#and I think a shift in their dynamics would’ve been better for both of them

[mickeym4ndy]

Tee, your tags on the Yev post are so correct! I absolutely think Mickey would have had a bigger storyline with Yev (and Svetlana) if he'd been in s6, alongside him and Ian being awkward exes who get back together eventually. I wanna do something with that in the s6 au I'm planning to write at some point, because it's so important for Mickey to be able to make a concerted effort to be a better man and dad than his own father was. And we know he's so much better than Terry, but Mickey ofc is so afraid of becoming his dad. And loving Yev and being there for him as a father is a way for him to heal from that generational trauma and not let himself be that person <3

Yes exactly!! I really think that this scene:

Was setting up a storyline for the next season where Mickey builds a relationship with Yevgeny. Like to me, this looks like as much as he is struggling, he does love his son (and this is the first time he’s realizing that).

I made a post about this before and @atthedugouts mentioned in the tags that so much of Shameless is about whether a child will repeat the sins of their parents or make different choices and break the cycle, and there was sooooo much to explore about that with Mickey & Yevgeny.

Which would’ve been such an interesting storyline. Not that Mickey would ever be as bad as Terry, but I think it’s something he’d struggle with within himself. I could actually talk about Mickey in season 6 & 7 for hours lol, I have soooo many ideas. And Mickey & Yevgeny is my favourite unexplored storyline.

I’ve said before I think it would’ve ultimately changed Gallavich’s dynamic a bit, not at the beginning, but eventually (things change when you become a parent, your kid needs to come before your partner sometimes, and Mickey for the last few years had put Ian first for everything) and that’s something I think they’d need to work out while they’re in the midst of the re getting to know each other/ getting back together stage.

But even outside of his relationship w Ian, in general it would have been so fascinating to see how Mickey grapples with trying not to be like his dad while loving Yevgeny but also struggling with how he was conceived and how traumatizing it was for him.

I think maybe he’d overcompensate a bit - be soo hard on himself if Yev ever simply fell over and hurt himself a bit while Mickey was watching him. Or if Mickey was ever struggling not to lose it while Yev’s crying (because it would be so overstimulating for him). Even though it wouldn’t be his fault I think he’d still struggle and blame himself and fall back into the “oh god I can’t do this I’m just like my dad” sometimes.

And he’d then try so hard to be better and be there as much as he can almost to a fault. And you’re so right it would’ve been such an opportunity for him to heal and to break the cycle. I think it also would’ve put his own childhood into perspective - he wants to protect Yev from anyone that would hurt him, so it’s so jarring for him to realize how much he was hurt and allowed to be hurt when he was a kid.

I’m also in general not a huge fan of the throuple storyline. So I would’ve LOVED to have seen Mickey & Svet be a coparenting/accidental bestie duo throughout the season (it wouldn’t have been like that straight away but eventually) and all the hijinks they could get up to - scams, funny stuff with Yevgeny, maybe going out to find real jobs together, if Mandy called Mickey about the dead guy and he brought Svetlana along (I need post murder sibling bonding pls). Just in general being a little unconventional family, because we know family is super important to Svet.

Also at this point most of Mickey’s family is gone and Ian’s broken up with him. Svet & Yev would be all he has left. It makes sense that he’d end up relying on & cling to them. (This is another reason why I think Gallavich would be different when getting back together after being apart for the better part of a year, both of their priorities would have shifted a bit).

Sorry this got so long, this is just one of my favorite topics I could genuinely talk about it for hours😂 I can’t wait to read your season 6 au fic!! Already know it’ll be so good!

[katyswrites]

don't call me 'baby'

PART 10 | SERIES

Pairing: Steve Harrington/fem!reader

Warnings: Sugardaddy!Steve, SMUT (18+), angst, mentions of pregnancy/a pregnancy scare, mentions of food and alcohol, unprotected p in v, daddy kink, oral sex (f receiving), creampie, ddlg dynamics, swearing, alcohol use, smoking, age gap, no use of y/n

Wordcount: 10.4K

A sugar daddy modern AU, a whirlwind summer romance in Italy, and two people from completely different walks of life, somehow finding each other in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But, what will happen when summer ends?

PART 10 | meet me in the afterglow

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Your walk to work was chilly enough to warrant a coat. That was perhaps the thing you missed least about home in the U.S. - even though the winters certainly got cold here, it was nowhere near the sub-zero temperatures you had grown up with during the coldest time of year. Maybe the only thing you missed was snow - in all of your time living here, you had only gotten a brief dusting once, and it had melted by the following day.

Still, a week out from Christmas, you now needed to wrap something warm around yourself as you walked down the street, heading closer to the city center as your shift was due to start. 

You were technically two minutes late to your shift, the coffee shop busy enough to have a line going out the door when you arrived. Yet, your manager Francesco said nothing - a small spark of joy in your day. 

You didn’t necessarily need to go back to work - Steve’s money had yet to run out. But, you felt good about earning your own money - and, the less you had to draw on his remaining funds, the less you had to think about him.

You hadn’t seen or spoken to Steve since the night of your argument. Well, that was only partially true - you had received one piece of communication from him. It came a few days later - you had been moping in your apartment, having barely left your room for days, when an envelope arrived. It had his familiar writing and wax seal, with another wad of cash and a letter made out to you:

I promise this is the last you’ll hear from me. I am a man of my word, so I promise to help provide for you until you’re finished with school. I’ll be transferring enough money to your account to cover all of your expenses, so no need to worry about your rent, food, anything of the sort… I really do want you to be able to focus on school, okay? So, please don’t protest, or try to send the money back. Please feel free to use the credit card if you need to. 

I’m sorry it ended this way. We both knew it was going to, but I apologize if I said anything out of line the other night. I truly do wish you the best. 

Take care,

Steve

Reading it had been a punch to the gut. The formality of it, the finality of it… you would’ve rather that you never heard from him again. You had stashed the letter in a box under your bed, and not looked at it since.

A few weeks after that, you had pregnancy scare. It was silly, really - but, your period was late, and if was the first conclusion your mind had jumped to. You had called Robin in a panic, begging her to come home - she did, with four different brands of pregnancy tests. Those 15 minutes of waiting for results were the most agonizing of your life - then, upon seeing them all negative, you fell to your knees and burst into tears.

“It’s okay,” Robin had cooed, rubbing soothing circles on your back. “You’re good it was a false alarm - you’re probably just late because of stress -”

“I know,” you sobbed. “I just -”

“What is it?”

You then had sat up, chest heaving as you sobbed.

“He’s really gone isn’t he?”

Robin held you in her arms that night as you cried yourself to sleep.

To your knowledge now, he had gone back to the U.S. - was he still in Chicago? Or, did he go back to New York? You realized it was better for you to not ask these questions, or to think of him at all. As the weeks had turned into months, you found yourself thinking of him a little less each day - but you still thought of him. You saw him in the passersby as you walked down the street, in every car window, in every businessman walking through the door to order a coffee. Sometimes, you’d hear a laugh, or get a brief whiff of cigarette smoke, and swear it was him. But it never was - it never would be again.

The days had dragged on, but luckily, you often found yourself too busy to dwell too much on thoughts of Steve. Between work and school, your plate was pretty full. With graduation in mere weeks, you had spent the entire term studying and working on your thesis. Steve’s remaining money, at least, allowed you to work far less hours than you had before - a small blessing, you supposed. 

The day was moving pretty quickly, the morning rush busy enough that two hours flew by without much notice. It was only during the afternoon lull that you found yourself able to look up from the espresso machine - only to lock eyes with a familiar face through the window.

Eddie smiled back at you, waving. You couldn’t help but grin, and beckoned him to come inside. He bounded through the glass doors, bursting into the coffee shop with the infectious, chaotic energy he always carries with him.

“Bella, how are you?” he asked, leaning over the counter with a big grin.

“I’m okay,” you said, shrugging.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Just okay?”

“Oh well - you know, a bit stressed with the end of term and all. But, that’ll all be over soon.”

“I’m almost done, too - just finishing up my exams, all of that nonsense.”

“Do you have someone for your thesis?”

You nodded. “Professor Hopper - he’s always had a soft spot for me,” you said, smiling fondly, thinking of the seemingly-gruff. 

“I have Clarke - I don’t actually know how much he knows about photography, he teaches chemistry for godsake, but apparently it’s a hobby or something, so he’ll sign off on whatever I do,” Eddie said, laughing.

“Oh! I forgot to tell you - I actually have my own studio space now.”

“What? Eddie, that’s amazing!”

He grinned. “Thanks - I mean, I’m still technically freelance, but I’m hoping once I’m fully graduated more work will start coming in. But for now, I don’t mind having some spare time to practice with the band.”

You did your best to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

“Right - don’t forget me when you make it as a big rockstar, Eddie.”

He let out a hearty laugh at that, the infectious kind that had you joining in - you hadn’t laughed like that in quite some time.

“You know, you should come by later to check it out,” Eddie said. “I mean, if you want -”

You thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Sure, why not - I get off in about a half hour -”

“Perfect,” he cried, clapping his hands together. “I’ll just wait around then - and, uh, can I get an espresso? Since I’m already here and all.”

You rolled your eyes, fighting a smile.

“Yeah, sure thing Munson - I’ll take my sweet time with it, just for you.”

The end of your shift flew by, and soon enough you were pulling off your apron, linking your arm in Eddie’s as he led you out the door and through the city.

The studio, as it turned out, was only a few blocks away. The space was small, but nice - a big glass storefront allowed plenty of light in, even with the fading sun, indicative of the short days of winter. Some of Eddie’s work hung framed on the walls - city scenes, candids of people on the street, bands in action at his favorite club… and even a few of you, from the project you posed for a few years ago.

“Wow - this is amazing, Eddie!” you exclaimed, glancing around the studio with genuine pride for your friend. You knew this was always the goal for him, what he always wanted to do.

“Grazie mille,” he said, beaming. 

“Do you have anything lined up?”

He nodded.

“Some - nothing too interesting. A few weddings, graduation photoshoots, things like that. Oh, do you want to see the photo lab?”

You let him lead the way into the back room, passing through a dimly-lit room with machines and equipment that you were sure you had no idea how to use. Newly developed photos were hanging around on clothespins, or spread across the table in the middle.

“Back there is the darkroom,” Eddie said, gesturing to a small door on the other side of the room. “But yeah, this is where the magic happens.”

“You develop all your pictures this way?” you asked, examining a few laid across the table.

He shook his head. “Not exactly - only the stuff I shoot on film. A lot of what I do is digital, and I edit that on my computer but… I really do love shooting film. I only really do that for specific things. Oh, which reminds me!”

He turned his back to you, rummaging through a filing cabinet until he produced a large manila envelope, extending it to you. You furrowed your brow, confused. You turned it to examine it properly - the only thing written on it was your name and a date, in Eddie’s telltale scrawl.

“What -”

“It’s those pictures I owe you, from your birthday party - sorry, it took me a while to get around to developing them.”

Oh. 

“Oh,” you said quietly, gripping the envelope a bit tighter. “Uh, thanks - that was really nice of you, Eddie.”

You were still staring down at the parcel in your hands, your hands shaking a bit - you had completely forgotten that Eddie had been taking pictures all night. Most likely because you had been a bit distracted at the time. But now…

“I think they turned out pretty nice, if you ask me,” Eddie said. “But, you can be the judge of that yourself.”

You pressed your mouth into a tight line, nearly feigning a smile as you finally met his eyes again. He was looking back expectantly, and you realized he wanted you to look at them now. 

“Oh, yeah,” you mumbled. “I guess I’ll just -”

You opened it up, sliding out the stack of photos - they were slightly bigger than the ones you had seen from a digital camera, on a beautiful matte paper that you knew must have not been cheap. This, you realized, was Eddie’s belated birthday gift to you.

You thumbed through the pictures - the first few were just candids of your friends on the dancefloor, or deep in conversation around the bar. There were a few of you and Robin, arms thrown around each other and smiling ear-to-ear.

There were quite a few solo shots of you, raising a glass to the camera, mid-laugh, or dancing - somehow, he had made it look like you truly were the center of attention, as if to tell people this is who we were there for! 

You couldn’t help but smile to yourself, laughing quietly at a few of the shots, including one of Robin flipping off the camera as she kisses Vickie. Then, your smile dropped, because there he was.

Steve, looking as handsome as you remembered, but somehow also a stranger, or like a figment of your imagination. Somehow, a small part of your subconscious had convinced you over the last few months that perhaps he wasn’t real, a true figment of your imagination that had been too good to be true. But there he was, large as life, his arm wrapped around you as you smiled into the camera. You were smiling in his arms, a girl completely unrecognizable in some ways. In another photo, he’s pressing a kiss to your cheek as you laugh - you remembered that one being taken, that’s for sure. You gently trailed your fingers across the picture, as if you were hoping to reach in and pull that happy girl out, just to shake a bit of sense into her. You didn’t even realize you were crying until a fat wet teardrop his the page, rolling down and off the edge.

“Whoa - are you alright?” Eddie asked, his voice tinged with worry.

You jumped, having nearly forgotten that he was there at all. How long had you been staring at the pictures of Steve? For a few minutes, or hours? There was no way to know.

“Yeah, I’m good,” you said, the thickness in your voice betraying you. You pressed the heels of your hands under your eyes, willing the gentle tears to stop, sniffling.

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked softly.

You laughed dryly, more hot tears welling up as you did.

“Nothing! I - they’re beautiful, Eddie. Really - thank you. You - you’ve really got a talent.”

Your voice wobbled a bit at the end, and you sniffled.

“I’m sorry, I - it’s nothing to do with you,” you assured him. “I just - I’ve been having a hard time lately.”

Eddie cocked his head, confused. Then, his eyes flitted down to the picture in your hands.

“Oh - I’m sorry, I - is this about him?” Eddie asked quietly, gesturing to the photos. You just nodded, avoiding his gaze again as you stuffed them back into the envelope.

“I didn’t know you two had broken up, I’m sorry -”

“We didn’t break up!” you snapped, harsher than intended. “Fuck, I - sorry, that came out wrong. We didn’t break up, because we were never exactly together. It’s just complicated.”

Eddie furrowed his brow. “Yeah, okay - well, I’m sorry to hear about your not-breakup. I guess I’m just a little surprised.”

“Why’s that?” you asked.

He shrugged. “I spent a long time looking at all of those when I was developing them - you know how they say pictures tell a thousand words?”

You nodded.

“Well - I take pictures of a lot of couples - weddings, engagement shoots, all of that… and I’ve never seen two people more in love than you two.”

You felt your chest tighten - maybe you were being a lovesick idiot at your party, but Steve?

You shook your head. “No - Eddie, it… it wasn’t like that. I can promise you that.”

Steve made that perfectly clear.

Eddie shrugged again. “I’m just telling you what I observed, that’s all.”

