#she and paul were tag-teaming in this one and it was so good

[frommybookbook]

I love when Della gets to get in on the investigating.

[therealcocoshady]

Are you accepting requests if not by past this .

: Marshall/ em x fem reader

Y/N and Marshall have a baby girl together (Lilly around 4 or 5 ) and when there around the dinner table she happens to mention that she wants a new sibling so her parents (Y/N and Marshall) talk her into an animal in substitution of a child . But that brings on the topic of having another baby between Marshall and Y/N

Sorry this is really bad . Never done this before

If you don’t do it it’s fine lol

I still love u

One last baby ? - One Shot

Eminem x FemReader

Author’s not : thanks for the request ❤️. I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you enjoy it. I added a little twist of my own, I hope you don’t’ mind. 👀

Words : 4027

Tags : Fluff

You sighed as you rummaged through the pile of clothes that you needed to donate to Goodwill. Your daughter had grown up so much in the past few months that she almost needed a new wardrobe. It wasn’t an issue in and of itself, but you had a hard time parting ways with the clothes that no longer fit her. Your baby girl was growing up and even though it was amazing to see her blossom, it broke your heart. It seemed like yesterday, you were bringing her home from the hospital, starting your journey as a mom. And now, she was about to turn five. She was no longer your little baby : she was becoming more and more independent, she didn’t need you to do everything for her anymore. Soon, she would no longer need you to hold your hand or cut her food. If you’d known how fast time would go by, you would have cherished these moments even more than you had. 

Your little Lily was a dream come true : you had spent so many nights wishing for a baby, praying that you would be a mom someday, waiting for the right man to come along. But after you had turned thirty-five, you had grown tired of waiting for Prince Charming and you had taken matters into your own hands. Thanks to science, you didn’t need to be in a relationship to have a baby, and you’d rather have one on your own and be a single mom than settle for anyone, just for the sake of starting a family. You had been told countless times that your standards were too high and that you were selfish for wanting to have a baby on your own, but it didn’t matter. You knew it was the right time to be a mom so you decided to become one. It wasn’t easy, but with the help of a fertility clinic and after two rounds of IVF and nine months of sickness, you had welcomed your beautiful baby girl. She was your biggest blessing and you were incredibly happy that you hadn’t decided to wait for Mister Right. 

Ironically, you had ended up meeting him merely four months after you had Lily. You had moved from New York to Michigan after being hired by Paul Rosenberg. You were already involved in the music industry, working in A&R, but you were looking for a higher position and a better salary, and you had been told there was an opportunity at Shady Records. You had always thought you wanted to work for a bigger, more prestigious label, but as soon as you had been told about the job, you knew you had to apply : everything in the job description was right up your alley, the money was good and it offered you enough flexibility to be able to raise your daughter as a single mother. Applying turned out to be one of your best decisions, right after deciding to have your daughter : you loved your job and, through it, you met Marshall. At first, your relationship was strictly professional, but you quickly became friends. Technically speaking, he was your boss, but even though the job could be demanding, he was extremely understanding and supportive of your role as a single mom. Whenever Lily was sick or there was a problem at daycare, you were allowed to leave early, work from home or even have your baby with you. It probably helped that your daughter was adorable and that the whole team had fallen in love with her. She had also fallen in love with them, especially Marshall, who had a way with children. She had quickly become obsessed with him, which was not really surprising, since he was always making faces at her, tickling her and playing with her. She loved sitting on his lap and playing with him. Especially when he let her push the buttons on the mixing desk. She loved being at the studio, and every time you took her, she was having a blast. At first, you didn’t want to take her too often, as you were here to work and that little kids could be a nuisance, but Marshall assured you it was fine. At some point, you ended up taking Lily to work a bit more. He was working on a new album and you had to put in more hours, which you didn’t mind, the only issue being that daycare closed too early. However, Marshall had come through and set up a small space for Lily with a crib, some toys and a playpen, so that you could have her with you and still work. Small gestures like this were what led you to fall for him in the first place. He was the kindest man you had ever met. Still, at first, you were a bit reluctant to accept when he asked you on a date. He was your boss and your daughter was your absolute priority. Nonetheless, he managed to win you over after months of flirting. In the beginning, you didn’t think it was going to be too serious and you weren’t too sure about letting a man into your and your daughter’s life, but your relationship ended up moving pretty quickly. From the start, he let you know that he was serious about your relationship and that he wanted to include Lily in your plans. Being a father himself, he understood that she was your priority. So he became a staple in your life and Lily’s and they formed a bond of their own. He became one of her favorite people and she even graced him with her first steps, one late night in the studio. She wanted to go and hug him and you expected her to crawl as usual, but she walked from the couch to his chair. You were jealous, but also really happy that she loved him so much. The feeling was mutual. In fact, the day he proposed to you, he also proposed to her ! You had been dating for over a year at this point and were practically living together. 

I don’t remember you telling me about Lily’s full name, he said one night at dinner. Does she have a middle name ? 

No, you said. I wanted to keep it simple. 

And she was born in New York, right ? He asked. 

Yes, you confirmed with a smile. Why ? 

Nothing, he said. My lawyer just wanted the information. 

Your lawyer ? You asked confused. 

Yeah, I was considering updating my will, he said casually. To include Lily, you know ? 

You stared at him in shock. 

Wait… Why would you do that ? You asked. 

Just in case something happens to me, he explained. I want her to be taken care of. I would also like to set up a small trust for her. That way, she can pay for college, that kind of thing. 

You don’t have to do that, you said. I’ll pay for her studies myself. She’s my daughter, my responsibility, not yours. 

What if we changed that ? He asked with a smile. What if she was our daughter ? 

You want to… adopt her ? You asked in shock. You don’t have to -

I know I don’t have to, he chuckled. But I want to. I love her as much as I love my daughters. I change her diapers, I read to her, I tuck her in… I do all of that Dad stuff already, and I love it. I want to care for her as much as I can. 

You were moved, seeing how much he cared about her. They had a great bond and he was right, he was already a father figure to her. He was there everyday and took care of her as if she was his. Still, you were nervous. It was a big step and you didn’t want him to regret his decision. 

What if we break up ? You asked nervously. Have you thought about it ? 

I have, he smiled. And it wouldn’t change anything to how I feel about Lily. 

Ok, you said emotionally. I guess we could do that. 

He got up and took you in his arms before kissing both of your hands. Then, he took Lily from her high chair and gave her a kiss, making her giggle. She leaned and rested her head against his. 

What do you say, princess ? Do you want me to be your Daddy? He asked softly. 

She cooed and brought her little hand to his face. She wasn’t too talkative yet. She was very active, but when it came to talking, she didn’t seem too keen. It didn’t matter much, because she was very good at making sure everyone understood her. He kissed her again before putting her back so she could keep on eating her finger food. He kissed you tenderly and stroked your cheek. 

Before we make it official, I do have something to tell you, though, he said. 

Yes ? You asked nervously. 

I didn’t actually take Lily to the park today, he confessed with a smile. 

Where were you then? You asked confused. You were gone all afternoon. 

Running errands, he said with a smile. I needed Lily’s help to pick up something. 

You stared at him and waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t say more. Instead, he reached in his pocket and took out a small box. Understanding where this was going, you covered your hand with your mouth, tears starting to well in your eyes as he got down on one knee. 

You had been married for almost three years now and you couldn’t ask for more. You were about to turn forty and you felt incredibly lucky : you had an amazing husband, with whom you had a beautiful blended, tight-knit family. Even if Lily was not his biological child, she took a lot after Marshall. They had the same way of pursing their lips when they were frustrated and you could swear she was his when she gave a side-eye whenever she found something annoying. The looks were all yours, but the sassiness was all his. You loved that she took a bit after him. In hindsight, it wasn’t too surprising : he had been in her life for so long, she didn’t have any memory of life without him. She knew he wasn’t her biological dad, but it didn’t matter. She was definitely a Daddy’s girl. You had a special bond of your own with Lily, but she had him wrapped around her finger. It was the sweetest thing ever, although you sometimes worried that if he kept on indulging her in everything, she would turn into a brat. Although, whenever you touched on the subject, he shrugged it off. Still, you were afraid that if she asked for a pony, you would end up with one in the living room. Or worse, with Marshall actually purchasing stables and turning into a farmer. When it came to his princess, your husband seemed virtually unable to say no. He often used the excuse that his other kids were grown up and that Lily wouldn’t be his baby for too long. 

You heard the front door as Marshall brought Lily home from preschool. You left your pile of clothing and went to greet the loves of your life. She was on his shoulders as you walked down the stairs. 

Look Mommy, I’m tall, she giggled. 

I see that, baby, you chuckled. Didn’t we say that you had to walk on your own and that Daddy had to stop carrying you on his shoulders all the time, though ? 

It’s fine, he said. I only carried her for half of the way. 

See ? Your daughter asked. Daddy says it’s ok. 

You rolled your eyes and stared at your husband who was beaming. He gently let her down and she went to play in the living room. 

You’re turning her into a lazy person, you chuckled. 

Come on, let me enjoy this, he said with a smile. She’s starting elementary school next year and I’m not ready yet. I can’t believe my baby is turning five… 

We still have to see what we’re getting her, you reminded him. 

How about a puppy ? 

You stared at him in disbelief. She had been talking about getting a puppy for ages but you weren’t so sure. A puppy was a lot of work and she was still too young to help around with it. Plus, Marshall would soon go on tour and you would be busy enough. 

We’re not getting her a puppy, you said. No way. 

She’s been talking about it for a while, he pointed out. And you see how crazy she is about the neighbor's corgi. 

Well she can keep on playing with him, you chuckled. But my hands will already be full while you’re on tour, with Lily, the house, work… I don’t need a puppy on top of that. 

We’ll see, he said. 

He seemed pretty sure that you would change your mind, but there was no way. At dinner, you decided to quiz your daughter about what she would like for her birthday. Hopefully, she had her eye set on a Barbie. 

Tell me, baby, what do you want for your birthday ? You asked. 

A sister ! She said giddily. 

You already have three sisters, you reminded her. You have Lainey, Hailie and Stevie. 

I want a little sister ! She corrected. 

You and Marshall stared at each other for a second. That was new. Lily was surrounded by adults and had never shown too much interest in other children. 

A little sister ? Marshall asked. Where does that come from ? 

My friend Emma is going to have a little sister, she said. I want one too. And I can play with her all the time. 

You were about to turn forty and you had never really thought about having another baby after Lily. With Marshall having three daughters of his own, your family felt complete. Plus, you didn’t keep a fond memory of your pregnancy. The successive rounds of IVF had been testing, so had been the next nine months. 

You know what would be great to play with ? You asked nervously. 

What ? She asked with a huge smile. 

A puppy, you said. 

Marshall looked at you with a shit-eating grin. Your daughter shrieked in excitement. 

Can we get one like Elton ? She asked, referring to the neighbor’s dog. 

Of course, baby, Marshall said with a huge smile. 

And then, the baby can play with it too ! 

You looked sheepishly at Marshall who shrugged. You figured that it was best not to say anything and focus on the puppy. After all, it was probably her age. All kids wanted younger siblings, right ? When Lily was finally in bed, you went to your bedroom with your husband. 

So… You agreed to the dog, he grinned. 

I deflected, you admitted. It was either that or a baby, so… 

It’ll be great, he reassured you. Plus, when I’m on tour, she won’t miss me as much if she has a dog to come home to. 

You’re right, you said. I must say I’m a bit anxious though. She’ll miss you a lot. 

I will miss her too, he said. I will miss both of you, actually. The offer for you to come still stands, you know ? 

I have work and she has school, you reminded him. 

Preschool, he chuckled. 

That’s important, you said. 

Nothing we can’t teach her on our own, he said. I would love to have you with me. And Lily could see the world a little bit. That’s just as important as school. 

How about work ? You mused.

Let me check with your boss… Oh wait, that's me, he chuckled. He says it’s fine. Plus, you can get work done from anywhere. 

What about the dog ? 

One of the girls can take care of it, he shrugged. I mean, Stevie has three big dogs, so I doubt a small one would be a problem. 

We’ll see, you said. 

You started getting ready for bed. The pile of Lily’s clothes you were sorting earlier was still on the bed. 

What’s that ? Marshall asked as he rummaged through them. 

Some of Lily’s old clothes, for Goodwill, you said. I’d keep them, but there’s no room in her closet. 

You’re getting rid of all of that ? he asked sheepishly. 

You knew him well enough to know he would get sentimental. Getting rid of your daughter’s baby clothes was emotional for you too, but on a practical level, it didn’t make much sense to hoard them. 

Come on, Y/N, he said. You can’t get rid of this dress. Or those PJs. She was so cute in them.

She outgrew them long ago, you pointed out. It would be better if someone had a use for them, don’t you think ? 

We could have a use for them, he said before kissing you seductively. 

Oh really ? You asked as you raised an eyebrow. 

He nodded with a grin and kissed you passionately. You kissed him back as he pushed you on the bed, attempting to undress you. 

Wait, seriously ? You asked confused. You’d like another child ? 

I mean… I’m not against the idea, he said with a smile. 

At our age ? I mean, you just turned fifty and I’m turning forty soon. Isn’t that a little late ? 

You know, I didn’t expect to have another child in my forties, he said referring to Lily, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And when I see Lily, I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind having another one just like her. It helps that you seem to make beautiful babies, too. I’d enjoy having one last baby with you. Maybe have a boy ? 

He was smiling, staring lovingly at you. You had never talked about having another child together. As he had told you in the past, after his divorce, he had been pretty adamant about being done with the whole marriage and baby-making thing. Obviously, he hadn’t planned on you and Lily walking into his life but still, knowing how views, you never tried to push anything on him. To be fair, you had never even considered the possibility of having a child together. He definitely took you by surprise, but you weren’t fully against the idea either. He was an amazing father to all four kids and you knew a fifth one wouldn’t be an exception. 

What do you think, beautiful ? He asked as he stroked your cheek. 

I don’t know, you admitted. That’s a little tempting, I must admit. But I never saw us trying for a baby. Like, do we want to be that couple, planning intercourse, counting cycles and everything ? Also, what if it doesn’t work ? I don’t want to do IVF again. That shit is trying. And pregnancy is no picnic either. For Lily, I struggled a lot, I was sick all the time. 

First of all, if we decide to do this, I’ll be here every step of the way, he reassured you. You were on your own when you had her, but this time, it would be different. And if it doesn’t work… Well, it doesn’t. We already have four amazing kids, I’ll survive without a fifth one. I don’t want to put pressure on it. Let’s put it this way : if we had an unplanned pregnancy, I’d welcome it with open arms. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. If you don’t want to, that’s cool. But if you’re up for it, so am I. 

Ok, you said softly. One last baby. 

