#text by jac

[tante-litfass]

I do see it

But I don’t want to

I do see it

But don’t believe

I do see you

And at the same time

I don’t

I do see

But at the same time

I’m colorblind

[shesmyscar]

okay, i think i’ve cooked with my agatha all along finale theory that i feel confident posting it since i’ve had time to chew on it after tonight’s episode.

spoilers under the cut!

so, we all know that rio can’t kill agatha since it’s against the rules—in addition to duh down bad ex-wives—and that rio dares agatha to take her powers, but agatha says she knows that would kill her (especially now with the official reveal of rio being death)

what if during rio’s trial next week, rio calls agatha a coward for something related to billy and his split life line (still trying to figure out how that slots in btw) and when she goes to blast him, agatha jumps in to try and save him, since they seem to be setting her up to be a mentor for billy (like she is wanda in the comics) and she ends up getting blasted by rio’s magic and her absorbtion kicks in but because she can’t fully control it, this is harkens back to the convo in episode one and how lilia tells agatha to avoid it w/that line cue of “when she calls you a coward, hit the deck”

and as a result agatha “dies” (rip my girl), but rio tries to bring her back with her green magic (aka a kiss of life) but it’s just not enough to fully get her back and episode 8 ends there. however, don’t worry friends there’s more to this theory.

we all know the rumor that episode 9 is a flashback episode, so this could play out like agatha’s life flashing before her eyes and we get to see how her and rio meet, their adventures, etc. but when it ends, there’s a post credit scene of back to that final scene in ep 8 where it’s billy using his powers (or even his wish at the end of the road) to bring agatha back and complete what rio can’t and bringing agatga back as a ghost (since she is a ghost in the comics) and would perfectly set him up to hone his magic to search for tommy. and would tie in SO well with him being the magician card

and then when agatha comes back to life (since she would still technically have a corporial form) we cut to her eyes opening and she has the little white stripe in her hair like the comics and this way she gets to be with rio for all eternity without worry and can mentor billy

further, i think it would be SUCH an interesting way to combat a bury your gays trope having her come back as a ghost to be even more annoying (affectionate) & for rio to say “i do hate ghosts, but this one i guess is ok” & to combatthe tragic doomed by the narrative yuri trope

also no clue if this is how it’ll play out, but based on just general plot structure and what i’ve seen jac schaeffer do, this feels SO plausible to me rn. but also just a way for white hair stripe agatha to win at the end of the day. it would also be a way for them to insert both in places for cameos (and PLEASE a second season omg) that would make sense because it would a) be stupid to waste kathryn & aubrey’s talents like that & b) why else would they be in tha new marvel logo if they weren’t appearing in other places?

[just-a-tiny-bun]

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈

A pretty late entry, but better late than never! Hope everyone has had a wonderful pride month this year!

More art of my ocs under the cut!

[jacscorner]

The Reboot of Sharkboy & Lavagirl

So, who here remembers The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl?

...Yeah, I figured there'd be a lot of people. This movie came on almost every other week on Disney Channel some moons ago.

I loved the movie as a kid. While it hasn't aged the best, it still holds a very special place in my cold heart. One thing always lingered in the back of my mind: why isn't this a cartoon? Biased on my half, but I feel animation is better for trying to show an alien world, completely unlike anything we have on Earth. Because live action movies like this, as impressive as they may, will always be limited by budget and the effects of today - or, in this case, yesteryear. And if they're bad, they can really ruin the immersion. SB&LG are no different from this; as impressive as they were for the time, it was purely for the innate spectacle and not necessarily because they were good.

But, this movie still has a place in my heart, so let's push those critical thoughts aside. Cause i really wanna get into my thoughts on a Sharkboy and Lavagirl reboot.

SB & LG Designs

Since these are supposed to be characters dreamed up by a kid, I intentionally made their designs simplified. Cause while I can draw their suits NOW, I certainly couldn't when I was a kid watching that movie. Which, like, I hate how superheroes when made in live action have the most over the top and complicated uniforms to draw. It's such a high bar for fanart and it makes them un-fun to draw. If Japanese shows can make cool heroes that are manageable to draw, then so should we in the west!

For Sharkboy, I gave a wet suit and some clothes on top, to sort of give a pulp-y feel to his suit. I also gave him a pair of oxygen tanks; since Sharkboy apparently can't breathe underwater, but hold his breath for a long time, I thought it'd make sense for him to have something for those deep DEEP dives, or maybe he could give them to someone drowning who'd need it more.

Meanwhile, I wanted Lavagirl to look more like a classic superhero in terms of design. I do regret a little bit not making her suit more pink and instead red, but I don't hate it. I never like it when elemental heroes have suits that's just their element slapped onto them. Makes me feel it's just their body, and that's a strange school of thought to have.

How The Reboot Would Work

I'd imagine this show would be the 22-24 minute format. The show would begin with a segment of Max in the real world. We'd have a short scene that shows Max in live action and something, good or bad, happen to him. Then, the camera would fall onto Max's dream journal, with the book flipping open and pages furling. We then transition to Planet Drool, with the episode title flashing on screen and the cartoon segment takes over.

I think this would better show the distinction between the real world, Max's world, and the dream world - specifically, Planet Drool. Since Max is basically the God of this world, his emotional state and feelings effect Planet Drool. When he's sad, it's cloud and gloomy. When happy, the birds are singing and flowers are blooming.

Naturally, the various friends and allies Sharkboy & Lavagirl run into on Planet Drool are inspired by the people Max meets. Bullies and jerks in the real world play the role of villains on Planet Drool and their punishments in the real world and comeuppance in the dream world correlate. On the reverse, Max's friends are allies for Sharkboy & Lavagirl, and brief flashes of Max maintaining or straining their friendship will reflect on SB & LG and their relationships.

For example: an episode could start with Max in bed; he's got a Summer Cold and is sick. His mother brought him a bowl of sick and told him to stay in bed and rest, and to remember to take his medicine. She then leaves the room as Max just lies down in bed. 

And then the dream journal flips open and the pages furl and we zoom in on Planet Zoom and it's a frozen wasteland. Blizzards are blowing, the waters are freezing. Even Lavagirl is shivering as she sits on the beach, waiting for Sharkboy, who breaks out of the ice. It's too cold for even his shark friends to come out and they think they need to do something to warm the planet before another ice age hits them.

Probably needs a few drafts, but you get the point.

Sharkboy - Deep Sea Mystery

Sharkboy, real name Finn Mako (cause this is Sharkboy and Lavagirl, subtlety does not exist) was found in a small cave along the coast of Sharktooth Bay. He was found at around age 5 by Dr. Marlon Mako; clearly human, but obviously mutated, with shark-like teeth, sharpened claws, pointed ears, and superhuman senses - not to mention that he saw the boy talking to the Sharks that inhabited the cave. Dr. Mako adopted the boy and built his lab in that cave, where he studies marine life and also builds various technologies for the benefits of Planet Drool. Sharkboy grew up with his new adopted father, never too far from his shark friends. Dr. Mako still doesn't fully understand why Sharkboy mutated like this and is searching for the origin of his odd superhuman abilities and where he came from. Sharkboy does not care; he's happy to have his father, and his Shark Friends.

Sharkboy mostly has all the same abilities he had in the original movie; enhanced physical capabilities, underwater adaptability - for the most part, shark-like teeth, and a super capable swimmer. Sharkboy is also super smart and supplies the team with the various tech and gadgets they use throughout the show - all usually shark themed, cause of course they are. Of course, just because he's smart doesn't mean he's passive or a thinker. His first solution is still primarily to smash it - he's a cocky hothead. It was his father's idea for him to carry that oxygen tank in case of emergencies and if not for the fact he loves his dad and doesn't want him to worry, he'd never bring it with him.

And just like in the movie, Sharkboy can be overstimulated and go into a frenzy where he's stronger, faster, but more feral and less cognitive. This can be good AND bad since he's rarely in control of himself. Sharkboy also has a strong distaste for most human food - whether he can or can't eat it, I don't know, but but he at the very least won't eat most sweets willingly.

Lavagirl - Princess of Heat

Lavagirl, real name Pyrrha Redsword is the daughter of the Lava Lord, Ignis Redsword. Lavagirl hails from the largest volcano on Planet Drool, found at the equator of the planet: Mt. Habanero. We'll get into it later, but yes, Lavagirl is the youngest daughter of this Lave Lord, who controls the thermal heating of Planet Drool. A sheltered princess most her life, Lavagirl grew up listening to stories of Planet Drool's heroes. But that many of them were gone now, apparently having been lost after a 'Great War' - which, in the real world, would be Max losing his grandfather, who would be introduced into the story and would have been the one helping him build Tobor (wink wink).

Inspired by these stories, Lavagirl would make her own suit and decide to become a superhero and would leave her volcano home in search of adventure. She's eager to be a superhero and tries to do things 'by the book' and try to do her best to help people. She holds the majority of the team's emotional intelligence, being more socially capable than Sharkboy - though sometimes, a bit too formal. And at times, maybe a little too naive, as her eagerness to help and her lack of experience with people leads to her being taken advantage of.

Like Sharkboy, Lavagirl's powers are the same as they were in the movie. She can manipulate lava and magma, spew it from her hands, and her hair can light up in flames. She can also melt into lava and reform at will. These are all natural abilities of the inhabitants of her volcano home; in this reboot, Lavagirl knows exactly what she is: a Geofolk, or Geoperson. They all can live in extreme heat and have naturally hot to the touch bodies, as well as hair that can light up with fire as a tie to her emotions. They can eat lava rocks, but they can also eat normal food without issue. Lavagirl has older siblings in this reboot; two older sisters and an older brother, though they're not important right now...

Planet Drool

Planet Drool is a reflection of Earth through the warped and twisted lens of a child - one who has a love of superheroes, robots, and escapes to his fantasies while his planets are having marriage problems and he has to deal with homework, bullies, and the world being big and scary. The two planets, Drool and Earth, have no relation to each other outside of Max; SB & LG do not know of Max's existence, though Max is referenced in a religious sense, as a 'Dreamer'; someone with the power to make thoughts into matter, who can create anything, but also destroy it in an instant. Anyone on Earth can be a Dreamer - in fact, maybe we'll explore the 'Dreams' of others, as they may influence Planet Drool.

For now, though, let's focus.

The natural world of Planet Drool is ruled by a respective Elemental Lord - a King, Queen, or something. Lavagirl's father is the Lava Lord and control's the planet's natural heating. The Ice Princess - yes, she is in this reboot - controls the cooling of the planet and is acting in palce of her missing father, the Ice King. Mr. Electric is the (former) planetary electrician, so on and so forth.

