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twistedtummies2 · 2 months

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Top 10 Appearances of Disney's Evil Queen

Not so long ago, Disney released the teaser trailer for an upcoming live-action remake of its first great animated feature, “Snow White,” scheduled for release in Spring of 2025. When I saw the teaser, two thoughts immediately sprung to mind. The first was, “May God have mercy on their souls for this stupidity.” The second was…while the trailer largely did not impress me, I was genuinely intrigued by the first looks at Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Ever since her casting was announced, she was the one part I was genuinely interested in seeing, and for all the problems the trailer presented, I remain hopeful that she, at least, will turn in a worthy performance. This got me thinking of all the past times the Evil Queen has shown up in Disney properties since her debut in their premiere animated motion picture. I’ve done similar lists in the past for two other Disney Villains - Maleficent and Scar - and I decided it would be fun, in light of this news, to give the Queen a look-see, too. Now, a few key rules must be established: first of all, I’m only talking about DISNEY’S Evil Queen. Other versions of the fairy-tale icon aren’t counted here at all; I made a separate list of my favorite versions of the character in general a while back. Second, and slightly tied to that, I am NOT including the characters of Regina from “Once Upon a Time” and Queen Ravenna from “Snow White and the Huntsman.” This is because I feel, while each certainly has been influenced by the Queen from the original Disney movie, they really stand as their own versions of the character. I’m only talking about the original Disney Queen and her reappearances. Third and finally, I can obviously only count appearances I’m actually fairly familiar with; for example, there’s a somewhat famous Disney comic series called ‘The Return of Snow White” which I’ve heard is very, VERY good…but I sadly haven’t read it yet, so I don’t think it’s right to include it here. With that said…“dip the apple in the brew, let the sleeping death seep through!” These are My Top 10 Appearances of Disney’s Evil Queen!

10. Kingdom Hearts.

“Kingdom Hearts” is one of my favorite video game series of all time, and a big part of why is the appearances of the Disney Villains. From Maleficent to Hades, from Pete to Ursula, it’s great to see all of these famous baddies show up, and - when the chance arises - to battle them in delightfully crazed combat. HOWEVER, not every villain is a knockout antagonist. I think partially because, as time has gone on, the series has focused more and more on its own original lore and characters than on mingling the Disney worlds INTO that lore, the villains seem to be taking a step back with every other installment. Case in point: the Evil Queen. While by no means the worst of the Disney Villains in this universe, I’ve personally always felt slightly disappointed with the Queen’s appearances in KH. She’s kept perfectly in character, and her times onscreen do lead to some great moments, but she has very little to do with the overarching plot of games like “Birth By Sleep” and it feels like there was more that could have been done with the character than ultimately was. However, it was great to see her, and her presence did lead to possibly my favorite boss fight (at least for the Disney characters) in all of KH history. End of the day, I’d be remiss to leave this off the running entirely. I really just wish we'd gotten more of her.

9. Villains Tonight!

This now-retired spooky spoof was a tongue-in-cheek musical farce originally performed on Disney Cruise Lines. The main character of the show is Hades, who - at the start of the play - is trying to reform…not because he actually desires redemption or feels genuinely repentant, but simply because he is so sick and tired of being foiled time and time again by Hercules, he’s had enough. However, things change when the Fates inform Hades that he needs an upgrade in evil-ness, otherwise he’ll lose control of the Underworld (and, really, that’s all Hades has left). So, the God of the Dead decides to summon some of his fellow villains to his lair, hoping their collective wickedness can help him out. While most of the villains in the show are essentially cameo appearances - showing up for a single "spotlight moment" musical number, and then departing till the end of the show, a-la “CATS” - the Evil Queen actually plays a fairly sizeable role in the story. Hades sends out Pain and Panic with physical invitations for both the Queen and Maleficent. It’s revealed that the two arch-villainesses are not only rivals, but also old flames (har har) of the Lord of the Underworld. Their competitive spirit nearly gets the better of them, but later in the show, they put their differences aside to spoil the day (they’re certainly not SAVING it), and help Hades get back into the evil groove. This is by far the silliest of all the Queen’s appearances on this list, but it’s a lot of fun; the back and forth between herself and Maleficent is so delightfully catty, and it’s cool seeing these two end up being the…ah…“heroes” that help Hades in the end.

8. Disney’s Villains’ Revenge.

I only recently rediscovered this PC game from my youth. While not everything in it still holds up in my adult years, I’d generally say it’s still a pretty interesting title! Made as a sort of promotional method to advertise some of Disney’s older films (which were being either released or re-released to video en masse at the time), this game features four of Disney’s resident rogues: Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, the Ringmaster from Dumbo (...okay, that’s the odd one out…), and - of course - the Evil Queen. The plot begins when Jiminy Cricket (in an uncharacteristic show of abject stupidity) decides to meddle with a magical storybook, tearing out the last page from four of the tales contained within (you can guess which ones). Because of this, the villains are able to rewrite their stories the way they want to, twisting things around and coming up with the “unhappy endings” they want most. With help from the Blue Fairy, Jiminy and the Player thus travel into each story to set things right again. In the Snow White section of the game, the Evil Queen has written the Prince out of existence. She tricks Snow White into eating a poisoned apple, and then - just for good measure - she begins to force each of the Seven Dwarfs to take an apple as well, putting them to sleep one by one. Jiminy and the Player need to work fast to find a way to bring the Prince back from the proverbial void before all of the Dwarfs are knocked out. Later, at the climax of the game, the Queen joins in the final battle with the other villains. Instead of being killed, her punishment for her evil deeds is to be forced to remain in her hideous old crone form for the rest of her life. Serves her right, I’d say!

7. Fantasmic!

This nighttime spectacular - an extravaganza of stunts, dance routines, and special effects, all tied together by a loose plot - is generally considered one of the greatest shows ever put on at the Disney Parks. While the exact size of the Queen’s role in the story has changed a couple times through different evolutions and interpretations, she has always been an integral figure in the proceedings. The story - what little there is - begins with Mickey Mouse taking the audience on a tour through his own dreamworld, “where beauty and love will always survive.” The Queen’s arrival is a major turning point: she’s having none of this happiness and harmony rubbish, thank you very much! So, with the help of the Magic Mirror, the Queen summons some of the other Disney Villains to help her “turn that little mouse’s dream into a Nightmare Fantasmic!” (Hence the title.) Although Maleficent is ultimately the final obstacle Mickey must overcome to save his dreamland, it’s the Evil Queen who spearheads the conflict and is the true leader of the villains in the show. Through every change and iteration of Fantasmic, this has remained fairly constant; whatever alterations the nightly spectacle goes through, it’s a fair bet she won’t be leaving Mickey’s dreams alone anytime soon.

6. Kingdom Keepers.

It took me a bit of time to warm up to the Evil Queen in this book series, but once I did, I found she was more than worthy of praise. The “Kingdom Keepers” series is a sort of “Night at the Museum”-esque series of novels, with the premise being that, every night, all of the rides and attractions at the Disney Parks come to life…and so do a great many Disney characters. Not all of these characters are good guys, of course, and a number of them - mostly Villains, naturally - have banded together to form an organization called “The Overtakers.” You can guess what their evil scheme is based on that name alone. While the main leaders of the Overtakers are Chernabog and Maleficent, the Queen plays a notable role in the latter half of the initial series of novels: first, she takes charge as the main antagonist of the fourth book, “Power Play,” leading the Overtakers in a scheme to release the imprisoned Dark Fairy and Black God. The Queen remains a prominent character for the next couple books, and once again takes command in the final novel of the series, “The Insider,” after the main protagonist of the series - Finn Whitman - succeeds in slaying Maleficent. While I personally feel that, in “Power Play,” the character felt like a sort of “Diet Maleficent” - the two characters just have a lot in common in general - the Queen really came into her own as the series progressed, and we saw her interact with other characters more and more. Part of the fun throughout the books was her interactions with her main henchperson: Cruella DeVil. The Queen and Cruella made for a truly odd couple of baddies, since, while Maleficent and the Queen have a lot in common, Cruella and Her Majesty are almost polar opposites. I haven’t read the sequel series to the original seven books, but I can only hope the self-proclaimed Fairest in the Land is just as good (bad?) there.

