#sorry this dream is bonkers i had to share

[cheshire-castle-library]

Just woek up from a minecraft allergy meds dream...

So they'd added a few coop components to minecraft in one of their new microupdstes, a d its 4am rn and im like ... barely awake so forgive my rambling typos

But they'd added "compressed redstone" to the game, which you got by building a powder press, which was something used in like medicine back before capsuls existed, and it had dual features. See it was a small round pill-like shape that looked exactly like sudafed, and you could take it to clear status effects like bad omen.

But if you threw it like an enderpearl, it went off like a snap in pop. Little bit of gunpowder in a little paper satchet combusts on impact. Very cool safe firework for kids. Because yes we like to blow shit up in america, its in our blood. Amd it made enough sense b/c redstone ore activates when you step on it (ie under pressure), and you use redstone to activate tnt so that makes it like a gunpowder trail in dream logic ig.

But we and by we i mean me, my brother, and Tango Tek because ya know i just know the guy of course that totally makes sense. But we figured out that if you put it in a stasis chamber and launched it at high speed using minecarts it exploded with at least the boom as tnt, and it was cheap, resource wise, because for some reason the minecart wouldn't explode due to the weird way wed essentially glitched the peaces together.

It required piston pushing a campfire into a minecart, then a calderon on top - which they'd added anvil-like physics to, so if you placed it it would fall but not destroy shit, and if you did this: drop caldron onto campfire and the add water, you get a bubbling pot. It was meant for new food and potion mechanics. But we figured out that because the redstone pills were based on enderpearl code, you could stasis chamber them.

And so you then throw a redstone pill in, which btw they were called "compressed redstone" but between the three of us, wed equated it to sudafed and were calling it a redstone pill.

Because the water prevented the explosion from doing damage, the strange bubbling colderon minecart glitch stayed in one peace, but because the redstone pill was tiny it could ride in the water until the minecsrt came to an abrupt stop. The track was mostly powered rail so itd get FAST and then ended eith a dead redstone rail and a block so itd stop hard, causing the pill which still had inerta due to being in the water, and due to inertiap reference frame, would then - seconds later- crash into the wall of the caldron, the energy of the snap in pop explosion, increased by the inertia of the minecart and bubbline and heat of the water, would transfer out of the calderon/cart wall to the block at the end of the track and explode like tnt.

So i guess what im getting at is we started sudafed drilling as a variation on Doc's tunnel boar mining machine. It took a team of 2 for efficiency, where one stands on the receiving end but out of blast radius to add new track, and one on the launch end making redstone pills. And it worked pretty well as a mid-earky game tunnel boar.

And so my brother and I, helped by a passing tangotek, were just sidafed mining fir diamond. But this dream came from not a minecraft perspective, but like the fanon character world perspective. So while the blocks and objects were square my brother and I were manifestations of our online personas and the tango was tirefoxtf's tangotek.

[teruthecreator]

scampers towards you on all fours. can i. can i get. can.

clam

OH BOY I LOVE CLAM CROWN!!!!!!!

Sexuality Headcanon:

bi and polyam!!!! just like gingles uwu

Gender Headcanon:

cis guy tho i think if anyone Could get funky with gender in the 1960’s it’s motherfucking Callum Crown

A ship I have with said character:

I AM SO ABSOLUTELY FOND OF THE WHITE HOUSE POLYCULE AND YOU KNOW THIS. the amount of crazy conversations we’ve had about these three in dms is bonkers but ohhhhhhh i do love them!!! love their tragic asses!!!! i think it’s especially funny if you look at the two shipcharts i did how i went from being like a casual callum/milt and callum/marla person to being fully bought into the polycule divorce dream. what can i say ollie bandtrees ur a compelling man. these three need to be getting into the worst divorce this country has ever seen and they need to do it NOW

A BROTP I have with said character:

i once again feel like im just kind of ripping you off, but callum and gingi are an interesting duo that i also think a lot about!!!! i mean just on a base contextual level they’re meant to be compared and seen as equals—gingi is the only one who tries to hear callums own words instead of interpreting them from his past actions, and i think that means something!!! i have something planned for my mingus character study to do with those two and i’m excited to realize the vision a little bit more, but i won’t spoil it for the layman reading this >:-) you’ll all just need to wait and see what sad ass shit i have planned…

A NOTP I have with said character:

once again just not a big fan of callum/norm. sorry!

A random headcanon:

NOW THIS IS WHERE I’M SCRATCHING MY DAMN HEAD. BECAUSE WHAT ARE MY CALLUM HCS… i think, if you’ll let me just kinda spitball off of nothing, callum is really into jazz. like it’s something he got into when it was in its hayday and he continues to be an enjoyer of it. used to dance with milt and marla around the office with some upbeat jazz playing. nowadays jazz is the only thing you’ll hear in his room, other than the sounds of him tuning his busted radio (they have a separate, functioning radio just out of sight playing jazz). it’s something mingus requested in the hopes it’d make him remember Something, but post ch3 it just becomes something nice to hear when she’s visiting. i think at times you can see him nod his head along to the beat, in a slow and stilted way. maybe even twitches his finger to the melody. it’s something that just feels natural to him—the ebb and flow of jazz is similar to how he thinks. sporadic and jumping at every opportunity. and i think a small part of him remembers that vigor. remembers his own jazz

General Opinion over said character:

i mean what can be said about callum crown. dude fucking IS the narrative of dialtown. he’s baked into every part and for good reason!!!!!! the first time i watched the turnip lore i was like. genuinely flabbergasted because DAMN…REALLY? HIS BRAIN GOT YASSED FOR REAL?? but now i just think about him and wail in agony. he’s a really interesting character both in the past and present!!!! i’m glad dogman is so willing to share tidbits about him bc it fleshes him out all the more

i dont have a callum crown image on my phone so i need everyone to just picture him pregnant with gingi (which is an image that exists griffin made it during a gartic phone its on tumblr IM NOT CRAZY)

[eroticwound]

realized i never answered the part of your question about what effect claire had on carmy outside of distracting him from the renovation, which i think is way more important actually. season 2 in general has carmy really trying to be better. he explicitly says so to syd (“i don’t want to be shitty”), and despite him not giving syd his full focus, he is shown to be trying to communicate and work on his other relationships.

even if we just take the sign language ‘sorry’ (that was sorely missing s3), that is a bit of communication and deescalation he is trying to implement, especially during high stress service scenarios. it’s such a perfect technique for carmy in particular because he has such trouble with words.

you see it in other ways too, whether that’s carm making sure richie knows he has time for him, and sends him to stage with chef terry, telling her that he believes in richie and that he’s good with people. or marcus, when he sends him to copenhagen. or syd, and getting her the custom chef’s whites.

now this isn’t all claire, but she is a significant factor. hell, she’s the reason he starts drawing again. and then he shares those drawings with syd, which is a vulnerable moment, and kind of parallels carmy’s gift of drawing the dream restaurant for mikey.

now don’t get me wrong, i did have issues with this season 2. carmy was suuuuper mentally ill s1, and then the jump to him getting better so quickly gave me whiplash. like i don’t think his hair was greasy at all s2 (and what a tragedy that was!). him backsliding s3 is great actually imo. of all my complaints about s3, carmy’s arc is not one of them. it’s perfectly inline with his character and what they’re trying to do with it.

do i love the fact they’re tying it so closely with claire? FUCK NO. it’s wild they’re tying his mental well-being to a romantic connection. like utterly bonkers. but they *have* shown the effect claire’s presence and absence has had on him

Okay so, I’m still getting through the new season but I need to see if I’m the only one who feels the Claire/Carmy scenes this far are kinda a retcon of last season?

Like, putting stupid shipping discourse to the side, one of the main criticisms of that subplot was that there was too much telling and not enough showing of how their relationship progressed as Carmy avoided the renovation. We saw them drop off the liquor license documents, go to the house party, first kiss, Carmy making dinner for her after talking to Fak about whether Claire is actually his girlfriend, and their love scene. Then there is friends and family, where Carmy is freaking out about everything and he inadvertently tells Claire their relationship was a waste of time (meanwhile Claire just said she loved him, which I don’t doubt)

But, according to the new scenes, they spent a lot of time together seemingly as a couple during those few months, as Carmy was clearly infatuated with her in those moments. So I guess my main confusion is — when the hell did all of this happen? Were those scenes before or after Braciole, because at that point Carmy doesn’t actually think of Claire as his *girlfriend* but obviously likes her a lot. Those new scenes scream “they were fully into each other and with mutual affection for each other” and definitely would’ve made me more convinced of their connection — rather than be told by every other character in the Berzatto clan all throughout s2 about how great Claire is for him. Because I never actually *saw* the effect she had on him — we only see it now that Carmy has pushed her away.

So far Claire is haunting the narrative (Carmy), sorta like Mikey in s1. But all of this new info has only made me more confused about the timeline of events and the significance of this romance subplot, rather than provide clarity for why an ongoing conflict is occurring.

i mean, carmy was said to be unfocused and away from the renovation, and that was because he was with claire. everyone says this. syd is especially annoyed by it, because carmy can't spare enough of his attention for the bear, and things are getting dropped. to your point, most of this happens off-camera, but that ep where he fucks off with claire to the post office and the party very much illustrates that.

the thing about the bear is that the first season carmy was solidly our main character, and then second season transitions into more of an ensemble show. there are some incredible pluses because of this, like an entire episode with marcus in copenhagen or richie staging at ever (tho i have issues with forks). however, by dedicating more screen time to fleshing out our ensemble, the show has to dedicate less time to carmy's plots.

and claire as a character and her relationship with carmy are the biggest casualties of this. a really clear example of this is when we follow syd during her food crawl in sundae, instead of sticking with carmy who ditches syd to help claire’s uncle(?) move. i'm sure a scene where we see carmy help claire would have done a lot of work to flesh out her character and their relationship more. but the writers had different priorities, and i am so happy they went with syd on her food crawl instead. that was some great syd character work, and a beautiful ep in general.

claire is not involved with the restaurant, but she's thee focus of carmy's arc second season. there isn't any cause for her to be at the restaurant, and they don't spare any scenes for claire to interact with our ensemble of characters. they only way they can include her in these scenes is to have characters talk about her.

now, how this translates for claire is that she felt very two dimensional, because she only exists in the story in relation to carmy and their (tepid, imo) love story, where they are mostly talking about him or the restaurant. it feels like she spontaneously spawned into the story, and all the characters know of her, but the audience isn't shown how they know her. we have to be told. repeatedly.

as for your timeline question, i think carmy was spending a loooot of time with claire from sundae onward. i think carm was confused about claire being his girlfriend before bolognese (assuming you meant bolognese s2e8, not braciole s1e8) because he's never had a gf before. he’s basically been a food monk most of his adult life (not to say he’s never fucked… tho i am personally in the carm is ace camp). he doesn’t understand the nuance. both the feelings and experience are exciting and bright (and so scary). it’s all new for him!

so the carmy/claire scenes this season did not feel like retconning to me. they really felt like more of the same. which was still bad, imo.

and ugggghhhhhhhh this explicit haunting theme this season felt.. like way too on the nose. like everything with claire, they have to make it obnoxiously explicit because there’s not enough time to flesh it out in a satisfying way. like did they ever have to tell us mikey was haunting everyone in season 1? no! they showed us that. but like their shoehorned love story s2, they have to keep telling the audience directly.

[sickofedward]

[twistedroseytoesy]

Jamils darkside

A potion accident leads the Mc to see the inside of Jamil's head. Shortly after the events of book 4. There's still remnants of the blott.

At this point mc really needed to ask crewel to not do so many dream based potions or things that could show a more vulnerable side of their classmates. It was the second week back learning after the winter break. Todays class was a special first and second year work day. To create a “dream walker” potion. Then to do class discussion in a dream world to ensure they had all the time they needed to go over the different effected etc.

As always with the poor prefects luck, things didn’t go to well due to their troublesome cat companion. Grim grew bored and let his minion take care of their potion with the scarabia vice dorm leader. But grim hated being still and surrounded by strong smells. But one scent did catch his attention. So as Jamil was carefully adding a few drops of mind root concentrate, grim leaped and reached into jamils coat pocket. He pulled out a small bag of spicy homemade chips with a victorious “ah-ha!”. Unfortunetly his victory was short lived as Jamil was lurched forward by grims weight suddenly on his front. He spilled a large amount of the consent rate and glared down at grim. He looked over to the mc and back down to the potion. Nothing started to happen luckily. Jamil just growled and kicked grim as he scurried away from both of the students.

They continued as if nothing had happened. The potion ended a much deeper blue than the other potions around them but other than that it seemed fine. They both should have known better than to assume a bit of an extra ingredient in a potion wouldn’t do anything. The class all summoned some soft chairs or pillows or blankets and drank their potion together at crewels command. The class quickly fell into a deep sleep and arrived in a shared dream space for discussion. All except for 2 students.

