#real life really took it out of me for a while there

[gay-dorito-dust]

I can't stop thinking about the batboys in a relationship and their significant other doing that trend where you call your boyfriend your husband. Like just randomly mid conversation they'd be like "my husband". I wonder how the batboys would feel about that.

I’m currently in mourning of my snakebites (they might be healed up after I took them out for one fucking day, sounds dramatic I know but I genuinely can’t get them back in) so rip to them I guess haha(laughing but crying real tears 🥲)

Dick

He acts like he knew you’d would call him husband one day but on the inside he was trying not to explode with how badly that word affected him.

Husband.

He didn’t think he would fit the mould for a perfect husband, yeah sure he’s great in many aspects when it comes down to it, but Dick still has a fear that he still didn’t measure up and that he’d end up letting you down sooner or later.

Yet hearing you call him your husband with confidence and pride only had him feeling as though he was falling for you all over again as his vision seemly became brighter, Gotham’s dark and miserable aesthetic had become a little more tolerable for Dick.

Within a blink of an eye he’s holding your face, his beautiful blue eyes shimmering like gemstones, and before you could say anything your face was being bombarded with rapid fire kisses and sweet nothings to accompany them.

‘You want to marry me? Awww you’re so definitely in love with me!’ - Dick would say teasingly.

‘Dick we’ve been dating for a while now-‘

‘Shhhh, let’s enjoy this moment sweetheart.’ Dick would cut you off as he holds you closer to his chest, pressing a lingering kiss against your forehead as he felt a warm and welcoming feeling within his chest as he could only imagine the day where you got to obviously call each other mrs/mr Grayson or spouse.

It made dick impatient for the future, but he knew he couldn’t rush perfection.

Jason

Smug prick.

That’s all I’m going to say is that the moment you call him your husband, he’s got a smirk upon his face but his eyes are soft and filled with unspoken love and affection.

He genuinely didn’t think he’d ever get to a point where he would have someone to call him own, to call his home and have something that was his and wouldn’t run away when he comes back from patrol bloody and bruised.

He didn’t think a domestic life was for him but with you, there wasn’t a day that went by where you weren’t doing something domestic like folding clothes, or doing the dishes together; it was moments where Jason is proven wrong that makes him feel more compelled to think towards the future, or more specifically a future with you where he’d one day stop being a vigilante for good and settle down.

So hearing you call him your husband has this man on cloud nine and a hell of a lot happier then he’s ever been in his entire life. Expect to be hugged tightly from behind with his faces buried deep into your neck as he just breaths you in and reminds himself that this was all real, that this wasn’t some fantasy dream he’ll wake up from; Jason will be reminded that this is his life and it’s a hell of a lot better with you in it that was for certain.

Damian

Doesn’t outwardly show his reaction but his actions afterwards will definitely show what really thinks.

He’s doing more domestic tasks with and for you without hesitation, treating you to lovely outings with Titus and Ace within the park where he’s holding you from behind and smiling at you when your eyes were occupied elsewhere.

With Damian he doesn’t verbally say he how he felt about being called your husband, he just acts like he is your husband by spoiling you rotten with gifts and quality time with him, for he soon came to realise that his time with you was few and far between for his own liking.

He does everything he can in his power to prove that he would be a reliable husband one day, he even does chores that you put on yourself in hopes that eases the long, long list of things to do you’ve already given yourself. He doesn’t like it when you’re stressed and can’t do everything within an unrealistic timeframe that you’ve set for yourself.

However there are still some things that Damian keeps up his sleeves as he’s not found of showing all of his little tricks when there’s room for him to surprise you later on down the line. He acts like your husband because he will become your husband in the distant future, one that’ll be safer than the times you are both were living in now; he just won’t tell you but he will give you hints in hopes you’d able to see them beforehand.

Tim

He stops.

Literally.

Like he has completely stopped what he’s doing and tries to piece together whether or not he did in fact heard what you had just said.

So he waits for you in hopes that you’d say it again and when you do, he’s beaming, he’s smiling as wide as he possibly can.

So once he’s done being frozen to the spot, acting as though he’s just completely shut down from the inside, his laptop would have multiple tabs open with stuff such as;

‘How to be a good husband (with pictures)’

‘Be a better husband by avoiding these 21 common mistakes.’

‘15 small ways to be a better husband, from a marriage therapist.’

And ‘25 qualities of a good husband’

He wasn’t playing when it comes to preparing in being a husband that you can be proud of and gush about to your friends, not only that but also becoming that cliche couple that might as well still be in their honeymoon phase. He just wants to be ready and prepared when the day does become reality and he might as well have folders upon folders of advice that he had stored away for future reference.

It didn’t matter whether or not you meant it when you called him your husband because Tim was more than ready to learn how to be one for the distant future, for being married to you would be a daydream for sweet Tim and he wanted your marriage to be a long and happy one.

[thewertsearch]

UU: i know yoU coUld never fUlly appreciate what this actUally meant, bUt i took mUch care to sync Up these conversations with yoU on the same day that i begin playing as well. UU: that way, we can joUrney throUgh oUr sessions together and compare notes! :u

That might not mean much to Jane, but I remember how hard it was for Karkat to stay linear with John. UU's lucky they're not using Trollian, is all I'm saying.

GG: I guess I should just start believing all of this now, huh? Rather than learning it to be true later and feeling the fool for all my curmudgeonly skepticism?

Well, I don't know. You kind of have a point, actually.

Like - yeah, John and co. certainly took Sburb's mechanics in stride. None of them were particularly surprised when their new video game started to affect the real world - probably because they've been dealing with Scott Pilgrim video game mechanics for their entire lives.

This is normal to them, and it should be normal for Jane, too.

But, when you think about it, it's not really Sburb's mechanics that Jane is skeptical about. She's not doubting the existence of, say, alchemy - it's the big picture stuff, like time travel, alternate dimensions, and meeting her friends in the Medium that she finds hard to believe. To her, that's a completely different kind of supernatural to her hammerspace inventory. The former isn't even really supernatural, to her - it's just life.

She might live in a video game world, but she's never been shown a time machine before. Why would she believe in it?

GG: So what do I know! Consarn it, maybe you are an alien girl from Uranus, and together we are about to play a game which determines the fate of existence. Sign me up! UU: oh, hee hee! bUt i never claimed to be from that planet, which is only in the far reaches of yoUr solar system. UU: in fact i am from mUch farther away. a different Universe altogether.

Well, she’s at least not in another Earth session, then. Damn it, I was holding out hope that she was FedoraFreak's server player.

Also, using your handle to falsely imply you're from Uranus, while not outright stating it, is a 'not technically lying' maneuver that would make Doc Scratch proud. Just saying.

UU: remember what i said aboUt the need for patience. UU: patience with yoUr friends. UU: patience for yoUr growth as a hero of life.

Well, I guess that confirms it - we're getting a different set of Aspects, this time around.

Also, our party finally has a healer. Thank fuck.

Oh hello, poppop. His friendly face is there to greet you every time you open your chest.

Apparently his goofy lil' wave is a universal constant.

[screamingpotatoes]

THIS.

READ THIS. LISTEN TO THIS. HEAR THIS AND REMEMBER THIS.

FICTION IS FICTION. IT IS NOT REALITY. 'PROBLEMATIC SHIPS'' CONTENT DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE CREATOR'S REAL LIFE ACTIONS. IT IS THE EXPOLRATION OF IDEAS.

BE AWARE: ANY KIND OF CENSORSHIP IN LITERATURE IS BAD. IT MIGHT SEEM GOOD TO YOU RIGHT NOW (e.g. dont write age gaps bc it's horrible and disgusting or anything similar) BUT, IF THEY FIND OUT THEY CAN CENSOR SOME THINGS, THEY CAN AND WILL EXTEND IT TO OTHER THINGS TOO. THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE SO OUTSIDE YOUR ACCEPTANCE. THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT CARE ABOUT. CENSORSHIP IS A WEAPON USED BY PEOPLE IN POWER TO CONTROL THE LOWER CLASS. DO NOT LET THEM USE IT. I'M BEGGING YOU.

Trust me, I understand the urge to hate and police when I see things that I disagree with online: things that trigger me; things that disgust me; things that make me curl my lips up in second-hand embarrassment and cover my eyes; and things that confuse me so bad I scroll past for my own good. It's an active fight with my indignation to move on from it and ignore.

But that is what you have to do.

See, part of maturity and growing up is realising that everyone likes different things. Sometimes you see things you really don't get, or understand, or even see a glimpse of why so-and-so ever thought it was a good idea. And that's ok, because you don't have to understand everyone.

You can't possibly understand everyone.

It's a hard fact to grapple with and it took me ages to wrap my mind around it. But, once you've realised that, it will make you feel so much better.

Really, today is all you have. The present is all that you can experience. Why not make the most of it? Why not have fun? Why not draw, why not write, why not comment, if it never harms anyone?

Don't hurt yourself so much by pouring fuel into the hatred that burns in you. The fire, while you direct it at others, also slowly kills you from the inside as well. Leave it. Put it out. Create freedom on the internet.

( @miumiumanzo sorry for turning this into a shipping discourse. If you would like me to, shoot me a text in dms and i can remove this and make it into it's own separate post?)

I guess I can say that a fictional work does not reflect someone who wrote it in real life. You may think that the person who write that 30000 words of a "problematic ship" fic on ao3 is awful but they're probably just a normal office worker like me and you and now, you see a person who wrote about "divine love", promotes healing, queer liberation and feminism in public and getting awards for it actually rapes women in his spare time. So yeah. Maybe don't measure someone by the fictional content that they produce.

[ghouljams]

ghoooul gaz ass eater truther <333

im imagining him with a freaky ass virgin but like total virgin, no boyfriend no kissing nothing (theres only so much action (handholding) you can handle when focusing on ur career yk?) and she has all this confidence but once kyle is set on taking her back to his bed she just clams up, zero explanation until he is like “you don’t have to tell me anything, but i don’t wanna risk our relationship by hurting you in any way” to which she babbles about how she has zero experience with men in real life, she obviously is educated but when gaz gets so handsy with her it’s like her brain function goes out the window. she confides in him that she’ll trust him to do the things he likes first to see if she also likes it, then experiment from there.

i call it ‘slut in theory, not in practice’ i think im just horny for how charming and persuasive gaz is…

Fuck me Rat i love this (also congrats on your major role as 1 million of you in nosferatu)

Because the idea of this cocky, talks a big game, virgin entering Gaz's life... he just knows. He can smell it on you, hear it in the way you talk about sex, he knows you're a virgin. He likes the confidence, but he's waiting for it to break, aching to see you stiffen and try to figure out what to do with your hands, where to move your legs, how to suck on his tongue, you're utterly clueless. Helpless.