5. Snow White’s Scary Adventures.

As far as the Parks go, I would argue this ride…USED to be the Queen’s magnum opus. Originally simply called “Snow White’s Adventures” in past iterations, the ride was later more appropriately titled in light of the fact it REALLY leaned on the darker, more macabre elements of the story, with the Queen - seen primarily in her Witch form - basically being the star of the show. Throughout the ride she menaces the riders, tempting them with her Poisoned Apple and cackling with glee, popping up at unexpected intervals as the guests navigate their way through her dungeons and the spooky woods beyond. It was widely regarded as one of the best of Disney’s film-themed dark rides, and when I visited Disneyland (a whole twelve years ago, jeeze I feel old…), it was probably my second favorite after “Peter Pan’s Flight.” UNFORTUNATELY, this ride basically doesn’t exist anymore, at least not at the American Parks: at Walt Disney World, it was replaced with the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster, and the Witch has almost nothing to do for that one. (Though her one brief appearance near the end IS done with a VERY impressive animatronic.) As for Disneyland, the ride was recently refurbished as “Snow White’s Enchanted Wish,” which effectively neutered the original ride and, in my opinion, lacks the emotional impact the original, much darker attraction had. It’s truly sad how some of the best things must always remain in the past.

4. Mirror, Mirror.

This was the sixth of the “Twisted Tales” series of books released by Disney, and it is the first one I ever got to read. The series, created by author Liz Braswell, works off a very simple formula: take a random “What If?” question about a Disney movie, and then create either an alternate universe or a sequel or even a prequel out of that concept. While Braswell spearheaded the series and wrote the vast majority of the books, she was not the only author involved; a few other creators also joined in to handle various subjects and stories. Enter Jen Calonita, whose first entry into the books was this one. As the byline on the book’s cover indicates, the concept is based on the idea that, instead of using the Poisoned Apple to kill Snow White right off the bat, the Queen instead tricks the Prince. However, there’s a bit more to the story than that: while the Queen is still utterly despicable, the book gives her a sympathetic leaning, with a backstory that explains more of her wicked actions, while still keeping it clear that her deeds are reprehensible. The twist to the plot also allows Snow White herself to take a more proactive role in the story, as she goes from a humble and sweethearted young lady like in the film to the one who has to face the Queen to save the kingdom. It’s an interesting turnaround that takes the classic fairy-tale and turns into a more complex and action-oriented story, and while I don’t think it’s the best book of the Twisted Tales series, it’s nevertheless a personal favorite.

3. Snow White Live!

Nowadays, we take Disney’s stage musicals somewhat for granted. From Beauty and the Beast, to The Lion King, to Mary Poppins, and more, it’s almost more surprising when an especially popular Disney movie DOESN’T have some kind of staged version out there, be it Broadway or some other avenue. (I mean, by God, they have a stage version of “The Aristocats,” for crying out loud!) However, this was not always the case: the very first attempt at doing a full-length stage musical treatment of a Disney film came in the late 70s/early 80s, as part of a plan to save the prestigious Radio City Music Hall. And what better movie was there to choose than “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”: the first animated feature film Disney made would also be their first foray onto the New York stage scene. This production has gone by several titles, some longer than others, but I’ve always known it by the colloquial name “Snow White Live!” in reference to NBC’s fairly recent live TV musicals. This production was, in fact, recorded and aired on TV and in video release at its height of popularity…but since it has never been re-staged, to my knowledge, and has never received a DVD or Blu-ray release, it’s largely fallen into obscurity. This is a shame, because it’s really a very good production! Part of its appeal, of course, comes from the villain: the Evil Queen is played by two different actors in the show. In her radiant, Queenly form, she is played by Anne Francine; most well-known onstage for her work in the musicals “Mame” and “Anything Goes,” and recognizable to film audiences for her appearance in the movie “Crocodile Dundee.” As the Witch, the character was played by a male actor, Charles Hall, who also voiced the Magic Mirror. Hall would go on to be a constant presence at Radio City, playing the role of Santa Claus for many years in a row during their famous Christmas Spectacular. Both do a great job putting their own spin on the character’s dual identities, and I love them almost as much as the original Queen from the movie! If you haven’t seen this show before, you can easily find it on YouTube; definitely go and check it out.

2. Vil Schoenheit, from Twisted Wonderland.

Well, if you know me, you should have known this guy was coming. In case you haven’t been paying attention to or just didn’t know about my frankly unhealthy addiction to this mobile game, let me give you the basic summation: “Twisted Wonderland” is a gacha-style game, wherein the player gets transported to a parallel universe, and begins life staying at a School of Dark Magic. This school has apparently been inspired by “The Great Seven” - seven of the most infamous Disney Villains - and throughout the game’s story you encounter different figures based on the Great Seven, as well as other Disney characters (mostly villains). The Evil Queen is one of the Great Seven, and while she, herself, has virtually no bearing on the game at all, the analogous character to her is this lad: Vil Schoenheit. Vil is the resident celebrity of Night Raven College, the school in question: he is a professional actor, dancer, singer, and model, who also dabbles in directing, costume design, photography, and even commercial fashion. He is vain, domineering, and carries himself with an icy, sometimes deadpan authority, and is highly persnickety about personal appearances. His Unique Magic allows him to place a poisonous curse on anything he touches, and he is, in fact, a very skilled potion maker and poisons expert: it was this knowledge that allowed him to become the leader of Pomefiore, the house inspired by the Queen. Admittedly, when the game was first released, Vil was actually one of the characters I was LEAST interested in…but as time has gone on, and we’ve seen more of him and learned more about him, he’s become more and more of a favorite of mine. He wouldn’t likely be in too many other people’s top three, but he’s certainly in mine.

1. Fairest of All.

As much as I love Vil, you really can’t beat the original Evil Queen. And as far as other works beyond the film go, I don’t think anything has ever beaten this story. This was the first - and, in my opinion, the best - of Serena Valentino’s book series collectively entitled “Villains.” The series explores the origins of different famous Disney antagonists, and shows their own side of the story for their respective films. As the series went on, it began to build its own lore and a broader universe, which I’ve always had mixed feelings about. “Fairest of All,” however, as the first book, doesn’t have any of the issues this budding lore presents in other novels of the series: it stays with its subject, not really deviating from it, presenting simply the story of how the Evil Queen became so evil. Even more than the later “Mirror, Mirror,” this book makes you sympathize with the Queen, and explains her origins and motives in a way that is both tragic and disturbing. At the start of the story, she actually tries hard to be a good mother to dear Snow White, and a worthy bride to her husband, the King. However, as time goes on, personal insecurities and the pressure of her power begin to twist her heart and mind, ultimately transforming her into the villainess we all recognize. There have been many sympathetic takes on the Evil Queen, both by Disney and by others, but this may very well be my favorite take: it inspired me a lot when I was working on my own twist to the plot…but that’s another story (literally). Bottom line, for somehow being both beautifully simple and wonderfully complex, “Fairest of All” is, in my opinion, the best appearance of Disney’s Evil Queen.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

House of Mouse.

The Queen had multiple small appearances throughout this show, but nothing super substantial. Still, it was fun to see her pop up and all the shenanigans she’d get up to. I think my favorite was the time she sold Pete a poisoned apple like a used car saleswoman. XD

Once Upon a Halloween.

