#prompt from me and it just makes me ????? like. music taste differs with everyone i understand this and i respect it. if something brings u

[bellamyblakru]

i will never understand how some people can actively shit on something they know someone loves and finds joy in right in front of them. how can you hate something that makes someone else happy in this absolutely fucked world in front of them.

its the passive aggression for no reason i will never ever understand or do to others. if you have a passion, fucking LIVE it. if nothing else, passion gets us through every shitty day, and i will always support it.

have passion in spite of those who hate.

[teine-mallaichte]

Let's talk hallucinations in whump/general fiction.

So first off full disclosure, I have schizoaffective disorder - think some bits of bipolar and some bits of schizophrenia kind of squished together, and as such hallucinations are a BIG part of my general existence.

Definition: A hallucination is a perception of a sensory experience—such as sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch—that appears real but is created by the mind and lacks an external stimulus.

Now, I see a fair few "hallucinations" type prompts in whump events, and just generally within the whump community, and I see a LOT of auditory hallucinations type prompt fills - mainly in the form of malevolent whispers - and ye that's a thing, but there are so many other hallucinations.

The thing is hallucinations can effect literally any sense, not just hearing - though I will add that auditory is usually regarded as the most common.

this is a long post so I am going to put a cut here... below the cut is exploration of the tyoes of hallucination, the causes and a bit about insight.

So, I thought it could be "fun" to explore a few in a post. Lets explore the 5 "main" senses first:

Auditory Hallucinations

Description: These are the most common type of hallucinations. They involve hearing sounds that are not present. The sounds are hear as if they are coming from somewhere external to the body. So in my case I have a few of these, but my main one is a voice who is with me even when I am in meds (another good point there for anyone who wants to use mental illness in their fics even in meds we can do have symptoms). This voice has a name and most of the time he just sorts off passes comments about things and people around me, like a sarcastic narrator and it sounds like he is standing just behind me.

Common Examples:

Malevolent Whispers: Insidious voices that might threaten, taunt, or belittle you.

Hearing Music: Melodies or songs playing that no one else can hear. For me this kind of sounds like someone is playing a radio in a different room.

Environmental Sounds: Hearing footsteps, doors creaking, or other sounds suggesting someone else is present.

Command Hallucinations: Voices that instruct or suggest (its not always ademand, sometimes more subtle and manipulative) you to do certain things, often with a compelling and distressing sense of urgency.

Less used examples:

Kind/supportive hallucinations: Voices that are encouraging, reassuring and supportive.

Distortion: Rather than sounds with no origin hallucinations that disort or warp actual sounds/voices changing the meaning, making it as if the TV or Radio is addressing you personally, making it sound as if a friend is threatening you.

Fun fact: it actually is possible to have a two way (sort of) conversation with a hallucination - I know I do it relatively often. It will be different for everyone, but fo me its a bit like having a conversation on a bad phoneline, yes the voice will respond but often its almost as if he hasn't fully heard what I said - or is ignoring key points. I can do this both outloud and "in my head".

Visual Hallucinations

Description: Visual hallucinations involve seeing things that are not present. These can range from simple shapes and flashes of light to detailed images or scenes. They often appear as if they are in the physical world and can be very convincing.

Common Examples:

Shadowy Figures: Seeing indistinct, shadowy forms that may move or appear to watch the character.

Distorted Faces: Perceiving familiar faces as grotesque or altered in frightening ways.

Apparitions: Full-bodied figures that may interact with the character or appear menacing.

Lights/sparkles: The whump community seems to very much enjoy lights and sparkles, especially in drugging.

Less Used Examples:

Intrusive Visuals: Images of disturbing or graphic nature that suddenly appear in your line of sight.

Perceptual Distortions: Objects appearing to warp, change shape, or color in unnatural ways.

Double Vision: Seeing multiples of objects or people, creating a confusing and disorienting experience.

Scenery Shifts: The entire environment changes, making you believe they are in a completely different place.

Fun fact: Sleep deprivation can cause some wild visual hallucinations, even relatively "mild" sleep deprivation can start to effect a persons perceptions.

Gustatory Hallucinations

Description: Gustatory hallucinations involve tasting things that are not actually present in the mouth. These can range from pleasant to extremely unpleasant tastes and can be triggered without any external food or drink.

Officially these are considered "rare", but personally (as someone who has done a lot of peer support work in the psychosis/voice hearing community I think they are simply under reported.)

Common Examples:

Bitter or Metallic Taste: A persistent bitter or metallic taste in the mouth, often leading to a sense of unease or concern about poisoning.

Sweet or Sour Taste: Tasting something sweet or sour unexpectedly, which can be confusing if it doesn’t match the current context.

Less Used Examples:

Spoiled Food: Tasting something rancid or spoiled, causing nausea and distress.

Unfamiliar Tastes: Tasting something completely unfamiliar and hard to describe, adding to the character's sense of disorientation.

Mimicking Actual Foods: Tasting specific foods that trigger cravings or aversions, despite not eating anything.

Transforming food: Food tasting like other food - I know someone for whom everything tasted like strawberries for days.

Common Causes: Neurological conditions or can be a side effect of medications.

Olfactory Hallucinations

Description: Olfactory hallucinations involve smelling odors that are not actually present. These can be pleasant or unpleasant and occur without any corresponding external stimulus. They can be particularly disorienting because they may trigger memories or emotions associated with certain scents - extremely complex if the person also has PTSD.

Common Examples:

Burning Smell: Wood, rubber, or food, which can lead to panic and fear of a fire.

Rotting Flesh: An overpowering smell of decay or rotting flesh, causing distress and nausea.

Perfume or Flowers: Smelling strong scents like flowers or perfume - hallucinations don't have to be inherently unpleasant sensations.

Less Used Examples:

Chemical Smells: Smelling chemicals like bleach or petrol.

Unfamiliar Scents: Smelling odors that you cannot identify.

Food Smells: Smelling specific foods that trigger hunger or nausea, despite the absence of any actual food.

Tactile Hallucinations

Description: Tactile hallucinations involve feeling sensations on or under the skin that are not actually there. These can range from mild tingling to severe pain and can be extremely distressing.

Common Examples:

Crawling Sensation: Feeling as though insects or bugs are crawling on or under the skin - often leading to frantic scratching or picking.

Electric Shocks: Experiencing sudden, sharp, electric-like jolts.

Pressure: Feeling pressure or tightness around certain body parts, such as a hand gripping the arm or something heavy on the chest.

Less Used Examples:

Temperature Changes: Feeling extreme cold or heat on the skin without any external cause.

Wetness or Dripping: Feeling as though liquid is dripping or running down the skin, even when dry.

Phantom Touches: Sensations of being touched or grabbed, often when alone. Sometimes its an almost feather like touch, other times its more akin to a grab that if reak would leave a bruise.

Right now let's expand - because there are more than 5 senses.

Proprioceptive Hallucinations

Description: Proprioception is the sense of the relative positioning of one's body parts. Proprioceptive hallucinations involve distorted perceptions of where your body is in space or how it is moving.

Common Examples:

Floating Sensation: Feeling as if the body is levitating or moving without control.

Distorted Body Size: Perceiving limbs or the entire body as being unnaturally large or small.

Less Used Examples:

Misaligned Limbs: Feeling as though limbs are twisted or out of place.

Movement Hallucinations: Sensing movements that aren't occurring, like swaying or rotating.

Common causes: Neurological disorders or the effects of certain drugs, but can by caused by a huge array of things.

Vestibular Hallucinations

Description: Vestibular sensations involve balance and spatial orientation. Vestibular hallucinations affect your sense of balance, making you feel dizzy or as though you're moving when you're stationary.

Common Examples:

Vertigo: A spinning sensation, as if the environment or oneself is rotating.

Imbalance: Feeling as though you're about to fall over or can't maintain your balance.

Less Used Examples:

Motion Sensation: Sensing movement, like rocking or swaying, when you're still.

Gravity Distortions: Feeling as if gravity is stronger or weaker than it actually is.

Common caused: Inner ear issues, migraines, or anxiety.

Temporal Hallucinations

Description: Temporal hallucinations involve distorted perceptions of time. They can make time feel like it's speeding up, slowing down, or standing still.

Common Examples:

Time Dilation: Feeling as though time is passing much slower than it actually is.

Time Compression: Perceiving time as moving rapidly, making events feel like they're passing in a blur.

Less Used Examples:

Frozen Moments: Experiencing time as if it's stopped, with everything around you appearing frozen.

Temporal Displacement: Feeling as though you're living in a different time period.

Temporal Dissonance: Feeling as if time is moving differently for you in comparison to those around you.

Common caused: Extreme fatigue, high stress, or under the influence of certain drugs.

Interoceptive Hallucinations

Description: Interoception refers to the perception of sensations from within the body, such as hunger, thirst, or the feeling of a heartbeat. Hallucinations in this realm involve feeling internal sensations that aren't actually occurring.

Common Examples:

False Hunger: Feeling extremely hungry despite having eaten recently.

Nonexistent Thirst: An intense sense of thirst even when well-hydrated - I have had this one a few times and given myself electrolyte imbalances due tot he amount of water I ended up drinking (not fun).

Less Used Examples:

Phantom Heartbeats: Feeling the heart racing or skipping beats without any physical basis.

Digestive Sensations: Sensations of digestion, such as gurgling or bloating, without any real cause.

Common causes: Panic disorder or certain types of seizures.

Right, now lets quickly review the main "causes" of hallucinations

Mental Illness:

Schizophrenia: Can involve basically anything from this list, but anecdotally auditory and visual appear to be the most common.

Bipolar Disorder: Can include hallucinations, especially during manic or depressive episodes.

Schizoaffective Disorder: A combination of symptoms from both schizophrenia and mood disorders, often leading to a variety of hallucinations.

EUPD/BPD: Auditory hallucinations are relatively common.

In all of these the hallucinations will rarely (if ever) exist in isolation. If you do not have primary or secondary experience of mental illness then I would recommend doing a LOT of research - and talking to people who do (on this note my asks are open if anyone has any schizoaffective based questions).

Neurological Conditions:

Epilepsy: Particularly temporal lobe epilepsy, can cause a range of sensory hallucinations.

Parkinson's Disease: Can lead to visual and auditory hallucinations.

Migraine: Migraine auras can include visual and auditory hallucinations.

Once again the hallucinations will not be in isolatation so same advice as with mental illness.

Substance Use and Withdrawal:

Psychedelics: Drugs like LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline are known for causing vivid visual and auditory hallucinations.

Stimulants: Methamphetamine and cocaine can cause tactile and visual hallucinations.

Alcohol Withdrawal: Can lead to visual, auditory, and tactile hallucinations.

You know what I am going to say that my "if you do not have experience of this then go talk to someone who does" advice may just stand for every potential cause.

Sleep Disorders:

Sleep Deprivation: Can cause a variety of hallucinations across different senses.

Narcolepsy: Often includes hypnagogic (while falling asleep) and hypnopompic (while waking up) hallucinations.

Medical Conditions:

Delirium: Acute confusion and hallucinations often seen in severe infections, fever, or after surgery.

Dementia: Especially Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease, can cause hallucinations.

Medications:

Anticholinergics: Can cause hallucinations as a side effect.

Steroids: High doses can sometimes lead to hallucinations.

Certain Antidepressants and Antipsychotics: Occasionally, these medications can cause hallucinations.

Psychological Stress and Trauma:

PTSD: Flashbacks and hallucinations related to traumatic events.

Extreme Stress: Can sometimes trigger hallucinations.

Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders:

Thyroid Disorders: Hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can sometimes cause hallucinations.

Electrolyte Imbalances: Severe imbalances can lead to hallucinations.

Deprivation:

Sensory Deprivation: Go google the ganzfeld effect, it's facinating.

Isolation: Extended periods of isolation can lead to hallucinations, known as sensory deprivation hallucinations.

Autoimmune Disorders:

Lupus: Can cause neurological symptoms including hallucinations.

Tumors:

Brain Tumors: Depending on their location, they can cause hallucinations affecting different senses.

Ok, finally point for this post. Let's discuss insight, because it is not as black/white or binary as people seem to assume.

Definition: Insight, in this context, refers to the awareness and understanding that one's hallucinations are not real but are a product of their mind. Insight can be partial or complete, and it often fluctuates.

Complete Insight:

Description: The individual fully understands that their hallucinations are not real and are caused by an underlying condition.

Impact: This can help the person manage their symptoms more effectively and seek appropriate treatment. However, it doesn't necessarily lessen the distress caused by the hallucinations.

Partial Insight:

Description: The individual has some awareness that their hallucinations might not be real but can still struggle with differentiating them from reality.

Impact: This can lead to confusion and anxiety, as the person oscillates between believing and doubting their experiences.

Lack of Insight:

Description: The individual firmly believes that their hallucinations are real and external.

Impact: This can lead to significant distress and functional impairment, as the person might respond to these hallucinations as if they were real.

Now imagine these three points on a scale from 0 (complete insight) to 10 (lack of insight) a person can be anywhere on this scale, and can slide back and fourth along it.

Factors such as stress, fatigue, medication changes, or daily fluctuations in mental state can cause insight to vary. A person might have high insight at one moment and low insight the next.

Basically Insight Is Not Static.

Also sometimes insight is just FREAKING RANDOM fluctuation for no discernible reason - honestly at times there is zero logic.

so ye, halluncinations… the brain is freaking wild.

Disclaimer - this is by no means an exhaustive list and like with many things every individual will experience these things slightly differently.

A similar post about delirium A similar post about fever

[andcars]

# 𝗖𝗦𝟱𝟱 ─── TO THE PODIUM N' BACK DOWN MASTERLIST . . . REQUEST ME . . . TAGLIST . . . AO3

IT'S YOUR FIRST WIN with carlos trailing behind you. to celebrate, the both of you hit the club. things ensues, sexual tensions are sexual, and holy shit he just pinned you to the bathroom door and fucked you raw. ────── original prompt req.

PROMPTED DIALOGUE . . . # “We can run away together, somewhere far away” + “We’ll only be caught if you’re loud” PROMPTED TAGS . . . # breeding kink, bareback, obsessive behaviour, body worship, teammate!reader ADD. TAGS . . . # cunnilingus, slick as lube, wall sex, semi-public sex, creampie WORD COUNT. . . # 2k

────── AO3 VERSION

The victory anthem plays as champagne is sprayed all over you. There’s nowhere to hide from the liquid shooting at you from both ends. It’s warm. It smells addicting. You’re living the high of being a winner and Carlos is right there with you.

When most of everyone’s champagne has spilled, you drink yours to the bottom of the bottle. The adrenaline screams at you. Your heart is still finding its resting pace. You think to yourself, You really got your first fucking win.

Coming down from the podium, Carlos has a hand on your back. “You did well, mi reina (my queen). How are you celebrating?”

You don’t have to say a word to him to tell him. He laughs beside you when you stay silent.

“We can always run off,” he suggests, “we aren’t needed anymore.”

“I’m pretty sure we will be,” you retaliate, despite not caring anyways.

He tells you, ignoring your concerns, “We can go somewhere far from here. Where they won’t find us.”

You look at him then. He’s already looking at you. The smile on your face is something he’s seen time and time again. You don’t think he’ll get tired of it. “Sounds like a plan.”

────── SHORT WHILE LATER. . .

The club music roars in your ears. There is not a single drop of alcohol in your body and yet you feel like you’re intoxicated from the win alone. It’s like your body knows.

In the edge of the crowd, your body is pressed up with Carlos. For the greater part of this season, he has been helping place high into the ranks. More often than not, you out-qualify him in the race. 

Ferrari finds their strategy and you have never been more glad to be the one to receive the win. Turning around, you place your arms around Carlos' neck.

Maybe it’s still the high of the win. Maybe it’s because Carlos has been nothing but a good teammate.

It really could just be because he’s really hot.

“You’re looking at me,” he says, like an idiot.

“Not like you don’t look at me first,” you tell him. “Always following me around, one would say you’re my stalker.”

Both of you know it’s true. The amount of times he would follow you around the garage though he has his own duties. In the hospitality, he would find anything just to keep the both of you together.

You've watched the onboards, him always inquiring where you stand. You know he always finds a way to make sure you’re beside him in the rankings.

He shrugs, barely hiding it. “I like being with you. Should there anything be more than that?”

Without thinking about it anymore, you pull him for a kiss. He comes easily, body pressed against yours as warmth spreads between the two of you. The taste of champagne is still on his tongue.

Of course he loves you. It’s like he got one taste of you and he can’t get rid of you now. His tongue memorised the shape of your lips. His mouth can’t help but utter your name. Now, his hands find themselves on your hip. In slow strokes, he caresses you tenderly yet his kisses tells differently. It’s hungry. It’s insatiable. You can barely breathe under the pressure.

When his lips trailed down your neck, you moaned.

“You like that, corazón (heart)?” he gasps, the sound barely noticeable over the deafening music. “You like it here?”

He doesn’t need to hear your response as his kisses and turns to bites. You squirm under him. Both of his hands come to steady you by the hips, immobilising you in his arms. He’s heavy on you, his dominance alluring you to give in. Fucking addicting, so fucking good.

You don’t think about why you let Carlos take you like this in the corner of the floor. His touch feels electrifying. His body is warm—fucking hot. It’s in the way he sways you to the music and the open mouthed bites on your neck.

“Carlos,” you breathe out as you pull him away, “maybe don’t fuck me in public.”

He laughs, seeing the sly grin on your face. “Surely you won’t mind the bathroom? I don’t think I can go far like this.”

Pretending to ponder about making Carlos exit the club with a hard on and you by his side, you lean against him. “I'll tell the whole world how ungentlemanly you are.”

“You’ll tell the world about us?”

You smile, “I’ll tell the universe about us.”

With his hand in yours, he leads you to the bathroom. You’re thankful that it’s not like one of those dingy bathrooms in most clubs. Despite wanting to fuck your teammate this bad, you don’t think you can stand the smell of vomit and piss.

Carlos takes you to a room inside—this level of privacy for a singular toilet is crazy, but then again, you're sure this was often visited for sex—and pins you by the door.

It’s not tight in here and yet he finds a way to suffocate you. One of your legs wrap around him as he undresses you. The strap of your dress falls and the skirt is pulled up. He moans against your skin as his hands love your ass.

“Carlos,” you moan, his hands feeling your cold skin, “fucking hell…”

Distantly, you hear the bathroom door open. Carlos chuckles against your neck, kissing it after. “Better be quiet, corazón. Unless you wanna tell the universe now?”

“Shut the fuck up, Sainz.” You pull him to a kiss as he unbuckles himself. The need to grind into him is convincing. You’re weak against him, letting your panties caress his erection.

He sighs, his mouth biting at your bottom lip at your crudeness. You hear him swear under his breath, mumbling something in Spanish as he finally pulls out his cock.

Before you could offer him anything, he pulled away to kneel. You moan at the sight. He pulls up your skirt and practically breathes in against your clothed cunt. Your underwear is a futile barrier.

He pulls it off with one hand as he spits in the other. You tug at his hair as he goes forward, kissing your clit and his finger fucking into you.

“Shit…” you moan, trying to stifle it afterwards with your arm, “Carlos.”

His eyes look up at you. Your little pleads don’t stop him as his mouth trails lower to your hole, peppering kisses on it as his finger rubs your insides. He gets two more fingers in easily with the wetness. Your thigh quivers around him and you pull his hair.

