#And I'm DEFINITELY not used to this many asks in a row

[dnalt-d2]

Also I wanna add, when Lea got criticized for sharing the one screenshot without censoring sensitive information and putting Q at risk, she actually also said "what I went through is 10x worse", which encouraged people to share all of that stuff even more because Lea didn't denounce it. And then the very next day we find out that Qs safety was even more threatened than we originally thought it would be

Okay yeah that's definitely not cool. Like she's right that Quackity and the Admins who messed up need to be held accountable, but this is just NOT the route to take on that. And trying to say that she shouldn't be held accountable if no one else is, is just a straight-up wrong statement. Two wrongs don't make a right and whatnot. This kind of mentality can lead down a pretty perilous rabbit hole that we're kind of already watching unfold in real-time

What Lea went through/is going through isn't okay, and she doesn't deserve to be harassed or threatened. But Quackity also doesn't deserve to have his personal safety threatened either. This really is getting needlessly complicated, and the stuff on Twitter really isn't helping. I'm really just of the opinion that everyone needs to step back and remember that they don't have any real stake in what's happening here outside of showing their support, and a lot of that added input could be causing more harm than good at this point

[da-rulah]

So yesterday I got home from my Skeletour weekend, and I have some thoughts...

*MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT*

I went to both the London and Birmingham rituals, with London being my first ever ritual. I went in with basically no knowledge of what had happened at previous dates (how the fuck I avoided so many spoilers I just don't know) and I'm so glad I did, because the emotional rollercoaster of night one in London with every twist and turn... I'll mostly talk about my London ritual step by step, and add some notes about Birmingham where there were differences. Let's get into it.

Myself and my friends queued from 11am at the venue, and managed to get about 5-6 rows from the barrier just slightly off centre to the left. A STUNNING view for my first ritual... In Birmingham we arrived at around 4, and we still managed to get about 3-4 rows from the front on the left hand side, right in front of the left platform.

Now...Peacefield?! Peacefield... it's giving Separate Ways by Journey in all of the right ways, and my god, what a hopeful song. I could barely hear the lyrics, I was too busy crying the second Papa walked on stage. Part of me is glad I didn't know the song, it gave me a chance to have my moment just watching him and sobbing. But despite it being a ballsy move to open with a song no one knows, just know this - it is an opener. If you haven't heard it, you'll hear it later on today when they drop it. Wow.

And then we dove straight into Lachryma, which just lends itself perfectly to a live performance. The key change? Delectable.

What I wasn't expecting, was Spirit... Are you... fucking joking?! You're gonna play Spirit for the first time since 2018 with no warning?! His long note at the end, held perfectly... The crescendo, the build throughout, then the crowd joining in with "SPIRIT!" and "ABSINTHE!"

He dropped Pinnacle and replaced it with Faith, which I was unaware of not having seen the setlist beforehand, so the second I heard the intro I prepared myself for that growl - not disappointed. Ho-ly fuck. And to hear the "Faith... is... mine, motherFUCKERS!" live?! Sedate me. You need to SEDATE me.

Just as the crowd goes quiet, Phantom wanders over to the middle and splits the crowd in two, making us battle it out for which side is the loudest. From what I remember, my side (the left) was the loudest at both shows, and his reaction to it was always such a treat. But Phantom handled the crowd so well and it really says a lot about him that even through the mask, with no words at all, he can command thousands of people like that.

And then Majesty.

To begin with, I couldn't see Papa at all where we were stood in London, because he was rising behind the drum kit. We had a much clearer view in Birmingham. But when I first saw him in the full regalia, I was just in awe. Majesty is such a grand song and the way he performed it lording over the crowd like that was spectacular. His animatronic-style choreography was fantastic and I can't explain how it worked so well, it just DID. I'm not totally sold that it's actually him doing it, as he doesn't have his handheld mic and I couldn't for the life of me see if he had a Britney-esque mic, plus the screen footage is definitely pre-recorded (you can tell because the movements weren't always spot on with what was happening live, but most of the time they were). The vocals are definitely live though, which is what makes me think he has a double for this (which we see during Umbra, but I'll get on that a little later...) After Majesty, he comes back out without the robes on, and he asks the crowd if they're warm - which yes, we bloody were. And he said he too was feeling a little steamy... In this cocky, flirty way that had me wanting to drop to my knees, if we're being totally honest here... He continues his little speech, but I can't remember what he said after that, I was quite distracted, but probably something about things burning and he transitioned into the Future is a Foreign Land. In Birmingham, he asked us if we were going to be nice to him because he was new, and if we would be gentle with him. Half the crowd (our side) said no, the other yes, and he told us to fight it out in the parking lot after. He told our side off for being mean. Rude.

TFIAFL is beautiful live. I don't know what else I can say about it, really. Everyone singing it together is such a vibe, and I do love how he changed the lyrics to "2034" to prevent it from being outdated. (although side note: he forgot he was supposed to do that in B'ham..."

We got the Devil Church instrumental as the Grucifix lighting rig raises which is a moment within itself, to be honest. You imagine the that choral singing watching it raise - so simple, but stunning.

And then Cirice. Listen, nothing compares to feeling that guitar riff in the pit of your stomach and just knowing what's coming. I've always loved the way they start Cirice so dark with just the one guitar - It's so ominous and feels like a tease as a builds. It's a song that never disappoints and not only does he cirice someone in the crowd, but the camera picks him up very well too, just like in RHRN so the whole arena can feel that stare... He blew kisses to the people he ciriced, but in Birmingham he chose someone on our side and we could see clearly that he held that kiss for a LONG time before he blew it...

Darkness at the Heart of my Love... Let's just say, my friend behind me leaned forward and said "here we go..." before it started and when it did, I got what he meant. I burst into tears again. That song touches a nerve for me anyway in a very personal way - those lyrics feel very close to home around a loss I suffered when I was young, and so I just sobbed so hard I couldn't even sing. Thank god for @angellayercake squeezing my hand the whole time. It was beautiful.

Then the fucker gave me WHIPLASH by kicking off Satanized. No time to dry the tears, I just had to sing along with the streaks on my face. The crowd shouting "BLASPHEMY!" and "HERESY!" at him... *chefs kiss*. And his reactions to them too! It was like he was curling back from us, feeling that shame that so many people with any kind of religious trauma can relate to. In London, Ryan (photographer Ryan, we love him) got a shot of the crowd and I can just see myself, @angellayercake and @her-satanic-wiles screaming/singing along with our mouths WIDE open. Rightly so, for Papa. (It's the attached photo above - if you know what I look like, you may just find me...)

Ritual is a banger and one that almost feels like it has to be on every tour - it's literally what we're all right there to do. But to scream the prayer along with Papa, with a resounding "NEMA!" at the end? Feels spectacular.

Umbra... Listen, if I'm gonna tell you one thing about Papa Perpetua's personality, it's that he is NOT fucking shy! This song confirmed it. Nothing shy about this man, he literally framed his dick with his hands when he sang the lyrics "I put my faith in you" (I may have misheard the exact lyric, but it's definitely 'I put my ---- in you'). He is horny. And he's a lil' arrogant with it, too... It's hot. He comes up from the stage on the right with a cowbell in his hands, seemingly confused that he's been given this and hands it over to Swiss who kicks off the beat. During the last chorus, he's running around the back of the stage from side to side, and I noticed very quickly that that... wasn't Papa. I turned to @angellayercake and said "That's not him... Look at his thighs!" And low and behold, the thighs, the arms, the chest, were all far to bulky to be Papa. Obviously it was the thighs that gave him away to me. I know them fucking thighs. You think I'm a horny smut writer and don't know what his thighs look like?! Nah. That wasn't him, but he was singing backstage while he was getting dressed in time for Year Zero...

Let's talk about the cassock. Black and purple, yes, stunning, but the motherfucking chrome skeletal detail on the back? WITH A TAIL!? Sweet Satan, that's a fucking cool outfit. I am ashamed to admit that I couldn't help the intrusive thought to shout "WAG YOUR TAIL, PAPA!" - luckily my brain stopped my mouth before I could. Anyway... Year Zero is far more powerful live than you can imagine, if you haven't already experienced it yourself. He walked like a robot again to get to centre stage when he came on, and it just works so well. The mechanical thing? It's very foreboding...

The stained glass in the backdrop shatters at the end of Year Zero, and turns into just a night sky. And then we get He Is... I knew this would feel special, and it truly does. It literally is a religious experience - I can't describe it. Now I know how Christians feel when they sing their hymns and can feel 'the light' or whatever they think it is, because I certainly felt something. Not Satan or any kind of deity as such, more a sense of belonging to a community that understands differences and preaches acceptance.

Rats goes hard. We all know this. I'm not sure what else I can really say about this, other than damn it goes hard. You can't not headbang to that outro, y'know? I must say though, that feels like such a Copia song it was a little odd to see Papa Perpetua singing it. Not that it took anything away from the performance at all, but I could just picture Copia sat in his office muttering to himself about how it's 'his song' and 'his rats' and 'fucking v should piss off and leave his babies alone'.

He does a little speech after this, and in London he asked us if we got what we want, to which we yelled a resounding yes. And then... Oh this bastard... "Good, I'll give you everything you want... as long as you just follow me..." SLUT. WHORE. The intrusive thoughts won and before I realised what I was doing I shouted "I WANT YOU!" which got a laugh from people around me, but not a clue if he heard that, because he was just smirking the whole damn time.

Then he asks us if we want a kiss. Well, duh... And this motherfucker smirks because he knows the damn answer. And Kiss The Go-Goat kicks off. Cracking song, had a boogie, lil' shake of the ass here and there. He no longer cradles Sodo's thigh during the 'daddy' lyrics but points at the fucking crowd like he knows we all collectively have daddy issues. Dickhead (affectionately).

Mummy Dust... Oh you feel that in your taint, you really do. In Birmingham, he did significantly more Mummy Thrusts (and right in our fucking direction too, may I add... I don't know how I'm still alive.) In Birmingham I think he saw that our side were giving him a little more in terms of interaction when he was thrusting, so he did a little more for us? But I can't be totally sure. We just got super lucky to be so close to the front left platform and got a face full of Papa pelvis. In London, I managed to get some Mummy Dust at the end of the show from the security team at the barrier, since we were just a little too central to be in the drop zone, but in Birmingham we were in the right spot to catch a bunch of it. If you're not super close, the canons probably won't reach you, but you can try your luck at the end of the show rooting around the floor or asking security at the barrier.

He did another little speech here which was different in London - he talked about how one of their first shows was in Camden (not him, of course; he made that clear by telling us it was his UNCLE, referring to Primo...), and how London almost feels like a home to Ghost which was very sweet. In both shows he said they had one more song, to which he was booed. I don't remember his response in London but in Birmingham he joked that we were a 'shit crowd' because of it.

I was NOT expecting to hear Monstrance Clock at all. I lost my shit a little in London when I heard it begin, but what a moment to hear thousands of people singing the "come together, together as one..." bridge with the lyrics on the screens with a font comprised of people fucking. Excellent. Very on brand. He's still a very flirty, horny little fucker on stage with this, fiddling with his jacket as if he's flashing the crowd etc.

The break here doesn't last too long, but I remember he said that people leaving here in London 'had the right idea', and we kept yelling we wanted more.

To kick off Mary on a Cross, he did mention this was a song his dad used to sing in Birmingham, but I don't think he did in London. As it's coming to an end, he turns to the back and catches a camera, and in Birmingham I was smacking @angellayercake's arm because he was smiling so damn wide, clear as day on the screens. He starts to do the call and response bit at the end at both shows, but after one "Mary on a...." he goes "ah, fuck that!" and kicks off Dance Macabre instead. That feels like a sibling rivalry moment, like he's shitting on Copia's 'thing' here and it made me laugh so hard.

Now, I mostly remember Dance Macabre from Birmingham and I'll tell you for why. During the second verse, he came over to the left platform right in front of us, and during the chorus I was jumping to the beat but the people in my immediate vicinity weren't, so I was pretty damn visible and probably stood out. He fucking locked eyes with me, and grinned, then proceeded to sing with me as I screamed "ONE LAST TIME IN THE ANCIENT RITE!" back at him. I will never, ever forget that. I thought I imagined it, until @her-satanic-wiles did indeed confirm it. Thank you, you angel. I almost thought I'd gone full delulu but nope, that actually happened.

And then, in Birmingham, we saw the unimaginable. He waltzes over to Swiss, practically kneels beneath him, then rises up to LOCK LIPS WITH HIM. This was not a peck. This lasted. None of us could really believe what we were seeing. Side note: I've heard people on Twitter trying to say that Swiss 'forced him' to (categorically incorrect), or that it simply didn't happen because 'well I didn't see it so it must be fake news'. Honey, I fucking saw everything. It happened. And we're still not over it.

Square Hammer slaps. The ghouls made their way over to Dew since they couldn't do the centre bit with Dew’s ankle being broken, but Papa comes out in a sparkly purple jacket that is just absolutely gorgeous. He's very mobile during the whole encore, trying to see as many people as he can before the show ends I'm sure. It's just such a fucking bop to end on, it feels perfect... The whole backdrop is turned into just the crowd being filmed, fans screaming into the live cameras which is such a beautiful addition especially after what they did with RHRN where they asked people to film themselves at the beginning in the screenings. It's very fan focused, and it feels like everyone there was being celebrated as part of something huge.

And just like in RHRN, he yelled "ONE MORE TIME UP THE POOP CHUTE!" in Birmingham. Iconic.

The final bow doesn't really change, but I remember we didn't get Dew in London (not sure about B'ham) as he'd broken his ankle and had to be helped off stage. He's now in a boot, but still continuing to play with some assistance from the other ghouls to use his effects pedals and move to his spots so he can be in the right place for choreography purposes.

So that concludes my ritual lowdown, really. I'm still absolutely reeling from it, can't stop listening to the setlist and now we're being spoiled with a Peacefields early drop today which makes me so incredibly happy. I had the most wonderful time with friends I've made through Ghost over the last few years and met several new friends too. Queueing was wonderful both days because of the people I was with, the rituals were magical and I'm so fucking lucky to be surrounded by some of the best the Ghost fandom has to offer. London was a much more emotional time for me, being my first ritual. In the car on the way to Birmingham that night, I sobbed to my friends about how much this meant to me, and most of the tears came that night. I had my little DATHOML breakdown in B'ham too, as I expected, but that night overall felt more like a celebration to me, another chance to really enjoy it without the fresh emotion of a first ritual.

I hope everyone gets to experience a ritual at some point. There is nothing like it. You truly feel like part of something so special, and whilst I'm so sad it's over, I'm still riding the high of the most amazing weekend. If you were part of it, thank you, and I love you.

Until the next tour... 😈

@her-satanic-wiles @angellayercake @dolceterzo @bonecloaks @callmemamaemeritus @onlyhereforghost @thew0man @the-goat-nurse-666 @delulluart (thank you for the gorgeous paintings, sketches and prints, I wish I'd been at your ritual with you. Next time!) @thew0man (next time we will fucking meet. Screw the O2's shitting management!!!!)

[madameaug]

Knocked Out || Adonis Creed

Adonis Creed x Black Fem Reader (reader is described to be a stallion)

Eight years had passed since you crossed the stage with your high school cohort. Time had done some of your classmates good. Losing the round chubby cheeks, the hormonal acne, and even worse, teenage body odor. Many attend the feed-in university, just forty minutes from your old high school.

In the eight years it seems that your classmates had gotten busy. You counted four extremely pregnant bellies passing you, as you walked to the gymnasium. You didn't waste your time looking for your old high school crew. The trio broke up shortly after senior year, over a man, who was dictionary definition of 'community dick'.

The rift going so far that a restraining order had to be placed. Your lack of verbal support for either side led you to being dropped hotter than fish grease. So you gave yourself two hours max at the reunion before you were going to go home and crack open a bottle of wine.

Classic pop songs from high school played over the gymnasium speaker, and you were getting an eerie flashback to prom night. Except without the awkward bright lights and hypervigilant chaperones, at least that's what you watched from the couple of social media stories of the night.

Sitting on the front row of the bleachers, you toyed with a loose braid that must have dropped from your bun. You itched not to pull out your phone to look somewhat busy, as you noticed two figures approach you out the corner of your eye.