A Halloween special in tribute to the Disney Villains, where the Evil Queen consults not the Magic Mirror, but rather the Black Cauldron, in a plan to - what else? - take over the world. At the end of the special, the power of the Cauldron overwhelms the Queen…though thankfully, her end is much less horrifying than the Horned King’s.

Snow White: An Enchanting Musical.

This was a stage show at Disneyland that was a reimagining of the original Disney film, with some minor changes to the plot and new dialogue. It featured a pre-recorded Patrick Stewart as the Magic Mirror. Fun show, but I find the other appearances more noteworthy of interest.

Disney’s Golden Anniversary of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs.

An EXTREMELY weird (and very, VERY cheesy) 1987 TV special made in tribute to the film’s 50th anniversary. Jane Curtin played the Queen, seeking revenge on the Seven Dwarfs, with the help of…uh…Sherman Hemsley. (pauses) Weird choice for the face of the Magic Mirror, that one…

#list #countdown #best #favorites #disney villains #evil queen #snow white #snow white and the seven dwarfs #disney #kingdom hearts #kingdom keepers #twisted wonderland #vil #vil schoenheit #fantasmic #villains tonight #disney's villains' revenge #mirror mirror #fairest of all

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leikeliscomet · 6 months

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No, Ncuti Gatwa's Casting Isn't Regressive

Chapter 1 - For Black Boys?

The general consensus of male companions is they don’t really stand out like their female peers. If I said ‘iconic male companion’ I doubt many people would think of Adric. However, some are still loved by certain parts of fandom regardless. Rory’s nerdiness turned bravery has gotten him a small stanbase. Captain Jack is loved by many especially as he was an openly bisexual character, being Nuwho’s earliest example of queer representation. Or Wilf, whose light-hearted personality and humour engaged so many (Rest in Peace Bernard Cribbins). Black male companions on the other hand didn’t really get those types of flowers, let alone reaching Clara Oswald or Rose Tyler levels of popularity. The amount of lead Black men in Who is little (3 to be exact) and from them, their stories didn’t reach the icon status of the other companions of the show. And the reasons why unfortunately weren’t that surprising.

The first Black male companion was Mickey Smith. Mickey played the role of the scared boyfriend of Rose Tyler, simping after her as she ran off with a mysterious Ninth Doctor. Nine’s best-of-the-best mentality meant there wasn’t a Mickey shape in the TARDIS to fill in. The two would constantly have nitpicky back and forths putting Rose in the position of having to ‘choose’ her man. But her mind was made up. Rose and Mickey split by the end of the season with Mickey revealing his fling with a Ms Trisha Delaney. It wasn’t a universe-defying breakup where the galaxies tried to separate them but instead a case of two people with different wants and needs calling it quits. That doesn't sound too bad on paper, right? But unfortunately, RTD gave Mickey Smith a pre-Martha Jones arc, where so much of his arc would be dedicated to his failure to live up to a Rose Tyler standard. Despite Rose’s contributions to the RoseMickey split and how both characters had cheated on the other, both RTD and the fandom had given Mickey most of the blame. Mickey’s relationship with NineRose would eventually warm up towards the end of series 1, agreeing with Nine that Rose travelling was what she wanted and her council estate days were over. Series 2 decided to flip this on its head however, having Ten and Mickey being a lot more hostile towards each other. From Rose’s eyerolls to Ten forgetting Mickey’s existence it was clear the TenRose TARDIS team only had room for two. After getting fed up with his Tin Dog treatment, Mickey decided to stay in Pete’s World a little longer. The last of his official arc would be his return in the series 2 finale, gun-slinging against Daleks and Cybermen. He wouldn’t return until series 4 for the 2008 Dalek Invasion and a cameo with Martha Jones announcing their offscreen marriage. Although creating a small Mickey Smith standom, Mickey’s time in RTD1 was rough. He was mainly reduced to a comic relief or punching bag for the main white characters, having little room for his own developments. And the ones he did have, such as his absentee father, dead grandma and random Martha marriage were brief moments and not really enough to fully flesh him out.

Moffat gave us another Black male lead in Danny Pink. Although not a companion, Danny would be the math teaching counterpart to Clara Oswald and his conflict with TwelveClara would actually serve a narrative purpose. Unlike RoseMickey, our main companion would choose her boyfriend over the moody Time Lord although it was only briefly. Danny’s soldier past would have him demonised both in show and fandom, from Twelve’s bias against soldiers to Clara’s uncertainty to many TwelveClaras keeping him at arm's length and even going as far as to call him abusive. Danny, like Mickey, wasn’t super popular Black male representation either. Just as Nine and Ten made it clear Mickey wasn’t welcome, Twelve’s issue with ‘PE’ made it clear the two weren’t besties either. Danny would have to prove to Twelve he was worthy of Clara’s love and this would be achieved through his cyber-self sacrifice in the series 8 finale. Obviously, a child murderer would not be a fan favourite overnight, especially from the POV of a former solder Time Lord who’d suffered the consequences of war himself. However, series 8 established Twelve’s arc of moral ambiguity and potential for change, where he’d go on to question the type of man he was; good, bad, both or neither. Yet, Danny Pink was irredeemable. Whether we personally believe Danny deserved a second chance or not, he wasn’t given one like his white counterparts. To the fandom, Twelve and Clara’s actions were the byproduct of context and factors, heart-wrenching decisions in situations they couldn’t control. But Danny Pink was irredeemable, evil and the worst character of Moffat Who. Twelve and Clara were compelling. Danny Pink was trash. In fact, Missy, who’d claimed more lives than Mr Pink ever did would be set up for her own moral ambiguity arc, taking the iconic Time Lord villain and questioning if they could ever become good in their first female incarnation. Against a narrative of growth and change, a white woman’s redemption would be set up for a greater arc that would end at the end of Moffat’s run itself, with most fans supporting her growth and potential, whilst a Black man’s was found in his death to protect the other white characters. Danny’s final appearance would be in Last Christmas where he and Clara shared their final goodbyes. TwelveClara’s arc would continue in series 9 and Danny’s name was never mentioned again.

Chibnall introduced us to the first Black male companion to travel full-time, Ryan Sinclair. Despite this achievement, Ryan would somehow have even less visibility than Danny and Mickey. Ryan’s arc was simpler, focusing on his ability to ride a bike with his dyspraxia. He wouldn’t achieve this goal, not as a slight but as a small commentary on how disability wasn't something to be fixed and instead a part of people’s everyday lives. Ryan’s dyspraxia was heavily critiqued for being written inconsistently and so would many other aspects of his character. His missing YouTube channel post-series 11, his way of mentioning his dead nan each episode and his relationship (or lack thereof) with his dad were seen as many misses in the writing department. Even after losing his nan, most gun-wrenching heartfelt moments about her death were given to Graham instead. Along with this, there was and still is harsh criticism of Tosin Cole’s acting (which ironically hasn’t stopped him from securing lead roles in House Party and Supacell, making him a breakout star of the Chibnall era). Series 12 wouldn’t help Ryan’s case either as after the initial Tim Shaw storyline ended with Graham and Ryan finding a type of closure for Grace, Ryan would slip further back in the queue for priority characters. With the return and new incarnation of the Master, the Fugitive Doctor reveal, the Timeless Child, Ashad the Lone Cyberman and the hunt for the Cyberium, there wasn’t really room for a new companion arc for any of the fam, let alone Ryan specifically. At most, he got a small subplot involving shooting a basketball hoop, similar to his bike-riding storyline. This would only be relevant in two episodes; its introduction and a small scene of him teaming up with Ko Sharmus to take out some Cybermen. His dad whom we were introduced to in series 11 wouldn’t return in this series either, missing the opportunity for a follow-up from that storyline. Instead, we got Tibo, similar to Amy and Rory’s Mels, a companion’s alleged best friend who we never saw in the previous season. This friendship wouldn’t play a key role either and Tibo was reduced to irregular small appearances. Ryan would be ready to leave in Revolution of the Daleks with a wallet of psychic paper. No new YouTube video or completed mechanic NVQ in sight. The Chibnall era companions already faced a fair share of unpopularity and plenty of ‘cardboard cut-out’ allegations. In most companion polls, Ryan tends to sit at the bottom with his grandad Graham following close behind.