They both found themselves in what seemed to be a dark void. Mc groaned as a spotlight was casted on Jamil. “Oh no not again… sorry Jamil. Looks like we’ve got a musical number here.” They said remembering the incident with riddle a while ago. “what do you mean musical number??” Jamil looked downright flabbergasted at the idea of singing at a time like this. “We should try to wake ourselves up. We failed to connect with the other group.” He said. Trying to focus on feeling his body to try and wake up. “we will wake up after it’s over.” Mc said now sitting on the “ground” Jamil started to walk over to them with a deep frown at how nonchalant they were being. Suddenly he felt his limbs freeze and his mind cloud a bit as he started to sway to some dark drums and a deep growling voice that started to play.

“Do you want to meet all my monsters? Think you're tough, I know they'll drive you bonkers Meet them once and they'll forever haunt ya" He started to sing different images of shadows and jealousy moving in and out of the darkness around the two. Mc watched on, realizing this was going to be going deep into jamils darker, hidden thoughts.

"There's no heroes or villains in this place" He motioned toward his overblotted self as he sat on a throne and how he was cast down. "Just shadows that dance in my headspace Leaving nothing but phantoms in their wake (their wake)" He disappears as the blot phantom takes his place. Mc looks around worriedly.

"There's parts of me I cannot hide (cannot hide)" Jamil in his overblot form appears next to them and grabs their chin as he makes them turn toward him. "I've tried and tried a million times (ooh)" he smirks down at them as they try to break away from his grasp. They look to his eyes for a moment and they find themselves dancing like a puppet and singing as he laughs in front of them.

La-da-da-di-da La-da-da-di-da La-da-da-di-da-da

"Cross my heart and hope to die Welcome to my darkside" He sang as he released his hold on them, Mc reached out to jamil trying to get him back to normal but without magic, there wasn't much they could do. He elegantly danced around them as he sang, like a snake wrapping around his prey. His voice echoes around the two.

"to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside"

"Take a step into the havoc" They find themselves in the scarabia dorm, with the dorm students yelling at Kalim and Jamil. "Look around, this ain't even the half of it!" the kitchens burnt and there's garbage and confetti everywhere. "Walking the line between panic and losing my mind" He pulls on his hair and grips the side of his face. "Embracing the madness" His eye ignites as his hair curls back into the snakes. "My devils they whisper in my ear" The phantom looms close to jamils head as its viscus ink drips onto Jamils shoulder. "Deafening me with all my fears" The phantom creates puppets of his parents berating him on his shoulders. "I'm living in a nightmare!" He screamed.

"There's parts of me I cannot hide" Jamil is normal again but looking down at a broken dish on the floor his hands trembling. "I've tried and tried a million times (million times)" Images of good grades are burned, and a few other things are swept under a rug.

La-da-da-di-da La-da-da-di-da La-da-da-di-da-da

Jamil is now further away from Mc, looking over the edge of a balcony. as a faint voice continues the music.

"Cross my heart and hope to die Welcome to my darkside" He starts to tip over the edge as the words come from his mouth. Mc reaches out and the world fractures around them like a broken mirror.

Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside

Images of A knife being thrown, Jamil crying in a corner, many dark figures glaring down at them, and many more flashed around them as the voice along with jamils voice continued to sing.

Darkside

Cross my heart and hope to die Welcome to my darkside

Despite falling through horrible fears and doubts Mc didn't stop trying to reach Jamil. Knowing that getting to him was going to be the only way to help him out of this mess. They even noticed the dark presence of blott around them as they continued through the different mirror fragments.

Ooh, to my da-da-darkside Ooh, to my da-da-darkside (to my darkside) Ooh, to my da-da-darkside (to my darkside) Ooh, to my da-da-darkside

They Finaly were able to wrap their arms around Jamil as they both plummeted over the edge into the darkness of a sea of blott. (welcome to my darkside)

[cilly-murphy]

hi maria!! sorry for never sending an ask before even though we're technically moots! i'm super shy.

I just need tell you how INCREDIBLE your 10th anniversary of the merlin finale gif set is. like. holy fuck!!!!!! the WORDS! THE PLACEMENT! THE CHOICE OF WHAT sceNES!!!!!! like legitimately IM going bonkers here. like i was going from gif to gif and my jaw just kept going down like HOW!!! EACH ONE!! WAS EVEN BETTER!!!! THAN THE LAST ONE!!!!!! H O W!!!!

Thank you for being you!! feeling so lucky to have you creating beautiful gifs in the fandom and that you're willing to share your beautiful creations with us <3333

hi fyscka!!! omg your name is so pretty! don't worry about it, i'm the same flavour of shy myself! OH MY GOD!!! THE HONOUR OF BEING TOLD THOSE BEAUTIFUL WORDS FROM SUCH AN ICONIC ARTISTS SUCH AS YOU!! i'm literally blushing and dying right now. this gifset literally came to me in a dream, it was 4am, i was half asleep, it was one week before the anniversary and i was busy that entire week so i had to hurry. and i went like what if i write a fairytale of their love? but simple because i'm no writer. and then well.... this thing took me so many hours i was dying. but it was so worth it, so many of you seem to love it and it made me so happy!! these clotpoles are so special to me, i wanted to make the best i could for them THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!! your ask made me so happy!! you're such an amazing artist, every time i see your art, i go ballistic. such a unique and gorgeous style i could recognise it from 30 miles away. i will always gif for this fandom, as long as i'm able. it's THE fandom for me <33333 ILY

[beautiful-songbird]

The Dream Wedding

Pairing: Idol!Jin x OC

Genre: fluff

Word Count: 3.1k (whoops?)

Warnings: slightly suggestive at the end

Summary: The day that Jin and Jasmine have dreamed of for years is finally here, and it's just as magical as they expected it to be.

“Are you sure, Jin? All of your family would have to fly out if we get married there.”

“And your family will have to fly to Korea if we get married there. And besides, a beach wedding in February sounds amazing, doesn’t it?”

Jasmine giggled. “Well, it is certainly us.”

“So, what do you say?”

“Ok. We can get married on Coogee beach.”

◇◆◇◆◇

“Zelda, what was the thought process behind this hairstyle?” Esme asked, motioning to Zelda’s space buns as she sat down next to her friend.

“Simple. My hair isn’t in my face when we are running around the airport.”

“But…you look like a child.”

“That I do. But it’s worth it for comfort.”

“Oh, come on, Esme, her hair is cute. I wish my hair would stay in buns like that,” Yuna commented as she shoved her carry-on in its compartment.

Zelda laughed. “I’m glad someone likes it.”

“It’s going to be odd to be landing somewhere that it’s sunny,” Rosaelia commented as she sat down.

“You’re telling me. We had a foot and a half of snow in Chicago when I left last week,” Zelda replied.

“What’s that in centimeters?” Yuna asked.

“About forty-six.”

Yuna’s eyes widened.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Did you say that you’re staying in your own room while we’re here?” Rosaelia asked Zelda as they walked through the airport.

“Actually, Tae mentioned something about me sharing with someone else, I think.”

“Do you know who?”

Zelda shook her head.

◇◆◇◆◇

Tae ended up being the one to pick the four of them up from the airport. He gave them a cheeky grin as he abandoned his seat and stepped out of the car.

“I think I’m gonna need some help fitting all of those bags into the back of the car,” he laughed.

“Sorry. I overpacked,” Rosaelia admitted as she dragged her three bags up to the back of the car.

“Oh, we never would’ve guessed,” Esme rolled her eyes playfully.

Once the bags had all found a place in the back and everyone was piled into the car, they were off.

“How have you all been?” Tae asked.

“Busy,” Rosaelia replied.

“Bored,” Yuna admitted.

“I’ve been fine,” Esme informed him.

Tae glanced at Zelda.

“You know how I’ve been.”

He grinned. “Did any of you hear about what happened in England last month?”

That caught everyone’s attention.

“No? What happened?” Esme asked.

Tae leaned back in his chair as they stopped at a light. “Nothing much. Jimin just tripped a waiter when we were at a restaurant. Ruined a girl’s dress.”

“Are you supposed to be telling us this?” Rosaelia’s brow crumpled.

“Sure. Who else would I tell? We all know the media would go absolutely bonkers if they found out he was within five meters of a girl.”

“Dang right they would,” Rosaelia rolled her eyes. “Those people need to stop living off of gossip.”

◇◆◇◆◇

That evening, everyone headed to Jasmine’s aunt’s house for dinner. She and Jasmine’s mother were cooking. Everyone had managed to cram into two cars to head over. Besides Jungkook, who no one had been able to find since everyone had gotten into town.

“He said he’s fine, and he’s got his bodyguards with him, so I think he’s ok,” Namjoon commented as he checked his phone.

“No one knows where he went?” Esme asked.

“Not that I know of.”

“That’s a little weird,” she furrowed her brow.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Tae butted in. “He just has something to do before dinner.”

“And do you know something about this?” Esme asked.

“What? Nope. I know nothing.”

Esme side-eyed him, and Tae gave her an innocent smile.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Jasmine’s aunt’s house, and Jasmine was excitedly standing on the porch to greet everyone. Tae slipped out of the car before anymore questions could be shot at him, and Zelda was quick to follow.

“Jimin, do you know where Jungkook is?” Esme asked.

“Nope. I thought we’d see him at the hotel.”

“Hmm.”

Esme asked around once they got inside, and no one had any clue where Jungkook was. Yoongi hadn’t even known he wasn’t in the other car, which was a surprise. Yoongi was generally the one who Jungkook told anything, so the fact that Yoongi knew nothing was odd.

Esme entered the kitchen to find Jin, a young man, and two older women running around the kitchen.

“Oh, hey, Ese! Glad to see you got in safely!” Jin greeted as he sauteed some vegetables.

“Do you know where Jungkook is? No one seems to know where he is. Well, except Tae, and he won’t tell us what’s going on.”

“Ah. That’s a secret.”

“You know where he is?”

“Well, not exactly. I have a brief idea of what he’s doing, but I’m not really sure. He’ll be here soon.”

Esme clicked her tongue. “All right. Guess we’ll just wait for him to show up.”

◇◆◇◆◇

Jungkook finally made an appearance right before dinner was ready…with a girl. Jasmine greeted both of them before leading them inside. The room went dead silent when everyone saw the girl standing next to Jungkook.

“Everyone, this is Astrid. She’s my girlfriend.”

“I knew it!” Tae exclaimed. “This is why you didn’t want me telling everyone you were going to the airport!”

“Tae,” Zelda nudged him. “Were we supposed to know you knew that?”

“It’s fine,” Jungkook laughed. “I just needed him to keep quiet until we got here.”

The girls were all quick to introduce themselves to Astrid, and then it was time for dinner.

“Where has Jungkook been hiding you?” Esme asked Astrid.

Astrid laughed. “Me? He’s been hiding me in France, I suppose.”

“France? You’re from France?” Zelda exclaimed. “That’s awesome!”

“You’re from America, right?”

Zelda nodded. “Born and raised.”

“And you,” Astrid nodded towards Esme. “England?”

“That’s right!” Esme agreed.

“Ohh, Tae?” Zelda turned toward her fiancé.

“Yes?”

“Astrid is my roommate?”

“Yep.”

“Ah. Ok, this explains a lot.”

“Hey! This isn’t fair! You get to know her before the rest of us do?” Esme frowned.

Astrid laughed. “If you feel left out, you can always join us. If that’s ok with Zelda, anyways.”

“I haven’t had a sleepover in years! It sounds awesome!” Zelda grinned.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Honestly, I never expected to be in Australia. Especially not for a wedding,” Astrid admitted. “And we shouldn’t have let her send us home with all these baked goods. I’m going to get fat.”

Zelda laughed. “Honestly, I was hoping they’d get married here, but I wasn’t going to give my opinion. So, how’d you and Jungkook meet?”

“You’re going to laugh.”

“It can’t be as bad as how Tae and I met.”

Astrid raised an eyebrow. “I was walking – or, running, I guess – out of a coffee shop, and ran straight into him. He replaced my coffee, and I thought that was the end of it. And then, it happened againthe next day! He gave me a napkin with his number on it before he left. We started talking, and after a few months we decided we were meant for each other.”

Zelda smiled. “That’s cute.”

“What about you and Tae?”

Zelda groaned. “Ok, so my best friend is a singer, and she invited me to go to the Grammys with her. At some point, I realized he was staring at me.”

Astrid gasped. “No! Not staring!”

Zelda laughed. “After that day, my best friend kept asking if I liked him or something. I didn’t. Eventually, she tricked me into meeting him again because they shot a music video with her. He and I started talking, and I guess it got a bit personal. We didn’t see each other for months after that, though. My friend invited me to a party they had after their concert, and he finally asked for my number. We’ve been together since.”

Astrid smiled. “Well, I feel like that’s a bit more realistic way to fall in love. Over time.”

Zelda flushed. “If I’m being honest, I stalked him for months on Instagram before we even talked the second time.”

“Well, you gotta do your research before dating a rich, famous guy.”

“Touché.”

“Hey, do you think Esme would want to head down to the beach?”

