#so i apologize if you guys were being jokey and it seems like i got butthurt about it lmao--
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@thuganomxcs replied: sounds like an APPLE product @s1lxcs replied: //you have an iphone, huh? lol oooff...
yeah yeah, go ahead and dunk on me for being an iphone user rather than having android/some other thing--
#{|ooc|}#even tho i napped-- i'm still kinda tired XP#so i apologize if you guys were being jokey and it seems like i got butthurt about it lmao--#but in my defense i *have* dabbled in using a phone with android before-- and while it wasn't bad#i'm more used to the... less complicated? idk if that's what i'm looking for exactly but still-- way that iphone's do things--#so call me a baby if you want or whatever-- but i just want dealing with my phone to be easy for me XP
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Badhaai Do Live Blogging
Queer brown people who get into a lavender marriage! A Bollywood movie about gay people, I'm so excited. Also I've been told it's a happy ending, so here we goooo
Aug 20
Genuine delight at the family gathering full of legit everyone + the marriage discussion and how the son gets so much more choice + although I don't speak Hindi, I understand tiny bits because of its similarity to Bengali
lmfaoooo my guy had really chosen a random girl he'd agree to marry, never expecting the family to agree to let him but whelp, now they have
lmfao and the girl avoids marriage by the 'my last fiance mysteriously passed away, you wanna take that chance?'
For shows in Korean or Hindi, I'm forever reminded that the subs don't fully express what's being said because I can understand enough to pick up that something different/more is being said but it's sad that I can't tell what exactly is the meaning
Anyway, forever glad I don't have a brother because in both families, we just saw a sister/female cousin be resentful of how the sons get special treatment
omg father-daughter good relationship :0 hope it remains that way pleaseee
O.O she's got a creepy stalker mans ?!
lmfao not her complaining about the stalker to the cops but Mr cop guy basically now stalking her T.T it's only lmfao because i know he's the main gay lead, otherwise i wouldn't be a lot more
omggg a dance number!!!!! let's goooo
ngl drunk ppl scary as hell even though it seems to turn out fine and jokey
Aww Sumi tagging along with Shardul and Kabir is cute and them having like kind of a 3 person honeymoon is adorable but I don't like Kabir so hm
ngl the guys' happiness + Sumi's longing made me sad though like I didn't tear up but could've
naurrr I'm dead not her overhearing them arguing about sex I'd T.T cry fr
kasdjf ahhh Sumi's meet cute with her future gf is when she goes to give her dad's stool sample
lmfao she's like when people have crushes on baristas and so go to get coffee everyday but she's out here doing some health tests
aww the future gf's family don't talk to her anymore T.T
lol the problems of living together as roommates arising now
ahhhhhh a queer party :0000 bro I'm boutta cry fr
oh yeah gf's name is Rimjhim. Also are we to understand that she's not Hindu? because of her not understanding/complying with the title + namaste thing?
aww Sumi bonding with her ex-gf's child
the passport thing and inability to go abroad always hits like damn the weight of a specific country's passport...
dang a sumi and rimjhim fight :(
ummm Shardul straight up slapping his boyfriend?!?! ummm O.O the fuck this is different from the KinnPorsche which made me be like oh? 0.0 ;) because this is like oh?! O.O D: anxiety like I'm here for the comedy + some angst and heartbreak, not... hitting your partner
arghhhhh okay let's see how they handle it ig like he apologized and I'm guessing Kabir's gone for good now.
damn the pressure of having kids starts now ig
omgggg sleeping on floors altogether is making me miss being young and sleeping at my grandma's so much! sharing rooms with cousins when a few of us came or when all of us were sleeping on floors of every room during my uncle's wedding
lmfao "noo don't tell anyone that's Sumi can't have a child hehe" to Mr blabbermouth
the calling Naaznin is killing me fr lmfaoooo
bro I'm so nervous but also I'm laughing cuz it's hilarious
lmfaooo Mummy's written method of what to say as a mother-in-law (nightmare fuel for desi women)
yooo this lawyer mans. so cool i want to be you
ahhhh double dates ahhhhhh ^.^
yo Guru funny as hell and also loves playing with fire
fuckkkkk Mummy saw Sumi and Rimjhim in bed
bro I'm boutta come and beat Sumi's bro's ass
omg the "lower your eyes!" thing when getting yelled at by mom. childhood memories
Sumi's father stand up for her pleaseeeeeee
omg :0 Shardul finally standing up for Sumi (my guy has been perfect desi son so far, no protest while his family hounds his wife lmfao so at least he's standing up for her now)
Shardul coming out omg (me trying not to be resentful that he gets to come out to his family with his own mouth rather than get walked in on by his mother-in-law)
Mummy T.T
I was wonderingggg when the pride parade will come in
omg another under the pride flag moment line in Not Me
something about this scene...
omggggg CRYING SCREAMING PULLING MY HAIR OUT at shardul, sumi, rimjhim, guru all being present at this puja for the child along with shardul's family + sumi's father
I love watching East or South East Asian media because it has similarities to my South Asian culture and I enjoy seeing these similarities that I wouldn't see in Western shows. However, seeing an actual South Asian movie where the culture is so similar to mine (different religions, so not quite the same) is so good! Family everywhere and all of them nosy! Familial pressure from all sides! The CNGs that they rode! The hustle and bustle of the city and of life! Hindi's similar to Bengali! Unfamiliar with the ultimate acceptance from many family members though lol but I can live vicariously through them I guess.
Sumi and Rimjhim (love her name) are so freaking beautiful. They were so beautiful.
I didn't like Shardul (lmfao patriarchal cop mans) but I guess... this movie wasn't necessarily about liking him. He deserves rights and for his queerness to be accepted even if I don't like him. I wish we got some more of the lawyer mans and Shardul, he was the most interesting character for sure.
Happy ending, funny moments, tinged with some sadness and struggles. I enjoyed it.
Rating: 7.5/10 hmm
Tiktoks:
Pride March - freaking loved it when I watched it and is definitely a reason why this went up my list and was one of my Highest priority ones
Twitter edit of Sumi/Rimjhim (cr: jinsolgbt)
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Gally x Reader-I Donât Want To Just Exist
Y/Ns POV
âShe canât see anything! So what job do you plan on giving her?â One voice said, this one was unrecognisable though.
âWe might as well send her into the Maze,â another voice said, I believe it belonged to same person who jumped down into the cage-I believe his name was Gally. I donât know what the Maze was but it certainly didnât sound good. But his words clearly struck an issue with some of the others and quickly caused an argument between them all.Â
âIâm blind not deaf,â I snapped, silencing the argument that they were having.Â
âI deserve a chance to prove myself like everyone else does,â I explained calmly.Â
âOkay Greenie, you got a chance,â a voice said, as he placed a somewhat comforting hand on my shoulder.
âAlby, you canât be-âÂ
âSheâs got as much right to a chance as everyone else, Gally,â Alby quickly cut him off as he lightly grabbed my hand.Â
âWho knows I might just prove you wrong,â I said before letting Alby guide me away from them.Â
Small Time Skip-That evening
âFry, this is one of the best things youâve ever cooked,â Alby shouted, but Fry just simply chuckled as he nudged my arm slightly.Â
âCanât take the credit for this one, Greenie here did most of the work, I just made sure she didnât burn herself,â he joked.Â
âWell, it looks like weâve found a job you can do,â Alby said, before the others burst out in a cheer.Â
âWelcome to the family, Greenie,â Alby said before pulling me into a hug.Â
âCall me Y/n..â I whispered to him.Â
âY/n, welcome home,â he said to me before the others crowded around us, each of them introducing themselves properly- the rest night was filled with jokes and laughter..it was weird, Iâd only known these people for a number of hours but I already cared about them. Then I heard this bloodcurdling type noise that shook me to my core.Â
âWhat was that?â I asked, trying to hide the panic in my voice.Â
âThat was a Griever,â Alby explained.
âA Griever?â I asked, confusion washing over me.Â
âIâll explain tomorrow,â he said before ordering everyone to go to bed-as the only girl in the Glade, I got certain privileges...one of them was being able to sleep in a hut. I was just drifting off to sleep when I heard the door creep open, making me sit up almost instantly.Â
âItâs okay, Itâs just me,â Gally said, a felt a bit of relief wash over me; but not enough to let my guard down completely-mere hours ago heâd suggested throwing me in the Maze.Â
âI..uh..I think I owe you an apology..I shouldn't have judged you so quickly,â he apologised, his voice was quiet, but I felt like his words were sincere.
âItâs okay,â I said simply as a small smile came across my face.Â
âIâll..Iâll let you sleep,â Gally said, as he made his way over to the door.
âIâm glad I proved you wrong,â I heard him let out a chuckle at my words as his footsteps faded away and the door shut behind him.Â
Time Skip-A Year Later
Things had been slightly off lately with Gally; and I knew why. Thomas. Ever since he arrived heâd had this chip on his shoulder that he couldnât seem to shift. I knew better than anyone that Gally wasnât the most welcoming of people, but he had a softer side..one that I donât think anyone other than me knew about. Since my time in the Glade weâve grown closer, I liked him..and I think he liked me too-but neither of us were ready to tell each other that, and that was okay-but one thing I couldnât deal with was his jealousy. Thomas was a nice guy and pretty much whenever we would talk Gally would interrupt him, and not leave my side whilst I was with him; it was ridiculous and annoying; Thomas and I were just friends, but it didnât matter how many times I tried to tell Gally that.Â
âItâs just..youâre nice and Gallys just-â
âAn arrogant ass, with a bad temper; he can be, sometimes at least-but heâs not like that all the time, heâs got a softer side to him and he means well, he just wants to keep everyone safe,â I explained, chopping some of the veg ready for dinner.Â
âYouâll get used to him, he tried to have me thrown into the Maze on my first day..and now here we are,â I continued, feeling around for the pot, luckily Fry was at my side to guide my hands onto it.Â
âYou should probably go, before Gally comes and rips both of our heads off for talking,â I joked as I put the veg into the pot.Â
âGallys coming,â Fry said just as Thomas began to walk away, I waited for the sound of a punch, but thankfully no sound like that came-instead Gally just wrapped his arms around my waist, placing a light kiss on my shoulder and then proceeded to try and help Fry and I cook; much to both mine and Frys annoyance because there was a reason he was a builder, he couldnât cook. The night came quickly and soon Gally and I were in our hut, my head resting on his chest as his hand rested on my hip, it didnât take a rocket scientist to know that something was playing on his mind though-heâd been quiet, more so than usual, not just today, but for the last few.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â I asked, lightly tracing my hand on his stomach.Â
âNothing, Iâm fine,â Gally answered bluntly.Â
âYou do realise I can tell when youâre lying right, I donât need eyes to see that,â I shot back in a somewhat jokey tone, but Gally just simply sighed, as he pulled me closer to him.Â
âThings are changing, they have been ever since Thomas arrived...he could ruin everything weâve worked for,â Gally confessed.Â
âHeâs just trying to help; to work out whatâs out there,â I said in an attempt to defend Thomas. Everyone here wanted the same thing-to protect each other; the problem, is that Gally and Thomas both have very different ideas on how to do that, and slowly itâs causing tension which Alby is trying to avoid.Â
âWell his help might just get us killed,â he bit back, before letting out a long sigh.Â
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to snap,âÂ
âItâs okay,â I said,moving my hand up to trace his chin.
âItâs all gonna be okay, Gal,âI whispered.
âPrincess, I want to believe you but-â
âBut nothing,â I interrupted him, moving slightly so we were now face to face.Â
âAs long as weâve got each other everything will be okay,â I reassured, placing a delicate kiss on his lips.Â
âYouâre always so optimistic,â Gally whispered against my lips, as one of his hands moved to slowly my face, lightly caressing my cheek.Â
âWell, one of us has to be,â I chuckled before he pulled me into another kiss.Â
Time skip(yes another one)-After the attack on the Glade
So many were dead. Alby was dead. Our leader was dead. Thomas used the stinger to sting himself and find out whatever truth Alby had found out, heâd spent the night in the pit..and now was being dragged infront of the maze. Thersea was being tied to a pole; both of them being some kind of offering to the Grievers. And Gally had become the leader that decided this.
âThis is such a waste,â He said, clearly talking about Thomas Theresea.Â
âGally, this is wrong,â I said, trying to reason with him.
âIâm trying to protect everyone thatâs still alive in here, Iâm trying to protect you,â he defended
âWhat if Thomas is right, maybe he could lead us home,â Geoff saidÂ
âWe are home,â Gally argued back; heâd always referred to this place as home-most of us did, but I also felt like there was something more out there..something more than this; a life that wasnât filled with the same four walls and the same daily routine, maybe thatâs why Thomas and I got on well, because we both thought the same thing-the difference was he could go out and find the truth, unlike me. Just because this was the only place I remembered living in, didnât make it my home. I was so lost in my thoughts the only thing that brought me back to reality when I heard Thomasâ voice. I donât know exactly what had happened, but I knew it wasn't good..
âYou donât have to come with us but we are leaving,â Thomas said. Causing thoughts to run through my head again. Thoughts that had me torn about what to do..we could all go with them, find out the truth together about why we were here.
âWe donât belong here,â I heard him say, and that one sentence was enough for me to make up my mind..he was right, we didnât belong here, none of us did.Â
âWe were put here, weâre trapped here,â he continued, but Gally just scoffed in response.Â
âGal, what is heâs right?â I asked calmly, trying once again to reason with him. I couldnât see the expression on his face...but I was pretty sure it was mixture between angry, confused and shocked.Â
âAnd what if he's not, then we all die,â he said as I heard his footsteps get closer to me.Â
âThat could happen anyway..we might..we might have some sort of a chance out there,â I tried to explain to him.Â
âSo, youâre going to go with them?! Gally asked with venom in his voice.Â
âWe need to at least try and find out the truth..come with us,â I begged, trying to persuade him to see sense; I lightly reached for his hand but he just pulled it away.Â
âAs long as weâve got eachother, everything will be okay, thatâs what you said..and now youâre leaving..youâre leaving me...leaving our home,â Gally said the sadness evident in his voice, and it broke my heart; but I believed that either way we were gonna die and that I might as well die trying to get out of this place.Â
âThis isnât out home, Gal, itâs just a place we exist in...please come with us,â I said, trying once again to grab Gallys hand and get him to come with us, but when I reached out to him he wasnât there, so I just slowly walked forward towards where Thomasâ voice was coming from; Newt quickly ran to my side, grabbing my hand once he realised that I was coming with them, guiding me to the rest of the group.
âGally, come with us,â I begged one final time.Â
âGood luck against the Grievers,â was all he said, and that was our cue to leave. Newt hadnât let go of my hand since weâd started running, heâd always been like an older brother to me,I trusted him-but one bad thing about being close to someone is that they can tell when somethings wrong and Newt knew me better than most.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â Newt asked, squeezing my hand lightly.Â
âMaybe I shouldâve stayed in the Glade, I donât want to be a burden to anyoneâ I said, trying to decide to follow my heart or my head.Â
âWhat?â Newt asked, confusion lacing his voice.Â
âIâm blind, Newt, I canât see whatâs right infront of me, let alone try and kill a Griever,â I explained, attempting to pull my hand away from his, but he just gripped it tighter.Â
âYou deserve a chance to know the truth, just like the rest of us,â he stated, as our running halted slightly so he could pull me into a quick hug.Â
âWeâre like family, Y/n/n, Iâm not gonna let anything happen to you,â he whispered in my ear, before grabbing my hand again so we could carry on running, I only hoped the people that we left behind would be safe too. That Gally would be safe...and maybe one day weâd see each other again.
Tag list:Â
@glicabhainn00
#gally imagine#maze runner imagine#maze runner imagines#gally x reader#gally x oc#gally x y/n#gally x ofc#the maze runner#the maze runner imagines#the maze runner x reader#tmr gally#maze runner gally#will poulter#newt#tmr newt#thomas#tmr thomas#tmr alby
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Do you think the DC fandom maybe, Infantilizes Tim a little too much? Like for a rich kid character who's main trauma for a long time was a getting left home alone too much there's an oddly amount of meta abt how much how much his parents hurt him~ compared to, y'know the two poor characters who grew up with physically abusive dad's+druggie mom's, or the two that were raised assassin cult's, etc
âŚwell, yeah, I do kind of think that? His whole schtick for so long was being too old for his age in ways that didnât sacrifice his jokey, relatable teenager energies. Itâs weird how little of that we see anymore, sometimes.
And then DC broke him and discarded him and heâs sort of awkwardly hanging around getting reimagined as more woobie with every fan generation. It is weird!
But tbh I do get it. And I think the reason his parentsâ failure of him and his vulnerability get played up so much, and Jason and Stephâs sufferings (while used a lot for things like motivation and context) not dwelt on quite so much in the same lugubrious style, are kind of the same reason.
Which is that canon didnât commit to it. Jason and Stephâs experiences with bad parenting were foregrounded and retconned more dramatically awful several times. (Thereâs some definite classism in how that was approached imo, and Iâm never budging on being mad about DC retconning out Catherine being sick and then ignoring her forever in all Jason characterization because a drug death invalidates a person ig, great message during the opioid crisis guys.)
They engaged and coped with itâSteph (and Cass, our #1 canon batfam parental abuse victim) pretty directly, Jason a little less so because of the dubious and fluctuating canon status of most of the content more specific than âpoverty, homelessness, theft, parental drugs and crime in there somewhere,â so most of his parent issues have been focused on Bruce. He sure has dug into them tho. đ Rarely well or productively, thanks DC, but itâs explicitly part of his character, is my point.
Whereas upper-middle-class Tim was always treated by the narrative as fortunate and unharmed by his experiences with his parents. Even though they were clearly behaving badly in several ways, and Tim showed signs of being harmed by it.
Tim outside of immediate moments of frustration always was of the opinion he was Fine, and Very Fortunate Actually.
Therefore a huge chunk of the numerous everyone whoâs got parent-related mental and emotional harm, but has struggled to have that validated and hasnât responded with a lot of anger toward the parent, identifies with Tim. The only one whoâs never really lashed out at his parents for fucking up with him. The one who still needs it explored, because canon ultimately didnât.
[editing post to put in a readmore because lol itâs long, post otherwise unchanged]
(Dick obviously didnât ever have any Issues with the Graysons, but he Angry Teenagered at Bruce so hard it changed Bruceâs characterization permanently, rip.)
The things Jason, Steph, and Cass have been through are dramatic, obvious, and fit stereotypes because thatâs what theyâre based on.
Thatâs important content to have, but because itâs right out there in your face even people who identify with it quite a lot are less likely to feel the need to work all the way through it again in fanworks. That partâs there. Itâs text.
(Well actually Jason having been physically abused kind of wasnât? I think? It was mostly assumed on the basis of stereotyping and Jasonâs not caring about the man much even as he felt possessive of information about his death, which is valid. I donât actually know whatâs up with Willis now, Lobdell did some weird shit that lacked emotional resonance or staying power because heâs Lobdell and has no soul.
Cassâ wandering years are also ludicrously underdeveloped. But very very few comics fans or writers can personally relate to being amazing child warriors with no grasp of language living feral under bridges. That part of her life is consistently represented in terms of absences, in terms of its deviation from the norm and the deficits of normality it left her with, which is typical but unfortunate.)Â
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The interesting things to do with these characters are often informed by the bad stuff in their childhoods, but thereâs relatively rarely that much more to say about the fact that those things were bad. They know theyâre bad. Theyâve had a lot of on-panel rage about it, as discussed above. Steph and Cass both beat the shit out of their dads.
Jason is, in fandom especially, a sort of Platonic ideal of a kid whoâs mad about his bad childhood and really bad at figuring out where to point that rage.
(Damian is a whole other kettle of fish, because heâs been lumbered by so many detailed retcons coming so fast no two people can seem to construct compatible models of what his early childhood was like, and even more because heâs still âa childâ enough that heâs necessarily in a different stage of processing than someone whoâs officially only a few years older than him at this point, but still functionally 8 and also 20 years older, and whose parents are no longer in the picture to continue screwing up.
Also thereâs no question that if he brings up an abusive thing the League did, he will be validated by his current environment about his realization that it was in fact bad. Thereâs a lot of fic on that theme! But it doesnât have the same tone precisely because it is usually understood that that support will be there if he wants it. Realizing that his previous context contained things that were wrong keeps being made the focus of his arc.)
The badness of Timâs childhood, on the other hand, was mainly in subtext. Even when we were clearly meant to understand Jack was fucking up, like when he canceled plans with Tim at the last minute to go on a date with Timâs stepmother, or that infamous time he came to apologize for not being a great parent and got mad Tim was distracted by a crisis on TV so he flew into a rage and took the TV and smashed it and was like âthatâll teach you,â it wasnât leaned into.
The story didnât treat Jack as a minor villain to be overcome but like a sort of environmental hazard of childhood, like homework, to be endured and coped with. Tim said things like âitâs fineâ and âat least he left the computer.â
(And like. Itâs not about having a TV and computer in his room. Itâs about not letting a child have boundaries, pointedly not respecting a childâs possessions, creating an emotionally insecure environment, punishing minor infractions in proportion to their momentary impact on your own ego, physically lashing out at a proxy for the childâŚ)
Rather like Tom King later didnât understand about the punching from Bruce, whoever did that story (probably Dixon? I donât care enough to check) did not understand how serious a case of bad parenting that scene was. That is most definitely textbook abusive behavior. (Itâs a hell of a lot more common abusive behavior than being a lame supervillain or shooting you when you screw up, and a lot more specific than âwas a thug, might have hit me, dead now.â)
And Tim was never allowed to be mad at his parents about it. It was fine. He needed to be ignored so he had the freedom to be Robin. He deserved his dad being mad at him because he was keeping secrets. He complained too much, although objectively he did not.
The universe punished him for âcomplaining,â more than once. We cut straight from him shunting aside his disappointment that his postcard from his parents was just to say they werenât coming home yet after all with âif it will stop all the fights theyâve been having lately itâs more than fineâ to them getting kidnapped.
He agreed not to come on the rescue mission. His mom never made it home, and his dad was in a coma for a while. And then ultimately Jack died as a result of Timâs decision to be Robin, immediately after finally deciding to accept it.
So Tim walks around feeling a huge burden of responsibility for his parentsâ deaths, and completely unable to process any hurt they did him as real or valid, especially in comparison with the far more blatant awfulness other people have been through, and canon is clearly never going to address it. Or even acknowledge it properly.
Let me repeat that because itâs kind of my main point:
People are fixated on getting Timâs emotional abuse validated because thatâs an incredibly important step in recovering from emotional abuse, and itâs one canon consistently denied him.
How âbadâ things are âin comparison toâ problems other people have is a bad and unhealthy way to engage with trauma. Okay? Thatâs just a really harmful framework to apply to pain.
Itâs also a way that both Tim and people with experiences similar to Timâs are encouraged to engage with their own experiences, compounding the existing problems.
So. Not a form of relatable DC was ever actually aiming for when they tried so hard (and pretty effectively) to make him a relatable character as Robin, but an enduring one for a lot of fans.
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So Timâs childhood is a natural target for fanworks in a different way than the traumas that have been made explicit and taken seriously by the text. And then a lot of that got compounded by the way the introduction of Damian as Robin was handled, and the lack of resolution that got. And his current status as not quite having a place in the family anymore.
So between the level of projection encouraged by that context and how relatively difficult to access Timâs Robin run has become ten years after the fact, this has led to a lot of fanworks on these themes that are based mostly on other fanworks, and stray further and further from the original content.
So at this point thereâs an entire wing of Timâs fandom wherein this side of him has expanded enormously, and he primarily exists to suffer, frequently in ways that 1) escalate to a point that is inarguably âvalidâ and hard to dismiss and 2) set him up to rebound from it in whatever way the writer finds emotionally satisfying or usefulâbeing ultimately cared for and reassured by people who value him (the most infantilizing option but like, popular for obvious reasons), or unveiling his brilliant scheme that was causing him to pretend to be passive in the face of mistreatment, or turning around and using his genius ninja skills to wrest power back from his abusers, or just laying down some sick burns about being treated fairly.
But not that many of the last one, because thatâs mostly done with other batfam members.
Timâs become a vehicle for a lot of vicarious coping that Steph and Jason just arenât appropriate for, because they get angry and they get even. And those are stories that exist already, so thereâs less scope for telling your own.
And because Jasonâs reaction pattern is ultimately so masculine (iâll make them all sorry! with my guns! blam blam!) while Timâs is pretty gender-neutral, the demographics of fanfic mean that the bulk of the people using Tim vicariously in this manner are female-aligned, which has over time feminized this archetype of him a lot. Sometimes in ways I find really uncomfortable, like thereâs a lot of forced pregnancy stuff which activates my panic buttons. x.x
But, ultimately, itâs fandom. People are going to do what theyâre going to do, DC in their perpetual fail has hung Tim out to dry in narrative terms, and Iâd rather the people who are using Tim for victimization narratives over the people who canât dismiss or discredit him fast enough now that his position has been filled. đ¤ˇââď¸ What we gonna do? Faveâs in an awkward spot. DC hates us. This is the life in this comic book pit. XD
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Also if youâre the same anon who left me a callout about op of that weird Steph post in my inbox, or if you arenât @ that person, 1) I refuse to get involved so Iâm not answering that ask 2) those arenât even particularly dramatic fandom crimes? Thatâs pretty normal? Thatâs justâŚCaring Too Much About Ships And Disagreeing With Me.
