#she was so much better when she was playing Rachel and she’s been nothing but annoying since

[theamazingannie]

Madelyn lying and turning everyone against someone one by one with lies and then getting mad at Garrett going after her for something TRUE lmaooo

[russo-woso]

I just want to feel something | Alessia Russo

Warning smut, MDNI

Summary Alessia’s been feeling down so you take it upon yourself to make her feel better.

First smut so I’m a bit nervous about this one.

Let me know what you think

—

You always loved going to England camps. You felt at home when you were with them. You felt at home when you were with her.

Her being Alessia Russo.

You'd grown up with Alessia in the youth age groups but somehow, you'd never really spoken to her.

Sure you had spoken to her briefly after a match, telling her how well she had played but you couldn't remember a time where you'd spoken to her about anything apart from football.

You had always wanted to talk to her but you'd always change your mind at the last second. With your heart beating unusually fast and sweat gathering on your forehead, you'd figure that it wasn't worth it for you knew she didn't like you.

This time at camp though, you had made a promise to yourself. You were going to speak to Alessia.

And that's what you had done. Well, attempted to anyway.

Your heart had begun to thump in your chest as you watched her from across the relaxation room.

She was sat with Ella, laughing and smiling about whatever they were talking about.

You looked into her eyes. They were glistening in the light. They were perfect, just like her. You felt as though you could get lost in them forever.

As you continued to examine her features, you watched Tooney get up, leaving Alessia by herself.

At this point, it was just you, Alessia, Millie and Rachel in the room.

Millie and Rach were deep in conversation whilst Alessia had turned towards the match that was on the TV.

The smile that was on her face two minutes ago was gone. The glistening in her eyes had gone. It seemed as though you were looking at a completely different person.

You didn't know where the confidence had come from, but with one final breath, you stood up and moved to sit next to Alessia.

"You okay? You seem to be, I don't know how to describe it. Out of it?" You asked, a calming tone in your voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alessia turned towards you, a small reassuring smile on her face.

The smile seemed to disappear far too quickly though.

"I know we don't really know each other well, but I'm always here, okay?" You tell her, placing your hand on the centre of her back.

"Thank you, Y/N." Again, she looked at you, giving you a small smile before turning her attention back to the match. "Actually, Y/N, can I tell you something?"

"Anything, Less."

"I feel-" She began but a strong accent cut her off.

"-Less, I went to get us a cuppa but there was a massive spider in the kitchen." Ella came bouncing into the room. You couldn't understand how she was so energetic. Everyone had done so much in training to the fact that some people were having an afternoon sleep, but Ella was still bouncing off the walls. "Sorry, were you two talking?"

"We were but it's nothing serious. I'll see you around, Y/N." Alessia said and you removed your hand from her back.

"Yeah, see you around." And with that, you got up and left, heading straight to your room.

You didn't feel like talking to anyone. You didn't even go down for dinner. You were so caught up in your thoughts that you forgot.

The sad look on Alessia's face clouded your head. The different possibilities of what she was going to say. The way the conversation would have gone if Tonney hadn't interrupted.

The thoughts wouldn't leave your mind.

That was until a small knock echoed throughout your room.

You got off your bed, quickly glancing at the clock that read 22:48, before opening the door.

You didn't really know who you were expecting to open the door to, but it certainly wasn't the blonde forward.

"Alessia?"

"Hi, sorry, I know it's late, but the conversation we had earlier hasn't left my mind and I feel like we need to finish it." She said rather quickly, scratching the back of neck as she said it.

"No it's okay. I can't get to sleep so it's fine. Come in." You opened the door more so she could walk in.

Once she had entered, you both stood awkwardly looking at each other.

"I don't really know why I came here. I just — you're different from everyone else. I feel like you'd actually listen to me. Actually, no, it's unfair for me to put this all on you. I'm sorry for com—" Alessia began to walk out but you grabbed ahold of her wrist, pulling her back towards you.

"—Alessia, I meant what I said earlier. I'm always here. If you want to talk, you can. I'm here to listen." You told her, rubbing your thumb across her hand to comfort her.

"I don't know how to describe how I feel. I just feel so alone. I feel empty. Since I left United, I've felt as though I've left my whole life behind. My life was in Manchester and I don't know if I'll be able to create a new life in London. It's such a big change and I don't know if I can do it. I just have no emotions that are good. I just want to feel something." Alessia admitted, tears running down her face as you brought her in for a hug.

"Oh, lessi. I promise you, you'll find a life in London. I did. I moved from Manchester city to Chelsea. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'd been with city for four years and then I made the final decision and I restarted my whole entire life at Chelsea. It was so hard. So so hard. But I learnt to value the new beginning. It's gets better, I promise." You said to her, wiping her tears away.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"You've got such beautiful eyes, less." You complimented her, watching a small smile appear on her face.

"You've got a beautiful smile." She said back, similarly, a small smile appearing on your face, along with a red pigment in your cheeks.

"Alessia, you said you wanted to feel something. Would you feel something if I did this?" You asked, cautiously as you began to move towards her.

You got to the point where you could feel her breath on your face.

You made eyes contact with her before flickering down to her lips.

What surprised you the most, wasn't the fact that you were about to kiss Alessia. It was that Alessia had made the final movement to connect you two.

The kiss was gentle. Both too cautious to even move in case you overwhelmed one another.

You pulled away at the same time, smiles on both your faces.

"I've wanted to do that for such a long time." Alessia admitted, your heart missing a beat as she said it.

"Me too." You agreed, pausing and taking a few breaths. "Alessia, I really like you and I don't want that to be a one off."

"I really like you too." She whispered against your lips.

This time the kiss was lustful. There was a sense of desperation from the both of you.

I mean who'd blame you? You and Alessia had been waiting for this moment for years.

The kiss continued, getting messy and sloppy.

Eventually, after fighting for dominance of the kiss, Alessia won and picked you up.

Your legs wrapped around her waist as her hands were under your thighs supporting you up.

She walked you up against the wall, moving her lips down to your neck.

The whines that left your mouth as she sucked on your pulse point made it clear to Alessia what you wanted.

"Can I take this off?" Alessia asked, putting you down and playing with the hem of your shirt.

"Yes please." You said, Alessia putting you down so she could take it off.

After a strip show of you both taking your clothes off, barely being able to take your lips off one another, you allowed Alessia to move her lips down to your collarbone.

"You're gorgeous, Y/N." Alessia whispered in your ear as she pressed a final kiss to your neck.

"So are you, lessi."

"I'm gonna pick you up, okay, baby?" Alessia asked you, her voice all husky.

You nodded in approval and she pressed two hands on your ass and lifted you up with ease.

She walked you over to the bed, putting you down gently before climbing on top of you.

"Lessi, baby, please." You whine as her hands explored your hips.

Her lips started trailing down from your neck to your torso.

You let out a gasp as you felt her mouth around your nipple.

As she continued down your body, she caressed every small detail of you.

Kissing scars from the injuries of past games, noting down where you enjoyed her mouth, memorising the small noises that left your mouth.

As Alessia approached your core, she looked up at you one more time.

Without her even saying anything, you understood what she meant and you sent a  desperate nod to her.

She grabbed ahold of your thighs, stroking her thumb across them before sliding her tongue between your folds.

You bucked your hips into her face and tangled your hand in her hair.

Alessia moaned at the taste of you, the vibrations making you whimper.

"That feels so good, lessi baby." You moaned and Alessia increased her pace.

You were so confused. Less than ten minutes ago, you were lost in your own thoughts. Thinking about what Alessia was going to say.

And now, she was here with her head in between your legs.

You couldn't think straight though, the pleasure had taken over your whole entire body.

You felt numb from it, a good numb.

"Fuck, baby, I'm close." You managed to get out as Alessia's tongue continued to flick at your clit.

Alessia detached her tongue from your clit, and instead stuck two fingers inside you.

"Does that feel good, baby?" She asked you, leaning down to kiss your collarbone.

"So good, lessi."

"Fuck, I love it when you say my name." She said and a familiar knot appeard in your stomach.

"Shit. 'm gonna cum, less."

"Cum for me, love." Alessia said and with that, your high came tumbling on you.

Your head fell back against the pillow, your eyes slamming shut.

You felt your legs begin to shake and a mix of curse words and Alessia's name slipped out of your mouth.

Once you'd calmed down and your heart rate had started coming back to normal, Alessia laid down next to you, staring up at the ceiling.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." She revealed, turning her head to look at you.

"Me too." You admitted, before the room was filled with silence.

A small giggle left your mouth and Alessia looked at you with a confused look.

"What are you laughing at, baby?"

"This. Ten minutes ago you were telling me how alone you felt and now you're laying down next to me after giving me a mind blowing orgasm." You explained and a smile appeared on Less' face.

"Thank you Y/N for taking my mind off of things."

"You seriously don't have to thank me. I think you already did." You replied, a smirk resting on your face before getting serious again. "Less, I know you might feel alone. But please know that you're not. I'm always here for you. I want to be there for you. I know it's not easy but I'll be with you wherever life takes you."

"Y/N, will you be my girlfriend? I'm sorry if it's really sudden but I feel like you're one of the only people who truly get me. You're kind, you're beautiful, you're thoughtful. And I think I've been in love with you for years but I've just been too afraid to ask you. It's fine if you say no. I know it's—" Alessia started to ramble but you simply smiled at her.

Her cheeks were red and her blonde hair was in her face.

You knew you were already in love with her. You had been for years.

"I'd love to, lessi." You placed a piece of her hair behind her ear and placed your lips on hers, connecting you two into a gently kiss.

"You know, I can't feel my legs." You told less as you pulled away.

"That's what you think about? We were having a really romantic moment then and all you can think about is how you can't feel your legs?" Alessia questioned, laughing at your randomness.

"Well yeah, we've got training tomorrow and it's gonna be bad if I turn up with loads of hickeys and the fact that I can't walk." You explained as she continued to laugh.

"I think it's a job well done to me then."

"It's sure is, baby."

[coconut-dreamz]

gorgeous

"you've ruined my life, by not being mine" || tom blyth x actress! reader

a/n: i'm baaaack, with more ts and love for tom blyth

you should take it as a compliment that i got drunk and made fun of the way you talk

you were at out at a local bar with some of your cast mates from tbosas. you were sitting with rachel and you were mocking tom's british accent. the two of you were laughing at your terrible impression. "why does he say that! it's so funny!" rachel laughs.

"what are you two laughing about?" tom's walks over from the other side of the table. "nothing" you both mumble out, sharing a look. "sounded like you were having a lot of fun earlier" he adds, you laugh at this. "sounded like you were having a lot of fun earlier." you repeat in a british accent, mimicking tom.

rachel bursts out laughing at this. tom just gives you two a look like you'd both gone insane. "making fun of me now?" he asks, as you lose it. "maybe," you make out between laughs. "that's not very nice." he says in a jokingly stern voice. "sorry, we just think your normal accent is so funny." rachel explains as you continue to laugh.

exasperated, tom leaves, going to find the company of people who won't laugh at him when he speaks. this causes the two of you to laugh even harder.

you should think about the consequence off your magnetic field being a little too strong

somehow, you always found yourself gravitating towards tom. whether you're on the opposite side of the room from him, you always find yourself right by him within a matter of minutes. he had a weird pull on you.

you had been talking with an actor that played one of the background academy students when you heard tom's laugh from across the room. it distracted you from the conversation you were having. she seemed to have noticed your lack of attention and just smirked. "go ahead," was all she said and nodded her head towards tom. you thanked her and left towards him.

he smiled as he saw you approaching the group, opening his arms to you for a hug. you sighed contently as his arms around you. "how are you?" he whispered in your ear. "better now that you're here." you admitted

and i got a boyfriend, he's older than us he's in the club doing, i don't know what

your boyfriend had just texted you telling you he was going out with some friends for the night. it was morning for you, being on the opposite side of the planet from him. hearing that from him, you knew you'd probably be seeing some headlines of him in the morning, or night for you.

things were strained lately, with you being busy with back to back projects and him, honestly not doing shit. it made him feel emasculated knowing you were currently the it girl and he was just known as your boyfriend. he was a bit older and no longer in his prime and no longer booking big projects.

you're so cool, it makes me hate you so much whiskey on ice, sunset and vine

you were on a break from filming so you, rachel, tom and josh decided to go to la and soak in some sun. you four were out at dinner. and tom was telling you all about what it was like filming for billy the kid.

he was nursing a whiskey and ice, recounting all the notable parts of filming. it made you so jealous. he was just so damn cool. this was not helping your giant crush on him.

you've ruined my life, by not being mine you're so gorgeous

you and tom were sitting in your trailer, just basking in the peace and quiet. it wasn’t everyday that you got to sit and relax and enjoy some coffee and mediocre croissants.

it killed you knowing that tom wasn't yours. you even broke up with your loser boyfriend. "god, you're so fucking gorgeous." you mutter under your breath while sitting with tom enjoying coffee. "what was that?" he looks up from his book. "huh, oh nothing!" you blurt out, not realizing you said that out loud, taking a sip of your coffee.

i can't say anything to your face 'cause look at your face

"hunter, why's he so damn gorgeous. i can't handle it!" you shout to hunter. you were all gathered in some local bar. you longingly stared at tom from across the bar. "girl, i don't know. tell him yourself." she answers blandly. "i can't! nothing ever comes out of my mouth when i try to talk to him. he must think i'm some type of weirdo!" you exclaim, annoyed by the beauty of that gorgeous, gorgeous man standing across the crowded room.

and i'm so furious at you for making me feel this way but what can i say? you're gorgeous

"oh my god! i'm so mad!" you randomly shout as you third wheel rachel and josh in rachel's trailer. "what is it now?" josh asks, tired of your antics. "we all know it's tom. it's always tom." rachel answers for you. "i'm so furious that he makes me feel this way, but he's not mine!" you dramatically flop onto the couch.

josh shakes his head hearing this, "then tell him how you feel!" he advises you. "i can't! he's too gorgeous for me!" you reply, fake crying into the pillow. the two roll their eyes at your dramatics. you should take it as a compliment that i'm talking to everyone here but you

it was finally the end of filming, so the director threw a wrap party. you waltzed around the room, talking to nearly every single person. everyone but tom.