"Yn?"

Turning your head, you placed a friendly smile on your face.

"Oh my goodness, it is you. I almost didn't recognize you." The blonde elbowed the really uninterested man beside her. Olivia, she too had been bit by the pregnancy bug, her bump causing her to rub her back achingly.

"She is the one I was telling you that had a real talent for drawing. She won so many art competitions, she was undefeatable." She rambled off to the man the list of awards you won.

"She use to have this drawing notebook that looked to be twenty pounds, these adorable hairclips that matched the different rubber bands of your braces. I don't know if you did that on purpose,but it was super cute. I just wanted to let you know."

Stopping the middle of her sentence, she palmed herself in the forehead.

"Forgive me, pregnancy brain. Five kids will do that to you."

Your eyes widened.

"What was a saying?" She tapped her chin. You assumed the man next to her to be her husband. He seemed exhausted and ready to leave the conversation.

"Dear we should probably go, we don't want to annoy people." He spoke with a posh accent.

"Oh! I remember now." Inviting herself to the seat beside you.

"Tell me the secret girl. How did you do it?" She looked like she was on the edge of her seat.

"How did I do what?" You laughed, unsure of what she could be talking about.

"Who did it for you. Was it expensive? Do they take private insurance?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not following." You used your customer service voice to unofficially ask what she's talking about.

"The weight you dropped. How did you do it? You went from 280 to not even being 190." Olivia gently pushed your arm like you were playing, oblivious to what she was implying this entire time. Your lips curled up, failing to hide the bitter taste developing on the tip of your tongue.

Another characteristic you developed not to long after graduation was a backbone. Before you let snide or backhanded remarks about your weight roll off your shoulder. Never letting it truly bother you, but now at your grown age you could take and dish it.

"I don't know just went to the gym, and ate healthy."

"Oh, save that spill for the others. You can trust me girl. Cause when this baby drops I'm getting back into my Brandy Melville's." She threw her head back as if what she said was the hottest line from a stand-up comedian's hour.

Your face was less than enthused. Oblivious to the change of the conversation, she pestered you some more for the name of your alleged doctor.

Her husband, who was shrinking in his posture looked like he wanted to apologize on behalf of his wife. But he remained by her side, rubbing her back.

"I gotta take this, but I'll get back to you." You showed your work phone, rising off the bleachers and walking away from her sight. Calling it a night, you walked down the hall to where the parking lot was located. The walls were bare except with framed images from your senior year. With each step you took, it was like a story was being told, from different povs. The pictures were diverse and didn't just focus on the students who rose through the social hierarchy. It allowed you to see people you may have forgotten while surviving the experience called high school.

It wasn't until you saw a picture of yourself that you stopped. You remember the moment extremely well. The day you stepped out of your comfort zone and submitted for the 'If I Ruled the World' scholarship.

Your cheeks were so big that your smile caused your eyes to look like they were closed. You remember taking hours practicing your makeup. It was the first time you had ever wore eyeliner, watching countless videos on how to get the perfect wing. The neon pink rubber bands matched the butterfly hair clips in your box braids. With no true sense of fashion at fifteen, you wore a sheer top and bellbottom pants with your favorite polka-dot Converse. Your family was standing on both sides of you. Your mother and father to your immediate left and right, and your older and younger siblings beside them. You were the middle child of three, plus a bonus sibling from your dad's previous marriage.

You had no idea that submitting for this competition would allow you to compete at the state level for your drawings and land you a hefty scholarship at any school of your choosing. While drawing was a passion, you needed to turn it into a profitable career, so you double majored in Real Estate and Interior Design, with a minor in Graphic Design.

A faint smile appeared on your face. Your thoughts are tuning out your name.

"Dang girl. I was calling you for like thirty seconds. Had me thinking that wasn't your name."

Adonis 'Donnie' Creed spoke, coming out of your peripheral vision.

"Good to see you." You side-hugged him. Smelling his cologne. Not overwhelming but clean. Masculine.

"Sorry, don't know if I can hug you now. Since you are all famous now." You teased.

"So you watch me fight." His dimples popped with his smile.

"I hear some things." You left vague. Truthfully, you weren't a total fan of boxing, but one of your recent clients is a boxer himself. So you may have let a couple fights play while cleaning or cooking dinner.

The pair of you didn't speak for a couple of moments. Letting your eyes do all the catching up that it needed. Nothing much about Donnie had changed. His body filled out a little bit more to match the big head he had, but from the outside looking in he hadn't changed much.

Meanwhile, Donnie wasn't sure where to start with you. So much about you had changed, but very little at the same time. You had grown into your looks, and what stood out to him the most was your eye contact. You held your own with his gaze, and from the slight height difference, he could see your almond eyes from the natural lash extensions you wore. A couple of skin blemishes that you covered flawlessly with light makeup. Coils volumptuous in a pineapple puff.

Clearing his throat, Donnie pointed to the gymnasium behind him.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to accompany me back there." A frown creased your lips. The scene replays in your mind, why you even left the gym in the first place.

"I would, but I think I should call it a night." Donnie looked at the diamond-crusted wristwatch, which glistened against the overhead lights.

"It's barely 9:00pm."

"I'm surprised you can tell time with that thing." You joked. He dryly laughed in return.

"But seriously, are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I have to get back to my little guy." You spoke not thinking how it sounded. Donnie's face trying to read in between what you were saying.

"This little guy." Flashing your lock screen showing your sandy brown pet.

"Gus Jamal Tucker."

The picture of Gus was him on your couch, a few hours after you had brought him home. He is the sweetest thing and a great addition to your house, since you have mastered plant mom life.

"Now why did you give him the blackest middle name ever?" Donnie leaned over, looking at the picture. He could admit that Gus was pretty cute from the limited number of guinea pigs he had seen.

"I had to embrace him in his culture. When he gets into trouble, he knows I mean business when I call him Jamal." You laughed.

"Well I don't want to stop you from your motherly duties." Part of you didn't want to depart quite yet. Even though you hadn't been speaking to Donnie for too long, it was still better than the previous small talk you were roped into.

"Walk me to my car." I believe you said, more so than asked. Donnie nodded and you both walked out the parking lot. The humid weather wipes off the light chill you developed from inside.

You were glad that you kept your attire casual. Jean shorts that stopped at your knees, and a baggy graphic tee. The weather was enjoyable. You and Donnie engaged in some more small talk, and stopped once you arrived at your midnight black sedan.

"So what do you do?"

"I'm a real estate agent."

Releasing a 'whooo' into his fist Donnie smiled at the news.

"Cmon now. That's what I'm talking about." You rolled your eyes at his exaggeration.

"Stop it."

"Im serious. I've been looking a crib in California since I'm officially signed. So that is great news for me."

"Congratulations. I can only imagine how much this means to you."

Since you met Donnie in fourth-period French, you know how much the last name 'Creed' meant to him. To continue on his father's legacy, but to also carve a path of his own. Everyone at West Valley knew that. Hell, the whole city knew that.

"This is only the beginning." Donnie looked slightly behind you, as if the words held a deeper meaning that you weren't privy to. Making the first move, Donnie took out his phone.

"Since my social media is heavily monitored, I wasn't sure if you would wanna follow me there. But I do want to keep in contact."

"I only have a work social media page." You rejected him gently. "But you can have my number."

Quietly smiling, Donnie nodded his head.

"I must tell you, I don't give my number out to a lot of people. So don't blow it. I don't hesitate to block people."

Donnie took your words as some sort of joke. "Oh really? You have changed so much Yn."

"In more ways than you know, " you typed in the final digits of your number, saving your contact information as your first name and last initial.

You unlocked your car door, slipping into the driver's seat. Resting a hand on the roof, Donnie gaze lingered on you. He wasn't sure if it was apparent how he checked you out. Noticing even the more minor details of your appearance. The increased number of piercings in your ears, even trialing up to the industrial piercing on your right ear. To the red ink tattoo across your forearm that spelled out 'qué será será' in cursive.

"Get home safe." You spoke to him.

"Same to you." He spoke, stepping back from your car, and watching your taillights as you left the parking lot.

---

You increased the volume of the speaker which was connected to your sensual rnb instrumental playlist. One of your favorite things about open house, was curating the vibe. It was vital for you to know your general audience.

Lakewood, California, was the city where you predominantly sold your houses. The city was culturally diverse a high number of your clients ethnically coming from Pacific-Island countries and others were born and raised Californians.

You waved your wand of incense throughout the house, to make it feel more cozy. The sound of your kitten's heels tapping against the tile, causing a little echo in the empty home.

It was a three-story, craftsman home, recently built in 2023. The house was 40,000 square feet, and the price was just over $900,000. The home came with the latest architectural designs, as it was an eco-friendly home that ran off a generator and solar power. A medium-sized oval pool in the backyard. An open floor kitchen, with an in-house bread maker above the microwave. The dining room was wood, comfortably seating eight guests. The second floor contained four bedrooms; two were full, one was a Queen, and the other, located in the center of the floor plan, was a California King. The basement had the perfect space for a personal fitness center or hobbies.

The doorbell rang, and you went back upstairs to greet the guest. Imagine your surprise when you notice Adonis in the back of the guest. He showed up by himself, in a all black sweatshirt. A silver cuban link around his neck, and shades blocking his eyes. But you recognized him easily. You didn't go out of your way to greet him, but started your speel on the facts about the home. There were twenty people on the tour with you, which is on the larger side, especially for a home of this value.

Besides you and Adonis, you were the only two people who could oversee the guests' height. The added inch from the baby heels made you easily 5'10. Being the tallest woman in the crowd helped boost your confidence. People had no choice but to look up at you and would have to make a fool out of themselves to ignore you. You were a tall, curvy, black woman—a stallion in modern use—and you commanded the attention of others.

Adonis still taller than you by three inches, could catch up to your stride. He kept his voice low, as if they were having a private conversation during the tour.

"Hey, Yn would you mind if we have a look of the place ourselves?" A woman asked.

You nodded, eager to keep your professionalism to the guest. As soon as you saw the guest disappear, you turned around to face Adonis.

"I didn't think million-dollar houses were your style." You sarcastically spoke. Adonis looked up at the multiple crystal chandeliers.

"Rocky always told me to expand my taste."

"Did he now?"

"I think he might have been talking about my diet. You know Five Guys is a killer for the gut. But if the shoe fits..."

Faintly amused, you walked into the kitchen, where your speaker playing R&B continued. Adonis followed behind you. It was his turn to speak.

"You know you never texted me last night."

Raising a brow, you tilted your head. "About?"

"To see if you made it home safely."

"Lol." You fanned Adonis, a laugh seeping out. "So you followed me to my open house. You could have just sent a text."

"Yeah, but I like to confirm in person."

"Well I hate to take you away from your busy schedule. But as you can see I'm fine."

Deliberately not taking the hint, Donnie walked through the home some more. Asking some basic questions about the foundation and interior. Is the couch color cream or eggshell? How many people could fit in this pool?

You answered the questions as if he was an actual prospective buyer. Deep down enjoying the company he was providing during the open house. Adonis had an aura about him that brought calmness to any situation. It was the way that he spoke, the way he carried himself. Nothing could get underneath his skin or ruffle his feathers.

Ten minutes later you regrouped at the center of the downstairs dining room. Answering any lingering questions and being as persuasive as possible to sway any potential buyers. The woman who spoke to you earlier raised a singular finger. A sign in the real estate industry that meant she was ready to sign paperwork, in private. A smile on your face, you closed the gathering. Hand out your business card to the other attendees. When you got to Adonis, he had a mischievous look on his face.

"I can admit the place is nice. But maybe a little too big for where I am in life right now. Do you have any other recommendations?"

I understand if you're too busy; we could continue this another time. Not wanting to hold you back from your business, Donnie had a determined look in your eye. He wasn't going to leave the premises until there was a mutually scheduled time for him to see you again.

"I'll call you." You tried to make your words sound as professional as possible. You didn't want any of the other guest to hear you extend this offer, as you kept a strict divide between business and pleasure. Adonis was neither a client nor a pleasure.

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'm a woman of my word."

"I know."

-----

"I ain't ever get an ass-whooping as bad." Donnie spoke, causing you to lean over to the side. Clutching your side with laughter. You tried to catch your breath, but couldn't contain the burst of laughter.

"Wait, wait. You got a whooping cause you took your dad's truck?" You calmed yourself for a second, trying to clarify the story. The corners of your eye were producing water, you gently dabbed your eye.

"Nah, I could have easily played off borrowing the car. I couldn't explain the massive dent on the passenger side from me hitting a tree." Donnie stirred his drink, reflecting at his juvenile tendencies.

"Wow, I'm sorry." You spoke. Not even three seconds later, your armor cracked and you entered another cycle of laughter. You hadn't laughed this hard in a long time.

"I'm glad you think my pain is funny, Yn."

"Okay, I'll stop." Regulating your breathing, you pushed down any signs of you laughing. Fanning your face, you face felt warm.

Changing the conversation topic, you asked Donnie how he even discovered this place. You now showed off multiple homes and apartments in Lakewood but this spot seemed to escape you. You would have loved coming to the complex for the mini golf and wings.

"A guy who goes to my gym, talks about this place all the time. I just haven't taken the time to visit."

The waitress came to your booth, placing your entrees on the table. The smell of the ten-piece honey-chipotle woke up your stomach. For health reasons, a side of celery and carrot sticks, instead of fries. Donnie had a loaded chicken sandwich almost as big as his head.

Recording a short video of your food, you took a bite from your celery stick.

"So, how long are you going to be in California?"

"Hopefully, I don't have to relocate after this, but I know I'll be here at least for the next ten months."

"Any city in particular you wanna stay?"

"I have extended family in Long Beach, but the facility I'm training at is in Lakewood. Sorta in the neighborhood you were showing your house at."

"So you didn't just come out there to see me." You joked.

"Well I am looking for a place, but it's it is best to get an apartment rather than a house." He wiped his face, eating a little over than half of the sandwich.

"But seeing you was a highlight."

"Well I know some apartments in Lakewood that me what you are looking for. There is actually a couple vacancies in the apartment complex beside mine. It's gated with 24/7 security.

"Boujee." Donnie faked a cough in his hand. You rolled your eyes. The waitress came back to the table, refilling your glass of water.

"Is this one or two checks?"

"One."

"Two."

Looking between both of you, the young lady was confused.

"Donnie, you don't have to pay for me. I'm serious." You dug in your purse for your phone.

"I invited you out, so I'm gonna pay. No big deal."

"That only counts if it's a date."

"Consider it a friendly favor." You didn't push it any further. Donnie handed the waitress his card.

"So, what do you want in return?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me. You said it was a favor, so how can I pay you back."

"Don't worry about it."

Looking around the sport complex, you saw an empty lane for bowling. You tilted your head to the lane behind you.

"After lunch let's go play."

"Alright. But I'm super competitive, so don't expect me to go easy." Donnie's chest puffed up, his ego shining through.

"Oh please." Sliding out of the booth, you stretched. "Don't expect me to go easy on you."

Getting his card again, you and Donnie walked over to the bowling lane. Starting the round, you selected the twelve-pound ball. Adjusting your jewelry, you went to the line. Assessing the pins in front of you, you walked up slowly. Releasing the ball off your fingertips, you watched the slow spin it did down the lane. The falling of the pins was almost harmonic as you knocked down eight pins.

Not satisfied yet, you waited for the ball to cycle back. Picking it up again, did the same steps. Walking up slowly, now adjusting your aim to the corner of the lane. Counting to three, you released the ball yet again. The ball appeared to be heading straight to the gutter, before curving at the final second, smacking the pin on the right. The remaining pin wobbled. You turned around to walk where Adonis stood. He folded his arms, watching the animation of the 'spare' you received. To your surprise, you heard the collapse of the final pin as it almost got swept up.

"Told you I wasn't going easy on you." You brushed her hand on his shoulder, taking a seat. His eyes twinkled, accepting the challenge you presented. Rolling his neck, his biceps flexed, lifting up the heavy bowling ball.

"Watch and learn."

For the next thirty minutes, pins clattered against the ground. If a sped-up montage replayed, it would show you and Donnie's score climbing up. If you got a strike, then Donnie would call a strike. You had met your match, working up a sweat in the process.