Do I also feel those opinions are kinda bad? Yeah. But I disagree with everyone about something. Chill.
#tim drake#child abuse#characterization#fanworks#fandom#batfam#emotional abuse#neglect#validation#projection#vicarious re-parenting of self#coping mechanisms#recovery#i ramble#this took too long already i'm not rewriting it into a well-organized essay#opinions#comics#in the end we are all Superboy Prime#hoc est meum#a nonny mouse#ask
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Siege-o-ween Day 14
Heyoo!!! Iâm so happy to take part in this event @dualrainbow hosted. apologies if thereâs any errors Iâm no way as skilled as the other people who took part! so the only warning is thereâs some kinda graphic scenes at the end (not adult, kinda like somewhat gore).
Prompt: âIf you say letâs split up, I swear to God.â
âââââââââ
The weatherbeaten roof seemingly curved in, threatening to give in at any moment; even from a kilometre away, you could hear the creaks of the infrastructure as the wind battered its side. The house was almost hidden by the contorted pine trees which surrounded it as though they were a shield, protecting the old building from the eyes of passerbyâs and the clouds above casting a shadow onto the area. The mist creeped through the bends of the trees and hovered above the ground before disappearing a meter in front of where they stood.
Jordan âThermiteâ Trace was leaning against the rover which had been parked outside the rickety house, lighting a cigarette as he waited for the others to grab the equipment. He let out a sigh, the smoke escaping from his lips and fading into the mist. The mission wasnât too extreme, just a quick in and out job from where a suspected white mask group ran in to.. nothing to drastic. But yet Jordan stood still as the cold nipped his tanned nose, looking onward at the eerily old house which seemed as though one small step could cause the place to crumble... thatâs why there was only 4 of them. He tapped his cigarette, the ash crumbling onto the soggy mud beside his boots.
âYou ready to go?â The approaching brit asked, his gear in hand.
The American nodded his head, letting the cigarette plummet to the ground.
The 4 sent where consisted on him, Jordan Trace, the Brit- Mark Chandar, Eliza Cohen & their newest (but certainly not youngest) recruit Sam Fisher, or he preferred âZeroâ. The mission was, what Jordan believed, to just be a simple intel gathering mission to get Fisher accustomed to being in team Rainbow. Even if it was, Jordan knew there wouldnât be a âjokeyâ atmosphere, Zero was more of an edgy âi do everything myselfâ kinda guy, Mark was brash also honest to a point, Eliza was Eliza- intense, and then there was Jordan, an extrovert who likes to joke around. Of course the 3 werenât too bad, they just lacked the energy that Jordan thrived on. And the house in front was no help.
âYou reckon itâs haunted?â Jordan joked, throwing a sideways smile to Mark who just shrugged in response... life of the party.
âI donât believe in stuff like that, it doesnât make sense scientifically. Even if you ignore the science it still doesnât make sense,â the young man let out a sigh,â like what does it accomplish becoming a ghost? What causes you to become a ghost?â
Another topic added on what to bring up when speaking to Mute. Ghosts. That list was ever growing by the day. Thankfully Eliza and Fisher were just coming around the corner, allowing another Mute rant to fade as the man retreated back into his quieter self. It was an interesting quirk that Mark had, Jordan thought, Mark managed to hold conversations for what would seem like hours with a one on one with someone he knew, but the second another joined- there was silence.
âJäger called,â Eliza announced, tossing a radio to Jordan, âhe said heâll pick us up at 15:00, giving us an hour and a half to find whatever information is here. I and Mute will take the back, covering the second floor and attic. Zero, I want you and Jordan to take the first and basement,â Jordan shot a glance at the elder who had his gaze focused on Ash, âweâll meet back here at 14:50.â
Everyone nodded in agreement, it wasnât long until Ash and Mute left to trek into unknown territory, leaving Jordan with the new recruit.
âLoosen up, youâll pull a muscle,â those were the first words Fisher spoke to Jordan, this was definitely going to be fun.
The short walk to the creepy house was filled with silence, the only sound being the gravel shifting underneath their boots and the creaking of the trees fighting against the wind. There was nothing suspicious of the area, apart from the groaning of the ancient building and how something so seemingly dead uttered noises of so much life. Despite what Mark had said earlier, the place definitely had a âhauntedâ vibe, but fortunately âghost huntingâ wasnât part of their job- it was to find the real monsters.
Oh to be at the base rewatching Mamma Mia for the fifth time instead, but he still pitied the rest who had to stay behind to watch musicals all day- yet Jordan would prefer listening to Senavievâs attempt at singing than enter the chilling structure which lay before him.
âSo did âLiza specify what weâre looking for?â Jordanâs question broke the silence as they entered the building careful, as if it would crumble to a single wrong step.
Zero steadily peered around the corner as they were about to step into the hallway, âJust something that would give us any more information on the White Masks, whether it be location or weapon sources.â
The hard breacher nodded, gripping his gun a bit tighter as a small groan tore through the air. It was stupid to be scared, the supernatural was that, supernatural. Not real. But yet even with a gun, every small noise caused fear- if there was a person or a rabid animal, he had a gun, so statistically he should be safe.
Jordan followed fisher through the first floor, keeping an eye out for any potential hiding spots or where they could get jumped- it was doubtful that thereâd be any White Masks anyways, the electricity wasnât on and the place seemed as if it had been left abandoned to rot away for years. There was occasionally some muttering, but Jordan just reduced that to Eliza and Mark on the floor above them- nothing out of the ordinary. From the last question Jordan asked, there had been no words spoken between the two operators for nearly 10 minutes- 10 long minutes of searching what seemed to be a barren building. This whole thing was making Jordan miss talking to their newest hard breacher, Ace wouldâve annoyed the shit out of him- but a conversation would be great to calm his nerves.
The duo entered the basement, drips from leaky pipes echoed through the tunnels. The tunnel was long, seemingly endless with curves separating from it into their own empty labyrinths. If there was someone in that building, it would have to be here. Zero took lead, walking down the hallway with only the flashlight on their guns to show the way- at this point Thermite had removed his goggles which allowed him a bit more sight. It was too quiet also, the water dripping had seemed to stop and the only noise was their breaths and footing on the basement floor.
Jordan finally tried to engage in a conversation,âquiet ainât it, must be more familiar to you?â
A simple âhmâ was all Zero responded with, his old eyes scanning what little they could see. Jordan ran a hand through his greying hair, not to bad- mid 30s and he had already got grey hairs... Usually the job was more active, running and gunning white masks, the underwhelming mission only added a tad of frustration to the Texan. Jordan couldnât wait to get away from this creep show âbaseâ and to get back to civilisation where he wasnât a mix of boredom and paranoid.
A soft growl hummed to the right of Jordan, causing him to turn- gun hoisted up ready to shoot-
âItâs probably just an animal Trace,â Fisher rest a hand on Jordanâs gun- lowering it, âyou alright son?â
Jordan shrugged, bitting his lip as he rubbed the side of his head, âyeah, I.. Iâm fine, just not a fan of the quiet. Grown accustomed to being more on the front lines I guess.â
Fisherâs glare softened, âalright if you say so.â The older returned to himself, leaving Jordan to catch a breath, âthis place is creepy though.â
The texan could only respond with a soft laugh, âyeah.â
They continued their search of the basement, making sure every stone was turned practically. This time with a little more conversation from Zero so the silence wouldnât turn him insane- Jordan suspected the quiet was even getting to the other man too. Jordan stood still in his tracks, he noted a door which was slightly ajar unlike the others which had been shut but not locked. Fisher turned his head to face the door in question, its hinges rusted from the pipe leaking unknown substances onto it for probably years. The liquid was most likely water, but with sewage mixed in.
Jordan took front, pushing the door slightly open which the door creaked in compliance- their flashlights seeping light into the room and onto what sat pushed to the side.
Bingo.
âShould we radio in saying we found it?â Jordan asked, watching Fisher jog towards the desk and attempt to boot up the computer which was oddly modern compared to the murky surroundings.
Jordan stood at the doorway, keeping the door open with the steal-toe cap on his boot. The room had power, and seemingly was the only room to do so as the bulb on the ceiling flickered but remained on. The White Masks must have left in a hurry and dumped all the gear they couldnât bring in that room. Blood soaked clothing, pistols and others had been shoved to the side and out of the dim bulb light path.
Fisher let out a groan, his face tensing,â I canât get in, weâre going to need that kid.â
âWait wait wait, let me have at it first,â Jordan suggested, leaving the door to slam shut as he headed towards the computer.
Guessing a terrorist groupsâ password was not exactly in the job description, but there was no harm in trying. Jordan budged past Zero, leaning on the desk as he looked at the screen *enter password* was flashing in white upon the light blue backing- here went nothing.. Jordanâs burnt hands scattered across the keyboard as he typed in his guess.
â˘welcome user_77_657_39â˘
The screen lit up with documents filling the home screen, clustering it up like a virus. They had access to whatever the hell the White Masks were hiding- finally, team rainbow was on the same step and with this information could climb further up, letting them have an advantage over the terrorists finally. All Jordan had to do was enter the chemical name for the white masks infamous gas and add a largely known number linked with terrorism and he was in. Bringing the chemistry know it all did accomplish something for the mission. Jordan took a step back, allowing Zero to scan the documents for any information that was to be read asap. He swore a look of horror shifted onto Fishers previously numb face.
âWe still need Ash and Mute, they need to download this information so we can take the files with us back asap,â Zero grabbed his radio, âAsh this is Zero, weâve found a computer with a tone of files. You need to get down ASAP. Over.â
Silence.
âCopy that Zero, Weâre heading down now. Over.â
Zero put his face in his hands for a minute before muttering something about chemical testing.. but Jordan didnât catch it all.
Zero huffed, pushing himself away from the desk to stand upright. âTheyâre going to need help navigating that corridor-â
��-If you say letâs split up, I swear to god.â
âRelax, thereâs nothing here- all you have to do is walk back to the entrance and lead the two here,â Fisher told, crossing his arms as he stood back.
Jordan let out a sigh, nodding his head. Of course he had no reason to be scared, theyâd checked the corridor before hand, he was just going to return back and lead Eliza and Mark to the room, then they could leave this cursed building forever. Letting out a small âyes sirâ, the Texan exited the room and was plunged into the damp tunnel
The tunnel now felt a lot colder than before, the wind which had been battering the above building clearly managed to shove open a door and make itsway down into the depths below the first floor. Sewage was piling up at where the wall met the floor, making a sickly smell which filled the endless corridor. Jordan started to make his way to the entrance, his gun ready incase something popped out of nowhere. This wasnât to do with Jordan being scared of the dark- he never had been; his sister would often make fun of him when they were kids because he got too scared to walk anywhere in the dark after watching the IT miniseries, but yet that was what lead Jordan to be scared of what used the shadows as a cloak. To be fair, Jordan knew what was somewhat valid.. But a 35 year old man with a gun who toured with the marines scared of what hid in the dark.. That did sound a bit iffy.
Walking back was easier than before, before they had no idea about what his behind each door and what would be ahead, but yet his stomachs felt queasy as if there was something they had missed. But thatâs all it was, a feeling right? The ever growing pit which deepened each step he took down the infinite corridor, the smell of sewage growing more putrid to a level it resembled the smell of rotting flesh, the smell wasnât real right? But as the odour grabbed his throat, it haulted him in his tracks- pulling him towards the source from which it came from. Behind a locked door was where the source of the smell had been trapped away. Kicking locked doors down wasnât hard, especially if the door was barely secured onto the doorframe. The beaten wood topled to the floor with a bang, splashing some unknown liquid onto Jordan. The flashlight was brought up to glaze across the room, the light flickering as it glanced upon what lay in the center of the room.
âFuck,â was all Jordan could choke out, the smell making him gag as he opened his mouth, or maybe it was the sight.
Whatever lay in front of him had been altered so many times that it barely even resembled a human, flesh stuck together as if it were play-doh, a face could barely be put together due to the amount of flies playing in the pile of rotting flesh and blood. The more breaths he took, the more faint he felt. There would always be something thatâs too much. Jordan stumbled back, an attempt to catch the damp air of the corridor outside. The pile of body parts cried out for him, begging for him to save them from that torture.
âJordan where are you?â the crackle of his radio barely reached through to him.
Jordan leant against the mouldy wall opposite the room, eyes dull as he looked at the darkness where the thing was. Splitting up was a great idea.. he tried to smile but all he could was stand motionless. Hoping someone would get to him and help him out of this rotting house.
ââââââ
jehdjdh sorry itâs short (still over 1k though) but i struggle with focusing, i hope itâs alright though.
#rainbow six siege#team rainbow#r6s#rainbow six siege fanfic#r6 fanfic#fanfic#halloween#short story#short fanfic#thermite#ash r6s#thermite r6s#ash#jordan trace#eliza cohen#zero r6s#sam fisher#r6s mute#mark chandar#siegeoween 2020
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once upon a time i watched both justice leagues back to back
strictly speaking, i watched zack snyderâs justice league on saturday and i just finished joss whedonâs.
A LIST OF ALL ADDITIONS/DIFFERENCES IN THE JOSS WHEDON JUSTICE LEAGUE.Â
pray for me.
- terrible cgi mustache-less supes child iphone footage. have you ever fought a hippo?
- this batman intro with that guy from fight club to bait a parademon with fear? this whole concept that the parademons are just looking for scared people? not in the snyder movie.
- parademon explodes and leaves a mark of the three mother boxes (also completely new concept)
- the criminal is also the one who figures that superman being dead is the reason why theyâre even here
- everybody knows segment about superman being dead, and everyone being fucking awful? racist guy, âi triedâ homeless guy.
- wonder womanâs intro segment has been just obliterated. tiny snippets stitched together. and added that theyâre doing this for alien reasons? had diana throw the bomb from the building.
-Â âiâm a believerâ and then bracers smash. i feel like is a new line. and thats where the scene ends. no police, no checking people are okay, nothing else.
- bruce & arthur scene is also snippets stitched together. giving us a translation of the joke about bruce paying him. this whole added mural of arthur and the mother boxes is new as is pretty much the rest of the scene.
- alfred and bruce on the plane talking is new. mother boxes, barry allen knowledge and details about his dad and how hes in prison but barry says heâs innocent, what about diana? jokes about bruce being into diana. jokes about how sheâs hot. victor is dead. one misses exploding wind up penguins.
- barry is signing in to see henry allen. barry uses his powers to be jokey and draws on an asshole guys face. sign in guard alerts bruce wayne and mocks the asshole guy.
- added in post dialogue from barry about how the investigation into his moms murder was botched.
- janitor at star labs apologizes âi never got to say, victor was a wonderful kidâ
- this entire victor/silas scene is different. their story is completely changed. there is never any mention of victorâs mother. victorâs character is totally different. more aggressive and the whole thing is just. weird.
- 22 minutes in. themyscira finally appears. steppenwolfâs whole deal is more humanoid and like traditional human armor? obliterated into tiny snippets. only the few amazons who were in two pieces are shown. steppenwolf just easily breaks out of the cage and starts fighting the escaping amazons with his parademons.
- it seems like the amazons have no ability to fight them off. hippolyta does like zero fighting. added in lines about how when the unity happens theyâll all bow to steppenwolf and she will âlove him. they all will.â
- lighting the warning fire, âlisten to me dianaâ no explanation how she can shoot an arrow from themyscira to greece. jump cut to diana working to louvre. jump cut to âthe fire at the shrine of the amazons.â âinvasion.â
- aliens stole my husband âthese aliens are going to ****ing probe him?!â segment
- lois at work, martha tells her she lost the farm, some guy asks lois for her source because heâs doing a story on the starlabs kidnapping thinks its political because those kids are always protesting, lois is doing fluff pieces about kitten grooming. martha says that clark said lois was going to bring home another pulitzer and she was the âthirstiest woman he ever metâ âŚâŚ.âhungriestâ
- victor is learning about his powers and has tapped into bruceâs cameras
- weâve added in that some ânoiseâ made the parademon âgo crazyâ when bruce was trying to catch it? he needs an edge against aliens so weâre trying to figure it out.
- this steppenwolf intro totally new, added that parademons are created by him? no mention of darkseid, bruce and diana walk and talk about mother boxes and steppenwolf. steppenwolfâs first retreat. swore that our alliances would crumble and the world would be covered by darkness and heâd return.
- bruce makes jokes. victor is just there. stalking them. like diana wouldnât notice him 20 feet away from her.
- barryâs place we have added a⌠blackpink? music video? to the scene? why?
- barry makes more jokes. brunch. people are slow. even the same footage is cut differently. like super basic mid shots.
- this whole the computers get twitchy when they play footage of silas working on cyborg victor, new. talk to victor through the computer? new. diana is âold fashionedâ and wonât talk to him if its not face to face. alfred says (off screen) âabout time somebody didâ after the line âit looks like you have a dateâ
- just realized that weâve had cyborg in a hoodie and sweatpants this entire time. all of victor is once again, different. and just shitty. heâs angry and hates his powers.
- added alien shenanigans into the dumbass whose out on his fishing boat. aliens appear to have kryptonite? forâŚ.reasons? its now the aliens fault for this guy needing a rescue from aquaman. aquaman jokes.
- 44 minutes in, first thing about atlantis. steppenwolf just appears, whoops everyones ass including mera, who has not spoken. steppenwolf boom tubes out with the box. arthur checks in to make sure mera is alright because she âtook a hell of a hitâ the rest of their convo is snippets stitched together. arthur asks mera for âsomethingâ - the armor and âŚ.5dent that willem dafoe gave him in the snyder version.
- whedon has added innocent ârussiansâ who live in this chernobyl knockoff. parademons are flying everywhere. steppenwolf talks to the mother boxes and calls them Mother. weâre having our first look inside the reactor where he is placing the second mother box into that ya know. wall thing.
- âthe kryptonianâs death has made everyone timid and they all stand aloneâ (men, amazons, atlanteans) all this steppenwolf dialogue is new and bad.
- weâve added in that one of the witnesses to the kidnapped people is a little kid and they drew this batman looking thing. âworldâs gone crazy, maybe he has tooâ
- victor is still in his hoodie combo and has come home to see that his dad is presumably kidnapped because his glasses are left
- the island where the kidnapped people are is âbraxton islandâ and âgotham harbourâ why these changes? i donât know.
- did we do this camera shot of the tank coming in and everyone jumping off it onto the ground so we can see their asses? this feels distinctly whedon but i dont know.
- steppenwolf is just killing the kidnapped people if they dont tell him what he wants.
- added scene about barry being scared about things to bruce.
- we donât go into this rescuing people with any plan at all. steppenwolf immediately recognizes that victor is made with a mother box. barry is just running people one at a time from the place they were just⌠out? victor is suddenly there (continuity error) added dialogue about steppenwolfâs axe being slick with the blood of dianaâs sisters. they fight and he just knocks her down and tells his parademons to âfinish herâ bruce saves her with his tank thing and makes jokes. (RIDICULOUS)
bruce makes jokes.
- barry âsaves dianaâ from falling debris (she wouldâve been fine), and lands on her boobs, a classic joss whedon move. isnât it funny.
- added steppenwolf dialogue about how the old gods died and therefore steppenwolf is better than diana. diana is a distraction, Mother is calling.
- more barry jokes. cyborg bails because the âchange engineâ is in danger. barry joke.
- added jokey scene with aquaman and batman.
- added scene about our ârussianâ family living in chernoybl. âwho will come for themâ daughter grabbed a can of raid.
- barryâs jokey entrance to the batcave. (i enjoy this scene) but it is still. whedon barry pretty different from snyderâs.
- hoodie cyborg gives the new history of manâs mother box (british found it in ww2, shelved it, brought to star labs after IT woke up when superman died, and THEN silas started dicking with it and used it on victor.) victorâs history is different. bruce is the one who comes up with raising superman. diana is against it. this whole scene is new and bad. diana calls him out on his guilt about being responsible for supermanâs death. he turns around and says âwhat did steve trevor tell you that.â she pushes him and he calls her out with a very patronizing bullshit statement. this whole scene is new and on a badly done green screen.
- another new scene with bruce and alfred. energy gauntlet has been removed and its now a bluetooth speaker on a arm thing to make a warbly noise that scares the parademons.
- we detail bruceâs contingency plan. the team needs clark. yadda yadda.
- barry and cyborgâs conversation while digging up clark is totally different. cyborg is in his hoodie and an asshole who doesnât care about anything. barry feels disrespectful about digging up clark. he tries to go for a fist bump which victor is not about and barry is like okay weâre not there yetâŚ.. âracially chargedâŚâŚâ (WHY WHEDON WHY THIS)
- diana and bruce are on a crane? above star labs? for reasons? diana is only here for clark. and is pissed. weâre just walking into the ship in star labs. no concerns about anything else.
- we walk into the ship, the ship doesnât have enough power to wake the box, barry is going to run fast and do it. we count down from five and thats it. clark is up in the skyline of the city and flies to the busted up monument. thats that entire ship scene.
- arthur freaks out that clark isnât alright. barry jokes. cyborgâs armor is âstronger since the interface.â barry jokes.
- bruce shows up. he calls alfred for the âbig gunâ bad cgi clark speaks to bruce âi know you, you wonât let me live, you wonât let me dieâ âthe world needs youâ âbut does it need you? tell me, do you bleed?â Â lois gets out of the limo???? an unknown backseat with alfred and runs to clark. comedy moment with bruce âoh yeah something is definitely bleedingâ
- arthur has a tantrum in the bat cave. diana sharpens her blade. arthur and victor snip at each other. barry jokes about his blood sugar. diana tells victor he can find the boxes because theyâre made of the same thing. bruce asks arthur if he can talk to fish again. and see if he can find out where the boxes are using the water. yes. seriously.
- bruce is all banged up and is going to deal with that but DIANA is there and as a woman obviously she can care for him. this whole scene is about diana apologizing for being pissed at bruce and not stepping up to be a leader. this scene is stupid.
- added scene with bad cgi about lois asking clark why he wonât come in the house and what was it like coming back from the dead âitchy.â and how she wasnât strong and he would be very disappointed in her because she wasnât âlois lane, dedicated reporter.â its okay because heâs âthe idiot who left and heâs back now and heâs going to make everything right.â we had to put it into text that she called his mom. and that she has to send him away to help bruce with his fate of the world shit. âno dying, and i get the exclusiveâ âyes maâamâ bad cgi.
- back to not russia and our chernboyl. things look completely different from the other version. weâre praising the unity. praise âto the mother of horrorsâ its look is very dragon age inquisition red lyrium emprise du lion.
- weâve figured out where this is happening. weâve got a few hours until the world is going to be changed. weâve figured out there are people living in not chernobyl. victor will be able to make a ship break the laws of physics and get them to not chernobyl in time. because cyborg powers.
- victor is just going to pull the boxes apart because that will cause them to feed on each other and thatâs it. arthur jokes and hits on diana. heâs sitting on the lasso and oversharing.
- not chernobyl. batman just shoots his way through the barrier and shoots the tower creating the shield dome down. easy peasy. he crashes his batplane and drives out of the wreckage with his batmobile and starts playing his parademon attracting whoop whoops. alfred jokes about how they might not have thought the whoop whoop noise through.
- diana is going to lead them in to find steppenwolf.
- the family living in not chernobyl is now fleeing their house as purple red lyrium tentacles whoosh at them (this is apparently the form the unity takes its terraformingâŚ.in this version) suddenly there are other people for once and theyâre all running to their old american trucks to flee.
- jokes. they save batman. âno mr wayne, this is the team.â gotta have a jeremy irons presence in this final fight i guess? more jokes. i canât explain how there are SO MANY JOKES? this final fight? there is no seriousness to it. every other moment is a joke or a bit.
- alfred tells batman that the red lyrium is spreading for miles, civilians are moving east and theyâre not going to make it. batman tells barry to go run and help them.
- steppenwolf rips victor in half. because heâs not worth touching mother. âshe is power and weâre all too weak to see the truth.â
- clark shows up âheâs a fan of truth. but heâs also a big fan of justice.â punch to steppenwolf. bad cgi mustache removal. clark is going to help with the civilians, also heâs better and faster than the flash. barry makes jokes. clark comes back to deal with steppenwolf because diana and arthur obviously canât handle it.
- victor needs supermanâs help to pull the boxes apart. heâs still got a poorly cgi removed mustache. the boxes blow up. clark and victor get blown to the ground. they both make some jokes that are alright. diana says she works with children.