“Well maybe you should mind your business,” you grumbled.

Fuck. You shouldn’t have said that.

Eddie’s face fell a bit, and he slowly took a step back, hands shoved in his pockets.

“My apologies,” he whispered. He was hurt, that much was obvious. You mentally kicked yourself.

“No Eddie - I’m sorry, I didn’t -” 

You sighed, frustrated.

“Things have been, like, really weird the last few months and… it doesn’t matter.”

“I could tell,” he said, voice quiet. “You’ve been.. Distant.”

You nodded, the awkwardness filling the space between you two. You had fucked this up too, somehow.

“So,” you said, clearing your throat. “Uh, it’s getting late, and dark… I probably should head home.”

“Yeah, okay - good idea, I have some stuff to work on anyway.”

You both nodded, avoiding eye contact as you both headed out back into the studio.

It wasn’t until you were at the door that you turned to face Eddie again.

“The place really is beautiful… I’m proud of you,” you said sincerely. He offered a small smile in return.

“Thanks.”

“I also - the pictures are beautiful. Thank you for these, I - they’re great.”

“I’m sorry if they -”

“Don’t apologize,” you said firmly. “They’re great - you’ve really got a gift, you know.”

You could tell Eddie was fighting a real smile, a small win in your book.

“C’mon, you know my ego’s just fine on its own.”

You laughed, and without thinking, pulled him into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry I lost it a little earlier,” you whispered.

“It’s alright,” he said, pulling away. “Heartbreak is funny like that.”

You decided not to bother protesting his assessment this time, too tired to start a fight again just to feel something.

“Right, okay.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take out the photos with… him?” Eddie asked, gesturing down to the envelope.

“No, that’s alright - I’m a big girl, I can go through them. I’m definitely going to hang a few of these up though, so thanks again.”

“Take good care of yourself darling, alright? And come by any time - for any reason.”

It was an olive branch, an assurance that things were okay. You forced a smile, nodding.

“Thanks, Eddie - you’re a great friend, you know.”

You bid your farewells, and left the studio with a strange feeling settling within you. You pulled your coat a little tighter around you, stuffing the envelope underneath as you charged through the chilly evening air to the nearest bus stop.

You didn’t get home until nearly 6pm, the winter sky fully dark by then. By the time you walked a few blocks and up the stairs to your apartment, your face was stinging from the cold, the wind picking up more since that afternoon.

Robin was on the couch, a rerun of Friends playing on the TV.

“Hey! You’re back kind of late,” she remarked.

“Yeah - I ran into Eddie, funnily enough,” you replied, hoping you sounded nonchalant.

“Oh really? How is he? I miss him - we should really make a plan to hang out with him soon -”

“Yeah, for sure,” you said, kicking off your shoes and hanging your coat on the rack. “He’s good - I saw his new studio, it’s nice.”

“Oh, no way! That’s great - I need to go sometime -”

“Yeah, totally,” you said, absentminded. “Uh, I’ve got some stuff to do, but I’ll be out here later -”

“Maybe we can get takeout or something -”

“Yeah, perfect -” you tittered, closing your bedroom door behind you, eyes on the envelope in your hands.

You bit your lip, debating what to do. Part of you considered finding all of the pictures of Steve, and burning them. But, that felt a bit dramatic. You pulled out the stack again, sifting through until you found the shots of him. You couldn’t help but smile, looking at how happy the girl in the photos was - if only she knew how quickly things would fall apart that night. The photo of Steve kissing you cheek was your favorite - it was just full of pure, unbridled joy. The one after that was the one you stared at for quite some time, though. You were looking into the camera, grinning widely. Steve, however, wasn’t - no, he was looking at you. You stared at him for quite some time - and remembered Eddie’s words.

I’ve never seen two people more in love than you two.

You had thought it was crazy - but, in the picture, Steve was looking at you like you’d hung the stars. Like, if he didn’t have you, he’d be lost. He was looking at you with eyes full of love - you just hadn’t been looking.

You gasped, realizing what Eddie had seen that you couldn’t - maybe everything had meant more to Steve than he had let on. No, that was crazy - wasn’t it?

What happened next didn’t have much explanation - it was probably crazy. You found yourself Googling Steve’s company headquarters in Chicago - it couldn’t be this easy, could it? But it was.

A quick call through the directory brought you to his secretary, a bubbly woman who was more than happy to help. You pretended to be the secretary of a business partner you had remembered Steve mentioning, saying how you wanted to send a thank-you gift - it had been too easy to get his home address, really. And, a confirmation that he was back in Chicago.

The next morning, you sent out an envelope, sticking on international postage. You debated not putting your name on the return address, but ultimately decided to include it - he’d recognize the address anyway. When you dropped it at the post office, you walked away feeling a sense of relief - and, perhaps, just a bit unhinged. TIme would tell if anything came of it. But, at the very least, it felt like finally closing the chapter of your life that had been defined by Steve Harrington. And, that was a good thing… right?

********

The day before Christmas Eve, you received great news: confirmation that you had passed all of your exams, your thesis receiving glowing feedback from the professors in your department. Your degree, which studied Art History and Travel and Tourism Management, meant that you would actually be able to stay here - you hoped to work in tourism in some way right here in Rome, or perhaps work in one of the city’s many museums - being bilingual would help, and more importantly, it meant you never had to set foot back in the United States again, if you didn’t want.

Christmas brought its usual cheer and celebration, complete with mulled wine and a potluck dinner you and Robin held for some of the other foreign students you were friendly with, knowing they didn’t have families to go to for the holidays. Your graduation only brought extra festivities, including a speech prepared by Robin given as a toast at dinner, saying how proud she was of you (and, how jealous she was that you didn’t have to worry about schoolwork anymore). It was silly yet sincere enough to make you tear up and pull her into a big hug. Eddie and Jonathan even swung by for a bit, joining in on the celebration until the wee hours of the morning. Robin and Vickie were all over each otherYou ate and drank to your heart’s content before stumbling to bed, leaving cleanup in the kitchen for the morning.

The morning of Boxing Day, it turned out, was actually the afternoon, with you and Robin oversleeping. You, to your own relief, felt tired, but not too hungover - the same couldn’t be said for Robin and Vickie, who stumbled into the kitchen with grimaces on their faces and grumbles as a greeting.

You spent most of the day cleaning up from the last two days’ festivities, washing dishes and clearing away wrapping paper, wiping countertops and vacuuming just enough until your home felt semi-in order. 

You were still in your pajamas as it was getting dark again in the evening, a rarity these days. When Robin said she was heading out to dinner with Vickie and likely would be staying at her place that night, you bid her farewell, looking forward to some time alone to fully relax and unwind. 

It was several hours later, after scrounging together a dinner of Christmas leftovers and half-dozing on the couch while a movie played, that your doorbell rang. You sat up with a start, your heart jumping at the unexpected intrusion. You stumbled to the door, grumbling about who could possibly be here at this hour - maybe Robin decided to come back after all, and got locked out again? You were ready to playfully ridicule her when you opened the door. But when you saw who was standing on the other side, you froze.

Steve Harrington was there on your doorstep, barely illuminated in the dim light. His chest was heaving, his hair just a bit disheveled. His eyes widened when he saw you, and you imagined you did the same. Your heart plummeted to your stomach at the sight of him, so real and alive in front of you. Were you dreaming? Was this some sick prank?

Neither of you said anything for a moment, two mouths hanging open, searching for the words.

“It’s Christmas,” you blurted out, the first words you’ve said to him in over four months.

“It’s December 26th,” he replied, simply and casually.

“I - well, it’s still a holiday, kind of.”

“Yeah, I know - do you know how hard it is to catch a last-minute flight on Christmas?”

You just stood there in the doorway, unable to think of anything else to say - what the fuck?

“What are you doing here?” you asked, words biting. You were lashing out a bit, but you didn’t care - this moment right now reminded you of a similar one over the summer, when he came to your doorstep to explain how he wasn’t engaged. What was his excuse now?

“Why did you send me this?” he asked, holding up a familiar envelope - the photo.

Why did you? You weren’t certain of that answer yourself. So, you went with the first explanation that came to your head.

“It’s a good picture of you,” you said quietly.

He rolled his eyes.

“Do not - I don’t hear from you for months, then I get this in the mail - on Christmas Eve, mind you -”

“I’m sorry, were you supposed to hear from me?”

“I don’t know!” he cried. “Maybe?”

You scoffed. “You can’t be serious - you made it very clear that you never wanted to see me again.”

“I - what?”

“I wish you well? Take care? We ended things, Steve - what else was I meant to think?”

He sighed, his shoulders sagging.

“I don’t know. I guess part of me - it doesn’t matter. But, what am I supposed to make of this?” he asks, waving the envelope.

“I - Eddie gave me a bunch of pictures he took at my birthday party… I thought maybe you’d want that one.”

He took a tentative step closer towards you, gauging your reaction. You held your ground, not breaking eye contact.

“Is that the only reason?” he asked, voice low.

You felt your heartbeat quicken, your palms clammy - he really was just so handsome. Still, there was something so boyish about him, something that reminded you of why you fell for him in the first place. He had cut his hair a bit, his summer tan faded - and he looked tired. Then again, you probably did too - you suddenly became conscious of the fact that you were in your pajamas, still looking like you had just woken up - you wished you could disappear, never to be perceived again.

“Yeah,” you whispered. “The only reason.”

He was close enough now that you could see his Adam’s Apple bob as he gulped, his eyes glancing up and down your form as he took a deep breath.

“Tell me that, when you sent this, there wasn’t at least a small part of you that hoped I’d respond - that, when you sent this, you hoped I’d call, or show up here. If there wasn’t, I’ll walk away right now, and you’ll never have to see me again.”

There it was - everything laid out on the table. So much was still unsaid - but, it was obvious that he also had been hurting the last few months, that he didn’t want this to end, maybe even nearly as much as you did. 

“You really flew all the way here because I sent you a photo?” you whispered.

He nodded. “Of course I did.”

“You realize how crazy that is, right?”

He chuckled dryly.

“Well, they do say it makes you do crazy things.”

“...it?” you asked, voice wavering.

He nodded.

Oh.

“Come inside,” you murmured. “It’s pretty cold out there.”

As soon as the door was shut behind him, he began spiraling into a new explanation.

“I hope you know that I didn’t come here just to - you’re right, it is kind of crazy, but I didn’t know what else to do, after everything that happened -”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” you said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to talk at all.”

You both stood there for a moment, eyes locked on eachother. Then, as if reading each other’s minds, you both moved at once - you crashed your lips into his, fast and desperate. He sighed against your lips, pulling you close as his tongue slipped into your mouth. 

You felt like crying - you had missed him so much, more than you had realized - his voice, his warmth, his scent - it brought everything flooding back, the feelings you had buried in an attempt at self-preservation. But now, as you kissed him, you felt the tears well up, stinging your eyes as they rolled down your face, hot and fast.

“Whoa - baby, it’s okay - what’s wrong -”

Baby. 

“Nothing,” you cried, wiping the tears away. “I just - I really fucking missed you.”

You felt stupid to admit it, but then again, didn’t he come close to confessing that himself just a few moments ago?

“I know, I know, baby - you have no fuckin’ idea -”

Another kiss, passionate and apologetic.

“I didn’t mean any of what I said that night,” you gasped, pulling him closer. “I was just so scared -”

“I know, me too, baby - m’sorry -”

Baby. Babybabybaby.

He was holding your face between his hands now, backing you up until you were pressed against the wall, his lips finding yours again. He titled his head down to nuzzle at your throat, pressing his lips to the sensitive skin there. You tipped your head back, giving him full access to do as he pleased. He kissed and nipped at your neck, until you were moaning and crying out his name, pulling at his coat until it fell off of his shoulders. You twisted your hands in his button-down, his hands squeezing tighter on your waist in response.

“Fuck, Steve,” you breathed. “I’m sorry -”

“Stop with that,” he said, firmly taking your face in his hands again, catching your lips in another gentle kiss. “You’re right, I just realy don’t want to talk anymore -”

Then he was kissing you again, swallowing your noises as you whined his name, fingers gripping his hair.

“Bedroom, now,” you told him. “Please -”

“Yeah, okay.”

He couldn’t keep his hands off of you, both of you stumbling down the small hallway and into your bedroom, Steve slamming the door closed behind him with his foot.

“No Robin?” he asked, lips finding your neck again.

“No - ah! She’s at Vickie’s tonight -”

“Thank Christ,” he growled. “I don’t know how quiet I’m capable of being right now.”

He was apparently as desperate as you were, lips finding yours hungrily as he pulled your oversized t-shirt over your head, eyes practically rolling to the back of his head when he saw your breasts.

“No bra?” he asked.

“I was lounging around, until you showed up -”

“Thank god,” he practically snarled, his hands finding the small of your back to pull you close.

You reached between yourselves, unbuttoning his shirt, fingers slipping as they shook with anticipation. He reached down to help you, until he eventually shrugged the shirt off. You wrapped your arms around him, pressing your bare chest to his, nearly crying again from the contact.

“I really missed you,” he whispered, a man ruined. “I never thought I’d be able to have you like this again -”

“None of that,” you murmured, pressing a finger to his lips. “It’s alright.”

You just stared at him, running your hands down his chest as you took a deep breath.

“I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” he asked, face flickering with concern. “Oh god, are - are you seeing someone else? I didn’t even ask -”

“No! No, nothing like that,” you assured, biting your lip. “I just - do you remember the night of my birthday on our trip, on the rooftop?”

He nodded. “That was a really nice night.”

“I haven’t been totally honest with you,” you admitted, heart racing as you were ready to lay out the thing you had been terrified to admit aloud.

“About what?” he asked softly, cupping your cheek gently with his palm.

“Remember when I said something in Italian, and you asked what it meant? And I just said it meant I loved the gift, the star thing?”

He nodded. You took a deep, shuddering breath.

“That wasn’t exactly true. I - I said that I was in love with you,” you managed, voice quivering at the end. “That’s why I was so scared - I didn’t realize until I said it… I had broken our rule, our number one rule -”

“Hey, hey -” he cooed, shaking his head. “Did you mean it?”

You hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah - I still do.”

The few seconds that passed after that had your stomach doing somersaults - what if he still didn’t feel that way, and everything he had said in the doorway was bullshit? You thought you were going to be sick -

But his face softened, his eyes glistening - was he going to cry?

“Fuck the rules. I stopped following those a long time ago,” he said.

Your heart fluttered, your face heating.

“Are you saying -”

“How did you say it in Italian again?” he asked. “I’m sorry, I’ve been slacking on my lessons without you around.”

You laughed. “Oh, um, it’s sono innamorato di te. It translates directly as I’m in love with you, or I’m falling for you.”

He nodded. “Well then - sono innamorato di te.”

You felt like your chest was about to explode, and before you knew it, you were crying again. He was too, you realized, his cheeks glistening with tears as he choked a sob with laughter.