He beamed at you and kissed you. He seemed truly overjoyed by the possibility of welcoming another baby. One last one. 

I’ve never tried for a baby, he chuckled. This is going to be fun. 

Cut the BS, Mathers, you giggled. You’re the most experienced man I know, when it comes to babymaking. 

No I’m serious, he explained. I’ve never had one on purpose. They all came my way. Hailie was definitely a surprise, obviously we didn’t plan on taking Alaina in, I definitely wasn’t expecting Kim to be pregnant with Steve when I got back with her, same with Lily… I’ve never actively tried for a baby. 

Still, by the looks of it, I’d say it was fate, you said. You ended up with four daughters. 

And maybe fate has another one in store for me, he chuckled. Regardless, I think I will have a lot of fun trying for baby number five. 

I still have to get off birth control, you giggled. 

Good thing you’re taking the pill and you can just skip it, he grinned as he playfully grabbed your ass. 

So we’re really doing this ? You beamed. 

We are, he said as he kissed you. And now you have no choice but to come on tour with me. For the sake of trying. You know I don’t half-ass it. 

What if I get pregnant before then ? You asked playfully, although you knew it was unlikely. 

All the more reason, he said. That way I can take care of you. That would be awesome, actually. How great would it be if you were pregnant by Lily’s birthday ? She’d be overjoyed. 

You chuckled and stared at him. Lily’s birthday was just around the corner and there was no way you’d be pregnant by then, or at least not far along enough for you to announce it. 

Are you trying to convince me to have a child just because she wants a sibling ? You joked with a falsely offended face. 

I’m not, he chuckled. But what Lily wants, she gets, I guess ? 

What’s next then ? You wondered as you rolled your eyes. A pony ? 

I’m saving the idea for Christmas, actually, he said in a serious voice although you seriously hope he was joking. 

Shut up and put a baby in me, you ordered him. 

He pushed you on the bed again and wasted no time before undressing you. That night, the lovemaking was even better than usual. He was right : trying for that baby would be a lot of fun indeed, whether or not it ended up working. 

Epilogue 

The two of you tried for a few months, without bothering to plan intercourse or doing impossible math to try and figure out when you were ovulating and, eventually, you became pregnant for the second time. Marshall was over the moon when you told him and, as promised, he was here every step of the way. He was ecstatic when the two of you went for your first ultrasound appointment. 

I get to see my son, he said with a smile. 

It’s too early to know the gender, Marshall, you giggled. 

I know it’s a boy, he said. Fate, remember ? It’s all part of the plan, I’m telling you. 

Right. Because that’s usually how it works out for you and children, you joked. 

You were pretty sure you were having a girl. You didn’t really care about the gender, but it was just a gut feeling that you had. As long as the baby was healthy, it didn’t matter anyway. 

Here it is, the doctor said as she pointed at the screen. Your baby. 

Oh my God, Marshall said as he held your hand, visibly overcome with emotion. 

Is everything alright ? You asked. 

From the looks of it, yes, she said with a smile as she moved the probe on your belly. Wait… 

You felt your heart strain and Marshall held your hand a little tighter as both of you tensed up. You were silently praying, hoping that your baby was healthy. After a minute, the doctor turned to you. 

Congratulations, she said. You’re expecting twins. And they’re perfectly healthy. 

Marshall almost fell off his chair. If the pregnancy was no surprise, that turn of event was unexpected. As far as you knew, neither of you had twins in the family. You were a little shocked but really happy. 

So even when it’s planned, it’s really not, your husband chuckled as he kissed your hand. 

I think you're doomed for surprises, my love.

[sethsclearwater]

daddy kink Paul & Jared 😭😭 you absolutely killed it I had to immediately read it again

now thinking of them as brat taming the reader who is stressed from her job or something and has just been an absolute menace, to the point even Jared who does not take a single thing seriously is over her attitude and behavior, and they tag team it until she can’t take it anymore

-🫣🫣 you already know

PLEASE😭

...

"jared can you please just shut up? you're stressing me out right now-" you started as you walked into the bathroom in a huff, feeling awfully irritated over something that had absolutely nothing to do with him or paul.

before you could continue your sentence, jared had you slammed up against the bathroom door, one hand pinning your hands above your head while the other gripped your hip, "say it again," he ordered, voice sterned than you'd ever heard it before.

you looked up at him, absolutely flabbergasted that he'd pinned you up against the door over something so stupid, "don't make me repeat myself babe," he added devilishly, both of you maintaining eye contact as you processed what exactly was going on.

you knew neither one of the boys could ever intentionally hurt you so you weren't too concerned with the way he had you slammed up against the bathroom door, but you were pretty unsure of whether he planned to chew you out or fuck you over your attitude a few moments prior.

deciding it was worth risking making him even more mad at you in favor of hoping he was planning on fucking you, you decided to answer him, "i said," you started, voice strong as you glared up at him, "you're stressing me out-" you had barely finished your sentence before letting out a loud yelp as he threw you over his shoulder to carry you back into the bedroom.

"what the fuck-" the voice of your other imprinter came as jared laid you down on the bed, rough enough to let you know he wasn't messing around but not enough to hurt you.

jared didn't waste anytime tugging your sweatshirt (well actually paul's) over your head as he responded to paul, "babe do you wanna tell paul what you said?" he asked, not bothering looking up at you as he tugged your sweatpants and panties down, tossing them to the side before he was kicking his own off as well.

you went to give him some snarky reply but instead let out a loud gasp as he thrust his length into you without any warning, "oh my god-" paul laughed when he saw jared begin snapping his hips against yours, effectively stopping you from giving any more attitude to either of the boys.

"thought we could teach her a lesson 'bout what happens to brats," jared explained, gripping your hips bruisingly tight to hold you in place as he continued pounding himself into you.

you let out a loud whine, unable to form any kind of coherent response as you dropped your head back against the mattress, looking over to your other imprinter who just chuckled and nodded at jared's suggestion.

"think that's a great idea," paul mused as he came over to sit next to you on the bed, "you think you can do that princess? just want you to be a good girl again," paul asked as he threaded his fingers through your hair to scratch as your scalp while he waited for your response.

jared continued his ruthless thrusts, both men chuckling when your eyes filled with tears as you nodded, "yes daddy-" you whimpered, reaching out for his hand which he allowed you to take, both boys always careful to silently remind you they were messing with you during particularly intense sessions like tonight was clearly about to be.

"that's my girl," paul praised, offering your hand a squeeze before he was getting up to go find the vibrator and silk ties to make sure you wouldn't be getting an attitude with either boy anytime soon.

[nats-revival]

Au: You're a famous popstar on tour, and Abby is one of your backup dancers. You guys get very touchy and flirty during certain songs, and the fans start to notice how playful you're both being with each other. You guys try to hold back from each other, but eventually, you get together and fall for each other.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 ꒱ ˎˊ˗ | 𝙖. 𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣

pairing: abby anderson x fem!reader

tags: kinda.. loser!abby-ish??, making out, minor touching, yearning for eachother, no smut, would this be fluff?, idk if it is, happy ending, alternate universe - no outbreak, in our popular era!!, LOTS of tension (that’s kinda poorly written), i literally know nothing of how a stage crew works, ive only seen two movies about how tours work, so bare with me

a/n: AYEEEE MUST BE THE MONAAYYYY!! im trying something a lil different (but like.. not rlly..) also!!! this is my first time ever fulfilling a request!!! i hope this is good.. i haven’t written anything for a while. also also!!! i litcherally just remembered this song existed today and (a lil lore), originally i was gonna title this dont stop the music (like the rihanna song) but then this crossed my mind and i translated the lyrics and it just.. fits!!!! 😄 ok last thing, this is the outfit inspo for this fanfic! latrice is sooo pretty and this outfit is fire!!!

The ticket lines were flowing with people, like, lots of them. More than you’d ever seen during your tour. Tonight’s show was in Seattle. Your set started in fifteen minutes and you and your team were going through the logistics of how things would go. You stand there, hands on your hips as you keep a straight and serious face while lending a listening ear, giving a few nods from time to time. Abby couldn’t keep her eyes off of you. Her eyes kept tracing over you. The entirety of you. The oversized denim, the Calvin Klein print across your thong, the black top looking just perfect against your skin, everything drove her insane. She’d have to thank your stylists personally the next time she saw them because each time she found herself looking at you, her face would heat up. A loud clap from the director snapped her out of her trance. She followed the other backup dancers, who were also following you. Before entering the stage, you take a breath and hope for the best.

   You take a few steps on the large stage, smiling as the crowd roars in cheers and applause. You wave as you approach your mic. Your in-ears had already been in and you were waiting for the signal to begin your set. Before this, you thank the crowd for coming and some other things before it begins. It starts off slow, a soft song that hadn’t required much choreography was sung. Your voice had the crowd entranced, smiling and recording you. The band played in the same smooth and entrancing manner you had already set. After the song concludes, you begin moving to your position for the next song. “Song begins in 3.. 2.. 1..” the woman in your in-ears said as a metronome ticked at the same beat of the song. The lights on stage turn red, smoke rises from the stage. The song was sensual and provocative, your voice was smooth (as always) and siren-like. You and Abby find yourself dancing up against each other. Caught up in your song, your hand snakes around her waist as you sing the provocative lyrics to her with half lidded eyes and a small smile. Abby panicked internally. She curses under her breath as you sing to her. Her body heats up and her heart rate increases. She heard the loud noise of squealing and applauding from the crowd. She felt dizzy as you and her parted ways momentarily as you continued singing. Your touch sear on her skin, 1000 degrees is what it felt like to her. Your hands lingered on her body way longer than you practiced. And god, those eyes she gives you. They made you feel a little dizzy. Those green eyes under the red light, the strands of blond hair sticking to her forehead, the way her eyes fluttered whenever she made eye contact with you made your heart flutter. It seemed so unreal, the way her large hands rested on your body whenever the move called for it or how she smiled at you nervously when you got a little too close. Anyone with eyes could see that you both had some kinda feelings for eachother. And this definitely wouldn’t be easy to forget.

   The concert went on for what seemed like forever before you were on your last song. You and the rest of your dancers stand in the middle of the stage, attempting to catch your breath as you hold your ending pose. Abby looks at you and you look at her. The tension from before begins to rise again. It was palpable. “You don’t know what you do to me.” Abby whispered, only for your ears. “I know exactly what I do to you, Abby.” You respond with a smile. After a few more seconds, you finally exit the stage with everyone else. You enter your dressing room, closing the door behind you as you take a few photos of yourself, uploading them to social media before scrolling through your notifications. As usual, they were full of mentions, comments, and likes. They were also full of your little.. moments on stage with Abby. Your body becomes hot as you watch it over. You loved the way she looked at you. Like you were some sort of goddess. Or like you were the most beautiful woman in the world. You find yourself smiling at your phone as you read your comments from your fans talking about the tension between the two of you. 

   As Abby sat with the other dancers, all she could think about was you. “God, you’ve got it bad, Abby.” One woman with curly hair says as she looks at her for a moment, then playfully rolls her eyes. “I’ve got it bad?” Abby acted clueless, but she knew exactly what the woman meant. “Oh shut up, don’t play dumb with. I see exactly how the two of you look at eachother. If you like her that much then you should just like, tell her or something.” The woman suggested with a shoulder shrug, then picking up her phone and texting with someone. In a perfect world, Abby would’ve already asked you out, and she would’ve already been your girlfriend. But she didn’t want you to think she was like, weird or something. “I mean.. the worst she could say is no, right?” Abby mumbles to herself. “Eeexactly. Now go.” The woman suggested with a smile.

   And after that little push, she walks to your dressing room. Her hand trembled on the doorknob. That was just her nerves trying to pull her back into the other room. Her hands become clammy along with her nerves. But Abby’s boots definitely weren’t quiet, and you’d already known she was there. “The doors unlocked.” You yell out to her. “..Goddamnit.” She mumbled to herself as she opened the door, walking in and closing it. You were still looking down at your phone for a moment before you turned it off and look over at her. “Hey.” “Hi.” You smile at her. “So uh, what brings ya here?” “Just wanted to check on you that’s all, but if you’re busy I’ll just go—“ Her hand darts towards the doorknob and you stand up and stop her. “No.. stay. I’m not busy.” Abby never listened to someone so fast. Her eyes meet yours and she looks around the door nervously. There was a small smile on her face. You found her nervous smile cute. You place your hand on her face, gently turning her face to look at you.

   “Keep those pretty eyes on me, Abby.” You whisper to her as you look her in the eyes. Her face heats up again as you speak to her in that soft voice. “God.. why do you do this to me?” She asked as she looked at you. Her eyes linger on your lips and then returning to your eyes. For the time she’d become acquainted with you, never did she think she’d be here feeling so tempted to ask you out. “Abby..” You whispered to her again as you looked at her, getting a little closer to her. “I like you.” “I like you too. Please let me kiss you.” She sounded so needy, and you couldn’t just ignore that voice. Almost in an instant, you crash your lips against hers. It just felt so.. right. And so natural. Her hands gently touch your arm, then your back. She drags her hand up your back and gently resting it on the back of your neck. Her touch left goosebumps across your skin. God she was so gentle, and it drove you crazy. Your hand finds itself entangled in her hair that was wavy, not being in its usual braid. She let out a little whine the more she kissed you. Slowly she pushes her tongue into your mouth, and they dance furiously, intertwining in a passionate dance for a few more seconds before she pulls away to catch her breath. 

   You both look at eachother breathlessly. That moment alone had solidified that you had in fact fallen for eachother. “Again.” Abby says, and you nod before you begin making out again. You stumble towards a small soft. Abby sits down and you straddle her lap. Your lips were on hers for a few moments before moving to her neck. You move slowly, making her wait. Her hands rest on your hips, and occasionally slide up and down your thighs. “God, you have no idea how bad I've wanted this. Watching you all that time, the way you look at me, that voice of yours. It drives me crazy.” For the duration of the tour, you had been restricting yourself. They say not to mix love with your work life, and in some cases it would make sense. But how could you ever do that for a girl this irresistible? Of course Abby restrained herself in the same manner because she didn’t wanna ruin things between the two of you, but now you were here and you had no intention whatsoever about going back to the way things were. Every wall you’d built up had been smashed down by the flurry of emotions Abby brought to you with her touch, her voice, and her want for you. There was no ‘line’ that you could or couldn’t cross, because.. the world is infinite. And in this moment, you felt infinite. And it was all because of her. Your lips trail back up to hers for a moment before she pulls away to say something. “I swear, after this tour, I’ll properly ask you out.” Abby declares as she looks at you. “I can’t wait. I want to be with you now. Abby, I want to be your girlfriend.” You admit as you look her in the eyes. A part of her hadn’t expected that. Her eyes widen a little in shock before she smiled at you. “.. Alright then. We’re officially girlfriends.” She said with a smile before you lean down to kiss her again.