Approaching the final lane, you hadn't realized you were holding your breath. Adonis was two points behind you and had already knocked down half of his pins. With a hand behind your back, you crossed your fingers. Confidence laced in his stride, he rolled the ball down the lane. With quick speed, it had a spiral shape. Almost hypnotic in its movements. The ball collided with four pins, securing Adonis the win.

Folding your lips on each other, you watched the glee spread across his face. He stood an arm's distance away from you, looking at you, waiting.

"Good game." You held eye contact with him.

"Thank you."

You exchanged a couple of lingering glances at him. Not really bothered by the fact he was giving you the same look. Breaking the trance, a cellphone rang. Slow to answer, Donnie put the phone to his ear.

You collected your purse and slung it on your shoulder. Checking the time, a little over an hour had passed since you arrived at the complex. Soon enough, the traffic would start to pick up. Multitasking, Donnie spoke on the phone while following you to your vehicle.

"I hope you had fun today."

You felt like you were in the same position as when you first saw Adonis at the reunion, and you felt like you were experiencing deja vu.

"I did. Thanks."

"I hope to catch you around. Maybe you could show me some good spots here in Lakewood."

"No problem." You smiled, turning on your car. "I'll text you when I get home."

"Call me, I'm not much of a good texter."

"Your a boxer, and you aren't good with your fingers." You squinted, watching him quickly explain himself.

"I'm not saying that. But sometimes I forget to respond and respond in my head." He played off his words, smooth as silk.

"Don't be a stranger." You waved goodbye, watching his figure in your rear-view mirror get smaller and smaller.

---

Adonis wrapped his hand with the tape, listening to the conversation beside him. It was after hours, meaning that the gym was open to all levels of fighters. The three young men, were engrossed in a lively debate.

"You mean that if you had a chance, Celena Johnson, you wouldn't shoot your shot? " The dark-skinned man in a durag spoke. He wore a muscle long-sleeved T-shirt and joggers. He resembled a young Morris Chestnut combined with Kofi Siriboe.

"Bold to assume she would even spare a glance at this nigga." A man with shoulder-length braids chimed in next. His breath did not even falter while warming up on the jump rope.

"Man, watch out. If Celena got to know me, she wouldn't be able to get enough of me. Stop playing."

The lighter-skinned man with pulled-up locs spoke. He was the tallest out of the group, even a couple of inches taller than Adonis.

Adonis tried his best to ignore their comments as the men debated whether they stood a chance with Celena Johson, the face of Savage Fenty and a well-known influencer. Celena also happened to be Adonis's ex from a not-too-long-ago relationship. None of which Adonis was just going to interject into their semi-private conversation. This was a gym, not a locker room.

Plugging in his wireless headphones, Adonis put on his workout playlist. The songs were a tasteful mix of East and West Coast hip-hop with a sprinkle of drill music—anything to alter his headspace so he could push himself to the limits. Hip-hop music did the trick for him. Starting with a warm-up, Adonis got on the stair master, setting the level to 9. He sprints up the stairs in five-minute intervals and rests for a minute before running again.

His heart rate increased as he reflected on his upcoming fight. He was battling Niko 'Night-Night' Guiterriez, a heavyweight from New Mexico. Adonis had watched a couple of reels from his previous fights, he too came a family of fighters. His uncle, Manny, sparred against Mike Tyson before being knocked out in the eighth round.

Niko was nothing slight of a beast himself. Well over 200 pounds and standing at 5'11, his muscle mass intimidated anyone. Despite having so much weight on him, he was light on his feet. Known for bouncing around the ring for multiple rounds without a falter in energy.

Adonis knew he wasn't going to be some pushover. Moving to the punching bags, Adonis landed powerful strikes—left, right, upper left. His combos were coming faster, and his arms were burned. Beads of sweat pressed through the t-shirt he wore. Making a conscious effort to move around the bag, Adonis punched with all his might. The counter sway of the page added more resistance when he punched harder.

He hadn't realized when his thoughts started to turn away from his training. He saw your face first, then he heard your voice. His mind went to the moment you held eye contact with him. He got to look into your eyes. In this moment, he was able to appreciate the sense of growth—from your more reserved, timid mannerisms in high school to the grown woman you were now. The small awkwardness of high school was a thing of the past. From the little game of bowling, you weren't afraid of trash talk. Something that he lived for in and out of the ring.

It was refreshing from his past relationships, something he could especially notice since Celena broke off the relationship with him. He was used to fighting to the top of the priority list, competing with brand deals, social media comments, and her overall ego. He thought he liked girls that every man was attracted to, until he realized that ego made her head too big.

Though your interactions with each other over the past week have been brief, his gut told him that you weren't like that to your core. And if he couldn't trust his gut, what could he trust?

Pushing himself in the final stretches of the workout, Donnis grunted in pain as his fist kept punching the bag. Feeling the contents inside shift with his punches. Knuckles are becoming tender from the repeated force. With a final punch, it landed on the side of the bag. Adonis stepped back, watching a small hole of sand litter onto the ground. Proud, he unwrapped his hands, observing the skin above his knuckles had torn open. Not quite raw, but if he kept training like this (and he would) a more serious wound could develop.

Hitting the showers, the hot water soothed his aching muscles. A towel wrapped around his hips, as he laid out his change of clothes. His phone rang, under the impression that you had called him he answered quickly.

"Yo."

"Adonis." Squeezing his eyes shut, Adonis regretted answering the phone.

"I knew you couldn't be mad at me for that long." Ignoring her, Adonis cut to the chase. Itching to hang up the phone.

"What do you want, Celena?"

"Don't sound so upset, Adonis. I was calling to let you know I'm in your city."

"And?"

"And? You don't wanna see me?"

"Not at all, actually."

"Mm, sassy." She quipped. The longer she spoke the more irritated Adonis found himself becoming. Getting dressed out of the locker room. Now all he wanted to do was sleep in his hotel room.

Like a horror character, Adonis was taken aback seeing Celena on the phone, standing in the center of the gym. She brushed the floor-length cornrows that rested in front of her pelvis. She was in a fiery red body-con jumpsuit. The plunge was deep showing off her sternum butterfly tattoo, and short enough to reveal the cuff of her butt. Open-toe YSL heels. She looked like she was getting dressed to an Atlanta lounge, not a professional boxing training facility in southern California.

"Wow, you can act a little more excited to see me Adonis."

"We broke up, or did you forget that part." Adonis moved to avoid her, but Celena stepped in his path. Her hand fell on his abdomen, she gave Adonis a pout.

"We can't be friends." She bit her lip. Adonis could barely recognize Celena. Switching up hairstyles, wearing new clothes, and even experimenting with new color contacts was one thing. But one too many cosmetic procedures, and the girl he dated four months ago was slowly disappearing. Adonis shook his head, stepping again to get out of her way.

Not giving up Celena inserted herself between the driver door and Adonis. Pressing her body against the door.

"Celena-"

"Why are you playing hard to get, mmh?" She raked her nails up the side of Adonis face. Adonis turned to look away from her and looked around at the spacious parking lot. A few cars were in the parking lot, but none near where he parked.

"I don't mind the chase." Leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I love it." Her tongue touched the shell of his ear. Firmly grabbing her arms, Celena's eyes were wild with wonder. Pupils pinpointed that she wasn't fully present.

"This is why we aren't together and we'll never be friends."

"You say it like I can't stop anytime. I just do it to take the edge off, you know all these cameras. It's not easy being in the spotlight."

"I wish you had come to me about that, but instead, you decided to befriend dealers who got you hooked on their supply."

Dropping her hands, Adonis's words seemingly ending whatever fictional reality she was living in. She rubbed her nose before looking Adonis up and down, her eyes were cold.

"It's because you are a fucking nobody Adonis. You don't even have a chance to operate in the same circles I do. No one would care about you if it weren't for your dad."

Striking a nerve, Adonis laughed. He could feel his heart rate pick up. A slew of insults nestled on his tongue, waiting to attack. He remembered the last time he spoke out of emotion. He spoke with his fists, beating in some mouthy man at the club. Taking in a deep inhale, holding his hands up he walked backwards from Celena.

"You got it."

Going without his car for the evening, would be the least of his concerns if he stuck around and got into an argument with Celena. The last thing he wanted to do was associate his name with hers any more than he already did.

Adonis walked down the streets of Lakewood. Evening traffic starting as cars sat in a standstill for multiple minutes. Coming from the streets of Philly the warm California weather was a nice change. The views in general were better. But there was nothing that compared to the Philly spirit. There was a certain way people in Philly carried themselves- a chip on their shoulder. The frequent weeks and months away from home made his realize that more and more.

Incoming Call... [Unsaved Number]

Hesitant to answer the phone. Who knows how creative scam callers could get, Adonis was cautious answering the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey?" You responded. Feet curled into your sofa.

"Oh it's you."

"Were you expecting someone else?" You laughed. You watched as Gus rolled around in his ball. You could hear the plastic ball gently rubbing against the tile floor.

"No, but I'm glad it was you who called."

Listening to the passing traffic in Adonis' background, you kept your words short.

"I just wanted to let you know I returned home."

Adonis was quiet on his end. His hotel now in sight.

"... also thank you for this afternoon. I had fun." Part of you was unsure why it felt like a frog was growing in your throat. It wasn't like you were confessing to him. But it was like your nervous system couldn't tell the difference. The last time you remember this nervous was back in middle school, talking to your crush on the house phone, fingers crossed one of your siblings or parents wasn't eavesdropping on the other side.

No response from Adonis still. You pulled back your phone, checking that the connection was still present.

"Hello?"

Incoming Facetime Request

Rolling your eyes, you let the phone ring a couple times. Answering on the final ring. Adonis had hoodie on his head. The lighting from the hotel lamp, created a calm environment. His full face was in view. Yours on the other hand, was off.

Unprepared for the sudden FaceTime call, you quickly turned off your camera. Not wanting to show just how comfortable you had gotten. Showering and rubbing your body in oil and sealing the moisture with your favorite scented lotion. Your breast hung in a baggy t-shirt that hid your shape well with breathable shorts. Not to mention the teal green scarf around your hairline, leaving your wispy baby hairs wild and fluffy.

Adonis looked at his phone, waiting for you to turn on the camera. Now it was his turn to question.

"Hello? Yn, can you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"You gonna turn your camera on? Or what." He laughed, his dimple coming out in his smile. He adjusted himself on the bed.

"Nope." You popped the 'p'. "I am very comfortable right now."

"Some things never change huh."

Intrigued by his comment, you asked him to explain.

"I mean I remember passing you in the halls. You wouldn't make eye contact with anybody. Always like you were looking above or through people. I thought you were avoiding someone, but I never considered you to be the 'shy' type."

"I'm surprised you even remember me being the halls, Donnie. You were quite occupied in those halls." Hinting at his 'fresh' antics in high school. Like most schools, there was a social hierarchy at West Valley. You considered yourself average, got good grades, and had a small group of true friends: Dominique and Faith. Not going out of your way to get involved in petty drama kept you out of the circulating drama that infested your high school. Donnie, on the other hand, was well-known. One, because he was on the varsity basketball team and was one of the few boys at the school over 6 feet.

"Don't remind me." He rubbed the back of his neck. The moment you were referring to coming to full memory. It wasn't one of his most proudest moments of his youth. Frisking up the girls he was chatting with at the moment. A couple of looks that gave 'bedroom eyes' but more so behind the football bleachers at 5 o clock. He didn't have the most wholesome reputation at that time.

A couple of beats passed, before Adonis asked another question.

"So what is your favorite color?"

Not coming off smooth at all, Adonis couldn't help but laugh at himself. You joined him of course.

"What is this 20 questions?"

"I'm tryna keep the conversation going."

"You just fighting sleep."

"Sleep is for the weak."

"But to answer your question, I don't really have a favorite color. Whatever color complements my complexion, I like."

"That's valid." Despite looking at your initials, it felt like Adonis was making eye contact with you. A part of you wanted to tap the button showing your face, headscarf and all. While another side of you enjoyed playing the mysterious role. You weren't any woman who just flocked to the name Adonis Creed.

"So you gonna ask me a question?"

"I can't believe I'm about to sit here and do this with you."

------

BITCH WE OUTSIDE TONIGHT

BITCH WE OUTSIDE TONIGHT

HE FUCKIN THAT BROKE BITCH

You were stuck in an echo chamber as you walked in the middle of your tipsy friends. All three were real estate agents, and of course being the only black women in this selling market you formed a bond quickly.

Since you all had such extensive knowledge about the hotspots in Lakewood, it was no surprise that yall were outside from the Lakewood 10th Bar Crawl. Yall were on your way to your third bar of the night, enjoying the company and wherever the night took you all.

Starting the song again, you spoke up to change the topic. Trying to save your sanity.

"If yall keep going, imma think yall are actually Natalie Nunn."

"Just wait til I hit the Saucy Santana bounce." Nearly having a wardrobe malfunction, Kiara bounced while walking. Her top nearly not enough to support her breasts, you put a hand on her chest, catching a breast before it fully came out. Taking her cue to show her ass too, Lonnie bent over bouncing her ass into your thigh. Totally bombarded with all the moving body parts, all you could do was just laugh. Watching from across the street, men passing by stopped in motion, like they were in a trance.

The three women were racially and physically diverse. Kiara is a proud Texan woman from Houston, never letting anyone forget that she is from the city of Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion. When she wasn't in her business professional attire, she was a country-rancher at heart. Living far from the city, Kiara had a small cattle farm with her husband, Diego.

Lonnie was from California, specifically the Bay Area. A true California girl, Lonnie practically befriended most of California. Her parents ran one of the most popular med-spas in California. Initially, she had planned on going into cosmetology, but she found that real estate fed her retail therapy habit better and never looked back.

Physically, you were the tallest of the three, Dawfaring, Lonnie, and Kiara, with your wedged sandals. Your dark corset denim dress curved around your hips, making it a little short in the back, showing just the underside of your behind. Thighs on display a stack of gold anklets on your right ankle, and a red ink tattoo on your left ankle.

With every sway in your hips, you were conscious not to moon anyone behind you. Not that they would complain about the sight, but still. Calming them down in your drunken state, you all stood in line for the third bar when you spotted a group of young men with cameras out. They were slightly younger than you, maybe in their early 20s, no older than 23.

Spotting you three, the chatter in their group getting louder. One of the men, approaching you all slowly.

"Hi, I was wondering if you would be okay with us filming you all in a 'dapping up the 10s' video. It's for TikTok."

"You think I'm 10!" Lonnie has fixed her hair, pulling strands to the front to shape her face, and is reapplying another layer of gloss to her lips.

"Sure."

"Bet." Waving his friends over they started the tik tok.

One by one, they shook your hand, the camera capturing your face and outfit. You all hit an individual pose. Kiara did a 'peace sign', you blew a kiss, and Lonnie fluffed her hair. Watching the video back, you all approved. You liked the angles, and you ensured that nothing too revealing was exposed.

"Oh, we are definitely going viral with this one, " the guy said to his friends, who nodded in agreement.

"Is this how we become famous?" Kiara questioned. "Because we looked hot."

"We could get famous for worse." Lonnie interjected, and you casually agreed.

"What's the harm. Plus if that video goes viral, we can get more customers, which means more commission." In unison, the three of you jumped in a circle. Nothing like a promise of money, making you all smile.

Meanwhile, Adonis had a whole other reason to be smiling right now. Taking a break from his sparring match, he watched a video that some young boys from the gym recorded last night. The same group that was debating about Celena a couple of days ago. He thought it was viral boxing clips or some stupid meme. Adonis was pleasantly surprised when he saw you on TikTok's cover page.

Damn.

He had to control himself in front of the guys, but his attraction to you was clear. Your hair was in its natural state, a fluffy braid out. The denim dress left nothing to the imagination. Skin glowing from the moisture, makeup soft and minimalist. Adonis hadn't realized how tall you were until you stood between your two friends. You could easily wave one hand over their head.

"They were so bad. I thought they were models or something." The light-skinned one spoke.

"The shorty on the left, pressure."

"Look at the ring on her hand dumbass." The one with braids chirped.

"Fuck! That was supposed to be my wife." In fake distraught, he wiped his hands down his face.

