#yeah so we lost it in a completely different directions sorry?

[crossbackpoke-check]

Fixed point (mathematics) // The History of Perspective // "Point of Disappearance", Dennis Held // How the Hughes hockey family stays grounded // Fixed Point Photography-- // "Portrait of A.", Tung-Hui Hu // Mic'd Up | Hughes NHL 25 cover shoot // "Burnt Norton", T.S. Eliot // "Circuitry", Janine Joseph // Bruce Bennett // Nick Wass // from obedience [maybe one day, during a point in time], kari edwards // Bill Rapai // "Errand Upon Which We Came", Stephanie Strickland // Benchmark (surveying)

art kid luke hughes

[rawliverandgoronspice]

re: last reblog, but to me A Link Between Worlds is kind of the nail of the coffin of my "Ganondorf does have a point in his attempt to seize the Triforce, because that's literally the only fucking option you have if you want to change the natural world, given it's been demonstrated that trying to function outside of these parameters will make the world implode on itself" perspective

I'm not saying world domination is a particularly worthy goal, but literally what else can one aspire to beyond this given the unbelievably restrictive rules of that universe? this is a world conceived to be a hierarchy, and stay one, by design!! Nayru's domain, Wisdom's domain, is literally Natural Rules, and Farore's, Courage, is to create life that can abide by these rules. It's in the very cutscene that introduces them as a mythological concept!!

So if you're unlucky enough to be casted as "one of the bad ones that aren't blessed sorry :/" either you wall yourself in a cave and live your life lowly and miserable, hoping no hero will come break all of your pots while you're out picking up wood, or you take your only reasonable shot at making significant change for yourself. Like what else do you do in such a conservative world??? attempt to build diplomacy, when your entire race is being considered evil thieves inherently, and when you're incredibly underpowered and with nothing of worth to offer your neighbors?? like what is one poor poor gerudo king meant to do :(((((

(caveat in case this leaves the usual circle: no I'm not saying this to undermine that Ganon is a maniac and gleefully violent and egotisical and willing to put others in harm's way in the name of his own hype, nor that he is a worthy ruler with any sort of long-term political vision that would look terribly different from hyrule's --tho giving Ingo the ranch in OoT was kind of an ideological W imo even if Ingo is not a great dude once in charge (which in itself is so interesting ideologically, it's once again a case of You Were Assigned Subordinate And If You Try To Swap Places The Natural World Will Collapse Yes Even If You Are Suffering And Treated Poorly Your Suffering Is Natural While The Suffering Of Those In Charge Is Unnatural)-- but, yeah. One does certainly not prevent the other from also being true)

[reiderwriter]

💫 Starry-Eyed 💫

Pairing: Porn Star! Spencer Reid x fem! Reader

For the CM Kink Bingo Challenge

Summary: For work experience, you take a job working the cameras on a porn shoot, but after becoming suddenly attracted to a new coworker, you shortly find yourself as a fluffer, the person whose job it is to keep the "talent" aroused between takes.

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, Porn AU, College AU kinda, exhibitionism, oral sex (f receiving), consensual voyeurism, masturbation (male), blow job, deep throating, messy orgasm.

A/N: Well, look at where we are. I think this actually counts as my first Alternate Universe fic, which is crazy all things considered. I'm really enjoying the Kink Bingo Challenge as it's leading me to so many new ideas for fics!! I hope you all enjoy this one 🥰

Masterlist || Bingo Board

Being a college student still at age 25 meant many things, but mostly, it meant you had friends at many different stages of their lives. Some were fresh out of high school halls, enjoying their first taste of freedom, some were enjoying their first drops of alcohol. Some were giving up alcohol for good and starting families. 

Some of them were successful porn stars who'd funded their own start-up porn production company. It certainly was one way to use a film degree. You knew a professor or two who would enjoy her work more than half your syllabus as well. 

Candi Rapper had become famous doing cam shows in her first year of college and had gone all-in after graduation. You'd shared a few classes in the early days, before you took a break from college for financial reasons, of course. By the time you'd gone back, she was a big time and now in the position to offer you a job. 

“One of my crews is down a cameraman this weekend. If you're open to it, I pay a fair wage?” she'd offed at your weekly brunch. 

“Will you be the star?” You joked back with her. 

“You wish.” 

You took the job, of course, along with a ride from Candi (her name was Kate, but you'd let her pretend) and pulled up on site bright and alert at 7am. 

The set was a large mansion - typical, Candi said - and you'd be mostly shooting in the living room - typical, Candi said. You'd had to tell her after her second typical that you were, in fact, an adult and had seen at least one porno before until she cut out pornsplaining everything to you. She introduced you to the key staff and the director, and they got you set up at your camera. 

“The shoot today is going to be around 5 hours. You'll be on camera three. The papers in front have your cues and directions. You can have some free time until we start. There's a breakfast spread in the kitchen, help yourself.”

Not one to turn down free food, you bee-lined there and stood awkwardly in line for the coffee with the dozen or so other crew members, eyeing up the take-out pancakes organised across the granite surface. 

“Your first time?” An older man asked from behind you, smiling in a friendly manner. 

“You can tell?” 

“You're thinking about eating the pancakes, and the rest of us are remembering the scene filmed there last weekend," as if on queue, a shiver ran down his spine. "Yeah, we can tell.” You laughed along with the man's joke and finally grabbed your coffee. 

Luck just wasn't on your side, though, as you turned and immediately ran into someone immediately sloshing the coffee onto your shirt. 

“Oh my god, I am so - I'm so sorry, I need to watch where I'm going.” 

You'd run into 6’3” of lanky, awkward male perfection. He looked young, your age or younger most likely, and was fidgeting as he stood, the most obviously uncomfortable person in the building.

Your first thought was “Is he lost?” closely followed by “Can I beg him to get lost in a linen closet somewhere with me?” 

He grabbed a handful of tissues from the counter nearby and began attempting to wipe away the coffee you'd spilt down yourself, completely unaware that he was fondling your breasts in his haste to do so. 

“Slow down there, tiger, shoot doesn't start for another half hour,” you said, winking at him as you took the tissues from his panicked hands and dried yourself as best you could. 

“I know, I memorised the call sheet. Who are you?” His question was blunt, but you weren't taken aback at all, your smile even deepening as you enjoyed his subtle attention. 

“I'm Y/N. It's my first time.” 

He spluttered, coming up with an answer to that, and you immediately cursed yourself for the slip. 

“My first time on set, not my- I'm 25. Not that age determines experience per say but-”

“I'm 22. And my name is Spencer,” he said, grasping your hand and shaking it. 

“So, it's your first time on set?” He asked, relaxing more into the conversation as he stepped closer to you, letting the other staff members come and go from the kitchen. 

“Yeah. My friend offered me the job, you know Candi?” 

He nodded but didn't speak, so you continued. 

“She thought the experience would be good for me. And the cash. Gotta put myself through college somehow, and it was this or stripping.” 

He laughed, and you felt a flash of warmth in your stomach, a familiar hunger spreading across your lower body. Maybe it was just the atmosphere of the set, but the air was charged with arousal. 

“Well, you're certainly attractive enough to do both jobs. I'm sure the camera is going to love you,” he said, sounding so genuine and enthusiastic that you almost felt bad you had to correct him.

“Oh! Oh, no, Spencer, I'm not - I'm, uh, I'm going to be behind the camera. Behind camera number two.” 

His face instantly flushed, and you thought you saw a pang of disappointment there for a second, too. The thought of him being disappointed made your skin heat, that he'd been looking forward somehow to watching you get fucked? Your cunt throbbed and suddenly, you found you did wish to display yourself, to let everyone see if it meant that he got to.

“I am so sorry. I didn't - I thought… No, I didn't think, I… I'll shut up now, please excuse me-” 

“No, Spencer, wait-” 

You tried to call after him, but he sent you an embarrassed smile and walked off in haste, leaving you behind as the director called people to their places. 

You were still flushed with arousal as you moved to your station, getting your camera ready for filming. You were distracted even as the scene started, and the female actress came on set, already stripped down to her underwear and touching herself, teasing the camera. 

Surprisingly, you found the work easy enough, too busy focusing on the settings and the gaze of the camera to even care about what was going on down the lens. She was moaning and writhing and gasping sure, to the benefit of the cameras, and although strangely intimate, nobody in the room seemed bothered, so neither did you. 

Or neither did you until the actual scenario started, and your actress got ‘caught’ doing the dirty by the needy boy next door. You hadn't looked at the call sheet closely enough as Spencer peeped through the door to the bedroom, entering the scene not by accident but as a scripted part of the show. 

Your eyes bulged out of your head as you immediately looked down to your prompt sheet to find his name there. 

LEAD ACTOR: SPENCER REID

His stage name was scribbled next to that, but you paid it no attention as you steadied your camera again and got to filming seriously again. 

The actress had pulled his glasses off and led him to the bed, letting him keep on his sweater vest and tie as she pulled his head between her legs, and he started doing his job. 

Even from your view to the side of him, you could tell this wasn't his first time doing that. His tongue spread across the expanse of her heat, first, letting her grind into his face, getting comfortable before he snaked a hand up to her stomach and held her in place for as long as he so desired.

Then, he rolled her clit into his mouth and sucked. The fake moans and whimpers suddenly became real as you saw the sheer skill of his tongue ripple through the woman's body. 

You couldn't even be jealous at this point, despite how much you sorely wished that were you on the bed. Surely no girl had resorted to porn out of pure horny desire before, right? 

After a while of letting her gasp and moan under his tongue, Spencer's fingers curled inside the other woman as well. The director called cut, and he kept his fingers there, even as they walked him through the next few shots, and instructed him to unzip his pants in the next few clips. 

“Shit,” you muttered to yourself as the cameras started rolling again, and he did finally free himself from his tight khakis. 

You knew you'd probably sign up for whatever was on offer at this company next to see that gift again. Spencer wasn't an impressive size or girth, nothing so alien or out of the ordinary that it only belonged in porn. It was just that his cock looked so… pretty. 

He was an inch or two longer than any man you'd ever been with, you were sure, but his cock seemed to have an air of dignity about it. 

You had to stop yourself at that thought. Dignity? Really? You were working part-time on a porn set, and there was suddenly dignity involved? 

You rolled your shoulders back and tried to find your earlier unbothered attitude. But with his cock in his hands and his face slick with female arousal, you really couldn't bring yourself to think about anything less than his fingers roughly finger-fucking you. 

You tried to close your eyes to it, to be blind, but the wet, sticky sounds only distracted you  and you found yourself soon swaying, swaying, swaying until you had to catch yourself before the camera dropped. 

With a shout of “yes, baby, yes,” the female star came on his face, sending up a furret of fluids as he just kept diligently stroking his cock, only stopping at the director's final yell of “CUT.”

“Perfect guys, let's get her up and drinking water again. You need to stay hydrated after all that,” he joked, a PA walking over to pass the actress a robe and a bottle of water as she walked off set. 

You relaxed for a second, trying to find your quickest route out of the room so you wouldn't have to drool over the man's cock so obviously any more. 

“FLUFFER? Where's the fluffer?” The director yelled, looking around for someone who obviously wasn't there yet. 

“Well?”

Still, no one arrived to do whatever job they needed doing, and you felt desperate for escape. 

“New girl, would you mind?” Some crew member called out from the sidelines, nodding at you. 

“Oh, uh, sure,” you said, hoping that whatever job you agreed to would get you far enough from this room and the heat between your legs as possible. You were not a prude, and you would not bolt from your very first film shoot. 

“Great, get on the bed and keep the boy company,” the director said before exiting the room. 

You were absolutely on board with becoming a prude and bolting the scene as fast as your legs could carry you. Unfortunately, eight people still sat around, monitoring equipment and chatting on their breaks, and so you were forced to comply with the task. 

“We meet again,” you greeted the man stiffly as you found him on the bed, an apprehensive, tight smile on his own face.

“You don't have to do this if you're uncomfortable, I can keep myself… occupied.” 

You noticed then that his hand was still wrapped around his cock, giving it slow strokes, not enough to tip him over the edge, but just enough to maintain the erection. 

“So the fluffer….?” 

“Prepares the actors for the next scene? I need to stay- let say in shape.” 

His face flushed crimson as your gaze slipped down to his cock in his hand. 

“So you want me to-” 

“NO. No, I usually only talk to the Fluffers. Look at them, you know?” 

You nodded and found yourself suddenly going still, watching his face contort with pleasure as his eyes raked over your chest and legs. 

You couldn't help but let your eyes dart south again, and fuck did you wish you hadn't. His spare hand fisted the sheets as he stroked himself gently, practically taunting himself with the light touch. 

“You do this often?” you asked, trying to pretend you were open to having a normal conversation even while your brain begged you to climb into his lap and sink down as fast as you could. 

“You mean maaturbate or the porn thing?” 

“Porn.” 

“No. No, I come in for a shoot every few months. One of these shoots tends to fund another semester of my PhD, so-” 

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you were impressed by that admission, but your predominate thought was still “shit, shit, shit, shit.” 

“That's impressive,” you said, only catching your words as they tripped out of your mouth. “THE PHD! The PhD, I mean not your… penis? Not that it isn’t appealing, or- or-.” 

You tried your hardest to use the most clinical word you could, distancing yourself from the honeyed words you so wanted to drop in his ear to get him to crawl further up the bed and entice him to make his own scene with you. 

“Thank you. It's my third,” he said, slightly more relaxed now that you were the flustered one. 

“PhD that is. Not cock. I only have one of these.” 

“One is enough,” you say, unable to stop the words tumbling out as your eyes again find themselves following each pump of his hand up and down his cock. Inwardly, you curse your friend for starting up her stupid business and paying you to simply exist in the same hemisphere as this man without being able to ride him. 

“Do you want to touch it?” He asked, blurting the words out suddenly. As if God had answered your prayers, your heart leapt up into your throat, your pussy clenching around nothing as you shifted your hips closer to him. 

You'd thought then that you'd quite enjoy bouncing on that thing yourself, but a handshake would have to do.

“So you have to stay hard, but-” 

“But it's best I don't cum, yeah.”

“Okay. Noted.”

Slowly, you reached out a hand and gently wrapped each finger around the tip of his cock. He released himself and wrapped his now free hand around yours, setting the pace for you quickly as he engaged you in conversation again. 

“So, where are you from?” He asked, as inept at small talk as you felt in that second. 

You answered him without a fuss and returned the question. Las Vegas. That seemed to check out with how easily he'd broken into porn. There was always something happening in that city. 

"How'd you get into the business?"

"Well, Vegas, you know. A producer saw a group of... street ladies offer me a freebie and gave me his card."

You went back and forth on questions like that for a few minutes before you noticed he was coughing every few seconds to mask moans and groans, evidently too into this to request you stop. 

“Is it okay to…Can I touch you?” He asked, sounding very afraid of rejection at that second. 

“Oh, um, yes. That'd only be fair, right?” 

He ran a hand up your waist to the curve of your breast and pressed his fingers into one, digging into the skin as though it were a pillow, and he was testing it before he fell head first into it. 

Maybe that was just wishful thinking, though. 

Temporarily, you let go of him, popping the front buttons of your blouse until he could freely see all of your black and red bra, and feast on the tops of your dusty nipples, peaking out just above each cup.