[rebelliousstories]

Celebrate

25 Days of Ficmas

Relationship: Marko x Reader

Fandom: The Lost Boys

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff, Mentions of Vampirism

Word Count: 1,585

Masterlist: Here

The Lost Boys Masterlist: Here

Summary: If anyone can convince the boys to put in a little effort for the holiday, surely it’s Marko?

Marko was the more oriented of the blonde terror twins. Opposed to Paul, he could focus on one thing for a while without needed other stimuli. His jacket was evidence of that. A testament to his unwavering dedication to his art. So when he meets someone at the boardwalk with an equally detailed, somewhat chaotic, and colorful jacket, he just has to meet them. Which is what led him to her. They bonded over one night with their shared love for patches and any other form of art. What started off as a means to get a meal, turned in to a blossoming friendship, which led to a beautiful and meaningful relationship. With this love for art, came a love for holidays and decorating. Marko shared her love for al things festive and would help her decorate; New Year’s, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Summer Solstice, Spring and Fall Equinoxes, and Christmas, and the Winter Solstice. But when she moved in to the cave to be closer to Marko, there were certainly some hesitation for her love of decorating.

Namely, David. He did not mind her, but the love for decorating he could do without. However, this did little to discourage her as she made her way around, finding new places to hang tinsel and garland. She had already scooped out a place to put up a tree. But it seemed Marko was the only one on board with her decorating. They took to the boardwalk one night to find some last minute decorations for the cave.

“Hey Marky,” she asked, looking at an ornament. The vampire came up and rested his hands on her waist, and head on her shoulder. He hummed in acknowledgment before pressing light kisses to her neck.

“Do you think the boys would wanna help with the decorations? I know Laddie we can get on board but, like, Dwayne, and Paul, and David. Do you think we could convince them?” Turning in Marko’s arms, he ceased his attack on her neck. She looked up at her lover with a hopeful expression. He thought about it for a minute.

“We can try. Might have to be a tag team effort but, I’m sure we can convince at least some of them.” It was not the best answer, but it was the best she had for the time being. After having a good day’s sleep, the couple woke the following evening to put their plan into motion.

Operation: Celebration and Decorations

~

Paul was fairly easy to convince. He loved the chance to have a good time, and usually followed plans when they were given to him.

“Hey Paul?” Marko called out, pulling on his boots one evening after they woke up. The other blonde looked over towards the cherub with wide eyes as he was stuck in between getting into his jacket, and then rolling a blunt.

“Wanna help me and love decorate the front of the cave for Christmas?” He stood up and took the blunt from the other vampire so he could finish getting dressed. Paul shrugged his shoulders that the jacket now covered. He took back the blunt from Marko with a, “sure dude!” One down, two to go.

~

Dwayne was a little harder. He was a rule follower when he wanted to be, and that was apparently now.

“Dwayne?” She came up to the vampire as he waited for Star and Laddie to show up at the boardwalk to go home. He turned to her without saying a word, just raised an eyebrow.

“Will you help Marko, Paul, Laddie, Star and I decorate the cave for Christmas?” Her request was said so sweetly that Dwayne almost gave in. And with the added bonus of doing it with and for Laddie, he almost said yes. But Dwayne called out her name, dragging it out.

“You remember what David said. He doesn’t want the cave all glittered up.” He dragged the woman back so she was looking at him. She knew he was serious but so was she.

“We’re not gonna use glitter. Besides, it’s Laddie’s first Christmas. Please, Dwayne?” The woman turned on the puppy dog eyes, and watched as Dwayne thought it over in his head. Silence stretched long enough that she had considered using another angle to get him to say yes.

“Alright. For Laddie.” Her squeal of delight pulled a small chuckle out of the vampire in front of her before she hoped on the back of Marko’s bike to await his return.

Only one left.

~

“No.”

“Come on, David!” Marko begged, watching David walk away from him.

“Marko, no. I will tolerate your human. I will even accept the fact that you are putting up decorations for Christmas. But I will not be any part of it.” He continued to walk away from his vampire brother, wanting the conversation to end desperately.

“David, just, please! Will you stop for a second and listen!” Marko surged forward and grabbed the bleach blonde vampire by the arm. Said vampire turned swiftly and yanked his arm from Marko’s grasp. The pair stood there for a minute as David stared down the cherubic boy in front of him.

“I know you don’t like Christmas and celebrating, David. But she does. This is important to her. Plus, Laddie is really looking forward to celebrating. You’re not going to let Laddie down now right?” It was a dirty trick, but Marko knew that David held a secret soft spot for the young boy. A noise brought the vampires attention to the front of the cave.

Dwayne had Laddie on his shoulders while the young vampire threw tinsel around one of the ledges in the cave. Paul was blasting music on their boombox while Star stayed near Dwayne spotting Laddie. The other girl in the cave was busy sorting out the ornaments for the tree that was going to go in the cave tomorrow night when they could go get it. It was genuinely wonderful to see everyone in the cave laughing and having a good time. Without looking at Marko, David spoke.

“Fine. One thing. I’m only doing one thing and that’s it.” David continued to walk away from Marko, who did not follow him this time. The bleach blonde vampire sat wordlessly in his wheelchair and simply watched everyone for the time being.

Okay. Now they had everyone on board. Time to get this show on the road.

~

The following evening, everyone was busy decking out the cave. Star was working with Paul to throw the garland around the tree, which was somewhat working. It mostly succeeded because of Star, but she did get plenty of giggles out of watching Paul try his best. Laddie and Dwayne were wrapping Paul’s presents because if they did it any sooner than tonight, he would have torn into them already. Plus, he was distracted, giving them plenty of time to get it done. Marko and his lover were placing stocking all around the fountain, and putting more tinsel around as well. And David sat in his chair, smoking a cigarette.

By the time David had finished his third cigarette, the only thing left were the ornaments for the tree. Everyone gathered around and picked up an ornament each to start placing on the tree.

“David, come on!” He heard Marko’s girlfriend exclaim from the other side of the cave. Sighing, he pushed the fourth unlit cigarette behind his ear and stood. David made his way over to the group and reluctantly snatched an ornament just like the rest of them. Laddie got up on Dwayne’s shoulders to place ornaments near the top, while Paul held up a box of the colorful decorations for the both of them to choose from. Soon enough, all the ornaments had been placed on the tree. It truly looked like the kind of thing out of a Christmas Hallmark film, except it was missing the topper. Marko left, but returned quickly, this time with a new box. A crystallized, star tree topper awaited them. All of them, except David who had already turned to leave again, but a hand on his arm stopped him. Turning his head, he caught the eyes of Marko’s love.

“I did my one Christmas decoration thing. I’m done.” He said with a voice devoid of emotion.

“Will you put the topper on?” She requested, with a sweet voice. But David stood strong.

“Have Laddie do it. He’s already up that high anyways.” David shrugged off her hand with a grumble.

“The tree topper is usually reserved for the head of the family, David.” Dwayne inserted quietly. By now, everyone was staring at the vampire with his back still turned. The look on Dwayne’s face was unreadable, but David knew. He knew that he would not have told him that information unless it was true. Letting his eyes rake over the faces of everyone else, David saw the same look in their eyes. With a sigh, he turned back and got the star topper out of the box. Looking at the top, David flew up to be level with the top of the tree, and ever so gently, lowered the topper down. When he returned to the ground, no one could peel their eyes from the tree, including him. It was just what they needed to complete the magnificent work of art. Marko wrapped his arm around David’s shoulders, and released him with a comforting squeeze. Maybe celebrating Christmas was not as bad as he thought.

[okkos-ferrum]

Hot take maybe but like i feel the vile crew are a much more fun, dare i say, dynamic of a dynamic.

Like dont get me wrong i think zack and ivy are a fun duo that contrast carmen's badasssery with player acting as intel and shadowsan as a stoic support

But antonio, jean-paul, gray, and sheena (mime bomb too ig??) played off carmen better. (Tho to clarify not at all saying the writers shouldve had carmen hang around vile instead, they def were all bad influences on one another due to vile)

Like to me, cuz carmen is the mainly hyper-competant moral good of team red, she somewhat stands alone for it. Player is highly specialized, while idk what zack and ivy contribute specific to the team aside from extra manpower. Shadowsan may rival carmen in skill, but he has his own mistakes he's working to fix, so he's in no moral place to argue against her. As much as team red is filled with good wholesome family moments, carmen still feels kinda treated as the leader, and thus, seperate from the group. I wish sometimes there would be a conflict (no im not including the s2 conflict with the car and stuff idk that one was too inconsequential to me) between team red splitting hairs on how to approach a problem. Itd add some variety to each specific relationship carmen has with each rather than a generic friendly terms

The vile crew works as a more entertaining group cuz there are actual unique dynamics carmen has with each of the group members, as well as the group members themselves having unique relationships with each other. For the first point, cuz everyone is on the level playing field of some kind of competant thief, its not like carmen has the immediate, no-questions-asked role as the leader. Theres more of an underlying feeling she had to make a good impression aside from her skills to gain their respect, which to me is more realistic than zack and ivy suddenly attatching themselves to a then dismissive but skilled carmen during the boston caper. Like as contrived sheena just being a hater to carmen is, theres still something interesting abt her still tagging along with carmen as a reluctant friend/rival. As such, it challenges carmen to show a different side to her, like her constant need to prove herself, to the forefront, which in turn, helps also flesh carmen out more. In comparison, antonio is quite the opposite, being literally so nice to everyone regardless, which also makes him stick out (like for example, in the cs interactive game, he will readily help carmen out if u choose him to be an ally)

Each character in the vile crew have also unique groups. Unlike one blob of general friendliness like team red (aside from the over it dad energy from shadowsan lol), we see that antonio and jean-paul have a closer friendship within the group, similar to how carmen and gray also have a closer bond. Tell me the unique relationship zack has with player that is different from how anyone else treats player? Like its not much.

Theres def more banter within the vile crew as well, with sheena always being the sour one of the group. Moreover, there is the group collectively finding mime bomb to be the "weird guy in class" that is so endearing to me. They all challenge each other, like how they all judge gray's pun vile name, or how they sometimes make fun of sheena during their first mission. Yet admist all that, they still care and enjoy their company together, as seen with them still reminiscing the water balloon prank in season 4 or how antonio and jean paul are relectant to fight carmen the first time they see her again.

Idk i find it so funny how the show was able to make the vile operatives so endearing as characters, especially in comparison to tesm red whos a bit lacking

[meiliarotten]

Team Fortress 2 Kinktober Time Three: Return of the Kink

Day 7: A Cure For Workaholism (Cunnilingus)

🔞MINORS DNI🔞

Pairing: Ms. Pauling x Fem!Reader

Summary: Pauling has just a government ordered vacation. Being, well, herself, she has absolutely no idea how to function without work, so you help her relax in your own special way.

Tags: Oral, comfort, aftercare, Pauling deserves a damn break

Word Count: 2.4k

The Masterlist

A vacation. An extended vacation ordered by the literal government of New Mexico. Pauling, the Miss Pauling, workaholic extraordinaire, was going on vacation. You almost didn’t believe the news when she told you, insisting that she pinch you hard to make absolutely sure you weren’t dreaming. Well, you weren’t dreaming, and now your arm was sore, but that didn’t matter. You had several months to spend, uninterrupted, with your girlfriend, and nothing could bring you down.

So of course the first order of business was a lengthy date night, something the two of you hadn’t enjoyed since your college years. Pauling was honestly surprised you had stuck with her this long. She was working almost constantly, and even on her one day off a year, she was usually too tired to do anything substantial with you. She had told you as much, but you always responded with the fact that she meant far too much to you to let work get in the way. That didn’t mean you weren’t ecstatic to hear about this vacation though, so much so that by the end of the night, once the two of you had returned home, you began planning trips to all the places the two of you had ever dreamt of going.

“We have to see Paris,” you insisted, pointing enthusiastically at a map you had pinned to the bedroom wall. “We can’t spend your entire vacation just going to weapon expos.”

Pauling gave you a confused look. “I thought you enjoyed going to gun shows with me.”

“I do! But it feels much too work-adjacent for you. You have to really get out there! Forget about your job for a while and just live,” you explained, circling the capital of France with a red marker and making the decision final.

“I guess so,” Pauling said. She didn’t sound convinced. You sidled up beside her on the bed with a smirk.

“It’ll be fun,” you said, pecking her cheek. “It’s the city of love.”

When she didn’t respond you continued to leave light, ghostly kisses down her jaw and to her neck. She sighed, tilting her head to the side to expose more of that sensitive skin to you. You were careful not to leave hickeys. You knew how much Pauling hated needing to cover them up for work- but wait, Pauling didn’t have work, and she wouldn’t for a very long time. That realization was enough to send you into a frenzy, sucking hard on the skin of her neck until a few faint bruises formed. She moaned so sweetly for you when you did that.

“That feels good, doesn’t it?” you whispered, your breath tickling Pauling’s ear and sending a shiver down her spine. “It’s nice to let loose, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” she said, and you immediately took note of her tone of voice. She sounded deeply concerned. You pulled back to look at her and her face was pinched with worry.

“What’s wrong?” you asked, worried that you had said or done something amiss. However when you really took a moment to look at her, you realized she wasn’t meeting your gaze. Instead, her eyes were glued behind you, at the wall. No, not the wall, but the wall mounted clock.

That’s when realization struck. Even after being legally ordered to take a break, she couldn’t stop thinking about schedules, deadlines, and work. It was like that damn job had altered her brain chemistry. Honestly, you wouldn’t be surprised if it had. She was probably counting down the seconds until she could return to her mile-a-minute life, running errands for the Administrator, burying bodies, and god knows what else.

With that, your goal was set. You would make sure this clinical workaholic got the stress relief she needed and deserved. It was about time Pauling got to be pampered and tended to. “Hey, how about I make this all about you tonight?” you said. Sure enough, that proposal was met with visible confusion.

“You don’t want me to do anything for you?” Pauling asked.

“It’s your first day of vacation. I don’t want you to do anything for me. I don’t want you worrying about anything at all.” You gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and you could’ve sworn she made a soft noise of surprise when you did. It was adorable. “Do you think you can manage that?”

Pauling almost instinctively answered ‘no.’ The very concept of having nothing to do, or even being expected to do nothing, was completely foreign to her. It was frightening. But there was a chance it could be nice. Especially now, with you straddling her lap, trying to gently push her back onto the bed, kissing her as if you were trying to memorize every feature of her face through your lips alone.

“Hey, is everything alright?” you asked, stopping just short of waving a hand in front of her face to see if she had gone catatonic. Pauling realized she hadn’t responded for quite a while.