- steppenwolf is still alive. supes freezes his axe, diana swords it to pieces. steppenwolf is now afraid? so the parademons are going to tear him apart and eat him? maybe? theyâre all getting boom tubeâd out of there. superman has a badly removed mustache. helmet falls to the ground.
- THE ONLY GOOD PART. CYBORG SAYS BOOYEAH. snyder shouldâve kept that.
- the motherboxes somehow changed all their red lyrium into crazy alien plant growth somehowâŚ..making the not chernobyl an acceptable place to live.
- bruce wayne bought the bank scene. added joke.
- barry got his job at the crime lab, added good word from âa friend.â
- lois is at work and doing voice over writing a monologue about darkness and light and hope.
- silas and victor are at star labs and working on his cyborg shit.
- arthur is swimming.
- barry is running.
- diana is sticking around after stopping armed robbery and leaving them tied up with her lasso so they just tell the cops all they want to know?
- same supes walk off and chest reveal only blue suit and then we actually show him flying off.
- changed the post credit scene - its now about lex telling slade that superman and co. are putting together their little âleagueâ and shouldnât we have âa league of our own?â
THE END.
guys. i know four hours is a long time. but its fucking worth it. the parts of these added things that are worth it? so little.
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finished pathologic 2 so day 9 to 12 thoughts below because i have to
the abattoir was fucking rough i can only imagine artemy is running around with at least broken arm after that bc worms hit like a brick shit house
also nara... nara... iâm sad. didnât feel good.
i love pathologic but didnât so much like âthe plague was sent from earth to kill peopleâ that sounds too much like those ecofascists going on about how corona is âcleaning upâ or whatever. i think it couldâve been a Miracle of earth without being a punishment you know?
really wish i couldâve had artemy be angrier with isidor in that dream. i know you love your dad and he was your only family you had left before you accidentally became a dad, artemy, but isidor is an old bitch and i hate him.
seriously releasing the plague on purpose?? what the fuck?? âoh itâs a vaccinationâ yeah that cost tens of thousands of lives?? summon your son back so he can risk death and infection every day as he tries to fix what you did??
isidor: these seven children will build the future of this town and thatâs why i released a plague sand pest: *immediately infects specifically those seven children* isidor, presumably: welp son looks like you gotta deal with that now
also the plague just coming to my house and infecting ALL of my children??? what the fuck??? grief and aspity got infected too it was so stressful but luckily i had just enough panaceas and shmowders to save them all but all the conversations with the kids were fucking gut-punches... murky bringing funeral wreaths for sticky... fuck...
artemy dialogue options to people other than grief: i can vouch for grief, heâs good, deep down, and he didnât want any of these cutthroats running around. it was really ugly of lara and stakh to just leave him behind. lay off grief, ok, heâs a decent man, better than most! artemy dialogue options to grief: whatâs up you idiot crime clown stop whining and stop talking about puppets already, also for the love of god donât become a monk i donât even want to imagine it
maybe he just wants to play along and let grief think that his Criminal Mastermind act has fooled him i donât know
day 10 really had me running about desperately trying to save my children and then some dude tells me âdid they execute lara yet?â and i had to sprint off to save her and felt awful seeing her say she didnât want to live anymore... pathologic is sad
also i told her âhand me the gun ok, discreetlyâ but my inventory had no space for a gun so it looked like artemy just dropped it on the ground after she handed him the gun and was like âok itâs fine itâs fine letâs go letâs goâ
of course after i thought nothing could get more stressful than day 10, day 11 of course managed to be more stressful, at least time-wise, because at least i knew that i could cure all my kids and friends
out of morbid curiosity i performed an autopsy on madam inquisitor and uh. maâam. maâam? you had no blood and no organs whatsoever. whatâs up with that??
daniil dankovsky bachelor of medicine really straight up murdered an innocent courier because he wanted the polyhedron to survive and cursed about how this âwretched townâ should be sacrificed instead huh
also he just had to praise himself by saying âsmart of me not to eat the letter and burning it insteadâ like this man really thinks that heâs the smartest man in the world for just doing what any other person wouldâve done
i love daniil dankovsky heâs an idiot
house of death is still the scariest thing in the game for me bc i hate being chased but the fucking. army approaching from all sides around me and the changeling, trying to find a way without soldiers to escape through... i donât know it was just. scary. they were just walking towards me with their rifles drawn. also i knew they could all kill me in like one shot so that added to it
in the context of pathologic 2 being a play, what does that make the Other Artemy Burakh? like i know itâs because there are several actors that can play the haruspex but like. imagine watching a play and then the main character stumbles upon another guy who says âno iâm the actor thatâs gonna play you nowâ. would it look like itâs some guy who got snubbed at the audition ran on stage and started improvâing about killing the courier and the rest of the show just went along with it? the ârealâ actor maybe starts beating the snubbed guy up on stage?
i went with the diurnal ending partially because of the whole âechoing ecofascist wordsâ thatâs unfortunately there in some of it, but it still felt bad when faced with the fact that the miracles were going to die out if i went through with it
also, managed to only have two people die of the plague and it was the two Vlads! so, you know, no great loss. sorry capella youâre orphaned now but you seemed to get on well
it was worth it to see murky and sticky standing outside the burakh residence and talking about living there with artemy
also to hear lara say she was going to help me raise them
stakh is way more sarcastic and jokey than i originally expected of him. heâs gonna do well as artemyâs apprentice
âwhat are your commands, mentorâ âmy first command is for you to never call me that againâ
they are brothers.
immediately felt like reloading and choosing the nocturnal ending when i spoke to aspity and realized she was dying and once again felt like crying when artemy said that he still needed her and apologized to her
miss aspity iâll let the plague live next time just for you
in conclusion pathologic 2 good game, canât wait to play marble nest next
#pathologic#pathologic 2#i don't really have anything of worth to say here i just needed to get my thoughts out#and to tell everyone i think isidor is a bitch#murky was right
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Oohh for the fandom meme! Dragon Age?
Send me a fandom!
Oh boy, this is going to be spicy.
Itâs also very Anders-negative, so apologies up front.
The character(s) I first fell in love with:
Iâm actually not sure which was the FIRST, but itâs a tie between Morrigan and Alistair. I saw fanart of them going around at the time Origins first released, and thatâs what got me to try the game!Â
Alistair was a breath of fresh air, because at the time, I was used to warrior men in games being all Edgy and Rough, and he was the total opposite and a sweetheart.
And Morrigan was just instantly my goth wife, and had Claudia Black as a VA, so I was sold immediately.
Both still hold a special place for me!
The character(s) I never expected to love as much as I do now:
Loghain is the main one. He does a lot of truly reprehensible shit in the first game. But once I sat down and read the prequel novels about young Loghain, plus saw what heâs like if you recruit him, he grew on me A LOT and now heâs a top fave.
Nathaniel I expected to hate as soon as I saw his name + who his father was, but then the expansion came out and I ended up loving that dude almost immediately. I really wish he was around more after Awakening, and also really wish heâd been a romance option, especially for a Cousland haha.
Merrill is a weird one because she was totally uninteresting to me in DA:O, so when they announced her as a companion in DA2 I was like, âEhhhh.â Then they punked me by making her adorable and sweet and now I love her.
Plus a bunch of side-characters like The Architect? I liked him a bunch in the novel + Awakening â although I found his Plan in the novel much more appealing. But as the years have gone by, I keep surprising myself at just HOW disappointed I am heâs never appeared again haha.
The character(s) everyone else loves that I donât:
Thereâs a few, and all of them will get me yelled at, but here we go.
First: Isabela. This oneâs a bit complicated, but it really just boils down to her attitude towards how you play your character. I actively dislike characters who are super sexual â regardless of gender. But Isabela in particular bothers me because sheâs constantly pushing her lewdness and sexual humor on you, and when you try to discourage it, she admonishes you with, âWell, youâre no fun.â Her whole character is just⌠like that for me. Super pushy, overly lewd, gets uppity when you donât have the same ~liberated~ opinions she does, and this is all played up in the writing like sheâs this Empowered Woman the player absolutely must love, especially if theyâre playing a male character lol. I hate her for the same reasons a lot of people hate Liara in Mass Effect, but with the addition of pushy lewd jokey characters always rubbing me the wrong way.
Second: Iron Bull. Iâve written a lot about why he makes me more uncomfortable than any fictional character Iâve ever encountered, and I just outright hate him, he makes my skin crawl. If you want details, feel free to DM me, I donât really want to rant about it again publicly.
Third: Anders. Again, Iâve written a lot about him before, but. I hated him in Awakening, for a lot of the same reasons I hate Isabela in DA2. But the changes they made to him in DA2 are just kinda :/. While I absolutely agree with him about Mage Rights, the level of preachiness they added to him drove me nuts, and the fact that youâre painted as a Bad Guy if you donât like him blowing up the chantry. And from a purely OOC standpoint: He��s become a figurehead for all the aggressive Discourse people in the fandom, and if I see someone list Anders in their sidebar bio, I know pre-emptively that their blog is going to be full of 6 page long essays of meta about how everything is Problematic, and no thanks.
To a lesser extent, Iâm also not fond of Zevran. But in his case, itâs not anything major like the others, Iâm just tired of Biowareâs habit of making the bisexual characters overly lewd sex-focused rogues/deviants.
The character(s) I love that everyone else hates:
Loghain, lol.
But also Sebastian Vael? Thereâs so much about him that I find genuinely fascinating, especially regarding his backstory, and his struggles between his feelings of responsibility to his family vs his dedication to the Chantry and bettering himself. Heâs such a dear character to me, and such a pivotal part of any playthrough, Iâm always blown away when I remember heâs a DLC character and many people donât have him.
HOWEVER Anders being the fandom darling means that people tend to unfairly shit on Sebastian for reacting poorly to the Chantry explosion. People also like to label him as a poster child of a White Straight Church Boy, while refusing to acknowledge heâs⌠not straight, and not exactly a church boy either lol.
Also Vivienne, but I think that oneâs really self-explanatory. I love her, and she gives a really needed perspective on the Circle, since most of the mage companions previously were apostates. But of course, she gets written off as a Chantry apologist, and an uppity bitch, when people would def love her for the same traits if she was not black lol.
The character(s) I used to love but donât any longer:
Justice. And by extension, Anders. A lot of people like to rant about how Justice ruined Anders, but I always saw it the other way around.Justice was my favorite character in Awakening. The whole concept around him, that he was a Fade spirit who took human form and was experiencing life for the first time was SO fascinating. I felt like there was so much to explore there with his character.
Buuuut then they had him merge with Anders. With the narrative being that he WAS a spirit of Justice, but the moment he connected with Anders, it corrupted his entire spirit into something he wasnât anymore. So essentially, the character I used to love no longer exists, thanks to Anders. And it reminds me of that phrase recently, about how the destination is so terrible you can no longer enjoy the journey? I canât even appreciate Justice in Awakening anymore, knowing what happens to him.
To a lesser extent, Corypheus. He was SO COOL and the premise of him was AMAZING when he first appeared in the DA2 DLC, but then Inquisition had to go and turn him into a weird shallow mustache twirl villain.
The character(s) I would totally smooch:
None? Idk I donât really have the Smooch Fictional Character gene.
The character(s) Iâd want to be like:
MAEVARIS TILANI. May I one day finally have the confidence in my identity that she does, and also marry a sweet bear man who adores me.
The character(s) Iâd slap:
Too many to list, really. Probably Anders.
The pairing(s) that I love:
THEREâS SO MANY. And most of them are with the PC, because I generally donât ship NPCs together. But my top 3 are:
M!Hawke / Fenris is my ultimate OTP in the Dragon Age series, by a long-shot. Not even sure where to start on how much I love it, but two damaged guys leaning on each other to work through their respective loneliness and trauma is MY JAM. And lmao I love silver-sideburned Hawke chillin in retirement somewhere but being a supportive husband while Fenris goes off hunting the Bad Guys, itâs great.
Solas / Lavellan is a close second, with the caveat that I increasingly prefer it with a male Lavellan. Having the Inquisitor in love with Solas just changes the entire tone of the game for me, for the better, and him actually being the villain trying to end the world while in love with this normie elf is just (chef kiss). Too bad Iâm burned out by how overly spammed it is.
Dorian / Inquisitor is in third, I will just always be fond of how itâs a story of the Inquisitor helping Dorian be happy with who he is, escape an abusive family, and realize that heâs allowed to be loved. Good shit good shit.
Some others:
Warden / Morrigan is probably my favorite Origins ship, and that only intensified with the way she talks about the Warden in Inquisition, esp if theyâre Kieranâs other parent. What a cute goth family, regardless of the Wardenâs gender, cause you can pry Bi Morrigan from my cold dead fingers.
Cassandra / Inquisitor might have a lot of Romance Cliches, but I adore it â although, similar others, I increasingly prefer it with a female Inquisitor. I actively dislike the weird no-homo rejection with her, and come on, a lady Inquisitor being her Knight In Shining Armor is just good storytelling.
Cullen / Inquisitor, for a lot of the same reasons as Cassandra. I love me a cliche romance, but Iâm also fond of the narrative w/ him of someone he loves helping him heal through the lyrium withdrawals and take time to rest.
Josephine / F!Inquisitor is just adorable all around, and wholesome, and great.
Varric / Hawke COME ON HOW WAS THIS NOT AN OPTION.
On the rarepair end:
Sebastian / Hawke doesnât seem like it would be a rarepair â youâd think everyone who loves Cullen/Inquisitor would love this one too. I do! But alas. That said, Iâm also pretty aggro about this one with a male Hawke because SEBASTIAN IS CANON BI. WHY WAS HIS ROMANCE STRAIGHT.
Maric / Loghain is a rarepair I will take with me to my grave LOL. Never forget the scene where Maric thought Loghain was leaving, and bolted across the camp with almost no clothes on to beg Loghain to stay. Come on.
Nathaniel / Cousland is dear to me, and I love it so much more than Alistair / Cousland haha.
Greagoir / Wynne, I canât believe this got validated in canon ahhhh.
The pairing(s) that I despise:
Again: THEREâS SO MANY.
Iron Bull / Dorian is my least fave by a longshot. Again, I have written about why I hate this pairing a great many times, but itâs awful and toxic and makes me deeply uncomfortable, and I could happily go the rest of my life without seeing anything about it ever again. Please keep poor Dorian away from that man. He deserves someone that doesnât sexually harass him until heâs finally worn down into dubious consent (while drunk) and then outted to everyone about it.
Isabela / Fenris. Sorry, but itâs just bad writing that Fenris bails on Hawke because the physical intimacy triggered his PTSD and he needs space to process, but then will turn around and have a casual sex relationship with Isabela instead. Yikes.
Anders / Fenris. Aveline / Isabela. Alistair / Morrigan. All of the DA2 Hawke/companion rivalmances. I donât enjoy âthese two people hate and antagonize and want to kill each other⌠but they fuckâ in any form.
Cullen / Amell. Yikes.
And basically ALL of the canon wlw pairings in this series suffer from the fact they have men writing them, and as a result theyâre almost always some kind of abusive or racist, and skeeve me out. See: Celene / Briala, Leliana / Marjolaine, Branka / Hespith, etc. Please Bioware, Iâm begging you to consult some actual queer women. Itâs insane how badly theyâre treated compared to how the canon mlm couples are written.
FINALLY, I recognize this will be the most unpopular of all, but. As much as I love M!Hawke/Fenris, I just honestly cannot stand seeing F!Hawke/Fenris. There are some pairings where Iâm so attached to the m/m or f/f version, I cannot deal with the m/f version anymore, and thatâs one of them. (The others are mainly non-Bioware.)
#LONG POST#REALLY LONG#SORRY#misc: text#misc: asks#misc: meme#series: dragon age#gen: bioware#utopianoverlord
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Sick Day - Roger Taylor x Reader
A/N: Iâm sick and my girlfriend lives in a different country, so this is how Iâm passing the time and comforting myself lmao enjoy
I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors, I donât feel well enough to proof read
Masterlist
You groaned quietly as you sat up, voice cracking quite a bit, as you attempted let the man beside you continue his sleep. Your hands dragged down your face, and, as you did so, you noticed you had a small fever. Nothing that a thermometer would pick up, but a fever nonetheless.
Perfect, because to be sick is exactly what I need today, you thought as you slowly swung your feet over the bed, head already becoming swimmy.
Today was the last day the boys had to work on their album, and they wanted you there to hear what theyâd been working on, and to help them choose tour stops in the US, as you were really the only one whoâd travelled there enough to know what cities had the good bars and clubs. They were really counting on you being there, but itâs not like your presence would make or break the meeting, and you knew that, but youâd been waiting all month for this.
You sighed again, finally ready to attempt standing up. Which did not go so well. As soon as you stood, your sinuses seemed to clog and your vision darkened around the edges. You also began to feel nauseous and the room looked like it was tilted for some reason. Nevertheless, you needed to start the pot of coffee and hop in the shower, hoping the combination would give you enough energy to make it through the day.
You stumbled forwards, stubbing your big toe on the dresser and cursing under your breath. The thud and the speech was enough to wake Roger. He sat up slightly, obviously stretching under the duvet. âYou alright, love?â
You nodded. âYeah,â You spoke, voice hoarse and croaky due to your immensely dry throat. You attempted to clear it, but only winced in pain. âIâm fine,â You croaked.
âAre you sick?â He asked, sitting up completely, now fully awake.
âWhat? No,â You waved him off, now supporting yourself by leaning on the doorframe, afraid you might fall over if you didnât have something to prop yourself up. âI just need a glass of water,â
â[Name], youâre as white as the wallpaper. Get back in bed,â
âNo, Roggie,â You whined. âI need a drink,â
He laughed at your childishness, rolling his eyes. âI will get you a drink,â
You looked to the ground, suddenly feeling self conscious. âI gotta pee, too.â
He chuckled, standing up. âFine, go to the bathroom and Iâll get you a drink. Youâre not leaving the bed today,â
âBut we have that meeting with the boys!â You protested, attempting to stand straight, but wobbling side to side slightly.
âTheyâll understand,â
âDonât they need you for recording?â
âTheyâre mixing. If itâs anything thatâs that important, theyâll wait till I get back or call,â
You sighed, throwing your head back, suddenly realizing it was pointless to argue with him once he had his mind set to something. âFine.â
âGood,â
â˘â˘â˘
As the day went on, you grew to feel more disgusting. Your nose continued to run, and you got tired of wiping it, so youâd stuffed small wads of toilet paper up your nose. You knew you looked stupid, but you didnât really care. Plus, Roger still made you feel like the prettiest girl in the world.
âRog, I feel bad,â You started, looking down at your hands. Your voice sounded a little funny due to your stuffy nose, as well as the toilet paper up there.
âI know,â He interrupted. âYouâre sick. That tends to go with it; kinda like a package deal sorta thing.â
You rolled your eyes, chuckling softly. âNo! I mean I feel bad about you missing the meeting today. You really didnât need to stay home and babysit me,â
âOh, [Name], babysitting is fun!â He teased.
You were slightly taken aback by his response, but still laughed, even though it hurt your throat. âCan you pass me the Halls please? Oh, and I think you should have a good heaping of âbe nice to me, Iâm sickâ.â
He laughed, handing you the small package of couch drops. âYou really donât have to feel bad about this, love. The boys were very understanding on the phone; they even offered to stop by after the meeting and bring us something for supper,â
A small smile broke out on your face. âWell arenât they sweet,â
He nodded. âPlus, if they werenât able to finish everything today because we werenât there, they can always book extra time with the studio tomorrow; itâs really no big deal. Plus, I like getting to spend the day with you in bed,â
You rolled your eyes.
â˘â˘â˘
A few hours passed and youâd managed to fall back asleep to the sound of the TV playing some rerun of a show youâd seen a million times before. You cuddled right up to Roger, happy to have the extra heat to keep you warm.
Just as Roger was about to fall asleep as well, a knock at the door caught his attention. He stood up carefully, trying to make sure you stayed asleep as you clearly needed the extra rest.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by his three other band mates. They were all smiling as they waited for their friend to let them in. Roger glanced down, seeing Freddie was holding a bag from KFC and returned the smile as he opened the door wider, motioning them inside.
âWhereâs [Name]?â Brian asked on his way to the kitchen.
âHowâs she feeling?â John asked, staying behind an extra minute to take off and hang up his coat.
âSheâs asleep in the bedroom right now, and she seems to be feeling a little better. Sheâs still being her sassy, jokey self,â Roger replies, closing the door once all three were in his flat.
âYou shouldâve called us! We donât want to wake her,â Freddie called softly from the kitchen.
Roger shrugged it off, making his way towards the room as well. âIts fine, sheâs been asleep for a few hours anyways, sheâs probably starving. She hasnât eaten all day; didnât even want her coffee that she insisted I make for her,â He laughed as he recalled the last part.
âWell, go wake her then, I suppose,â Freddie replied, getting plates from the cupboard.
Roger nodded, making his way towards the bedroom. When he walked in, he saw you sprawled across the bed, mouth wide open, and the wads of toilet paper still sticking out from your nostrils. He smiled to himself, thinking you still looked adorable.
Roger knelt beside the bed, gently rubbing your arm to wake you up. You stirred in the bed for a moment, and eventually your eyes fluttered open.
âWhat time is it?â You croaked.
âAlmost seven, love. The guys are here and they brought chicken. Care to join us?â
You nodded, stretching your arms above your head as you sat up.
Roger laughed as he watched you do this.
You glared at him. âWhat?â
âMight wanna take out those snot wads before you see them. If you donât, theyâll never let you live it down.â
Your brows knit together in confusion as you reached up to tap your nose. You laughed softly, having forgotten youâd stuffed them up there. âOkay, look away,â
He laughed. âYou act as though I havenât held your hair back for you as youâve thrown up before,â
âRoger!â You scolded, laughing. âJust look away!â
He put his hands up in surrender and turned away.
After youâd made yourself look slightly more presentable, Roger helped you keep your balance as the two of you went to the kitchen where the rest of the band had set up plates, utensils, glasses, and had made you some tea. You audibly âaweâdâ upon seeing this.
âYou guys really didnât have to do this,â You said after clearing your throat.
âWe wanted to,â John shrugged.
Roger pushed your seat in for you before sitting beside you. âTheyâre sickeningly sweet when it comes to you, but if one of us were to get sick, the others wouldnât do jack shit for them. Youâre really something special to us, [Name].â He commented, grabbing the box of chicken strips.
You nodded, sipping your tea. âThanks guys,â They all nodded in response, all getting some sort of food or waiting for someone else to finish with what they wanted. âAnd Iâm really sorry for missing the meeting today, I feel really bad about it. And about keeping Roger home all day, even if he did insist on staying even after I told him to go,â You shot him a glare to which he shrugged.
â[Name], itâs no big deal, really. We did miss you, but we can always have another meeting once youâre feeling better,â Brian reassured.
âWhat, you didnât miss me?â Roger asked, pretending to be hurt by this.
âNope.â Freddie responded, biting into some food.
âNot in the slightest.â John added.
You laughed at their comments
â˘â˘â˘
After supper, and after the guys had left, you sulked back to bed after having had a refreshing and relaxing soak in a hot bath. You were only beginning to feel better now, but you still didnât feel at the top of your game. You knew youâd be feeling the same tomorrow, but you didnât really care. There was nothing planned for the following day, so you werenât stressing over anything.
After a minute or so, Roger climbed into bed beside you and you cuddling up close to him again. Despite the hot bath, you were still freezing cold.
âYou have a fever, love,â Roger mumbled, resting a hand softly on your forehead.
âI know,â You croaked.
âDid you take any medicine?â
You nodded. âUh-huh.â
He laughed softly. âTired?â
âVery.â
âAlright then, goodnight, love,â
ââNight.â
âI love you,â He stated quietly, shifting in a way so he was closer to you.
You opened your eyes to find him very close to your face, about to kiss you. You shuffled back a little bit. âDonât, youâll get sick.â
âDonât care,â He said nonchalantly, leaning in again.
You chuckled, kissing him.
âDonât complain to me when you wake up feeling like shit,â You whispered once you two had pulled apart.
He laughed. âI wonât.â
âI love you,â
âI love you, too,â
You cuddled close to him again, hoping for a restful sleep.
#roger taylor#roger taylor x reader#roger taylor imagine#queen#queen imagine#queen band#freddie mercury#john deadon#brian may#bohemian rhapsody movie#bohemian rhapsody#borhap#borhap imagine#ben hardy#ben hardy x reader#joe mazzello#gwilym lee#rami malek
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Vote for Mabel!
hello! thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on my first fic. it really really means a lot.
this one is quite a bit longer, and is also NSFW, so beware of that if it thatâs not your thang. i hope you enjoy, and as always, feedback is appreciated :) (also, excuse any minor grammatical errors. iâm pretty sure i caught most of them but they tend to slip through the cracks haha)
welcome to Vote for Mabel!