“We could’ve saved ourselves a lot of trouble if we both just said that in the first place,” he said, reaching to wipe away some of your tears.

“How long?” you asked.

“Since the night of the gala I brought you to. So… longer. I guess I win.”

You sobbed again, Steve swallowing the sound with another kiss. It’s wet and salty with tears, a mess of apologies and confessions.

“Steve - I -”

“I know, baby,” he whispered, kissing your salty cheeks. “It’s alright - I’m here now -”

The conversation truly stopped after that - you couldn’t keep your hands off of one another, shedding clothes until you were nude and devouring each other with desperation unlike anything you had ever felt before.

Steve was pressing his lips between your breasts when you asked, voice breathy and filled with need.

“Steve - I need you, please -”

“Mm - yeah, okay -”

Before he could move, you were reaching down to grasp his cock in your hand. He gasped, pupils blown as his head thumped back against the wall. The noise that came out of him was unholy, wrecked and ruined as you brushed your thumb along his leaking tip.

“Christ, baby -”

“Can I suck you off, please?” you asked, desperate to make him come undone. 

“Honey - you can’t - I just, I wanna fuck you so bad… I won’t last if I let you get your mouth on me, baby.”

You pouted, even as your heart raced with the thrill of knowing you’d have him inside you again.

“Next time,” he said, “I swear.”

A promise of a next time, of a thousand more times - you started kissing him again, lips bruising his - losing yourself in any drink or drug would never compared to losing yourself in Steve Harrington, you decided.

“Get on the bed,” he muttered, gently pushing you back. You did as he asked, falling back onto the mattress gently as he joined you, face hovering inches from yours.

His hair was a mess, pupils blown and lips glossy. He just shook his head, as if in disbelief.

“What?” you asked.

“You’re just so beautiful,” he breathed. 

You felt your face heat, and you buried your face in your hands.

“Shut up.”

“About you? Not likely.”

Before you could come up with a clever remark, he was kissing your neck again, his lips traveling down slowly between the valley of your breasts, taking his time - he was going to leave bruises, you already knew.

But he didn’t stop, traveling down, down, down - 

“What are you -”

“I never said I didn’t want to taste you first,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your inner thigh. “I miss having my mouth on you so fuckin’ much -”

“Fuck,” you gasped. “You’re unreal -”

“Says you,” he retorted. Whatever you planned to say next died on your lips, anything resembling a coherent thought dissolving as his lips found your cunt.

“Oh my god,” you groaned, back arching as his tongue swirled around your clit.

“Just as fuckin’ sweet as I remembered,” he whispered, his breath against your pussy making your chest heave.

He licked a stripe along your slit, making your back arch off the bed, your eyes fluttering closed.

“Be loud for me, baby,” he murmured, lips finding your clit again. You did as he asked, moaning and crying out his name as he devoured your pussy, eliciting desperate sounds from you as your fingers wound themselves in his hair. He groaned as you pulled on his locks, encouraging you to continue doing so as he opted to slide a finger inside you.

“Fuck - Steve! Ohmygod, fuck -”

You felt him smile as he lapped and licked at your folds, adding a second finger and beginning to pump them in earnest, finding that spot inside of you too easily. 

You were crying out, bucking your hips against Steve’s lips, like putty in his hands. For about ten minutes you were completely his, mind numb with pleasure as he took you apart with his mouth. You let him, feeling the blunt fingernails of his free hand digging into your thigh, pulling you as close as possible.

“Steve - I’m gonna - I’m so close, y’feel too good -”

Encouraged, he picked up the pace a bit, sending you completely over the edge. When you came, you saw stars, grinding down on Steve’s mouth and fingers. You were screaming, and he helped you through it, nuzzling against your core as you pulsed around his fingers. Your hand left his hair and found his temple, gently coaxing him closer as you rode out your orgasm.

You were still breathing heavily as he kissed his way slowly back up your body, worshiping every inch of skin he could find. YOu didn’t let your eyes open again until he was face-to-face with you, chin glistening with your release as he wore a smug grin.

“Such a good girl for me,” he murmured. “Tasted so good… you came so hard for me -”

“Mm -” you hummed, pulling him down for a kiss. You tasted yourself on him, the sensation completely euphoric.

“Do you need some time?” he asked gently.

You ran a finger over your clit, still sensitive and puffy, and shook your head.

“No, I’m okay - I actually really need you to fuck me.”

“Thank god,” he said, exasperated. “I don’t think I can go another second without fucking you -”

“I know -”

“I would dream about you, you know - all the time. I’d wake up in the middle of the night with a hard-on, of a mess in my boxers like a fuckin’ teenager -”

“I know what you mean,” you admitted, recalling a few times you had thought of him as you touched yourself since he’d left. 

“Please tell me you’re still on the fuckin’ pill -”

“Yeah, I am - God, Steve -”

“I know, I know - ready baby?”

You nodded, locking your eyes with his as he positioned himself above you, pushing inside of you ever so slowly. You could tell he was holding back, doing everything he could to not enter you in one rough movement. You winced at the stretch, nearly forgetting just how big he was. He kissed apologies across your face, gasping as he felt your warm walls envelope him.

“Fuck -” he groaned, burying his face in your neck. “I can’t believe I went so long without this - you feel so fuckin’ perfect, baby - such a tight, perfect pussy -”

“You feel so good,” you breathed, digging your fingernails into his shoulderblades. “Steve - I’m so full, please fuck me -”

He did as you asked, rolling his hips against yours, eliciting a groan from both of you. He was still holding back you could tell - but you didn’t have time for that, not after months of missing him, of missing this -

“Let go, baby,” you whispered. “Please -”

“What did you just call me?” he asked.

“I - baby,” you repeated. You realized you never had before - was that wrong?

“Say it again,” he breathed.

“Baby,” you breathed, gasping as he thrust into you a little harder. 

“Baby, please - fuck me, let go,” you cried.

It became fast and hard quickly, the desperation you shared impossible to mask. The slapping of his hips against yours was positively dirty, Steve’s arms caging you underneath him as he pounded into you. Your hand snaked down between you, your own finger finding your clit.

“That’s it, baby,” he groaned, continuing his relentless pace. “Touch yourself for me, just like that - M’not gonan last long, I’m sorry, you just feel too good -”

“It’s okay,” you assured, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I want you to lose it.”

He groaned, the room filling with the sound of slapping skin and moans, your names on each other’s lips.

Nothing else mattered, not when Steve was making you feel like this, not when he had flown across an ocean on a whim, a desperate hope to just see you again, even if only for a moment. You suddenly became so overwhelmed with love for this man, this person who had turned your world upside down - it was indescribable, impossible to even express. So you just held him tight, burying your face into his shoulder.

“M’close - I need you to come with me, baby - can you do that? I know you can, you’re always so good for me -”

You nodded, unable to formulate words anymore.

“I fuckin’ love you,” he cried, hips stuttering, his thrusts growing sloppier. “So much, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you - I love you, baby -”

His words sent you over the edge, white-hot pleasure surging through your body as you screamed his name. The feeling of you clamping around him sending him into his own orgasm. He spilled inside of you, your name on his lips like a prayer. He practically collapsed on top of you, the feeling of his heartbeat against yours feeling like home, like it was always meant to be this way.

Your breaths were labored, sweet kisses peppered across skin. Neither of you spoke for quite some time. After he rolled off of you, he immediately wrapped his arms around you, pulling you as close as physically possible.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead, slow and gentle. It was only when you pulled back, brushing some of his sweaty hair away from his face, that you broke the silence.

“I love you, too,” you murmured. You brushed your fingers along his face, and he caught your wrist, pressing kisses to your palm and knuckles, as if determined to worship you every chance he got.

“I want more than an arrangement,” he whispered. “I don’t want rules, or a deal, or -”

“Yeah, that was obvious,” you replied, chuckling. “And, me too.”

“And, you were right - you have school, and I never wanted you to think I just wanted you like a trophy or something - you have your own life, aspirations, and i know that - I just like spoiling you, but I never wanted you to give up who you are,” he said, face soft. “I need you to know that.”

“I do,” you murmured.

You really did. 

“Besides, I graduated.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What? When?”

“Officially? A few days ago.”

He smiled, soft and sincere - part of you was worried he might cry again.

“Congratulations - I’ll have to take you out to celebrate.”

“Mm - sounds good to me. How long - when are you here until?”

There was still life to reckon with, after all - living on two different continents, jobs, obligations - the kind of thing that could ruin this. But, he just shook his head.

“I bought an open-ended ticket. So, until whenever you want.”

“I - what? What about work?”

He shrugged. “Turns out, when you run the place, you can get away with that stuff.”

Your jaw dropped.

“What? Are you serious?”

He nodded. “Brenner’s out. I’m in - youngest CEO in the company’s history.” 

You laughed, pressing your palm to your forehead as you stared at the ceiling in disbelief.

“Steve - that’s amazing. But how -”

“Shhh - we’ll figure everything out later. But, let’s at least ring in the new year together, yeah?”

You nodded cautiously - he really was here, now, and wanted to make it work.

“Okay,” you said. “Sounds good.”

“Hey - you know what’s really pissing me off, though?”

“What?” you asked, wary as a pit of dread formed in your gut.

“I have to thank Eddie fucking Munson for fixing this.”

You laughed, a real, hearty laugh, and in that moment, you realized things were going to be okay.

******

That night, you slept better than you had in months, safe and warm in Steve’s arms. That was, until you woke to Robin’s scream the next morning, both of you shooting up in bed with a start.

“WHAT IS HE DOING IN YOUR BED?” she cried, shielding her eyes. “God - I wish I could bleach my eyes - motherfucker -”

Then, the door was slamming shut, Robin bemoaning her luck as she bolted down the hall to her own room.

You felt your face heat with embarrassment, sinking under the covers.

“Well - I guess I owe her an explanation -”

“Later,” Steve saidly, shaking his head incredulously. “For Christmas, I’m getting you a fucking industrial lock for that door!”

Then you were laughing, blissful and unable to control yourself, Steve joining you. He kissed the giggles away, pulling your body to his, and not much talking happened after that.

It didn’t matter what real life held after this - because Steve was here, and he was yours. Wherever you ended up, you realized, if you were with Steve, you would be home.

He was here to stay.

author's note: Hi y'all - thanks for your patience! This story isn't quite done - there will be an epilogue posted tomorrow. But, that's essentially the conclusion of don't call me 'baby' - I told you it would be a happy ending! Shoutout to @is-writing for some help with this. And of course as always, Em, without whom this fic wouldn't have happened. Comments, reblogs, and messages are always welcome - keep an eye out for the epilogue!

[callalillywrites]

His Scarred Omega Part 2

Part 1 / Series Masterlist

Relationship: Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader

Word Count: 1300

Summary: Bucky and Omega meet up to discuss the matter of his daughter and where they're going forward.

Warnings: small argument but nothing serious; both are definitely wary of the other

A/N: I wrote this story really fast as I mentioned above. It’s proofread but all mistakes are my own.

I also do not give permission for my work to be copied or posted on other sites or fed into an AI machine.

*****

Omega can’t help fidgeting as she waits for Bucky to arrive at the café.

She’s already ordered her drink and has taken a seat near the large windows overlooking the busy sidewalks outside. Lunch rush has gotten the better of the street, but she knows that the café won’t really pick up again until closer to the end of the workday.

Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t hear the bell announcing Bucky’s arrival.

No, it’s not until she smells the scent that she’s always attributed to him and feels the riotous emotions wafting from him in waves that shouldn’t be happening outside those who have claimed their pack members.

She reminds herself that she’s nothing more to him than the little sister of the omega he swore he loved yet ditched so many years ago.

Besides, he’s got his pack as she learned the day before.

She’s not even surprised Steve is his Beta. The two have been friends for as long as she’s known them and beyond that from what she recalls. The other omega with them had surprised her though. Not that the omega isn’t a pretty woman. She’s gorgeous really. It’s just something in the way the omega spoke to Bucky that has Omega wondering about their dynamic more than anything.

“I’m glad you came,” Bucky says as he gestures to the seat across from her. “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

“I’m a woman of her word,” she says, bristling at the implication she’s sure is in his voice, adding, “unlike others I could name.”

She tries her best not to glare at him, but the way his expression shifts to surprise and a bit of defensiveness, she realizes she hasn’t succeeded.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She shakes her head.

“No, you started this. Tell me what you mean.”

There’s a growl behind his words that has her inner omega wanting to straighten up and do whatever he commands her to do. It’s really unfair he still has this power over her despite their many years of absence.

It seems her tiny crush hasn’t gone away after all.

She refuses to let it dictate her now though.

“I’d rather you tell me why you care about Gracie now. It’s been almost a decade since we last saw you. You made it clear back then that you wanted nothing to do with her or Dot for that matter.”

That has Bucky speechless across from her for a few moments.

Omega has to remind herself he’s known about Gracie all this time despite the almost broken expression that sweeps over his features. She swears she can feel that shock slam into her alongside what she can only describe as hurt at her assumptions.

She shoves those thoughts aside though as she meets Bucky’s gaze with an arched brow.

“I never knew her, did I?” he eventually says aloud.

Omega isn’t sure who he’s talking about until he finally straightens himself into the soldier she knows he once was.

“I don’t know what Dot told you, Precious, but I never knew about Gracie. If I had, I would’ve stepped up and been the father I’ve always wanted to be.”

“You a father? You were a playboy. Always chasing one skirt or another. It’s why Dot never wanted to tell you,” Omega spits at him. “I saw the letter you sent her the same morning she found out she was pregnant. To think I ever thought you were a gentleman. How many girls did you bed after they shipped you off for boot camp and your years of active duty? A dozen? Two? A hundred?”

It’s not until she spies the workers watching their table that she realizes she’s raised her voice at Bucky.

Heat suffuses her cheeks, but she refuses to back down.

“Sure, I flirted with girls. I was young,” Bucky pauses as his jaw ticks.

Despite the great control he’s exerting over his emotions, she can feel each of them as if they’re her own. It makes her briefly wonder if he can feel hers as he studies her.

“But I never looked at or flirted with another girl after meeting Dot. Precious, I thought she was the one. I would’ve done anything she wanted. I would’ve claimed her as my omega if she had let me. I wanted everything with her. I loved her.”

Omega shifts in her seat. Her brows pinch until she can feel the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Something isn’t adding up.

“I saw the letter, Bucky. I saw you break up with her and toss her away like a piece of trash.”

“Precious, I never got the chance to send Dot a letter. By the time I arrived at boot camp, I found a letter from her waiting for me. She dumped me. Said she wanted more than some lowly soldier with few prospects as her alpha.”

“No,” she says because she can’t think of anything else to say.

Bucky simply nods.

There’s no deception in the way he keeps his gaze steady on her or the words he speaks.

It’s enough to deflate the fight in Omega.

