#this would be so cool to experience together

[holeforzenin]

𝜗𝜚˚⋆ WATCHING A HORROR MOVIE WITH ROOMMATE TOJI

It was one of those nights where you didn’t really feel like doing much and Toji had suggested a horror movie marathon to kill time. You weren’t particularly a fan of horror but you’d agreed, figuring it could be fun to watch something with him other than fuckass horse racing show he’s always watching all the time.

The room was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the TV screen as the opening credits of the gorey thriller rolled in. You were sitting on the couch, trying your best to focus on the plot but your nerves were already on edge. The ominous music, the jump scares—it was all starting to get to you.

Toji on the other hand, sprawled lazily across the other end of the couch with a can of soda in hand, glanced at you every so often, seemingly unaffected by the jump scares and ominous music. But you felt your heartbeat quicken every time the tension built. You weren’t exactly a fan of horror but you’d agreed to watch the movie to kill time and because you also thought it would be a good roommate bonding experience because you rarely ever sit down and watch tv together.

A sudden loud sound from the TV made you jump, your eyes wide as you flinched and instinctively scooted closer to Toji. You tried to play it cool but he noticed the movement and raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“What’s wrong, scared?” Toji teased, his voice low and amused as he turned his attention to you. He didn’t even try to hide his smirk.

“I— I’m not scared,” you stammered but your voice betrayed you. The movie’s tension was getting to you and you could feel your nerves starting to fray. You tried to ignore the growing unease creeping up your spine but it wasn’t working.

Toji gave you a sideways glance, chuckling. “Really? Cause it looks like you’re about to climb out of your skin.” He took a long sip of his soda, still watching you. “You’re so jumpy”.

You shot him a glare, trying to hide your discomfort. “I’m fine,” you said but your voice faltered slightly. He raised an eyebrow at you and then without warning, shifted so that he was sitting up straighter. “Come here,” he said, his voice teasing but genuine.

You were about to protest but before you could, he slid over on the couch, making room beside him, and reached out to pull you towards him. The movement was effortless and before you could even register what was happening, Toji had you sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped securely around you.

You stiffened for a moment, not sure how to react. Your heart was still racing from the scare and now the close contact made everything feel even more intense. Toji’s arms were firm around your waist, bracing you back against his big, warm chest like that’s where you belonged.

“There. Now I know you won’t be jumping around every two seconds,” he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. You squirmed slightly, a little flustered by how close you were to him but the warmth of his body was undeniable and despite the awkwardness, you couldn’t deny the comfort of his muscled arms around you.

“I’m not scared,” you insisted again, though this time your voice was quieter, and you didn’t really believe it yourself. His touch was oddly calming, the steady rhythm of his breath easing some of the tension in your body.

Toji chuckled, his fingers tracing small, absent circles on your back as he held you close. “Uh-huh. Sure,” he said, his tone still playful. “You’re not scared, but you’re practically climbing deeper into my lap”. He paused, his smirk widening as he continued. “Don’t worry kid. I got you”.

You felt your face flush but Toji’s presence kept you from moving away. As the movie continued, you found yourself sinking into the warmth of his chest, your body naturally relaxing in his comforting embrace. Each time the tension built up in the film and you tensed, Toji’s arms around you would only tighten as if reassuring you that you were safe.

Every now and then, his teasing voice would whisper in your ear, “Still scared?” but there was no malice in it. He was just messing with you but there was an underlying gentleness to it that made you feel oddly protected.

Eventually, the movie’s scares faded into the background as you became more focused on the rhythm of Toji’s heartbeat beneath your ear. You let out a small sigh, letting your body relax fully into his lap, the warmth of his arms around you now a comfort rather than an embarrassment.

The night carried on, the movie long forgotten as you remained in his embrace, safe and sound despite the creepy film that had originally put you on edge.

The movie played on but at this point, the flickering images and eerie sounds were distant. Toji’s body and the way he held you were a more prominent focus. You found yourself becoming more and more peaceful in his lap, the rhythmic motion of his fingers rubbing small circles on your back like a soothing lullaby, luring you to relaxation. Every time the tension in the movie spiked, you tensed up slightly but the moment his arms tightened around you, the fear seemed to melt away.

You had never expected it to feel this comfortable and safe. You could hear Toji’s soft chuckle now and then as he teased you about being scared but his voice was gentle and his presence felt like a quiet reassurance that you didn’t realize you needed.

It was only a matter of time before the weight of your eyelids became too much to resist. The combination of his warmth and presence, and the gentle, constant motion of his hand against your back had lulled you into a state of complete relaxation.

Your body grew heavier and despite the loud, scary noises coming from the TV, you couldn’t keep your eyes open any longer. Without realizing it, your breathing had slowed and your head had nestled deeper into his chest.

Toji’s arm tightened around you instinctively as you let out a quiet sigh, your body fully melting into his. His lap had become the most comfortable place you could imagine and before you knew it, you were drifting into a peaceful sleep.

The next thing you knew, you were completely out, the tension from the movie and the day completely gone. You didn’t even stir as Toji shifted slightly beneath you, adjusting his position so that he was more comfortable with you still resting on him.

Toji noticed immediately when you stopped moving. He looked down to find you had fallen asleep in his lap, your face relaxed and peaceful. A small smile tugged at his lips, though he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to make too much of a fuss. He was used to being the one to watch over things but there was something different about this— something comforting about having you here, leaning on him.

He adjusted his posture, pulling you even closer to him so your head was more securely resting against his pecs and you were laying comfortably so your neck didn’t hurt in the position. He didn’t want to disturb you, not when you were finally getting some rest. He could feel the weight of your body against his, the rise and fall of your breathing, and for a moment, it was as if the entire world had stopped. There was no rush to go anywhere, no need to do anything else.

Toji’s hand instinctively rested on your lower back, holding you in place as he shifted his position so that you were both more comfortable, laying on the couch. The cool air in the room didn’t bother you anymore, not with him there to provide warmth. He was content to simply sit there in the stillness, letting you sleep.

A few more moments passed and Toji’s eyes began to feel heavy as well, the soft weight of you in his lap and the quiet of the room making him start to drift off too. But he didn’t mind. He hadn’t had a moment like this in a while and though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he liked the calm, liked having you close in this unspoken way.

“Sleep well, kid,” he muttered quietly to himself, though you were already too deep in sleep to hear him. His hand brushed over your hair to move it away from your face as he let out a soft sigh and let his own eyes fall closed, content to stay right where he was.

The TV flickered on, but now it was nothing more than background noise. In the dim light of the room, the two of you stayed there, the comfort of each other’s presence making the world outside feel miles away.

[janejennyojeny]

Last pic really sold it for me, the location is almost poetic

Would yap about it but fuck it

Lately i wish everyone would just shut the fuck up for real

There will be presidental election soon in poland and everyone is so fucking opinionated about every little thing, people are so hateful and so so wrong on many topics

Arguing with someone who doesnt value basic human rights just because it does not affect them is so exhausting and you will never win

People lack empathy and imagination, they choose whatever candidate promises them the most - what would profit them the most (those postulates will never come true anyway)

Medieval beliefs are still strong in peoples minds and it shows

Dont even say a thing about women who vote far right, its like chickens voting for kfc what the actual fuck, why are you voting against yourself

Internalized misogyny in women is funny when you watch a video on the internet

But when you actually talk to a person that delusional its truly terrible to hear, and they believe it so strongly too, you will not win

I wonder if its a true belief or something for the male gaze

If its the second one Id lay it off, there is nothing easier for a woman than getting a man. You do not even need to try impress them anyhow, just be, they will always orbit around you whether you care or not

This guy i know that was always so nice and "prowomen" suddenly showed his true face after getting absolutely destroyed in a political argument, just by facts and logic

Now all he does is send misogynistic memes that put women down, of course to make other guys laugh cause "women ☕️", but when you send one meme that makes fun of men, oh boy, you would not believe the shitstorm

good thing is that I managed to convert one of those conservative guys into giving up the vote for someone who cares for us as a collective, for the less fortunate ones, someone who will not sell this country again. Candidate for millions not millionaires. Thats a win cause you would not believe how much talking it took to actually convert someone to turn 180 politically but Ive done it

Thats all I had in me though, recently left some groupchats just cause im generally tired of people, the more i meet, the more we talk, the more they reveal themselves to me, the more I accept the fact that I may be an outcast for a long time

Maybe i need to be more accepting, maybe people need to get their shit together and priorities straight. Maybe a little bit of both

We'll meet in the middle someday, hopefully. Otherwise Ill stick to myself cause I do not plan to lower the standards, not yet anyway. anyone thats "nice" "okay" "fine" "cool" is a no, its not nearly enough.

I want fire within someone's eyes, huge heart, painful honesty and the soul needs to shine through and blind my ass. whether its love or friendship

Maybe thats delusional as well, maybe not

Maybe I do not understand human relationships all that well to appreciate less, maybe I aim for something impossible, maybe i do not deserve it yet, maybe there are no rules or invisible threads that connect people and we just bump into each other randomly, and some just get lucky enough to experience the real thing that lasts

A lot of maybe, only one thing is sure - I will get answers sooner or later, life has a way about it and reveals stuff to you if you listen

Just said i dont wanna yap and i yapped all the way so, fuck it. no one reads it anyway and i can let out some steam

In case i dont see ya, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight

[ichorai]

chiropterology — mother's day.

drabble synopsis ; mind the pretzel dips! warnings ; swearing, some good ol' sibling rivalry.

series masterlist.

“Ground rules!” Stephanie called out to the hoard of bats gathered together in the living room. It was the early hours of Mother’s Day—so early that the sun had yet to rise. Each year on this day they all had a not-so-friendly competition on who could successfully pamper you the most. It was undoubtedly one of your most favorite holidays of the year. “Only two people attend to Mom at once—we don’t want to overwhelm her. To ensure everyone gets a fair shot today, you can only stick to her for two hours at a time. You’re allowed to spend time with her again later, but you need at least an hour cooling period in between.”

“What if someone goes over the time limit?” Jason grumbled. “Some people apparently have really bad “internal clocks.”” He placed air quotes around the last term with a scoff. 

Everyone simultaneously glared at Tim, who blanched at the sudden attention. “What? I’ll stick to the time limit this year, I swear!” 

“Uh-huh,” Steph said, giving him a stink-eye. Last year, Tim had gone to the movies with you on Mother’s Day, hogging up many hours of your precious time, much to the rest of their fury—it was safe to say that he was disqualified from the competition.

“And what does the winner get this year?” Damian asked, foot tapping against the polished hardwood. 

Steph’s grin widened. “Winner gets first pick for movie nights for the next three months.”