A whine leaves you when his fingers leave. It was too short. You want more. He hears you and is quick to replace it with his other fingers, drier yet more eager to stretch you out. Though your view is obstructed, you can hear his hand working his own cock. 

It makes you feel manic the fact he’s using your own slick as his lube.

“Fuck, Carlos,” you moan, a leg over his shoulder. Your cunt is directly over his mouth, his nose bumping into your clit perfectly. This is enough to drive you fucking crazy. 

You’re close. The beat of the club thrums with your heart. His tongue is lapping at your leaking pussy as four fingers stretch you out. You’re entirely sure that you’re being heard throughout the bathroom now. It doesn’t matter. You don’t care—

He stops. You squirm on top of him as he comes back up to you. “Corazón,” he whispers as his fingers pull out to tease your clit. “So pretty, so good for me…”

“You fucking tease,” you grunt. He smiles at you.

“I want you to cum on me, huh?” his hand is noisy as it fucks his cock with your juices. “My girl, always want to see you come apart for me.”

However much you wanna hit him right now, it dissapates as his cock slaps at your hole. You wince, “Carlos!” and throw an arm around him.

“So beautiful,” he pants, “tastes so good to me. Tastes like a winner.”

You wanna retaliate. You wanna whine and say no to his love. But he pushes his cock inside of you without protection and it makes you lose your head.

“Carlos, condom—”

“There’s none here,” he says, breathless as he enjoys the way you clench around him. “There’s none. Either I leave you like this or I fuck you raw.”

True to his words, he does fuck you raw. Every thrust of his bare cock inside of you drives you crazy. His warmth, his skin, his leaking pre-cum all touching the most intimate part of you. Just the thought that this is the closest he's ever been with you makes you wanna cum.

“So fucking good,” he says, breath tickling your neck. “My girl, corazón, so fucking loose on me.

“You’re so hot. So wet. I want to keep fucking you like this. Feel my cum drip down your cunt—” you moan—”as you get so full of me.”

Carlos is lost in his own fantasy. He thrusts into you harder, your hips moving along his as you relish in the idea together. He doesn’t miss the way you clench harder on him. The way your moans just get a little bit louder.

“You’d like that?” he asked, “Don’t want me to pull out? Does my girl want to keep my cum inside of her? Fuck her full until she’s bred full?”

“Carlos—!” you scream out into his neck, hiding your red face. “You fucking- oh God, yes, fuck! Just like that, baby. Fucking breed me.”

He doesn’t need to be told again. Your moans echo through the room as your hands pull at his head. He kisses down your jaw, to your neck, and bites and marks you.

You don’t understand him anymore. He murmurs to you in Spanish which you don’t understand. But the way his teeth scrapes, his hand tightens, his hips fucking into you like they’re determined to stuff you full with his semen. You can’t stop yourself from cumming all over him.

His pace is overstimulating, too much for you. Though he slows down, his cock grinding into you has you punching his back.

Carlos understands perfectly. He pulls out with only half his cock inside, still erect, still wanting to feel you. You don’t get him soft as your hands go down to finish him off.

“Fuck,” he grunts as you feel him resist the urge to fuck your first. Your delicate hands moving on him with the head of his cock still feeling your pulsating pussy. He’s fighting everything not to give in to this bliss.

“Come on, Carlos,” you say, “cum in me. Let yourself win today too.”

He looks into your eyes and you can see something primal behind them. Though he doesn’t move, he forces your lips to lock with his. Your hand falters as you taste yourself on his tongue. But his hands intertwine with yours, helping you finish him off.

“So good,” he says between breathing, “letting me have you like this—how I’ve always wanted.

“I’m gonna cum. Fuck, I’m gonna cum in your pretty little pussy.”

Few more strokes and he finishes inside of you with a loud moan. You feel it splatter your insides and your legs give in for just a moment. He holds you upright. His grip on you is strong but never enough to bruise. You know that he was never one to hurt you.

Only after calming down could you hear both of your cum drip down onto the tiles. You blush, whining a little. “Carlos,” you say, “I can’t go out like this.”

“Like you became mine?”

You punch his chest. “Like I’m a fucking whore!”

He laughs and presses a short kiss on your lips. “Mhm, I don’t know, I like seeing you dirty like this.”

After he cleans you up, you hit him in the head for being such a dumbass. He doesn’t really look like he cares. Not with those hearts in his eyes.

🗒 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟 . . . the funniest bit is that i was finishing up the graphic for this fic as i watched carlos hit the barriers in singapore q3- so, that happened. anyways! working on a lot of requests so i hope this one is a great start for everyone . ˎˊ˗ ᝰ. ──── 📨 @delululeclerc @hiireadstuff

you support me best on tumblr with reblogs and comments ! ── by andcars ⟡

[lovebugism]

hi! not sure if you’re still taking requests but if u are may i request the prompt “it’s okay to cry in front of me, you know. you don’t have to carry this alone.” with reader comforting steve? tysm <3

bug's blurb sleepover (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)!

Steve tends to feel things really, really deeply.

When Nancy called him bullshit at a Halloween party and ran off with the weird kid from chemistry class a day later, he felt like it was the end of the world. His world, at least. 

He thought it was going to stick with him for the rest of his life — that she was right, that he really was bullshit, and that that truth would haunt him forever. It did. It does. It lurks over his shoulder sometimes, like a shadow or a sleeping dragon.

And when Robin’s mad at him, like mad mad, it makes him feel like dying. 

One time he overestimated how tired he was after a shift and forgot to pick Robin up after band practice. He was startled awake from his nap out of nowhere, like his brain knew he’d done something wrong, and realized he was supposed to drive her home over an hour ago. 

He found her standing with her trumpet case under the awning in a futile attempt to hide from the pouring rain. She didn’t talk to him for days — not during the drive, not at work the next day, not until he was milliseconds from groveling at her feet for her forgiveness.

But it’s different when he’s happy. He’s got you and he’s got Dustin, and he loves the two of you so much it feels like he might burst sometimes. Adoration spills from his pores like so many little rays of sunshine, leaves him a grinning and gushing thing in the place of a teenage boy. 

It’s so much worse with you, though. Because sometimes he feels like his heart beats only for you — that it follows the rhythm of your pulse, that it will stop when yours does. 

He can taste every word that spills from your mouth, the one’s coated in venom and honey alike. He can hear every sound of your soul, too. It’s the crackles of an old record player when you’re content, autumn leaves crunching when you’re angry, and the sounds of a deep, deep ocean when you’re sad.

You’re embedded into every fiber of his being. You’ve entwined yourself with him without even realizing it, tucked yourself into the outer regions of his bleeding heart with a fuzzy blanket and a good book — no sign of leaving any time soon.

He loves you hard, too hard. So hard there’s no breath without you.

So when Vecna almost kills you, it feels a little like his life is ending.

He watches you float in midair, his feet still stuck on the ground, totally helpless. 

Tears spill from your glazed-over eyes and glitter beneath streams of moonlight. Your body is slack, but your fingers tremble and your brows twitch and your chin quivers. You’re not all there, but you can feel every ounce of fear like an ice-cold bath, painful and numbing all at once. Because you know that you’re going to die. And that there’s nothing anyone else can do to stop it.

Dustin shouts for help into his supercomm, begs for Max to bring her walkman or steal the nearest boombox they see and bring it with them to Lover’s Lake. They’re too far away, though, on the other side of town in Nancy’s too slow Station Wagon picking up more hunting supplies to kill the son of a bitch trying to kill you. He knows they won’t make it in time.

Steve shakes your shoulders and shouts in your face, but you still don’t wake. He keeps a hold of you until you’re out of his reach entirely — rising and rising and rising until you’re six feet off the ground. Then he’s just begging, shouting pleas up at you, at god, at Vecna — the shriveled skin creep doing this to you. 

“Please,” he shouts to everyone and no one all at once. “Please, just— you gotta wake up, okay? I’ll be better, I’ll be so much better, I promise. I’ll listen to all the music you like, watch all the movies you want — even the ones that suck — I’ll be a better boyfriend, okay? You just— You need to wake up!”

You don’t. 

You just keep on crying, like you can hear him in whatever world Vecna’s sucked you into. Eyes fluttering, neck jerking, lips trembling. You succumb completely to the monster’s curse.

It’s Eddie that saves you.

He rushes to the stolen R.V. for his guitar, the one Steve said made him look like he was overcompensating for something, the one that’s about to save your life. “What’s her favorite song?” the boy urges as he slips the strap over his head with pale and trembling fingers.

Steve looks over at his shoulder at him. It’s hard to see through the stinging tears. “Wh— What—” He can’t form words. Or thoughts, really. The only thing going through his head is that you’re about to die, that he’s about to lose you forever. It clouds his mind like thick black smoke.

“Her favorite song?” Eddie snaps. “What is it?”

He scrambles to answer. “Uh, it’s uh— it’s Take— Take On Me… Do you know that one?”

“No,” the boy answers honestly. “But I can try.”

That’s all they can do for now. Try. Hope.

He puts his fingers to the strings, trying to find the right placements, but it’s hard when you don’t know how to play the song and you’re shaking that you’re fucking freezing. Eddie’s forced to play it by ear and tells Steve that it won’t sound exactly right and that it won’t be loud without his amp. 

It takes him a moment to find the melody, but Steve hears it the second it comes — the synth-y da-da-da-dum, da-da-dah, da-da-da-da-dum’s that were practically engrained in his psyche after he heard it on the radio the millionth time.

You weren’t as afflicted by the earworm as he was. You loved it. 

The song came out the year the two of you started dating, so all he heard for months was that catchy beat and even catchier falsetto. You played it on the jukebox when you went to the diner, popped the tape into your radio whenever he was over at your place, requested for it to be played virtually wherever you went.

You hear the song from where you’re stuck in your own head. The strums of the guitar are quiet and a little out of tune, but the uncanny notes make sense when you’re trapped in a world that isn’t really your world. Suddenly you don’t see Vecna or his claw in your face — just Steve, Steve, Steve.

He’s with you at the diner with whipped cream on his chin, making fun of you for singing to the song so off-key. He’s with you in your childhood bedroom, spinning you around and singing all the high notes with you. He’s with you at Enzo’s, the fanciest place in Hawkins for your anniversary, and slips the mini-orchestra a hundred-dollar bill to play the song for you.

Suddenly, you’re on the ground again — back in Hawkins — and gasping for breath in his arms. You can’t see him from where he’s got his face tucked into your neck, but you can feel the scarily rapid beat of his heart and the way it matches your own.

Steve sobs into you, uncaring about how loud he is or how his snot and tears stain your t-shirt. Because he almost fucking lost you. And, for a split second, he tried to think of what a life without you would look like. He quickly came up short. There was nothing — no light, no sound, no music — just darkness. A void. 

Sometimes, he thinks he would’ve died with you that night.

Vecna is dead within the next twenty-four hours after the fact. You and Nancy take turns shooting bullets in the pale patchy skin of his chest where his heart’s supposed to be while Steve and Robin throw hand-made bombs in his direction. He trips and stumbles out the window while the rotting basement erupts into flames. There’s nothing left but ashes.

Steve doesn’t feel a thing for a little while after that, just the acute urge to protect the group of you even though the boogeyman is long gone. 

He doesn’t let go of you for days, always holding onto some part of you, because he’s terrified of you slipping away again. 

He lets Dustin sleep at his place when the boy asks, but it’s for his own peace of mind more than anything else. He doesn’t let the boy out of his sight until his mom gets concerned about him. 

He drives forty-five minutes to the hospital every day for two weeks with you so you can visit Max and Lucas, always with two peanut butter jelly sandwiches for them — just in case.

He’s on auto-pilot for a while. He just keeps on taking care of everyone else because it distracts him from himself — from his own inner turmoil, from the horrors he saw that night, from the boogeyman still in his closet.

It takes you a month for you to tell him what you saw. You were a lot like him in that way, still trying to hide from it all. You would’ve been more than happy if you could squish your great big problem into a tiny little ball that you could stomp underneath your feet and forget about completely. 

But that’s not how life works. 

The thing just swells and swells and swells until it takes everything in you to stay sane.

You sit Steve down on his bed and curl into his lap — knees to your chest, head tucked beneath his chin. And you tell him about it. Everything.

You tell him that Vecna showed you Brad, the boyfriend you had before Steve. It was a replay of the last night you saw him parked at Lover’s Lake, the very same place you had been when Vecna almost took you. You’re sitting in his passenger seat and he’s trying to feel you up. “Billy’s girlfriend lets him fuck her all the time,” he gripes when you swat his hand from your thigh.

“Then maybe go fuck Billy’s girlfriend,” you shoot back. 

It’s the last thing you’d ever said to him before storming off and catching the late bus back home. He went missing the next day; his car still there, but no sign of the boy himself.

Vecna shows you everything you’d been making yourself sick over for years, tells you exactly what happened to him that night.

A demogorgon appears in thin air and snatches the boy, takes him to the Upside Down like he’s some kind of light night snack. The thing doesn’t eat him, though, just plays with its food for a while until it gets bored and lets him rot. Brad was down there, for days, beggingfor someone to save him. Help never came, though. Just the slow, slow hand of death. 

“You never even looked for him…” you recite the words Vecna said to you, voice much softer than his cruel baritone one. “You let him rot down there while you threw yourself at a boy that didn’t even want you…”

Steve eyes squeeze shut then, like he’s trying to hide from your words. It’s about as effective as those idiots in horror movies who try to hide under their bedsheets from demons.

You sought refuge in Steve that night and many others, when Brad was acting especially douchebag-y. It was innocent at first. He was your friend. But somewhere down the line, you realized that you had bigger feelings for him than you ever did for your boyfriend. Steve, meanwhile, was still caught in the web of his complicated feelings for Nancy.

It wasn’t until you got kidnapped by Russian soldiers that he realized how much he loved you.

There’s just something about the end of the world that makes a person see clearly again.

Everything seems to hit him exactly a week later. 

He’d done a pretty good job at hiding it all — the nightmares, the panic attacks, the sleepless nights. He hid that all from you because you were recovering too. He didn’t think it was fair to dump all his hurt on you while you were still trying to get back to normal.

You noticed it very quickly, though, that Steve didn’t seem to be very affected by any of it. 

He was so nonchalant about everything, the kind of casual only a person who was aching could pull off. 

And he’d get real reserved at times, uncharacteristically quiet, and you’d ask him if he was okay. He’d scoffed and say he was fine —of course I’m okay, what do you mean? — while his cheek speckled with red and he blinked back glassy tears. 

You’d try to hug him and he’d let you, but kept shrugging off your concern — I’m fine, babe. I promise. I’m not the one who almost died.

Steve did that a lot. Made it seem like his problems didn’t mean as much because they weren’t as big as yours or Max’s or Eddie’s. He convinced himself that they didn’t. Why should he be upset when he didn’t have to meet the monster face to face or live through something traumatic all over again? What does he have to cry about?

But when he sleeps all he sees in you — in that spot at Lover’s Lake, succumbing to Vecna’s curse, while the rest of them try like hell to bring you back. In his nightmares, they never do. He watches your bones break one by one, piercing cracks in the quiet night that he can feel in his chest, before you fall limply to the ground again.

He wakes with a gasping breath, the same way you had all the time ago. You’re sleeping peacefully beside him, hair wild and face smushed into your pillow, but he can’t seem to get the vision out of his head — of your mangled body and sucked-out sockets. He stumbles off to the bathroom on tired and trembling legs.

You wake to the door slamming shut and stir at the sound of the faucet turning on. 

Light spills from the crack underneath the door, bright in the darkness of your bedroom. You watch Steve’s shadow with bleary eyes, how it stands in one place for a moment and then paces back and forth.

Wiping sleep from your eyes, you tiptoe to the door, but don’t do anything when you reach it. You just wait, listen. 

Steve mumbles something to himself that you can’t quite make out — you’re okay, stop being such a baby, jesus… is all you can hear. He sniffles as his feet pad the length of the tiled bathroom floor. It doesn’t take a genius to know that he’s crying.

Your knock upon the door is a soft one. You don’t want to startle him. The second he realizes you’re outside the door, he freezes.

“Stevie…” you call gently out for him. “Are you okay?”

He clears his throat. “Yeah—” Then again. “Yeah, I’m fine… Go back to bed.”

“Are you sure?” you press. “Do you want me to get anything for you?”

The boy has to take a deep breath in to stop himself from snapping at you. He’s angry at himself more than anything — for hiding, for failing at hiding. He runs two anxious hands through his hair and plants himself along the ceramic edge of the bathtub. 

“I’m sure. Just… Just go back to bed, okay?”

You don’t listen. You just slide along the door frame until you’re sat on the carpeted floor of your bedroom. Steve can hear your shuffling outside.

“It’s okay if you’re not okay. You know that, right?” you ask him through the door.

Steve puts his face in his hands before he can catch his scrunching face in the mirror. Just when he thought he wasn’t going to cry, here you come, pulling this shit. 

“I know,” he answers tightly, muffled through his palms. He rubs them up and down his face once, twice, and then a third time before throwing his hands into his lap. “But I’m fine, okay? Seriously.”

“You can cry in front of me, Steve. It’s okay. You don’t have to— You don’t have to go through this shit alone, you know? I’m here. I’m right here, okay? Let me help you.”

It’s that reminder that does him in; the assurance that you’re here and not a disfigured mess in the tall grass of Lover’s Lake. A sob spills from his mouth too abruptly for him to stop it.

“Steve…” you call for him again, heartbreaking on the other side of the door.

“I’m almost lost you,” he cries, more than himself than to you, then sniffles. “I’m almost fucking lost you.”

“But you didn’t. I’m still here. And I’m not going anywhere, Steve Harrington. The universe is gonna have to try a whole lot harder to keep me away from you.”

He manages a laugh through his tears. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking,” you quip. “If Vecna couldn’t stop me from being with you, nothing will.”

The thought of that warms him. He realizes it’s not the universe keeping the two of you together, not fate or some higher power in the clouds. It’s love. It’s all the love the two of you have got for each other, stronger than any demogorgon or Russian soldier or dark wizard. And it’s love that’s gonna hold the two of you together for the next several decades, until you’re old and wrinkly and ugly. 

But Steve won’t think you’re ugly. He’ll think you’re as beautiful as the first moment he saw you — throwing up in the bushes outside Tina’s house after your first high school party.

You rise quickly when the door opens. Steve stands in front of you, eyes puffy and face red and smiling gently down at you anyway. “I love the shit outta you, you know that?” is all he can think to say. Because that’s all that he feels in that moment.

“Of course, I know that,” you grin up at him. Your hands rise to cup his jaw, thumbs swiping at his tear-stained cheeks. Your browns pinch in concern. “You okay?”

For the first time, he’s honest.

“No…” he murmurs with the soft shake of his head. His eyes dart away from yours and to the floor where his and your twenty toes stand, still on the ground, not floating in thin air.

“No— I… I don’t think I am,” he confesses softly. His tired, sad, and heavy honey eyes flit back up to yours again. “But I will be.”

You nod until your words catch up to you. “Yeah. Yeah, you will.”

“If only out of pure spite of all the monsters to all the monsters trying to destroy our lives.”

“They’re gone now,” you promise, like a parent who’s checked under their child’s bed for shadows and ghosts. It works well enough. Here, with his face in your hands and standing in your shared bedroom, he’s never felt safer.

“Can you… Can you hold me?” he wonders, a little meekly because he feels like an idiot saying them. Then he feels even more like an idiot for feeling like an idiot. You’re his girlfriend, after all, cuddles sort of came with the package.