“You really didn’t know about Gracie?” she finally asks.

Bucky shakes his head. “I would’ve dropped everything if I had.”

“What about Steve and your omega? How do they feel about her?”

“You talking about Angel? She’s not my omega. Steve and his Alpha, Jake, claimed her almost two years ago. We’re just close friends.”

She doesn’t know what to say to that. Everything Dot’s ever told her about Bucky before Dot’s untimely death several months ago seems to be a lie.

Yet, she doesn’t want to believe her sister would actually lie to her of all people.

That doesn’t stop her from reliving the relatively fresh pain of betrayal she suffered at Dot’s hand and the alpha Omega had thought would be hers.

She shakes herself of those thoughts as a warm hand covers her cooler one.

Bucky is staring at her with a concerned softness that threatens to undo her composure completely.

“Talk to me, Precious,” he says quietly. “Where did your mind go just now?”

She shakes her head again. “It doesn’t matter. I’d rather know what you’re wanting where Gracie is concerned. Are you going to pursue custody of her? Take her away from the only family she has left?”

“Dot…”

“Died almost a year ago,” she confirms for him, not sure why she adds, “Her and my future alpha both perished in an accident.”

“I’m sorry, Precious.”

“I don’t need or want your pity. Just want the answers to my questions.”

Bucky seems like he wants to argue, but he finally lets go of her hand to pick up his drink and take a long drink of it.

She misses his warmth as soon as it disappears, but she refuses to ask for it back. If she can be strong these past several months, then she knows she can continue to be strong long after Bucky disappears from her life and Gracie’s.

“I do want custody of my daughter, but I also know that no court will afford me that without spending some time getting to know her. So, that’s what I would like to do to start off with. Get to know her and have her know me. I would never dream of taking her from you, Precious.”

She has no clue that he has no intention of not making her and Gracie a package deal in his life. He’s just got to play his cards right to make that happen.

They talk a little more as they finish their drinks.

His first visit with Gracie will happen over the upcoming weekend, giving him a few days to plan their activities and set everything up.

*****

Main Masterlist

[talleyuh]

i don’t think anyone was waiting at the edge of their seat for descendants: rise of red, but i feel like the premise had a lot of potential and a few small changes could’ve made the movie a lot better.

1. if the movie started with a cold opening with red causing some trouble around wonderland with a few friends, it would’ve shifted the tone of the movie to set it apart from the past descendants movies. we could’ve seen red, her friend maddox, and a few other people all acting like a version of robin hood and the merry men: thwarting the queen and causing minor chaos as rebellious acts. we could’ve seen that red has a desire to be good by stealing food for the poor, creating diversions to get people away from the guards who plan to execute them, or even releasing prisoners. that way it would’ve shown that even though she thinks of herself as good, she doesn’t have the most noble methods of carrying out good.

1.5 i think if they made the queen of hearts actually care for red deep down would make her more dynamic. even though she’s extremely controlling over red and wonderland, it would be to prevent red from ever experiencing humiliation or insecurity like she did.

2. by establishing that red has friends, being sent to auradon alone by her mother to take over would’ve cut off her emotional support system and be essentially forced to do what her mother says or be stranded in a strange land alone.

3. before the orientation day ceremony, we could see red and chloe butt heads while moving in their dorm or something. red is obviously in a very tormented place and one theme they tried to explore with chloe is performative kindness, so red could’ve seen right through chloe and ignored her.

4. when they eventually go back in time, we could see the nuances in the older characters and not everyone being as perfect as they seem. for example, ella could’ve been going to auradon on an academic scholarship instead of paying for tuition like everyone else, so she really tries to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. she only befriends bridget out of pity, since she’s either ignored or outright bullied by everyone else. bridget could struggle with forgiving people or moving on from being mistreated even though she’s naturally peppy.

i think charming’s character could’ve been a bit of a player (cliche i know) which is why ella originally rebuffed his advances, but then have him genuinely pursue her. also it would’ve been so fun if ella asked fay to help her with her outfit and have her hesitate to talk to charming at castlecoming since she has to go home at midnight and then they played “so this is love” to show the moment they fell in love. plus we’ve never seen someone’s fairytale play out on screen.

5. i think that we should’ve gotten a get ready montage for castlecoming, specifically with chloe and red finally getting along as they got glammed up for the dance. they should’ve both been in ball gowns (not the high low ones we kept seeing in the earlier films). the costume designers could’ve even added purple motifs to show how the two characters were coming to finally get along and see each other. like chloe could’ve worn a dress in a lavender-periwinkle color, or a deep royal blue that looked a little indigo. red could’ve worn a red-fuchsia to show her coming to a common ground with chloe with the purple and a pink to show her growing closer to her mom.

6. i think the prank at castlecoming should’ve played out, so we could see red, chloe, and ella be there for bridget. i think it would’ve made more sense if bridget was pranked at castlecoming and ella wasn’t there for her bc she was hanging out with charming, and after that bridget was angry so she stopped being friends with her. that would explain why she hates her so much all those years later.

7. as cheesy as it would’ve been, we should’ve gotten a scene where they supported each other and bridget stood up for herself against her bullies and that’s when red and chloe went back in time to see the changes that they made.

*the movie wasn’t all bad, i liked that they gave chloe a more nuanced view of goodness after spending time with her mom who did not grow up with as much privilege as she did. i feel like they could’ve had a scene where red learns that she can’t cause chaos because she thinks she’s helping. i think we should’ve gotten more from the villains, especially malifacent and hades. also if we saw red’s internal struggle between good and evil more (aka her wants vs her mom’s wants) and how that affected her relationship with chloe.

[tommykinard6]

you know what the actual problem is with 911? that it never set up any ambitions outside of romance for the characters. the entire discussion about "but what about eddie?" just because of bucktommy possibly being endgame highlights once again that none of the characters have long-term goals in life that they want to achieve, something related to any hobbies or careers. they exist and haven't moved anywhere in years as characters. none of them have a defined passion or goal outside their job, and there is no clear trajectory set up for them of where they want to go in life that is not about romantic love or having a family. as soon as you take away the possibility that eddie might be together with buck someday, suddenly it feels like eddies's story is over because what else is left there that people could root for? on paper, he already has achieved everything regarding platonic and romantic and familial love. i beg 911 to finally give the characters goals and allow them to step outside the 118 cage. i know why they haven't yet, but it doesn't make for good television in the long run. the plot cannot keep going in circles or else the show has a real problem. grey's anatomy, despite all its flaws, did this much better because the workplace of choice allowed for continuous development and changing trajectories/careers.

You know what, I actually find this take really interesting and I think I agree for the most part. I think the issue with moving people forward career wise is that means we face the possibility of losing cast. Like if Hen had become a doctor, it would’ve been difficult to keep focusing on her storyline so 9-1-1 is about firefighters, cops, and dispatchers. We don’t go into the hospital unless someone is hurt. Same if someone gets promoted, like Athena, or retires. There will be a huge dynamic shift. We’ve not lost main cast like on other shows, where characters are killed off every season. To have ambition in life often means moving on and I don’t think 9-1-1 quite knows how to play both ends just yet.

Like if firefighters are promoted. Hen would be a great captain, but that would mean losing her at the 118 or having Bobby retire. If she left, Eddie could transition fully into paramedic if he so wished but what if he didn’t? Maybe Ravi? I’m not even sure about what could happen with Chim. Athena could take a promotion to lieutenant but she wouldn’t be on the streets as much. I feel like Maddie has more room for career advancement, maybe into a supervisory position with Josh.

I definitely see what you’re saying and I’m curious to know what other people think

[thewritingmagician2022]

Midnights - Taylor Swift - Brothers and Dateables

Lucifer: Maroon

The mark they saw on my collarbone

The rust that grew between telephones

The lips I used to call home

So scarlet, it was maroon

This sound is very Lucifer and, despite the navy color the game assigns to him, I will always associate red with Lucifer - especially a deep, dark red. This song is about a relationship ending and it makes me think of MC returning back to the human world and while they keep in touch with everyone at first, the contact between them and Lucifer fades quickly as they both return to v their normal lives. Especially now with the lyric video released and we know it says “it’s a real fucking legacy, to leave”. MC leaving is what really lingers and Lucifer is the one who is stuck with that. 

Mammon: Sweet Nothing

And the voices that implore, "You should be doing more"

To you, I can admit that I’m just too soft for all of it

-

They said the end is comin'

Everyone's up to somethin'

I find myself runnin' home to your sweet nothings

Mammon, my sweet man, who wants everything that the worlds have to offer but he can never find anything better than MC. There is nothing sweeter to him than the praise they give him or their declarations of love. Mammon deals with a lot of criticism and pressure, not just from his brothers but from the Devildom in general. He’s a very high ranking demon and that comes with certain expectations; if he’s being honest, Mammon thinks he may be a little too soft for all of it but the only person he’s willing to be so honest and vulnerable around is MC - the one person who doesn’t expect anything from him but his love. 

Levi:  Glitch

We were supposed to be just friends

- 

I think there’s been a glitch

Five seconds later, I'm fastening myself to you with a stitch

And I'm not even sorry, nights are so starry

This song is so Levi. He goes into this thing with MC thinking he’s just found a new friend and he’s sure this little crush of his will just pass by. The more time he spends with them, the faster he’ll realize that there’s nothing special about them, right? Wrong. The more time they spend together, the more attached Levi grows and the more he wants to see them. Something has shifted in their dynamic and Levi is forced to realize how much he cares about them and in exactly what way. 

Satan: Snow on the Beach

Flying in a dream

Stars by the pocketful

You wanting me tonight, feels impossible

But it's comin' down, no sound, it's all around

Like snow on the beach

Snow on the Beach is very ethereal sounding and I always associate that with Satan. I’m the very beginning of the game Satan is described as looking like a regular Prince Charming and we quickly learn that’s not quite true. Satan is pretty reticent, especially in the beginning, and MC doesn’t seem very interested in him. But, over time, they get closer and closer and MC is shocked to realize that Satan cares about them. Satan is just as surprised that MC feels the same way. Together they navigate a romance that’s very fairytale-esque and unexpected but wonderful. 

Asmo: Question

'Cause I don't remember who I was

Before you painted all my nights

A color I've searched for since

-

Does it feel like everything's just like

Second best after that meteor strike?

I think this is the way everyone would feel after a break up with Asmo. How are you supposed to find another lover, another partner, after they’ve been with the Avatar of Lust? The crown jewel of the three realms? You don’t. Nothing else will ever compare to that kind of love. But what MC doesn’t realize is that Asmo feels the same way. He’s been with so many people he could never try to keep track but he’s never had anyone quite like you again and, as he’s realizing, he can’t find anyone else who colored his world quite like MC did. So they’re both left wondering ‘does the other person feel the same way? Do they regret this like I do?’. 

Belphie: Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

And if you never saved me from boredom

I could've gone on as I was

But, lord, you made me feel important

And then you tried to erase us

Oh, you're a crisis of my faith

Would've, could've, should've

If I'd only played it safe

I was so tempted to use The Great War instead because things end up okay with Belphie but I just can’t because MC wasn’t imagining wrongdoings that never happened. Belphie literally killed them after spending weeks befriending/seducing them, making them feel so important because of the role they were going to play in freeing him and bringing the family back together even though they knew Belphie was supposedly a risk. Everything was going well and MC was on the “right” path until they met Belphie, the Devil in disguise, and that meeting changed everything.

Beel: Paris

Privacy sign on the door

And on my page and on the whole world

Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours

I think Beel would be very private in a relationship and it’s not because he doesn’t love MC or is ashamed of them but because he’s so fiercely protective. All he wants is to keep MC safe and keep them to himself seems like the best way to do that. And that’s just fine with MC because in a realm where they are constantly being scrutinized it’s so nice to have something that’s just theirs. No one can touch that love with their judgment or opinions or jealousy. It’s a perfect little bubble around them and they wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Diavolo: Lavendar Haze

Talk your talk and go viral

I just need this love spiral

Get it off your chest

Get it off my desk

-

I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me

Surreal

I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say

Diavolo is 100% Taylor in this song. He is always in the spotlight of the Devildom, obviously, and that means everyone there has an opinion on everything he does. That applies to his relationships; in fact, it’s even worse for romantic connections. It drives him crazy sometimes, especially when it affects MC. But MC is always there to comfort him and reminds him that people can say whatever they want - the only thing that matters is how they feel about each other. It because Diavolo’s mantra whenever he gets frustrated and he knows that he can deal with whatever people have to say as long as he has MC. 

Barbatos: Mastermind

What if I told you none of it was accidental?

And the first night that you saw me

Nothing was gonna stop me

I laid the groundwork, and then

Just like clockwork

The dominoes cascaded in a line

The demon who can see through time and all of its possibilities using his powers to gather information on MC? It’s more likely than you think. Barbatos is efficient, thorough, and dedicated. There is no chance that he would stumble along blindly while trying to win MC over. He knows the exact role he needs to play, knows how to interest them and make them like him, make them trust him. To anyone looking at their relationship from the outside, it would seem like a cute little love story where the MC just happens to fall for the butler that’s always there behind the scenes and that’s how Barbatos likes it. Little does he know that MC is not nearly as oblivious as he thinks he is and, luckily, they find it endearing. 

Simeon: Hits Different

Dreams of your hair and your

Stare and sense of belief

In the good in the world, you once

Believed in me

And I felt you and I held you

For a while

Taylor, can you please release this as a single? I am so tired of finding bootleg versions to listen to. Back to the point, I absolutely hate the idea of MC and Simeon being separated but I fully believe that MC would be an absolute wreck without their angel around to love them and encourage them to make good choices. So MC is back home in the human realm and they’re heartbroken and their friends don’t understand the name they’re slurring at the bar and crying over. All MC wants is to be back with Simeon - the one person (angel) who loved them so fully. The one person who always believed in them and encouraged them and made them feel like they could truly be as good as he thinks they are. MC has known heartbreak before but nothing could ever compare to the pain of losing someone so perfect; it just hits different. 

Solomon: Labyrinth

Uh-oh, I'm fallin' in love

Oh no, I'm fallin' in love again

Oh, I'm fallin' in love

I thought the plane was goin' down

How'd you turn it right around?

If you don’t think that this song is Solomon’s, you’re absolutely wrong. We don’t know much about this shady sorcerers past but we do know that he’s been married before and we can assume that he’s been in love multiple times over the thousands of years. Based on his typically guarded or nonchalant behavior, I have to assume that his heart has been broken enough times to make him very wary of love. Then along comes MC and slowly, so slowly he almost doesn’t realize it’s happening, Solomon falls in love. It’s terrifying at first and he’s angry with himself for letting it happen but MC makes him so happy and once they admit their feelings, Solomon can’t help but give into his own and he finds he doesn’t mind quite as much as he thought he did.

[chronicrabbit]

Ok, here’s my thing.