"why won't she talk to me? is she mad at me?" tom asks hunter. she gives rachel a knowing grin. "i don't think she's mad at you, but you should ask her yourself." rachel adds, pushing him towards you.

tom decided he had enough of you ignoring him and walked towards you, interrupting your conversation. "hey, can i talk to you?" he asks, you simply nod, too nervous to speak.

and you should think about the consequence of you touching my hand in the darkened room

he grabs your hand and leads you to a dark corner of the venue the party was being held. "did i do something wrong?" he asks, a concerned look on his face. "no! not at all!" you exclaim, trying to alleviate his thoughts. "i've just been feeling nervous around you lately."

if you've got a girlfriend, i'm jealous of her but if you're single that's honestly worse 'cause you're so gorgeous it actually hurts

you weren't sure of tom's relationship status, he never mentioned anything about having a girlfriend and you never mentioned anything about being in a relationship either. not that you even were in one anymore.

a part of you wanted him to be single, but a part of you hoped he wasn’t. it was honestly worse if he was single. it probably meant he wasn't interested then.

ocean blue eyes looking in mine i feel like i might sink and drown and die

you stare into his blue eyes. you never realized how blue they were. they were like oceans. all you wanted to do was swim in them, or even drown in them. they were so gorgeous, just like him. "have your eyes always been so blue?" you ask aloud, staring deeply into his eyes.

you make me so happy, it turns back to sad, yeah there's nothing i hate more than what i can't have

you loved spending time with tom. he made you happy. but there was always a sad feeling that's fill your heart when you thought about how he wasn't yours.

"are you single, tom?" you break the silence after your precious confession. this question shocks tom for a moment. "yeah, why?" he asks a little confused by your conversation now. "can i kiss you?" you whisper out, inching closer to him.

he doesn't answer and instead slams his lips onto your own. after a few moments of passionate kissing, you pull apart. "you don't know how long i've been waiting to do that." tom whispers, his face still only inches from you. "god, you're so gorgeous" you mutter out.

[skipper1331]

A Bronze // Esme Morgan

Being Lucy Bronzes younger sister was fantastic yet hard at times.

Lucy was a loving, caring and proctective (!!) sister - she would do anything for you. You loved her with your whole heart and playing football at a professional level together has always been a dream of yours.

When you got your first call up, she was the first person you called. Same thing with your call up for the euros and same thing now with the world cup.

You were beyond excited. There was only one problem.

With Lucy being in Barcelona and you being in Manchester you haven‘t had the chance to tell her that you were in a relationship. It wouldn‘t feel right telling her through the phone - your excuse. At some point there was a (high) chance that she would jump into a plane and fly straight to you.

To be honest you haven‘t told her yet because you‘re scared. Scared of her reaction or rather of her behavior towards Esme. She would rip her head off. And you really-really liked Esme. Nobody besides a few of your City teammates knew about you.

"Not kissing you all day long will kill me" Esme whined as she pulled at the hem of your shirt. Your arms looped around her neck "Don‘t be so dramatic" you chuckled. Esme fake gasped while clutching her heart, making you laugh. Her favorite sound.

Arriving in camp was a relief. You and Lucy were glued to the hips, updating on your lives. It was nice to see and talk to her in person again. Until now you never realized how much you missed her.

The first few training sessions went smooth. Esme and you kept things professional - acting like friends. Yet sometimes you caught yourselves staring a moment to long at each other. You would sneak lingering touches when nobody was watching or kiss in empty rooms. You couldn‘t help it you were just so in love with one another.

"What would you think about if we told Lucy?" you asked as you sat down at the table. The table was still empty only Esme and you already sitting there with plates in front of you. "Tell Lucy what?" Said person asked. Esme chocked on her water. She didn‘t mind telling her yet she feared Lucy kind off. "Luce! Hey" you smiled through your nervousness. "Tell Lucy what?" her tone was rough. She hated when she didn’t know things- especially when they involved you, her little baby. "Oh nothing! No worries" smiling, you tried to convince the defender. Of course with no luck. "Y/n" she grumbled. "I‘m dating your sister" Esme blurted out. The whole dining room went silent. "Does she have death wishes?" someone gasped. Jordan was standing behind Lucy who was about to explode. "Come again?"

"I am dating Y/n" she took your hand to emphasize her words.

Something clicked inside Lucys mind. You dating someone? No absolutely not. "Do not touch her!" aggressivly, she parted your hands. "Y/n? Is this true?"

"Yes" you looked down, not because you were ashamed but because you felt horrible. You knew Lucys eyes would tell you that she‘s hurt because you didn‘t tell her. And you also knew that her eyes would be full of fury. "Lucy I-" abruptly, lucy shoved her plate to Jordan and grabbed Esme by the collar of her shirt. Even though the blonde was tall enough to have her feet on the ground it was still intimidating as hell. "Lucy!" you yelped. "You better leave my sister alone or you will have some real trouble. Understood?!" your attempt to break them apart was as successful as a shark trying to climb up a tree. pretty much impossible. "I'm not afraid of you" the audacity to talk only made Lucy angrier and made you smile bright. Nobody ever tried to fight your sister for you.

"That‘s enough!" Millie and Rachel grabbed Lucy and shoved her the other way. Lunch was over for her. "Fuck. Are you okay?" Worry laced your voice as Esme was free. Her hand rubbed her neck while the other one was shaking. "Ye-yeah" you pulled her down to sit. "Jordy, could you - you know?" Jordan gave you a nod before your attention was back on Esme.

Lucy was sitting in the gym trying to calm herself down. It was hard. You‘re her little girl how could she not be mad. She was hurt that you didn‘t tell her. She was mad at the fact you were dating someone. not because of a relationship but of the risk of you getting hurt. The worst pain for her isn‘t any physical, seeing you cry/hurt that‘s the worst pain.

One of your first matches for the senior team ended with you being hospitalized due a head injury. The cry of pain which left your mouth was horrific. It haunted Lucy for months. "Hey" a calm voice said. Jordan. "Here‘s your food" carefully, she sat the plate down. "Thanks"

While they ate in silence Lucy appreciated Jordan being there. "I‘ll tell you that because i'm your friend", the villa player started as they finished their meals, "that was such a shit move" which ended with a smack to the head for the Barcelona player. "It’s your sisters girlfriend"

"She‘s too young for a relationship" Jordan looked at her with her 'seriously?' expression. "Esme is not good enough" again, Jordan looked at Lucy with the same expression. "Well. Let‘s look at it from this perspective: would you rather have a total stranger to be with y/n?" No reply. "That‘s what I thought."

"Doesn't mean I approve it"

"You don't have to approve it, at least for now but for starters you can respect them."

Only a grumble was heard.

"For what it’s worth, I think they‘re good for each other"

"I don't"

The next few days Lucy didn‘t talk to either one of you yet she watched from afar. It stung. After not seeing each other for months she was now ignoring you for who knows how long. It made you sad and angry.

"You look hot" you said to Esme as there was a water break. "Than-" she started, her cheeks turning crimson. you didn‘t mean that kind of hot in the moment. Yes, Esme was hot in your eyes but - "Let me help you" with a quick squeeze of your bottle you splashed her face with water. "Hopefully, you don‘t become a mermaid" you laughed referring to H2O, a series you love. A loud gasp escaped the blonde who was chasing you by now. "Arghh come here" the defender smacked her arms around your hips, turning you around so you could face her "that wasn‘t nice, baby" she tried to have a stern face but was failing miserably. "ooopsie" catching her off guard as you pressed a kiss to her cheek, you entangled your body from her arms and ran away again.

Beach day with the team; while some of your friends were walking to the ocean others were talking or playing in the sand (tooney and lessi) whereas Esme and you sat in the sand enjoying the sun. The blonde was hugging you from behind as you laid your back on her chest. Under the sun rays she looked like a goddess. You fell in love with her all over again. "You should stare at the ocean not at me" your girlfriend whispered so she wouldn‘t ruin the vibe "you‘re way more beautiful" was your only reply. As she locked eyes with you you saw the way they lit up after your confession.

Even though you were with Esme and/or the team most of the time your heart was still broken. You missed your best friend. And your girlfriend could tell. She saw the way you would look at Lucy - she would never look back at you. She saw the way your mind was spinning, thinking about If you should approach Lucy. When Chloe (your roommate) told Esme that she heard you crying in the night the defender decided to take the problem into her own hands. It was hurting you - so it was hurting her.

"Lucy! Wait" the blonde pleaded as she saw Lucy alone. "What?" her voice wasn‘t angry or rough, it was normal yet her facial expression was stone cold. "Look, If you don‘t like me that’s fine but ignoring y/n isn‘t. It‘s her first world cup.. you should support her." Lucy didn't want a lecture so she turned around, ready to walk away. "Do you know she requested number 12 on her jersey because of you?" That statement made her stop in her track. "It was your number at the World Cup 2015. She admires you and it hurts her that you don‘t talk to her." Deep breaths, Esme, you can do it. What Esme was about to say took a lot of courage to say out loud but she knew she had to tell Lucy. "I love her, okay? I really do. She- she doesn't know that I do but I do. And I want to make her happy but she‘ll never be fully happy If you aren‘t in her life. So please.. just talk to her."

Lucy thought about Esmes words and how true they were (If someone asked her, she would never admit it). As well she talked to Jordan about them who agreed with Esme (like everybody would) and as the night went on Lucy was determined to work things out with you.

After training was finished the next day you found yourself sitting on the pitch, staring into nothing. You were exhausted. Physically and mentally.

As soon as you felt a presence beside you, you knew who it was. It was the one person you desperately wanted to talk to you. There was a silence for a few minutes. Lucy had to sort her thoughts before she could start her apology.

Esme was standing with Hempo, Chloe and Alex. Even though she knew that Alex was talking, she couldn‘t listen. She tried but her gaze kept glanzing to you. "Are they gonna make up?" Lauren asked as she saw Esme looking towards you. "I hope they do."

"I‘m so proud of you." the Barcelona player started "and i‘m sorry" she wasn‘t looking at you and you weren‘t either. You both stared straight forward. "You were a bitch" you stated. "All- all I wanted was your support" tears started to build up but you didn‘t dare to let them leave your eyes. "I know and i‘m truly sorry but you have to understand-"

"What?! What do I have to understand?! You should love me unconditionally! Not matter what," your voice started to get louder with each word.

"Stop right there! I won‘t be accused of not doing so. I was there when you had your first football match. I spent hours playing with you. I was there at every important game of yours." by now her voice was also loud. "It was me who was there every step of the way. It was me!" Well, the tears you tried not to spill were running down your cheeks faster than you liked. "Then what do I have to understand?" your voice was back quiet. Small. "I am your big sister. I need to protect you" her voice level back to normal. "Esme won‘t hurt me" you laid your head on Lucys shoulder while her arm went around your back. "I know. She‘s a good one" your gaze wandered to your love who was already looking at you with a smile on her face. "She is"

Maybe things weren‘t fully solved yet, but for the beginning it was a step in the right direction. And with the Bronze sisters back as a team and a World Cup ahead it could only get better.

—————————

[merrybloomwrites]

I Hear Them Calling (Chapter 1)

Story Summary: Alpha Harry Styles and omega Y/N Y/L/N meet under less than ideal circumstances. Overtime their paths will cross and they will be drawn to one another in ways they never expected.

Chapter Summary: Y/N attends her first Harry Styles concert and catches the unwanted attention of a knothead alpha. Luckily Harry and his team are able get to you in time, leading to some confusing thoughts about the popstar.

Previous Chapters: Prologue

CW: Attempted assault (nothing too graphic but it is there)

Word Count: 4.7k

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

“What do you mean you can’t go?” You ask incredulously. Going to the concert wasn’t even your idea. It was your friend Rachel’s and now she’s ditching you.

There’s a pause on the other end of the call before Rachel says, “It’s my dog. Well, my family dog that we’ve had since I was in middle school. She’s not doing well, and they think she only has a couple days left so now I have to drive back to Delaware to see her and say goodbye.”

“Oh my god, Rach, I’m so sorry!” And now you feel like a jerk for being mad at her canceling.

“Thanks. We knew it was coming but I hoped we had a few more weeks. Uhm, anyway, I need to finish packing and get on the road.”

“Of course, yea, safe trip home,” you quickly reply.

“You better take some videos of the concert and send them to me. Especially if he does something different for night one at MSG!”  