“That depends entirely on whether or not she’s spending time with Namjoon.”

“Doesn’t hurt to ask, right?”

◇◆◇◆◇

“Hey! I did not agree to having a pillow fight!” Jimin exclaimed as Tae assaulted him with a pillow multiple time.

Tae grinned for the split second before Jungkook smacked him in the head with a pillow, causing him to fall flat on his back.

“Do I need to call Zelda?” Jungkook asked.

“Please. I’d quite enjoy spending the night with her,” Tae smirked as he sat up slightly and leaned against his hand.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “You should’ve shared a hotel room with her, then.”

“She said no,” Tae grumbled.

“Guess you’re stuck watching anime with us then,” Jungkook grinned as he tossed his pillow back on the bed.

“Great.”

“Hey, cheer up. It’s only two more nights. Then we can all do whatever we please.”

“Oh, that makes me so happy,” Tae replied sarcastically as he leaned against Jungkook’s shoulder. “Fine. How many more caramel tarts do we have?”

◇◆◇◆◇

The next day was Valentine’s Day, so mostly everyone split up to spend the day with their significant other. Except Jimin, who decided to tour on his own since he had no one to spend the day with.

“Yoongs, did you see these dresses?” Rosaelia asked as she held one of them up in front of her. “I’ve never seen a pattern like this before! I love it! We have to get these!”

“Try them on. I’d like to see what they look like.”

Rosaelia smiled, heading to find a dressing room so that she could try the dresses on.

“Ok, what do we think about this one?” she asked, stepping out of the dressing room and spinning around in the dress.

Yoongi smiled. “You look great in it!”

“Awesome! Should I try on the two-piece?”

He nodded. She returned to the dressing room and emerged in the other dress a minute later.

“I might have to resize the top if we buy it,” she muttered, tugging it up. “It’s a bit loose.”

“It’s pretty, though. If you think you could fix it, you should get it.”

“Should I?” she smiled. “It is pretty. You’re right. I should get this one, too.”

“Now can we go to lunch?” he pleaded.

“Yes, my starving husband, we can go to lunch.”

◇◆◇◆◇

“I think you should try this one,” Esme said, holding up the mini cupcake.

Namjoon took a bite of it cautiously, chewing for a few seconds before swallowing. “Eh. Not the best one we’ve tried.”

“You’ve said that about all of them!”

“Ok, well, they’re getting progressively worse!”

Esme laughed. “Ok, I’ll admit the banana didn’t go with the cashew. Not really sure what they were trying to do there.”

“Eugh. That wasn’t nearly as bad as the blueberry and chocolate.”

“Yeah, I really thought that one would be a lot better than it was.”

“We’re not doing cupcake tasting next year for Valentine’s Day.”

“Deal,” Esme nodded.

“Hey, you’ve got something on your lip there,” Namjoon muttered, leaning down.

“What is i-”

Esme was cut off by Namjoon pressing a kiss into her lips.

“My lips,” he grinned.

“Ah. Of course. Still a flirt after nearly nine years.”

◇◆◇◆◇

Yuna stepped out onto the balcony. Hobi was leaning on the railing, staring out at the ocean.

“Hey, you should put your swimsuit on. Let’s head down to the beach.”

“What? Hanging out in the hotel isn’t good enough for you?” Hobi smiled at her.

“I want to swim,” she frowned. “Come on,” she tugged on his sleeve. “Let’s go. We won’t be able to swim once we’re back in Korea.”

“Ok! Let’s go get ready.”

They found themselves walking along the beach fifteen minutes later as the sun began to disappear behind the city. Hobi reached down, intertwining his fingers with Yuna’s.

“You know, it feels nice out here. It’s warm,” Yuna smiled as she dug her toe into the sand momentarily.

“Yeah. Nice change from Seoul at the moment,” Hobi laughed.

“It’s nice to have a break from wedding planning,” Yuna admitted.

Hobi let out a gentle ‘ha!’. “I agree. Tae and Zelda need to wait a little while longer until they get married.”

“Oh, cause December isn’t far away enough from now.”

Hobi chuckled. “No, it’s too close. I don’t want to see another tuxedo for at least two years after tomorrow.”

“Wow. You’re that tuxedoed out?”

“Definitely.”

Yuna laughed. “We should go swim.”

“But then we’ll have to shower!”

“But if we don’t swim, then we put our swimsuits on for no reason.”

“That’s true.”

“Come on,” she grinned, dragging him down to the water.

The two of them splashed around a bit, wading father out into the water.

“Ok, I’m not going out any farther,” Yuna giggled as she ran her hands through the water. It had risen above her waist now

Hobi sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist before staring up at the sky.

“Hey, you can see some stars.”

Yuna followed his gaze, smiling as she saw the stars.

“Wow, I don’t recognize any of these.”

“Yeah, me neither. I wonder which ones make constellations.”

Yuna smiled, turning her attention back to his face. The moonlight was reflecting on his face now that the sun had fully set. She reached up, wrapping one arm around his neck before laying her other hand against his cheek. He looked down at her then.

“You’re so beautiful. You know that?” she murmured.

He stayed silent, but a shy smile creeped onto his face. She ran her fingers over the short hair at the nape of his neck. A few moments later, she pulled herself up so that she could meet his lips. His eyes fell shut, reveling in the kiss for the few moments before she pulled away.

“Is there anything you’d like to do tonight?” she asked quietly.

◇◆◇◆◇

Jasmine rolled over in bed as she heard a knock on the door.

“Hey, Jasmine? You need to wake up. Your wedding starts in two hours.”

Who was at the door? What time was it, even? Jasmine squinted at the clock. Oh, wow. It was ten already. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned.

“Jasmine?”

“Coming!”

She pulled the door open a moment later to find Zelda standing at the door.

“I was voted as your wake-up knock this morning,” Zelda smiled. She held up a bag. “And I brought you breakfast.”

“Oh, Zelda, you’re a darling! Come in. I need to get changed really quick before we go.”

Zelda stepped inside, closing the door behind her as Jasmine dug through her suitcase.

“Is Astrid awake?” Jasmine asked.

“Barely. She’s probably fallen asleep. We were up pretty late last night with the guys.”

Jasmine laughed. “We really should’ve scheduled the wedding for tomorrow.”

Zelda grinned. “Did you and Jin do anything yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah. Lots. I showed him around the city, and then we got dinner at this fancy sushi place. It was a lot of fun. What about you and Tae?”

“We went to the beach for the whole morning. You can probably tell. I’m a bit pink. Then we did some window shopping. We spent most of the afternoon sleeping, though. And then we went out with Jungkook and Astrid for dinner.”

“That sounds awesome.” Jasmine reappeared, tugging one of her socks on. “We need to get going. You might want to wake Astrid. Don’t want her to miss the wedding.”

Zelda handed Jasmine her breakfast. “I’ll go get her. Meet me downstairs in ten minutes?”

◇◆◇◆◇

At the venue, the girls were introduced to Jasmine’s other two bridesmaids. Then, it was time to get ready.

“Does anyone want caramel slices? My mom made them for us to snack on while we get ready,” Gabby, Jasmine’s cousin announced.

“You know, Astrid said that these are going to make her fat, but I’ll gladly gain weight to eat these!” Zelda exclaimed as she took three caramel slices.

“I need me about ten of those,” Jasmine informed everyone before taking five for herself.

Zelda and Yuna worked together to tie up Jasmine’s hair, which was quite the task with the texture of Jasmine’s hair. Soon enough, everyone was ready to go, and Jasmine was practically buzzing with excitement.

“I think you’re the first bride I’ve seen who wasn’t extremely nervous,” Yuna commented.

“I’ve waited for this day since I was fourteen. There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just excitement,” Jasmine grinned. “Heck, I could’ve gotten married in my pajamas and have been happy.”

“Let’s be honest, Jin would’ve agreed to that,” Esme laughed.

◇◆◇◆◇

The ceremony was far longer than had been intended. Jasmine and Jin had both cried so much that they had had trouble getting through their vows, and then their tiny ring bearer had decided he didn’t want to give them their rings.

Eventually, they made it to their reception. The dancing tuckered everyone out, and they were beyond ready to eat. Jasmine’s best friend, Olivia, was eager to give her speech.

“Everyday that Jasmine mentions Jin, I laugh when I think about how they met. I just can’t imagine meeting my high school crush all these years later – in a concert venue, of all places! – and rekindling that relationship. You two will always amaze me. I hope for a love story as grand as yours.”

After Jungkook had given his best man speech, everyone dug into their dinner.

◇◆◇◆◇

Once Jin and Jasmine had successfully escaped their family and friends, they headed to their hotel.

“I’m thinking we should go swimming tonight. Spend our night on the beach. What do you think?” Jasmine asked as she pulled all of her hair pins out.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Yes, I’m kidding.”

“Does that mean I can help you out of this dress?” he asked, leaning over her shoulder to meet her gaze in the mirror as he rested his hands on her hips.

“Oh, you’d like to help me with that, would you?” she glanced back at him. She brushed her finger under his chin, grasping it ever so lightly. “You’re too impatient.”

He laughed, leaning down to press a kiss into her lips. “I am not,” he muttered.

This is part of the Dad!BTS series that can be found here

A/N: I absolutely love this. It turned out so amazing, and I loved to see all the couples here (minus Jimbia poor babies have barely met yet)

It would be greatly appreciated if you reblogged the story if you liked it!

Taglist: @jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger @jinnie-forthe-winnie @taehoneycheeks @aianloveseven @fly-you-dam-fools @bangtansjonas

[spneveryseason]

Sam vs. Sam: A When The Levee Breaks Close Reading

So that sequence where Sam talks to a hallucination of his young self? It drives me bonkers so I want to take a closer look at the exchange and see what can be said about it.

Starting with the premise: Sam’s psyche is reaching out to him by taking the form of his own child self. This very idea is fascinating in itself, because it implies that Sam sees his childish self as inherently different from his adult one. This child is someone who has the power to be disappointed in him, like the rest of hallucinations, and whose judgement and approval Sam desperately seeks out. He’s on par with Dean, and even Mary. So what does this mean? Why is young Sam somebody that Sam loves, admires, and sees as separate from himself? I think to adult Sam, young Sam represents the potential he had at getting out, at being good, and this potential has come back to express his disappointment in him.

This first significant line of dialogue brings that home:

YOUNG SAM: How could you do this to me? I thought we were gonna be normal.

SAM: I tried. I did. It didn't pan out that way. Sorry, kid.

The pronoun use here is interesting. Young Sam asks “how could you do this to me?”, separating the young and old versions and implying that old Sam has done young Sam wrong. Here, Sam has actively hurt young Sam in his actions, and young Sam is here demanding justice. In the very next line however, young Sam uses “we”. “I thought we were gonna be normal”. That separation is now gone, the Sams are reunited briefly into one entity who had the same hopes and dreams, who is now both the perpetrator and the victim. Through his hallucinations, Sam is trying to get himself to accept that he can be both simultaneously, to escape into healthier thinking.

Sam, of course, denies this chance. He uses “I” pronouns exclusively, separating the two again and casting himself fully as the perpetrator. “Sorry, kid” is dismissive, reminding the other Sam of his youth and inexperience. However, it’s also a reminder of his innocence, highlighting young Sam’s role as victim and old Sam’s as perpetrator, separating the two even more. Sam does not want absolution here. “Normal”, his representation of safety and happiness, is denied outright. He thinks he’s past saving.

Sam’s subconscious, seeing this reluctance, doubles down:

YOUNG SAM: 'Sorry, kid'? That's what you have to say? It's all we ever wanted. We were so close. You got away from Dad. You quit hunting. You were gonna become a lawyer and get married. Why'd you blow it?

More pronoun mixing. You dismissively called me a kid. You got away from dad. You quit hunting. You were gonna be a lawyer. You blew it. All the action verbs, the things Sam actually did, are given to him. He knows he can’t escape his decisions or his actions. He’s reminding himself that he did all of that, he did the work of achieving his dream, but he is also the one that brought it crashing down. However, it’s all we ever wanted. We were so close. The dream actions are shared by them both. Old Sam and young Sam have the same hopes and dreams, want the same thing. It’s still possible for old Sam to want them too. In that, they are still the same.

Old Sam brings it back to the original problem, what started his deterioration:

SAM: Look. They killed Jessica.

YOUNG SAM: Yeah. And if you hadn't run off with Dean, if you'd been there to protect her, she'd still be alive.

SAM: I know.

YOUNG SAM: You think Jess would want you to turn into this? She loved you. You think she'd be happy you using her as an excuse?

It all comes back to Jessica. Sam can’t forgive himself, see himself as pure again, because he thinks he got her killed. He doesn’t think he can come back from that sin. Young Sam throws the accusation (again, all you pronouns) that Sam is fully responsible for her death. He even blames Dean, sort of. This is still Sam, so this may reveal that Sam harbors some small resentment for that he’s probably ashamed of. In any case, this reveals that even the deepest part of Sam accepts that he’s to blame for the Jessica’s death, even the parts that think he can be redeemed.