Planet Drool once had lots of heroes acting as its guardian, but after The Great War, many of them had either perished or retired. One of them, the Mighty Tobor, is left as a rusting giant robot in the Dream Graveyard, where all of Max's discarded dreams end up - in context of Planet Drool, it's a massive junkyard of broken machines or magical artifacts that don't work. There, Tobor lies, still technically functional, but seemingly beyond repair, a relic of the Era of Heroes that protected Planet Drool and acts as SB & LG's mentor.

As a planet made up of the dreams of a kid, Planet Drool has various locations that don't make sense. The Land of Milk & Cookies, where deserts are made to appease giants, swamps where the sun never seem to shine and is home to frog-like dragons, desert landscapes where the sand is like water and you need to sail it by ship; the planet's landscape is in constant flux. It twists and turns at the discretion of the planet's Dreamer (AKA, Max and his slowly growing collection of friends). The most important thing about Planet Drool is that it's a mismatch of different ideas that might not really work or go together, but that's kind of the point. Cause it's a dream and dreams don't always make sense.

[jensenacklescious]

From @jensenacklescious home to yours, Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas, Stay safe and warm.

[bucklikethedollar]

boy oh boy do i have some life ruining books to recommend!!

i’ll start off with the most “normal” one: Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. the story follows joe, an extremely relatable american everyman, after he gets blown up my a bomb in world war one. the explosion leaves him severely disfigured, resulting in him losing both legs, both arms, both eyes, his nose, ears, and his entire mouth. the whole book takes place in joe’s mind as he reflects upon what possible future he might have, his struggle to communicate with the doctors and nurses around him, and his profound rage at the american military. letting you know right now, this book is not for the faint of heart, it’s visceral and angry and touches something primal inside you like very few other books. expect to take breaks.

next up is Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica. following a devastating worldwide pandemic, all animal meat is now extremely deadly to humans. instead of people becoming unanimously vegan, though, governments across the world decide to selectively breed and slaughter human livestock. the protagonist, marcos, is a high-ranking employee in one of these slaughterhouses who must grapple with his function in this gruesome new society when he falls in love with a piece of “livestock” he is gifted. if you have a weak stomach, skip this one. this book gives you detailed tours through human slaughterhouse, human breeding facilities, and human tanneries. this book is gruesome and exhausting and one of the best things i’ve read in recent memory.

ok, we’re done with the gross ones, i promise. next is The Grip of It by Jac Jemc. going into this, you’ll think it’s a standard haunted house story. it’s not. young couple julie and james have just moved into a small town to hopefully get james away from his gambling problem, but find that their house is… odd. there are countless hidden rooms, stories of children dying decades before, things going bump in the night, eerie drawings on the walls, an elderly neighbor always watching them, and bruises covering julie’s body. every turn of a page will leave you wondering what the truth is, who you can trust, and what is really going on in that house.

now we’re getting into the really weird territory with The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. eric has amnesia. he awakes in a house that is… probably his. he finds letters from himself explaining his situation, meets with a therapist he’s apparently been seeing for years, and dreams about his dead fiancée. some of the letters he finds are… dangerous, though. literally. just by having read the text on the page, eric is in extreme peril, and now that you’ve read it, you are too. eric has to travel across the uk, outrun conceptual sharks, and drink paper, and it’s one of my all-time favorite books. this story is about a lot of things. grief, memory, the power of the written word, what it really means to be a person, to be alive. just writing this summary makes me want to read it again, i really can’t recommend it enough.

lastly, we have by far the weirdest item on this list, and also my favorite book ever: House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. depending on what internet circles you’re in, you might’ve heard about this book already, but i’m gonna infodump about it anyway. this book is about zampanò, a blind old man who— i mean, this book is about will navidson, a documentarian who moves into a— no, this book is about johnny truant, a tattoo artist who compiles zampanò’s essays about— ugh. okay, let’s start over. the navidson record is not real. it is a documentary that does not exist, even in the universe of the book. even so, the late zampanò has written an extensive essay about this nonexistent documentary, which young tattoo artist johnny truant now feels compelled to compile and share with us. zampanò’s essay tells us that the navidson record is the story of will navidson and his family after they move into a house that is 1/4 of an inch bigger on the inside. well, that’s an oversimplification. it also has a single hallway that takes 5 1/2 minutes to traverse, a seemingly infinite and ever-changing labyrinth both underneath and within the house, and… something that lives in that impossible space. in case you can’t tell, this book is hard to describe. it, and the raw shark texts, are what’s called ergodic literature, meaning they use the literal text itself as a function of the narrative. in house of leaves, you’ll see pages with the text upside down, the word “house” is always printed in blue ink, some pages are diagonal, some have only a few words on them, there’s a page that’s just a few bars of sheet music. similarly to the raw shark texts, this book makes you a part of the story just because you’ve read it. this story spans multiple appendices, a collection of letters from johnny truant’s mother, and a companion album by the author’s sister, and is one of the most amazing pieces of art i’ve ever encountered. it’s by no means a light read, a complete full-color edition will come at about 750 pages, but every single one of them will grab you by the throat and not let go until you’re looking over your shoulder for minotaurs and wondering if your house has the same dimensions as it did yesterday. read this book.

that’s my main list, but here are a few honorable mentions:

The Last Wolf/Herman by Laszlo Krasznahorkai, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca, and The Boxman by Kobo Abe

happy reading!!

what is the best book you’ve ever read in ur entire life i need a book that will completely ruin my life hello please

[ennn]

Very much enjoying your analysis. There seems to be a disconnect on whether Agatha kissed as a manipulative tactic or if there really as love there.

I’m in the middle on this. Agatha was crying when she kissed Rio. We know from interviews with Kathryn that Agatha hates herself for loving Rio. I’m just afraid that didn’t come across very strongly. However, I feel like my opinions are veering more negative because of all of the negativity 😂 your opinions are markedly more positive, so I’d like some positivity, please 😭

Thank you for enjoying! 💚💜 Always happy to throw some thoughts anyone’s way if it helps :]

So, the trick I think for Agatha in general and even for Rio – or really, any character that's complicated – is this:

A few things can be true at the same time

Let’s start from a meta (Doylist?) outside-the-text pov first:

Jac Schaeffer loves ambiguity and complex characters. She’s positioned Wanda and Agatha as both their show’s protagonist and antagonist. She doesn’t see characters as set heroes or villains. She seems to genuinely enjoy people having their own interpretations, and things not being black and white or having a single definite answer.

In interviews I think Kathryn Hahn has also been careful to talk about how Agatha and Rio have a long and complicated relationship. If she had to pick one word it would probably be that. If she had to pick three words I think it would be "love, respect, and hate" – which she used in her recent interview.

And to be honest, I think all the interviews with Schaeffer and the cast have been limited in really digging into this relationship because they've had to avoid spoilers for most of the season as Rio being Death feeds so critically into their dynamic.

I get that people tend to have confirmation bias and focus on bits that fit with their world view so while yes, Schaeffer does talk about how Agatha and Rio fall back into the muscle memory of that love and the love they have is true, there's also the other side of the coin to this complicated relationship which is the hate, resentment, anger, and manipulation (mainly from Agatha).

So back into the text: Was Agatha manipulating Rio by kissing her? Probably yes? But that's Agatha.

And importantly, Rio knows this and that's who Rio fell in love with.

You know the ol' fable about the scorpion and the frog? Rio knows she's in love with a scorpion. Rio sees through Agatha's more obvious lies. She even finds a lot of them amusing. She knows she's going get stung and it hurts like fuck but she's also Death. In one form or another, she can endure.

I'm reminded of that Doctor Who quote: Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?

Was there love there? I like to think yes, there was. There are enough glorious GIF sets going around for you to fully appreciate it in the performance.

Here I ask: what's Agatha manipulating Rio for, with the kiss? Is she distracting Rio so she can more easily become a ghost?

The whole ghost thing would annoy and piss Rio off yes, but if you think about it, that's actually a win for Rio because she was genuinely upset seeing Agatha dead.

Yes Rio will probably be mad – she grieved for you dammit – but I think she'd eventually find it amusing her clever witch got away again. Rio wants to keep coming after Agatha. That's their thing. That's why when Agatha sets the cost of taking Billy to be Rio not seeing her ever again, Rio is crushed.

Agatha becoming a ghost is kind of an overall win for all parties really: Agatha wins by having Rio let Billy go, and she can continue to go after power and knowledge, and Rio can continue to chase her and they can continue annoying the hell out of each other.

[flurry-of-beaus-pop-pop]

Rio: *literally has a black heart ON HER CLOTHES*

Jac: Nah, Billy is the black heart because his boyfriend used that on one occasion in a text

[herecirmsims]

Questions For Storytellers

I have (I think) finally caught up on my list of poses to make, so I wanted to do something a little fun (for me, not for anyone else LMAO) and entirely self-indulgent. I read stories and tell my own over on Instagram, but of course it's harder to post long-form text like this over there.

Special thanks to @freezerbnuuy as I'm copying their post. ❤️

What’s the last screenshot you’ve taken for your story?

This is from the middle of my last post, but it's the last screenshot I took because I went back and added this scene in after finally caving and making my own stupid poses for it hahah.

2. Describe your story in three words or less: Needlessly long tbh

3. Describe (insert character here) in three words or less: Uhhh I'll pick Saxen since he's my MC... wet cat energy (which I think is something @nefaricussims said actually??). Or "90s cocaine chic" as @southernsimmin so beautifully described him. 🤣

4. How did you choose the name of your story? It's called The Cottage because it's... based in and around a cottage. 🥲 I have a very imaginative mind!! 🤣 But also, the cottage plays an important role throughout the whole story and especially in the upcoming finale.

5. How do you choose your characters’ names? My Sim story is based on a novel I never had the confidence to finish - in that version, Sax is an ælf based on Anglo-Saxon belief. I made him a vampire in Sims because that was the only pack I owned at the time, besides base game, and for gameplay purposes I thought vamp put him close to how I imagined him. I now realise I could have easily used CC and my own damn imagination to make him an ælf but I didn't know much about CC at the time, either. 🤣 Because of this, the original story leant into fae lore and the stuff about never revealing your true name. Saxen isn't his real name anyway, but for an added layer it also isn't spelt how you might imagine if you heard it spoken. The same for Thom and Jac who are also characters who came over from the 'original'.