“Yes! Yes, sorry,” she said suddenly, shaking her head. “Everything’s fine. So, do I just… lay back?”

“Sure, if you want to,” you said with a small laugh. Pauling blushed, glancing away from you.

“Sorry, I'm not good at this whole ‘relaxing’ thing. I honestly don’t know what to do.” It was said like a confession, but you had known her long enough that this didn’t come as a surprise.

“You don’t have to apologize.” You reassured her with a soft smile, rubbing gentle circle over her hips.

“It’s almost easier to have someone telling me what to do.” Now that admission got some gears turning in your head.

“I can do that for you,” you suggested, almost too enthusiastically. You quickly adjusted your tone. “Only if you want to, of course.”

Pauling thought for a moment. It seemed strange to spend the first day of her vacation listening to someone else telling her what to do, but the idea was oddly comforting as well. “Yeah, I think I would like that. At least until I get the hang of this.”

You nodded, trying not to feel too sad at the fact that Pauling had to ‘get the hang of’ relaxing. She really had been worked to the bone by that damn Administrator. “Alright. Sit on the edge of the bed for me,” you said. Without hesitation, she shifted towards you, and you positioned yourself on the floor, seated between her legs. “I want you to sit up, that way you can see everything I’m doing. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just let me know. I’ll stop.”

“I understand,” Pauling said with a nod. You didn’t miss how her voice seemed to shake slightly, lacking its usual steadiness. You had a feeling you were about to see a side of her that you had never seen before.

Leaning in, you began to kiss your way up her inner thighs. Pauling’s reaction was immediate, trapping her lower lip between her teeth as she watched you. She looked unsure, but very curious. It was an adorable look for the normally well put together, confident woman. She tried to stay calm, taking deep breaths that quickly became heavy when your kisses grew closer and closer to the intersection of her thighs-

“Oh!”

The sound Pauling made was entirely involuntary, a short, low moan elicited by the feeling of your tongue flicking tentatively against her clit. The sensation startled her, even though she saw it coming. You were testing the waters, glancing up at her with a questioning look. Pauling’s breath hitched. This was all new. Very new. But she didn’t want it to stop.

“Keep going,” she stammered. You didn’t need to be told twice, although you were surprised that Pauling reacted so strongly to something so brief- in fact, she seemed to react strongly to every little thing you did. It was seriously boosting your ego, as well as your arousal, and it all served to prove that she needed this badly.

It was almost as if no one had ever gone down on her before, but that couldn’t be true. Surely you had done this before? You would feel like an incredibly shitty partner if you hadn’t. The more likely explanation was that it had just been a very, very long time. That didn’t matter, though. You loved hearing those moans, the sounds of a woman who had been under so much stress for so long finally allowing herself the luxury of a release.

It wasn’t long before squeezing your thighs together wouldn’t suffice. You slipped a hand between your legs, seeking a bit of relief for yourself. Even with just the briefest touch, your fingers came away slick and shiny. You moaned against Pauling, and her hips bucked slightly at the new sensation.

Forgetting about your own needs, you turned your attention entirely to your partner. Pauling gave a startled yelp when you hoisted her legs onto your shoulders and held them there. This robbed her of any leverage to buck against your mouth, but that soon wouldn’t be an issue. Pulling back for a quick breath, you dove in with doubled efforts. Immediately, she began to squirm in your grasp, but you held fast. You dug your nails into her thighs unintentionally, leaving little half moon indents in the soft flesh. Her clit became your main focus, massaging your tongue against that sensitive bud until Pauling’s moans reached a fever pitch. You moaned against her again, and that proved to be the final push she needed.

She tipped over the edge, coming hard. Her legs tightened around your head to the point that you thought you might suffocate. Not that you would have minded. It would be an honorable death, to have your breath cut off between the thighs of a woman in ecstasy. Still, you weren’t about to go out without a final orgasm for yourself, quickly reaching down to finish off what you had begun earlier. You were so aroused that it didn’t take long, rubbing tight circles around your clit until you too were at your peak, riding out the high through moans that were muffled against Pauling’s inner thighs.

You weren’t sure how long it was before her legs finally relaxed and you were able to pull away, breathing like you had just run a marathon. You sat up on your knees to check on Pauling, and her expression mirrored yours, albeit dazed and staring absently at the ceiling. Her body shivered with little aftershocks before eventually going limp, basking in the warm afterglow. You sat back down on the floor, certain that if you tried to stand now, you would end up falling, possibly even on top of Pauling.

“That was so fun,” she finally said, almost too quietly for you to hear. You smiled, feeling quite proud of yourself. This had gone perfectly. You hadn’t even needed to order Pauling around too much. She had let herself go easily- almost too easily. This whole thing seemed a bit too good to be true, and sure enough, you hit a snag right at the end.

Pauling stood up suddenly. Her legs were still very shaky, and she barely made it a few steps before she collapsed into a nearby chair. You looked at her, head tilted in confusion. You stood up from the floor and sat on the bed, putting yourself at eye level with her.

“Um, where were you planning on going?” you asked, unsure what else to say.

“I honestly don’t know,” Pauling said, a slight hitch in her voice that almost made you worry she was about to cry.

It was strange to see that her first instinct was to get up and find something to do, even if there was no particular task to complete. It struck you as tragic. You wanted to reach out and pull her back towards you to bask in the afterglow like she deserved. However, you ultimately chose a more delicate approach.

“You don’t have to feel guilty for this,” you said.

“I never said I felt guilty,” Pauling said. Your expression must have made it obvious that you weren’t convinced. Pauling may have been able to flawlessly deceive others while on the job, but off the clock, she read like an open book. “Okay, fine. Maybe I do feel a little guilty.”

“The Administrator really is an unforgiving boss, huh?” you asked.

“I was literally only allowed one day off a year before the state of New Mexico got involved,” Pauling said, resting her head against the back of the chair with a sigh. “Unforgiving is a major understatement.”

The room went silent. Neither of you seemed to know what to say. You at least hoped that talking about all this made Pauling feel a little better. You were tempted to start discussing Paris again, just to break the awkward silence.

“You’re really good,” Pauling said. That caught your attention.

“Yeah, the way you just came for me kinda spoke to that fact,” you said, laughing softly. You couldn’t hide the way such praise managed to fluster you, the blush that had calmed down suddenly returning with a vengeance.

“Not that! I mean, you definitely are good at that too.” Your laughter proved to be contagious as Pauling started chuckling too. “You’re good to me. Despite everything, my job, the secrecy, the multiple felonies…” she trailed off, glancing at you with the realization that she may have said too much. You simply shrugged, giving a look that clearly said, ‘I figured as much.’

“You were just doing your job- a weird, borderline illegal job where you got to pull molars out of severed heads and kick ass in a pencil skirt. Which is super hot, by the way.” Now you were just turning up The Charm™. Pauling's face was going red again, and it was quite satisfying to see how you could still fluster her, even after so much time apart. You leaned back in the bed, arms crossed behind your head. “Just remember you deserved this. We all deserve to feel good once in a while. Can you try to convince yourself of that?”

There was a decent pause before Pauling finally responded. “I’ll try.” You smiled. You liked that response. It felt like potential, like possibility.

“You can start by getting yourself back in this bed and relaxing with me,” you said, beckoning her towards you. She approached, still a bit hesitant, and laid next to you stiffly, that is until you pulled her in. Once in your embrace, she melted, curling against your body and letting at least some of that tension go. You smiled. This was progress.

[sleepstxtic]

hi there! hello!

i'm kat (she/her) and you can find my work on AO3 under sleepstxtic. i'm so excited that you're here <3

if you wish to translate/create art/make a podfic/remix my works, there's nothing I'd love more. this is your blanket permission to create anything you'd like with my fics (as long as you tag/link back to me so i can take a look at it and squeal with you).

i am a strong proponent of SALS, YKINMK, and DLDR, and i also mod @hp-abandonshipfest and @hpdrizzle.

below is a sampler of my writing <3

desertion | explicit | 8.9k | feyd-rautha harkonnen/paul atreides “I found him on the drumsand, four kilometres from here,” Stilgar was saying. “He has a crysknife.” or Feyd travels to Arrakis to hunt for Paul among the Fremen.

the other golden path | explicit | 4.6k | feyd-rautha harkonnen/paul atreides “A dual consummation?” Chani asked Princess Irulan, horrified.

“A dual, public consummation,” Paul added, rubbing his eyes mournfully as Feyd-Rautha reached a hand to lift up Paul’s chin, and winked.

all the ways | teen | 3.1k all the ways it could have happened

he loves me, he loves me not | teen | 5.7k astoria watches her husband fall in love with harry potter.

a love that knows of itself | mature | 7k after an accidental bonding, harry is forced to confront some longstanding feelings concerning a certain unspeakable.

connecting lines, connecting crimes | mature | 15k magic is going haywire after ley lines all over the world are mysteriously failing. a cross-border task force is set up by the league of wixen nations with expert cartologist draco malfoy and ley line specialist pansy parkinson being called in from britain to work with magi-geographers harry potter and parvati patil in india. but can they get to the root of the issue before it's too late? featuring: an excessive use of holograms, numerous references to food, and lots and lots (and lots!) of travel.

rush (for a gap that exists) | explicit | 42k a story of love and loss that grew amidst the most infamous rivalry in formula one history: the story of draco malfoy and harry potter.

the pirc defence | explicit | 10k they were rivals, and they were lovers, and they were the greatest chess players of their generation. exactly in that order.

whispers on a hill | helga hufflepuff/rowena ravenclaw | teen | 1k the river-moist wind blew cold and blunt as if straight from the mouth of ullr himself and, up in the valley plucking crowberry leaves sat two witches, deep in thought.

one or the other | narcissa black/dorcas meadowes & dorcas meadowes/marlene mckinnon | explicit | 3.3k dorcas becomes a murderer at eight o' clock on a friday night.

the last trial of peter pettigrew | peter pettigrew/james potter | mature | 20k | peter pettigrew must answer for his crimes on earth in a purgatory-stye court presided over by the overseer. a slew of characters from his life will be brought to the stand to testify either for or against him. he will be represented by his lawyer - hermione granger. a jury will decide upon his guilt.

strangers in a strange land | the four founders | teen | 7.5k helga, salazar, and godric dock in a strange land looking for the elusive fourth member of their team.

will you send me to hogwarts? | general audiences | 600 words a letter to the patil twins from their mother.

all the time in the world | roger federer/rafael nadal | mature | 5.6k roger has a choice to make, but time is running out.

my enemy, my proxy, my love | roger federer/rafael nadal | mature 4.4k “he is good substitute for you,” rafa’d once said, laughing. the statement had sounded uncomfortably like a truth waiting to crystallise. and then rafa had elbowed him lightly, smiling in that helplessly endearing way of his, and roger had cast it out of his mind immediately. it returns to him now, like a half-healed wound cut open again.

enough love | novak djokovic/andy murray | explicit | 2k the night before roger's retirement, andy and novak meet in london.

(the most) hopeless romantic | naomi osaka/iga swiatek | teen | 5k "i want to play her," she confided to kaja, later. "on the hard court i would like to."

“sure,” kaja said with a mischievous quirk of her mouth. “you want to play her.”

at the end of time | thor/loki | mature | 1k at the end of time, loki reminisces.

[areiphilos]

alright second viewing of the musical post mortem, in bullet points

it truly wants to have it's cake and eat it too. it wants to be praised for racial diversity yet brings up race in all the wrong ways and contexts and has zero optics involved.

the treatment of greaser identity is horribly handled. ponyboy always knew he was a greaser, acted like it, participated in it. what was shaky is that he didn't understand how to behave regarding a future of being a greaser and didn't like how society treated him for being a greaser. the musical acts like he's never been into it at all, going so far as to act like he's never been in a rumble which is entirely stupid when he states he and johnny were involved in rumbles together, often tag teaming

johnny is a character i don't love because his fanbase is truly annoying and even i was extremely appalled, again, at the lack of agency he is given here. dallas acts surprised he's sleeping outside — fucking why? they all know he sleeps out there! they all know his situation! — and then is the one to arm him with the switchblade. this totally robs johnny's choices to defend himself on his own and undermines his conviction to hurt the next soc who harms him.

soda is not a fully fledged character at all. his empathetic traits are completely removed and as a friend pointed out, he gets laughs like two bit should be getting laughs. he is not the empathetic, sensitive brother in either canon.

darry is laughably bad while also being deeply cruel to siblings he says he loves. allegedly. darry is also not my favorite (side bar: the paul/darry fanbase springing out of this would have you believe paul is a major character. he's not. he's the same fucking loser who leaves his junior year of college to go fight someone around midterms! loser behavior all around!) character and i feel like they wrote him straight from the tv show. he acts like he's been at this grind for years, not a few months, he's an outright tyrant to ponyboy and soda, and nothing about the performance or writing makes you feel anything for him except contempt. there's not an ounce of warmth in his performance or "brotherhood" people keep extolling.

the musical excises gone with the wind so they don't have to deal with it and it makes it poorer. stay gold, gallant that shit doesn't make sense unless you have both gwtw and the robert frost poem. clumsily inserting cinema they skimmed from wikipedia doesn't work.

there's too much #notallsocs with cherry's character. her one good point is that she does break up with bob (why does he looks and sound like someone who knows what bitcoin is with a bbl?) and other than that she acts as both a white savior and Sacred White Womanhood to Be Protected.

tuned out the songs this time. they're bland, badly staged, absolutely terrible in the choice of genre and are utterly forgettable.

i have a third round soon so. more overall thoughts later.

[shes-an-oddbird]

911 Lone Star Tag Game: Disasters

Thank you @lonestar-s5countdown for tagging me. @ladytessa74 and @lemonlyman-dotcom thank you for tagging me last week! I will tag you this week in return!

(1) What is your favorite 911 Lone Star disaster or emergency?

The snowstorm is by far their most well done disaster/disaster arc. I love that there are several individual stories going on and despite the 126 being spread out everyone is still crossing paths and working together. The tornado, solar storm and the dust storm I thought were also well done. I think the biggest disappointment to me was the heat burst. It just wasn’t as intense as I had hoped it would be.

(2) Is there a disaster the show hasn't already done that you'd like to see?

I like that they always pick these outrageous disasters for lone star but something mundane might be nice too. Maybe a proper heatwave or drought. Instead of all the emergencies happening at once, just continuous endless calls that run the team ragged. Alternatively, I’d really like to see them do some water rescues. Flooding can be extremely common, maybe after days and days of excessive rain a river overflows. And it starts with small calls, little calls that are almost annoying to the team but eventually it escalates into something devastating.

(3) If you're keeping up with BTS/spoilers, which season 5 disaster are you most looking forward to?

