#and give her a happy storyline for once

[itspileofgoodthings]

Good afternoon, today I am thinking about the end of the Feast of the Seven Fishes when Tony is talking to Katie about why he can’t get back together with her and/or just fall into bed with her and he says “I love you too much not to love you enough.” Thanks for listening.

[jointherebellion215]

His Kiss, The Riot

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x female!reader

Summary: When you and your secret lover make plain to Feyd-Rautha your wishes for a life together, despite the proposed arranged marriage, he surprisingly acquiesces. But he can't let you go so easily, can he? Loosely based on the song from Hadestown.

Word Count: 1.6k

TW: manipulation, Dark!Feyd-Rautha, arranged marriage, NONCON elements, gore, violence, she/her pronouns, female!reader, tragedy, star-crossed lovers, songfic, not quite a happy ending (oops), dark dark dark interpretations of Hadestown and the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read If It's True and liked, reblogged, or commented. I appreciate every single one of you. As always, I would love some feedback, likes, comments, and reblogs if you can :)

This is Part Two to my Feydestown trilogy (I'm so sorry for the pun). You can read Part One here.

AO3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dune properties, characters, or storylines-- nor do I own anything related to Hadestown. The images used in this are not my own, and any similarities to stories or events other than what are directly referenced are strictly coincidence.

The devil takes this Orpheus

And his belladonna kiss

“So you wanna get married? Take away the woman I just offered my hand to, to whom I all but have legal claim?”

Your beloved’s replied words of affirmation to his words hold the slightest tremor, but like a dog to fresh meat, Feyd-Rautha sniffs this out immediately. Another smile graces his face. Feyd speaks to the crowd now, “Yes, I was promised the Lady’s hand in marriage. But! I am a benevolent figure, so I guess I’ll let the lovebirds go.”

The crowd starts to give polite applause, while your knees grow weak at the news. You can go? Has love really prevailed on this day?

“However,” and with that, your heart drops “I have some conditions for these… nuptials.”

You could sense the air growing thick with tension as the reality of the na-Baron’s ruling twists out of your favor.

“Conditions?” You whispered.

“Of course, my darling! I can’t make this too easy on you, now can I?” Feyd paces back and forth on the steps from which he speaks, making your eyes dart back and forth with each step he takes. Vigilance overtakes your body in case of any rash decisions.

“You two can leave the city, but it won’t be hand in hand. This pair will have to walk in single file, with the boy in the front and my darling Lady at least thirty paces behind. No ships, no speeders, no running. Walking.”

The energy of the room starts to grow more electric as the points of this term seem to set in.

“The Lady cannot speak out or make any indication of her following behind. You’ll be faced forward the whole journey. Once you reach the edge of the city and passed the threshold, you can be together for eternity.”

Your breath hitched. Seems easy enough, right?

“But, if the boy so much as turns his head to check and see if the Lady is following, the deal is off. She’ll return to me, and we will be married.”

Nothing makes a man so bold

As a woman’s smile and a hand to hold

“Is this a trick?” Your beloved asks plainly.

Feyd tilts his head, pacing down the steps to ground level. “Now, what makes you say that? I’m being generous. I’ve set my terms.” He is now nose-to-nose with the man attached to you. 

“Now meet them or face the consequences.”

The hand holding yours is now pooled with sweat. You quickly and subtly jerk the arm of your beloved when he starts to protest, not recognizing a gift when he sees one. You bow, the picture of poise and grace that you were raised to be. There is still time to leave with all of your limbs intact, you could not afford to slip up now.

“We offer our most sincere gratitude, my Lord na-Baron. Thank you for this most auspicious opportunity. We will not squander it.” 

Your beloved gives a clumsy bow to match yours. Feyd’s manic smile grows as he clasps his hands together. The sound echoes through the hall.

“So it shall begin!” 

But all alone his blood runs thin

And doubt—doubt comes in

The pair of you hold hands, side-by-side, at the entrance of the palace gates. A crowd has followed you to the edge, with onlookers from the outside spectating the unexpected appearance of a noble. Occurrences like this did not happen often, if ever.

“You heard the terms. The Lady must walk thirty steps behind. She must not speak to you.” Your hands reluctantly separate, following the orders you were given. You can feel your heart pounding with each step that you take away from each other.

“Some of my guard will accompany you, to ensure that you comply to the letter.” Four Harkonnen warriors step forward and encase you in a square formation, leaving the love of your life alone and vulnerable. He looks back towards you, fear and doubt creeping into his eyes. You nodded at him, believing that you could succeed in your task. That you would prevail.

“You may begin.” Feyd voices, and with that—you start your journey. Step by step, you walk further through the foliage that immediately surrounds the castle gates and into the city square.

Once you and your beloved reach the horizon, Feyd turns to walk past the crowd and back into the corridor.

Your father, the Duke, bows quickly and offers his gratitude, but is ignored as the younger Harkonnen goes to gather his blade and shield. With a yell, he summons his guards to formation. As Feyd checks the integrity of his weapon, one of the Baron’s advisors tentatively steps towards him.

“My Lord, perhaps you should consider letting them go—” In the blink of an eye, the man is silenced with a swift slash to the throat. Blood spills through the advisor’s hands as he struggles to put pressure on the opening. His body flops to the floor and Feyd carelessly steps over the writhing body to march forward.

“Let’s go fetch my bride.”

Dangerous this jack of hearts

It had been almost an hour of walking by this point. There had been almost a dozen times where you wanted to give any audible indication to your lover that you were here. A whisper, a whistle, a stomp of your foot. Anything. But now you could see the edge of the city, you could almost taste it. 

A life with your love was within reach. 

The guards accompanying you shifted inward, almost boxing you in. You were hopeful, but nerves were creeping in.

This was going well. Too well.

The grand arch signifying the edge of the city was above your lover now. The field that you used to meet at in secret lay just beyond it. You’re almost there. Just twenty more steps and you could be together, forever. 

He steps over the threshold, you see his shoulders lift and fall in an exhale. Then, the man you had fallen in love with— who you wholly believe in— slowly turns his head to lock eyes with you. A pale figure steps out from behind a pillar accompanying the arch.

The growing smile on your face immediately falls. You call out his name.

Oh no. 

The na-Baron tsked and shook his head, as if scolding a child. Harkonnen troops flanked the area, giving Feyd-Rautha enough berth to have his fun. The three of you were surrounded, but only one really had the advantage.

“You were so close!”

Your beloved held out a hand, “Wait, wait! I made it over!” He started to back away in fear, unarmed and exhausted from the long walk. Colorful, ripe foliage brushed his legs as he back into your field.

“Ah, but she didn’t. So, face the consequences.”

Then his blade pierced the man you love. 

Your ears started to ring, throat working itself raw as you wailed. Tears blurred your vision, you could hear the gurgles of the blood leaving your fiancé’s mouth and the slosh of his newly disemboweled entrails hitting the lush field before you.

With his kiss, the riot starts

His body made a sick thud on the floor, and your body jumped along with it. 

You ran towards your dead lover, cradling his face and sobbing for the soul that was just ripped away from you. He didn’t deserve such a violent end. His only crime was loving you and being loved in return.