“Of course,” you answer without thinking twice. You grab his hand and tug him back to the bed almost immediately. “I’ll hold you for the rest of our fucking lives, Harrington, you know that.”

The two of you settle into the mattress. Steve uses you like a pillow, wraps all of his limbs around you and tucks his face into your neck. Your scent is a familiar one, warm and comforting, like home. “I like the sound of that,” he mumbles into your shoulder after a moment of quiet.

“Well, buckle in, baby. ‘Cause I got you for the next, like, six decades.”

You feel his smile form against your skin as Steve tucks himself inside your soul.

[mvrtaiswriting]

Hello 🤗 can I request no6 from the drunk prompts for your event with ace?

Portgas D. Ace x prompt 6 (drunk prompts) - “okay, i think that’s enough for tonight.”

ofc you can, tysm for participating!! hope this is okay :) i love writing for ace eheh - I hope this is okay and that it meets your expectations! enjoy and lmk what you think <333

gender neutral reader | mention of alcohol / drunken behaviour | 808 words.

reblogs, likes, and comments are appreciated ♡ if you enjoy my works, click here to read more or buy me a coffee. -> from this event.

A familiar warmth rapidly spread across your cheeks as you chucked down yet another drink, Thatch swiftly preparing one pint after the other. The whole ship echoed with laughter, loud music playing in the background as a bunch of crew members tunelessly sang their usual chants.

"To us!"

The clicking sound of two glasses followed your words as you cheered with Marco. His usual seriousness was now replaced by the boldness only a good drink can give, and for once, Marco was having fun with all of you - drinking more than he could handle, playing stupid games and blurting out embarrassing things he would regret in the morning. After all, you deserved it - you had just escaped a real-life nightmare, obtaining yet another Poneglyph and surviving a clash with one of the four emperors, continuing Whitebeard's legacy and honouring his name. For the first night in weeks, you could finally let your guard down.

When Izou took your hand, letting you get up from your seat just to swing you around and luring you into a dance with him, you couldn't help but laugh, following his movements. His body felt warm against yours, his experienced hands resting on your hips as he swayed you from one direction to another. Regardless of your goofy movements, everyone was cheering on the two of you - everyone but Ace.

The fire fist remained silent, sitting on the bench you were just sharing with him, sipping on his drink and keeping his eyes locked on you. His pupils kept scanning your figure, the way your stumbled during your dance and the places Izou's hands wondered around your body. The slightest sparkle of jealousy started in his heart as he saw the love of his life in the arms of another man - someone he could never compete with. Ace wondered whether the attentions you were giving to his fellow comrade were out of affection, or love, or alcohol. Sure - every time you drank you often grew cuddlier, gifting hugs and snuggling with him and Marco; but this time it was different. This time, your body was pressed against one of the strongest commanders among the Whitebeard's crew, and you seemed to look at him the way you should have looked at Ace.

Ace was brought back to reality when you slammed your hands on the table, a loud laugh escaping your lips as you tried to keep yourself from falling.

"Hi fire boi." you called, poking his nose.

Smiling in response, Ace lightly tapped his hand on the bench, inviting you to take place next to him. Accepting his invitation, you were quick to snuggle against him, your head now resting on his shoulder.

"Had fun?"

Ace asked, his words sounding more bitter than intended. Only nodding in response, you snatched his drink off his hands and took a sip, the stinging taste of rum making you scrunch your nose. Attempting to put the glass down, you clumsily smashed it against the table, knocking down a few other drinks that were now spilling all over and soaking all of your clothes.

“Okay, i think that’s enough for tonight.”

Ace said, taking what was left of the glasses off your hand and helping you get up. You couldn't help but chuckle at the mess you made, worsening your staggering and only making it easier for you to fall. Ace's arm was quick to wrap around your waist, holding you tightly and gently helping you make your way to your room. The path to your bedroom was not without obstacles, and when you finally made it to bed Ace could finally relax again.

"Take this."

Ace said, taking off his shirt. Ironically, earlier that night he had spent hours searching through his wardrobe, trying to find a shirt that would suit him perfectly - he wanted to look nice, and he wanted you to notice. Yet, here he was again - standing shirtless in front of you. A giggle escaped your lips as you appreciated the sight in front of you - regardless of how many times you had seen his abs or lazily traced the freckles on his chest, Ace was still doing it for you. Mumbling a weak thank you, you changed into his clothes.

"Don't need to turn around." you teased, seeing Ace flustered reaction.

The mere act of your fingers reaching the hems of your own shirt made painted Ace's cheeks of a crimson red, quickly turning around to give you some privacy.

"You clearly had enough drinks." Ace remarked.

"Not enough to regret this in the morning."

Getting up from your bed, you walked towards him. Wrapping your arms around his torso, you rested your head against his muscular back.

"Sleep here tonight, mh?" you whispered against his skin, leaving a kiss on his shoulder blade.

[koisuko]

some mk1 men ( maybe. johnny...) with a reader who listens to metal music and is super dark dressing and gothic/emo but their personality is the opposite super sweet, extroverted and fun! nsfw or sfw :)

ooo can do!

Tw: none, silly little fellas, gn reader ft: Jonny Cage, Kung Lao, Raiden, Kenshi Takahashi, Liu Kang

Johnny Cage

Something tells me that Johnny won’t really mind your appearance. Your style and choice of music might pique his curiosity, prompting him to ask in his smooth classic way about the band you like.

“What ya listening to sugar?”

When he starts to get to know you, past your dark exterior, it was like doing a complete 180. He’s probably seen dark goths and emo’s in his career but likely chalked them up to their stereotypes. He was surprised, and would likely tease you about it often. He finds your personality cute, and likes the way it contrasts your exterior style. Especially with the music taste, how dark and aggressive the music is compared to your soft and sweet personality.

Kung Lao

It’s certainly something he’s not accustomed to, but something tells me he would be really into it. Your style is something new, refreshing from his village living, and it drew him in. In regard to your music taste, it would take some time for him to warm up to it. Best believe he’s dancing with you to it.

“Play that one again!”

He would find your personality adorable, likely teasing you on your soft interior. I’m sure he would find your style and your personality attractive. Having a bit of both is always nice.

Raiden

Your style is interesting to him, something he’s not used to but he isn’t one to judge. I would think he would not really care about your style, seeing past it in his cute little humble way. Your taste of music isn’t his cup of tea, but he would more than likely indulge in it simply to make you happy and spend time with you. He would be supportive of your music taste, dancing simply to be with you.

“Can I listen with you?”

Like the others, your personality is adorable to him. This would likely be the most compatible aspect to him, how soft and sweet you are to everyone around you. Best believe he’d enjoy some cuddles while you blast metal through your ear buds.

Kenshi Takahashi

He loves your style, it really suits your appearance. He’s not one to really care about how you look, or how you dress. But he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy goth styles. Although, he wouldn’t personally dress in that way. As for the music, he’d likely enjoy it, but it wouldn’t be his favorite. He would chuckle at your enthusiasm in showing him every song on your playlist.

“Sure, baby, show me the next one.”

Again, like the others, your personality would be enjoyed. A bit of a surprise to him as he’s seen many goths in his lifetime and met a few. He’d find it lovely, enjoying the brightness you bring to every room. I would think he enjoys someone is the life of the party, to make up for his more reserved personality.

Liu Kang

I’d like to think he is very similar to Raiden, not really paying much attention to your exterior. And I mean, you could have the strangest style, dressing like a literal clown, and he would still treat you like anyone else. Whatever makes you happy, he will love just the same. Your music style would be no different. If it makes you happy, he will like it too. Perhaps it’s not his cup of tea, preferring more calm and relaxing music over the aggression of metal music. But regardless, he would listen to it with a smile on his face.

“I truly adore the happiness this brings you, my treasure.”

Your personality, he will love just the same. If anything, he would find it beautiful, like the balance of night and day. He would remain a protective figure while you make everyone smile, hanging back with his hands folded and smiling at the joy you bring others.

Notes: sorry this is so short, I struggled a bit with it but I hope it’s at least to your liking❤️maybe I’ll redo it sometime.

[sangoqueenkoko]

KAVEH

"how do you become accidentally married?" …part 2.

fluff

DENDRO MASTERLIST | DRABBLE MASTERLIST

Drabble prompt: page 1: #8 = "how do you become accidentally married?"

Warnings? Mentions of alcohol in general and of what could be blood (but it's actually red wine). Pet names mentioned (Honey, my Love).

Contains a mention of Alhaitham, slight mention of Nahida, and Kaveh of course!

1k words.

Here’s a part 2 no one asked for! @groovyparadisestarlight and @udretlnea sort of did

i wonder if this one will blow up like the first part…

‘Because he cannot remember what happened the night before.’

These are the events that lead up to the day after.

In a far corner of Lambard's Tavern sat you with a cup of the Taverns, in the words of Kaveh, “best wine one has ever tasted.” You were waiting for him to show up after a meeting with a surprisingly easy client. You would buy his drinks for him today as a treat for his good mood. As you don’t want to burden him any further than he already could be.

After you had finished a quarter of your first glass — as you didn’t want too drink to much before the occasion had even begun — Kaveh came bursting in, luckily it wasn’t so crowded just yet. So he didn’t disturb many people with his sudden appearance. Many.

He looked around the main room before spotting you and quickly making his way over, “(Y/N)! Great! You’re here!” He smiled as he sat opposite you. After he gave you a kiss on the cheek though. It was always a sweet gesture from him to you.

And him to you, only.

Anyway.

“So how was the meeting with the client?” You asked as you rested your chin on the back of your hand, gazing across the table at him. The question only made him more… happier than he was a literal second ago.

“Oh, right! Well, the client loved what I had in mind! He said that what I had thought and designed what exactly what he had in mind too! We saw eye to eye,” He exclaimed with a genuine grin before taking a quick sip of wine from the cup that you had poured for him, “and get this. He also said that he will help with most of the cost of it!! Can you believe it?!” He stood up with his hands on the table. You were genuinely happy for him, it’s the happiest you’ve seen him in a while.

“Wow! That’s great, Honey! And I am glad to see that smile of yours again.”

As the day went on, you ordered a few more drinks and a meal because why not? It’s a good occasion. More people came in and went. Locals and travellers. Speaking of travellers, a travelling bard from Mondstadt made a pit stop in Sumeru and tried playing their music, which was a hit. It was much different to what locals in Sumeru are accustomed to.

Faster pace, more upbeat, more… joyous. Lively. Something that was worth dancing to.

Evening came and the bard was back, they brought more people off the streets inside to dance. As that’s what a lot of people were doing already. Singing local songs and ones from other nations.

At this point, the two of you were a little drunk, ones with the vibes. It was the end of the week, so it was so worth it.

“Care to dance with me, m’dear?” Kaveh asked as he stood and offered a hand to you with a bow, the other behind his back. Looking into his eyes you would see the same kind, caring being he is, the only difference was that you saw more love and adoration in his eyes for you. You and only you.

“Of course, my Love!” You smiled as you held his hand and stood up.

The evening was… a bizarre blur. A lot of drinks, like different types of wine. Lots of singing with everyone in the tavern, and of course dancing. You vividly being on top of a table with Kaveh, and him spinning you around at some point. Though the owners didn’t do anything about it, I’m assuming that they didn’t mind it. Everyone had fun.

A little too much fun to be honest, to the point that The Corps of Thirty came in and closed down the tavern for the night as it was even quite loud and the sounds where quite brash on the main high street itself. Disrupting the peace.

But even after that, neither you or Kaveh wanted to go home. Even if it was best because of how drunk you two were.

But somehow, the pair of you traversed to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and made it in one peace, where the Lesser Lord herself would be. During the nights, she would occasionally walk around the city to appreciate it in peace, and you so happened to come across her here.

Kaveh spoke to her and had the idea to ask her to officiate something and be the key witness for the occasion. And of course she agreed. Upon her asking what it was, Kaveh would say, in a heartbeat – yet drunkenly confident – “I want to marry this lovely being here” he pulled you closer, “(Y/N). (M/N). (L/N). The love of my life!”

She didn’t care what time it was, neither did you two.

The Lesser Lord herself, and the guards, served as your witnesses.

It wasn’t exactly how someone would want to be married, but to be married by a God herself? You better count that as a blessing for a bright future.

But the Goddess didn’t want something happening to the newly weds as you made you ways back down from the Sanctuary. So she escorted you both herself back home.

She granted you the sweetest of dreams for that night, and she knew that neither of you would regret the decision. Even she knew how close you two were.

It was about 2am when you got back to Kaveh’s shared house with Alhaitham. And surprisingly, you didn’t wake him up. Even if he sleeps like dead weight.

You stumbled onto the bed first, then did Kaveh. No type of intimacy was shared, apart from some loving words and light kisses. All before you both passed out asleep.

Let’s forget the red wine stains and glasses in the living room for now.

Just how will you explain this to Alhaitham later on?

So this is how you become accidentally married.

I ran out of steam towards the end. Sorry.

[leftoverenvy]

Tastes Like Sugar (ch. 32)

Summary: India Mae, or Indi, is a music major, struggling to pay bills, tuition, work, and make good grades.  Emily Prentiss is a BAU profiler, as well as a DC socialite thanks to her huge family fortune.  The two enter into a mutually beneficial arrangement: Emily will pay for Indi's school if Indi accompanies Emily to her social functions for a few months, posing as her girlfriend.  As weeks go by, the lines between their arrangement and their true feelings start to blur.  But money can't buy love, right?

Pairing: India Mae Banks x Emily Prentiss; OC x Emily Prentiss

Warnings: smut; sugar baby relationships; age gap (16 years - but all over 18)

Word Count: 2.9 k

Read on Wattpad | Ao3 | Previous Chapters

Taglist: @ssa-sapphic 🧸; @5raysofsunshine 🌮; @reidselle🦭; @swiftfiles 🐝💚 ; @scorpsik 🎨

Chapter 32 - Birthday Wishes

A/n: thank you everyone for your patience with updates!  If you're still following along, thank you.  Your readership means everything to me.

- - -

"Pen!" I protested, pushing my hair out of my face once again.  "This fan is blowing my hair around, and I can assure you it is NOT sexy."

"Oh, I assure you it will be, my pet," she purred as she continued snapping photos.  "Just do something sexier with your face."

I huffed in annoyance.  "Very helpful!" I said sarcastically.  "I never should have let you talk me into this," I complained, gesturing around at the makeshift photography studio Penelope had set up to take some boudoir photos for Emily's birthday present.  "I'm just not good at being sexy."

"I'll bet there's a certain brunette who would beg to differ…"  She raised a knowing eyebrow.  "In fact," she started, "You should hear how they tease her at work."

"What do you mean?" I asked in concern.

Penelope walked over to position my arms in what I assumed was a much less awkward pose.  "Emily is so…" she trailed off.  "So cold, hard."  My brows furrowed in disagreement.  Before I could protest, Penelope amended, "She's a total badass, don't get me wrong.  Like a super spy babe…But when you call…"  She trailed off again finding the right words.

With bated breath, "when I call…" I prompted.

"She's a total cheeseball!"  She laughed.  "She's so head over heels for you, Indi.  I guess the team has just never seen her like that before."  She paused, letting me soak it all in, but then added, "For example, the other day, she had just taken down this unsub.  I'm talkin' heeled boot to the stomach, gun pointed at his head.  And she was so focused."  I could picture it now.  My stomach tightened pleasantly thinking about how wonderful it was to be the object of Emily's focus.  "And then when she got back to Quantico to call you, it's like she visibly softens."

I tried to reconcile what Penelope was telling me with my own perceptions of Emily.  A wide smile spread over my face, pleased that I caused such a change in her.  "And," Penelope continued conspiratorially, "Derek has a theory that Emily and JJ were more than friends, especially seeing how cold JJ is towards you."  I gulped, unsure if this was a secret Emily purposefully kept from the team even after they had broken up.  "And apparently, she NEVER looked at JJ like she looks at you."

Butterflies flooded my tummy.  Even though Emily had told me she loved me, it still never ceased to amaze me that others saw the proof in her eyes as I did.  "All the more reason for these photos to turn out well.  I can't buy anything for the woman who has more money than god – if she wants something, she just buys it for herself.  This is my only option for her birthday present, Pen.  And I'm just hopeless at this stuff."

"You landed Emily," she pointed out.

"You know what I mean," I grumbled, pulling at the tight lingerie, uncomfortable and out of my element.

A knowing glint illuminated Penelope's eyes.  "Let's try something new," she suggested.  "What song makes you feel sexy?"

"I don't know…" I bit my lip, embarrassed.

"Fine."  Penelope grabbed her phone and changed the playlist.  Deep bass and a slow beat reverberated around the room contrasted with the singer's keening, crooning voice.  I had no idea what this song was, but the vibe immediately shifted into something more intimate.  I continued worrying my lip, steeling myself to be sexy for Emily.

She seemed to have enjoyed the photos I had taken in front of her standing mirror.  But I hadn't let myself think about it or talk myself out of hitting send.  I begged myself to get out of my own head, trying to reason with my own insecurities.

"Maybe start without my face in them?" I suggested, trying to find a way to ease myself into this.

"Wonderful idea, Indi!  What part of you does Emily like best?"  I had no idea.  I knew which parts of her I liked best.  The smooth lines of her back, the tattoo on her hip, the slope of her jaw as she threw her head back in pleasure… 

"Earth to India!" Penelope got my attention.

"Sorry!" I apologized, my face heating in embarrassment.  I pulled one leg up to my chest, trying to fold in on myself.  "I was just…"

"Fantasizing?  Don't think I haven't seen that look in Emily's eyes either."  Butterflies swarmed my stomach again, overwhelming joy causing a shy smile to stretch across my face.  The click of the camera caught my attention.  "Just be yourself," Penelope instructed softly, trying not to break the moment.  "You're beautiful when you think of her."

"She's beautiful," I whispered.  I could never compare, I thought ruefully.

"Let's try from behind," Penelope suggested.  "Look over your shoulder.  That way you don't have to think too much about what we're doing.  Just keep thinking about Emily."

And once we got started, it really was much easier.  Thinking about Emily got me out of my head.   While I didn't think these had a hope of coming out good enough for Emily, Penelope – of course – worked her magic and made me look amazing.  She thought of the best poses to look teasing and sexy.  I hoped Emily liked them well enough.

_ _ _

I woke up with a start, realizing what day it was.  I rolled over and gently pressed kisses against Emily's skin to wake her up.  When she finally roused, she smiled and pulled me in for a proper kiss.  "Happy birthday," I whispered against Emily's lips.

"Thank you."  She flopped back into bed, snuggling back into our warm cocoon.  "I'm not much for celebrating my birthday," she admitted after a beat.

Hesitantly, I asked, "Because of your mom?"

She blew out a puff of air, a sound I had come to realize meant she was uneasy about something.   "I don't know," she admitted softly.  "Maybe."

"Well, I'd like to celebrate you."  I snuggled into her side, tracing soft patterns against the tattoo on her hip.  "Because you're so special to me, Em.  I'm so grateful to have you.  And you are worth celebrating."

"I love you, sweet girl," she responded simply.

"I got you something," I started hesitantly.

"Mmm," she hummed, pulling me closer.  She turned so we were face to face.  "I already have everything I need."  She kissed my nose softly, her thumb brushing tenderly over my cheek bone.

I huffed in mock annoyance.  "I know you have everything already!  Do you know how impossible it was to buy you a gift?!" 

She chuckled against my skin, pressing more light kisses to my face.  "I don't need a gift when I have you."