âHi, my name is Mabel Pines, and I want to be your next student-body president.â
âThatâs great, Mabes. Though it might be worth your while to try it on somebody who isnât, you know, your brother.â
Mabel blows him a big fat raspberry. Okay, so maybe sheâs been a little nervous to campaign to the people at school. So what? No matter how bubbly and friendly you are, this is a whole different ballpark. She needs to show everyone how great of a president sheâd be in just a few short words, and dangit, thatâs hard stuff!
âUgh. I know.â She sighs, falling back onto her bed. Dipper follows suit, lying down next to her across her rainbow comforter. âIâm sure itâll be easier once I get started, but right now my nerves are having a party in my stomach and they forgot to invite me.â
He snorts, rolling over to face her. âYouâll win them all over, you know it.â
âWell, duh.â She giggles. A comfortable silence washes over them as Mabel stares up at the ceiling, mentally going over her speech for the billionth time. As she nears the part about her idea for Pet Day, her eyes wander over to look at Dipper. He has been such a big help for this whole thing, hasnât he? Despite his protests, he was never too busy to come and listen to her speech or suggest that maybe her posters donât really need to be covered from top to bottom in glitter glue.
Too bad heâs not running for a position, she muses. They balance each other out perfectly. Whenever Dipper gets too focused on doing everything according to the book, sheâs the one who helps him look at the creative side. And heâs the one who helps ground Mabel when she gets a little too crazy. Still, he never makes her feel weird for it. Though heâd never admit it, she secretly knows as well as he does that Dipper loves all her crazy weirdness. She loves his too, when cares to show it.
âSo, whatâs next on the agenda for President Pines?â Dipper asks. âWorld domination?â
âWeâre getting there,â giggles Mabel, âbut for now all the candidates have a meeting tomorrow. Just about speeches and stuff, you know the drill. No campaign managers, allowed, sorry.â
âCampaign manager, eh?â Dipper quips. âGot a nice ring to it.â
âIâm glad you approve. I mean, youâve done a ton for this campaign. Though I still resent your stance on the glitter.â
âPlease. Youâll be thanking me when the student body isnât choking up sparkles during your speech.â
âPffft. As if glitter could ever be used for evil.â Mabel scoffs, propping herself up onto her elbows.
âAhem?â teases Dipper. âDonât you recall a certain April Fools, circa three years ago? I was scrubbing glitter out of my hair for weeks afterwards.â
âThose were rhinestones, my dear bro. A completely different beast.â
âAh, right. My apologies.â He smirks, pushing himself off of the bed. âWell, if there are no more election duties, calculus homework calls.â
âAw, boo.â Mabel protests. She reaches out to grab his wrist, pulling him back onto the bed. Her angle is a little wonky, though, and she accidentally pulls down towards her. Giggling, she watches Dipperâs slender frame move closer and closer as he falls. Despite his best effort to stop himself, they land in a heap with Dipper pressed up a little too close to her face. She keeps laughing, hoping to dissuade any weird tension that might come from the slightly awkward position. She expects him to get up any second now and laugh it off. But instead of pulling back, he lingers there for a moment, awkwardly holding himself up above her.
Then, as quick as his weird freezing happened, it quickly unpauses and heâs standing up on his feet again. He gulps, his face unnaturally red even for him. âUh, like I said. Calculus.â Before she can spit out a second protest, heâs gone from the room. Mabel giggles. She may be the weird one, but Dipper can sure be strange sometimes.
___
Mabel gets to the meeting just in time, sliding into a seat next to a particularly cute blonde-haired boy. She had gotten into a nasty game of tug-of-war with the vending machine but luckily had came out victorious. Now, settling into her seat with her fruit snacks in hand, she gazes around the room. There are a couple people here she recognizes from various classes but the rest are completely unknown to her. She gives a tiny wave at Lizzie from Art just as the teacher supervisor strides in.
âHello, everyone!â greets the cheery red-haired teacher. âIâm Ms. Blais. Itâs great to see so many candidates this year! That means the pressureâs on, though!â
Mabel smiles. Sheâs pretty sure that this Blais lady teaches science, which is why theyâve never met, but she seems cool enough.
âHave you had Blais before?â A voice whispers from beside her. Mabel shakes her head in the voiceâs direction, realizing itâs none other than Cute Blonde Boy. âThat sucks. Sheâs a riot. Mind you, her class is brutal, but sheâs so cool it makes up for it.â
âIf I ever lose my mind and decide to take a chemistry course, Iâll make sure sheâs the unfortunate soul that gets to teach me.â Mabel giggles.
âMaybe Iâm jumping the gun a bit, but I wouldnât call it unfortunate to have you around.â The boy replies, his cheeks turning pink ever-so-slightly.
âDâawww.â Mabel replies, unable to contain her smile. âIâm Mabel.â
âFelix.â He replies, running a hand through those pretty yellow locks. âSo, what are you-â
âFelix!â Ms. Blais cries out, shooting an overly-animated disapproving glare his way. âThereâll be plenty of time to chat up the girls after the meeting, âkay?â
Felix smirks back at her. âSure thing, Ms. B.â The petite teacher clicks her tongue disapprovingly, but that doesnât mask the smile stretching across her face. She continues making her way around the room, passing out identical white forms to every student.
âNow, Iâll keep this short. Weâve got speeches coming up at the end of the week, which means you all need to submit your final drafts by Wednesday. Not that I donât trust you all to keep your speeches G-rated, but I donât trust any of you. The next day will be speeches right after lunch, and then everyone will return to their classes to vote. Weâll announce the results Friday! Any questions?â Ms. Blais finishes her short speech, glancing around the room a couple times for raised hands. Upon finding none, she smiles and places the remaining forms into the crook of her arm. âWell, then. See you on the ice, kids.â
Felix and Mabel continue to chat as they exit the meeting. She finds out that heâs a total science nerd (but like, an adorkable one), heâs in three of Dipperâs classes, and he has a pet snake. How awesome is that! She also learns that heâs directly competing against her for president, but hey! Who doesnât like some friendly competition now and again? Mabel leaves her lunch hour behind feeling totally smitten, and knows she has to tell Dipper as soon as freakinâ possible.
âDo you know a guy named Felix Ross?â she asks later on their car drive home. Dipper absentmindedly turns onto their street, his face contorted in thought.
âI think so. Kinda tall, blonde guy?â Dipper asks, and is promptly replied to with a nod. âYeah, heâs in my Calculus class, I think. And maybe Physics? Not sure.â He pauses. âWhy do you ask?â
âI met him at the campaign meeting during lunch. Gosh, and to think I couldâve gone my whole life without meeting a dreamboat like him. Running for prez sure has its perks, eh?â Mabel giggles. She notices Dipperâs grip grows slightly tighter on the steering wheel as he pulls into their driveway.
âI mean, he seems like kind of an ass to me.â Dipper says. And with that, he exits the car. Mabel huffs in her seat. Dip sure can be a party pooper sometimes.
Mabel spends the next day and a half falling head over heels for Felix. As soon as she gets home from school that day, she cracks open her phone and sent Felix a jokey message she hopes will make him laugh. Success is reached in the form of a laughing emoji reply, followed by him asking about her day went. He was so nice to her, but never in a way that felt forced or phony. It was just him being a genuinely nice guy. And she felt so comfortable talking to him! The only other guy she felt like that with was Dipper.
Who, speaking of which, has grown even more sure that Felix is a âtotal assâ. But how does he know? Itâs not like heâs ever talked to the guy. As far as Mabel is concerned, Felix is as perfect as they come. And heck if she was going to pass that up!
Which is why she might have gotten a teensy-weensy bit carried away the following day after school, when Felix asks her to help him âMabel-ifyâ his posters. Itâs not her fault the guy doesnât know which end of a glue gun is up! As far as Mabelâs concerned, this is a crafting emergency that desperately begs for her attention.
Still, she winces when she sees Dipperâs name come up on her phone. Shoot! She forgot to cancel.
âHey, Dip. ListenâŚâ
âHey, where are you?â Dipper asks. He sounds concern, like heâs worried something mustâve happened to her. Aww. âAre you okay?â
âOh, yeah, Iâm fineâŚâ she trails off, dreading having to tell Dipper the truth. âListen, Iâm kinda sorta at Felixâs house right now. Do you think you could pick up the extra poster copies without me? Please?â
She hears Dipper sigh on the other end of the line. âWhat are you even doing at his house, Mabel?â he asks, his voice small and meek.
âIâm helping him with his posters is all. They are in desperate need of some Mabel TLC.â
That gets a half-hearted chuckle out of him, but she can tell heâs upset. Ugh, she feels so bad! Why does her dumb brain always get so caught up in the moment with boys? Now her brother is upset. But before she can apologize further, his voice stirs on the other end of the line.
âIâll go get the posters, okay? JustâŚdonât stay out too late or anything.â
Mabel giggles. âOkay, Mom.â She quips, coaxing yet another chuckle out of him. Operation Dipper-Cheer Up has done the best possible job considering the circumstances. âIâll be home nice and early so we can practice my speech, âmkay?â
âSure, Mabes.â She hears him say, before giving her a quick goodbye and hanging up the phone. Aw, crud. Now she feels terrible. Still, sheâd be lying if she said those feelings didnât go away a little when Felix re-enters the room with two cans of pop for them.
âDr. Pepper for you, Diet Coke for me.â Felix recites, passing her the can of soda. âWho was that on the phone?â
âJust Dipper.â She says, smiling up at him. âNow, letâs see those posters.â
Itâs just after eight thirty when Mabel finally gets home, which is admittedly a bit later than she had intended to leave. Whatever, she got carried away! Plus, those posters seriously needed some work. She makes her way up to Dipperâs room, knocking lightly on the door.
âCome in.â His voice echoes through the door. She turns the handle, meekly walking into his room. Heâs lying on the bed, idly drumming his fingers across the cover of a torn-up mystery book that his eyes have neglected in favour of wistfully gazing at the ceiling.
âHey.â She says, giving her brother her best Iâm really super sorry smile.
He gives her a weak smile in return. âHey.â
âIâm sorry about running off. I just got kind of carried away, and Felix is soooo cute Dipper, seriously like I almost start drooling when I look at him for too long, itâs reallyâŚâ
âYeah, I get it, Mabel.â Dipper says harshly. He instantly looks regretful, and lets out a sigh as he runs his hand through his messy brown hair. âSorry, I know you like him. Itâs okay, donât worry about it.â
Mabel knows that look. She knows it means that Dipper is holding something in, because sheâs always the one that can see past it. Because she is the one that he lets everything out to. Itâs a look that, when sheâs on the receiving end, makes her heart break.
âDip, come on. I know itâs not okay.â She says, plopping herself down at the foot of his bed. His legs curl into his chest and he tries very very hard not to look at her. Why is he being like this? Dipper has always been one to hold in his emotions to everyone else, but when it comes to his sister, he always lets them out.
âNo, it is. Youâre-youâre justâŚYouâre having fun. And Iâm glad that, uh, Felix is a cool guy after all.â He says, picking at his faded Legend of Zelda t-shirt.
Mabel frowns, thinking hard. She knows she majorly screwed up and all that, but would that really make Dipper this mopey? Something must be way seriously wrong. Ugh, sheâs never been good with this sort of thing.
âOkay, justâŚâ She hears herself say. âIf you want to talk, yâknow my doorâs always open!â She ends this by shooting him finger guns, giving him her goofiest Mabel smile. Luckily, this gets a chuckle out of him.
âOkay, Dr. Mabel.â He says, picking up his book and burying himself back into it.
She sighs. That look is still there behind his eyes, but she doesnât know if thereâs anything she can do about it but wait.
The next day, Mabel spends extra-long at the mirror getting ready. This is for two reasons. One, because todayâs Speech Day! And while of course she's going to wow them with all her fantastic ideas, it canât hurt to be looking spiffy too. Reason number two is that sheâs going out for lunch with rival candidate and all around cute dude Felix Ross right before the speeches.
Their lunch goes perfectly. Duh, why wouldnât it? Felix is a total gentleman. He holds the door for her, makes her laugh like a gazillion times, and even pays for her meal at the end. She idly thinks over their date as they walk back to school, her arm in his. No matter what happens with the election, Mabelâs sure glad that she met Felix. This state of bliss doesnât last long, unfortunately. Her current Felix mental fantasy is pierced by her twinâs voice calling her name. Ugh. Right now, Dipper? Really?
âMabel?â He calls again, now standing in front of her and Felix.
Felix clears his throat, probably feeling more than a tad awkward. She may have let it slip to him that her brother isnât the hugest Felix fan. âIâll see you out there, okay, Mabel?â He says, giving her hand a squeeze. She smiles at him as he walks off, though that smile quickly fades to a look of annoyance that gets flashed Dipperâs direction.
âSeriously, Dip? I was kind of in the middle of something!â Mabel accuses, exasperated.
âYeah, I know. Thatâs why I stopped you.â Dipper replies, his face redder than usual.
âWhat?â
âListen, Mabel, you can do whatever you want, but I donât know if itâs such a good idea to be hanging out with your opponent right before the election, yâknow?â He shrugs, idly picking at the fuzz on his forest green sweater.
Say what? Who does Dipper think he is? He canât just barge into the middle of her Felix fantasy, interrupt their date and then yell at her for having a little fun. She wonât stand for it.
âWhat the heck?â She says, raising her voice despite the other people still standing around in the halls. âThis is a high school election! This doesnât mean anything! âMy opponentâ? Seriously, we arenât running for Congress, you know. This is supposed to be for fun.â
âYeah, I know, itâs justâŚâ He says, his voice tinged with regret. âListen, Iâm your campaign manager, right? Itâs just my advice, is all. I donât trust that guy.â
âYou donât trust anyone, Dipper! And by the way, âcampaign managerâ, I only gave you that title because you were being nice and helping me out. Not because you were bossing me around. Iâm not a little kid, Dipper, I can handle myself.â
âIâm trying to help, Mabel!â Dipper says, his voice raising to match hers. Not a good move.
âWell, quit it!â She yells, backing away from him. âI donât need any help from you!â She canât stand to look at him anymore; sheâs practically seeing red. Where the heck is this all coming from, anyway?
Mabel feels a single tear trickle down her cheek. Oh boy, here come the waterworks. She ducks into the girlâs bathroom, quickly locking herself into a stall so she can let the tears fly. Why did he have to do this right now? Now sheâs going to be all shaken up and sad for her speech! Sheâs supposed to be all fun and happy; thatâs how she was planning to win the student body over. God, everything is so messed up now.
She curls her knees into her chest, pressing her back into the wall of the stall. Tears dance across the scrapes on her legs as she presses her palms into her eyeballs. Câmon, Mabel girl, pull yourself together.
What the heck is she going to do?
â
Mabel makes her way up to podium, still desperately trying to scrub the mascara off of her tear-stained cheeks. God, she must look like a total mess. Eventually she finds herself positioned above the microphone and opens her mouth, praying that her voice wonât be as shaky as the rest of her.
âH-hello, everyone!â Mabel starts off. Lovely. Her shaky voice decided to make an appearance after all. âI, uh, am so excited to be running for your president. And, I, umâŚâ Her eyes scan the room desperately for Dipper. Why canât she remember what sheâs supposed to say next? Where  is he even sitting? He didn't leave, right?
âI want to be your next president because Iâm super organized, for one thing. Iâve, uh, been part of tons of clubs over the years too! Like, ahâŚâ She had her whole speech memorized less than an hour ago. Then she had to go have a stupid fight with her brother and now she canât remember anything! Finally, Mabel spots Dipper in the crowd. Despite their argument, it still hurts her heart to see that his face is just as red and splotchy as hers. He looks just as scared as she feels.
Eventually Mabel makes her way through the speech, stumbling over her words and just generally making a total fool of herself. She canât believe this. All the campaigning in the world canât save her now. Her posters, the ones she spent days making, might as well not even be up there on the walls. She totally effed everything up.
She finishes her speech on the verge of tears, and is met with a half-hearted applause from the audience. Pushing her way through the couple of people waiting to go on next, Felix included, Mabel finds herself inside an empty classroom. Immediately, she slumps down in a nearby chair and breaks down crying. Sheâs so mad at herself right now she could scream.
The classroom door gently creaks open as a lanky figure approaches Mabel. She instantly knows who it is, even though she doesnât really want to face him right now. She feels Dipperâs arms wrap around her, silently rubbing circles on her back. Despite how angry she was at him, all she wants to do now is let herself melt into his warm, comforting frame. She lets her tear-stained face rest on his shoulder and wonders what in the heck to say to him.
âDipper, I-â
âListen, Mabel-â
They both speak at once, cutting each other off. The twins let out soft giggles, both secretly glad to have alleviated a fraction of the tension in the room. Mabel motions for Dipper to continue, infinitely grateful that heâs not making her take control of this scary conversation.
âIâm sorry, Mabel. Iâm sorry I was such an asshole earlier, honestly, I had no right to say those things about Felix, or any of this. I know you like him and I justâ I feel awful. This is all my fault and I never, ever, want to hurt you, okay? And you can hang out with whoever you want, obviously, I just missed you is all. But I know I didn't handle it right, like, at all, and Iâm really sorry. God, Iâm so sorry, Mabes.â
Mabel canât help it, she starts to sob. She isnât upset with Dipper anymore, at least not nearly as much as she was before. Now sheâs just upset with herself for letting everyone down, most of all her brother.
âI just feel like I let you down.â She says in a small voice, avoiding all eye contact. âYou worked so hard helping me, and I just blew it.â
Dipper grabs her chin, tilting it up gently to look at him. âHey. Thatâs crazy talk. Iâm so proud of all the work that youâve done, okay? Seriously. Iâve been looking up at those crazy cool posters on the wall all week and every time all I can think is how lucky I am to be your brother.â
âReally?â
âOf course. Mabel, youâre the coolest, funniest, most amazing girl I know. Iâm sorry I made you feel like you werenât.â
Mabel smiles, finally meeting his eyes. But when she does, she notices something there thatâs never existed in his eyes before. Thereâs this intensely passionate look lingering on his features, like heâs looking at her as if he canât believe sheâs really there. Sheâs been on the receiving end of similar looks from boys a handful of times before, but nothing this intense and definitely nothing like this from her brother.
Behind all that is something else. Itâs almost hidden, but Mabel knows him better than anyone and picks up on it. Behind the adoration is fear, she realizes. Heâs deeply afraid. She gulps, watching him gaze at her in a way he hasnât ever looked at her before. A look of admiration, of passion, of fear of what it all must mean.
A montage plays in Mabelâs head of the past few days and she realizes something earth-shattering. This isnât the first time Dipperâs looked at her like this; not by a long shot. Heâs been looking at her like this for a while now. But thereâs always been some distraction; the campaign, an upcoming test, a new cute boy. Right now, though, itâs just the two Pines twins, staring deeply into each otherâs eyes. And for the first time, sheâs finally noticing just how Dipper looks at her. Itâs anything but platonic.
She watches him get closer and closer to her face. This canât be real. Dipper Pines, her brother, is inching his way towards her lips. Thereâs no way heâs really doing this, right? Heâs just⌠heâs just⌠Her mind goes blank.
Heâs kissing her.
Itâs extremely soft; so gentle that if she wasnât holding her breath and remaining as still as a statue she might not even have noticed it. She canât bring herself to push him off of her; sheâs in shock. Dipper takes this as a green light, and continues to gently press kisses upon her lips. His thumb caresses her cheek, in a way that (gulp) might have actually made her shudder a little.
So this is really happening, then. Her brother, her best friend for life is kissing her. Why isnât she pushing him away? Why is she kind of sort of maybeâ
âWhat the fuck.â A deep male voice whispers from behind them. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.
The twins instantly break apart. All the colour has drained from Dipperâs face. Heâs terrified. Still, he inches his way in front of Mabel to shield her from the person in front of them.
âFelix, letâs not make any rash decisions, okay?â Dipper speaks, his voice quivering and breaking in ways she hasnât heard since middle school. Mabel, meanwhile, canât even manage to look up at Felixâs face. Sheâs frozen in place.
She hears Felix slam the door, presumably running off to go tell everyone what he saw. Mabel sinks to her knees, her face once again buried in her hands as she sobs. This time, though, she isnât sobbing for some stupid presidential campaign. Sheâs crying for her, and her brother, and oh god, sheâs going to have to move schools, and her parents will find out, and theyâll separate her and Dipper, even though neither of them know what theyâre doing. Theyâre just stupid kids, for Godâs sake. Theyâre just kids.
âMabel.â Dipper finally breaks the silence, his voice shaking ever so slightly.
âI-I donât want to talk to you right now.â She heaves through tears.
âIâll make this right, Mabel, okay? Iâll fix everything. You donât need to worry. Just pretend this never happened. Please.â The pleading in his voice is so desperate it makes her heart break. But she canât seem to move from her position. She canât go comfort him right now. She canât do anything but cry.
By the time she looks up, heâs gone.
â
Mabel wants to scream. Instead, she settles for roughly throwing her phone down against her mattress. Sheâs called Felix a grand total of six times, and every single time sheâs gone straight through to voicemail.
Truthfully, she doesnât even really know what sheâd say to him if he picked up. Beg him to take her back? Definitely not. Theyâre way beyond that. Probably just plead with him not to think sheâs a freak, to keep quiet about what he saw. To yell, to apologize. Maybe sheâd just cry. Who knows?
Usually sheâd ask Dipper for guidance about these kinds of situations. Sheâd curl up next to him under his covers and have a good cry. Then, once she was all cried out, sheâd watch as he sat down at his desk and sketched out a thirty-something part plan to fix everything.
This time, though, thereâs no long-winded plan to guide her. In fact, Mabel hasnât even seen Dipper since that super awful moment in the empty classroom. When she had finally gotten home, she gave his bedroom door a soft knock that was met with no answer. She knew he was in there; she could hear him softly crying. The sound felt close, as if he was right on the other side of the door. She slumped down against his doorframe, her chest heaving as she silently cried into her knees.
Now, sheâs lying down on her bed, still heaving the same tears but desperately trying to think of absolutely anything else.
How on Earth are they going to fix this?
The next day is almost as tough, though at least the tears have died down. Dipper had left extremely early in the morning, leaving her to sullenly pick at her breakfast for fifteen minutes until her mom told her to just leave it.
Dipper left her the car, but sheâs never liked driving. She spends the entire lonely walk to school chewing on the inside of cheek as she tries to resist the urge to cry. How can she face everyone at school, when they probably know the whole sucky thing? How can she possibly face Felix? Her mind has long forgotten the fact that today is Election Day. Now, sheâs just trying to survive. To Mabelâs surprise, no one mentions the incident to her all day. In fact, everyone treats her as normally as ever. Itâs as if Felix kept the secret to himself. Mabel is completely baffled.
When the results are announced in last period, itâs no surprise to Mabel that she lost to Felix. Frankly, he deserves it a lot more than her. Sheâs a freak, a stupid, brother-kissing freak. All she cares about now is fixing things. Luckily, she manages to catch a glimpse of Felix right as heâs exiting the school. She speeds up instantly, racing through the halls to catch up with him.
âFelix!â Mabel cries, making everyone in the halls turn to look at her. Oops. âI need to talk to you.â
Felix gives her a blank look. Silently, he follows her around the corner and into an empty classroom. Without a word he sits down on top of one of the desks and crosses his arms. Okay, Mabel girl. This is what counts.
âFelix, I donât really know how much you saw yesterday, or anything, honestly Iâm not even sure what it was that you saw, butâŚâ She trails off. Blargh, sheâs no good at this. God, she wants Dipper here. Heâd be able to reason with Felix. Even more, heâd be able to put his arms around her and pull her close. Heâd be able to make her feel okay again.
âItâs okay, Mabel. Iâm not going to tell anyone about what I saw, if thatâs what youâre worried about.â
Say whaaaa?
âYouâre not?â She asks tentatively.
âIâm not that much of a dick.â Felix says, his eyes very pointedly avoiding her. âBesides, your, uh, your brother came to talk to me last night. He showed up at my door and begged me not to tell anyone. Iâm not saying Iâm not weirded out by what I saw, but, well, he assured me it wasnât what it looked like. Even if it was, thatâs your business to deal with.â
Mabel canât help it. She runs at Felix, enveloping him in a bear hug. Thank God. He really was a good guy all along, huh? Dipper must realize that now too. Felix gives her back a couple of awkward pats before clearing his throat. Oh, right. Despite everything heâs said, heâs probably not exactly thrilled about being around her.
âThat being said, I donât really think we should be spending anymore time together.â Felix continues, drumming his fingers along the side of the desk. âYou clearly have some stuff to work out and I donât really think you need the added confusion.â
âYouâre right, youâre so totally right.â Mabel says, breaking away from their hug. Still, she canât help but conceal the smile on her face. Sheâs so freaking relieved, it doesnât bother her that Felix is ending their barely-a-relationship. There are plenty of blonde-haired dreamboats out there, after all.