6. How long have you been working on your story for? A little over three years! I have learned soooo much in that time.

7. Whats the biggest risk you’ve taken with your story? Did it pay off? I dunno that I've taken any risks, other than putting it out there in the first place.

8. What about your story are you proud of? I think the fact it exists at all. I've been writing stories since I was a kid, but at some point I lost confidence in myself and have never finished anything/wanted to share it with people because I end up overthinking and deleting it. So I am proud of myself for having maintained a continuous story for three years, and for having other people read it. I think because there was no pressure with a Sims story - with a novel I kept thinking, this has to be perfect and polished so that I can publish it someday. With a Sims story, I'm free to just write the silly tropes I enjoy and allow myself to suck and learn and get better at it.

9. What about your story are you looking to improve on? I read a fantastic article about ma - including pauses in your visual storytelling, space for the characters to sit and breath and reflect. It's ma that makes Ghibli movies so wonderfully distinctive. Being able to make my own poses means that I can show a character's expression or body language in response to a situation, without the need for overlaying text. I'm trying really hard to move away from the "talking heads" style that reads more like a script, and letting the visuals tell the story for me instead. I'm not very good at it because I enjoy my blah blah, but it's fun to try!!

10. Is your story fully planned or are you still working things out? Is there a definitive end? I'm approaching the end of it now, which has been planned for the last three years, so yes - I know pretty much everything that's going to happen. Sometimes the characters still throw a little surprise for me though.

11. Why have you decided to tell this story? Are there any messages or meanings within it? When I got the Sims almost 4 years ago, I had absolutely no idea that there was a) a whole community around it or b) that people used it for storytelling. I'd already made Sax, Thom, and Jac in the game, because I'd wanted to see them come to life during gameplay. Then I discovered poses and started sharing random staged screenshots on Instagram, and became friends with the exceptionally talented TheSimmerKay (now making machinimas!) who showed interest in my silly little characters and suggested that I try telling a story too. I owe her a lot!! As for messages and meaning... I'm very interested in what makes people do the things they do, and how the hero of a story often depends on whose POV we're hearing the story from. There's a fine line between hero and villain sometimes, and a hero acting out of love can cross from protectiveness into control.

12. Do you actually play the game or do you just use it as a storytelling medium? Yep - I have a designated story save, which is the one I take all my screenshots in and which never has gameplay. Then I have a Happy Ever After save for Sax and Fen and another save for for my Globetrotter Challenge Sim, both of which are gameplay only. I think it's important to have that outlet; I can work on my story, make poses, or just play the game, depending on what I fancy.

13. From basic planning to a finished post, how long does that take you? 2-3 evenings. I tend to get everything laid out and text added, then let it sit for a day because I inevitably think of a way to do something better if I give it chance to breath. 🤣

14. Do you have any regrets about your story so far? If you could go back in time, how would you fix these? Not regrets, really, but there are some threads that I put in - fully intending to complete them later in the story - but never did, due to them just not fitting with the story or wanting to try and bring things to an end sooner. But similarly, there are times when I was going to put in a little hint or foreshadowing in and didn't, and then later in my story have wished I had! The tricky part of serialised storytelling is you have to just live with what you have (or don't have), you can't go back and remove or add scenes like you would with a drafted novel.

15. What have been the highlights of creating your story? I've met so many incredible people due to it, oh my goodness. Truly extraordinary Simmers who've shared their time and knowledge with me. We have a little mutual reading group on Insta where we all read and geek out over each other's stories and it's just wonderful. I was honestly shocked when i went to other platforms and realised how much drama there can be in the Sims community. 🤣

16. What about the process do you enjoy? Not that I don't enjoy the process... but I mostly love it when it's finished and I can share it, hahaha.

17. What about the process do you hate? I don't hate any of it... it's a hobby and I do it because I enjoy it. That being said, it does fuck me off when I have multiple Sims in a scene, everyone is in place and has poses queued, and then MCCC Dresser FREEZES MY GAME NOOOOOOOO WHY

18. Choose a song that reminds you of your story:

This is the unofficial theme... specifically this version in Old English, which is Saxen's first language. "It's our destiny then to find love again / Where we failed once before now we'll win"

19. Choose a song that reminds you of (insert character here):

Another one for Sax I guess because he's special. 😌🤣 "But you, a cinder of the fire that's yet to come / Will you just sit and mourn this fragile thing that you've become / Or instead will you consume the very things you can't outrun / Until you finally see all of the strength that you draw from?"

20. Choose your favourite shot from your story so far: Hmmm I think this one, which was me being lazy and reusing a screenshot from an older scene during a flashback-style narration. 🤣 I was trying to achieve something else with the editing but did this by accident and liked it.

21. Choose your least favourite shot so far: Too many to pick from LMAO

22. Choose a favourite character from your story so far: Sax, obviously, he's my lil chew toy/punching bag. But then there's also Idris, for whom I only wish the best. She's going through some trouble right now and I don't enjoy it. It's much more fun to bully Sax.

23. Choose your least favourite character so far: I don't have one! Although Vlad makes me deeply uncomfortable tbh. I find him to be a really creepy villain, and unlike any of my other villains, he's not in any way misrepresented or redeemable. I'm using a makeover version of him by WistfulCastle (I would link, but I don't think he's available anymore?)!

24. Are there any characters who remind you of yourself? No... well. Whenever baby El randomly info-dumps on a niche subject, that's mostly me taking advantage of a captive audience to tell them about karkadanns or medieval torture items or dead bodies on Everest. 🥲

25. What inspirations have you drawn on for your story? I honestly don't know - I can't name anything that I've consciously drawn on, though I know for sure I must have. Funnily enough people have told me things like "oh that's like in Vampire Diaries" or "that's like that part in the Harry Potter films" and I haven't watched either of those, so I think what's happening is we're all drawing from the same well of folklore and mythology and trope. There is occasional story drama about being copied and the thing is... unpopular opinion alert... many of us aren't as unique as we think we are. 😅 What we are unique at is taking a trope and telling it in our own distinctive way. No one else can tell your story quite like you can.

26. Have other sim stories inspired you? I have soooo many talented friends who inspire me to do better when it comes to visuals and storytelling!! @callmedomino is the queen of silent storytelling and a huge inspiration on my journey to discover ma. I really love how well she can tell a story with no words.

27. What genres would you describe your story as? I call it rural fantasy lmao

28. If you could reproduce your story in another medium (movie, novel, comic, etc.) what would you choose and why? I mean obviously I'd say movie because HOW COOL would that be?! Especially an animated one!

29. What would your story’s rating be? (G, PG, M etc.) Ummm probably M because there is the occasional spicy scene. Sometimes three a year LMAO.

30. If you were leaving simblr Simsta and had to choose another creator to continue the story for you, who would you ask? Well tbh I've given Sax and Fen to several good friends already; some of them have them in ongoing cameos in their own stories. I wouldn't ask anyone to continue mine, but I like to think that Sax and Fen could live on in my friend's stories and games if anything were to ever happen to me.

31. Drop some random trivia about your story: When I started I only meant to do short, random vignettes about daily life at the cottage. Somehow it snowballed into a three year epic. 🤣

32. Give a light spoiler: "This is who I am. If I was any other way, I would not be myself."

[agatharkn3ss]

Billy's spell book

First of all, can anyone help me decipher what a couple of the handwritten words are in Billy's spell book?

The note in the middle of the left page, next to the Waning Moon says "Waxing xxxx and severely slows the spell". Maybe "deters"?

Then the note at the bottom of the page on the right is partially covered/blurry in all photos, but maybe someone can work out the missing/incorrect parts:

"A person who was bound cannot be bound again until xxxx spell can be unbound"

If this note really says that, then I would wonder why Billy would be interested in whether someone can be bound again or not?... Was he looking to bind Agatha after? Is the Witches Road just another binding spell? The whole spell text:

Release Spell [Scribble wiggle of some kind] A powerful counter to reverse a binding spell. Binding spells are frequently used to prevent another from committing harm or using magic on themselves or others. This magic also binds the two which otherwise could not be connected. A release spell is most effective when attempted during a Waning Moon. [Scribbled notes: "Waxing xxxs and severely slows the spell"; "Waning Moon 3-10 Days after Full moon"; "personal item of the bound -  perfume, or jewellery, photographs"] Materials: A personal item from the Bound A successful release spell requires an item of personal importance from the person under the binding spell. It should not be from someone recently deceased as that will corrupt the spell. Be careful not to use an item that shares energy with an additional person, or an item belonging to many. To begin, clear your mind and centre yourself. Remain calm and present, guiding your energy and spirit. Hold the personal item and pass back and forth between your two palms, focusing intently on it, seeing every detail, until you can picture it with perfect clarity in your mind’s eye. Breathing slowly and with intent, imagine your energy projected into the item with each breath. Let all sound fall away. Repeat the words: “DIMETTE EAM EX HOX CARMINE” [Scribbled notes: a drawing of the eye of the mind] As you speak, imagine dissolving the item you hold in your mind’s eye. Continue flowing your energy into the item, focusing with great detail, until the spell is broken. You’ll feel the energy shift as the spell is broken. Caution: The person formerly under the binding spell might be disoriented and blame you for the binding spell they were previously under. [Scribbled notes: a drawing of moon phases? + "A person who was bound cannot be bound again until xxxx spell can be unbound"]

General thought - Billy wasn't very good at following that spell's instructions - he pretty much broke every single one of them. He didn't even say the same words (in both ep.1 and 6 he recited "Exsolve hanc feminam defixam. Meo carmine exsolve hanc feminam defixam."). But maybe as Wiccan he doesn't actually need to follow the instructions because it's all about the intent - his powers let him do whatever he wants. And so all of this could be why Jac Schaeffer felt the need to say that "Witchcraft is murky. Witchcraft is imprecise".

But there are other elements that don't align:

Even though the instructions and scribbles focus on the moon phases, we don't even know whether he hit the correct phase timing-wise. (I couldn't find a way to work it out either - there was no moon shown in both ep.1 and 6 and no dates shown or suggested anywhere). Maybe we could assume it was the Waxing moon and that's why it took a while for Agatha to be released from it?

The spell warns against using an item that "shares energy with an additional person, or an item belonging to many." - well, the locket not only originally belonged to Evanora, but it also contains Nicky's hair (I believe this because every time Agatha focuses on the locket, Nicky's theme plays). And there could be even another layer to that, because we could assume that his hair would share energy not just with Nicky but with Rio as well. The book doesn't explain what consequences are in this case, but I do believe this rule has been thoroughly broken.