Sam accepts this fully. “I know.” He doesn’t try to make excuses like before. He doesn’t try to hide it. He knows. He knows this more than he’s ever known anything. Interestingly, though, young Sam tries to make Jess’ memory, and his role in her death, a motivator rather than an accusation. He believes in redemption, in love, and tries to get Sam to remember that he loves someone enough to try and be good enough again for them. Subconsciously, he’s trying. This is still Sam, remember.

Again, Sam resists redemption:

SAM: I'm sorry. I am. But life doesn't turn out the way you thought when you were fourteen years old. We were never gonna be normal. We were never gonna get away. Grow up.

This is very telling. Sam apologizes to his younger self, his innocence, saying they can never reconcile. He names his fourteen year old self as the last time he had any real hope of a good life, claiming it’s not for him anymore. However, the separation may not be as complete as he thinks it is. He starts to use we pronouns for the first time, and in doing so accepts that his dreams are completely dead. Maybe they never existed at all. “Normal”, his happiness, was never possible. He sees his life as something he was trying to “get away” (escape) from. But there’s no escape. He’s stuck where he is.

“Grow up.” We’re the same. You don’t exist anymore. Maybe you never did. You’re just me.

This is the the point where young Sam loses, where Sam has fully convinced himself that he cannot be innocent anymore. So his subconscious reflects that:

YOUNG SAM: Maybe you're right. Maybe there's no escape. After all, how can you run from what's inside you?

And his eyes glow yellow.

There’s a full separation in pronouns now, but it doesn’t matter. Now Sam is convinced he was tainted and hopeless even at that age, had yellow eyes he couldn’t escape even then. This was the moment Sam lost all love for himself, all need for self validation, his ability to see his own potential. He reminds himself of his own mistakes (“run”), and I think this was the point of no return for him. This was the moment the apocalypse was fully completed.

We see Sam speak to avatars of himself, both wearing his own face and not, several more times after this across several seasons. None seem to imply that he’s found faith in himself again.

[rpmemes-galore]

feeling a little better today, but i just wanna share this bonkers dream i had last night before i get settled in to make memes here. 

so, i was back in my childhood home which, for context, is an old farmhouse with a tiny kitchen. And for some reason, Gordan Ramsay was there. And i was supposed to cook for him.  I guess if I’m trying to figure out backstory, my mom called him, bc she was there, too, out in the dining room with him. She must’ve told him that i had a whole team of chef’s back there and fancy equipment... but it was just me, a single pot, on my parent’s old stove that doesn’t even work that well anymore, and i was trying to bake cookies on the other end of the kitchen.   

anyway, he asks for like, 6 things at the same time. i panic, i’m racing around the kitchen trying to make it all, but i’ve only got the one pot, and i’m trying to mix cookies, and for some reason, everything just isnt working... knife won’t cut, mixer won’t mix, etc. i’m crying, i’m freaking out. things are starting to burn. and who should come storming into the kitchen, but Ramsay, himself, starting up with one of his ICONIC™ rants, when he stops short, takes a look around all confused.   i start apologizing, i’m crying, holding my single pot of burned something, and telling him  “I’m so sorry, I’m trying my best, I’ve only got one pot, I can’t do everything myself!”   and he turns around and marches off to my mom and chews her out.  and the last thing i heard before i woke up, laughing, was   “SHE”S ONLY GOT ONE FOOKING POT!”      

my brain, guys, gals, and non-binary pals

[dodo-begone]

Damn, that Undertale!reader concept? Pretty pog. I’m intrigued. Loyal-or Dodo, if you can think of anything hah-please share more ideassssssss

The idea of a forced encounter to let people see y/n’s soul like Loyal mentioned? Mmmm I have been fed oh my gosh my interest is peaked.

• Dream and Vilbur would do it without hesitation.

• Tommy doesn’t think you’re being serious, there is no way that this “encounter” or whatever will make someone’s “soul” physically appear. Whoopsies, he was just proven wrong. And now he’s got a traumatized person quivering in front of him.

• Ranboo might when in Enderstate and Technoblade when the voices get to him. When they snap out of it they see you curled in on yourself on the ground with your hands protectively holding something emitting a glow to your chest. From what they can see before it vanishes, it’s a glowing object in the shape of a heart. Depending on how violent they were, there will be a bright or dim glow to the heart and it either had a smooth, slightly damaged, or cracked-almost to the point of shattering-surface. And it looks like the amount of damage done to your body is reflected on this little bobbing heart. Maybe, if the damage is almost fatal? You plead with them for mercy. However, it’s not their names that you list. “Sans, I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t do anything. I had nothing to do with their choice of actions. I don’t know why Frisk would do this, I’m so so sorry, please don’t hurt them. They’re just a kid. I-I didn’t know this was happening. I’m so sorry.” Which would change to: “Frisk would never hurt anyone, Sans. Leave them alone! It, it had to have been someone else. There’s no way my baby sibling would kill anyone, let alone...everyone...” or for extra angst, “Frisk, what are you doing? It’s me, your big sibling! I-I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m here for you. Just...put the knife down please. Frisk? FRISK? FRISK GET AWAY PLEASE OH MY G-”

:)

(I personally do not believe the “theory” that Chara is the one that does all the killing which is often seen in fics, art, comics. Where they persuade Frisk to do it. Literally because they kill two monsters for you. It’s you the player, or, in the context of the game, Frisk. So for this I thought: how fun would it be to find out your child sibling is a cold hearted murder, only to forget about it thanks to the reset, but remember-and get thrown into a flashback or something along the lines-when on the brink of death)

YOOOPP THAT’S POG STUFF RIGHT THERE- god I’m loving this undertale au.

Okay okay so like,,, damn that shit is cool. I wanna see some of the more powerful users (underrated ones especially) be able to do magic. I’m just a sucker for magic in general but that can be such a pog idea. Like the sorcerer stuff got passed down. That means they must’ve had a past with monsters! Intermingling at least. And hybrids. They’re proof, right?

God brain so dead rn but like,,, undertale haha WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD THE RESET POWER- THAT’S WHAT THE REVIVAL BOOK COULD BE; A WAY TO RESET EVERYTHING- Brian going bonkers rn

So for that last bit, I can understand why you don’t believe it. I honestly don’t like believing it either, but here me out on this. So Chara isn’t a ghost. Chara is just a voice in Frisks head. This probs sounds a lot like that theory but that’s Frisk’s way of justifying what she had done. This was completely normal. See! Even that other kid was doing it! Or just “it wasn’t me! It was Chara (the imaginary friend they think is real) Haha Chara being imaginary friend? Or voice in head? Fun idea- (this is probs just that theory but like,, I think it’s cool)

[marvelousell]

The Agreement (Part 1.)

Pairing(s): frat boy!fwb!Tom x reader, frat boy!Harrison x reader

Summary: Tom is a typical frat boy, his love for partying, drinks and girls are bigger than his ego. Y/N is a whole different dimension, she keeps her circle small, and even though she knows her best friend Tom is a total douche, she can’t say no to the little deal that was sealed between the two of them.

Word count: 2k

A/N: ahhhh so this is my first series that I’m posting here! I’ve went for the fwb!au but I will do a mob one soon too. It will be full of angst, smut, friendship, love, heartbreak, absolutely everything. I hope that you all will like it, and I would appreciate it if you comment, reblog or send a feedback!🥰

Also my tag list is open for the series!

Warnings: mentions of smut, swearing

It was a Friday night and that meant party all night.

Well not for you.

You weren’t a party girl. Sure you went here and there on some frat parties with your friends, but every Friday? Hell no.

The Friday nights were reserved for a book and a cup of tea.

You were a shy one, you kept your circle small. Tom, Harry, Anna and Amelia.

You were a big bookworm, and hopeless romantic. A great duo for sure.

Sometimes you felt like an ugly duckling. Amelia and Anna were gorgeous and appealing brunettes, just like other college girls, but with a great personality. They were a whole package if you asked me.

You would say that you were an average looking girl. Nothing to special.

You just wanted a guy that would love you for who you are on the inside, not outside.

Too much books, I know.

“Maybe it’s time to head to bed.” You said to yourself, after you caught yourself overthinking, again.

-

“Jesus Christ.” You sighed, the doorbell waking you up.

It was 20 minutes past midnight, and you were now worried who is at the door at this time.

“Again?” You groaned, rubbing your eyes.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s late, but I really needed a break.” Tom spoke, running his palm through his messy hair and massaging his scalp.

You motioned him to the living room, styling your hair that was sticking out everywhere, as much as possible.

“Great, I look like a zombie.” You murmured to yourself as you went to the couch where Tom was seated.

“Want anything to drink or something else?”

“Yeah…something strong?” He said, pushing his back flat on the couch.

“You know that I only have wine here.”

“It will do the job.”

-

“So..will you tell me what is tonight’s reason for your visit?” Your figure sat next to Tom’s, enjoying a late glass of wine as well.

“She saw me with Stassie today, so she went bonkers.”

Ah. Typical Tom.

Well let’s go back to the start shall we?

If you were honest, there was a lot, but still nothing to tell that wasn’t familiar to everyone.

Tom. Your typical frat boy.

Hot guy, astonishing body, soft curly brown hair followed with the dark brown eyes that had every girl drooling. His charming smile that he flashed to every single girl, covered up his conceited behaviour. Although he was a very charismatic person, he was a bit big-headed.

Did I say a bit? I meant a lot.

Parties were his scene. Tom loved the attention he got from the people almost immediately when he would enter the party place. Girls were basically throwing themselves on him, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

Tom was aware of the effect he had on the ladies, and he sure took advantage of that.

Every weekend there was a new one in his sheets.

He didn’t do feelings, some girls knew, some didn’t. So the morning after he would throw them out of his room half naked, all shattered and with the disgusting feeling that they were used.

He had a reputation, after all he was the most wanted boy out here, everyone’s dream was to become something to him.

Unfortunately no one had succeeded.

Did Tom say she a minute ago? Oh yes.

She was Sophie. And no, she wasn’t his girlfriend, but she sure didn’t think that way.

Sophie was your classic example of a girl that doesn’t understand the word no.

She was one of Tom’s flings, a beautiful, but fake girl. They got together at her 20th birthday party, it was just a one time drunk sex. Tom waited for her to feel asleep after a long session, so he could just go home and get at least a little amount of sleep.

However the next day at college, Sophie was like a limpet.

She didn’t let him breathe, even though Tom explained how he worked.

To be rejected or not interested in her was a unknown term for Sophie.

“Look, we shared a night, had sex and that’s all. It’s how I roll sweetie okay?” He desperately tried to get her off of his back.

“Tommy, I know how you do things, but you can’t lie about the chemistry. We just need to be together. And the sex is amazing.”

And that’s how it started.

Tom was loud and clear, not just with her, but with his friends and other ladies that she isn’t his girl, and never will be.

He really hoped that Sophie would let him be after a while, and she really did, but Tom just couldn’t keep it in his pants.

The Spring party.

Everyone got shit-faced, Tom was super turned on by a sweet brunette that clearly wasn’t interested in his lame flirting.

Sophie came in for a refill in the kitchen, but she was a godsend for Tom at that moment.

“Soph, sweetie mind if I get you a drink?”

“Thought you were clear about your feelings for me Tommy?” She answered, playing with the end of her dress.

“Yeah, yeah..How about I get you that drink, and we could catch up on things, ya know like old times?” He crossed his arms on purpose, flexing his biceps.

“I knew you would come back.” Sophie laughed, wrapping her slim arms around him.

It happened again. And Tom left like the last time, but once again Sophie didn’t get the message.

It became much more harder for him to avoid her, she was all over the place. She ruined his possible hookups, tried to meet his friends, brothers. It was getting on his last nerve, and even though he said that he doesn’t do relationships, she didn’t give up.

Sophie just wanted to be in the spotlight, and Tom was a great opportunity.

-

“Dear God. I told you that this lifestyle of yours would cost you. You should’ve refrain yourself for one night. Now you have a fake and crazy girl on your back, and no freedom as well.” You said, secretly eyeing him, he was hot you couldn’t lie.

“Thanks for not helping Y/N. Fucking hell I just want her to disappear, she is hundred percent crazy!”

“Why don’t you for once think rationally. Call her, take her for a coffee, tea whatever, sit down. Talk. Like normal people, tell her how things are, use your magic. But be nice and direct, she needs to get it in her head.” You tried your best to help him, after all he was your best friend and crush since preschool.

Stupid choice I know.

“I think so, but I wouldn’t be surprised that she spreads the news that I took her on a ‘date’, not a ‘can you please fuck off’ coffee.” Tom spoke clearly annoyed, filling up his empty glass.

He was tipsy already, and so were you. The wine absolutely did the job.

You were now nervous, your heart thumping against your ribs, the silence wasn’t an issue between the two of you, but tonight something was different.

“Why are you laughing?” You questioned, looking at Tom.

“Nothing darling, just remembered the day at elementary school.”