The three quieted down the teasing, observing Adonis. He was on his phone texting, his privacy screen doing it's job. The person he was texting was obviously you. Every day we've been texting back and forth. Getting on the phone for a couple of hours here and there. Like watching a vlog, Adonis was on FaceTime while you grocery shopped. Loving how simple you life appeared. No random arguments in the middle of the night, no weird TMZ headlines feeding into outrageous rumors. He loved even more how easy he felt like he could be apart of the routine as well.

Adonis had just invited you to his upcoming fight with Niko. She read his text message, and he could see the thought bubbles. Like a lightning bolt to the heart, he saw your 'yes' in the text message, like a fire lit underneath him.

Cutting into their discussion on who they would shoot their shot at. Adonis popped up, “Who’s up to go some rounds?” Quiet. A pin drop could be heard. All three looked up like deer in headlights. Like a comedian, all three rambled off excuses as to why they were not eligible to go a few rounds with Adonis. Tapping his knuckles together, Adonis teased the group some more.

"Can't stay on the bench forever." He chucked his phone into his personal gym bag. His face said it all. He was in the zone, game on.

A/N: Finals are over !!!!!!

[thisapplepielife]

Written for the @corrodedcoffinfest Good Fortune pop-up event.

Hawkins, Indiana: Birthplace of Corroded Coffin

Prompt: Fortune #7 - A single kind word can keep one warm for years, Mouth & Thirteen | Word Count: 2025 | Rating: E | CW: Explicit Sexual Content, Alcohol Use | POV: Eddie | Relationship(s): Steddie | Tags: Famous Corroded Coffin, Future Fic, Reconnecting, Old Friends to Lovers, Eddie & Gareth are Best Friends

The lights are bright and the crowd is loud, and he's just a little bit buzzed from the shots before they took the stage, but Eddie is absolutely certain that three rows back, dead center, is Steve Harrington. There's no way it isn't him. Even older, even if Eddie hasn't seen him in years, it's him. It helps that he's standing next to Henderson, for the love of god, and a whole slew of other familiar faces that Eddie mostly hasn't seen in years.

He's sure he's not seeing ghosts. Just old friends that have traveled from all over just to see them here together tonight. 

And that's all Eddie can think about during the whole show. He tries to shake it off, tries to act like it's completely normal to have that many familiar faces in the crowd watching them perform, but it's not. In fact, it had never even crossed his mind when they landed in Indianapolis that this would somehow be a hometown show.

Eddie didn't invite anyone, didn't draw attention to it, because they don't claim Indiana. It's not home, not anymore. Hawkins told them to fuck off, and they've decided to say it right back. Hawkins can't stake a claim on them now. If they didn't want them around back then, if the majority of the town would have preferred to see Eddie dead, well, fuck them. They don't deserve to have them now that they've made a name for themselves.

Maybe that's petty. But Eddie stands by it.

He'll never set foot in that town again. Not for anything, or anyone.

Wayne understood, and washed his hands of Hawkins, too.

So, they kind of avoid Indiana in general, and aren't exactly in contact with the majority of Hawkins these days. 

Sure, Henderson and the other sheepies have made shows here and there all over the country, but going home? To that hell hole? Absolutely not. 

But seeing them all in the crowd, together again, just to see him? Fuck. It does something to Eddie that he can't explain.

After the show, Steve picks Eddie up and hugs him, cracking his back in the process.

Eddie laughs.

Nobody treats Eddie like this anymore, except for Wayne and the other guys in the band, so it's a nice change of pace to know that Steve still sees him as Eddie. Not Eddie Munson, business commodity. 

"How are you man? How's the high life?" Steve asks, and Eddie tosses his head back, laughing. Steve hasn't changed. He's a little dorky, and a lot good dude. 

"Good," Eddie says with a smile, "I'm good. How're you?"

"Good, good. I'm good."

"Still in Hawkins?" Eddie asks, and Steve nods.

Eddie doesn't see how Steve can do it, but of course they didn't try to hang Steve in the town square. Deemed guilty by the court of public opinion before the blood he didn't spill had even dried.

This is Steve Harrington, Eddie's sure he's an upstanding member of society.

"Want to get a drink?" Eddie asks, because he can't in good conscience let Steve disappear that easily. If Steve came all this way, Eddie at least needs to keep him a little bit longer.

Two drinks turn into wandering hands, and when Steve corners him in the hallway of the hotel bar back by the bathroom, Eddie leans into it. Presses against Steve, straddling Steve's thigh, grinding against him. 

"Fuck," Steve says, and that's definitely the idea, as far as Eddie's concerned. They try to keep their hands to themselves until they're in Eddie's hotel room, but then all bets are off, clearly.

Eddie couldn't have dreamed of this, even if he'd been making unattainable wishes.

It's fun, and familiar, even if it's not anything they've ever done together before. 

Eddie needed this. Needed to laugh, and fuck, to just unwind with someone he trusts with his life, not to mention his body.

Steve Harrington wanted to have sex with him, as familiar, old friends. Because, yeah, clearly they have some mutual attraction, but that's not unusual. Eddie's been attracted to lots of people over the years, and he's fucked more than he can count. Men, women. They don't mean anything, but tonight Steve crawled in his bed because he likes Eddie as a person, knows him, and trusts that they'll have fun together, not because he's famous. That's a gift. One Eddie hasn't gotten in a really long time.

Eddie rolls onto his back, and opens his thighs. 

"What do you need?" Steve asks, looking up at him with those warm eyes. And it is a need, not just a want. He's right about that.

Everything. He wants everything.

"Your mouth," he says, then, "your cock." He can't decide. 

Steve laughs, then says, "Deal," with a grin.

Eddie throws his arm over his eyes, and then realizes he doesn't want to miss this, he wants to see it all. And he knows that was a great decision, when Steve takes him into his mouth.

Holy shit. Steve Harrington, with his hair falling over his forehead, is sucking his dick, and goddamn well.

"Goddamn, Harrington," Eddie teases, and Steve pulls off just long enough to smile a smile that settles between Eddie's ribs and takes up residence.

Eddie hasn't done this in forever, but he melts into the sheets as Steve fucks his fingers in and out of his body. He's ready. He's so beyond ready for Steve to fuck him.

"Steve, now," Eddie says. 

And Steve nods, and Eddie watches as Steve rolls a condom down his impressive cock. Then he's lining up and pressing inside. A slow, steady slide. He's open, and oh so fucking ready. His cock is hard, laying against his belly, a sign of trust, of pleasure, that he doesn't take for granted.

Steve Harrington won't hurt him. Steve Harrington saved him once, and goddamn, he might be doing it again right now.

Eddie groans. It feels so good. He hasn't trusted anybody to do this for him in a long, long time. But he knows that Steve will take real good care of him. Steve always takes good care of everyone.

And tonight is no different. Steve builds a rhythm, finding all the right places in Eddie's body, in his heart, and when Eddie comes, he laughs. He's gonna chase this particular high for the rest of his life, guaranteed.

It's morning, and the plane leaves in an hour. Flying private does save time, but he's pushing it.

Steve leans over, dressed, ready to go, and kisses him goodbye.

"It was good to see you. Maybe don't wait another dozen years," Steve says, and then with a smile, he's gone.

Another month of shows, nothing out of the ordinary, but it's been so fucking rough. Eddie can't even explain why. Nothing has changed. They've been in the swing of touring for a very long time. But he suddenly feels like he's lost all his mojo. Like he's trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

He's frustrated. Musically, and sexually, if he's honest. Nobody is holding a candle to a night with Steve Harrington, and he wishes he was surprised by that.

"Go."

Eddie jerks his head up, "What?"

Gareth smiles, "You heard me. Go."

"Go where?" Eddie asks, fiddling with the strings of his guitar, just for something to do.

"Go home. To him," Gareth answers, and Eddie knew that's what he meant.

Eddie sits there for a moment longer, and Gareth shoots him a look, "Go." 

He goes.

Their chartered plane is tied up elsewhere, so it takes waiting in an airport for nearly a day, with flight after flight falling through. Holiday travel has the airports busy, and the weather is keeping flights delayed.

He's in a private lounge, so he's not being bothered by anybody, but it's making him nervous, and a little bit crazy. He wonders if he should hit one of the pay phones and call Steve, warn him that he's coming in.

He doesn't. He thinks, no matter how this goes, that Steve will be happy to see him if his reaction after the show is anything to go by.

But he's going home for the first time in over a decade, because he wants to see Steve. Needs to. Because what he felt that night, seeing him again, isn't something he's felt in a very long time.

Steve doesn't seem all that surprised to see him, but he welcomes him with open arms.

"I can't believe I'm back in this town," Eddie says. "How can such a shithole have you in it?"

Steve laughs.

"At least they took down the fucking sign declaring Hawkins the birthplace of Corroded Coffin. Like hell it is."

Steve smiles, a twinkle in his eye.

"Come with me," Steve says, and Eddie follows him out the back door and towards a little shed. He can't imagine what Steve needs to show him out here, but after Vecna, and all the shit that happened in the Upside Down, if Steve Harrington says jump, Eddie will only ask how high.

The shed has three padlocks, and Eddie is suddenly scared he's gonna be a headline. He doesn't really know Steve Harrington anymore. He could be a serial killer. 

He laughs to himself.

"It's not a serial killer shed," Steve says, as if he can read his mind.

"I didn't think that," Eddie says.

He totally thought that.

Steve unlocks the last padlock and swings open the door.

Eddie's stunned. 

There's at least a dozen road signs, all proclaiming Hawkins, Indiana: Birthplace of Corroded Coffin.

Eddie laughs, cackles, honestly.

"You didn't?" he asks, and Steve grins.

"I absolutely did. Every last one. They finally stopped putting them back up. They blamed the kids wanting them for souvenirs, not the middle school phys ed teacher stealing them because I knew how much you'd hate them."

Eddie loves him more than he's ever loved anyone, he's pretty sure. He can't believe Steve did this for them, he wasn't even in contact with any of them. 

"How did you know…?" Eddie trails off, not sure how to word it.

"That you'd hate it?" Steve asks.

And Eddie nods.

"You never came home, and for good reason. They didn't deserve to say you were theirs. You were always ours, though. We're really proud of you."

Eddie barrels into him, hugging him tight, "Thanks, Steve."

"It was nothing," he says, and then he grins, "Robin helped."

"Hell yeah, Buckley did."

Ten Years Later

"It was go," Eddie says in the interview chair that he's been in for hours. Press junkets are the fucking worst. 

"Go?" the interviewer asks.

Eddie nods, "You asked for the kindest word I've ever been told. Go."

"Do you want to elaborate?" she asks, trying to probe.

"Not really," he says, but offers a smile, and she returns it.

It's his secret. His and Gareth's, he supposes, but it changed the whole trajectory of his life. Warming up all the coldness that he hadn't even realized he was feeling until Steve Harrington waltzed back into his life.

Gareth told him to go, set him free, trusting that he'd return back to the band better than he left it.

He did.

With Steve, he's better. Happier. Their music has only gotten better with Eddie settled into his own skin, his own love. He has a home, even if god-fucking-forbid, it's in Hawkins, Indiana: Birthplace of Corroded Coffin.

Once word got out, they put up another sign.

Eddie stole it. The very last sign Hawkins ever tried to put up.

They arrested him, and he smiled for his mugshot.

Eventually the charges were dropped. They were far too embarrassed to actually try him for stealing his own sign, unwilling to put him on the stand to ask him why.

He'd love to tell him.

So, Hawkins has left him alone, and he's made peace that he may never forgive and forget, but Steve's whole life is here, and that means Eddie's gonna be here, too.

They let him keep the sign. It's in the shed with the other thirteen.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @corrodedcoffinfest and follow along with the fun! 🦇

Notes: I'm always such a sucker for Eddie making peace with Hawkins stories. They probably don't deserve it, but he does.

[gotham-daydreams]

Oh my god due to the recent Alfred ask it makes me wonder and scream at the thought if there has ever been a moment when Reader asked Alfred if there's something else they can call him. Like DAD perhaps...(and this can go for different routes and so many juicy things, but ill get into that later).

But since the backstory is up to us, I like to think the Reader has a bio family which was questionable(maybe I'm projecting), so they never had a good track record with their dad and then Bruce adopted them and we know that didn't end well.

So when they ask Alfred if there's something else they can call him ( a lil show that they do see him closer than anyone and that he's important to us.) We could have gone back and forth with him talking about what to call him and stuff when we jokingly say something along the lines of "maybe not Dad since my track record with such isn't the best." Maybe they open up to Alfred about how their family/ life was before they were adopted by the batfam. Maybe even admit they can't see anyone as a dad figure after them (😭), so the thought is uncomfy for them( this hits in so many ways.) Or how they're scared if they call him dad something will change about Alfred and become like their 'dads'.

Which will undoubtedly hit some strings with Alfred. Seeing as how every 'dad' has failed them to the point they can't fathom or be comfortable with seeing or thinking of someone as a dad. But the fact that BRUCE had played a part in it 💀... Which is what's making the Reader confused and feel unsecured in his own personal relationship with the Reader (on what to call him, but probably in other stuff as well).

Back to the top part of the reader asking what they can call him, and they end up at something along the lines or at calling Alfred Dad.

It will undoubtedly make his heart squeeze and scrumble( One way could be he's being called 'Dad' after so long). Probably make Alfred a lot closer to the reader than before. Probably stepping up to the title and being closer taking care of Reader even more, now that he knows they have that emotional bond( stronger than before and the permission).

For little cute ideas/cenerios I imagine he makes an even greater effort to come to our plays and tournaments and sit front row probably recording.( in a reserved seat next to all the other empty ones 😒). And get a lil prissy when he can't make it (ESPECIALLY IF ITS BC OF THE BATFAM). He asks some of the organizers to record it specifically for him if they aren't doing it already, so he can watch it live (or once handed to him)while doing whatever keeps him from going. All so he can talk about it with us when we come back home and show how proud of us he is.

Definitely gets us gifts for each performance/ tournaments. If he was present he would walk with us a while after it ended and get us ice cream or out for a celebratory dinner. 😭

Okay but now for the lil angst part in that moment when we settle on what to call Alfred whenever it would be similar or is Dad or a different title all together that would be the moment we lose any real attachments to the Batfam. Not seeing them as siblings or parental figures anymore. At most just wanted to impress them but that quickly died off and just just focused on what we do have.

Alfred would also know that that was the moment or the end of the falling bridge with the Batfam and Reader. Which would probably hurt him cause the Batfam is still his family, but now he also has us and sees our neglect and what the batfam's consequences are. Probably breaking his own hope of us being accepted/ integrated into it and the Batfam to being back a normal dysfunctional but loving family with us in it.

Okay but the real ANGST. It's not just the reader and Alfred having heart to heart or other situations between the two of them. BUT INSTEAD BRUCE HEARING READER CALL ALFRED THE TITLE WE SETTLED ON. And it doesn't have to be only Bruce that would work for angst because the others are smart so if they hear Reader call Alfred by the title... They know it doesn't correlate to them and their relationship of being Reader's sibling because Alfred isn't that title to them. Connecting and discovering at the same time that the Reader doesn't see them as siblings and hasn't for a time they weren't even aware of.

Imagining just Bruce sneaking away and thinking by himself or even confronting Alfred 😩😩. The Batkids doing their research seeing Reader live their life completely disconnected from theirs only hammering that Reader doesn't see them as family. The only thing connecting to them being Alfred and even Alfred is a different role in Reader's life than in theirs.

Maybe Batfam finds out about what the Reader tried to get their attention only to give up, maybe they don't and just see the Reader slipping away until the Reader becomes a foggy memory again until the Reader moves away like in the [Not] series everything follows.

Hope you enjoy 🥰🥰💕 drink water 💦

Yeah!!! And since there is another ask that's about the reader considering Alfred their dad, and how Bruce would react to that, I won't be going too much into how Bruce himself would react since I'd like to explain it there when I get to it- but I will say that in very, very simple terms. Bruce is not happy about it. At all.

As for how the whole name thing would start? Alfred would definitely say that you can call him whatever you'd like, but will definitely silently try to nudge you in the direction of calling him dad or something akin to that. He may not expect it to work right away, especially in this scenario where the reader already has a messy relationship with people who were supposed to be their father's in the past. However, when you do call him dad or something similar, he is literally about to cry.