There is also the rule that the item "should not be from someone recently deceased as that will corrupt the spell" - Evanora wouldn't count as she died 350 years ago. But we still don't know how long ago they lost Nicky. Granted, at least 3 years, so would that still even be considered "recent"? It would also be interesting if the item really does share energy with Rio and so will directly be connected to Death - could this rule therefore be hugely affected by that? So the spell is in fact corrupted?

We do hear Agatha still using wrong words and phrases here and there, I originally assumed it was just a malaproper trope, but could this be the effect of the corrupted spell? Similarly, it would explain why she couldn't remember Sharon's real name? (I'll get back to that later) Would anyone realise it's corrupted? (I'm sure Agatha would)

So I THINK, in the true Wizard of Oz style, Agatha actually has her magic powers in her. Wanda didn't take it all, but because the release spell is corrupted, it will take her a while for the spell to completely disappear and for her to access them. Unless...

And this brings me back to the original notion that I think the Witches Road could be just another binding spell. Whether Billy fully realises this, I'm not sure. Maybe he fully believes this is the Witches Road, but when he was casting the "release spell" on Agatha, his intent did more than he bargained for? Maybe this is more controlled by William Kaplan who is still in there, somehow? Why make a note about whether someone could be bound again?

Agatha seems to be able to pick up these details - when Billy says in ep.3 that the road is exactly how he imagined, she responds weirdly "it suits you". She also points to her environment when she says in ep. 6 that he really is a Maximoff, otherwise "all this wouldn't be as dramatic". Not to mention she does not seem to recognise this Road and its trials. (though I believe this is because she has never actually been on the Witches Road. She just happily perpetuates the myth to find naive witches to syphon powers from)

Now this last bit is one I am less sure about. It's a niggling thought about how jarring the inconsistencies of ep.5 are... But still, I'd like to have this as a thought exercise...

So, what happens when Billy loses the spell book? We get this odd-feeling "spirit" trial. Many have written plenty about how inconsistent it was compared to the previous trials. So I won't dwell on that. BUT I will point out two small continuity errors that I haven't seen anyone discuss:

Sharon's full correct name was never revealed to the coven. They all knew her as Sharon Hart. Agatha not only never seemed to actually pay attention and acknowledge Sharon's surname but she always interrupted just at the right time so Sharon never said her actual surname in front of other witches. They called her either Sharon or Mrs Hart, always. And Agatha didn't even seem to realise the "Sharon" name - as highlighted at the end of ep.3. So it's odd that when she trolls the coven at the ouija board, although the board says Mrs Hart and the coven happily use that name to talk to her and not suspect anything... then Billy corrects Lilia saying "she's Sharon Davis" and Agatha nods happily that she is indeed this "Sharon Davis". How would Billy know Sharon's real name? Why would Agatha accept that and not be confused by what he just said?

in the trial Rio's bracelets keep disappearing in different scenes around the ouija board moment. In most of the close ups she has both sets of bracelets, but in all the overhead shots she is missing one set on her right wrist (the green and yellow bands - same colours as the trolls' hair by the trial entrance). Now this COULD WELL BE that the costume department made a mistake or that Audrey lost her bracelets because she was working on multiple projects. But we know how much effort and thought they put into the settings and costumes, would they really miss a crucial detail like this? (and in his posts the costume designer kept pointing out the bracelets to people because of the lesbian flag colours...)

So yeah, not really sure about this last one. Maybe it's intentional or maybe ep.5 just became too much for the producers as it was edited so much and became this 24min thing of gibberish.

[the-californicationist]

Guile & Guilt (Ch. 04)

Link to AO3

MDNI/18+

THE SAME DAY

Pidge offered to let you shower and change in her room so that you could be warm again and in clean clothes. You took her up on it, eager to feel the hot water and steam heat your skin.

Roger was already snoring, dead asleep on the sofa in the living room, and Johnny - or Soap, as Bekah had named him - disappeared into his room for a bit, looking for his own shower. He was absent while you and Pidge tried the cake samples from the Stiff Peaks bakery. She gushed about the flavors and the use of spices in the cake and its icing. You even got a few moans of culinary approval from Hamish whose high standards were impossible to reach. All in all, it felt like a success.

So why did you feel so empty? It was more than just the text from Bekah. There was some piece missing, something you got wrong and needed to fix. But, what could it be?

Johnny had confessed his feelings to you, and his kiss had felt… well, it had felt like a kiss should feel. It was the kiss that every young person imagined they might experience one day when the softness of someone else’s mouth finally found their own, their tongue icing the flesh of the other’s like a knife through a creamy, sugary glaze. The heat of their wet lips burning their edges, locked into a primal embrace of ownership and consumption, eating without feeling full. Devouring and yet becoming hungrier, increasing your appetite, gorging on the sweetness, until finally…

Johnny’s door popped open and he came to join you in the kitchen. His eyes went to you before eventually settling on Brigette,

“So? What’s the verdict, then? Dinnae meet the mark?”

“Sure,” Pidge smiled at him, “Right on target, you wee nugget. Good thing I sent you then.”

Johnny nodded to you, sitting in the bar stool next to yours at the kitchen counter. He gestured to you,

“She kept me in line, so she did. Would’ve gone for the chocolate myself.”

Pidge nudged you,

“Aye, what’d I tell you.”

You offered the other half of the cake to him, passing him your fork. He took it, cocking his smile into a mischievous grin,

“You’d have been proud of your wee hen here, Pidge. She made a pretty convincing bride. Might have to recruit her for our next mission. Be needin’ some espionage.”

Pidge laughed without even glancing up at him, her voice full of bitterness,

“So, havin’ you and da’ throw away your life on spyin’ wasnae enough. Should be my best friend, too?”

The whole room went cold. Johnny was mid-chew when he heard his sister’s comment, and he spat out the cake into a napkin in disgust. Pidge cut him off before he could say anything,

“Don’t forget to give little miss James Bond here a ride to her fitting tomorrow. I’m off for my shower,” she squeezed her brother’s forearm, seeming to understand that she had hit a nerve. He did not respond to her words nor her touch.

Johnny turned inward, closing off from conversation. You tried to coax him back out,

“Hey, here’s your phone. I think you missed a call.”

Without saying anything, he took the phone from you. He flipped through the message, and his expression remained unchanged.

“Gonna steal some of tha’ stew Hamish has been hidin’. You want in, thief?” He asked you, reaching for the pots and spoons before cracking open the freezer.

“Aren’t you gonna go to the pub?” You asked, trying to be as unbothered as possible.

He froze in place, holding the pot by its handle, locking eyes with you,

“No, not unless you wanted to do dinner with me, lass. Cravin’ samosas?”

It was a test. You had promised yourself you wouldn’t, but here you were, playing games. Could the party boy resist a party? You were about to find out.

“Yeah,” you nodded, “Maybe a little. We could get take away.”

“Brilliant,” he grabbed his keys and followed you to the door.

Now that night had settled in, it was too cold in the Jeep. You held your arms right to your body and tried to shield yourself from the wind. Johnny dug around in the back and dragged out a camo jacket with his name tacked onto the chest.

You put it on and it swallowed you, warming you up from the inside out. The fold of the collar flapped just under your nose, letting you smell his orange, woody scent. There was something else, too. Gunpowder. You smelled like fireworks and winter citrus.

“Thanks,” you said, wrapping it tighter around you.

“You make it look good,” his smile was bright and full of innocent praise, “Warm enough?”

You nodded, suddenly shy. You regretted your decision to drag him out of the house again. You should’ve kept him all to yourself, covetous and selfish like a hoarder, locking him in like a shorn Repunzel, playing like Circe with her pigs. But, you didn’t want to be Circe. You wanted to be Penelope. Permanent, as impossible though it may have been.

Was he Odysseus? Or Narcissus?

The car park was packed. He dropped you off at the door and you waited for him to find a spot in the back. He pulled the keys out of the Jeep and did a bit of a jog to catch up to you.

He commented on the crowd,

“Match is on. Rangers and Aberdeen. Whole town should be out tonight.”

You made a quiet noise in assent, not knowing enough about football to comment.

He held the gate open for you, and you walked through the smoky, crowded courtyard. Ettrick’s had tons of outdoor space, and the tall heat lamps made it cozy despite the nip in the air.

Inside, the noise hit you like a punch. It was a small space and the din was overwhelming. Warmth and bodies and smells tumbled over you like a wave. Johnny pulled a menu from the host stand, positioning himself as a barrier between you and the chaos.

He had to lean in close to you for you to hear him,

“Samosas, yeah? And we gotta do the chicken khorma. It’s top notch here, lass. Trust me.”

“Sure. Sounds good,” you smiled and watched him look around for the host.

Just as he rounded the corner, you heard a loud shout,

“MacTavish! You made it,” Lachlan’s voice carried through the crowded bar and you watched Johnny’s face light up in recognition.

He shook Lachlan’s hand and Bekah came up behind him, wrapping her arms in a tight hug, which he returned, just as tightly. They chatted together for a moment until you saw Lachlan look over Johnny’s big shoulder right into your eyes. He waved you over, and you tried to control your face. So much regret. But, you made your bed and now you had to lie in it.

“Hey, babes,” Lachlan and Bekah hugged you as well. The tall, handsome man made a point to leave his arm around your shoulder when you pulled away, “You can’t miss the game. We told Johnny you’re eating in, no complaints!”

“Yeah,” Bekah clung to Johnny’s heavy arm, “We’ve got plenty of room. Come have a seat.”

“Well…” Johnny started to make an excuse, giving you an out, but the look on his face was so earnestly disappointed that you interrupted him,

“Okay, thanks.”

You followed her to the table, and Johnny fell in behind. The waitress took your order. You watched the game, and you fell into a quiet lull. The room was bursting with energy, and you watched as Johnny slipped into the excitement. He fed off of the highs and the lows of the match. He barely touched his food, and you ate alone. He was right about the khorma. It was delicious. You wrapped up your leftover samosa and put it near his plate. He’d find it eventually.

You pushed your chair out and stood to leave. He turned to you and caught your hand. You stared at his hand and he stared down at it too, dropping it after a breath, forgetting himself for a moment,

“Where you off to, bonnie?”

“Ladies’ room. See you in a bit,” you ducked out of the crowd and into the bathroom for a moment, trying to get your thoughts together in the silence.

You washed your hands and avoided the mirror until you had to look. Then, there it was, the embroidered “MacTavish” across your chest, a little too ironic.

You took a deep breath and went back out into the fray. The Rangers scored, and Ettrick’s went wild. Bekah and Johnny held each other by the arms and screamed with joy into each other’s faces, nearly leaping over the table in celebration.