You heard him inhale sharply, even as he tried to hide it, but you didn't care, too transfixed on the precum decorating his tip. 

“Would you mind-” You started, but cut yourself off quickly, biting your lower lip. 

“Mind?” 

“Can I suck it?”

You didn't know where it came from because there were probably half a dozen other people still in the room, and mostly men. But dear god, he looked delicious, and you wanted just a little sample. 

“Fuck yes,” he said, finally giving in and letting out a whole gust of breath as he slumped down a bit further, no longer holding himself rigid. “No, no, actually, please do. I'm begging, I'll beg-” 

You cut him off by pushing yourself to your knees and crawling in between his, and seconds later, you were licking the length of his cock from the base of his balls all the way to that precious drop of precum. 

Hard, but no cumming. You could do that. You'd never done it before, preferring to fully pleasure sexual partners any chance you got, but there was no time like the present to start learning. 

Slowly, you wrapped your lips around his tip and sank down, taking one inch, then another, and then another. When you reached the base of his cock, you pushed that little bit further down, calming yourself and going slowly so you didn't gag, nose pushing into his neat public hair before pulling away just as slowly and doing it again. 

You took him as deep down your throat as you could manage, and suddenly, it was like everything that kept your conversation casual and civil earlier had flown out the door. He threw his head back, fisted his hand in your hair, and moaned deep. 

The sound shook you so much you almost pushed a hand into your own underwear and started fucking yourself, needing to prepare yourself for him like a good girl. 

Around you, you could hear signs of the shoot starting back up again, people finding their places, still all but ignoring you deep-throating a porn star. 

Spencer's breaths grew more rapid as you sucked him, hips becoming restless as he tried to lift up into your mouth, hand in your hair tightening as you realised your mistake. 

You pulled off his cock and grasped it again, stroking it slowly, but it was too late. With a sharp moan and a twitch of his hips, Spencer so prettily decorated your chin and chest. His cum dripped down your face, hitting your cleavage and pushing further down to stain your nice black laced underwear white.

“Fuck! Sorry, I wasn't meant to do that, let me get some - Can I get a towel please? A baby wipe? Some tissue, anything?” His voice was panicked, but his hand on your head relaxed, and he brushed your hair gently behind your ear, as if comforting you. 

He was panicked, for sure, but the crew calmly handed him everything he needed, as if they'd been in anticipation of just this thing happening. You supposed they probably were, this being a porn set. You were sure you were supposed to clean yourself up, but instead, he grabbed a wet tissue, leaving the pack just out of your reach.

He managed to clean your face off a bit before the director returned to the room with a laugh. Running a hand through his hair and messing it up slightly, the director turned back to you.

“We're five minutes out from shoot time,” he said, shaking his head. You started to apologise, but he stopped you with a hand. 

“New girl, work whatever magic you just did and get him hard again. Five minutes.” 

“W-What?” You spluttered, trying your best to rise from your knees, but ultimately failing. You were either stiff from the position or just weak with arousal. 

“He just came, I don't think I can-”

“10 pictures I've done with that kid, and I haven't seen him cum that quickly ever before in my life. And certainly not just for some kitten licks. Do it.”

You turned back to Spencer, his cum still trickling down your chest, creating an almost uncomfortable stiffness as it dried up. 

“Pleasure working with you?” You said, not-so-secretly ecstatic that you got to sample him once more. 

“I'll be in your care,” he replied, as you begin softly kissing the head of his cock again, tipping his head back again and losing himself in the pleasure or your tongue.

[dreamwritesimagines]

The Eye of the Hurricane [1] - A Night Out

A.N: Here we go my loves, the first chapter! ❤️ I hope you'll like it, and please don't forget to tell me what you think, thank you! ❤️

Summary: A night out with an old friend can lead to surprises.

Warnings: Violence, death, guns, crime, blood, explicit language. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don't condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care.

Sometimes you wondered what it would be like to have a normal life.

Granted that was never in the cards but you liked to pretend from time to time. You knew it was selfish and incredibly dangerous as everyone kept reminding you, yet you didn’t care. After all, it was one of the very few luxuries you couldn’t afford and you were nothing if not determined.

Besides, considering since you were expected not to be a part of the family business, you figured you could enjoy the benefits for the time being.

So far, there was no sign of any bodyguards your father always made sure to put on your tail which meant he was blissfully unaware of where you were or what you were doing. If it were any other time, you would have been surprised by that alone but surprises seemed to be the theme of the week. To be completely honest, you had your doubts when your ex from college had contacted you to say he was moving to the city and wanted to catch up with you. Even though he was one of the very few ex-boyfriends you had broken up with on good terms, he still had an inkling about your family and most of the time, people were too intimidated by that to catch up with you.

With good reason.

But tonight was going to be different. Setting up a casual dinner and drinks night outside your father’s territory was a great first step for in your opinion, for a couple of hours you could pretend you were a normal girl who was having a normal night out with a normal guy.

You even drove your own car to the bar, something you hadn’t done in a long time.

“So yeah, let’s just say that it wasn’t the wisest decision.”

You let out a laugh, tilting your head.

“I don’t know Ethan,” you said. “Taking a girl to a horror themed corn maze? You get an A for effort.”

“In my defense, it was like two weeks after you broke up with me so I wasn’t thinking straight,” he said. “Besides, she said she liked horror movies.”

You hummed. “And how did that go?”

“Terribly,” he pointed out with a grin. “We got lost, and then I had this bright idea of finding the guide myself and we went in different directions, and she got out and I ended up getting even more lost.”

You pressed your palm on your mouth to hide your laugh.

“Then she sent the guide to find me,” he said and you cleared your throat, trying to keep a serious expression.

“You do realize you are the type of person who wouldn’t last an hour in a horror movie, right?”

“People who are trying to survive in horror movies have too much ambition if you ask me,” he said and sipped his drink. “How about you? Any terrible dates since our uh…fairytale romance?”

“We dated for like three months during sophomore year Ethan,” you said with a laugh and he nodded with a grin.

“They were good three months though.”

“Oh please,” you said. “I’m not even sure I could call that dating, I basically had to beg you to spend time with me.”

“We spent a lot of time—”

“In daylight,” you corrected yourself. “You had no problem finding time for me at night.”

He scrunched up his face, then nodded his head.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Yeah I’m…I’m sorry about that. I was an ass.”

“Water under the bridge,” you said, waving a hand dismissively. “College is the perfect time for relationship mistakes, and to be honest I was kind of an idiot.”

“Oh come on Y/N,” he said with a chuckle. “I was the idiot. You were perfect, you still are.”

You scoffed.

“Not even close, trust me,” you said and raised your hand at the bartender, motioning for another drink. The bar wasn’t crowded by any means, only another couple by another booth and three men playing pool. A silence fell upon you and Ethan shifted his weight.

“So uh—can I ask you something?”

Your heart skipped a nervous beat but you made sure it didn’t show on your face. “Sure.”

“Was it…” he paused and took a deep breath. “Was it true?”

The waitress brought you your drink and you thanked her, then turned to Ethan again. “Hm?”

“You know, back in college there were all these rumors,” he stammered. “About your family and you never really said— whether they were true or not.”

Ah. Back to that, of course.

You had practiced this calmness way too many times for it to falter even for a moment, and you sipped your drink.

“I totally forgot,” you said. “Remind me what those rumors were?”

“People used to say your father—he and his business partners, I mean,” he said with a nervous laugh. “My friends used to say the city was divided between them.”

“Sounds quite medieval,” you pointed out, leaning back as a couple of men walked in, chattering. Ethan thought for a moment, then scoffed a laugh.

“Right,” he said. “I don’t know why I…don’t mind me. It does sound unreal, I mean—what are the chances that a couple of families rule the entire city, right?”

“I don’t know, I hear it was a thing in the 18th century,” you stated, catching the gaze of the man who had just walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. You eyed him up and down and by the time your gaze fell on the shape of the gun tucked underneath his jacket, you had already straightened your back, your whole body going tense.

“Jesus you should’ve heard the things they said. To be honest with you, I actually believed that whole underworld thing for some time,” Ethan said as the man said something to his friends while your eyes darted around the room, your heartbeat getting faster as you reached for the knife beside your plate.

Great.

This was not your ideal night out alright.

“Now to think about it, it’s not—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence when you threw the knife at one of the men and kicked the chair under Ethan, making him lose his balance before you flipped the table so that you could use it as a cover for you both as soon as the shooting started. The bullets wheezed past you, the couple by the other booth screaming while you pushed Ethan’s head down.

“What the hell is going on?!” he asked as you looked over the table for a second and turned to him, your heart beating in your ears, adrenaline rushing through you so fast that it made your head spin.

“I can explain later, do you have a gun with you?”

“What?!”

“I don’t think I should be repeating myself right now Ethan!” you hissed as shots echoed through the bar and he shook his head.

“No of course not!”

“The one time I ditch the bodyguards,” you grumbled “This is unbelievable…”

“Miss Y/N!” the man’s voice rang over the bar and you gritted your teeth. “The infamous princess. Such a surprise meeting you here, where are your daddy’s men?”

“On their way here I’m guessing but before they get here, I just have one question,” you called out. “Are you guys fucking idiots?”

He tsk tsked.

“That daddy of yours spoiled you too much,” he said. “Has anyone told you that?”

“Yeah, multiple men,” you retorted. “Didn’t end well for them I’ll tell you that.”

“I’d say it looks like it’ll end well for me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure buddy,” you said. “I’ll be surprised if you last the night.”

Several gunshots came from the corners of the bar, and you took cover again but before you could say anything else, you felt someone grab you and pull you upright. You grabbed the gun from him and fired it right at his knee, making him let out a scream of anguish and fall to the floor. The door of the kitchen was kicked open right before more guns were fired in the chaos which made it clear that it wasn’t Steve’s men who were trying to shoot you considering it was his territory, this was his one of many bars and these new people, whoever they were, were shooting at his men as well. It made absolutely zero sense that someone would attack you like this, especially since—

“Everyone stop or the next bullet goes through his head!”

 You turned to point the pistol at the owner of the voice but as soon as you did, your heart dropped to your stomach. The man –probably the leader— holding the gun at Ethan’s head smirked and motioned at you.

“Drop the gun sweetheart.”

“Y/N, don’t!” Ethan said, trying to get out of his grip but the man fired the gun through his shoulder, making him yell out in pain and you gritted your teeth. The headlights of a car flashed outside, capturing your attention for a moment before you lowered the gun, someone hastily grabbing it from you. The leader pushed Ethan to one of his friends and stepped closer to you, now aiming the gun at your face but you were way too good at keeping your fear under control in situations like these to flinch at it.

You’d had a lifetime of practice after all.

“So what do you say we take a little trip outside huh?” he asked and you arched a brow.

“What do you say you go fuck yourself?”

He cocked the gun and you rolled your eyes.

“Oh no, a gun,” you deadpanned, checking your fingernails. “Am I supposed to be scared now?”

“This is not your daddy’s territory, girl.”

You scoffed a laugh and lifted your glances from your nails. “Doesn’t matter, you idiot. The truce has been going on for years now, and anyone who breaks it will pay for that mistake with their lives. What is this, your first day on the job?”

“No one taught you not to smart mouth the man holding the gun?”

“No one taught you not to sign your own death sentence?” you asked back and he gave you a dry chuckle, taking a step towards you, still holding the gun.

“Keep talking like that,” he said. “Maybe I’ll take my time with you before handing you over to the boss.”

You opened your mouth to retort but before you could say anything, a deafening shot echoed through the room and blood splattered all over your face and your dress. The leader’s lifeless body dropped to the floor and you wiped at your face with a grimace before you turned to glare at your savior who looked almost amused at your annoyed expression.

“Bucky,” you gritted out and he winked at you, that arrogant grin you knew so well pulling at his lips.

“Hi Charm.”

[vioartemis]

Mrs Ortega

(Jenna Ortega x fem! reader)

Summary: Wednesday made Jenna famous, and put in danger your relationship Warnings: angst :)) (English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense TvT)

You had known Jenna since forever, as you were neighbors back in the days. Naturally you became friends, and eventually started dating in 2020. You spent most of the pandemic together, as no one could really work at the time, and after that you tried to accompany her as much as possible on her shootings.

She had tried to convince you not to, aware that it was a huge sacrifice you were making for her, but you didn’t listen. You took online classes while she was working, and when she came back, you would spend the night together.

Your girlfriend had been busy with the shooting of Wednesday for the past few months. You had traveled to Romania with her and befriended her castmates.

The series was about to have its premiere, and Jenna wanted you to accompany her to the event. And of course you said yes, because how could you deny her?

“How do I look?” she asked, stepping out of the bathroom

“Stunning, as always” you replied with a bright smile, looking her up and down

You took her hands in yours, pulling her a bit closer, and pressing your lips on hers in a tender kiss.

“You rock that look Jen, seriously” you smiled “The black dress and veil… everything is perfect”

“Yeah? Well I hope one day I will wear it in white with you waiting for me down the aisle” she said with a little smirk

You felt your cheeks burn at the thought.

“A-are you talking about… getting married?”

She nodded with a smile.

“I know you’re the one, Y/n. You’re my soulmate, I’m sure of that. Don’t you want to become Mrs Ortega?”

“Y-yeah I-I mean- of course! I’d love to marry you” you kissed her softly “I just wasn’t expecting you to talk about that right now”

“So it’s a yes?”

“Of course it is”

The series had been released a month ago, and it was a success. Wednesday’s popularity was worldwide, and so was Jenna’s. She wasn’t unknown before that, but now she really was famous.

You were happy for her, seeing her career take a new turn like that, but you had to admit she was acting weird lately. You tried to talk about it, but every time she assured you she was fine. You ended up thinking she was just getting used to be super popular.

Jenna had finished her day and you were waiting for her, swimming in the hotel’s pool. She texted you a few minutes ago, telling you she would be here soon but that her agent wanted to talk to her first.

You wondered what her agent could be telling her, imagining different scenarios, before your attention was caught by footsteps coming towards you.

You swam in her direction, a big smile on your face, as she sat on the edge of the pool, legs in the water. You put your hands on the ground, ‘trapping’ her between your arms, and lifted yourself up to kiss her lips.

She kissed back, but you could feel something was off.

“What’s wrong?” you asked softly, back in the water

Jenna wasn’t looking at you, but you could see on her face that she was not okay.

“Jen, you can talk to me… I’m here, I’ll always-”

“Y/n.” she cut you off “I- I’m sorry I… We can’t continue…”

“What…?” you frowned, completely lost

She took a deep breath.

“My agent… He told me that being with a… a ‘nobody’ wasn’t good for my career, now that I start to be more famous…”

You couldn’t believe your ears. The words were stuck in your throat; it took you a minute to be able to say something.

“Are you serious…? Y-you’re ready to throw everything away because your agent told you it wasn’t good for you career?”

“Y/n-”

“But nobody cares who you’re in a relationship with…!” your voice broke as you tried to hold back a cry “Jenna please… Y-you can’t do that… I- you’re everything to me, I can’t lose you… I-if it’s really a problem w-we can see each other in secret or… or…”

Your eyes were filled with tears, and it was taking you all your strength not to break down in front of her.