“Rachel, I’m not gonna have any idea if he’s doing stuff different from his last shows, as I have no idea what his shows are like. But I promise to send you a couple videos, okay?”

“Still can’t believe you haven’t watched any videos from tour. What rock do you live under again?” You laugh at her teasing, mostly cause it’s true. The fact that you’ve made it this far without knowing much about Harry Styles surprises even you. “Have fun for both of us tonight,” Rachel says.

“I will, give your dog a belly rub from me. Love you!”

“Love you too, bye!”

The call ends and you sit for a moment. You don’t really want to go to a concert alone, but that’s what your night now has in store. Rachel had tried calling some other people in your friend group, but they were all busy. You’d also texted your two best friends, Amelia and Violet, but it was too last minute for them to change plans and go with you.

So, alone it is.

You look at the outfit you had planned but decide against it. The leather pants and crop top ensemble isn’t exactly in your comfort zone, but Rachel chose it and wanted the two of you to match. Now that you’re on your own you switch to a pair of jean shorts with tights underneath and a flowy top, something you’re much more comfortable with. Harry’s music plays in the background while you get ready. You’d been studying the setlist to make sure you would know at least some of the songs he’ll perform. You’re happy when you find yourself singing along, showing that listening on repeat had worked.

After getting dressed you do your hair and makeup, then drive to your local train station. Living in north Jersey has its perks, and the quick train ride directly to Madison Square Garden might just be the biggest.

You get off the train and follow the trail of feathers from the boas which leads you directly to the venue. You show your ticket and are led to the entrance for the pit.

Being in the pit had also been Rachel’s idea. You’d never done that before, and you would have preferred somewhere with a seat, and honestly a better view from a higher vantage point. But you’d agreed to pit and in the weeks leading to the show you’d actually become excited to experience something new.

But now that you’re alone, you’re a bit overwhelmed. You’re one of the last people to arrive, since it’s only half an hour before the opener is set to start, so you end up hanging in the back. But even then, the large amount of people around you has you on edge.

Being a single female is hard. Guys are always hitting on women, feeling entitled to your company, not taking no for an answer. But being a single female omega is even harder. The way you see it betas have it easy, especially since they’re the majority. And alphas? Well, what do they have to worry about? They’re bigger, they’re stronger, they have their alpha voices that can command you and take away your free will if they want. Plus, they have an unmatched sense of superiority, thinking they’re so special just because of their secondary gender.

But you’re an omega. Often considered to be the weakest gender. Which is stupid. You’re the gender that gives birth, which takes way more strength than alphas could ever possess. And yet you’re still looked down upon by plenty of people in society.

So, you choose to hide your secondary gender. Only your family members plus Ameila and Violet know the truth. You don’t need anyone judging you based on one little trait.

Going out in public, especially at places as crowded as MSG always gives you anxiety. You never know if a knothead alpha is going to be there and literally sniff you out as an omega. But you trust your suppressants and soothers and, most importantly, your scent blockers, to do their jobs and hide your omega status from the strangers around you.

The pills have never failed in you in the eight years since you started taking them. You have no reason to doubt them now.

And yet, you can’t help but feel uneasy about the attention a certain man in the crowd is giving you. He is undoubtedly an alpha, one that for sure does not use scent blockers. In fact, you’re almost convinced he’s doing something to broadcast his scent, somehow make it even stronger. It’s an unpleasant odor, one that practically burns your nose, but you pretend you can’t smell it. Afterall, a beta wouldn’t be able to notice the scent.

But as much as you try to ignore the scent, going so far as to move to the entire other side of the pit, it still lingers. Because you are most definitely being followed. Seemingly casual glances at the crowd around you shows that the man has moved with you.

Going closer to the stage is the last thing you want to do, but getting deeper in the crowd might be what you need to shake off the man. The girls around you gladly welcome you and make space for you to join. A moment later the opening act starts to play, and you no longer smell the alpha. You’re relieved and get into the music for a few minutes.

Then the girls around you start to move, and you hear them say something about the bathroom. You decide to go with them since you could use a bathroom break and there will be safety in numbers. You keep your head down and casually follow, in hopes that the man won’t see you leaving the crowd.

Only once in the bathroom do you lift your head up. There’s a small line since most people are out listening to the first band. A moment later it’s your turn and you enter the stall. After using the restroom, you notice a large rip in your tights. You look at them, hoping they can be considered fashionably torn, but then you see another hole and decide to give up on them altogether.

It takes you a couple minutes to get rid of them, needing basically to fully undress from the waist down to get them off. Finally, you’re put together again, and you exit the stall, throw out the destroyed tights, and wash your hands. You notice that the group you came with is gone. In fact, the entire bathroom is now empty.

You sigh, disappointed that you’re on your own again, but you suck it up and start making your way back to the pit.

The second you walk out the bathroom door you smell it. Him. That acrid, somehow fishy, definitely revolting scent that alerts you that the alpha is nearby.

Before you even see him you hear him say, “Be quiet, and follow me.”

Shit. That’s an alpha command. You’re aware of that fact, but unable to fight it. You want to run, go back to the crowd, but you have no choice but to follow this man deeper into the back hallways. You want to scream, but every time you open your mouth, no sound comes out.

He leads you to a deserted corner, pushing you so your back is against a wall, and says, “Now stay quiet, and don’t move.”

Again, you do as he says, not only because of the command that you have to follow, but also due to the fear paralyzing you to the spot and rendering you silent.

“What a good little omega,” he says as he walks closer. He leans towards your neck, breath ghosting over your mating spot, and a loud whimper escapes you.

Realizing that you don’t need words to call for help, you begin to let out whines and whimpers as well as release distressed pheromones. Sure, you have scent blockers, but they’re not perfect and fear this strong will surely overpower them. You hope it’s enough to alert any other alphas nearby that there is an omega in danger.

You see the anger cross the man’s face, note the furious pheromones he’s releasing, but before he even reacts, your world goes dark.

***

Harry’s stylist is putting the finishing touches on his hair when there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Harry says.

The door opens and he sees his band standing just outside the room.

“Blood Orange is about to start,” his drummer, Sarah, says. “You coming to watch with us?”

“Yea, of course. I’ll join you in a minute.”

As soon as he’s left alone, Harry takes some calming breaths. Night one of fifteen consecutive sold out shows at Madison Square Garden. He can’t believe how far he’s come in his career. He takes another deep breath, reminding himself that he’s worked hard for this, that he’s completely ready.

After spraying one more dose of scent blockers, he walks out of his room and goes through the hallways to find his band. They’re at the end of one hall, standing at the opening they’ll use later to walk to the stage. Harry joins them, making sure they’re all back far enough that they are still hidden from the fans.

Harry mingles with his band while they wait for the opener to start their set. But after a minute, Harry starts to get an uneasy feeling. He himself isn’t nervous or scared, so he really doesn’t understand where this sudden anxiety is coming from.

Harry looks around and sees a worried look on Sarah’s face. Aside from Harry himself, Sarah is the only other Alpha in the band. So the fact that they both have a sudden bad feeling while the betas around them seem unbothered has Harry on edge.

He begins to look for any type of potential threat. Right away he notices that the two Alpha security guards are scanning the area as well, hinting that they’ve picked up on the same thing. One of them walks away to start looking for anything that could be going wrong.

Blood Orange takes the stage, and that anxious feeling seems to go away. Harry checks with Sarah and she’s feeling better too, so they assume whatever was wrong has been taken care of.

Everyone enjoys the first few songs, and suddenly, the feeling comes back, way stronger than before. Harry’s alpha is immediately alert. He starts moving before he even realizes what he’s doing. He hears footsteps and sees Sarah and a security guard following close behind.

None of them know exactly where the trouble is, they just follow their instincts through the backstage hallways. Suddenly, the feeling of overwhelming terror hits them, and they can faintly hear whimpers coming from a distressed omega.

They start to run in the direction the sounds are coming from. Rounding a corner, they come across a scene that has their blood boiling.

There’s a female omega, seemingly unconscious, being physically held up against a wall by a male alpha.

“Let her go,” Harry growls out using his alpha voice. It’s less effective on the man than it would be on an omega, but his grip on the girl involuntarily loosens. Harry and the security guard move in to pull the alpha off, and Sarah runs forward to catch the girl.

More security guards move in and drag the alpha away to be questioned.

Harry’s focus shifts to the omega now being held in Sarah’s lap on the floor. Adrenaline is still coursing through Harry’s body, but he feels himself relaxing faster than he thought possible. That’s when he realizes Sarah is releasing calming pheromones. He immediately works to do the same, rather than continue to broadcast the anger he’s feeling.

He knows his emotions can affect the vulnerable omega, and the last thing he wants to do is cause her most stress.

His most pressing worry is that she’s dropped. It wouldn’t be all that surprising. Omegas tend to drop during stressful situations. This can be dangerous for a number of reasons, especially if they don’t have a trusted alpha to keep them safe while they’re under.

Not only can they not protect their bodies, but a drop can also be a scary experience mentally. Omegas have described it as feeling untethered, like they’re stuck in darkness, unable to find a way out. There are good drops as well, ones you go into on purpose to give your mind rest. This is always done when there is an alpha there to hold and scent them and keep them safe and grounded throughout.

But if this is a drop, Harry knows it would be a bad one, and they’d need to gently bring her up immediately.

“Sarah?” Harry says to get the other alpha’s attention.

“Yes?” she replies, not taking her eyes off the girl.

“Do you think she’s dropped?”

“No. At least not fully. I can still catch a bit of her scent. If she went fully under it would have disappeared completely.”

There’s movement all around them, members of venue security and Harry’s team all coming and going to ensure everyone is safe. Music and loud cheers can be heard, meaning the opening act if still playing, that the show was not interrupted by what happened backstage.

Harry and Sarah are focused solely on the omega, until they hear a familiar male voice say, “There you guys are. Sarah, you scared the shit out of me running off like that.”

She looks up at her husband, Mitch, and smiles sheepishly before saying, “Sorry, I really didn’t think. We heard her distressed whines and just reacted.”

“Is she okay?” Mitch asks, crouching down to be level with the group on the floor.

“We think so,” Harry answers. “There was an alpha who had her cornered. Not sure what exactly he was planning but it was obviously nothing good. She was unconscious when we got to her. Just wish she’d wake up so we can check that she’s really unharmed.”

“Is she in a drop?” Mitch asks. Being a beta he’s not as knowledgeable about these things but he knows enough to be concerned about the girl.

“No, definitely not a full drop. But I’ve been flooding the area with calming pheromones and she’s still not waking up,” Sarah says worriedly.

“Maybe she just senses unknown alphas around her. Why don’t I try holding her and you guys move away a bit?” He senses how reluctant they are to move away from the omega, but eventually they listen to Mitch.

He settles on the ground and Sarah passes the omega to him before moving to give them space. After another minute the girl begins to stir, groggily at first before her eyes shoot open and she jumps up to move away from all the people around her. They watch cautiously, unsure what to do with the sudden change in the situation.

***

For awhile you’re stuck in the dark. This isn’t a drop, not really. You’ve only ever dropped twice but you can tell there’s a difference this time. You’re still aware of what’s going on around you, even if the details are fuzzy.

The alpha is gone. That you know for sure. The awful smell is gone, replaced by a much more pleasant one. It’s a mix of black tea and maybe the ocean? Whatever it is reminds you of early morning walks on the beach during family vacations. You relax more into this scent, and then notice that fresh laundry smell which always means someone is releasing calming pheromones.

You start to relax, the adrenaline slowly leaving your body. You can still sense multiple alphas, which keeps you a bit on edge. You try to open your eyes, but you’re still in a deep fog, probably due to the mix of intense emotions and the multiple alpha commands you’d been subjected to.

You don’t realize that someone is holding you until they shift and place you in another person’s arms. The alpha scent fades and you know the person now holding you is for sure a beta.

Finally, you manage to open your eyes. It takes a moment for you to get your bearings, but when you do, you’re overwhelmed, and honestly a bit embarrassed. Harry Styles, the Harry Styles, the world-famous popstar you’re here to see, is sitting across the hall from you, studying you closely. Next to him is a woman you recognize as his drummer.

After these discoveries, you fully realize your current position; that you’re being held in someone’s lap. One glance at the man shows it’s Harry’s guitarist. You’re no longer embarrassed. No, now you’re completely mortified. You quickly extract yourself from his hold and stand up, looking at the group, totally speechless.

They slowly stand as well, all looking at you. And not just them, but the other dozen or so people that are still in the hallway. There are so many eyes on you, watching you, and you just want to disappear.

Picking up on your unease, Harry says, “Why don’t we go somewhere less exposed, hm? You can hang in my dressing room and maybe have a medic look you over if that’s alright?”

Without thinking you begin to nod your head, just wanting to get somewhere quiet with less people. He reaches out as though to place his hand on your back and lead you but seems to think again and pulls his arm back. Instead, he walks ahead, and you follow, Mitch and Sarah coming as well.

You arrive at the room, groaning when you see more people waiting there. One’s the medic Harry mentioned, another is obviously a police officer, and the third is a man you don’t recognize.

“Harry, need to you choose your outfit and get dressed. We’ll take care of, uhm, sorry I didn’t catch your name,” says the man.

“Oh, I’m Y/N,” you say immediately, surprised at just how scratchy your voice comes out.

Sarah must pick up on it because she asks you, “Would you like a cup of tea love?”