"But you have me every day.  I wanted to get you something special."  I got nervous again, thinking that I wasn't special enough to be Emily's gift.  How could I have been so stupid as to think she would want photos of me for her birthday?

She rolled me onto my back and started pressing kisses into my neck.  "How about you let me decide what I want as a present?"  Thoughts flooded out of my head with each swipe of her tongue on my skin.

"Okay," I breathed.  She nipped softly with her teeth at my ear lobe.  "Emily," I sighed.

"So where's my present?" she asked.

"What?"

She chuckled again, her soft exhale tickling the sensitive skin at my neck.  "Can I have my present now?"  I nodded, still dazed from her morning kisses.  "And then we'll go to breakfast?"

"Okay, babe!" I agreed, cupping her cheek, stunned at her beauty.  "I'm paying though!"  She opened her mouth to argue, but I quickly slid my hand over it before she could protest.  "No way are you paying for breakfast, my birthday girl."

She grabbed my wrist to hold it steady as she placed a soft kiss to the palm of my hand.  "Only if I can have you for dessert later."

My stomach flipped pleasantly, the skin at my neck still electrified from where she had been teasing me earlier.  "Okay," I said a bit breathlessly.

"Come on," she said rolling out of bed, "I want to go to that little Benedict place downtown.  And then don't forget!  The FBI picnic is this evening."

"It's a crime you have to go to a work event on your birthday," I griped.  "I mean, what's the point of having a birthday on a Saturday if you still have to go to work?"

She smiled at my scowl, but pressed a kiss to my forehead.  "Just how it shook out this year, angel.  But, I think there will be cake!" 

"There better be cake!" I grumbled.

Once Emily and I had gotten dressed for the day, we made our way downstairs.  When she saw her wrapped present sitting on the kitchen island she made a beeline for it.  I smirked, noting that even though Emily said she didn't think it was necessary to celebrate her, it seemed to be a distancing tactic she previously used to keep herself from feeling disappointment when her mom let her down.

"When did you have time to do all this?" she asked, gesturing to the present and the balloons and flowers.

Sheepishly, I responded, "When you were in the shower last night."

She wrapped me in a big hug, burying her face against my neck.  "You're so special, babe."  I wrapped my own arms around her tightly, drawing her closer.  "I wish you could feel how much I mean that."

"I do," she whispered.  "Thank you, angel."

Nervous, and ready to get any negative reactions about her present out of the way, I pulled out of her embrace and grabbed her present.  "Happy birthday, babe.  I love you, and I wanted to get you something special-"

"I'm going to love it," she interrupted, sensing my nerves.  I handed her the package and watched her carefully take the wrapping paper off. 

As the first photo was revealed to her, she stopped breathing.  "Oh," she gasped in surprise.  Reverently, she traced the lines of my silhouette from the first photo.  I saw how her eyes drank me in, eyelids drooping with lust.  "Baby, I-"  I gulped nervously.  "Well I just don't know what to say," she said huskily. 

I shuffled my feet, worrying my lip.  I also did not know what to say.  Carefully, as if the picture frames would crumble, she took the first out and set it on the counter.  "Fuck," she whispered revealing the second photo.  "You're fucking gorgeous."

My stomach warmed pleasantly, pleased she seemed to like her present.  Her hand shook slightly as she placed the second on the counter just as gently as she had the first.  When the third photo was revealed, her eyes widened.  It was the most revealing, the most teasing.  She put the box on the counter and grabbed me roughly.  "When do I get the live show?" she husked, her tongue wrapping deliciously around the shell of my ear. 

"You want to see me in that corset?"  My heart pounded in my chest as Emily's hands kneaded my ass.

"Fuck yes," she groaned, pulling me closer.  I wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her deeply.  No matter how roughly she tugged me to her, no matter how her body sloped around mine as she leaned me back on the counter, nothing was close enough.

"Emily," I whined.  She pulled me up to sit me on the counter.  I groaned as she pulled back to pull my shirt off.  My skin, buzzing with the electricity of my desire, ached where she wasn't touching me.  "Emily, please," I begged.  I needed her hands and lips back on me.  I needed her.  I felt the frenzy in me grow, the desire sparking to life between us.

She pressed a flat palm in the middle of my chest, pushing me back to lay flat.  Her capable hands made quick work of my jeans, peeling them down my legs in no time at all.  She put my feel up on the counter, spreading me out in front of her.  "Don't tease," I begged, unable to bear the thought of her relentlessly slow pace.

She grabbed my thighs and pushed them apart to make room for herself.  She chuckled darkly before she dove in, licking up my slit.  "Fuck," I groaned.  I grabbed her head, weaving my fingers in her hair.  I rolled my hips against Emily's mouth, feeling her tongue caress my clit in that way that made my eyes roll back in my head.  "Please," I whispered.  "Fuck me, Em, please."

She didn't change anything, and I passively wondered if she heard me.  My legs were wrapped pretty tightly over her ears.  As if she could read my mind, her hands smoothed down my thighs and yanked them apart.  She then slowly slipped one finger inside me, her tongue never breaking its rhythm against my clit.

I sighed, content in the feeling.  Nothing compared to Emily loving me, even with the cold marble of the countertop against my skin.  My hips began bucking against my will, my head thrashing back and forth.  Emily forced me to the precipice faster than lighting.  My hands slammed to my side, clipping the side of one of the picture frames.  The clatter startled Emily, and she pulled back, her lips releasing my clit with a soft pop.

"Careful, Indi.  I would be quite sad if you broke my present."  Though her fingers still pushed into me, her mouth was no longer on my clit, and I did not finish.

"I know where to get you another one," I grumbled impatiently.  I tried to grab her head and force her back between my legs, but she resisted.

"I'm partial to the original," she teased, her tongue swiping against my clit once.  "It has…sentimental value," she continued.  Her tongue teased at my clit softly.  It was enough to keep me squirming but not what I needed.  I needed what she had been doing before.  I needed it like air.  "Best birthday present I've ever gotten, in fact."

"Emily!" I complained.  She chuckled, pleased with herself.  She added a second finger, but continued teasing with her tongue.

"You know," she said against my labia.  "You're mighty impatient today."  I whimpered as she licked against my clit a bit harder.  "Shouldn't I get to enjoy you how I see fit on my birthday?"  I looked down my body, her eyes sparkling with mischief between my legs.

I quirked a brow, unable to keep myself from teasing back.  "I thought you weren't one to celebrate your birthday."

"I'm starting to see the merit," she amended, her mouth wrapping back around my clit how I liked.

"Oh god," I groaned, my head falling back against the counter.  She sucked slightly and her fingers hit the perfect spot inside me.  "Emily!" I screamed, my hand flying to her head to keep her there.  "Please, please, please," I pleaded, my hips thrusting against her mouth in time with my begging.  She didn't relent, pleasure crashing over every inch of me.  I slumped against the counter, her tongue and fingers slowing to help me ride it out.  "Fuck," I exhaled, stroking the back of Emily's head.  She looked up at me, love overflowing in her eyes.

"Come," she commanded, pulling back.  I sat up, confusion furrowed my brow.  She tugged on my arms until I slid off the counter.  I leaned up to kiss her, but instead, Emily pushed on my shoulder until I was kneeling in front of her.  She looked down at me with eyes dark with lust as her fingers undid her jeans.  Her intense gaze never wavered.  I licked my lips in anticipation.

I helped her pull her jeans and underwear down her soft legs.  She slipped a leg over my shoulder and gripped the counter for balance.  Immediately, I pressed my lips to her clit.  Gathering up wetness with my tongue, I licked up and down her pussy.  "That's it, Indi," she cooed.  My pride swelled as I pleased Emily.

Gently she brushed my curls away from my face, gazing down at me warmly.  "I love you, angel."  I blinked slowly, not daring to slow my pace.  She bit her lip, her brow furrowed in concentration as she chased her own orgasm.  "My sweet girl," she cooed, "You're doing so good for me.  Don't stop," she ordered.  Her hips started bucking against my mouth in earnest, her head thrown back in pleasure.

I moaned at the sight, unable to contain myself.  She gripped my hair so tightly, I felt the sting of the pull.  "Yessss," she hissed, falling more heavily against the countertop, unable to hold up her weight fully.  Her chest heaved as she came down from her high.

After a few seconds, she helped me stand up.  My knees popped in the quiet kitchen as I stood up, a bit sore from kneeling on the hardwood.  She immediately wrapped me in her arms, both of us naked from the waist down.  "I love you, Emily," I whispered into her neck.  "Happy birthday, my love."  She squeezed me tighter, both of us content in the warmth of our love.

[sugalaritae]

Congrats again on the milestone! Could I request a drabble for this prompt?

Making out as a distraction x Accidental kiss

Maybe YoonKook x Reader? In whatever configuration you like 👉👈

summary: You push yourself against Jungkook and slip a leg between his as you begin to move to the music. 

“Relax,” you whisper with a soft smile. 

“I’m trying,” he says with a shaky voice.

or Yoongi, Jungkook, and you are on a road trip across country and you've taken a wrong (but right) turn.

pairing: min yoongi x f! reader x jeon jungkook

genre: smut. this is just pwp

au: roadtrip, sort of s2l, one bed!

rating: 18+

word count: 4.5k

warnings: tension, semi-public kissing, dancing with jungkook (that's a warning), a sun dress from the 90s, drinking, mentions of a nicotine being tasted in a kiss, just so so much kissing, lots of discussion of consent and what everyone wants and doesn't want (do this everyone! it's good practice), or*l sex (f receiving and m, both times m giving), v*ginal sex with a condom, choking, voyeurism, face f*cking (mxm), spit, sw*llowing, aftercare

author’s note: honestly this idea came from a in-depth conversation with @minttangerines @minisugakoobies and @bangtanintotheroom several months ago about what a yoonkook fic based on Y tu mamá también would look like. i've been wanting to write it ever since and while it's not that plot at all, it was lightly influenced by the dance scene (tho in my fic yoongi and jungkook are sort of in a "relationship"). thank you to all the above mentioned loves for their encouragement, to Sunny for her request, and to AJ for looking this over!! The title is from the song 'places' by the blaze

The music is swaying around like wind. The four-piece band comprised of men in their forties and fifties are on a stage behind you. There is a drink in front of you. Yoongi and Jungkook sit in front of you as they softly argue about Jungkook's mess up. Behind them is the beach. Beautiful dark sand and then nothing. You know the ocean is about fifty feet away from where you are sitting, but you can’t see it, the water mirroring the dark sky above. If you listen closely though, you can hear the sounds of the waves as they brush against the shore. 

Slowly, the whole scene moves together into one reality as you bring yourself back into your body. It’s been a stressful day. The three of you weren’t supposed to be here. The town you were aiming for is about 250 miles in a different direction, but Jungkook had misread the signs and made a wrong turn and no one had noticed until it was too late to turn around. You had seen the little beachside bar from the road and suggested that you all take a break from driving; maybe have a drink and get a hotel room for the night. The bar is empty, save for the three of you, the band, bartender and a couple in the corner. 

“Jungkook–” you say suddenly and at the same time as you set your pint of beer down on the table with a little more strength than you had intended. 

He looks at you with surprise. 

“Dance with me.”

You look at the two men who are following you with heavy gazes as you stand up and fix your dress. You don’t normally wear dresses, but today was hot in the car and you weren’t really interested in wearing leggings and a tank top. So you wore the only dress you had - a light yellow one with thick straps and buttons down the front that reminded you of something your mother wore in the 90s. 

You hold out your hand for him. 

“Come on,” you say not as a question, but as a command and watch as he looks between your face and hand before gently setting his hand on top of yours. You wrap your smaller one around his much bigger one and lead him to a spot on the beach, still under the lights of the bar but not in it. 

He stands there for a moment, shy, and it pulls a smile from you. Grabbing his hands in yours, you guide them to your waist and slip your hands up his biceps until you can rest your forearms on his shoulders. 

You want to make him relax. 

You can tell that he’s feeling guilty for having driven so far off course. There is the issue of money and gas. The three of you know that one of the guys will have to ask you for money and it will come from your savings, which is why neither of them have brought it up and you’re still reconciling that. But you’re telling yourself that it will be okay. 

For now, you’re deciding to concentrate on dancing with Jungkook instead. It’s a good distraction. 

You push yourself against Jungkook and slip a leg between his as you begin to move to the music. 

“Relax,” you whisper with a soft smile. 

“I’m trying,” he says with a shaky voice. 

You slide your hand up his shoulder until your thumb is touching his neck and you guide the soft pad of your thumb back and forth against his skin, feeling the veins and muscles that tense and then slowly relax. His hands on your waist pull you closer and you smile as you rest your cheek against his pec. You close your eyes as he begins to lead you, the both of you moving to the music and forgetting the world around you. 

When your cousin had suggested that you catch a ride with his friends who were going in the same direction as your new home, you hadn’t thought that they would be two handsome friends. Jungkook had been so excited to meet you, a kind and happy energy as he opened the front door and offered to load your suitcases into the trunk of the car. Yoongi had been polite and quiet until the first day was almost over and then suddenly, it was like he decided that he did like you. Up until tonight they had been staying in one hotel room and you, in another. Tonight, you couldn’t afford that and as you swayed with Jungkook pressed tight against your body, you find yourself hoping that he is someone who likes cuddling because the room only has one bed. 

His body relaxes pressed against you and you feel a hand drift lower. He doesn’t move to touch your actual cheeks, but you can tell he’s thinking about it. He moves two fingers gently over your ass while his one hand stays put on your lower back, only for a moment though before he moves it gently up and down your back. You hum deep in your throat and your fingers drift up into his long hair. 

The night feels electric with the buzzing from the old (probably unsafe) lights strung up above you. The band seems to only be playing slow songs and you’re not sure if it’s for the benefit of you and Jungkook, but you’re not going to question it. 

“Jungkook,” you whisper as you move to look up at him and at just the same moment, he moves to be at your level, turning to look at you.

The two of you bump into each other, your lips brushing against each other and immediately he pulls away when you’re certain that you would be okay if he had kissed you. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles and you smile. 

“It’s okay.” 

Jungkook slowly separates himself from you and holds out his hand for you to take, nodding toward the table where Yoongi still is. You shake your head and stay put, your body still swaying a little to the music until you see him take a seat at the table and you see that Yoongi has turned his seat to face where you and Jungkook were dancing. You smile at him and give a little wave and then turn and walk out toward the water. 

It seems like there is no moon out but you can see its faded light behind a cloud. 

You feel like anything could happen tonight. Your life is in a massive shift with no home yet to call your own and all of your belongings in two suitcases. You sold everything else, wanting to leave everything behind and start fresh. It’s a good but terrifying feeling. The water, with its dark colour,  is a bit like that, you notice as you get closer. The sand darkened with each kiss of a wave. You are free to live your life however you want and it’s an excitement unknown like the ocean in front of you. 

“He should have kissed you,” a voice says to your left. Yoongi’s voice. 

You smile without turning toward him, but you nod. 

“He should have, but he’s shy and it’s really endearing.” 

“How come you didn’t ask me to dance?” he asks. 

You laugh lightly, “Would you have if I had asked?” 

He shakes his head, “No.” 

“Didn’t think so.”

There’s a pause and both of you watch the water in front of you. You don’t know much about where Yoongi and Jungkook are going or what they’re going to do there but you don’t really care. You’re leaving your past behind so that you can start fresh and you’re not entirely interested in two men coming into your life. 

You are interested in whatever Yoongi is about to say though. 

“I would have kissed you, though.” 

“Why don’t you now?” you ask and this time you turn to him completely. 

The lights from the bar shine soft shadows across his body and face. He’s beautiful. 

You take a deep breath, the cool fresh breeze from the ocean fills your lungs and releases it for a moment before he takes a step toward you and cups your face gently in his hands, kissing you softly. You sigh against him and your hands grip the bottom of his biceps. 

It’s a chaste kiss at first but then one of his hands falls from your face and he grips your hip tightly pulling you to him. You part your lips and tease his bottom lip with the tip of your tongue. He tastes like the cheap whiskey he was drinking and leftover nicotine from a cigarette he smoked when you first arrived. 

He pulls you flush to him and this time, unlike Jungkook, he slips his hand down to your ass. His lips part and he welcomes your tongue with his. He tastes like freedom and the unknown. You moan into his mouth and he swallows it happily. 

Then his lips drift from yours and he kisses your cheek and jaw. You move your head to give him more room so he can kiss your neck and he does. Then he nips at your earlobe and it sends a shiver up your spine to meet his mouth. 

“I want to watch you with him,” he whispers and you release a breath you weren’t aware you were holding. 

“Will he want that?” you ask. 

“Yes.” 

It’s a whisper in your ear, but it sends another shiver, this time down your spine and you push your hips to his. 

“I want you after.” 

“Maybe.” 

He kisses you again and this time you don’t hesitate against each other. You dive in and drag his hand that has, until now, stayed on your neck, slowly down your front, stopping briefly at your breast as he feels your nipple perk under his fingers. Your breathing is shallow and you feel a rush of pleasure as he slips his hand to the side and pushes his thumb gently under the material of your dress until it brushes over your bare nipple and you gasp against his lips. 

You jump a little as you feel a body press against your back, wandering hands down your full hips. 

“Can I fuck you?” Jungkook whispers against your ear before he licks along your ear. 

“Please,” you say against Yoongi who chuckles and pulls away.

“I think we should move to our room then,” he says. 

The hotel room isn’t anything special. The bedspread looks old and is definitely polyester, but you don’t care because two men are currently undressing you. Yoongi is behind you, kissing and licking at your neck as Jungkook unbuttons your dress enough to reveal your bare breasts because you were too tired to try and find your bra when you got dressed this morning. You let the dress fall from your shoulders and arms. Yoongi’s hands drift under your arms and cup your breasts and Jungkook gets on his knees in front of you. 

You feel overwhelmed, your head swimming as Jungkook kisses your clothed cunt. 

“You should take those off of her, I want you to tell me what she tastes like,” Yoongi says as he looks over your shoulder at the man in front of you. 

Jungkook does, gripping your underwear with his hands and tugging them down. You step out of them with his guidance, his gentle hands calloused a little on his palms, but he treats you like he could break you. 

Your hands have felt heavy at your sides, but now they find his hair and you bury your fingers there as he kisses the inside of your thighs making his way to you. Then he licks gently up your slit. You feel his fingers part your lips and his tongue slides against you, your excitement gathering on his tongue. 

“Oh,” you moan. 

“That’s right, baby, let him taste you. I’ll wait until he’s done with you,” Yoongi whispers against your neck and you shiver. 

Jungkook is good with his tongue and you expect him to slip a finger into you, but he doesn’t, using only his tongue to pleasure you. His tongue presses against your clit with a mixture of pressure and moisture. You moan loudly as Yoongi’s fingers pinch and lightly twist at your sensitive nipples. 

“I’m—“ you start and your breath hitches.

“Kook, stop,” Yoongi commands and suddenly you're left standing alone without Jungkook’s mouth on you and you’re so close, but you feel abandoned. 

“No,” you whimper. 

“Baby, are you okay if Jungkook fucks you now?” Yoongi asks. 

You nod. 

“What are you okay with? Are there things that you don’t want or don’t like?” he asks as Jungkook pushes himself up to standing in front of you and suddenly you’re aware that Yoongi has dropped his hands from your breasts to rest on your hips. 

You feel safe and respected because Jungkook isn’t looking at your body, but at your face as he waits for your answer. 

“I don’t want anal or being touched there,” you start. 