You're a whore in theory but not in practice, except all the practice you're making for yourself. All your little sneaky accounts on kink sites and tumblr talking about how bad you need a fat cock to break open your poor little holes. Commenting on reddit videos of girls getting their pretty holes ruined, "I need this," "This would fix me," "when will it be my turn :(" His poor silly thing, poor little doll, caught up in all your little fantasies and with no internet safety. It really took very little effort to track down everything, to save all your begging and pleading, all the cheeky pictures, to his phone. Gaz is more careful than you, encryptions and passwords to get into his evidence of your online spank bank. Just in case you wise up and decide to delete them.

They're rather helpful though when he finally manages to coax you into bed. He'll save the ropes for later, but the anal? Oh he's more than happy to start there. Especially when you don't know any better.

There's no need to get embarrassed when he's eating you out lovey, if his tongue circles your ass he's just being thorough, and if he works a spit slicked finger into the tight hole while he sucks at your clit, well, you don't really know enough to tell him to stop. And you already said you wouldn't in oh so many posts.

No time like the present to start practicing if you want to be a whore, puppet.

[zerocoded]

summary: the view of linkon city from above is really different than what you're accostumed to, but you can't help but love every second of it when caleb is by your side.

authors note: can't believe i'm posting a caleb work here on this account before a sylus one LOL, anyways i'll treat our dragon fine later, now this colonel has been eating my brain the past two days and i need to get this out. this is pretty lame honestly, just trying to figure out what caleb i want to write among ALL of the ideas his one minute trailer gave me geez. i hope you like his soft side here because i plan to write a more obsessive caleb next time hehe. (GUYS I CAN'T FIND THE AUTHOR OF THIS BEAUTIFUL DRAWING I FOUND ON PINTEREST HELP).

warnings: soft!caleb lol he is just our boynextdoor here • idk where this would fit in the og story so just enjoy the reading and pretend it makes sense pls • sfw content

word count: 0.6k

the neon glow of skyhaven's artificial skyline reflected off the polished surfaces of the floating colony, bathing everything in shades of blue and violet. caleb leaned casually against his fighter jet, the sharp angles of the aircraft framing his silhouette. his black jacket, emblazoned with the deepspace aviation administration emblem, caught the faint light, making him seem larger than life.

“thought you’d chicken out,” caleb said, his voice laced with mock disappointment as you approached. “figured you’d be too scared to race the great colonel caleb.”

“scared? of you?” you shot back, folding your arms. “last i checked, you scraped the hull of your jet in the last drill. hardly inspiring confidence, colonel.”

he chuckled, the sound low and warm, and pushed off the jet with an easy grace. “ouch. remind me to never let you near the observation deck again. you’ve got a real knack for holding grudges, don’t you?”

your banter was familiar, a shield against the weight of the world outside skyhaven. but tonight, there was a strange tension in the air, unspoken yet undeniable.

caleb stepped closer, his usual teasing smirk softening into something more genuine. “you know,” he began, his tone quieter now, “all jokes aside, it’s good to see you up here. the city looks... different from above. easier to pretend it’s not falling apart for a while.”

you glanced past him, your gaze settling on the twinkling lights of linkon city far below. “it’s not falling apart,” you said firmly. “not while we’re still here to fight for it.”

“always the optimist,” caleb murmured, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “you make it sound so easy.”

“it’s not. but what’s the alternative?”

silence stretched between you two, broken only by the hum of distant machinery. caleb looked at you, his purple eyes searching yours for something unspoken. when he spoke again, his voice was softer, rawer.

“do you ever wonder what it would’ve been like if we hadn’t lived through the chronorift?” he asked. “if we’d just... had normal lives? no wanderers, no aether cores, no missions?”

you blinked, caught off guard by the vulnerability in his words. caleb rarely let his guard down, always the jokester, always the soldier.

“sometimes,” you admitted. “but then i remember how much we’ve done—how much we’ve survived. i wouldn’t trade that. not if it means losing you.”

his gaze sharpened, and for a moment, caleb seemed to forget the world around them. he took a step closer, the space between you shrinking.

“Y/N,” he said, your name heavy with meaning. “you know i’d do anything to keep you safe, right? even if it means...” he trailed off, looking away, his jaw tightening.

“even if it means what?” you pressed gently.

he exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. “even if it means putting the whole world in danger. you’re the one thing I can’t lose.”

for once, you didn’t have a comeback. instead, you reached out, your fingers brushing his. “you won’t lose me, caleb. not as long as you don’t give up on yourself.”

the tension between you softened, replaced by something warmer, quieter. caleb’s smirk returned, though it was tinged with something deeper this time.

“guess i’ll have to stick around then,” he said, his voice lighter now. “wouldn’t want to miss out on you finally admitting i’m the better pilot.”

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “keep dreaming, colonel.”

and as the two stood there, beneath the artificial stars of skyhaven, it felt, for a moment, like the weight of their world was a little easier to bear.

author's note: look how sweet we can be, see? anyways next time i'll be writing about how he fucks probably, xx. CHECK OUT MY NEW POST ABOUT CALEB. send me a request • my masterpost

[becauseimswagman1]

Lightskin brothaaaaa

Kelvin Harrison Jr. x reader

Warnings: humiliation kink mentioned, voyeurism kink mentioned, suggestive flirtation, hint at bisexual!Kelvin, hint at bisexual!Aaron

----Reader asks Kelvin to have a threesome... kelvin has some qualms about it---- Reader is in a girl group btw-----

--------------------

Life after hard launching your relationship with Kelvin was actually pretty fucking chill.

The two of you went almost everywhere together, unlike your typical couple with busy schedules.

You practically lived in his skin and vice versa. Since y’all have been together, going on two years (secretly at first), the fans have gotten used to him appearing on not only yours, but your group’s social media doing dance challenges. He especially made appearances on Instagram since that’s where you’re the most active. Every chance you got, you posted relatable relationship quotes that the fans immediately knew were talking about Kelvin. You also posted a shit ton of pics of him being the lightskin ass clown he is.

But that’s surface level, let’s get into the real shit.

You wanted to spice things up (as if things could get any spicer, y’all two gots DOWN) with him by having a threesome, but he was NOT having it.

“What do you mean you want me to watch while another man fucks the shit outta you?!”

“Exactly what you think it means! It’s not like you’re not into voyeurism.” You really couldn’t see the problem here.

“As true as that may be, that shit is NOT happening with Trevante of all people!”

….There’s the problem…

“Cause he’s wayyyy buffer than me and I don’t have time for my girlfriend to say mildly mean things to me while she’s about to get fucked by a big strong man.”

“But you’re into that….”

“Shut it! That was ONE time!”

You laughed, “I said you nutted like a weak ass bitch then you literally shot so hard it got on the ceiling. And you wanna try and tell me you’re not into a little humiliation.”

“Fine, fine, whatever. Look, if we’re gonna do it, then who it’s with has to be my choice.”

“...what?”

“Yeah, it has to be. I need to do research first on candidates.”

“Candidates? Is this the presidential election? Baby, what the fuck? And what type of research are we talking about?”

“Don’t worry about that. Just know I got it handled.”

“...Are you gonna survey dick sizes? Is this about him not having a bigger dick than you?”

“No! No! Of course, not- maybe- okay No! It’s not. I’m just gonna do extensive searching for the perfect man. He’s gotta be really fucking hot, but not hotter than me if he’s gonna get my permission to touch you.”

You cooed, “Awe, babe! I knew you were bisexual-”

“Baby, no!”

“... Just a little bisexual…? It’s okay to admit it. We all are.”

“I’m not unpacking that right now!”

All you could do was laugh as he stormed out of the room like a diva.

—-----------------------------------------

After that conversation, neither you nor Kelvin spoke of the topic again. You figured he was taking finding a partner seriously, but not this seriously.

In secret, he had been conducting interviews, asking basic questions. Asking for kinks (if they had any) and their most recent STD test results (and if it’s been a while, then that they get tested). Ya know, standard shit. Nothing serious.

—-----------------------------------------

—--TWO MONTHS LATER—---

Kelvin had finally found the perfect person for the threesome.

The guy is someone he trusts, not only with his well-being but with you and your pleasure in bed.

—---------------------------------

“Baby!” Kelvin steps into your dorm like he lives there. He was so ready for you to stop being so picky about choosing an apartment. You also didn’t wanna leave your girls’ unattended, lord knows they’d burn the place down without you there, but the two of you wanted your own space. Kelvin wants to be able to love on you without someone popping up and interrupting.

“Baby, where you at?” He took off his shoes and walked around your dorm. It just seemed to be just you home today.

“Bae? I’m in my room!” you almost didn’t hear him due to your music being turned up loud through your headphones.

He walked in, “I’ve found someone.”

“Found someone for what?”

He sat next to you on the bed and sprawled out, “Someone for our rendezvous.”

“OH! A rendezvous? Bae, are we going on a quest? The fuck is a rendezvous, call that shit what it is.”

“Fine. I’ve found someone for our threesome.”

You snickered, “There you go.”

“Anyways, this guy is perfect. He’s tall and checks all of our boxes.”

“Oh… ours? As in our boxes? You must be finally ready to unpack-”

“No!” he put his hand over your mouth, “I’m not. Shh! The guy is Aaron.”

Your eyes widened and you spoke behind his hand, “Aaron?”

Kelvin moved his hand, “Yeah. I had listed what you liked about me and the traits you liked, that I didn’t have and came up with an extensive list of guys. And no Trevante wasn’t on it so don’t even ask.”

You slumped down in the bed a bit.

“After talking to all of them, Aaron ended up being the best choice.”

Your brows furrowed, “Wait… does he know it’s for a threesome?”

“Nah. I lied to them all and said I was doing a survey for this underground actor freaky club.”

You held back your laughter. Only your man would do this. “So we gotta ask if he’s down?”

“Yeah, babe. Aaron’s chill though.”

You looked at him, “Riiight, asking your close friend to have a threesome with you and your girlfriend is so easy.”

“Was that sarcasm?”

“You know it was.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll talk to him over drinks tomorrow.”

“TOMORROW?!” you got up off the bed and started pacing around your room. “The fuck you mean tomorrow?”

Kelvin sat up, “Yeah. I’m ready.”

“You’re ready?!” you slowed down your pacing, “Like actually?”

“Yeah, babe. I’m more than ready, I’m excited.”

You sat down next to him, “If you’re confident then so am I. I trust you.”

He wrapped his arm around your waist and kissed your forehead, “I love you.”

“I know.”

He smacked the side of your head playfully.

“Fineeeee. I love you, too, my bisex-”

He mushed your face, “Sweet moment over.” —-------------------------

Tomorrow came way too fast. Luckily it was a rare day that y’all had the day off, so you had the whole day to freak out and get advice.

You walked into your favorite member's room.

“Damn, you don’t how to knock?”

“Hush. I’m having a threesome.” you plopped face-first onto her bed.

She shut the book she was reading, “A what?! I knew you and that lightskin were freaky frogs. Who’s it with?”