“Oh, the horror!” gasped Jason in an exaggerated fashion. “You all have such terrible taste!”

“God, if I have to rewatch Pride and Prejudice one more time—” Tim moaned. 

Jason kicked at Tim’s shin with a fiery glare. “Shut your mouth. It’s a good movie—!”

“Loser?” Cass asked.

Duke wavered nervously. It was his first year competing, and he was more nervous than a baby bird about to take flight for the first time. “There’s a punishment for the loser?”

Tim shot his hand up. “To give our dear Alfred a break… Loser does everyone’s laundry for the next three months.”

“Ooh, evil,” said Jason, a sharp grin pulling his lips thin, recalling the many condiment-soiled uniforms he had tossed into the hamper. “I like it.”

“Alright. Rules aside, I want a clean competition this year. May the best man, boy, or woman win,” Dick declared. “Though, I’ve known her the longest, so I really do think you guys should be congratulating me on my victory beforehand.”

Damian stared up at him balefully. “Oh, please, Grayson. Do you even know what Mother’s favorite chocolate bar is?”

Dick scratched at the back of his neck. “Uhm… Kit-Kats?”

“Wrong,” Damian said, an edge of pride sharpening his voice. “And even if you were right, you are an idiot to inform the rest of us of such precious intel.”

Dick crossed his arms. His little brother got him there. “Rats.”

“All agree?” Cass asked. “No bribe.”

They all nodded at each other. This was a sacred holiday, and cheating was the last thing on anyone’s minds.

“Great!” Steph exclaimed. “Let Mother’s Day begin!”

The kids were being terribly attentive this year. You could hardly step in one direction without one of them appearing in front of you with wild, eager, almost manic eyes. All of them offered to give you a massage, or read one of your favorite books to you, or run a warm bath for you, or run to the store to grab you a tub of your preferred ice cream, or clean up your lab, or volunteer as a test subject for your newest experiments (which was very much appreciated).

Urgh. You loved Mother’s Day. 

Bruce watched the kids fret over you, sipping lukewarm coffee from a mug that said Okayest Dad of The Year. “Why don’t they ever do this on Father’s Day?” he muttered.

“Please,” you scoffed, kissing your husband’s cheek. “If the kids hovered over you like this, you would go into hiding for the next fortnight.”

Bruce grumbled some more, but didn’t disagree with you.

The hours drew on, and the kids grew increasingly frantic. You caught sight of Tim hurriedly scribbling in his notebook out of the corner of your eye more times than you could count—presumably trying to keep score, even though you weren’t at all keeping track of how many favors each person was doing for you.

However, there were still very notable, thoughtful things the kids did for you today that you would cherish for the rest of your life. Steph had made you a playlist of all your favorite songs, and a few of her own recommendations that she thought you would enjoy, and she was very much right. Cass had one of your favorite books translated to braille so you were able to read in the dark without worsening your eyesight. Damian sketched a large portrait of you and your beloved cake robot together, and signed your name in beautiful Arabic calligraphy. Jason and Tim both assisted you with clearing out the closet full of your old inventions in one of the upstairs rooms, even offering to help you test if any of them still worked. Both of them walked out of your lab two hours later sore, winded, and dizzy. Dick, with the help of Alfred, made you a photo-album with old pictures from his time as Robin. Afterwards, you and Dick went out for a short session of karaoke, and it was the most fun you ever had singing to depressing 90s music. 

But there was one thing that stood out to you the most. One thing that immediately made up your mind on who was going to be the winner.

Duke had come up to you an hour before The Reaping (AKA when you picked a winner and a loser), looking somewhat nauseous. He hadn’t gotten to spend much time with you today, so he was already quite nervous.

“Hey, bud!” you cheerfully greeted, holding a basket of broken car parts. There was grease smeared over your cheek, which Cassandra had stepped forward to wipe away with a warm, damp towel. “What can I do for you?”

“I actually…” Duke fiddled with the clasp of his bag. “I had something made for you. I asked Luke to help me out with all the mechanics, but… I’ve been working on it for the past few days.”

He pulled out a long column of metal, fitted with thick, tinted glass on either ends of the tube. It resembled a telescope of sorts. 

“Ooh, how neat!” you exclaimed, dropping the basket and taking the contraption from him, lifting it up to your eye-level to examine the handiwork. Your eyes sparkled with curiosity. ��What is it?”

Duke placed a hand on your shoulder, and gestured up the stairs. “I think it’s best to explain it on the balcony.” As he led you up (with Cass silently trailing behind like a ghost), Duke said, “Remember when you told me how much you loved stargazing? But doing it in Gotham is almost impossible, considering—”

“The light pollution,” you said, tilting your head. “Don’t tell me this is…”

Duke pushed open a door to one of the many balconies of the manor. “Take a look.”

You blinked at the boy, shocked at his thoughtfulness, before hastily pressing the lens up to your eye and angling your face up to the sky. And there it was—a kaleidoscope of scintillating stars like shattered glass freckled all throughout the dark canvas of Gotham’s normally murky horizon. They winked at you knowingly. You made a garbled, shocked noise, stumbling back a few steps from the balcony in your urgency to tilt your head back and see more. Duke steadied you with two hands over your shoulders. 

Duke sounded sheepish as he said, “Luke had it specially designed to filter out certain wavelengths of light. It was really all him, but I was the one who thought of it.”

Finally, painfully, you tore your gaze away from the sky. And when they met Duke’s, he was surprised to find your expression overcome with emotion.

“Oh, Duke. I don’t even know how to begin to thank you. This is so thoughtful.” You enveloped him into a warm hug. “You win, by the way. Competition’s over.”

“I promise I didn’t just do it for the competition—!” Duke protested, but you shook your head anyway.

“I know, hon. But it doesn’t matter. You win anyway, hands down.”

The time had come for The Reaping. All the kids crowded around you in the library, begging to know who would be the winner this year—and movie-picker for the next few months. Cassandra and Duke, of course, already knew, but they stayed relatively silent in comparison to their rowdy brothers and sister.

“Alright,” you said, which immediately halted the argumentative chatter. “This has been an amazing day for me, truly. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I love you all so much, and I’m so touched that you guys go through all this trouble every year for me.”

“You deserve it,” Dick said, which earned a chorus of agreement. 

“Now, don’t butter me up just yet. I’ll start with announcing the loser,” you said, clearing your throat. You looked towards Jason. 

“Oh, no,” he said.

“I’m sorry, hon,” you told him, taking his hands. 

“No. Mom, no. How could you do this to me?” Jason appeared genuinely betrayed by your decision. The rest of the kids burst into raucous cheers at avoiding three months’ worth of stinky vigilante laundry. Alfred was also going to be very glad. 

Trying your best to stifle your laughter, you clutched his scarred hands closer to you and dramatically uttered the next few sentences as if you were giving a eulogy. “I love you so much. But when you called me from the amusement park asking what kind of pretzel I wanted, I told you I wanted a cinnamon pretzel with chocolate dip. You came back with a cinnamon pretzel… and a caramel dip. I’m so sorry Jason—I hereby declare you this year’s loser.”

“Shit,” Jason groaned, head falling back as he realized his mistake. One goddamned caramel dip cost him his victory!

“Hah!” Damian proclaimed. “So it is clear, then. I am obviously the winner this year, and you will all be watching—”

“Actually,” you interrupted, shooting Damian an apologetic wince, “this year’s winner is Duke!”

“What?” Damian barked. “Impossible! It is his first year. Nobody wins on their first try.”

Bashful, Duke awkwardly waved when everyone’s eyes fell on him. 

“He had a special telescope made for me,” you said, brandishing the gift from its protective case. Everyone clamored closer to get a good look at it. “One that lets me see Gotham’s stars through all the smog. You guys are not allowed to touch it without my explicit permission, by the way. I’m serious! I will suspend you from patrolling, and Bruce would be happy to see it through!”

They all gulped nervously.

“Wow—” Steph said once she got a better look, eyes widening as she whistled a low note. “No, yeah, I didn’t stand a chance against that. Way to go, Duke!”

The rest of the siblings clapped Duke on the back, congratulating him on the win. Tim handed him the sleek back remote to the theater room’s large monitor. “For you, my liege.”

You carefully put the telescope away, then ruffled Damian’s hair. “Better luck next year, kiddo.”

“Tch. It will be war next year, Mother.” He looked up at you, determination burning within his dark green eyes. “And I shall be the last one standing on the battlefield!”

“Okay, you little gargoyle,” Tim said, gently shoving Damian away, who angrily kicked at Tim’s shin (which was already bruised from Jason’s kick earlier that day). He pretended like it didn’t hurt, and gave you a warm, one-armed hug. “Happy Mother’s Day. We love you, Mom.”

[thebitsandblurbs]

Marathon

Prompt: Analyst!FemReader x Jack Abbot x Michael "Robby" Robinavitch

Warning: None... Slow burn?

Author's Prompt: I literally told myself I was going to write every day, but as Finals Week goes, that didn't happen 😅. But yay, multi-pairing... well, not yet- but soon!

When the race started, he kept to your side for the first few miles. Though upbeat, it was clear that he was self-conscious of his peers. Rather than keeping his eyes forward, his focus darted from runner to runner.

As the amount of runners grew thinner with each passing minute, he soon left you in the dust which was fine.

Pacing was important- you knew this. By the first portion of the thon, it was just you, your playlist, and the sound of your breaths.

Towards the end, you noticed your friend staggering along before collapsing. He seemed disorientated. His legs struggled to carry him even a step forward. Other runners passed him with a glance and a look of pity, but did nothing.

Speeding up, you got to his side. Concern was plastered on your face as he used you as support. “Hey, man-“

“I can do it- I can do it.” He mumbled, more to himself than to you. His feet slipped against the burning concrete, arms pushing against you, threatening to throw off your balance. Shaking your head, you sighed.

He owes you for this.

“Alright, c’mon,” you murmured, slinging his arm across your shoulders and wrapping your other arm around his side. The height difference was substantial, making it somewhat of an awkward stance. Regardless, you made it work- you had to make it work. No way were you going to leave a thon uncompleted, or make this a bad experience for him.

A part of you felt that you should have gotten help, but at this point, you were locked in.

Commit. You have to commit.

Those words echoed over and over. Each step re-started the mantra.

The journey was slow, and people passed you by without so much as a second glance. The cheering of the crowd grew more intense the closer you got; but the closer you got, the heavier he felt. Honestly, if you had dropped him, he would be none the wiser.

On your second -or maybe third- adjustment, you felt his weight shift. Lighter surprisingly. Either that or you actually followed through with dropping him. But you didn’t-

Peering to your left, you could see another guy- probably the same height as your friend- had taken his other side. He gave you a nod, and together, all three of you passed through together. Frankly, he definitely took most of the weight. At this point, you felt more like an accessory than actual help.