A chuckle sounded from above you, and you turned your tear-stained face to the brutal Harkonnen. He was covered in the blood of your lover, his spoils of war staining his pale skin. Black teeth on full display, his shoulders gave a slight shake as he expressed his humor. His laughter sparked a rage in you like you’d never seen before. It didn’t matter what bonds you may or may not have formed over the conversations you had the last week. He’s a monster. He needs to pay for what he’s done. 

Red flooded your vision.

With a roar, you lunged for the man. His laugh grew more manic as you smacked, punched, kicked, and hit every visible part of him that you could identify. In your grief, every ounce of training that you received flew out the window. He took every blow with a smile, as if he enjoyed the punishment you were attempting to bestow on him.

“There we go, my darling. Show me your pain. Your rage!”

Your mind started to clear with the more hits you landed. With a quick swipe, you had the weapon that killed your beloved against the naBaron’s neck. The Harkonnen soldiers immediately stepped forward, but Feyd stopped them with a wave of his arm.

“Ah ah ah! Leave her be.” His grin almost split his face in half, specks of dried blood making a painting of his face. 

“Do it. Go ahead, come on.”

He pressed his neck forward, purposefully putting pressure on his own blade. Fresh blood started to trickle down his neck, adding to the gallons already spread all over his uniform. 

The shock of his willingness to put his life on the line made you hesitate, which made him cackle in your face. Your anger made you draw the blade back and slice it across his chest. A groan left Feyd’s mouth, 

“Good girl.”

An unexpected thunk to the head made your vision start to spin. Feyd’s arms braced around you, slowly lowering you to your knees and down to a lying position. He cradled your head as if you were a precious commodity, when he leaned forward and captured your limp lips with his. 

As black started swallowing your vision, you heard him say,

“Don’t worry, my darling bride. It’ll all be alright. You won’t feel a thing.”

[lxkeee]

I absolutely love your writing!! And don't get me wrong, I love Lucifer, but they way you write Azreal and the Eveningstar family lives in my head 24/7. The AU where reader ends up with Azrael is my absolute fav to come back to, along with the main series it stemmed from. I'd love to see more content of him in general. I've been driving myself crazy imaging a part 2 to the AU with Lucifer wanting to reconnect with reader and having this family unit with them, only to realize that he lost them completely when he fell and that they've moved one and found happiness without him. Very hurt/no comfort for Luci while reader finally experiences a returned unconditional love with Azrael.

TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN

—ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE

Pairing: Azrael Eveningstar x Seraphim Angel! Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: hurt and no comfort for our short king

Notes: an alternate universe where [y/n]'s family is complete, Xavier doesn't have any daddy issues nor has any hatred for Charlie as he doesn't give any crap about her and Lucifer (well, he did at some point but forgave them), where it was simply the wrong person and wrong time. Where it was Azrael who is endgame. This isn't canon to the fanfic storyline, simply an au.

Additional notes: I LOVE IT WHEN READERS WANT MORE AZRAEL CONTENT OMG

CH. 1 | CH. 4 | NAVIGATION

They finally have done it. Hazbin Hotel is finally booming in business, many sinners are finally checking in and giving redemption a try.

Though, Lucifer cannot help but be nervous. Heaven or specifically, the Seven Virtues requested a meeting with him and his daughter and along with Vaggie, they wanted to talk about the hotel and also about his punishment.

Why wouldn't he be nervous? The last time he was in a meeting with them, they absolutely crushed his hopes and dreams and to add to the fact that his first wife, now ex-wife is part of the organization.

Lucifer doesn't know how to handle it, he's afraid of how he'll act once he sees her and the fact that Charlie told him about his son that he left her with. Absolute guilt.

He misses her, he misses [y/n] so much and he regrets how he treated her. He neglected her, abandoned her and their son. Even after all these years, his heart still longed for her.

“Dad? You okay?” Charlie asked worriedly, holding her bag. Currently, they are waiting for the portal to heaven to open for their meeting tomorrow. She noticed that her dad seems to be in deep thought, she knows what's plaguing his mind—meeting his ex-wife again and seeing his son for the first time. She too is nervous about what will happen when that moment comes.

“The portal seems to be taking a long time to open.” Angel Dust snickered and Vaggie elbowed him on the side, somehow both Alastor, Niffty, and Angel Dust wanted to join them. Leaving the hotel underneath [f/n]'s care, another overlord who joined the hotel.

“You're really complaining when you're not even invited,” Vaggie muttered before turning to look at Alastor, “I am even surprised that even you also decided to join us, how come?” Vaggie deadpans at Alastor and the taller demon just laugh, radio static filling the air, “Myyy~! I am merely curious what the heavenly realms looked like. Nothing more~” He grins, quite mischievously. Vaggie narrowed her eyes at the radio demon.

Lucifer sighs and shakes his head and gives Charlie a small reassuring smile, “I'll be fine, I'm just a little... Nervous.” he admits softly and Charlie nodded in understanding, placing a hand over her father's shoulder. She understands him, she too is nervous in seeing her half brother. Last time she saw him, he was giving her judgmental looks.

“I'm sure we'll be fine... Maybe this will be your chance to reconnect with them?” Charlie suggested, hopeful that somehow the two families can find a neutral area to get along with each other. After all, she always wanted an older sibling or siblings in general. She hopes that she and Xavier can get along.

Lucifer smiled, he too is hoping that this meeting will be fruitful and won't go so horribly.

A golden portal opened in front of them and they looked at each other, nodding as they finally took a step inside.

Heaven, is very bright compared to hell. Too much white, gold, and blues.

The crew looked at Lucifer, urging him to take the lead as he did come from here. Lucifer sighs, despite the nervousness, he decides to approach the pearly white gates of heaven. Standing in front of the counter of Saint Peter. The others are following him.

“Welcome to heaven, can I get your names please?” Saint Peter asked, opening his book. Lucifer sighs, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

“Lucifer... Morningstar...” Lucifer says, almost a whisper. Cringing slightly as he watched the Saint slam his book close, “Oh... Fuck!” Saint Peter exclaimed with a nervous chuckle.

“Um... I wasn't aware that you will be visiting today...” the Saint said with an awkward chuckle, Angel Dust just smirked while Alastor just grins, clearly interested in what heaven has to offer.

Charlie stood nervously beside Lucifer, unsure what to do next.

“Saint Peter, please grant them access. They are here for an important meeting.” a young masculine voice says, surprising the hell citizens. Turning to look at the gate and their eyes widened to see an almost exact replica of Lucifer—except for the eyes and height.

Lucifer's eyes widened and Charlie can be seen to become more nervous as the young man approached their group.

Saint Peter eyes widened, not expecting to see the young general today. “R-right. Please, come in.. heaven officially welcomes you.” Saint Peter says, opening the gates wider for the group.

Lucifer couldn't think, his ears ringing as he looked at the newcomer. Lucifer examined the angel's appearance—an almost exact replica of him and of course, he knows those eyes very well. The same [e/c] eyes his ex-wife has. The angel wearing a white military-ish uniform with gold shoulder pads, elbow length black leather gloves and knee high leather black heeled boots.

Charlie gave his hand a gentle squeeze in assurance, he squeezed it back, grateful for her support.

Alastor grins, not expecting a twist in the scenario.