He won't cry in front of you! But he might later-

Regardless, words cannot express the amount of joy he feels when that happens, and as you've mentioned, Alfred does try to not let you down. Unwilling to become another reason why you have a hard time seeing people as your father, or father-figure. He feels more inclined to look after you above everyone else, and tries even harder to be present. There isn't a single event of performance that he'll miss willingly, and even if he does- he has his ways of making it up to you, even if you know that it was out of his hands.

I think a neat detail would also be that the amount of unoccupied seats next to him slowly shorten with time. It starts off with there being a seat for everyone in the Batfam, but as time goes on the amount begins to dwindle, until there's just one for him. Maybe with the occasional one other seat beside him if it's for an event, and you get to sit next to him before going or doing whatever you have to. Further showing how you, as the reader, begin to care less and less about the Batfam, and really only see/recognize Alfred as your family. As there is only one reserved seat for him at each and every performance and tournament.

I think the idea of the Batfam noticing this and trying to fix it, yet the reader still being able to slip away, and them forgetting all over again is both just out right heartbreaking and infuriating.

Like, can you imagine as a neglected!reader, finally having your family notice you (despite you growing used to their lack of attention at this point), only to have them forget you exist all over again? Or just forget about you enough to where you still leave without saying much of anything, and only leave behind a note to the one person you considered family?

And imagine the Batfam- not only feeling, but knowing that they've failed you more than they could ever imagine? Not only making you feel alone and isolated in your own home, since they never noticed you, not only once, but twice? That's borderline unforgivable. They noticed you, and somehow still managed to neglect you all over again. It's astonishing, really. Maybe they do have powers after all.

But really- how I could see that happening is if they get too busy with the idea of you rather you yourself, if that makes sense?

Through their research and everything, they form a version of you in their heads that they're all clinging onto, that they unintentionally don't give the real you a chance. Hell, they don't even give themselves a chance to even see it as they drown in their own delusions. Stuck with plans and ideas they ultimately never saw through, either because they were far too worried to further mess things up (like a certain brooding bat), or were far too certain of the outcome and therefore came up with more ideas and plans that they ended up not doing. Like a certain robin who, after two generations, finally wore pants. So by the time they realize their mistake, (which probably happenss when one of them finally decides to actually act on a plan they made) you're gone. Lost to the wind. Like a distant whisper they nevr quite heard, but dreamed about encountering ever since. Forgetting that chasing and searching were things they could do right from the start instead.

Though Alfred and the reader having a heart to heart? Please, we could all really use that. Forget about how horrible Alfred is behind the scenes- we need the closest thing we can get to a positive influence in this family. Or really just a good source of comfort, honestly.

Though his dying hope does break his heart, he just takes it as another opportunity to fill in the shoes of being your father. Even if at this point it means being your only family out of everyone in the Batfam, then so be it. He'll just have to fill in where they refuse to, but he doesn't mind since it gets him more time with you- and I can imagine that, despite the hurt of realizing that you'll never be 'fully' apart of the Wayne family, at least you have a part with Alfred and the Pennyworth's. And there is some comfort and reassurance that comes with that. Since, while you may not be able to have this big, huge family- at least you have this small, comfortable one right here with Alfred.

Hell, this time around Alfred might even fully support the reader moving away, as he's more certain than ever that he'll still have that connection with them. That he and the reader will actually communicate, and as long as he can still see them and so on- he doesn't mind.

He'll let the Batfam run around, and play dumb at all the right moments with that sassy, sarcastic attitude of his. Letting them know that they've wasted their opportunity- wasted the one real chance they had with you, and probably won't be getting another one.

After all, it isn't his fault that they fucked up. If anything, he's probably the only reason why the reader is connected to the Batfam at all, or even associates with them the smallest amount. It isn't because of Bruce or any of the others. It's because of Alfred. Even if he won't say it out loud, he'll make sure that they all know it one way or another, and though Alfred doesn't necessarily view himself as cruel- he wouldn't mind throwing a little shade if it meant emphazing that point a little further.

You are his kid. His family. Why would they think otherwise?

On a lighter, more wholesome note, I definitely agree with the more light/cuter ideas!!

Alfred is definitely spoiling you if he can help it, and will poorly disguise his favoritism- though probably would stop even trying to hide it all together at some point.

There is never a moment where Alfred doesn't/won't remind you of how proud of you he is, and how much you've improved. He isn't afraid to admit that you're doing a good job or doing the right thing, even if you can be reckless at times, to your face. And if you end up doubting your ability, or just yourself as a whole, Alfred will definitely be there to comfort you, and remind you of how well you've been doing and reiterate how proud you make him.

He wants you to know that he'll always be there for you, and by the time you leave, you still feel that.

Alfred also makes sure to check up on you and tend to your needs, along with spend time with you in other ways- which does include, but isn't limited to; watching films at home, baking/cooking together, sewing, reading, tending to the garden, and just generally being in each other's space. Maybe even a small hang out outside of the manor if you both can help it.

Nevertheless, that was a fun read, and I fully agree!! Make sure to drink some water and rest up too!

[reidmoony-toast]

Strawberry Wine. ౨ৎ

"If I was empty space, and you were a formless shape we'd fit"

Spencer x fem singer!reader

The two times they miss each other, and the one time they don't

content: no use of y/n, fluff, pining galore

cw: lil suggestive? (She sings Chappell Roan)

wc: 2.4k

an: I've been cooking this up for a while, but life has been super busy, so I haven't yet finished the other parts. I'm very sorry if they take a few weeks to finish :[ Anyways, hope you enjoy! <3

| pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | series masterlist ౨ৎ

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He really wished he wasn’t here. He never should have begrudgingly agreed to Penelope’s crazy plans, no matter how much she bugged him about it. This was about as far opposite to his kind of thing that you could get.

The lights were bright–unbearably so; flashing so much he feared he would have an epileptic episode (if it weren’t for the small fact that he didn’t actually have epilepsy, but he digressed).

The large room was also deafening, filled with fans, all of them buzzing in anticipation. Penelope was not an exception–she bounced up and down like a rogue ball, shrieking in excitement close to every thirty seconds. He would know. He had been counting.

Although he would rather be at the very back (if he had to choose anywhere in this wretched place), Penny had physically forced him into the very front row, only a barrier separating them from the stage.

He didn’t know and definitely didn’t want to know how Penelope had acquired such tickets and at such short notice before the show. He had found that he was better living in ignorance of the borderline illegal habits of his best friend.

He had just endured half an hour of what Penny had called the ‘openers’. He was dismayed to hear that the performance was not the actual concert; he learnt that the hard way when he had asked Penelope if they could leave, which she replied to with a cackle, stating that the band that had just exited the stage was, in fact, not the main event of the evening.

He had buried his face in his hands and let out a loud groan. He only had himself to blame for being caught up in the ‘Garcia puppy eyes’ trap, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t whinge at least a little bit–or a lot bit.

He didn’t know much about this singer girl, only that Penelope was obsessed with her, bringing her up in conversation many a time. He admitted that he often didn’t fully (if at all) listen when Garcia gushed over her–he seemed to always zone out.

He had never properly heard her songs, only in passing when Penelope would blast music in her cave, and he didn’t even have a clue what she looked like.

He was mentally preparing himself for the next few gruelling hours, with Penny jumping up and down beside him, when the lights dimmed, sending the whole room into a frenzy.

He winced at the screaming and whooping coming from all around him. Smoke machines started emitting mist, covering the stage and fogging up the colourful lights. The crowd continued to roar, Penelope squealing next to him and gripping the railing of the barrier.

A figure emerged through the haze, the silhouette showing locks of hair cascading over their shoulders, clad in a silk slip dress that ended at the mid thigh, hugging their curves.

They started singing–a smooth, silky voice wrapped around him, making the room suddenly feel more bearable. He swallowed hard. The singing was beautiful. Sweet and rich, wrapping around him like a cosy blanket.

He raised his eyebrows with pleasant surprise. It was, admittedly, not bad in the slightest. He hated to say it, but he was enjoying it, a lot. More than he should, given that it was new-age pop, not the refined tones of classical music–his favourite genre by far.

All thoughts of music flew out of his head as the owner of the angelic voice stepped into the stage lights, allowing him to properly see her for the first time. His breath left his body as he took her in.

She was gorgeous, stunning–almost ethereal, as her other-worldy voice filled his cochlea, transmitting electrical signals through his nerve pathways to his primary auditory cortex.

Her hair shone in the light, giving her a halo of the highest grade, her bright lips curled into a perfect smile around her words, and her eyes shone with a million glinting stars.

He was utterly enamoured by her–every facial expression, every movement she made, every note she sang was all absorbed thoroughly by his wide eyes.

In no time at all, the first song was over, finishing with loud cheering and clapping from the audience. The angel grinned out at the sea of fans, soaking up the feeling.

Unlike Spencer, she was well and truly in her element, looking as though there was not where else in the world she would rather be.

He gazed in open-mouthed awe at the way she floated effortlessly about the stage–and, of course, that breathtaking smile that scrunched her nose and revealed the prettiest dimples he had ever seen.

He was snapped back to reality with a sharp poke in the side from Penelope, centering his gravity away from the girl on stage and back to where he stood.

“What?” He said loudly, an exasperated look adorning his face as he tore his eyes back to his best friend. She was smirking at him, arms crossed in front of herself.

“You have such a thing for her, I’m surprised you're not drooling right now,” she answered mockingly. He scoffed, dismissing her words with a wave of his hands as he faced the stage again, not wanting to miss a moment of the show. He heard Garcia laugh deeply at his half-hearted denial.

All thoughts of Penelope soon left his mind as the heaven-sent saint started to sing again, striking chords in his heart at every note.

The song came and went again, and Spencer wished they would not go by so fast, so he could see her for as long as possible.

The next song started with a more upbeat track, and the angel laughed, running back down stage, scarily close to where Spencer stood. “She was a, Playboy, Brigitte Bardot,” she started to sing, “She showed me things, I didn't know.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully, shaking her hips, making the satin fabric hugging her curves sway.

“She did it right there, out on the deck,” she bit down on her bottom lip as Spencer’s face heated, realising what the song was about. “Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck.”

She gestured with her fingers to a spot on her neck, pretending as if her fingers were the teeth, tipping her head back with imaginary ecstasy. He swallowed heavily, face hot.

“I'm in the hallway waitin' for ya,” she sang, “Mini skirt and my go-go boots,” on those lyrics, she bent over, running her free hand from her heeled boots and up her legs, jutting her ass out.

Spencer’s mouth fell open in shock. He had never felt like this from only a few minutes of meeting someone, let alone just laying his eyes on them. This was completely out of the ordinary for him, and it left him reeling.

~☆~

Songs flitted by like the butterflies in his stomach, and his gaze was permanently fixated on the captivating women centre-stage. He couldn't tear his eyes away even if he tried–and he most definitely didn't.

A new song started, fading in with a catchy guitar riff, and the crowd went wild, sparking a wide smile on the angel’s face.

The drum beat started, and she strutted down the stage, tipping her head back and shaking her smooth curls out in the dim lights before she began to sing. “Midnight,” she dragged out the end of the word.

“Come and pick me up, no headlights,” she blew a kiss to the fans in front of her, winking as she made her way down the stage towards where Spencer was situated.

Penelope grasped his arm tighter and tighter as she neared, buttery voice washing over him.

“Watch us go ‘round and ‘round each time,” she stretched out the note, rolling her head to the side, eyes landing exactly where Spencer was standing. He froze, dumbstruck, as he locked eyes with her.

He gulped heavily as a cheeky grin adorned her face, soft lips framing perfectly white teeth. She straightened up, continuing the lyrics as she floated even closer to him, never breaking eye contact.

“You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye,” She knelt down on the stage in front of Spencer. His breathing stuttered as his gaze remained on her, utterly entranced.

“And I got that red lip classic thing that you like,” she dragged her thumb across her lip, singing to him through a happy, if not slightly teasing, smile.

“‘Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style,” He could see her mouth curving around each syllable as she sang into the microphone, eyes still, somehow, on him.

He most definitely looked like an idiot in that moment, with his flushed cheeks and slack-jawed awe of the ethereal woman only a few feet away, but he didn't have it in himself to care.

She had seen him, and not only that, she had actually come over and sat, right there on the stage in front of him. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, she was–without question–looking, and singing, straight at him.

She leaned impossibly closer, leaving only a few inches between their two faces as she crooned the words into the microphone. His eyes flicked across the features of her face before they settled on her own.

Up close, they were mesmerising– long, thick lashes framed bright irises, sparkling with the light of the night sky– he could almost map out the constellations he knew off by heart from the incandescent twinkles in her eyes.

“You got that long hair, slicked back-” She moved her free hand to hover over the collar of Spencer's shirt, seemingly asking silent consent to touch him.

He shook out of his trance long enough to nod vigorously. She let out a short chuckle, grabbing his collar and carefully but firmly pulling him closer by his shirt. “-white T-shirt.”

His breath hitched as hers ghosted his lips with every exhale, noses almost touching, with hardly any room for the microphone as his heart raced impossibly faster.

“And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt.” At that, she pulled away, letting go of his collar as she leaned back to run her free hand over her skirt, smirking at Spencer and his flaming-red face.

“And when we go crashing down, we come back every time,” she repeats, still serenading him. “'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style!” She finally stood, winking and blowing a kiss at a thoroughly flustered Spencer as she strutted to another part of the stage.

Spencer stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe she had not only noticed him, but also sang right to him. His shirt was crumpled from where she had gripped it, but he didn't dare fix it. If possible, he would never smooth the rumpled fabric if it meant he could have a reminder of her always.

A rough shake of his shoulder brought him back to the present, Penelope standing astonished next to him, incredulous smile playing on her lips and she all but shrieked in his ear–something along the lines of, ‘You're so lucky!’ and ‘You're so down bad!’.

He didn't pay her any mind, instead keeping his still-red face on her, and her only.

She wandered to different parts of the stage during the remainder of the song, but Spencer didn't miss the more-than-occasional glances she sent his way throughout the next few songs, smile growing each time they locked eyes.

When they did, he matched her smile with his own goofy grin, his heart feeling as if it was beating out of his chest, breathing becoming erratic as he clutched the railing with white knuckles.

~☆~

All too soon, the concert came to an end, accompanied by raucous applause from the crowd. He clapped like a mad thing too, finally understanding why her fans acted the way they did.

The version of him from two hours ago would have teased him relentlessly for this, but he didn't care. It was another completely different version of him, a version that had not yet laid his eyes on her.

It certainly felt like a life-altering moment in his existence. His being was now split into ‘before’ and ‘after’. Before and after her.

She waved and blew kisses enthusiastically as she made her way off stage. He deduced that she would have to walk right past Spencer to get there. He pathetically hoped she would look at him one last time–prayed she cared enough to seek him out once again.

Electricity jolted through his entire body, head to toe, as she locked eyes with Spencer when he was in her direct line of sight.

She gave him a wink and a little wave, biting her lip through a larger-than-life grin; he felt giddy, hand coming up in an awkward half-wave. He silently cursed himself for the stiltedness of his actions.

She, however, didn't have such qualms as she blew him an air kiss, giggling as she turned away, skipping the rest of the way off stage. The screaming continued as the heel of her shoe disappeared behind the side-stage curtain.

He felt oddly hollow as the venue lights came back on, signalling the end of the show. He kept staring at the spot where she had last been, silently hoping she would come back out and sing again. Look at him again.

He blinked hard, finally re-orienting himself, glancing around to see a few people staring at him, whispering to themselves.

They were talking about him–about his encounter. He turned away again, ducking his head as his cheeks burned again.

As quickly as they came, the stares went again, and his eyes flicked back to the stage again. He so badly wanted to meet her, talk to her, even just lay his eyes on her again. That would be enough.

Penelope cleared her throat next to him, and he hummed in response, still not looking away. She snorted. “Come on lover boy, time to leave.”

He turned his attention to see her nod in the direction of the exit.

He gazed back at that spot once more, heaving out a melancholy sigh, before turning away, heading towards the door.

“Yeah, let's go.”