“W-we can’t, the paparazzi would find out eventually… I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would end this way… I- I love you so much… But I have to…”

You could hear that she didn’t want to do it either.

“Jen please… There has to be another way… I… We were talking about getting married and… and now we would just stop like that…? No, please… I-I’ll do anything…”

She finally looked at you. You saw the tears in her eyes, the look on her face, the way her bottom lip shivered. You knew nothing you would say would change anything.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered

The ache in your throat only grew stronger, preventing you from speaking.

Jenna stood up, and gave you one last look before walking away, leaving you alone in the pool with your broken heart, tears flooding down your cheeks.

<><><><> ♡ <><><><>

A few months had passed since the forced breakup, and you were still not doing okay. You felt empty, as if a part of you left with her that day.

And the pain… The pain never left. Sometimes it was so high you felt like you would throw up on the spot. Seeing her happy during interviews or events, or even on TikTok or Pinterest felt like a stab to the heart.

You honestly didn’t know how you were going to live without her. She was the love of your life, your soulmate…

Sometimes you wished she never became famous. Then you felt guilty for thinking about that. But again, if she never became famous you would still be together. Happy.

Your phone rang. It was your best friend, worried, as always since it happened. You picked up with no energy.

“Hey… how are you feeling?”

“… I don’t wanna talk right now…”

“Okay um… Do you want me to come over? We can play some games or-”

“I just wanna watch TV…”

You could ear her sigh on the phone.

“I understand what you’re feeling but… staying alone isn’t going to help you… I’m always here if you need me, call me when you feel like talking”

With that, she hung up.

You put your phone down, turning your attention back on the TV. You were changing the channels, trying to find something you actually wanted to see, when you saw her.

A part of you wanted to change the channel. The other told you to stay. To stay, and try to see if she showed any sign of missing you. Of being sad. Of anything that could prove she cared about you and regretted breaking up.

She was beautiful, as always. She was being interviewed by a random journalist, a smile on her face. The same smile that sent butterflies in your stomach every time you saw it. The same smile that made you fall in love with her all over again. The same smile that was hurting you so badly at the moment.

You couldn’t help but have flashbacks of the moments you spent together; your first dates, first kiss, nights cuddling comfortably, laughs at the stupidest things possible, playful fights while playing video games, discussions about eventually getting married… and when she told you it had to end.

You didn’t realize you were crying until your eyes started to hurt. You didn’t even bother whipping your tears away.

“… I should’ve stayed in the pool and drowned so I didn’t have to watch you leave…”

You thought you would never be happy again. It just hurt too much.

If she looked happy on screen, as soon as she was alone and away from the cameras, Jenna let her mask fall. She was as devastated as you if not more, knowing that she was the one to hurt you.

She never wanted that. All she wanted was to be with you.

She really meant it when she said she wanted to marry you. But her agent and her family put so much pressure on her, to do anything for her career, that she had to leave the most important person in her life.

She thought about you all the time. She even tried to message you multiple times. But she never seemed to find the right way to do so.

“I don’t know where you are right now…”

That sounded weird.

“Did you see me on TV?”

That sounded pretentious, and made it look like she didn’t care about what happened.

“I try not to hate myself just because you’re mad at me…”

That sounded like she was trying to make herself the only victim in the situation.

But she did hate herself. She fucked everything up.

It was destroying her from the inside, taking all her energy. She just wanted to sleep with you in her arms, like you used to.

She wanted everything back. Your laugh, your smile, your voice, your shitty jokes, your kisses, your hugs… You.

She wasn’t happy without you.

She found no pleasure in anything, no joy in things that used to make her happy. Her favorite food didn’t taste good anymore, her favorite song didn’t sound good anymore…

Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t broken up with you. Maybe you would be married by now. She could call you her wife. You would be happy together.

These thoughts only hurt her more and made her feel like more of an asshole than she already felt.

She just wished she could go back in time and tell you that even if everyone was telling her to leave you and think of her career, she was choosing you. Tell you how much you meant to her. How you made her life better. How she couldn’t be happy without you.

But she couldn’t. And she would forever regret what she did that day.

a/n: this was highly inspired by that TikTok :))

[just-jordie-things]

Hiii love it's me again your writing only keeps getting better I am amazed sooo love can we get a 67 and a 69 with Megumi since we love the spicee 🥰🥰🥰

67: when one stops the kiss to whisper "i'm sorry, are you sure you-" and they answer by kissing them more 69: following a kiss with a series of kisses down the neck

**aged up characters!!**

a/n: pining besties that finally give in is the best kind of spiceee ___

"god, what i would give to get kissed like that"

you say it so easily, probably not even thinking twice about it as you tear a gummy worm in half between your teeth. megumi tears his eyes away from the small television that was currently displaying a rather steamy make out session. the scene had escalated quickly as the main protagonists finally confessed their feelings and in the same breath began to devour each other.

megumi knows he should just laugh off the comment, or ignore it completely, like you apparently had, going right back into your snack while you watched the movie.

but he can't help but suddenly realize that you're both here, cramped together on his small bed that was barely big enough for his tall frame so he has one leg hanging off the mattress while you're half under his arm, half propped up by the headboard. you're alone, yuuji was off with nanami and nobara was bothering maki-

and you're alone.

you make this little comment with a small sigh, your eyes longingly watching the screen as you hold a gummy worm between your teeth by the green side, the red side held between your fingers, tugging on the gelatin snack absentmindedly. you're clearly infatuated, and now that megumi's peeking down at you more closely, something warm floods his chest.

you're in a hoodie too ridiculously large to be yours- it isn't, it's his, you stole it last week and he had to pretend not to notice when you wore it today- and it's so long on your frame that it's covering the little sleep shorts that you also seemed to wear without a second thought. not that megumi would complain about something like that, having your bare leg pressed up against his while you're lounging together in his bed is... nice

really nice.

nice enough that the last few times you've hung out in his room to watch a movie or scroll aimlessly on your phone while he reads, his mind had been wandering. and it was probably due to those damn shorts.

and was he really going to be the kind of the guy that lost his mind over some skin showing? was that really fair to you? you- who was so much more than a pretty face? you were quick witted, especially in battle, which made you strong and so, so capable. you were funny, which made you fun to be around, and was part of the reason why megumi had started seeking you out to spend time together in the first place. he liked hearing your little quips and teases, even when they were directed at him. yeah, you were pretty, you were drop dead fucking gorgeous actually, one of the prettiest people megumi had ever laid eyes on.

but you were more than beautiful and sometimes megumi felt like a bad friend for losing his mind over some shorts that revealed a delicious amount of your thighs.

today was different.

today it wasn't just the shorts. well, the shorts were definitely a factor, especially when his arm rested between the both of you and the back of his knuckles just barely grazed over your leg. no, it wasn't just that. it was the sweatshirt, his sweatshirt, enveloping you like a blanket. you seemed to enjoy it thoroughly, with your fingers just barely peeking out of the sleeves so you could enjoy your snack, and the hood was even half-up. it had been fully up when you first made your way to his room, but after relaxing on the bed for long enough it had started to slip off.

and then it was this comment. that dumb, thoughtless little comment you threw out there about kissing that spun his mind into thinking about kissing and now megumi's feeling hot. the bed feels smaller. the room feels darker. and you look so, so beautiful right now that he thinks this could be a delusion and he's going to blink and be surrounded by padded walls.

he blinks at you. you're still there, eyes watching every sensual movement made by the lust driven characters on the tv. you've still got the gummy worm between your teeth, likely forgotten as you got lost in your own thoughts, presumably also about kissing, and megumi clears his throat.

"if you ask nicely, i'd do it for a gummy worm"

it's half a joke, at least he means it to be as he reaches for the bag in your other hand. your eyes are on him right away, an amused smirk tugging at your lips in your surprise, but you find yourself tilting the bag of worms towards him so he could help himself to one. he plucks out a yellow and orange one, keeping it in his hold while he looks at you, clearly waiting.

"you'll make out with me for a gummy worm?" you ask, a small laugh escaping you, but you can't tell if he's joking, so you shut up quickly as your heart beat races up into your throat.

perhaps you get too eager too quick. your eyes widen and you're biting down on your cheek to keep from grinning, but the idea of kissing megumi has your head feeling twirly and reason drifting away at an alarming rate.

you've always sorta wondered if these one-on-one movie nights in his bed would ever lead anywhere. you were too anxious yourself to initiate anything, but you weren't stupid. he always closed the door behind you when you arrived, and being alone, on a bed, just the two of you, well, that was just so easy wasn't it? the thought had crossed your mind more than once, often when you felt his eyes on you when he thought you wouldn't notice, or when he pulled you closer to him so 'you wouldn't fall off the mattress'. but it had always been a brief little daydream that you brushed off.

this was as close to the real thing as you've ever gotten.

"you drive a hard bargain," you mumble, finally ripping your worm in half to eat the strawberry flavored gummy. megumi chuckles as you finish the other half. "what's the catch?"

"catch?" he repeats.

he turns to face you better, laying on his side, completely ignoring the movie. you swallow the lump in your throat as he rests his elbow on the pile of pillows behind you both, leaning his head into his hand.

"yeah," you nod. "you're messing with me?" you question skeptically. "you have a bet with nobara?"

this time when he chuckles, he smiles, his teeth flashing with delighted amusement. he'd given you a pretty straightforward offer, and here you were pressing for more details.

"not messin' with you," he murmurs, leaning closer to you.

at first you start to pull away, but you pause just as quickly as your eyes flicker down to his lips, which are a mere few inches away from yours now. you don't notice that he drops his gummy worm back into the bag before he pulls it out of your hand, dropping it on the night stand behind him without even looking.

as soon as the candy is no longer an obstacle, it's like you've become the most powerful magnet in the world.

his hand wraps around the nape of your neck, the hood on your head falling the rest of the way as he pulls you forward and slants his lips over yours. they're soft, and a little sticky from the candy, but they're so, so sweet that he can't help himself. he kisses you again and again and again, getting lost in the way your lips lock against his with eagerness.

he kisses you fast, like you're on borrowed time, like he's insatiable. you're both heaving between kisses, panting through your noses as you rush to explore the new sensation, again and again and again. it's not until he realizes his hand is traveling with a mind of it's own towards the inviting skin of your bare leg that megumi's snapping out of his dazed state, and pulling away from you with hooded eyes.

he's still trying to catch his breath, his lips are already swollen and his pupils are blown wide as he looks at you, and you give him a lazy smile as you admire his pretty features. you like this look on him, you realize. you'd like to make him look like this all the time.

"i'm sorry," he breathes, eyes flickering between yours. "are you sure you-"

before he can ask his silly question, you're grabbing him by the collar of his tee shirt and yanking him forward, crashing your lips into his again with fervor, as if you couldn't possibly wait another second.

your lips are soft, and he could've easily mistaken you for gentle if your hands weren't wandering into his hair and beginning to tug. not that the feeling bothered him- not in a bad way anyway. he's quite responsive to it, humming into your mouth and finally sinking his fingers into the plush of your thigh.

he pulls you closer with ease, swiftly pressing you close to him, while you get lost in a series of hurried kisses. your touch grows more tender as you release your hold on his messy locks of hair. they wander down his neck, along his shoulders and then sliding back together over his collarbones, your movements slow as you explore the hard planes of lean muscle down his chest.

he's only just pulled you into him, but now he's pushing you back. his movements are smooth, trying not to be too rough on you, but the urge to push you into the sheets and climb overtop of you outweighs the repercussions of what was going to come of the two of you once you'd satiated this desire.

consequences are far from your mind as you happily get comfortable on your back, your lips not leaving his for even a second. oxygen was overrated. you could breathe through your nose. well, you could when megumi wasn't pushing so close to you that your nose smushed into his cheek, but you quite enjoyed the messy kisses, so you wouldn't dare complain.

his breath his hot as his mouth begins to work it's way aways from yours. you finally gasp for the precious air, or maybe you're just winded as soft lips trace down your chin and across your jaw.

your hands are back in his hair, carding through and getting lost in dark tresses. when his trail of kisses begins to make it's way towards your neck, you're craning your head back on instinct, giving him all the access he wanted. you can feel his lips curl into a smile over the sensitive skin of your throat.

your fingers tighten in his hair as his wet mouth hungrily peppers sweet kisses across the expanse of skin you'd so willingly displayed for him. his name falls from your mouth in a small, shy whisper, but there's nothing bashful about the way your legs hike up around his hips, drawing him even closer to you.

the hand that isn't bracing himself next to your head is quick to reach down and grab onto your leg, pulling it up further until you've properly locked it over his hip. his fingers dig roughly into your heated skin, before smoothing over the spot in soothing caresses. he touches everywhere he can reach, just as his lips are kissing everywhere they can reach. he's getting ahead of himself, the room is getting hotter and your soft pants are turning into whimpers and moans and he should really slow it down before he can't turn back.

your friendship could still come back from this, couldn't it?

as if answering his unspoken question, you're pulling his hair until he lifts his head from where it had been buried in the crook of your neck. he catches sight of a blossoming red and purple mark in the shape of his mouth before you're guiding his face towards yours.

you're eyes are gleaming with excitement, and your lazy little smile turns into a full grin when you finally meet his gaze. you give him a chaste kiss before you whisper to him with enthusiasm.

"take off your shirt"

so your friendship probably couldn't come back from this, but it was definitely headed in a much better direction. ___

a/n: i know ppl complain about there being too much jjk smut and i know a lot of ppl have followed me for my writing bcuz i don't write smut but. damn. not for a lack of trying. i wish i was good at writing smut. this could've been so much better >:/ enjoy the cliffhanger ig

xoxo ~ jordie

[anjaelle]

hii, can you write a dave lisewski x reader where reader is new at school and he volunteers to give her a tour of the school. Dave thinks she is really pretty and wants to be her friend, he asks questions about her and finds out that she likes comics and superhero’s just like he does and he asks her to come to his house after school to watch a new marvel movie that just came out. she says yes and they watch the movie at his house. during the movie dave just can’t keep his eyes off of her and he’s so in love with her even though he just met her.The movie ends and he walks her home because it’s getting late and he doesn’t want her to possibly get into some kind of danger. when they make it to her house( he finds out that they live close to one another) she thanks him for being so kind to her and kisses him on the cheek. he blushes and wishes her a goodnight. from then on they become great friends and maybe even more. (SORRY THIS IS SO LONG, js wanted it to be detailed so it’s easier for you!!🤭)

@baddestdu0y3t

Pairing: Dave Lizewski x New Girl!Reader

Warnings: None. Except general teen awkwardness?

a/n: Ok so I'll be honest and say that I haven't written for highschool characters since I was a highschooler myself about 10-11 years ago. So I'm admittedly a bit rusty. I probably won't make this a regular thing, because I don't really think I'm good at it haha. And I changed some things around and cut some things out for brevity, but kept the important bits. It kind of feels like a coming-of-age romcom.

(gif source)

--x--

Dave would happily get stabbed and hit by a car twenty more times if it meant he wouldn't have to deal with the current situation he was in. He'd dripped oil from his bacon egg and cheese in his lap, and tried to clean the stain with soap and water, which created an almost bigger stain. The hand dryer in the mens room wasn't working, there were no paper towels, and he was running late to homeroom. Todd gave him a sympathetic pat on the back and offered the ever-helpful comment, "Don't freak. It'll dry eventually."