The young man turned to look at them with a gentle smile, “Greetings, I am Xavier. I am tasked with showing you guys where you will stay for tonight.” Xavier says.

Xavier looked at his obvious half family from hell, before, he had anger for them but because of his mother's influence, he was able to manage his anger on them. But it doesn't mean he'll accept Lucifer and Charlotte his family, he already has his own family in heaven. He doesn't need them.

“Please follow me and keep up.” Xavier says, almost emotionless. It's a habit of his, it might come off as rude or cold to people he just met but he doesn't care. His mother is the angel of kindness, he needs to inherit her kindness instead of his father's pride.

The hell citizens just looked at him with slight nervousness—aside from the smiling one—before eventually following him.

Lucifer just stared at the back of Xavier's head, the golden halo shining brightly against his light blonde hair. He wanted to speak to him but words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He just follows in silence, his demon kind just looking at him in worry—except Alastor, who just gave him a teasing grin.

They followed him, it took a while but they finally arrived at their destination. A large white mansion with black and gold accents, surrounded by fluffy white clouds and trees. Sunflower and tulip fields decorating the front garden. [Y/n]'s favorite flowers.

“This is where you'll be staying so please, come inside.” Xavier says, the gates to the large mansion opening for them.

They admired the scenery, it is completely different from hell. Clean and tidy. Almost blinding to the eye.

They finally arrived inside the large mansion, completely in awe with its exterior and interior designs.

“Don't worry about the palace being too crowded, it's just me and my family living here.” Xavier explained, ushering them to follow him. Walking towards the supposed living room, they weren't able to see the large family portrait on the wall as it was mounted on a wall that they couldn't see.

“I am surprised we're staying somewhere luxurious this time unlike last time. How come?” Charlie asked and Xavier gave her a raised eyebrow before sighing.

“The guest rooms are currently full while waiting for new buildings to be created for the new souls. The seven thought it would be a good idea if one of them houses you guys.” Xavier shrugs before continuing to tour them around. Angel whistling in admiration.

“And this will be your room.” Xavier says as he showed Lucifer his room. The others are already settled in.

“Thank you.” Lucifer says, almost a whisper as he went inside the large luxurious room. Xavier nodded as he stood at the doorway.

“It's nothing, I'll get going now and if you need me, I'll be in the living room.” Xavier says before turning around to leave.

“Wait!”

Lucifer doesn't know what he was thinking, he just acted out on impulse. Xavier stopped, turning around to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What is it?” Xavier asked, looking down on him. Mom, why is he so small? He thought.

Lucifer gulped, clearly nervous, “Are you... My...?” he couldn't get all the words out as his ears were ringing.

“Son?” Xavier completed, crossing his arms to look at his blood father, “Yes.” he says flatly and Lucifer's breath hitched.

Xavier sighs, already done with this, “Look, I am going to be straight with you dear father of mine.” Xavier says flatly, Lucifer looking at the taller boy in front of him.

“Just because you're my blood father doesn't mean I want you back in my life, whatever you're trying to do. I don't welcome it. I couldn't care less about you or my half sister. Do you understand? So, stop. Don't give me and my family a hard time. You've done enough damage already.” Xavier says coldly, catching Lucifer off guard. The fallen angel's heart shattered at the boy's harshness.

“Excuse me, I still have work to do.” Xavier says as he quickly walked away. Lucifer nodded, almost robotic. He went inside the guestroom and cried.

Lucifer doesn't blame Xavier for acting that way. After all, he's a horrible husband and father to [y/n] and Xavier.

Dinner was oddly awkward, a tension between the three blood relatives. Xavier didn't join them, opting to only have a drink instead.

“Aren't you going to eat?” Charlie asked hesitantly as she sat beside her dad, Xavier didn't bother looking up from his golden holographic screen that came from his wrist watch, his other hand typing into the hair and into the hologram.

“I'll eat later.” Xavier answers nonchalantly, they can clearly see him texting his mom.

M: Don't be too harsh on them sunshine.

X: I'm trying.

D: Well you better try harder, kiddo.

X: 🙄

X: What time will you come home?

D: Late as usual.

M: Indeed, there are still many things to finish but your father and I will make it quick to join you for dinner.

X: Alright, stay safe.

D: Love you, kiddo. Goodluck lol.

M: We will, sunshine. Love you<3

X: love you guys too.

Xavier was grinning slightly as he texted some people, Lucifer assumed it was [y/n] and somebody else he doesn't know of.

Lucifer avoided Xavier after that, clearly heartbroken. Lucifer assumes the D and M profiles meant Mom and Dad and Lucifer assumed that [y/n] remarried and he can clearly see how happy Xavier is talking to them.

To shorten this all up, the meeting went smoothly. The Seven Virtues promised to fund the hotel and also asked for Lucifer's forgiveness for how harsh they treated him. Heaven took back his punishment and he can freely visit heaven anytime. Lucifer was able to find out that Azrael married [y/n] and she's happily married to the man. Though, she doesn't hate him and forgave him but she did make it clear that she doesn't want him back to her life and so did Xavier and Lucifer respected their wishes.

Finally returning back to hell, Lucifer was extremely heartbroken. He lost before he even got to start. But part of him is glad that [y/n] found a better man than him, someone who treats her better than him.

End notes: I got a little lazy at the end lmao.

TAGLIST:

[jade-jini]

HI been thinking abt g!p loser yunjin getting emotional during sex 😭 can i request a somno one where she comes home drunk late at night, looking for reader only to see her asleep on their bed! yunny getting hard at the sight and emotional as she remembers their argument, she couldn’t help herself but touch her gf, soft “sorry’s” and “don’t leave me” leaving her mouth as she fucks reader 😖

TW: somno, angst, happy ending ig. Dubcon. Dacryphilia. Yunjin is insecure.

Can I give you g!p loser somno Yunjin? Yes. Is it from the same storyline as the previous posts? Hell no. That baby would never. That one is fluffy fluffy this is a completely different one ok? Ok 🤨. After clarifying that…😈

“Hey, a*hic*nother one, please…” Yunjin said, raising her empty glass, her vision not good enough to catch where the bartender actually was. The guy sighed as he dried a washed glass with a towel.

“Listen kid, we’re already closed. Why don’t you go home already?”

“Home?” Yunjin asked unconsciously, the memories of that day hitting once again.

——————————Flashback—————————

You guys were supposed to get home together after a long day. Yunjin was gonna pick you up after your last class of the day, the orange sky and sunlight hitting against her own hair as she waited for you. She had a nice flower in hand, excited to give it to you. Softly placing it near her nose to smell it one more time, she made herself blushed thinking about your smile once she saw you. However, you were not alone. Her smile dropped right away as she left the flower fall somewhere.

There you were, standing with a friend she very well recognized. It was this one girl from the women soccer team of the university. Yunjin knew her name, everybody knew her name. But she never liked using it, making it clear she did not like this person at all.

“She seems to like you a lot…” she murmured after the first time she saw you talking to Yeji.

“I like her too, she’s a good friend, and she’s friends with Yeojin already so it’s cool” you explained, apparently not getting the message right away.

“Hmmmm, not what I meant but whatever..” she said as her pout got bigger, letting go of your hand and crossing her arms in front of her chest. That’s when you finally noticed.

“Huh Yunjin, are you jealous?” You asked, trying to stop a giggle.