Yoongi and Jungkook nod. 

“Okay, anything else?” Jungkook asks and you like that he’s the one asking it this time. 

“Don’t call me princess, baby is fine, but I don’t want any specifically gendered names,” you say to Jungkook and he nods. “I don’t want anything really rough, but I want Yoongi to choke me when I’m close if you’re comfortable.” 

“Let me know and I’ll do it. What do you mean by really rough?” Yoongi asks. 

“No slapping or degrading. I don’t want that.” 

Jungkook nods. 

“I need aftercare. I need to feel both of you against me after.” 

Yoongi’s hands run up and down your hips gently as he asks, “Anything else, baby?” 

You shake your head. 

“Jungkook, anything you want from her or from me?” he asks. 

Jungkook nods. “Can you lick my nipples?” he asks and this time you nod. 

“That’s all. Yoongi?” 

He starts to Jungkook. “I want to kiss you while you still have her on your tongue." He turns to you. "I want to eat you out after he’s fucked you, and then I want you to finish me off, Kook.” 

Jungkook nods again and you wonder how many times they’ve done this. Questions fly through your head and you feel silly for not having asked them before. You don’t know if they’re a couple, but you haven’t noticed anything and then you don’t know if Yoongi would be the kind of person who would be public about his relationships. 

“I can do that,” Jungkook says and the two men lock eyes.

It’s powerful to be stuck between them and slowly, Jungkook steps into you and kisses Yoongi over your shoulder. You rest your head against Yoongi’s shoulder and your gaze drifts over to them. You watch as Yoongi’s tongue slips over Jungkook’s and then the two of them part. 

“You are exquisite. Taste better than anything I could have imagined.” Yoongi says before he kisses your neck. 

Jungkook watches you. His gaze is heavy, his eyes lidded, pupils blown and you can’t take your gaze off him. 

“Can I kiss you?” Jungkook asks after a beat and you nod. 

“Please.” 

His kiss is more needy than Yoongi’s was. You feel Jungkook’s and Yoongi’s fingers lace together, both their palms pressing against your skin and you moan against his lips which causes him to open them and you can taste little remnants of yourself on his tongue. 

You move your hands and pull his shirt up, separating from him briefly so that you can pull his shirt off him, which he helps with by separating his hands from Yoongi’s and he holds his arms up. The garment gets caught on his fingers and the two of you laugh as he helps you. You take him in with a gasp. 

“Fuck.” 

A smirk tugs the corner of his lips up and it’s a look that makes you feel weak in the knees. 

Yoongi kisses your neck, licking where he presses kisses, and you watch as Jungkook takes off his jeans, stepping out of them. He’s gorgeous, fitter than anyone you’ve ever been with and for a moment a brief spark of insecurity flashes through you because you’re softer than him. His cock is erect and you can’t take your eyes off his darkened tip. 

“Condom?” he asks and you nod. 

Yoongi guides you backward to the bed and then steps out from behind you and you sit down on the polyester cover. It scratches against your ass as you move upward, Jungkook kisses you again, his hands pressing into the mattress and caging you in. It makes you feel safe and sexy. You remind yourself that he wants you and you close your eyes falling into his kiss. You can feel his cock against your thigh and you open your legs wide for him, making room for him between them. 

Jungkook stops kissing for a moment as Yoongi hands him a condom and you watch as Jungkook rips it open and rolls the thin latex onto himself. He looks trapped fighting against the material of it and you reach between your bodies and take him in your hand, stroking him for a moment as Yoongi and he kiss. 

Then Yoongi is stepping away and you watch him, cheek pressed to the bedspread, as he pulls a chair closer to the bed and sits down. He’s looking at the two of you like you’re the most beautiful human beings he’s ever seen and you find your body reacting to his gaze. Jungkook takes advantage of the position of your head and kisses your neck, biting softly and then pulling away quickly and whispering against your skin as he asks if that was okay and you answer with a short nod. 

He holds your wrist lightly and brings your hand from his cock to his pec, reminding you that he wants you to touch and lick his nipples. You brush your thumb over the erect little bud and he lets out a deep breath against your skin. You feel his cock head press against your cunt and you breathe in as he presses himself into you. Both of you gasp as he pushes all the way into you, knocking from Yoongi’s gaze. Your hand grips his pec, fingers digging into his skin gently. 

He pauses, allowing you to adjust to him. He’s thicker than other men you’ve been with and it takes you a moment, your body relaxing around him. 

“You can move, baby,” you say softly and he bites again at your neck. 

You moan loud at this. 

He starts slow, sliding out almost the full way and then pushing into you. He feels amazing, filling you each time. 

“Faster,” you moan and wrap your legs around his waist, locking your feet at the ankles easily. 

He moans against your skin and then his lips find yours again and he kisses you while he pushes into you faster and stronger. Your back arches against the bed and out of the corner of your eye, you can see Yoongi shift slightly. You’re not close yet. You can feel the familiar build in your stomach, but you’re not close. He seems to notice this, so he stays. 

Jungkook, on the other hand, winds an arm under where you’ve separated from the bed and lifts you. You’re used to men trying to lift you, but he does it with ease, flipping the two of you over in the bed, his cock slipping out of you as he does so and you adjust a little over him before you guide him back to your entrance and sit down on him. Yoongi watches as both your heads fall back with the feeling. 

You bend down and take his nipple between your lips. You slip your tongue around him, licking at his sweaty skin, tasting salt as you fuck yourself on his cock. You stay that way for a moment, relishing in how Jungkook is under you, moaning your name like it’s a prayer, a holy name. 

He’s talking through all of this, you realize. Guiding you, telling you how well you’re doing. 

You break your kiss from Jungkook’s chest and lift one knee up, resting your foot against the bedspread and the new angle pushes you closer and closer.

“I’m close, Yoongi,” you say and you close your eyes tight as you pick up your speed. 

You feel the mattress dip a little and Yoongi’s hand gently grips your neck. He leans into the side of your head and takes your earlobe between his teeth, biting gently as his grip tightens. 

“Keep going, baby,” Jungkook commands and you keep the movement. 

Everything is overwhelming, the feeling builds and you feel Jungkook’s hand press against your lower stomach, helping you over that edge. Yoongi’s fingers press into the sides of your throat in the perfect way and you love this; you knew you could trust him to choke you right. 

Your walls clench around Jungkook’s cock as your body shakes. Your orgasm ricochets through your body. Jungkook pushes into you, thrusting upward, fucking you through it before you feel him come. He fills the condom and you wish you could feel him so that Yoongi could lick his cum out of you. 

Yoongi kisses your temple. 

“You did so well, baby. So well,” he purrs in your ear and you feel yourself fall against him as his hand releases your neck. 

Jungkook below you watches, his chest rising and falling as he tries to gather himself. After a moment you move off him and he catches the condom before it comes off. 

“Do you need a moment before I…” Yoongi asks and you nod. 

Jungkook moves off the bed to throw the condom and Yoongi slips his shirt off and lays down next to you, guiding you to rest your head against his chest. 

“You did so, so well, I’m so proud of you,” he whispers to you as his hands move over your back and arm, up and down. 

You move your head to capture his lips in a kiss and he kisses you softly before you decide you’re ready again.

“Can I have you, all of you?” you ask against his lips and he smiles. 

“Maybe tomorrow morning. Could I wake you up?”

You nod. 

He directs you off him and onto the bed properly as he kisses you and you watch as he kisses down your body. Stopping briefly to pay attention to your breasts again. He licks and bites softly. His fingertips move gently over your sensitive skin and it feels like electricity. You feel alive and tender and so fucking human. 

His lips capture your clitoral hood in an intimate kiss. He tugs slightly and you moan, your hands finding a home in his hair. It’s soft. He is skilled. His tongue pushes into you and licks up and out, over and over and over and over until you feel a little dizzy, your eyes closing tight. 

Jungkook sits beside you, running his fingers gently down your cheek. He leans down and kisses you fully. 

“Do you want to be choked again?” he asks and you shake your head. 

He kisses you as Yoongi licks, but never penetrating you with anything but his tongue. You’re happy for this because you feel sensitive and already this is broaching the feeling of being oversensitive. 

Your second orgasm isn’t as powerful as the first, but your back breaks its relationship with the bed. You moan into Jungkook’s mouth and he seems to relish in this. Yoongi kisses the inside of your thigh tenderly as his hands move up and down your legs, gripping your ankles gently and tugging you back to earth. 

“Baby, are you okay if Jungkookie finishes me off or do you need someone to hold you?” Yoongi asks. 

It takes you a moment to answer, but Yoongi never moves. Instead, he just tightens his grip ever-so-gently on your ankles and keeps you steady. 

“Come back to me after?” you ask.

“Of course,” both men say at the same time, but Yoongi punctuates his with a kiss on your knee and you feel special.

Jungkook makes sure to help you move so your head is resting against the pillows and under the blankets. He kisses you gently on the lips and then knee-walks over to Yoongi. You watch as Jungkook slides off the bed and Yoongi grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him into a kiss. It’s sexy, long. Jungkook’s hands work on Yoongi’s black trousers, and then as soon as his pants are at his ankles, Yoongi’s hands push down on Jungkook’s shoulders and you watch as the younger man gets on his knees. 

Jungkook licks the underside of Yoongi’s cock which pulls his name from Yoongi’s mouth. He does this a few more times before he takes all of Yoongi in one go and it’s amazing to watch. 

They have done this before, you think as you watch Yoongi grip the back of Jungkook’s head. 

“Can I fuck your face?” Yoongi asks and Jungkook nods as best he can. 

You watch the muscles in Jungkook’s jaw relax as Yoongi’s fingers curl Jungkook’s hair around them and he begins a fast pace. This time it’s Yoongi who is talking Jungkook through fucking him. Spit falls from around Yoongi’s cock and out of Jungkook’s mouth landing on his chest and shining there. It’s beautiful and sexy and it almost makes you ready again, but you’re exhausted. 

Your fingers dance along your collarbone as you watch though, desperate for touch. Yoongi finishes in Jungkook’s mouth and pulls out in a fast movement that makes even your jaw ache. Cum and spit fall out of Jungkook’s mouth and onto his chin. Yoongi reaches down and gathers it up on his fingers and pushes it back into the other’s mouth. 

“Swallow,” Yoongi commands and you take a breath at the tone. It’s deep and makes your legs shake a little in anticipation of what might be happening when you wake the next morning. 

Jungkook follows the command and you watch his throat move with the action. He sticks his tongue out and Yoongi nods.

“Well done. You did well.” 

Yoongi kisses Jungkook softly as the younger stands. 

Yoongi slips under the covers and presses his body to yours.  Jungkook walks around the bed and slips in the other side and does the same. You feel safe here. Jungkook brings a leg over yours and you feel caged in and comfortable. 

“You both did so well tonight. I’m so proud of you both,” Yoongi says as his hand moves over Jungkook’s arm and his lips kiss your temple and cheek. 

You don’t know what your future holds and you feel sleep join the weight of the two bodies of the men on either side of you. You are happy. Content. Whatever happens in this life you will have this memory and it feels like the start of a new past. 

©sugalaritae, 2023. Do NOT repost, edit, or translate any of my work. I only post on ao3 and tumblr

if you liked what you read please comment, reblog, and give likes!!

[syrikif]

Gamer Etiquette

Kodzuken x Streamer!Y/N

Pairing: Kenma Kozume x Fem!Reader

Genre: SMAU, Written Elements, Strangers to Lovers, Romance, Fluff, Humor, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Streamer/Youtuber AU

Upcoming content creator/streamer, Y/N, has gone viral for lots of things. Her infamous dumb moments, her blended cookie recipe (which tastes better than it sounds), the way she rages at her friends during games, and about a hundred more.

But her most recent viral moment? Accidentally knocking famous streamer, Kodzuken, off the Bedwars map and making him lose his two year winning streak.

Now with more attention (and hate) than she ever asked for, her only option left is to go to the source: the man himself, Kenma Kozume.

Previous | Masterlist | Next

Chapter 2 (a): Bedwars

Word Count: 2171

“Hey guys,” you smile at your webcam, “How’s everyone’s night been so far?” You adjust to get just a bit more comfortable, wrapping your favorite blanket around your legs as you observe their responses in chat. 

“Oh my god you had sushi for dinner? That sounds so good.” You lean forward to get a closer look, “Awe thank you. I tried so hard to do my makeup today,” you inform everyone when you see a compliment fly past. “It took me like four business days to finish my eyeliner,” you roll your eyes at the memory. 

You start humming softly as you read through chat, prompting everyone to start spamming for music and making you smile. “Okay okay, I get it guys I’ll put some music on.” 

You pull open Spotify, selecting one of your favorite non-copyrighted playlists, “Is that loud enough? Oh- too loud?” You turn it down by about twenty percent, “Is that better?”

You grin, letting yourself relax against the back of your chair. “I don’t really have a plan for the stream; I just wanted to kind of chat for a little bit, explain why I was in the hospital and stuff.” 

YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL????

You laugh when you see the message, realizing too late that you’d probably just dropped a bomb on everyone who doesn’t follow you on any of your other social media. “Oh yeah, sorry guys.” You suddenly snort, “Did someone just say I was in hospice for being dumb?” 

You shake your head subconsciously, “Even funnier though is that they’re kind of right.” 

You reach forward to grab the bottle of water resting on your desk, “Don’t worry it’s not anything serious. Like at all.” You pause to take a brief sip of the iced liquid, cringing at how cold it is when it enters your mouth. “Holy shit,” you shudder, “That was so fucking cold.” 

You take a deep breath to regain your composure.

“Anyways, so basically I fell and hit my head yesterday and my friends just wanted to take me to the hospital to make sure I didn’t get a concussion or anything. And then it turned out that I was actually - like - super dehydrated so they wanted to give me an IV drip to get some fluids in me.” You lift your water bottle pointedly, “Hence the new addition to the stream.” 

Normally you’d rarely ever have water during a stream, and if you did it was kept in a much smaller bottle. It’s different now though (your roommate made sure of that) since your current water bottle is big enough to cover your entire face if you were to hold it up. 

“But now I am a-okay and in perfect condition. Well, mostly anyways.” 

You spend some time just singing along to the music and responding to some of the messages you see in chat. You feel yourself relaxing as you talk with everyone, your tense shoulders loosening and your voice growing just a bit louder as you get more comfortable. 

You’re always nervous to stream at first, despite having done it hundreds of times by now. You don’t think you’ll ever not be nervous to be completely honest. It was such a surreal experience, to be able to be so closely connected with so many different people from so many different places, that you were terrified of ever losing it. 

“Oh my god you guys. So I made some pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips in them the other day and they are literally like the best thing I’ve probably ever baked in my life.” 

Better than your blended cookies?

You roll your eyes, “Oh ha ha; you guys act like you’ve tried it. I promise you all that it’s literally ten times better than it sounds. I’ll have to post the recipe at some point because I genuinely think a lot of you would love them.” 

I can attest to that ✋

“Sho,” you excitedly exclaim as you see your friend’s username. “You guys know Shoyo right?” You feel your head tilt, watching the varying responses flood your chat box. “Well if you don’t know who he is, he’s literally - like - famous for playing volleyball.” 

I love Hinata! I met him once and he was so nice.

You nod rapidly in agreement, “Yes! He’s seriously gotta be the nicest person I’ve ever met.” 

“Do you want to get on call with me?” You direct the question towards your close friend, subconsciously biting your lip as you await his answer. 

Still at practice unfortunately 🙁

You pout, “Oh no.” With a small sigh, “I just don’t know what to do now. You got any suggestions, chat?”

You read as many messages as you can, eyebrows furrowing further the longer you sit there. 

“I’m seeing a lot of minecraft; do we wanna play a bit of minecraft?” You hum in thought, swaying in your chair as you consider the idea. “How about Bedwars?”

Chat practically erupts at your words, capitalized letters and emotes flying by so fast that you don’t get any chance to read a single one. “Okay okay,” you laugh, “I get it.” 

You set your water bottle back down, adjusting your keyboard to sit properly before grabbing your mouse. “Let’s play some Bedwars I guess.” 

~~~

“Fuck you!” 

You groan as you release your mouse, throwing your head back in annoyance as you die yet once again. 

“How the fuck do I keep on dying? Literally what the fuck!” You chance a glance at your chat, hiding a smile at their reaction to your raging. You’ll admit it, while you are actually frustrated with the game, you’re definitely playing it up just a little bit for your audience. 

You don’t wait for the round to end after you die, leaving the game and immediately running to join another one. You’ve been playing in teams of three, hoping that having the extra assistance would help you stay alive longer. 

So far it’s proved to be completely futile. 

“We’re definitely gonna win this one you guys,” you say just as the round begins. “Me-,” you pause to look at your teammate’s usernames, “PinkyFluff_22 and Kodzuken are going to absolutely demolish everyone else.” 

What did she just sayyyyyyy 😳

I’m sorry you and WHO????

No way she’s playing with who I think she’s playing with

One in a million chance lol

Wtf

“What is everyone freaking out about?” You question as you patiently wait to collect some iron and gold, watching one of your teammates begin to cover the bed with a measly defense of red wool. “Kodzuken?”

You buy some wood and Endstone from the villager before purchasing a slightly better sword than the wooden one you were given. “Oh they stream?”

Girl 💀

How do you not know who he is?????

“Bro I don’t know,” you shrug, “I just work here okay.” 

You sprint over to the bed, breaking the wool to replace it with the Endstone, layering the wood on top, and then finally placing the wool around it again. “I guess I’ll be bed defense then,” you say as you notice that you’re the only person left on the island. 

“Oh shit someone’s coming!” You duck behind the giant cube of wool, watching the name tag get progressively closer to your island. You jump out as soon as you feel like they’re close enough, attacking the unaware oncomer and knocking them off the island within a few easy hits. 

“Fuck yeah!” You jump around excitedly, proud of the way your plan was actually successful this time. “See that? I told you I’m not bad!” 

You abruptly flinch as your character turns and comes face to face with another player. “Holy shit!” You release a sigh of relief as you realize it’s only your teammate, Kodzuken. “That scared me so bad. Oh my god,” you release your mouse briefly to place your hand on your chest. 

While you’re distracted trying to calm your heartbeat, Kodzuken suddenly stops before you. “What is he doing?” But before you even have time to be suspicious he suddenly drops a pile of diamonds and emeralds on the ground. 

You blink.

“Huh?” He looks pointedly at the gems then back up at you and back down, lightly tapping the block they’re floating on. “Is he giving them to me?” 

You glance over at your chat, your character finally going into motion when you realize they’re all screaming at you to go pick them up. “Jesus, sorry. I got them, see? Look, I’m picking them up right now.” 

You collect everything on the ground, crouching and un-crouching multiple times as a way to thank him. “Oh- shit,” you pause as a popup suddenly appears, “Stupid sticky keys!” 

By the time you manage to exit out of the window, Kodzuken is nowhere to be found. “Well,” you look at your webcam, “That was unexpected.” 

You quickly open game chat to send him a private message as fast as you possibly can. 

“Thanks :)”

It’s the best you can do with the little time you have but you hope he appreciates it nonetheless. 

“Okay, I’m gonna up our bed defense.” You repeat the earlier process all over again, only this time you add obsidian and make the outer layer made of wood. “Now that’s like literally impenetrable.” 

You upgrade your sword to a bow and arrows before purchasing some TNT and fireballs and buying the Miner’s Fatigue trap. “Now the real question is whether I try to attack the bases next to us or not.” 

Attackkkkkk

You’re gonna die

Kill them

We believe in you

“I guess it’s decided then,” you quickly shake out your hands. “Okay,” your voice fades as you run across the bridge you could only assume one of your teammate’s made. 

You’re extremely quiet as you make your way across, keeping your eyes on the island next to you and turning back every now and then to check on your own. You’re biting your lip as you slowly make your way across the rival team’s bridge, crouching the entire time to hide your name. 

You’re roughly twenty blocks away when you take the next step. Still crouching, you aim a fireball at their seemingly wool covered bed. “Yes!” You cheer as it makes its mark, blowing up the wool and revealing wood below it. 

You know that you’ve alerted the players at this point (there’s no way you haven’t) so all you can do is run into the fire. 

You’re panicking as you place some TNT around the bed, running away and into a player from the enemy team as it explodes. You use your mediocre sword to hit them away from you, mentally sighing as they get hit back enough for you to run away. “Oh my god oh my god oh my god,” you sprint towards the now revealed blue bed. 

“Blue Bed was destroyed by Soft_Paws!”

You squeal out of both fear and excitement, adrenaline racing through you as you’re attacked by two of the blue players at once. You throw a fireball at them, shouting for joy when one of them is successfully knocked off the island. 

“Holy shit!”

The next player is harder to kill, your health rapidly deteriorating as you battle with nothing but a stone sword and your adrenaline. 

You have one heart left when it finally happens.

“Ecstasy.png was killed by Soft_Paws”

“Yes!” You kick your feet out, jumping up from your chair with your excitement before remembering that you’re still in a game. “Holy fuck I did it. I actually did it, you guys!” 

She’s CRACKED

LETS GOOOO

WOOOOO

YEEEEESSSSSS

~~~

Roughly five minutes later, you’re still in the round. Everyone’s bed has been broken at this point but there are still three teams that are yet to be eliminated, yours included. 