You can’t help but smile and let out a laugh at that.

“What’s go funny?” she asks, smiling as well.

“It’s just, your scent, it definitely smells like tea. And the first thing you say to me is about tea. Sorry, I know it’s not polite to comment on someone else’s smell,” you finish, head lowering in a new wave of embarrassment.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m not offended,”

“Plus, you’re right,” Harry adds. “Swear I can’t make a cup of tea without thinking of her.”

“Aw, H, you think of me? How sweet,” she says with a joking tone.

“Real sweet,” Mitch says, then adds, “But stay away from my girl.”

You smile watching the easy interaction, happy to be distracted by their banter, sipping on the tea Sarah brings you.

That is until the man, whom you’ve learned is Harry’s manager, Jeff, reminds Harry that he’s supposed to be getting dressed, and the cop and medic walk over to you. There’s a table in one corner of the room and they lead you to it.

“Y/N, I’m Kate, I’m just going to get your vitals and check you over to make sure you’re okay, is that alright with you?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” you reply.

“And I’m Officer Michaels, is it okay if I ask you some questions about the incident tonight?"

“Of course.”

And so, as Kate does a quick exam you tell the whole story to the officer, starting with the uneasy feeling when you first noticed the man, all the way to him using his alpha voice to corner you in a back hallway.

Harry had reentered the room by this point, dressed in his show outfit and looking completely ready to get on stage. But he’s making no moves to leave the room, even though Jeff is reminding him the show is supposed to start in five minutes. Mitch and Sarah leave to finish getting ready themselves.

“Are we all set here?” You ask Kate and Officer Michaels.

“I have everything I need,” he replies. Kate adds, “Everything checks out just fine,” and they both exit the room as well.

This leaves you with just Harry and Jeff.

“Great, so I guess I should go back to the pit then?” You knew you were holding everything up and didn’t want to be more in the way than you already have been.

“Actually, Y/N, it would probably be best if you stay here for the show. Jeff, can you go grab Jada for me?”

The man nods, leaving you alone in the room with Harry. He motions to the couch, inviting you to sit and you do so. He sits on the coffee table facing you.

“I know you want to see the concert, and I know the man is gone, but I have to admit, my alpha is a bit on edge right now. To be completely honest, I don’t know if I could go out there and perform if you’re not completely safe. I would really like it if you stayed in this room and watched the concert on the TV over there. I promise to get you and your friends tickets to another show, alright?”

You’re taken aback by this, surprised by how much he seems to care about you, a random fan he’s never met before. And knowing that his alpha was triggered by what happened to the point where it’s still uneasy is a pretty big deal. That normally doesn’t happen with strangers. Sarah was no longer worried, and the alpha security guards were completely fine the second they caught the man.

So why was Harry’s alpha still calling the shots? It would make sense if you were partners, or at the very least, friends. Maybe Harry does truly care that deeply about all of his fans. That must be it. Because it certainly can’t be you in particular. There’s nothing special about you, other than being a damsel in distress and nearly derailing his show.

He must see the confusion on your face and continues, “Jada will be here in a moment, and she’ll hang out with you. Anything you need, just ask her. I won’t see you after the show, I leave right from the stage, but talk to Jada and Jeff and they’ll make sure you get home safely.”

“Okay, thank you so much for everything,” you reply.

“Of course. It’s the least I can do. Y/N, I am so very sorry something like this happened to you here. I always want this to be a fun, safe place for everyone.”

“It’s not your fault. Please, don’t feel bad. It is completely that knothead’s fault. You guys are the ones that saved me.”

He reaches forward and places his hand on top of yours, just for a second. Your hand tingles as he pulls away, like a bolt of electricity had just gone through it. You meet his eyes, and see he felt it too. You stare at each other, frozen for a moment, until there’s another knock at the door.

Harry stands quickly and introduces you to Jada as she joins you on the couch.

“Okay, I have to go before Jeff kills me. Y/N please give Jada your contact info so we can get those new tickets to you. Get some safe,” he says.

“Thank you, break a leg,” you reply and a second later he’s gone.

You talk to Jada throughout the start of the show, smiling as she lets you in on some behind the scenes info about the tour. After a few songs she asks if there’s anything she can get you.

“I actually have kind of a weird favor. I was supposed to come with a friend, but she couldn’t come at the last minute. I promised to send her videos and she’s going to be suspicious if I don’t have any. Would you be able to take a couple videos from the pit? I just don’t want to have to explain what happened. At least, not yet.”

“Of course, girl, I’ve got you. I’ll go get a couple of the next songs. Are you okay in here? There’s security outside the door so no one will be able to get in.”

“Yea, I’ll be fine,” you reply with a smile.

She walks out and you sink into the couch, grateful for a few minutes alone. Everyone has been so lovely, but it’s been a lot, and you need a minute just to breathe. You close your eyes, relaxing your body, and when you’re fully calm, you smell it.

There’s another alpha scent, but not one of a person nearby. No, it’s in the fabric of the couch. And the blanket next to you. And the shirt draped over the back of the couch.

It’s Harry’s scent. And it’s amazing. So clean, and fresh, with hints of chocolate, and the forest, and something sweet. Maybe roses, you think. Definitely a hint of floral. And once you catch the scent, it’s all you can think about, like it’s wrapped you in a warm hug. You feel better than you have in hours, the stress of the day fully washing away.

Even when Jada comes back, Harry’s smell is what you focus on the most. She notices you’re quieter than before and must assume you’re just tired from everything that has happened. She goes back out towards the end of the show to grab another video and you can’t help yourself. You turn to the side, right where the shirt is, and purposely take a deep breath. It’s almost overwhelming, your omega telling you to steal the shirt so you’ll always have the delicious scent with you.

That snaps you back to reality. You need to get your omega under control. You’re just like every other fan, thirsting for the amazing Harry Styles. Get a grip, you tell your omega. He’ll never be ours, don’t get attached.

Jada comes back, the show ends, and she leads you to a car that will bring you home. She asks for your car keys and ensures someone else will grab it from the station and drop it off at your place. She rides with you back to your home, along with a security guard.

You exchange numbers during the drive and breathe a sigh of relief when your apartment building comes into view. It’s been an exhausting day, and you can’t wait for a hot shower and your comfy bed.

You thank Jada for everything and notice them waiting for you to get safely inside before driving away.

You scorch your skin in the shower, put on your comfiest pajamas, and burrow under your covers.

You fall asleep that night not thinking of the horrible alpha, and the horrors of the day, but rather of green eyes, soft hands on yours, and the delicious scent that can only belong to Harry.

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

A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, (requests), please let me know!

I hope I got everyone who asked to be added to the taglist. If I didn't get you or you want to me added just leave a comment or a message!

Taglist: @akkatz @pandeebearstyles @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite@theekyliepage@numafarawayglxy @booberry019-blog @hillzrry@ssareidbby @gem1712 @acesofspadess@houseofdilfs@shaquille-0atmeal-1@kissitnhekitchen @amateurduck @poguestyleskye@n0vaj3an@snwells@drunk-teens-doing-drugs ; @fdl305 @creativelyeva @daphnesutton @selluequestrian @lovingfurypanda @stardream14 @tbsloneely @eversincehs1

[imfinereallyy]

The Long Con

I saw this tik tok edit of Rachel McAdams in the movie Hot Chick where she gets a milkshake on house (and she's just totally playing the guy) and for some odd reason this spiraled me into thinking about Conman!Steve and Mob Boss!Eddie. So here is my brainrot I guess. Maybe I'll do more parts or make something longer on ao3 if people like it.

Steve wasn't one to not think things through. Yes, he was aware that it was a double negative. He played up the dumb part quite often, but Steve wasn't actually stupid. So it was all part of the game, really.

Steve loved the game. The rush, the push, and the pull of tricking someone, getting them for all their worth. Steve loved the game because it was fun. Steve loved the game because he got to use horrible people for his very lavish lifestyle. There was nothing like living rich by feeding off the rich. Well, he was trying to do that, at least. See, Steve, although good at what he did, he burned through money faster than you could say savings. It wasn't his fault, really. He used to be better at keeping track. Always made sure to have enough, just in case. Hadn't needed to worry about anyone but himself. Because the only thing Steve truly loved for a long time was the game itself.

But then he met people along the way, misfits and criminals like himself that he couldn't help spoiling. The only person who seemed to catch his problem was Robin, but even she couldn't resist a new hard drive for her computer. It's how she made her own money, after all.

Despite his problem with spoiling everyone, Steve always thought things through. He followed the rules of the game without rules and continued to fill his pockets, scamming the deserving and cruel. But sometimes, sometimes for Steve... his abilities and bad habits sometimes, well, overlapped. Sometimes, Steve could have been better at choosing the right people to care about. He was getting better at it, he swears. He let go of the wrong ones a long, long time ago.

But sometimes they came back begging.

Tommy had been someone from his life before. Before being on his own, back when purple and blue were his father's favorite colors to paint him with. It was a time before the game, a time that, although he tries to forget, had a grip on him.

So when Tommy called, seeking forgiveness, seeking help, Steve caved quickly. He would always be that same little boy, looking for love from a past that wasn't there. Tommy wasn't his parents, sure, but it was as close as he would get.

So, yes, steve normally thought things through, but there was the rare occasion, there was the exception to the rule, where Steve majorly fucked up.

He was in Boston when it happened. Even though years ago, Steve swears he would never be going back. He's in a small diner two blocks away from main street. And he had just finished getting Tommy's money back. Steve always celebrated with one of three things: drinks, sex, or milkshakes.

And Steve wanted out of Boston as fast as possible, so he went for his quickest and sometimes tastiest tradition.

"How much do I owe you?" Steve smiled innocently at the waiter, giving his best babygirl face.

The waiter bit his lips as he tried not to stare at Steve's mouth, "It's okay, it's on the house."

Steve licked part of his free milkshake off his finger, "Really?" Steve's voice was an octave higher just for the waiter. He could tell he was someone who had a preference for men, and most likely had a problem with letting go of his masculinity. So Steve knew the more feminine, the better. Steve couldn't help the sly grin that stretched across his face when the waiter got flustered. He was an attention whore; sue him.

His waiter—huh, Andy, according to his name tag—looked like he was about to say something when a throat cleared behind him.

"Andy, doll, you might be wanting to get back to the kitchen for a minute." A deep voice said behind Andy. It sent chills down Steve's spine. The Boston accent with a slight tilt of Irish was enough to captivate him. Andy moved faster than the speed of light at the command.

When Andy disappeared, with his tail between his legs no less, the most beautiful man Steve's ever seen revealed himself. A tall, pale, curly brunette stood before him in a suit with a ripped-up band tee underneath. It shouldn't look good, and it shouldn't look professional, but it did. Steve saw tattoos peeking out from exposed skin, piercings all over his ears, and enough jewelry to start a store. Steve was bewitched.

The mystery man smiled, hands in his pockets, and leaned down slightly into Steve's space. "Oh, sweetheart, I have been looking for you everywhere."

Steve stayed silent, drinking him in; he smelt of mint, smoke, and morning rain.

The man slid into the booth, put his arms on the table, and made a little beat with his knuckles on the plastic. Then, Steve noticed the words "Hell Fire" across his knuckles. Steve's heart sunk to his stomach. He had heard of those hands before. Those hands were famous.

The man leaned his face against his right fist. "Hell" pushed into his cheekbone. "The name is Eddie Munson, love." Eddie looked Steve up and down. "But I think you've already figured that out by now, haven't ya?"

Steve steeled himself. He should be okay. He hadn't wronged this man before, but something, something was telling Steve that he most definitely had. The look in his sweet abyss of eyes told him as much.

A smirk stretched across Eddie's face, and suddenly he kicked the leather bag next to Steve's feet under the table. Steve's cheek twitched slightly for a millisecond, but it was enough to give him away. "It seems here... like you and Hagan have stolen quite a bit of money from me." Eddie tsk-tsked while Steve's heart dropped from his stomach to his feet. Tommy screwed him.

"And that love, well, that just won't do."Steve had never seen such a sweet smile feel so deadly. "So, Sunshine, I am going to make you a deal, and you would be smart to take it."

Steve wasn't actually dumb, but yes, he most definitely did not think this through.

________

Sooo thoughts? I was going to write more but if this was a flop, I didn't want to put my heart in soul into it. But I did spiral a bit with it. Whoops!

edit: I made some grammatical changes but that's it. I realized I kept switching tense changes when I was writing in present, so I changed it to past. I'm much more comfortable with it. Let me know if there are any more errors.

part 2: here

[ninja-muse]

As you can tell, my plan to acquire only two books this month went perfectly. No notes. 😰 On the upside, four of these I did not pay for and only one of them was full price, so it’s like I saved money.

I really do need to get better at reading off my physical TBR though. I’ve started a Storygraph challenge for myself, so we’ll see how that goes.

July started with a bookish bang: there was the planned bookstore visit (three books bought, not two, but I unhauled ten and used my credit), and then my dad came down so we could marathon the local Shakespeare festival, which was great! And somehow not the Shakespeare overdose I was worried about, and they nailed the play we were worried they weren’t going to.

After that, it’s been business as usual. I feel like I’m behind in my reading because Malady of the Mind took so long to get through, but honestly, I suspect I’m not because I’ve been blowing through lighter fiction on the side. The library’s finally getting April releases into circulation though, so I’ve had physical reads from them again. (Which will totally help my physical TBR goals, I know.) Very much looking forward to The Library Thief, which I picked up this week.