Medics were there to take him from you as soon as you all passed that finish line.

You were exhausted enough from doing the race, but that extra burst had you beat. Hands on your hips, you bent forward as you try to catch your breath and clear the rapidly multiplying stars in your vision. The tell tale signs you were going to faint.

“You good?” The stranger asked, guiding you to a nearby chair.

“Yea, just tired.” You huffed, leaning into the back of the chair. “Thanks…”

It took a moment for you to catch your breath. By the time you opened your eyes, you find yourself peering into crystal blue eyes. He seemed somewhat concerned for your wellbeing.

Robby couldn't help but stare at you. Something about you just drew him closer. With Collins, it was a feeling that grew but with you- it was just there. He was concerned about you, there was no doubt about it.

And rightfully so, you were unnaturally pale and your breathing was still rather heavy. Drops of sweat dribbled down your face before being wiped away. Someone gave you a cool wash cloth, and God, was it appreciated.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll just sit with you for a few moments.” He said as he took a chair. His hand was out for you to shake by the time his back pressed against the seat backing. “Michael, but everyone calls me ‘Robby’.”

“Y/N,” you tell him, “Robby?”

“My last name is Robinavitch. ‘Robby’ sounds a lot friendlier.”

“Teacher?”

“Close enough, but doctor.”

“Oh.”

“You?”

“Analyst.”

He won't deny it, he was a little disappointed. Some fantasy in the back of his head imagined you showing up through the ER doors, claiming that it's your first day.

It was idle chatter for a while- shallow things anyone could find on a LinkedIn or FaceBook Profile. After about 15 minutes, you saw someone approach the two of you. It looked like he was also a participant, going by the number plastered on his chest.

“Robby, I got to the finish line- Jake said he saw you go into the Medic’s tent.”

“Yea, one of the runners had some trouble staying on his feet. Y/N and I helped him cross. Jack, this is Y/N. Y/N, Jack.”

Contrary to Robby, his companion was shorter. His hair was greying, but it suited him. Overall, he seemed serious. In fact, his eyes bore into your very being. His face said nothing, but his general energy was unnerving to say the least.

You couldn’t help but shrink away from the cold stare emitting from the man before you. You did, however, offer a small wave before turning your attention back to your friend. He seemed to be doing better, considering he was doing his best to flirt with the female medic.

After your friend was well enough to get back on his feet, he insisted on taking you all out for dinner. After some insistence, you went back to you apartment to get refreshed and changed.

That social battery you had, it was awfully low today. A part of you just wanted to get back in bed, but at the same time, you wanted to see him again.

Robby- he seemed like a nice fellow.

You were a tad late having walked from your apartment, but you had just caught up with them when they were getting seated by the waitress.

It was kind of a nice dinner. You had expected it to be an awkward one given you all had just met, but Alistar kept the conversation going. The topic transitions were smooth, segueing into the next interesting topic. In a way, you kind of envied him- out of the two of you, he was the more social one.

More than once, do you catch yourself ogling at them. When one or the other turn to meet your gaze, you look away almost immediately. Every now again, you sip the glass of water by your right.

By the end of dinner, you all had gotten to know each other rather well but not enough to call each other friends.

You stayed long enough to have another drink with Alistar before heading out.

Just about a block away you encountered the two men again, but they looked rather heated. Opting to stay out of it, you tried to sneak around them, intent on avoiding any eye contact or look in their general direction. Though you caught a glimpse of Jack's eyes as you passed, and as you have done in the past, you quickly look away.

As you left them behind, a part of you hopes that you would see them again.

[joelmillerswife9]

Hearts on Fire

Hi everyone! So, this story has been in progress for quite a while, but I'm so excited to share it! Again, big shoutout to @baronessvonglitter for being my proofreader/ critic <33 I can't tell you how much fun I had writing this, and I hope you enjoy it! MINORS DO NOT INTERACT 18+

Summary: You and your next-door neighbor Joel, go out for a couple of drinks with friends. You invite him back to your house for a nightcap, which eventually turns into a steamy encounter in front of the fireplace🙈 just fyi, somethings might not make sense. Like, who has a Cigarettes After Sex vinyl during an apocalypse, but hey, it fits. WARNINGS: ANGST, SMUT, 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!! DRINKING, P&V IN FRONT OF FIREPLACE, F! RECEIVING O, READER AND JOEL TAKE A BATH TOGETHER, MINOR LANGUAGE, PET NAMES. Joel is in his 50's reader is 30

You’re both basking in the afterglow from the entertaining outing with the whole town. You’re not sure if it’s from the three whiskey sours you drank or all the dancing, but you’re indulging in an overwhelming feeling of bliss. 

A feeling you thought you would never experience again. You’ve lived in Jackson for a year and a half now, after escaping your QZ in California. Everyone you knew in your past life was either dead or had escaped and when it was finally your opportunity to get out you never looked back. You were incredibly thankful when you made it to Jackson. No more torture. No more suffering. Jackson has become your safe haven, forever. And the best part about living here are the wonderful people you can call friends. 

You have your best friends, Maria and Tommy. 

Your favorite student Ellie, who always knows how to make you laugh. 

And then there’s your neighbor, Joel. 

Joel…

The one who always comes to your rescue if something in your house is broken or needs repair. 

The one who shovels your driveway in the winter even though you tell him you’re perfectly capable of doing it. But of course, he never listens. 

The one whose chocolate brown eyes and muscular physique ignites a wildfire inside of you that you’d never confess a soul to.

One glance. One smirk. One flex of his muscles. The butterflies in your tummy go rampant, but it’s an excitement that never gets old. 

Sure, he can be a bit stubborn and quiet, but you’ve been able to peel back those layers. You always have an urge to break out in a victory dance if you can get him to chuckle or sport the tiniest smile. 

…

“I can’t remember the last time I danced that much,” Joel chuckles next to you. 

“Me neither” you giggle. 

“You’re quite the dancer, Mr. Miller” 

He tips his cowboy hat as a way of saying thank you. 

A cold brisk brush along the Jackson air sending a shiver along your body. You pull your jacket in tighter trying to trap the warmth inside. 

“You need my jacket, darlin’?” 

You glance over at him and nod your head, “Oh no, I’m okay. We’re almost there” 

Walking side by side, all you hear is the soft stomping of your boots on the snow and the coos of an owl. You tilt your head taking in a deep breath of the crisp air and slowly breathe out. The night sky is a gorgeous canvas of stars. 

“Ya know, I’m not a baby I can walk home by myself”

Joel smirks under his hat. He puts an arm around your shoulder as if you’re his prized possession. You play it cool, but the feeling of Joel making contact with your body hits like a lightning bolt. 

“Sweetie, a real gentleman never lets a pretty girl walk alone at night.” His southern charm is smooth as honey. 

A soft snicker escapes your lips as you look down at the snow covered sidewalk. He can tell you’re slightly flattered at his words, but he stays humble. 

You finally make it to your house; your cozy little sanctuary with lights dangling around the porch and a rocking chair planted next to your front door. Joel’s arm still resting on your shoulder, you fiddle in your pocket for your keys. As you walk up the porch steps, you’re oblivious to the slick patch of ice on the second step and lose your footing. 

You shriek but before you hit the ground Joel’s strong arms scoop you right up. 

“Whoa, easy ther’, kitten. I think those drinks are catchin’ up to ya’” the joke rolling off of his tongue. 

You laugh and face him, “My hero!” You say with enthusiasm. 

You raise your head up and his eyes meet yours. You’ve looked at him countless times, but this is the first time observing him up close. His strong face tells a story about years of hard work and survival. Even with all the wrinkles and scars, he’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. 

“I.. I had a great time tonight” you’re so nervous you want to look away, but then you love getting lost in his eye. It’s hypnotizing. 

“Dido”

The wind howls and a stray of your hair brushes along your face. He smirks and his finger glides along your skin.

“Don’t want these beautiful blues covered up” 

God, he’s good. 

Without even thinking, the words escape from your lips like a waterfall, “Wou… would you like to come in for a little bit? Maybe some coffee? Or a drink?” 

Your breath hitches when you realize you just invited Joel inside your home. 

“I mean..if you can’t it’s fine. I don’t want Ellie to be by herself for too long” That’s your insecurities trying to reel you back. 

Joel smiles and shakes his head, “Ellie’s sleepin’ over a friend’s house. I can hang around for a little. Make sure you don’t end up breakin’ a bone” 

You giggle and tell him okay. You turn your keys into the locks and glide inside. 

You kick your boots off and unbutton your jacket. Joel takes off his cowboy hat and runs his fingers through his salt and pepper curls. He tosses his tan corduroy jacket over a chair and places his hat on the kitchen table. Standing in his flannel and worn-out jeans, he watches you strip off your jacket. 

Placing it on the kitchen chair, you glare over to him. He’s like something out of an old western movie. 

“What can I get you, cowboy?” You question leaning on your kitchen island. Your body arched like a cat pushing your bum out intentionally. 

Joel’s boots patter on the hardwood floor strutting your way. He slips his hands into his pockets like he’s posing for a magazine. You wonder if he knows how attractive he is. 

“You got whiskey, cowgirl?”

You sport a grin, “Jack or Jameson?” 

He lips purse and his brow furrows, “Surprise me, darlin” 

“You got it”. You walk to your cupboard while Joel strolls into your living room. 

“Would you like me to make a fire?” He hollers from the living room. 

“Sure” you yell back. 

You hear the rummaging of Joel’s fire making skills and open your cabinet. You grab the bottle of Jack Daniel’s from the top pantry and two glasses. 

You place the cups on the kitchen counter and plop two ice cubes at the bottom of the glasses. You take a swig of whiskey and let it code your throat before pouring two shots.  You crack open a bottle of soda and let the fizz dance in the liquor. A quick stir and two cherries, and your famous Jack and cokes are finished. 

“You got good taste” Joel hollers from the living room. 

You walk into the living room holding the drinks. Joel’s back is to you looking at your old vinyl's. 

“Huh?” 

He turns to you pointing at your vinyl's. A perfect mixture of vintage and modern. 

“Your records. I didn’t realize we have the same taste in music” 

You smile and look at the floor. 

“Oh, yeah. Some are mine, others I found while going out with Tommy on patrols” You explain. 

You walk over to your record player gliding your finger along the smooth wood top. 

“This baby has been with me everywhere, though. Brought it with me from the QZ I was living in and dragged it everywhere I went after.” 

Flashbacks of your experience in that hell hole flood your memories. The loss and pain you encountered is behind you. You are safe now. You hand Joel his glass and he thanks you. You reach your palm out in front of him. 