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Thank you for reading, feedback is appreciated x

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Masterlist ౨ৎ

[dereks-unrelenting-heart]

SFTH Chaotic Highlights (Sorry About My Nan)

Briefly posting these out of order because I am way too fixated on this play. It has the psychological horror of a cult, one of Tom's eldritch villains, and dark humor, this shit was made for me-

The few minutes of vague trauma recounting as Sam and AJ internally debate which of them is gonna drop any information at all

As well as who the grandson of the title Nan is going to be, because I feel like Sam was ready for the role at first with the 'that was embarrassing'

"I just think it's good when things like this happen just to sit with it for a second, before you.. have a breakdown" Most real thing an AJ character has ever said

Jim asking if his own nan is still alive, whether AJ knew it at the time or not, as if even he was kinda hoping she wasn't

"Who invites their nan on their bachelor party??" Jamie asking the real questions. Unfortunately for him, this is the least weird thing that's going to happen on this stag do

Luke finally gets to experience the joys of playing a chaotic farm animal

They've had plenty of problems with names before, but idk if I've ever seen two actors try to give a character a name at the same time until now

Hey what the FUCK did Ethel do to Big Jim Clive's wallet?? WHAT WAS HER SHOW?!

Yet another instance of Luke's minor characters being incredibly well done- Like everything he says sound genuinely mortified

"I just feel shattered, you know?" I'm using this. You ca take this line from my cold, dead hands, it's how I'm describing every minor inconvenience in my life from now on

Also it was funny and all, but Sam was fucking dying like it was a joke from earlier in the show or something-

Anyway #JusticeForBigJimClive #AndHisWallet

"Listen, I've stood by you for a lot, but that?? I just don't understand.." - the man who's about to go through a cult initiation for his 'best friend'

"Are you my best friend?" Jim is the only one who would feel the need to ask this question at this point

Tom's using the shirt around his waist to symbolize Ethel flashing Jamie is some great stagecraft, I must say

It's the 'nanananana' build-up to an anticlimactic 'ethel' for me

Had to google what an air tag was, but yeah those are pretty big to spike a drink with

We never did get clarification for why Ethel said the wedding was her big day

Rip headphone users for AJ's "I KNOW" I forgot about it for the rewatch and fucking OW MY EARS-

"It's pre-used" Don't eat the bacon, Jamie. I repeat, DO NOT EAT THE BACON

"THANK GOD" "She- what do you mean thank god?" "Sorry, I mean oh god.. thank you" I said enough about this in another post but someone get Jamie tf out of here

"You've got so many teeth" Jericho flashbacks

I've made a post now on the Lucy/Julie thing, but to summarize, idc that she changed her name at the end, I will always call her Julie. It feels disrespectful not to-

"Listen, listen- She's asleep!" Jamie was not convinced of that. He just didn't want Jim to inject her with adrenaline to bring her back again. I see right through you, Jamie-

I just wanna know when exactly the first thought of 'Ethel is a cult leader' happened. Because there's a pretty good chance it was Luke when he said there was a statue dedicated to her

Okay on rewatch, that was definitely the moment. Luke knew what he was doing to the plot

I'm convinced that Luke saw Sam playing all these problem causing animal characters and thought 'fuck it I want in', resulting in this play's sheep scene. He is having the time of his life being a sheep, getting to chew on Tom's shirt and shit. He is laughing his ass off while causing problems for his other character. I love watching the boys have fun-

I know it's because he's brainwashed, but I fucking love Luke's german farmhand character being the only one in the room who is not only comfortable around Ethel, but actively excited to see her

Ethel calling the farmhand 'good boy' is the second time in a row Luke has been called that during a longform

"She seems happy here, why don't we just leave her with this guy?" Honestly a great idea, why would anyone be against this

Stag. stag. stag. STAG. STAG. STAG.

"Not one seat each" Why was my first thought not them sitting on each others' lap, but sharing the chair half-and-half, like two people fighting over a seat in musical chairs

"Be a good mate" "You're really pushing that" Is he, Jamie? You're about to willingly go through so much for him, is sharing a seat really pushing it for you?? Pining gays istg-

"I'm here for my best friend's stag do. I will do what he wants to do for the rest of the weekend, and then we will move on." Buddy. I am not doing that shit for my best friend. You are in love.

"It's like an A24 film" Big thank you to Sam, for being the reason they all leant into that theme for the rest of the show

"My name.. Is WILHELM." Jamie, exasperated: "... great."

The fact only the subtitlers acknowledged Sam repeatedly calling them 'numchucks'

"I think he wants us to fight" "WHY? Why do you go to that??" To be fair, my mind also went to that..

Jim: *tries to kill Jamie* Jamie: *doesn't attack him back and is entirely undeterred in his loyalty/friendship* I know what you are

"Wilkommen.. To the Cabaret!!" And just like that all the musical theater nerds lost their minds

I haven't even seen Cabaret, but I've heard the first song and immediately knew and was thrilled about what he was doing

Nah Tom was right in this instance, Sam he had a German accent and everything ofc this isn't Ethel

I like the subtle acting of Jamie saying 'NO!' to the request, and when Jim follows it up with the next word, Jamie looks at him with a very distinct 'you're doing this?' expression. Bro looks more betrayed than when Jim tried to murder him

Emcee living for the drama is so real

Emcee casually sitting on his stage partner's corpse as well as offering him the microphone

"Me neither" the audience laughs but like. That was incredibly unsettling.

"How's the best man?" Very suspicious thing to ask, Fake Julie

"I love you and I always have.. And I would never betray you" Okay but you didn't say you pwomise him, so I'm hesitant to believe you

Jamie's "Are we in Bristol??" to "WE'RE NOT IN BRISTOL!" pipeline

So.. am I the only one who thought Jamie was talking to Julie in the ending scene before Sam clarified he was her mother?

Ethel throwing her shirt onstage with her little 'eh!' noise is so funny

"For convincing me to invite your nan to my bachelorette party" INSANE THING TO AGREE TO JULIE

She's also horribly suited for cult brainwashing wtf did you set her up for Jim-

Also just noticed yet another parallel between Jamie/Jim and Amanda/Clarissa, with the same actor who played the ignored love interest also playing the role of priest at the wedding

Luke immediately going for the bridal hold in AJ's arms and being so content there

Conclusion: It really would've been better for everyone involved if Jamie got together with Jim instead. Jim doesn't have the girl who came onto his best friend, Jamie gets to be with his crush, and Julie doesn't have to change her name to Lucy. And Luke is very good at playing brainwashed cultists, which is the exact reason I'm excited to see his episode of Black Mirror. Oh, also I really hope this longform continues getting the attention it deserves, it's so fucking good

[fibernati]

The crochet hook case is finally here!!!

This is my very first crochet project. I made it using two different yarns: Barroco nº 4 (the grey one) and Duna (the green one), both by a Brazilian brand called Círculo. Using the 3.0mm hook. And, it took me about 3~4 days to finish. [you can find the project diary here and here]

At the end of the project, I gave up on making two more pockets and made just one. The one without a closure. The fourth one was supposed to go above the bigger pocket, but I thought it wasn't necessary because I don't have that many things to store.

I sewed the hook holder based on the size of my hooks, but they hadn't arrived yet when I crocheted this part, so I ended up following the original measurement and then I regretted it, because as you can see below, there's a piece left over that's no use, it's simply a raised flap. Besides, if you look at the photo above, you'll see that I sewed it on crooked. Everything here is crooked, that okay.

I also gave up on making a pendant for the drawstring because I wanted a flower and I couldn't make one. I asked my mom, and she couldn't make the flower either, so in the end I said let it go, let's keep it simple and it's useful, it achieves the purpose to close the case so I'm fine with that.

Here you can see the things I wish I had done differently. The leftover tab, and the buttons.

These buttons were made from improvisation, because I still don't understand the concept of the magic circle, and they turned out okay, but I sewed them on in a way that, after a few days of closing and opening, made me realize that at some point they will fall off.

So, I'm going to need new bottons and honestly, I can just buy them?? I wish I had thought about it before.

Basically, this is my first project and I hope to use this case for a long time. Now, let's talk about the feelings about make it, the expectations, the frustations and also the tips and cumpliments!!!

Just showing you what I'm storing in each pocket. That one without closure it's empty for now.

As I said before, I started out thinking I was going to follow a tutorial, but I let the project take me and did what I thought would be best for my personal use and to match my personality.

It was a fun project to do, but I'm also very aware of what I would have liked to have done and what I actually did. Not that they are VERY far apart, but learning to crochet for just one week (two now!), I did the best I could with what I had and it's better than not having made anything at all.

During the whole process, the thing that bothered me most was that it turned out crooked. Everything was simply crooked and I didn't know how to fix it, I redid it and it was still crooked, so I gave up and left it crooked.

One tip I was given was to use stitch markers at the beginning and/or end of each row, because that would help me get everything straight. And I'm definitely going to use that for my next project. They also gave me color suggestions and a tutorial on how to make an easy flower. I'm going to try again, but I need to buy the suggested colors before I do that!!!

My friends encouraged me a lot while I was doing it, and every time I said it was crooked, they lied to me. Which was really nice of them, because I have ADHD and I don't know how to deal with frustration, so there were times when I wanted to give up because it didn't look the way it should be in my head.

The people who know how to crochet and have seen this case, both here on Tumblr or in real life, have been lovely to me. They know it has flaws and I know they know it has flaws, but the messages were all saying that yes, it's a bit wonky, but that with practice, I'll be able to make better things and even if it's not perfect now, I've done a good job and shouldn't be hard on myself!

It's cute, it's useful, it's my favorite colors and they match with me, so, yes I'm very proud of my crooked hook case. 10/10 🎉✨

[landograndprix]

「Feel the magic ๛ l.n」

part ix

✧.* while the fans question your friendship with Carlos, you and lando have never been better

✧.* they are my babies your honor 🥺 google translated spanish. this is a psa for the people who wanted to be on my taglist but never got tagged, i didn't forget or ignore you, I simply am unable to tag you and therefore removed you from the list feel free to ask me again so I can take a look at it. Taglist is open Love ya ❤️

✧.* prev part - next part

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y/nusername posted to their story

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y/nusername

liked by albon_pets, cecilemoulin and 189,673 others

username oh..you're coming home with me 😻

view all 378 comments

y/nluv how many cats did you see so far?

y/nusername at least one!

y/nluv that's so many!

Hannahh this is indeed heaven 😭

norry4 get dash, leo and lola a new sibling!!!

carlossainz55 saca los gatos de tu maleta (get the cats out of your suitcase)

y/nusername no puedes detenerme 😉 (you can't stop me)

carlossainz55 oh, puedo 😉 (oh, i can)

sharl16 just some shameless flirting in Spanish 💀

landorfour lando reading this 😐😐

yourfriend1 te convertirás en la loca de los gatos (you will become the crazy cat lady)

yourfriend2 ¿Cuantos te vas a llevar a casa? (how many are you going to take home with you?)

norrizz comments being hijacked by the spaniards 😭

cecilemoulin you're going to need a bigger house if you're going to adopt a bunch of cats.

landonorris we don't need another cat..

landoscar WE?! y'all live together already?

bott_ass c'mon dad, what's one more kid?

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y/nusername

liked by carlossainz55, landonorris and 203,102 others

y/nusername wedding season' 💍

view all 444 comments

hamilt44n 100% sure the garland in the last picture was y/n her idea 😂

yourfriend1 same dick forever season

lan4lan so is Carlos going to be your date to this wedding?

julieeeexo I've been a wedding where I got put with a date I'd never met before, nothing special going on if Carlos does end up as her date..

lan4lan Carlos and y/n actually dated though, it's weird

julieeeexo and they've been exes for a while without any of us knowing I think they're good.

carlossainz55 don't cause any trouble

yourfriend2 sabes que ella es la mayor alborotadora 🤪 (you know she's the biggest troublemaker)

y/nusername Por supuesto que sí, ha vivido con ello durante años 😉 (of course he does, he has lived with it for years)

yourfriend2 ¡Eras mucho peor entonces, pero todos lo sabemos y lo amamos! (you were much worse back then but we all know and love it!)

carlandooo yall worried about this wedding and Carlos and y/n being each other's date meanwhile I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to survive the day I'm going to hear y/n speak spanish 🥵

landonorris it's hot for sure

carlandooo STOP ITT 😭

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landonorris

liked by y/nusername, maxfewtrell and 627,672 others

landonorris let's gooo

view all 1,872 comments

norry4 jesus...

mrsnorris my day's been blessed for sure 🥵

y/nusername y'all seeing this? 👀

norrizz we definitely see this bestie 😭

maxmaxmax afraid you have to share your man with all of us :((

sharl16 I'm not a lando girl I'm not a lando girl I'm not a lando girl I'm not a lando girl I'm not–

landofooooour 😍😍😍

y/nusername now the question is: where was my invite, where was my front row seat to all of this?

y/nlandoo girlie, you and I both know you wouldn't let that guy continue working out if you were there

y/nusername you right..

lan4lan everyone: still asleep and hungover after last night's party. Lando:

y/nusername jesus christ

landonorris stop it, you're making me blush

norrizz 😭 😭

norrislando lmfao y/n acting like she doesn't see this man half naked everyday 😭

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landonorris posted to their story

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Feel the magic taglist: @celesteblack08 @mrsmaybank13   @cha-hot @judesgfirl @roseseraj @kissesandmartinis @jpg3 @amulhermaisfelizdomundo @marialovesf1 @silkenthusiasts @luvrrish @laneyspaulding19 @emily-b @formula1bby @buckybarnessweetheart @strawberrychita @iifloweringnightsii @buendiabebeta @jjsprobablywrong @babyvinnie @mishaandthebrits @hockeyboysarehot @ironmaiden1313 @justdreamersdream

Lando taglist: @beatricemiruna @simp-for-fictional-people @landossainz @christianpulisic10

Everything taglist; @thomaslefteyebrow @hopefulinlove @smoothopz @softboystarkey @honethatty12 @cixrosie @parkersmjs @ireadthensuetheauthors @celestialams @be-your-coffee-pot @heli991113 @kodzuvk @reality-is-a-con @80sloverry @bibissparkles @myescapefromthislife @lanando4 @elliegrey2803 @ravisinghs-wife

[irrealisms]

hi! yr probably not lookin for asks anymore, but. what's your lifesteal elevator pitch? i know absolutely nothing abt it or any of the folks on the server except the vague things i've absorbed frm reading yr analysis as it crosses my dash, but it compels me, etc.+ also merry christmas! <33 🎄🌟

good news: i am always looking for asks

bad news: my parents DID go to sleep and i was able to wrap presents and put them beneath the tree and so on, so i wasn't going to do more asks tonight

good news again: i actually already have a lifesteal pitch. in a google doc. bc i'm normal

the pitch does assume you're basically already into mcrp and just curious about lifesteal in specific BUT we went to dsmp together so this works out

I really love shitty little tryhards causing problems via impressive feats of minecraft, and lifesteal is full of those. if you like people being good at minecraft, I really recommend lifesteal--in s2, clownpierce was top 50 worldwide at crystal pvp, and now he's washed and in s6 there are 2-3 (depending on who you ask) lifestealers who are better than him at pvp (admittedly maybe not at crystal); in s4, there's some stuff that's impressive in ~vanilla (eg parrot wins a 1v1 while on one heart) and some stuff that's impressive through exploits/social stuff (eg a group of people use a glitch + social engineering to get /op and prove to mojang that the glitch is a security issue that needs patched). every season is like this! lifestealers have backdoored the server 3 seasons in a row (s3-5). for a more recent weird Lifestealer Behavior, rekrap and jumper filled in every end portal room and built new fake ones to make it look like the world glitched and generated without them. lifesteal is weird and constantly coming up with new weird yet impressive things to do. a lot of stuff that's currently banned on lifesteal (F3+A, pie ray) are things i only learned were possible from lifesteal. (on the flip side i'd say: if you are not into shitty little tryhards making weird impressive clickbait, you probably won't like lifesteal, although you may still like hearing about it from time to time.)

related to them being shitty little tryhards causing problems: the rules are...more of a suggestion. getting around the rules, and hiding from the server owner and/or other players that you're doing so, is often part of the fun of lifesteal! (see also the thing where i mentioned that it's been backdoored three seasons in a row.) if that's intriguing: check it out. if not: once again, you have been warned.