I need to know what’s going on with the train wreck/chlorine gas incident and how they are connected beyond the obvious source of the gas. The promo implies that they are happening at the same time but not all at the same location? At least I don’t think so? The train wreck appears to be in a more rural area and Marjan is the one who discovers it, in the middle of the train wreck, but it seems like Tommy and Nancy (and presumably TK but definitely a third paramedic) are not there but in some sort of classroom? And there have been a few more bts videos/photos that look like the team in a school hallway, so did they get called to a different scene? Are there high winds spreading the giant cloud of death or is there just a school in the neighboring area of the wedding venue. Not to mention Wyatt is already working at dispatch when it happens so how long has Owen been putting off picking someone to replace Judd?

(4) Which three main characters would you want with you in the event of a massive natural disaster and why?

Tommy for sure because she is calm under pressure and has the medical knowledge. Judd because he’s got the leadership and firefighter skills. I feel like I can’t go wrong with Paul, Marjan or Mateo as the third pick. We know from the dust storm Mateo can also keep a level head in an emergency and is very resourceful, but I think I have to pick Marjan. It sounds like she specifically has the most natural disaster experience, being from Florida of course, so probably exceptionally good to have around if one occurred.

(5) Which three main characters would you least want with you in the event of a massive natural disaster and why?

Owen and TK for sure. Obviously they would know what to do and that’s great but they are magnets for trouble and I would not want skew my odds of survival by having them around. It’s probably cheating to say but definitely Grace as my third pick. She needs to be on the other end of the phone with google or Wikipedia pulled up to help save us from far far away.

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 14

Eminem x FemReader (Y/N) fanfiction

Summary : Em and Reader fly to NYC for a day.

Tags : Little bit of angst, FLUFF 🥰

CW : -

In the following week, you and Marshall hung out together as much as possible, whether it was to watch a movie, have dinner or simply hang out at the studio with everyone. Except for the two of you, as well as Talia and Jamal, no one knew about your argument. The others simply figured out that you were busy with uni, which was great, because you didn’t really want anyone to be involved in any type of drama. Being back as a team was great, and you were elated to have your best friend back. You were also ecstatic to go to New York with him. You had never been there and you couldn’t wait to discover the city. After all, when they visit the US, most people from Europe go to California or New York. If you were completely honest, the reason you had ended up in Michigan in the first place was because of the partnership between your former university in France and MSU, as well as the fact that Detroit was actually a cheaper place to live. And then, you stayed because you fell in love with the place and met amazing people. Ever since you had moved to Detroit, you hadn’t visited a lot of places. You were either on a budget or too busy. So when Marshall offered for you to fly to NYC with him and it matched your schedule, you saw it as an amazing opportunity. Plus, you were going to spend some time, just the two of you… and Paul. 

When Marshall told you that Paul was going to be there, you were a bit disappointed. Of course, you understood that it was his role as manager to be there whenever Marshall was going on a work trip or giving interviews, but his presence made you feel a bit uncomfortable. Ever since the pictures of the two of you exiting the party had been published in the press, Paul had made no secret of his disapproval of your presence in Marshall’s life. You got along with everyone else, from beatmakers to sound engineers, but the manager was something else. It seemed like he hated you and it was making you a little sad. Marshall shrugged it off though. The day before, you were in his closet, picking his outfits for the photoshoot when you decided to talk to him about it. 

Are you sure that me coming to New York is a great idea ? You asked. 

You don’t want to come anymore ? He asked back. 

No, of course I do, you said. But is Paul ok with me being there ? 

I don’t know. I didn’t ask for his opinion, he shrugged. 

He hates me, you sighed. 

No, he doesn’t, he chuckled. I mean, it’s Paul, he’s an ass, sometimes. It’ll be fine, though. He’s just going to be there for the interview and then, he’s having meetings of his own. He won’t even be there when we fly back. 

So it’ll be just us, then ? 

Pretty much. You, me and… well, security, he said. 

On the next day, when you boarded the private jet for the flight, Paul was already seated. He greeted you curtly. 

Are we sure it’s a good idea for her to be here ? He asked Marshall without so much as a look at you. 

Yeah, Marshall replied. I need her opinion on outfits for the shoot and she’s never been to NYC, so it works out pretty well. 

Are we working here, or are we turning into a travel agency ? Paul sighed. Seriously, Marshall, we could have worked with a stylist… 

Just relax, Marshall shrugged as he rolled his eyes. It’s no big deal. 

To you, maybe, Paul groaned. But I swear, if I have to deal with anything she does… 

Marshall didn’t even bother replying. He just sighed and sat next to you during the flight, as you both watched a movie on your iPad. Shortly before you landed, Paul decided to talk to Marshall about the day’s events, still ignoring you. 

So, the photoshoot will last about two hours and then the interview, he recalled. 

Good, Marshall said. This afternoon, I’m taking you to cool places, Y/N. You’re going to like New-York ! 

Actually, Paul said, I know you wanted your afternoon and evening free, but you’re doing a radio interview in the afternoon… 

Are you fucking serious ? Marshall groaned. That wasn’t planned. I’m not doing this. I made plans with Y/N already. 

Well, here’s the thing… They sort of announced your presence on the show already… But Y/N doesn’t mind. Do you, Y/N ? 

So, now, he was talking to you when he was trying to convince Marshall ? Great. It took you a lot of effort not to give him the biggest side-eye. 

It’s fine, you said with a forced smile. I’ll enjoy the city on my own. 

Are you sure ? Marshall asked. 

Of course. You have work to do, it’s ok, you replied. 

Plus, it’s probably for the best, Paul said. If the two of you were to be spotted together… 

Whatever, Marshall said as he rolled his eyes. 

You landed and got to the suite the magazine rented for the day, where the photoshoot and interview would take place. As you unpacked and organized the outfits that Marshall would wear, you heard him talk to Paul. 

So, are we taking questions about your relationship with Y/N for the interview ? Paul asked. 

You already know the answer, Marshall sighed. 

I’m merely asking to protect you, Marshall, the manager explained. It’s my job. 

I know, Marshall said. But my personal life, my daughters, my ex, my friends outside of the industry and any rumored girlfriends… It’s not something I’m discussing. We’ve decided on that nearly fifteen years ago, I don’t see why it would change now. 

Because the two of you were spotted together, Paul recalled, that’s why. You should know this could change everything. And as manager, I have to remind you that it’s all about the control we have over that type of thing. Plus, obviously, with everything that happened recently… people are certainly wondering. 

Why the fuck would they even care ? Marshall groaned. I make music, I’m not a fucking reality show celebrity… 

Fine, the manager said. Lucky for us, things seem to be dying down. Let’s hope this stays this way. No offense, but I have enough work as it is. 

Once they were done with their conversation, Marshall came to find you and took a look at the outfit you had chosen in his wardrobe. 

So, what did I pack with utter blind trust in you ? He mused. 

Three different outfits. One is more typical of what you usually wear for photoshoots, the two others are a little more “you”, you explained. 

Meaning ? 

Meaning you’ll look like Eminem in at least one of them, don’t worry, you said with a wink. Do you trust me ? 

I guess, he chuckled. They send us the pictures before publication beforehand anyway, so I’ll pick the pictures I like the most. 

I wonder if this is why you never smile on pictures, you chuckled. Is it because you ban them from publication ? 

No it’s not, he said with a grin. I mean, people can catch me laughing on camera and stuff, I don’t really mind that much. But most of the time, it’s because I’m not really at ease. And I’m not really myself either, you know ? 

Not really yourself ? You asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Well, if my daughters take a picture of me, I might smile, but if it’s someone I don’t know and it’s for the media… They’re taking Eminem’s picture. Not mine, he shrugged. 

Well, the two other outfits I have planned are definitely “Marshall-coded”, you chuckled. Is that ok ? 

I guess, he said with a smile. 

The team from the magazine started to arrive and set up things for the shoot. You let him change into the first outfit. It was a simple, classic one. Black jeans, black sneakers, white tee-shirt and Saint Laurent jacket, accesorized with silver chains that were on the daintier side, as well as a ring, a nice statement Rolex watch and a bracelet. When he came out of the room, he looked a bit perplexed. 

You didn’t pack any hat, he pointed out. For any of the outfits. 

That’s intentional, you said with a smirk. 

Why ? He asked. 

Because you’re getting the picture taken. The point is for people to see your face, you chuckled. 

What if I don’t like my face ? He chuckled. 

Well that’s your opinion, but your opinion is wrong, you replied with a smile. I like your face. 

Do you ?  He asked as he furrowed his eyebrows. 

Of course. 

His look softened a bit and he kissed your cheek before sitting in the makeup chair. It seemed like he knew everyone already. From what you gathered, he was used to working with this particular team of people whenever he was doing something with this magazine. He politely greeted everyone and even made small talk, though he seemed more distant. You could tell he was putting on a persona, but probably wasn’t too comfortable. You chuckled as you saw his annoyed look when the makeup artist applied makeup on his face. He noticed and instantly flipped you with a smirk. You silently watched from the side as he went in front of the camera and posed as the photographer directed. He looked good, for sure, but the whole thing felt unnatural. The person in front of you wasn’t Marshall. It was Eminem. And although it was his job, you weren’t sure you liked it too much. After all, you had never been an Eminem fan. The reason you appreciated the music was the man behind it, the real person you had befriended. You shook your head and smiled as he posed in what you assumed to be a stereotypical rapper fashion : not a smile in sight, dark expression, serious demeanor… When the set was done, he walked to you. 

I see you making fun of me, lady, he smirked. 

I would never, you said innocently. 

What’s wrong ? He asked. 

Who said there was anything wrong ? You mused. 

I know your pretty little face, he chuckled. You can’t lie to me. 

Mmmh… I’m just not used to seeing you like this, you said with a smile. But, yeah, you definitely look like a rapper. Almost like it’s your job ! 

Come on and tell me what outfit is next, he said as he grabbed your hand and led you to the bedroom. 

The second outfit consisted of the same jeans, different sneakers, another white tee-shirt (slightly less fitted) as well as his Detroit Lions jacket, with no accessories, except for a watch. You thought it would be cool for the outfit to make a nod to his passion for football. In the months you’d known him, he’d spent countless hours trying to convince you to learn more about football, though you always replied that “actual” football was soccer and that the US version didn’t make any sense. It was more simple, more him. 

I like it, he said as soon as he got dressed. 

I like it too. The blue really brings out your eyes, you replied. Especially when you’re not wearing a hat. 

You really hate my hats, don’t you ? He sighed. 

I like them, you shrugged. I just like being able to look at your face… 

The comment made him smile and he gently stroked your cheek. 

You’re the boss, after all, he said with a wink. 

Am I ? You asked cockily. I like the idea of being the boss… 

Only for today, he replied as he rolled his eyes. And only for the outfits. 

Too bad I can’t voice my opinion on makeup, you whispered. 

What’s with the makeup ? 

It’s too much, you chuckled. It’s going to clog your pores… You can’t see your actual skin underneath those layers ! 

Wait until they airbrush my face on Photoshop, he grinned. 

That would be a heinous crime, you said with a smile. 

Gotta hide those lines, he said with a wink. 

I like the lines, you said softly as you stroked his cheeks, trying to get rid of some excess of makeup that made his skin look a bit cakey. 

Do you ? He asked. 

Yup, you whispered. I really do. They’re part of your face. 

He chuckled and planted a kiss on your cheek before going back on set. For the whole duration, you looked at each other and you tried to get him to relax by making faces whenever the crew wasn’t looking. His look had softened a bit, although he still looked serious. You believed in miracles, but it would probably take a little more than that to get him to smile. You were leaning against the wall, watching him work, when the makeup artist settled next to you. 

Hard not to stare, right ? She chuckled. 

Mmmh ? You asked, as you weren’t really paying attention. 

I’m just saying… The man is really attractive, she said. I’m Jenny, by the way. I’m in charge of makeup. 

Hi, you said. I’m Y/N. I’m in charge of the clothes. 

Are you his personal stylist ? 

Just filling in, you chuckled. 

Anyway, you did a great job, she complimented. He looks really good. 

Thanks, you said, your eyes still focusing on Marshall. 

You’re going to think I’m crazy but… You look just like that girl in the magazines. The one he was spotted with, a few weeks earlier, Jenny said. 

Do I ? You asked as you feigned surprise. I wouldn’t be caught dead in that outfit, you added with a grin. 

Anyway… She’s a pretty lucky girl… I mean, I’d definitely sell a kidney to be in her place. 

You chuckled softly. You were indeed lucky. Sure, there was little truth to the story in the news, but you were definitely in luck to have Marshall in your life. However, you found yourself to be a little frustrated : ever since the two of you had rekindled your friendship, neither of you had made a move. Sure, you hugged all the time, sometimes held hands, and were overall really close. But he hadn’t mentioned the two of you “hanging out more” again. When you weren’t speaking, you mostly missed the friendship, but now that he was back in your life, you weren’t really against the idea of his kisses and his hands all over your body. In fact, you were all for it, and the memories kept you warm at night. 

When he was done with the second set of pictures, he went to change and your heart skipped a beat when he emerged from the room. This final outfit was the most basic, but it was your favorite. He was wearing black jeans that were a bit washed out and a gray hoodie, matching shoes and no accessories. You had chosen these clothes because these were the exact ones he wore the day you met. You remembered thinking he was attractive when you first saw him, but somehow, he seemed even hotter.  Everything in this outfit screamed “Marshall” in your opinion : no brands, comfy, nothing flashy, but still fitting to his style. The gray color definitely brought out his nice complexion and his eyes. He smiled as soon as he spotted you. 

What do you think, boss ? He asked. 

You look great, you said as you couldn’t smile from ear to ear. That’s my favorite look, right here. 

Is it ? He mused. 

Yeah… Definitely. Also, that’s what you were wearing when we met, you added. 

Really ? He said with a smile. And you like it ? 

Definitely ! You replied. I think it’s the look I associate with you the most. Simple and understated, but the sneakers give an edge. 

I don’t remember my outfit of that day, he chuckled. But I do remember yours. I thought you were really pretty. 

You chuckled and blushed lightly, not really knowing what to say. You were nervously playing with your sobriety pendant when you had an idea. You took it off and placed it on him. 

I think the outfit is complete now, you said with a smile. 

He chuckled and placed a kiss on your cheek before going back on set. Jenny touched up his makeup before going back to you while he posed. 

You’ve done such a great job with these outfits, she said. You know, I’ve worked with him a few times, but I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him this relaxed. 

I’m glad, you said softly. 

How is it to work for him ? She asked. Must be pretty exciting… 

It is, you chuckled. Not to make you jealous, but he is pretty great. 

God, you’re lucky, she said dreamily. 