Muffled, “Aaron.”

“WHO?!”

You turned over on your back, “Aaron.”

“Oh, he’s hot. Have fun for real.”

“Have fun???? I’m supposed to fuck him in front of Kelvin.”

“That little cuck bitch. Y’all are nasty!”

“I know you ain’t talking, yo ass in a scandal now for sneaking around with most of the motherfuckers in my man’s friend group. You ain’t slick.”

“You didn’t even have to go there.”

“Well, I did. Anyways, I need help.”

“For what? You’re fucking tw…” she gags, “two hot men.”

You narrowed your eyes, “I heard that. You not slick.”

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

“Kelvin and I are discussing things over with Aaron tonight over drinks. I just want things to go smoothly.”

“And things will, sis. Trust in your man, yourself, and most importantly, trust in that Henny.” she chuckled.

You laughed, “Bitch, you so stupid.”

“But that Henny’ll get you right. Nice and relaxed.”

“That’s true.” You got up off her bed, “I’m gonna go start getting ready.”

“Put on something sexy! And tell that lightskin that you wanna try double penetration!”

“Absolutely not!” you walked outta her room.

—-------------------------------

Kelvin walked into the apartment you shared with your group, per usual, like he lived there.

“Kelvin, what’s up?” the youngest member greeted him.

He smiled, “Hey, is she ready?”

“Almost. You want some water while you wait?”

“Nah, nah. I’ll be alright.” he went to the living room and sat on the couch.

“Lightskin!” the second youngest yelled as she sat next to him, “Y’all, uh, tryna have a threesome with A-A-ron I heard.”

Kelvin sighed, sometimes you were the bain of his existence, “Yeah and I heard you’re still getting death threats from fucking half of my friends and getting caught doing it, right?”

She nodded, “Okay okay. Coming with the jokes. I’ll leave you alone. I can see how nervous you are.”

Finally, you walked out of your room, “Is this whore bothering you?”

Kelvin stood up at the sound of your voice and walked over to you.

“Whore?? I resent that.”

“Sure you do. It’s practically tattooed on your forehead.”

Instead of answering, she just slumped down on the couch.

“Ready, babe?” he said kissing your cheek.

“Yeah, let’s go before I get the itch to ring somebody’s neck.”

And with that, y’all were off.

—---------------------------------

“When I agreed to drinks, I didn’t think you would’ve rented out a section for us. Why so secluded for some drinks?” Aaron said.

Kelvin smirked, “Oh, you know we just wanted some privacy for what we plan to talk about.”

“Talk about what?”

“Uh…” Kelvin trailed off, “Babe?”

Oh, he expected you to say this. You guess it’s only right since you were the one who brought it up to him.

“Aaron, we wanna ask if you’d be down to have a threesome with us. Total one time thing and it’s completely fine if you say no.”

Aaron chuckles and finishes his drink, “I think I’m gonna need another drink.”

“I think we all do.” Kelvin motioned for the waiter to bring y’all the bottle.

“Actually, leave it. Thank you,” you said to the waiter.

The waiter set the bottle on the table and walked off.

Aaron poured refills for you and Kelvin first then refilled his own and took a long sip, “Is that why you were you asking me about my kinks? I knew it wasn’t for a freaky-ass actor sex club!”

Kelvin chuckles, “Yeah, man... Sorry, I lied. I just wanted the best guy for this.”

“And what does your girl think?”

You took a sip of your drink, “His girl thinks you’re very sexy and that you look like you can fuck good.”

Aaron smirked, “Looks like you’re in luck, I never leave my partners unsatisfied. You’re both attractive and I’d never miss an opportunity to have two hot people in my bed.”

You smirk, thinking of a sly game to play. You slid your left hand onto Kelvin’s lap, switching between rubbing and squeezing his growing erection, and slid your right foot up Aaron’s leg, just resting the sole of your shoe on his crotch.

“Oh…” Aaron chuckles, “Someone wants the party to start early.”

“Seems like she does. Having fun baby?” Kelvin looks at you.

You smile a little, “Yeah, but I could have more if we get outta here.”

Aaron cleared his throat and then stood up, “I’ll get the check.”

“What a gentleman.” your boyfriend said.

Aaron leaned over to the side y’all were sitting on and said to no one in particular, “I’m always a gentleman.”

“Promise?” you said.

“Like I said, always.” then he walks away, searching for the waiter to pay.

“Kelvin he’s fucking perfect.”

“Yeah. I made a good choice didn’t I?”

“If your dick is anything to go by then I’d say you did. You’re hard as fuck.”

He glances down at his growing pain and holds in a groan, “Yeah, I am. Aaron’s hot as hell.”

“Thank you.” Aaron said, “Let’s get outta here. I got more liquor at my place and ya know, my bed. ”

You and Kelvin stood up quickly, sneaking glances at each other. Y’all knew a time would be had.

—---END—-------

Taglist: @itsbackwoodsbby @femdisa @luvrsluxe @ayeeeitsmiracle @sharmelasworld @papithetia @mzv11

Lemme know if you wanna be added to the taglist!!!

[astro-stars]

wait do you? (continuation)

The Mostro Lounge was unusually quiet that afternoon, a stark contrast to Yuu’s chaotic day. Earlier, she’d impulsively asked Jack an embarrassing question about beastmen heats due to a lingering truth potion incident that stripped her of her filter. She’d spent the rest of the day dodging curious looks and trying to recover her dignity. Now, as she sat across from Jade and Floyd, the potion’s effects were still in full force, much to her dismay.

Without warning, Yuu blurted out, “Do merfolk mate for life like some sea animals?”

Both twins froze for a split second before Floyd burst into laughter, slapping the table. “Hahaha! Oh man, Shrimpy, where did that come from?”

Jade’s polite smile widened, his sharp teeth glinting. “An intriguing question, Prefect. What inspired such a… candid inquiry?”

Yuu’s face turned crimson as she waved her hands defensively. “I just… I mean, I’ve read things about eels and other sea creatures, and I was curious if it’s the same for merfolk. You know, since you’re… part ocean.”

Floyd leaned back in his chair, still chuckling. “You’re so weird, Shrimpy. But I like it. What’s next? You wanna know if we lay eggs?”

“Wait, do you?” Yuu asked, her curiosity piqued despite herself.

Jade let out a soft laugh, his amusement barely concealed. “No, we do not. Merfolk anatomy has certain… parallels with humans, though there are unique differences.”

“Unique differences?” Yuu echoed, leaning forward unconsciously.

Floyd grinned mischievously, leaning closer. “Oh, wouldn’t you like to know, Shrimpy? Should I give you the full merbiology lesson?”

“Floyd,” Jade interjected smoothly, his tone carrying a hint of warning. “Let us not overwhelm her with too much information.”

Floyd ignored him, standing abruptly and grabbing Yuu’s arm. “Nah, this is too good. Let’s go see Azul. He’ll love this.”

“Wait, what?” Yuu stammered as Floyd dragged her along, Jade following at a leisurely pace, his expression one of quiet amusement.

The trio found Azul in his office, meticulously reviewing ledgers. He looked up as they entered, his expression shifting from mild annoyance to curiosity.

“Floyd, Jade, Prefect,” Azul greeted, adjusting his glasses. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Floyd shoved Yuu into a chair across from Azul’s desk, grinning from ear to ear. “Shrimpy���s got questions. Real funny ones. You’re gonna love this.”

Jade took a seat beside Yuu, his smile ever-present. “She’s been inquiring about the… biological nuances of merfolk.”

Azul blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Biological nuances?”

“Yeah,” Floyd said, leaning on the desk. “Like if we mate for life, or if we lay eggs. Stuff like that.”

Azul’s face turned a shade darker as he cleared his throat. “Well, Prefect, I can assure you that merfolk biology is… a complex subject. Certainly not something to discuss so casually.”

Yuu buried her face in her hands. “This wasn’t supposed to involve you. They dragged me here!”

Floyd burst into laughter again, while Jade’s chuckles were more subdued. Azul’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Yuu. “Prefect, you’re not usually this… uninhibited. Have you, perhaps, been affected by a potion?”

Yuu groaned. “Yes! It was an accident in class this morning, and now I can’t stop blurting out whatever I’m thinking.”

Azul’s expression shifted to one of realization. “Ah, I’d heard about a truth potion incident but hadn’t realized it was you. How fascinating.” His tone took on a mischievous edge as he leaned forward. “Tell me, Yuu, what do you really think about some of our fellow students?”

“Oh no,” Yuu said, her eyes widening. “I’m not answering that.”

“You might not have a choice,” Jade said smoothly, his amusement evident.

Floyd clapped his hands together, grinning. “Yeah, Shrimpy! What’s your take on lion fishy? Bet you’ve got something good there.”

Yuu groaned again, feeling the words bubble up against her will. “He’s… grumpy but weirdly charming,” she admitted reluctantly. “And he’s got great hair.”

Floyd howled with laughter, while Jade nodded thoughtfully. “Interesting,” he murmured.

Azul smirked, clearly enjoying himself. “And Riddle?”

“He tries too hard,” Yuu blurted, “but he’s really sweet deep down.”

The twins’ laughter echoed through the office as Azul leaned back in his chair, clearly entertained. Just then, the door burst open, and Ace, Deuce, and Grim stormed in, looking frantic.

“There you are!” Ace exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Yuu. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“You can’t just run off when you’re like this!” Deuce added, his expression a mix of worry and exasperation.

Grim hopped onto the desk, glaring at the trio of Octavinelle students. “What are you guys doing with my hench-human? She’s under my protection!”

Floyd burst out laughing again, leaning against the wall for support. “Your ‘hench-human’? Oh, this just keeps getting better!”

Azul adjusted his glasses, his smirk widening. “Ah, her rescuers have arrived. How charming.”

Ace grabbed Yuu’s arm, gently but firmly. “Come on, we’re taking you back to the dorm before you spill more secrets.”

Yuu sighed in defeat as her friends dragged her out of the office, Grim muttering under his breath about irresponsible eels. As they left, Floyd’s laughter echoed down the hall, and Yuu couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever live this day down.

TAGLIST: @soramcduckahyucky @lunasmisosoup

IDEA BY: @kimdourden

DIVIDER/BORDER: MEEE :)

[jessicaseroticramblings]

(Sexy story written by one of my followers)

Steven was wrapping up frying his eggs and pouring his juice when his step sister Jessica walked into the house. Jessica, the beautiful redhead she was, had spent a lot of her adult life with Steven. Their parents married after the two of them graduated high school and while most would have moved on from one another and not even really talk, Steven and Jessica decided to get to know one another and be in each other's lives. However, after 10+ years, Jessica decided she finally wanted to go to college. Though that didn't stop her from coming over to Steven's to do the laundry and possibly take some of his groceries. She hadn't been to college long, but he knew it was something she wanted to do for a long time. So he had her back and left his door open to her whenever she needed it.