“That’ll be 7.54. Tips are generous” you joke.

He laughs and taps your hand, “Get outta here” 

You cheers and take a sip. 

“Damn darlin, this is good” he compliments taking another gulp. 

“Why, thank you” 

You sip your cocktail and grab the cherry out of your glass. Joel watches you bring it to your mouth; the sweet fruit touching your tongue as it pops off the stem. His eyebrow furrows like he’s thinking of something mischievous. 

“You mind if I play some tunes?” he asks. 

“Knock yourself out” 

His hands travel along the records. He lets out a low hum and slides a vinyl cover out. 

“This is an interesting band name” he observes the cover with the words, Cigarettes After Sex. 

Your blush and a nervous laughter escapes you. 

“They’re great. One of my favorites, actually. A nice mix of slow rock and pop. I bet you’d like it” 

Joel smirks and takes the vinyl out of its case. “Alright, I trust you” 

You prop yourself on the couch as you watch him place the vinyl in the record player. Joel’s back muscles poke against his flannel and you can’t help but admire his physique. For a man in his 50’s, he’s perfectly broad. 

He places the tonearms on the vinyl and static fills the room. Then a melody from the first song starts playing. You don’t realize it, but you’re still gazing at him when he turns around. 

“You like what you see?” There’s a hint of playful seduction in his tone. 

You blush, “Just daydreaming, sorry”. You hope he believes your fib. 

You let out a soft sigh as Joel sits himself next to you on the couch. You take a sip of your drink and see your dark plum lipstick form a mark on the glass. The crackling of the fire and slow music sets a calming ambiance between the two of you. 

Your body sinks more into the couch cushion as you watch the flames dance in the fireplace. Joel squirms getting comfortable as well. 

“I can’t remember the last time I just let myself relax,” he mumbles, stretching his muscular arms out. 

You throw your head back into the cushion,

“God, me too. I like keeping myself busy, but damn it feels like my brain can never turn off” 

“That makes two of us,” Joel says, lifting his glass to you. Your cups clink together. 

“To the night owls” you say jovially. 

As time drifts, you both talk about everything from work, upbringing, life before the outbreak, things you miss doing prior to the outbreak. You both agree on how much you miss going to the movie theater and watching horror movies. Surprisingly, you have way more in common than you thought. 

At one point during the interaction, he thanks you for helping Ellie in school and admits that you are her favorite teacher out of the bunch. You’re flattered about the idea of making a change for someone in a broken world. 

“That’s really sweet of her. You wanna know a secret?” You raise your hand to you lips and whisper, “She’s my favorite” 

Joel laughs and says, “God, I wish I could say the same”

You scoff and lightly push his arm, “Joel!” 

“I’m jus’ kiddin’" being a wise cracker. 

You finish your drinks and place it on the wooden coffee table. The record scratches and your favorite song from the album starts, “Heavenly” 

You let out a soft moan as the melody echoes around the living room, “Ohhhh This is a great song”

Joel slowly lifts himself off of the couch letting out a low grunt. 

“Don’t hurt yourself, old man” you joke. 

“Shut up” he scoffs. He turns his body to yours and stretches his hands out. You eye him up and down acting like you don’t know what he wants. 

“Can I help you?” Raising an eyebrow. 

“C’mon, honey. Don’t leave me hangin’" he declares. 

Chuckling at the request, you shake your head and sink deeper into the couch, “Mmm but I’m so comfyyy” 

Joel takes your small hands into his and pulls your body up off of the sofa. 

“Just one dance,” he pleads. You can’t say no to those eyes. 

“Only because you asked nicely” You allow him to lead. 

“There she is” encouraging you. 

Your fingers lock in between his and Joel starts walking backgrounds to the middle of the room. He spins you around like a princess. Your limber arms wrap around Joel’s neck. His hands explore your body until they find your lower back. He pulls you in closer and your bodies connect. Your breath hitches and muscles tense when you catch a scent of his cedar cologne. His eyes, his body, his strong presence, his charm; Joel is walking temptation. But you’re willing to take a bite out of the forbidden fruit. 

“God, please kiss me” you beg him in your mind. 

Joel takes your soft hand and connects it to his.  He places them on his chest; you can feel his steady heartbeat pulsing through his palm. Your other hand goes from his neck to caressing his shoulder blade. Feeling his muscles through his flannel is enough to make you give in. 

Swaying side to side in the living room you whimsically serenade Joel. Your head swings back taking in every touch, every detail of Joel, every overwhelming feeling of joy from tonight. You’ve liked Joel for quite a while, hell every woman in Jackson fancied him. You’d watch women try and talk to him, but he always stayed his quiet stubborn self. You on the other hand would never dare make a move; mostly because you're best friends with his brother and Ellie is like a daughter to him. It would make things too awkward, dating a parent to one of your students. 

On top of that, who has time for relationships when the world is crumbling around you? All you hope for is to survive another day in this life. As you sway in the living room, you close your eyes and let your mind wander. Your thoughts create mental pictures of what life would be like if you allowed Joel into your life. You fantasize about sharing a home that resembles you both perfectly, a mix of rustic and simple. Maybe a cabin up in the mountains or a rancher with acres of land. The idea makes you sigh. 

Then, the other side of your fantasies creep in. The impermissible fantasies. You and Joel in bed unable to keep your hands off one another. Your bodies colliding and worshipping each other until there isn’t a breath left in you. You wonder how long it’s been since he’s been intimate with a woman. A spark hits your core that you haven’t felt in a while. You’d be lying if you said Joel doesn’t sneak into your mind when it’s late at night and you want to relieve some pent up stress. 

You’re pulled back from your mental daydream when you feel Joel’s plump lips gently nibble your neck. You gasp at the touch and grasp his broad shoulders. He can tell you liked that. That spark starts moving down your tummy. 

You face Joel and his eyes are locked on yours. You smirk and  bring your body  closer. You’re like Eve in the garden and Joel’s the snake. If he were the devil, you’d pay to go to hell. 

“You like what you see, Mr. Miller” you decide to play along. 

“As a matter of fact, I could look at this view for the rest of my life” His charm is killing you .

 Your cheeks get toasty and your eyes meet the floor. But, Joel’s thumb brushes your chin bringing your eyes back to him. Your heart feels like it’s going to jump into your throat. 

“No no… I wanna see you, kitten” Joel pleads.

You think if he calls you that again you’ll attack him right there in the living room. 

His big rough palms cup your face and your breath hitches. His hands are warm and comforting. 

“Joel,” you whisper. His face is inching closer to yours. 

“We… we shouldn’t. It’s not right” you mumble. 

Joel’s one hand moves from your face to your hair. His fingers tangle into your curls. Slowly the world is melting and all you can focus on are those chocolate eyes. 

He lets out a long sigh and brushes his palm along your face, “You’re so damn gorgeous. You don’t need to be afraid of me” 

“I… I’m not afraid. I just want to be… professional”

He laughs, “Professional? We’re not at school, sugar” 

You’re embarrassed at your choice of words, “I mean… ya know… your brother is my friend… and you’re one of my students dad’s… I just don’t want things to become awkward” 

Before you can say another word, Joel places his thumb on your lips; a nice way of telling you to “shut up”. 

“It doesn’t have to be awkward. And we’re not breakin’ any laws. We’re allowed to feel happiness” 

He’s inches from your face, his strong nose brushing up against yours giving you goosebumps. 

“Joel..” you whimper. There’s a desperation in your tone. But not out of want, more out of need. You crave Joel Miller. 

“Can… I kiss you? Please” He mutters. 

You bite your lip; you’re overwhelmed with lust and desire. You close your eyes and surrender yourself to him. 

You nod your head, “Yes” you mumble. 

You feel his lips touch the tip of your nose. He maneuvers to your cheek brushing against it and goes to the other side. Then,  his mouth finds the middle of your forehead. 

As he travels along your face, Joel takes in every breath that escapes your body. He takes in every little sound that escapes your lips. He takes in the scent of your hair and skin, a mix of rose petals and rain. Joel is taking in every moment trapping it into his memory forever. 

His thumb caresses your bottom lip which curve into a seductive grin. You pucker your lips and kiss his rough skin. His thumb is replaced by his luscious lips. Finally, your lips collide; something you’ve only fantasized about finally coming to life. 

A soft moan escapes you and you grasp onto his broad shoulder. Your other hand finds his salt n pepper curls caressing them gently. Joel deepens the kiss and his tongue slips into your mouth. His hands travel from your face to your waist pulling you closer. 

“Joel” you say breathlessly. His mouth explores your jawline leaving little kisses along your skin and down to your neck. 

You tug at his flannel and your eyes roll back. You’re seconds away from ripping off his flannel and throwing him on the coach. Before you can make a move, Joel stops kissing you. You whine and try to pull him back. His hands cup your face. 

“Look at me, baby. If you want me to stop, you need to tell me.” There’s urgency in his tone. 

Joel knows if you give him permission to let him in, there’s no going back. 

“For the love of God, please don’t stop” you whine. 

Joel lets out a low snicker and you reach for him to get closer. His mouth is back on your neck, but his hands travel under your shirt. His warm touch on your bare skin could make you fall to your knees. 

“You’re driving me crazy” Joel says with a sense of urgency. That’s it. You can’t hold back anymore. 

You whimper, “Please Joel…I want you. I’ve craved you for so long…. I’m going to lose my mind if you don’t touch me.” 

Without hesitation, Joel slips his strong arms under your thighs and hoist you up making your squeal. Your legs wrap around Joel’s body. You grab the back of his neck and devour his mouth. 

“My room’s upstairs” you pant in between kissing. 

“I’ll never make it” Joel utters. 

He carries you to the middle of the room overlooking the fireplace. He lays you down gently on the floor and your back connects with the fur rug. 

Without breaking the kiss, Joel hovers over you letting his calloused hands explore your curves. You tug at your shirt, but Joel’s hands overlap stopping you. 

“I want to undress you.” Joel begs. 

You place your arms over your head closing your eyelids, “I’m all yours” 

That does it for him. Watching you sprawled out on the rug surrendering yourself to him makes his cock  twitch in his jeans. 

His hands are at the bottom of your striped sweater. Slowly, they glide up with your sweater and you feel the fabric tickle your skin. It travels up over your head until Joel tosses it to the side. His strong hands on your torso, he whistles at the sight of your black laced bra. 

“God, baby. You’re a goddess” he dives in between your breasts kissing and caressing them. You moan as a way of encouraging him to continue. 

He’s teasing you. You love it but need more of him. 

 His hands move south and loop around the button of your jeans. ‘Pop’ goes the button and his hands grip the sides. 

“Legs up, kitten” he commands. You do as you’re told. 

