that surrounds the city. The perimeter is now only the perimeter in a transit sense.

* Apologies if I missed a city. I'll admit I didn't check Green Bay.

Atlanta's arguably the gayest NFL city. Something must be done about our continued slide in these rankings, though still only Seattle and D.C. top us there. When Joey Harrington took over as temporary quarterback in 2007, a portion of Falcons fans swooned.

Atlanta's the NFL city most likely to turn up fans of 31 foreign teams, I'd wager. People move from Wisconsin, Ohio and Buffalo to Atlanta. They don't move from Atlanta to Wisconsin, Ohio and Buffalo. When they come, they bring allegiances with them, then show up at games. So nobody writes pieces like this about braving the Georgia Dome. That's cool -- you underestimate how fun it is to watch disappointed Cowboys fans stream out of your own building.

Racially and otherwise, Atlanta has as wide a range of sports fans as anywhere in the country, maybe anywhere anywhere, plus respectable attendance for its home teams (look it up!) and undeniable college football bona fides.

I think Atlanta is a great sports town. Or a good enough sports town. Or a town you might not understand.

***

This has brought to mind one of four things for you: Turner Field going ghost town during the MLB playoffs, Hawks fans sounding outnumbered when the Celtics or Kobe are in town, hockey or that time Falcons fans all rose their voices as one and turned on the team to revere rival convict Michael Vick.

The first is a myth, the second is adorably true and what is hockey?

As for Vick, I was at that game, in a red No. 7 and surrounded by tealy algae-funk green 7s. I bought my ticket the day he joined the Eagles, then rooted for the Falcons along with the far majority of the Dome. Vick scored in the second half of a blowout and got a pop from the crowd. A viral Atlanta soundbite was born.

You need to understand Vick was briefly our Jordan, or more accurately our Elway, since Chicago had had Payton and Butkus and Ditka and Sayers and probably some baseball guys before Jordan. (What is baseball?) We'd had to share Hank and Deion and Dominique and Dale Murphy and most of those 1990s Braves with other cities, and in Vick's first year Chipper hadn't played half his Atlanta career yet. Whom were we supposed to ride for instead of Vick?

For a year or so, he made our insignificant Falcons the country's most exciting and interesting pro team, bringing us within a few plays and a bullshit holding call away of a Super Bowl trip.

He was our first star quarterback and our black star quarterback, and he signed a 10-year contract.

That cheer, overstated by people who weren't there as it was, wasn't a betrayal of the Falcons. It was a goodbye to the only reason we'd ever mattered.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Until the Falcons became something like those '90s Braves, with prolonged success out of nowhere. The Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith regime posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, then made it five in a row. Four of the franchise's 12 all-time playoff trips have come in the last five years, which have included two of our five all-time division titles and two of our three No. 1 seeds. Roddy White, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and others have already taken over the club record books, and we're not talking about guys who've been here forever.

But, yeah ... '90s Braves. The Birds have also gone 0-3 in the playoffs during this run, becoming the league's most reliable Super Bowl springboard.

It's our golden age. But local gold monitor Trinidad James has to scoff.

***

We're a musical fan base, and a specific flavor of music.

The 1998 Super Bowl run had a bass soundtrack, T.I's "Bring Em Out" provided the best intros in city history at the height of the Vick years, Big Boi is lobbying for "In The A" to replace that Godsmack-y stuff they play at the Dome now, "Whoomp! There It Is" is still a completely unironic team anthem and James Brown and MC Hammer were Elvis fan Jerry Glanville's sideline mascots.

You can't have rappers rap about the NFL without having rappers rap about the Falcons. There's currently a song using Julio Jones and company as a drug-dealing metaphor. Our locker room freestyler is better than yours. Ray Buchanan and Deion Sanders also technically released rap albums.

No other city produces coverage quite like this.

***

In many ways -- because of Arthur Blank and Vick and, back among the ancients, the Dirty Bird -- this is a fan base aged 10 or 15 years or so. Except for spurts of oddity like 1991, 1980 and ... that's about it. That's our history.

Considering college football reigned here for more than 70 years before we got any pro team of any kind (save the Atlanta Black Crackers, whose field was once stormed by my hammered, 120-pound great-grandfather) and a full century before any of them got good, I think the Falcons are doing fine.