"Hey you, you want some eggs while I have the stove on?" Jessica looked a little frantic as she answered. "No... no, I'm okay..." Steven looked up at Jessica as she paced back and forth. "You sure you're okay? Do you want to talk about it?" "It's nothing," she responded while shaking her head. "It's just the fraternity I've been trying to get into." Steven remembered. This was supposed to be one of the biggest on campus as well as the most popular by far. She had to do some strange challenges up to this point, but what else could they want her to do? "Well, are you getting in or what? What else do they have you doing?" Jessica hesitated before answering meekly.

"Something I'm not excited about..." Steven scoffed. "Yeah? Can't be that bad." Jessica half ass shrugged her shoulders in response before asking, "Can I take a shower real quick?" "Sure, you know where to find the towels." She walked off as Steven ate his eggs and toast. Steven had always helped her before, but quite frankly, he wasn't sure how to help this time around. As Steven was deep in thought about how to get her to open up about it all, he heard Jessica call out to him.

"Hey, Steven, can you come here real quick?" Steven got up from the table and made his way down the hall to the bathroom. As he approached the door, he went to knock on the door when it burst open, and he was pulled inside. As Steven recovered his balance, he felt his pj bottoms and underwear slide off his body before he could even react. He looked down to find a very naked Jessica reaching out to grab ahold of his cock. They have known each other for over a decade, not once had Steven ever seen Jessica topless, let alone, completely naked. It took him a moment to really grasp what was happening as she moved her head closer to his waistline. She didn't hesitate as she took his cock in her mouth and slurped him up, making his cock get hard, fast. He moaned out as he grabbed her shoulders and forced her off of him for a second.

"Jessica... Jessica, what are you... what are you doing?" She reached out and stroked his now rock hard cock as she looked over her shoulder to the counter where Steven could see her phone pointed to where the two of them were. "Just... just let me do this..." Jessica mumbled before taking Steven's now erect penis into her mouth. She choked and slobbered on it as she grabbed his heavy sack and played with his balls as she slid him down her throat. "Uuuuuuugh." Steven wanted to stop the young lady, but her warm, wet, inviting mouth gave him many reasons not to. He definitely couldn't stop himself from thrusting into her mouth a little as she was sucking the soul out of him. It had been a little while since he felt the touch of a woman. But this was no ordinary woman. This was a demon who was choking hard on his cock. He pushed her off one last time to see if he could get some answers. "Jessica, what has gotten into you? Why are you doing this?" A mixture of drool and tears covered her face. "The last thing the fraternity wants me to do to get initiated is to film myself giving you head." She pointed back to the phone Steven had seen, "they chose you to be the family member I had to blow. Everyone gets a random family member you wouldn't normally just sleep with and if you can get a video of you making them cum, you're in."

"You're in?" Steven repeated. "Yes, so let me just suck your big dick off. It's a win win for both of us. I get in where I want to, you get to get your rocks off as I choke on this delicious cock of yours. What's the big deal?" Before Steven could mount a counter defense, Jessica took him back into her mouth and sucked him slow and hard making his knees buckle a bit. Steven wanted to tell her no, but she seemed to be determined to make this thing happen. Plus, she was right, it was a bit of a win win after all. But as she sucked, slurped, and choked on his cock, Steven started wanting even more for being used like this. Yeah, he was happy to help her with anything. However, this felt like a but TOO much. Jessica was too busy sucking him down to realize Steven was reaching to grab her by the back of her hair. Once he knew he had a shot, he took it, grabbing her and pulling her off his glistening hard dick. As he pulled her to her feet he also spun her around and pushed her against the bathroom counter. He could see Jessica's confusion in the bathroom mirror and watched as it grew deeper as she felt the tip of his big thick cock tease the glistening wet lips between her thighs.

"Wait! I only need to blow you Steven!" Steven smirked at the camera. "Yeah, but I want something more. Give the audience a REAL show" Steven smiled as he thrust into Jessica hard. Her eyes rolled back into her head for a second "Uuuuuuuuuuuh!" She groaned as he slid out slowly, followed by another powerful thrust into her well soaked cunt. "Wait... wait..." She panted. "This isn't what I wanted! This isn't what I want the fraternity to see!" As she reached for her phone to turn it off, Steven grabbed it and instead aimed at his big throbbing cock as he slid in and out of his step sister. "Now now, you'll definitely get in when I make you cum over and over and fill your soaking wet cunt with seed now won't you?" "But I'm not on the pill!" She screeched before Steven started thrusting into her hard and fast. He grabbed the back of her head as he pushed her into the mirror as he fucked the shit out of his step sister. Her moans filled his home as he took her pussy like it was the last bit of sex he was ever going to have. He'd gone feral as he ravaged the poor girl. He set the phone down, but still pointed at the young duo, before he slapped her ass with one hand as he pinned her down with the other.

She grunted, growled, and squealed in pleasure before Steven could feel her cunt tightening around his throbbing shaft. Just like that, he was making his step sister cum on his hard shaft. "Oooooooooh myyyyyy GOD! STEVEN!" She wailed as she bucked. Steven looked over into the phone as he pulled his soaked cock out of Jessica, to it glistening with her juices as she slumped over panting, coming down from the orgasm that ripped through her young body. He pulled her to her feet and picked her up and placed her onto his bathroom counter, kegs over his shoulders as he slapped the swollen head of his penis on her well fucked lips of her pussy. She moaned a little before he slipped it right back in for round two. Her body tightened up as he bottomed out inside her. A few deep thrusts had Jessica losing her mind. "Oh MY GOD! Steeeeeeven, this wasn't how it was supposed to go! I didn't wake up this morning thinking you were going to be hitting my cervix with your cock... " Steven smirked again before wrapping his right hand around his step sisters throat. "Funny how life goes, lets see how much more we can hit it."

Suddenly he couldn't help but think of all the times they would compete and she would beat him at something. A game, trivia, hell one time she helped a young woman Jessica KNEW he was interested in, avoid having sex with Steven altogether. This felt like a reckoning. It also felt right? As Steven slammed his meat deep in his step sister, his balls, heavy with seed, slapped her thighs and ass. He could feel her starting to cum again as her eyes rolled back in her head. She spasmed and came as she tried to cry out his name yet again. However, her attempts were foiled by the fingers wrapped around her throat. She scratched up and down his back instead. Steven smiled and leaned in to whisper as she came down from orgasm number two.

"You look so pretty taking this cock with your favorite necklace wrapped around your neck." As Steven pulled out to adjust and put Jessica in another position, he saw her grab her phone as she pushed him to the floor. He bounced off of the tile with a loud thud. Started to piss him off at first, if it hadn't been for the quick response of Jessica to pin him down with her thighs as she slipped Steven into her perfectly well fucked pussy. She moaned in ecstasy as started bouncing on Steven's cock while she turned her camera onto him underneath her. Her perfect ass slammed down on his thighs and balls as her pussy squeezed around his cock, trying to drain every drop of seed from his sack. Her red hair bopped up and down with her perfect, perky breasts in unison. "Yeeeeees Steven! I love you so much! This cock feels perfect inside of me!" With that, he knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Jessica... I'm going to cum soon..." She put her hand over his mouth and kept bouncing. Steven realized she was about to cum for a third time and that was all she was focused on... even if it meant taking his seed inside her. Steven tried to hold out but eventually it got to be too much as he started to grunt under her hand and cum started to spurt into her unprotected womb as she came yet again. Squeezing the life out of his shaft while he was shooting rope after rope of cum into his step sister. As she came down from her last orgasm, she lifted her hand off his mouth and collapsed next to him. The phone having landed next to Steven. He picked it up, stopped the recording, took a picture of his now passed out, cum leaking step sister before sending both the video and the picture to the one contact that was asking for the video in the first place.

As Steven laid out on his bathroom floor, he reminisced about what just happened, smiling thinking about how family dinners wouldn't quite be the same. As he picked the phone back up and sent himself the video as well, a text came back through. It was the sorority. 'You're in. I can't believe you did that! Though it looks like it was a lot of fun! Your step brother has a great looking cock... is he single?' Steven smirked, wondering if he should set himself up or keep himself all to the soul sucking redhead laying next to him. "Oh boy..." he muttered thinking of the possibilities.

[spade-riddles]

Anonymous said:

Gosh I have so much to say about this, but first I think it’s instructive to look at the masters heist timeline of 2019:

June 15: Taylor’s surprise Stonewall performance. June 17: Taylor releases the YNTCD video, further increasing speculation about a coming out. June 20: BMR shareholders, including Scott Swift, are told there will be an official shareholders meeting on June 25. June 24: the Joshlie second wedding occurs in Wyoming. Scooter and Yael attend, while Taylor does NOT show up to the party. This fuels continued speculation that she and Karlie are feuding. It’s important to note here that at this point, Scooter Braun already knows he is purchasing Taylor’s masters. June 25: BMR informs its shareholders of the impending sale of the label and its assets to Ithaca holdings. They have 3 days to go over the details and decide their votes. June 28: Karlie posts *sips tea* and Taylor posts “Friday calm,” insinuating that the coming out is still on. On the same day, BMR shareholders vote to confirm the label’s sale to Ithaca Holdings. June 29: Taylor receives a message from Scott Borchetta informing her of the sale of her masters. This happens while she’s flying home to NYC (presumably for pride). June 30: Tay skips pride and chooses violence. (We gather here, we line up weeping in a sunlit room, and if I’m on fire you’ll be made of ashes too —> her team deciding to drop the CO and go to war for her masters) July 3: Ash Avignon (and later Clare Winter) likes a Perez Hilton tweet claiming Taylor and Karlie are feuding is bc Karlie was telling things about Taylor’s life and career to Scooter. (I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor) July 22: a blind item is released saying Yael Braun publicly called Taylor a c*nt and a d*ke at a presidential fundraiser (lock broken, slur spoken, wound open, game token, I didn’t know you were keeping count).

During July, Karlie was also making some posts insinuating Kaylor was struggling but still very much in touch (boxing gloves, out of the blue, wearing a cold shoulder top, randomly taking a rare social media break in late July/early Aug).

Looking at this timeline, it makes one wonder if Scott and Scooter planned the masters heist for the specific purpose of keeping Taylor in the closet, believing that her coming out would tank the value of Taylor’s masters. They assumed (rightly) that she’d pivot her plans when her life’s work was threatened.

Re: the Kaylor feud, depending on how you interpret these events and the lyrics Taylor has written about The Great War, you could think one of two diff scenarios happened:

1) Taylor really did think Karlie betrayed her for a time, even though that wasn’t the case (got the *sense* I’d been betrayed // telling me to punish you for things you never did). The reality is, even if Karlie knew nothing about the masters heist, she was partying with Scooter and Yael the very same weekend he already knew he’d made a deal with Scott Borchetta for Taylor’s masters. This increased Taylor’s sense of distrust and perhaps put a temporary rift between them (you knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart, but what you did was just as dark.) 2) Taylor and Karlie were mostly fine but constructed the feud narrative (tore your banners down, took the battle underground) to keep the public’s eyes off of them while Taylor created a battle plan on the masters.