But it'd been a half hour, and it hadn't dried completely. A few people passed him with looks of disgust.

This day was already turning out to be shit, and it was only 9 AM. He shoved his head in his locker, wishing that a sinkhole would form in the middle of the school and swallow him whole. As the hallway cleared, he noticed you looking down at at a paper and distractedly walking in one direction before turning a corner and disappearing. You then turned back around and walked past him again in the other direction, with a furrowed brow and a pouting lower lip. When you turned to pass him a third time, he closed his locker and awkwardly leaned up against it.

"Hey! Are you lost?" He nearly shouted at you. You stopped short, startled out of whatever daze you were in, and looked at him as if you didn't even notice there was another person in the hall until now. Any plans he had to have a normal conversation left him immediately. He cut his eyes away from you. It was like staring into the sun.

"Hi." You re-adjusted your bag on your shoulder, "And yeah. This school is way bigger than my old one and I'm kinda turned around."

"Oh, yeah, totally, for sure. It's--yeah, it's big." He said awkwardly pulling at the straps of his backpack, "I mean, the school is big. The halls are big. It's a maze. Even I still get lost sometimes, and I've been here almost 4 years."

God, Dave, shut the fuck up.

You giggled at him and he felt his cheeks warm at the sound of it.

"Um, can you help me?" You asked, quirking your head to get a better look at him.

"Sure. Yeah, I can walk you to your next class."

You smiled at him and he smiled back, revealing the cutest dimples you'd ever seen.

"What about your class?"

He peeked at your schedule and his brows disappeared under the curls on his forehead, "We have the same homeroom. So we'll be going the same way."

He was very different from the boys you talked to at your previous school. You thought of what your old friends would say about him. You weren't super popular or anything, but you navigated most social spaces with relative ease. It also meant hiding a lot of yourself. Dave had a kind face and warm eyes that studied you with a sense of eager curiosity that flattered you. Incidentally, you were curious about him too.

When you introduced yourself to him and shook his hand, you noticed immediately how strong his grip was and his calloused palms. Most guys you knew with hands like those played contact sports. He didn't seem like the type, at first glance. He seemed to notice your surprise but didn't quite understand the reason behind it.

"Sorry if my hands are sweaty," he said, instinctively wiping them on his pants.

You rushed to ease his fears, "No they weren't! You're fine." And then, "Do you play sports?"

"Nope. I mean...sometimes I play Wii Tennis. I don't know if that counts though."

You giggled again, "I think that counts."

Interesting. Maybe he did woodworking or mechanic stuff like your dad. You made a mental note for later.

You both strolled down the hall in no real rush to make it to your destination as you talked. He was incredibly animated and spoke with his hands when he got into the groove of the conversation. And when you talked about your old school or your family, he actively listened and asked even more questions.

"You're really cool," he finally said, breathlessly. If you could visibly blush, you're sure you would've. You've been called a lot of things, but never "cool" with such earnestness. "I just wish I'd met you when I didn't have bacon stains on my pants."

He looked down at himself again and grimaced at his own misfortune. You could almost laugh at how resigned he was. Like this was just an everyday thing he had to deal with.

"You could just do what the girls do when we have stains on our pants," you suggested. He quirked a questioning brow and you motioned with your hands. "Tie your hoodie around your waist. It'll hide the stain pretty well, I think."

His eyes widened like you'd revealed the secrets of the universe to him, "I...didn't even think of that."

He immediately took his backpack off and dropped it to the ground to unzip his hoodie. When you noticed his tee shirt, you heard an eager gasp slip from you before you could really stop it. His shirt had the different sketched out iterations of Batman's costume designs over the years, which included a mix of his comic and movie suits.

"I just really like your shirt." You explained as he tied his sweater around his waist. "I was raised in a DC household. My dad has a big box of old school batman comics in our basement that I used to poke through when I was a kid."

His face lit up at your confession, "You like comic books?"

"I used to. I mostly just watch the movies now. The good ones, anyway." You said, shrugging. In truth, you hadn't picked a comic up since middle school. You missed reading them sometimes, but you never really had anyone to talk about them with. So you just stopped. You explained as much to him and he hummed in thought.

"Well, you can always talk about them with me. Do you like Marvel, too?"

You scrunched your nose up at him and he gasped.

"I'm sorry," you couldn't help but laugh at his dismayed expression, "I just think most Marvel movies are corny. And the comics can be a little soap opera-y to me. Maybe I'll give the comics another try, but I don't think I've seen any recent movies other than Black Panther and Thor Ragnarok."

When he thought about it, he couldn't really blame you for feeling that way, "If you had to choose, would you say that those were your favorites?"

"Nope," you admitted, "My favorite is Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

"And not Civil War? That one's my favorite."

You shook your head as you both approached the door to your homeroom, "I may have only seen it in parts. I don't really remember it."

He bounced on the balls of his feet nervously and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Well if you wanted...we could watch it at my house next Saturday. Only if you want. My dad and my friend Todd will be there, so it won't be just us. But they won't be weird either. At least, I don't think so."

You smiled at him as he babbled on, only reaching out to lightly touch his arm. "Let me ask my mom. She might ask for your dad's number, if that's okay?"

A small smile graced his pretty face.

He nodded, "Totally."

Todd wasn't super happy with the idea of you joining their movie night. But Dave watched him warm up to you until you were both practically friends, too. He felt a twinge of jealousy at how quickly you two got along, but he summed that up to just how friendly and easy to talk to you were. He knew the movie front to back, so he couldn't help but watch you study the movie with deep interest to see how you reacted to his favorite parts. When all was said and done, the three of you sat in the living room discussing Civil War and if you were Team Cap or Team Stark. You all seemed to be in agreement that Tony was a war criminal who indoctrinated child soldiers. But you all were in disagreement about whether Tony deserved to have his ass kicked by two super soldiers.

"He literally didn't even know that he did anything wrong!" You argued to Todd, who rolled his eyes.

"You're only saying that about Bucky because you think he's hot."

"Maybe so," you admitted, "but my point still stands. He was brainwashed, he wasn't responsible."

"So you wouldn't be upset if I killed your parents, and Dave knew but hid it from you, and then beat you up when you found out?" The blond asked, popping a pretzel in his mouth, "I dunno. I'd be pretty upset."

"That's different, Dave would tell me." You responded with a coy wink at your new best friend.

Todd groaned, "You think he'd throw me under the bus for you?"

"I mean--" Dave cut in, pushing himself from the couch to stand to his feet and stretch, "--she is really pretty. And she smells nice. You're not as pretty and you just smell like Axe."

Todd gasped in mock hurt and you motioned to yourself as if to say "look at the material."

When 9:00 hit, you said goodbye to Dave's father who invited you and your family back for dinner, and hugged Todd goodbye.

"You're still wrong about Tony." He mumbled.

"You're in denial."

"You're In denial."

When you broke away to hug Dave he hesitated, "I was going to walk you home if that's okay with you. No pressure. I just...Uber is expensive on Saturday nights, and I know you don't live too far. But I don't want you to feel unsafe."

You noticed Todd shoot an odd glance at Dave before schooling his features. You made another mental note, but nodded.

"Sure, thanks."

You still weren't used to how long city blocks were. So even though you lived only a few blocks away, it felt like so much longer. Despite everything, you were surprised by how quiet this section of Manhattan was at night. Some people milled about, either going to or coming from someplace else. The air was brisk enough to add a jolt of energy to your system, but it still wasn't so cold that you felt any rush to get home.

"So what's up with the callouses?" You suddenly asked. Dave seemed confused by the question, so you grabbed his hand and held it up to him, then turned his hands over to show his reddened knuckles.

"Oh. I-I'm a...boxer. I box." He stammered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Only my dad and Todd don't know. So don't, like, bring it up around them. They'd freak out."

You hummed, "Okay."

He let out a sigh of relief. A sharp gust of wind from a passing wind tunnel chilled you to the bone, and you looped your arm through his.

"Oh!" You said, surprised.

"Are you cold?" He leaned in closer to you, "We can walk faster if you want."

"I just..my hands are a bit cold." That didn't explain the way you were wrapped around his arm like a boa constrictor. But he didn't seem to mind. He shifted his hand in his sweater pocket.

"There's some room."

You felt your stomach flutter when his hand brushed against yours in his sweater pocket. The flutter turned into a rapid thud when his fingers laced through yours. Despite how ice cold your hands were, he didn't pull away.

"Is that okay?" He asked, shyly, fully prepared to move his hand if you objected. You gave his fingers a small squeeze.

"It's great, actually."

You carried on the casual conversation for another few blocks before stopping at a newly renovated brownstone. He realized then that your family definitely had more money than his.

"Here we are."

You slipped your hand out of his grasp when you realized you still had it in his pocket.

"So...I'll see you monday?" He asked, fidgeting with a loose piece of string on his sleeve.

"Of course."

"Awesome."

"Yeah."

You looked him over one last time before you parted ways. He was your first real friend since you moved, but you still felt like there was so much about him that you didn't know. Not because he was particularly secretive, but because you felt like there was more to him than he let on. You unconsciously reached up and moved a curl away from his eyes. A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, in response.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," you said, "I just think you're really cool, Dave Lizewski."

His smile bloomed into a wide grin, exposing the deep dimples in his cheeks. "You're cool, too. Probably the coolest person I know, actually."

Your heart was thudding in your ears when you leaned up to press a gentle, lingering kiss to his cheek. Before you pulled away, you heard him gasp softly in surprise.

You suddenly felt your phone vibrate in your pocket and checked to see that it was your mom asking where you were.

You usually let your mom know ahead of time when you were on your way home, but you felt uncharacteristically out of sorts. You shot her a quick text letting her know you were outside.

"I hate to do this," you said, finally breaking him out of his stupor, "I really have to go now. Mom's asking questions. Text me when you get home, okay, Curly?"

You gently touched his arm and climbed the steps of your house to the front door. He gave you a weak thumbs up, but he still stared at you with a shocked, flushed face. "G-gotcha."

"And don't forget."

"I won't. I promise."

When you finally shut the door behind you, you peeked out of the small eyehole to watch as he touched his face in surprise and walked down the street in the wrong direction.

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

It Takes A Village Part 1 (Y/N Hotchner)

Warnings: some foul language, criminal minds level amount of gore

A/N: sorry this took so long to do lol it turned out to be mostly what I've written before lol

You weren’t pissed per se, just more… shocked, and maybe a little hurt, that Derek hadn’t spoken to you. One moment you were trying to fill out paperwork from a million different files, the next Derek and Garcia were telling the team they had found Declan. You had opted to wait with Garcia for Aaron to come back. It had been a hot minute since you’d seen him.

“Holy shit, you grew a beard?!” Is the first thing that slips out of your mouth. 

From there, everything was a blur. Doyle was in custody, he wasn’t exactly being helpful - which was annoying as it was his son you were trying to find afterall. 

“You get anywhere with Doyle?” Reid asked, as JJ, Derek, and Rossi walked back into the round table room.

“Doyle doesn’t think Gerace has the guts to take him on.” Derek said, you rolled your eyes. Of course he doesn’t, the man has a massive ego.

“But that’s definitely Gerace on the tape.” Garcia sighed as she sat down. 

Derek turned to your brother as he walked into the room. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks. Everybody take a seat.” You frowned, his tone (and eyebrows) indicating that something was definitely up. 

“Why? What’s going on? Is everything alright?” Derek asked, taking a seat next to you.

Aaron looked at you all, you were with Jack on this, you were not a fan of the beard. “Seven months ago I made a decision that affected this team.” Your brother stated. “As you all know Emily had lost a lot of blood after her fight with Doyle.”

You swallowed, hand reaching for Derek’s under the desk.

“But the doctors were able to stabilise her.” Aaron continued. “And she was airlifted from Boston to Bethesda under a covert exfiltration.”

You looked at your brother in disbelief, this didn’t make any sense. “Her identity was strictly need-to-know. And she stayed there until she was well enough to travel. She was reassigned to Paris where she was given several identities, none of which we had access to for her security.” 

“She’s alive?” You ask, eyebrows furrowed. 

“But we buried her.” Reid stated, looking up at Hotch from his seat. 

“As I said, I take full responsibility for the decision. If anyone has any issues, they should be directed toward me.”

“Any issues?” Derek asked, his voice clipped. “Yeah, I got issues.”

You turned, seeing Emily. Your face dropped. What the fuck. Maybe you were going insane? That was the only other option. Otherwise your brother had lied to you. The one person (apart from Derek) that you thought would never lie to you.

You turned to Aaron, who winced when he saw the hurt and betrayal that filled your eyes. You took a deep breath and just like that, the mask was up and the betrayal was hidden. You turned to Emily, “It’s great to see you’re okay,”

“It’s good to see you too.” She said, giving you a smile. 

You listened patiently as they all discussed the case. You didn’t have it in you. You just listened. As they continue, realising that the alpha of the team (a phrase you struggled to take seriously) was in fact a woman. When the team parted ways to investigate, you stood to make your way to the bathroom. 

“(Y/N)-”

“I don’t want to speak to you right now,”

“(Y/N), please just listen-”

“What, Aaron? You are the one person I could always trust and I did,” You paused, “There was no one else I trusted completely. I trusted you so much, you’re my big brother Aaron. I’ve always trusted you- not mum, not dad, heck I don’t even trust Sean as much, but you? I’ve always trusted you,”

“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, “We couldn’t tell anyone, it was for Emily’s safety,”

“We?”

“Me and JJ,”

“Right,” You said shortly, “JJ knew.”

“Just let me explain,”

“There’s nothing to explain.” You said shortly. “Emily’s alive and you chose to keep it from me.” 

“I had to,”

“Why because of protocol? Because it needed to be confidential?” You knew what you said was right because Aaron’s eyebrow softly twitched. “Who else would I have told Aaron? Who else? I don’t speak to anyone outside of this team! I don’t have a family, a Haley, a Will, children, fuck, I don’t even have a Sergio! I’ve got this team, that’s it! I wouldn’t have told anyone because I don’t have anyone to tell! You know that. That’s what hurts Aaron. So no, I don’t want to listen to you come up with some lame, half-ass excuse about safety.”

“(Y/N), I couldn't tell you in case you told anyone.” 

“Who would I have fucking told Aaron?! Who would I have told?!” You yell, fist slamming into the desk in front of you. “I have fuck all else! My life is this team and that's it! And you fucking know it! So please, tell me, who would I have told!”

You watch Aaron open his mouth for a split second before closing as he looks down.

“You know what, Aaron? Go fuck yourself. I can’t be fucked to deal with this right now.” You give him a tight smile before walking away.

[fictionstudent]

What is the “Law of Opposing Powers” and how can it level up your scenes?

Writing can be a really tough nut to crack. Readers should find every single scene interesting and be glued till the end, and let’s be honest—that’s not an easy thing to do.

With the rise of TikTok—to be honest, I don't know if we can blame TikTok or not, but since it’s banned in my country, it’s fun—readers need something interesting all the damn time. Like, you can't have a scene where your characters are just messing around, y’know. You need to move the story forward, or at least present a sort of conflict to the readers.