I don’t think Eddie and Billy would’ve been friends as is.

Similar music taste isn’t enough to bridge that gap.

But I /do/ think if Billy survived season 3 and got his chance to heal and improve himself, they could’ve gotten there eventually.

Billy spends months in the hospital, doped up on pain killers.

Max is there, or course. She brings her walkman and Billy’s tapes so he can have something to ease the mind numbing boredom.

They work hard to form some sort of sibling bond.

It’s not easy, but they do it.

It’s hard to avoid after going through something Upside Down related.

By the time he’s well enough to go home, Neil is already out of the picture.

They move to Forest Hills, into the trailer right across from the Munson’s.

Billy refuses Max’s offer of the second bedroom.

He takes the couch, carves out a space for himself in the cramped living room.

His attitude is still shitty, he’s still rude and angry and hard to talk to, but he isn’t mean for the sake of mean-ness.

His chronic pain dulls the need to swing a punch. It hurts too much to try.

El takes to calling a good deal. She, Max, and Billy have conversations over Cerebro every week that seem to do something for him.

He doesn’t smile; not really.

But he’s noticeably less miserable after their talks.

Billy gets a job to help Susan with the bills.

He hides her booze and he gives her someone to be angry at over Neil, and eventually, after a lot of screaming and crying and really really rough nights, they find some common ground.

It’s a far cry from a mother and son relationship, but it’s something they both needed.

Fall of ‘85 rolls around, and Max is starting her Freshman year, Billy his Senior.

Billy doesn’t verbally offer to drive, just nods towards the car and climbs into the drivers side.

They’ve settled into an odd sort of push and pull.

Max starts a conversation tentatively, Billy answers, usually with grunts or non verbal cues.

The first time he answers back with more than one syllable, they’re on their way to pick up his pain meds.

Billy turns the volume on the radio up a notch, not blaring, just loud enough to appreciate the guitar solo.

“Is this Metallica?” Max prompts with a careful sideways glance.

Billy’s lips tilt upwards with a barely noticeable smile as he utters a soft:

“It’s the Scorpions, Shitbird.”

Max can’t help the smile that stretches across her face, because there he is.

He’s still Billy.

From that day on, there’s a noticeable shift in their dynamic.

Suddenly, they’re siblings. Real ones.

They aren’t soft and supportive like Will and Jonathan, or reluctantly close and annoying like Mike and Nancy.

They argue, they bitch, they hurl insults, they mock each other, But if anyone raises even a harsh word to the other, they’re right there to unleash hell upon the unlucky shmuck.

And that doesn’t just extend to Max; the entire party, weirdly, ends up under Billy’s prickly protection as well.

Entering into the school year, it only takes one run in with the ex Alpha of Hawkins High for the jocks and would be bullies to get the message:

“These nerds are OFF LIMITS.”

From an outsiders perspective, the groups strangeness is undeniable, strangeness that attracts one Eddie Munson, collector of oddities.

Eddie, clocking the Weird Al tee, the nerdy speech, and general dorky vibe of the entire party, immediately swoops in and takes them under his wing.

Mind, he was never friends with Billy. He’d hardly spoken to him past the typical:

“You got the stuff?”

“You got the cash?”

But Billy had never given him too much trouble.

He’d known better than to antagonize Hawkins High’s one and only dealer.

But Eddie could tell he’d changed since the Mall fire of ‘85. He was quieter, broodier, and all around… less.

He didn’t strut the halls like he used to; like a caged lion, hungry for a meal.

He kept mostly to himself.

Took notes and worked quietly in class, ate lunch in his car with Max and, very occasionally and confusingly, Robin Buckley and Nancy Wheeler.

Eddie had even spotted him talking with Steve Harrington, once.

Talking, not peacocking, posturing, or punching as he would’ve expected.

Eddie was nosy by nature. Call it a character flaw, but when he saw something that puzzled him, he needed to get his hands on it; to work it, piece it together, and figure it out.

Billy Hargrove was a 200 piece puzzle with no picture, and he was determined to put it together.

He starts small, bringing Billy up in passing during cleanup post-Hellfire, trying his best to sound casual, though given the look from Gareth he assumes it wasn’t quite there.

“So… Hargrove. What’s his deal?”

Ok.

Subtlety was not his forte.

Dustin, Mike, and Lucas share significant looks, looks tinged with uncertainty and secrecy and Eddie is itching for a piece of this puzzle.

“What do you mean?” Dustin asks robotically.

“What do I mean?” Eddie repeats with a scoff.

“You’ve got the California Keg King as a personal guard dog, and you ask me what do I mean.”

Another glance is shared between the three, this one a bit more… wary.

Interesting.

“My, uh, girlfriend is his sister,” Lucas shrugs as if this is somehow answer enough.

Not even close.

“No, I get that,” Eddie nods, because he knows Red is his stepsister. He’d overheard Billy bitching endlessly about her in the year prior.

Now they’re not only tolerant of each other but attached at the hip?

“Level with me,” Eddie requests, leaning against the arm of his throne.

“Is this to do with the fire?”

That question garners an interesting reaction; shifting eyes and nervous shuffling.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Eddie loved being right.

Mike, as usual, was the first to speak.

“We were there that night,” he says simply, and Eddie’s grin falls from his face.

He lowers himself into his seat and nods slowly for him to continue.

“One of our friends was injured, so Billy…”

He hesitates, brow pinched and nose wrinkled as if he’s reliving the memory.

“Billy saved her,” Lucas finishes for him, looking markedly uncomfortable at the topic.

“Got badly injured in the process.”

“So that’s why you’re all buddy buddy with him now?” Grant speaks up from the sidelines.

“We’re not buddy buddy,” Lucas scoffs, crossing his arms.

“We tolerate each other due to shared trauma., but we’re not friends.”

Jeff nods grimly at Lucas’s words with an understanding Eddie couldn’t quite grasp if he’d tried.

The conversation ended there as they walked to the lot.

A single puzzle piece in place with 199 to go.

‘Maybe two pieces,’ Eddie thinks as he watches the three of them approach a blue Camaro, Hargrove and Mayfield leaning against the hood.

His joy at piecing together more of the mystery dies as Steve Harrington’s BMW pulls up beside them, the boys climbing into it instead.

‘What the fuck?’

[antigonewinchester]

what was gamble's original season 7 and 8?

disclaimer that a lot of this info is based on fandom hearsay – I would love to verify more of this stuff but there are so many broken / old fandom links that don’t work anymore :(

the 2 major points I’ve heard are:

Cas was not supposed to come back after his death, and

Sam and Dean were supposed to end up in Purgatory together at the end of the season.

Cas not coming back would’ve changed a lot! for ex, he couldn’t have played a part to the resolution for Sam’s Lucifer hallucinations / psychosis arc. I very much read Sam & Lucifer in s5 as being abt Sam overcoming his personal ‘demons,’ so thematically it’s kind of weird for another character to then swoop in and “remove” that trauma for him instead of Sam being more integral to getting rid of Hallucifer. I know a lot of ppl like it, but it plays as a bit of a deux ex machina and doesn’t feel super satisfying to me. (altho Gamble did write 7x17 so maybe her original idea would have been something similar.)

there’s also that without Cas, the show likely would have resolved the Leviathan plotline differently, and wouldn’t have had the Leviathan tablet, which then led to the Demon / Angel tablet plots in s8. while Carver’s era has its horror moments, it does shift more into the fantasy / urban fantasy genre, and I just really like horror-natural… plots around spooky and scary monsters >> plots related to Heaven / the angels. suspect Gamble would’ve brought back more horror vibes for s8, particularly with how her seasons built up Purgatory as a very scary place. I also really really like the idea of both Sam & Dean ending in Purgatory together and fighting their way out. again thematically, if s8 had been the end of the show, it would have been very fitting for Sam and Dean to both get stuck in a dark, liminal place and then return home together. it’s very metaphorical for what their journey was over the previous seasons!

there are some other little bits and pieces of the story Gamble wanted to tell that intrigue me too. there was an interview from mid-way thru s6 where she mentioned returning to Adam – say, wouldn’t a storyline in s8 around Sam and Dean rescuing Adam from the Cage have been cool?

finally, I just overall like Gamble’s take on Sam and Dean and their dynamic more than do Carver’s, so I think I would’ve liked her s8 better than what we got… I know some ppl quite enjoy it (and hey, more power to them) but it just got to be a lot for me. the Gamble era still had conflict between Sam and Dean, but not as intensely as it eventually got w/ Carver.

[joshuaalbert]

top 5 star trek episodes that were so close to being something incredibly compelling and then weren’t

ough ok I’ve already talked about these first 2 at length but like 3 people total followed me back then so it’s new to someone at least. also this is long as hell. preemptive readmore.

1. tng 4x5 remember me is in a dubious position in that I do still like the episode as it exists and it’s certainly not Not compelling, but tng lacked a beverly and wesley episode, and i firmly believe this one should have been it. for being like the #1 key dynamic for these characters for the last 15 years before the show, we never got to see anything super interesting, and this episode seems like it’s set up to be that, and then it gets picard syndrome. this doesn’t even fully count because I still like the episode but I’m counting it

2. tng 3x23 sarek. the sarek/picard plot is fine, no real complaints there iirc, but the rest of the crew getting angry at each other should’ve had way more interesting character moments than it did. the arguments all being based off of surface level annoyance, rather than starting there and then digging into legitimate conflicts, really feels like a missed opportunity. it didn’t have to get into Darkest Secrets territory necessarily, I’m not looking for characters to hate each other given the constraints of episodic storytelling, but I think it would’ve been fun for characters to air some legitimate grievances with each other even if they’re the kind that could be neatly resolved with an apology at the end. idk I love writing about anger so this one stands out as a missed opportunity to me.

3. ok time for a little controversy i dont think the tng finale is Bad by any means but i don’t worship the ground it walks on yknow. i think the central storyline is generally good, and i was pleasantly surprised by the way it brought the series back to the beginning, both with the q plotline and the examination of how the crew dynamic has shifted, but it does....kinda fuck over a not insignificant number of the characters. troi/worf/riker drama consumes way too much of their storylines for something that showed up in the last half of the last season, and troi being dead so they can fight about it for 20 years is so. really? this is what we’re doing? idk troi at least has some good moments in the earliest timeline piece so at least there’s that, but given that they’d finally started giving her some solid episodes about her career aspirations, I was just kind of disappointed that that was the choice.

4. ds9 7x9 covenant. ive talked about this one at length too bc i just say every thought that comes into my mind all the time forever but this is me coming back at the end of the season so i guess it’s technically different. on one hand i understand that they wanted sisko’s ending to tie into dukat and sisko’s ending needed to tie into the prophets so like, i guess. but on the other hand i think this as a more bajor-focused storyline could have been really interesting? like how does sisko deal with this religious schism given that he’s the emissary of the prophets, but also acknowledging that some subset of the bajoran people are coming to terms with the fact that they feel betrayed by what the prophets allowed them to suffer, and maybe they’re right to feel that way (and like, maybe dukat allies with them at some point so they can put him in there, but the focus is still on the people). it was never going to be that and this is solely wishful thinking based on what i personally find interesting, rather than with some of the earlier ones where im like “yeah this feels pretty objectively stronger,” but i think realistically i’ll always want more depth on bajor and the bajoran people themselves lmao.

5. ok this is kind of a cop out answer in some ways bc i’m sure there are others i actually feel more strongly about and im just forgetting, but ds9 5x8 things past is just like. i wish this episode was just better written on a sheer technical level. it deals with things that are compelling in theory, like odo’s past working under the cardassians and the things he did to maintain what he believed was order at the time, and it also touches on garak’s ideology, but it handles all of these things with the light touch of a fucking sledgehammer. everything in this episode is said far too plainly and is repeated like four times to the point where it both doesn’t reflect the characters and kind of just gets annoying, and while it doesn’t have the significant structural issues the other episodes i talked about have, i just think this one was lacking on a basic writing level despite having an interesting concept, and i found that frustrating

additional notes:

- I was tempted to put journey’s end but the thing is like. the core arc is compelling to me but I have no idea what I’d do with the episode itself. the problems with the arc also mostly come from not having a s6 episode I think and that’s out of scope here.

- naked now was too easy everyone knows that’s a missed opportunity so I removed it from my lineup. same w/naked time being kinda too early imo.

- i had a harder time nailing down ds9 ones because i didn’t have as many individual episodes that came to mind as “close but a little off.” maybe with more distance i’ll have some, but so close to s7 im mostly just thinking of the broader arcs that got kneecapped by pacing issues. i did have a cheating answer that was “what’s compelling about inter arma enim silent leges is its placement as episode 16 of season 7 and the missed opportunity is that they didn’t use that timeslot to start the damar plotline earlier, thereby giving it more room to play out with slightly more believable pacing, and also that they didnt put a jake sisko plotline here” but instead i did my best lmao

[inkofamethyst]

October 22, 2022

[Six of Crows spoilers in this paragraph] Hey did I mention that the scene where Kaz tore out that dude’s eye after Inej got hurt made me go absolutely feral?  Because pinterest knows me about as well as I know myself (in contrast to tiktok which knows me better than I know myself and instagram which barely knows me at all) the app showed me a SoC textpost (still haven’t finished Crooked Kingdom lol) and it took me down a rabbit hole (apparently there’s going to be a show???? [edit: apparently Shadow and Bone is the show???  I haven’t even watched that, but I know it’s supposed to be good]) which reminded me of that scene in particular.  For someone who considers herself to be awfully soft-hearted, apparently my love language is gore.  Or, rather, an intelligent man who will tear the world to shreds if it lays a finger on me.  (Now look.  There is something that could be said about potential toxicity in the Kaz/Inej dynamic especially because he bought her but I’m a simple girl and simply have chosen to overlook this.)  

ALSO APPARENTLY THERE’S GOING TO BE A NEW PERCY BOOK FROM PERCY’S POINT OF VIEW WITH THE ORIGINAL TRIO???  Step aside Swifties, the old school pjo fans are quaking this year.

Speaking of media, the Halo show is getting a season 2!!!  I’m really excited for it actually.

And you know what?  As annoying and nerve-wrecking as it is, I actually am thankful that I’ve been forced to send out so many emails this semester.  Emails have become a lot less terrifying and more of just a thing to do to contact someone, and I welcome that shift.  In the year before (hopefully) going out into the real world (more or less (like I won’t receive the same coddling as undergrad but I will still be in school so)), I’m getting the practice which is great, truly.

THAT SAID.  I did get an email from a potential collaborator tonight as in nine pm on a saturday which was basically “im not taking students but yea id coadvise ig” and I have this awful habit of taking indifference/apathy toward me as dislike, and I am purposefully not allowing myself to go down that road today (also what is this lady doing on her work email on a saturday do you want me to think you have no life like,,, i at least fake it by schedule-sending all of my emails).  Look, ultimately, it’ll make my application stronger even if I haven’t had the opportunity to actually speak with this woman about what it might look like.  It’s fine I’ll be fine.  Everyone is certain that I’ll have A Decision to make, and I think I’m nearly at the point of believing them which is... I mean it’s a nice change of pace!  We’ll see how I feel closer to my deadlines and after them!