You’re sort of just hiding at the base, watching the chaos from afar as your one and only teammate left (Kodzuken) goes on a murder spree. 

He’s running back to the team’s island when the incident occurs.

All you see is yellow leather armor and a yellow name tag, sprinting on the bridge connecting your base to the emerald island. You don’t even consider the fact that they’re currently being chased down by your teammate, you just aim. 

Your aim is exceptionally good, so good in fact that the explosion knocks off both the yellow player and Kodzuken. 

You freeze at the realization, your mouth falling open in complete horror as you piece together what you’d just done.

“I did not just do that,” you whisper, mostly to yourself as the events replay in your mind. “Oh my god,” you facepalm - forgetting (once again) that you’re still actually alive and participating in the game - and completely missing the person running towards you on the other bridge. 

You hear the sound of something being attacked, echoing through your headphones and making your eyebrows furrow with confusion. 

You abruptly gasp, but by then it’s too late. 

You’re dead. And your team has lost.

Taglist: @crazy-people-are-here, @existential-traveller, @peachesncats, @royalz658

Any names in bold are unable to be tagged.

[a-halo-for-you]

Misreading

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy x Female OC

Fandom: Star Trek

Prompt: "You look like hell."

Summary: Dr Hermia Walker wallows in her grief before her best friend (and secret love of her life) Bones appears, changing the course of the evening abruptly.

Part 1 to a series I'm working on.

Word Count: 1788

Hermia leant in over her drink, the soft glow of the bar glinting on the rims of glasses, the room filled with the sound of softly playing music. The place was mostly empty, not unusual for when the ship was docked in at a starbase where the clubs and pubs were many and gave the crew downtime before setting off for the next part of their journey into the unknown. She took another sip of the rum in her glass, savouring the depth and sweetness with eyes closed, burning in her throat as she swallowed. 

The sound of the doors swiping open turned her head, eyebrows raised with curiosity and settling when her eyes caught the ones belonging to Bones. 

He was in his own clothes, a leather jacket and jeans fitted perfectly though Hermia would never say that outloud. She did her best to not allow her eyes to run over his body, turning back to face the bar while he sauntered over. 

“You look like hell,” He remarked, the hint of worry curbing the bluntness of his tone as he took a seat beside her, laying out his own glass and pouring himself a drink from the bottle she’d acquired several drinks ago. 

“Gee, you sure know what to say to make a girl feel special Dr McCoy,” Hermia lifted her glass, smiling surreptitiously before taking a drink, eyes still pinned to the glowing lights that haloed the bar. She wasn’t sure she should look at him, not with the way her heart stutters around him when she’s sober, not with the way her current sorrow may lead her to make one foolish mistake. 

“How much have you had?” Bones asked, clinking his glass with hers before taking a sip, she watched him relish in the taste from the corner of her eye, a smile of satisfaction overcoming him. “Well that is some good stuff.” 

“I like to think I know my rum,” She shrugged, “But you know that.”

Bones huffed a small laugh, “Yeah I do. We’ve known eachother 8 years, you’d think I’d know you by now.” 

The knowingness in his tone made her pause and she swallowed the lump that threatened to build in her throat. Placing the glass down she caught sight of the gold signet ring that rested just a little too big for her own index finger and rubbed a thumb over it. 

“It’s just a bit of a shit day that’s all,” She sighed. 

“You know your dad wouldn’t want you to be alone on a day like today right?” Bones nudged her arm with his, leaning in slightly to get her to look at him. 

“Even if I want to be alone?” She asked him, raising an eyebrow with as much muted grey sass as she could. 

“Especially then. From what you told me, your dad would want you to be surrounded by people who care about you if you can’t be with the rest of your family.” He replied swiftly, and she tried her best to acknowledge the words that fell from his lips. Tried her best not to think about kissing him and glanced away, reaching for her drink again.

“Herm,” Bones placed his hand on the one that reached for her poison- or antidote, she was too many drinks in to notice the difference. “What’s going on today? This isn’t just about your old dad is it?” 

She smiled briefly without joy, “He wasn’t even old. I’m just- I don’t know, it feels like time doesn’t pass when we’re up here but it does. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even doing what I’m supposed to be doing… With my life. Career. Stuff.” 

“That’s normal,” He reassured her, the gentleness in his eyes drawing her in close once again. “Everyone wonders about the what ifs in their life, hell I think about what it would have been like if I’d stayed on Earth sometimes- most times. But I know that this was where I was supposed to go in the end, cause thinking about my life any other way, I don’t think I could choose any different. And I know you feel the same deep down.” 

Hermia couldn’t help the softness in her eyes as she gazed at him, feeling the warmth from his proximity, the smell of his cologne, the spice of the rum between them. 

“How is it you always manage to make me feel normal when the world around me feels insane?” 

The words hung in the air for a few beats longer than she’d expected and watched as his expression flickered with uncertainty. Suddenly short for air she recoiled sharply and teetered off the side of her bar stool, slipping off with a thud and gasp before shooting to her feet, ignoring the bruising that ached in her hip. 

“Goddammit Herm, are you trying to concuss yourself?” Bones was already to his feet, hands checking her quickly while she swatted them away. They felt too good, too fitting on her body - it was awful in the best way. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. No pain at all,” She grabbed his hands in hers and pushed them back away from her space before stepping around him, the room swaying slightly as she did. “Oh wow, I’m drunk.” 

Bones sighed, an expression of exasperation usually tied to Jim’s antics now etched on his face. “You don’t say. C’mon then, let’s get you back to your room so you can hit the hay.” 

Within seconds his hands were on her again, one arm wound around her waist and the other pulling her arm over his shoulder. Her face burned, from alcohol, from embarrassment, from the heat that sparked from his touch - she didn’t know. 

The journey to her room was slow and the bruise on her side had begun to throb as they stumbled through the quiet corridors - or rather she stumbled and he held her up along the way. 

“Wait- Wait, let me just-” Hermia reached for the wall of the corridor they were in, leaning her head against it for a moment, his hands warm against the small of her back as he rubbed it soothingly, sending sparks up her spine and a heat flared to life inside her gut.

“C’mon Herm, your room is just around the corner,” Bones soothed, his voice soft, a secret tone he used sometimes that made her dig her nails into the wall slightly before turning to face him, blinking away the blurred lights. 

“Can we just pause for a second? I definitely drank too much,” Hermia sighed, managing a tired smile that he gave into with an aggravated sigh, rolling his eyes slightly. 

“Sure, let's just camp out in the middle of the hallway where any young ensign can see me pressing you up against the wall - that sure sounds responsible,” He ranted, sarcasm dripping from every word that made Hermia chuckle lightly. 

“Well when you put it that way, I’d hate to get you into trouble, Bones,” She rested her hands on his shoulders, righting herself up from leaning against the wall and stepping further into his space. 

The hands that were bracing her body tightened slightly and the way his eyes flickered between hers made her mouth go dry. 

“Then again, it’s not like I’m your subordinate or anything,” She whispered, watching the way he watched her, slightly frozen in place. 

“No, you’re not,” He swallowed, sounding- well Hermia didn’t fully hear how he sounded. The affirmation sounded too much like a confirmation to the silent question that had been burning in her head for the past few minutes and it pushed her forward. Liquid courage blazing in her veins as her lips met his. 

Bones’ lips met hers, reacting with a passion that took her breath away and the hands that held her gripped tighter, backing her against the wall in one swift motion. The heat of his body pressed against Hermia’s made her head spin and the flick of his tongue against hers made her moan softly. The fire in her raged on and she’d let it burn her for all she cared, she just didn’t want this to end. One hand raked through the scruff of his hair while the other pulled him closer, fingers curling into his jacket. One of his hands ran from her waist to her thighs, hitching one leg up to his hip and with a shudder she grinded against him, their moans stifled by their kiss. The break in the kiss came too soon as they separated for the sake of oxygen, and their eyes met in a burn of blue and hazel. Gradually the mist in Bones’ eyes cleared and the heat that was coiled in Hermia like a wire spring turned cold. Slowly he let go of her leg and took Hermia’s hands in his, unhooking himself from her as he took a large step back. 

The heat in his gaze was unmistakable but so was the regret, the shame and Hermia opened her mouth to apologise.

“I’m supposed to be meeting someone tonight.” He beat her to it, breathing heavily as he watched her come to the paling realisation. His date. That’s the other reason why she was sad - he had a date. 

Dr Fiona Verne, a well-liked woman of closer age to Bones, a Georgian lady herself with plenty the two of them could talk about between themselves. She was elegant and lovely, Hermia liked her even, so the sharp sting of rejection was quickly drowned out by hot and acrid shame.

“Oh my god,” Her face collapsed into her hands, her last defence to shield herself from Bones. “I’m- I’m drunk.” 

She lifted her head to look at him, armour on, steeling herself from her emotions for as long as she could, whilst backing away further down the corridor. “I’m drunk and I’m sad and that makes for awful decision making. I’m so sorry. I-I- I’m gonna go- I’m gonna go to bed- Um, say hi to Fiona for me- Ah! Actually no, don't do that because that's- that’s weird.”  

She was turning the corner of the corridor before she realised, her legs happy to get her away from the situation as she almost ran to her room. Cursing herself to the seven layers of hell.

The doors closed shut behind her and after a few minutes of anxiously guarding her door to ensure Bones wasn’t coming after her, she burrowed her disappointment under a cemented layer of lies that quickly cracked when she reached up to trace her lips. After 8 years, she’d finally kissed him and it felt exactly how she had dreamt and also nothing like it at all.

[fandoms-writings]

EVENT CLOSED

Those of you wanting to submit a story for the writing challenge at the end of this post, I'm accepting submissions until the end of the year. I'm a slow writer myself and I want y'all to have as much time as you need to join in <3

Welcome to my neon milestone party!

It’s been a few months since I last did a celebration or writing challenge so why not kick off summer with both! I also hit another small milestone, so thank you so so much to all of you for your support 🤍

You must be 18+ to follow me, so you must be 18+ to participate!

We’re gonna have a summer long sleepover, mood boards, a writing challenge, and my requests are officially open for drabbles! 

The cut off is the last day in August!

Under the cut you’ll find all of the ask games and prompt lists and challenge rules! 

Have fun babes  🤍

💎 Rare gems

- Show some love to your fav fics and their authors by sending in some recommendations!

🗒 Ask the Author

- Ask me anything you want about something I’ve written!

📖 Book talk

- Tell me about your favorite book or what you’ve recently read, and why you enjoy it (or why you don’t)

🤫 Secret admirers

- Anonymously (or not) send a love letter to your favorite tumblr person!

🎶 Karaoke

- Send a song recommendation or I’ll put my liked songs on shuffle and send you which one played first!

🫘 Spill the Beans!

- Anonymously (or not) tell me a secret of yours.

🔍 Clue!

- Send me this emoji and I'll post a wip clue (a picture, emoji, a word, etc) and you guys get to guess what it's about. 

🎩 Top 5!

- Another classic. Send me a category, and I'll tell you my top 5 choices within it. 

🙅🏻‍♀️ Never Have I Ever

- This one's pretty self explanatory I think. 

💌 Love letters (mutuals only) 

- I’ll write you a love letter 🥺

🎰 - Spin the Lottery! (mutuals only)

- send me a lil snippet about you (a hobby, your job, your music taste, etc) and a fandom (or not) I’ll pair you with a character from that fandom🤍

Send me a little something - a song, a character, a trope, a quote - anything to give me an idea, and I’ll make a mood board for you 🤍

If you need one for a story even! I’ll gladly help out 🤍

My requests are open for drabbles! Send me a character (it can be from one of my AUs! or not)  and one or two of the prompts from the list below, and I’ll whip up something small for you! As they get requested, they will be crossed off the list 🤍

Angst: 

"Don't go where I can't follow. . . I thought I lost you." (1/2)

"Why didn't you say how bad it was?"  (2/2)

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself."  (1/2)

"You're a mess"/"I'm not a mess."/"I can tell you've been crying."  (1/2)

"You were supposed to be different. They were supposed to be wrong about you, but they were right. They were so fucking right."  (2/2)

"What are we doing?"/"Why are you doing this?"  (1/2)

"I know you, how else do you think I found you so easily?"   (1/2)

"Choose me."  (2/2)

Fluff:

"You know my door is always open for you, right?"  (2/2)

"Will you taste this? Tell me if I'm missing anything?"  (1/2)

"Let me kiss it better."  (2/2)

"You're exhausted honey. Go back to sleep."  (1/2)

"Can I hold your hand?"  (2/2)

“Is that my shirt?” (2/2)

"Come get me? I miss you."  (2/2)

"You're not as bad as everyone says you are."  (2/2)

Smut:

"stop staring." / "i can't, you're so pretty like this" (2/2)

"Keep your pretty eyes on me."  (2/2)

"You're already wet sweetheart."  (2/2)

"What if someone hears us?"  (0/2)

"Let me hear you make that sound again."  (2/2)

"We shouldn't be doing this."  (1/2)

Characters: (spice it up by adding an au in the ask 🤍)

Bucky Barnes 

Marc Spector / Stephen Grant

Miguel O’Hara

If you don’t see who you’d like me to write for, just ask me about them and I’ll let you know if I’m open to writing for them!

Just have fun with this one and follow the rules below! I'm not really making a theme or anything like that, but if you'd like a prompt from me, just ask and specify what kind of prompt! Also feel free to DM me and bounce around some ideas if you need to!

Rules: 

Use the 'read more' option if what you write is over 500 words. 

Properly list your warnings. 

Your story does not have to contain smut if you don't want it to. 

Dark stories are okay, just no non-con, scat, underage characters involved in sexual activity, DD/LG, bestiality, necrophilia, etc. 

Please use characters that I know, from fandoms I'm in. (If you aren't sure what all is on that list, because I don't post about all of them, just ask!)

Tag me! And use the tag #remisneonparty

Make sure it can be read as a stand alone piece. 

The cut off for this will be the last day of August. I sometimes take forever to write something and want to give you all ample time to submit your stories!

Moodboard and all dividers were made by me, but feel free to use them if you’d like 🤍

Tagging some friends (no pressure!)

@sweetdreamsbuck @shamevillain @pocolatte @perdidosbucky-yyo @treatbuckywkisses @foreverindreamlandd @historygeekfics @barnesafterglow @navybrat817​ @jessybarnes​ @buckysdior​ @honeybloomss​ @banana-cheese-cake​ @sparkledfirecracker​ @sidepartskinnyjeans​ @real-jane​ @archive-obsess​ @mutual-monsters​ @bucksangel​ @thepsychewrites​ @starchildbucky​ @nexusnyx​ @lofaewrites​ @thornsnvultures​ @aquariusbarnes​ @captainsimagines​ @writing-for-marvel​ @heavenlybarnes​ @matchamunson​ @buckybleu​ @boxofbonesfic​ @chloelucia13​ @snugglingbucky​

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Introducing Me.

Hi! I'm Rickie the Storyteller! I like making up stories for fun.

I figured that it was probably time to have a proper intro post on here.

Here are a few facts about me:

My real name is Erica. "Rickie" is a nickname. (And I'm a girl.)

My MBTI is INFJ.

My birthday is 15/09 (so I'm a Virgo).

I'm British. And black. And kind of a nerd.

I love to read (I can't choose one favourite book lol. My favourite childhood books were the How to Train Your Dragon series, and I also loved everything by Roald Dahl).

I love movies (particularly Pixar movies. I think my favourite Pixar film is The Incredibles).

Right now, my two favourite shows are Gilmore Girls and BoJack Horseman. And The Boondocks… and I also love Phineas and Ferb (I always have. It’s my comfort show <3 )

I'm a STEM student (mainly computer science, physics and maths). I particularly like science a lot. When I was young, all I wanted was to be a doctor. I got over that once I found out how long you need to stay in school lol.

I hate swearing in real life, but I sometimes include swear words in my stories (only when I feel like the character would lol. It's about getting their personalities right, that's all).

I am a major perfectionist. And a tryhard. Because of that, I get burnt out a lot lol.

I have the most random music taste lol. I like just about everything so long as it sounds nice (my playlists range from old-school hip hop to gospel/rnb to jazz to classical to indie... right now as I'm typing this out, I'm listening to Lizzy McAlpine lol)

I've always loved writing and storytelling since I was a kid. I used to write in my notebooks whenever I could, and make up bedtime stories to entertain my younger sister when we were little kids. I enjoyed creating different worlds, scenarios, characters and personalities with my imagination. Making up stories is my passion and my escape.

I got the idea to start this blog because I type up a lot of stories and store them on my computer. Some of them are long, some of them are short. Most of them aren't finished… But I wanted to give them a space of their own. I wanted to have a platform where I can share my stories with other people who love writing and reading as much as I do. I wanted to connect with other writers and readers who can give me feedback, advice, and support. And I wanted to challenge myself to improve my writing skills and grow as a writer and storyteller.

On here, you'll find various types of stories (and poems, I guess) that I write for fun or for practice. Some of them are short stories that can be read in one sitting. Some of them are longer stories that are divided into chapters or parts. Some of them are based on prompts or requests that I get from you guys. And some of them are just random ideas that pop into my head. I'm here to share with you some of my original stories, characters, and ideas that I hope will inspire you, entertain you, and make you think.