The readers should always have something to look forward to as the scene plays out. Is it because of their low attention span? Or, were the readers always like that? I don't really have an answer to that question. But, like I said, blaming TikTok is fun, so that’s all I’m gonna say.

Anyway, how do you solve this issue? How do you make sure each scene keeps your readers glued, even if it doesn't really push the story forward?

The answer to your woes, my friends, is the Law of Opposing Powers. (im sorry the name is so damn cringe but i jus came back from jim what else can u expect?)

***

#01. Character versus Character

So, what is this Law of Opposing Powers?

It’s simple, actually: you just need to have opposite powers at play in your scene. Let me explain.

Let’s suppose that there’s a scene where two characters are discussing something. Let’s say… they’ve just had a near-death experience and are discussing how they could have lost their lives in it. The scene is set; how do you make it interesting now?

One direct way is that you might let your characters agree on the issue, y’know. All of them say how it was actually really dangerous, and that the consequences would have been deadly. But, this scene won’t really be interesting to the readers.

Give your characters different opinions. Don't let one of them be the yes-man, y’know. Both of your characters should, firstly, have something to add to the discussion, and secondly, should have different opinions. That’s what you call opposing powers.

Let’s say that one of the characters isn’t really all that serious about it. He’s like: alright, we might have lost their lives, whatever. But, however, the other one is dead serious about it, and is trying to explain to him how bad the results could have been. Probably let a third character be completely dismissive; he’s like: ah, what nonsense, we’d have never lost our lives.

Now, you have opposite powers in your scene. Now your scene is ready to be written and presented to the readers.

This discussion might not push the story forward in a literal sense, y’know, but it has a really important part to play: showing a part of each character. This law, therefore, also helps you show differences between your characters and their attitudes.

***

#02. Setting

However, as you would have guessed, it’s not always possible. You can’t let your characters argue with each other all the damn time, y’know. That just doesn't make sense. And what if the characters in question are good friends, or have similar attitudes? What do you do then?

Well, guys, this is where I show you another application of my law of opposing powers.

The thing is: the opposing powers shouldn't have to be your characters’ opinions all the damn time. You can add something more.

For example, let’s suppose your character is in enemy territory. They wanna penetrate deeper inside, but don't know how to. Here’s another pair of opposing powers: your character and their setting.

Yeah, your setting can act as an opposing power too. A scene where the character is struggling—or not struggling, doesn't matter—to know more about the setting means that the setting is a power they need to overcome, y’know. This is how most adventure-fantasy stories remain interesting—exploring the settings plays an important part in these stories.

***

#03. An Easier Way

Well, if you’ve grasped the concept—which I believe most of my students must have by now—you might be wondering how you are even gonna use it. It seems like it’s a tough nut to crack, right? To think about a scene so damn much…

But it doesn't have to be this tough. It doesn't have to be this draining. While writing this blog, I realized that there’s another way that I can use to teach you the Law of Opposing Powers. And that’s through conflict.

Now, stay with me here. I think you all must know what a conflict is, but if you don't, let’s go back to the basics. How do you create a character-arc? You give them a goal, a motive, and a conflict. You can also give your characters several goals, motives, and definitely many conflicts, but for simplicity, let’s assume we give our character just a single goal, a single motive to achieve it, and a single conflict.

Now, what’s a conflict? It’s the opposing power—something that’s stopping your character from achieving their goal. But, it’s a macro-level thing—you unfold the characters’ conflict through several scenes and acts, not just a single one.

For this, I’d urge you to give each scene a micro-level conflict. It doesn't really exist—I made this up. A micro-level conflict is a conflict that resolves within the said scene.

You can see the difference between the characters’ opinions as a micro-level conflict for your main character. Or even exploring a setting can act as one.

***

#04. Application

You might feel that it’s still a tough thing to implement in your writing. And you’re right: adding a micro-level conflict in each scene might be tough. But, if you wanna make it easier, I can give you a little trick.

For each scene, ask yourself what the purpose of the scene is. Why is the scene here? What’s it doing?

Knowing the purpose of your scene can really help bring forward the opposing powers that your scene may hold. Now, all you have to do now is to polish them and make them shine. Easy peasy.

And, if your scene doesn't have a purpose, give it one. Before beginning each scene, you can just define what you want out of this scene. How it’s gonna end. Defining all that would really level up your writing.

***

#05. Conclusion

I hope the Law of Opposing Powers would help you guys in your writing. I came up with this idea when I was discussing about writing with a friend of mine.

Man, discussions about writing with other writers can really help you gain some insights, y’know. Even I don't know how I reached this idea—I just did. And probably this is the magic of talking about writing.

That’s why I’d never stop yapping about writing.

Anyway, that’s it from my side. See you guys later!

[nightghoul381]

Ellis Twilight ~ Main Route Chapter 14 Premium Avatar Challenge

Disclaimer for route warnings | Masterlist

Additional Content Warnings: None

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

"Many Kisses in the Dark"

(… I was distracted because I was thinking about something.)

(Now I’m completely separated.)

At the fork in the path where the warning was issued, did I walk in a different direction from the other two.

Or was there another turning point that I was unaware of?

Kate: “No, no, no it’s okay. I’m an adult. This is just a horror house…”

It was so dark in every direction, I couldn’t see which way to go.

My hands wobbled in front of me as I moved forward cautiously.

(How far have I gone? How far do I have to go to reach the exit?)

(At this rate, it’s going to take hours to escape…)

Something fluffy or slimy brushed against my fingertips.

Every time I heard the eerie sounds of wind or heard voices, my heart almost gave out—

Kate: “I-I’ve reached my limit….”

The moment I muttered this, my wrist, which had been extended in front of me, was suddenly grabbed by something cold.

Kate: “Eek…!”

Ellis: “Kate…”

(Huh?)

I was dragged forward a few steps, and Ellis appeared vaguely in the darkness.

Kate: “E-Ellis…?”

(Maybe he came looking for me…?)

Kate: “S-Sorry, I got separated from you all some time ago…!”

Before I knew it, I was being held close to him.

Ellis: “…I’m glad I found you.”

His broad chest rose and fell dramatically as he held me.

(Ellis, you’re breathing on my shoulder… and your breath is hot…)

When I realized that he had searched all over to find me, the fear in my heart suddenly eased.

Ellis: “You didn’t fall…. Or bump into something… or meet any strange people?”

Kate: “No, I’m okay….”

(…Even though we’re still in the horror house, I feel so calm in Ellis’ arms.)

Ellis: “…I should’ve held your hand from the beginning.”

Ellis: “If I had done that, you wouldn’t have had to be so scared.”

Ellis: “I’m sorry.”

Like a confession, a soft sensation falls on my eyelids.

When I realized it was his lips, heat spread across my cheeks.

(Until now… he hadn’t even looked me in the eye.)

Now,I was being given this sweet warmth, unconditionally, and it helped me forget the dark feelings that had been filling my heart.

Around my eyes, temples, and cheeks.

Every time he dropped a kiss, his arms held tighter, and…

Kate: “Ellis, you’re holding me a little bit too tightly…”

In truth, it was more my heart that failed me than my body…

When I raised my voice, Ellis suddenly came to his senses and released me.

Ellis: “…Sorry.”

Kate: “It’s okay…”

Kate: “Thank you. Thanks to you, Ellis, I think I can make it to the exit."

Ellis: “I see.”

Then, Ellis’ fingertips slipped between my fingers.

He gripped my hand gently, but firmly enough that it wouldn’t slip out.

That alone made my heart pound loudly.

Ellis: “Until we get outside… it’s probably better to stay like this.”

Kate: “…Y-yeah.”

(Of course, I prefer it if we’re ‘connected’…)

(Do you think it’s better, Ellis?)

I was curious, but he had felt so far away earlier and I was so happy to be touching even the palm of his hand that I didn’t ask.

Kate: “Oh, by the way… where’s Harrison?”

Ellis: “…Ah.”

Ellis: “I noticed you weren’t there so I ran out… and I left him behind.”

Kate: “So, now Harrison is lost…?”

Ellis: “…Harry is probably okay. I think he’s waiting for us at the exit.”

(I’m sorry Harrison…)

I felt sincerely bad for Harrison having to tour the horror house alone.

(So… what do we do now?)

My body, which had been tensed with anxiety, relaxed and I couldn’t help but laugh at how pathetic I was.

Kate: “I’m sorry. I just wanted to cheer you up, but I ended up worrying you.”

Kate: “…it’s not working out like when you do it though.”

Ellis: “Me?”

Kate: “Like when you put me in my wheelchair and took me up that hill.”

Ellis: “…”

I felt the grip of his hand tighten and looked up at the person next to me.

Kate: “Ellis?”

Ellis, only dimly visible in the darkness, looked straight ahead and muttered in an unusually serious voice.

Ellis: “No… don’t say that…”

Ellis: “Because then I won’t be able to let go of your hand.”

(Huh…?)

Slowly, his body pulled away and Ellis’ figure disappeared into the darkness.

--Leaving only the feeling of our joined hands.

Kate: “Ah…”

(Was it…supposed to lead outside?)

At that moment—

Staff: “You’re the first people to ever escape this mansion alive!”

I stared blankly at the attendant delivering the closing speech in the same ambiance as he had at the entrance.

Freed from fear, the words that had been whispered to me a moment ago began to invade my body…

My heart started beating faster and faster.

(Ellis, earlier you said… I won’t be able to let go of your hand.”…)

(…I guess it’s not like he didn’t want to be with me from the start.)

I felt so happy that a grin broke out on my face.

Ellis: “Oh, Harrison. Sorry about earlier.”

I looked up when he spoke and saw Harrison waving at us.

Kate: “I’m sorry we got separated.”

Harrison: “Don’t be. It was a rare experience to enjoy a horror house on my own and quietly observe it. It was fun.”

Harrison: “It appears that this was perfect reference material for the book “The Ghost in the Old Mansion” that I’m currently proofreading.”

Kate: “Is that really true…?”

Harrison: “…Well, what do you think?”

I don’t know if it was true or not, but Harrison’s words made me feel a little less guilty.

I remembered that Ellis had told me before that Harrison was a considerate person like that.

Kate: “I’ll assume it’s true. Thank you Harrison.”

Harrison: “Well, I’ve got something to do later.”

Just before turning around, Harrison looked straight at Ellis.

Harrison: “I don’t know your circumstances, and I have no intention of finding out. So, I can’t say anything irresponsible.”

Harrison: “Isn’t what you said just before the answer?”

Without another word, Harrison left.

Kate: “Just now… What did he mean?”

Ellis: “…It’s a secret.”

--“Ellis’ feelings and desires are a secret”.

(But now I can’t seem to be satisfied with just peeking through the gap in the box.)

I want to pry it open.

What lies there is—darkness itself, with its mouth wide open.

Ellis: “Let’s go.”

I could tell that Ellis was trying to let go of my hand--so I gripped it tightly.

Ellis: “…!”

Ellis’ complexion changes just a little.

Ellis: “Kate…?”

His expression looked a little bit troubled.

(I think… I like making trouble for Ellis too.)

Gently, I relaxed my fingers.

If he wanted to shake it off, he could.

(I’m sure that I conveyed that I still want to stay connected.)

(I’ll leave it up to Ellis whether or not to continue)

Ellis: “……”

--Ellis didn’t shake off my hand.

Although, just that alone didn’t tell me whether Ellis wanted to be connected with me or not.

(If so, good.)

Kate: “Where should we go after this?”

Kate: “I’d like to find a place where you can have more fun, Ellis…Ah, I’ll think about it, so don’t answer.”

(We’ve already been to delicious restaurants and trendy department stores together… it’s still difficult.)

(A place where I won’t be as pathetic as I was in the horror house… hmmm)

Ellis: “…Wherever you are is fine.”

Kate: “Huh?”

Ellis: “Hmm…. It was nothing.”

Next Chapter

[marvelous-goose]

OC KISS WEEK 2025

Prompt: Forbidden? Reunion? A strange combination of both?

Featuring my darling Emmy Thorne and Daphne Ingellvar, who belongs to the lovely @lucaniseyebrowlicker & is a direct sequel to her ficlet from earlier this week :3

Jasper and Harding had been right there. She was sure of it. But Emmy had gotten distracted for five seconds, and suddenly, her brother and his best friend had disappeared, leaving her alone in the wide-open halls of the Grand Necropolis. She looked around madly; nope, no flashes of red braids or blue robes anywhere. She listened; no crackles of lightning magic or bowstrings twanging. Well, fuck me, I guess. She didn’t know her way around the Necropolis; this was her first time joining Jasper on his occasional visits.

She started walking aimlessly in the direction they came from…or what she thought was the direction they came from. The longer she looked at the tall columns and intricate skeletal carvings, the more they all looked the same. She didn’t know how long she walked; it could have been hours. Eventually, she stopped recognizing anything altogether. She was completely and utterly lost.

The magnificent column-lined hall opened up, and to the left of the beaten path, Emmy saw a graveyard, less well-kept and ornately decorated than the memorial gardens she’d seen just a few hours earlier. It was small, only a dozen or so headstones littering the plot, most of them sparsely adorned with long-dead flowers and engravings so time-worn as to be unreadable. Near the back of the graveyard was a much older plot, and sitting atop the grave sat…

“Daphne?” called Emmy softly, recognizing the woman.

She spun around—long ginger hair pulled into a ponytail, bright green eyes flashing with recognition. “Emmy?”

The pair had met briefly years earlier, when the Mourn Watch sent a convoy of Watchers to assist the Wardens with a haunting. A kiss shared in an empty practice ring in the last moments before dawn broke. Emmy walked past the graves and approached Daphne, still sitting in the dirt atop an old grave. She crouched down and joined the Watcher on the ground.

“It’s good to see you again. I almost thought I’d made you up,” she said, a bashful, haphazard smile on her face.

“Yeah.” Daphne smiled back, a little puzzled, a little lost. “Sorry—I usually come here to be alone.”

“Oh! I can leave—”

“—No, it’s fine. Stay.” She fidgeted with the sleeve of her Watcher robes, looked around, avoiding Emmy’s eyes. “This is where I was found, actually.”

Emmy felt her eyebrows shoot up. “Found?”

“Yeah. I was a baby. Her mother found me.” Daphne brushed a little dust off the top of the headstone. The engraved name had long-since crumbled apart, but the first part of it was still just legible: Daphne.

“Her…mother?” Sure, plenty of mothers buried their children, but this grave was far too old for any mother to still be alive.

“She’s an undead in the Necropolis,” said Daphne casually. Emmy reminded herself of the cultural differences between Nevarra and her home in the Anderfels; she nodded in understanding.

“So, you come here when you want to be alone?” Emmy shifted her weight, settling more comfortably in the graveyard’s dirt and scooting herself closer to Daphne. “I remember you being pretty upset when we met. You doing alright these days?”

The Watcher shrugged, looked back to the headstone wistfully. “I do my best. When we met…well. Let’s just say that certain members of leadership here were less than happy with me.” She let out a quick breath and turned to Emmy with a brighter expression. “But it’s so nice to see you again. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“I’ll beat them up for you,” said Emmy, and she was dead serious.

Daphne’s lips broke into a smile that reached her eyes, and Emmy’s heart skipped a beat. “You really don’t have to,” said Daphne, “but thank you for the offer. What are you doing here, anyway? Are you—” she thought for a moment. “Wait, are you with that Warden who recruited Professor Volkarin?”