The only other noteworthy thing of the month is I discovered my library has an ebook of Rose/House by Arkady Martine! Except it’s in French, so it’s been taking me a bit to get through. I might not even get it done before it’s due back, but if so I’ll just check it out again because it is good, just … in French.

Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.

Malady of the Mind - Jeffery A. Lieberman

A history of schizophrenia, with a hopeful ending.

10/10

warning: detailed descriptions of the symptoms of schizophrenia and past and present medical and societal treatments of the mentally ill

reading copy

The Reappearance of Rachel Price - Holly Jackson

Bel’s participating in a documentary about the disappearance of her mother sixteen years ago when her mom walks back in the door. Now nothing is okay.

8.5/10

Black British secondary character

warning: kidnapping, gaslighting, psychological abuse

library ebook

The Pairing - Casey McQuiston

Theo is over Kit. Four years over, which means there’s enough distance to take their dream European food tour solo and close the book. Except Kit had the same idea. Out in August.

8/10

🏳️��🌈 protagonists (bi man, bi enby), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary and incidental characters (sapphic, achillean), 🏳️‍🌈 author

reading copy

Dear Wendy - Ann Zhao

Two aroace teens start competing college advice columns. Professionally they’re rivals. Unknowingly, they’re becoming friends.

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (aroace), Chinese-American protagonist, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (lesbian, bi, demisexual), Indian-American secondary character, Black secondary character, Latin secondary character, Chinese-American author, 🏳️‍🌈 author

warning: aceophobia

library book

Goodnight Tokyo - Atsuhiro Yoshida

Interwoven stories about nighttime life in Tokyo. A prop procurer seeks the perfect items, a crack detective seeks his father’s films, a diner owner seeks a past customer, and more.

7/10

Japanese cast, Japanese author

reading copy

Peking Duck and Cover - Vivien Chien

Lana’s helping run the Chinese New Year celebrations at Asia Village and everything’s going great—until someone kills a lion dancer.

7/10

Taiwanese-American protagonist, largely Chinese-American cast, Taiwanese-American author

warning: gun violence

borrowed from work

The Tomb of the Mili Mongga - Samuel Turvey

A conservationist seeking fossils in Indonesia is sidetracked by a local legend of a giant wild man, and along the way muses on extinction, human cultures, folklore, and our place in the world.

7.5/10

Indonesian secondary characters

library book

My Love in Stitches, Vol. 1 - Emily Gossmann

Frankie’s trying to get her life together when she meets Momo, but dating her is going to be hard. First, she needs a job, and also their friends are dead set on keeping them apart….

7/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 author, 🇨🇦

kickstarted/off my TBR

The Dishonest Miss Take - Faye Murphy

Desperate to clear her name after a murder she didn't commit, a superpowered former villain stumbles onto a mystery—and a curious assassin. Out in September.

5.5/10

🏳️‍🌈 protagonist (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic)

digital reading copy/won

Picture Books

It’s Raining Bats & Frogs - Rebecca Colby

The witch parade is in danger of being rained out but one young witch has the solution. Or does she?

Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom - Cate Berry

Scorch is going to be the biggest, baddest hedgehog ever, no matter what.

Into the Goblin Market - Vikki VanSickle

Two sisters live near the goblin market. When one seeks out its temptations, the other follows to save her.

Reread

Timeline - Michael Crichton

In the late 1990s, a tech company finds a way to send people to the Hundred Years’ War. Immediately, things go wrong.

7/10

warning: misogyny, attempted sexual violence

library ebook

Currently reading

A Gentleman from Japan - Thomas Lockley

The true story of a Japanese man who found himself at the court of Elizabeth I.

warning: slavery, orientalism

library book

Rose/House - Arkady Martine

There is a body within Rose House—two, if you count its architect, who ordered the house shuttered with his passing and left to its AI. Only one person is allowed to enter now, and she’s accounted for. And yet there is a body within Rose House….

library ebook

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

Victorian detective stories.

disabled POV character (limb injury), occasional Indian secondary characters

warning: racism, colonialism

Monthly total: 9 + 1 + 3 Yearly total: 68 Queer books: 4 Authors of colour: 3 Books by women: 5 Authors outside the binary: 1 Canadian authors: 1 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 11 ARCs acquired: 4 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 0

January February March April May June

[jomiddlemarch]

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds

Walter had died a week ago and Gilbert didn’t want to go home. He sat at his desk and pretended to himself there was another prescription to write or that he’d told John Campbell to call round when he could, there might be something Gilbert could do for his bad hip, something he’d seen in a medical journal, the receipt for a liniment that truly was better than the salve old Mrs. Thelma Morrison stirred up of an evening, more efficacious and less likely to advertise his arrival with the rank scent of ramps crushed in tallow.

It was a lie.

There was no work yet to be done that would keep him, unless there was some queer version of mercy at play that would deliver a fisherman with a hook deep in his palm, calling for finesse and patience, the lamp lit against the dark.

It was quiet, the voices in the harbor hushed or still, and there was nothing more for him to do but admit the truth.

He simply didn’t want to go home.

It was not that the house would be empty, though that would be its own grief he knew. To go home to Ingleside and find no lamp lit against the dusk, no Anne on the sofa with a basket of mending and a book marked with a frayed scrap of ribbon, no Susan banging about in the kitchen, no Rilla dandling Jims on her knee, cheeks pink with a self-righteous spite as she complained about her Junior Reds, so much like her mother had been at the same age. The rooms all too big, the silence too loud.

And agony and yet, a surcease.

The house was full. Anne and her suffering, her grey eyes dark, her hair dressed very simply, beyond any attempt at vanity, drifted from the sitting room to their bedroom, aimless or beyond settling. Susan, cooking up whatever she thought might tempt one of them to take more than a few bites, catching herself about to mention Walter every third sentence, Miss Cornelia coming by with a basket of baked goods Gilbert would bring on his rounds to prevent wasting the food that no one in the house would eat. Rilla with her sisters, Nan and Di home from the college, all three reminding Gilbert of nothing more than a wilted nosegay, Nan and Rilla’s eyes reddened from weeping, Di’s lips bitten, chapped, her bright hair bundled back in an old-fashioned snood she’d have previously mocked in amused derision, the littlest Meredith girl sitting beside them, too thin, too pale. She’d been in love with Walter, that was clear now, and it was no longer charming or worth shaking his head over ruefully.

So many broken hearts. None he could fix.

Jem didn’t know yet, nor Shirley. He and Anne had agreed not to cable or write either of them. There was nothing they could do but grieve for their brother but that grief might be a distraction they could ill afford. The girls hadn’t argued as he’d expected and it was Rilla who’d spoken up, saying Let him be alive a little longer then while Nan crumpled up the letter she’d been writing to Jerry Meredith.

She would have been telling him about Walter. She wouldn’t risk him, nor the rare chance that he’d come across Shirley or Jem and mention Walter’s death. It was impossible to think Jerry would simply run into Jem in the trenches, except that stranger things had happened and Walter, his inquisitive little boy with his mother’s eyes, had been lost to them. His name on a telegram was all they’d get unless some officer in his battalion had the wherewithal to pack up his few remaining personal belongings and send them back to Ingleside on a ship that didn’t get sunk crossing the Atlantic.

Impossible.

Real.

His office was a place of relative respite. Walter had spent little time there, not interested in doctoring, not like Jem or Di, and so he couldn’t haunt it. There were charts to review and journals to leaf through, and no one came who wanted him to be anything else other than Doctor Blythe.

Not Dad. Not Gil dear.

His own parents, thank God, were dead. Marilla too and Mrs. Rachel. 

The clock ticked. He’d have to leave soon enough.

The face that peered in through the door after the briefest, smartest rap, was not one he’d have ever expected.

“I was sent to fetch you, but we can go the long way back,” Mary Vance said. In the failing light of evening, her queer, pale eyes gleamed like the stones he’d liked to skip across Willowmere when he’d idled on the way home from Green Gables. There was a sturdiness to her shoulders and the set of her chin that had become reassuring to a man who now lived in a house of wraiths. She was twenty-three, just a year younger than Jem, a woman grown and not a girl, though she’d no pretense to vanity in her person or tone. Practical and imperturbable, she was one of the few people he could think of he needn’t take care of.

“Mrs. Blythe sent you?” he asked. He tried not to hope Anne had worried enough to speak of it.

“Mrs. Elliott,” Mary shrugged. She knew he would be disappointed, but she wouldn’t lie. “Said you’d soon be needing a doctor yourself if you missed your supper and she doesn’t think highly of Susan’s fish pie in any case.”

“Fish pie,” Gilbert repeated, getting up from his chair and reaching for his overcoat. He ought to be made of sterner stuff, the autumn only just beginning, but he’d been cold at the marrow since he’d learned of his son’s death.

“Mackerel. Had a good catch, down at the cove. I s’pose old Susan thought as long as it was pie, you’d like it,” Mary replied. She smiled, not coaxing but wry, suddenly reminded him of his mother. Neither was much given to effusiveness or cossetting.

“Susan’s not old and it’s not kind to say it,” Gilbert said.

“But it’s not too rude to hear it,” Mary countered. “She was born old, Miss Baker, and if you told her that, she’d be proud of it.”

He laughed then, a startled, almost choked sound he hadn’t known he was capable of, but she’d been so apt and so matter-of-fact…

“You’re quite observant, you’d make a good doctor,” he said.

“Maybe. Not for the likes of me, all that education. And I’m too blunt,” she replied.

“A nurse then,” Gilbert said.

“The War won’t last forever,” she said. “When it’s over, it won’t all be an agony. Sickbeds and wounds to be stitched. There’ll be other lives to live. Work to do. Dreams, for the ones who put stock in such things.”

“Not for everyone,” he said. His boy, gone away, his voice silenced. It hurt worse than little Joy, who’d never asked just one more question, Papa, at bedtime, before Jem had convinced him to call Gil Dad or Father, who’d never made him notice the dappled light of the woods or made him laugh calming Rilla down from her rage at being called Spider.

“No,” Mary said and Gilbert braced himself for the consolation. The balance. Walter died with honor. He’d had his poem read round the world. He’d made his peace with it. 

It happened. People died young.

Ruby Gillis.

Kenneth West.

Captain Jim’s lost Margaret.

Walter Blythe.

“Mrs. Elliott will have my hide if I don’t get you back before she leaves and Marshall gets antsy left to his own devices,” Mary said. She pulled a very large, very clean white handkerchief from the pocket of her coat and handed it to him. “But we can still take the long way back. I’ll manage the driving.”

“Marigold needs a light hand,” Gilbert said. 

“I’ll manage, Doctor Blythe. You needn’t worry about me,” Mary said. She gave him another sharp look. “I’ll take the hankie back before we’re at Ingleside. Mrs. Blythe and old Susan won’t be bothered. And Rilla’s war-baby said a half-dozen new words today, so they’re in decent spirits. It’s just the pie you’ve got to choke down.”

[igotanidea]

It was worth it :Dick Grayson x f!reader

Massive thanks to @pinkcherryblossom18 for letting me use her idea for this story: Titans!Dick who unexpectedly shows up at his old friend house to seek help for Rachel, even though he knows how pissed said friend is going to be at him. So, the girl is just spending the day with her adoptive mother, Selina Kyle, planning on doing sth fun when someone knocks on the door. And even after being welcomed in a vigilante/villain style, Dick still thinks it was worth showing at reader's doorstep.

“So…..” Selina started stretching her arms lazily and leaning back on the couch, crossing her legs

“So what?”  the younger girl, her not-so-official adoptive daughter rolled her eyes trying not to show how annoyed she was

“So, I was thinking about a little bit of a mother-daughter time would be fun….”

“You’re not my mother.” The girl pointed out. They may not have been related, but during the years Selina Kyle raised Y/N Y/L/N the latter took a lot from her. Teasing and playing around was definitely one of those traits.  “But I’m listening. Honestly, it’s getting boring living in this hell hole. God, I miss Gotham sometimes.”

“From what I can tell you keep yourself rather busy” Selina leaned down and grabbed one of the stray cats Y/N was taking care of, absentmindedly starting to rub its fur, much to the animal’s delight “Such a cutie” she purred at it “though I miss this freaking city too. Sometimes.”

“Let me guess why” the girl smirked “I bet it’s because of one particular Gotham vigilante…”

“Watch your tongue, dear. Such insinuations are way beyond your level. I taught you better.”

“Yeah, yeah you did. No matter how hard I try I always get back to the old ways.”

“Call it instinct, honey.” Selina flashed a smile and fluttered her eyelashes.

“Oh, stop it. Can’t fool me with that trick” Y/N rolled her eyes again “Cut to the chase”

“You won’t let me have my fun, do you?” Selina sighed dramatically but soon turned back to her calculated self. “You know, there’s a new boutique on the 34th. We can go full fashion. My wardrobe really need some renewal and judging from your T-shirt, yours as well.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Y/N took a quick glance at her hoodie and tilted her head. “besides all the cut fur, of course.”

“Oh, honey….” Selina sighed “I’m gone for what? Two weeks….”