I'm happy to be here, but it was a tough choice to start this blog for a few reasons - the main one being that it takes a lot of courage to share your stories/creations with others. You never know how they will react or what they will think of your work. And like I said before, I'm a perfectionist. I want the things I post to be good. I really hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

I want to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I want to experiment with different writing styles and genres: YA, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comedy, mystery, drama, etc. Something for everyone. And if there isn't yet something that suits your taste or mood, eventually I'll try and get it there (I haven't been on here very long lol). I've never written fanfictions before, but I wouldn't mind writing for any specific tv shows/movies/video games in future. I'm open to anything! As long as we aren't talking about anything inappropriate…

I'd also love to interact with you guys more: answer your questions about writing or storytelling or anything else; give feedback on your own stories if you want; share tips and tricks on how to improve your writing skills; or just chat about anything that interests us. I don't just want to write stories that come from my own imagination (although I definitely will do that too). I also want to take your suggestions and prompts. So, if you have an idea for a story that you want to read or hear me tell, just let me know and I'll try to make it happen.

If you like what you read, feel free to follow and share with your friends. You can also send me requests for stories or prompts/topics you want me to write about. I'm always open to new ideas and challenges.

Thank you for visiting my blog and supporting my passion. Also, thanks for reading this (if you actually read the whole thing, then you're awesome)!

Stay tuned for more stories coming soon!

___

EDIT #1:

My main WIP is a three-part series titled, "Steph's Crew." I have finished this dialogue series for the first book/instalment (which is called, "The Misfit Manifesto").

Here's a link to the contents page -

Here's some more info on that:

I'm working on a ton of stuff lol. Here are a few... — The Internet's Resident Storyteller (tumblr.com)

___

EDIT #2:

Here's a link to my Spotify, where you can find all of the OC/ship playlists that I make for my stories -

Feel free to make suggestions on songs to include in these playlists, since I'm always thinking of new songs to add and ways to change them.

___

EDIT #3:

My Wattpad! I'm planning on posting more on there, so stay tuned for that.

___

EDIT 4:

Check out my Instagram!

___

EDIT 5:

Get to know me! Here's a link to my "Meet the Writer Tag" post:

[oliverreedmasterass]

Greta Van Fleet having their own Disney Channel show like imagine if they were brought up that way omg

Notes: EVERYONE GIVE ALEX (@jmkho) SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE INCREDIBLE TITLE, I LOVE IT WITH ALL OF MY HEART SHE'S SO UNBELIEVABLY TALENTED!!! AND ADDISON (@starcatcherkiszka) THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT AND TALKING ME THROUGH THE PLAN FOR THIS FIC!! Much love to you both 🫶

Synopsis: In this pilot episode of a Disney Channel-esque show, the members of Greta Van Fleet all face their own personal challenges: Josh struggles with writer's block, Jake is convinced the studio is haunted, and Danny and Sam are in the midst of an intense prank war

Words: 5k (but it goes by fast since it's a script, trust me)

Warnings: ghosts/spookiness/hauntings, allusions to insanity, chimpanzees, James Hetfield

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The scene opens in the studio. Josh is pacing back and forth while murmuring to himself, Jake is perched on a stool with an acoustic guitar in his hand staring blankly at a wall, Danny is behind his drum kit attempting to twirl his drumsticks around, and Sam is sitting at his keys cradling an impressive cup of coffee. 

JOSH: I can’t believe this. 

JAKE: It’ll come to you, don’t worry. It always does. 

JOSH: No, it’s just, I don’t know. It feels different this time. Like, my brain isn’t coming up with anything. 

DANNY: I think the song you started writing about your rhinestones had potential. 

[Flashback to Josh brainstorming the rhinestone song]

JOSH: Twinkling, glittering, glimmering musical colors radiating on my face, my shining face, beaming at youuuuuuu…

[Cut back to the present]

Josh squints at Danny. It’s obvious he knows Danny is lying. 

JAKE: We have time before this song has to be done, Josh. No need to force it out. 

SAM: [to Jake] Actually I think he would work better under pressure. [to Josh] If we don’t finish this song in the next hour, I’m leaving the band. 

JAKE, DANNY: Sam! 

Josh drops to the floor and folds himself up in the fetal position with a moan. 

JAKE: Great idea, Sam. 

Jake sets his guitar down and squats next to Josh so he can place a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

JAKE: [to Josh] Why don’t we give you some space to work out the lyrics? 

Behind Jake and Josh, Sam takes a drink from his coffee and spits it out with a loud “BLEGH!” Everyone turns to look at him. 

DANNY: [cheekily] Burn your tongue? 

SAM: This tastes awful, like a salt lamp! 

JOSH: How do you know what a salt lamp tastes like? 

With a wide grin, Danny removes a handful of empty salt packets from his pocket and holds them up to Sam to see. 

DANNY: Gotcha. 

SAM: No! 

JAKE: Is this a part of your stupid prank war? 

SAM: It’s not stupid. 

DANNY: I’m beating Sam by a landslide. I only have to prank him three more times and then the crown will be mine. Sam, you have what? Seven more pranks? You’d think with two older brothers and all, you’d be a lot better at this. 

SAM: You haven’t seen my best pranks yet. 

DANNY: I’m hoping they’re better than drawing a banana on my drum kit. And my car. Actually, why do you keep drawing bananas on my stuff? 

SAM: It’s funny. 

DANNY: It’s annoying. 

Josh groans from the floor. 

JAKE: C’mon, Josh. Get up. 

Jake helps a limp Josh back to his feet and makes sure that he’s going to stand upright when he releases his grip on his shoulders. Josh looks dazed but stands vertically, which earns him a pat on the head from Jake. 

JOSH: I’m gonna get the studio to myself? 

JAKE: Yeah, we’ll give you some space to actually hear your own thoughts.

In the background, Danny crawls on his hands and knees to Sam’s feet where he proceeds to tie his shoelaces together. Sam is blissfully ignorant, giving his rank coffee another testing sip, which he spits out again. 

JOSH: Okay, yeah, hear my thoughts, good, yeah. 

Jake grabs his guitar and leads the way out of the studio, giving Josh a quick wave which Josh returns. Danny follows behind Jake and Sam stands to his feet, still unaware of his shoelaces. 

SAM: [whispering to Josh] Hey, give me a call if you need any help. 

JOSH: Thanks, I won’t. 

SAM: I’ve got some good ideas to motivate you to write something. 

JOSH: I don’t trust you. 

SAM: I’m only a phone call away. 

JOSH: Please leave the room, Sam. 

SAM: You’ve got it, brother. 

Sam starts to take a step forward and promptly tumbles to the ground with a thump. Danny and Jake pop their heads back into the room and start to laugh and taunt Sam, who is staring down at his feet in awe. 

SAM: DANNY! HOW? WHAT? WHEN? 

DANNY: [calling from outside the room] It’s too easy! 2 pranks to go! 

Sam grumbles, hastily unties his shoes, and then ducks out of the room, hanging his head in embarrassment. The door slams shut, finally engulfing Josh in silence. He closes his eyes and lets in a deep inhale, followed by a long exhale. He opens his eyes and sits on the floor next to a notepad and pen that had obviously been discarded in frustration earlier. 

Starcatchers Theme/Opening Titles

[acoustic theme song with a harmonica] 

From the fires we emerged anew, 

Singing, playing rock and roll, 

Reviving a genre just for you. 

Across the globe we traveled far

Recruiting an army of peace, 

Enchanting crowds with our guitar. 

A battle ensued at the Gardens Gate

And we preserved the gift of nature, 

Standing up against a culture of hate.  

We are the Starcatchers, reaching for the sky, 

Discovering words of wisdom to live by. 

We deliver a message from the heavens above:

Live your legend through the intelligence of love. 

[end theme] 

JOSH: [to the camera] It’s one song. Just a single song. What does it matter? People can never understand what I’m saying anyways, I could write literally anything. 

Josh immediately stares daggers at his notepad, deep in thought. His face is starting to turn red and his eyes bug out. He stops before his head explodes and throws himself on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the studio. 

JOSH: Nothing. 

Across the hall and a few doors down, Jake is in an empty studio, walking in circles while strumming his acoustic guitar. 

JAKE: [singing] What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor? What will we do with a drunken sailor ear-lay in tha mornin’! Way hay and up she rises, way hay and up she rises, way hay and up-

Jake is cut off by the sound of something scraping against wood. Jake’s face pales in fear and he whirls around in a quick circle, searching for the source of the sound. 

JAKE: I just wanna say, for the record, I can kick really, really hard. 

The scraping suddenly stops and Jake lets out a sigh of relief. Then, he catches a glimpse of a water bottle quickly jerking across a table in the corner of the room. It seems as though it moved on its own. In a blind panic, Jake drops his guitar and books it for the studio door. He jiggles and pushes on the handle to no avail. The door appears to be locked. 

JAKE: Ruh roh raggy.

Jake is breathing heavily now, well beyond the brink of panic, and starts to kick the door with all of his might. The threat he threw out earlier has some merit: he can kick really, really hard, but the door doesn’t budge. Jake squeezes his eyes shut and smacks his forehead.

JAKE: C'mon, brain. Give me something.  

Jake grabs hold of the door knob again. He twists the handle and tries pushing out, but the door is still sealed shut. Jake turns the knob again and pulls the door towards him. The door opens. 

JAKE: [staring at the door warily] You’ve got to be kidding me. 

Now free from the haunted studio room, Jake runs down the hallway as fast as he can, past Danny, who is sitting in the studio lobby. 

JAKE: Ghosts! 

Danny watches Jake run past and then, unbothered, looks back down at his phone. Behind him, Sam sneaks along the wall of the lobby like he’s in Mission Impossible, armed with two bananas. He creeps closer to Danny and can’t help but let out a soft laugh, which makes Danny turn around. 

DANNY: What’s going on? 

Sam quickly retracts both hands behind his back to hide the bananas. 

SAM: Nothing…

DANNY: What have you got behind your back? 

SAM: Oh, you know, stuff. Taxes. I have taxes. 

Before Sam can react, Danny springs to his feet, barrels towards Sam, grabs his arms, and tugs them out in front of him so Danny can see the two bananas. Danny and Sam both stare down at what’s in Sam’s hands, and then Danny shoots Sam a tired look. 

DANNY: More bananas? 

SAM: Hyah!

Sam tosses the two bananas at Danny’s chest so they hit him with a soft thump before dropping to the floor. Danny stares down at the bananas, expressionless. 

DANNY: You just bruised two perfectly good bananas.��

SAM: Pick them up, you’ll get the prank. It’s a really stellar one. 

Danny looks like he doesn’t want to, but he grabs the bananas and turns them around in his hands with his eyebrows arched. 

DANNY: Oh my god. You drew my car and drum kit on these? 

SAM: I’m on my A-game now, Daniel! 

Sam runs off, cackling loudly. Danny watches him go and shakes his head. 

DANNY: [to the camera] What does he think a prank is? 

Danny places the bananas on the lobby table and then sighs and walks in the direction Sam went, passing by the studio where Josh is currently holed up. In the studio, Josh is stationed in front of a whiteboard. 

JOSH: What story should I tell? What needs to be added to the Greta Van Fleet universe? [Speaking aloud as he writes on the whiteboard using a sharpie] I get carsick. No. Jake’s feet smell bad. No. Womb memories. No. European architecture. No. Argh! 

Josh launches the sharpie off to the side and it crashes against one of Danny’s cymbals. 

JOSH: This is impossible. I can’t do this by myself. 

Josh eyes a landline phone sitting in the studio. The screen splits in two as Josh calls James Hetfield, and he answers the phone. 

JAMES: Howdy, it’s the beast under your bed, in your closet, in your head. What can I do for ya? 

JOSH: Hey, quick question, do you ever have such a hard time writing a song that you want to pull your brain out of your head and play basketball with it? 

JAMES: Can’t say that I have. 

JOSH: Darn. 

JAMES: Want some advice? Don’t answer that. I’m gonna give it to you anyway. Write about the things that make your skin crawl, that make you shiver, that your brain actively avoids thinking about. That’s where your most complex emotions lay. 

JOSH: Eighteen wheelers. I’m certain they can’t see me when I’m driving next to them. 

JAMES: No, I’m talking about like the lowest of lows here. Think war, famine, plague, climate change, scary stuff. 

JOSH: Chimpanzees. Ooh, I’m getting shivers. I think it’s working, James!

JAMES: Oh, um, okay, get to writing then, Josh. I won’t keep you. 

With an air of triumph, Josh slams the phone down. 

Outside the studio, Jake is talking on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator. 

JAKE: I don’t think you understand what I’m saying, the water bottle moved. 

9-1-1 OPERATOR: No, I get what you’re saying. That’s not an emergency, sir. 

JAKE: Listen to me, the water bottle moved on its own. There’s something paranormal happening here, and I don’t want a poltergeist situation going down. Being sucked into a spooky closet is one of my top 10 fears. 

9-1-1 OPERATOR: I’m going to hang up. I have other calls to get to.

The line disconnects. Jake huffs and jams his phone back into his pocket. 

JAKE: How do they not have a paranormal sub-department? 

In the background in the parking lot of the studio, Danny tiptoes into frame with a marshmallow gun and a pair of goggles on. He scans the area and then crouches down, on the prowl, trying to find Sam. 

DANNY: [softly] Sammy, come out and play. I’ve got a little treat for you. 

Danny continues creeping around the cars and, as he moves past Sam’s Tesla, Sam jumps out of the trunk, decked out in a banana costume. 

SAM: [literally shouting] COME MISTER TALLY MAN, TALLY ME BANANA! 

DANNY: [shouting back] WHAT IS WITH YOU AND THE BANANAS? 

Sam reaches into his back pocket and retrieves a new banana, which he once again throws at Danny. 

SAM: How does it ‘peel’ to get pranked this hard, Daniel? 

Sam proudly removes himself from the trunk and stands in front of Danny, placing his hands on his hips with confidence. Danny can’t help but silently unload his marshmallow gun on Sam, pummeling him with mini marshmallows. Sam squeaks out in shock and ducks into a ball on the pavement. Danny continues until he’s out of marshmallows. 

DANNY: [down to Sam] One more prank to go. 

SAM: [coughing up marshmallows] You’ll never win. 

Jake runs over to his band members. 

JAKE: [still unbelievably on edge] There is something creepy afoot here. 

DANNY: I’ve told you before, Jake, the moaning sounds you keep hearing are coming from the experimental band’s sessions down the hall. 

JAKE: A water bottle moved right in front of my eyes. 

SAM: [mocking, from the ground] Ooh scary. 

Jake picks up a marshmallow from the ground and proceeds to chuck it at Sam. 

JAKE: [back to Danny] There’s a ghost in there and it’s upset that we’re invading its space. I’m gonna get sucked into a closet if I go back in there, and I can’t risk it. 

Danny and Sam exchange a glance. 

DANNY: I’ll go back in with you and show you that there’s nothing to worry about. 

SAM: And I’ll stay here because I really don’t care.

Danny shoots Sam a look and then guides a reluctant Jake back towards the studio. 

JAKE: Do you have any holy water on you? 

DANNY: I don’t think that works on ghosts, Jake. What do you think we’re up against here? 

JAKE: I want to be prepared for anything. 

Even though Jake is dragging his heels, Danny succeeds in pushing him through the front doors and guides him past the lobby, towards the “haunted” studio. Jake once again looks pale as a sheet. 

DANNY: See? Nothing supernatural going on here. Except you. God, you look like a ghost. 

JAKE: [whispering] I’m a ghost? 

DANNY: No, no, come on, show me the room where it happened. 

Jake starts to cautiously step towards the room when they hear Josh belting out lyrics down the hall. Danny and Jake stop in their tracks and listen. 

JOSH: Ooh! Ooh! Aah! Aah! Chimpanzee on my mind, coming near me, he’s by my side! 

Without uttering a word, it’s mutually agreed between Danny and Jake that they need to step in before Josh writes any more terrible lyrics. They both move to his studio door and storm in. Josh is sitting on a stool, shaking a tambourine, but stops when he notices them. 

JOSH: Something wrong? 

JAKE: What the hell are you singing? 

JOSH: [cautiously] The new song? 

DANNY: Chimpanzee on my mind? 

JOSH: You don’t like it? 

JAKE: Our album is called Starcatcher, Josh. Could you write about something a bit more on theme than apes? 

JOSH: [matter of factly] They sent a chimp to space.

DANNY: This is a good starting point, Josh. Maybe try to work with something a bit more abstract. How do chimps in space make you feel? 

JOSH: Confused. 

DANNY: Okay? Try to work off of that. 

JOSH: Yeah, yeah, okay. 

Josh shoos Jake and Danny out of the studio and looks back at his notepad with a sigh. Jake and Danny step out of the room and move back towards the haunted studio. Jake stands by the door, glued in place. Danny watches him. 

DANNY: Should I? 

Jake purses his lips and nods. Danny slowly pushes the door open and steps in first. Jake hesitantly follows behind him. Danny scans around. 

DANNY: Everything looks normal to me. 

Jake has peeled himself away from Danny and is stationed in front of the haunted water bottle, where all of his problems began. 

JAKE: [pointing a half centimeter to the right of where the water bottle is now sitting] It used to be here. But now it’s here. 

DANNY: Uh huh. 

JAKE: It jerked over on its own. I was nowhere near it. And there were weird scratching noises too. Maybe there’s something in the walls. 

DANNY: Like a squirrel? 

JAKE: Like a ghoul. 

DANNY: You know, what is a ghoul? 

JAKE: A force you shouldn’t reckon with. 

DANNY: I wish you could be a bit more specific sometimes. 

JAKE: I can’t help that I’m mysterious. 

DANNY: No, actually I do think that’s something you can help - 

A chilling sound fills the studio. 

MYSTERIOUS GHOSTLY VOICE: Oohhohohooooohhhhhoooooooooo

Jake screams and jumps into Danny’s arms. Danny instinctually catches Jake. The lights start to flicker.

JAKE: RUN, DANNY, RUN! BEFORE THE CLOSET OPENS AND TAKES ME!

DANNY: THERE’S NO CLOSET IN HERE, JAKE!

Danny runs out of the studio anyways and bumps into Sam, still dressed in the banana costume, in the hall. 

SAM: What’s going on? 

JAKE: [not making any sense] Water bottle and wood and oohhhooooohooohooo sounds and ghouls and spooky and closets and - 

SAM: Danny? 

DANNY: The studio is haunted. 

SAM: Oh, word. 

Jake squirms out of Danny’s arms and faces Sam. 

JAKE: You’re not freaked out? 

SAM: Why should I be? 

JAKE: Ghosts, Sam! They’ll get you! They’re always two steps ahead. 

SAM: Ghosts don’t have feet. 

JAKE: It’s an expression, Sam! 

Cut to Josh in his studio. Jake and Sam’s argument is muffled outside the door, but still audible. Josh sits back on the ground in front of his notepad and pen. 

JOSH: C’mere, lyrics, pspspsp, come to papa. 

This obviously does not work. 

JOSH: [tapping his pen on his chin] Maybe I’d be inspired by our old lyrics? Uhhh what’s a good one? Light My Love? Your mind is a stream of colors. Stream of colors, stream of colors, stream of co-lors. Stream of co…Hmmm. That’s it! A stream of consciousness! That should give me something to work with. 

Josh picks up his pen, suddenly filled with a new surge of energy, and starts to scribble on his paper. A montage of Josh writing in different dramatic angles plays with a song similar to Gonna Fly Now blaring in the background. He finishes writing and drops his smoking pen to the floor. 

JOSH: There. 

As if he’s dealing with an ancient relic, Josh carefully lifts the notepad up to his eyeline and carefully scans over what he wrote. 

JOSH: [reading aloud] All work and no play makes Josh a dull boy. All work and no play makes Josh a dull boy. All work and no play makes Josh a dull boy. Oh god! It goes on for four and a half pages! 