âRight, so, uh⌠Iâm gonna go.â Felix says, using his arms to push himself back off the desk. He gives her a slightly awkward smile before quickly ushering himself out of the room. Mabel wants to cry again, but for an entirely different reason. This time itâs out of relief, and most of all, gratefulness.
Thank God for Dipper Pines.
Mabel skips her way back home, a drastic change from the somber way she had trudged to school this morning. Now, she feels light as a feather. She and her brother are going to be okay. She just knows it.
In fact, it surprises her just how happy she feels. Even if Felix isnât going to let their little secret slip, she should still be upset by the fact that her brother freaking kissed her. Thatâs wrong, right? Any normal person would think so.
But for some reason, Mabel doesnât. It caught her off guard, alright. But after she had gotten over the initial shock that it was indeed her brother kissing her, she had been able to focus on the actual kiss. And okay, fine! It wasnât horrible! In fact, it was kind of nice. She had never, ever, been kissed like that before. No one had ever made her feel so cared for, so safe. No one had ever made her shudder like that either.
Whatâs even more is that no kiss had ever felt so right to her. Having Dipper there, gently cupping her cheek and leading her through a minefield of emotions in one kiss felt strangely perfect to her. As if it was meant to be that way all along.
Thatâs not as big of a surprise, though. Everything with Dipper always felt so natural to her. He always made her feel like she could be herself with him, even (especially) at her weirdest. She knew that Dipper felt the same way too. Heck, she was the only person he was ever truly comfortable around. It made her feel good, knowing that she was the one person he trusted in that way.
Why Dipper has such a problem with being himself, sheâll never understand. Frankly, heâs the best person sheâs ever known. From his weird-mystery solving antics to his torn-up collection of mystery books to the super cute way he looks at her when heâs just woken upâ
Oh, fiddlesticks.
It hits her like a dang truck.
She loves him.
She really, truly is head over heels for her brother. Her best friend for life.
Mabel canât believe it took her this long to see it. Sheâs always known on some level that they were different than your average siblings. Sheâs heard countless people tell her how nice it is that theyâre so close, but even then, she knew it was something more. And in a way, the platonic love is still there. They tease each other relentlessly, and get into stupid arguments, and god knows how competitive they both get over Saturday morning video game marathons. But thereâs always been that longing, that insatiable urging inside of her that theyâve got to be more than just âcloseâ.
Dipper just seemed to realize it first, is all. Thatâs no surprise, though. Heâs the one who loves mysteries. He thrives off of them, it seems. While Mabel is always content with stopping to smell the roses, Dipper constantly needs to know exactly whatâs going on. She wonders how long heâs known for.
Her feet stop at the front door of her house. Oh. Sheâs home. Well, itâs now or never. Mabel slowly makes her way up to her brotherâs door. Sheâs made the trip up these stairs thousands of times, and yet now it feels completely new. In a way, sheâs a completely new Mabel.
Before she knows it, though, her knuckles are rapping against his door.
âMabel?â A shaky voice calls out through the door.
âThatâs my name.â Mabel replies softly. Thereâs no answer, so she gingerly reaches over to the doorknob and opens the way in. The sight sheâs met with makes her heart break. Dipper is sitting on his bed, eyes puffy and red. His knees are tucked into his chest and he is quite deliberately avoiding eye contact with her.
âDipper?â She whispers. Without looking up at her, his hand reaches up and gives her a gentle wave. Welp. This might be harder than she thought. Truthfully, Mabel had sort of pictured that sheâd just run up here and fall into his arms and theyâd figure everything out later. Turns out, this might require a tiny bit more tact.
After a long silence, Dipper finally looks up at her. âI know what youâre going to say, okay.â
Mabel almost giggles, but realizes he probably wouldnât take that too well. âI really donât think you do.â
Dipper looks confused for a second, but then shakes his head sternly. âI do, so just-just listen, okay? I know Iâve made things weird for you, and god, I know I totally fucked up. I shouldâve never, yâknow, kissed you, especially where anyone couldâve easily walked in. Sometimes I just donât think, like, at all. I shouldâve been thinking that day because Iâm the one whoâs supposed to protect us. But for whatever reason, I wasnât. Still, you donât have to worry. I fixed it all. I talked to Felix and he promised not to tell anyone. Honestly, Mabel, he really does seem like a good guy. I was prepared to threaten him or to pay him off but he just promised not to tell right away. Iâm sorry I was such an ass about him.â
âDipper-â
âHold on, Iâm not done.â He says, clearly working himself up over this. Mabel crosses over to put her hands on his shoulders but he quickly scoots away. âSorry, just⌠Well, I think you know why. Anyway, Iâm really sorry about the whole kiss situation and Iâve already started working on it. Iâm gonna work out all these fucked up feelings for you, Iâll even see a therapist if I have to. I promise, Mabel, whatever it takes. Iâll fix everything Iâll stopâ whatever this is.â
With that, Dipper gets up and runs a hand through his hair, beginning to walk towards his bedroom door.
âWait.â Mabelâs voice calls out. Is that her voice? She can barely recall. âYou donât, uh⌠I donât want you to stop.â
Dipper stops in his tracks, turning around slowly to look at her. His eyes are staring at her more intensely than they ever have before, searching every line and shape of her face for some sort of sign. She watches him, turning words over in his head as he tries to figure out what to say back. She knows him best, after all. She knows exactly whatâs going on in his head.
So she takes a deep breath in, closing her eyes as she sits waiting on Dipperâs bed. She canât be the one to walk over, to close the gap, to put her lips on his. But she can sure make it easier on him.
Sure enough, the next thing she feels are Dipperâs chapped lips softly placing themselves in line with hers. He kisses her ever-so-softly, the warmth of his cheeks emanating off of him. Hesitancy lingers in his motions, but he doesnât find that reason enough to stop. Slowly but surely, just as he had done after her speech, Mabel finds herself being kissed by her very own brother.
And sheâs kissing him back.
The rational parts of her whispers to stop, that this is wrong. And yet something deep inside her never wants this to end. For whatever reason, that part deep down is the part that wins, and her hands float up to press softly against his chest. Dipper immediately reaches his hands up to her shoulders, and then her hair, and then the nape of her neck. His hands continue to run up and down her, as if they were dead set on touching every inch of her skin.
Their kiss quickly transitions into something more than the gentle, soft kiss that had originated this whole dang thing. No, this kiss was deep and passionate and god, throws Mabel for such a loop that she can barely even think straight. She clings onto Dipper, the only thing sheâs sure of right now.
Oh, and look, now his tongue is âyup, Dipperâs tongue is definitely entering the equation. Wowzers. He is kissing her like his life depends on it, like if he doesnât get it all done now there might never be another shot. Will there be? Could there be? Her thoughts are having quite the temper tantrum in her brain right now at this whole situation.
Dipper holds her closer than he ever has before, gently lying her down onto his bed. Their warm bodies line up almost perfectly (heâs got a good two inches on her) as he continues to kiss the freaking heck out of her. Her racing thoughts are quickly banished by Dipperâs lips placing soft open-mouth kisses along her jaw, and then along her neck. Jeepers, this feels like nothing sheâs ever felt before and oh my gosh did she just moan?
Dipper evidently heard it too, looking up at her with that damn sheepish grin. Her insides start going wild, butterflies flapping in every direction. She knows sheâs an oddball sometimes but that is most definitely not how youâre supposed to feel when youâre looking at your brother. Then again, youâre definitely not supposed to be in love with your brother either, but here they are.
Mabel registers that Dipperâs lips are hovering just over the space in between her breasts. That sheepish grin is asking her a deliberate question. Without thinking, she reaches down to the hem of her shirt and it quickly loses itself in the mound of dirty clothes lying on Dipperâs floor. Itâs then she remembers that, oh right, sheâs not actually wearing a bra. Oh well. Dipper looks her over like sheâs nothing heâs ever seen before, like sheâs a real life goddess lying there for him. It makes her tummy do another triple backflip because sheâs had boys look every which way at her but never like that.
Finally, Dipper seems to remember where he is and presses a kiss in between her breasts. His hand floats up to softly cup her right breast, running a gentle thumb over her nipple. It instantly makes her shudder, but oh boy is it a good kind of shudder. His other hand quickly drifts up too, and his awe-driven fondling of her breasts makes her weaker and weaker. It makes realizes very quickly that she wants all the Dipper she can get.
Her hands tug on the bottom of his shirt, silently pleading with him to throw it away too. Luckily, he gets the message and before she knows it heâs practically ripped his shirt away. And yes, sheâs seen him shirtless at the community pool and whatever but heâs never looked quite like this. Quite thisâŚaw god, sheâs gonna say it. Quite this hot.
Their bare chests press against one another as Dipper pulls her into another deeply passionate kiss. And she feels something hard push up against her leg. Is that� To test out her theory, she holds him as close as she can and delicately rocks her hips up into his.
Yup, Dipper has definitely got a case of the sister-boners. But truthfully, she isnât all that upset about it. ActuallyâŚ.
Maybe itâs out of curiosity, or maybe itâs out of pure lust, or maybe it just feels right in the moment. She doesnât know. What she does know is she can feel her hand making its way down to Dipperâs bulge and gently grazes her fingers over it. Now itâs Dipperâs turn to let out a moan, and he buries his face in the crook of her neck. She decides she likes this very much, and continues to rub him through his pants. Now heâs the one clinging to her, cursing under his breath and shaking ever-so-slightly. It makes her feel good how easily she can work him up like this, and sheâd be lying if she said she didnât want more.
So she allows herself to unbutton those pesky jeans for him, and feels Dipper quickly kicking them off the rest of the way. Thatâs more like it.
Dipper reaches around to cup Mabelâs butt, using that to pull himself back onto her. It riles her up beyond belief and without thinking she rocks herself ever-so-slightly into him again. And it feels insanely good, so she does it once more. Dipper lets out another curse under his breath before slowly rolling his hips back into hers.
And oh boy, does he hit the nail right on its frigginâ head.
Mabel squeaks, clinging to him as he continues to grind against her in a place that makes her legs turn to putty. She eagerly presses herself into him, but thatâs all the work she can really do at this point. Sheâs overwhelmed in the best possible way and all she can think of is how sheâs going to get her own pesky pants off.
Not wanting this to end, she reaches down and wiggles out of her sweatpants as fast as she possibly can. And while sheâs there, she might as well get rid of the other pesky clothing down there, right? Soon, sheâs lying completely naked on Dipperâs bed. Sheâs not quite sure how she got there, but she wants to be there; she needs to be there. She needs him.
That awe-filled, holy shit holy shit type of look returns to Dipperâs face as he takes in her naked body. She sees him lick his lips ever so slightly and dang sheâs really freaking wet. His fingers trace their way down her ribcage all the way to her lower stomach, and then they halt delicately.
âCan IâŚ?â He asks, drumming his fingers against her lower stomach. She nods frantically, eternally thankful that he just seems to know exactly what she needs.
His fingers maneuver their way through her slick folds, placing just the right amount of pressure against her. Sheâs always been rather sensitive down there, so itâs lucky that her bro has decided to be gentle. Her insides continue to flip-flop as he continues to rub her, making her want to squirm and thrash about because holy shit how is he so good at this? Dipperâs always been a man of his research, and clearly heâs researched a lot more than Gravity Falls anomalies.
She canât stop herself anymore and starts to moan, trying as hard as she can to keep quiet so as to not wake up her parents. Still, itâs hard to think about your pesky olâ parents two doors down when your brother has three fingers pressed up against your lady bits and is making you pant and squeak in ways you never thought you could.
Suddenly, he withdraws and reaches down to his underwear, quickly tugging himself out of it. Instantly her eyes go to his, ahem, junk. Mabelâs never actually seen a real-live penis up close before, so she takes her sweet time studying it. The head, the way it curves ever-so-slightly to the right, the curly wisps of black hair peeking out from underneath. He smiles shyly at her, his face growing even redder than before.
âSo, are we⌠Are you okay with doing this?â Dipper asks, looking down at her. His face is creased with worry and hesitation.
âHeck yeah I am, Dippingsauce.â Mabel giggles, reaching up to graze her fingers along his inner thighs. He shivers ever-so-slightly at her touch. Yup, she could definitely get used to that.
He gulps, quickly sitting himself back down onto the bed. Whatâs going on? Is he having second thoughts? Oh boy, did she push it too far? She kind of does that sometimes⌠These thoughts circle around in Mabelâs brain, making her more and more nervous. That is, until she bothers to look at what Dipperâs actually doing.
Dipper Pines is currently hunched over, frantically trying to rip open a condom wrapper.
Thatâs when it really sets in for Mabel. Theyâre really going to do this, arenât they? Less than an hour ago Mabel had been completely (well, not completely) unaware of her feelings for her brother and now here they are, about to go just about as far as two people can go together. She should be scared, right? At least a little worried?
But, well, she isnât. Sure, the butterflies are still flapping around down there as strong as ever. But scared? Never. Not with Dipper by her side. He would never do anything, ever, to hurt her. In fact, sheâs glad that sheâs doing it with him and not some random clown from school. Dipperâs a guy she knows, a guy that she trusts. No matter what happens from here on out, she knows heâll have her best interest at heart. The thought makes her smile.
Dipper finally looks back up at her, seeming to have come out victorious in his battle against the condom wrapper. He quickly rolls the condom on, looking almost upset to have paused their, uh, previous activities. Still, he is soon back and ready for action. He climbs on top of Mabel, looking at her so fondly that it makes her stomach do another round of backflips.
Heâs nervous. She can read it in his face. To calm his nerves, she leans up ever so slightly and kisses him. Their lips connecting seem to spring him back to life as his hands instantly begin exploring her body once again. This time, they donât hesitate in the slightest. Her whole body is free reign to him now. Suddenly, she feels him prop himself up on his hands, his body looming over her. Mabel looks up into his deep brown eyes, giving him a silent, yearning nod.
Dipper lines himself up at her entrance. And ever so slowly, he coaxes his way inside her. Sheâs way too wet for it to be painful, but itâs definitely a new sensation. She feels every inch of him pressing against her walls and oh god she feels so full. She watches his face contort and twitch ever-so-slightly as he rests himself inside her.
Once sheâs gotten used to the sensation, Mabel gently rocks herself against him. Clearly, heâs not expecting that, as she hears a sharp moan emit from his mouth followed by a mumbled curse. She surprises herself too, letting out a quiet whine. Dipper picks up on it though, and gently begins swaying his hips. Holy jeepers, this is all so new and unreal and yet it feels so freaking good and right doing this with him. She can tell that Dipper feels it too, from the way that heâs cursing under his breath and letting out tiny moans into the crook of her neck.
And oh god, she can feel every single inch of him, twitching ever so slightly every once in a while as he keeps his steady rhythm. She looks up at him fondly, shooting him a shy smile that he returns with one of his own. Suddenly Dipperâs forehead is pressed up against hers and heâs locking lips with her once again, covering her frame with his own.
His hands start to wander along Mabelâs body, delicately grazing along her smooth stomach. But frankly, sheâs growing a little impatient. Unable to wait any longer, Mabel grabs his right hand and places it atop her breast. Dipper certainly takes the bait, beginning fondling her in a way thatâs certainly a little more, uh, rough. And hoo boy, does that work for her. His fingers catch along her nipples, giving them a tiny squeeze that sends shivers down her spine. She needs more.
âFaster, Dipper. Please.â Mabel whispers, trying not to sound too needy. Dipper looks like his eyes are going to bulge out of his head, causing Mabel to stifle a giggle. He certainly listens, though, and soon Mabel has a hand clamped over her mouth, trying desperately to suppress her moans.
Dipper begins planting kisses along her jaw, tickling her cheek slightly with his hint of peach fuzz. His path continues down her neck, placing wet, open mouth kisses all the way down to her collarbone. This, combined with Dipperâs never-faltering rhythm, make Mabelâs toes curl under and her hips buck up into him. Itâs all so deliciously overwhelming andâŚ
An idea strikes. She gently takes Dipperâs hand, placing it inches above her labia. He looks at her confused for just a second and then instantly gets to work. She keeps her hand atop his for a couple moments, guiding his fingers in circles around her clit that make her almost afraid sheâll scream. Once heâs making her good and squirmy, she lies back, eyes clamped shut and clinging to Dipperâs back for dear life.
Mabel feels lucky her brother is such a quick learner. He soon begins rocking three fingers across her, placing pressure all around her clit (but never directly on, sheâs still sensitive!) and follows each tiny moan, each whine and gasp so he knows exactly what gets her going. Soon sheâs panting even harder than before, coming completely undone for him. She reaches up to her breasts, squeezing and tweaking them in a way that Dipper canât seem to take his eyes off of.
She can feel Dipperâs rhythm faltering ever so slightly, hinting to her that heâs probably closer than he cares to admit. Luckily, her back is arching and her hips keep involuntarily bucking up against his, so she knows sheâs rather close too. One hand remains tightly wound around Dipperâs back, while the other slams into the mattress to grab a fistful of Dipperâs dark blue sheets.
âDip, I-IâŚâ She starts, barely able to string together a sentence at this point. He nods, instantly knowing what she means.
Mabel feels her orgasm wash over her, reaching from her curled toes to her flushed cheeks as she moans into Dipperâs shoulder as quietly as she can. No boy has ever made her feel this way, made her feel so unbelievably squirmy and heated as she feels right now. And he never lets up, keeps rubbing her as she begins to tense up and her thighs squeeze even tighter around him. She hopes sheâs not hurting him but at this point sheâs finding it hard not to give into her every impulse. Her breathing, while still ragged, begins to slow as she comes down from her high.
She looks up at Dipperâs face, watching her in awe as he clamps a hand over his own mouth. Heâs not far behind her, slamming himself into her in quick, deep strokes. He buries his face into the crook of her neck once again, his cheeks warming her. She can feel little whinnies and moans being echoed into her skin as he finishes, his strokes beginning to progressively slow until he stops completely. For a moment he just lies atop her, desperately trying to catch his breath.
Eventually, he looks up at her.
Now Mabel has gotten plenty of smiles from her brother. âHappy Birthday I love youâ smiles, âOops I accidentally ate your last cookieâ smiles, even sarcastic âoh arenât you funnyâ smiles. Such is the nature of their relationship, after all. They are a smiley duo. But the smile she gets right then from him is unlike any sheâs ever gotten before. Itâs swimming with desire and with contentment, but most of all with adoration. Itâs a smile she hopes sheâll get to see plenty more of.
â
Soon, Mabel is lying under Dipperâs comforter in his baggy old Mathletes t-shirt, his arms wrapped snugly around her. She can feel his rhythmic breathing on her shoulder, and her heart flutters happily.
Oh, boy, is there gonna be a big long talk between them tomorrow. Probably some tears shed, at least on her part. Sheâs no stranger to getting emotional, but Dipper has been known to grow a little teary-eyed when the time is right.
If this is going to be a regular thing, thereâll be even more to work out. They wonât be able to walk down the halls holding hands like a regular couple, and theyâll have to figure out a way to maneuver around her parents. Heck, theyâve already started that trend; Dipper has an alarm set for early in the morning so she can safely retreat back to her own room.
But no matter what happens, theyâll always have each other. That much, at least, she knows to be true.
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Give Me A Try (New Chapter)
Gay Instagram Model/Bartender Phan AU Part 7
(Part One)
(Part Two)
(Part Three)
(Part Four)
(Part Five)
(Part Six)
(Read on Ao3)
âThanks again for doing this, Dan. Itâs really nice of you,â Phil is saying, though Dan is barely listening. Heâs typing the various codes and instructions Phil had reeled off a moment ago into the notes of his phone, but mostly heâs trying to keep himself from looking Phil in the eye.
âItâs really not a problem,â Dan says, shrugging. He pockets his phone, wrapping his arms around his middle. âYour flat is, like, ten times nicer than mine. Not to mention super close to the bar.â
Phil smiles, though he still looks abashed. Perhaps Dan should invite him round to his shitty Kemptown flat one day, then Phil might feel less guilty for asking Dan to house-sit.
âIâm gone until Wednesday,â Phil informs him, grabbing a jacket from the row of hooks nearby. âIâll be back around midday, probably jetlagged and grumpy as hell, so you might wanna steer clear of me.â
Phil laughs, and Dan infers that this is Philâs polite way of asking him to be gone by Wednesday lunch time. âGot it. I should have everyone out of here by then.â
Phil pauses, one arm in one sleeve, an adorable frown caught on his befuddled face. âWho out of where?â
âOh, all the hundreds of people Iâll be inviting round for a week-long orgy.â
Danâs straight face seems to catch Phil off guard for a split second, and then he laughs, giving himself away. Phil dissolves into laughter with him, tongue caught between his teeth.
âJust put a cover over the couch, yeah? Itâs velvet. Stains easily.â
âOoft, no promises.â Dan jokes back. His heart pangs as the easy banter slips off his tongue.
Doing this jokey back and forth with Phil used to be fun. It used to excite him, how effortlessly they could buffet off one anotherâs humour; now, in the wake of Tylerâs words the other day, itâs just painful. This âfriendshipâ with Phil had once seemed like a miracle. Now all Dan can see is a pretence. He hasnât told Tyler about the fact that Phil has asked him to stay in his flat, because it just seems further proof that Phil is only using him.
But Danâs weak, and he couldnât refuse Phil anything if he tried.
â...and Iâll call and check in now and then just to make sure youâre okay,â Phil is saying, Dan realises with a start. He nods, trying to show heâs been listening, and Phil beams at him, jacket zipped up. âSo, see you in a week then, I guess!â
Danâs about to go in for a safe handshake, but then Phil is wrapping an arm around him, his other hand on the handle of his suitcase. He squeezes Dan tight, and Dan lets out a sound that he hopes is muffled by the broad, warm chest heâs smushed against.
Heâs released after a moment, and heâs pretty sure heâs bright red. He nods, taking a swift step backwards. âY-yep, see you. Have fun in the Maldives.â
Phil rolls his eyes, making an âughâ sound. âNot likely.â
It seems a bizarre reaction, but Dan is used to Phil speaking about his work with distaste at this point. Dan tries to stave off judgement, but itâs difficult to view these eye rolls and grimaces as anything other than ungrateful. Phil is going to spend a week pouting for a camera on a beach in the blazing sunshine. Dan is going to spend this week sweating behind a bar, then crawling home to someone elseâs sofa to eat his weight in crisps and fall asleep.
âWell, uh, send me some pics,â Dan says, not sure what else to say. For whatever reason, the idea of this seems to perk Phil up.
âI will!â He gives Dan a small wave as he opens the door, and then, right before it closes, he blows a kiss. âBy-eee!â
The door clicks shut behind him, and Dan stares at it for a moment, replaying that kiss in his mind. âBye,â he whispers to nobody.
*
Friday nights are karaoke, and it usually gets a little messy. The gays love to sing, and with a few drinks in their system, theyâre practically unstoppable. More often than not, the hardest part of the evening is dragging them off stage when itâs closing time.
With the help of Matt, Dan manages to boot the last few out of the door, and sighs in relief. Now thereâs just a final clear up to do, and he can wander down the road to crash at Philâs. He grabs a rag and starts wiping down the bar.
âDodie, could you switch the music off?â Dan calls.
âOn it!â
âLara, would you grab a mop? I think the guyâs bathroom could use a once over.â
âAlready did it, Dan!â
Dan lifts a smile to her, impressed. Sheâs sealing the mop and bucket back in the cleaning cupboard already. âThanks, youâre a star.â
âWhat shall I do, boss?â
Dan turns to face Tyler, who is smiling sheepishly at him from the other end of the bar. âYouâre as much of a boss as I am, Ty. Figure your own jobs out.â
It comes out a little bit colder than he intends it to, but Tyler is undeterred. âDonât equate such lowly peasants with yourself, boss!â
Tyler scoots close, then grabs the rag from Danâs hand. âHey!â Dan exclaims.
âLet me do that,â Ty says, still beaming. âYouâre tired. Go home, Iâll lock up.â
âItâs my turn,â Dan points out.
âPfft,â Tyler say, swiping the rag through the air. âI donât mind. Besides, Iâve got Dodie and Lara to help me.â
Dan sighs, wanting to protest. He knows this is Tylerâs way of apologising for what he said about Phil the other night, but it makes Dan uncomfortable. Sure, Tyler had said some things Dan didnât exactly want to hear, but that doesnât mean he shouldnât have said them. His apologies are unnecessary.
âFine,â Dan says, exasperated. âBut Iâm locking up tomorrow.â
Tyler holds the rag up, and places his other hand over his heart. âScoutâs honour.â
Dan shoots him a tight smile, then squeezes out from behind the bar. He crosses the dancefloor to the staff room and gathers his things. As heâs coming out, he notices Tyler and Dodie in a deep discussion that ends abruptly when they spot him.