“Oh God. Which one?”

“You know, when you almost punched Elizabeth when she said I gave her a flower, and that I’m her best friend now.” He looked at you smiling like a child.

“Hey! You couldn’t blame me I loved you, you were my bestie I thought you betrayed me!” You stated, turning your body to his.

“Oh loved?” He grabbed his chest, trying to look hurt, but failing after a loud laugh escaped from his lips.

Your hand slapped his chest playfully, as an answer.

“This wine is crazy, I’m definitely going to consume it more.” He spoke.

“Well you for sure will if Sophie freaks out again.”

“New bottle?” You asked, standing up, your legs wobbly from the alcohol that was running in your system.

“Sure, it’s a long night after all.”

You tried to be as relaxed as you could be, but Tom’s presence tonight didn’t let you be.

Tom was also tense, the wine messed with his mind, he didn’t got laid for days, and the silky white shorts of yours didn’t help him at all.

You were in front of him, opening a bottle, but he just couldn’t control himself. His eyes were glued on your slim legs and tits.

He knew that under those hoodies that you wear on a daily basis was an incredible body.

Tom finded you attractive, absolutely stunning. He thought about you on his bed, whining for him, he really did wanted to have sex with you, but he couldn’t. You were his best friend and Tom didn’t want to hurt you.

But fucking hell. Tonight you were making him go nuts.

“I’m worn out.” You said exhaling the air.

“Live a little Y/N. Your nose is 24/7 in those books, give yourself a break, don’t be so boring.”

“Me boring? Oh excuse me that I don’t have such a dynamic life as yours.” You rolled your eyes.

“Hell yes you are, when was the last time you had sex?”

“What?!” Your cheeks were burning, and you couldn’t believe he asked you that. Sure you two had conversations about sex, but only about his sex life, and by that I mean who he slept with not how and where.

“You heard me, c’mon we’re friends you can tell me everything.”

Stupid Tom.

“Yes we are, but I would love to keep the informations about my sex life to myself.”

“So you’re a virgin?”

“TOM!” You almost chocked on the wine.

“Well?” He smirked, feeling how you got more and more shy from the conversation. God he wanted to fuck you so bad.

“No I’m not a virgin!”

“Then you can tell me when was the last time hm?”

“I don’t remember ok?! Jesus, the last time was probably the week before me and Noah broke up.” Your voice almost a whisper, realising that you were presumably too boring.

Tom just whistled the ‘wow that’s tooo long’ whistle, earning an annoying look from you.

“If it helps you I didn’t bang a girl for like a week, maybe more?” His answer turning into a question.

“Yeah, that helped me a lot, thanks Thomas.”

“Always here to help you.”

You once again slapped him playfully, but with the arm where your glass of wine was, spilling the beverage on his shirt and sweatpants.

Shit.

“Fuck, sorry! I’m drunk, I-shit.” Yes, you were absolutely drunk, because the sober Y/N wouldn’t try to dry Tom’s crotch with her hands.

Tom’s eyes opened widely. The feeling of your palm rubbing his now hard dick, speeded up his breathing.

Your knees were on the couch, and your body extremely close to his. You still didn’t have a clue what you were doing.

“If you’re gonna clean me up like this, I might spill some of this by myself darling.” He groaned, raising the glass in the air.

That was enough to send your mind to reality.

“OH GOD. I’m so sorry, oh my God this is so embarrassing right now.” You tried to sit back down, but Tom’s hands stopped you.

Before you could fall on the purple carpet in your living room, his grip brought you into his chest.

Your hands were on his thorax, his arms on your lower back.

“Shit, am I on his lap right now?! What the fuck is happening?” You thought inside your head. What a great situation to be in.

“You’re making me so hard now Y/N.”

You were speechless. This wasn’t happening.

“I think it’s a big shame that you don’t have any kind of relief after a long day.” He whispered in your ear, breathing in the sweet scent of your shampoo.

“Tom.” Your mind was hazy, you tried your best to resist this, but holy shit you wanted this since forever.

“How about I suggest something to you darling?”

[redinkofshame]

 1. How many works do you have on AO3?

17! My favorite number.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

178,176. Dang!

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

@theDuckPond Solavellan slow burn? smlungst, 62,553 words

New Life papae!Solas with lots of smut, 6606 words

Marigolds in the Hanged Man Varrigold! :D Varric/Marigold, 43,527 words

(3.5 is Dreaming With You (Solas x Reader), but I’m only a partial writer on that one so I’m not counting it.)

Labor and Loss papae!Solas with lots of sad, 4097 words

Kirkwall Karaoke f!Fenhawke drunken shenanigans, 7023 words

Wow I wasn’t expecting my karaoke fic to be on this list! And you guys really like your papae!Solas :D

4. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do, yes, because when I leave comments it gives me anxiety that only seeing them reply fixes and I want to do that for other people. Unfortunately back when I updated every week (lol) I got in the habit of replying to comments when I posted something new... So now when I go a long time without posting a new chapter I leave the comments on read for a long time. Sorry guys!!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Honestly? This Nonsense. (Link is to a long series of messages to @keturagh at 3am, no joke.) 

But, since then, I’ve figured out an alternative ending that’s much happier. I can’t help it. I want happy endings.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

As per #5, all of them lol. The first one that came to mind was Marigolds, but honestly my soulmate au Vhenaslin feels the fluffiest to me. 

And, of course, there’s this one ;) 

7. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven’t, not yet :( Like, I like the concept but no combination I’ve thought of has given me even the slightest bit of inspiration.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yep! I received one that was something like “Congrats! You’ve written the most insufferable OC I’ve ever read!!” and it was fucking hilarious because it was on, like, chapter 6? You read 6 chapters about a character you didn’t like and somehow it’s my fault?? lmao

There was another one I can’t remember, too, and twice people have called Elle a bitch. All of these happened to Elle from Duck Pond, so if that’s not a glowing recommendation~

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

ROFL yeah that’s why I’m here. Like literally why I joined the fandom. 

Everyone I’ve written is m/f and not particularly kinky but pretty damn explicit. Sometimes I do fade-to-black or gloss over for pacing, but mostly... Yeah. There’s smut. let Solas nut

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of. Sure af hope not.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. At least, not that I know of!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! There was a Solas x Reader post on tumblr that people were reblogging and adding a little more too, and I guess that the foreplay went on too long because @keturagh sent it to me like ‘you’re the expert of getting the P in the V!’ and I’ve never written Reader fic before (or since) but who am I to disappoint!! 

Then someone compiled it all and put it on AO3 here. I don’t have a damn clue where my writing begins -- other than I got the P in the V lol. Every once in a while I get a notification of a comment or kudos on it and  every SINGLE time I’m like

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Very clearly Solavellan. Though I’m also very into Opal/Nik from the Minimum Wage Magic books by Rachel Aaron. I listened to the audiobook because Patrick Weekes shared their reading list on twitter once and it was on there and I’m a HUGE sucker for juxtaposition. Gets me every time. 

I’ve since read uuuhhhh almost everything Rachel Aaron/Bachs has read, and there’s lots of great stuff in there, but MWM is still my favorite series of hers by far. My own personal Couch AU. 

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Uuhhhh.... So many? Or more like I’m scared I never will, in any case. I started drafting a list of my WIPs and it got... long. I can’t think of any I made a deliberate choice to never finish. There’s only 1 fic that I wrote that I didn’t post.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, pacing, and sex~ 

I consider my dialogue my biggest asset as a writer tbh

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

WRITING THE WORDS DOWN and also how do plot?

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

In the fandom there’s a tendency to write lines in elvhen and then put the translation at the end and yeah no it drives me bonkers. It completely destroys the immersion and pacing for no pay off. I’m not going to scroll down to understand your story. I just read it straight and try to figure out what’s going on based on context. 

I stick with the well-known canon lines that most of us obsessed fans know by heart. I think sometimes I put a translation in there for newcomers, maybe? One time I used a feature on AO3 where you can hover your mouse over the work and it has like a footnote? that you can use to translate. But I immediately stopped bc #1 I don’t know how that works on mobile and #2 it really doesn’t seem like that’s going to work with screen readers. But otherwise I just say ‘they said in elven’ or have the narrator translate it themself for the reader. 

Also, a lot of people use the elvhen translations from that BNF’s project and like... If you WANT him to say ‘I want to paint you with my cum’ then just have the courage to say it straight! 

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

lmao Harvest Moon. Yeah. After that was Tamora Pierce (modern girl in Tortall yep). Then was like a 15 year gap until I got frustrated at the slow pace of the romance with this egg in this game so I wanted to see if there was smut... (Cue Googling: Is FanFiction.Net still a thing?)

19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Oh gosh. Hmm. I love all my girls, but Duck Pond was/is a major work of love. Unlike my short works I really had the chance to explore more in a full length fic, you know?

(Marigolds is also full length but it was my first fic and there’s some spots that I’m not too proud of.)

That’s all the questions but I’m adding:

20. What’s a fic you’re proud of that hasn’t gotten much attention?

because I want an excuse to mention how hard I worked on Kirkwall Noir and how I’m surprised how little readership it’s gotten. It’s Varric! It’s Marigold! It’s super short, unlike most my stuff. Maybe that’s why people don’t like it?

Hmm, I also used a AO3 pen name, but it would still show on my page, right? 

Thank you for the tags, @roguelioness and @thevikingwoman !!  Consider yourself re-tagged so you can answer #20. Also tagging: @blarfkey @broomclosetkink @elveny @bardinhightown @keturagh​ @luzial​ 

[thesightstoshowyou]

I had a dream last night that Jason Voorhees was chasing me trying to kill me, and dream me was running everywhere, I even stole a bus. But I was running and running trying not to make a noise trying to get away from him and I drive this bus that I stole to like a children's fun house type place and I change clothes in this place so that I don't look the same and Jason just walks into the place and no one does anything, they just keep on with their lives like he's not a 6 foot something dead guy with a blood covered machete in his hands chasing after someone. So I'm in the weird white dress and he finds me and starts coming after me again when a bunch of kids jump him and start beating down on him and one kid yells at me to run and so I do and I get back to the bus that I stole and drive off and then I wake up. And now I'm really confused as to why I couldn't have just, ya know have sex with him, cause like that's always been a goal of mine, to have sex with a slasher in a dream. And the worst part is that Jason didn't look like Jason he looked like my uncle and it was very disturbing.

lmao that was a bonkers dream, anon, though it kind of played out like an actual Friday the 13th movie 😂 Sorry you didn’t get to fuck Jason. Thank you for sharing!

[slythergirlimagines]

Worth Your Time- Jack Shephard x Reader

Summary: Reader and Jack are friends with benefits, but when reader gets hurt it could change their relationship. (GIF not mine!) Masterlist

Warnings: injuries and some mentions of sex, also dead relatives and abusive ex mentioned   

Words: 3,189

Requested: Yes! @flowercrowns-goodvibes thank you so much for requesting something about Lost. My love for this show and for Jack is endless:) I hope you enjoy it!

Worth Your Time

The first time you slept with Jack Shephard, you were both drunk. Hurley and Charlie had found some vodka in an old bunker. Everyone had craved the distraction the alcohol provided and a party had broken out in result.

After your fair share of drinks, you had stepped away and gone to stare at the ocean. Jack had found you there, drunk and depressed. You had opened up to each other, you about the abusive relationship you were running from, and Jack about his father. You weren’t really sure how it happened, but one minute you were talking and the next you were having sex.

You had never really talked about it after it happened. It was only a few days later that you had a nightmare and sought out Jack. After that, you began seeking comfort in each other, and of course some other things. It wasn’t all physical though.

You and Jack talked about anything and everything. You connected, and you understood each other. You had realized too late into your relationship that you were developing feelings for him, and you couldn’t tell him. If you told him, then everything would get weird and he wouldn’t want you anymore. The voice in your head definitely belonged to your ex, but it was right. Jack was too important to lose.

Currently, you are enjoying the day. Sometimes on beautiful days like this, you like to pretend that you’re on vacation. You close your eyes and let the breeze blow through your hair, and you let yourself pretend for just a little bit that you have no problems. It helps to forget reality sometimes, especially when your reality is being stranded on an island where everything seems to go wrong.

Today the waves are sparkling and the sun is high in the sky. Charlie and Hurley are still trying to fish, even though they’ve never caught anything. Sun is off tending her garden, and Kate and Sawyer are flitting about doing who knows what. Claire wades into the water, rocking baby Aaron back and forth. None of these people are who you want to see. You’re looking for Jack.

You see him exiting the make shift medical tent, and you quickly jog over to him.

“Jack!” You call to him. When he sees you, his face breaks out into a huge grin and your heart flutters in your chest. He’s just a friend you remind yourself. A very hot friend that you sometimes have sex with.

“Y/n!” He calls back, mimicking your enthusiasm.

“Hey!” You say, finally catching up to him. “I have something to ask you.”

“Oh yeah?” He says, plucking some fruit from the breakfast pile, and taking a bite.