“Maybe? I mean she’s athletic and popular, and you’re so pretty, baby. Who wouldn’t want you? I wouldn’t be surprised if one day you decide you want to give her or somebody else a chance…”

“Omg shut up, that could never happen. I love you. You, Yunjin.” You told her, taking her hand and kissing her cheek. You didn’t have eyes for nobody else but Yunjin, so you didn’t wanna hear none of that nonsense.

“Yeah but still…” she murmured, and you simply sighed and continued walking hand in hand, trying to be extra sweet and clingy to your girl to distract her from those thoughts.

You thought it was cute the first couple times, but then her attitude started becoming more serious every time. It wasn’t your cute girlfriend being a little jealous and protective. It was like a completely different person taking over your sweet girl. You guys have already had more arguments about this situation. They were never too bad.

Until today.

“Oh, hi baby!” You greeted your girlfriend once she met you guys, smiling at her like you did every time, with love and excitement like it was the first time you saw her.

“Hi, Yunjinie.” Yeji tried, as always, to be on the good side of the taller girl. Yunjin just looked at her, nodding at her and humming. She looked back at you.

“Ready to go? Maybe we can go get something to eat at your favorite restaurant before getting home.” She asked while smiling at you only, not wanting to acknowledge the other girl’s presence more than necessary.

“Oh nice! Wanna join us before going home, Yeji?” You asked your friend, knowing she lived very close to your building. Yunjin’s smile left again, rolling her eyes.

“Oh! Actually-”

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be today?” Yunjin murmured, a bored tone that she didn’t try to hide. In her mind, this was the least rude she could be towards Yeji.

“Huh Yunjin…” you warned her, a challenging tone growing in your throat and your eyes telling you weren’t gonna tolerate that.

“It’s ok, y/n.” Yeji said with an awkward laugh, trying to avoid yet another conflict. Unfortunately, she has been present before when your girlfriend showed clearly discomfort with her presence near you. “I can’t go anyways, Lia’s class must be almost done, and we have a date today so…” she commented, a slight blush appearing on the girl’s face. “Anyways, see you later.” The older girl said with a smile, waving her hand as she walked away quickly to go pick up her own girlfriend. You smiled and waved back at her, and once you turned back at Yunjin, her face was still showing she was upset. You shook your head, starting to walk. She followed you behind.

“What, you’re gonna leave me here now?” She asked as you didn’t give her a chance to walk beside you. You rolled your eyes.

“What the fuck, Yunjin?” You asked her as you slowed down a bit so she could catch up. “I’m tired of you being rude to every friend I have. First it was Chaeyoung and Yeojin and now-”

“Yeojin wouldn’t stop touching you! Am I supposed to be ok with that?!” She interrupted you, her voice getting a little louder and shaky.

“And now!” You interrupted her back, making her go quiet. “She barely looks me in the eye when you’re present ‘cause she knows you get easily jealous.” Yunjin scratched the back of her neck as she opened the car’s door for you. Once she got in the driver’s seat, she spoke again. Her voice changing to a sadder one.

“I’m just scared of losing you, y/n. You know that…” she said, as she started driving. You looked at her, examining her face. You could tell she was in distress about this. However, being insecure didn’t give her the right to treat your friends bad. You stayed quiet for a little while as she drove. Once you were walking to your apartment, you spoke again.

“I’ve told you Yeji has a girlfriend, yet you’re still treating her like this.” You heard her huff.

“Am I supposed to believe that?”

“Excuse me?” You looked at her with a frown, clearly offended.

“If she had a girlfriend she wouldn’t be stuck to your side all the fucking time.” Yunjin said, her voice getting deeper than normal. She was very upset, but so were you.

“Because she’s my friend, Yunjin! Friends spend time together! Why can’t you understand the concept of that?” You told her in the same tone, seriously tired of the constant fighting about such an insignificant thing as you hanging out with your friends.

“I don’t spend all the time stuck to my friends.” she remarked once you opened the door.

“Even if you did, I wouldn’t be making these scenes because I actually trust you. Do you even trust me?”

“It has nothing to do with that-”

“Do you even trust me, Huh Yunjin?!” You asked her again in a louder tone. You were not gonna let her evade this question. Yunjin didn’t like your tone nor the accusations. So instead of processing what she actually felt, she acted impulsively.

“No! I don’t trust you nor your fucking flirty friends! I’m tired of all this!” She yelled, her breathing becoming irregular.

You went quiet, feeling your heart hurt. The girl you loved didn’t trust you. You’ve done everything in your power to show her she’s your one and only. That nobody else comes even close to her in your heart. Yet her insecurities were hurting you both.

“Then go.” You said after you swallowed the lump in your throat, your eyes already getting watery.

“What…” she whispered, starting to panic as she felt her heart sink.

“Trust is the most important thing in a relationship, with honesty. If we don’t have that, we don’t have nothing.”

“Oh my god I am so sorry, y/n… I didn’t mean to say any of that.” She tried apologizing, the weight of her words hitting her. Hard. She fucked up.

“If you don’t even trust me, then why haven’t you left?” You asked her, feeling that even speaking was hard at the moment.

“I’m sorry. I’ll work on it. Please give me another chance, baby. Please.” Your girlfriend said, trying to hold your hands but you put them close to you avoiding this, such action breaking her heart a little more ‘cause you’ve never rejected her touch before.

“I’ve been patient and understanding but your jealousy just keeps getting worse. I need some time right now…”

“No! Please don’t.. please baby, don’t say that…” tears were threatening to come out already, her hands trembling at the idea of losing you.

“At least for tonight. I need to think about us, please go Yunjin.” You almost begged, voice getting softer due to the sadness taking over the anger now.

“y/n, please…”

“Just leave, Yunjin. I need some space today, please.” You said, not even looking at her. You couldn’t, because if you did you would ask her to stay and you actually needed some alone time to calm down. You heard her hesitate, but nevertheless her steps resonated in the now empty room.

————————End of flashback————————

“My home doesn’t want me at home…” Yunjin said as she began sobbing again. The bartender, weirded out, tried comforting her after calling a taxi for the young woman.

“Listen dude, I don’t know who hurt you, but you gotta go home. There’s a taxi outside ok? Just tell them where to go and I don’t know, get some makeup sex or something.”

“Makeup sex? Hmm..” the idea of it already causing an effect on her intoxicated mind. She quietly went home, with only the image of you in her thoughts, feeling her friend reacting to it.

“y/n? Baby are you h*hic*ome?” Yunjin asked once she stepped foot on the living room of your apartment, clumsily looking for you. “I-I’m sorry baby… please I l*hic*love you. Let me show you I love you.”

When she didn’t get a response, she made her way to your shared room. Her messy hair in front of her eyes making it a little extra complicated for her to see where she was going, but she wasn’t that messed up yet. Once she got to the bedroom, she found you deep in your sleep, looking beautiful as ever. She always thought you looked cute when sleeping, but tonight when she noticed how you were using nothing but her big shirt, the blanket barely covering your naked legs, cute wasn’t the word she’d use to describe you.