Wanting to groan, Dan shakes his head at them. âGuys, Iâm not a fucking idiot okay, I know youâre talking about me.â
âItâs justâŚâ Dodie swallows, her eyes darting to Tylerâs briefly. âWeâre worried. Are you okay? Youâve been really quiet sinceâŚâ
She trails off.
âSince I shoved my foot in everything and tore you to pieces for just having a crush,â Tyler finishes. âIâm sorry about that.â
âTy, youâve apologised literally like fifty times,â Dan reminds him, already pulling on his jacket.
âI know but⌠I just donât want you to think that anything I said was anything except me lashing out because of my own love troubles,â Tyler says, walking over to him. âI donât think Phil is intentionally being a dick to you. I just let all the gossip from the bar filter into my brain.â
âWeâre just worried,â Dodie says again, biting her thumb.
âWell, thatâs all very sweet,â Dan says, sighing. âBut you donât have to worry anymore. You were right in a way, itâs not very healthy for me to be so⌠close to him. Iâm distancing myself for the time being.â
Technically, technically, thereâs a lot of distance between he and Phil right now. Over 5,000 miles, in fact. This probably doesnât count, however. After all, he saw Phil earlier on today, and will probably be texting him from his very own couch later on. Dodie and Tyler donât need to know this, though.
Dan watches with mild despair as the two of them exchange one of their long, loaded glances; itâs filled with unspoken concern.
âOkay, Iâm off,â Dan announces before either of them can verbalise it. He gives a brief wave, then heads for the door. âSee you gays tomorrow.â
âWait, Dan-â Tyler begins to say, but Dan just throws him another dismissive wave.
âBye!â He calls, then wrenches open the door and steps out into damp morning chill.
*
Phil has every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD, along with all of Game of Thrones, every Studio Ghibli movie, and most Marvel films. Once heâs let himself into Philâs flat, checked the houseplants, removed his jacket and shoes, and made a de-stress cup of tea, Dan kneels before Philâs collection. Heâs down there for a good ten minutes before settling on Captain America as his choice for a wind-down film.
He pops it in the DVD player and loads it up, then settles into Philâs deliciously comfy couch to watch. As the opening credits roll, he snaps a photo of his hand holding the mug of tea, the filmâs title screen in the background. He dithers, unsure whether to post it to his newly popular Instagram. His overtired brain is too mushy to think about it too much, so he slaps a warm filter on it, and posts it with the caption:
capâs helping me wind down after a long shift
It immediately starts being hit with likes and comments, which is too much for Dan to comprehend right now, so he just locks the phone and shoves it in his pocket. Heâll read the comments tomorrow.
Danâs just getting to the bit where Chris Evansâ CGI skinny body is being pumped up into his muscly self, when his phone trills. Confused, Dan pauses the film and reaches for it. Philâs name stares out from the screen. He swipes it immediately, already bolt upright with concern.
âHello?â
âHey!â
âIs everything okay?â
âYeah! Everythingâs great,â Phil says. âJust checking in.â
Dan had been expecting a sombre, possibly urgent tone; contrarily, Phil seems to be his usual, chipper self. Dan checks the time on his phone, frowning. Itâs 3am, meaning itâs 7am in the Maldives.
Dan rubs his eyes. âItâs so early.â
âOh, crap, did I wake you up? I just thought âcause of your Instagram post that youâd be chilling after work, sorry.â
âNo, I mean itâs early for you.â
âOh,â Phil says, laughing. âNah, this is when I have to get up for my shoot. The best light for beach photos is sunrise.â
âOh,â Dan says, surprised. He never thought about that. âGod, that must suck. Arenât you jetlagged?â
âSuper jetlagged!â Phil laughs again. âIâm used to doing shoots half asleep, donât worry.â
âHave some coffee,â Dan suggests.
âIâll definitely be trying to wrangle some caffeine from somewhere,â Phil agrees. His tone of voice suggests that it doesnât look promising. âSo, howâs your first night in the flat going?â
Dan glances around himself. âItâs, uh, quiet.â
âHmm, yeah,â Phil says. âIt can get pretty lonely there.â
This makes Dan frown. Phil has never mentioned being lonely before. âItâs cool, Iâve got Cap and Bucky to keep me company.â
âAh, yes! Are you watching Civil War?â
âNo, just the first one.â
âAwesome,â Phil says emphatically. âWell, enjoy the not-so-subtle gay undertones. Iâd better get to the beach.â
âYou poor soul,â Dan says sarcastically, which makes Phil laugh.
âGet to bed soon, okay? I know Chris Evansâ abs look really good on my obnoxiously large TV, but youâre working tomorrow.â
Dan chuckles. âYes mum.â
âNight, young man.â
âMorning, you mean.â
âHah, I guess youâre right. Iâll check in tomorrow, sweet dreams!â
âOh, you donât have to check in tomorrow if-â
The line goes dead, and Phil is gone. Dan blinks down at his phone, slightly thrown by the conversation. Itâs difficult to believe that Phil is so concerned about the wellbeing of his houseplants that heâd call Dan the first morning of his trip. Now that Dan thinks about it, Phil hadnât even asked about the houseplants.
An overwhelming fatigue throws itself over Dan suddenly, and he yawns, throwing his phone to one side, where it continues to blink with Instagram notifications. He should really switch those off. He blinks at the TV, eyes already growing heavy; heâs sure he wonât make it to the end of the movie.
With a hefty amount of willpower, Dan switches off the TV and heads to Philâs room to grab the duvet. As heâs pulling the heavy quilt from the mattress however, he pauses, arms aching with the weight of it already. Would it really be so bad to take up Philâs offer of just falling into the bed?
It will undoubtedly be weird, and heâll probably hate himself for it tomorrow morning, because heâll spend the whole of the next day (week, month, and year) dreaming about exactly how Philâs bed feels and smells. But heâs exhausted, and it looks far more inviting than the couch right now.
Before he can argue himself out of it, Dan is shimmying off his jeans, pulling his t-shirt over his head, and crawling into the tantalisingly soft cocoon of the bed. He actually moans; these sheets feel divine against his skin. Theyâre probably Egyptian cotton or something. Dan would take longer to think about it, but he closes his eyes, and falls instantly asleep. Â
*
Two hours before they are due to close on Saturday, at around 3am, a girl approaches the bar. She is pretty and slim, with a short, tight dress on and long dangly earrings. Sheâs wearing red lipstick and her hair is bleach blonde. Not wanting to judge prematurely, Dan gives her his usual customer-service smile; in the back of his mind, however, he canât help but note that this girl is very much not the type of customer that they usually get at Habeneroâs.
In other words, she gives off a rather⌠heterosexual vibe.
âHi,â the girl says, grinning at him. She leans forwards on the bartop, pushing out her boobs rather obviously. Dan raises an eyebrow, but doesnât comment. âA Malibu and Coke, please.â
âSure,â Dan says, turning to make it.
âActually,â she says, making him turn. âMake it a Diet Coke. Iâm such a sugar fiend. Need to watch myself.â
Briefly, Dan looks her up and down. Her body is gorgeous, clearly the result of daily gym trips and a careful diet. A full-fat Coke wouldnât even touch her skinny frame, and she knows it. Heâs not in the mood to pander to her obvious attempt at fishing for compliments.
If she wants her ego stroked, sheâs barking up the wrong tree.
âDonât we all,â Dan says instead, and reaches for the soda hose.
The drink takes seconds to make, and he places it before her. âNo straw?â She asks, smirking. âMy lipstick is Dior. Canât waste it on the rim of a glass, can I?â
Dan shrugs at her. âSorry, weâve introduced a no-straw policy at the club. Brightonâs a green city.â
For a moment, her smile wavers, but then itâs fixed back in place. âHey, do I know you from somewhere?â
âI donât think so.â
The scarlet lips form a perfect âoâ. Her look of realisation seems ingenuine, like sheâs performing a pre-rehearsed scene. âOh my God! Youâre AmazingPhilâs friend, right?â At the sound of his name, Dan freezes up. âDavid, is it? No, wait, Dan!â
âUh, I think youâve got the wrong person,â Dan mutters, though he can feel the heat flood to his cheeks.
âOh, donât be coy!â She laughs, and then sheâs got her arm on his shoulder; sheâs leaning right over the bar to reach him, which looks awkward. âYouâre the bartender he keeps posting about, right?â
âCould be,â Dan says vaguely.
âYes, yes, itâs totally you! Gosh, youâre so much cuter in person.â
âOh, uh, thanks.â He shifts awkwardly. âSo, itâs five-fity for the Malibu and Diet Coke,â Dan tries to say, but she just laughs him off.
âSo, oh my gosh,â she leans even closer somehow, a wry, knowing smile stretching her lipsticked mouth into a joker-ish smear. âTell me. Is Phil just as cute in person too?â
Dan feels his cheeks warming. âOh, um, I- I donât know.â
âAw, come off it. You have to admit heâs cute, right?â Her teeth are dazzlingly white as she grins at him; itâs mildly disconcerting in the low light.
âI guess,â Dan says. He looks around for another customer, trying to find an excuse to leave the conversation.
âAnd you guys met in Brighton? At this club?â
â...Yep.â
âSo, like, you already knew who he was, right?â
âWell, yeah, but-â
âYou were a fan of him? You followed his Insta?â
âI, uh, well⌠yes, but-â
âI bet he was flirty.â She grins again, teeth blinding. âDoes he flirt with you?â
âHeâs kind of flirty, I suppose,â Dan admits, trying not to picture all the many, many times Phil has knocked the air from his lungs with an off-handed comment.
âOoh,â she says, eyebrows wriggling. âThat sounds intriguing. So go on, tell me, Dan. Is he good?â
âWhat do you mean?â Dan asks, stupidly.
âOh, you know,â she says, and winks. âIs he good in bed? With that body, he probably doesnât  have to be, yeah?â
âWait what? Thatâs not- weâre not-â Dan stammers out, cheeks scarlet by this point.
âRight, right, youâre just friends,â she says, rolling her eyes. When they meet Danâs again, she winks a second time. âCome on, Dan, Iâm not an idiot. I mean, youâre staying in his house, right?â
Immediately, Danâs hackles go up, and he pulls back from her. âHow do you know that Iâm⌠who are you?â
Suddenly a ruckus nearby captures Danâs attention, and he turns to see Matt ploughing through the crowd and seizing another girl by the shoulders. This second girl, also blonde and in a skimpy outfit, is holding up a phone, obviously videoing Dan.
Dan gawps at the camera, then Matt plucks it from her hand. âUnsolicited filming of our staff is not permitted. Get out.â
âOh, for fuckâs sake, weâre just asking him a few questions!â shouts at Matt. Her charming smile is gone now, and in its place is a ferocious snarl. âItâs perfectly within our rights to do that! Heâs in the public eye, isnât he?â
One hand on the filming girlâs shoulder still, Matt seizes Malibu-and-Diet-Coke-girl by her upper arm. âYouâre out too, Princess. Highly doubt this is your sort of establishment anyway.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â Malibu-and-Diet-Coke-girl shouts, trying to break free of his grip.
âIt means,â Dan cuts in, anger starting to swirl in his blood as he processes the situation. âThat we donât throw a Pride parade every year just so you and your gaggle of plastic friends can paint on rainbows and find a GBF.â
âYou heard him,â Matt says, beginning to frogmarch the two girls towards the exit.
âThis is discrimination!â One of them shouts on their way.
âMust be so hard for you poor straight white girls,â Matt replies, ever the sarcastic one.
A few people gathered near the bar clap then, cheering as the girls depart.
âNice one, mate,â Nick, one of their regulars, calls out to Dan. He nods, still embarrassed, and Nick approaches the bar. âShe was out of order.â
âYeah,â Dan says, mind still reeling. âI donât get it, though. Why was she filming me?â
âWell, âcause youâre in with that good-looking model dude, right? She wants exclusive behind the scenes gossip for her own account, Iâd imagine. Chicks like that are always after their ten minutes of fame, so they try guzzle it from other people.â Nick says; it kind of makes sense, except for the fact that some random girl thinks Dan is anywhere near important enough in Philâs life for him to be harbouring any secrets about the man.
Nick takes hold of the Malibu and Diet Coke Dan made for the girl, the one he now realises she never paid for. Before Dan has a moment to be annoyed about it however, Nick pushes a tenner towards him. âFor the drink. Nasty stuff, Malibu, but someoneâs gotta drink it, eh?â
Dan smiles at him gratefully. âThanks. Iâll grab you some change for it.â
âNo need!â Nick calls out, making Dan pause.
âNick, itâs only a five-fifty drink.â
âYeah, well. Weâre mates, arenât we? Keep the tip.â
Danâs eyes fall to the ten pound note in his hands. âAre you sure?â
âYeah, course!â
âWow,â Dan says, taken aback. âThatâs seriously good of you, thanks. I appreciate it.â
âNo worries!â Nick takes a sip of his drink, eyes darting around the room. âSo⌠as I was sayinâ. You and that Phil fella. Thatâs⌠a thing, right?â
âWhat?â
âThe two of you are⌠gettinâ it on?â
Dan drops the ten pound note back onto the bar like itâs burning. âIs this a fucking bribe? Are you trying to get me to talk about Phil?â
âAw, come on Dan, weâre mates, arenât we?â
âYou know what,â Dan grits his teeth, snatching the drink out of Nickâs hands. âIâm not your mate, and you can fucking hit the street with those other vultures.â Dan cups a hand to his mouth, and pushes up onto his tiptoes, scanning the crowd. âMatt! Got another one!â
âDan, for fuckâs sake, you know me,â Nick says, annoyed. âCome on, you and the Insta dude are the hottest story in town right now! You canât blame me for trying to get in on the goss!â
âWhat so you can tweet about some non-existent scandal for a few more followers?â Dan asks, disgusted. âGrow up.â
âAw, come on, you know what itâs like in the gay world,â Nick fires back. âItâs fucking vicious out there! Iâve gotta stay relevant! I need to keep up-â
Dan just ignores him and turns away. He chucks the drink, glass and all, into the sink below the bar. In the background, he vaguely hears Nick protesting as Matt drags him away, but he canât bring himself to turn and see it.
This is insane.
Never in his wildest imaginings did Dan think that people would actually seek him out and attempt to pry information from him just because heâs vaguely associated with a moderately famous Instagram account. That one girl had even filmed the entire exchange.
It makes Dan feel sick to his stomach. He leans over the sink, watching the broken shards of glass gleam and glint in the swirling disco lights. Heâs trying, over the thump of the bass, to remember what he said to her. Whatever his answers had been to Malibu girlâs interrogating questions, theyâre now saved to someoneâs phone.
A hand claps down on his shoulder, making Dan jump. Tyler is beside him, looking concerned.
âMatt just told me what happened, are you okay?â
Dan nods, slowly. Then, he shakes his head. âThey were filming me, Ty. What did I even say? It all happened so quickly, I-â
Tyler wraps him in a hug; it helps, a little. âShh, donât worry about that right now.â
âIâm gonna have to tell him,â Dan says, cold realisation dawning.
âTell Phil? About the girls, you mean?â Dan nods into Tylerâs shoulder. âMaybe. But itâs okay, you wonât have said anything that bad, Iâm sure. Thereâs nothing to tell, right?â Dan bites his lip. âTheyâre just some fame-whores trying to get a slice of the action behind the scenes. You can tell Phil about it in the morning. It wasnât a big deal.â
Dan sighs, wanting him to be right. âOkay. Yeah. Iâll ring him in the morning or something.â
Tyler pulls back to look him in the eye. âWhatever you said, it wonât be anywhere near as bad as you think, Iâm sure. And hey, Philâs a nice guy. Heâll understand.â
Dan nods, trying to calm himself with the sure, solid gleam in Tylerâs eyes. âOkay.â
*
On Sunday afternoon, Dan wakes up in Philâs bed to a flurry of notifications on his phone. His followers havenât stopped climbing since that first night Phil put him in his story; now, Danâs follower count is in the hundred-thousands.
He checks his last photo, which is the one with Captain America and tea from Friday night. It has forty thousand likes. He reads the comments, covers balled up in one fist from nerves.
thatâs philâs place!! i recognise the rug!!! #phanisreal
dan is staying at philâs!Â
isnât he in the maldives atm? dan must be housesitting :o
iâd know that hello kitty mug anywhere!! hows philâs place treating u dan? ;) #phan
He closes the app quickly, half wanting to delete the entire thing off his phone. These fans are bloodhounds, obsessed with a scent of some rumour they caught a whiff of. âPhanâ is such an alien concept to Dan, still. How can these followers even justify it to themselves? Itâs preposterous to think that Dan and AmazingPhil are anywhere near on the same level, let alone in a secret romantic relationship.
âOh, shit,â Dan mutters, his heart sinking. He clicks onto his missed calls, noting that he has five, Â all from Phil.
He swallows, trying to remain cool. There are some texts too, all of which came through whilst he was sleeping.
From: Phil To: Dan hey can you call me when you get a sec pls xx
From: Phil To: Dan did something happen last night at the bar? im getting a lot of messages⌠xx
From: Phil To: Dan ok⌠wanna let me know why #phan is trending worldwide?
From: Phil To: Dan have u seen what that girl @lucyintheskaii posted on twitter?? thereâs a video of you. did you tell ppl that ur staying at mine? how did she find u?
From: Phil To: Dan dan i need to talk to u ur probs asleep and i get tht but im gonna skype u at 2pm your time. x
By the time he gets to the final message, Danâs heart is pounding against his chest. He hangs onto that one final kiss, despite the fact Phil usually ends his messages with two. He glances at the time at the top of the screen, and curses, loudly.
Itâs 13:59pm.
Before he can do anything to prepare, his phone is buzzing in his hand, notifying him of a Skype call coming through. He thinks seriously about declining, as heâs on the verge of a panic attack, but he reluctantly comes to a decision that not facing up to this would be far, far worse.
He accepts the call, and watches in mild horror as his own sleep-crumpled face and bare chest fills the screen. Then, Philâs camera bursts into life, and Danâs own image is replaced by something far more pleasing to the eye. He braces himself for Philâs anger, having no idea what that would even look like. Â
âPhil, oh my God, Iâm so sorry,â Dan blurts. âI shouldâve called you last night when I got back from work and told you what happened, but Tyler convinced me I should wait until morning, and I was just so exhausted, and I convinced myself the thing with that girl wasnât that big of a deal, but obviously you have every right to be mad, I was so stupid and-â
âDan, hey, hold up,â Phil says, voice raised to be heard over Danâs ramble. âCalm down, Iâm not mad. Why would I be? Iâm worried about you.â
Dan blinks. âWhy?â
For some reason, this makes Phil laugh. âBecause you were ambushed by some deranged fangirls! And itâs all my fault. Iâm so sorry, Dan. I should never have said where you worked on my account. My fans are⌠intense.â
âWait,â Dan says, confused. He sits up a little, trying to understand. âYouâre not the one who needs to apologise. I said all that stuff to that girl! Her friend filmed it all. And she⌠did you say she put the video of it on Twitter? Thatâs awful, Phil, Iâm such a fucking idiot, I-â
âYeah,â Phil interrupts with a long sigh. âThe Twitter video isnât⌠ideal. But Iâve had literal nudes leaked before, Dan. I can handle you telling people I get a bit flirty IRL.â
Phil winks, and Dan blushes, partly because heâs only just now remembered telling that girl Phil is a flirt, and partly because he remembers the leaked nudes Phil is referring to. Not one of Danâs proudest moments, searching the internet for those on incognito mode. Heâd only found them once. And once was definitely enough; heâs not about to forget something like that.
âI guess,â Dan says, trying hard to focus on the situation at hand. âBut Iâm just so sorry for not realising what was happening, Phil. I shouldâve known that girl was after something. I mustâve caused you so much stress.â
Phil shrugs. âNothing I canât handle.â
Heâs too nice, thatâs the trouble. Dan stares at the pixelated version of this beautiful man, wishing he could reach out for Philâs hand. Phil would probably take it; heâs not opposed to touchy-feely stuff, and if he knew how badly Dan needed physical reassurance right now, heâd do it, Danâs sure. Philâs sitting at a table outside, on what appears to be a balcony overlooking a white sandy beach. Thereâs a light breeze ruffling his hair, and the sun is setting behind him. He has his chin in one hand, and a tiredness in his eyes.
Dan imagines he can smell the salt spray blowing through Philâs locks. Stupid, soppy words are on the tip of Danâs tongue, about how gorgeous Phil looks in the soft evening light, or how much it means to Dan that Philâs deigning to so much as speak to him after he was so stupid with that girl, but right then, a door slams, hard. It comes from somewhere on Philâs end, and itâs muffled, but it still makes Dan jump.
Phil looks towards the noise, sighing.
âWhat was that?â
âCharlie. Heâs pretty annoyed about⌠this.â
Something heavy and blunt falls into Danâs stomach. âOh. I didnât know Charlie was with you.â
Phil glances back at the screen. âDidnât I say?â
Dan shakes his head. He would have remembered that small detail, heâs sure. Though he guesses it makes a little more sense now that Phil picked him to house-sit, as opposed to asking Charlie.
âSo, Charlieâs annoyed with me, then,â Dan deduces.
Phil shrugs. âI think Charlieâs annoyed with everyone most of the time. I wouldnât take it personally.â
âWhatâs he been saying?â
âIt doesnât matter.â Philâs eyes avert from Danâs.
From this small gesture alone, Dan can imagine exactly what Charlieâs saying.
Why are you even associating with that rando from the bar?
This is what happens when you stoop to their level, Phil!
Heâs got the hots for you, and heâs gonna make up some bollocks about how youâre secretly fucking to bump up his follower count even more!
âSorry I got you guys into a fight.â
Phil chuckles, but it sounds dark, hollow. âWhen are we not in a fight?â
So many words fight to push their way out of Danâs throat. They want to scream that Phil is so much more than this, that he should realise his own worth and ditch Charlie for someone that deserves him. He swallows them down as best he can, creating a lump, the size of a boulder, in his throat.
Phil turns back to look at him, a sad smile on his face. Then, one eyebrow twitches, and he smirks. âAre you in my bed?â
Heat flames into Danâs cheeks, and he attempts to pull the covers over his chest. âFuck, sorry⌠Iâll wash the sheets and stuff-â
Phil is laughing, which cuts Dan off. âDan, itâs okay. I said you could have the bed, didnât I?â
âWell⌠yes, but-â
Phil yawns then, smiling sleepily at him. âYou look cute under my covers. Wish I was there, to be honest.â
Danâs heart spasms. He wonders if Charlie can hear what Philâs saying, and whether Phil is only saying it to get a rise out of his boyfriend.
âItâs, um, very comfy. High thread count.â
Phil laughs again. âThe thread count is top of my priorities.â
âSo, is the shoot going okay and stuff?â Dan asks, wanting to move the subject into safer territory, so his heart rate can settle back into a human rhythm.
Phil shrugs. âItâs kind of difficult posing sexily on a beach with someone who currently hates my guts, but other than that itâs fine.â
Dan winces. âIs it that bad?â
âHeâll get over it.â
âLet me know if thereâs anything I can do.â
âTeleport me into the bed with you so we can watch Buffy and fall asleep?â
Another heart spasm. Another flush whipping into his cheeks. âHah, IâllâŚ. see what I can do.â
Thereâs another door slam then, and Phil glances up, smile disappearing. âIâd better go.â He sounds reluctant. âIâll call tomorrow, see how youâre holding up.â
âOkay,â Dan says. He shifts, still feeling guilty. âSeriously Phil, I donât know how much of that video you saw, but⌠Iâm sorry. I didnât think. It wonât happen again.â
âI know, Dan. Itâs my fault, I threw you in the deep end with all this stuff.â Phil smiles at him. âI forget sometimes that being friends with me isnât as simple as it used to be. I come with a twin. His nameâs AmazingPhil, and heâs kind of a jerk. Causes all sorts of trouble.â
Dan laughs at the analogy, shrugging one shoulder. âI kinda like him.â
âHe likes you too,â Phil says, winking again. âItâs not your fault some girl attacked you over him though, Dan. Youâre wonderful, okay? Itâs everyone else who sucks.â
The corner of Danâs mouth twitches. âUm, thanks. You⌠you too.â
âEnjoy your day off.â Phil waves. âTry not to worry about this. Itâll all blow over in two seconds anyway.â
âOkay,â Dan says, unsurely. âEnjoy the rest of your trip.â
The expression that flits across Philâs face suggests that this is unlikely. âThanks, Dan,â he says anyway, then blows a kiss, and is gone.
*
At around eight in the evening on Sunday, Charlie posts a photo to his Instagram account. Dan follows Charlie out of curiosity more than politeness, but he sees it in his feed, right at the top. Itâs a photo of him and Phil, knee deep in the ocean, holding hands as they stare out towards the horizon.
Their silhouettes are perfect and symmetrical, their broad shoulders and tapered waists looking as if theyâd been painted onto the streaky orange sky behind them. The picturesque image hits Dan like a punch to the stomach, dull and painful, winding him momentarily.