Josh crumples the pages into tight balls and eats them, removing the evidence. Josh approaches the glass panel separating the studio from the sound booth and looks at his reflection, jabbing his finger into his reflection’s shoulder. 

JOSH: No one can know about this, you hear me? No one! This is between you and me. 

JOSH’S REFLECTION: Whatever you say, boss. 

Josh shakes his head and backs away from his reflection. 

JOSH: Woah. [to the camera] I wonder if Carole King has to deal with this. 

JOSH’S REFLECTION: She doesn’t, but James Taylor does. 

Josh hops away from the glass in shock and returns to the whiteboard in a daze. 

JOSH: [to himself] It’s all in your head. 

He attempts to wipe his previous notes away, but it’s not working since he wrote them out in sharpie. Josh drops his arms in defeat. 

JOSH: What’s the point? 

Josh reassumes his spot on the ground in the fetal position. In the studio lobby, Jake is in a similar position on the sofa, staring down at his knees in muted shock. Sam is sitting next to him, still in the banana costume, awkwardly patting his legs. Danny enters back into the room and takes a seat across from Sam and Jake. 

DANNY: I didn’t hear any weird noises in any of the other studios. Well, actually, I think I heard Josh talking to himself, but that’s not out of the ordinary. 

SAM: [to Jake] Hear that? The spooky ghost is on vacation. 

JAKE: [softly] Ghosts can’t go on vacation. 

SAM: How do you know? Are you a ghost? 

Jake huffs but doesn’t continue to argue. 

SAM: [to Danny] One of the assistants brought in some smoothies if you want one, they’re pretty good. 

DANNY: Oh cool, thanks. 

Danny grabs one of the smoothies from the table and takes a long sip. Sam is staring at him, looking on the brink of laughter. Danny sets the smoothie down and eyes Sam. 

DANNY: What? 

SAM: Got you! 

DANNY: [paling] What? What did you do? 

SAM: I put a little extra something in your smoothie. 

Jake untucks himself out of his fetal position to watch the exchange between Danny and Sam. This is some interesting stuff. 

DANNY: Sam, what did you do? 

Sam, beaming wide, pulls out a banana peel and drops it on the floor in front of Danny. Danny looks down at it. 

DANNY: I don’t get it. 

SAM: I put a banana in your smoothie! 

DANNY: Are you being serious? 

SAM: Samuel Francis Kiszka does it again! 

JAKE: Sam, smoothies already have bananas in them. It’s literally one of the main ingredients.

DANNY: Oh thank god, I thought you put laxatives in there. 

SAM: The banana strikes again! I’m right on your tail, Daniel! 

JAKE: I don’t think putting a banana in a smoothie counts as a prank, Sam. 

Sam pouts. A bang and a crash comes from down the hall where Josh is. Jake springs to his feet in alarm. 

JAKE: Josh? 

Completely forgetting about his paralyzing fear of the haunted studio, Jake rushes down the hall to Josh. Danny and Sam trail behind him. Jake throws open the door to the studio and gapes at Josh, who is bashing a tambourine against the glass panel separating the studio from the sound booth. 

JOSH: Stop! Talking! To! Me! Get! Out! Of! My! Head!

JAKE: Josh! Our insurance doesn’t cover trashed studios! 

Josh continues banging on the glass. It’s as if he doesn’t realize Jake is there. Jake tries to turn Josh around to face him, but Josh doesn’t budge. From Josh’s perspective, he’s smacking his reflection with the tambourine while his reflection laughs and taunts him. 

JOSH: Your treacherous ridicule will never break me! 

Danny rushes to Josh’s side and drenches him with a bucket of ice water, finally snapping Josh out of his spell. He stumbles back from the glass a few steps and then holds at his head and grunts. 

JOSH: [dejected] I didn’t write the new song. I got distracted. 

SAM: Yeah, obviously. 

Josh looks Sam down in his banana costume. 

JOSH: Did Danny and Jake tell you about my chimpanzee song? Did you like it or something? Is this an act of solidarity? 

SAM: Wait, you wrote a song about chimpanzees? 

JOSH: James Hetfield told me to write about something that scares me. 

SAM: And you wrote about chimpanzees? 

JOSH: He shot down my idea about eighteen wheelers. 

Sam doesn’t know how to respond to this. 

JOSH: I’m sorry, you guys. I’m just not getting inspired in the right way. I don’t know if the lyrics are ever gonna come to me. 

DANNY: Hey, they will. It just takes some time. 

JAKE: I say we call it quits for the day. I wanna get out of here. 

JOSH: [finally taking in Jake’s face for the first time] You look like you saw a ghost. What’s up with you? 

JAKE: [whispering] That’s exactly what happened to me. 

JOSH: Okay, yeah, let’s get out of here. 

Jake and Josh move for the door but then stop when they realize Sam and Danny aren’t following behind them. 

JOSH: You guys coming? 

SAM: We’ll be right behind you, just give us a second. 

Jake and Josh shrug and leave Sam and Danny behind. They move down the hallway and, when they pass the haunted studio, clawing noises sound inside the door. Jake and Josh exchange a terrified look. 

JOSH: Is that? 

JAKE: Yeah. 

They’re both stuck in place, staring at the door in fear. The door starts to thump and spooky sounds come from inside the room. Before Jake or Josh can react, two sets of hands pop out of the door and drag them into the room. 

JOSH: Oh mama! 

Jake and Josh are standing in the dark as the door slams shut behind them. 

JAKE: Josh? 

A bunch of crashing noises sound and Jake lets out a yelp. 

JOSH: Sorry, I tripped over something. 

Jake fumbles for his phone and turns the flashlight on. Across from him he can see a panic-stricken Josh, his eyes darting around looking for danger. Jake slowly moves the flashlight around the studio, taking in the empty space, and then lets out a holler when he sees a shadowed figure standing in the corner of the room. Josh sees what he’s looking at and screams as well. 

JOSH: It’s a chimpanzee! 

JAKE: What? No, it’s a vengeful spirit! 

The shadowed figure starts to slowly move closer to them and Jake and Josh embrace in a tight hug, screaming. 

JOSH: [shrill] Stay back! 

JAKE: I’m gonna kick you so hard in the gonads! 

The shadowed figure stops about 20 feet away from Jake and Josh. 

SHADOWED FIGURE: [in a large and booming voice] Jacob Thomas Kiszka and Joshua Michael Kiszka! 

Jake and Josh scream at the top of their lungs, still hugging. 

SHADOWED FIGURE: You have continually trespassed on my territory. You must face a reckoning for your carelessness. 

JOSH: Would a simple sorry suffice? 

SHADOWED FIGURE: NO! 

Jake and Josh cower further. 

SHADOWED FIGURE: You must go through the spooky door to another dimension. 

JAKE: Oh god, no! Anything but that! 

The door to the studio flings open on its own. Strobe lights and smoke flood into the studio from the door and Jake and Josh shield their eyes in fear. They both back up against the wall farthest from the door.

SHADOWED FIGURE: Whatever you think is beyond that door, it’s worse. 

JOSH: [whispering to himself] Eighteen wheelers. 

SHADOWED FIGURE: Three…

JOSH: Oh god not a countdown. 

SHADOWED FIGURE: Two…

JAKE: What do we do? 

SHADOWED FIGURE: One…

JOSH: It’s been nice knowing you, little bro. 

Jake whirls to face Josh. 

JAKE: By five minutes! 

SHADOWED FIGURE: Zero! 

Sam jumps between Jake and Josh, still in his banana costume. 

SAM: IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MESOTHELIOMA - 

Jake and Josh jump about 4 feet in the air. 

JAKE AND JOSH: AAAAAAUUUGHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The lights to the studio flick back on and Jake and Josh are greeted by the sight of Sam and Danny standing in front of them, laughing hard. Danny is wearing a cloak, revealing him to be the shadowed figure. Jake pushes out of Josh’s embrace and storms up to Sam and Danny. 

JAKE: You need to start explaining yourselves now. 

Sam puts his hands up, guilty as charged. 

DANNY: I thought Sam was easy to prank, I guess it’s actually all the Kiszkas. 

SAM: It’s amazing what a voice changing microphone and some strobe lights can do. 

DANNY: And a fishing line. 

JAKE: A fishing line?

Sam moves over to the haunted water bottle, steps behind the piano, and tugs on a string, making the bottle lurch to the side. Jake stares, dumbfounded. 

JAKE: It was all you? 

Sam and Danny share a glance. 

DANNY: I mean, yeah. 

JAKE: Why I oughta…

Jake moves his foot back, ready to kick Sam and Danny with all of his might when Josh speaks up, capturing all of their attention. 

JOSH: I felt like such a massive chicken back there. But I think I finally understand what James was trying to tell me. I’m terrified of the unknown, of a feeling of hopelessness, where everything is crashing and burning around you, but you have to try and hold things together.  

SAM: My god, he’s doing it. 

Josh is already booking it back to his studio. 

JOSH: The lyrics are coming! They’re crowning! 

Jake looks back and forth between Danny and Sam like he still really wants to kick them, but ends up shaking his head and following behind Josh. Josh needs supervision in the studio moving forward - he can’t be left alone anymore. 

SAM: That was one hell of a prank, Danny. 

DANNY: I’m glad we could team up against Jake and Josh. They need a little humbling from time to time. 

SAM: I couldn’t have said it any better. 

Sam clasps Danny on the back and then motions towards the door. 

SAM: Wanna watch Josh’s creative genius at work? 

DANNY: I do like it when he yells, “BAJABULE!” every time he gets down a verse. 

Danny walks past Sam and moves through the door. Sam happily follows behind him. When Danny turns into the hallway, he subtly drops the banana peel that Sam had thrown in front of him earlier. Sam doesn’t notice and steps on it, slipping backwards and falling with a loud THUD. 

DANNY: Victory, baby!! 

SAM: [dramatically groaning from the ground] What a tragic end to a war. 

DANNY: Eat it! 

Danny does an impressive victory dance over Sam, who is still sprawled on the floor in defeat. Transition to Josh, Jake, Danny, and Sam playing The Falling Sky in the studio. As the song finishes, they all come together. 

JOSH: For a while there, I really thought I would never be able to write a song again.  

DANNY: We’ve got a real winner on our hands. You know, like me. 

SAM: Drop it, Daniel. 

DANNY: I think you owe me something, Sam. 

Sam grumbles but takes his bass off, retreats to the side of the studio, and returns with a crown made out of bananas. He brings it to Danny and places it on his head. 

SAM: [emotionless] I hereby pronounce you, Daniel Jean Louise Marie Wagner, King of the Pranks. All hail the king. 

Jake approaches Sam and Danny. 

JAKE: As a congratulations, I would like to extend my foot into both of your shins. 

As Jake is about to do this, the lights in the studio flicker out. 

JOSH: The same joke twice isn’t very funny, guys.

JAKE: I didn’t think it was that funny the first time around. 

DANNY: We didn’t do anything. 

SAM: Yeah, that wasn’t us. 

Chimp noises sound around the dark room. The band screams. 

END OF EPISODE

[kirbles]

this was gonna be a flashback in ch2 but its stupid so just have this small thing cuz i like it but doesn't fit any current wips

The ambience of the party was overwhelmingly jovial, raucous laughter carrying across the camp, overtaking the usual serenity of the wilderness they had found themselves in. Music plucked by rusty fingers accompanied the unpractised but merry dancing between inebriated Elturian refugees and his travelling companions. It made for a fine night of celebration, but Astarion was much too trapped in his own head to partake. No, he was after a different kind of entertainment tonight.

The wizard sat beside him, their sides flush together as the two of them passed a bottle of cheap swill back and forth, the dryness of it appealing to the human’s taste buds more than it did the vampire's.

How unfortunate for the little mage that out of everyone in the group, he appealed to Astarion the most. More than any alcohol ever could. He possessed everything he wanted and needed in an ally - power, practicality, and it didn’t hurt that he was nice enough to look at. Rather, it made the art of seduction… easier to stomach, if his marks were at least attractive.

He considered how best to approach the subject, hoping that the wizard wasn’t too far gone so that he couldn’t come to regret his choice in the morning, but a bump to his shoulder interrupted such thoughts.

“Do you dance?” Gale had asked, not sparing him a glance but rather looking on at the celebration longingly. He was smiling, but it was almost forlorn, not quite reaching his eyes.

Astarion scoffed, shifting uncomfortably next to him. “Better than yourself, most likely. Though I admit it has been quite some time since I last indulged.” About two hundred years worth of time, if he was to be pedantic.

Gale could only chuckle at that, not a hint of pity in those dark pools of his; instead glazed over in mirth and insobriety. He made a move to stand, muffling a groan as he shifted onto his knees and eventually his feet. Then Gale stood before Astarion, looking down at him with an amused look, and he held out his hand towards the vampire.

“May I have this dance?” he beamed, outstretched hand beckoning Astarion’s own, an invitation to take it - to celebrate with him.

Astarion's eyes had briefly widened, before he quickly masked it again with a look of faux disinterest. “And make a fool of myself? Please, darling. Let me retain the sliver of self respect that remains.” he retorted half-heartedly, bringing his knees up to hold them against his chest. He made a point to avoid the man’s deep, glassy baby ox eyes, lest he be convinced much too quickly.

Gale was undeterred, however, and merely waited with more patience than Astarion deserved. He swayed slightly in his drunken stupor in time with the music in the background, hand still held out for the elf, confident he would take it. Astarion mistakenly spared him a glance then and, after approximately thirty seconds, gave in with a huff. Damn it all.

“Fine! If only to save you the embarrassment of standing for the rest of the night.” he nipped back, no malice to be found in his words. “But I’m leading.”

He took the wizard’s hand and allowed himself to be assisted up, making sure to dig his heels into the dirt so as to not fall into contact with his companion’s plush chest, being hauled up with an uncharacteristic show of strength from the drunker man.

Gale didn’t seem to notice his blunder, merely squeezing the vampire’s hand and grinning ear to ear. “Of course.” he laughed in good humour, prompting Astarion to roll his eyes and lead the wizard by the hand to the heart of the party, ignoring the discomforting press in his chest as he did so.

It wasn’t exactly the entertainment Astarion had in mind for tonight, but he couldn’t find it in him to be mad about it when Gale’s hand fit oh so perfectly in his.

[liliana-meadowpink]

Stinkbugs and Silk: a short palia fic!

It had been a long day. Lillie unlatched the gate to the mountain’s housing area and wandered through the trees to her campsite. She was greeted by Kenyatta as she stood up from the coffee table she had been sitting on.

“Oh, good, you’re finally home.”

“Yes, sorry to keep you waiting.” Lillie responded, walking to her stove and pouring two mugs of tea.

“Did you talk with Jel about my dress yet?” Kenyatta sat down on the coffee table again, accepting the tea. “You better have.”

(More fic under the cut!)

Lillie hesitated. “Yes, but…” How should she explain it? It was so uncomfortable having to go between her friends in this manner. She got the feeling this used to happen a lot with her human friends and it didn’t end well.

“But what?” Kenyatta prompted, setting the empty mug aside. “I don’t like how this is sounding.”

“Look, is there ANYTHING I can do to convince you to wear the dress? Anything at all? Jel worked hard on it and I don’t know if we even have time to make something different.”

“Not a thing. I’ll buy something off the rack.”

“Ken-ya-tta!” Lillie gasped, putting emphasis on each syllable for comedy. “You wouldn’t! You can’t anyway since your fashion tastes aren’t mass produced!”

“I MIGHT consider it… if you can guess what I want you to do.” Kenyatta smirked.

Lillie sighed. “You just said there’s nothing, so I’m gonna talk with your mom about the dress, and…”

“As if she would even listen?”

“Good point. Still, something has to be done. Sure, Jel caved into the pressure of other people’s expectations, but he still got your colors right and it’s supposedly comfortable to wear. Can you at least not be insulted by his efforts? Please?”

“Why are you defending Jel so much?” Kenyatta studied’s Lillie’s face as it shifted hues from its regular soft beige appearance to a color between that of the a scintillating centipede and a briar daisy.

“I… well, I, um… I… Don’t… exactly know.”

“Right. Well, look. Mom’s got a meeting with my aunt, the duchess, coming up. Go hide a stink bug in her desk.”

“Then you’ll wear Jel’s dress?”

“MAYBE.”

“Good. Thank you. I can definitely put a stink bug in there.”

“Great.”

“Are you already leaving?” Lillie followed Kenyatta through the trees, rummaging through her bag.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, well… At least take this antler? I have no idea what to even do with these things.”

“Thanks. See you later.”

“Yes, we will!” Lillie closed the gate and looked down at Aqua and Luna. “That went better than expected.”

The two palcats squeaked in agreement and scampered back to the house.

0~☆*:.｡.~☆~.｡.:*☆~ *:.｡.~☆~.｡.:*☆~0~☆*:.｡.~☆~.｡.:*☆~

“So… I, uh, I did it.”

“Now we just have to sit and wait.” Kenyatta smiled, watching the awkward way Lillie pretended she wasn’t rocking back and forth on her heels.

“Happy to help.”

“I'm glad. You know if this works out, I can think of some other tasks I might want to give you in the future.” She blinked when Lillie stopped fidgeting. “Usually Nai'o does this kind of stuff for me, but lately he's been busy with his family or whatever.”

“Oh, yeah, the fair’s coming up. They’re preparing for EVERYTHING. The jam, the animals, the music…”

“Are you going to help them out?”

“Not sure. I don’t wanna travel very far without my cats.” Lillie said, picking up Aqua and burying her face in his fur.

“Couldn’t you ask someone to take care of them for you?”

“Not really. It’s fine, though. I know one palcat is a handful, let alone four.” She put Aqua down and he rubbed his face against Kenyatta’s boots. “Gosh, I don’t even want to imagine the destruction they’d cause if they stayed with Jel for example! All the pretty fabric, ruined either by claw marks or endless piles of fur.”

“What about the cook?”

“Reth? Oh, he’d be good at it, but they would probably mess with the soup. Besides… Everyone else is too busy.”

Kenyatta thought for a moment. “How about the fishing galdur, uh… Einar, right?”

“What about him?”

“You seem pretty close. Always going to his cave. At midnight.”

“Whoa, whoa, hey. You spy on me?”

“Of course!” Kenyatta smirked.

“Well I don’t ALWAYS go to the cave. Usually I just catch him on the way there and we really only say a few phrases in passing. It’s small talk and nothing more.”

“You’re defensive again.”

“And you’ve been reading too many books.”

Lillie and Kenyatta stared at each other with increasing levels of frown before they both cracked up laughing.

“Okay, tell me honestly! Do you really think that Einar would be interested in ME?!” Lillie gasped. “He’s a three thousand year old galdur with TWO onenesses, and I’m a human who’s vaguely in my late twenties. I have nothing to do all day but run around helping people.”

“Do you like fishing?”

“Yes.”

“Then yeah, I think he would like you.”

“What, romantically?”

“You’re asking about this just to get me off the topic of you potentially having a crush on Jel.”

Lillie’s face went bright pink once more. “What? No way. He’s so obsessed with the night. I need sunshine to survive.”

“You’d make a great pair. Night and light.”

“We would be a very sleepy pair.”

“Good thing you’re learning how to make comfortable beds. If you keep going at it, you might be able to make a bed that’s good enough for…” Kenyatta trailed off when she realized how uncomfortable Lillie looked.

“I think we’re done with this conversation for now. See you later?”

“Yeah. Bye.” Kenyatta waved briefly as Lillie zoomed away.