This isn’t to say Mickey, Danny or Ryan are blips in Doctor Who’s universe and had no impact whatsoever but that they all suffered due to a lack of meaningful writing. Mickey and Danny mainly served to facilitate white characters and many of their scenes functioned as reminders of how much the Doctor hated them. Ryan on the other hand, despite having what was supposed to be his own arc as a full-time companion, had to share screentime with two others on top of Thirteen’s arc as well. Thirteen and Yaz’s narratives stretched across three series whilst he only got two, and those two were already packed with a lot of other narratives. In the same way the treatment of Martha and Bill reflects the show’s issues in representing Black women, the treatment of these characters shows the issue in the show’s representations of Black men. The vulnerabilities of Black manhood are rarely portrayed in mainstream media due to the stereotypes of Black men being tough, aggressive and hypermasculine (key examples being the Black Brute trope or Thug trope). Even though I wouldn’t argue Mickey, Danny or Ryan fit these tropes exactly, their treatment reflects the antiblackness Black men experience; the false idea of inevitable struggle that Black men are supposed to ‘handle’ because of their ‘inherent’ strength. Across genders, Black characters are made to feel like they have to ‘work’ and ‘earn’ their spot in the TARDIS or ‘work’ to be worthy of the Doctor’s attention, which can feel like a barrier when it comes to feeling represented by this show. The Fugitive Doctor was a step forward, moving beyond Black characters as the companions but an attempt at a Black doctor, a Black main character. But with the Fugitive reduced to cameo roles and the end of the Chibnall era, this never came through. The main options seem to be Tin Dog or three seconds of screen time. Gatwa’s casting can not only be an attempt to build from the sidelining of the Fugitive but also provide a form of Black male representation the show has never done before, building on the neglect of Mickey, Danny and Ryan. The only way to move when you’re stuck at the bottom is upwards.

<- Intro

Chapter 2 ->

#mickey smith #ryan sinclair #danny pink #fifteenth doctor #15th doctor #ncuti gatwa #doctor who #new who #black representation #doctor who analysis #fandom analysis #doctor who fandom #fandom antiblackness #fandom racism #fandom history #rtd critical #moffat critical #chibnall critical

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chungledown-bimothy · 11 months

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Top 5 character dynamics on d20? (Intrepid heroes seasons + side quests; so 10)

oh i love this and thank you for splitting it into the 2 groups, making it slightly more possible lol

point of clarification: the slashes are NOT being used as a shipping indication. it's just faster than using and a million times. in fact, the only one i ship is colin/deli/skarna.

Side Quests:

1- Colin/Deli/Skarna. I don't need to explain this one, I think. Everything is wrong with them and it's painful and wonderful.

2- Squing/Alexsandr. Squing ate over 2500 letters Sasha wrote. Sasha wants to play with his weirdly soft head like silly putty. Every single interaction has me in hysterics, really.

3- Evan/Jammer. EAT TRASH BEAT TRASH. FAMILY ON SIX. Jammer constantly being Evan's strongest hype man is just so great.

4- Chirp/Squak. Emily and Lou decided they wanted to be an iconic, chaotic duo, and my god they knocked it out of the park. The scene where she tells him about her wife and kids?? 100/10.

5- Lila/Jaysohn/Thorn. It was really hard to not say the whole damn party, honestly. But Thorn trying to cool-uncle parent these goddamn nightmares was incredible.

Intrepid Heroes:

1- Amethar/Caramelinda. I wrote a whole fic about their early relationship. I rotate them in my mind constantly. As complicated and painful what we know about them is, what's left unsaid is even more so. (if you just meant pc/pc dynamics, i'm sorry!)

2- Sofie/Kugrash. If I start talking about the million reasons I love them and their friendship, I'll start crying, so. Not gonna do that. But you understand.

3- Pete/Kingston. Pete seeing Kingston as an authority figure to rebel against -> father figure. Kingston not giving Epona Pete's information in the same day that he says that if it comes down to NYC or Pete, he'll pick NYC ten out of ten times. The Voxes, starting diametrically opposed and ending up family, really.

4- Saccharina/Ruby. You can be my queen or my sister, but not both. The prisoners' dilemma. Jet just died, Ruby can't let anyone else in vs Ruby representing everything Saccharina has ever wanted. 100/10 Siobhan and Emily killed me.

5- Pib/Pinocchio. Literally partners in crime. Just a pair of little dudes causing Big Chaos. Pinocchio holding Pib up to Baba Yaga and saying "where the white women at?" is canon to me.

That's a lot of Lou characters oop 😅

#dimension 20 #the ravening war #coffin run #misfits and magic #acofaf #burrow's end #a crown of candy #the unsleeping city #neverafter

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slutouttanowhere · 6 months

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Pairing: Randy Orton x Mavis Pete(oc) x LA Knight

Warning: public fingering, degradation, use of the word “cunt” not suitable for minors 21+

Word count: 7k –I hope you heathens are happy now

Special tag: @wanderingpages s/o to my main beta reader, the bitch slayed me again. ❤️‍🔥

A/n: Listen, this on was edited, not only that but I literally army crawled and struggled to get this shit done lol. Yes LA Knight was indeed in a boy band with his friends back in the day he’s said so himself. He’s literally so baby girl sometimes I love him. Anywho hope y’all enjoy this chapter and the story so far. Again I’ll reiterate that sometimes I’d prefer to use a wrestlers real name for the most part, and in this case it’s LA Knight, oc calls him by his government. I’d imagine he wouldn’t mind closer friends and such doing that. Also also also, reblog, leave comments and like please and thank you ✨💗

Chapter 4

My week has already started off somewhat chaotic, I nearly missed my flight from the last town, and I had a bit of difficulty with the rental place. After that was handled, and I settled, I finally got to do one of my favorite things, go to the salon,and get my hair done. After a month and a half, I’m finally getting a new weave installed. Luckily, our next stop was New York City, so it was nothing for me to meet up with my stylist, Peach, at her salon. I pulled up to the suite with an overnight bag containing a change of clothes, a hair accessories bag, a pair of sweat suits on, and my hair piled up on the top of my head. From afar, I caught a few men with cameras pointed at me. I sigh and place my shades over my eyes, trying to pay them no mind. Paparazzi in my face is something I’m used to considering my time in the WWE, but there’s a constant nagging in the deep recesses of my mind, wondering about the possibility of a bad shot and a misleading story concocted from it. Still, my lips tilt in a smirk giving them just a little something to work with.

Peach’s set up is so professional, the front has chairs lined up against the windows where customers can sit and wait. The receptionist desk is made out of gray, and white marble. Pictures of beauty icons lined the walls of the hallway that led to the back where the shampooing, and styling stations were. The receptionist at the front greeted me, and had me sign in. It wasn't long before I was being taken back by a shampoo girl to get my hair washed, blow dried, and then braided for the wig. By the time I actually sat down in Peach’s chair, the process was more than halfway over. She smiled at me through the beauty mirror in front of us; this was my favorite part of my work week, and I never take this time for granted. This is probably the only other time I don't talk in depth about wrestling, which I’m absolutely grateful for. Sometimes it feels like the gig is 24/7, but going to hair and nail appointments was one of the more mundane things that kept my brain intact.

“What are the plans for today?” She asked, guiding my head back to lean into her chair, helping me get comfortable as her work takes time. I inhaled deeply – the first thing that popped into my brain was Shaun. Tonight was our first official date, although he didn't actually call it a date, but hanging out with someone you're consistently having sex with is definitely a date to me.