“God you’re so sexy, so perfect… I could never lose you…” she said as she got closer to the bed, falling sat next to you. The new weight made you move a bit, but it didn’t wake you up. “Please w-wake up, darling. I need you…” she whispered as she fixed her member, that was already getting hard by the view in front of her. Her other hand traveled to your thigh, caressing the skin as she slowly made her way to your ass. With the shirt going up a bit, she could see that you really were using nothing but her shirt.

“You knew I was c*hic*oming, Hmm?” She hummed, getting rid of her jacket and unbuttoning her pants to get her hand inside them, touching herself on top of her boxers. Soft groans escaping Yunjin’s lips as she felt her member getting harder and harder. She couldn’t help but put your shirt a little higher, leaving kisses on your stomach. Her lips slowly going up until she was kissing your chest, going from one nipple to the other. She was straight up moaning against your chest as she slowly sucked on them. With her dick already out of her pants, she needed to have you. She needed to prove to you she loved you always. As she made her way between your legs, she slowly started stroking her cock, licking her own lips before starting to eat you out. Yunjin could feel you softly moving under her, but you were a heavy sleeper. “So good.. tastes so good, baby.” She said as she made out with your pussy in such a messy but sensual way. The little whimpers coming from her as she stimulated both of you, and the little groans you’d let out in your sleep, were the only sounds Yunjin’s ears could catch. “P-please don’t leave.. if you do.. You’d break my heart..” the taller girl said, kissing your thighs, the idea of you actually leaving being an option got her sad again. As her eyes got watery, she fixed herself better between your legs, her member against your now very wet cunt, making sure to get herself wet too so she doesn’t hurt you. More soft sounds were coming from you, similar to the ones you do when awake. Yunjin’s clouded mind was thinking that maybe, if your body was reacting to her like this even when asleep, then you didn’t really want to leave. “Oh fuck…” she moaned as she slowly entered you. “Please don’t leave, I’m gonna miss this pussy too much…”

She started thrusting inside you slowly, sighing as your tight pussy grabbed around her so good every single time. She loved how well your bodies understood each other, and the thought of it being like this even when you’re not awake got her dick twisting inside you. This didn’t stop her from being sad though, knowing that after your argument that day, you probably wouldn’t have accepted this so easily.

“Please…” Yunjin whispered, her voice breaking in between pleads, tears threatening to fall “please d-don’t leave me.. I can be better than them.. p-promise..” she sobbed, the warmth of your body bringing both comfort and sadness, scared the next morning you’d be gone.

“What.. what the.. fuck? Hmmm.. Jen?” You murmured as her rougher actions slowly started to wake you up “w-what are you-”

“Please l-let me do it, if you’re gonna leave..” she said in between sobs “let me have you one last t*hic*ime..”

“W-who said I- fuck~ was gonna leave, baby?” You asked her, confused in between moans. Your hands automatically hugged her shoulders as you felt her cock reaching those spots inside you only Yunjin could ever get to know.

“I r-ruined it.. but please don’t go. I’m s-sorry, y/n. I love you…” she said, her moves now a little softer and slower. However you weren’t angry at her, how could you when she felt so good deep inside you, and her tears making her look so cute and pathetic, turning you on so much for some reason. You didn’t care to understand it though, your mind also getting clouded by desire for her.

“So cute when you cry. Do you feel sorry, baby?” You asked her, grabbing her face. She nodded eagerly, tears running down her face. “Why.. why are you sorry, tell me.”

“Hmmgh y/n.. I’m sorry for b-being mean, and jealous…” she dragged her words, but you were able to make out what she was saying. “S-sorry for not asking for permission first…” her sobs became more intense, but so did her thrusts inside you and you weren’t sure if her tears were more sadness or pleasure, probably a mix of both. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry y/n.. Hmm please…”

“Shhh, keep going baby, don’t you dare stop.” You threatened her, her teary eyes making your pussy clench around her cock, making your girlfriend moan loudly “such a fucking good cock, feels so good…”

“Hmmm fuck… you feel so good too, wanna be inside you forever…” she said as she pounded your pussy so good. Even when drunk, she knew what your face was saying, knowing she was hitting you in a spot you really like, getting you closer. “Like this, baby? D-does my cock feel good here?”

“So good… don’t you fucking stop.. Hmm fuck, baby!” You came intensely as her name kept coming from your mouth again and again, music for her ears. The sensation also making her moan, feeling herself too close.

“y/n, I’m gonna come…” she warned you, but you weren’t done with her punishment. You turned you guys around, holding her wrists against the mattress and riding her “oh god…” she moaned as she bit her lip. When you felt her dick inside you twisting, meaning her orgasm was just seconds away, you quickly got off her, ruining her orgasm as she finished untouched “Ahh! F-fuck.. nooo.. fuck!” She whimpered and cried as her cum ended on her thighs and some on her abs. “Why… that hurt, y/n..” she complained, hissing a bit when a cold wet towel made contact with her skin to clean her.

“That’s what you get for being a bad girl.” You told her, receiving a groan for her. When you turned around to see her, her eyes were still full of tears, a pout on her face. You simply laughed before holding her closer to you. “Don’t worry baby, tomorrow when you’re sober I’ll make sure to take care of you good.”

[targaryenluvs]

hiiii okay so I had an idea for like Coryo x little sister where she’s about 12 years old and she looks just like her mom and Coryo, Tigris, and Grandma’am just love her so much BUT she somehow ends up in the hunger games s a tribute and she becomes like besties with Wovey, Reaper, and Lucy- plus she’s giving Coryo a heart attack every five minutes especially during the bombing- finally during his peacekeeper era when he finds out they were evicted she was taken from their custody and so when he comes back with the plinth fortune and all that she just runs up and is all cuddly with him and he’s like “u know what fuck custody paperwork” and just snatches her back home- thank u sooo much💗

SAFE AND SOUND

pairings: coriolanus snow x younger!sister!reader, lucy gray x younger!sister!reader

summary: somehow you’d ended up in the games, snow and lucy would do anything to keep you safe.

warnings: murderrr, possessive/selfish thoughts, child endangerment, cheating, rude ass corio, fluff in the end nd a little happy fam, deter from og storyline, protective lucy and snow, family dynamics, theyd do anything to make sure you’re okay

a/n: i did change the story line a little!!

the drones were whirring about you.

people were being knocked down as lucy grabbed you and ran to safety. “keep with me baby girl!” she shouted as you ran, your legs ached but you knew what would happen if you stopped.

coriolanus couldn’t breathe until you were safe. which is why he exhaled a long and heavy breath when you and lucy settled into the vent again. everyone around him was quiet for once, they laughed at all the tributes except you. they all loved you, every time coriolanus brought you around their horrible personalities and stuck up selves melted away with your adoring smile and sweet voice.

reprieve, or so you thought, came in the form of the large tube in front of you. but based off of lucy’s face you knew something was up, and as wovey walked towards it you couldn’t help but shout and cry for her.