Johnny’s focus on her was so intense, the look in his eyes so full of fiery admiration, you could barely look at them. He could have Bekah. There were no rules against her like there were for you. You shouldn’t have had the nerve to even consider that he might choose you. How could he go against the wishes of his own sister? How could you?

You were right next to the back door, so you made your exit. It was a long walk back to his room, and you were nearly frozen by the time you got there. Rodger was still snoring away, and Pidge’s door was closed. So, you stripped down to just your shorts and a tank, and you crawled into bed, defeated.

TWO HOURS LATER

“There you are, mhèirleach! You had me worried sick,” the deep rumble of Johnny’s voice and his heavy weight shifting onto the mattress pulled you from your sleep.

You groaned, trying to deter his attention. He smelled like the bar, and himself, but mostly the bar. All you felt was guilt and shame and you wanted it to stop.

“Are you alright, lass? Why’d you go? I would’ve taken you back.”

“It’s fine,” you mumbled.

He didn’t reply. You fell back to sleep, starving for something you couldn’t eat.

…BEFORE MORNING

You awoke to a strong nose and jaw nuzzling your hair and neck, taking long deep inhales of your scent and breathing heavy. Johnny had his arm snaked up through the bottom of your shirt, his huge hand sticking out of the crew collar, holding you firmly against the base of your clavicle. His thumb was feeling the crescent curve where your throat met your body, over and over like he needed to memorize it. Like he wanted to find it again in the dark and know it was one and the same.

Was he awake? You couldn’t tell. You could tell, however, that his cock was pressing hard between your thighs, the fabric of your shorts shoved out of place by the fabric of his boxer briefs, straining against the thin cloth.

“A bheil thu milis, a mhèirleach?” Are you sweet, thief?

You decided that no, he wasn’t awake. He knew you didn’t speak Gaelic, and you had no idea what he was asking. Yet, your body seemed to. It recognized his aching timbre, its dark dulcet layers folding over your senses like silky caramel.

His hand retraced its path, sliding back through the valley of your breasts, exploring southward, finding the gaping waistband of your shorts and your lack of knickers under them. Upon discovery, his big body rocked into you, his thick rod riding into your thigh, begging for relief. A ragged, shuddering sigh left his lips and you felt it race across your skin.

“Feumaidh fios a bhith agam.” I need to know.

His words all slurred together. You were too busy melting under his hand to care for a translation. His wrist finally dipped low enough for him to slip one thick finger into your wet heat, soaking itself there like a wick in wax, coated and milky.

Your breath stalled. You couldn’t breathe in, nor out, and you felt your pussy clench around his knuckles, kissing his fingertip as he slipped it back out. Then, you watched as he slowly brought it to his lips, right next to your face, and you saw him feed himself with your slick, sucking it off of his skin, licking the knuckles of his fingers, eager for any missed drops.

Wild, crazed pleasure mixed with cold guilt in your chest. So, you called for help,

“Johnny?” Your voice was just above a whisper.

He breathed into your neck again, and then his tone changed. His language changed. He changed.

“Mm,” he whispered, “Sorry, thief. You stole my covers.”

With that excuse, he took some of the blanket from you and turned back over, breathing deeply again, leaving you there in a million little pieces.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Chapter 05

[killing-hannibals-body]

Okay, so a more serious question for the Agatha fandom. I know that it’s been talked about a lot, but I’m curious to know people’s opinions now that the dust has sort of settled:

Why does Evanora believe Agatha was born evil and deserved to die as an infant?

At Agatha’s trial (attempted execution), she’s accused of accessing dark magic (though we can assume at this point that it wasn’t the Darkhold). Agatha begs to be taught how to use her powers, and I firmly believe that 18 year old Agatha was innocent. Jac Schaeffer describes Agatha as naturally tribal, but her power set puts her at odds with being able to have a coven.

I see one interesting theory that her mother thinks that she’s evil due to her homosexuality. While I definitely view her mother’s hatred of Agatha for something she can’t change as a metaphor for homosexuality, I can’t say that I’m quite on board with that theory. Mainly because, while it’s not in text and just Kathryn saying it, witches don’t need men to reproduce. Surely homosexuality would have been common in witch circles?

Another theory is that it was her relationship with Death that was viewed as unnatural. Surely her having some sort of relationship with Death would describe her seeking powers of someone from a higher station. Being naturally drawn to the darker arts of death and destruction and drawn to Death itself could be seen as an inherent trait deemed evil.

One final theory is that Agatha is the child of Evanora and something truly evil. I know that Jac Schaeffer is incredibly bored and irritated at mentions of Mephisto, but I feel like this theory carries more weight than others.

Anyway, just looking for other peoples opinions! While I do find myself irritated at Jac Schaeffer’s “it’s up to interpretation”, I also do enjoy the freedom that it gives us in coming up with theories etc

[holyblanchett]

And I'm mad again we got nothing of Agatha and Rio's backstory. I'm so confused about their past relationship. Did they have discussions about the baby possibly not surviving? Why didn't they confirm Rio is the other parent? They were obviously together at this point, right? Did they meet again after Nicky passed? How and why did Agatha get the Darkhold? To hide from Rio? To bring back Nicky? But no, let's give Ralph Bohner a longer flashback in Billy's episode than Rio got in Agatha's *eyeroll(

Ctfu at the Ralph bohner shade because that entire scene was so unnecessary. They were already messaging on reddit couldn't he have just texted him that then cash apped him lmaooo. Pretty sure if Billy went to Westview any of the neighbors would have told him the exact same thing. I honestly think that Jac didn't get the all clear to make death the other parent. There's a huge difference between casting someone that might look like Aubrey and flat out stating or hinting in the show that was her son. Marvel be like you can have your gays but we will give you nothing else figure it out yourself 😭😭 it's so sick and twisted istg if Kathryn Hahn wasn't Agatha I would have never been so invested. Fuck Kevin feige.

[pucksalotguys]

Chapter 7

Masterlist to series

WC: 7.4K

CW: SMUT, MNI

Back with chapter 7 and it’s a loooooong one !!! Got a little bit of everything so hold tight and enjoy !! There’s toxicity, mess and so much more 💙💙

(Please remember to like, reblog, add tags, comment and leave me some asks to let me know what you think (anon is on for a reason so don’t be shy, I promise I’m nice 🫶)

The nearly 5 hour plane ride to Las Vegas had been Sidney’s own personal hell, aside from the time with Roman and Aaron watching a movie, he and Jacqueline hadn’t said a word to each other. No matter what he would ask he would get short answers back, when he moved to sit next to her she simply went on her phone. He had no idea what was up with her but he did know he was gonna snap at any moment “It’s almost time for landing” Jacqueline grinned as she put the boys' seat belts on “Remember what I said when we land ?” “I don’t wanna swim” Roman frowned “I don’t like the water” “Aaron wants to love” she pet his cheek “We’ll do something you want to do tonight”

“Like what mommy ?” he asked Jacqueline grinned “Well I heard there’s a candy store here…how about if you try the water for a bit I promise to let you have a lollipop after dinner ?” Sidney chuckled as his sons eyes practically bulged out of his head “Sounds like a good deal to me” “I can be lenient for occasions” she shrugged “It wasn’t a dig” he sighed “I didn’t take it as one” she responded as she put her sunglasses on “Dinner is at 7, be on time please. We’re going to Joel Robuchon” “Jac, that's a 3 Michelin star place ? I thought we could do something more low key tonight, that’s a little over the top don’t you think ?” he asked She sighed “Forgive me for wanting top notch cuisine and not some basic steakhouse we can have back in the city” “I’ll be there” Sidney gave up and nodded “Who will the kids be with ?” “Emmeli’s nanny” she informed him “Don’t worry she’s a nice woman, very kind and very responsible. The boys love being around Daisy so it works out” “Cool” he said simply as he took out his phone

He did his best to hide his smile as he finally saw a text back from Cece. He nonchalantly opened the text and grinned So sorry I’m just now getting back to you, got a little caught up with some stuff. Everything is all set, see you in a bit.

“How sweet of her” Jacqueline said meeting his eyes “She’s just a little ray of sunshine isn’t she ?”

Sidney put his phone away and swirled his coffee cup, he knew he was being baited and he knew he had to play it cool rather than snap “She’s a very kind girl, did you know she’s the one who made sure we got a hotel with handicapped amenities ? That wasn’t management, that was her.”

“So she did her job” Jacqueline nodded “Good for her, glad to know she’s capable of following the most basic instructions. I worried all that curly hair of hers clouded her brain”

He shook his head and finished his coffee as they landed, before she could even get up from her seat he unbuckled the boys himself and got them down from the plane and into the car that was waiting. The drive to their hotel was quiet and this time he enjoyed it, whatever Jacqueline was trying to do wouldn’t work on him. Not this time at least.

When they arrived he checked them in and left to the conference room where he saw Cece waiting and chatting with some other team media personnel. He greeted a few people before he made eye contact with her and smiled, walking in her direction

“Hey…haven’t seen you in a bit” Sidney grinned as he stood in front of her

“Hello Sidney” Cecelia smiled at him “Long time no see”

He nodded with a bashful smile “3 days to be exact, how have you been ? You getting sick ? Your voice sounds a little wheezy”

“Oh…yeah” she nodded quickly “The AC in these rooms is insane, so so cold all the time. My throats just a little scratchy is all, I’ll be okay” she walked with him “Nice to see you looking….sharp”

Sidney chuckled “So what’s on the schedule today ?”