“Apparently…” I hesitated in telling her, only because I could already guess her reaction. “I’m going on a date.” And without having to look at her , I knew Peach’s face was set in a grim, almost unimpressed expression.

“Ew, why?” She then caught herself, not wanting to sound too put off, “Wait, who with?” She was suspicious of my answer; she’s made it evidently clear she doesn't really agree with my choice in men. Especially since she found out about Nic and I via twitter. I think she just naturally assumed I’m surrounded by jackasses and she’s partially right.

I peek an eye open, taking in her reaction, “Remember my co-worker, LA Knight?”

“Stupid name.” She mumbled, rolling her eyes, but nodding her head. I couldn't help but let out a chortle of laughter. It’s understood between us that she just cares about me, and wants the best. Which, if you don't have a friend that’s willing to beat someone's ass, or at the very least tell them off in a very passionate manner, then are they really your friend?

“Hey, be nice, that’s a future Hall of Famer you’re insulting.” I playfully scolded her, only for her to give me an indescribable response somewhere between a mumble and a grunt. I rolled my eyes this time, “Well, he asked me on a date a few days ago, and honestly I’m kind of nervous because it was so, like, left field, ya know?” I replayed the scene in my head, finally being able to reflect on that day from a birds eye view. Truth be told, I still wasn't sure if I wanted to entertain the idea of us dating, even if it was just meant to be ‘fun’ as he described it.

She’s quiet for this run as well, letting me ruminate and maybe taking in the situation herself. “You wanna know why you’re nervous?” Peach asked, voice softening a bit, and suddenly I was all in, willing to listen to a married woman, and anything she had to tell me. “He likes you – more than a situationship, and more than a friend. I mean, he might be in love with you, Mavis.” She said earnestly. I felt my face heat up, and my eyebrows scrunched together as denial fought its way through.. It is something I thought about, but I wanted to be wrong.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” I asked awkwardly, my voice cracking, eyelids widened. A chagrin expression morphing onto my face. Peach pressed her lips together, a stern expression written across her features; we stared each other down through the mirror, and off course I broke first. Letting out an uncomfortable kind of laughter to fill the silence, I bit my lip when I realized she wasn’t laughing with me.

“And you knew that didn’t you? But you said yes anyways.” She confirmed without me having to. A part of me felt bad, because the truth of the matter was, if I cut off Shaun I felt like I won’t have anyone else to entertain me.

“What happens when you fuck around and actually like him back when it’s too late? Like, I love you a lot but, is this a game you really wanna play?” Peach asked, her tone firm, and serious now. Boy, did she always ask the hard hitting questions. “I’m not getting on you, it’s just something to think about. Either way, it’s your choice what you do.” She said softly after observing how my lips dropped into a frown.

I sighed heavily, deciding to let it go for now, I turned my attention towards my stomach. As soon as I thought about food, my stomach grumbled, and I didn’t wanna eat out again since I’m going out with Shaun later. Maybe just something to knock the edge off? “Hungry? I’m buying.” I offered.

“Sort of, I kinda just wanted a smoothie or something, though. My boyfriend made dinner at home,” Peach grinned letting me steer the conversation elsewhere. she already had her phone out scrolling for open restaurants nearby, and my stomach growled louder at the thought, causing us both to burst out in laughter. We took a small break, waited for the smoothies, and while we waited I decided to play a silly game of smash or pass with Peach. She passed all the options; this set a record for the most eyerolls in one conversation, but then we got around to Randy.

“Please, for the love of God, don't say smash, Mavis.” Peach deadpanned, a light hearted, yet disappointed expression etched across her face. I opened my mouth to explain, but she immediately cut me off. “Isn’t he supposed to be your mentor or something?”

“And you’ve never wanted to fuck your teacher?” I argued back without hesitation, she couldn’t contain the smile that broke out onto her face and she threw her head back.

“You know what, am I even surprised? I know more about that man than I should, no thanks to you,” she grumbled, only pausing her rant to check the notification on her phone, indicating our food had come; Peach ordered us both smoothies, a nutella waffle, and some mozzarella sticks. We nibbled, and chatted for a little while longer, then Peach got back to work on my hair. By the time she actually finished, the sky turned a pink lemonade hue outside, and the foot traffic on the streets began to pick up.

“Wow, Peach, another banger, this looks amazing!” I ran my fingers through the grape colored curls gently, then turned to wrap my arms around her. We squeezed each other tightly, “ Hey do you mind if I use your bathroom to change my clothes real quick.”

“Are you gonna ask me every time to use the facilities you help to keep up?” She asked playfully, her lips curling up into a grin, but she pointed me in the direction of the back rooms where the bathroom was located. I grabbed my duffle bag, then slipped inside, and put on the light. I made sure to flick a few pics of myself, before and after my outfit change. I quickly opened Instagram to post them, not thinking anything of it. I packed my worn clothes into my bag, collected my things, then walked back into the salon. I made sure to hug Peach one more time, and swiped my debit card on the way out the door. I hopped into my rental, then made my way back to the hotel.

With the time I had left, I wasn’t really in the mood to wear a full face of makeup, so I decided to strategically draw on a sharp batwing eyeliner. Just as I was applying my second coat of mascara, the phone rang and I nearly jumped out of my skin. “Ugh.” I groaned, reluctantly I picked up my phone, it was Shaun. “I almost stabbed myself in the eye thanks to you.” I grumbled, from his side of the video call, it looked like he was already outside the hotel.

A bright smile stretched across his face, I hated how handsome he was sometimes, it made it hard for me to deny him. “Don't worry, doll face, you wont need ’em where we’re going,” he joked. The scenery behind him changed as he walked into the hotel, smiling to anyone that passed him by. He was damn near glowing – I don't think I’ve ever seen him this happy before.

“A doofus you are.” I quipped, to which he snorted. There’s a tapping on my door and I wasn't surprised to see him on the opposite end of the threshold. His eyes softened upon seeing me. I hung up the phone on my end, and threw my arms around his neck. He seemed stunned by my eagerness. Shaun and I communicate a lot outside of work; even when we’re not physically together, we’re texting, or talking on the phone all day. This makes me feel uber important considering he’s usually busier than me at the moment with the company pushing him to be a made man, so he’s been booked a lot more than usual. It made me tear up thinking about it, I guess I was staring too long, Shaun held me at arms length observing my expression.

“Hey, you okay sweetheart?” With one hand gently squeezing my shoulder, the other held my fingers to his chest. My free hand wrapped around the back of his neck, and my fingers dug into his honey blonde hair. The corners of his lips curled upward into a tiny smile, and his eyelids drooped slightly. A while ago, we discovered that’s one of his ‘spots.’ I tilted my head to one side, my smile mirroring his.

“I’m just so happy for you, ya know? The company is really trusting you to be in a top position. And all of your success – you know how I love to watch my friends win, Shaun.” My voice just above a whisper, a sparkle of pride flashed in his eyes. He let out a breath, and quickly deflected the attention to me, like I knew he would.

Kissing me on the nose, he said, “Well, I’m just trying to keep up with you, little miss. hottest thing to rise out of NXT, little miss. First, women’s money in the bank winner. Now, she’s up on main roster, rolling with the big dogs, face on posters, and cups. Nike shoe deals, cameos in tv shows, music video vixen…I could go on, she’s got an extensive resume already.” He listed off my accomplishments, all those things were nice, and I’m grateful for all my opportunities, but I always felt as if I was the background character in my own life.

“So I guess you could say, I’m a…Megastar.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, and Shaun threw his head back, chuckling deeply. He was able to recover quickly, then leaned down and kissed me on the corner of my lips.

“Yeah.” My impression of LA Knight always won him over, even if it was stupid, and sometimes a far cry from what he actually sounded like. I was a fan before anything else, which he found endearing, thankfully.