“Good girl” he mumbles as they slide off your thighs. The jeans are tossed in the corner next to your sweater. 

He places a kiss on your birthmark below your knee. His beard tickles your skin, making you chuckle. 

“What” he questions smiling. 

“Just tickles” 

You sit up in front of him fiddling at his flannel buttons. 

“My turn” you say, giving Joel  the most “come fuck me” look in your eyes. 

He smirks and puts his hands on his thighs, letting you take the lead. You start unbuttoning his flannel letting it slide off of his broad body. You’re in awe of his strong physique. You touch his warm broad chest and let your nails trail down to his solid torso. Your panties soaking through the fabric just by touching him. 

“Jesus, you are so sexy” You whimper. 

Joel grabs your chin and brings his mouth to yours. Your tongues collide and your hands find his belt buckle. He helps you take his pants off and you’re both left in your underwear. 

“Tell me what you want, darling,” Joel asks you. He wants to hear you say it. 

“Mmm… I want you, Joel. I can’t take it..” 

“I’m gonna take such good care of my baby girl”

 he unclips your bra and it slides off your chest. Joel takes you into his arms and gently lays you back down. The embers from the fire reflect off of his chocolate eyes.

“Kitten… I need to taste you”

Your body nervously jerks at his request. Surprisingly enough, you’ve never experienced pleasure… in that way. Joel can sense a shift in your comfort, he fears he may have upset you. 

“If..you don’t want me to, I won’t” Joel says. 

You feel like you’re about to admit a lifelong secret to him. Cheeks start to feel toasty as you confess, “Joel… I.. no one has ever done that to me before.” 

You’re waiting for him to laugh, but he actually shows expressions of surprise. He’s flabbergasted, but secretly aroused at your confession.

“Honey… nobody’s ever kissed her?” 

You purse your lips and nod “no”. 

“What kind of boys have you dated?”

You laugh at his remark, the situation doesn’t feel as uncomfortable. His thumb glides along your temple. 

“My poor sweet girl.. you’ve been missin’ out on a woman's greatest pleasure.”

“Well.. it’s not that I’ve told my past boyfriends no. They.. just never offered and I’d feel selfish for asking” 

Joel is intrigued by your innocence. How can you be so sweet? 

 “Babygirl, you should never feel selfish for wanting to be satisfied. Let me show you how a man is supposed to cherish a woman” 

A knot forms in your tummy about the idea of Joel’s mouth on your flesh. You’ve never felt more nervous and excited. You kiss his mouth, colliding with his lips you whisper, “Okay”

His lips trail down your jaw and neck making you quiver. The adventure continues to your chest, his warm palm kneading your breasts. You shriek and arch your back when his warm mouth puckers around your pebbled nipple. Joel gently massages it with his mouth and watches you endure the sensation. As a way of encouraging him, your fingers twirl into his gray locks not wanting him to break contact. He takes his time pleasuring you with his touch and tongue. Joel feels honored to be the first to satisfy you in this way. He wants to make the moment last forever, for both of you. 

His calloused hands glide up and down your inner thigh planting delicate kisses. His beard makes your limbs jolt from anticipation. He looks up at you; Your eyes focused on the ceiling, hands gripping the rug, lips slightly parted. Your legs are slightly shaking knowing what’s about to happen. Joel adores the excitement and shyness you’re expressing. 

“You okay, darlin’?.. Don’t want you goin’ into a seizure” he jokes.

You chuckle softly and whisper “yes, I’m fine”

He groans looking at your lace panties, a noticeable damp spot in the center turns him on. 

“Is this all for me, baby?” He says smirking up at you. Before you can respond his thumb brushes up against your panties, gently massaging your pearl. The lace rubbing up against your sensitive spot makes you shriek. 

“Ohh my…. Joel…”  your back arches off the rug. Joel hooks one of your thighs over his shoulder, kissing and leaving a little bite mark on the inner side of your leg, Marking his territory. 

Joel fists your panties in his hand and moves them to the side. He damns all the fools you dated in the past, who weren’t man enough to pleasure you in such a way. Licking his lip, he plants a soft kiss on your pearl making your legs jerk. A gasp trails around the room. He quickly grips your thighs to keep you from squirming. You’re his now.

“Mmmmm” Joel groans seeing you glistening all for him. He kisses your sensitive spot again, this time with a flick of his tongue. Joel looks up at you, he’s in all watching you express the ecstasy he’s created for you. Lips gaped, eyes rolling back, body slightly arched and his favorite, the sweet gasps and whimpers you make all because of his mouth. 

Once he’s trapped you, there’s no stopping him. His mouth rotates between kisses and suckles on your cunny and pearl making you feel weightless. 

And your taste… god your taste. To Joel, you’re the sweetest peach he’s ever savored. It’s better than he ever thought it could be. 

“Joel…I… fffuck” you have no words. 

The fire in your core starts making its way to your sweet spot. Your body is scorching, but you’re not sure if it’s from the heat of the fire or Joel’s talented mouth. 

“Joel.. please, I’m gonna come” you whimper. The pleasure is too much to handle but you pray he doesn’t hold back. 

Joel latches on to your flesh a little harder, his grip on your meaty thighs gets tighter. You’re howling his name. With your flesh on his mouth, he mumbles for you to unravel on him. And you do. It’s like one million firecrackers have gone off in your body. Stars and bright lights blind your gaze. 

“I’m coming… I’m coming.. Joel, I’m coming!!” 

Your hands find his hair and hold on for dear life; you wonder if you could pass out from such intense pleasure. 

Pushing him off your tortured flesh, “Okay, Joel. JoelJoelJoel.. please” 

Joel smirks and gives one last kiss on your puffy pearl. He wipes his mouth on your thigh, the skin glistening with juices. 

You have no words for him. You grab his face and bring him down to you. You taste your juices on his lips. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you feel his bulge rubbing against your slit. 

“Amazing… that was amazing” you moan into the kiss. 

“I need more. Please, Joel”  

“I know, honey.” his hands glide along your thighs tracing your soaked panties. 

“Rip em off” you command panting 

He gives a devilish grin “So needy” 

With one grip, your panties are torn off you. But he doesn’t toss them aside; He places them next to his jeans. He plans on keeping them as a souvenir. 

With your legs wrapped around his waist, you use your legs to shimmy his boxers down lining him up to your opening. You gasp at the length of Joel; he’s huge. Your eyes widen at the idea of all of him being inside you. 

“You okay?”

You look up at his chocolate eyes and nod in approval. The light from the fire creates a beautiful glow to the room. Your shadows dance on the walls with the vinyl skipping to the next song. 

“Joel.. it… it’s been a long time for me” you confess. He understands. Kissing your forehead, he comforts you. 

“I know, babygirl. I’ll be gentle. If it hurts, I promise I’ll stop” 

Joel cups his cock in his hand lining himself. His swollen tip teases your opening, making you shriek. 

“Tell me what you want, baby girl,” Joel mutters.

Looking into his eyes, your arms latch onto his broad back, “I need you inside me, Joel. I .. I need you” you pant desperately. 

With that, Joel glides inside of you. You gasp and grab onto his back. Not breaking eye contact, Joel sees the pleasure fill your gaze. It’s overpowering, but divine at the same time. 

You throw your head back whimpering an “Ohh god… Jo..”. 

“I know, baby. Just relax for me” Joel mutters. He grabs hold of your thighs pushing himself all the way in. He grunts at how tight and wet you are. He pins your leg on his shoulder again which helps with the comfort. Then, you feel all of him. 

He kisses your lips and slowly starts grinding his hips against you. You gasp as you feel him hitting your sweet spots. 

“Ahhh… J-Joel” your teeth dig into your bottom lip fighting every urge to not unravel around him. 

“You’re taking me so good, kitten”  he hisses into your ear. 

When he sees you enjoying yourself, his grinds start hitting deeper, a little faster. Deep down, you knew he would be amazing at sex. His hand cups your face and wipes a little tear away. 

“Am I hurting you?” His tone concerning. 

You nod, “N-no…you feel so amazing, Joel. So full.” 

You’ve craved his cock, and now he’s here. You’re here together. 

You rake your nails into his shoulder blade and sing sweet whimpers into his ear. He devours your neck with kisses breathing in your beautiful scent. 

Your animalistic side shows itself. You graze his earlobe with a soft purr making him shiver. “Harder, baby. Fill me up” you end that sentence with a desperate moan. 

He looks at you with a smirk. “You’re gonna be the death of me” 

He removes your leg off his shoulder. “Hold on” he whispers. 

You clasp onto his body and you feel his hands travel to your lower back and the middle part of your spine. With one strong swoop, Joel pulls you up off the floor. With his legs stretched out, your body towers over him. 

Straddling his lap, he’s  hitting every sweet spot. You start rolling your hips into him, trying so hard not to collapse on him. Your breasts hug his chest and his strong hands gently caress your back. 

“Fuck baby, feels so good” Joel moans. You start grinding into him harder; his hands move down your ass guiding you up and down. 

You gasp his name and tangle your fingers into his hair. You pull his grey locks bringing his face to you. Your mouth on  his letting your tongues intertwine.

“Ride me a little harder, honey” he commands. You do as you’re told. Your hips grind harder letting his cock slam into your drenched cunny. Moans and groans echo around the room as you both endure the ecstasy. 

“Joel… you’re amazing”  you moan riding his thick shaft. You throw your head back and Joel is mesmerized but the trickles of sweat gleaming down your neck. He nibbles at getting a taste of your beautiful skin. 

“Baby girl…ff fuck… feel her pulsating for me. She was aching to wrap around me” Joel gasps. 

Your hand finds the back of his neck, “mmmhmm….” 

You look at him with a fire in your eyes, “Spank me, Joel”. 

There’s wickedness in his grin. “What’s the magic word, darling” 

You throw your head back, “please… pleaseee” 

“Good girl” 

Rubbing the soft skin of your ass, Joel lays a hard SLAP.

You shriek from the pain and pleasure. A couple seconds later Joel gives you another SLAP. 

“Mmmm” you moan, throwing your head back. You're clenching around Joel  as you ride him. You can’t last much longer.

“Joel…I’m close… I’m so close!” You pant as your body becomes boneless. His hands make imprints on your skin. 

“Me too, baby” Joel pants holding onto you. 

After a couple more strokes. You feel the fireworks again. This time it was more intense. 

“Aaaahhhhh” you shut your eyes, but Joel palms your face. 

“Open your eyes baby, I wanna see you unravel” 

You open them and don’t dare look away from him. He swears he sees comets in your eyes as you ride out your high. Sweet gasps escape your mouth as you lose yourself on Joel. You whimper over and over grasping onto his broad shoulders. 