“Yeah! That’s my twin brother, Jasper.” Emmy smiled broadly at Daphne. “We were here helping with some hauntings, and I uh. I got a little lost.”

Daphne giggled. “I can tell. Very few people come out here on purpose.”

“That’s a shame,” said Emmy. “Wardens have our memorials to the Heroes of the Blights, but it’s carvings, statues, sometimes bits of their armor that survived, skeletons of the Archdemons.” She looked around the graveyard, at the graves falling into disrepair. “We take care of those memorials, or we try to, anyway. And I think it should be the same here, you know?”

“Yeah,” replied Daphne, her voice soft. She reached out and took Emmy’s large, calloused hand in her own—and Daphne’s hand was soft and freezing cold, like the icicles that clung to the eaves of Emmy’s childhood home in the dead of the Anderfels winter.

“You’re freezing,” Emmy exclaimed softly. “Here.” She took Daphne’s other hand and cupped both hands in her own larger ones, brought them to her lips and blew warm air across them. Daphne stared at Emmy with a look the Warden couldn’t quite parse—some mix of admiration and fascination. Emmy placed a gentle kiss to Daphne’s knuckles before letting go of her hands.

There was a crackle in the air—or was it Emmy’s imagination? Was the tension in the air just so thick it felt electric? She stared into the emerald green of Daphne’s beautiful eyes, her soft, pale face, her perfect lips.

“You know, it was a good kiss,” whispered Emmy. “I still think about you. All the time. You surprised me; I didn’t think I could be surprised, back then.”

“Really?” Daphne murmured.

“Yeah,” said Emmy, shifting even closer to Daphne. They were just inches apart. “I’d love to kiss you again.”

“Even amidst the graves?” asked Daphne, half-teasing, half-dazed. She reached up and placed a cold hand on Emmy’s cheek.

“Maybe.” Emmy gave her a fond smile, covering Daphne’s hand with her own. “If the dead don’t mind, I don’t mind, either.”

Daphne grabbed the nape of Emmy’s neck with her other hand and pulled the warrior-woman into a fierce kiss, reminiscent of the one they had shared all those years ago. Emmy grabbed her waist and pulled her in closer, devouring the sweet taste of Daphne’s lips. They came up for air, then Emmy kissed Daphne again, softer, gentler. She squeezed Daphne’s hand and smiled into her mouth.

When they finally broke apart, Emmy was grinning from ear to ear. “You know, I dreamed about this for years.”

“So did I,” replied Daphne in a whisper, her eyes wide.

A couple hours later, Daphne and Emmy walked into the belfry and saw Jasper and Harding in a heated discussion with Myrna below the Sunken Star.

“There you are!” shouted Jasper. “Maker’s breath, we thought you—” He saw Daphne standing suspiciously close to Emmy. “Who is she?”

“This is Daphne,” said Emmy, a bright smile on her face. Daphne waved.

Jasper looked between them, then looked back at Harding. She shrugged at him. He turned back to the pair, his mouth a flat line, his eyes tired. “Nice to meet you, Daphne.” He sighed. “Emmy. You had me worried sick. Let’s go.”

Emmy squeezed Daphne’s hand before letting go and following her brother through the eluvian.

[effy-writes]

Addict (Blitz x Reader)

(the link above shows the chapters)

4: Murder Family: Twisted

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Months went by but you keep getting lost of track of time. No reasons as to why, but you think its the constant routine you have to do. Wake up, clean, Blitz drug testing you, (fake piss), sleep. You do it over and over again. Kind of feels like rehab.

You’ve been cleaning so hard just about everyday that there was nothing to do. So, you sat down next to Millie who was making her husband shoot a portrait of a family (and which he kept refusing to do).

"Moxxie just shoot," You impatiently said.

"You don't even know how!"

"It's not that I don't know how, it's just that I don't want to."

"Why?"

"I actually haven't figured out why."

"Guys! I want you to meet-" Blitz got interrupted by Moxxie who got startled and shot the arrow. It ricochets off of the walls and hits the eel tank before Blitz finally caught it.

"..our newest client!"

The eel tank started to shake before it fell down, creating a comically large fire.

"Dammit Moxxie! Y/n begged me for weeks to get those eels!"

~~~

Everyone was exiting the building, but you stayed couple of seconds longer inside to quickly snort the remaining adderall. Nobody realized that you were gone until they heard you panting due to you running (and your already fucked up lungs and heart).

"Now someone PLEASE tell me that book is intact!" Blitz yelled.

"You mean our only ticket to the other side? Yeah got it." Loona held up the book.

You stood close to M&M and Blitz to make sure that they are all gone so you can make another drug run. You could worry about Loona but you know that Loona probably doesn't pay attention.

"Now let's go lick some ass!"

"The expression is 'kick some ass'" Millie corrected.

"Mines better." Blitz and Millie walked through. As Moxxie was walking to the portal he tripped and accidentally pushed you in.

"Wait wait shit!" The portal closed up. "Moxxie!"

"Oh crumbs I'm so sorry!"

"I don't even know how to do this shit!" You whispered-yelled.

"I mean it's a great way to start! Just watch us shoot and kill." Blitz said proudly. "Moxxie, do you want to give this one a try?"

"Me?"

"Yeah it's simple enough for you to handle. It's just a happy mother who just got out of the hospital."

Moxxie hesitated.

"You snooze, you lose, Mox!" Blitz looked through the window, "Aaaand I've got ya, bitch."

"Wait... Are we actually killing a family?"

"Do you guys bicker at each other everytime you're out on a kill?" You whispered.

"Yeah they do." Millie answered, "You should seriously start doing these things with us!"

"Uh no." You said abruptly, turning your head and saw that the two were still bickering until Moxxie hit Blitz's rifle as he shot the trigger. The bullet fires and hits a glass mirror that's inside.

"Oh shit." You mumbled.

"What the fuck was that, Moxxie?!"

"I'm sorry sir, they seemed so happy and wholesome!" He wheezed.

Blitz argued back right as a bullet pierced his arm. "AHH a new hole! SCATTER!"

Moxxie hid behind the bushes, the other three ran in different directions.

You don't do danger. Sure, lived in shady places, but as long as you don't take other people's drugs, you're good. But this is something completely different for you. This is why I don't want to fucking come to these things.

You ran through the woods, occasionally tripping because of the rocks and wood. Your foot twisted and ended up falling down a hill screaming and finally landing with a grunt.

"Y/n!" Millie smiled.

You lift your head up and saw Blitz and Millie tied to a stump that was on fire. A blonde lady caught your eye.

"Oh well look who we have here! Another one!" She grinned.

You gulped as you tried to get up but with your foot being twisted you fell right back down.

"Aw you got hurt? Don't worry I'll take the pain away." She brought up her shot gun and aimed it at you.

You flinched as soon as you heard the gunshot, but when you looked up Moxxie was standing over the woman's body.

"Moxxie!" Millie shouted. Her husband untied Blitz and Millie before reaching over to you to help you up.

"You're not gettin' your goddamn paycheck for this one, Mox!" Blitz yelled, walking over to the other side of you.

"How did you get hurt on your first day?" He joked.

"Fuck you. I didn't even want to be here in the first place."

~~

"Ahhh, did you see my little Mox-Mox!" Millie hugged him, nuzzling her head against his chest.

"Well, here's to another mission accomplished! And Moxxie finally learned not to fuck up."

You hopped to a chair that was beside of Blitz, taking off your shoe and saw that it was swollen and bruised.

"And cheers to Y/n for getting hurt on the first day!" Blitz raised a glass.

"Wasn't my choice!"

~~~

"Is your ankle okay?" Blitz had your arm around him.

"Not really, hurts like shit."

You hopped to the couch and propped your foot up with a pillow. "Do you have any pain killers? Please?"

Blitz frowned, "Y/n I really don't think-"

"I was addicted to stimulants, not opioids."

"I don't want you to get hooked on those either."

"Please?"

"I can't..I'm sorry." He laid down beside of you. "Also this might be a bad time to mention but Stolas called."

"Okay? And?"

"He said something and I may or may not agree to it."

You furrowed your eyebrows.

"He said every full moon we have to fuck."

"We as in...you two?"

"We as in me, you, and him."

Your jaw dropped, "What the fuck Blitz! How come you didn't talk to me about it?"

"I was being hunted by that crazy bitch!"

You ran your fingers through your hair, "Why does he want me in the deal?"

He shrugged, "I guess he gets off doing threesomes."

"And you're okay with that?"

"I don't want to fuck a bird once a month but we need it for my business sooo."

"Okay...well..are you okay with me joining in?"

"The more the better."

But that didn't answer your question. You just laid down and turned your head away from Blitz.

[cherriemybaby]

best friends dad! this will probably have two parts or a few extras and i love them!

you and harry spend a night together after a fight with your best friend aka his son!

warnings:smut, oral f to m and m to f, some body issues (talked about deeper in part two)

wc:3000+

you and ben had been bestfriends for as long long as you can remember but that’s it just two close best friends so when he told you he was in love with you.. 30 seconds ago? two hours ago? you weren’t sure all you knew after he muttered out those words you stood staring at him, waiting for that cheeky smile he always supports after telling you a funny joke and then you would both crack up. but that smile never came and his expression never faltered. He just looked at you so.. lovingly? was that it, was he really in love with you and you somehow didn’t see it for the past 6 years.

other friends would joke about it saying how there’s no way you didn’t feel it or apparently didn’t see it when he looked in our direction. but in your eyes you were brother and sister but you know saying that to him would be hurtful and you didn’t want to lose him over this even though you know everything will change once you open your mouth and finally get the courage to respond so instead you stare for a good minute before he breaks the silence

“are you okay.. did i scare you- fuck i shouldn’t have said anything i promised myself i wouldn’t but i just thought maybe you would feel the same i mean you’re always giving me the eyes and telling me how bad the dates you go on are and i just thought it was a hint that you wanted this too”.

ending his rant you look at him a little different this time, he thought you were giving him signs? you were notoriously known for being overly honest, only one or two times did you keep secrets from him. but those things are out of the realm of you two, how do you say “oh yeah i’ve had a huge crush on your dad for the past 6 years and that’s why my dates go horribly” but back to reality you still couldn’t believe what he said

“you thought i.. i mean why would i do that i tell you everything” and yeah maybe that everything was a little over stretched but you couldn’t say that so you stated a broad oversight of what you let him in on.

“i mean yeah maybe i just thought since you’re always looking at me and-“

you huffed “yeah i look at you like i love you because i do, as my best friend as my platonic soulmate i just always thought we shared those feelings and now i just dot know what to do”

the look on his face made everything real he was mad? upset? hurt? all of the emotions and probably ten others

“i can’t believe- they all saw it and i just- whatever y/n honestly whatever i can’t do this right now” he began towards the door of your apartment you wanted to stop him and ask who said what but you just couldn’t bring yourself to move, instead he slammed the door on his way out and you crumbled completely a mess on the floor not knowing what just happened or how you lost the most important person to you.

you sat there for a good amount of time before you hear your phone ding twice and you get a knock at the door, wiping your tears. You stand and look through the peephole in the door, it's harry.

you gasp slightly before grabbing your phone to check the messages which are in fact also harry first asking if you’re okay but second asking if you were home.

your mind is rolling you have no idea why he is here or what he wants, he asked if you were okay but maybe he came by to defend his son? had he seen the “looks” ben convinced had been so obvious, you didn’t know but you knew you had to face the music so you opened the door and were met with harry looking distraught?

“what- what are you doing here, did ben tell you i’m sorry harry i really didn’t know.”

he let you finish before pushing through the door and gathering you in his arms, a bag you now noticed was in his hand, peaking out of the top was light pink daisies, your favorite. “it's not your fault , he started, ben doesn’t know what he was saying i’m do sorry he said that to you and made you feel in the wrong, he called to tell me on his way home from here and i wasn’t thinking i just jumped in the car and made a trader joe’s pit stop”

you pulled away from him slightly to look up at him your brows furrowed, he wasn’t mad, he came over to comfort you? looking into the bag a bit deeper you saw the flowers and your favorite soup dumplings as well as your favorite off brand chips, you looked up at him again now he looks anxious as he awaited your response to it all.

harry you just, why did you do all of this, i guess i was expecting you to come in and give me a lecture about how to treat your son and you just, you brought my favorite things and” he cut you off

“i know how much you love him as a friend and it wasn’t fair of him to say what he did, thankfully he wasn’t in front of me because I would have punched him right there.. i mean he was awful he was so rude saying you’ve been leading him on and i know you, the real true flower loving, soup dumpling loving girl who’s been his biggest cheerleader for years and trust me i know how he feels i would have a crush on you too” he smirks at that while blushing slightly

maybe you’re in a state of shock when you retort, i know how having a crush on one of you always makes me feel special.”

and while maybe this doesn’t feel like a crazy thing to say just hours ago you admitted to one of the styles men that you didn’t have a crush on him so your truth speaks loudly throughout the air making it your turn to blush.

harry doesn't seem scared or shocked by this as he responds “well yeah i mean if we’re telling the truth i’ve always had quite a bit of a crush you”

stepping out of the hold he has kept you in you look down embarrassed by also excited? did he just admit what you’ve kept hidden for so long. at this he gently picks your head up into his palm and swipes his thumb over your lip, it's not much but its enough to make your breath feel heavier. The lust and want in your eyes must be apparent because one more good look at your and he’s leaning down to kiss you. you melt into it as you feel every nerve ending react to him and for the first time in your life you feel the once imaginary fireworks.

he drops the bag on the floor and moves to take off his coat, his mouth never leaving yours, he reaches down to your hips pulling you further into him as he deepens the kiss, squeezing you tight in his grasp the slight pleasurable pain has you gasping allowing him to incorporate his tongue which moves against yours perfectly making you whither which each flick it has in your mouth. you reach your hands out tugging at his shirt, only leaving his mouth astray for a moment before you pounce back onto him jumping up so he could carry you. he walks backwards slightly before pulling away and smiling, “i was thinking i could be sexy like the man in the movies who magically knows where your room is but all i see is you and three closed doors and i believe walking us into the toilet may turn you off a bit” you laugh loudly throwing your head back “ last door on the right “

he nods curtly with a small smile and it's times like these where you remember just how much you like him. every time you would enter his house and he would take your coat and insist you sit immediately, never wanting you to lift a finger while in his company and while nice he sadly raised his son to be the same which made earlier all the more difficult and with this in mind your heart stops.

you can never go back from this, it’s not that you don’t want it, it's that you absolutely do and you know you can never go back, if ben found out i would kill him especially after his recent confessions, but you shake those thoughts away as you look back at harry carrying you to your bedroom and you know when that door opens and all of your fantasies come alive you won’t care about what’s right and wrong just that the man in front of you will make doing all of those bad things feel so right, so much so that you might be convinced it’s all good but definitely not pure.

he pushes the door open and steps in, kissing you again for a moment before sitting on the bed making you straddle him, harry reaches down and grabs the bottom of your shirt to tug it up and over your head leaving you more breathless before and well now shirtless.

he begins kissing down your neck and just like that all of your thoughts of ben and the argument drift away as if it never happened at all.