You glanced at Marshall and noticed he was looking at you. The look on his face was soft and he was playing with the pendant in between takes. You couldn’t help but smile at him. That’s when it hit you : you were in love with Marshall Mathers. You would have expected such a realization to make you panic, but it was the contrary. You were almost overcome with joy and emotion. After all, you were lucky enough to have fallen in love with someone who had become your best friend in the past few months. And you knew for a fact that he found you attractive. In that instant, you knew you had to tell him. Oddly enough, you were more confident than ever. Last time, he had been the one to make a move by suggesting that you hung out more, so maybe the universe was letting you know that it was your turn. 

The shoot ended and Marshall walked up to you as the crew was packing their stuff, except for the journalist who was patiently waiting for the interview. You both went to the room so that you could start packing the clothes and he could get changed. He sat on the bed as he watched you pack. 

You did a great job with the outfits, he said. 

Really ? You asked with the biggest smile. 

Yeah. I like them. I felt confident, he chuckled. Doesn’t happen too much. Especially when I’m not wearing anything on my head. 

I like it better that way, you said softly. 

What’s wrong with Kangol ? 

Nothing. Come to think of it, they might be the best thing you’ve worn on your head, except for beanies…, you said. I liked your beanie era. But the durags…? 

I know, he chuckled. But, back then, it was pretty stylish… 

You’ll have to find someone else to convince, Mathers, you grinned. Aren’t you changing clothes ? 

Nope. Apparently, I look good in those, so… 

You giggled and let him take off the makeup before doing the interview. You thought about the best way to confess your feelings to him. You didn’t want to be cheesy and corny and overdo it, but you wanted to do it in the right conditions. You figured you’d wait for a moment when the two of you would be alone. When the interview was done, people vacated the room and you were left with Paul and Marshall. The plan was to have something to eat delivered in the suite for lunch and then, they would head to the radio station while you went out shopping, waiting for Marshall to be done. 

You did a good job with the interview, Marshall, Paul said. Especially dodging the questions on your personal life. 

Let’s hope it goes just as well on the radio show this afternoon, Marshall shrugged. It’s going to be live, so I can’t really make a mistake on this one. 

I already laid down the ground rules, Paul explained. I think you should be fine. So, I arranged what you asked for, for tonight and afterwards, you have your flight back to Detroit at 10 PM.. 

Are we staying that late ? You asked. 

Yup, Marshall said with a grin. I have plans for us ! I think you’re going to like it. 

Any clues ? 

It’s not funny if you guess before we get there, he chuckled. 

Now, you were definitely curious. You ate and everyone went on their way. You had a couple of hours to spare before meeting with Marshall back at the suite, so you decided to go visit the city, maybe find a couple of cool libraries and cafés. You were ecstatic to discover NYC. You had grown up watching Friends and you had always dreamed of visiting the city one day, maybe even living there. You were like the typical tourist : you took pictures of every cool building or anything remotely interesting that you saw. You also posted a few pictures on your Instagram page, that you had made public again since the rumors had seemed to die down. You would have loved to have Marshall with you, but you decided to make the most of it anyway : if he were around, you’d have security following you and it would be a whole thing. At least, if you were alone, you could just explore in peace. In true bookworm fashion, you entered the first cool-looking bookstore you saw and ended up spending way too much time there, as well as a big chunk of your paycheck. Obviously, you were a sucker for books, in whatever kind or form they came in. You didn’t even see the time, only being reminded of it when your phone buzzed. It was Marshall calling to tell you he was running a little late because of an impromptu selfie-taking session with fans waiting outside of the radio station. You told him it was ok, as you had lost track of time and weren’t too close to the hotel. 

I’ll pick you up with the car, he said. Don’t move, just text me the address of the bookstore. 

It was a blessing in disguise : you had been so reckless in your spending on books that there was no way you’d be able to carry that to the hotel. When you got to the car, your arms were full of books, almost causing you to stumble. 

Thank God we’re not flying commercial, Marshall grinned. Otherwise, you’d spend a fortune on checked luggage. 

I may have gotten a little carried away, you confessed. But this library was so cool ! There were pride flags everywhere, and they have such a great selection on intersectional feminism, like this book on bi-representation in TV shows, as well as this one on body positive issues, and there’s another one on gender identity in the era of social media…

You went on to blab about your purchases for a minute, causing him to chuckle. 

Sorry, you said as you realized you probably got carried away. That’s not really interesting… 

You’re so adorable, he said with a smile. You’re such a cute social justice warrior ! Stevie would love you ! 

Your youngest ? You asked. 

Yeah. She’s really interested in stuff about gender identity. Came out as genderfluid a while ago, actually, he explained. 

Oh. Are “she/her” her preferred pronouns ? 

Anything works, he said. To be honest, it’s making life a little easier for me. I think I'd be stupid enough to make mistakes, so… 

It’s great that you’re supportive, you said with a smile. 

Not gonna lie, I didn’t even know what non-binary and genderfluid meant before she came out to me, he chuckled. But I’m glad she felt comfortable enough to do so. I love her so much, you know ? 

This comment made your heart melt. He was definitely too sweet when it came to talking about his kids. 

Well, you can definitely recommend these books to her, then, you said with a smile. You’d score some feminist points with her. 

I could use that, he chuckled. 

You’re also welcome to borrow them from me, if you want to do some light reading, you added. 

That’s light reading ? He scoffed. Yeah… Thanks but uh… I’ll stick to comic books ! I’m not a big reader, you know ? But if I ever have to fill in a gap in a wall or prop up some furniture, I’ll definitely borrow them ! 

You chuckled and nudged him with your elbow. 

Anyway, I think my girls would really love you ! He said. 

You’ll have to introduce us, then ! So, where are you taking me ? You asked. 

Bergdorf Goodman, he said with a smile. We’re going shopping ! 

Aren’t you afraid you’ll be disturbed by fans if you’re in such a public place ? 

We’re getting the VIP suite, he said with a grin. No one will bother us. 

You opened your mouth but no sound came out. When you thought about living your TV show fantasy in NYC, that wasn’t what came to mind… But you liked shopping and looking at nice clothes as much as the next girl, so you were all for it. When you went to the VIP shopping suite, you were like a kid in a Candy shop. You were offered drinks and a sales assistant came to see Marshall immediately. 

What do you need today, Mr Mathers ? She asked in a sweet voice. 

Ask the boss, he chuckled. She’s the one in charge of my closet. 

Really ? You asked giddily. 

You did a good job styling me for the photoshoot, he said. Plus, last time I checked, our deal still stands, so you might as well choose what I buy, if you’re going to raid my closet… 

You squealed and chose the pieces you wanted the sales assistant to buy from the iPad she presented you with. You were thoroughly enjoying this shopping experience. It was unlike any other. Even when you went shopping with Cassie, it hadn’t been that fancy. Marshall tried on a few things and picked the ones he liked the most. You tried to get him to wear a little more color, but he was a bit reluctant. He also ended up picking a few pairs of sneakers to add to his collection. 

Now, my turn ? He asked with a devilish grin. 

What do you mean your turn ? You chuckled. 

You pushed me out of my comfort zone, I’m doing the same, he said with a smirk. I’m getting you to try on some stuff. 

Oh really ? You asked. Are you turning me into a rapper ? 

I could, he said with a laugh. You like my closet. You’d love it. 

I’m a girl, you pointed out.

So ? Gender is a social construct and clothing has no gender, he grinned. What ? Am I too feminist for you now ?  

Don’t get cocky, Mathers, you joked. I’d like to see you in a dress… 

Well, I’ll have you know that I have worn a few in some music videos, he said with a smirk. I played my own characters. 

You did ?! You exclamed. 

He used the iPad to get on YouTube and show you excerpts from music videos. He was, indeed, wearing dresses, as well as wigs and makeup. You were a bit shocked. 

You’re basically a drag queen, you shrieked. That’s so awesome !!! You need to do that again ! 

I don’t know about that, he chuckled. I got over it, you know ? Plus, with the beard, it’s just not the same. 

I’d like to see that, though, you grinned. Look at you, deconstructing gender ! 

He chuckled and looked proud of himself. It seemed to remind him of fun times. However, he did not lose track of his goal and picked items for you to try on. A far cry from your usual style, definitely more street-wear. On the rack that the sales assistant brought for you, you spotted a jacket similar to the one you had borrowed from him, that you loved so much. 

They have a women’s version, he said with a smile. I thought you might enjoy it. 

Oh my God, you said. It’s so beautiful !!! 

Try it on, he said. 

It fit like a glove. It was absolutely gorgeous. The fit was better than the one you got from him, seeing as it was tailored for a woman’s body. 

What do you think ? He asked. 

I love it, you shrieked. 

Good, he chuckled. Now, try the rest. 

He had picked out some great clothes, namely jeans, hoodies, chains and, of course, Jordan sneakers. He had you dressed from head to toe in a typical Eminem outfit. You were feeling a bit ridiculous, but you did enjoy the jacket and the sneakers. 

I’m getting those for you, he said. 

You’re not, you replied as you shook your head. 

Come on ! Let me have fun ! He pleaded. 

It’s too much, Marshall. 

Please ? He asked. That’ll be your salary. If I’d hired a stylist, I would have paid them. 

You already got me on the flight, you pointed out. 

Whatever. I’m getting these for you or you’re going back to Michigan on foot, carrying those huge books by yourself, he said. 

Fine. Thank you. You’re the best, you said before hugging him. 

You ended up spending quite a bit of time in the store, but you had a lot of fun. You also ended up treating yourself to a nice handbag, to congratulate yourself for remaining sober for a whole month. It was fancy and definitely one of your biggest purchases ever, but you felt like it and could easily afford it, since you were saving a lot of money on rent thanks to Talia and Jamal’s refusal to let you contribute. When you exited the store, your chauffeur was waiting to take you to another destination. 

Where are we going now ? You asked giddily, having the time of your life. 

I would have loved to take you to some touristic places, but I’m afraid it’s going to be complicated if we don’t want to be bothered, he said. But I’m taking you to a really iconic monument in New York. 

After a bit of driving, the car parked in front of the Empire State Building. You were a bit flabbergasted.

Isn’t this place supposed to be highly touristic ? You wondered. Plus, it’s nighttime, so it’s probably closed…

Well, yeah… Except that I know someone who knows someone and I got us dinner in a private room on the highest floor, he chuckled. That way, you will be able to admire the city ! 

You immediately jumped in his arms. 

You’re the best. Seriously, you have no idea… I always dreamed of coming here, when I was a teen and completely broke ! I could cry right now, you said. 

Don’t, he chuckled. Let’s go ! 

You entered the building, escorted by security, and took the elevator to the highest floor. A nice table was waiting for the two of you. The view was absolutely mesmerizing. The city lights were glowing. It was like a dream come true. You jumped in his arms and he made you twirl. You couldn’t believe you were feeling like such a princess. If it wasn’t for the presence of waiters and security, you would have made your move and kissed him. Instead, you just hugged him. 

You’re the greatest, you whispered. 

Happy one month sober, he chuckled. I’m so proud of you, Y/N. 

A waitress came and handed you flutes. You were about to refuse when Marshall stopped you. 

It’s sparkling non-alcoholic wine. And it’s from France, he explained with a smile. Shortly after we met, I remember you telling me you missed French wines, so… 

You’re amazing ! 

He kissed your temple and you toasted to your sobriety. In that moment, you felt good in his presence, and you couldn’t help but think that this man was single-handedly ruining any other men’s chances of ever impressing you. He was just the best at making gestures. You also had a nice dinner and enjoyed the view a little more before going to the airport and boarding the plane. You were both tired on the flight home, and you were about to fall asleep in your seats when the aircraft began shaking. Marshall immediately took you in his arms and you held each other as the captain informed you that it was turbulence. You knew they might not be a big deal, according to the science behind it, but your brain was freaking out. Neither Marshall nor the security people seemed too relaxed either, mind you. Eventually, though, you landed and you couldn’t be happier to be home. As you exited the plane, Marshall got a phone call and you waited for him on the tarmac. He came to you about ten minutes later. 

Is there anything wrong ? You asked as you were wondering why someone would call at almost midnight. 

Oh, that was nothing, he said. It was Nicole, she just got off her shift. 

Nicole…? You asked, not really knowing who he was referring to. 

Yeah, the nurse you met in the ER the other day, he said. I mean, you probably don’t remember, with the painkillers and stuff…

No, no, I know who she is, you said, still not really getting it. Is there anything wrong ? 

No, nothing, he said. She was calling me to confirm our date night tomorrow. 

You looked at him in shock. At that moment, you felt something break inside of you. The plane might not have crashed to the ground, but your heart definitely had.

[sethsclearwater]

poly!paulxreaderxjared where they tag team edge her until she’s crying since they’re both just a little crazy but in the best way

PLEASE THOSE TWO ARE NUTS TOGETHER💀💀

...

"jared please-" you sobbed, whimpering loudly as paul removed his fingers from your pussy so you wouldn't be able to cum despite the fact that you literally thought you were going to explode if you didn't.

both boys just let out laughs at your whines, already knowing you were so deep in the subspace they'd have to spend even longer than normal with their aftercare.

"babe," jared started with a smile on his face that had you thinking for a moment that he might let you cum, "you were being a brat earlier, gotta take your punishment like a good girl, yea?" he asked, his question sending another wave of tears rolling down your cheeks as you tried to figure out just how much longer this was going to last.

paul laughed at your tears, taking his thumb and gently brushing them away from your cheeks, "you've still got," he started, grabbing his phone to check the timer on his phone that they had set when they first started edging you about 2 hours prior, "5 more minutes bunny," paul mused, smiling at you when you let out another loud whine, not sure how they expected you to hold back your orgasm for that much longer.

"gotta let us play with that tight little pussy of yours for 5 more minutes, yea babe? then we might let you cum," jared cooed, his use of the word 'might' sending another wave of tears down your cheeks that had both boys laughing again.

"lay down on top of paul, yea? gonna fuck that pussy of yours for the last few minutes," he mused, chuckling as paul laid down next to you and both boys helped you straddle paul's lap, their combined releases from earlier in the night dripping down your thighs.

"you're something else," jared teased as he lifted your hips up while paul lined the tip of his cock up with your aching entrance, pulling you down so paul was fully sheathed inside of you. both you and paul let out loud groans at the action and you immediately collapsed onto paul's chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around you and hold you close.

"alright take a deep breath babe," jared instructed as he got himself situated behind you, lining his cock up with your stuffed entrance, the tip just barely brushing against you and paul.

you let out a loud whimper but complied none-the-less, just eager to finally cum after being edged for the past 2 hours. as you exhaled, jared pushed himself inside you, all of you letting out loud moans as your pussy was stretched to the limit as both him and paul made sure they were buried in you as deep as they could.