“A photoshoot in 10 minutes followed by 4 interviews, looking like it’ll take about 4 hours” Cece nodded “Don’t worry you’ll be ready for your dinner reservation at 7”

“How do you know about that ?” he asked confused “I’m the one who made the reservation” she looked at him equally as confused “Joel Robuchon at 7 followed by cocktails at Skybar and then the next day is, hold on” she took out her ipad “Morning massages at the Aria followed by lunch at Mon Ami Gabi and ending the night with a chef coming to your room to cook you dinner in your suite” “What the hell ?” Sidney shook his head “I don’t wanna do that, I wanna relax and hang out with the boys” “I don’t know what to tell you Sidney” Cece shrugged “I just did what was asked of me, she was texting me and emailing me nonstop making sure I had everything set which I do so here’s to hoping it all works out well for you two. Now if you don’t mind, I need to go” A moment crossed his mind where he wanted to tell her that Jacqueline was being weird, that he felt something would somehow get turned on her. “Cece wait” he held her arm gently “Um…can we talk after this ?” “That’s not necessary Sidney and plus there’s no time” she shook her head “By the time you’re done with media you need to go get ready” Sidney sighed “What about early tomorrow ?” “No” she shook her head “Listen, you need to leave me alone okay ? Enough of whatever this is” she whispered “I’m not gonna be some stupid naive assistant you get to fuck and have fun with all because your wife has a constant stick up her ass alright ? You’re here with her and your children, have some fucking decorum Sidney” “Is it her ? Did she threaten you ?” he asked “I don’t want that with you, I would never do that to you Cece” “She’s fine Sidney” she said exhausted “Please I don’t want issues, just….just enjoy your time with her and your children” “Listen I’m sorry about all this, I really really am….I just like you” he whispered “Please only contact me by email for anything that has to do with this trip, call if it is an absolute emergency” Cecelia said as she looked at him “I…..I like you too but…but it just…I can’t” she murmured and walked away

Media ended for the day and soon she now had the rest of her day free from the chaos and unneeded drama. She felt horrible for the way things happened with Sidney but wasn’t going to let someone like Jacqueline find her in a compromising position. She knew women like her, women who were powerful and would stop at nothing to make her life miserable simply because she didn’t like her

“Hey” a familiar voice called “I know that hair, you haven’t texted me back so I came here to wait for you so we can go somewhere”

Cecelia felt her cheeks rise as she turned around and smiled “Nate ”

“Media’s over for the day, you didn’t text me back” he walked up to her and held her hand “Are you okay ?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine” she grinned “Just tired is all”

“Same here” he chuckled “So what do you say ? Dinner ?”

“Nate I can’t go out with you, I can’t be seen with you” she whispered lowly “Even us being in this elevator can cause problems for me”

“You’re even hotter when you’re all flustered” his hand caressed her cheek

For a moment she felt herself get light headed, his hand was huge. She hadn’t noticed till now just how big they were despite them doing wonders to her body just a night ago. Nate was handsome, handsome in a rugged way and seeing him in bright lighting was somehow even better

“I’m being serious” she said softly as they stepped out of the elevator “I don’t wanna get in trouble”

“Let’s go to Circus Circus, it’s some shitty hotel for kids that’s got games and rides where no one will see us” he grinned “Come on, I’ve never ever been and I wanna see what kind of a shit show it is, I’ll even win you a stuffed animal”

She thought about it for a bit and sighed “Fuck it let’s do it”

Nate put his arm around her “We’ll go wherever you wanna go but first answer one thing for me ?” “What is it ?” she looked up at him “Why didn’t you answer my texts ?” he asked softly Cecelia couldn’t help but smile at his slight concern “Well I was busy, I knew you were busy too and I knew at some point I’d see you again. I wasn’t ignoring you, I wouldn’t do that” she reached up and kissed his cheek “So you still wanna talk to me and go out with me then ?” Nate looked at her “I’m going with you right now” she chuckled “No I mean like….when I go back to Colorado” he said softly “Like you’ll still wanna talk and see each other when we can right ?” She rubbed her lips together as she moved out of his hold to stand in front of him “Do you mean like….you wanna date ?” “Yeah I do” Nate admitted “I like you Cece, I like you a lot and it’s not just because we had mind blowing sex” he chuckled “That was a perk but it’s beyond that. You’re so pretty and funny and you’re smart and you have a good head on your shoulders. You’re perfect, you’re literally the most perfect girl I’ve ever met and we’ll take it slow, I promise we will. ” Cecelia gave a soft smile, he was sincere and she loved that but she couldn’t lie to him “I like you too but-” “But….” he looked at her as his smile fell slightly “But what ?” “Is there a need to rush things ? Can’t we just take things day by day….I mean I don’t even know when I’ll see you again after this trip Nate” she explained “You’re schedule is about to get so insane and so is mine, I just don’t wanna give you some false promises is all. I would want the same from you” “I see” Nate said quietly “Well thanks for being honest with me, I appreciate it lots. At least I said it, you know ? Didn’t hurt to try”

“I take it you don’t wanna hangout now ?” she whispered “Not really” he admitted “It’s not anything against you it’s just….you understand don’t you ?” Cecelia nodded “Yeah of course” “Call me if anything” Nate reached over and kissed her forehead “Want me to walk you back to your room ?” She shook her head “I can walk back on my own, thanks for offering though” “I’ll see you around Cece” he gave her a grin “Plus you have my number, you know where to find me” She gave him a small smile and walked back, she felt horrible for the way things had gone and in a way felt like she had led him on but after seeing Sidney again she knew her mind and heart needed to be clear before she made any decision like that. With a defeated attitude she opened her hotel door and put the Do Not Disturb sign on the handle as she locked it “Cecelia I-”

A high pitched scream left her mouth as she put a hand to her chest “Oh my god how the hell did you get in here ?”

“I’m so sorry” Sidney whispered as he stood up “I lied and got a worker to give me a key to your room”

“Are you out of your mind ?!” she snapped “That’s insanity, that’s you being insane ! You can’t do that, it’s so fucking weird and creepy”

Sidney rubbed his face “How else was I supposed to speak to you ? You’re ignoring me and it’s not like you at all”

Cecelia shook her head “Where’s your wife ? Where are your children”

“She’s with the other wives that are here and as for the boys they’re with a nanny and as you can see it’s still early so I have plenty of time to talk, anything else you wanna ask about ?”

“Yeah” she nods “How dare you do this and come to my room to talk while your wife and children are with you ? That’s low. Lower than low actually. I’ve done nothing with you, you’re the one who’s kissed me twice. You’re the one who makes it more than what it is. Not me” Sidney put his hands up “And I accept that, things are hard. I never meant to have feelings for you yet here I am. I just wanna talk, I just want us to talk and to-” he stopped when he bent down and picked up a blazer “What’s this ?” “A blazer of some sort” she walked over and snatched it back “Don’t touch my things please, that’s rude. You should have manners” “I know what it is Cece, who’s is it ?” he asked as he crossed his arms This was the moment she dreaded, it was one she thought she’d have more time to explain. Rather than beat around the bush she opted to be honest, he had no right to be mad or hold anything against her anyway. Just as she was about to tell him she heard her door knock and whipped her head over 

**************************

“I put a sign up wanting to be left alone” Sidney’s eyes practically bulged out of his head as he shook his head “Wh-what if it’s her ?” “Hide” Cecelia whispered “Check first” he nodded “If it’s her then….then I face her” “Hide in the bathroom and stay there” she instructed as she walked over to the door and peeked in the peephole, opening it slowly “Oh…hey…um what are you doing here ?” “Listen Cece, I like you a lot and I know you said you don’t wanna give me false promises but I don’t wanna go back to Colorado with us ending awkwardly. I wanna hang out, I wanna spend time with you” Nate grinned “Okay” she agreed, mostly to get him out of the way “Okay….but first here” she handed him back his blazer “You forgot this last night and I hope you’re ready to win me lots of stuffed animals at circus circus. I’ll meet you in the lobby at 8” “Sweet” Nate smiled as he left

Cecelia shut the door quickly and turned around, she knew Sidney had heard it all and in a way she was glad. She had the freedom to be with whoever she wanted, it just so happened to a friend of his

“Wow” Sidney cleared his throat “So you and Nate ?” Cecelia shook her head “It happened out of nowhere. I don’t owe you explanations” “He’s my close friend, I’ve known him since he was 17 years old. He’s an uncle figure to my boys” Sidney looked at her “Why him ?” “Because I like him…and because I wanna still see him” she admitted “He’s so nice and he’s funny and I just liked being around him”

“One night is all you guys had and suddenly you wanna keep seeing him ? You like him ? Who the hell moves that fast ?” What about me ?” he stepped forward, inches away from her face as he pulled her in “You can’t do that to me, that’ll hurt me” “You ?!” she widened her eyes “Listen to yourself ! Listen to the words coming out of your mouth Sidney. You and I are nothing, you can’t be saying things like that. You need to go” Before she could walk out of his hold his lips pressed onto hers unexpectedly just like always, only this time she kissed him back. She kept her arms around his neck as he moved his hands into her hair “Oh shit…it’s stuck” he whispered as he tried to remove his hand

“Ow” Cece winced, trying to move her head “What is it ? Your watch ?”

Sidney looked down “My wedding band”, he whispered

She felt her stomach churn and held onto his arm “Get your hand out of my head carefully please, I have scissors in my makeup bag”

“But you’ll cut your hair, I don’t want that. I love your hair” he said quickly as he did as told and followed her into the bathroom  “Here let me try to untangle it, I don’t want you cutting your hair”

“Don’t” she put her hand up and took out her brow scissors, she felt around the back of her head until she felt the band and gently cut around it and held it in the palm of her hand.

It was a beautiful simple gold band with the initials J.A.R inscribed on the inside; his wife and their children's initials. She cleaned around it with a tissue gently and handed it back Sidney took it and put it back on his ring finger as silence took over the room, the bathroom light reflecting off his band perfectly   “Cece…you should know that I’m falling in love with you” he looked in her eyes “I can’t keep lying to myself”

“You can’t Sidney” she whispered “That can’t happen, it can’t. I won’t be the reason a family is broken, I won’t be the reason your children don’t have a mom and dad together”

“It was already crumbled before I met you” he admitted “Meeting you just proved that it needs to be over, that doesn’t mean I give up on my boys. They’re my world, I love them and nothing and no one will ever stop me from being with them.”

“I don’t want to be a stepmom” Cecelia said back “And I don’t like kids that much” she lied “And no way would I ever deal with your wife on top of that, have you thought about me in this ? What I want and what I see for myself ?”