“down goes wovey!” thank god. coriolanus thought. that idiotic girl was impulsive and silly, she shouldn’t have lasted as long as she did. she almost killed you with her stupidity, brung you along to her execution as you cried for her to stop.

you’d survived. somehow.

in the history of the games there had only been two victors. so far.

but at what cost? your brother had been sentenced away to district 12 and the only other person who shared any understanding for what you went through was no where to be found. in the wind, gone.

so you did what you thought best.

you ran.

all the way to twelve and the comfort of your dear older brother.

he was going insane. he’d lost you and lucy. sejanus was god knows where and probably planning something illegal. he was stressed the fuck out and all he wanted was a hug from you. for you to put secret braids in his hair when you thought he was sleeping, for you to kiss his cheek every morning before rambling on about school.

the place was alive as she sang. everyone danced but coriolanus stared. he’d found one half of the puzzle. lucy looked amazing and he found himself relaxing at the sound of her voice.

you’d peeked through the window. the noise had drawn you to it. it was your first day alone, ever, and in the worst district. you were scared beyond measure but soon to be saved as you caught a glimpse of lucy twirling on stage, her eye-line drawing you to corio.

the hug from behind caught him off guard but had his mind spinning as he recognised the small hands gripping oh so tightly at his waist. the bracelet he’d made so long ago and the smell of roses, which for once wasn’t himself, and hadn’t been for a while.

“y/n.” he breathed out as you laced your arms around his neck, “i came from the capitol. i hate it corio. they took me away from our family and put me with some random family. i don’t like it, i miss you. please, don’t take me back.” you cried as he lifted you up, resting on his hip as he made his way outside, lucy following in tow as she wiped away tears after seeing your sweet face.

the lake was quiet and tame, slow waves lapping at the jetty and land as you lay curled up in corio’s lap, lulled to sleep by lucy’s melodies. and whilst the trio of you all had no idea what the future held it all didn’t matter in this moment. you felt happy, and you hadn’t felt it in so long. corio and lucy were your family, and you loved them.

corio had done horrible things in his life, the second you were drawn into the games nothing else mattered besides keeping you safe. those horrible things were known to few, one of them being the songbird to your left.

and no would ever tell you these things.

all that mattered?

you were safe and sound with them, they’d made sure of it.

[loveyourownsmiilee]

I don’t think Eddie and Bobby are having the conversation about Eddie’s job. I think that new promo has two different clips of Bobby speaking. It’s sorta like a red herring. I don’t think Eddie is the one questioning his job. I think it’s Buck. From what we’ve seen of Buck, he doesn’t seem like himself. He has stubble which indicates sadness (from what we’ve seen of him in the past).

Now let’s take into consideration what we know. We can probably assume he’s newly single once again. We’ve seen him looking sad in almost all the trailers. He’s not his usual happy self especially when he’s at work.

We also know that Tommy will be back to help the 118 find/save Bobby and Athena. Not only that but we know he’s going to be back for the 100th episode which is ironically an episode titled “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered”.

Now we know these writers love to parallel the characters storylines. When Eddie was shot in s4, we didn’t have him questioning his job until the following season. Buck died in s6, which would make sense if he starts questioning things this season. So what if he’s the one questioning his job as a firefighter this season.

What if he meets Tommy who is competent in his job and brings a new light onto someone Buck can be. Maybe have a more fulfilling role instead of being a firefighter? He’s clearly bothered by something and we know this by the still we got of him in his civvies while talking to a somewhat stressed looking Eddie.

Maybe he runs his doubts by Eddie, which prompts Eddie to freak out a bit over the possibility of losing his work partner. He’s clearly lost and seeking some kind of reassurance from someone he knows is his safe space. He’s looking at Eddie like he can give him answers he’s looking for.

Maybe the reason Tommy is here for a bit longer is because he’s there to answer any questions Buck may have over his own job and what that entails. He then invites Buck to play basketball with his own team where he introduces Buck to them and lets him get acquainted with others in his department.

I think that episode is going to be more about Buck possibly exploring whether or not his job is making him happy and fulfilled. Exploring other opportunities.

Meanwhile he asks Bobby for advice and Bobby tells Buck that he can’t tell him about the job. I think it’s likely that maybe even Eddie reaches out to Bobby because he doesn’t know how to help Buck out but he knows he has to. And he doesn’t wanna lose his partner but he always wants to help Buck out. So he’s in this weird predicament on what he should say to help his partner so that he’s not in this weird funk anymore. I think it will mirror s5 but differ a bit because Buck is telling Eddie he’s thinking about leaving whereas Eddie didn’t and just decided himself. I think we’ll see some conflict between the two while Buck tries to figure things out a bit.

Now maybe all that questioning can bring forth questioning other things. Such as why Eddie seems so affected by Buck’s choice to possibly leave. Maybe it will arise questions on their codependency, who knows? But suffice it to say, I think in the end Buck will realize he is meant to be a firefighter, by Eddie’s side and ultimately choose to stay with the 118.

[081314]

Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss – Chapter 6 (Part 1)

Following is part 1 of my translation of Chapter 6 of Book 7: The Ruler of the Abyss. This part contains only Episode 7-88 (it’s as long as several episodes put together, so I had to give it its own post)

Main storyline spoilers after the cut.

Episode 7-88

Grim: Ugh… Where are we?

Sebek: This is… I recognize this place. This is where the Darkness engulfed us earlier! We’ve returned!

Silver: Where’s father and Sir Baul?

Sebek: They set off for the Moonless Forest, but…

Silver: !! You guys, look at the ground over there! Looks like some soldiers went this way!

Sebek: Appears to be the Silver Owl’s men…!

Silver: Father and Sir Baul are in danger. We need to hurry and find them!

Iron One A: W-What amazing power!

Iron One B: If our magicians hadn’t deflected those flames just now, she woulda burnt us to a crisp!!

Knight of Dawn: Focus! You’ll get trampled if you don’t watch out!

Meleanor (Dragon form): Rooooooaaar!!

Iron One C: Don’t give her even a moment’s rest! Charge!! Chaaarge!!!

The Iron Ones: Uoooooooh!!

Sebek: Ahhh…. Lady Meleanor!!

Grim: Get a move on, Sebek! We gotta make sure to stay close to the dreamer, right? We’re gonna lose sight of Lilia at this rate!

Sebek: You needn’t tell me that! I understand full and well this is but a dream, I just…. Dammit!

Yuu: I know this is hard for you, but we need to keep moving.

Silver: …Right. We have to hurry or else the rain’s going to wash away their footprints. Let’s go!

Grim: Geez, the rain’s comin’ down harder an’ harder!

Sebek: The roads are all muddy, and the sun’s set, too… You need to go faster, the both of you! Their footsteps are vanishing before our very eyes!

Grim: Oh, save your breathe, dude! I’m already runnin’ as fast as I can! Can’t ya just use that spell you showed off when we were lookin’ for Silver earlier? You know, the one where you were glowin’ an’ zoomin’ around all over the place.

Sebek: I take it you mean “Living Bolt”?

Silver: I’d never seen that spell before, either. Just when did you develop your Unique Magic?

Sebek: ‘Twas during the period when I trained alone in the valley, after you’d enrolled at Night Raven College… While refining my celerity, so that I might rush to our Lord’s side in the event of an emergency, I found an opportunity to develop it. However… I’ve far from mastered it. My Unique Magic allows me to transform my body into a bolt of lightning, and in that state, I can move rapidly and fire off attacks. …But as I lack the skill to properly use it, I become momentarily impaired after casting it. I’m thankful my opponent just now was our resident slouch, for had I tried to use it on a real enemy, they wouldn’t have waited around for me until I recuperated. It’s out of the question for me to use it to catch up with Lilia and my grandfather right now, as I would only be a hindrance to them as soon as I reached them. In truth, I had intended to hold off on demonstrating it before others until I’d mastered it. To think, I’d end up having to waste it rousing this sluggard here…

Silver: I… I’m sorry. But you know, it’s a really fitting spell for you.