“Alright, save some fun for the actual date, huh?” Shaun unwrapped himself from me so that I could quickly run to grab my purse, and phone. With our arms linked, we walked out only to be stopped shortly by a few of our inner circle. Xavier turned just before we crossed each other, tailed by Tyler Breeze and Big E.

“Damn! New wig, who dis?” Big E called out to me, the boys slapped hands with Shaun before they gently brought me into a side hug. Tyler is wholly responsible for Shaun and I ‘bumping’ into each other at that christmas party. Now, whether Tyler shoving me into Shaun was actually an accident or not… well that was still debatable. While Big E and Shaun were busy making some small talk, Xavier and Tyler pestered me.

Tyler slapped me on my shoulder, a grin on his lips, “I bet right about now you’re thinking, ‘gee, I’m so glad Tyler accidentally bumped into me at that party’ and to that I say, you’re welcome.” Xavier instantly bubbled up into giggles, which initially I wanted to be annoyed by Tylers statement, but Xavier’s laugh is so undeniable, and contagious.

“Whatever, doofus.” I rolled my eyes, by that time, Big E, and Shaun had rejoined our group. He threw his arm around my shoulder, I could feel my face heat up by the way the guys looked at me. Tyler was ready to burst, and Xavier wasn't too far behind him. They were the big brothers I never wanted sometimes. Shuan and I haven’t ever been this open with any form of affection, maybe a love tap here or there, or a playful flirt. But tonight, he’s practically waving a banner around for everyone to see and for some reason, it was making me anxious..

“Love to stay and chat fellas, but there’s a steak with my name on it.” Shuan’s light hearted tone put me at ease, reminding me that these are my friends, and that if I could trust anyone, it would be them. Probably with my life if I’m being honest. At last, we were alone again, walking through the hotel lobby and towards the parked car. Thankfully, the sun had gone down, and a nice breeze blew through the air. Shaun opened the passenger door for me, and I made sure to plant a soft kiss on his cheek before getting in.

I checked my phone as I settled in. Randy, had apparently he had been calling me all day. A few hours ago he had sent me a few texts. I bit my lip, guilt tightened in my chest – how could I have forgotten about him?

12:30 pm Randy🐍: Hey kid, ready? I’ll swing by in a little bit

12:40 pm Randy🐍: You forgot about training, didn't you?

1:15 pm Randy🐍: C’mon Mavis, you’re killing me, call me later. We’re gonna have to talk about this.

I puffed out air from my cheeks, nothing worse than being scolded by your idol, Randy Orton at that. I had been concentrating on the screen so intensely that I didn't even realize I never asked where the hell Shaun was taking me. “Umm, so you never told me what our date was.” I finally spoke up, it wasn't out of the ordinary that we sat in silence, I appreciated the fact that he didn't take my constant dissociating personally.

“Boy, I thought you’d never ask.” He joked, he glanced at me for a moment, a grin on his lips. One hand on the steering wheel, the other on my thigh, and hiphop music in the background. My heart thudded, I felt like a girl in one of those cheesy romance comedies, like I was Kate Hudson or something. Right when I think I’m out of the trenches with this man, he somehow reels me back in with the simplest of things, and I wonder if he knew that. Because besides Nic, I’m not exactly known to keep men around that long. Shaun’s been here almost a year.

“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes halfheartedly to which he chuckled.

“It’s a surprise, I think you’d like it though, it’s a little place where you can really let your star power shine.” He said vaguely, leaving me with more confusion than before, but soon my questions were answered. We pulled into a packed parking lot, the front of the building said ‘Melodys’ in bright red led letters.

My heart pounded with excitement, and a little bit of nervousness. I recognize this place from when it came across my Instagram timeline two weeks ago. “Shaun! Why didn’t you tell me we’re going to karaoke? I would have been more prepared.” I groaned, no matter how hard I tried to rack my brain for the perfect song, there were simply too many for me to choose from.

“Sorry man, I just assumed you’d have one, everyone has a karaoke song!” He claimed, to which I went silent for a moment, and he looked at me expectantly.

“I’ve never been before.” I said quietly.

“What?” He seemed genuinely surprised by this.

“Yeah.” I whispered, now feeling embarrassed under his gaze. My eyes tore away from his, no longer able to hold his stare. He seemed genuinely shocked by this information.

“I never knew that. I figured we’d go and just have a blast.” His large hand held mine gently, our fingers laced together, and with his other hand he grabbed me by the chin turning my face back to him. “We can always go somewhere else if you want—”

“No, I wanna do this. I’ve always wanted to go, so maybe this is a sign.” Then I leaned in, and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. Even when I pulled away he lingered, eyes still closed, and lips slightly puckered.

“I’m waiting for another one.” He mumbled, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly into a lopsided grin, and I couldn’t help my giggle. I rolled my eyes, but granted him one more kiss, this time more heated than the last. I pulled him closer by the back of the neck, his tongue caressed the inside of my mouth, and caused me to moan into him.

Reluctantly we both pulled away for air, “We could always make a bed out of the backseat.” Shaun offered, his tone suggested he was joking, but his eyes said otherwise. I reached my hand out to his check, my thumb swiped over his lips cleaning the gloss I smeared across his mouth.

“And waist this outfit? Nah nah.”

“I love it when you say my catchphrases.” He breathed, still leaning forward to catch another kiss, but I moved away before he could swoop in. He rolled his eyes, turned to get out of the car, and walked around to my side. He opened the door for me, took my hand, and helped me out. Our lips pressed together again before I could even process him pushing close the door behind me. My lips parted in a gasp as his hands moved to grip at my hips, pressing me back onto the cool metal of the car. My hands moved to his neck, that spot where he liked, weaving my fingers into the hair on the nape of his neck. I wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but I was a long way from arguing with him. I was pulling him closer against me, searching for a lazy sort of dominance in the way our tongues seemed to collide. His thumbs moved sinuously over my skin, feeling warm despite the layer of clothing between us. My knees started feeling weak. Something about the way his hands were caressing me, and making out in a dim lit parking lot felt scandalous.

“Shaun,” I murmured, pulling away enough to let my words out, “I'm wearing a skirt.” I whispered through kisses that were turning more ravenous as we went on. I did nothing to stop him, even when I felt his hand squeeze my thigh, and slide up the back. I lifted my leg, wrapping it around his hip, and his fingers crept up further, disappearing underneath my skirt.

“I know.” He said playfully, and my heart jumped when I felt his fingers graze me over my panties. A soft caress at first that had me keening, then a little harder, causing my vision to blur with every intense beating of my pulse. I slur out his name, forgetting my own momentarily as I leaned my head against his neck. His fingers stroked up and down before tugging at the satin and pulling the material to the side. Cool air sent a shiver up my spine, tightening my nipples almost painfully. If I hadn't been holding onto Shaun for dear life, I fear not much would have stopped me from pulling at my shirt and begging his mouth towards the pointed tips. His palm cupped me in a way that made me think it was possible he felt every throb of my clit against his skin. My breaths were labored against his skin, and his soothing words felt akin to nonsense with the way I was struggling to stay focused. “Sweet girl,” he murmured into my soul, “Did you wear this tight little thing in hopes of me doing this tonight?” I bit down on my lip to stop the startled noise threatening to escape when slowly, he slid a finger into me. “You’re already so fucking wet,” he said, as if I wasnt so completely aware. He stroked in and out almost torturously slow, curving his digit just slightly.

“Oh my God.” I whined, tilting my head to stare up at him. I couldn’t see his eyes in this lighting but I bet he was enjoying the fuck out of this. As soft as Shaun was with me, I knew there was a side of him that wanted to hit me over the head with a frying pan, most men did.

“I love the faces you make,” he admitted. “I wonder what happens when I do this.” He pushed a second finger into me, making my eyes grow wide at the intrusion. The stretch wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle – if anything it made me crave more. My eyebrows drew together, and my head fell back when this palm bumped my clit.