Second, I am thankful that I have a good relationship with my sister.  We went to see a wind ensemble performance last night and a football game today and while I was far more interested in the performance than the game (my sister was really into the game but my heart rate did not once increase, uhm, I could’ve cared less, but not by much (I did bring a book to read with me in case I got too bored, but it never reached that point and also that would’ve made me look like a main character in a Wattpad self-insert fanfiction so I couldn’t bring myself to do it and also my little band kid heart liked watching the marching band go brrr)), they were both still fun.

[edit: it’s ten now and my pop gen professor has also just replied to an email of mine, can... can tenured folk chill out?  I pray for their rest, truly (though I suppose it makes sense to be on top of your inbox because you’re a well-known professor and it could be easy for actual important communications to slip to the bottom)]

[rabbitechoes]

wanted to post more over here and had the idea to do lil reviews for albums from years past. i'm gonna try to post a review for this series, as the name suggests, every thursday!! this week we're looking at a masterpiece and career defining record from one of the greatest jazz artists of all time: Let My Children Hear Music by Charles Mingus!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus

◇ release year: 1972 ◇ genres: third stream, experimental big band

By the mid-1960s, following two masterful albums for the Impulse! label and some other releases here and there, Charles Mingus’s output had slowed tremendously. He was largely out of the spotlight during the spiritual jazz revolution as well as the advent of jazz fusion towards the end of the decade. However, had he been active during this time, I doubt that he would’ve played into a lot of those sounds. In the early 60’s, On albums like The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, the “angry man of jazz” had begun to play around with big band music and had incorporated a lot of classical music influence into his compositions. It was an interesting change of pace for someone whose music had always felt so raw. Those two albums are now regarded as some of his best and I have to agree. This shift provided extra layers to his music and gave him a whole new world to explore. A world he would continue to explore nearly a decade later in his unfortunately often overlooked masterpiece Let My Children Hear Music. 

Charles Mingus, 1972

The album opens with one of my favorite Mingus compositions. “The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jive Ass Slippers” is a dynamic and impressive piece. There’s so much happening here musically, but it all feels carefully orchestrated. Opening with some ascending brass instruments with a tuba providing this ominous bass to it all before giving way to an incredible saxophone part. It sounds very theatrical. From there we get to the meat of the song with what sounds like a classic Mingus piece except way more fleshed out. Every piece of this orchestra plays a crucial role. I get chills every time around the 3-minute-10-second mark when that piano comes in and has to fight for your attention briefly before becoming the main focus for a few moments. It’s such an incredible moment and shows off how talented Mingus is as a composer. This song manages to fit in so many twists and turns and each one feels more exciting than the last. 

The classical music influence is very much present on the second track, “Adagio Ma Non Troppo,” but it still has that Mingus edge to it. I love the cello playing on this track and it juxtaposes the horns on here which often have a sort of urgency to them. This song also utilizes a lot more woodwind instruments than the previous which mixes in nicely with the grand, weighty brass throughout the piece. “Don’t Be Afraid, the Clown’s Afraid Too” is probably the most experimental track here as it features, what I believe are, recordings of various zoo animals undercut by a drumroll and a very shrill, almost electric trumpet. Very offputting stuff, but it sounds so cool. This song features some callbacks to other jazz tunes. At one point, the piano playing is a reference to Duke Ellington’s “Take The ‘A’ Train” with its distinct twinkling piano part at the beginning. Towards the latter half of the song, the band shifts into this almost circus-like sound. I don’t know a better way to describe it, but it fits the theme of the track very well and shows the album’s range. It is also during this part that the band pays tribute to several Charlie Parker compositions so I think this song might act as some kind of tribute to some of the jazz greats of the 1950s that Mingus admired. It’s important to note that Mingus played with both Parker and Ellington over the years. The latter of which Mingus was very open about being inspired by and you can draw plenty of comparisons between their composition styles. Another note, perhaps the title of this song is in reference to his 1957 record The Clown. Maybe Mingus is harkening back to these jazz legends of years gone by and saying “I’m afraid of where the genre is going.” Maybe Mingus predicted the catastrophic arrival of Kenny G! Conversely, maybe he’s using it as a torch-passing moment, “don’t be afraid” in the face of the wild experimentation that had been happening in the genre at the time. I could be reading far too much into this, but it’s cool that so many conclusions like this can even be drawn in a song with no words. Reissues of the album following the 1992 CD release include “Taurus In the Arena of Life” as the next track and it’s good! It’s the shortest song here by a lot at a bit over 4-minutes, but it has plenty of great moments. Like the matador-like sound at certain moments, which again fits the theme of the title. He’s so clever. It also calls back to some of his flamenco jazz endeavors on records like Tijuana Moods and songs like “Group Dancers (Soul Fusion) (Freewoman and Oh, This Freedom's Slave Cries)” from The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Ultimately, I’m glad it’s here, but it isn’t my favorite. I just consider it a little bonus.

The second side of the record kicks off with “Hobo Ho” and it’s another one of my favorite Mingus pieces. That thumping bass at the beginning gets me every time. It’s another example of how cinematic Mingus could get. This sounds like the soundtrack to the coolest movie never made. The directions this song takes you in are just so exhilarating. Towards the halfway point, the orchestra gets this sort of woozy sound to them. It’s almost waltz, yet way more hard-hitting. That bass I loved so much returns to lead into the finale of the song and it’s amazing. This leads into the darkest song here, “The Chill of Death (Recitation).” In this chilling piece, Mingus recites a poem he’d written decades prior. The music sort of reflects that older, almost sinister nostalgia as well. Again, I feel a bit like a broken record, but it’s cinematic. It sounds like the backdrop to an old radio drama. His gruff voice puts so much power behind these words. In the poem, he makes a woman the personification of death that “charms” him to his demise. It’s a great moment that shows Mingus’s trademark humor even when handling subjects like death. 

“The I of Hurricane Sue” closes the record and, like “Don’t Be Afraid…” earlier, it features some sound effects. This time it’s wind and rain instead of zoo animals. The music plays on over it and the sounds can faintly be heard beneath them before returning in full-force at the end. Similarly to the opener, the middle part of the song is very reminiscent of classic Mingus yet more layered. He sounds so confident as both a bandleader and composer here. It feels almost like a victory lap after an amazing album.

Charles Mingus, 1972

According to some, Mingus described Let My Children Hear Music as “the best album he ever made” in the original liner notes to the album, but I can’t find a confirmation of that. If true, it would be difficult to disagree with him. I believe this album is one of his two masterpieces, the other being The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. This was a triumphant return for one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. It is easily his most ambitious album and that ambition pays off wonderfully. This record gets a lot of acclaim in jazz circles, but I’m hoping one day this record can break through those barriers and get the reputation it deserves as one of the greatest albums of all time. 

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[mickeym4ndy]

talk more about mickey and svetlana and everyone in season 6 PLEASE i love it

Ah I love this topic thank you so much for this! Season 6 with Mickey, Yevgeny, & Svetlana is my Roman Empire.

Ok so I actually have so much to say that it would be too long for one ask so I decided to kinda focus on Mickey & Svetlana’s dynamic in the alternate s6 (how it should’ve been) & how it would’ve been for them when Ian & Mickey got back together, but it also sorta turned into a Svetlana character analysis and is really long so under it’s under the cut🩵

Ok so I think Svetlana would be happy to have Mickey & Ian back together and to have Ian in Yev’s life. She wants the best for her son and the more people that love him the better. I think she’d be very understanding about his illness and wouldn’t blame him for taking Yevgeny or anything.

However, I do think she’d be a little wary of Mickey & Ian getting back together initially. Like on one hand she’d be like stop moping and get back together, u idiots. But on the other hand - she’d be a little wary. What I mean by this is:

Svetlana really values family. And she wants a family for Yevgeny (and herself). She wanted Mickey in Yev’s life no matter how much he pushed them away in seasons 3-5 because she wanted Yev to have a present dad.

When Ian comes back in s4, she realises that while he’s around, her & Yev will never be his priority (at that point). That’s what I’ve always interpreted this scene as:

She’s scared. Part of that is because at this point^ she does rely on Mickey for money & a place to live so she’s scared her & her baby will end up with nowhere to go (that’s why she wants Terry back from prison at the baptism imo, she knows he’s what’s keeping Mickey from kicking her out). But it’s also because she genuinely wants the best for her baby and to have a dad in his life.

And then, throughout the following seasons, Mickey repeatedly put Ian before Yev - not calling the cops when Ian took him, moving to the Gallagher’s etc. And yea it was fair of Mickey to be there for his bf obviously, Ian needed him. But it was v hard for Svet.

So then onto season 6: My idea for season 6 with Mickey would be that him & Svet & Yev become a little family. I’ve explained some about it here. They’d be all Mickey had left so it would kind of happen accidentally/naturally. Imo it would start with them just both being there for Yev, then they end up supporting each other and being there for each other.

With Mickey & Ian broken up, Mickey’s focus would shift to being a good dad and being there for his son (after a while mind - I do think initially he’d probably be all about Ian). And I think Mickey & Svet would form a good friendship. I could go into detail into all the things that might lead to this and all the things they do together, but that would be so long. Maybe I’ll do it in another post, but u get the gist. They’re family. It’s unspoken but they are.

So she’s got what she wanted for herself and Yev - a family and a dad who puts them first (to an extent, obvs there’s more she’d want out of life but again you get the gist).

Then fast forward to when Ian & Mickey are getting back together after a while apart. She’d be happy they’re back together yea. But, with Ian back, I think Svetlana’s fears about Yev always coming second to Ian for Mickey would reappear. And it wouldn’t really be spoken, but Mickey would have to prove to her (and she’d want Mickey to prove to her) that that won’t always be the case anymore.

Obviously Ian & Mickey are partners and will often drop everything for each other, but it couldn’t be like that alll the time anymore. He’s a father now. Ultimately, Svetlana would want Mickey to be there for Yev (and - she wouldn’t say it because she’s so independent - also for her) when they need him, like the previous few months had been. And she’d be worried that would stop after he’s back with Ian.

I like the idea that it’s sorted like this: While Ian & Mickey are at the beginning of getting back together, Mickey & Svet have a plan to do something together w Yev, but Svetlana’s heard that the Gallagher’s are having some drama (nothing major) so she assumes Mickey will go be with Ian and won’t show up. But he does. And it’s like

“Thought you’d be with orange boy.”

“Said I’d be here, didn’t I?”

“Usually if orange boy has problem u drop everything.”

And Mickey knows what she really means so he says

“Hey. It’s not gonna be like that this time ok? I’m gonna be there for my kid.”

“Good. Yevgeny needs father.”

And then it’s quiet for a while and Mickey says “…and you, too.”

“What?”

“I’m uh… I’m gonna be there when you need me too, you know. You’ve… you’ve been there for me a lot over the last couple months and we’re… idk we’re fuckin’ family I guess.”

And neither of them are great at talking about feelings but Svet appreciates it and needed to hear it, and Mickey knows that.

So yea after that I feel like it’d be great. Things would be different for everyone this time around and obvs there would be some growing pains. A loooot has changed and likelihood is is that Yev wouldn’t recognize Ian anymore by the time he sees him again, so that would be v tough for Ian I imagine.

But yea in general - some growing pains initially but then big happy families. I’d acc love to hear what other people think about this! Also any and all season 6 Mickey thoughts.

(Side note: To get the vibe I’m going for here with Svet & Mickey’s relationship, I’d recommend reading “The New Year” and the sequel “Bird Set Free” by LanJevinson on ao3. Mickey & Svet struggle with the same thing of Mickey putting family first vs Ian, and it’s so so good. It’s a post prison instead fic instead of s6 fic, but it’s the same idea. And it’s also 1 of my fav Gallavich fics ever).

[pinkandblueblurbs]

casual competition

Poly!Marauders x fem!reader. Sub!Reader, dom!marauders. Casual dominance, d/s dynamic, pet names, no explicit smut.

word count: 1.3k

“Oi, Prongs!” Sirius calls, rushing down the stairs after the boy, leaving Remus to finish getting ready in the dorm alone.

“Yeah?” The bespectacled male slows his descent, allowing Sirius to catch up. When he does, he leans in close, a grin on his face.

“Bet I can have Y/n callin’ me daddy first.” The boy taunts, waggling his brows as James turns to look down at him.

“Oh yeah?” James scoffs, shaking his head. He can’t help but think Sirius a bit stupid to suggest such a wager- after all, sure, you typically only use the term during sex, but you’re known to let it slip whenever one of your doms draws out the sub in you, which isn’t exactly hard to do.

“Yeah.” Sirius doesn’t back down, eyes glimmering with the thrill of impending challenge. “Only rule is you can’t use real dirty talk- that’d make it too easy.” James lets out a laugh, really thinking Sirius is stupid now. Dirty talk would’ve been his one advantage over James- seeing as he’s got the wildest, filthiest mouth of the bunch- and now he’s putting himself up against your most doting dom without it. James’s confidence skyrockets, he’s sure he can sweet talk you into submission no problem.

“You’re on.” James smirks, reaching out to grasp Sirius’s offered hand. The boys shake on it, and both are grinning like mad as they make their way down to the common room where you wait for them each morning.

They immediately spot your form, curled up on the couch, socked feet tucked under your butt as you flick lazily through a magazine. James strolls right over to you, hands in his pockets.

“Hi, babydoll.” He coos, flashing a charming grin as you look up at him, causing you to smile.

“Hey Jamie.”

“Morning beautiful.” Sirius pipes up, walking behind the sofa and leaning over to press a kiss to your cheek. Your heart flutters at his words and the tender gesture.

“Morning Siri.” You murmur, eyes flitting between the two boys as you look up at them. James plops down on the sofa beside you, arm draped across the back cusions.

“What’re you reading?” He asks, eyeing the magazine in your hands. Before you can reply your attention is brought to Sirius as he lets out a scoff.

“Y’know she isn’t reading, Prongs.” The male sneers, the low, teasing voice that’s typically reserved for the bedroom out in full force. “The dumb little puppy’s just looking at the pictures.” He feels hopeful for a moment when your lip juts out in an exaggerated pout, but his hope is crushed when it’s followed by a lighthearted giggle.

“As if you ever read, Pads.” You tease back, sticking out your tongue. Sirius only scowls at his failed attempt as James lets out a laugh, flashing the male a cocky grin.

My turn, James thinks, turning back to you as you refocus on the ink covered pages.