Sebek: Hmph.

Sebek (whispering to himself): …As this is a dream and all, I should have liked to have pulled it off flawlessly for once…. Geez…

Silver: Something’s been on my mind ever since we crossed into father’s dream. This dream was made by Lord Malleus’s magic, so I don’t understand why it’s just been one tragedy after another this whole time.

Yuu: Now that you mention it…

Silver: In Sebek’s dream, he had it so father and Lord Malleus were about to go off on their internships together. If what Lord Malleus said before is right, then these dreams we’re trapped in should be based on what would make the dreamer happy… Dreams that would keep us spellbound forever. In father’s case, he should’ve been dreaming about Lord Malleus’s parents being alive and well, and not having to fight any wars against the humans. And the Land of Briar should’ve remained as it was, not chopped up into Briar Valley.

Sebek: Hmm… You certainly have a point there.

Silver: Lord Malleus said he’s observing everyone’s dreams… and that he’s reigning over them, too. If he knew that we were here, then he probably would’ve tried to get rid of us by now, like how he did in Sebek’s dream.

Sebek: Hmm… ‘Tis only speculation, but perhaps something is preventing Lord Malleus from observing Sir Lilia’s dream.

Silver: That’s possible, yeah. I wish we could wake up father already and have him help us, but…

(Swords clash in the distance)

Everyone: !!

Sebek: Someone’s fighting yonder!

Silver: It sounds like it’s coming from close by. Come on, let’s go!

Battle Map Conversation

Imperial Guard A / B: Gyagyaaa! Giii!

Iron One A: You assholes just don’t know when to give up!

Sebek: Look there! Some guardsmen are surround by the Iron Ones!

Silver: I don’t see father or Sir Baul with them. Maybe they stayed behind to buy them some time.

Iron One A: Ack- Looks like they got some back up! Doesn’t matter, you guys have no hope of beating us! Now lay down your weapons and surrender, or you’re gonna regret it!

Grim: Sorry, but the dictionaries we got at NRC don’t mention anything ‘bout “surrender” or “regret”! GET ‘EM!!

Battle Map Conversation

Silver: Augh, their reinforcements just keep pouring in…!

Imperial Guard A: Goeeee! Garururu!

Sebek: What!? You say you’ll take over for things here, and you wish for us to go on ahead!? But that’s…!

Imperial Guard A: Gyagyaaa!

Sebek: …Yes, sir. I promise you, we shall deliver His Eggcellency to the palace, together with Sir Lilia. Please, stay safe!

(Silver and co. depart)

Battle Map Conversation

(Something sparkles on screen)

Silver: …! This light, it’s…

Grim: The sparkles are showin’ us where to go! Must be magic!

Sebek: This magic… Doubtless it must be my grandfather’s spell. He left behind these landmarks to guide us. He trusts that we’ll be able to regroup with them… Let us hurry!

Land of Briar – Woods

Baul / Lilia: Haaa, haaa, haaah….

Lilia: Did we shake ‘em off?

Baul: !! General, look out!

Iron One A: Found you, Vanrouge!

Iron One B: Do you even have any idea how much pain you’ve put us all through!? Once I kill you, then my grandfather will finally be able to rest in peace!

Iron One C: Be careful where you aim! We can’t leave even a scratch on that egg!

Baul: Dammit, we’re surrounded. Looks like they’ve got ten… No, 15 men on their side. General, you go on without me and I’ll handle this. Hurry!

Lilia: Bullshit! There’s no way you can take these guys on by yourself.

Baul: What they’re after is your head, General, and the heir’s egg. And we cannot allow them to take either. As you can’t very well fight while lugging around the egg, I, Baul, promise to wipe out these miscreants myself. I’ll rejoin with you later. Now hurry!

Lilia: Dammit…! And I’m going to have your head if you die on me!

(Lilia departs)

Iron One A: Vanrouge is getting away! After hiiiim!!

Iron One B: Uwaaah!? What was that attack just now?

Iron One C: He cut down that massive tree with one swing of his Magearm…!? Shit, now the road’s blocked!

Baul: LISTEN WELL, HUMANS! MY NAME IS BAUL ZIGVOLT!!! I AM A MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD OF THE LAND OF BRIAR – A TITLE I BEAR WITH PRIDE! THOSE WHO WISH TO SULLY MY AXE’S BLADE, STEP FORTH NOW! I’LL DEVOUR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!

Grim: Woah! Look, you guys! Somebody’s fightin’ for their life over there!

Silver: That crocodile mask… It must be Sir Baul!

Sebek: The Silver Owl has got him completely surrounded. We must assist him! Quickly!

Grim / Silver: Okay! / Right!

Iron Ones A: What the!? His reinforcements snuck up on us from behind!?

Iron One B: Wait they’re… They’re’ humans!? The hell are they siding with the fae for…!?

Sebek: This has nothing to do with being a fae or human! It is simply that we do not like you! And so, we must fight!

Grim: That’s right! If you don’t like somebody, then you gotta show ‘em what’s what! That’s our motto at NRC!

Iron One C: Who the hell are these guys!? Troops, get in formation! We’re retreating for now!

(The Iron Ones depart)

Grim: Hey, look! They’re runnin’ away!

Silver: It’ll be bad if they come back with reinforcements… But chasing after them could end up costing us. Right now, we need to focus on tending to Sir Baul’s injuries.

Sebek: Sir Baul! I apologize it took us so long to find you!

Baul: Y-You guys…. Augh!

(Baul collapses)

Silver/Sebek: Sir Baul! / Sir Baul!

Sebek: What terrible injuries. Please, take this potion at once-!

(A whistle sounds)

Grim: Yikes, sounds like they really are callin’ up their buddies!

Sebek: We must get away from here. Sir Baul, please come with me! Here, rest yourself against my shoulder.

Baul: I’m staying here. It’s my duty to fight. You boys go after the General.

Silver: No, that’s… We can’t leave you behind!

Baul: Silence! I told you before, I don’t need help from the likes of you lot!

Sebek: ………. Silver, Grim, Yuu. Go on without us.

Grim/Silver: What!?

Sebek: I shall stay here with Sir Baul, and we shall buy you some time.

Silver: What!?? No, you guys can’t- …Besides, there’s no telling what’ll happen if you get too far away from father.

Sebek: WE’VE NO TIME FOR HESITATION!!! As he is carrying His Eggcellency, Sir Lilia isn’t able to move around freely and defend himself right now. You must go now and protect him! Protect what is precious to you! And I… I shall protect what is precious to me!!

Silver: Sebek…

Sebek: Hmph. You best not take me for a fool, Silver. We shall dispose of the enemy and regroup with you in but a moment.

Silver: …Okay, I understand. Let’s go, Grim and Yuu!

(Silver and co. depart)

Iron One A: We finally got the armored excavator past that block in the road! This is the end for you bastards!

Sebek: Hold your tongue! As if a pathetic little piece of scrap metal stands a chance against me! Sir Baul, please get behind me.