“Fuck.” I moaned, lips parting and toes curling. I felt the muscles in my stomach tighten and contract against my will, and my hips began to undulate, hoping to gain more friction. My breath stopped in my throat, it was getting harder to breathe. The air seemed to still around us and my heart began to thump loudly into my ears. I almost didn’t hear the sound of someone’s car door slamming. My fingers gripped him tighter in fear, and I turned my head, looking to see if anyone was headed towards us. Shaun’s hand still at my hip suddenly rested against my neck. He slid it up, wrapping his rough fingers around my chin and forcing my gaze back to his, all the while his steady fingering had yet to stop.

“Eyes on me, little miss,” his demand was so low it felt like the sweetest caress. My lidded eyes grew only heavier as his palm pressed into my clit again. I had thought it was an accident at first, but this time he did it again. Over, and over, bringing me right back to him, and the heat he was sending through my body with the way he was working me. “Just me,” he murmured, tenderly. I nodded almost imperceptibly, but it was enough for him. “Say it,” he whispered, and my knees began to tremble.

“Just…” My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, “Oh God,” I gripped him so hard, I knew his blood would be beneath my nails if I looked. He moved faster and faster, edging me until I told him what he wanted to hear, “Just you,” I nearly wept and the hand on my chin slid down to the base of my throat, adding pressure to my whispered chants. “Just you, just you…” and it felt like a little more than just for this moment right now. “Please.” I begged, and I wasn’t even sure what I was begging for, I just knew I needed it. He leaned in to me, his lips close to my ear, and he whispered things to me I thought he’d never say.

“I always knew you had a slut in you, out in the parking lot getting fingered in public, but this is what you wanted wasn’t it? ” The deepness of his voice, vibrating in my ears, traveled straight down between my thighs. My breath caught in my throat, I could feel it right there, the edge was so close, and I was about ready to jump over it. “Look at you,” he said softly, lips tickling the tip of my ear, “Taking my fingers in the parking lot like a little slut. Did you want him to watch?” took my earlobe between his teeth and I can only gather he meant whoever had just come out of their car. “Want to put on a little show so they could see uptight little Mavis come undone by sweet nothings and a LA Knight’s fingers in her tight little cunt?”

“Fuck you,” I murmured, eyes screwing shut as his fingers slammed into me faster and harder. “Yes,” I blurted out, “Yes, yes,” I felt a coiling heat start at the pit of my stomach and encased me fully. A sheen of sweat coats my skin despite the cool night. I’d say anything this man wanted me to if it meant getting me closer to climax.

“Everytime I say no, you bat those pretty little eyes at me, and I come running. A spoiled fucking brat, isn’t that right?” The sound of wet flesh on flesh filled my ears. It was so hard for me to see straight, let alone speak.

“Yes… ah! I’m such a fucking brat…” I stuttered out, my words mixed with moans, and my back arching. He pressed his lips to me, kissing my cheek, my ears, anywhere he could reach. “Ugh… I’m gonna come… don’t stop, please don’t stop,” I begged in a way I never thought I would.

“I know baby, I know. I’m not going anywhere till you finish, I don’t care how long it takes.” He breathed huskily into my ear. I pulled him in closer, my arms wrapping around him tightly. I brought my other leg up around him, and rocked my hips against him. That was just the right amount of rhythm I needed, and seconds later my hips halted, and just like that I came undone.

“That’s a good girl, let it out, come all over my fingers.” He encouraged me.

“Ugh.” I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut, and burying my face into his shoulder, trying to not scream out into the void of night. . Shaun held me there, slowly pulling his fingers away, and causing my inner muscles to flex. After a moment passed, he slowly, and carefully let my legs down. One hand helped me smooth out my ruffled clothing while I held his other wrist, slowly bringing his fingers to my mouth, sucking him clean of my own essence.

“Glutinous.” He teased, though his eyes glinted something equivalent to carnal desire. We take a moment to come back to our senses, then he gives me a smile I couldn't help but return.

“What was that?” I asked, finally as we began to walk through the parking lot. Shaun had wrapped an arm around me protectively as a group of what looked to be drunk men stumbled in our direction. They didn’t bother us, but he had an eye on them nonetheless.

We paused at the back door, he signaled to the door man to give them a moment. “I sensed you were a little on edge, or at least distracted. I really just wanted to take your mind off things.” He said honestly, he held me by the hands, looking coy and charmingly boyish for a split second. I can’t help but mirror him, giving his fingers a squeeze.

“Then fun I shall have.” I giggled.

“That’s my girl.” Shaun pulled me by the hand. He passed the door man some money, and he happily opened the back door to the club. The sound of the music carried out into the night time air, engulfing us as we entered.. We held onto each other, his hand tightened around my wrist with an iron grip as he navigated us through the sea of bodies. There was seating sectioned off by a red velvet rope, and from what I could tell a small group of people were already seated there.

“Hey girl!” I squinted my eyes, to see Bianca waving me down from behind the vip. Montez behind her, they both danced up to us, she wrapped her arms around me, and instantly felt at home.

“Hey! What are you guys doing here?” Shaun didn’t tell me Bianca and Montez would be here, I would have been ecstatic to hang out with them.

“He didn’t tell you? We told him like two weeks ago to ask you out, Montez and I planned on going out to karaoke anyway. We figured it would be a great excuse to tag along.” She shrugged her shoulders, then took a sip of her fruity looking drink.

I gawked at her in shock, “Since when the hell do you like Shaun? And how come no one told me about any of this?” I wasn’t sure whether to be upset or not that she had set me up like this. I mean of course it was out of love, but I would have liked to have been included, damn it.

“Since Montez told me he wouldn’t shut up about you on one of their guy nights out.” Bianca revealed, a small smile stretched across her lips, and a knowing look on her face. Shaun was talking about me to his friends? I could feel my face heating up, I looked over to where he and Montez stood talking about God knows what. I swallowed thickly as the fluttering in the pit of my stomach went wild when he turned to glance at me. He held his thumb up to me, then switched to a thumbs down, but I answered with a thumbs up. He nodded his head, and went back to his conversation. “You two are so very much dating, I mean I’m pretty sure everyone else thought so, but now you won’t be able to fake the funk.”

“God, shut up.” I laughed. We chatted for a while. As it turned out, they only arrived a little bit before we did, and apparently Bianca signed us up as a duo. Which I’m thankful for, but then she made me sign up for my own solo song. After the boys came back from getting us some food, they sat down at our table.

“So, did you know, LA used to do Karaoke all the time with his friends?” Montez happened to have offered this information that I’m sure Shaun didn’t expect him to share at all. It wasn’t like he was embarrassed per say, but knowing him it’s probably something he wanted to brag about himself.

“You did what?” Already a large grin was forming across my face, being a Scorpio and would not, he had that whole mysterious vibe going on. It was so fun to peel back his layers, and find out something new every time, especially when it came via other people.

“Ah well, yes. It was more so a band; my friends and I would cover songs.” He was caught off guard by the topic, but explained nonetheless. This was by far the most interesting thing I found out about him.

“Whoa, okay JT.” I giggled, he rolled his eyes, he feigned a look of offense. In my peripheral I could see Bianca snapping pictures of us, and she didn’t even try to hide it.

“Okay, not too much, calm down.” He took a sip of his drink, from what I could tell it was maybe scotch, but he had gotten a margarita for me. Our names were further down in the queue, so we talked and had a few more drinks. By the time I had my third margarita I was feeling slightly buzzed, then I got the bright idea to sip on Shaun’s.

I grunted as I swallowed, burning on its way down my throat, and warming up my chest. “I was trying to warn you, but you gulped it down before I could say something.” He chuckled, but rubbed my back in an effort to soothe the pain. It only helped in the sense that he was sweet enough to do even that, even if it was while laughing at me. Bianca had brought a tray of shots back to the table, I think there may have only been four or five.