“I know I’d make you the happiest woman alive” he said softly “I know I’d be with you forever”

“Stay here with me then” she met his eyes

It was a test, one she wasn’t even sure how she wanted to end. She could feel her heartbeat out of her chest as she met his eyes and reached over to caress his cheek. He was truly gorgeous, there was something about Sidney that was more than handsome. His eyes were these huge brown doe eyes that just sparkled whenever he was happy, more so when they were together in any instance. His lips were perfect, his smile was everything. There wasn’t one thing that was ugly about him, to her he was flawless

Taking it up a notch she brought his face down to hers to kiss him, pressing against him in the process. Instinctively she let out a moan when his hand reached down to cup her ass and swiftly turned them around so she was against the wall, every part of her ached as he kissed down her neck and unbuttoned his shirt with his free hand, removing his suit jacket along with it. Things were heating up and this time she wouldn’t stop them

Her breathing picked up when he pulled apart from her and got on his knees, rapidly bringing down her skirt and panties 

“Put your legs over my shoulders” he murmured She listened instantly and held onto his head as he began tasting her, his tongue was quick, almost desperate. It was a totally different feeling than what she had felt with Nate, Sidney was making sure she felt how frenzied he was for her. Her fingers delicately played with his grayish heavily gelled curls, tugging when he sucked her clit “I love how good you taste” he lapped up her juices “I don’t ever wanna stop” “Keep going…please keep going” she whined “Oh fuck, I love that” “I love tasting you” Sidney mumbled as he kept his mouth on her, his hands caressing her thighs as he leaned his head against one “I love how fucking hot you are, I love how you’re perfect…you’re perfect…I need you” he kissed her clit and inserted two of his fingers “Oh god” Cecelia moaned biting down on her lip “You’re g-gonna m-make me cum” “Please cum, please cum” he begged “I need you to, I need you to cum for me” he inserted a third finger and pumped them in and out “That’s a good girl, you’re taking my fingers like such a good girl” he whispered “Cum for me…let go baby” Cece couldn’t handle the feeling as she came with a loud moan, she felt him carefully hold her in his arms as she breathed heavily and at this point she needed him. She gave him a nod as he laid her down on the bed and took out a condom from his back pocket, she wondered if he had it there knowing they’d finally sleep together or if it was for Jacqueline.

She took off her top and bra as she watched him take off his wedding band and put it in pants pocket, immediately throwing them on the floor and sliding the condom onto his cock from the opposite end of the bed “I can…suck you off if you want” she whispered “I just wanna be inside of you alr-” he stopped as he looked at her, she was naked and every part of her was everything he dreamed of and more

“Fuck me…” he murmured and scooted over to her, positioning himself between her legs as he easily slid inside of her She arched her back up at the feeling and shut her eyes in over stimulation as he relentlessly started thrusting into her quickly, while his mouth sucked on her breasts “Y-You can’t do both…i-it’s a-alot” she panted “I’m sorry baby” he whispered, lifting his head concerned he had hurt her “I’ll go slow, I’m so sorry” he peppered her face with soft kisses “I’m sorry….I would never hurt you princess” “Thank you” she opened her eyes again, wrapping her arms around his neck while her nails gently scratched his nape “Be gentle, it’s okay” she kissed him softly “I need you….”

“I’ll go slow” Sidney whispered, his finger tracing down her cheek as he began thrusting again “That okay ?” “I like that” Cece nodded with a slight moan “You’re so good, you were made for me baby” he kissed her deeply “I love these lips, they’re mine, you’re all mine Cece” Cece stayed looking in his eyes as he continued to fuck her, she couldnt look away and neither could he. Every couple seconds he’d kiss her or press her forehead against his telling her how perfect and gorgeous she was, it was tender despite his desire for her. In return she kissed his face and rubbed his back “I love everything about you” she kissed his cheeks and nose delicately as he snuggled into her neck, his hand behind her hair “You’re so sexy, you’re so good to me right now….go harder….I want it a little rough” “I don’t wanna hurt you” Sidney murmured, his face crimson and full of sweat “I don’t wanna hurt you princess, I like this. I like looking at your pretty face as I make love to you, I don’t wanna stop looking at you”

“You won’t hurt me” she mumbled in response, holding his face in her hands and squishing his cheeks together slightly as she kissed his lips “Don’t you want me…show me, show me how bad you’ve wanted me”

“Get on your knees and face that mirror” he instructed as he pulled out “I want you to watch yourself”

Cecelia rapidly got in position and rolled her eyes back when he slammed inside of her “Yes, yes ! Oh fuck you’re fucking me so good” she cried out “This is what I want baby”

“You feel so good” he groaned as he held onto her hips “You tell me if it hurts okay love ?”

She nodded and looked in the mirror and almost came right then and there, the sight of him holding onto her hips and hammering into her was turning her on. He was a gentle man in bed but in this moment he was being a little more in control “Harder baby” she whimpered, holding onto the bed sheets and leaning her head back to look at him “I can take it harder” “It’s okay princess, I got you” he panted as he rubbed her backside and slowly pulled out, teasing her entrance with his tip carefully as he leaned over her body to kiss her temple “Shh, I got you love, don’t over strain yourself. I’m gonna take care of you” “I want you to make me yours” she whispered “I wanna be yours…I wanna be all yours, I want your cock inside of me every day like this” “I’ll give you whatever you want love, I’ll make love to you every day every hour of the day if you want me to” he traced his fingers down her back “You’re all mine Cece, you’re all mine” She let out a groan as his hands began to gently massage her ass, she laid her head down and breathed in slowly “That feels so nice baby…so so nice” “How are you real” he whispered kissing her backside “Your body is the best I’ve ever seen, I think God made you himself Cece” 

****************************

The compliment sent shivers down her spine, her mind couldn’t gather one coherent thought as he turned her around and kissed her again, this time making sure to slip in some tongue. It was passionate and soon all they could both hear were each other's moans and the sound of saliva being moved around between their mouths. She moved against his thigh when he positioned it between her legs and moaned at the friction

“You’re so wet already” Sidney whispered “You’re such a needy girl Cece, you like riding my thigh baby ?”

“Yes” she responded with heavily lidded eyes “Feels so good” she moved a bit faster, getting on top of him as she continued her movement, her hands on his chest “Fuck”

“Keep doing that” Sidney instructed as he watched her and reached his hands to caress her breasts, carefully tugging on her nipples as he sucked on them “Every part of you tastes so good”

Cece panted as she continued her movement and felt her face heat up as her hands kept his face on her breasts “I’m almost there…I know it…oh god” she whimpered moving faster “I’m gonna cum….I’m gonna….k-keep doing that” she gasped when she felt his thumb on her clit and slowly enjoyed the feeling “Oh….Oh Sidney, baby” “I know” he cooed as he looked at her “You need to squirt pretty girl, don’t hold back princess. I want you to let go, I want to see how pretty you look when you squirt”

Sidney took it upon himself to continue rubbing her clit slowly until he knew it was coming, just as he noticed her quiet whines and the way her mouth shaped into an O shape out came the gush he had been waiting for. He had never actually seen it happen before, only heard of it and the fact that it had happened with the girl of his dreams was all he needed

He watched as he tried to gain control of her breathing and pulled her close to him, caressing her cheek as he started another make out session for a bit. He just couldn’t keep his lips or hands off of her. When they pulled apart, the first thing Cece noticed were his dazed eyes and slightly swollen lips, she leaned over and softly pressed a kiss to his forehead

“Can I be inside of you again now” he murmured against her mouth “Please baby, I’ll fuck you so good” his hand reached down to her pussy, looking into her eyes as she nodded “I love the way you moan when I’m inside of you” he guided his cock back inside of her and got on top “I’m gonna make you feel so good all over again, is that okay ?”

“Make me cum, I wanna cum again” she wheezed out desperate for that feeling again “I need you to make me cum baby. Fuck my pussy”

This time things were faster and a little more desperate. She moaned loudly as he pounded into her, the headboard slamming against the wall ferociously. She was sure she’d get a noise complaint somehow. Her breasts bounced roughly as she kept eye contact and kept her arms around him. Her hold on him was the only thing keeping her somewhat stable, she knew if she let go he’d fuck her right off the mattress

“You like this ?” he breathed heavily “Look at you, look at your pussy and how well you take me. Look at your tits, how perfect they are just bouncing away”

“I love your cock” Cece gasped when he lifted her leg up 

“Is that okay ?” he asked, salty droplets from his face and neck hitting her cheeks

“I’m flexible” she nodded, her hair frizzing from the moisture

At the mention he lifted both her legs between his arms in eagle position and pounded into her, getting a better sensation as he slammed in and out of her, “Oh fuck !” Cece shrieked loudly “Yes ! Yes ! Fuck me baby, fuck me !”,she shook uncontrollably as he pounded mercilessly into her and soon felt him tense up “I-I’m g-gonna c-cum” Sidney stuttered out “I’m gonna cum, cum with me love” he thrusted as hard as he could “Cum with me baby, please cum with me”

She squirmed and fought it as long as she could, finishing with him as she let out a high pitched whimper and sat up, letting him know she was ready when finished with a deep groan. He quickly removed his condom as she took him in her mouth and bobbed her head “Please keep going” he moaned After a few minutes he released his hold and she swallowed, catching her breath as her arms wrapped around him and he laid on top of her, shaking as his breathing came in slowly “I got you” Cece repeated his words from earlier in his ear, her nails carefully tracing up and down his back “It’s okay baby” she kissed the top of his head “I know you do love” Sidney whispered softly, regaining his consciousness as he nuzzled his face in between her breasts

She didn't even realize they had fallen asleep till looked at the clock by her night stand and saw the time and quickly shook him awake “It’s five, we fell asleep. You need to go !” “I’ll text her something came up” he muttered holding onto he “Cuddle with me, you’re warm” “Sidney no” she whispered 

“What did I do ?” he asked softly 

Cece caressed his cheek “Sidney…..you cheated on your wife, we had an affair” she said softly “We did the one thing we should never have done…this is horrible”

“She doesn’t love me, she doesn’t even like me” he said “I don’t love her, I love our 2 sons and that’s all. That marriage has been over for years Cecelia, years. Meeting you and getting to know you changed me, you’re who I want”

She shook her head “Don’t say things like that”

“Baby” he lifted her chin “I’m in love with you, I want you and only you” he leaned in and kissed her softly 

“And…..and what are you gonna do about Jacqueline ?” she asked, suddenly realizing the severity of the situation “And the boys ?” 