“harry” you whine out as he continues sucking and kissing all of your pressure points he somehow has found, a low sound, a growl? a moan possibly escapes him

“hearing you moan my name that way is making me crave you more somehow and i know now more than every i don’t want you moaning another mans name ever again” the sudden possessive tone he has turns you on more, reaching down you begin to unbutton his pants before pulling the zipper down in a swift manner.

“get me out baby i wanna see what you look like with your mouth stuffed full”

you audibly whine as you pull him out he’s large to say the least, at least 7 inches with a pretty pink tip that’s already leaking for you. you lean in and put him in your mouth, just the tip at first

“fu-fuck baby, please give me more of your mouth you’re so warm i might not last long” you want to giggle at that because he already looks so fucked out and you wonder how long it’s been for him, but you do as he commands while taking him deeper until your nose is almost touching him.

he whines and gasps, wrapping his hand tightly around your hair before murmuring ‘m gonna fuck your mouth is that okay sweetheart” you hum around him since your ability to do much else has been taken away

he starts off slow, guiding you up and down is cock but before long he’s moving you faster, deeper, so so deep you think it's the best thing you’ve ever felt, you’re getting drenched without stimulation. he groans deeply and you know he’s almost there

he looks down at you, pausing your movements momentarily, “is it alright if i finish in your mouth, i can pull out if you’d like just want you to be comfy”

it would be sweet if his cock wasn’t down your throat, so instead you pull off for a moment looking into his eyes, “yes please wanna taste it” he takes a breath before leaning down to pull you into a kiss

“okay m’gonna finish if you keep talking like that, get back down there and finish what you started” you giggle for a moment leaving one last peck on his lips then slowing sinking down to your spot in between his legs.

taking him back into your mouth, you suck hard wanting his come down your throat, with other guys you never felt this urge and want to see them come undone so deeply but with harry all you want is for him to feel good so you continue sucking and licking him so deep in your throat before he’s finishing for you

“fuck angel please m’righ there right there for you just keep going please” his words turn into a mingle of whining and begging all the way through his orgasm, you pull off when he’s down before sticking your tongue out to show him the mess then bringing it back into your mouth to swallow the rest and sticking it back out to show him just how well you took it all.

he groans at this lifting you back up into your straddling him again “you’re so fucking hot i think i might get hard again” you giggle at that “so proud you baby took me so well, i think you deserve a treat of your own” your heart falters a bit at this, you loved your body.. well it's a temple and it keeps you protected and all of those things but there’s hesitation about someone you’ve waited for seeing you like this, would he be disappointed?

the look on your face must tell the whole story as he grips your face in his hand forcing you to look at him “this is about you okay? i would love to see you and i mean all of you but i’m only going to do what you’re ready for, what you’re comfortable with. how bout we lay down for a bit and relax maybe talk maybe put on a record and just enjoy each others company”

you smile at this, as you’re pretty sure you’ve never wanted something more than to just lay in a bed domestically with harry after a long day and listen to a record. so that’s what you do, for probably an hour you laugh and lay and talk about everything from music to tv shows and don’t forget the animals you want once you’re out of a ten foot apartment. and it feels nice, it feels right.

a break in the conversation comes before harry is caressing your leg, your thigh more like it and somewhere in the conversation you decided to take off your jeans because they were uncomfortable right? definitely not because you wanted to slowly start taking clothes off, maybe to tell him you were ready, maybe not? okay yeah definitely you were trying to send signs.

so back to him caressing your thigh, to make it more obvious you slowly spread them allowing him to stroke deeper, closer to your spot that aches so so goodbadgoodbadgood you can’t tell anymore.

he chuckles lowly “I can tell what you’re doing baby, just tell me what you want and i’ll give it to you” . You look up at him trying to find the words to describe the ache and the need but all you say is “touch me please?” this elicits another chuckle “where” he whispers “my- umm my pussy” he takes you aback when you feel a light slap on your inner thigh

“you’re missing something little girl try again” you whine “touch my pussy harry” after a moment his hand in the air like a warning you whisper “please”

“good girl bunny knew you were my good girl” you want to smile but instead of happy it makes you crave him more. he slides himself down further on the bed before coming face to face with your heat, he wraps your legs around his neck before tracing an outline slowly, teasingly around your panty line

you huff loudly earning another slap “be patient let me enjoy this okay?” you nod not wanting him to back away and decide to no longer pleasure you how you want

he finally after a lifetime grips the top of your underwear slowly dragging it down your body and finally throwing it off the bed.

he leans in getting closer to your pussy until he finally places a small kiss right atop your clit, you whine tugging at his hair , urging, begging for more.

finally his teasing tops and he dives in enjoying tasting you, you feel foolish for believing you could come already but it's been a long time, too long, way too long. as he continues you feel your orgasm getting closer.

”harry please i’m right there, just need to come - fuck!” you yell out as you come undone for him, he licks you up until you’re shaking from overstimulation.

smirking to himself he runs into the bathroom to grab a towel to wipe you down and before leaving a kiss on your inner thigh, you whine slightly and he playfully bites down. you lay back watching him go back into the bathroom, although you should feel bliss and have no thoughts, you have every thought. would this happen again? was it a one time thing? so when he walks back in, you don’t notice too caught up in your own thoughts.

”what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours” he whispers while laying down next to you, pulling you in for a cuddle

you sigh, “i know i shouldn’t be thinking about what this means but i just want to know where your head is, i mean if its a one time thing that's okay, i guess i always thought of you more than that but i would understand if-“

he cuts you off with a peck, looking into your eyes. “its not a one time thing for me i’ve had a crush on you forever, lets worry about it in the morning yeah?”

you smile up at him letting yourself relax slightly as he pulls you in farther and you drift off to sleep, you'd figure it out in the morning, right?

[laufeyslegacy]

Roar

Summary: A dare for a YouTube video changed Sharky's life forever

Song: Pink and White · Frank Ocean

Author’s note: Please like, reblog and share this! 🫶

Word count: 3.0k

Sharky, whose real name was lost to the annals of time and teenage bravado, felt a cold dread prickle his skin. He stood with Chunks and Kenny, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the bustling boardwalk.

They were filming a dare video for their YouTube channel, a tradition that usually involved eating questionable substances or performing mildly embarrassing public stunts. But this… this felt different.

He pulled the folded slip of paper from the box, the flimsy paper feeling suddenly heavy in his hand.

He cleared his throat, the microphone amplifying the sound, and read aloud, his voice wavering slightly, "Go do your roar to the nearest prettiest girl you see."

Chunks and Kenny exploded with laughter. "Ooh, Sharky's gonna get some!" Chunks yelled, slapping him on the back hard enough to make him stumble.

Sharky, despite his nickname, wasn't exactly known for his confidence, especially not with girls. The 'roar' was a stupid, self-deprecating gimmick he used in their videos – a terrible imitation of a shark’s rawr, usually deployed for comedic effect.

The thought of directing it at an actual girl, a pretty one no less, made his stomach churn.

"Come on, Sharky! You gotta do it so we can win this video!" Chunks urged, his face alight with mischievous glee. "Think of the views!"

He knew they were right. This video had the potential to go viral. He just had to swallow his pride, and a whole lot of awkwardness. "Alright," he muttered, the word barely audible. He scanned the crowd, his eyes darting nervously. He already knew who he was going to choose, though. He'd been subtly, almost unconsciously, eyeing her ever since they’d set up their cameras.

She was standing alone near the pier entrance, a figure of quiet composure amidst the chaos of the boardwalk. She had her back to him, but he could see the way the sun caught the highlights in her hair, the delicate curve of her neck.

She was wearing a simple sundress, and the way it moved in the gentle breeze was mesmerizing. She looked like she was waiting for someone, which meant he had to be quick.

Taking a deep breath, Sharky detached himself from the group and started to walk towards her, each step feeling heavier than the last.

His palms were sweating, and he could feel the blood rushing to his face. He could hear Chunks and Kenny's encouraging shouts behind him, but they were fading into a muffled background buzz.

As he got closer, he could see her face. She was even more beautiful than he’d imagined. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed lost in thought.

He almost froze, the absurdity of his mission hitting him full force. He was about to ruin this girl's peaceful afternoon with his stupid 'roar' for the sake of a YouTube video.

He was close enough now. He could smell the faint scent of sunscreen and something floral, and in that moment, he almost turned back. But then he remembered the pressure, the expectation, the chance for viral fame.

He stopped a few feet behind her, cleared his throat again, and launched into his cringeworthy routine. He puffed out his chest, widened his eyes, and let out the most ridiculous, exaggerated "Rawr!" he could muster, complete with flailing arms and a goofy grin.

The girl jumped, startled, and spun around, her eyes wide with surprise. For a moment, she just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Sharky braced himself for the inevitable ridicule.

"I… I'm so sorry," he stammered, his face burning. "It was a dare. For a video. I know it was stupid."

She blinked, then a slow smile spread across her face. "That was… unexpected," she said, her voice soft and melodic.

Sharky couldn't believe it. She wasn't angry? She wasn't laughing at him?

"Yeah, well, sorry about that," he mumbled, shuffling his feet. "I should probably go." He started to turn away, eager to escape the awkwardness he'd created.

"Wait," she said, her hand lightly touching his arm. He froze, his heart pounding in his chest. "What kind of video?"

He hesitated, then explained, "We're Beta Squad. We do stupid challenges and stuff. It's… it's dumb, I know."

Her smile widened. "No, it sounds kind of fun. I'm [Your Name], by the way."

He couldn't believe this was happening. He'd just ruined this girl's afternoon with his ridiculous 'roar,' and now she was introducing herself.

"[Your Name]," he repeated, the name feeling foreign and beautiful on his tongue. "I'm Sharky. Well, not really. It's just a nickname."

"I figured," she said, her eyes twinkling. "So, Sharky, what other ridiculous dares are you going to do today?"

He chuckled, surprised at how easily he was talking to her. "Hopefully none as embarrassing as that one. Unless you want to hear another 'roar'?"

"Maybe later," she said playfully. "So, what were you guys doing here anyway?"

He explained about the dare video, about Beta Squad, about their aspirations for YouTube fame. She listened intently, her eyes never leaving his. He found himself talking more freely than he ever usually did, the initial awkwardness melting away under her genuine interest.

He learned that she was waiting for a friend, who was running late. She was an artist, she told him, and she drew inspiration from the ocean, the people, the vibrant energy of the boardwalk.

As they talked, Sharky forgot all about the cameras, about Chunks and Kenny, about the pressure of the video. He was simply captivated by her presence, by her intelligence, by her kind eyes.

Finally, her friend arrived, a whirlwind of apologies and hurried greetings. [Your Name] turned to Sharky. "It was really nice meeting you, Sharky," she said, her smile genuine. "Good luck with your video."

"You too, [Your Name]," he replied, his heart sinking slightly as she turned to leave. "Maybe… maybe I'll see you around?"

"Maybe," she said, and then she was gone, swallowed by the crowd.

Sharky stood there for a moment, dazed, the boardwalk noises suddenly seeming louder, more intrusive. He walked back to where Chunks and Kenny were waiting, their faces alight with anticipation.

"Dude, what happened?" Chunks asked, clapping him on the shoulder. "You were gone for ages! Did you get her number?"

Sharky shook his head. "No," he said, his voice distracted. "But… I talked to her. For a while."

Kenny grinned. "Well, did you get the shot? Let's see the footage!"

Sharky nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew the footage would be gold for their channel, a moment of pure, unadulterated cringe. But all he could think about was [Your Name], her smile, her voice, the way she had made him feel.

The video went viral, as expected. The 'roar' clip was endlessly shared and memed, bringing Beta Squad a surge of new subscribers.

Sharky was initially thrilled, but as the views climbed, a sense of unease began to settle in. He felt like he had exploited [Your Name], reduced her to a punchline in his stupid online persona.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to apologize, to explain himself properly. He started frequenting the boardwalk, hoping to run into her again. He walked past the pier entrance countless times, his eyes scanning the crowd, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Weeks turned into months, and Sharky began to lose hope. He started avoiding the boardwalk, the memories of his encounter with [Your Name] too painful to bear.

He felt like he had missed his chance, ruined a potential connection for the sake of fleeting online fame.

Sharky adjusted the microphone clipped to his Clean Heartz t-shirt, a nervous energy thrumming through him. On camera, he projected his usual goofy charm, but underneath, his heart hammered against his ribs.

He was doing a solo video, a comedic take on a dating show called “Finding Love,” where he’d supposedly choose a partner based on… well, based on increasingly ridiculous criteria.

The flimsy curtain separating him from the five unseen contestants rustled. He cleared his throat. “Alright, ladies! Welcome to ‘Finding Love with Sharky!’ I’m your host, your future husband, your… well, you get the picture. Let the introductions begin!”

He gestured dramatically. “Contestant Number One, tell us about yourself!”

A clear, confident voice responded, “Hi, I’m Emily, and I’m a doctor.”

“Ooh, a doctor! Impressive!” Sharky quipped, playing to the imagined audience. The Beta Squad boys were probably howling with laughter back in the control room. He could practically hear Chunkz’s booming guffaws.

“Number Two?”

“Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’m a teacher,” came the reply, equally bright and cheerful.

“Teachers are amazing! Shaping the minds of tomorrow!” Sharky exclaimed, laying it on thick. He was a natural showman, even when the show was utter nonsense.

“Number Three?”

“Hi, I’m Catherine, and I’m an entrepreneur,” a slightly more sophisticated voice declared.

Sharky raised an eyebrow. “Entrepreneur, eh? Business savvy! I like it!” He winked at the camera, pretending to be intrigued.

Then came the fourth voice, a melodic, hesitant sound that sent a jolt through him. “Hi, I’m Y/N, and I’m an artist.”

His breath caught in his throat. Y/N? Could it be? The Y/N he’d been searching for, the one who'd haunted his thoughts for months since that chance encounter at the art gallery?

He felt a wave of heat creep up his neck. He could practically feel the laughter bubbling in his earpiece. Chunkz, Niko, and Kenny would be having an absolute field day with his reaction. They knew. They had to know.

It couldn't be her, right? The odds were astronomical. But the voice… the way she said “artist,” with a delicate vibrato… it was undeniably familiar.

He forced himself to focus, reminding himself this was a video, a performance. He needed to keep the charade going, at least for now.

“And finally, Number Five?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Hi, I’m Olivia, and I’m a personal trainer,” the last contestant announced.

Sharky went through the motions, pretending to weigh his options. He asked silly questions about their favourite colours, their opinions on pineapple on pizza, and whether they preferred cats or dogs.

He gave each woman a polite, if somewhat vacant, response. He even unveiled snippets of their clothing, revealing a brightly coloured scarf for Emily, a sensible cardigan for Sarah, a power suit jacket for Catherine, and a… paint-splattered overall strap for Number Four.

He was dying inside. The glimpse of the overall strap only deepened the possibility. Y/N was an artist; overalls were practically part of the uniform.

He had to know.

“Okay, ladies, before we move on to the next round, I have a question for one particular contestant,” he said, trying to sound casual. He could feel the weight of the camera lens boring into him.

He looked directly at the curtain, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. “Number Four, Y/N… have we met before?”