“Hey, angel, look at me,” James murmurs, reaching out with one finger to hook under your chin and tilt your face towards him. He cheers internally when the gaze that meets him is wide eyed, your eyes shining as you look up at him. He licks the thumb of his other hand.

“Y’got some toothpaste.” He keeps his voice sweet and gentle, like he always does when he’s taking care of you. He swipes his thumb over the corner of your mouth, cleaning the area- which was clean to begin with, unbeknownst to you- and smiles when he pulls away. “All better.” You blink up at him for a moment, eyes practically shaped like hearts, and he thinks he has it in the bag.

“Thanks, Jamie,” you murmur, smiling softly. Your brows furrow as the male sighs and pulls away, muttering a quick “y’welcome”.

“‘S something the matter?” You ask, confused by James’s shift in tone. The boy shakes his head.

“No, no, sorry. Everything’s fine.” He forces a smile, and though it’s a bit tight it’s enough to sate you, so you nod.

“You all ready for class, pup?” Sirius asks, looking down at you with a raised brow. He’s pleased when you only hum “mhm”, presenting him with an opportunity.

“Use your words, baby, y’know better.” He chastises, lacing his tone with extra disappointment in hopes of triggering your submissive nature.

“Sorry,” you whimper, and he waits for the term to follow, can almost hear your voice saying daddy, but it never comes. He has to stifle a groan.

“You’re really going to class like that, angel?” James butts in, looking you up and down. “‘S December and you don’t even have a sweater.”

“‘M not cold-“

“Not yet, maybe.” Sirius interjects. “But how many times do you end up asking for my sweater in potions, hm? Y’silly thing. Oughta go fetch one.” He orders, jerking his head towards the stairway. You pout.

“I don’t wanna.”

“Don’t fuckin’ whine-“

“I’ll get it for you, baby.” James cuts off Sirius’s scolding with a coo when he sees your eyes shift at the stern tone, not wanting to risk letting you respond. He smiles and leans over to press a kiss to your cheek, feeling it warm under his lips, before standing up.

“Whaddya say?” He prompts, setting you up for the win.

“Thank you, Jamie.” He sighs when you unknowingly fumble it. He starts towards the stairs to fetch one of his jumpers to lend you. Sirius straightens up from his position leaning against the back of the sofa, starting to follow after James.

“I’ll come, see if I can’t hurry Moons along. You get your shoes on, pup, we’ll be leaving soon.” Sirius instructs.

“‘Kay.” Is all you say, making him stop in his tracks.

“What was that?” He keeps his voice hard, turning back to look at you.

“Okay, Sirius.” You correct your speech, and despite his frustration at your use of his name he throws a quick “attagirl” over his shoulder before catching up to James.

“She’s fuckin impossible-“

“What are you two up to?” Remus bumps into the boys at the bottom of the stairs, long fingers adjusting the knot of his tie. Sirius heaves a sigh.

“Tryin’ to see who can get puppy to call ‘im daddy first.” He explains, grey eyes trained on your form a few feet away where you’re sitting on the common room couch, finishing tying your shoe. Remus scoffs.

“And neither of you have managed yet?” His tone is incredulous.

“Nope.” James mutters, also watching you. Remus shoots them each a cocky grin that flashes his canines before sauntering over to you.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He addresses you cooly, making you look up with a smile.

“Hey,” you reply, cheeks heating as he stares down at you. He reaches out to grasp your chin between his thumb and forefinger, holding your gaze on his.

“Y’gonna be a good girl today?” He asks with a raised brow, voice a low, smooth rumble that makes you shiver.

“Yes, daddy.” You immediately chirp, the simple words from the dominant boy enough to have the edges of your mind brimming with fog. He smirks, and confusion settles on your features as James and Sirius let out incredulous scoffs from where they watch.

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me.”

“Absolutely ridiculous.” James mutters immediately after Sirius. Remus chuckles, giving your head a praising scratch that has you leaning up into his touch.

“Guess we know who her daddy really is, hm?”

[shotorozu]

encountering a ‘pick me’ girl

character(s) : kirishima eijirou, todoroki shouto, bakugou katsuki (bnha)

warning : PICK ME GIRL, misogyny (?) pick me girl makes an off handed comment about your body but it’s not detailed at all

PART TWO — PART THREE

legend : [Y/N = your name] afab! reader, but they/them pronouns used, quirk not mentioned

headcanon type : fluff, angst if you squint

note(s) : i made 2 versions of this post so,, if you’re reading this— then i probably decided that i liked this one more than the other one i made,, anyways, i used real life examples 💀

»»————-　♡　————-««

kirishima eijirou

i’d imagine that eijirou would have an idea of what a pick me girl is— i mean, there were probably 2 of those girls in middle school

but has he experienced it first hand? nahh.

though, eijirou didn’t think he’d encounter one when he was already in a healthy and committed relationship!

eijirou is practically friends with everyone— and yeah, even the most unexpected. so, he’s bound to accidentally befriend a pick me girl

him, being the nicest one out of all of the characters in this list, will still be nice to said pick me girl, despite wanting to snob them to the core

because really— you can’t really fight fire with fire in some cases

but, he can be everything but lenient when the pick me girl starts insulting you for doing certain things, and for absurd reasons too

like,, how you laugh, and how you take care of yourself (for example— if you wear makeup, or how you style your hair)

which is odd! everything about you is everything but the things the pick me girl has stated so.. he cannot stand by.

SCENARIO

the girl giggles to herself after that snide comment leaves her lip gloss coated lips. eijirou shifts uncomfortably— honestly taken aback by the anything but subtle insult that was thrown at you

“like.. seriously! it’s honestly quite superficial if you look at it like that. who the hell would put that much effort infront of your boyfriend? i’d assume they’d see everything AND everything but.. i guess not.”

you blink. superficial? now that’s a new one. the girl infront of you has been babbling insults sugarcoated in boasts the entire time, and you’re just wondering if it’s about time you guys leave but—

“well that’s unfair,” your boyfriend laughs, “i put the same amount of effort as this cutie right here,” eijirou pokes at your cheek, earning a quick laugh from you— which he can only thank the heavens for that

“but that’s different. it actually looks put together when you’re doing it, eiji.” the certain glint in her smile makes you want to wipe it right off with a dirty mop, “it’s impossible to look put together with expensive clothes, but being built like a—”

the sound of the sliding of a chair is quicker than your actions, and it easily cuts her off.

“i’m sorry, but we gotta go, it’s totally not cool of you to say those things about Y/N!”

“what? but i mean.. it’s true, right? i’m looking out for them! they’re literally out here l—”

“bye!” eijirou waves her goodbye with your hand, dismissing the sour expression on her face— as he dashes off with you

you’d question how he’s just so nice to people like that, but when he turns around, you could see the distaste in his eyes

“so that’s what a pick me girl’s like,” shaking his head, his expression lights up with such a quick manner “i’ll never make friends that are like that again!”

safe to say, eijirou’s friend list has been a a person shorter ever since that incident

bakugou katsuki

oh, so that girl’s bold bold.

if she thinks she could get away with being a not so subtle pick me girl infront of bakugou katsuki, then she couldn’t be more wrong.

it’s absolutely revolting— i mean, he hasn’t displayed any romantic feelings towards ANYONE that isn’t you.

also, they’re quite gutsy if you ask me. so congrats for having guts??

i don’t think he’d be friends with a pick me girl. he’s very selective of who he’s befriending, so it’s probably your friend that’s the pick me girl in this case

he wouldn’t know what a pick me girl would be, but he’d probably know the description of one.

over some time, he’d grow some resistance to insults directed at him, but when someone insults his s/o

oh boy. that’s not good. remember when i said that katsuki was almost like your scary and intimidating dog

this is what i mean

knows he can’t make a scene, so his first option is to be dismissive asf— but if said pick me girl literally can’t get it, he won’t be afraid of shoving some explosions into her face

because his hands are rated e for everyone

SCENARIO

“so you wanna be picked or something, is that it?” he hates how you literally have the resistance of a rock— which is something he always liked, but in this case hated. if it weren’t for you— he would’ve blasted explosions into her sorry excuse of a face until it’s beyond recognition (that wouldn’t be hero like, is what you’ve said in the past, but he disagrees.)

but seriously? ugh. he just wants to leave this horrid place, and make some dinner with you in the comfort of his home. why are you even friends with her anyway? she’s not even trying to be slick at this point.

“p-picked? i’m not understanding, katsu.”

“it’s bakugou.”

“right,” her laughter is like nails on chalkboard, “i’m just watching out for Y/N, y’know? there’s no point in wearing all of that.. on their face.” and she’s obviously referring to your obviously very well done makeup

“it’ll make your skin terrible in the long run! and really— i couldn’t really understand on why someone would wear that much, when you could survive with i dunno.. lip gloss at most?”

you would’ve actually said something as a rebuttal, but your boyfriend is quicker, and a lot more direct than anyone else in the area.

“just say you can’t do makeup and fucking scram,” katsuki’s ice cold glare finally breaks out of the act he’s been trying to hold together for you

“their makeup is fucking bomb as hell, compared to your ridiculous spider lashes, lady. come back when you’ve watched james charles’ entire fucking channel.” he harshly states in similar bakugou fashion, despite the lack of screaming.

and if you squinted hard enough, you could see tears welling up in her eyes. but katsuki tugs your hand before anything else could be said

“let’s fucking go, you need better friends.”

he makes you cut ties with all of them, and he practically scolds your terrible choice of friends— but he goes quiet when you tell him that you’ve been friends with her since middle school

“good fucking riddance. next time, i’ll punch them as soon as they say something outta line, got that?” and next time (hopefully, there won’t be a next time) you’ll actually lash out— or maybe,, you’ll let him loose for once.

todoroki shouto

now shouto might be,, socially unaware sometimes. but he can tell whenever someone’s trying to insult his s/o

like,, right away.

now— you both run into this person after a pleasant date, and she eagerly presented herself as your friend

so, her attitude catches him off guard because who’d have anything rude to say about you and towards shouto’s face? especially when it’s about something normal.

like,, wasn’t she your friend?? why is she even like this?

his hostility is very well known, so they should be scared.

he gets detached from the conversation, and he’ll immediately go cold— and shouto would probably go as far as walking away with your hand in his

doesn’t matter if he properly says goodbye or not— if a girl’s being rude to his s/o, they obviously don’t deserve his usually polite attitude. nope, that’s a luxury.

oh— and what more when they’re seeking for his validation. newsflash! said pick me girl won’t be get any from him.

SCENARIO

shouto couldn’t stop the bitterness bleeding into his mouth, when the girl in front of him continued to babble and take up the valuable time he had left with his s/o

initially, she presented herself as your friend from middle school— but as of now? she seems to be more interested in him more than you, despite knowing you first.

she’d ask him a string of obvious questions with very obvious answers, like ‘is she treating you well?’ ‘is she acting correctly?’ and questions of the sort

“oh, sorry! i’d hate to cut this conversation short, but—” you finally decide that it was about time to leave, while shouto looks pretty,, deadpanned right now, you could tell that he was gradually starting to get irritated by your friend’s words.

“wait. thats.. kind of controlling, don’t you think? do you ever let shou make decisions?”

“uh.. controlling? since when??” you question at the accusation. this girl knows nothing about your relationship dynamic, and she’s already jumping the gun and making conclusions.

your gaze snaps back to shouto, who looks just as surprised as he could possibly be.

“yeah! it clearly looks like he still wants to talk” which is an obvious lie, shouto just wants it out of here “i wonder how you managed to snag such a guy like him,” she comments with a smile that looked anything above suspicion (yet, it makes your stomach churn)

you could see the way her hand gets gradually closer to him— and frankly, you’re not sure about what she was planning to do next, “you wouldn’t need to dress all expensive and fancy, if you’re with a girl with an already classy appear—”

“i think this conversation is over,” shouto grip is firm on the wrist that was attempting to grab his shoulder, shouto makes no attempt to even look at the girl infront of him “i don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not humorous. at all.”

“what?” she stammers, drawing her hand back “i-it’s obvious they don’t know how to take a joke! this is why there are barely any good w—”

shouto’s next actions knocks her speechless, his hand rests at the small of your back, before gently guiding you forward— “love, what movie are we watching later?” he says, making an effort to press a quick, yet intense kiss on your lips

“oh,” you breathe out, surprised by this action. “don’t be so tense, love.” shouto comments on how tense your shoulders have looked, ever since she started running her mouth, “now.. what movie do you want to watch tonight? comedy? thriller?”

“you pick,” you laugh at the quick shift of topic. and when you look behind you, you could see shame and defeat welling up on her face. shouto finally feels like he could smile again, the bitterness dissipating from his mouth

after shouto questions you if that was what a pick me girl was, he makes sure that you guys won’t ever encounter such thing again

“you.. don’t have more friends like that, right? if you do— we could always do another friend list cleansing.” this statement makes you laugh but shouto is anything but joking

but being reminded of his reaction to that ‘pick me’ girl does puts a smile on your face.

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission

[notanotherreidgirl]

ok so imagine that u and virgin!baby boy Reid are roommates (you share an apartment and ur rooms are right next to eachother) and he can always hear u moan every night that you play with yourself, but he feels to guilty to do anything about his little ‘problem’. and suddenly one night he’s like super horny and jerks off, not knowing that you’re awake and can hear everything. you try to drown him out until you hear him moan your name, so you go to his room and slowly open the door so he doesn’t hear you and when he feels you on the bed he’s super apologetic but you’re like “it’s okay baby boy😏” and he’s like “please mommy let me make you feel good🥺” and even though its his first time hes so good and when you let him fuck you hes so whiny and needy 😩😩😩😩

We Shouldn't

Warnings: loss of virginity, masturbating, handjob, oral sex (male receiving), perv!spence, sub!spence, mommy kink, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, creampie

Word Count: 1444

A/N: I embellished a bit - apologies

Spencer made life or death decisions nearly every day. He had to carefully craft his words when talking down unsubs and be able to assess dangerous situations in seconds to decide whether or not to shoot someone but now, when faced with a relatively simple choice, he was completely stumped. He had been rooted to the spot for nearly 20 minutes, unable to process the sight before him.

In his defense, Spencer had very little experience with women’s underwear and certainly no experience with something like the lacy little number you had left in the dryer. At this point, he had spent so much time staring at you that he knew without a doubt that they were yours. He also knew that he most definitely should not be picking them up right now or putting them in his pocket or running out of the laundry room and back to his apartment without putting his clothes to dry. And he most definitely should not be stashing your panties in his bedside table. But, alas, should not is not the same as did not.

For example, he should not watch you from his window when you went off on your morning run clad in running shorts and a tank top. He also should not linger behind you in the stairwell, eyes glued to your ass as you bounded up the stairs. And he certainly should not listen to you get yourself off at night but he did, even going as far as to take down his framed map and press his ear up against the wall. Spencer’s only saving grace was that thus far he had managed not to touch himself thinking of you, the overwhelming guilt forcing him to take a cold shower instead. But tonight was different. Tonight the panties in his bedside table were beckoning him as he ate leftover takeout, calling his name as leafed through books he’d already memorized, burning a hole through the wooden drawer as he slipped under the covers and listened for you on the other side of the wall.