“Two months.” The girl corrected crossing her arms

“And you’re already turning into someone …. Ordinary. Such a shame. I really need to get you back in shape. What do you say? A little shopping spree. Don’t you miss that thrill?” she smiled and a few flashbacks run through Y/N’s head. One of them of how one night when she and Selina were running the streets after one particularly good action and surprisingly were stopped by two male-counterparts. But. Putting that aside, Y/N did miss some action and night blood rush. The cold night air on her face as she was jumping from one rooftop to another. The chills and adrenaline when she was flexing and doing her most crazy acrobatic shit. The act she put on while flirting with whoever could her to the object of interest, pretending to be innocent and gullible only to show her mastermind and perfect plan behind all of this. She was smart, she was shrewd, fast-think and ….. lazy. As much as she hated to admit it, moving out and being left all by herself made her…. Unwilling. Selina was right. It was such a shame that of late her abilities were going to waste.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Selina asked a bit worried about her protégé.

“Nothing” the girl shook her head “But….. can I ask you a question?”

“I don’t need to answer, right?”

“Actually, I would like you to answer. Please” Y/N looked at Selina with pleading, honest and sad expression and it moved something inside the Catwoman’s heart.

“All right. Don’t make me go all soft on you.” she hissed covering all the feelings raising in her chest. Despite everything, she treated Y/n as a daughter (or maybe younger sister, since thinking of herself as mother made her feel old. “What is it?”

“How do you still find all of it funny and thrilling?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You know. For me, the best part wasn;t the fact that we… I…. was doing something forbidden. It was rather the part of being chased. And sometimes, getting caught. And… you know…..” Y/n’s cheeks were now a bit flushed and Selina knew exactly what, or rather who she was referring to.

“Oh, honey. You really do need something to get your mind off things” she gently caressed girl’s face. “you reminiscence too much and that is no good. We’re going tonight. Hope you can still use that charm of yours.”

“Right” Y/N looked down. “I…..” before she could say a thing she was cut off by a firm knock on the door “Sorry, let me just check who intend on ruining my evening.”

Unwillingly she stood up from the couch and with a couple quiet long steps opened the door.

“I’m not interested in whatever you are selling so leave …. Oh, shit…..”

“Hi Y/N” the young man on the other side smiled lightly and awkwardly.

“No.” Y/N was quick to reach the frame and shut the door close. What the hell!? What was he doing here?! It’s been what? Three years? Three years since his titans team fell apart and he rushed away from everything he knew, her included. Three years of radio silence on his part (well, she did not reach for him either, but still it was his fault since he was the one who disappeared without a trace). Shit! And now he was standing by her door and she was wearing an old hoodie and stretched pants. Her hair were a mess and she still had that freaking pelage everywhere. Damn it! Her heart was pounding like crazy, blood rushing straight to her head. Even after all those years, he had such an effect on her. Groaning in annoyance she leaned her back on the door, praying he would just go away.

“Who is it?” Selina emerged from the room with her most hypnotizing stride “Definitely someone worth attention if you’re left like this.” She chuckled

“Dick Grayson” Y/N smiled viciously watching Selina’s expression drop

“Is he….?”

“From what I can tell he’s alone, but who knows?” the girl shrugged “You know the bats, they lurk in the shadows.”

“Fuck. “ Selina cussed “This is not how I planned on this day to go.”

“You think I wanted this?!” Y/N scoffed

“Well, you mentioned something about missing being chased…..”

“Oh, shut up!” the girl finally let her rage go. “Sorry.” She chucked “I know the rules. Play it cool. Play it nice.”

“Precisely. You did it so many times before, what’s one more. Deal with it fast and I’ll meet you on our rooftop at 10 p.m.” she patted girl’s cheek in a condescending manner. “Don’t let me down.” And with such words she slipped through the open window.

“Don’t let me down.” Y/N mocked sticking her tongue out in a child-like behavior. “Whatever you say, mother. Coward. Running away because the bat may be on her track.” She muttered to herself.

“Y/N. Please, open the door. I need your help.”

“You need my help, now, huh?” once again she opened the door abruptly, standing face to face with her old (more than) friend. “How about I give you a hand?” she raised an arm in attempt to slap him, but he was faster and grabbed her wrist. She did not falter as she used another hand, that reached the destination and with a loud snap met with his cheek.

“Ouch.” He hissed and let go of her arm.

“You deserved that! Three years, Grayson! Three fuckign years and now you just appear out of thin air with….. a child?”

“Y/N, meet Rachel. She’s ….. she has some powers….. Can we come inside so I will explain it further?”

“No.” Y/N took a step to the right blocking the entrance.

“Y/N. I’m begging you…..”

“Well that is a new thing…..”

“Don’t make a scene.”

“And why not exactly?” she pondered.  “Because you are afraid of being embarrassed in front of…..” she hang the sentence waiting for them to remind her the name of the girl

“Rachel” the youngest of the three helped

“Right. Rachel. Sorry for that little display, bet your friend Dick did not mention who I am.”

“Not…. exactly….”

“Oh, okey. Well, long story short, we used to be….. frankly, I don’t even know how to describe our relationship….”

“Y/N…..” Dick sighed, his face still red from the slap. Y/N was definitely stronger than she looked at first sight.

“I am talking now.” Her face was now filled with rage and it made her look so powerful and fierce the boy shut his mouth instantly, suddenly being reminded why he fell for her so easily in the past. She was a force not to play with, but on the other side she had this soft side, only a few people knew how to reach.

“I already like her” Rachel smiled.

“Y/N look, she has nowhere to go. Her mother was shot, she never knew her father and I know you know how that feels……”

“I…..” she dropped her gaze. He knew exactly where to hit. The point was, she really did know the feeling. Her parents abandoned her when she was barely 9. For four years she was running around foster homes, never really wanted, tossed like a used glove, never really taken care of, until Selina saw something more to her and took her in, and trained her and showed her something better in life. “I hate you, Grayson. Now, get in, both of you.” she pulled her unexpected visitors into the narrow hallway. “You can go wait in the living room, pet the cats or whatever. They are not as predatory as they seem.”

“Just like someone else I know” Dick smiled at Y/N when Rachel left.

“Stop it.”

“What?”

“You know what. Why did you come to me? Why not any of your Titans friend? Donna? Dawn? Hell, even Hank would be better choice than me.”

“No.”

“What?”

“They wouldn’t . They don’t really know how it feels like to be raised without parents. You and I. We do. And you have a thing for stray living beings.”

“I ….. I don’t…..” she snorted with disgust but couldn’t hide the fact that only a second later she was checking out what Rachel was doing, making sure the girl was all right “I’m not like that….”

“You are. Even if you don’t want to admit it. I know you.”

“You knew me years ago. How do you know I did not change for worse?”

“I know.”

“Ok, I’m gonna ask you again” she punched his chest only to get some of the accumulated energy out “why. The hell. Are. YOU. here? And how did you even find me!?”

“I missed you.” he confessed

“Oh, hell no! I’m not falling for that. Our parents followed that path and look where it got them. I’m not making the same mistake. I can take the girl in and that is all. I want nothing to do with you. Not after….. after everything…..”

“I made a mistake, all right? I never should have….”

“Shut up! Just shut up! I don’t want to hear you!” she covered her ears not wanting to let him sweet talk her “ I’m over you, don’t you understand that. I never wanted you to come back and haunt me and …..DAMN IT!” out of frustration she started throwing punches. The kind of kicks he could have easily dodged, but didn’t “why don’t you just fight back?!” she hissed and finally her fist met with his jaw, taking them both by surprise.

“Selina would be proud of you.” Dick muttered making sure his maxilla wasn’t dislocated.

“Don’t think so. It’s hard to impress people who take their alter-ego from an animal. You know that” he nodded taking a deep breath “If anything she would be disappointed I lost control like that. Does it…. Does it hurt much?”

“See. Soft spot. Told you.” Dick smiled widely and immediately hissed in pain

“Do you want another, symmetric punch on the other side.”

“It was still worth it, you know. Coming here. Seeing you. I meant what I said, I really did miss you.”

“If you keep running your mouth I’m gonna kick you in the groin.”

“Ok, all right. I’ll stop. You really did not change a thing.”

“I hate you. Now, tell me what is wrong with that demonic child you decided to put on my shoulders.”  

@pinksirensong @somest1

[winns-stuff]

LO APPRECIATION:

It’s been an extremely long time coming and honestly I used to absolutely hate Minthe even when I wasn’t a fan because I never really looked back on her interactions with anyone else between the slap and the Persephone thing. I never understood her outrage and thought she was just being mean to be mean, but overtime seeing the various analysis on her character and panels about how the other characters would talk about her and how literally everyone hated her for no reason at all I can no longer hate her anymore.

The more I learn about Minthe the more my heart feels absolutely gutted, the fact that Rachel genuinely wanted us to feel like Minthe was such a bad guy despite literally everyone around her mistreating her and treating her as nothing more than an annoyance is so incredibly saddening. I’ve never liked Hera at all but her treatment of Minthe was absolutely disgusting, why did Hera even hate her? She gave her no reasons and she rarely interacted with Hera except going into parties only to be humiliated and dragged by her. Hera is a bigger asshole than Minthe will ever be and I’ll die on that hill because the way that Hera has constantly fucked over other people selfishly and genuinely played victim at all points in time is so fucking annoying. Hera is the biggest woman hater I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading about and there’s nothing she can say or do to really change my opinion of her.

Hecate is also another character I’ve never fucking liked, oh my god I have a list of why I don’t like this woman but the way that she demonized and held such animosity towards Minthe and none towards Persephone was annoying as hell. How are you going to talk shit about Minthe behind her back and then wonder why she always comes to work in a miserable mood, not only that but you allowed some young goddess to whisk away your king for hours probably knowing that she was young and the child of a supposed friend of hers. Hecate is such an enabler and she genuinely does not care about the women Hades decides to prey on, has she ever reached out to Persephone? Has she ever provided her with things or even had a conversation with her? Exactly. How did I let Lore Olympus really make me believe that she was ever a girls girl, she’s no better than Hera.

The list genuinely goes on with the many characters who disregarded Minthe all because of something she cannot change. They never said that “Minthe is toxic and that’s why she’s not good for you,” they said that Minthe wasn’t worthy of being with Hades because she’s a nymph these assholes never had an actual reason to hate Minthe. All of her anger and insecurity makes so much sense to me now, imagine being with a guy and everyone around him treats you like shit and you can’t even defend yourself otherwise you’ll be giving them more reasons on why you’ll never amount to nothing but some unworthy fling of Hades rather than his girlfriend and soon to be fiancé. That’s soul crushing and it’s even worse that Hades was there for all of it, he knows about Minthe’s mistreatment and he doesn’t give a damn but let it be someone looking in Persephone’s way and he’s going ballistic. I could not imagine having literally no one on my side and everyone using me as scapegoat for a man who uses me only for sex and company.

Anyways, I now appreciate everything about Minthe and although I’m not at all defending her actions within the slap I can’t not sympathize with her. Her treatment seems to be getting worse the more you really read about her and all women deserve to be loved and appreciated, not casted aside in favor of a disgusting old slim bag.

[darkspellmaster]

Ask and answer question: If Ciel had an older sister, how exactly would you imagine it?

I have made an oc that involves being older sister of Ciel. Originally she was supposed to be 16 when he was 10 but due to parents age gap…I changed it to 16 turning 17 with 13 turning 14 Ciel. I love your Twisted Wonderland/Black Butler verse cause it really helps me imagine more of Ciel’s character in Twisted Wonderland since my OC will also suddenly get to wonderland and me having a better idea of how these Phantomhive’s will more or so react and adjust. Like your fic, this happens after the whole twin shenanigans. I do have some ideas myself, but since your writing is much more detailed and advanced than mine as a minor. I think you could have a better analysis to Ciel’s character having an older sister cause you’ve been doing well writing his character.

I have also read how you have a mild case of tendonitis, (ao3 authors curse to me I’m afraid /j) I hope for you to get better and go back to doing the things you enjoy in that slow process mentioned. Please take your time. And thank you for writing a fic that had always lived in my head rent free as an idea, but into reality written on ao3. It always makes me feel a sense of emotion within every chapter :).

Sorry for this being a while! Life has been really busy for me. My hands are getting better, good luck with your fic!

Oh boy…Okay. So here goes nothing.

If Ciel had an older sister I would think she would be a honest to god mix of the three women in her life. Given that Yana Sensei likes to draw busty women, (Even Francis is shapely just not as much as Anne or some of the other women), I would think that she would have a flattering figure physically, and look more like Vincent or Claudia. Rule one of the characters seems to be "The father's look like the daughters, and the mothers and the sons share looks" and it's proven to be true in a lot of ways. Lizzie looks more like Alexis. Big bright eyes, rounder features. Where as Edward looks like his mother, more angled smaller eyes.

So the sister would have to be more of a physical resemblence to Vincent. Sharper looks, slightly narrowed. Her hair would be Vincents and I could see her wearing Rachel's style with braided bun in the back. Her eyes would probably be more akin to Vincent's as well but have her mother's cunning. Dress wise, I can see her mixing the three womens styles, with some vibrant colors from Aunt Ann in there, and more delicate colors from her mother.