The studio went silent. He could practically hear the collective breath-holding in the control room.

A pause, stretched out and agonizing, followed. Then, a soft, uncertain reply. “Umm… no, I don’t think so.”

The air deflated from Sharky's lungs like a punctured balloon. Disappointment washed over him, a cold and bitter wave. He'd allowed hope to bloom, and now it withered before his eyes.

He plastered a fake smile on his face. “Okay! Just thought I recognized your voice. Maybe I’m just psychic!” He forced a laugh that died in his throat.

The video continued, a blur of ridiculous challenges and manufactured drama. He asked them to impersonate animals, to describe their ideal dates.

He went through the motions, asking the questions, making the obligatory jokes, but his mind was elsewhere, replaying the conversation, searching for any hint that he was wrong.

Was he really just imagining it? Had he built up this encounter in his head to something it wasn’t?

Chunks, Kenny, and Niko dutifully played their parts, chiming in with commentary, roasting his fashion choices, and occasionally offering their own questionable dating advice. He zoned out, only vaguely aware of their banter.

Round and round they went, the reveals became a little more revealing, the challenges a little sillier.

Chunks eliminated Number One, who had insisted on communicating exclusively through animal noises.

Kenny sent Number Three packing after her insistence that her ideal date involved taxidermy.

Niko, with a look of pure disgust, eliminated Number Two, who confessed to eating pizza with a fork and knife.

Finally, it was down to Number Four, Y/N, and Number Five, Olivia. He barely registered Olivia's presence, his focus entirely consumed by the hope that maybe, just maybe, he had been right about Y/N.

"Okay, can you two ladies come out and stand with me," Sharky asked, trying to inject some enthusiasm into his voice.

He watched their shoes walk around the curtain, the small scuff marks on Y/N’s worn sneakers sending a jolt of recognition through him. He saw Olivia first, a bubbly blonde with bright blue eyes and a practiced smile. Then…

His heart jumped. It was you. Y/N. He recognized the curve of your jaw, the way your hair framed your face, the subtle freckles dusting your nose. It was definitely you.

He couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. He went to hug Olivia, offering a quick, polite squeeze.

Then he turned to you, and the hug lingered. Just a little longer than necessary, a silent acknowledgment of something unspoken.

"First thing I have to ask, Y/N, didn't we meet before?" he asked, unable to contain the excitement bubbling inside him.

You hesitated, your eyes darting towards the crew. “Yeah, we have, but…” you stopped, pointing at your earpiece, "your friends made me lie so it wasn't obvious."

"No way! I genuinely thought I was losing my mind," Sharky said, laughing, the sound genuine and relieved. "So, what, they set this up?"

"Pretty much," you said, a small, apologetic smile playing on your lips. "Sorry!"

"Sorry?" Sharky exclaimed, feigning offense. "This is the best thing that's happened all day! I thought I was going crazy!" He looked over at the crew, shaking his head in disbelief. "They actually pulled it off."

He still had to play the game, to maintain the illusion of choice. He asked you and Olivia two more questions, innocuous things about your hobbies and aspirations, trying to gauge how well you would fit into his life.

You answered perfectly, your responses witty, insightful, and surprisingly genuine.

Olivia answered well too, but his mind was already made up.

"Well now I have to pick the winner of the 'Finding Love with Sharky'," he said, drawing out the words for dramatic effect. He looked from Olivia to you, pretending to weigh his options. "This is a tough one. Both of you are amazing. You're funny, intelligent…" he paused, glancing at you again, a silent promise in his eyes.

"But… I have to be honest. There's something… a connection, maybe, that I feel with one of you. And that person is…" he paused again, milking the moment for all it was worth. "Y/N!"

A collective gasp rippled through the crew. Olivia managed a gracious smile, but he could see the disappointment in her eyes.

He felt a pang of guilt, but it was quickly overshadowed by the warmth spreading through him as you looked at him, a hint of surprise and something akin to intrigue flickering in your eyes.

He hugged Olivia quickly, offering a few words of thanks and encouragement before she left the set, leaving you and him standing awkwardly in the artificial glow of the studio lights.

He stepped forward and hugged you again, a proper hug this time, a hug that conveyed relief, excitement, and a burgeoning sense of… something more. He pulled back slightly, searching your face.

"Well this is the end of ‘Finding Love with Sharky’," he said, the words feeling strangely inadequate. "Y/N? Is there anything you want to say?"

You pointed towards the camera, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "Play the trailer!"

The screen went black. The lights came back up. Sharky was staring at you, a mixture of amusement and utter bewilderment etched on his face.

"So," he said, turning to face you, "tell me everything. How long have they been planning this? Did they bribe you with free pizza?"

You laughed, the sound lighter and more musical than he remembered. "It's been in the works for a few weeks. They tracked me down through the coffee shop where we met. And yes, there was pizza involved."

"Clever bastards," Sharky said, shaking his head, still amazed by the elaborate scheme. "But… why? Why go through all this trouble?"

You hesitated, looking down at your hands. "They said… they said you've been a bit down lately. And they thought… well, they thought maybe this would cheer you up. And maybe… maybe they saw something between us at the coffee shop that we didn't."

Sharky stared at you, the realization dawning. His friends, despite their constant teasing and ridiculous antics, genuinely cared about him. And maybe, just maybe, they were right.

"What did you think?" he asked, his voice suddenly low, almost vulnerable.

You looked up, meeting his gaze. "About the free pizza? Amazing. About the show? Utter chaos. About you?" You paused, a slow smile spreading across your face. "Intriguing."

He chuckled, a genuine, heartfelt sound. "Intriguing, huh? That's… better than I expected. So, intriguing enough to… I don't know… grab another pizza? Without the cameras?"

"Intriguing enough," you confirmed, your eyes sparkling.

A collective cheer erupted from the crew, breaking the intimate bubble that had formed between you and Sharky. His best friend, Liam, came bounding over, slapping him on the back.

"See, Sharky? We told you! We're matchmakers extraordinaire!"

"You're manipulative puppeteers who probably broke several labor laws," Sharky retorted, but the affection in his voice was unmistakable. He turned back to you. "So, pizza? Tonight?"

"I'd love that."

[yujeong]

I hope it's ok to throw up some Pete thoughts into your inbox, but that last rb of the fake vegaspete scenes has me thinking soooo many thoughts too. Even thinking about the original scene with Pete giving Porsche blocking advice... Do you think it's hard for Pete not to just see the violence in everything? Do you think it's hard for him to tell the difference? Was it easier for him to project his trauma onto Vegas than it was Porsche? Sorry sorry, my brain is kicking around so many hypotheticals that I almost want to write poetry

Oh anon, first of all, you can always come and throw at me *all* the Pete thoughts, I assume you've seen my blog and know how I'm like about that man. Second of all, damn, those questions are fascinating. I've never actually thought of Pete and violence and sex in that way before, at least not consciously (I think - I've only been thoroughly obsessing over him for almost 2 years lol). But anyway, for starters, I don't believe Pete is a stranger to sex. Even if he's a virgin in the show (something that was never confirmed), he's not oblivious to it. No matter the show's insistence at using Pete for comedic purposes in regards to him not knowing KP were a thing, I refuse to believe it! So, while, unfortunately, the scene with Porsche and the hickeys cannot really be interpreted in any other way than Pete having misunderstood what he saw on Porsche's neck, your question raises a good point for his character: does every act, including sex, involve violence for him? In my opinion, yes. Yes it does. Pete seeing the potential violence in everything could be a trauma response or a defense mechanism, both of which highly probable, as evidenced in ep4 with the table scene (though in that one, we had actual violence and potential escalated violence, depending on Tankhun's behaviour which Pete tried to control). Because of this, I don't think it's a matter of him finding it hard or not; it's a subconscious thing. I also don't think it'd be hard for him to tell the difference, but rather, Pete wouldn't *need* to tell the difference, because sex isn't something made for him. He's never thought it'd be something he would experience in his life before Vegas, so why distinguish one kind of violence from another? This is one of the main reasons why I utterly love their NC scene: it wasn't violent. Sure, it might have been painful - Pete hadn't completely healed yet, he was still wearing bandages and, depending on one's headcanon or not, penetration surely hurt to some degree - but it wasn't violent. It was hot kisses and licking necks and ass eating and slow thrusts and more kisses and.. yeah, you get the point. I believe it wasn't what Pete expected, same as the audience who witnessed it. Perhaps he expected another kind of violence, but got something completely different in the end, which is why Vegas using the handcuff again hit Pete so hard. The usual kind of violence returning, after the lack of it. He got too comfortable. He forgot to protect himself from the violence. Now, in regards to your last question, I believe Vegas' trauma is easier for Pete to project himself onto because it's a mirror (something @loveliesblood has actually said, because their brilliant character interpretations are brilliant). Pete's been there before, so he can empathize with a lost Vegas who's only response to the abuse is to blame himself. There's also the safety of distance: the days he'd been subjected to boxing against his will are over, so he's not in direct danger of his father abusing him like Vegas is. With Porsche, it's a little tricky. Taking as a hypothetical that he learns about what happened to Porsche somehow, the story hits a little *too* close to home for him to be able to process the trauma. There's no distance this time: it's here and now and he has to face it. But Pete is a hypocrite with no clue of what introspection means, so he shields himself from it, like he tries to do in ep13, in the infamous bathtub scene with Porsche, my favourite scene in the whole show. He cowers and hides and deflects. It's gorgeously agonizing to watch and I love it so, so much. This ended up being a little too long and I'm scared that I fucked up your incredible ask, but to salvage it a little bit, I'd like to highly encourage you to write the poetry you mentioned; we can never have enough of it, especially in the VP fandom. I'm sure it'll be wonderful ❤️ (Shoutout to @musictooth and their series of made-up vegaspete scenes, thank you so much for the brainworms haha)

[t-w-i-l-l-e-r]

pondering jeremy n rich friendship dynamic post-canon n y’all that shit is craaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzy. Cause I highly highly highly doubt rich just completely dropped all of his self destructive tendencies from during/before canon n I think they would defo show up BIG TIME in his relationship w/ Jeremy. Like, they have the whole squip thing in common right? That’s what they bond over at first!!! same trauma, Spider-Man pointing meme, etc etc. (that plus they were literally shoved into the same hospital room for however long. nothing brings two lost souls together like watching the nurses swap out each others bedpans. shudders in disgust <3). But the thing is like. Rich did that. He not only literally encouraged (n lowkey threatened) Jeremy to buy/take the squip, he also had a direct hand in building the insecurities that made Jeremy interested in a squip at all. Now, as an audience we can generally recognize Rich as a Very Vulnerable And Manipulated Child but if rich had that kind of self-awareness the plot of be more chill would be veeeeeery different so im gonna go out on a limb n say Rich feels megazord guilty for that. And that’s where the self destruction comes in </3. Rich keeps trying to goad Jeremy into snapping at him or being angry in the hopes of getting Jeremy to “finally stand up for himself” but rly he just wants Jeremy to be mad at him bc Rich is mad at himself n feels like he deserves it. I am a VERY firm supporter of Jeremy Heere Snarky Arc post-canon (bc I feel like we see a lot of Jerry Sass in bmc but it’s limited to either just in his head or (affectionately) to Michael), n I think Rich would absolutely play a role in Jeremy developing that side of himself. BUT. Not necessarily in the way rich wants. Bc again, same trauma!!!! Jeremy recognizes that rich understands him now in a way that nobody else rly does. even the ppl squipped @ the play don’t rly understand what that thing does 2 a person after a while, and jeremy rly needs rich after everything, more than either of them realize. He’s not willing to just reject rich out of hand like rich subconsciously wants him to so you get this dynamic that’s just like:

Rich: aw, you mad? You upset lil bitch boy? Whatcha gonna do about it huh???? Hit me???? Do it i dare you!! Fucking hit me!!!!!

Jeremy: rich it is 9 in the morning. 

And I think rich would very quickly learn that ~friendly ribbing~ n stuff is a slippery slope with Jeremy. On one hand, if he teases Jerry n he rolls his eyes n snarks right back, HELL YEAH!!!! Revenge Of The Nerd!!!! Mission accomplished!!!!!!! Rich sees a lot of himself in Jeremy n I think he would be very genuinely proud of him for not just taking shit like he used to (and rich might also think jeremy is actually clever n funny n like that jeremy feels comfortable around him n bond bond relationship sssssshhhhhhhhhh). On the other hand, sometimes rich hits a little too close to home n Jeremy goes quiet. He gives a curt response, or just doesn’t say anything at all. That shit drives rich crazy. Rich says smth shitty about Michael or Christine or smth n Jeremy doesn’t talk to him for a week n by the end Rich is pulling his hair out n just word-vomits “IM SORRY IM A DICK PLZ CAN WE GO BACK TO PLAYING CALL OF DUTY TOGETHER” 

And the thing that fucks me up the most is that. Jeremy is afraid of Rich. Not as much as he was before (I’d imagine watching Rich bitch n moan every time he had to get his bandages changed kinda sanded down the edges a lil bit) but he can’t just forget all that bullying, even if he wants to. For rich, the worst moments r when he goes too far with trying to get Jeremy to b aggressive n instead he just goes pale. His mouth draws into a thin line n he gets fidgety but not the loose stimming of when he’s relaxed or deep in thought, sharp and tight motions like he doesn’t want to be spotted. And he won’t meet Rich’s eye. GIRL!!!!! How does rich even begin to process that emotional LABYRINTH bc like, he feels shitty bc he spent so long trying to fix his self hatred by being a dick 2 Jeremy but now he realizes being a dick is actually… dickish. And unpleasant. And so now he has more self hatred about it. Oops. And then Jeremy’s having a shit time bc PANIC MODE SCARY LOUD but then I think he subconsciously realizes rich feels bad so he feels bad for making Rich feel bad and ugh. Ugh. Yikes. 

But then the thing is,,, Rich can make a joke. Maybe reference their shared SQUIPerience—SQUIP experience, obvi—emphasize the connection between them (rich has gotten rly good at managing potentially dicey social situations. You’ll never guess where he got that skill from). And Jeremy will laugh, a little forced at first but rich keeps going until he’s curled up on the ground, cracking up like he’s about to piss himself. And Rich feels a little bit like he dodged a bullet but a little bit like he gained a friend so? If u add it all together it basically cancels out, he thinks. So they keep talking and hanging out and playing fuckin Call of Duty together and it’s not an apology, not really but… it’s a start, y’know? 

N that’s what gets me about Rich n Jeremy post-canon </3. They both need each other, and they both know it. They understand each other in a way that nobody else in their immediate circle does which is important bc we know how much Jeremy struggles talking 2 new ppl and post-fire Rich is too busy putting the burnt up pieces of his life together to reach out to other SQUIPtims. Jeremy is comfortable around rich in a way that he is with nobody else in the world because he gets it, and Rich feels the same way whether he likes it or not. But Jeremy is also so deathly terrified that it’s all gonna be an elaborate bit, that Rich is unfixable and will always treat him like human garbage or worse Jeremy is unfixable and will always b treated like human garbage. And Rich in turn is afraid of Jeremy’s fear, what it means about himself that he could ruin someone’s life so thoroughly. But then he like? Wants to get Wendy’s with him. So it’s like. Whatever. 

FUCK!