“Sun and I are going on a hike this afternoon. She’s needs help finding some seeds for the garden, and I was wondering if there’s anything you need medically?”

Jack looks up at the clouds, and makes a face.

“Are you sure you guys want to go today? It might rain.” You roll your eyes at his concern.

“Don’t worry, Jack. We’re big girls, I think we can handle it!” You wink. It feels natural to flirt with him like this.

“Alright, alright. I just can’t help it.” He says. His voice drops a little at the end, and it sends shivers down your spine. His brown eyes turn hungry, and he lets them rake over you.

It’s been a few days since you’ve been together, and you’ve missed him. His eyes tell you that he’s missed you too, even if his mouth won’t say it.

When he finishes looking you up and down, he catches your half-lidded gaze and smiles.

“Come back to me in one piece.” He leans in, whispering in your ear. “I’ll make it worth your time.” His pupils are dilated when he pulls back and he smirks at you, licking his lips.

Jack Shephard can be down right predatory when he wants to be. You shiver, and smile back at him.

“You know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You let yourself linger in the moment, and then you remind him of your original question. “So do you need anything?”

Jack looks sheepish, and rubs the back of his neck as he answers. “No, sorry I forgot the question.”

“I have that effect on people.” You flirt.

“That you do.” Jack looks up at the sky and then back at you. “You better go before I lose all semblance of self control.”

“If this is you controlled I can’t wait to see you wild.” You smirk again and then back up slowly. “See you later doc.”

You leave him there, practically panting, and hurry back to Sun.

————————————————-

The hike goes well. Sun manages to find a majority of the seeds she needs with little problem. You’re on your way back when you notice a patch of familiar looking plant stalks.

“Sun!” You call.

She turns around and raises an eyebrow in your direction.

“I’m going to stay behind for a little bit, I’ll catch up!” You say.

“I don’t know....” Sun says, glancing up at the darkening sky.

“I’ll be fine!” You say. “This is literally going to take like five minutes!”

Convinced, Sun nods and continues on her way.

“Be careful!” She throws over her shoulder.

You promise her you will, and then turn your attention back to the stalks.

When you were younger, your mother was very into natural remedies. She grew a lot of her own plants and herbs to aid in the healing process. Ginger was always one of her favorites. The root helped calm aches and pains, and it would be the perfect gift for Jack. You may not have medicine on this island, but you could use what was around you.

Quickly, you get to work pulling the roots of the ground. It’s hard work, and it takes you a lot longer to fill up your basket than you had hoped. By the time you’re finished, your hands are bleeding and the sky is nearly pitch black.

You stumble quickly onto the path, and start walking as quickly as you can. Maybe you’ll be able to get close to the beach before the downpour starts. You aren’t half as lucky as you wish you were though, because it only takes a minute for the rain to begin.

It’s a thick blanket of water, and there are no breaks in between downpours. The rain pounds against your body, soaking through your clothes in seconds. It also makes it impossible to see where you’re going.

Your boots start getting stuck in the mud, and before you know it, you’re slipping and sliding around. Everything is distorted through the water and you start panicking. Are you even going the right way?

The water starts gathering and rushing downhill like a fast moving stream. It’s impossible for you to keep your balance, and you fall, bashing your leg against the side of a rock. You feel it slice through your skin, and the pain is consuming.

The water keeps pushing you with its current, banging you against objects in the path. Finally, your head bangs against something hard and the world goes dark.

————————————————-

“Dude!” You hear a voice yell. Your head pounds, and you lift a shaky hand to feel around. There’s a tender spot when you touch it, and you quickly drop your hand.

“Dude, I think I found her!” Hurley says. His shouts increase the pounding in your head, and you go limp with the pain.

“Where is she?” You hear Charlie’s heavy accent.

Flashlight beams illuminate your face, and you listen as they start to panic.

“Oh my god. She’s dead, Hurley look at her.” Charlie says.

“Dude, I think I’m going to hurl.” Hurley says, gagging.

“Hurley, get a grip! Listen to me. Who’s going to tell Jack? He’s going to lose it mate! He’ll go absolutely bonkers.” Charlie says.

Hearing Jack’s name rouses something in you, and you have enough energy to groan his name. You want Jack. He’ll make you feel better and take all this pain away. Over the pounding of your head, you hadn’t even been able to think about the searing pain in your leg.

“Jack?” You ask again.

“She’s alive!” Charlie shouts and you listen as he and Hurley celebrate.

“Dude we’ve gotta get Jack, what if it’s not ok to move her?” Hurley asks.

“Ok ok good point. You stay here and I’ll go get him. They shouldn’t be too far away.” Charlie says, and you hear him run off.

“It’s ok, y/n.” Hurley says. “I’m here, and Jack’s going to be here real soon. He’s worried sick about you.”

Jack was worried about you? You smile, and it’s painful, but you also feel a lot better. Jack will be there soon and he’s worried. Your Jack.

The pain is slowly increasing, and you feel like maybe you could sleep a little longer before Jack gets there. I mean you wouldn’t be missing anything.

“Y/n??” You hear a voice call, and it’s Jack. You’d know his deep voice anywhere.

“Jack.” You groan.

You hear the snapping of branches as someone runs to you. Large, warm hands start checking over your body. Jack’s hands. You’d know them anywhere too.

“What happened?” He asks, and you can hear how wrecked his voice is. You’ve never heard him so worried before. Usually when he checks on patients he has a forced calm to him, but now he sounds desperate and pained.

“Rain.” You mutter helpfully. “Cut leg.” You wince as his hand finds the wound.

“Head hurts.” You mumble. You’re tired again. This whole ordeal has honestly worn you out, and Jack was here now. Everything would be ok, because he would take care of you.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep on me.” He commands. “Don’t you dare.”

“Ok, Jack.” You say, but everything is already getting hazy and unfocused. “Love you.” You smile. Colors dance under your eyelids, and you let them sweep you off into the dark again.

———————————————-

In your dream, your mother stands before you. She’s wearing the same familiar blue sweater and jeans that you remember.

“Mom?” You ask, tears in your eyes.

She smiles at you, and her eyes crinkle into lines at the corners. Her eyes sparkle as she looks at you. She envelops you into a hug, and you realize she still smells the same. She’s only been gone for two years now, but it feels like it’s been an eternity since you’ve seen her.

“Oh y/n.” She says, and softly lets your hair as you cry into her shoulder. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.” You choke out, tears making your voice thick.

“You’ve been so brave, y/n. What you’ve been through... you’ve been so strong.” She smiles at you softly, and squeezes you.

Her words bring back memories. The island, the plane, leaving your ex, meeting Jack. Jack.

“Yes,” your mother says. “Jack is a lovely man. Every mother wants her daughter to bring home a doctor.” She teases.

“Am I dead?” You ask, suddenly fearful that you’ve left him.

Your mother looks at you softly. She shakes her head.

“Not yet. You can still pull through. Your doctor is giving death one hell of a fight. He’s not giving up on you anytime soon.” She smiles.

Of course he wouldn’t. Tears spring to your eyes as you think about Jack fighting for you, not giving up on you. You can’t leave him. You don’t want to leave him.

“Mom?” You ask. “I don’t want to die. Not yet.”

She pulls you into a hug, and laughs wetly. “Then you won’t.” She says.

“I love you.” You tell her. “I miss you everyday.”

“I love you too.” She says. Then she presses a kiss to your forehead, and everything dissolves.

————————————————-

You’re awake, but you don’t open your eyes. Pain makes your limbs heavy and your brain sluggish as you try to make sense of everything. You finally crack one eye, and groan against the painfully bright light.

“Y/n?” Jack says, hope colors his tone.

“Jack?” You ask. You reach out your arm trying to find him, when he catches your hand. You feel him cradle it between his palms, and he places a lingering kiss to it.

“Oh my god.” He says, and you can tell from the emotion in his voice that he’s crying.

You pry your eyes open again, this time determined to keep them open. You blink several times, before your eyes adjust and you’re able to focus.

Jack stares at you, eyes glassy with tears cradling your hand to the side of his face. His brown eyes are warm, and he’s smiling in relief.

“Hi.” You tell him shyly. You can’t comprehend why he’s so emotional about you. Jack has taken devastating loses on this island, and you still haven’t seen him look as torn up as he does now.

“Hi.” He says back, and it feels like it means everything. Your heart stutters against the intensity of his gaze.

“What happened.” He asks you, softly. He lets one of his hands trace the side of your face, and then starts stroking your hair out of your eyes.

“I saw some ginger root, and I remembered my mother using ginger to help with aches and pains. I thought it could come in handy, but it took me longer to harvest it than I thought. I couldn’t out run the rain.” You say. It’s a little embarrassing, to admit it. You know how stupid it sounds in retrospect.

Jack shakes his head at you.

“Should’ve known.” He says, but he smiles instead of reprimands you. You know it’s probably only because he’s so relieved that he isn’t yelling at you.

“What can I say.” You mutter, leaning back into the cot. You can tell you’re in the Med tent.

“Are Charlie and Hurley ok?” You ask suddenly. Your memories are a blur, but you can remember their panicked voices.

Jack laughs a little, and you smile in response, glad to know he is ok enough to laugh.

“Yes. They thought you were dead.” He says, and then all the humor leaves his face. You regret ever bringing it up as you watch him debate with himself.

“I thought I was going to lose you.” He says. He has the same look on his face that he had when he told you the “angel hair pasta” story.

“Your leg was sliced up really bad. Deep too. I had no way of knowing how much blood you lost.” He says, eyes haunted. “Then your head wound. God, I had no way of knowing how bad that was, or if you had other internal injuries. Then you passed out on me, and you’ve been out ever since.”

“I’m sorry.” You say, and you realize that you’re crying. Jack’s pain has become yours and you’re so mad at yourself that you scared him so badly.

“No!” He says, and hurriedly wipes your tears away. “Don’t cry! It’s not your fault.”

“But it is. I was so stupid.”

Jack just shakes his head and continues brushing back you hair. He’s being so gentle with you, and it’s such a stark contrast from some of your wilder nights. The thought brings a blush to your cheeks.

“I had to bathe you.” Jack says out of nowhere, and he looks awkward as tells you. Like he’s asking for some sort of forgiveness. “I had to clean the wound, and you were unconscious and I didn’t trust anybody else...”

You start laughing and you can’t help yourself. He just looks so sweet asking you to forgive him for helping you.

“Jack, it’s not like it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.” You say, and your voice lowers a bit.

The air is suddenly charged with electricity as you two lock eyes. Your heart starts beating quickly again, and you wonder if Jack can tell.

“You told me you loved me.” He whispers.

Your blush, horrified. If you could, you would go back in time and finish the job the rain started.

“Jack, I’m so sorry.” You say. You knew you’d find a way to mess this up eventually. You couldn’t bear to lose him now.

“Did you mean it?” He asks. You search his face for any sign of disgust, but he only looks curious. You can’t lie to him, and you find that somewhere deep down you don’t want to.

“Yes.” You say. “But I was never going to say anything, I never meant to make it weird or-”

“Y/n.” Jack says, and he gives you a glowing look. He looks so happy, and your heart thumps painfully against your ribs.

“I love you too.” He says quietly. “I’m sorry it took all of this for me to admit it to you. I- well it was never just sex for me either, you know. It was always about you.”

“Me too.” You whisper quietly. Then you start laughing again. This time jack joins in, and the two of you laugh for a long time.

Jack looks at you like you’re his world, and then he kisses you gently. It is a much sweeter kiss than any you’ve ever shared with him, and it makes your whole body feel fuzzy and light.

Jack pulls away and you whine at the loss of contact.

“Jack!” You cry. He looks positively boyish like this. Young and happy.

“You’re injured.” He teases. “What kind of doctor would I be if I didn’t force you to heal properly.”

“You’re such a tease!” You pout.

He kisses you again, and laughs.

“You love me.” He sings.

“I do.” You can’t stop saying it enough. You pat the space behind you in the cot and give him your widest eyes. “Come join me?” Jack rolls his eyes, but comes to join you in the cot.

He takes care to wrap himself gently around you without disturbing your injuries. Content, you sink into the warmth of his embrace.

“You know, technically I did come back in one piece. And you told me you’d make it worth my while....” you trail off, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively.

“Not. Until. You’re. Healed!” He throws a hand up into the air. “I swear you’re going to kill me.” He says shaking his head.

Smiling, you think about your mother and the fact that you had almost died. It may be cheesy, but it was certainly true. Any second with Jack was more than worth your time.

A/n: I hope you enjoyed reading this! I write for a lot of fandoms and my requests are open if there’s something you want to read. You can find all my other work under the tag slythergirlimagines!

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #482

Top Ten Sega Games

So I read somewhere on the internet that in June it’s the thirtieth birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog (making him only a couple of months younger than my brother, which is weird). This is due to his debut game, the appropriately-titled Sonic the Hedgehog, being first released on June 23rd. As such – and because I do love a good Tenuous Link – I’ve decided to dedicate this week’s list to Sega (also there was that Sonic livestream and announcement of new games, so I remain shockingly relevant).