“What’s this for?” I looked up at her, she smiled, and picked up a glass. Without any more words she brought it to my lips, I didn’t question it, instead tilted my head back, and swallowed the liquor down.

Then she downed her own drink. Putting a hand on my shoulder, she said, "We're next.” Shaun clapped his hands together, and slapped fifty dollars on the table.

“Alright girls, I got money on you, get these people up off their feet.” He grinned, Montez followed his lead by also slapping money down on the table, and then a plastic card.

We looked at him confused at first, “And there’s been another fifty plus twenty five dollars off at The Cheesecake Factory,” He said proudly to which Bianca and I just rolled our eyes, and went up on stage. The crowd buzzed with mixed reactions for a moment. I could tell a few people recognized us, because then they proceeded to pull out their phone. Of course I posed for a few of them. The crowd really started to stir up when music started up.

“C’mon now, that’s the best y’all got? Let me hear some noise!” Bianca shouted, and I was quick to follow her lead.

“If it’s some laddies in the house that’s tired of scrubs lemme hear you holla!” On cue, the women in the club shouted and whistled as loudly as they could. Putting on a performance for people wasn’t out of the norm for me, but being able to do so without any restrictions was otherworldly. Especially being side by side with one of my closest friends, and when the music started it felt like everyone else didn’t even matter. No Scrubs is a song you could sing in your sleep, but when Left Eye’s verse came up, I was the only one of us that knew it by heart.

“See if you can't spatially expand my horizons, then that leaves you in a class of scrubs never rising..” I sang, the pop from the crowd really let me know they were with me, and from our VIP section, Montez was the loudest. Bianca, now my personal hype man, wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we bounced in sync as if we’ve done this before. It felt like as soon as the song started it was over, a few people had stirred up in the crowd chanting, “Hottie,” then another group of people started chanting, “EST.” Next thing we knew the crowd was going back and forth, “HOTTIE,” and “EST.”

“Much love y’all.” I held out my hands making a heart symbol, Bianca and I posed for a few more pictures, but eventually got off the stage. When we came back to the table it looked like a waitress had cleared our mess, and had left our unfinished drinks. Montez was chanting for us, and fist pumping. Shaun looked up at me from his seat. His eyes shined with desire, he clapped his hands together, I held my hand out, and he placed the money in my hands.

He chucked deeply, I took my seat next to him, and fanned myself off with his money. Then I stuffed it in my chest, Bianca picked up the gift card and waved it around. “I guess we’re having a girls night at cheesecake.” We fist bumped then giggled, the night was far from over, but I didn’t have any more drinks. When it was Shaun’s turn, the crowd was absolutely jumping, without him having to work for it, and I wasn’t surprised. He just had that kind of energy. That and I’ve learned NYC crowds love him– must be an east coast thing.

The opening guitars of Beat It blasted through the packed nightclub, and I was in awe of how shockingly amazing he sounded. He moved on the stage with such confidence, and aptitude, it was weirdly turning me on. Now I wished this was how I met him. Shaun didn’t hold anything back, he was full out dancing, and playing air guitar. I was gobsmacked. I felt like a groupie the way I slipped out of the VIP section and ran up to the front of the barricade where people crowded around him. I threw my body in every direction, banging my head as hard as my body would allow. I turned to see Bianca had followed me, we held each other by the shoulders dancing, and singing. When the song was over, we maneuvered our way back to our section.

I threw my arms around Shaun when he met up with us, “How come you never told me you could sing? That was awesome!” Suddenly, I was struck by a burst of energy, forgetting all about where we were. I pressed my lips to his out of excitement, he body froze for a second, but he quickly recovered. We pulled away for air, when my eyes opened I was caught in his pretty blue irises. The fluttering stirred up again, my head felt a little dizzy, and my knees weakened. Bianca, and Montez cheered from the sidelines and brought me back to reality. We stayed for another hour, but the post performance crash was hitting me hard.

“Hey, y’all ready to get out of here?” Montez asked. Bianca was already standing with her phone, and purse in hand.

I let out a yawn, “Yeah, besides I have media to do tomorrow morning.” When I stood from my seat I stumbled a little, Shaun’s hands were quick to catch me before I landed on my face. He held onto my elbows, and carefully steadied me. “Thanks,” I smiled. He winked at me in response and if he hadn't been holding me, I would have stumbled again.

We all said our goodbyes then split. Shaun held onto me, his grip tighter than before. The sun had already gone down when we got here, but now it was approaching midnight. “Looks like we got outta there just in time, one more rock song and the roof would have popped off.” He joked as he started the car. Feeling a chill, I reached for the heat. I didn’t notice Shaun was already doing the same thing, so when our fingers touched it came as a surprise to me, somewhat jolting me out of shock. When my eye met his, a smile grew across my lips, and my heart skipped a beat.

I pulled my hand out the way, and let him hit the buttons for the heat. Shaun glanced over at me, a curious expression on his face, “what are you all smiley about?” He asked, quoting my words from earlier.

“That was the most fun, outside of work, I’ve had in forever.” I giggled, my hand reached over to caress his cheek and ear as he drove.

“See, it wasn't so bad, was it? And our friends were there, the crowd gave you a big ole pop.” Shaun complimented me sweetly.

“Yeah but the way you worked the room was crazy business, I had no idea you could sing. Like sing sing!” Not once did this come up, he told me how shy he used to be as a kid, and how he used to go find a place to hide and let loose with music. But being a part of a band was something else altogether.

He shrugged, a sheepish grin stretched across his lips, “Just never thought you were interested in hearing it, honestly.”

“Is it because I talk about myself a lot? I'm sorry.” A feeling of guilt settled into my chest as I recall our past conversations. Most if not all, consisted of me doing what I felt like was yapping while my head laid on his chest, and his arms wrapped around me.

“Awe no, listen doll face, that’s just our dynamic. You talk, I listen, and if I wasn’t okay with that, I’d tell you. I never brought it up because I just didn’t feel like it was interesting, and the boys and I haven’t done it in so long.” His voice sounded soft, and baritone as he reassured me. His hand found its way to my knee, squeezing it lovingly, before it traveled up to my thigh where his hand rested for the duration of the drive. My body relaxed, soon my forehead was pressed against the glass window, and I thought that I’d close my eyes for a moment.I was falling asleep, as the next time I opened my eyes, we were back at the hotel, and Shaun was opening my passenger side door.

“Oh shit, that was fast?” my voice was ladened with sleep.

“Not really, you 're just snoring the whole time.” Shaun teased, he handed over his keys to the valet, then took me by the hand, and walked us through the lobby to the elevators. He wrapped both arms around me from behind, pulling my close, and resting his chin on my head. My hands rested atop his, and my body melted into him. His cologne engulfed me, the warm scent beckoning me to sleep, but I fought to keep my eyes open till I made it to my bed.

By the time we made it to my hotel door I was ready to pass out, “Thank you.” A goofy grin plastered onto my face, my voice lowered to a whisper as I was too sleepy to talk any louder.

“Anytime, princess.” I pulled him in for a kiss, and I lingered for a moment, my eyes still closed. Reluctantly I pushed away, and entered my suite. I threw my clothes off near the door, grabbed a makeup wipe, and cleaned off as much makeup as I could knowing I’d regret it if I didn't in a few days time. I grabbed my bonnet, and the moment my head hit the pillow I passed out.

* Small mention: I do not own any lyrics by TLC, the verse/lyric I am referring to here is from No Scrubs by TLC. However, the only version to exists with Left Eyes rap verse is in the music video, to my knowledge. I will link the music video within the story for you all to enjoy.

#wwe fan fiction #black!oc #la knight smut #la knight fanfic #—tokio

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