The caption reads:
happy anniversary baby <3
Itâs been bombed with likes.
omg i didnt know you guys had an anniversary today!!!
congratulations charlie and phil! u r couple goals!! #chil4eva
so happy for you both! give phil a kiss from me cha ;) xx
#netflixandchil later guys?! ;) <3
A hot, stinging sensation burns in Danâs retinas. He throws his phone to the couch, and doesnât look at it again for the rest of the night.
*
Three more fame-hungry girls and nine more gossip-thirsty guys track Dan down over the course of Monday night. Tyler makes a sign for the bar counter that says âWant To Quiz The Bartender? Hope You Like The Taste Of Ass...phaltâ, which helps a little, but doesnât entirely ward off the AmazingPhil stans.
Dan just keeps his mouth clamped shut for the night. Heâs not really in the mood to talk to anyone anyway. That photo of Charlie and Phil seems to be burned into the back of his mind; itâs there every time he so much as blinks, taunting him. He refuses to take his break halfway through his shift, sure that the photo will dance teasingly in front of his retinas for the whole twenty minutes.
It just makes so little sense. Phil had seemed beaten down by the weight of Charlieâs anger when he and Dan had Skyped last night. How is it that, hours later, theyâre knee deep in the warm waves of a tropical beach, holding hands in celebration of their anniversary?
âHey, youâre him right? Dan Is Not On Fire?â Itâs a giggling pair of young guys this time, nudging each other forwards. âPhil is totally into you.â
The other one squeals, clapping a hand over the first oneâs mouth. âOh my God, I canât believe my friend Iâm so sorry.â He releases his hold on the other guy, laughing. âBut seriously, we both ship Phan way more than Chil.â
It feels like a bolt in his chest, screwed too tightly, digging in just below Danâs ribs. âGuys, do you wanna order something?â
âOh, no, weâre seventeen,â one of them says, and the other one smacks him. âShit, I shouldnâtâve said that-â
âMatt!â Dan yells for what feels like the millionth time tonight. âMatt, get over here!â
âWait, wait, can we just, like, get a selfie?â Theyâre snapping the photo before Dan can turn away, and he scowls at them both. âThanks! Follow us on Insta!â They chirp, laughing, and are gone before Matt can push through the crowd.
Tyler throws a plastic cup after them, which Dan is grateful to him for. âWeâre gonna need to hire more security at this rate.â
âItâll blow over when Phil gets sick of me,â Dan says.
âGets sick of you? Heâs in here all the time!â
For now, Dan thinks privately.
He doesnât reply out loud, he just turns to the next customer, who is, mercifully, just another regular. The realisation that Dan is coming to with the blow of each crushing Phil/Charlie couple photo, is that eventually Phil is going to seek out greener pastures.
Once heâs settled into Brighton, Phil will find his own social class of people to hang out with, people more like Charlie, that understand designer labels and spend their weekends at fancy  film premieres or in their second homes in Bali.
Up with the elite is where Phil belongs, even if Dan was able to tether him in the dirt for a while, playing Mario Kart and plying him with sugary alcoholic drinks. Dan is an âin-the-meantimeâ friend, someone to pass the time with until he finds a better crowd. Someone to house-sit for him, and someone who doesnât have a lot of free time, and is therefore low-commitment. There will come a time, Dan is sure, when he will once again be just a bartender to Phil. Sure, Phil will wave and chat when he comes into the bar, but they wonât hang out, and the fans that followed Dan out of curiosity will drop away like flies when they realise that Dan is simply⌠dull.
It will be difficult when it happens. But Dan wonât struggle against the current; heâs not stupid, and heâs been poor since he was a kid. He knows how society is separated into the wealthy and the not-so-much, and how the divide can rip through even the tightest of bonds.
He barely even knows Phil, still. Thereâs no doubt in Danâs mind that one day, yet again he wonât know Phil at all besides the pictures that occasionally flash up on his phone.
*
On Tuesday morning, Dan wakes up earlier than usual. At first, he thinks it might be the seagull screeching right outside his window, but heâs lived in Brighton for years; it takes a lot of squawking to wake him.
He rolls over, still swathed like a baby in the thick covers of Philâs bed, and immediately freezes, realising what it is that has woken him. Thereâs a body beside him, faced away. Even if Dan couldnât recognise him by the shock of black hair, heâd know the bare, pale back, dotted with tiny freckles. Heâd know the Emoji pyjama pants, and the shallow, even breaths that come out with a slight snore.
For a long, long time, Dan doesnât move an inch. He just stares at the silhouette of the man heâs dreamed about laying next to for so, so long. He suspends his belief, and allows his mind to wander, to imagine that this is real, that Phil is his, and that heâll roll over any second, give Dan a lazy smile, and kiss Danâs world into colour.
None of this happens, obviously. So Dan just watches him, counting the minutes he gets to have this, and prays that it never ends.
(Part 8 !)Â
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i fucking did it here ya go my self indulgent basically 4k word First Time TM Meeku smut fic that had way more exposition than I intended
âWhat can I do to get it through his headâŚâ Raku paced back and forth through the living room, with Reika and Cashew on the couch. They watched on as Raku seemed to be having some sort of crisis.
âWellllllllâŚWhy donât you just - I dunno - be direct about it?â Cashew suggested.
âI sucked him off the other day! How much more direct can I get?!â Raku threw his hands up in the air.
âOh my god.â Reika covered her ears and looked away. Her and Raku were close, but she did not need to know about his sexual endeavors with the town cryptid heâd been trying to woo for the past year or so.
âLook, you guys donât seem to get it. I love the guy, but likeâŚMeemo is kinda dense as fuck. I donât think us doing intimate stuff or me hanging out with him more often is reallyâŚmaking it clear to him that I want us to be more than just fuckbuddies, y'know?â Raku paused. âNot that weâve actually gone all the wayâŚDo you still call that being fuckbuddies? Or is it blow buddies? Is that a thing?â
âRaku. Please.â Reika looked at him with pleading eyes.
âRight, sorry.â Raku cleared his throat. He stopped his pacing and plopped down on the couch between the other two. He let out a deep sigh as he sunk further into the cushion.
âHonestly, I think youâre just over complicating this! You say heâs dense, right? Then just straight up do a confession. Tell him you love him! Heâd get it then, wouldnât he?â Cashew made a kissy face, batting her eyelashes teasingly at Raku.
âWha- No way! I think heâd combust from something that direct! He could barely even process when I was going down on hi- â
âI think,â Reika interrupted, âitâs at least worth a try. If you care about him that much, I think you need to let him know straight to his face.â
Raku looked unsure, eyebrows furrowed as he carefully thought about the challenge he was faced with. He knew Reika had a point, but he was also afraid of being rejected. Sure, Meemo probably reciprocated his feelings, but there was also the small possibility he didnât; and that miniscule chance weighed heavily on Rakuâs mind.
âAnyways, if it backfires, weâll be here to cheer ya up!â Reika threw a stern glance at Cashew, which the latter replied to with a playful nudge to Raku. âIâm kidding, Iâm kidding. Itâs obvious heâs got the hots for you â granted not as much as you have the hots for him â but! I know he at least likes you back; so, stop moping around already and get your man!â She gave Raku a quick slap on the back before getting up off the couch. To be honest, she wasnât quite sold on that, seeing as how Meemo was so hard to read; but who was she to kick Raku when he was already down?
âOwâŚâ Raku let out another sigh, before sitting straight up. âOkay, fine, youâve got me. Iâll do it. Iâm expecting a top-notch pity party if this all blows up in my face, you guys got that? â
With that, Raku at least felt a little more confident in confronting Meemo. Heâd committed himself to winning Meemo over for the past year, and by God, he was going to finish this off strongly.
*******************************
Unbeknownst to Raku, Meemo was having his own crisis. However, unlike Raku, it wasnât like Meemo had a support system. Chai wasnât exactly the optimal person to vent to about -dare he say it- feelings. Romantic feelings at that. No one taught him about this. How was he supposed to know how to deal with the quickening beat of his heart every time Raku got near him? How was he supposed to know if there was some deeper meaning to Raku sucking him off other than he just could?
âThis is stupid.â Meemo grumbled as he buried his face into his pillow.
He couldnât even pinpoint when he began to see Raku in a different light. Was it really so long ago when he considered him a pest? Raku at first was very subtle about his encounters with Meemo, but the occurrences became more frequent over time, much to Meemoâs chagrin. He didnât think that over time, heâd come to tolerate Rakuâs presence, and even -*gasp*- anticipate it. Fast forward to now, and the two of them were in this strange limbo area regarding their relationship.
âMaybe itâs just better if I donât say anythingâŚâ Meemo rolled over onto his side and let out a startled yell after seeing who had entered his room.
âMeemoâŚ?â Chai had walked into Meemoâs room, with the latter too deep into his thoughts to have noticed.  âYou âkayâŚ?â Chai peered up at Meemo with worried eyes.
ââŚYes,Iâm okay.â Meemo sat up and gave a reassuring pat on Chaiâs head.
With Chai here, Meemo then thought about how Raku was good at handling Chai, and how Chai, who was usually so shy around people, seemed to be comfortable around Raku. It was definitely a plus to have them two get along so well. Meemo recalled how just the other day, they had gone to a park. Raku had picked Chai up and carried him up on his shoulders, smiling and laughing the whole way. The entire time, it was hard for Meemo to tear his eyes away from Raku, as he had looked soâŚradiant? Something like that. Meemo had nearly gotten a heart attack when Raku had noticed the otherâs gaze, and he cocked his head to the side before playfully sticking his tongue out at Meemo.
âUghâŚI think I like Raku.â Meemo finally admitted out loud.
âMm..me too! I like Raku lots too.â Chai beamed up at Meemo with a big grin.
Well then, if they were both in agreement here, maybe Meemo should just go ahead and let Raku know. How hard could it possibly be?
(Hard. Itâd be very hard, as he would come to find out soon enough.)
*******************************
A couple of days passed after Raku had his pep talk with Cashew and Reika. Raku had asked if he could stay over at Meemoâs place while the other two did their part with by offering to babysit Chai for the day. Meemo was understandably suspicious at first, questioning what Raku wanted to even do with just the two of them alone.
âI dunno, I just want to have a sleepover. Itâll be fun!â was Rakuâs excuse. Meemo was a little tense about it, unsure if this would escalate into another encounter of the sexual kind. Much to his ignorance, however, he accepted the offer, seeing this as an opportunity to tell Raku about his feelings; and while Meemo had his plan, Raku was preparing his own confession.
The pair made their way back to Meemoâs house, with Raku up to his usual antics and making jokes while Meemo stayed quiet, save for the occasional dry chuckle. The day continued on as usual for the most part. Meemo was never one to initiate conversations, so heâd let Raku run his mouth while heâd add his two cents occasionally. However, something did seemâŚdifferent. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, and it was undeniable that there was some tension going on between them; and this was more noticeable once it reached evening, and things came to a lull.
Even if he appeared as aloof and jokey as usual, Raku felt like he was going to implode. Having things planned out in his head and having to actually execute said plan were two different things. He could just imagine Cashew taunting him right now for procrastinating.
ââŚI have to shit.â Raku suddenly announced. They were watching a movie, but he really couldnât concentrate on it as he had his mind preoccupied with other things. He figured he could use this time to clear his mind before maybe finally making a move. Raku quickly got up and made his way to the bathroom.
Once Meemo was sure that Raku was out of the living room, he took a breath of relief. Finally, he could relax, if only for a little while.
âOkayâŚwhen he gets back, Iâll do itâŚâŚâŚSomehow.â
Back in the bathroom, Raku was spending his time hyping himself up as well. Now had to be the time, right? He wasnât so sure he could go on the rest of the night with this kind of atmosphere. He looked at himself in the mirror, took a deep breath, and made his way back to Meemo.
When Raku got back to the living room, Meemo began to fidget in his seat. As soon as he sits back down, he thought to himself. ThreeâŚtwoâŚoneâŚ
âSo-!â Meemo said, as did RakuâŚâŚat the same time.
âUhâŚgo ahead.â Meemo kicked himself for backing down.
Raku recoiled at being put on the spot, but it was now or never.
âWell...â He scooted closer to Meemo. âYâknowâŚthat thing we did last time. I, uhâŚDonât do that to just anyone, alright?â Wow, this was off to a great start. âI meanâŚ! Weâve been hanging out a lot more lately, and weâve gotten a lot closer Iâd say. A-and! I really like being around you.  All these feelings have been building up slowly and all that sorta culminated in me blowinâ ya.â
Raku couldnât see it but dredging up memories of that was flustering Meemo beyond belief. A part of him just wished the couch would swallow him whole and get him out of this.
âAnyways, Iâm getting side tracked here! âRaku put his hand on Meemoâs lap, which the other flinched at. âMeemo. Meems. Meemster. Meemeoââ
âRaku get on with it.â
âWhat! This is hard okay! â
âJust say that you like me already or else Iâm going to have to say I like you first!â
ââŚâ
ââŚFuck.â
Rakuâs face lit up and he grabbed Meemo by the shoulders and shook him.
âOhmygodMeemoyoulikemetooIwassoscaredIwastoopushylasttimeImeanIwasjustsofuckinghornylasttimeandIletthatgetthebestofmebutIdonâtwantittoseemlikeIâmjustusingyoutosatisfymydeepcarnalneedsorwhateverthefucklikeIactuallyreallylikeyoualotandââ
âRAKU FOR FUCKâS SAKE.â
Raku withdrew his hands and let go of Meemo. âS-sorryâŚI justâŚIâm so relieved. I thought for sure you didnât feel the same wayâŚâ He looked away and rubbed at his arm.
Meemo felt a twinge of guilt. âRakuâŚDonât apologize. IâŚshouldnât have raised my voice.â He took a second to compose himself. âItâs just weird for me, is all. It was just me for a long time, and then Chai came around, and then eventuallyâŚyou. Everythingâs so new to me, and feelings are already hard enough for me to deal with, but you just kept coming along throwing me curveballs and it really threw me for a loop. Honestly, can you blame me?â
A hand peeked out from his cloak and Meemo reached over to Rakuâs face and cupped it gently.
âIâŚlike you too. If I didnât, I wouldnât keep tolerating you like this.â
âWooow, how romantic.â Raku couldnât help but stifle a chuckle at how blunt that statement was.
âYou- You know what I mean!â
âYeah, yeah I do.â Raku leaned up and placed a swift kiss at Meemoâs mask.
â?!â
âSo now that all thatâs taken care ofâŚWe gonna do it or what cuz all that tension has got me worked up like no tomorrow.â
Meemo sighed. âLooks like Iâm not the only one who needs to rethink what being romantic is all about.â
*******************************
Without a moment to waste, the pair found themselves in Meemoâs room. While Raku was raring to go, Meemo was more hesitant.
âI donât know if you got this from what I was saying earlier, but I donât have much experience, so youâreâŚgoing to have to guide me a little here. âHe mumbled the last part, embarrassed to have to admit that.
âOh, trust me, I got that, given how quickly you came undone the last time.â Raku said teasingly. âFor now, why donât we start off simple? But to do that, we gotta get this,â he took a step forward and tapped at Meemoâs mask, âoutta the way.â
ââŚI suppose.â
Raku had already seen Meemo without his mask once before, so it wasnât that big of a deal anymore. Even so, there was still a trace of embarrassment, especially given the situation. At least Raku let Meemo take it off himself â he knew that Meemo was self-conscious without it, so he wouldnât rush it. Meemo reached up and started by taking off his hood, revealing his messy hair, then undid the string of his mask. As he took the mask away, Raku stared up at Meemo.
âW-what?â Meemo retorted.
âNothing~ Just admiring the sight.â
Before Meemo could have time to be flustered about that statement, Raku got even closer, placing a kiss on Meemoâs lips. Although taken aback, Meemo slowly but surely reciprocated the gesture, leaning into Rakuâs touch. Raku wrapped his arms around the otherâs neck, deepening the kiss. While Meemo was preoccupied with that, Raku was gradually leading themselves towards the bed. Once he reached it, he pulled away from the kiss, licking his lips as he looked at Meemo who was visibly more worked up now.
âNot bad. A little sloppy, sure, but we can work on that.â Raku winked at Meemo, as he went ahead and got onto the bed.
âYeah,yeah.â Meemo replied, not really taking Rakuâs jab to heart. Black tendrils went to work at disrobing Meemo of his cloak, as he crawled onto the bed as well, hovering over Raku.
âIâve been meaning to ask this.â Raku said, as he began to undress as well, tossing his jacket, shirt, and pants off to the floor. âAre you likeâŚtechnically always naked under your robe?â
Meemo rolled his eyes (how that was possibly seeing as he had no pupils was unclear, but a lot of things Meemo did seemed to defy logic). âNo, donât be ridiculous.â But if he was being completely honest with himself, even he didnât know how it worked. His body was just this goopy, shadowy, mass. One that could sprout a dick when needed.
âSure, if you say so.â Raku shrugged, knowing itâd be futile to press on.
âAnyways, what do you want me to do nowâŚ?â Meemo tilted his head to the side, genuinely curious.
âHmâŚWell, I think nowâs a good time than any to return the favor from last time. Buuut before that, help me get these off~â Sure Raku wanted to get to the good part, but he also wanted to tease the hell out of Meemo first.
Giving it some thought first, Meemo reached for the band of Rakuâs underwear and tugged on it. He then looked at the fluffy mass that was Rakuâs tails. Itâd certainly be a hassle if he had to do this slowly, so without much warning, he yanked them off.
âWhoa-!â Raku flopped onto his back from the force Meemo used. âGeez, couldnât be a little more graceful there?â He pouted.
Meemo held in a chuckle. âSorry.â
âNah, sorry wonât cut it, pal. Gotta apologize some other way.â Raku waggled his eyebrows with a smirk at Meemo and slowly spread his legs, displaying himself fully to the other.
Again, Meemo was at a loss, his brain frozen at the mere sight of Raku naked below him. Alright, fine, so maybe Raku had done a little too much teasing and had to take matters into his own hands â literally. Raku reached down to his nether regions, using his fingers to spread his lips.
âRemember what I said about returning the favorâŚ?â
Meemo nodded absently, eyes fixated on Rakuâs hand as he began to play with himself. Meemo scoot down the bed a bit, so he could lower himself and be level to Rakuâs crotch. His eyes looked up to Raku, who was very much anticipating what would come next. Meemo kissed at Rakuâs inner thigh, peppering small pecks until finally giving a tentative lick to Rakuâs already slick entrance. As Meemo continued to test the waters, soft gasps were coming from Raku.
âMmnâŚy-yeah, juuust like that.â He rested his hands on Meemoâs head, petting his hair reassuringly.
Seeing as how he had his hands full (or, well, mouth full) at the moment, Meemo couldnât answer. He continued to lap at Rakuâs lips, before beginning to prod his tongue in deeper. The more Meemo worked Raku up, the tighter Rakuâs grip on Meemoâs hair got.
âAh-!â Meemo had redirected his focus to Rakuâs clit, teasing it with his tongue as he used a finger to slip back into Rakuâs heat.  âFffuckâŚMeemo, please.â For someone who didnât have much experience, Meemo was doing one hell of a job.
With Meemo sucking here and there and his fingers slowly thrusting in and out, Raku was starting to come undone, his breathing becoming shallower as his legs began to tremble; but Raku didnât want it to just end here. Not yet.
âM-MeemoâŚhey.â He tapped the other on his head.
Meemo stopped what he was doing and looked up. âMmâŚYes?â
âI think thatâs enough of that. I wantâŚsomethinâ else now.â He adjusted his leg, so he could nudge his foot in between Meemoâs legs. â
âRâŚight.â
Meemo leaned away so he could sit back. Shadowy wisps appeared at his crotch, slowly taking form as Raku watched on in fascination.
âIâm really gonna have to get used to that.â
When Meemoâs cock stood fully erect, Raku got up to move and straddle Meemoâs lap. Meemo gulped, being hyper aware of the otherâs body pressing against him. Before moving on, Raku stole another kiss, this one needier than the last. When he got his fill, he pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting their lips.
âHm hmâŚHere I go~â Raku reached down, giving Meemoâs shaft a few strokes before aligning it against his entrance. Meemo bit his lip as Raku lowered himself onto his hard cock.
âNnghâŚItâs soâŚâ Tight? Warm? Just overwhelming in general? It was definitely a very different sensation than being in a mouth, that was for sure. Meemo placed his hands on Rakuâs hips, steadying the other as he began to move himself up and down, letting out sweet moans with each movement.
âYou feel so good.â Meemo muttered, resting his head against Rakuâs chest. He began to thrust up in sync with Raku, wanting to go deeper, feel more. He was torn between giving into his lust and going easy on Rakuâs body.
âMeemo, I need itâŚMove faster, go harder, anything, please.â Raku whispered breathlessly into Meemoâs ear.
That was more than enough to flip Meemoâs switch as he swiftly pushed Raku back onto the bed. He had slipped out in the transition, so he took a moment to push himself back into Rakuâs tight heat, savoring the warmth that enveloped him once more.
Meemoâs movements were a little more sporadic now that he was more in control in this position; but he gradually picked up a rhythm and quickened his thrusts. For the first time, he leaned down and initiated a kiss, letting his tongue thoroughly explore Rakuâs mouth, as his mind was hazed over from pleasure. Raku was more than happy to oblige, moaning wantonly into the kiss as he was fucked harder and faster with each thrust.
âMeemo��MeemoâŚHaahâŚI canâtâŚ!â He wrapped his arms around Meemoâs back, clinging on for dear life as he was reaching his climax. Meemo could also feel himself reaching that point, all the while panting and letting out sounds he never thought heâd make. He used a free hand to tend to Rakuâs clit once more, his thumb rubbing in tantalizing circles as he continued to thrust into him.
Raku yelled out in ecstasy, not able to contain himself from the over stimulation. âMmnghâŚYesâŚA-ahhâŚFuckâŚ!â It didnât take long before he was finally driven over the edge. Raku rode out his orgasm, his whole body trembling as he continued to grind against Meemo, trying to milk that feeling all the way through the end.
Meemo, in turn, let out a stifled groan as Raku tightened around him. That added pressure as well as the sweet, sweet sounds Raku was making brought Meemo to his climax. He pulled out just in time, spilling his cum over Rakuâs chest and navel. With a shuddered breath, he laid down beside Raku, and the two of them remained wordless, their labored breaths echoing throughout the room.
âThatâŚâ Raku said when he finally caught his breath. ââŚWas fucking great.â
âY-yeah?â Meemo turned his head to look at the other, still coming out of his post-orgasmic bliss.
âMhm. You didnât do such a bad job after all.â Raku swiped his finger over some of the cum on his chest, playing with it between his fingers.
Meemo felt his face heat up again. âWait, let me go get some towels to-â
âNo, no, itâs fine. Letâs justâŚenjoy this right now, okay? Weâll clean up in a bit.â
Raku scoot closer to Meemo, resting his head on his chest. âHow about you? Didja enjoy yourself?â
âI mean, yes, of course. I thought that was pretty obvious, especially from howâŚunhinged I got towards the end, there.â
âYep, ya really fucked me good.â Raku snickered. He was sure to replay the image of Meemo over him, succumbing to lust, over in his head for a long time coming.
They went silent again, just enjoying each otherâs company. Raku was gently stroking a thumb over Meemoâs hand when Meemo mumbled something.
âMmh? What was that?â
ââŚveâŚâŚyâŚâ
ââŚBabe,I canât understand what youâre sayinâ.â
âI said.â Meemo made sure to look Raku in the eyes. âIâŚlove youâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚâ Raku blinked a few times, his cheeks heating up and sprouting a nice blush.
âUh, Raku? âŚWas that too far? Should I not havââ
âN-no! You justâŚyou just do these things when I least expect it. My heart canât take it, yâknow?â Raku chuckled softly and shook his head. âI love you too, Meems.â He leaned up and pecked Meemo on the cheek. âSo! Ready for the next round?â
ââŚâŚIâm going to get those towels now.â
âEh?! No, I was kidding, Meemo come back!!!â
*******************************
âCan we assume it went well?â Reika and Cashew stood at the doorway. They each looked at Raku, hair all disheveled and hickeys clearly visible on his neck, then to Meemo, who although was wearing his mask again, seemed to be giving off an air of guilt.
âYeeep.â Raku gave the two a peace sign. âMission accomplished. Itâs a wrap, fellas. Etcetera, etcetera.â
Chai, who Reika had been carrying, was set down so he could be toddle on over to Meemo. Meemo wasnât even sure he could look Chai in the eyes at the moment, not after all he did just the night before; but he knew he had to welcome him back. Meemo lifted Chai up, giving him a hug. âDid you have fun?â
âMhm!â
âWelp, I best be hittinâ the olâ dusty trail here. â Raku went to join his sister and Cashew. âIâll see ya soon, âkay? Love ya, darling.â He said with a wink, before turning on his heel and walking off, whistling all the while.