Personality wise…Oh lord. Okay so from her mother she would have Rachel's teasing personality. She would normally play little tricks on her brothers, but also be kind to to them, espeically O!Ciel. I don't thik she would have her mother's ailment, but she might have some breathing problems. I can see it being allergies. She would have her mothers eyes, like her youngest brother. She could displine others just as strongly as her mother. From Anne, she could gain an understanding of how to flirt, but rejects Ann's veiw of the English Rose. She'd be wary of her Aunt's affections as she probably would notice that Ann still loved her father, and so would tend to be closer to Francis. She'd learn from Francis how to be a leader, someone who stood up for the right thing. Given that I think Francis was trained by her mother, she would become a sword figher, and a shooter thanks to her father, along with being a good hunter like her Aunt.

From her father, she would learn cunning, trickery, loyalty and love. She would be someone I could see devoting herself to her family whole heartedly and doing everything to protect them. From Dee she'd learn diplomatics, to cook, and other matters. I can easily see her being proud of her little brothers and always playing with Sebastian the dog. Edward and her have a good relationship and, as with Lizzie and R!Ciel (and O!Ciel) she would be his bethroded, since knowing Vincent he would want his daughter to be able to be close to her siblings, as well as be with someone he trusts. Vincent would have taught her the same way he taught the boys, though, I'm not sure if she would be the one to be the watchdog. Though I could see him training her just incase something happened to either of her brothers. She would probaby agree with her father about leaving the watchdog title should R!Ciel be unable to do the job and O!Ciel is forced to take it over. Though I can also see a situation where she could take it on in their stead.

Her relationship with the boys would be close. She would want O!Ciel to become the toy maker and scold R!Ciel for his comments to Lizzie. I can see her enjoying dresses and the like with Lizzie and the two playing together. With Edward she would play cricket with him and be as good as her Aunt was. I can see when they get scared or worried they come to her. She'd be tutored at home as they were, though I suspect he might have her either study at either a day school or at a girls boarding school. Though I suspect, like Lizzie, it would be more home schooling. If she was away I think that might be what could have saved her life. However if she was home, then she might have been injured and either sold like the twins, or found by Anne. Either way, I suspect she would have trauma from the situation. She would probably realize the difference between the twins and aid her brother in getting revenge, and also be a thorn in the side of Sebastian, since she wouldn't allow for anyone to harm her brother.

I think she would be a bit less naieve than O!Ciel is at times, but also I suspect she would try to get him back to that innocent boy and not want him to stain his hands. I highly suspect that with a sister there, there would be different outcomes. Would be an interesting relationship with Soma given they'd be friendly, and she would be close with the servants as well.

Not sure whatelse to add. T_T

But thank you for so many compliments.

[brighter-by-the-daly]

Rachel Daly x Millie Bright x Reader

Part Nine - Our Girl

The incident in Barcelona became less prominent in your mind as the days that followed passed, your bruises had started to fade and you were starting to settle back into your life with Rachel. Millie had popped by every day to check on you and the entire incident had made the news, programmes like This Morning had approached to tell your story but you didn’t feel ready yet. It was still too raw to talk about with your girlfriend let alone the entire world! Nevertheless you knew it would be a good opportunity to shine a light onto the treatment of women - nothing that women already didn’t know but it helps to keep the conversation at the forefront of people’s minds. You said you’d contact them when you’re ready but for now you’re just trying to transition back into your normal life. With your blessing, Millie had partaken in interviews discussing what happened in the bar and was revelling in the praise being given that she so rightly deserved. You’d give her every award that existed if you could, without her you don’t know what would have happened. The house was covered in flowers and you had eaten your weight in chocolate that had been sent from people who wanted to show their support; mostly teammates of Rach and Mills but your family and friends had also visited once you returned home. You know what happened to you isn’t the worse thing to ever happen to a woman and felt a bit guilty of all the attention being throw your way when there’s people out there who have dealt with so much worse who don’t receive half the attention that your story has. It’s only because patrons in the bar shared their videos online and the incident involved England’s captain that it had reached media outlets. Rachel reminded you every day that you’re allowed to feel cared for too, you don’t have to be silent just because someone has it worse than you. Millie came over most evenings to wind down with you both, sometimes not going back to her own house and staying the night. Her visits had become a lot more subdued and often consisted of you all just sitting on the sofa watching films; you three didn’t need words to make you feel at peace, just each other’s company was enough.

Your bruises that had faded to yellow were a few days from disappearing completely, with every day you were starting to feel more like yourself again without the constant black and blue reminder of that night on your arm. Every evening when you were snuggled up the girls would stroke it and pepper your skin with silent kisses believing the more love they gave you the quicker it would disappear. They smothered you with their love, reminding you every second of every day that they care so deeply about you. As soon as you made a move to get up they would ask what you wanted and would get it for you, not once did you make the teas during the week after your return, even when you bathed they tenderly washed your hair.

You still went to Rachel’s games and Millie would often be seen in the stands with you rather than at Chelsea ones. You argued that Millie needed looking after too, at least your injury didn’t put World Cup dreams in jeopardy! She should be the one being looked after, not you! The World Cup was approaching fast and in a few months they’ll both be off to Australia, Millie still wasn’t fit enough to play and you were growing more and more concerned with every passing week. The defender put on a positive face, believing with every bone in her body that she’d be better in time. You however, was a bit more realistic.

“Millie sit down, I’ll do this!” you rushed into the kitchen so you could boil the kettle, reaching for three mugs out of the cupboard before she could. “I’m fine!” she expressed, rolling her eyes and batting you away with a limp hand. “No, you’re not! I’m not leaving you here alone, you’re the captain now they need you to get better!” Wrapping your arms around her waist you tried your hardest to pick her up but failed, Millie ‘Brick Wall’ Bright could not be moved! “Rach, tell her!” you shouted over to your girlfriend who was tapping away on her laptop at the table. Looking over the top of the reading glasses to see her girls both stood with their hands on their hips willing her to be on their side. She took her glasses off to get her facial expression to appear more stern “best friend, I can’t go to Australia without you now do what she says!” Rachel was desperately trying to complete her level 2 coaching certificate so she could start her own youth team - not like she didn’t already have enough to do! She’d recently partaken in a youth group programme and her new goal was to create her own.

Turning to face Millie with a confident pout of satisfaction from winning, her eyebrow raised unamused with the decision. “If I’m so unfit, could I do this?” standing her ground as she suddenly picked you up off the floor. “Oh my god Mills put me down! Stop!”wriggling and slapping her back in frustration of not being listened to. Perching you onto the kitchen side and slotting herself between your legs, “better?” she asked sarcastically causing you to roll your eyes. Her move was sexy yet irritating at the same time, folding your arms reluctant to let her disobey you. “I don’t remember you complaining on holiday” her voice turned cocky which finally drew Rachel’s eyes away from the computer to join you both in the kitchen. “I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask this actually, what did happen on holiday?” sensually stroking up your leg as Millie copied on the other. “Is anyone gonna make the tea around here?” desperately trying to change the subject as you reached over to the kettle. Millie blocked your attempt “no” she said shaking her head with that cocky smile of hers. Having them both batting their eyelashes at you and still tickling your legs it was becoming extremely hard to think about anything else apart from throwing yourself at them. “Nah, I wanna know exactly what happened. I’ve waited long enough” Rachel said slowly as she swiped your hand from reaching the kettle switch again. “Millie’s not well enough for this, she shouldn’t even be standing!” you tried to divert their attention but actively not making any attempt to flee their advances. “I remember picking you up last week and you didn’t argue” she stroked the hair that dangled in front of your face away from your eyes, willing you to drop it. “I was drunk, I wasn’t thinking about your knee I was thinking about-” you shouted exhausted before being cut off by Rachel, “what.. what were you thinking about my love? Tell me” she encouraged. With them both looking up at you with their big blue eyes you caved “getting fucked! Happy now?” “fucked by who baby?” Rach continued asking with her sickly sweet tone as their finger tips continued sliding up and down your legs. “Millie!” your eyes rolled knowing there was no way you were getting out of this, not that you wanted to and you knew exactly where it was going. Rachel slipped her arms under your legs and lifting you off of the kitchen side, throwing you over her shoulder as she headed for the stairs. “Come on Mills, let’s go fuck our girl” Those words turning you on instantly with anticipation of what was about to happen.

Reaching the bedroom, your lips quickly found Rachel‘s neck, holding your hand out for Millie to take and be included too. “No no no” Rachel stopped you as she pulled her face away from yours. “I want you both to tell me exactly what happened that night, play-by-play” placing you softly onto the bed and ready to listen intently.

As Millie led Rachel through what she had done to you that night, Rachel re-enacted the moment precisely. You’d missed the sexual touch of your girlfriend as Millie watched her go down on you. Next, you told Rachel what you did to Millie and watched as she recreated the sequences on her best friend. The night continued well into the morning with you three fumbling around in the bedsheets together for hours.

[idecidedtowriteig]

Sweet Nothings

Gar Logan x Reader

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff (tiny bit of angst)

I do not write NSFW

--------

His eyes were a dazzling honey brown, that you could just stare into for hours on end. His smile was ravishingly alluring, to you so at least, but you could see the others agree when they looked at him just the same– not much so as in love– but more so in delight. He cheered everyone up, and you were totally head over heels for him, not that you would admit it anyway– only in the deepest depths of your heart. Or so you thought– but Rachel had accidentally read your mind once– of how much you truly loved and appreciated Gar, so much so that they secretly shipped you and Gar together. 

It was hard for Rachel to not confess what they knew to you and squeal in glee about how cute you and Gar would be together. However, all Rachel had to do– was sit back, relax and wait for the magic of fate to happen (or so help her, Trigon). Fate decided to play its cards for once, and give Rachel, Y/n, and Gar the thing they had all been hoping for…

First it came with a handwritten note…

This had been after Y/n had a hard enough day that they broke down crying in front of everyone. Everything just seemed to go wrong that day, Red Hood and Crane (or the Craniac and Y/n liked to call him) attacked. Just everything seemed to fall apart– and no matter what Y/n did, they thought it was never good enough. But Gar thought it was enough. Dick thought it was enough, Rachel, Donna, Kori, and the others did too. The Titans’ all had each other's back. 

Dick did try to give some words of encouragement– but not without a bit of awkwardness- since it was hard for him to express his emotions himself. Kori gave a great pep talk, Blackfire had tried her best to cheer you up- in her own rigid stiff way– shared about how she conquered her enemies. Rachel talked some, trying to comfort you, but not really knowing how to do that best. Gar felt bad, and didn’t know what to do exactly, either…. So, he decided to leave you a note… 

“Dear Y/n,

I think you did great today, and so does the rest of the team.

 You are one of the sweetest people on this team, and it really 

hurt to see you cry today. I know the Titan's work can be hard,

 it also gets to my mind sometimes. The Jason thing does too, and it hurts how he just left us like that… 

But I want you to know, we’ve all got your back! 

P.S. Also, meet me in the Kitchen later (I'll text you when) I have a surprise!”

-BB (Gar) :)

—

9:00 PM

Beast Boy: I have the surprise ready! :) 

Y/n: I’m on my way :)

—-

Y/n soon entered the kitchen looking around, when they saw a paper sack labeled, "Gotham's Custard & Ice Creamery”' in bold pink and blue letters. They let out a big smile, as Gar grinned happily, “Rachel told me this was your favorite place! And I was trying to find a way to cheer you up…” He blushes a little bit, eyes meeting yours, but then looking bashfully off to the side. 

You beamed in disbelief, “Gar…” you said, smiling and opening the sack to see your favorite ice cream flavor. You smile, “You didn’t have to!” You say hugging him on instinct. Gar smiles delightedly, hugging back, “Well, I knew you just had a hard day….” He laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. 

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you….” He mumbles– but not incoherently to you. 

Then it came with a little trinket of your favorite animal….

You heard a soft knock on your door, soon opening it to see Gar holding a little trinket of your favorite animal. You smiled, wondering for a second why he brought it here, but happy to see him explain– or ramble about why. 

Gar beams happily, “So I saw this at an antique shop I passed by! And isn’t it the cutest thing? It was only 5 dollars and I thought it might make your day better. Plus I know it's your favorite animal, I couldn’t resist.” He laughs sheepishly, handing you the small trinket. 

You stared at it happily and hugged him, “Man, I’m really going to have to start buying you stuff too.” You tease. 

Gar smiles, “On the house?” He laughs. 

At last, it came with a beautiful red rose…

Gar smiles, holding out a rose, “Look at this! It almost matches the color of your– lips… Not to be weird or anything!– Anyway, it just looks… pretty like you…” He grins, handing the rose to you– you noticed he had cut off the thorns beforehand.  Gar smiles, “I uh– also have something to ask you. I’m sorry if this makes everything weird….” He laughs nervously. 

His face soon turns a light shade of pink as he gulps, then asks you confidently, “Y/n… will you go on a date with me? I mean, would you uhh… possibly?” You smiled at his cute antics and cupped his face gently with your hand, “Of course, Gar! You mean the world to me!” 