lifesteal absolutely has lore and some people roleplay on it, there is nonzero c/cc divide, but it's more like traffic life than, say, late dsmp--it's fully improv, not scripted, and even more than traffic life it is genuinely adversarial. you can sometimes be confident that someone is in character but you can never be sure if someone is out of character, on lifesteal-- things like "going to someone's house irl to turn off their computer" or "lying about your homework/school/sleep schedule" or "changing your entire discord layout so that when you DM someone they think you're someone else" or "claiming you need their footage of an event for your video when actually you just want to see where their spawn point is" are all things that have been done on lifesteal that are considered fair game! everything on lifesteal is real; sometimes this goes well, sometimes it doesn't, but both are interesting to see imo because they are real

partially for this reason and partially for other reasons, lifesteal is fascinating to me as a piece of unique storytelling? a lot of mcyt is doing interesting things with its medium and being improv, lifesteal's not fully unique in that, but definitely if you like that you might like lifesteal. along with the improv, there's the fact that many lifestealers lie about what actually happened in their videos (comparing different videos with the vods, or in some cases with "what people say in various vods" when events weren't streamed, gives some fascinating insights imo--how do people frame their stories? how honest are they? what do they blatantly lie about, what do they gloss over or omit, what do they include in full? who, if anyone, do they see as the heroes or villains? whose videos agree with each other, and whose present a totally different story?), and the fact that conflict about "where do we want the story to go next, what do we think would be an interesting video/the best ending" is often the driving motive for in-character wars and conflicts! if you're interested at all in lifesteal and storytelling, check out barrier blocks part 2 by @mering/@myrmica, which is a deep dive on eclipse federation and the end of lifesteal s4 (those are my special guys); it dips into some academic game studies and it's really, really good. i genuinely cannot recommend it highly enough. (part one is also real good for non-lifesteal-specific discussion of mcrp!)

if you want a more specific plot summary (esp of s4) and/or "how do i actually, like, watch this" (of any seasons): hmu! but that's my pitch. also, read barrier blocks

[charrfie]

no offence but the fact that normies found clinical trial is my 13th reason

Please forgive me anonymous, your use of the word "normies" made me giggle quite a bit..... but rest assured I understand your sentiment and I most definitely agree with it (even if I wish you had been a little nicer about it, lol). I have a lot of issues with the way clinical trial has been approached by a vast majority of fans, honestly. It's hard to know what to start with even. But I do feel that at least part of the reason people have had such a hard time understanding the source material is due to popular creators covering the game and exposing it to a general audience that otherwise would not engage with the game. Not to say I find said creators themselves at fault for this, since it's partly the reason I discovered it as well. It is a double edged sword, for sure. And there are a lot of people who DO understand it! Excellently, at that! This just sometimes seems difficult to appreciate if you- like me- check the tags every morning/night like the newspaper and come across multiple posts in a row either misinterpreting characters personalities, intentions, or.... you know. A million other things. Expected for a game with layers of nuance intertwined with each story beat, but still. For those that do understand, I appreciate you haha

One thing that I believe a lot of people don't understand when analyzing the game is that..... it's not exactly meant to be. Pretty? I guess? And that's part of the reason I connected with it as much as I did. In a majority of the media I've come across in my lifetime that has to do with people who aren't "good" at being people (for lack of a better term), never have I seen something so shamelessly depict the way isolation and mental illness make an impact on every single little aspect of someone's life. There is no self-censoring, no cushioning of the blows, nothing. And its fucking genius!!!!!!! I have seen so many arguments about angel's reactions to certain things being outlandishly stupid, lee's actions making him undeserving of his true ending's fate, etc, but I couldn't disagree more!!!!!!! People are weird. Weirder, when they are lonely and often taken advantage of. And that is SUCH a core part of what clinical trial is all about. The game makes you sit down and swallow the fact that lee is not an innately evil person without feeling the need to make his actions more palatable. Without making angel need to excuse it. Clinical trial has such respect for both parties and their feelings/experiences/autonomy, while not needing to say "this is bad" or "this is good" about anything. And especially when handling such a delicate topic. It's fucking genius. And I could talk about it for forever. But before engaging at all with ct, people HAVE to acknowledge this shit. That maybe good people can do bad, bad things, and that maybe "good" and "bad" aren't concepts applicable at all sometimes. Maybe sometimes, people are just people.

This sums up my thoughts on the general game here well enough for now (especially given how short of an ask it was haha), but before I conclude this post I do have to speak on how much the common perception of angel's identity bothers me. Especially considering how much of a core element of the story it is; I would be remiss not to bring it up at least once. Please note that I very intentionally use the word "identity" here rather than "gender" because that's only a singular element of who they are as a character. I'm talking about everything: their identity as someone that's mentally ill, as someone who's physically ill, as someone nonhuman, and as a nonbinary individual. Even still, I leave certain facets of their identity out that I can't possibly cover in the scope of this ask right now!!!! But bear with me in what I do feel equipped to talk ahout currently.

It is- without hyperbole- IMPOSSIBLE to understand angel without taking into account all the external and internal factors impacting who they are, what they think, and what decisions they make. IMPOSSIBLE. You, the person reading this right now, are an individual with YEARS AND YEARS of experiences, memories, and interests. The way your brain works, how you label (or don't label) yourself, how you think and do things, how you even talk... ALL of this is a culmination of the people you have known and the experiences you've lived through. That is a beautiful thing. A gift. Would it not be ridiculous of someone to claim that all of that is entirely irrelevant in the way you live your life? You might think that asking you to understand everything intricacy of a character before engaging with the material they're from is asking too much, but I disagree!! Clinical trial is about complicated people and complicated relationships that have been molded by their surroundings. I do not feel that asking that be acknowledged is a bad thing. Do your reading homework to prepare for the quiz, essentially.

All this is to say that I wish- just once- people would consider why angel chooses to act the way they do. I wish I could see even one piece of art of angel having to get up slowly from seated positions or wearing compression stockings all the time lest their orthostatic hypotension gets the best of them. I wish the shit that messed with their every action in the game had more of an impact in the fan media I see. I wish people might stop addressing them as human at all, because when angel says that they feel inner peace thinking of existing as an animal, that's not symbolism, that's not metaphor, that's truth. I wish every other post I see of them wouldn't address them as a girl or a boy. I wish nonbinary people stopped getting fucking erased. I get wanting to project. I get wanting to see yourself reflected in fiction. Trans representation is much more rare than cis rep, but I promise you there are infinitely more binary/binary-leaning trans characters for you to project onto than the things that I and others have. I wish people would GET who angel was before bothering to have anything to say about them.

I think angel and lee are some of the most authentic and transparent real life people I have ever seen in fiction. It is a crime they are difficult to be recognized as that.

I fear that I sound sort of pretentious talking about the game in such a manner as this but....... alas. I am allowed to be a little bit pretentious about media that speaks to me on such a level, I suppose. Please don't think I mean to diminish the efforts of those who DO get it. All of your work is fantastic. At the end of the day, this is just the internet. You are allowed to have fun on it. I am in no position to stop you. I even hope that you might find the joy you seek in doing so! But if I might ask you to consider the story and characters with a bit more depth.... I would very much appreciate the effort :^]

I hope that for both your sake and mine, anonymous, that people will start engaging with clinical trial in a better, more earnest way soon! Thank you for your ask~ peace and love

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Certainly Can't With That Attitude

Prompt Day 16: Tree | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: T | CW: None | Tags: Established Relationship, Picking a Tree, Exasperated Steve Harrington, Button-Pusher Eddie Munson, Bantering, But It Is Love

"We can't get a twelve foot tree, we only have an eight foot ceiling!" Steve snaps, hands on his hips. "You cannot be serious. That's a ridiculous tree for a house. That thing belongs in some huge, echoey corporate office. Or maybe Rockefeller Center. I don't know. I just know it won't fit in our house. No, no, no. No way."

Eddie smirks, "Well, it certainly can't with that attitude."

Steve huffs in annoyance, and Eddie is more than used to that.

"Okay, smart guy, are you planning to cut off the top or the trunk, and just have it be nub on the floor?"

Eddie looks back up at the tall, full, lush tree. 

He's definitely not gonna butcher her. She's too pretty for that. She belongs somewhere she can be seen, adored. Maybe right here where she is, on the Christmas tree farm.

Eddie sighs.

"You know I'm not. She is a beauty though, ain't she?" Eddie asks.

"She is," Steve concedes, "and we'll find a pretty one that will actually fit in our living room."

"Fine, fine," Eddie says. And they will. But he really did fall in love with this tree.

They walk around the rest of the lot, and nothing is exactly what Eddie had in mind. Too skinny, too lopsided, too small. Seeing them not picking anything, the guy manning the place points beyond the rows of already cut trees, and offers Steve a saw. 

"What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" Steve asks, refusing to take the offered saw.

"Cut down your own, man, if you can't find anything you like in the pre-cuts," the kid says, not invested in the outcome of this at all.

Eddie just laughs. 

Not that he imagines Steve couldn't do it, in fact, he's sure that he can. But it's amusing to know how annoyed by this prospect he'll be.

"Well, that sounds fun!" Eddie shouts with delight.

If looks could kill, he'd be dead. For sure. No matter how much Steve loves him, which is undoubtedly a lot.

"Yeah, a blast," Steve says dryly, but he does finally take the saw, like he's resigned to this happening just to make Eddie happy. 

They walk into the trees, and Eddie turns to look at Steve, "Wonder why he gave you the saw and not me?"

Steve coughs up the hint of a grin that tells Eddie he's not nearly as annoyed as he wants to seem.

"Total mystery," Steve banters back and Eddie looks out at the trees. Checking out his many, many options. 

And then he sees it, the perfect tree, in the perfect size.

"That one," Eddie says, taking off at a run, as if they'll have to fight off people to get it. They won't. As far as Eddie can tell, they are the only two fools back here with a saw in hand. Everybody else was satisfied with choosing something already cut.

Steve doesn't question him, just squats down, bracing his leg out for leverage, and starts sawing the trunk of the tree. 

Eddie can't resist, he puts on his best high-pitched tree voice, "Ow! Stop! You're cutting me! That hurts!"

Steve stops and gives Eddie the look. Eddie loves the look. He yearns for the look. It looks like annoyance, but it's love, through and through. Eddie grins, holding up his hands in surrender to let Steve work in peace and quiet. As a small Christmas miracle.

Eddie watches him work the saw with ease, and sometimes Eddie forgets how strong Steve is. How athletic. Eddie couldn't ever just cut down a tree like that. He'd fall on his ass, cut off his fingers, or both.

It's not a huge tree, but it takes longer than Eddie had imagined. Finally, Steve says, "Okay. It's just about ready to go down. Don't let it fall on your head."

"So romantic," Eddie banters back, but steps behind Steve. He's not a hundred percent sure which way it's gonna fall, but he's fairly confident Steve's not gonna angle it towards his own body, so behind him seems like the safest bet.

The tree falls away from them, landing with a thud that is somewhat dampened by the branches.

"I hope it comes with a pet racoon or owl or something else cute living in it," Eddie comments, looking down at the mass of green.

Steve gives him a withering look, "I do not hope for that."

"You're no fun," Eddie says, but leans into Steve's side, just for a second, bumping his hip into Steve's. "Thanks for cutting it down. It's perfect."

"You say that now, we still have to get it on top of the damn car and get home with it."

Eddie laughs, but helps Steve carry it up to the front of the lot so they can pay for it.

The employees take it from them, and throw it on the shaker to knock off all the dead needles. 

It looks violent, with all the rattling the poor thing is going through.

"Man, our new raccoon friend is gonna be so dizzy after that ride," Eddie stage whispers, and Steve rolls his eyes, but can't totally hide the smile on his face from Eddie.

It's gonna be a pretty tree, bonus raccoon or not, and Eddie's definitely going to enjoy the tree even more since Steve cut it down with his own two hands. Just to make Eddie happy.

The workers finally take the tree off the shaker, wrapping it up nice and tight, before handing it back over, finally ready to go home. All theirs.

Steve gets the ratchet straps out of the trunk, and Eddie smiles. Eddie might tend to have a vision, but Steve has the practicality to make said visions actually work. A balance, a give and take.

A love.

"Okay," Steve says, taking the heavy end of the tree, "one, two, three..."

She's up.

And it's finally starting to look a lot like Christmas.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun! 🌲

[andyouloveme]

I found this post in my drafts that I had written up during my rewatch pre series 3 and, at the time, decided to wait to see S3 and add that in too. However I'd need a separate watch to count lies and tbh I didn't enjoy S3 enough to watch again so just posting as is:

Lies in Young Royals

So one of the themes of Young Royals, in particular S2, is about hiding the truth and lying so I wanted to rewatch and count just how many lies there are in YR and who is the biggest offender.

Note: this is only looking at the quantities of lies, not the severity of them or how long the lie was kept for, and I'm not making any judgements as to whether the lie was right, wrong or neutral. Some things are a little more ambiguous than others but I've been pretty strict in including the smallest of lies and I am counting omissions of truth as lies too.

Without further ado our biggest liar in S1 is *drumroll*

Wilhelm!

With 12 lies he is our lying king in S1! This probably doesn't come as much of a surprise but interesting to note he doesn't tell a single lie in Episode 4, where he is at the peak of grieving for Erik.

Close runner up was Simon with 10 but he also doesn't tell a single lie in Episodes 5 or 6. The pair of them have the joint honour of most lies per episode in ep 2 where they tell 4 lies each.

For Series 2 it is Simon stepping up for the biggest liar title! Slightly ironic given he tells Wille he's being honest and Wille should try it sometimes. And Wille must have listened to that to some extent cause he lies significantly less in S2 with only 6 lies to his name.

The award for biggest increase in lies goes to Sara who had one lie right at the end of S1 and who goes up to 6 lies in S2.

And that leaves us with the biggest liar across S1 and S2...

Simon!

With a spectacular 19 lies across the series, Simon claims the crown of lies. I'll admit I was a bit surprised at this but then there are a lot of lies and hidden truths about the drugs and lies to make people not worry about him and it all adds up.

I have included all the lies, including those of more minor characters, below the cut so let me know if I missed any! For those of you wondering why Marcus isn't on here, he is wrong on several occasions and manipulative but I don't think he ever actually lies unless I missed something.

S1 E1

Wilhelm/Kristina - "Together with my parents we have decided to go to Hillerska" etc

Felice - lying on insta about enjoying the stables

Henry/Walter -Lie about their opinions to agree with Wilhelm

Simon - lies by omission to Linda about getting invited to party. Doesn't tell her he needs to supply booze and technically Sara wasn't invited

Wille - lies saying he likes Hillerska to Simon

Wille 2

Simon 1

Felice 1

Henry/Walter 1

Kristina 1

S1 E2

Wille - omits about hanging out with Simon at the party when encouraged to go on the table

Wille - this is a bit ambiguous, says party was great to Felice. He definitely didn't enjoy the initiation but seemed alright at the party and he got to meet Simon

Simon - to Meister Englund says he's spoken to his parents about tutoring

August - lying (badly) to the therapist about having ADHD (why didn't he at least look up the symptoms?)