“I’m gonna leave her, as soon as we get back to Pittsburgh I’m gonna file for divorce and move out of the house. I’m gonna get another lawyer to help with custody so I can see the boys as much as possible…..you didn’t mean what you said right….you like kids” he whispered the last part

“Yeah” Cece nodded “I do love kids, I said that to push you away….it didn’t work clearly”

“I understand why you did it” Sidney looked at her holding her hand “Cece…please let me handle this, I have people who can make sure this goes as easy and quiet as possible and more than anything to make sure you’re protected. You just need to continue doing what you’re doing”

“You’re asking me to act like everything is okay and you want me to continue seeing you in secret….you want an affair” she looked at him

“I don’t like that word” he kissed her hand “I think of you as my end game”

“It’s what it is Sidney” Cece nodded “We can call it what it is, we’re adults”

She scooted up and brought the bed sheet up to her chest to cover herself, she looked at him then at herself. They both looked like absolute hot messes. Cecelia’s hands shook as she reached for her phone,for a moment  she felt trapped, both physically in the room and emotionally by her realization. The gravity of what had happened began to sink in, each detail adding to her mounting anxiety

“What’s wrong baby ?” he pet her cheek

“Nothing” she shook her head “Just…we should shower, you need to get going”

“Shower with me…” Sidney kissed her

Cece blushed “Seriously go shower, you smell like….sex”

“Only one way to fix this then….we both get in that shower and I wash you off…and then have you as an appetizer” he murmured in her ear “What do you say ?” No words needed to be said as they both got up almost immediately and jumped in the shower. It wasn’t long before she was pressed against the shower door with him pumping in and out of her from the back. She had quickly learned he had quite the sexual appetite, and she was more than ready to oblige. There was something about the way he fucked that just made her even more obsessed with him. He was desperate and needy with his touch and his kisses, he talked her through it and put her first She could feel that familiar feeling of him tensing up and grinded against him as the warm water fell over them “You’re gonna ruin me” Sidney whispered as he continued his thrusts “Shit…I can’t,get on your knees for me” “How do you want me ?” she murmured , doing as told “You wanna cum in my mouth again baby ?” He nodded rapidly as she took him whole and moaned, he put his hands in her hair and pushed down gently, the sounds of her gagging on his cock making him smirk. He released his hold as soon as he finished and didn’t waste time helping her stand up as his fingers entered her. He watched as she started to breathe heavily and held onto his shoulders. Her eyes always started to close whenever she felt pleasure, he was in heaven until he heard his phone ring “Answer” Cece nodded as she caught her breath “What if it’s an emergency ?” Sidney sighed and stepped out of the shower as he answered the phone “Hey what’s up Jac ?” “Sidney I haven’t seen you all day, it’s close to dinner already and you’re not even changed” Jacqueline sighed “Dinner’s at 7 remember ?” “I’m wearing the same thing I wore to media” he said “I’ll be there in a bit, I caught up with some buddies of mine” he lied “I expect you in this room in 20 minutes, I made sure you packed that Armani suit for a reason, it matches my black dress so hurry up” she hung up “Sidney listen to her” Cece nodded as she wrapped a towel around herself “Don’t make her wait”

He quickly dried himself off and changed back into his clothes as he kissed her “I’ll text you, I’ll make sure I see you again before we leave. Remember what I said okay ? You and me Cece, we’re gonna be okay. Just act like normal” “I know” she gave a small smile “I’ll see you” he kissed her head and walked off

************************

Cecelia got ready and let a note for housekeeping to clean her room on the door as she went down to the lobby and spotted Nate “Hey” she smiled “There you are” he grinned, greeting her with a hug “Whoa you look ho-...I mean really nice” She laughed, suddenly feeling shy “I should go change”

“You look….you look like a million bucks” Nate admitted “Now come on, let’s get going” Cece walked with him to an uber and fixed her skirt “I haven’t been to Circus Circus since I was like 8 and it was pretty cool back then, you better ride all the rides with me” “I’ve never ever been but I heard it’s low key a shit show” he chuckled as he got in with her “Lot’s of the guys are heading to these fancy ass dinners and here you and I are….on our way to an arcade” Cece chuckled “It beats a snobby dinner any day”

The neon lights of the Strip were mesmerizing, but it was the blend of nostalgia and excitement at Circus Circus that truly captivated them once they arrived. They headed straight for the hotel's famous arcade as soon as they got out of their uber. 

The sounds of pinball machines and the flashing lights of video games enveloped them as they walked through the entrance. Cece’s eyes lit up as she spotted her favorite game, “Air Hockey.” 

Nate grinned, knowing he was about to face a worthy opponent “I know real hockey, I got a feeling you’re gonna kick my ass here” “You’re right, I am” she grinned They played game after game, laughing and teasing each other. After a particularly intense match, she emerged victorious and playfully gave him a thumbs down

“Beginner’s luck,” Nate joked with a frown “I didn’t stretch, my arm’s all over the place” “Okay loser” Cece chuckled 

As the arcade started to wind down, Cece and Nate decided it was time to tackle the rides. They headed to the Adventure Dome, the indoor amusement park at Circus Circus. The glow of neon lights and the hum of roller coasters created an electric atmosphere.

Their first ride was the “Chaos Coaster,” a roller coaster that spun them in circles while looping and diving. Nate tried his best to maintain his composure as she just laughed at him, never did she expect someone as tough as him to be so nervous. As they exited, her hair was a mess and Nate’s face was flushed red “That was insane” she smiled “You alright ?”

“I’m never doing that shit again” he shook his head quickly

As the night deepened, the Adventure Dome had less and less kids and became more of their own little playground. Cece and Nate wandered through the park, indulging in some junk food as they walked around

“That’s the cutest bear I’ve seen” she pointed a pink teddy bear by the arcade

“I’ll win you it” he chuckled as he paid for 3 basketball shots “Alright here we go” he took a shot and missed, blushing as he looked back at her “Alright second time” he repeated, missing again

“You suck” Cece laughed “I can even make it”

“I was messing around,” Nate said back, shooting the ball for the 3rd time and making it “There we go !” he put his hands up in fake cheer as he took the bear from the worker and handed it over “For you, I keep my word”

She smiled and kissed his cheek softly “Thank you”

“Yeah…yeah for sure” he nodded “Wanna head back and eat some burgers ?  Heard the hotel has a really good place”

“You read my mind” Cece nodded as they walked outside and opted for a cab this time

They arrived back at the Wynn just before midnight and got out, just as Jacqueline and Sidney were getting back at the same time. Cece’s immediately stiffened when she made eye contact with Jacqueline and instinctively held Nate’s hand in hers

“I can’t stand her” Nate mumbled under his breath as they walked “Sid looks wasted, that’s not like him, she looks pissed which is her usual face” “He does look….inebriated” Cece nodded “Um…listen why don’t you go help them out and we can have lunch tomorrow by the pool after media ?” “Yeah okay” he grinned “Sounds good to me, I’ll see you then” 

After a quick goodbye hug she was on her way inside when she heard her name being called, she realized it was none other than Jacqueline and walked over nervously “Yes…Mrs.Crosby”

“I need you to get us another room” Jacqueline ordered “I want the presidential suite, I want warm towels and 4 bottles of sparkling water and ibuprofen there. As you can see, we had a lot of fun tonight” she smiled sweetly

Cece nodded quickly “I-I got it”

“And one more thing” Jacqueline stopped her with a firm hold on her shoulder

“Yes ?” Cece asked

“Cover yourself up Cecelia, you look like you belong at a club and I don’t mean a dance club” she said coldly “Have some respect please”

It was the mention of her name that slowly hot Sidney out his drunken state as he did his best to conceal his erection with his suit jacket upon seeing how good Cecelia looked, what killed it instantly was seeing Nate next to her, his brain was mush but he could see Jacqueline and him having words while Cecelia walked away hastily

“I….I need a bucket” he hoarsed out

“Shit hold it” Nate walked over and put his arm around him as he helped him up “Come on dude, I got you”

“He had one too many shots of whiskey at skybar” Jacqueline rolled her eyes “Not to mention the 2 beers and shot of tequila he had at the hotel room, he was on one” she looked at her phone “And I just got the room confirmation, let’s go” “What got him so drunk ?” Nate asked as security took them to a separate elevator “Beats me” she shrugged as they got off on their floor and into their suite as Nate helped sidney onto the bed “He was happy as can be at dinner, had a smile nice and wide like a cheshire cat while talking with everyone and at the bar, everything was fine, but here we are thanks for helping. See you” She immediately went and changed into her silk nightgown and laid down next to him, undressing him as she kissed him “It’s just us now” “No” Sidney muttered when she felt unbutton his shirt and remove it “Stop Jac,” “Shh” Jacqueline whispered as she straddled him “It’s okay, it’s me baby. I’m just kissing you…I love you so much” “Jac” he repeated louder when she removed his belt “Get off me” he placed his hands on her shoulders “Please” “Sidney…I’m wearing a silk nightie…I look sexy…I want to be intimate with you” she said quietly “You were so happy at dinner, you were laughing and smiling, you were fun at the bar with everyone. I made you happy, you were happy because of me now please….let’s have sex” Sidney shook his head, partly in embarrassment on her behalf, she was making a fool out of herself. She thought he was happy because of her, she thought his mood was because of her. He slowly sat up and rubbed his forehead “I need water” he whispered “And I need rest, I wanna spend the day with the boys tomorrow” Jacqueline handed him a bottle of water and sat back “I’ll cancel massages and lunch” she said back to her cold demeanor He shook his head, knowing somehow he needed to get to Cece somehow the next day to see what was going on with her and Nate.

[jensenacklescious]

Happy Holiday's/Merry Christmas from @jensenacklescious

[23insiderherfantasy]

**agatha epidsode 6 spoilers**

forgive me if this is a dumb question but has agatha just had rio in her head this entire time?? or at least up until the point rio joins the coven on the road??

after tonight’s episode where we get his first interaction with agatha from his perspective, everything agatha experienced under wanda’s spell was entirely made up down to the clothing she was in. obviously we knew the crime scene, police station, etc was fake but i was not expecting her clothes & responses from the people she was talking to to be altered as well. (again pls forgive me if this was common knowledge lol)

so now to my question: we see billy look in agatha’s window before he breaks in, and we see her having a conversation with someone (which we know to be rip), however rip isn’t actually ever shown. we also don’t see her when agatha is interrogating billy. from the point when billy breaks the spell, the scenes sort of just began to skip ahead until we eventually end up back at the road. we don’t even see the fight scene between agatha and rip. which that part is not to say it didn’t actually happen but it’s hard to say for certain bc the scenes fast forwarded by that point. also, at the end of the ep, it’s only agatha and teen that continue on to the next trial. we assumed from the last episode that rio (from her *speculated/leaked* character) is dealing with alice’s body, but i wouldn’t have assumed but this point she would have returned.

so has rio just been in agatha’s head this whole time?? i would love to hear people’s explanations to this bc it could just be me not understanding or jac schaeffer is just on a mission to make me sob 😅

*edit: adding onto this!! we also seen billy texting his bf eddie, in which eddie says “you are my 🖤” from this we can put together that from the list of name’s lilia wrote down for the coven it has to be billy. we all assumed rio bc of her saying “i have a heart it’s black and it beats for you” and i think even agatha thought this as she didn’t want to deal with feelings & complex relationship with rio. but bc lilia places the sigil on billy, she wouldn’t have known him by his name, only by the 🖤

my mind is going crazy and if my theory is true all this show/jac schaeffer make me do is cry 😭