Especially since nobody is actually from here, as the phrase goes.

***

As a California native and a white guy who was surrounded by black coworkers while a Falcons wide receiver from 2000 to 2010, Finneran's a total Atlantan. He's now a co-host of 680 The Fan's morning show.

"Lord knows I wanna get back to California, when I'm old and gray, to sit on the beach," he says. "But Atlanta is my city. I adopted all the home teams as my teams. It's just one of those places were once you get here, there's no reason to leave."

Nobody settles down in Atlanta quite like black NFL players, whether they play for the Falcons or not, with Finneran listing friends Rodney Harrison, Kordell Stewart and Jamie Dukes among the many who've done so.

"Atlanta is great for young, black professionals," he says about the Falcons using the city's demographics when recruiting free agents. "I definitely think it's a lure."

Finneran's best known outside of Atlanta for two things: the playoff punt block against the Packers in 2002, which sparked Green Bay's first-ever home postseason loss* and his emergence as the sneakiest cheap weapon in Madden history. His 2004 rendition was tall and could jump, the perfect sidekick for that year's virtual Michael Vick, the most unfair video game athlete since Tecmo Bo.

* Of the current Falcons crew's playoff problem, he says, "This is the year they can do it, and it's not gonna be an easy task against Seattle, but this team is loaded. If they're gonna do it, this is the year, and they need to do it. You talk about a must-win for an organization, this is it. A sigh of relief will be breathed around this city if we can come away with this victory."

Finneran still calls former locker room neighbor Vick a friend despite their cultural differences, which inspired Jim Mora to nickname the duo "All-American Dad and Hip-hop Nation."

He describes the Atlanta he arrived in as "a baseball town," attributing Arthur Blank's legit hometown concern (the Falcons are one of the few NFL teams to contractually stipulate multiple community appearances for each player, "from Matt Ryan to practice squad guys," every year) and wins provided by Ryan and Vick for "turning it toward the NFL."

"You build that fan base by having the team winning, and having those players in the community, doing those five or 10 events every year."

Finneran, told of the kid at a rap show wearing a white possession receiver's No. 86 Falcons jersey, says, "Those type of stories, minus the weed part, give me chills. I get tweets from young black males who tell me, 'You were my favorite receiver.' You think people forget about you ... my head doesn't get too big, but it gives me the ability to be proud of things I did and reminds me to be a role model for young adults, white or black."

***

The two biggest moments from that Goodie Mob show, other than Big Boi rocketing out of nowhere during "Dirty South," were when Pastor Troy performed in a Volunteers jersey a week before Georgia-Tennessee (deemed a confrontational choice during a show that had been one big tribute to Atlanta, until the crowd realized it was a jersey of Eric Berry's, a local) and when a shirtless dude in leather pants and a top hat played Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" through all of "Cell Therapy."

Here we had a paranoid rap song about inescapable poverty and impending global race war performed alongside a chugger by a blues-turned-metal band about a behemoth, powerful creature that finally snaps.

Skinny black dudes in the crowd threw up devil horns and headbanged. I don't know how else to explain it other than it was really, really Atlanta.

The point is Atlanta, more and more, is this place that's not for white people over there and for black people over here. There will always be parts of the city forbidden to people who look a certain way, but this city is becoming the melting pot of the melting pot.

And I'd bet there's no major gathering place in America more consistently black-and-white than the Georgia Dome on NFL Sundays.

[laurajanecostello]

It`s that time of year again. The nights are long, the days short. It`s almost like you have less time in the day to do all the things that you used to get done easily in the summer. We dont`t have a tumble drier so things like drying clothes just takes FOREVER this time of year. 

It`s also the time of year where things seem to be harder mentally. As far as blogging goes, my motivation is non-existent. I have SO MUCH to say, but then I try to put pen to metaphorical paper and just sit there going `ummmmm’ for a while, which is essentially how you end up with drivel like this – haha.