"such a good bunny," paul praised, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, both boys at least having the decency to give you a few moments to stretch around them before moving, "just 2 more minutes bun," he added, sliding one hand up to thread his fingers through your hair and gently scratch at your scalp.

"alright i think she's ready, yea?" jared asked paul, already knowing you wouldn't be able to give him any kind of coherent answer because of how deep they had you in the subspace.

paul nodded, pressing one more kiss to your hair before jared pulled his hips back to thrust into you. both boys quickly set a steady rhythm of alternating thrusts, ensuring that you were always full of at least one of them while they fucked you.

you couldn't have been more of a moaning, sobbing mess as they continued to pleasure you, "almost there bunny," paul gritted out after a minute of their thrusting, "you gonna cum on our cocks when that timer goes off?" he asked and you blubbered out some incoherent response that both boys easily understood to be you saying yes.

"such a good girl," jared praised, not stopping his rough thrusts as he leaned down to press a kiss to your shoulder, straightening up to his full height when the timer went off, "cum on our cocks babe," he ordered and you didn't need to be told twice, immediately letting the coil that had been tightening in your belly for the past 2 hours snap.

your pussy tightened around both boys so tight they could barely move, instead just forcing them to spill their releases into you as well as they also met their highs.

it took both boys a few minutes to begin coming down from their orgasms, both slowly running their hands up and down your sides and back as they coaxed you back down.

you took even longer than they did to come down, slowly allowing your eyes to flutter open so you could peek up at paul after a few minutes, "hey princess," paul cooed, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, "did such a good job," he praised, offering your hips a gentle squeeze as jared leaned down to press a soft kiss to your temple.

"now let's get you cleaned up so we can cuddle for a little bit, yea?" jared asked, both boys already knowing it'd be taking the rest of the night to get you out of the subspace.

[blowflyfag]

ECW Magazine: February 2000

FLIGHT OF RAVEN

Raven returns to ECW roost and brood about life

By S. Connor

RAVEN RETURNED TO EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING on Aug. 26 and shook the foundation of the promotion. At the first TNN taping at Elks Lodge in Queens, N.Y., he paired with longtime nemesis Tommy Dreamer and beat The Dudley Boyz to claim the ECW world tag team title. 

In the following interview, Raven talks about his days in World Championship Wrestling, his childhood and his motivation for returning to ECW.

A CHILLING CHILDHOOD

Q. WHAT KIND OF CHILDHOOD DID YOU HAVE?

A. A miserable one. No one liked me. I was very unpopular and I was staved for attention because my dad never told me he loved me. I was extremely outgoing, loud and obnoxious just to get any kind of attention.

[Raven pulls Rhino off Tommy Dreamer]

Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY BROTHERS OR SISTERS?

A. I have an older sister but she had mental problems of her own. In fact she has emotional problems that are bad enough that she gets disability from the government. She also has very poor health problems, but she’s a great person.

Q. WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE TO MAKE YOUR CHILDHOOD BETTER?

A. I probably could have stopped picking on her and abusing her. I was embarrassed by her problems and I took it our on her. It wasn’t her fault she was that way, which left me with even more guilt for being cruel to her because I thought she was embarrassing me. It just snowballed.

Q. DO YOU BLAME THESE PROBLEMS ON YOUR PARENTS’ LACK OF ATTENTION?

A. Yes, complete lack of attention. I also have a fragile brain chemistry to begin with. My sister is actually unipolar. She’s just depressed. I’m bipolar, I’m manic/depressive. I needed more attention than your basic kid to begin with but i got less than your average person so it was a double whammy. My parents were so wrapped up in my sister’s problems they didn’t give me any attention. I had problems just as bad as her but apparently I hid behind an armor that was thick enough and it was such a good act that nobody saw though it. But they should have seen through it. They are my parents. My I.Q. was 143 and they should have realized how special i was. If not special, then I should have been treated like any normal person. I often envied kids that at least got beat by their parents. If they got beat, at least they knew that their parents cared. Mine were indifferent. Indifference is the greatest cruelty of all. 

[Unlikely tag team: Tommy Dreamer and Raven]

ABOUT RINGMANSHIP

Q. HOW IMPORTANT ARE MICROPHONE SKILLS IN WRESTLING?

A. The greatest interviews in the history of the business were Mankind’s interviews as Cactus Jack in ECW. I don’t think anyone will ever cut promos better. Like a Seinfield episode, he went all over the place, but at the end the whole story came together in a neat little bundle. Cactus was always teaching you something. Austin is tremendous. In World Championship Wrestling, as far as charisma, I’m a big fan of Kannan. He is one of the most charismatic guys ever. Rey Mysterio Jr. is one of the greatest pure athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. In ECW, Axl Rotten is absolutely remarkable. Rotten can actuallt wrestle scientifically as smoothly and as well as anybody. If he dropped 30 pounds and Paul  Heyman [owner of ECW] have him a chance to really prove himself, all of a sudden you’d have a new major star.

WCW STRIKES OUT

Q. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CAREER IN WCW?

A. I was never allowed in the “big 10” of WCW. I wasn’t popular enough and I didn’t get my shot. Anybody who truly has seen my work with an unjaded and uncynical eye would probably include me in the top 10. I haven’t drawn money in the major territories because I’ve never been in the position. 

Q. SOME OF YOUR GIMMICKS: SCOTTY THE BODY, JOHNNY POLO, SCOTTY FLAMINGO. WERE THEY REALLY YOU?

A. Yes they were. I’m a manic depressive! Scotty the Body was a character I created. The World Wrestling Federation gave me Johnny Polo and Dusty Rhodes gave me Scotty Flamingo - offshoots of Scotty the Body, one of my original names. I wanted to be the most flamboyant, obnoxious, abrasive, loudmouth chickens—heel I could be because I knew it would give me the attention I craved. If i didn’t get the attention at home, I wanted the adulation of strangers. I found along the way it’s no substitute, but it does to an extent alleviate some of the anguish and pain. If you talk t the boys in the WCW locker room. Konnan, Saturn or Disco Inferno would say either I am the most moody pick on the planet to the most wise ass goofy bastard you ever met.

[‘My parents were so wrapped up in my sister’s problems they never have me any attention.’]

RAVEN-DREAMER SAGA LIVES ON

SINCE RAVEN RETURNED TO EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING ON AUG. 26, HIS LEGENDARY FEUD WITH TOMMY DREAMER HAS BEEN REVIVED. 

AS KIDS, THE TWO WERE BEST FRIENDS UNTIL A GIRL NAMED BEULAH CAME BETWEEN THEM. DREAMER STOLE BEULAH FROM RAVEN, EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN”T REALLY WANT HER. WHEN SHE CAME BACK INTO THEIR LIVES IN ECW, OLD HATRED BETWEEN RAVEN AND DREAMER ROSE UP AND DROVE THE TWO TO FIGHT THEIR BATTLES IN THE RING.

DESPITE THEIR HATRED, THE TWO BECAME ECW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS WHEN RAVEN RETURNED TO THE FEDERATION ON AUG. 26. THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER OF 1999, DREAMER WAS BARELY ABLE TO DEFEND THE TITLE BECAUSE OF AN INJURED BACK. RAVEN ONLY INVOLVED HIMSELF IN THE MATCHES AT THE END TO ENSURE THE TWO UNLIKELY PARTNERS KEP TTHE TITLE. HOW LONG DREAMER AND RAVEN CAN CONTINUE IN THIS DYSFUNCTIONAL MANNER IS ANY FAN’S GUESS.

SUCKING UP?

Q. WHAT WERE YOUR DAYS LIKE BEHIND THE SCENES FOR WWF?

A. When i was working for Vince McMahon [owner of the WWF] as associate producer of RAW, Vince made me put on a suit and tie. It was killing me. As soon as I was done producing, the sh-t would come off and I would put on a pair of ripped up jeans, a pair of boots, a T-shirt and leather jacket. That’s who I am. Me and Shane McMahon became really good friends. I was an original member of the Mean Street Posse, because me, Shane, Rodney and Pete Gas used to hang out all the time. I think it’s kind of amusing that Raven’s actually a Mean Street Posse member and they all dress in their ivy league clothes. Me and Shane are really close friends. I can’t say anything bad about him. We used to hang out constantly. It was funny because all of the boys would say, “You’re just  sucking up to Shane so you can get over with Vince,” and it’s just the exact opposite. What would happen is I’d get total heat with Vince because I’d have Shane out all the time, back when I used to drink. I quit drinking two tyears ago. I had Shane out every night of the week partying and Vince thought I was a horrendous influence on his son. 

[I’ve been to a couple psychologists.’]

BACK ON THE COUCH

Q. DID YOU EVER SEEK OUT HELP FOR YOUR PROBLEMS?

A. I’ve been to a couple psychologists. I found one phenomenal one who really helped me through my baggage. My father’s passing away recently - he was very ill so it was the best thing for him - took a lot of that baggage away. I don’t by any means glorify his death, but it enabled me to turn my life around.

Q. DESCRIBE RAVEN NOW COMPARED TO THE ONE WHO APPERED JAN. 8, 1995.

A. I came out in January 1995 as dark and as bleak and as miserable as one could possibly be. A lot of people say I left the character consume me, but what they don’t understand is it was already consuming me to begin with. I just found the forum to play it out. It was cathartic, it gave me release. By the same token, a lot of the negatives that accentuated it had a detrimental effect on me. It took a long while to work through all of that as well. What you see now is probably the most stable and happy I've ever been. Raven now is cruel, hateful and malicious, but bot as brooding and not as sullen. Fans will see a more sarcastic edge. Raven is 75 precent of the brooding bastard and 25 perfect of the glib, wise ass prick that Scotty the Body was. 

FROM ECW TO WCW AND BACK AGAIN

Q. HOW DID YOU COME TO THE DECISION TO LEAVE ECW THE FIRST TIME?

A. I didn’t want to leave and to be honest, I begged Paul. I said, “Please, I don’t want to leave.” Eric Bischoff [then vice president of WCW] offered me a lot of money to go to WCW. Of course ECW’s pay scale has jumped since then, but at this time it was a very hefty contract. I begged Paul to give me half of what Bischoff offered, but he couldn’t he just didn’t have the money. I had to leave and it broke my heart. All the boys said, “You got to go.” Now that ECW is on national TV with the TNN deal, I’m like: “well, I cant let them go on national TV without me. I got to be there for it.”

Q. BUT DIDN’T BISCHOFF ASK YOU TO LEAVE WCW ON AUG. 23?

A. I didn't really have a choice. Bischoff called a meeting and said, “Raven, start working through our attorney outside. You’re not happy with the company so you can leave right now.” I said, “bye” and walked out the door. Later Eric said, “I think you should think this over, I think you should stay. What are you going to do, go work for Paul E.?” I said, ”No, I’m going to Vince.” He said, “You are not going to Vince.” I said, “You said I got a release. I would think that implies I could go wherever I want.” Eris said, “I’ll let you go to ECW but you can’t go to Vince.”

Q. HOW DO YOU GET ALONG WITH BISCHOFF NOW?

A. I like Eric a lot, I think he’s a great guy. I know there’s a lot of horror stories of how badly he treats all the wrestlers, but he’s always treated me with a lot of respect. He always made time for me.

[happilylovingchaos]

911 Lone Star Countdown - Disasters Week Questions

Hello and thank you for including me @lonestar-s5countdown! This is a little trickier for me to answer tbh. I think 9-1-1 might stand to have longer-lasting consequences from their natural disasters (no need to skip past tsunami wreckage recovery or months-long rebuilding of the highway collapse, those would make some meaty dramatic narrative arcs), but otherwise it so far edges out Lone Star when it comes to order of experience (like, which state got which disaster first).

1) My favorite disaster… okay, gonna have to divvy btwn the 9-1-1s for this!

The plane crash in 9-1-1 (OG) would probably be my underrated favorite in terms of narrative developments for Buck, Bobby and Abby.

Season 4’s heat wave was more glossed over for plot setup, but I didn’t mind this natural disaster precisely because it was a little smaller in scale and because the plot setups (even the Iris arc tho that definitely needed fine tuning in hindsight) hooked me in already. (I also didn’t mind Brianna and Caleb in this one b/c this time Caleb’s situation was not his own fault.)

2) Since they’ve already done tornadoes (though, there’s always a chance they’ll do those again), a volcanic eruption, wildfires and a winter storm, I would think the only disasters LS hasn’t gotten down yet are freeway collapses, floods (barring how the cast would look while soaking wet, don’t ignore areas like Galveston, writers! There’s WAY more to the state than farmland, Dallas, Austin and El Paso yk! Let’s just say before I digress I kinda wish the showrunners were able to film in actual Texas), a border skirmish (just out of genuine interest— not getting any more political and no Owen’s refugee rescue doesn’t count) or droughts/ water shortages (no, heat waves also don’t count). I also just realized that the domestic terrorist arc could have waited for a later season too! O’Brien and Owen had chaotic good vibes much akin to him and Billy Tyson (if the three of them worked together tho? The 126 should probably move their whole firefighter team out of Travis County b/c they ain’t gonna go through the second-hand pain again).

3) They had and lost me at meteor/ asteroid, so I’m not sure I’d say looking forward to it. It all depends on execution, I suppose? (Sorry for the question mark, I’m just baffled since that usually needs film-length amount of time— I’ve seen the film Deep Impact. Scientific nitpicks aside the investigations, action and future implications in that film were well-paced enough.)

4) My top 3? Judd b/c he’s a great all-around leader whenever shit hits the fan— honest (sometimes to a fault but I can kinda relate), strong integrity and conscientiousness, and so dad-like even before he became a dad. Mateo b/c he’d be like the underrated badass youngest brother of any group— speaking as an only child tho. Third… boy, I can’t break this tie. It’s a draw between Tommy (she’s very composed and professional even during the times she isn’t) and Paul (I’d like to learn memorization-observational skills from him, and he fits the “cool Zen mode” temperament a little better than Carlos, don’t @ me).

5) This is painful… okay I’m so sorry. I don’t think I can answer this one as of now.

Tagging next: @lutavero @reyesstrand @toomanycupsoftea @fitzherbertssmolder @marjansmarwani @trkstrnd

[sanjuwrites]

several sentence sunday

thanks to @carlos-in-glasses, @paperstorm, @honeybee-taskforce, @bonheur-cafe, @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut, and @theghostofashton for the tag! i know i've been MIA as hell but i appreciate you guys thinking of me <3

Carlos comes to — what he assumes — a couple hours later, with a throbbing headache. He’s lying down on a really nice bed, and he’s surprised to see Marjan Marwani in the corner of the room, scrolling on her phone. 

His shifting makes just enough noise to alert the woman in the corner, and she looks up at him, a small smile on her face. “Oh good, you’re up. I was beginning to wonder if you were gonna wake up at all.”