Wille - lies to August about being sick to go see Simon

August - lies to head teacher about his mum travelling

Simon - lies to Sara that he needs to talk to August about rowing

Simon - in doing so he's preventing Sara from finding out about the booze

Simon - lies to his dad about his visit/steals from him

Wille - lies to Simon about panic attack

Wille 4

Simon 4

August 2

S1 E3

Wille - lying about being "like that", both to himself and Simon

Felice - lying to her mum about being able to jump a 1.2m jump

Felice - lies to her mum (and possibly to herself) about her and Wilhelm's relationships

Wille - lies about why he wants to stay in school to Erik, saying he wants to study. Erik sees through this

Simon - lies to Linda when she asks if he's okay

Simon - lies to Linda about staying with Ayub

Wille 2

Simon 2

Felice 2

S1 E4

Simon - omits to Linda about how he was going to pay for the tuition

Simon - lies to Sara about seeing their dad

Felice - lied about closing her eyes when having sex with august

Felice - lied where she was on insta

August - ambiguous, lied to Sara about being pretty (I mean she is but he was only saying that to kiss her and get back at Felice so I don't think he meant it)

Simon - ambiguous, arguably omits truth about where the drugs came from to Wille. He finds Wille high but doesn't tell him he supplied the drugs or the booze from the first party

Simon 3

Felice 2

August 1

S1 E5

Wille - Lies to August about where he went/memory after the party

August - lies to headteacher about not hearing from Alexander

Wille - Lies to August about suggesting the plan to kick Alexander out saying it's easier rather than he's saying it to protect Simon

The society (Wille, August, Henry, Vincent etc) - lie to headmistress about Alexander

Wille 3

August 2

Henry 1

Vincent 1

S1 E6

August - omits to Wille that he published the video

Sara - omits she knows who published it to Simon and everyone else bar August

August - lies to Sara he doesn't mind her telling Wilhelm

Wille/Kristina - lies to country about being in the video

Kristina - lies by omission it was August

Wille 1

August 2

Sara 1

Kristina 2

S1 TOTAL

Wilhelm 12

Simon 10

August 7

Felice 5

Kristina 3

Sara 1

Henry 2

Walter 1

Vincent 1

S2 E1

Felice - has been omitting about quitting riding to her mother

Wille - omits to Alexander about who blamed him

Wille - omits to Simon about who leaked the video

Wille 2

Felice 1

S2 E2

Sara - hides that she read Felice's phone

Simon - lies to Marcus about his room being cosy

Simon - ambiguous, lies to Marcus when he says you too after Marcus calls him beautiful (I say this is ambiguous as his body language makes it look like he's lying but maybe he does think he's pretty)

Wille - lies to therapist about being fine

Felice - has been omitting to Sara about quitting riding

Simon - lies about knowing Marcus

Wille and Simon - cheat on the race

Wille - Lies saying the reason he's helping Simon in the race is to help Simon's grades

Sara 1

Simon 4

Wille 3

Felice 1

S2 E3

Felice - lies about having PMS to skip dinner

Henry - lies about laughing at Vincents speech

Sara - lies to Simon about being friends with august

Simon - initially lies to Marcus that it's not about Wille but then admits there was drama (still lying about his feelings though)

Sara - lies to Felice about where she's been

Sara - lies by ommision about liking to smell like "him". Let's Felice think she means Rousseau

Kristina - ambiguous, says she'll always put her son first. Whilst I think she means it, she hasn't actually done that so I'm counting it as a lie

Kristina - omits to Wilhelm initially about August being back up

Sara 3

Henry 1

Felice 1

Simon 1

Kristina 2

S2 E4

Sara- lying about not having someone in mind when wanting to write a valentine's letter

*Note - Vincent mentions lying and get's Wille to talk by saying "so Henry is lying?"

Henry - lying about snitching

Stella - omits she wrote the letter for Fredrika

August - lying to Jan Olaf about drinking and drugs

Simon - LYING ABOUT THE FISH HAVING NAMES!!!

Simon - lies to Marcus about checking on the choir when he's going to see Wilhelm

Sara 1

Simon 2

Henry 1

Stella 1

August 1

S2 E5

Wille - doesn't tell Simon how long he's known it was August

Jan Olaf - changes the subject when Wille asks if they changed the song because of Simon

Sara - lies to Felice about where she spent the night

Wille 1

Jan Olaf 1

Sara 1

S2 E6

Simon - lies to Marcus about it not being about Wille and bringing Marcus to the ball to make Wille jealous

August - doesn't tell Wille and Simon it was Sara

August - lies to Sara saying he did it to protect the royal family. Sara rightly sees through this lie that it's to protect himself

Simon - lies to Linda it wasn't August

Simon 2

August 2

S2 TOTAL

Wille - 6

Simon - 9

Sara - 6

August - 3

Felice - 3

Kristina - 2

Jan Olaf - 1

Henry - 2

[vshiftsss]

asks for saia's ask game!!

⊹ 🔮 PROPHECY — ✶ do you have a special role or purpose in your dr world?

⊹ 🛍️ TREAT YOURSELF — ✶ what’s the coolest thing you own in your dr that you don’t have in your cr?

⊹ 💔 GHOST OF THE PAST — ✶ have you experienced loss or heartbreak in your dr?

⊹ 💭 UNWRITTEN PAGES — ✶ if your dr had a book, what is a chapter title that describes your journey?

SMALL TOWN DR Q&A 2 - (ASK GAME)

woo! row's back again! thank you for the ask fren <3

🔮 - PROPHECY...

i wouldn't say i have a special role, per se, but everyone knows me as either the librarian or the substitute teacher in our town. eventually, once i start helping simon with the case he keeps coming back to the library for, the town starts to see me in a different light. so i'm not sure if i have a special role or purpose, but i try my best to help as much as i can!

🛍️ - TREAT YOURSELF...

the coolest thing i own is definitely the family piano. it's been passed down from generation to generation, and in our town, it was initially used by my great grandmother who was a famous musician in her time. she collaborated with many legends, and we even have some signatures on the lid! some of the keys still have faded labels on them from when i was learning how to play. as for the piano itself, it is a beautiful chestnut color with a glossy finish. very pretty! i play it often, and simon tries his best occasionally.

💔 - GHOST OF THE PAST...

the first thing that comes to mind is when my mom first told me she was leaving to live in another state. there was a hospital offering her a higher position than the one she had in our town, so she took that opportunity immediately. however, she told me (i was 19 around this time; just got my job at the library and i was enrolled in community college) that i would need to take care of the house and my sister. of course, she would send financial support, but i couldn't handle the fact that my mom, the sole figure i looked to for guidance and comfort, was leaving. in such a short time, as well.

after she left, the house didn't feel the same. aviva (my sister) seemed as if she was mostly fine, but she could tell i was feeling the pressure from the sudden shift in authority. but, we worked around it, and now we're closer than ever. now that i'm financially stable on my own, my relationship with my mom has weakened, mainly because she's so busy and, frankly, doesn't try to reach out as much as she claims. but we move!

💭 - UNWRITTEN PAGES...

holy shit. a chapter title? you would think i could come up with those, but if i'm being frank...i haven't titled a chapter since i was in fifth grade. erm. awkward! i can try though.

i think mine would be, "she's trying. she's succeeding. and finally, she's opening her eyes."

this dr is just a fun small town, but it's also a place where everyone already knows you. whether it's as the librarian that's all easy smiles and playful banter, or as the oldest sister of two who tries too hard just for no one to see her. when you get a new chance to prove yourself as someone who is worthy of being proud of, you take it. and that opportunity is simon asking me to help with his case.

i learn a lot of things, i make mistakes, but most of all, people see me. people see the woman i can be and what i can do for others. i finally feel as if i made an impact, and that i did something that benefits everyone. even if my mom doesn't see me, other people do. simon does. my friends do. aviva does. and at the end of my journey, i finally notice that. shit like that changes mindset, and it will in my dr!

whoops, got a little deep there...lol! my bad.

END OF POST - HAPPY SHIFTING!

divider.

tags...@visualcve @julianasversee @miaojune @avelineshifts

ask game :)

[taeyongsfavourite]

Beyond Words

chapter two - parties and poems

synopsis: yn starts her first year at ncu studying marine biology, with no intention of dating, wanting a fresh new start whilst spending time with her friends again after how things went with her toxic ex. but what happens when she starts recieving anonymous poems and letters from someone and why are they starting to sound more romantic as time goes on?

written chapter: 1.2k words

parties usually had little to no appeal to you, often far too loud and generally overwhelming. the last thing you wanted to do was surround herself with people you don't know nor want to know and panic over how to socialise. but this time was different, you'd be with your friends, people you trusted and enjoyed being around. or at least that's how it had seemed at first.

"god, i don't know what jaemin was thinking" jeno shuts his bedroom door with a sigh. "this is the third time i've had to kick people out of my room now, remind me never to let him throw a party again" he rolls his eyes, though you both know he can't exactly stay mad at jaemin for very long. as much as he likes to attract chaos, usually inconveniencing jeno in the process, his intentions are only ever good and jeno knows that. he doesn't usually mind inconvenience if it's caused by jaemin, he just doesn't really want to admit it out loud.

"i know, it's genuinely insane how many people can fit in a house designed for two" you laugh, looking back at the now intense game of beer pong jaemin appears to be losing. "at least he seems to be enjoying himself, maybe we should both get a drink too"

jeno pretended to think it over for a second before rejecting the offer. "you go ahead, i'm gonna make sure no one else wonders into my room again. plus, at least one of us should stay sober tonight" he looks back at jaemin again, who is still losing and now downing another cup. smiling warmly at him, you nod before making your way to the kitchen, hoping to find something to make the party a little more enjoyable and settle on drinking the strawberry soju bottles you know jaemin keeps hidden with his pots and pans, telling yourself you'll pay him back later.

the problem with soju however, is that it is far too easy to drink. so while it definitely helped with your nerves and dislike of crowds, it also meant you quickly became drunk. really drunk. suddenly you were 2 bottles down and the music started to sound a lot better than before. you couldn't care less that you were surrounded by people you didn't know, all you cared about now was singing along to the usher song currently playing.

mark had instantly regretted agreeing to come. he could barely hear jaemin as he shouted across at him to join their next drinking game, which of course he declined before trying to find anyone else he knew, weaving his way through the crowd. haechan was hard to miss, flirting with someone mark couldn't recognise in jeno and jaemin's small kitchen.

just as haechan had ended his conversation, calling out to the stranger to text him later as they walked away, mark stood beside him and picked up an empty cup from the counter, pouring himself the first thing he could get his hands on. "stressed?" his best friend asked. he hummed in agreement "i've got a lot of assignments to start." mark sipped on his drink and winced, causing haechan to laugh at him. "please tell me you at least mixed that with something" he grabbed a bottle of sprite, handing it over to the other. "dork" he added, earning a shove from mark.

you'd started to lose count of how many songs in a row you had (attempted) to dance to from jaemin's party playlist, consisting of mainly 2000s and 2010s throwback music. all that dancing, combined with the alcohol had meant you were now feeling pretty hot and desperate to feel the cool, fresh air from outside on your face. weaving back through the crowd was a challenge, stumbling as you made your way to the door until you eventually felt yourself falling towards another person.

the stranger caught you in his arms, helping to bring you back up to your feet and looking down at you with worry. "hey, dude.. are you okay?" you groaned with embarassment at hearing the genuine concern in his voice. "i'm just trying to get outside" you said softly, the music drowning out your voice "it's so hot." you gently pushed yourself away, attempting to leave again. "woah wait, you're not going outside on your own right?" mark waved goodbye to hyuck and followed after you, stopping you from falling over again. "i'll come with you, it's not safe." you ignored him and pushed the door open, letting out a sigh of relief as you felt the cold air touch your face.

you stumbled onto the floor, sitting on a small patch of grass as you gazed up and shifted your attention to the night sky. mark carefully sat down next to you "you good?". a warm smile spread across your face as you watched the stars. "mhm." you nodded "aren't they so pretty?" you felt tears fall down your face, wiping them away as you sniffed. "are you crying? what happened?" he asked worried, turning back to look at the house "is there anyone inside i can get to help?" you simply shook your head. "no it's all good, i'm sorry for suddenly getting emotional."

"hey.. that's okay. you don't have to be sorry." mark reassured you "i know we only just met but i'm here for you if you wanna talk about it" he offered you a genuine smile, reaching out to comfort you with reassuring pats but dropping his arms before he could when he remembered you didn't know him well and he didn't want to make you uncomfortable at all. instead, sticking to helping by listening if you decided you needed it.

"i think.." you looked down at your hands as you spoke "i don't know, the pressure is a lot right now." mark nodded along as he listened. "i'm just, scared i think. i've been trying to ignore it, but i worry i'm not good enough." you smiled up at him, wiping away some more tears. "it probably sounds dumb but especially now that i've started uni, i just feel major imposter syndrome. like i'm not meant to be here."

"it doesn't sound dumb at all, actually. don't be too hard on yourself." he told you, looking up at the stars himself this time. "i've felt that way about myself in the past. just know you're always your own worst critic." he reached into his pocket for a tiny notebook, scribbling something down quickly and ripping out the page.

"you just, carry that notebook around everywhere?" you teased lightly, able to laugh a little now as you wiped the rest of your tears. "i just never know when i'll be inspired and need to write down an idea, okay?" he replied shyly, a little red with mild embarassment. "keep this." mark folded the paper up and handed it over to you "these words have helped me before so hopefully they can bring some sort of comfort to you too." you carefully took it from his hand, thanking him quietly. "okay now let's head back inside and find one of your friends to take you home."

last chapter | masterlist | next chapter

author note: first written chapter finished <3 i'm so excited, the story is actually starting now. please let me know your thoughts and make sure to comment if you'd like to be added to the tag list. i'll update again soon

tag list 🌊 @jwisteroid7 @mmjhh1998 @iluv7tn

[empty-vessel-of-a-person]

My Final Thoughts about Love and Deepspace Heartwork Routine Event.

P.S. This is Just My Opinion. No need to go ballistic against me. This are just my thoughts and general feedback about the event.

Zayne:

Out of all 3 Stories, his version is the only one that looks planed and feels totally like a date.

He make sure that you can swim, Less worry about hurting yourself.

He make sure to clear up his schedule to be with you.

He wants to prevent you from getting sick so he use his evol twice. First, to steady the boat. Second to freeze the fountain. By doing so, he achieved not only preventing getting you more wet, but you your were mesmerized by the ice fountain. Talked about hitting 2 birds in one stone.

When you are with him, he doesn't like anyone talking to you and wants all your attention. (The Look he gave the staff at the rowing event and when you are about to shake Dr. Stevens hands *Exclusive Tutorial* he grabs your hands and led you away)

He make sure you do not fall into water by steadying the boat before you hop out. You are a hunter, I'm sure you can handle a shaky boat but he still treats you like a princess. (And I am so loving it!!!!)

Xavier:

he doesn't even want to do the Heartwork Routine Event. It's kinda bummer. Imagine knowing you are invited to an event just to find out it was done on a whim? Who wrote this plot exactly? Trusting Xavier's personality, he will never did this to you. No matter how long it gets (800 years) he still remembers everything about you.

Rather than enjoying this event with Xavier, you ended up being confused and anxious all the time. This is actually one of the traits I don't like a bout him. True that It might freak you out if you found out about him, but come on! its irritating to get vague and shorts answer all the time. I hope he can be more honest in the future.

Xavier doesn't like to do what has been told him to do or rather walk on the path laid out for him. He always wants to do his own thing this also shows on the last part of the event. You two aren't even get to finish the event.

To all the Xavier girlies, I really do admire your heart and strength to be able to keep up with him. It's not easy for me to take the path less traveled, but you are strong and willing to venture the unknown just to be with him. That's true love right there.

Loving Xavier is also embracing the fact you may always not get answer from him and there will always be a lot of secrets.

In the end, I kinda feel anxious than relax.

Rafayel

Was this really a date with him or are we playing nanny for a teenage boy?

To me Rafayel has always been a bestfriend. And this is exactly how I feel about him on this event as well.

Just like Xavier, he doesn't want to participate in the event. Especially when the bike is involve.

He indeed prepare for the event, but it is all for him. Doesn't bring you elbow or kneepads.

He never ones asks if you are okay in the 2 times you two fall. And the second crash seems like not a joke. Flowers maybe soft but it's not a perfect cushion for a fall.

Honestly, what happened to Rafayel here. I get that he is dismissive sometimes, but for some one who waits for you in so many years and has been clingy from the start, he has not been so clingy lately.

By the way he kick you of the cliff (God of Tides Myth) and I simply do not like that. Infold what are you doing with Raf?

Conclusion:

Zayne has been the saving grace of this event or at least on my part. It seems that Zayne isn't driven the past to be with you. I kinda feel he still have a few memories the alternate lifetime, but he is living in the moment and doing his best to protect you.

I guess infold did listen to international players and they making up for it. But geez, don't make Xavier and Rafayel look bad. I hope that create separate team for each boys to ensure the quality of their stories and memories.

I am definitely a Zayne girlie but Xavier and Rafayel are close to my heart. I do not particularly follows the 2 all the time but I care about them as well.