Rachel totally wasn’t watching you from the window and fangirling….. Totally not… 

[coconut-dreamz]

king of my heart

"the taste of your lips is my idea of luxury" || tom blyth x singer!reader

a/n: inspired by ts once again !!!

i'm perfectly fine, i live on my own i made up my mind, i'm better off bein' alone

you had spent the last few years being single and throwing yourself into your work. that was evident through the sheer amount of music you'd made in the last five years and the world tours you'd gone on.

after your messy break up a few years ago, you'd sworn off love and relationships lately. though, they did make great inspiration for music. but throwing yourself into your work for the past three years had consequences. you were feeling burnt out after your latest world tour and your manager had strongly urged you to take a break for awhile. not to mention you were in a rut. you hadn't wrote a single song in months. nothing inspired you, all of the songs you tried to write sounded wrong. 

we met a few weeks ago now you try on callin' me, baby, like tryin' on clothes

rachel was a good friend of yours, you had met on at a red carpet once and became fast friends. she had recently finished up filming for a project and was in new york. she wanted to meet up with you and introduce you to her cast mates. 

that's when you met tom. there was an instant attraction between you two, there was no doubt about it. everyone in the room could feel it. tom, luckily, also lived in new york. but he lived in brooklyn while you lived in manhattan. but he was constantly calling you, asking you to meet up or come over and hang out. nearly every day he was free he'd call you up. 

salute to me, i'm your american queen and you move to me like i'm a motown beat and we rule the kingdom inside my room

you two were just hanging out in your bedroom, listening to your vinyl records. stand by me started playing, softly filling the room. "dance with me," tom stands, offering his hand to you. you just smile and agree, standing up. his arm snakes around your waist as your hand makes its way to his shoulder. you lay your head on his chest as you two sway to the music.

"this is nice," you whisper out as the song ends. "i like spending time with you. hours feel like minutes here," he responds as he spins you around, causing you to erupt in giggles at his antics. you continue to dance around the room until the sun sets behind you, lost in your own world with tom. when you were with him, everything else melted into the background. it was like the only thing in focus was tom. 

'cause all the boys and their expensive cars with their range rovers and their jaguars never took me quite where you do

you had reluctantly agreed to a date with someone one of your model friends had set you up with. he picked you up from your apartment in his flashy car, drawing attention to you two from everyone around you. you weren't quite used to all this attention, you had been a lot more private in recent years. 

the date was absolutely terrible. he took you to some upscale restaurant that served expensive dishes that were only 1-2 bites each. as he drove you back to your place, all you could think of was how you wish you'd just stayed home and gotten take out with tom. you'd be a lot less hungry and a lot more happy if you'd done so.

after being dropped off, you texted gigi that you're never letting her set you up again. after texting her, you called tom. he picked up almost immediately, as if he was waiting for you. "that was the worst date ever!" you shout, once the call connects. all you hear is his melodic laugh in response. "i wish i would've just stayed home and gotten take out. i'm starving. the restaurant we went to didn't fill me at all!”

"how about i come over and pick up something up on the way there? we can watch a movie or two and you can tell me more about how much of a disaster it was." you smile at his suggestion. "that sounds great, i'll see you soon?" you answer, happily. "see you soon, love." he hangs up. you smile, couldn't wait.

and all at once, you are the one i have been waiting for king of my heart, body and soul

being with tom felt easy. you didn't realize it at first, but then all of a sudden he was embedded in every part of your life. being with him was as easy as breathing. it came naturally to the two of you. he had somehow snuck in and captured your heart. 

"i love you," you whisper out as the two of you stare up at the stars. you'd decided to go on a camping trip upstate. you were laying on a blanket, cuddling. it just felt right with him. nothing was ever forced. it was simple. 

tom sits up abruptly at your words, looking into your eyes "do you mean it?" he asks, unsure. "you're the king of my heart, body and soul." you state, staring back at him. a huge grin making its way onto his face. "i love you, i have for awhile. i was just too scared to say it first. i wasn't sure if you felt the same." he admits, a little shy. 

"you are my everything. there's nothing i wouldn't do for you." you admit to him, leaning in and placing a delicate kiss on his lips. you feel him smile into the kiss as he deepens it, pushing you to lay on the blanket and crawling on top of you. 

late in the night, the city's asleep your love is a secret i'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep

"shhh, don't be so loud! it's like 3am." you whisper shout at tom as you two walk through london. it was a stunning city, even more so with him by your side. "i love this woman!!!! i'm so glad she's mine!!!" he shouts into the open air, spinning in circles and laughing. his silliness causes you to laugh at him, playfully slapping him on the chest, trying to get him to shut up. 

tomorrow was the world premiere of the ballad of songbirds and snakes. you were so excited for him and the rest of the cast, but there was a selfish part of you that wanted to keep him to yourself. you didn't want him to become the internet's boyfriend or the 'white boy of the month'. you wanted to keep your love a secret from the world.

you wanted to shield the budding love from the cruelty of not only the world, but the tabloids. the press had ruined your previous relationships, breaking the trust you'd previously shared because of false rumors and speculations. you know tom wasn't like that, but you didn't want to be proved wrong. you just wanted to hold onto this secret for a little longer.

change my priorities the taste of your lips is my idea of luxury

some people may have labeled you as materialistic in the past, your countless new shoes and outfits adding fuel to the fire. but, as of late, your priorities had changed. you no longer cared for material goods, the only thing you desired was tom. everything about tom, you wanted. his hugs, his kisses, and especially his love for you. his love would be worth more than anything money could buy you. 

is this the end of all the endings? my broken bones are mending with all these nights we're spending

shortly after meeting tom, you were reinvigorated. he was your muse. he mended your heart and gave you inspiration to write once again. no longer were you writing sad songs about ended relationships, but songs confessing your love to him. by the time you had known him for six months, you'd already written enough songs for two 20 song albums and a few extra for deluxe editions.

the more time you spent with him, the more songs you were inspired to write because of him. your agent had wanted to kiss him on the mouth personally for the amount of songs he had inspired you to write after over a year of nothing. your fans would be thrilled to hear you'd be releasing new music after three years of nothing.

"what are you doing there, darling?" tom walks into your office as you play around on the piano and write down the notes you were playing. "just composing a new song. i was inspired during our date last night. i just finished writing the lyrics and now i'm trying to come up with the melody." you answer him, not looking up from the notebook. his eyes widen at your words. "you wrote the lyrics already?" he asks surprised. 

you look up from you notebook at this "of course i did, you're my muse. i've completed two albums dedicated to you now." you answer him and continue playing, trying to find the right notes. "you what?" he asks, unaware of his influence on your creativity. you stop playing at this and stand up to face him. "from the moment i have met you, i have written and composed exactly 47 and a half songs. you are my muse, tom blyth. you occupy my mind at all times. i love you" you confess to him with a grin. "my god, i love you." he captures your lips in a searing kiss. he truly was the king of your heart.

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Hi BeautifullyObsessed,

Having heard the recent news regarding RDJ and who he's going to be play in the MCU in what I am assuming is future films( Avengers???), I guess, I must admit to being beyond infuriated with the MCU at this point. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE RDJ, but why in the HELL does he get play a whole new character, whether said character be a variant/from another universe/whatever, yet Rachel McAdams, who I also adore immensely and utterly despise how Marvel has treated her(ex. attempting to throw away/disgard palmerstrange and Christine like nothing), can't be Clea/ a Christine variant that is Clea? Yet, RDJ gets to do essentially that himself. Why? What's the difference? If he can do so, shouldn't Rachel be able to be a vastly different character as well? It's just so unfair, not to mention makes zero sense to me whatsoever how one person gets to do something, yet someone else doesn't get to do essentially the exact same thing :@ Not the mention, they would have had me automatically invested in that ship had they allowed Rachel to play the character. I seriously loved the idea of her in that role, waaaaaaayyyyyyyyy more than I will ever like the idea of CT in the role( not at all fan of that casting personally).

Thanks for taking the time to give your thoughts xx!

Honestly, when you put the question as you have, Nonny, the first response that came to mind is that there's some not so subtle misogyny at play here (the same sort of misogyny that enabled the Russos to dismiss Natasha Romanoff as being of no future value to the franchise beyond 'Endgame'). Coupled with Feige/Marvel/Disney being both desperate and greedy for a way to return the MCU to its former glory.

RDJ's Ironman was the initial foundation stone of the MCU and remains a huge fan favorite five years after his death. So, of course, his return to Marvel in any form is going to fill theatre seats that have gone vacant in the past several years with films that have well under performed those of the MCU's glory days. That's gotta be a huge win for the financial health and popularity of the franchise. And as for Downey Jr, well, he doesn't need the work in particular, but consider first how playing Tony Stark revitalized his career and gave him a cadre of Actors that became as family to him; who wouldn’t want to work with those folks again? Second, he really treasured being Stark, he was the perfect embodiment of Stark, and he must surely expect the same fulfilling experience as Doom. I wish him all good things--while I hope like hell that Doom turns out to be a Variant of Stark; there's so much fantastic story potential (including adversarial interaction with my man Stephen) they'd be throwing away to not have it so!

But Rachel, though--she's been treated shamefully, and like an afterthought, despite the incredible onscreen chemistry she shared with Benedict. And in 'Multiverse of Madness', 616 Christine got the same brusque treatment courtesy of Waldr🤢n and his enablers Feige & Raimi. First, they put words in her mouth that denied her canon feelings for Stephen--'couldn't love you...', wtf!!!...

...then the last shot we got of her, she was irritated while watching Stephen try to save the city from a Monster, as though he was doing it to interrupt her wedding! You can bet your sweet bippy she would've been treated far better if Scott Derrickson had been at the helm (as would Stephen). But based on 838 Christine,

I would have whole-heartedly embraced Clea as a Christine Variant.

I've said as much about a dozen times. Clea is so much more than a badass queen in the comics. She is not only Stephen's student but fully comfortable in her femininity. Unafraid to be soft despite her toughness and the battles she has had to wage in the Dark Dimension. Frankly, the perfect feminine foil to Stephen's delicious brand of masculinity [my knees go briefly weak at the thought of him🥰❤️‍🔥🥰]. They are true Yin/Yang.

Again, the story potential would've been awesome. Imagine Stephen shocked to encounter a Christine so different than either one he knew. A tough, battle-hardened, brusque, even impatient woman, not at all like the Christine he loved. He doesn't even like this Clea--until he glimpses hints of unexpected yet familiar compassion and softness, which draw him in. Ugh. As a storyteller myself, the waste pisses me off.

Academy Award winner she may be, but what I saw in Charlize's brief appearance as Clea showed me that either Feige/Marvel/Disney doesn't get Clea's beautiful duality or they simply don't care. And surely didn't provide CT with any indication that Clea is way more complex than Badass Woman--and that Stephen DESERVES that so much more in his future wife and partner in the Mystic Arts.

Maybe it's just my perception, but replacing Rachel as they did (and it was very last minute I recall, in December 2021, near the end of photography; they created Charlize's makeup & costume design pretty much on the fly in like 48 hours), feels like they said 'Thanks Rachel, you've been swell, but the foundation we built with you isn't necessary anymore, we got us a statuesque, super duper A++Lister. Ta ta, kiddo.' Which infuriates me.

So yeah, in the end, I'm thinking the reason Rachel isn't playing Clea while RDJ is playing Doom? GREED AND MISOGYNY. And after how abused Stephen was in DS II (ie: ignoring his whole experience in living out 14 freaking million timelines and barely letting him mention Donna's death, the most formative experience of his young life), I'm not even looking forward to DS III (unless Benedict gets significant input, especially in story/writing, as he's said more than once that he wrote things for MoM & No Way Home). Charlize's Clea (thus far) doesn't bode well for what I would have loved to see in Cleaphen.

[allwormdiet]

Arc 3: Agitation, Concluding Thoughts

Everything happens so much

Again, WILD to me that we're already past the bank robbery with this one arc, that was so much faster than I was anticipating

I wonder how much of the breakneck pace is down to the serialized updates; the pace might have been fucked up if there were several weeks of nothing but hangouts in-between Taylor joining the Undersiders and the bank job, but as an archive reader it feels. Like there's still plenty of meat on the bone, but it's lean meat. Not much fat for flavor.

Not to say the flavor has been bad so far, really the opposite. I continue to really like the Undersiders, even when Taylor doesn't. I'm so ready for Rachel to get her chance to shine, awful un-smile and all. I'd like Alec and Taylor to get along better but I don't know if that's gonna happen, there might just be a water-and-oil thing going on. Brian is interesting for how boring and serious he's trying to be, can't wait to learn more about that. And Lisa... I think Lisa is my favorite so far. She's so smug, it's great.

Taylor continues to evolve before our very eyes, going from someone who quails at the thought of actually joining a gang of thieves to someone who takes down multiple heroes in one fight and rides off into the sunset with sheer joy and a shitload of money. She's so good at this and so naturally terrifying, it's incredible to see her work. I could read about her being a criminal forever.

The Sisters Dallon continue to make their presence known, and I suspect the rest of New Wave will show up at some point. For all that I have complicated feelings about Amy's future, for now she's still mostly just an object of pity. Can't imagine the smack to the head is making her feel any better, or how close Tattletale got to revealing that particular skeleton in the closet. Victoria is more clear-cut, thankfully; she's well-meaning but still pretty careless with her strength and aura, and the hardball she plays with villains is a lot less fun when it's targeting someone who isn't a Nazi. Ideally she starts being more careful sooner rather than later.

I remain disappointed with Armsmaster, this arc could've gone a lot more differently if he'd been even slightly less of an egotist. I continue to hope he's plagued by this for years to come.

Man what even comes next. How soon is Coil rolling up? Does Bakuda start her shit next arc or is that not for a bit? All my expectations for the pacing on this story have been utterly thrown at this point, it's weird but I'm not complaining.