Reika and Cashew both shook their heads. If Raku had already been so transparent about his crush before, they knew heâd be ten times worse now that he and Meemo were officially together.
ââŚHeâs really going to be the death of me.â Meemo mumbled, as he shut the door; but as he did, he found it hard to stop himself from cracking a small smile.
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Blindspot 3/3
A short CS AU three-parter based on a prompt by @shady-swan-jones. A mutual pining, roommates kind of prompt. And who am I to deny?
also on ff.net
âDonât you think you should, I donât know, talk to her? Clear the air?â
This wasnât the first time Emma had suggested this. Not by a long shot. But their kitchen was now about 90% peony, and something had to give. Preferably the peonies.
Ruby grimaced. âEmma, I love you, but if we couldnât bring ourselves to talk on a nine-hour non-refundable train ride through the alps, do you really think weâre going to start now?â
She had a point. But Emma could think of at least twenty newly delivered reasons why it might be worth giving it a shot.
Whatever had happened before The Worldâs Most Awkward Non-Refundable Holiday, clearly someone was eager to make amends. Unless of course Dorothy was under the mistaken impression Ruby suffered from hayfever, and was attempting slow torture, one arrangement at a time. Somehow Emma doubted it.
âYou sure you donât want to try, like, actual healthy adult communication? It seems to be working for Killian and Belle.â
âWhy do you do that?â
âDo what?â Emma asked.
âGet that pinched look whenever you say her name. With this crease right between your eyebrows. Right here.â
Emma slapped her hand away.
âYou donât like her, do you?â Ruby said, as though this somehow confirmed a long-held suspicion of hers.
âWhat?â Emma blustered. âOf course I like her. Whatâs not to like? Sheâs sweet and nice and god, her pancakes. Itâs justâŚâ
âSheâs sleeping with the guy youâre carrying a torch for?â Ruby finished, all innocence.
Nail. Head.
But it wasnât like she was going to tell Ruby that. Ruby, who regularly came home tanked. Ruby, who had always been a very honest drunk. Ruby, who liked to sit up with Killian at all hours on the weekends, playing cards and gambling away household chores.
It was not a good combination.
âA torch? Me? Hey, no oneâs carrying any torch here!â Â
âOh, câmon!â Ruby snorted. âYouâve had a raging Maglite for the guy as long as Iâve known you. And look, I get it, okay? Heâs got that whole tall, dark and broody thing going on, and itâs working for him. And weâve all caught him leaving the bathroom in that towel thatâs just a little too small on him. But if you didnât like seeing him with his girlfriend, donât you think maybe you should have, I donât know, told him how you felt? You had three whole years do to it in!â
Not. Helping.
But Ruby was on a roll now. âNo, instead you chose to go out with that jerk from the furniture store. The one I thought looked kind of like a monkey. And that writer guyâŚâ
âAugust,â Emma supplied.
âRight,â Ruby continued. âYou keep going out with all these deadbeats you donât even really care about. Because when it ends, and with those guys itâs definitely just a matter of when, you get to just brush yourself off and go, âoh well, I tried,â and you never actually have to risk getting your heart broken again.â
Any way you sliced it, Ruby was ruined as a waitress. With those kind of insights, she shouldâve been sitting in a fancy office, charging $250 an hour to see into peopleâs heads.
But no, Emma wasnât going to tell her that. Not when Ruby was so right. Not when denial, her old friend, was so readily available as an easy out.
âI liked August!â Emma protested.
âUh huh. So when he sold that script and moved to California, approximately how long did you spend considering going with him?â
Of course she hadnât considered it. Los Angeles, was, well⌠Los Angeles. And her life was in Boston. Her job. Her friends. Killian-
Shit.
Ruby had her dead to rights, and she knew it. And that self-satisfied smile wasnât helping.
âYou know what I did after my first date with Dorothy?â Ruby said suddenly, interrupting Emmaâs shame spiral.
âText me all of the gory, gory details?â Emma supplied, remembering just how gory.
Ruby waved her hand dismissively. âI mean after that. You know what I did?â
âWhat?â
âI went on Pinterest and started looking at wedding themes.â
Emma opened her mouth, but nothing came out. That is, that wasâŚ
âSo unlike me, right?â Ruby said, rolling her eyes. âBut I just knew, you know? She was it. Still is it.â She made a face. âI should call her, huh?â
âUh, yeah,â Emma said, stretching her hands wide to take in the peonies that now occupied every available surface of their apartment.
âFine,â Ruby relented. âIâll call her. But you have to tell Killian how you feel.â
âRubes! Thatâs not anywhere near the same thing. For one thing, we live together. And letâs not forget he has a girlfriend.â
âActually,â came a deeper voice from the doorway, âHe doesnât.â
Please donât be, please donât be⌠It was Killian. Leaning oh-so-casually against the door jamb, his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his jeans.
Did he have to look like heâd just stumbled out of an ad for Levis right now?
Ruby had never exactly been one for subtlety. Between the hair and the cleavage and the everything, you somehow knew not to expect it. But when she made a big show of getting up and leaving the two of them there, alone, Emma still kinda wished she could have one friend who could be chill for like, two seconds.
The one saving grace was that when Ruby slipped into the hallway, she already had her phone in her hand. If Emma had to meet her humiliating end, and that was a dead certainty, at least it would be in service of making their apartment peony-free.
Only once Rubyâs footsteps had died away did Killian finally heave himself up into a standing position, his attention still keenly fixated on her.
There was only one thing for it, Emma had to go on the offense.
âSo I hope youâre not going to miss living in a greenhouse, because I give it three hours and Ruby and Dorothy are back on. Goodbye apology flowers, hello having to announce yourself before you walk into rooms, because you know what theyâre-â
âSwan-â
âWhich I guess is better than the flowers. In some ways. I mean, itâs gross, obviously. But at least Iâll be able to get to the coffee maker without-â
âSwan.â
Heâd taken Rubyâs empty chair now, and Emma felt herself bite her lip, to stop even more of the babble from spilling out.
âHow much did you hear?â Emma asked, her voice a lot more shaky than sheâd like.
âRaging Maglite?â he repeated. His amused tone was reassuring enough, but his words? Not so much.
Shit.
âYou and Belle broke up?â
âAye,â he said, one hand reaching up to scratch behind one ear. âA few weeks ago now. You mightâve noticed, but youâve been hard to pin down lately. Extra hours and what not.â
An intentional choice, on her part. Sure, she needed the money. But there was also only so much domestic bliss one person could accidentally walk in on. Taking a few extra diner shifts seemed like the more responsible choice than dragging her sorry ass to the nearest bar and drowning her sorrows, night after night.
âYou okay?â
It wasnât what Emma really wanted to know. Sure, she cared about the guy. About his well-being. Thatâs what had started this whole mess, after all. But the larger part of her was just dying to know why? Had he broken it off? Had she? Did Belle think scruffy, intelligent, piercing-eyed Brits just grew on trees?
âAye. Just not meant to be.â
The smart thing would have been to leave it alone. Change the subject right quick, and then get all the details off Ruby later. Emma Swan was not all the smart.
âSo it was a mutual decision, then?â
At this, Killian made a noise. A not exactly kind of noise. âIt was mutual in that she pointed out, quite rightly, that she could do a lot better than a guy whoâs completely hung up on his flatmate. And I agreed.â
If there was any oxygen left in that room, it sure didnât feel like it. Emma felt dizzy. Lightheaded. He didnât- He couldnât-
âYouâre hung up on Ruby?â she managed, her jokey tone taking a brittle turn half way through.
âDonât you know, Emma?â he said, reaching across to take her hand in his.
It was everything sheâd ever wanted, and also everything she was deathly afraid of, all in one innocuous gesture. She wanted to throw up. Or cry. Mostly cry. She settled for keeping her hand steady, even as he drew it up to his mouth. Even as he pressed his lips to the skin above her knuckles. Even as every cell in her body turned to liquid.
âMe?â
He was still holding her hand when he smiled again, his thumb rubbing small circles into her palm. âAye, love. Itâs always been you.â
âAlways?â
âWell, at least since the first time I accidentally drank one of your fancy beers, and you nearly took my head off. Or the time you forgot your towel coming out of the bathroom. That was also a particular highlight.â
Stupidly in love with him or not, he still got a whack on the arm for that. And it was just that little shot of normality that gave Emma the courage to form her next words.
âYouâre not kidding about this? I mean, youâre serious. About us?â
âDeathly serious. And I know, I know I should have said something sooner, but you always had some perfectly average bloke hanging around, and I figured you werenât interested. And when I met Belle at the library I thought you were still with that Walsh fellow and-
He didnât get further than that. Not with Emmaâs hands rough on his collar, dragging her towards him. It was bad enough sheâd practically climbed up onto the table to eliminate any remaining space between them, but he didnât seem to mind, not when she ducked her head and kissed him for all she was worth.
Three years was a long time to think about kissing someone. Emma had plenty of ideas up her sleeve.
When they did eventually break apart, breaths ragged and Rubyâs excitable squeals kind of ruining the mood, she stayed close, her forehead pressed to his.
âYouâre not gonna hurt me, right, Jones?â
âAre you kidding, Swan? Ruby would kill me if I did.â
The both looked across to where Ruby stood by the stove, her FaceTime conversation with Dorothy still in progress, a smug smile pasted across her face. âYep. What he said.â
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Greyson Family Christmas
Original Airdate: December 8, 2019 (Bounce TV) Where to Watch?: Bounce has re-aired it a number of times, and will do so again Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 of this year, and likely in future seasons as well
So, I didnât even know that Bounce TV, which is available on many cable systems, Dish network and as a digital sub-channel in many areas, was a thing, but when I found they had made two original Christmas movies for 2019 (and one last year too, which I didnât know at the time), I felt like I should try and check out at least one out this season. (Hereâs where to find Bounce in your area, which I include not as an ad, but because I know I needed it.)
Greyson Family Christmas, directed by Lisa France, stars Kalilah Harris, Karson Kern, Stan Shaw and Robinne Lee, as well as quite a few other strong actorsâfor instance, the great Carol Sutton as Gran. Seriously, that a movie I know must have been quite low budget could get this strong a castâeven those I was unfamiliar with were really goodâis a testament to the fact that inexpensively made doesnât have to equal amateurish acting.
Harrisâ Maya is bringing her boyfriend (Kern as Trent) home from college to meet her activist, liberal family, as well as her conservative Aunt and Uncle who live next door. She has failed to mention to them that Trent is white. And also doesn't inform Trent of that omission till theyâre knocking on the door.
Based on the set-up, I sort of expected a broad family comedy, but instead this was a nuanced, well-written and well-acted family drama that touched on serious subjects with more depth than I ever would have imagined from both a made-for-TV Christmas movie and the trailer. I canât locate a screenwriting credit, but kudos to whoever authored this well-done script. (UPDATE: IMDb now lists J.J. Jamieson as the screenwriter, a credit not available when I first wrote this review.)
Yes, it is Guess Whoâs Coming to Christmas Dinner, as one of the characters themselves spells out, but itâs a much stronger version of that than I ever would have expected from a little-known channelâs original production.
For example, immediately after that awkward intro, Maya promptly apologizes to Trent for putting him in the situation and, like a real couple would, they strategize together on how to win over Mayaâs skeptical family, one by one.Â
Heck, even the various member's personality exposition dump at the beginning feels fairly organic, thanks to a believable travel conversation where sheâs making sure her boyfriend knows what to expect from her familyâŚExcept that they donât know his race, of course, which she does try to tell them on the phone, in another scene that was far better written and more subtle than I would have expected.
While this is also fully G-rated in terms of sexual contentâas in, there is none at allâMaya and Trent do have a couple brief moments where they seem like what theyâre supposed to be: 20-somethings in love, awkwardly holding back their horniness because theyâre in her parentsâ house.
All of the characters, including Trent, are written as refreshingly multi-dimensional, with realistic motivation for their actions. Thereâs chemistry between Harris and Kern that not only make them believable as a couple, but also allow them to be imperfect to each other, without being off-putting. The story is as much about going away to college and forging your own identity, which might deviate from what your parents envisioned for you, as it is about race, though (at least from my perspective as a clueless white girl), thatâs handled pretty well, too.Â
Trent, for sure, says plenty of stuff that made me cringe, but the explaination of why claiming to be âcolorblindâ is actually an insult is (eventually) addressed as effectively and efficiently as Iâve ever seen it.Â
I thought the dynamic of him growing up working class, and her clearly affluent was a nice twist, and there were plenty of moments of levity that felt earned, like when Trent first glimpses Mayaâs ex and says, âThat tall handsome guy over there? Great.âÂ
Or, when Shawâs âUncle Doc" first jokes around with him, and then turns serous, while he undergoes a dental procedure. Naturalistic humor that worked, without feeling jokey.
Thereâs also some fantastic intrafamily scenes, particularly with Shaw and Lee as in-laws who donât always see eye-to-eye, but clearly feel great love for each other, and Sutton and Harris. (The families are also dealing with the loss of Mayaâs father to cancer.)
Kern is believable (and looks like) the sometimes clueless college boyfriend, but  you can also see why someone as smart and focused as Maya would have fallen for him. While I wanted her to speak up sooner in his defense at the movieâs climaxâlike right away at the dinner table, even if it was still after he leftâI think they made her standing up for herself, and her relationship, work well when it did come a little bit later, and the inability to speak her mind to her mother had been well established by that point. Do wish theyâd let Harris wear her much prettier natural hair though. Even though the contrast to her upbringing was clearly intentional, the wig they used was not great in a way that was distracting.
Yes, the ending was too pat, but the "find this white boyâ stuff via black social media, was pretty cute, since they didnât overplay what could have been hokey. (Not that the airport wouldnât have been his most likely location regardless, but whatever.) And while the final family stuff seemed a little saccharine under the circumstances, the conversation between Maya and Trent got me in the feels, just as her earlier speech to her family had.
There were a couple of jarring edits (cuts for time, most likely), that left a few loose ends, but all in all, this reminded me of my favorite from last season, Every Other Holiday. Not in content, but that it wasnât at all what I was expecting going in, but turned out to be a really good, well-written movie that felt both holiday sweet, yet firmly grounded in reality.
This was my first brush with a Bounce original movie, but Iâll definitely be on the lookout for more of their holiday stuff in the future.Â
Final Judgement: 4 Paws Up
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an issue
ok so thereâs a guy at the college bookstore i work at who nobody really likes. itâs understandable because heâs not very nice and heâs got a short temper. but when i worked there summer 2017, we got along all right and i didnât mind him. i wouldnât have wanted to hang out with him or anything, but he wasnât too bad to work with.Â
well, that all changed today. so my supervisor explains to me the task that i and this guy are going to be doing all day, which is to collect books from the textbook area that are getting shipped off to various other schools so they can be sold there. most of them are going to be in that area, but a few are going to be in the back (and they are marked on the order sheet as such). my supervisor explains this to me at 8am when i come in, and the guy comes in at 10. after a while, this guy calls my name and asks me to see something on his sheet. itâs the notation that one of the books in that order is in the back. he asks if iâve seen this before. i say i havenât, but the supervisor said if it had that notation, it would be in the back. i thought he was asking where to find these books. so i tell him what iâve been told. then i guess he said something else, but i wasnât really paying attention because iâm in the middle of collecting my own order and i thought that the conversation had ended with me answering the question i thought he had (and he talks to himself a lot lmfao). he leaves for a minute, and then comes back. i donât remember exactly what he said, but i believe he said that he went back to get the book and to show me where it was, but âi guess you didnât appreciate thatâ (i sure as hell distinctly remember this bit). i come to the realization that when he asked me if i had seen it before, he was trying to help me in case i came upon something like that--he was not asking me to answer a question for his own knowledge. i begin to apologize because i genuinely didnât realize this! but he walks away, saying something about how he wonât do that again. a few seconds later, i go to where he went and ask if he found the book. he says âdonât worry about it.â i say again, âiâm sorry. i didnât realize you were trying to explain it to me.â again, he mumbles something. i walk away. weâre separated by a few rows of books.
at this point, iâm getting hot. when i do something that someone else perceives as wrong, i feel my skin burning. a few seconds later, he starts laughing. at first, a chuckle, but then it gets a bit louder. itâs not like maniacal or especially loud, but itâs certainly mean-spirited. he mumbles something through the laughter that i canât catch, but it seems like heâs mocking me. i canât believe it. iâm almost crying (because i can barely control my emotions lmfao). over the next few minutes, i try to continue my work, but i keep having to stop because i canât think straight. we donât really speak again as the day goes on.
and now i empathize with the people who hate him. because that was so, so mean and unnecessary. obviously i wouldnât purposely ignore you trying to teach me something. itâs so apparent that itâs a misunderstanding and a miscommunication that this shouldnât havenât even happened at all. but thatâs what does happen when a rude, defensive, tunnel-visioned, impolite person doesnât have it within them to see that maybe, just maybe, i canât read their fucking mind and i donât always hear what they say. i canât get over that he wouldnât even listen to my explanation or apology. it would have been so simple to just go, âah ok, you didnât hear me, no worries, do you want me to show you now?â and i would have gladly accepted the help. if it had been any other employee, they would have come back to me (after i had failed to follow them) and maybe wouldâve joked about me not wanting to go with them or something, and then i would have been like âshit, iâm sorry, i didnât hear what you said!â and we would have laughed and they would have showed me what they were trying to show me.
i wanted to say something to someone about it, but i didnât want to be a snitch. my disposition did change noticeably, though, because my supervisor asked me what was wrong. and i said that it was really nothing, but that guy had just been really mean. and she apologized (because she knows about this asshole firsthand and feels the same way i now do) and asked what happened, but i said that it was nothing and continued with my work. and she went about with hers.
later on in the day, nearer to the end (i had more or less been silently stewing on and off for my whole shift), i was talking to her about some book i was having an issue with, and the manager walked up, making a face and mimicking scratching his arm. (he has a rash from poison ivy on his arm and heâs been trying not to scratch it, but i forgot about that because i only work there 2 days a week and iâm shit at remembering things. thatâs why iâm writing all this out.) i read that as him being angry about something, but in kind of a joking way, because thatâs the way he is. and i said in a joking but still kind of serious manner, âi feel the same way.â and he and my supervisor looked confused, and my supervisor reminded me of his rash. and i exclaimed, âoh! i thought you were just mad. yikesâ and he went, âwhoa.â and we kind of laughed it off (because iâm really closed off and donât talk about how i generally feel, so that was kind of an outburst on my part). but right before closing, he came back up to me and asked if i was really okay, if i was mad because of something work related and if there was anything he could do to help. and i only laughed and said, âiâm good.âÂ
and now i just feel like an idiot because even though i know what happened wasnât right and the way i feel about this is valid and not insignificant, i would never tell anyone what happened because iâm not going to cause a rift at a job that iâm only at for a couple of months. it certainly wouldnât be the first complaint about this guy, anyway. and i especially donât want to talk about it with the manager because i really like him as a person and a manager and i donât want to mess with the jokey vibe we have. but i do wish i had said âthanks though, i appreciate itâ when he asked if he could do anything, because heâs so, so kind and caring and i donât want to seem ungrateful.
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Ok guys, I think I can finally wrap my brain around this enough to give a coherent recap. I'm a processor, so I had to live it in the moment, and now that I'm on the plane leaving the experience behind, hopefully I can make sense of it. I posted pictures in order of event. Sorry I can't write in between each pic, but I'm on my iPhone and it won't let me add pics as I go. Anyway, to get on with it... I started my epic adventure with a 4 hour layover in San Francisco which isn't as bad as it might seem, because I've been married for 25 years and have 4 kids and rarely get to be alone! Let the adventure begin. I roomed with the amazing @sileas84 who is 100% responsible for me attending this con. She employed shameless peer pressure and I crumpled like a card tower in the hands of a toddler. I have no regrets. We arrived at the con at 6:30 am and immediately met up with a group of awesome women (in picture two - this is @myguiltyolpleasure's pic btw). We were determined to be up close. FIVE HOURS OF WAITING later, we sat on row 5 center and I was thrilled. I was really hoping for a good view. And boy did I get one! Sam twirled in that kilt and I didn't even try to look, his knickers presented themselves to me! Simple black boxer-briefs - always a classy choice đ. For most of the panel I could see right up his thigh just because of the way he was sitting in relation to where I was sitting. It's not that I looked, it's just that it was thigh porn and I totally looked. At one point we were directed to take a selfie, so we did. (Pic 3) If there's one thing I can tell you about this particular con, it's that it was all about obedience. I have never been yelled at by adult strangers so many times in one day since I was a pre-teen. If you stepped out of line, and I mean that literally and figuratively, you heard about it. I won't talk about the panel because all y'all have seen it. It was fun, they were adorable and I love them. The hour flew by and I could have sat there and listened to them for the rest of the day. Sam's unintentional joke about reading about stuff on Tumblr cracked me up, mostly because he was mortified and blushed. After the panel the autograph session filled up immediately, so we went to get lunch. Ladies, I got up at 4:30am. It was 12:30. I was starving, parched, desperate to pee - cons are not for the weaklings of the herd. That Diet Coke was on par with meeting Sam. I'm just sayin'. Lunch was a tiny little respite in a sea of hurry up and wait. Following our brief lunch we did our photo ops. You need to understand, those two photos took 4 hours. Compare the photo with only Sam vs the photo with both and look at Sam's eyes. By the time we got to group photos, he was literally exhausted, yet he treated us exactly the same both times (as did Cait) - warm and welcoming, said hello, eye contact, a little squeeze of the hand on the shoulder (ded. I am ded) They were ultimately respectful of the fans and the time and money we put into this. Said thanks and goodbye as we left. I am so impressed with both their professionalism and their basic humanity. These are quality people. The solo photo op is where I had my hair/armpit incident. We walked up and Sam just throws his arms open to engulf you in his superior humanity. As he was putting his arm around me (did I REALLY just type that!) he caught my very long hair with his arm and I ended up being trapped right up against him with my head sort of forced to lay against his arm. I. Am. Not. Complaining. I'm stunned that I had the presence of mind to smile. All I could think of was that I was pressed up against Sam so tight that I could feel how soft the leather of his jacket was. I didn't even notice that he had changed from kilt to jeans until later. My first thought about Caitriona when she entered the panel stage is that no picture or video can ever prepare you for how tall and thin she really is. And how gorgeous and graceful she is. And how charming and funny and silly and well spoken and sincere and kind. Ok, I'll stop. Just look up all the positive adjectives. Next we went to the autograph line. I was there when the lights went out and Caitriona joked about that not being the way to get to Sam and also when he was jokey about being bored because he had no one at his station so he teased her about taking too long and went over to harass her at her table. They were funny and relaxed and enjoying themselves and it was great to see the spontaneous interaction. Every event was very rushed, but they again did their best to say hello, make eye contact, say a little something to you, and thank you for coming. I had them sign my original Outlander book that was given to me by a friend about twelve years ago, who said, "You might like this." Famous last words. As you can see, it's lived a good life. I've lent it out many times. I said at dinner last night that I was too nervous and hadn't really say anything to Caitriona, until I literally went oh my gosh! I did say something to Cait. I had totally blocked it in my nervous state. She commented on how well loved my book was, and I said 'yes, it's been read many times by many people and it opens right to the wedding scene' and then I proved it, by opening it right to that scene. So, yep. I did that. I blushed so hard my eyeballs turned red when I remembered that. Sam was equally adorable, but I just had 'do not say that to sam' on repeat so then I didn't really know what to say to him. He was so sweet. His handler was rushing him a little bit and he sort of looked at him and then apologized to me for being rushed along. He looked me right in the eyes. He winked at me and smiled. Ladies, the smolder is real. I was POSITIVE I was immune to the Sam effect and I am NOT. I literally went weak at the knees. My stomach churned. I started shaking. I giggled. I could not think. Well, I could. But the only thing I could think was 'Sam. Sam winked at me. Sam's eyes are so blue. Sam is so beautiful. Sam. Sam winked at me.' My brain sort of jammed. After dinner a huge group (like 17) of us went to dinner. It was awesome. It was amazing. These ladies are incredible. Our fandom is incredible. Last night we went to a smaller dinner and stayed for hours. I can't tell you how hard we laughed. It was so much fun. I seriously love this place for so much more than Tumblr. We are such a diverse group. Different cultures, different educational and socio-economic backgrounds, different personal and relationship statuses, and most importantly, different ages. We have so much to teach each other and so much to learn, and as a group, we are so generous with our time, talents, resources, emotional support and wisdom. I treasure this. I am so grateful I went. I loved meeting Sam and Caitriona. It was great fun. Meeting dear friends who will remain forever was life changing. I look forward to doing this again one day and meeting even more of you. Sorry I bombarded you with a DG length post, but thanks for making it through. All I can finish with is if you didn't leave with a Totes McGoat tote, then you didn't con right!!
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