Either way, we know Ash and Claire were used to push the Kaylor feud narrative. Being non-celebrities, they are often used to sell the “real” story to Swifties. Them liking the Perez tweet was the first time anyone on Team Taylor had confirmed a rift between Kaylor.

We know from Taylor’s lyrics that Karlie never actually betrayed her:

-telling me to punish you for things you never did

-looked up at me with honor and truth

-my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war

-it’s like I’m wasting your honor

-your integrity makes me seem small

-put you in jail for something you didn’t do

-hey it’s all me in my head, I’m the one who burned us down

-I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked

-I can’t make it go away by making you the villain

-you would break your back to make me break a smile

-dreams of your hair and your stare and your sense of belief in the good in the world, you once believed in me

-dark side, I search for your dark side

I think we can glean from these lyrics that Taylor perhaps regrets her rash decision to paint Karlie as the bad guy. Yet it also stands that the feud has given them cover to live their life under the radar.

Karlie coming to Eras tour was a really interesting shift in the narrative. But even more notably, Taylor herself has never acknowledged it. We can conclude that leaving it open ended is serving Taylor in some way. Perhaps allowing her to have her cake and eat it too (Karlie being there to support Taylor for the Eras movie filming and the announcement of 1989TV, but Taylor still not acknowledging Karlie publicly).

[lillaydee]

Matchmade Part 6

Millionaire! Joel Miller / Reader

Having experienced traumatic, life altering events, a freshly divorced Joel worked to repay his debt to the person he owed his life to.

WARNINGS:

Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Lives (The Last of Us), Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Character Death, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut.

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 5

---

You blinked several times at her.

“How’s your mom, Tanya? Is she well?”

“Ugh, just like you to ask about her. She’s fine. Still alive. Come on, is your boss single? Hey, little girl, do you have a mommy?”

Sarah blinked at her, an obvious distaste in her look.

“Hey, when someone speaks to you, you answer,” she said, raising her voice slightly.

Sarah let go of her fork and climbed onto your lap, hiding her face in your blouse.

“God, I don’t know how you can stand kids. I was just asking a question. Sheesh. Spoiled much?”

You asked her nicely to please leave you alone, didn’t she have a conference to attend?

“Not until you give me his number.”

You just stared at her. The gall of this woman. Did she really think you would just give away his number like that?

“Oh my God,” she said, clasping her hand on her mouth, a shocked look on her face. “You want him for yourself, don’t you? You actually think you have a shot with him? You?”

She gave you a pitying look. “Look, Addie, I get it. You’re in a rut. Maybe someone like that can pull you out of it, but you need to look at yourself in the mirror first, okay? He’s way out of your league. I mean, regardless of what he does for a living, he’s here at this conference, and you are someone he pays to nanny for him. Look, maybe if you’re in your early twenties, you have a shot, you know? The cliched dad falls for nanny thing, but you’re 30 babes. Be real.”

She got up and left.

You realized then that you had your hands clasped over Sarah’s ears, the way you did with Allie when she was little, not wanting her to hear the venomous arrows Tanya had been firing at you since you were little.

It’s nothing new. She had always done this. And you didn’t always take it lying down. But as you two became adults, she was more… subtle and clever with her digs. She made sure you were in positions where you couldn’t fire back. A child in your arms, for example. Or a threat to your sister, or your job.

You had enough of her digs at your supposed failure. You had no idea why she hated you so much. The two of you used to be such good friends. And now, she seemed to have made it her life mission to make you as miserable as possible.

You made sure Sarah finished her meal and took her out to the Kiddy Zone the resort had put out sitting next to the play area watching her play or helping her with whatever activities she wanted to do. She made one or two friends and had a few snacks. Towards the afternoon, she was captivated by the face painting lady. She chose a butterfly motif and begged you to get her a pair of butterfly wings and antennae headband that was sold at one of the vendors.

You took a picture of her with her face paint and her butterfly wings and sent it to Joel. He immediately replied with some hearts and smiley hearts. She was so happy, she began talking about make up designs, and these other butterfly wings she saw at the vendor, and the next thing you knew, you were waiting for the family at the dining hall for lunch with a very excited Sarah in your arms while she was smoothing out a smudge on your face paint and straightening your wings and antennae on your headband.

The first thing the family saw when they got to their table was a very giggly Sarah, and a very dour you, your mouth in an unamused pout, your body in a surrendering posture. The shit you do for cute kids, huh? Tommy and Maria laughed supportively at you, patting you on the shoulder, and cooed at Sarah. Tess was trying so hard not to laugh at your sour face, she had to hug you to hide her face.

From afar, you saw a very smug looking Tanya stare at you, shaking her head at your face painting, wings and headband. She made a point to go to you while you were getting Sarah food, telling you that she could not believe you would go so low, dressing like a child in a room full of businesspeople just to impress a child. Only a shameless attention seeker would do that, and you obviously had not changed. Still seeking for attention wherever you go.

Joel had joined the family when you got back, and he looked at you with an impressed smile, while you walk defeatedly to the table and served Sarah her food. He laughed a little, took your antennae headband and put it on his head, placed Sarah on his lap and took a selfie, making sure that you were in the frame too. Sarah giggled uncontrollably every time the antennae wobbled on his head, a sound he clearly enjoyed hearing, as he kept wobbling his head on purpose while helping his daughter eat.

When you went to get more drinks, Tanya called you shameless, whoring yourself like that for your boss, taking selfies and acting all child-like for him. You lost it.

“What is your problem, Tanya? So I am a nanny. So I let some lady paint my face, it’s all part of the job. So what? How does that affect you in any way? Why are you so hellbent on calling me this and that? I haven’t bothered you, at all. You being here is a sign of your success. And I’m nannying, as you keep reminding me. I have nothing to lord over you, and you have everything. So why are you still hounding me?”

Her smug, sneering face snapped shut. Anger clearly taking over.

“Is everything alright, here?” Joel asked, taking you by the shoulder to his side.

Tanya immediately put on a sickly-sweet smile, “Just catching up with an old friend, that’s all,” she said.

The older man you saw him talking to that morning came up, taking Tanya by the waist. She looked disappointed, and hesitantly let him do so.

“Miller, glad to see you again. Could we have a drink this evening after your keynote? Would love to continue our discussion from this morning,” he said.

Tanya’s expression changed, she looked downright impressed, eyeing him up and down, suddenly impressed with an adult wearing an antennae headband. “You’re Joel Miller? Oh, I heard what happened to you. So happy to see you are doing well! Aren’t we, Georgie?” she cooed at him, reaching over and rubbing his arm. Joel pulled you closer to him and took a step away, going nearer the older man.

‘Georgie’ cleared his throat, and Joel told him they will talk later, he’s going to have lunch with his family now. The man nodded and shook his hand. Joel helped you get more drinks, asking you if you were alright. You just nodded, annoyed at Tanya’s brazenness. You saw from the corners of your eyes the man taking her by the hand to talk to her, while she grumpily followed, her eyes rolling in annoyance.

Sarah was falling asleep as she was finishing her lunch, so you told everyone you will see them at dinner, that you would be taking Sarah to the small amusement park later. They all gave Sarah a kiss and told her to have a good nap, Joel waiting until she was in your arms to kiss her. He put the headband back on your head and told you he will see you at dinner.

You spent Sarah’s nap time watching TV, but not really. You tried to relax, but for some reason, seeing Tanya and hearing her venomous words put you at an unease. You had a feeling that wasn’t the last you’d hear from her. She had always found ways to make your life difficult.  Your biggest worry was that she would get her poison on Joel, somehow, and your job at the daycare would be in jeopardy. You couldn’t afford to lose that job. You needed to get your life in line again, having lost everything that mattered to you. You were starting from almost zero. You had a plan. Get a job, check. Get a place to stay, pending. Save some money, pending. Go back to school, pending, and right now, oh so far away, almost beyond your reach, it felt like. No matter. One day at a time. And hopefully, after this weekend, you won’t see Tanya again.

**********

Joel sat between Tommy and Tess during the conference, unable to focus on anything. He kept seeing that woman who was talking to you turn around to look at his table, trying to get his attention. She gave him the creeps. A very… ‘Liz’ vibe seem to emanate from her. He didn’t like it. And the man she was with, George, some higher up in one of the government departments, kept asking him for an ‘in’ on his business, wanting to ‘invest’. He entertained the man out of politeness but got a weird vibe off him too. He asked Tess to look into him, see if everything about him was legit.

The one thing he noticed straightaway was the fact that the man was wearing a wedding ring, and she was not. He’s not one to presume, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he had a wife waiting for him somewhere.

And her, he didn’t like the way she seemed to be treating you. Even from afar, she seemed to sneer at you a lot, and you, with Sarah around, never seemed to respond. So when he saw you did at the buffet during lunch, he made himself known, not wanting you to have worries this weekend. You deserve a break, even if you were technically working. He also didn’t want you mentally affected by this woman; your body language didn’t seem welcoming to her. He didn’t want that to affect Sarah too.

So far, from what he had heard from Sarah and Tess, you seemed like a great person. And what he had seen these two days, you were great with Sarah, and seemingly good natured around his cuckoo collection of a family. They all seemed to like you. He’s thankful for that.

He promised Allie he would find you, make sure you were alright. Thing was, he didn’t actually find you. More like, luckily stumbled into you. Did that count as keeping his promise? Maybe not. So, he should focus on making sure you were alright.

Two problems though.

One, he didn’t actually know you all that well. To make sure you were alright, he had to make sure you were a good person, a reliable person. What if you turned out to be a murdering psychopath? Okay, that’s not likely, seeing as you had managed to help keep his daughter alive for a month. And she loved you so much ‘Miss Addie’ might as well become a mantra. But you didn’t seem to be the kind of person who would accept help. When you told him you hadn’t decided where to inter Allie, he had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to the story, but he didn’t want to overstep. He didn’t want to throw money at you. He had a feeling you would be offended by that. He needed to get to know you better in order to help you. And this weekend, he had the chance to get to know you a bit better, and he intended to.

Two, and this might be the biggest problem of all. The problem that he couldn’t tell anyone about. The problem that might cloud his judgement of you. One that could affect how he might decide to make sure you were okay.

He couldn’t stop thinking about you.

But that’s impossible, right? Since he had met you that first time at the hospital all those months ago, he had met you only a few times. Sixteen times, in fact, not that he was counting or anything. All he knew was he looked forward to hearing about you when he got home, and hoped you weren’t too busy to chat a while when he dropped Sarah off or picked her up. That he would find himself unable to stop smiling whenever he talked to you. That he felt at ease with you.