There’s no harm in just holding them, he reasoned. The next thing he knew the panties were out of the drawer and in his hand and his pants had somehow slipped to mid-thigh in the process. This could be fine. I’ll find a way to give them back tomorrow and no one will know.

And maybe, just maybe, if Spencer was a man of more restraint he would’ve gotten away with it but he was not. He could hear you getting ready for bed, singing quietly to yourself. It was oddly intoxicating to know that you were going about your business, completely unaware of him and convinced that you were operating within the privacy of your own home.

Except you weren’t ignorant of your next door neighbor. Thin walls worked both ways and you could hear his soft moans reverberating into your own bedroom. You sang a little louder to drown him out, guilt eclipsing your excitement. You had often wondered about the young doctor next door - always coming and going at odd hours, never meeting your eyes or bringing anyone back to his for the night. He was so nervous around you, it made you wonder if he’d ever been with a woman but you shook the thought from your head. I should not be thinking about my neighbor’s sex life or lack thereof.

Just as you resolved to go in the kitchen and leave him in peace you heard it. It was unmistakable. You stilled listening intently, half-convinced your imagination was playing tricks on you as it often did. But there it was again clear as day. “Fuck, Y/N”

You were an overthinker, always going over your options rationally and hardly ever comfortable with making spur of the moment decisions. But you were out of your apartment in seconds, using the spare key he had nervously entrusted you with weeks ago to slip into his place. A little voice in your head tried in vain to talk sense into you. You should not be breaking into an FBI agent’s apartment.

If only should not was the same as did not.

He had his back to you and you took the opportunity to perch yourself on the edge of his bed, the shift in the mattress finally alerting him to your presence. He whirled around in alarm and instinctively tried to hide himself and the stolen underwear, already soaked in precum and wrapped around his erection. You tilted your head slightly, trying your best to hide a smirk. “I thought I heard you calling for me”

“I-no-I can explain,” he flushed a deep scarlet, his futile attempts to conceal his predicament were only making it worse and there was no way he could come up with a plausible explanation with your eyes on him. The panic rising in his chest swelled - the feeling that he had ruined everything starting to trigger an overwhelming urge to cry. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry”

You softened your gaze, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his thigh. “It’s ok, baby boy”

Just then, something changed. A switch flipped, a light came on, a natural dynamic fell into place. Very gently you took his hand, forcing him to uncover himself.

“Wouldn’t you rather the real thing?” With that you trailed his hand up your thigh and to your soaked core, letting him skim his fingers over the wetness between your legs and take in the notable lack of panties.

“I-uh-yes, but-” he stopped for a moment, searching deep within himself for a shred of courage before blurting out the rest. “I’m a virgin”

Much to his surprise, you didn’t even bat an eye, instead, you sunk down on your knees and ran your hands up his thighs. “Well then, we’d better make this extra special”

You replaced his hands, taking hold of his cock over the panties and setting in with a deliberate pace before running your tongue over his balls. You toyed with the soft flesh until you felt his thighs tremble and the whimpers he had been trying to suppress spilled from his lips. Once you were certain he had abandoned any sense of restraint you started to suck on his balls, relentlessly pulling him into your mouth and teasing him with your tongue. At this point he was incomprehensible, any words he might have said being carried away by the sobs working their way up his throat and the tears streaming down his face. Just when you were sure he’d come you retreated, pressing sloppy kisses down his thighs and removing your hands from his cock.

He whined. “Please, Mommy. Let me make you feel good.”

You pushed yourself up and into his lap, taking your shirt off in the process and cradling his face in your hands. “You think you can make Mommy come?”

He nodded into your chest, capturing a nipple into his mouth and instinctively sucking on it. You guided his hands to your waist and you lined yourself up with his tip, slowly sinking down and adjusting to his size. He gripped your waist tightly, willing himself not to come as he watched himself disappear into you. “All right then, let’s see if you can be a good boy.”

Spencer sprang into action, taking hold and bouncing you on his cock as he rutted into you. Simultaneously he continued to latch onto your breasts, littering your chest with marks. You dug your nails into his shoulders, feeling the tide of your release start to sweep you away. “Yes, just like that, baby. You’re being so good for me. So fucking good. My good boy.”

Just before you reached your peak, you threaded a hand in Spencer's hair and pulled him up to look at you. Those big brown eyes stared up at you, pupils dilated and vision hazy with lust. “I want you to come with me, baby. Right now.”

It was like nothing you had ever felt before, pure euphoria coursing through your veins and only amplifying when Spencer flooded you with his warm release. He gave a few more shallow thrusts, whimpering from the overstimulation before the two of you collapsed back onto the bed. You shifted slightly so you could hold him in your arms without separating, brushing his hair back behind his ear as he buried his face into your neck, now overcome with embarrassment over his actions. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I shouldn’t have taken your panties”

You tightened your embrace and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “It’s ok, darling. I’m glad you did.”

---

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[velvetcloxds]

MEET THE MIKAELSONS| D.H.

Pairing: Derek x Fem! Reader, Teen Wolf x The Originals (requested) 

Word count: 1962 words

Warning: none, just fluff

Summary: Reader takes her friends and her boyfriend, Derek to visit her family home where they find out that she’s related to the infamous Mikaelson vampires.

“Just don’t touch anything,” I command calmly, Stiles pausing mid air as his hand hovers over one of Klaus’s paintings and everyone allows for a soft laugh, Derek kissing the side of my head as his hand remains inside my back pocket.

“This place is beautiful,” Lydia notes, looking around slowly as her eyes move over the various features of the compound.

“Yeah,” I say with a shrug, walking deeper into the compound as I mimic her actions, mentally comparing the way it looks to the pictures Rebekah sent me with her letters and I can’t help but smile when my eyes settle on the Mikaelson crest, fingers reaching out mindlessly as I trace the carved wall numbly.

“What does it stand for?” Derek asks, moving behind me where he wraps his hands around my waist, face resting on my shoulder. My smile grows due to the gesture, free hand finding one of his.

“Mikaelson,” I note softly, memories of our family suddenly speeding through my mind like a slideshow, things I’d told myself I’d forgotten completely proving to be embedded into my brain.

“Like the ancient vampire family?” Scott asks, having disappeared to the bathroom for a minute as soon as we got here.

“More vampires?” Stiles asks from behind me, and I nod.

“Yeah, they’re the first of their kind,” I explain, though my attention is far from this conversation, a feeling similar to the one I felt when I explained this to Derek, him being the only one knowing not only who I truly am and where I come from, but whom I was running from. “The Originals,” I add, and Derek gives me a slight squeeze, turning me around in his arms, probably picking up on my dazed state.

“Cool,” Is all Stiles offers as a reply, taking Lydia’s hand as Scott follows them to explore more of the house.

“You okay?” He whispers, leaning towards me. I nod in his hold, hands moving to his arms.

“Just a little weird being here, I guess.” I look up to him, smiling slightly when our eyes meet. “I thought that when I finally got to see this place in all its glory, they’d be here with me, waiting maybe,” Derek nods with understanding, smiling sympathetically.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” He loosens his grip, leaning back to get a better look at me. “We can leave if you’re not comfortable,” He offers sweetly and I shake my head with a smile, kissing his lips quickly.

“No,” I tell him though I can’t hide the slight rise in my tone, his brows furrowing as a result. “We need to let things cool down in Beacon Hills and no one will bother us here,” I pause, sighing softly as I move my hands over his bare arms. “Besides, there’s a literal coffin around here somewhere with my name on it.”

“Wait really?” Derek asks intrigued as he looks around the room pointlessly. I nod, not fighting against the smile on my lips.

“Yeah, a dagger too, but I doubt we’ll find that just laying around,” I pull away from him briefly, taking his hand in mine as I guide him towards the hallway by the staircase where Stiles’ is excitedly gesturing towards the wall.

“It’s her!” He announces loudly, eyes moving over the painting that Klaus painted of our family, and I subconsciously tighten my grip on Derek’s hand, his thumb moving up and down against my skin to soothe me.

“It’s not her,” Lydia argues with a roll of her eyes, arms folded as Scott simply watches the scene unfold. “It’s far more likely to be a relative that looks remarkably a lot like her,” She reasons and Derek bites back a grin at my side.

“She’s a vampire, right?” Stiles ask, looking to me for conformation and I nod, seeing no need for the question as he literally walked in on me sipping from a blood bag a few months ago. “And she’s been annoyingly vague about her family and her history, right?” He asks, question directed at Scott and Lydia this time, they both nod. “And she brought us to her family home, which has paintings of the Mikaelson family which Scott saw in the bestiary, where he also read that the Mikaelson family also have a long-lost hybrid sister who hasn’t been spotted in years…” Stiles nods eagerly as he waits for the pieces to fall together, Scott and Lydia looking to me as it does.

“Are you a Mikaelson?” Scott asks, hands in his pockets as he shifts on his feet, I release a shaky breath before offering a mere nod as reply, Stiles almost jumping up and down with the conformation of him being correct.

“Holy shit,” Stiles begins and turns to me, eyes sparkling with excitement. “That is so cool, like literally the coolest thing you’ve ever told us about yourself,” He informs me, and Derek shakes his head at my side, glaring at the boy as he continues to grow more excited.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Scott asks hesitantly, ignoring Stiles who is fiddling with his jacket sleeves as he takes a closer look at my specific painting. “Didn’t you trust us?” He adds as well, and I shake my head quickly.

“Of course I trust you,” I begin, and Derek squeezes my hand again, reminding me to breathe as I think of the best way to explain this. “I wanted to tell you all, truly I did, but our family has enemies around every corner, and I didn’t want to bring you guys into that,” I look over all of them quickly before turning to meet Derek’s gaze. “I love you all too much to create unnecessary collateral damage.“

“So why tell us now?” Lydia questions with a raised brow and I notice the added heartbeats filling the room behind us before I could fathom a reply, the gushing wind of their entrance still swirling around us.

“Because you’re in need of our assistance,” A familiar voice explains, and I close my eyes for a second in preparation before turning to face my older brother.

“Elijah,” I whisper in acknowledgement, the words barely leaving my lips before he’s picking me up into his arms, twirling me around in a welcoming hug that causes a childlike giggle to erupt from my lips. “I’ve missed you too,” I confirm, hands on his shoulders as he sets my feet back on the ground and I take a moment to center myself. “And you,” I say when my eyes meet with Rebekah’s, happy tears tugging at her eyes and I release myself from Elijah’s presence to pull her into my arms, her arms folding around my neck as she holds me close.

“It has been far too long, Y/n ,” She whispers, laughing lightly through her tears. She squeezes me tightly before pulling away, hands moving to comb back the hair that’s been ruffled through our hug and her hands still on my cheeks as she takes me in. “My little sister, even more beautiful than I remember,” She notes, which earns a scoff from both my lips and Elijah’s.

“I look exactly the same, Bekah and you know it,” I muse, taking the handkerchief from Elijah’s hands to hold it out for Rebekah . “Though, I’d never turn down the compliment from the beauty of the family.”

“Oh, I take great offense by your insinuation, love, ” Klaus announces, and everyone turns to the entrance, where he leans against the wall, watching the interaction. “Welcome home, Y/n,” He notes with a large smile, and I know as far as greeting go, that’s quite the scene from the hybrid.

“Thank you, Niklaus,” I offer in the same and my cheeks practically hurt form the pure excitement rushing through me at seeing them all again, the nerves and discomfort from earlier slipping away almost completely, until Klaus’ eyes meet Derek’s and suddenly reality sinks back in. I take a few steps back, smiling up at Derek before rejoining our hands, my other hand snaking around his upper arm to keep him close. “I should introduce everyone,” I note with a nervous smile and Derek simply nods reassuringly.

“I’d begin with the creature you’re so eagerly latching onto,” Klaus announces, happy tone from earlier replaced with the all so familiar big brother voice.

“Play nice, Niklaus,” Elijah instructs, accepting my grateful smile before silently commanding me to continue.

“This is my boyfriend, Derek,” I begin, looking up at the man as he extends a hand towards Elijah inducing the longest handshake I’ve ever had to endure until Rebekah clears her throat, the two men pulling away from each other. “Then there’s Lydia, Stiles and Scott,” I add, releasing a small huff of air as I gesture to each of them individually.

“It’s good to meet all of,” Rebekah speaks up, catching my gaze with a warm smile before she looks to my guests. “We’re the Mikaelsons,” She explains, and I nod lightly. “Elijah, Klaus and I’m Y/n’s personal favorite, Rebekah,” She declares simply, mimicking my gesture until everyone has extended an acknowledging nod.

“We should talk business,” Klaus commands suddenly, standing from his leaning position to walk towards us. “You bunch are here for a reason, aren’t you?” He muses with a slight wink my way and I roll my eyes at the remark, knowing that only he would take this opportunity to take a jab at my decision to leave them.

“Don’t start, Niklaus,” Elijah offers with a tight tone and I would’ve laughed if the room wasn’t so tense, a sense of familiarity filling me at the little group dynamic that’s remained the same through all these years.

“I’m not starting anything, Elijah,” Klaus replies, hurriedly pulling his leather jacket straight. “I’m simply trying to remind our dear sister that she is here on what she called a family favor and that we wouldn’t want to waste her precious time,” I’m too late to stop the soft laugh that escapes my lips, Klaus turning towards be in slight shock.

"Honestly Klaus, it has been centuries and you're telling me that no one has yet to remove that stick from your ass?” I mock and Elijah steps forward, fully prepared to stop the interaction when a smile traces the hybrids lips.

“Little sister,” He muses and then shakes his head, pointing at me. “You have booked yourself a long dinner,” He announces and pats Elijah on the shoulder to invite him to leave the room with him. Elijah spares me a brief smile before following.

“That went better than expected,” Rebekah notes and I smile at her, nodding with relief as Klaus and Elijah begin discussing the diner plans on their climb up the stairs. “Why don’t I show you three your rooms,” she says and motions for Scott, Stiles and Lydia to follow them, pausing to give me a quick kiss on the cheek before leading them away as well. I turn to Derek with a smile, his eyes already waiting for mine as I do.

“You did good, sweetheart,” he tells me, making my heart swell as I lean into him. “I’m very proud of you,” He adds, and I feel a blush creeps onto my cheeks.

“I couldn’t have done it without you at my side,” I say simply, resting my chin against his chest as I look up at him. He hums lightly, shaking his head as he lifts his free hand to gently push the hair behind my ear.

“You definitely could have,” He muses and gently kisses my forehead, sending a welcome rush of pure bliss through my veins, I smile as he lingers close. “My brave girl.”

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