And then, Joel follows.

Joel mumbles your name, followed by a low groan. He hugs you tight, laying his forehead on yours. His mouth parts and his body spasms. You hold him close to you, letting him know you’re with him. As he’s coming down from his high, he lets out a soft sigh and falls into your chest. You take his face into your hands and gently kiss his temples.

“That was….” you whisper. Joel still has no words. All he can do is keep you near him and try to catch his breath. You gently glide your nails along his back and shoulder blade to calm his body down. 

“Are you okay, Joel? You’re shaking” 

Joel lifts his head up and glares at you. His eyes glassy from years of pent up tension finally released. 

“I’ll be okay. Jus’…. that was intense” he heaves. 

You plant a soft kiss on his forehead, “It was for me too”

All you want is to stay here in this moment together. You hug him close and he rests his head on your chest. You run your fingers through his grays and close your eyes. You sigh as you endure the warmth from the fireplace and the crackling of the wood. 

“Joel, can you stay with me tonight?” 

“Of course, baby girl” 

Giving one last peck on his lips, you pull yourself up. Joel grunts when you slide off of his cock. 

“Can I grab water from the kitchen?” Joel asks. 

“Sure, honey” 

Before walking upstairs to your bathroom, you grab his flannel and toss it over your shoulder. 

Pushing the shower curtain to the side, you turn the faucet on. You run your hand under the water until it’s nice and warm. Pouring your lavender soap into the water, bubbles start to dance in the tub. You hear Joel’s heavy footsteps come up the stairs as you grab two towels from the hall closet. You quickly throw his flannel into your room. 

There he is, standing there naked as the day. You glide over to him as he stands at the top of the steps with a glass of water. His scent is a mix of cologne and sex. 

“Hey” you whisper standing in front of him. 

A smile curves onto your face. He hands you the glass and you take a sip. 

You take his hand and guide him to the bathroom. The scent of lavender fills the small space. You draw a little heart on the fogged up mirror. 

“You’re cute” Joel says, kissing your neck from behind. 

Placing the glass on the bathroom counter, you put your hair up in a messy bun. Joel climbs into the tub and you follow. Your feet reach the faucet to turn off the water. 

With your head resting on Joel’s broad chest, you listen to his steady heartbeat. 

“This is nice” you murmur. He agrees with a low mmhmm. You cup your hand into the suds and  blow on them making them whirl around in the air. It makes Joel chuckle. He takes his arm and wraps it around you embracing your naked curves. 

“I can’t get enough of you, baby girl” he whispers in your ear. 

Joel takes your bar of soap and gently bathes your skin. His strong hands massage your chest and shoulders. 

 You slowly turn your body now laying on him. You give a soft kiss on his lips and tell him you’re glad he stayed. He agrees. Your hands find Joel’s gray locks. 

“Hey, you’re gettin’ me wet” he chuckles as droplets fall on his face. 

Your hands slick his grays back giving him a different look than what he usually does. Surprisingly, he looks even sexier. 

“You should do this more often. Looks good slicked back” you compliment. 

He moves in and kisses your forehead. 

“Let’s go to bed, darlin’” 

You pull yourself out of the tub and Joel admires the suds dripping off your curves. You wrap yourself in a towel and dry off. You walk into your room and take Joel’s flannel. You let the fabric hug your body and look at yourself in the mirror. You adjust the buttons and let the flannel hang off one of your shoulders. Joel struts into your room with a towel dangling along his waist. 

He stops in his tracks observing you in his flannel. Your feet patter on the floor coming towards him. 

“No no… stay right there”

He’s not just looking at you, he’s taking you in. He’s taking in your curves hugging his flannel. How your hair falls perfectly on your head. Your smile, your stance, everything. 

“Gorgeous” he says, shaking his head. 

You walk over to him and interlace hands. “Come to bed” 

Walking backwards you guide him to the side of the bed. Tossing the blanket upward, you climb into your side of the bed. Adjusting your pillow, Joel’s towel slides off of his waist. He’s like a Greek god in front of you. He climbs in next to you, his body dipping into the mattress. He turns off the lamp and only the light from outside fills the room. Your heart flutters watching the snow fall from the sky. Perfect ending to a perfect night. 

Your head  meets the pillow and slumber immediately hits you. Lying on your side, Joel spoons you from behind letting your arms and legs pretzel into each other. 

You kiss his hand and whisper good night. 

“G’night, kitten” he whispers in your ear. 

While your body slowly falls asleep, Joel watches the snow fall outside. He runs his fingers through your waves, you’re even more exquisite when sleeping. He places his hand on your chest feeling your slowed breath vibrate up and down. 

He murmurs your name. No response; he knows you’re out. 

“I love you” he whispers next to your ear. He’s wanted to say that the minute he laid his eyes on you. 

His head lays back and allows sleep to take over him. It’s the first time in years he slept through an entire night. 

Arms embracing, legs roped around each other cheek to cheek; he never lets you out of his reach. 

Tagging my faves: @baronessvonglitter @whocaresstillthelouvre @joelsrose @stylesispunk @mrs-hardy-hunnam-butler-pascal @joeldarling @littledes1re @easytrooper @ajpikeisamenace @fairylights-throughthemist

[alicelillianshaw]

Well that was gratifying. It was a good imitation, according to Jack.

(Despite having never met the creature).

Alice feels another stab of longing— wishing she had met him years ago. Early enough that she could have shown him Gub Gub. So she could have done his little wheeks side-by-side for comparison, and Jack would probably laugh just like now, belly-deep and infectious and charming in the way his eyes narrowed in amusement.

Maybe, with Jack alongside her, Alice's life wouldn't have been so turbulent in college. It was a lot to project, on someone she just met, but— but she felt understood by Jack. She felt content alongside him.

Something in her belly warms, hearing Jack compliment.

Yeah— they definitely would have gotten along with him.

But now she wants to hear about him.

It's one thing to scroll through a wikipedia page — it's another thing to hear about a family through someone's lived experience.

Not just anyone, but Jack's.

Everyone— save for a few cousins — remained here on the East coast.

They had roots here, by this ocean. New York City. The oil business. Car manufacturing. A great-grandfather with an entire brood of kids, and four whole wives!

Alice laughs at that.

Imagines some tycoon, dressed in a waistcoats, dripping with money, with an entire football team's worth of children.

'He fell in love with New York so much that he just made his kids promise that they’d always stick around and not wander too far. He was a real hard ass, apparently. I only met him when I was like really little. He was really old, and I was sorta scared of him. He made this whole big thing about staying close together, and how he wanted his kids and grandkids and great grandkids to stay on the coast because the Kennedy family had made history, and we helped shape and build New York and the surrounding areas and whatever.'

Alice just stares at Jack as he talks— smiling to herself, engrossed in a family history that could fill a documentary.

But besides all the history?

She liked hearing Jack talk. Liked hearing how history intertwined with his memories.

When he apologizes for sharing, Alice makes a harsh noise, waves her hand at him aggressively from across the pool.

"Stop, stop!" A huff. "Don't apologize for sharing that. Or sharing anything with me, honestly. That's so fucking cool." A grin, and Alice churns the water with her left foot. Little Jack. Terrified of his great grandfather. Descended from a long line of people who made an impact.

And now he sat in congress! Created laws and policy.

Impacted the entire world.

"I mean– your family could be in a fucking episode on PBS." she shakes her head. "The fact that you can go to New York and point out all the things that your family made happen... that's so fucking cool."

"If I were your great grandfather, I'd probably make everyone promise to stay in the area too."

And now Alice won't be able to look at New York the same. There was simply no way she'd be able to walk about the city and not peer and buildings and bridges and bays and wonder if the Kennedy family had touched the area— built it and placed their mark.

She would never not be able to see Jack in every street.

It made her glad.

"You know— I'm kind of picturing your great grandfather as one of the rich guys from Mary Poppins. Very fancy tailored suit and waistcoat. A pocket-watch." She smiles. "Maybe he didn't look like that at all, but that's how I picture a tycoon, I guess."

Jack laughed. Deep, from his belly, at Alice’s attempt at happy guinea pig noises. His face felt warm. He shook his head in slight disbelief. They were getting very comfortable with one another.

“I bet he sounded exactly like that.”

That had to be the cutest thing anyone had ever done, right?

Jack was happy to hear that Alice had family nearby. A sister to visit over a long weekend. But what really made Jack feel happy and warm was when Alice told him that she liked her family, and that she’d wanted to share them with Jack because she liked him. That’s what was implied, anyway, and it nearly made his heart burst out of his chest right then and there.

“Well, thanks. I like hearing about your family. They all seem pretty cool.”

Jack had to bite his tongue to refrain from saying something like: and it’s very kind of them to take in an alien girl and raise her alongside humans.

He didn’t want to risk losing any points. New Mexico was very important to him now.

When Alice asked about his family, Jack sighed, his expression remaining neutral. He loved his family. He really did. But when he thought back on his childhood, he felt sad sometimes. He didn’t dare speak those feelings out loud because any sane person would’ve looked at him like he was crazy.

Your parents are … millionaires? You’re a white guy who is set up for life and who got everything you asked for growing up, and thinking about your childhood makes you feel sad? 

It was still the way that he felt. His mother was overbearing and cared too much what people thought. She wanted to show off through Jack — the perfect son with perfect grades who could speak two languages at age ten. She always presented little Jackson as athletic and bold and polite and passionate and beautiful.

His father didn’t really acknowledge him at all when he was young, which made Jack feel totally disconnected from the man. Jack loved his father, and his father loved Jack deeply. They’d actually grown closer as Jack got older, but after this most recent scandal, something had shifted in their relationship. His father was disappointed in Jack, and it was difficult not to notice.

It hurt a lot.

Alice was asking about where his family stayed, not what he felt about his family growing up, so he smiled softly and answered her question.

“Yeah. Most of my family is here. I think the only people who have ever made it out of the east coast are like … some of my cousins who wanted to try traveling or living somewhere else, but I don’t know. Everyone always comes back. We have a lot of roots here.”

Jack shrugged. Jack wasn’t sure if he could ever leave the east coast. He really loved it there.

A lot of this was publicly known, but he decided to tell Alice anyway because — well, she’d asked, and it was presumptuous to think that she’d studied his entire family history before this interview.

“So, my grandpa used to tell me a lot of stories about our family history, which I really enjoyed. We made this really big family tree, but we got stuck somewhere in the 1700s. Anyway. My great-great-great whatevers got into the oil business, made a shit ton of money, then got into the car manufacturing businesses at the turn of the century, and a bunch of boring stuff that made a lot of money. My great grandfather used to go to New York a lot, and he apparently loved it. So he settled down there. Had a ton of kids. Four wives.”