Last night, when Sarah asked you to stay for him to read a story, his heart was pounding so hard he thought you might be able to see his shirt move. He had never had that experience – lying in bed with Sarah and a woman. Liz had never been interested to join in bedtime routine. It was always him alone. Over time, he found that he enjoyed them. His special time with his BabyGirl. He wouldn’t even let his Mama join the bedtime stories with her, and Sarah had never asked anyone to join in either. And last night, he found out he didn’t mind having you join in. He stayed a while after the two of you fell asleep, watching you breathe, his daughter snuggled up in your arms. Another something he had never seen Liz do. His heart did that thing again, making him feel warm all over. He watched you for so long, he fell asleep, Sarah between the two of you, his first uninterrupted sleep since the incident, until the sound of the door closing woke him up.

And today, he saw his little girl so happy spending time with you, and you… you just looked adorable with the face painting. He had to fight the urge to kiss you on the pink and red nose the painter had put on you. He could tell you were a bit embarrassed, so he took your headband and placed it on his head instead. It paid off, Sarah giggled so much his heart felt so full it could burst.

He placed his phone under the table and opened the latest photo he had taken. Him and Sarah, matching headbands on, and you, with a reluctant smile, sitting right next to him. He smiled to himself, zooming in on the picture a bit, taking in your candid face, for stock, until he could see you again in a bit.

A sharp nudge to his arm broke his smile, his eyes meeting Tess’s smirking face, her eyes on his phone, which he quickly hid in his suit pocket, meeting Tommy’s smirking face on his other side as he did so. His face actually felt hot. He put on his most annoyed face and pretended to pay attention to the speaker, seeing Tess and Tommy’s shoulders move from trying not to laugh. Maria turned, distracted by her husband’s shaking. Tommy whispered something in her ear.

And now there were three of them smirking at him. 

Damn it.

**********

You and Sarah were not in the room when he went up to change before dinner. He found himself extremely disappointed at his discovery. He video called you, and you answered, a huge smile on your face, Sarah’s giggling face came into view. She was driving one of those cars that ran on a track, having the time of her life. Look Daddy! I drive! Good job BabyGirl! She was making vroom-vroom noises, and honking so much, showing off to him, he wanted to run to the amusement park to join in on the fun with the two of you. You ended the call when it was time to get off the ride, promising to meet him at the dining hall for dinner.

Dinner was spent with everyone checking in with Joel about his keynote speech that night, and Sarah showing everyone all the videos you had taken of her on the different rides she went on. So much ooh-ing and aah-ing was going on, you were really touched at how much all of them loved Sarah. She had so much fun, she was nodding off before you could finish your dinner. You got up to take her upstairs, Joel joining you, not wanting to miss bedtime. He saw Tanya watch the three of you go up, a disapproving look on her face. He chose to ignore it, taking Sarah from you, while you carried the backpack you had brought with you to the amusement park.

Bedtime consisted of placing her in bed after a slight tantrum over having to change into her PJs, so Joel had some time to kill before his keynote speech. He waited for you to shower, aware that you didn’t finish your dinner. He told you to order room service, he didn’t want you to go to bed hungry. You nodded and thanked him, earnestly wishing him luck for his big speech. He said thank you, touched that you would say that to him.

As he got back into the elevator, his thoughts were on your good luck wish. He’d been to these conferences before, and Liz had always spent her times at the spa, leaving Sarah with Mrs Adler completely, and sometimes, didn’t even come back to the room. Never once did she wish him luck for his speeches, or his pitches, he doubted she even noticed, so long as the credit card worked.

The speech was a success, and he was surrounded by so many people wanting to talk to him after. He went to the lounge for the drink he had promised George and listened patiently as the man talked. He couldn’t shake the weird vibe he was getting from this man, the vibe that got stronger as Tanya joined them, having changed into a dress that was far too revealing for a business meeting. George’s phone rang, and he excused himself to answer it.

Tanya immediately pounced, sitting herself so close to Joel she might as well be on his lap. Joel immediately moved to the next chair, placing his jacket on the chair he was on. Tanya seemed to get the hint, albeit with annoyance.

“So, how long has Addie been nannying for you? Your daughter is so cute by the way. What’s her name?”

Joel took a sip of his drink, asking her how long she had known you.

“Oh, we go way back. She used to live next door to me. We grew up together,” she said, downing her drink, and snapping at the bartender for another. “Surprised to see she’s nannying now, to be honest. Everyone on the street thought so highly of her.”

There was an annoyance to her tone. Joel didn’t like it but decided to hear her out anyway.

“So, you knew Allie?”

“Tsk, annoying little brat. You know your nanny raised her since she was two? Classic spoiled kid. So rude. Said whatever came to mind. Trust me, you don’t want your kid growing up like Allie.”

Joel kept staring at her, taking another sip of his drink.

Tanya was suddenly aware how angry and annoyed she sounded and put on a simpering nostalgic face as if reminiscing fondly at the thought of Allie, “So sad, what happened to her,” she said, shaking her head.

Joel didn’t react. He took another sip and kept listening.

She shuffled her chair closer to him. He put his foot on the chair next to him when she tried to move it. She leaned in instead, whispering conspiratorially at him.

“But see, that’s why I was so shocked you hired her. She’s not exactly trustworthy, Addison. She got fired from her last job for slacking at work, you know. She would just leave… just like that, in the middle of a workday - and came back whenever convenient. And the amount of complaints on her record, sheesh. I’m surprised she lasted that long at that job. And of course, after Allie died she spiralled. Drank herself to sleep every night. She lost her house you know? She claimed it was because of Allie’s medical bills, but who knows? She’s a great liar. Last I heard, she’s homeless now, living in her car like a bum.”

Joel placed his glass on the table, clearly reacting to this news.

“She’s living in her car?”

Tanya smiled a victorious smile. That got his attention. She put on a faux innocent, concerned face and nodded.

“Sadly, yes. You know what these people are like, I mean, what if she takes advantage of you and your money and hurt your daughter? What if she was drunk when taking care of her?”

She took his jacket off the chair between them, and sidled in next to him, her hand on his arm and thigh. He followed her touches with his eyes.

“Really, Mr Miller, trust me. I’m only thinking of your daughter. You don’t want to trust someone like Addison with your child.”

---

Part 7

@peelieblue @feenoire @vickie5446

[bitterrsweetly]

my big brother and i have been stuck on this unknown island for just over two years. we adjusted quickly, we’re both resourceful, the camping trips we took when we were younger really helped. we had a little hut set up, it wasn’t cute or cozy but it was shelter, we each had our own room. we learnt how to cook with the plants growing on the island, we learnt how to fish, everything. this life was normal for us now and it may sound stupid but i was happy i got to spend every waking hour with my favourite brother. one night, my brother is making us soup for dinner while i sit and watch. finally, it’s ready and we eat up quickly, it tastes so good. “what plant did you use for this?”. i ask, curious. our parents were both botanists and loved to teach us stuff about plants. “oh, i used this flower i found on the other side of the island”. i furrow my eyebrows. “flower? what flower?” he shrugs “i don’t know, it was white with purple spots”. my heart drops and my eyes go wide, i stand up frantically. “no no no” he stands up after me, confused “what? whats wrong?”. i run my hands through my hair, my heart racing “thats an aphrodisiac you idiot!” he doesn’t follow “it kills you if you don’t have sex.” he goes red and i roll my eyes. real mature. “you just killed us both” i mumble as i walk outside. i sit on the grassy beach and look out at the water, trying desperately to enjoy my last moments. a few minutes later, my brother comes out, he almost looks miserable, i know he feels really guilty. he sits next to me, i look up at him. “it’s okay. we were always gonna die anyways.” i huff. he frowns and stays silent. after a while i feel my skin start to heat up, especially my core. the flower is starting to take effect, meaning we have less than an hour left. i look over at my brother and i can tell he’s feeling it too, his face is pink and he’s not-so-subtly covering his crotch. i look back out at the water with a sigh. suddenly, my brother speaks up “y’know… we don’t have to die” i barely hear him, he’s so quiet, my eyes go wide and i look over at him “what?” “i mean, desperate times call for desperate measures, right?” he looks embarrassed. “would you rather die or have sex?” he says, sounding desperate. he really doesn’t wanna die. finally, i agree. “okay. we’ll do it”

this is my first time posting anything like this so i’m sorry it’s kinda shit!! i just thought of it randomly and quickly wrote it down, i didn’t edit it or anything, i just really liked the idea. also i have more if you want them to actually fuck!!

[illuminatedquill]

Ghost Stories 07

Starring Sabine Wren + Ezra Bridger (Feat. Hera Syndulla)

Story Summary: While helping Hera clean out the Ghost in preparation for Jacen's return from the Academy, Sabine finds a memento leftover from a mission during their days in the Rebellion - a mission that Ezra professes to have little recollection of. Sabine takes it upon herself to remind him what exactly happened . . . Years ago, a mission to rescue Imperial prisoners from being sold to Zygerrian slavers turns deadly for Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger. In order to escape, Ezra will have to trust Sabine with his life in a way he’s never done so before . . .

"Ezra," said Hera in the tone of someone whose patience was wearing dangerously thin, "I need you to scrub the outside vents again."

The young man glanced at his partner, Sabine, with a bemused look. She gave a discreet smile in reply; this was a strong sense of nostalgia about this whole scene that brought up old memories for both of them. They were older now and the early years of the Rebellion had long since passed, but some things never changed it seemed. Hera still had the ability to boss both of them around with ease.

Besides, it was for a good cause: Jacen, Hera and Kanan's son, was returning from the Academy on vacation. She planned to take him on a sightseeing tour all over the galaxy, accompanied by his favorite extended family: Aunt Sabine and Uncle Ezra.

Ezra slung the used rag he had been using to wipe down some of the viewports over his shoulder and gave Hera a nod. "Sure thing," he replied casually. "The laser scrubber still out there?"

"Should be," answered the Twi'lek. She gave him a slightly guilty look, accompanied with an apologetic smile. "We're almost done. Promise."

Sabine rolled her eyes. "I've heard that before. Come on, Ezra. I'll give you a hand."

He frowned at her. "It's not really a two-person job - "

She clamped a hand over his mouth before Hera noticed. "He didn't mean that," she assured the Twi'lek. "It's always been a two-person job."

Hera snorted. "No, it hasn't. I've always just let it slide since Kanan and I used to pull that same excuse to get some alone time from you guys."

The Mandalorian blinked at her. "No wonder you two took so long," Sabine remarked.

"Had to be thorough," Hera said smugly.

"Gross," said Ezra cheerfully. "Let's get out there Sabine and start, uh, scrubbing."

She hooked her arm through his. "Lead the way."

_ _ _ _ _

"So, what's the real reason why you wanted to be alone with me?" Ezra asked. They had just been outside on the Ghost's hull for around ten minutes, blasting the laser scrubber at the freighter's durasteel frame. It was still spotless from the last time it had been scrubbed but, given Hera's anxious mood, it was best not to mention that.