I’ve got a funny relationship with Sega, largely because I’ve got a funny relationship with last century’s consoles in general. As I’ve said before, I never had a console growing up, and never really felt the need for one; I came from a computing background, playing on other people’s Spectrums and Commodores before getting my own Amiga and, later, a PC. And I stuck with it, and that was fine. But it does mean that, generally speaking, I have next to zero nostalgia for any game that came out on a Nintendo or Sega console (or Sony, for that matter). I could chew your ear off about Dizzy, or point-and-click adventure games, or Team 17, or Sensible Software, or RTS games, or FPS games, or whatever; but all these weird-looking Japanese platform games, or strange, unfamiliar RPGs? No idea. In fact, I remember learning what “Metroidvania” meant about five years ago, and literally saying out loud, “oh, so it’s like Flashback, then,” because I’d never played a (2D) Metroid or Castlevania game. Turns out they meant games that were, using the old Amiga Action terminology, “Arcade Adventures”. Now it makes sense.

Despite all this, I did actually play a fair few Sega games, as my cousins had a Mega Drive. So I’d get to have a bash at a fair few of them after school or whatever. This meant that, for a while, I was actually more of a Sega fan than a Nintendo one, a situation that’s broadly flipped since Sega stopped making hardware and Nintendo continued its gaming dominance. What all of this means, when strung together, is that I have a good deal of affection for some of the classics of Sega’s 16-bit heyday, but I don’t have the breadth or depth of knowledge you’d see from someone who, well, actually owned a console before the original Xbox. Yeah, sure, there are lots of games I liked back then; and probably quite a few that I still have warm nostalgic feelings for, even if they’re maybe not actually very good (Altered Beast, for instance, which I’m reliably informed was – to coin a very early-nineties phrase – “pants”, despite my being fond of it at the time). Therefore this list is probably going to be quite eccentric when compared to other “Best of Sega” lists. Especially because in the last couple of decades Sega has become a publisher for a number of development studios all around the world, giving support and distribution to the makers of diverse (and historically non-console) franchises as Total War and Football Manager. These might not be the fast-moving blue sky games one associates with Sega, but as far as I’m concerned they’re a vital part of the company’s history as it moved away from its hardware failures (and the increasingly lacklustre Sonic franchise) and into new waters. And just as important, of course, are their arcade releases, back in the days when people actually went to arcades (you know, I have multi-format games magazines at my parents’ house that are so old they actually review arcade games. Yes, I know!).

So, happy birthday, Sonic, you big blue bugger, you. Sorry your company pooed itself on the home console front. Sorry a lot of your games over the past twenty years have been a bit disappointing. But in a funny way you helped define the nineties, something that I personally don’t feel Mario quite did. And your film is better than his, too.

Crazy Taxi (Arcade, 1999): a simple concept – drive customers to their destination in the time limit – combined with a beautiful, sunny, blue skied rendition of San Francisco, giving you a gorgeous cityscape (back when driving round an open city was a new thrill), filled with hills to bounce over and traffic to dodge. A real looker twenty years ago, but its stylised, simple graphics haven’t really dated, feeling fittingly retro rather than old-fashioned or clunky. One of those games that’s fiendishly difficult to master, but its central hook is so compelling you keep coming back for more.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive, 1992): games have rarely felt faster, and even if the original Sonic’s opening stages are more iconic, overall I prefer the sequel. Sonic himself was one of those very-nineties characters who focused on a gentle, child-friendly form of “attitude”, and it bursts off the screen, his frown and impatient foot-tapping really selling it. the gameplay is sublime, the graphics still really pop, and the more complex stages contrast nicely with the pastoral opening. Plus it gave us Tails, the game industry’s own Jar Jar Binks, who I’ll always love because my cousin made me play as him all the time.

Medieval II: Total War (PC, 2006): I’ll be honest with you, this game is really the number one, I just feel weird listing “Best Sega Games” and then putting a fifteen-year-old PC strategy game at the top of the pile. But what can I say? I like turn-based PC strategy games, especially ones that let you go deep on genealogy and inter-familial relationships in medieval Europe. everyone knows the real-time 3D battles are cool – they made a whole TV show about them – but for me it’s the slow conquering of Europe that’s the highlight. Marrying off princesses, assassinating rivals, even going on ethically-dubious religious crusades… I just love it. I’ve not played many of the subsequent games in the franchise, but to be honest I like this setting so much I really just want them to make a third Medieval game.

Sega Rally Championship (Arcade, 1994): what, four games in and we’re back to racing? Well, Sega make good racing games I guess. And Sega Rally is just a really good racing game. Another one of those that was a graphical marvel on its release, it has a loose and freewheeling sense of fun and accessibility. Plus it was one of those games that revelled in its open blue skies, from an era when racing games in the arcades loved to dazzle you with spectacle – like when a helicopter swoops low over the tracks. I had a demo of this on PC, too, and I used to race that one course over and over again.

After Burner (Arcade, 1987): there are a lot of arcade games in this list, but when they’re as cool as After Burner, what can you do? This was a technological masterpiece back in the day: a huge cockpit that enveloped you as you sat in the pilot’s seat, joystick in hand. The whole rig moved as you flew the plane, and the graphics (gorgeous for their time) wowed you with their speed and the way the horizon shifted. I was, of course, utterly crap at it, and I seem to remember it was more expensive than most games, so my dad hated me going on it. But it was the kind of thrilling experience that seems harder to replicate nowadays.

Virtua Cop (Arcade, 1994): I used to love lightgun games in the nineties. This despite being utterly, ridiculously crap at them. I can’t aim; ask anyone. But they felt really cool and futuristic, and also you could wave a big gun around like you were RoboCop or something. Virtua Cop added to the fun with its cool 3D graphics. Whilst I’d argue Time Crisis was better, with a little paddle that let you take cover, Cop again leveraged those bright Sega colours to give us a beautiful primary-coloured depiction of excessive ultra-violence and mass death.

Two Point Hospital (PC, 2018): back once again to the point-and-clickers, with another PC game only nominally Sega. But I can’t ignore it. Taking what was best about Theme Hospital and updating it for the 21st Century, TPH is a darkly funny but enjoyably deep management sim, with cute chunky graphics and an easy-to-use interface (Daughter #1 is very fond of it). The console adaptations are good, too. I’d love to see where Two Point go next. Maybe to a theme park…?

Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox, 2002): I never had a Dreamcast. But I remember seeing the original Jet Set Radio – maybe on TV, maybe running on a demo pod in Toys ‘R’ Us or something – and being blown away. It was the first time I’d ever seen cel shading, and it was a revelation; just a beautiful technique that I didn’t think was possible, that made the game look like a living cartoon. Finally being able to play the sequel on my new Xbox was terrific, because the gameplay was excellent too: a fast-paced game of chaining together jumps and glides, in a city that was popping with colour and bursting with energy. Felt like playing a game made entirely of Skittles and Red Bull.

The Typing of the Dead (PC, 2000): The House of the Dead games were descendants of Virtua Cop’s lightgun blasting, but with zombies. Yeah, cool; I liked playing them at the arcades down at Teesside Park, in the Hollywood Bowl or the Showcase cinema. But playing this PC adaptation of the quirky typing-based spin-off was something else. A game where you defeat zombies by correctly typing “cow” or “bottle” or whatever as quickly as possible? A game that was simultaneously an educational typing instructor and also a zombie murder simulator? The fact that the characters are wearing Ghostbusters-style backpacks made of Dreamcast consoles and keyboards is just a seriously crazy detail, and the way the typing was integrated into the gameplay – harder enemies had longer words, for instance – was very well done. A bonkers mini-masterpiece.

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch, 2019): the very fact that erstwhile cultural enemies Mario and Sonic would ever share a game at all is the stuff of addled mid-nineties fever dreams; like Downey’s Tony Stark sharing the screen with Bale’s Batman (or Affleck’s Batman, who the hell cares at this point). The main thing is, it’s still crazy to think about it, even if it’s just entirely ordinary for my kids, sitting their unaware of the Great Console Wars of the 1990s. Anyway, divorced of all that pan-universal gladhanding, the games are good fun, adapting the various Olympic sports with charm, making them easy-to-understand party games, often with motion control for the benefit of the youngs and the olds. I don’t remember playing earlier games extensively, but the soft-RPG trappings of the latest iteration are enjoyable, especially the retro-themed events and graphics. Earns a spot in my Top Ten for its historic nature, but it’s also thoroughly enjoyable in its own right.

Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if all those crazy internet rumours were actually true, and Microsoft did announce it was buying Sega this E3? This really would feel like a very timely and in some ways prescient list.

[thiswasinevitableid]

70 for sternclay, nsfw please :)

70: you’re planning my best friend’s wedding which we find out the day after you drunkenly hit on me at a bar and I reject you.

“God I hope this guy isn’t a jerk.” Dani plays with her hair as Aubrey fidgets with her phone.

“Hey, if he is, you’ve got me as back-up.” Barclay pats her shoulder reassuringly, “plus, like, you two are the brides. You’re the bosses of the wedding.”

“If we really were the bosses, we wouldn’t be working with a wedding planner in the first place.” Aubrey grumbles. 

There’s a knock on the door and Barclay stands, “I’ll get it, you two finish mentally bracing yourselves.”

He opens the door to find a tall, dark haired man with bright blues and a well-cut suit staring at him. Their expressions morph to shock and recognition at the same instant.

“Hi, hic, big guy, what’s your name?” The man’s blue eyes are noticeable even in the dim light of the bar. 

“Barclay.” He turns on his stool, giving the man a once over that he can’t help but notice. 

“You, hic, here, hic, with anyone?”

“Nope.”

“Want to, hic, be?” 

The man is clearly built under his v-neck t-shirt, and Barclay would dearly love to get a closer look at his ass. Trouble is, his ass is having a hard time staying balanced in that chair. 

“Sorry, blue eyes, not tonight.”

The man slinks away before Barclay can even ask if he wants him to call him a ride. 

“I’m looking for Aubrey Little’s residence?”

“You found it. She and Dani are in here.” He ushers blue-eyes inside, doesn’t envy him the look of suspicion he gets from both women. 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Little and Ms. Coulice, I’m Joseph Stern, and I’m here to help your wedding go off without a hitch.”

“Great. Let’s get this over with. Honey, can you go get the notes AH Dr. Harris Bonkers put that down!” Aubrey dives off the chair, grabbing a phone charger from the jaws of the ten pound white rabbit. 

As one bride opens up her laptop and the other re-cages a disgruntled small mammal, Stern turns to him.

“And, um, how do you know the brides to be?”

“Dani’s been my best friend since middle school, so I’m her man of honor and helping with the wedding planning.”

“I see. Oh, thank you Ms. Coulice.”

“Dani is fine.” Dani returns to her spot in the loveseat while Stern sits down in a nearby chair with her laptop. He reads for several moments without comment, Aubrey trading worried looks wh Barclay and Dani as he does. 

“Are these the specific venues you have in mind, or just examples of the type of location you’d like?”

“Mostly examples.” 

“Got it. Would you mind sending me these files? That way I can have them as reference when I’m looking into possible venues.”

“You’re not gonna, like, try to talk us into the Yacht Club or something?”

Stern looks at Aubrey with a warm, polite smile, “Ms. Little--Aubrey--, your father may have retained me, but my job is to make the wedding as close to what you want as possible. I’m not here to undermine you.”

“O-kay” Aubrey still sounds wary, but she and Dani relax as Stern goes over his planning approach with them and works out a tentative schedule of meetings. When he’s done, Barclay offers to walk him to the door. 

Just as he steps outside, he turns, “I, um, I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention our exchange last night to either of them. Or to Mr. Little. It’s not a habit of mine, I just had a bit too much, um, liquid courage.”

“You got it. Kinda feeling like I dodged a bullet myself.”

“Oh?” A dark eyebrow arches playfully. 

“Rather not sleep with the enemy.”

“Wh-did you miss the part where I said I was here to help them?” 

“Nope, but you and I both know it’s a lie. You’re here because Aubrey’s dad has a bug up his butt about this wedding causing a scandal or not being fancy enough or some bullshit, so he called you in to make sure it stays bland.” He sighs, “Look, Mr. Stern, I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but Dani is like a sister and Aubrey is one of my best friends; I’m here to make sure the wedding is actually what they want.”

Stern pinches the bridge of his nose, “is there anything I can to convince you I’m not trying to make them miserable?”

“Yeah. Quit.”

“Not a chance.” Is the immediate reply. 

“Well, there’s your answer then.” With that, he shuts the door. There’s a frustrated huff on the other side, and then footsteps fading away.

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

Stern sighs, checks his appearance in the front window as he waits for Dani or Aubrey to open the door. He’s been working with them two weeks now, and while both women (and Dr Harris Bonkers) have warmed up to him some, Barclay remains polite but distant the times they’ve crossed paths. Lord almighty Stern can’t believe he almost slept with him. 