I`m going back to work in about two weeks, all being well. I was originally signed off for a month, but the doctor then authorised another two weeks so that I could set up some support from work in the shape of the occupational health department. To be honest, I`m relatively ok about leaving Eden as Amy`s sister will be looking after her and I know she adores her. I`m looking forward to hot coffee and adult conversation to a point, but I wish Iwasn`t returning to this job. I`ve applied for a few other things recently, but obviously I will still need to give notice at my current place if i get any of them, so going back is unavoidable. I don`t want to be signed off sick just for the sake of it, but it would be foolish to not admit that a lot of the anxiety is to do with returning to a toxic environment. I definitely didn`t go on maternity leave on the best terms and I get the feeling that not a lot has changed in that respect. But, as always, we will power through and see how it goes. It`s easy enough to go in, do my job and come home so that is what I`ll be doing. It keeps money coming in in the mean time, which is always needed!

Eden continues to be a little superstar. I didn`t do a thirteen month update – maybe I should – but she`s amazing me with how much like a little person she is now. She`s not a baby any more. She`s got her own likes and dislikes, throws mini temper tantrums and can ask when she wants certain things. One of her favourite games to play is to put absolutely anything to her ear like it`s a phone. Anything from a toy phone to Amy`s wallet gets shouted into like she`s terribly busy and important. She adores Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Frozen and dancing to the songs that her toys play. She has a princess car that she absolutely loves and will sit in for ages. Just yesterday, we got her a little Minnie Mouse tent and she spent the evening running in and out of it and taking her toys in there as well as the dog… Truth be told, she`s everything I hoped for and more.Anyway, stick with me. I`m writing as and when I can and hopefully will be posting a lot more in the next month. I just got a tablet through my phone provider in the hope that it will make bloggin gon the go a little bit easier. This post is brought to you from my local coffee shop, during nap time! I have lots of new reviews to come and an awesome competition too, so that`s something to look forward to!

Until then, you can always catch up with us on Instagram http://ift.tt/2kHzRVs   Facebook http://ift.tt/2jFxVzb;or twitter http://www.twitter.com/mamaedenandme

[nccr]

Like m I rite?

- To write when you know someone is actually reading is like, doing your weird-ass dance in front of a crowd. So I’m gonna start light.

- Like Famous philosopher A$AP Rocky says; “When the real niggas die, fake niggas gon’ multiply.” he also wants you to “aks” tumblr if he is accurate and you know what, I really think he is.

- Like Karl Marx says; “Rap is the opium of the music”, and he is right too. You don’t think when you listen to rap music. It just is something to past time. You try to sing it, fuck it up miserably and when you look at the time, you already killed another night while sitting at home.

- Like, you can call any Irishmen living abroad “Paddie”. They are okay with it. Trust me I asked to Paddie1, Paddie2.

- Like a close friend of mine got married about 3 days ago. He is a gynaecologist, his wife is an ER doctor and their wedding made it in the National News. The story continuous; “…. they celebrated with their fellow doctor colleges and others…” WE WERE THE FUCKING OTHERS! Like our power halay was nothing! If you aren’t rich, you are others apparently.

- Like, listening Irish Folk Songs either makes you want to sail like a pirate or wanna rebel against the government.

- Like, no one out of Glasgow likes people from Glasgow. They can be pain in the arse if you are not familiar with their accent. They are actually better than snobs from southern Britain. Those bastards decided to call me “American” for a week because I sounded like one. Limey bastards.

- Like, I have two English accents which I think is weird. I normally speak with an American accent because it’s easier to understand for non-natives but as soon as I bump in to a Brit, I start talking like a Scott. Once on a drinking table with some British mates, Scotts next table thought I was from Edinbrah. We fooled them all, a good 20 minutes. Then they realised I didn’t know shit about Edinburgh. I got two free pints out of it though, I’m proud.

- Like, as much as I love Irish, I despise Bostonians. What the hell is that accent mate?

- If you don’t speak English, I’m not that funny. Because half of my humour is fueled by English/Turkish wordplay. And I know a lot of English jokes which translates to Turkish poorly.

- When I started working in an office for the first time, I was in constant fear of people having to realise I was retarded. That they would think I was actually a very talented ape. I mean I barely started working there and had no idea about what was going on. And I was expected to know what I didn’t know in Turkish to know in Russian. So I mostly squinted my eyes and pretended to understand while thinking; “They know I am retarded, there is no way they are buying this.” and totally miss what the conversation was about, so I would repeat what they said and try to gain some time on them. Turns out, they think I’m like this because I’m weird smart. I had no idea what was going on first two months. I mean mistakes were made… Now it’s all fine though.