She hadn’t asked for a history lesson. Jack knew that, and he felt a little embarrassed at having ranted for so long, but talking about this stuff felt very easy for Alice. It didn't sound as warm and special as the things she'd shared with him, but he still wanted her to know.

“He fell in love with New York so much that he just made his kids promise that they’d always stick around and not wander too far. He was a real hard ass, apparently. I only met him when I was like really little. He was really old, and I was sorta scared of him. He made this whole big thing about staying close together, and how he wanted his kids and grandkids and great grandkids to stay on the coast because the Kennedy family had made history, and we helped shape and build New York and the surrounding areas and whatever.”

Jack kicked his feet in the water.

“Sorry. You... didn’t ask any of that, did you?"

Jack scratched at the back of his head.

"Basically, my mom is from Connecticut. She and my dad met through their families. We're all diehard east coast people, unfortunately.”

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character 2024 — Scripted Redemption Bracket — Round 3.5

Propaganda

Lord Arum (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel) (Boba Count: 3):

umm he's a purple lizard monster that's at least two meters tall, like hello how is that not the sexiest thing you've ever heard. he met two separate humans and said I want to fight them both and he did, and then he said I want to fuck them both and he also did!

Sydney Sargent (Camp Here & There) (Boba Count: 1):

GNC Trans guy with every disorder<3

He’s chronically ill

Has BPD and experiences psychosis

Terribly malnourished because he was cursed to only eat bread & butter

Has mommy issues for days (some with a woman that isn’t even his mom)

Gay yearning for his emotionally repressed childhood friend

Died & was resurrected by a mad scientist with religious trauma

So starved of validation, he got with his stalker (A cult leader who terrorized him at his workplace)

Nobody knows how to love this guy normally. It’s always someone projecting their desire for an idol onto poor Sydney.

Guys he really needs the win

VOTE FOR SYDNEY NOWWWWNOWNOWNOW HES LIGTERALLU SO HOT

Additional propaganda below the cut:

Lord Arum (The Penumbra Podcast: Second Citadel):

#lord arum is a tsundere who makes best noise

#lord arum is a hor purple lizard monster who owns my heart okay #yes i would fuck the 2 meter anthropomorphic lizard monster okay. and what? so would you

Sydney Sargent (Camp Here & There)

Canon trans man, initials are LITERALLY S.O.S. how cool is that I love him, the only thing holding camp here and there together I swear, yearning, pining, aching, HE JUST WANTS A HUG PLEASE GIVE HIM A HUG

sydneyyyy october sargent

#VOTE SYDNEYYYYY #hes being consumed by the forest he has a SpIn in mushrooms hes silly [CANON] he roleplays warrior cats with his worms #everyone hates him and wants him dead but god said Faggot! you will live forever (/ref) #he was behind the ketamine needle incident. #he’s goth he likes wearing fluffy dresses he’s canonically trans he’s fat he’s 5’3 he has every disease #hes autistic he wears mushrooms and live insects in his hair #YOUR BODY MY TEMPLE WAS WRITTEN ABOUT HIM. NEED I SAY MORE #HES EVEN GAY #PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU HES SO IMPORTANT TO ME orz #ok thats all thank you and goodnight

#SYDNEY. IT’S SYDNEY. #i haven’t listened to chnt in forever but sydney is very sexy. very much indeed. that says a lot coming from me.

Propaganda for Sydney. I want him. I want him so bad it’s not even funny

[reigraceee]

Notes from a first-time severance viewer: Woe's Hollow edition

aka: a day one Mark x Helly shipper goes on the biggest emotional rollercoaster of the season

part one / prev part / sev notes tag

So basically, what I've been doing is sharing my experience and notes from going into Severance blind. And if you know anything about my thoughts on previous episodes, you'd know that I'm a huge fan of Mark and Helly. So. This was a wild episode for me.

Now, unfortunately because I was binge-watching, I never took a moment to reflect and realize that Helly was not actually the Helly I knew. So... the reveal in this episode absolutely killed me lol.

Obviously, my experience is different because I got to binge the season, and thus I'd like to know what other people thought of the episode! Let me know what you thought watching Woe's Hollow in the notes!

^While the whole show has elicited a lot of confusion from me, this ep was the most wild lol. This was the first time the innies were getting to experience the outdoors (not counting the OTC) which is cool, but I wish they explored that more. Then again, there was enough going on in this episode.

^*insert meme of the monkey looking away awkwardly*

I genuinely (and this is embarrassing to admit because I'm pretty aromantic and spend a lot of time complaining about how there's too much romance in media) spent the first few episodes of s2 just waiting for Mark and Helly to kiss lol. What can I say? They're special to me. Partly because I see a lot of myself in them, but Severance kind of was/is the markhelly show to me, especially on first watch. Now of course I love all of Severance and I've since taken time to rewatch and digest everything so that I can properly appreciate other aspects, but I just love Mark and Helly so much and they were forefront in my mind lol.

^turns out the actors were actually filming outdoors which must have been a fun change in scenery lol

^I think I typed this down when Irv was creeping and watching Mark and Helly from behind a tree or something weird like that, idk. I think at this point I'd noticed enough of Helly's odd behavior to be suspicious of her, although I hadn't really stopped to put it all together. I *do* remember wondering if Lumon did something to change her or if there was another influence at play, but I never seriously considered that Helly was actually Helena.

The difference between binge watching and waiting weeks at a time, is that instead of trying to answer questions with theorizing and reflecting, I just tried to move forward as much as possible to find out what happens next lol. So, my experience was definitely way different than those who spent months digesting and growing a relationship with the show.

^You know what? First of all, I called it. Second of all, I still want to know where Miss Huang and Mr. Milchick went! It really keeps me up at night, the way they just disappeared.

^*insert meme of the monkey looking away awkwardly*

This was the scene where she went to visit Irving in his tent. I was basically yelling at the scream for Helly to tell Irving that she was an Eagan in my blissful ignorance.

Also, I was really puzzled by this scene. I remember thinking "Would Helly make a snow animal?" because while it was really cute and all, it really felt out of character. Not out of character in a bad way (like the way she suddenly turned into a gaslighted) but just in a way that felt a little off.

Anyways, thankfully the real Helly isn't a gaslighter, because I was getting really frustrated with her in these first few episodes. It felt like a character assassination, and I was really confused lol.

^Ok but seriously!! I got the impression that the book was supposed to be about the two brothers but then the twin got killed off in chapter two! I just want to know how much wilder the plot could get please.

^*insert meme of the monkey looking away awkwardly*

Why did I even say that?? My goodness, I'm dead lol

I guess because I was getting evil vibes from Helly? Which I mean if I'd just thought about it for a second more maybe...

^This is sad, but I got really excited lol. The realization I had later was the BIGGEST letdown. I was just trying to ignore the signs and root for these two smh. And it was an especially big deal for me to be so excited, because (like I said before) I usually hate romance plots. These two were so specially to me and I just wanted it to be real lol

^I was getting so bothered by Helly and I could not with her lying. I felt like I was trying SO HARD to be team Mark x Helly and Helly was ruining it by being a little liar. I guess I just thought Helly was ashamed and needed to talk things out. But now that I know the difference between Helly and her outie, I really don't think Helly could ever be this bothered by things. Not in this way at least. Helly is headstrong and upfront. Whenever she has a problem, she's always quick to express it. Helly's honestly a really great communicator.

^See, besides my annoyance with Helly lying, I also feared that their relationship was doomed because of the reintegration. I was pretty much just trying to get what I could before it all completely fell apart lol

^me crashing out, still completely oblivious, while Irving was figuring it out lol

^So the fun part of binge-watching things is that reveals hit you right over the head. I mean I felt that. When Mark gets all piss-y in the next couple of episodes, I totally understood because I experienced the same grief firsthand lol. I mean truly, I gasped so hard I had to take a few moments to catch my breath again. It all came crashing down on me so hard. It was like this revelation of "Oh! of course!" with a sprinkle of extra confusion because I didn't understand what Helena was trying to achieve. I mean, to this day I'm still trying to decipher what her game is, but it was extra confusing then.

^I WAS HAVING SO MUCH FUN UNTIL I WASN'T

At this point I was just very broken hearted because all the progress I was waiting for in Mark and Helly's relationship was just thrown away. I was certain my ship was dead lol. Also, I guess I was too devastated to notice that they killed Irving, because I was really confused as to what happened to him when I started the next episode. I owe him a formal apology.

I'm sorry Irving. You knew better than I did. My feelings for them kept me from seeing objectively. I'm ashamed I couldn't figure out that my favorite character got replaced by her evil twin :'(

Personally, I think this is one of my favorite episodes (if not THE favorite). The reveal was really cool for me, and it was really fun to watch the mystery of why Helly was acting weird unfold. Theorizing is fun and all, but there's something about the whiplash I experienced this episode that I wouldn't trade for any other experience lol.

[glitteringcrab]

I FIGURED OUT* HOW THEY DID THE SWITCH

*maybe

AND IT'S BRILLIANT

Soooo @jerrysbeestruther had figured out the moment of the switch (spoiler alert; it's this moment)

If their theory is right, Eyepatch Morty's yellow portal did not lead them straight to Prime's lair, but... somewhere else...

...where Eyepatch Morty armed Morty Prime with a special eyepatch (which my guess is can read minds, heal the wearer from injuries... and yes, mind-blow the wearer) and with those little yellow override cylinders. In addition, the two kids had actually time to plan a switch between them (we know Eyepatch Morty has a huge time crystal in his home, so all that is possible).

But in any case, we didn't have the how of they did the switch. @jerrysbeestruther's original theory involved a mind-swap of some sort, but I no longer think that's the case (although I do think they were right about the "moment" of the switch). I think it was an actual body swap of some sort.

Of course, one would think "oh, it's just some sci-fi method to instantly switch places. This is Rick and Morty, they have crazy science stuff, the exact how doesn't matter"...

...and they would be right.

Of course, it would also be cool if the method was already discreetly introduced by the show, but, eh...

And then I was just thinking today, that we absolutely do have a method to make people instantly switch places that was introduced by the show.

But it wasn't discreetly introduced.

In fact, we have heard it explained "in great scientific detail"...!

BOOM:

...aaaand a way to restore the timelines in the way they were before.

BOOM:

The cherry on top for this is that we don't know if Eyepatch Morty has ever faced this plotline, but we know for certain that Morty Prime has heard the idea explained, in great scientific detail. I'm willing to bet anything that HE was the one who pitched the idea of the switch to Eyepatch Morty, who had the equipment, resources and knowledge to take Rick's shitty idea and expand on it, improve it, and make it more useful than any Rick was ever willing to do.