Sabine sat down next to him, watching him work. "What? You want to make out?"

He paused his scrubbing and pushed up the safety goggles onto his forehead. His piercing blue eyes flashed invitingly at her. "Always," he replied.

She smirked and tossed something at him.

Ezra yelped, juggling the laser scrubber in one hand and the thrown item in another for a few seconds. Finally, he clumsily transferred the laser scrubber to the other hand and gained a grip on the item Sabine had thrown at him.

Sabine laughed.

He glared at her. "I could have scorched the Ghost. You know Hera will flay us both alive if that happened."

The Jedi looked down at the object in his hand with curiosity. "What is this, anyway?"

"What's it look like, Ezra?"

It was a round, thin piece of electrum metal with an ugly black box attached on one side. Ezra peered at it for a moment, thinking, before saying slowly, "It looks like . . . a collar?"

"Yup," said Sabine. "Your powers of deduction continue to impress, Master Jedi."

Ezra snorted. "A collar, huh. Do you want me to wear it? Because if that's the case, we really need to go somewhere private if you're thinking what I think you're thinking."

Sabine blinked coyly at her partner. "Say 'woof'."

The Jedi sighed. "Sabine . . . "

She tilted her back and laughed. As always, Ezra felt a thrill of satisfaction seeing her do so. It never failed to make him feel good knowing that he could do that.

"You really don't recognize it, huh," Sabine said a few moments later, settling down after her spat of giggles.

"Should I?" asked Ezra.

She nodded. "Found it while cleaning out my old room. It's a . . . shall we say, a souvenir from a mission we did way back during the Rebellion."

Ezra frowned. "Which one?"

"The one with Zygerrian slavers? Ring a bell?"

He racked his head, using an old Jedi technique to focus his memory . . . and, to his surprise, found nothing. "Not really," he confessed.

Sabine blew out a breath. "Makes sense."

Now, he was really curious. He stepped over and sat down next to her. "Really? How so?"

She pointed at the ugly metal ring in his hands. "That's a Zygerrian slave collar. Nasty stuff. We were freeing Imperial prisoners that had been sold to them. They had these clasped to their necks."

"That was our mission? How come I don't remember it?"

Sabine took the collar gently from his hands and studied it for a long moment.

Finally, she spoke without looking at him.

"Because," she said solemnly, "you died, Ezra."

~ the escape, 2 BBY ~

The plan had been simple. Infiltrate the Imperial base, locate the prisoners, disrupt the deal between Zygerrian slavers and corrupt Imperial officials, and then blast their way out to the waiting Ghost nearby hidden in the forest surrounding the base.

Truth be told, it had all gone fairly smoothly. Ezra had gone undercover, posing as a new prisoner and directed the Specters to the prisoners' movements via code signals until it was time to free them. Sabine had been tracking his signals, directing the others into their places around the Imperial base -

And then it went wrong, right at the end. One of the prisoners. an elderly male Quarren, had fallen behind during the battle. Ezra, being the gallant idiot he was, had stayed with the Quarren to cover him as Zygerrian mercenaries and stormtroopers alike blasted at them.

The young Jedi's emerald blade flashed bright through the fog of blasterfire and smoke, battering aside any shots that came close. And they were indeed coming closer and closer.

"Dank ferrik," snarled Sabine, ducking behind a large crate. Scarlet blaster bolts flew through the space her head had been, scorching the wall behind her.

"Ezra! Move your butt and get him over here now!" she yelled through the maelstrom of blasterfire. Zeb was holding the exit, blasting away with his weapon, but time was running short.

"Any day you two!" the big Lasat roared. "I can't keep this open forever!"

"I'm a little busy over here!" Ezra shouted back. "Hang on - "

He glanced at the elderly Quarren. "Sorry for this," he said apologetically. Closing his eyes, the Jedi reached out with an open hand. The alien looked at him, puzzled, for a second -

And then an invisible hand seemed to grip him. Eyes bulging in part-fear, part-shock, the Quarren rose off the ground a few inches, then a foot -

"Happy trails," muttered Sabine, knowing what was coming next.

"What are you - aaaaahhhhhhh!" screamed the Quarren as the invisible hand threw him over to Zeb. The big Lasat almost fell over with the force of the throw.

Ezra's eyes snapped open, and he whirled on the spot, his lightsaber coming up to parry a flurry of blaster bolts aiming for his chest -

Sabine saw a mercenary land next to Ezra. Something shiny glinted in his hand.

Her heart lurched in fear as she recognized what the mercenary was holding. A Zygerrian slave collar. They had already deactivated the other ones, thanks to the codes they had found in the Imperial database, but this was new. It wouldn't be using the same code.

She vaulted over the crate, taking a few shots but her armor held firm. Hitting the ground at a dead sprint, she screamed Ezra's name in warning. Her blasters spat fire at the mercenary, but the shots were absorbed into a force shield that emanated from his vambrace, similar to the ones Mandalorians used.

But he was too distracted at the volley of shots heading his way. He turned, hearing his name as she approached, his lightsaber snapping up to guard -

It was too late. The mercenary hissed as the plasma blade hit him, but not before the collar was already around Ezra's neck.

It snapped close. A deadly hum of energy pulsed out from it, followed by a small beeping noise. Ezra spasmed in place as the collar shocked him into submission.

"The Jedi's down!" yelled a stormtrooper. "Focus fire - "

He didn't get to finish the command. Sabine lobbed a thermal detonator in his direction. She slid next to her fallen friend and slung an arm around her shoulder to support him.

"Zeb!" she screamed. "We need cover!"

The big Lasat let loose a battle cry and dove into the fray, his rifle blasting away. The explosion came soon after, buffeting everything around it in scorched debris.

"Hang on, Ezra," she panted, half-dragging him towards the exit. "Hang on!"

_ _ _ _ _

"Sabine," said Kanan. "We need options."

They were in the cargo hold of the Ghost, now jetting through hyperspace to escape any pursuers. The prisoners had been taken to the communal area to rest after their harrowing escape. Sabine, Kanan, Zeb, Chopper and a weary Ezra were the only ones in there, since Hera needed to fly the ship.

Ezra winced and fingered nervously at the collar grimly clutched around his neck. He looked to Sabine, smiling weakly. Putting on a brave face, she noted.

She was glad that her helmet remained on. It wouldn't do him any good to see how nervous she was.

"How do I look?" he asked. "Don't suppose this is a good color on me, is it."

"We'll have to get you one that brings out the color in your eyes," she replied absent-mindedly. Her mind was racing, coming up with thoughts, ideas, any scrap of solution that she could come up with on such short notice.

"Sabine," urged Kanan.

She clenched her teeth. "It's not that easy. Without the deactivation code, it's next to impossible. Zygerrians triple deadlock their collars as a failsafe; at any sign of tampering, they immediately send out a lethal pulse of energy to the wearer's brain. They can't be sliced either; the mechanism and programming are too complex."

"Even for you?" asked Zeb.

It hurt to say it. But there was no time for false bravado. Not with Ezra's life on the line. "Even for me."

"How much time does he have?" asked Kanan.

The slave collar, as if on cue, beeped. Sabine peered closely at the black box attached to the outside; a red light was flashing on and off, intermittently.

"Not much. If we can get him to a rebel base within the hour, he might have a chance," said Sabine.

Ezra's eyes snapped to her, questioning. She shook her head slightly at him. He had picked up on the lie.

"I'll speak to Hera, see if we can speed things up a bit. Zeb, I need you to check on our guests. I'm sure they'll be rattled and need someone to looking after them."

The Lasat opened his mouth to protest but Kanan cut him off. "Don't argue with me, Zeb. Ezra's safe with Sabine. He'll be okay with her."

He looked to Sabine for confirmation. She waved him off. "Get a move on, big guy," she said casually. "I got it here. The goober's gonna be fine."

"Fine," he said grumpily. He patted Ezra on the back and then made his way to the freed prisoners. Kanan nodded at Sabine and then at Ezra before following Zeb.

Which left just her, Ezra, and Chopper alone in the cargo hold. The astromech made a mournful noise.

After a tense moment, Ezra said simply, "You lied."

Sabine just looked at him and didn't say anything.

He smiled lopsidedly at her. "I don't have an hour, do I."

Finally, she found her voice. "No. You don't. The collar's on a count-down. It must have been damaged during the fire fight. The next pulse of energy will kill you."

"How long?"

"Less than ten minutes, at most."

He just nodded at her. "Well . . . that's that, then."

Sabine grabbed him by the shoulders. "It's not over. I've still got time to think this through."

"It's okay, Sabine," said Ezra earnestly. "I'm okay. Really."

"Nothing about this is okay, Ezra!" Sabine hissed. "I can fix this. I swear to you."

He went silent, his eyes studying her closely. "Okay. I believe you."

"Good," she retorted.

"Can you just do me a favor, really quick?"

"Other than think of a way to save your life?"

He grinned at her. Not long, but real. "You can multi-task."

Despite the dire situation, she snorted. "Sure. What is it?"

"Take off your helmet. I just want to see you."

She hesitated. The collar beeped - another minute had passed. "Ezra - "

"I know. But it would make me feel better if I could just see your face."

The unspoken words hung heavy in the air between you. For one last time.

She acquiesced, taking off her helmet. The light in the cargo bay seemed so bright; the air so tense and still in that very moment.

"Thank you," said Ezra.

Another beep. He just looked at her - like he would never see her again.

"There are messages," Ezra said suddenly. "Holo-discs underneath my bed. For everyone."

"Shut up," whispered Sabine. "Those will never be played. No one is ever going to hear those. At least not today."

"Sabine - "

She glared at him. "Shut. Up. I'm thinking."

He went silent.

Beep.

Energy, she thought furiously. Something to do with the energy. I can't slice it. The programming forbids it to be released without the proper codes. How do I get the kriffing thing off him without -

Her eyes widened. Fail safe.

The energy. If she could redirect it . . .

But that would mean only one thing. Only one way to remove the collar from Ezra.

"You've got something," Ezra observed. "Tell me."

She bit her lip. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Always," he responded.

"Fail-safe. Zygerrians don't like to waste anything. If a slave dies while wearing the collar, it automatically unlocks. They're reusable. Prevents them from having to build another one."

"Okay," Ezra said slowly. "How does that help me?"

She turned to look him directly in the eye. "I can't stop the collar from releasing the pulse. But I can maybe re-direct it. Away from your brain and towards your heart."

He held her gaze. She saw the gears in his head turning at this information, following the strands of cold logic to their terrible conclusion. "You're going to stop my heart. Kill me, and then the collar opens up."

"Not permanently," she added hastily. "Long enough to trick the collar into thinking you're dead. Once the collar comes undone, I'll have Chopper give you a zap to kickstart your heart again."

Ezra turned to the astromech. "What do you think, Chopper?"