- Cultural difference is, by far, my favourite topic. I mean when I was little, it was so absurd to think there were any other countries speaking a whole different languages. Now that I know better, I try to meet as much foreigners as I can. Because someone growing up with an whole different set of rules for the world fascinates me. Totally different fears, joys, hobbies than ours. Even in the same house we did so many different things according to each other it was mind blowing, how can such little things matter so much, just because of language and national differences. Even between countries who speaks the same language. For an easy example we can take USA and GB, once I was chatting around the pub and being a friendly guy and this lady sits there frowning. So I go to her and ask why she was “brooding”. I mean from what I know, it means “having dark thoughts, frowning, having a busy mind”. She looks at me like I insulted her, and I am a bit embarrassed because I am not sure of what I just did. Did I pronounced something badly? So I ask her again; “Why are you brooding? Are you alright? Do you need company?”. Again she looks at me like I just insulted her ancestors. I said sorry just incase and left. Later on, a very good man, Brian, tells me what brooding means in British; Brooding means a woman feeling ready and expecting to be pregnant soon. I asked a woman if she was expecting a baby, in a pub, and if she needed company. She must have thought of me an asshole. It was embarrassing. Whatever that’s not the point. So much changes even in the same languages but different locations. Like the words we use in the west, north, south and the east of the same country. I know it’s boring for anyone who is not interested but it just fascinates me. I can listen a person talking about his origins, whereabouts and how they do things in there, a full night! Once we talked about why don’t they say barmy in the Southern Britain about 2 hours. I loved every minute of it. For an example for Russians, they don’t shake hands in any entrance of any place. In their beliefs, it will either bring bad luck for the place or someone from that location will die. How hardcore is that! I found it hilarious! Got scolded by my ex countless times because I made fun of it. I mean from the films we watch and the music we listen, we don’t know which belongs where and I love learning where and why.

- One of my best friends is doing his army duty for almost 10 months now. We had almost the same fate. We dropped out and went abroad. Came back to nothing, he decided to be chef, I decided to bruise my elbows on the tables for a bit. And then the duty called, we went in. He got drafted, I didn’t, due to health issues. I never wanted to become a soldier. I never did, honestly. I’ve always seen it as a very big burden. But as soon as I learned I was draft-exempted I wanted to know, how would it be to give your freedom away for a year. To be nothing but a tool. Would it take my mind from things that I’m always a about anxious about? Would it give me the passion I’ve always lacked? If I were to choose I would still choose on not going but it left question marks on my mind. Eventually all of my friends will do that. Not me, not ever. They all see this situation of mine as a gift, in a certain light, me too. At-least I got something out of it? So when I talk about this, they think I’m being obnoxious because I don’t have to go. But being totally excluded out of the experience kind of makes me want to go. And the worst part is, when I call my mate, I feel like I betrayed him by not going. Thinking of him alone in there surrounded by idiots. He is like me. He was the one who was there for me when I was abroad, surrounded by islamist perverts and had no one to talk to. Now it’s too hard to call him because I’m sitting at home doing nothing while he is in some outpost in the east where bullets go by like fireworks. Just the other day, he told me he just saw a woman a week ago, before that it’s been 6 months since he had seen a woman. How excited he had gotten, how beautiful it was to see a woman, just existing. I mean I’m not regretting missing that but I regret that I would have something less than my friends. It’s like when we were 14 and they all got beaten while I was on holiday. I was fucking sad I wasn’t there with them. It sounds obnoxious when you think about it, but a whole different story in me.

- I can’t speak to people freely, so writing is the first thing comes to my mind when something happens good or bad. It helps me think, weigh out any situation and this here, is my drunken thinking corner. I haven’t decided about this account’s fate yet. It’s hard to write about important stuff now that I know someone is seeing this pile. I’ve read every post here today. I mean, I love being drunk and all, but man are they bad! I’ve cringed from my tooth to toes!

- First time in years, I feel as if I’ve been given an answer of an important question of the universe. Life is not like in the books or in TV shows, so it takes a bit more time than you would anticipate but just being able to finally getting that closure sure does mean a lot. I mean I’m not clear of all feelings I’ve been having in just a day because we talked but it feels a curtain has been raised. I just want to be happy and that was a big step along the way. You have a friend in me yet.

-  Teşekkür ederim.