So what happens is:

1. The kids isolated a moment in time,

2. Split the reality in two. In the vat-of-acid episode, Morty "splits his probable selves", but that would result in two Morty Primes and two Eyepatch Mortys, so some more elegant method, or a workaround would have to be used.

3. Shunted each other into the other's near-duplicate, equally probably reality, both transported into each other's reality at the moment of parallel determination.

The great, brilliant part of it, is that there isn't one Morty who takes another's place (in which case the copy has to... die).

They're both taking each other's places!!!

4. Then they merged the probable realities. It's even possible that two Morty Primes and two Eyepatch Mortys were indeed created, but they were insta-merged without horrible things happening to the original before the merge (that some Morty had to experience), so it was functionally the same as temporarily splitting the timeline without splitting the Mortys.

In the end they're both left in ONE reality, switched in the blink of an eye, with none of Rick's horrible drama.

BOOM

SWITCHED

Of course, I could be wrong, and it could be something entirely different. But I do think it would be so much better if the switch was based on something already introduced by the show, and I can think of no better example.

In addition, there is no accompanying pink cloud, but I don't think this is all that important. Either Eyepatch Morty was a lot more careful (this technique had to be performed right under Rick Prime's nose...!), or this is just what the switch looks like from the perspective of an external observer.

My favorite parts about this theory:

Eyepatch Morty and Morty Prime worked together

The switch was performed right under Rick Prime's nose

It was 100 times better than the shitty cruel thing Rick did

IT WAS MORTY PRIME'S IDEA

[miz-chase]

Putting together the Bones timeline is a hopeless effort because it's self-contradictory BUT

there's some points in Temperance Brennan's timelines where she goes from only saying one word a day (some time between 13-16 depending on the episode you're watching), is actively abused, goes to Northwestern, is groomed by Stires, gets her BS, MS, and PhD, travels a lot for digs, and then comes out of the process as an entirely different person. She's self-confident in her looks and her intelligence to the point of being cocky, she easily juggles multiple aromantic partners, she has full self-defense training and uses it without a second thought, and is perfectly comfortable commanding others.

Somewhere in there, she got her feet under her. My theory? It's late in her PhD once she and Stires have cooled off (we know he prefers them young, naive, and fawning). Brennan starts going on research digs without him, experiences things good and bad and finds herself capable of handling them on her own. I suspect she mirrors some of Stires's negative character traits (cocky, bossy), because he's the one consistent adult in her life she has to model herself off of. This is part of why season 1 Brennan is so chaotic and violent and I love her.

I am once again thinking about younger!Brennan au and how she would destroy Booth's delicate fee-fees.

Do you ever think about how Temperance Brennan grew up being called the r-slur by adult in her life? Mean kids are one thing, but adults she clearly looked up to, desperate to find someone to show her love?

No wonder she was practically non-verbal

[sunshineandlyrics]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🎉 The Killers showed the last few minutes of the match where England beat the Netherlands and they all celebrated with Mr Brightside (the London O2 Arena, 10 July 2024).

Louis would strongly approve this!

[mochasucculent]

Was looking at refs and since Viktor has two different leg braces I was wondering, do we think he wears them simultaneously?? The refs don't perfectly line up perspective-wise so it's hard to tell but parts of the one he wears during the Hexcore scenes look like they could maybe line up with the brace that he wears over his clothes, but also some parts really don't and look like they'd be super uncomfy. Also HOW does he take these on and off. Experts weigh in

[inkskinned]

you know, you know. no gods, no masters, no kings on pedestals. everyone is fallible. death of the author. you know! you are balanced about your intake of media - you allow the wiggle room, the grace, the gratitude, the skepticism. nobody above criticism.

but still. a weird gut-punch feeling, something akin to betrayal. you read the article. surprise! an author you love is actually: a serial fucking predator.

well, shit. what now. no, you knew he was a person (all people are), but now you're wondering - what have i overlooked by accident? what messages have i internalized that are strange and cruel? and also, like, what the fuck?

his actions lay a thick glaze on top of everything. like each place is now ruined, opaque in a new way. but okay, fine, you've done this before. you knew better, right? you've been betrayed by many a cherished childhood author.

still, this stickiness. fuck. can you pick up that book again. will you read it to your children. you've recommended it to others - will you ever do that again? and of course, of course, no parasocial relationships. you were theoretically above this kind of sentiment. but the artist informs the art, right.

so it's not something as clear-cut as feeling he owed you, specifically (a stranger) better behavior - just that you kind of, in a distant and odd way... sort of trusted him to do better. it's not like a real trust or something speakable, just the faint hope that the product (good books) was a thin representation of the soul. now it feels like the product (good? books?) was a mask. in some small or insignificant way, your previous support of this person lent them power. your money and your time and your laughter.

and the thing is - you have this terrible, echoing sensation. how many times will this happen? over and over. you find out that the singer you love is actually a predator. you learn over drinks that your favorite high school english teacher is in jail for what he did to her. you listen to the news idly and suddenly discover that a woman you used to idolize has been abusing her kids for an actual eon.

what can you touch without the static melting off. you can't even really complain about it too much (you were supposed to know better, and besides, you don't want the same re-split "it's not your fault, love what you love" basic advice), but now it's here. somehow, it feels like - you let him into your life.

it's not that things need to be pure or an artist has to be like, endlessly perfect, mindful. demure. it's more just this terrible truth that has been replayed through your veins so often it feels criminally vain. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. did you want any one person to be worth that power?

it's just that he wrote books where he seemed to understand that. he seemed to know about hierarchies and unfair systems and bigotry and privilege. you thought they were books about what it means to struggle. you thought they were about having power and still using it for good rather than for control. he spooned you a narrative of being a good guy, a kind soul. you fucking bought what that fucking monster sold.

maybe that's why they were fantasies, after all.

[teophan]

a fantastic commission from @themetalhiro of my Dungeons & Devil Fruits 5e Sniper Marksman, Vinsmoke “Starfall Gunner” Beretta!

it was an absolute treat to work with you, looking forward to the next opportunity to do so!

[ricky-mortis]

Curtwen Week Day 6: Happy Ending

[psychomusic]

oc time again! + her town & culture (heavily inspired by pre-roman italic populations)

she is suri sauthon. her story is linked to my swtor imperial agent, tar'x, but most of her life except for the one year away where she meets him, is spent in a town in the mountains of mirial.

despite mirial being cold and desert, and many cities developing underground, her town flourishes thanks to a force nexus, venerated in the form of an ancient, sacred, alive crystal. the ecosystem of that mountain depended on what "the horned crystal" was capable of giving them, but mirialans couldn't live off of that alone, so they developed trade and some rudimental technology, even if oftentimes it was bought thanks to the highly profitable trade of a plant used to make medicines that slowed down aging and had overall healing properties.

note: everything that's generated by this nexus has these healing properties BUT they have to be processed, except for those who bathed in the waters of the cavity under the crystal - the "real" nexus, but not the worshipped one. the waters were sacred but they were not thought to be miraculous, unlike the crystal, who instead was thought of as the keystone of the ecosystem: without it, everything would fall apart (and that is partially true: the cavity was the "real" nexus but thanks to the crystal, also strong in the force, the properties were spread all over the mountains). those who bathed in the cavity's waters - so, all of the town, who had a sort of baptism there - could eat the plant, make whatever food with it, and not only that plant, but everything generated by the nexus, that, again, had similar properties. this allowed people to live up to normal life-spans without advanced medicines or, much, really. to those who didn't live there, though, after the processing, had incredible effects, slowing down aging - for those who took it regularly - and making people able to live up to half a century more than the average]

originally, there were four tribes of nomads that lived thanks to horned farm animals that decided to settle down into one bigger town and other smaller settlements, to live off of transhumance. this division of the tribes stayed into the political and social organization: every person belonged to one tribe specifically, and had slightly different rituals and culture. for examples, each tribe had their own priests and healers, with different techniques and traditions. the town, tho, was guided by a group of people in the high priesthood, a position you could reach only by having earned the trust of all tribes. those high priests had many roles: they guided the people into sacred processions common to all the tribes, they managed the trading with outsiders, they did the maintenance of the temple of the summit (the one that functioned as casket to the crystal) and created a special liquid to offer the crystal that helps it grow.

this particular temple was important because 1. it was very visible, from every angle of the town, and it became an important identity symbol; 2. it stored the venerated horned crystal; 3. it had the altar where sacrifices were made for the crystals. that altar had a hole connected to the cavity, that allowed the liquids to reach the underground; 4. it had various symbols: statues representing each tribe + the high priesthood, and typical mirialan tattoos carved into the wood of the trees that served as columns for the temple, symbolizing 8 values that who dared to enter HAD to have; 5. it was on the way to an important lake (called "mother lake" because the lake the town was built around to depended on the waters of that other lake) where they traveled to in important processions; 6. it was said that a the wizard who unified the tribes made it with its magic, making the plant grow to hold the temple's roof. this wizard was, actually, a force user, obv.

BACK TO HER THOUGH: she's daughter of one of the high priests, who was in charge of managing the trades with outsiders, and lives in a house on the mountains with her mother and him. her parents are from different tribes (that's one of the things that earned him trust from the 4 tribes): when a child is born from two different tribes, they don't pick one to allign to, but they're usually linked automatically to the one with more relatives in it (in her case, the father's tribe: she had many uncles and aunts on his side while her mom only had one sister).

later, though, she got quite tied to her mother's tribe due to a mysterious illness that only her mother's tribe healer was able to cure. she spent 4 years (from 10 to 14 years old) living with the healer and learned her secrets. to better study, she wrote them down. when she returned home, she studied to become a priestess with her father. at 22 (the average age: you can't become priest before your 20s), she was supposed to take a test and become a priestess, but the healer of her mother's tribe died and the tribe asked her to take her place. she couldn't technically do that, but both tribes estimated both her and her parents and she was allowed to become both. she then decided to try to become a high priestess, and became one at 25 (a quite young age). being part of the council, she tried to convince the various tribe healers to unite their knowledges and write them down, and eventually made it. healers still remained tribe based but they now had an "upper, inter-tribe level" similar to high priesthood.

years later, the sacred horned crystal is stolen from the temple by some Hutt mercenaries looking for a profit. given the trust she has earned from all the tribes and the fact that her father is the high priest that deals with outsiders (and she's been hearing stories and advice about it since she was little), she is the one tasked with getting it back. without the growing crystal, the keystone to their ecosystem, the village would have lasted only a few years. in hrr quest, she meets imperial intelligence agent tar'x laran and, as they "solve the mystery" and fight to have it back, they get closer. they'll get married and have a daughter, Vegoia (who's the only one who actually will get to the plot of my story. this was all background)