Chopper's dome swiveled between them both, running calculations. Finally, he tweeted out a confirmation that Sabine's plan was solid.

Beep.

"Do it," said Ezra.

She blinked at him. "Just like that?"

He shrugged, smiling a little. "Got any better ideas?"

"Not with the amount of time remaining," she admitted.

"Then, let's get to it."

Sabine hesitated. "Ezra - "

He grabbed her hands. "There is no one else I would trust with this. I'm glad it's you."

The tears started to come without warning. "You know what this means, right?" she whispered. "I have to kill you."

"Just for a little bit," he replied jokingly.

"It's not funny," she said angrily. "This is so messed up. It shouldn't be like this. I don't want to do this."

She swiped at her face, willing the tears to stop falling. They didn't listen.

"Sabine. Look at me."

She did.

"I love you. And I'm sorry."

She swallowed hard. The words - those blasted three little words - came stuck in her throat. Sabine couldn't say anything.

She reached out instead to the black box, her fingers gently prying it open. The collar's sensors wouldn't view it as sabotage since they needed to be regularly maintained in such a way.

Beep.

Ezra's gaze never left her as she worked. Finally, it was complete. The circuits had been re-worked to fire the pulse of energy to its new destination.

Beep.

"Guess this it," remarked Ezra.

"It will be quick," she said quietly. "Painless. I promise."

Her fingers hovered over the button that would kill her best friend.

"Thank you for everything," said Ezra.

She was shaking.

His fingers were gentle, brushing her cheek. At last, she found the strength to look at him once more.

He was smiling.

She pushed the button. The collar pulsed.

The smile never faded as he slumped into her arms, dead.

Sabine's breathing came fast and hard; she could feel the cold waves of panic flooding through her.

Focus, she ordered herself. Focus!

She laid Ezra out gently onto the floor, cursing her shaking hands. "Chopper, you better be ready when I say so."

The astromech tweedled an affirmative response. An electrical probe he used for welding popped out of one his sockets, sparking at the ready.

Sabine stared at the collar, waiting. It was beeping, running its own check on Ezra's life signs.

"Come on," she hissed. "Come on!"

Every passing second that Ezra's heart was stopped was another step into death's embrace. He would never wake up.

And it would be all her fault.

More seconds passed, stretching into an agonizing eternity. She crouched over Ezra's body, eyes wide, feeling helpless -

There was a rapid succession of beeps and then - an anti-climactic click.

The collar popped free.

"Chopper!"

The astromech stuck its electric probe into Ezra's side and gave him a shock.

Her friend's body spasmed - and then laid still.

She checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

No. No, no, no. Not like this.

"Chopper, hit him again!"

The astromech complied. Another shock. Ezra's frame jerked and then went still once again.

Her fingers found the spot on his neck, searching for that tell-tale sign of life.

Nothing again.

The panic burst forth, nothing left to stop its path. "Chopper - "

The little droid shook his head sadly, beeping in resignation. She barely understood him - something about potentially damaging Ezra further if he continued to shock him.

She shoved the astromech away. "I'll do it myself, then," she said, half-hysterical.

Sabine knelt Ezra and began chest compressions, finding the rhythm as she had been trained to do. Both hands centered on the chest, thirty compressions, then mouth to mouth breathing.

She was sobbing. "Come on, come on, come on . . . "

Ezra didn't come back.

"Ezra, please. Please."

She continued on for what felt like ages. Finally, the last of her strength was spent, and Sabine collapsed backwards.

Chopper sighed, a grieving sound.

He was gone. Ezra was gone.

She had failed.

Sabine bowed her head, face screwed tight with emotion.

"Ezra . . . oh, Ezra," was all she could say in between sobs.

And then came the sound of pained laughter.

Her head snapped up at the noise.

Ezra's head turned slightly towards her. His breath was shallow, labored - but he was very much alive. And looking at her through half-closed eyes.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

She crawled towards him and wrapped him in a crushing hug. "Why would you ask me that, idiot?" she asked in a voice hoarse from crying. "You're the one who died."

"I did?" he asked. "Why would I do that?"

She laughed, the noise sounding half-crazed. "I thought I lost you, Ezra."

He patted her on the back clumsily. "I'm not going anywhere. Promise."

Sabine just hugged him tighter.

Kanan found the two friends like that, still embraced, half an hour later when he came back to check on them.

~ present day ~

Sabine set down the slave collar after finishing her recollection. Next to her, Ezra was quiet.

"Well?" she asked. "Any comments on how you died?"

Ezra shot her an amused look. "Weird question to ask someone."

"And you still remember none of it?"

He scratched his trimmed beard idly. "Eh, not really. Must be the lack of oxygen to the brain after the shock."

"Hmmm," said Sabine. "Maybe it's for the best."

"Maybe," agreed Ezra. "But if you want my comments . . . I would say that wasn't a bad way to go."

She peered at him. "Explain."

He grinned at her. "It's all a bit fairytale-esque, right? The kiss that woke me up from my slumber."

Sabine's jaw dropped. "It wasn't - I was giving you CPR! It was mouth to mouth resuscitation. And it wasn't slumber, you idiot. You were clinically dead!"

His grin widened. "The last one didn't feel like resuscitation. Felt like a kiss to me."

She slapped his arm lightly. "You were awake? So you do remember some of it!"

He gave her a coy look. "Maybe I just really wanted a kiss. Was that so much to ask for?"

"You are unbelievable, Ezra Bridger," said Sabine, shaking her head.

"Uh-huh," said Ezra. His grin faded. "Sabine. You're not still feeling guilty about any of that, are you?"

"I . . . yeah, I do," she confessed. "That could easily have gone the other way. You wouldn't be sitting here, next to me, talking about any of this if my idea hadn't worked out."

"But it did. I'm still here. You brought me back, like you always do."

She snorted. "It does seem to be my job to do just that. I'm an expert, huh."

He reached and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "The one and only expert at saving Ezra Bridger. No one better to call, in my opinion."

Ezra paused, thinking, and then said, "You're not really an expert at killing me, though. Since it didn't stick that one time."

Sabine reached out and pinched his cheek affectionately. "Cyar'ika, you are adorable and there is something deeply wrong with you."

"Ow," said Ezra. "That hurt. Might leave a bruise."

"Oh, really?" asked Sabine wryly. "Should I kiss it better then?"

"Well, your kisses do seem to work miracles, so there's no harm in doing so . . . but it does hurt here on my lips too, if you want to start there."

"Is that so? Let me see," she replied in a husky tone, leaning forward -

"If you want to see some real bruises," came Hera's violently cheerful voice, "then by all means, please do continue not doing what I asked of you."

Ezra and Sabine looked at each other - and then scrambled hastily to resume their work, the laser scrubber firing away once more.

"Good children," said Hera pleasantly. "I'll be watching, don't worry," she added, before stalking inside the Ghost to finish her own tasks.

Sabine shook her head. "She's crazy. We'll never finish these chores before Jacen arrives."

"I know," Ezra groaned. "Kill me, please."

She shoved him. Ezra laughed.

[jamiesfootball]

Today’s out of order scene that demanded I focus on it instead of the parts I should be working on is-

*spins wheel*

Roy and Jamie training montage! 🥳

[aflamboyanceofflamingos]

In order to turn a very embarrassing moment of my life into something funny have this stupid Timbern au:

The Drakes are alive so Tim is still on track for being the heir of D.I. but is interning at W.E. for the summer because Bruce offered a position

Bernard has been interning at W.E. as well, for volunteering hours

The both work in a small, newer branch of W.E. that focuses on cultivating more information about Gotham’s history

Bernard’s there because it's the most teen focused thing and Tim’s there because he wants to figure where exactly the Lazarus pit is under Gotham so he can mess with Ra’s

They are currently stationed at an old house that was made into a museum which is managed by Wayne Enterprises, but since most of it is a museum there are only a few rooms to actually work, however it being a teen thing it’s very much choose your own hours so that prevents too many people from being there at once

Tim, who doesn’t want someone to come in a see the fact that he’s already finished cataloging all of the 2023 Donations to the museum and is instead using the time to further research the numerous curses in Gotham and/or watch Demon Slayer, is very happy about this fact and only comes at either the earliest or latest times so he gets a room to himself and only has to pretend to be going through boxes when someone checks on him

Bernard immediately messes up Tim’s plan

He’s always there- morning, night, even when Tim changes up his schedule

And no matter how many how many empty rooms there might be he always finds Tim and sits with him, even the time Tim tried to hide in the attic under the guise of organizing a couple boxes up there

Being the paranoid idiot that he is Tim assume that Bernard is a from the League of Assassins and enacts a 46-step plan to figure out what he’s planning (read: stalks him) and in the course of it ends up falling in love

Meanwhile on Bernard’s side, the first week of the internship he walked into the room Tim was in and wanted to be friends with the cute boy

The reason that he kept finding Tim was that he was talking to Dick Grayson, his gymnastics instructor, and Dick had realized that the boy in question was his honorary little brother and told Bernard that “Timmy’s shy, you just have to break down his walls to get to know him” and tells him when Tim’s going to the museum

Dick is well aware of what Tim thinks the situation is because he’s the one Tim rants to, but he thinks it’s funny and will make for a great story to tell at their wedding

[polite-pandemonium]

I am just somehow OBSESSED with Takeru DRIVING. Like is he a bad driver? He speeds past the gang waiting outside of Daisuke's restaurant (or the restaurant where Daisuke works, whatever), so maybe? Is that his mom's car? Or is it his car? Why does he NEED a car? What is he doing that requires him to drive? Is it going to be a plot point in the movie? Is Takeru being a BAD DRIVER going to be a plot point? I need to know.

Ken and Miyako are also visibly startled when Takeru speeds past (Miyako JUMPS!!!!), while Iori and Hikari don't even flinch. What does that say about DYNAMIC?! Are Iori and Hikari more used to Takeru's (presumably bad) driving? That would make sense, no, cause they are (canonically???) closer with him? Just such a small interaction and I can interpret so much and draw so many conclusions!!! How fun!!!

There's just something really so fun about watching characters you've loved your whole life continue to grow - to see new details about them spring up, new traits, new things to add to canon. It's the most delightful thing about the Digimon Adventure franchise to me. Sure, the stories they have told over the last decade have mostly been all various shades of mediocre, but the character moments - goodness, the character moments just don't hit the same in any other media for me. It's so special to me.

ETA: WAIT, looking at the screencap, Iori looks slightly concerned. Only Hikari looks calm (though she does turn her whole body to look at the car once it stops). Does this mean HIKARI is the only one comfortable with his driving? Cause Hikari is closest to him? (I don't even think their closeness is something that is debatable - I feel like it is PRETTY CANON that they are closest with each other???????????)

HERE'S HOW TAKARI CAN STILL WIN.

[icewindandboringhorror]

More misc. daily life pictures and such