Yes, the man looks like his wet dreams made flesh and yes, Stern would like to ride him like a show-horse, but what a nightmare it would have made this whole assignment. Even if Barclay’s reasons insult him, he’s glad they’ve settled on keeping their distance.

Maybe this more casual look will help the other man see he’s not some stuffed suit out to ruin his friend’s wedding.

“Oh, you’re early.” Barclay opens the door with his usual pleasant but cool expression.

“No, I’m not. It’s three.” 

“Wait, shit really?” Barclay pulls out his phone as they walk inside, “damn, I must’ve lost track of time when I was cooking. Oh. Uh.” He looks at Stern, apologetic, “and I have a text from Aubrey saying she and Dani had a change of plans and won’t be here until seven.”

“That’s not great, but it’s workable. I can leave and come back.”

“Don’t you live kinda far--uh, huh, she says for us to just test out the menu together and leave her and Dani some for dinner.”

“I guess we can manage tha--why are there ingredients and pots everywhere?”

“Because...I’m…Cooking?” Barclay glances sideways at him. 

“What happened to the entire conversation about caterers? When did they change? What’s-”

“Hold on.” Barclay raises one hand, voice calm and deep, soothing over Stern’s rising worries like waves over hot skin, “think you’re mixed up; we’re trying out the food for the rehearsal dinner today. The one I’m cooking. Not the reception.”

“Oh thank the lord.” Stern slumps forward on the counter, “I thought I was about to have a whole day of calling disgruntled employees to tell them to nevermind about a quote.”

“Nope. Now have a seat, look like you’re gonna pass out on Dani’s floor. You want something to drink? We got water, beer, iced tea…”

“Water’s fine, thank you.” He tracks Barclay through the kitchen as he retrieves a glass from an upper cabinet, shirt riding up to show a patch of a dark, fuzzy belly that Stern instantly wants to feel pressed against him as it’s owner pins him to the nearest flat surface. 

Cooking seems to relax the other man enough that he actually chats with Stern, rather than keeping their conversation focused on the wedding. Stern learns he’s a personal chef and cookbook editor, though his original background was in baking. 

“Okay man, I gotta know” Barclay stirs something cardamom scented over the stove, “what’s with the shirt?”

“It’s from the radio station that first broadcast the story of the Michigan Dogman.”

“The what?”

“The Michigan Dogman, it’s a cryptid, um, nevermind” he curses himself for choosing casual clothes, “it’s niche and nerdy, you don’t want to hear about it.”

“Wrong, now you gotta tell me everything.” Barclay grins at him over his shoulder.

So he does, gradually at first in case Barclay regrets pushing this geekery button and needs to change the conversation, but the other man simply listens, really listens, as he cooks while Stern talks about his journey to the radio station and his talk with the DJ who accidentally started a legend. 

They keep talking as they eat, swapping travel stories and book recommendations, Barclay laughing when Stern shares some of the more ridiculous requests he’s gotten while working as a wedding planner. 

When Aubrey and Dani arrive home, they take one look at him and Barclay, stopped mid-anecdote and smiling at each other, and trade a surprised glance. 

All Stern can think is you and me both.

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

The planning goes more smoothly after that night, Barclay beginning to trust Stern more and more. Stern also learns that he trusts Barclay’s judgement , and the other man is invaluable in helping him narrow down options to present to the brides, both of whom are overall pleased with his work.

He’s particularly proud of his find for the wedding venue. The Madonna Inn is perfect, brightly colored and fancy but still just a bit kitschy, like the locations Dani originally showed him. Both brides were overjoyed, which is why all four of them came down for the weekend to make preparations and start scoping out vendors for the food and flowers.  Dani and Aubrey went back up to the city Sunday night, but he and Barclay are staying at the inn the rest of the week, Stern in hopes of having everything scheduled and coordinated and Barclay there in case he needs a second set of eyes (he’s working on a new cookbook and his clients are traveling, so taking the week down the coast is no trouble). 

Today has been a work day, but Stern is taking tomorrow off basically because no one has time to meet with him. So after a late afternoon spent lounging on the beach, the two of them go out for a leisurely dinner. On a whim, Stern lets Barclay select and order his meal for him. He doesn’t mean for it to be flirtatious at first, he just trusts Barclay’s culinary instincts and is tired of making decisions. But one look at Barclay’s face, his widening pupils and sudden blush, tell Stern all he needs to know. 

“You gonna be good and eat whatever I give you?” Barclay murmurs, so low he’s almost inaudible under the clank of silverware and hum of conversation. 

“Of course.” Stern puts on his sweetest smile, shores up his defenses against the self-doubt curling up his spine. He’s not fast enough, and so orders another cocktail. 

Halfway through the meal, he notices Barclay watching him, and another piece clicks into place; the cook keeps eyeing his lips and throat as he eats, often shifts in his chair if Stern makes a delighted noise after a bite. When dessert comes, the accidental sounds are replaced by deliberate ones and he luxuriates as he eats his tiramisu, licking the fork to be sure not a drop of cream is wasted. 

Barclay asks for the check, and two more slices of cake to-go, without ever taking his eyes off of Stern. He’s feeling confident, and a bit wobbly, as Barclay drives them back to the Inn, taking the larger man’s hand and pulling him towards one of the beds before he can even get the lights on.

A large, gentle hand on his shoulder, “no can do, blue eyes.”

“But I, hic, we, hic-” the world goes sideways as Baclay unlinks their hands. 

“Go get some sleep, Joe.”

He changes while Barclay’s in the bathroom, huddles under the covers and faces the window so the other man can’t see him burning top to bottom with shame. 

Things get worse in the morning; he’s awoken by a phone call saying the florist has an open slot to meet with him in an hour and so he throws on the nearest nice clothes and dashes out the door. That meeting is followed by a phone call from Mr. Little who is none to pleased with the location choice and Stern spends forty-five minutes convincing him that the Inn is perfectly tasteful and also it’s what the brides want and that counts for a great deal wouldn’t you agree?

His nerves are firing full-strength when he gets back to the room. Barclay, freshly showered and clothed, looks up at him from the bed where he’s thumbing through Cooks Illustrated, reading glasses perched on his nose. 

“Rough morning?”

“ Yes.”

He shuts the magazine “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

“Do you wanna talk about last night?”

“Also no.”

“Well, I do.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. You simply aren’t interested in me that way and I’ve made an ass of myself twice by misreading the situation.”

“You’re wrong. You’re my type, blue eyes-”

“Clearly not, since-”

“-When you’re sober.” Barclay sits all the way up, “which is why I wanna know why you only flirt with me when you’re so drunk neither of us can try anything.”

“Because...because approaching people like that makes me nervous. I’m already under enough stress as it, running block for Aubrey and Dani against Mr. Little without getting myself fired, and the thought of trying to flirt, it’s, everything starts going wrong, it will all go wrong and-” the panic is back, his composure leaving him and taking whatever respect Barclay had for him with it. 

“Joe, breathe.”

“Breathing is not the issue here!” 

Barclay stands, face calm, and walks over to him. Instead of stepping in front of him, he circles behind, and a hand rests at the base of Stern’s neck.

“Let’s try that again. Inhale, blue eyes, a nice long one.” 

Stern complies, Barclay’s voice carrying no threats but leaving no room for protest. 

“Breathe out, count to four while you do.”

Stern exhales, nerves diverting energy from panic to desire, Barclays fingers on his skin and dominant baritone in his ear. 

“Good boy. Do it again.”

Stern takes another deep breath, then another, over and over as Barclay leads him to the bed and slips off his jacket, followed by his shoes and socks. 

“That’s it Joe, you’re doing so good.” He sits beside him on the bed, stroking his hair and Stern follows his touch, “what do you need? What helps when this happens?”

“Something to, to focus on, until I calm down. Just not work related or too complicated.”

“Hmmm” a thumb brushes over his lips, then down his chin, “I got a few things in mind, but they’re pretty damn dirty. Should we try something else?”

“No, please, I, I want that, want, want to be good for you like that.”

“Okay blue eyes, we can do that. You gotta promise me you’ll say ‘stop’ if something doesn’t feel good, okay?”

He nods, heart shaking his ribs, and Barclay leans and kisses him once, tenderly, before laying back on the bed, hands resting beneath his head.

“Get my dick out, yeah, there we go, good boy, I want you to use your mouth, can you, OH, ohhhhyeah.” His cock bumps Stern’s cheek as his hips tilt, a response to Stern lapping teasingly at the base. He drags his tongue all the way up the shaft, takes the head into his mouth, doing his damndest to lock eyes with Barclay the whole time. 

“Babe, fuck, that’s it, oh fuck you look good like that, knew you’d look good with my dick in your mouth, been thinking about it since that first night.”

Stern whimpers, hungry for more and pushes his head down. Having Barclay’s cock in his mouth forces him to keep his breathing measured, and so he savors it, senses filling with salt and skin and lingering hints of soap. 

“That’s it babe, nice and slow, we got all day. Long as I get to cum sometime before noon I’m happy.”

Stern rolls his tongue over the tip as he pulls off, switches to kisses and licks as he slowly jerks him off. Occasionally he skates up, nudging Barclay’s shirt with his nose--his hands uninterested in leaving his cock--so he can leave deep, longing kisses across his stomach and hips. Every movement elicits a groan or a sigh, every kiss and suck earns him praise. It’s only when his hands are slick with pre-cum and his own saliva that Barclay bucks his hips more intently, growling when Stern takes him back into his mouth. 

“Shit you’re good at this, not, fuck, not surprised, look like you would be, like all you need is for me to take care of you and you’ll open that fucking perfect mouth whenever I ask FUCK, oh you like that, don’t you babe? Fuck, shit, like the idea of taking what I give you?”

He whines, rubbing his thighs together as Barclay’s cock bumps the back of his mouth.

“You got three seconds to decide how you wanna take this.”

Stern locks eyes with him again, and dips down the barest bit more. Barclay’s hands tangle in his hair as he groans “good boy” and cums, bitter and warm, down Stern’s throat.

His hands flop onto the bed, allowing Stern to sit up. 

“Did...was I good?”

“So fucking good.” Barclay thwacks a hand dramatically onto his forehead to wipe it, “do you want to keep going? Or do you want to stop?”

“I want” Stern presses his hand against his cock, as if this will help rather than make him wetter, “please, can we keep going?”

“Yeah” Barclay sits up, kisses each cheek, “pants and underwear off, leave the shirt and tie.”

By the time Stern is appropriately undressed, Barclay is back on the bed with the to-go box and  a plastic fork. He reclines on the pillows, box on his upper chest, “come straddle me, knees about here” he pats the bed near his waist. Stern scoots up into position, Barclay licking his lips as he does. 

“Good boy. Now, you’re gonna show me how you get off, so I can know just what to do tonight to make you cry into the mattress.”

“Fuck.” Stern gasps, fingers already rapidly stroking his dick.

“Mmmm, look at how slick you are. Think that deserves a reward.” He spears a piece of cake, “open.”

Stern opens his mouth, leaning forward so Barclay can more easily feed him.

“You do like being spoiled. I can work with that.” Barclay rumbles, pleased, when Sterns fingers work frantically after a second bite. 

“Please, Barclay, I want to kiss you, please say I can kiss you.”

“Not until you finish.” 

“The, the cake or myself.”

“Yourself, blue eyes.”

He’s panting now, sweat soaking through his shirt, and slowing his hand and hips to take the bites Barclay offers. When he cums it doubles him over, and as he’s bracing his hands on the headboard, trying not to collapse on his partner, Barclay moves everything aside and cups his face, gently guiding him down to kiss him. They stay like that as Stern slowly explores his mouth, tastes leftover cake and laughs when a coppery beard scratches his neck. And when he begins to drop, breath shallow and fingers shaking, Barclay rolls them onto their sides, holds him close. Tells him over and over that he’s proud of him, that he did so well, that he’s right here and he’ll take care of him, give him whatever he wants. 

“Honestly, breakfast sounds better than anything else right now.” Stern mumbles against his chest. 

“I’ll order us some. You still need me to dom you, or are you ready to start calling the shots again?”

“I don’t call all the shots.” 

“Just most of ‘em. Don’t tell anyone, but I kinda like that about you. You’re good at what you do.” Barclay kisses his forehead. 

“I...I think I’d like to rinse off while you order breakfast.”

Barclay offers one more kiss before they roll out of bed, has Stern’s robe waiting for him when he gets out of the shower and brings him the room service tray as soon as it’s delivered. They lounge together on Stern’s bed, watching the Inn come to life as the afternoon draws near. From here, they can even see the spot where their friends will get married.

“The ceremony is gonna be perfect.”

“As perfect as I can manage, yes.”

“You got a date for it yet?”

“No.” 

“You want one?” Barclay smiles at him, the sunlight making him look as if he stepped out of a daydream and into Stern’s bed. 

“Depends; would that date be you?”

“Yep.” Barclay kisses his shoulder.

“Well then,” Stern grins, tips his chin up for a coffee-flavored kiss, “there’s your answer.’