“No, I’m up. Where are we?” He winces as he sits up,  frustrated with himself for the odd calm running through him right now, in a situation where he definitely is a little bit in danger, but he’s going to roll with it. His gut has yet to fail him, and he’s had nine years on the job so far. 

Six of which you’ve been chasing the same criminal, who also happens to be your soulmate.

The thought startles him, and he chooses to push it to the side, in an effort to keep pushing through whatever the hell is going on. 

“We’re at one of TK’s safehouses, in Versailles. They’re all downstairs, TK safely assumed he wasn’t the first person you would want to see after waking up.”

Carlos scoffs, “He got that right, at least.” He feels his frustration rising, and he forces it down to focus on everything else. “How long was I out for us to make it to Versailles?”

“Three hours. Must be hard, finding out a criminal that you’ve been chasing is your soulmate, huh?”

“Where’s Paul?” He blatantly ignores anything about TK being his soulmate, and Marjan seems to take the hint.”

“He’s downstairs, talking to the rest of my team. There’s a lot you’re behind on, Agent Reyes.”

Carlos frowns, “Yeah, starting with how the hell you knew my name and my encrypted government email.”

Marjan hesitates a little, and she comes over to the side of the bed and gives him a hand, pulling him up. She places a steady hand around his ribcage as he sways just a little.

“You good?”

“I’m fine, and you’re deflecting.”

“I…” she hesitates, “this will be so much easier if you just come downstairs to see for yourself. There’s a lot I can’t explain, mostly because I only found out something as recently as a few hours ago.”

Carlos can feel his frustration rising for the third time, and he lets out a little of it this time. “What the fuck is going on here? Why the hell am I in TK fucking Strand’s house, in one of his beds, instead of dumped on the side of the street somewhere with a bullet in my head? I’m a fucking CIA agent, one that’s been chasing TK for six years, and what? He decides to nurse me back to health after one of his lackeys went wild and pistol-whips me?”

“Carlos, I promise this is all going to make so much more sense if you just come talk to them.”

Carlos’s confusion grows. “Them? It seems like no one but TK knew the plan. And maybe you, considering your signature was left behind in the coding of the document.”

Marjan winces, “I’m not above begging, dude. Please, let’s just go down to the basement, where they’ve set up shop. The Ryders made breakfast burritos, and they’re from Texas, their burritos are to die for.”

Carlos relents, letting Marjan help him down both flights of stairs, and it’s yet another shock to his system when he sees Paul and TK huddled over the same computer, running over something.

agent reyes is so iconic i don't make the fucking rules <3

open tag!

[theuntitledblog]

WWE SummerSlam (2024) - REVIEW

I used to look forward to the annual SummerSlam event ever since I started watching WWE following SummerSlam 1996. That event, much like this one, also featured a stunning betrayal in one of its pivotal matches when Paul Bearer betrayed the Undertaker for Mankind. So SummerSlam played a significant part in discovering my love for wrestling, I even bought VHS tapes of SummerSlam 1988, 89, 90, 91, and 92 as I retrospectively discovered that era of wrestling. SummerSlam 1996-8 remained highlight events during my time of watching WWE but with the exception of perhaps the 2000 and 2002 event, SummerSlam to me never quite felt as important again compared to the other Big 4 events of WWE.

Perhaps part of the issue is that SummerSlam lacks a unique concept; Royal Rumble and Survivor Series have always been built around a particular match type while WrestleMania has always been the biggest spectacle of the sport. SummerSlam has had moments over the years but to me at least it just hasn't felt quite as important to the other 3 ... maybe that's just me, I don't know. The point I'm trying to make is that the 2024 SummerSlam was the first time in as long as I can remember that the event did feel that it had that same gravitas as the other Big 4 events. This is a show that didn't have a diverse card in terms of match type; there were no tag team matches, triple threat, cage, ladder or any other creative match that other events have utilised. This was a stadium show with 7 singles matches that all had a long-term story at its centre and whose outcomes would redraw the map of the main roster. OK, sure, the match outcomes were generally what I predicted, but while watching the event, there were moments where I doubted those outcomes as the in-ring drama drew me in. SummerSlam 2024, for me, has been the best event PLE since WrestleMania 40 and even then, maybe slightly better in some respects.

MATCH 1 - WWE Women's Championship: Liv Morgan (champion) vs. Rhea Ripley

SummerSlam got off to a very strong start with this opening match, which was never going to struggle in terms of story, but when it came to the in-ring action? I wasn't sure, but that doubt was more about Liv Morgan than Rhea Ripley. There's no question that the Liv Morgan of recent years couldn't be more different than the way she was during her time with The Riott Squad, but even then there's been something about her that hasn't always convinced despite defeating Ronda Rousey for her first World title. Her scrappy style in the ring, the constant underdog presentation didn't help the feeling that she was often punching above her weight when stepping into the ring with the likes of the Four Horsewomen, Asuka and even Rhea Ripley. However, since returning at the 2024 Royal Rumble, things have felt felt very different with her. She had a strong showing in the Rumble and Elimination Chamber, and the post-WrestleMania storyline between Morgan and the Judgment Day has been an unexpected hit. She's looked convincing in the ring, the storyline with Dominik has been captivating week after week and this is by far the best program she's featured in where she looks strong.

So, going back to my doubts regarding the in-ring action for their match at SummerSlam? I needn't have worried. This was a fantastic match from start to finish that thankfully, didn't feel like a complete mis-match. Rhea Ripley got to show off her superior strength and looked superb and Liv Morgan likewise worked in some good offense and felt like a threat with a clever injury angle that I honestly couldn't tell was real or not judging by Ripley's excellent selling. But this was a match where you sensed something was going to happen, but you just weren't sure what exactly. In the end, it was exactly what this match needed, and while Morgan got the major win, the post-match betrayal with Dominik will absolutely be what this match is most remembered for thanks to tolheir performances, the crowd reactions and even the commentators. It's an outstanding start to SummerSlam in a match that delivered more than I could've hoped for.

****

MATCH 2 - Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (champion) vs. Bron Breakker

How do you follow an outstanding opening match? By being something different. This was an interesting match as firstly, this was pretty much the only match on the card that came down to the in-ring action alone. The second thing was that out of all the matches on the card, this is the one I would've changed to maybe a Triple Threat Match and include the likes of Jey Uso or Ilja Dragunov rather than just duplicate the previous PLE. That's not to suggest that this match was bad because it wasn't, but by the end of the night this was the one that I had pretty much forgotten about. It was a short match that cut to the chase by having a dominant Bron Breakker win his first Intercontinental title. It certainly made sense although it didn't offer up any surprises and seemed to realize that they couldn't outdo the match beforehand. I'm excited by what's to come with Breakker as champion but I still kinda felt that their match at Money at the Bank was the better one and I'm not sure what was achieved by delaying it till here. I guess that's why I'm the fan and not the booker.

***

MATCH 3 - United States Championship: Logan Paul (champion) vs. L.A Knight

The rise in the popularity of L.A. Knight has genuinely surprised me and seemed to come out of nowhere following his feud with the late Bray Wyatt. I'm certainly no hater of Knight, but I'd be lying if I said I was a big fan or that his matches were something I particularly looked forward to. But if the match with A.J Styles at WrestleMania proved anything is that he can put on a show and deliver some fun, if not classic, matches. On the other side, you have Logan Paul, who I've stated before is so much better in the ring than he has any right to be. The decision to put the US title on Paul was a controversial one, and I had hoped it might boost the profile of a title that's never felt as prestigious compared to the Intercontinental title. I don't know if they achieved that, although Knight's victory here was a genuine feel-good moment and a just reward for a star whose stock has been steadily rising. The match wasn't the best on the card, but it benefitted from a good story coming in, plus Paul makes for such a dislikeable heel that I was really rooting for Knight here. It was a physical back and forth clash with Paul really showing the consequence of the physicality. A super plex spot looked scary as Paul seemed to struggle to get into the right position on the way down, and it made me and my friend wince. But this was the right result that rightfully rewarded Knight, who I think is an ideal choice to try to elevate this title. I just hope they build upon this moment.

*** 1/2

MATCH 4 - Women's Championship: Bayley (champion) vs. Nia Jax

Nia Jax is clearly enjoying what has been her best run since returning to WWE. She has looked better, been given better storylines, and most of all, she's been impressive in the ring and has put on some great matches with the likes of Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch. Her triumph in the Queen of the Ring tournament was the right decision and has given Nia a well-deserved push into a position that she probably should have reached earlier. Bayley likewise has also had a good run since the Royal Rumble which included a major title win at WrestleMania and a solid reign as champion even if the reign itself hasn't been as quite as memorable as her heel run as champion with Sasha Banks by her side. I liked the Damage Contrl angle and felt that the group didn't go over as much as they probably should have but her Royal Rumble and World Title win at WrestleMania seemed to come out of nowhere and was a recognition for what has been an outstanding career. But you definitely got the feeling that this was Jax's time and while the crowd disappointingly didn't seem to be into parts of this which admittedly didn't have strongest story of the two women's matches on the card. The match itself was pretty good in itself, where both came out looking strong, and the crowd did wake up following the powerbomb spot on Jax. The Tiffany Stratton dynamic with Jax will intrigue going forward, but the only question mark for me is where does Bayley go from here?

***

MATCH 5 - CM Punk vs. Drew Mcintyre with Seth Rollins as the Special Guest Referee

Things couldn't have gone worse for CM Punk at the Royal Rumble. One of the most anticipated in-ring returns in recent memory for a star with so much baggage and drama hanging over him, and it ends with a major injury. In any other circumstance, this would've been a disaster, yet WWE managed to create one of the most compelling storylines and bitterest of feuds in as long as I can remember. This was perhaps the most anticipated match on the card and where one of the major participants hadn't wrestled in nearly 7 months! It's testament to the quality of the change from the McMahon era to the Levesque era of WWE that a match like this can be so anticipated and main event worthy.

I don't know whether Seth Rollins was really needed but I don't think his presence hurt things either especially since it's a reasonable assumption that Rollins vs. Punk is one of the next major feuds to come. I really liked how they built up the tension as much as possible with Rollins delaying ringing the bell while both Punk and McIntyre looked ready to tear each other apart. The match was very physical and was just oozing storytelling throughout and the crowd absolutely loved it. A big thumbs up for the call back to the conclusion of the main event of SummerSlam 1997 as well. I sometimes wonder whether matches like this work as well for a live audience especially when the more story driven moments and exchanges in the ring can only be heard by the viewers at home. Whatever the answer is, what doesn't change is that the in-ring action was good, CM Punk looked great in the ring, the match was filled with compelling drama and delivered on the night.

****

MATCH 6 - World Heavyweight Championship: Damian Priest (champion) vs. Gunther

No other superstar has risen to the top faster or thrived more during the Triple H era of WWE than Gunther. What he lacks in visual flair is more than compensated by his ring presence as a dominant heel in hard hitting matches. Not since Brock Lesnar has a superstar felt as legitimate in the ring as Gunther and it's crystal clear just how much he's valued by WWE in the way he's been booked since arriving on the main roster. His record breaking run as Intercontinental champion is legend in itself and his only pinfall loss felt like the natural next step for what felt was an inevitable run as a World champion. I'm a huge Gunther fan so this is a big moment as a fan but the only downside is that this comes at the expense (sort of) of Damian Priest whom I equally felt was finally coming into his own as champion. It's fitting therefore that two of the biggest rising stars in WWE right now put on the best match of the night.

Did it have the best storyline of the night going in? No however the build-up was helped by some personal jibes from Gunther in the last couple of weeks all the while WWE has been promoting the story of Damian Priest's wrestling career that has helped give things a more personal edge. The brawls they've engaged in on Raw have certainly helped bring a little more heat to the match which made the hard hitting action land even harder. Priest and Gunther looked more than a match for each other with both landing heavy moves including chops which drew blood from The Ring General himself. There were moments where I thought that this might end in a more conventional manner but at the same time there was that sense, given the progression of the night, that more drama might be on the way and in that respect I was not disappointed. Finn Balor's betrayal has been a long time coming and completed the implosion of the Judgment Day which turned out to be one of the biggest takeaways from SummerSlam 2024. This is a match that has redrawn Monday Night Raw considerably while at the same time elevating everyone involved. This has injected new life into the Judgement Day storyline, set up Priest and Balor on a path for what could be a career making feud and and of course elevated Gunther into the main event scene as World champion. This for me was the best match of the night in terms of in-ring action and while maybe the drama of the opening match was tough to beat, in terms of long term consequences this could be even more far reaching.

****

MAIN EVENT - WWE Undisputed Championship: COdy Rhodes (champion) vs. Solo Sikoa

I've got to be honest that I never saw this coming. It's strange to think that for so long we were so focused on the Bloodline storyline with Roman Reigns as Undisputed Champion that we didn't really stop to consider what might happen afterwards. Did anyone really expect to see Solo Sikoa as the next leader of the Bloodline or in the main event for the Undisputed title? I certainly didn't and credit is due for making this new line-up of the Bloodline as credible a threat as possible with the introduction of some new faces that has generally been a success. It's taken some time but with patience and some key victories at Backlash and Money in the Bank, Solo Sikoa for me looks comfortable in this spot and to be fair he and Cody Rhodes put on a very fine match to close the show.

But ... like some of the latter matches of Roman Reign's run as champion, this sadly fell prey to a sense of predictability. The Bloodline rules stipulation that was put in rather last minute was a mistake for me in that it essentially sign posted what we should expect. It's not like this hasn't worked before and I'm not suggesting that this spoiled things, but given the ending of the still rather recent WrestleMania, it just felt too similar and worse too was that the crowd were in on it and waiting. The crowd therefore never seemed too into this match despite the efforts that Rhodes and Sikoa were putting because they knew the match wasn't going to end before that moment occurred. Roman Reign's return stole the show in that match and was the biggest talking point of the main event, not Cody and not Solo which is a shame because they put on a good show.

*** 1/2

OVERALL

I thought this was an incredible SummerSlam and probably best one I've seen in many years. I was surprised how this was a single's match only card but the storylines leading into each of them more than made up for it. Were the results to be expected generally? Yes however the drama involved within each made this event feel like an important one especially in how they've redrawn the dynamics of both Raw and Smackdown going forward.

FAVOURITE MATCH - Damian Priest vs. Gunther

LEAST FAVOURITE MATCH - Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker

FAVOURITE MOMENT - Dominik betrays Rhea Ripley

LEAST FAVOURITE MOMENT - The scary looking superplex during L.A Knight vs. Logan Paul.

EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS - Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley

COULD’VE BEEN BETTER - Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker

UNSUNG HERO - Jelly Roll