Baul: Human… Why are you doing all this for me…!?

Sebek: I know that even if I fight here, it won’t change reality one bit. However… There are things in life that I simply cannot concede on. Listen well, you wretched Silver Owl! I, Sebek Zigvolt, shall be your opponent! NOW LET US BEGIN!!

Sebek: It ends here! Haaaa!! Haaa… Haa… That was… the last one… S-So what did you think, Sir Baul! I’ve done it!

Baul: Amazing, you really did defeat them all…. You fought splendidly.

Sebek: !! Truly, I am underserving of such kind words…. Augh…!

Baul: Human… Why are you so desperate to help us fae?

Sebek: Though my father is indeed a human… My mother is a fae.

Baul: !!

Sebek: My maternal grandfather was not at all fond of humans. One could even say he despised them. And when his only daughter announced she was betrothed to a human… I couldn’t even begin to describe how terribly they fought. Presently, my father and my grandfather remain at odds with one another. However, not once has my grandfather ever distanced himself from us grandchildren. He’s a taciturn man, always with that same stern expression upon face, and I can’t recall him ever greeting us when we called upon him. And yet, he always kept his house stocked up with brand new children’s books, as well as candies and sugary refreshments that he’d never dare consume himself. I truly respect my grandfather, from the bottom of my heart. And that is why I… that is why I wish to be of help to you- to you all!

Baul: …..Hmph. I’m not sure you’d be of much help to anyone walking around looking like that. Your baton’s about cracked in half, and your defensive gear is in pieces.

Sebek: Y-You needn’t be concerned! Here I’ll – I’ll simply borrow some equipment from that collapsed Iron One over there and…

Baul: Human… Nay, Sebek Zigvolt. I give you my thanks for your actions today. As you’ve damaged your gear in battle, I’ll grant you your own suit of armor.

Sebek: What….?

Baul: In the name of Baul Zigvolt, Imperial Guardsman of the Land of Briar, and in celebration of the birth of this new warrior… The Night’s Blessing upon Ye.

Sebek: T-This armor… And this magearm, it’s…!?

Baul: The same ones we Imperial Guardsmen use. That magearm belonged to a fallen comrade… But I’m sure it’s preferable over your half-broken baton.

Sebek: Oh, ‘tis far and beyond preferable! I have no words! To be granted the privilege of wielding the very same equipment as the Imperial Guard!

Baul: All that’s left is your mask…. Hmm. This one should work well for you. In my troop, I’m the only one allowed to don the crocodile mask. As we share the same surname, and if it is true that your grandfather is a fae… Then perhaps the General was right. Perhaps our meeting was fate – Sebek Zigvolt, the half-fae warrior. I’ll be expecting great things from you.

Sebek: …Yes, sir! I vow on this mask, and on the Zigvolt name, that I shall fight with glory. Grandfa-… I mean, Sir Baul!

Baul: Alright. Now let’s hurry after the General!

Sebek: Yes, sir!

Battle Map Conversation

Grim: Where the heck did Lilia go!?

Silver: Black Scale Castle, the Imperial Palace, is located in the northern region of the Land of Briar. So let’s just head north for now.

Iron One A: Don’t stop looking! There’s a nice reward for whoever finds that dragon egg!

Silver: A reward…? …How dare they! We can’t let them lay a single finger on father or Lord Malleus. Come on, we’ll have them take a nice little nap for us.

Battle Map Conversation

(The ground beings to rumble)

Grim: What the- Is that an earthquake!?

Silver: !! Grim, Yuu, look out!

Grim: Waaah, that tree right in front of us just got hit by lightning!?

Silver: Lady Meleanor must still be fighting right now. We need to hurry and find father while she’s distracting the enemy for us...

Iron One A: I heard voices coming from over there!

Iron One B: It might be Vanrouge! Search the area!

Silver: Damnit, they heard us. I’m sorry, but we’ll be forcing our way through!

Battle Map Conversation

Silver: Have you seen my fath-… I mean, General Vanrouge anywhere? Ah! I know I’m a human and all, but I’m not your enemy…

(ring ring… ring ring….)

Grim: The fae are waving at us to follow ‘em. Maybe they’ll take us to where Lilia is!

Silver: I guess they believed me… Thank you!

Land of Briar – Woods

Iron One A: There he is, it’s Vanrouge! Capture him!

Lilia: Augh!

(Lilia collapses)

Iron One A: He’s down! Surround hiiiim!

Iron One B: …So this is the Land of Briar’s General of the Right, eh? The feared “Dragon’s Right Hand Man.”

Iron One A: Aww, he looks like a wee li’l bat that can’t get off the ground. Just breaks my heart.

Iron One B: It’s over. Just give us that egg and we’ll spare your life.

Lilia: Kishaaa!!

Iron One A: The guy doesn’t know when to give up, huh... Sounds like he wants us to take it from ‘im by force, then! I’ll give you my mercy as a knight and end this quickly. Haaaa!!

Lilia: …!

(Someone blocks the attack)

Iron One A: The Knight of Dawn?? …No, wait you’re… Who are you!? State your name!

Silver: …My name is Silver, and your tyranny ends here. NOW DRAW YOUR BLADES!

Land of Briar – Woods

Silver: Now’s my chance! Seyaaaah! …General Vanrouge! Are you okay!?

Lilia: Somehow or other, thanks to you. You made it just in the nick of time…

Silver: We ran into tons of Silver Owl on our way here, and there’s probably still a bunch lurking around. We need to hurry and press on.

Lilia: …Silver, you’re not at all obligated to take on this request, but I need you to listen to me.

Silver: Huh?

Lilia: I’m not gonna make it much longer… My body’s just about called it quits.

Silver: W-What are you…

Lilia: Please, take this egg… to Black Scale Castle for me. Go to Mystic Mountain, you’ll find an Imperial Guard’s camp site near the base... There’s a unit out there that patrols that whole area. First just… aim for there.

Silver: Are you telling me to leave you behind…?

Lilia: You probably can’t hear it, but there’s a bunch of soldiers headed right this way. There’s way too many for you to fight off alone while trying to drag me along. Once they get here… I’m gonna tell ‘em I got sick of carrying the egg and threw it into the ravine. That should buy you some time…. *cough cough*!

Silver: …..Alright. Yuu, could you hold Lord Malleus’s egg for me?

Yuu: Just leave it to me!

Grim: Man, this thing’s even bigger up close.

Silver: Please excuse me, General Vanrouge. …Okay.

(Silver lifts up Lilia onto his back)

Lilia: The hell do you think you’re doing!? I’m not a damn baby, you don’t need to carry me around! Don’t tell me… You’re gonna try to climb Dragon;s Tail Mountains with me on your back? That’s ridiculous! Just leave me here, dammit…! *cough cough*

Silver: I’ll be fine. I grew up around the mountains and have plenty of experience hiking with heavy gear. My teacher always used to say, “As long as you’re still alive, things will work out in the end.”…. So you can’t just give up on life already… You can’t!

Lilia: You little… The hell do you think you are, trying to lecture me… …Ugh…

Grim: Lilia passed out.

Silver: I’m amazed he was still standing when we found him. Let’s take a break for a little while. Now, should we head for that camp site, or just cut straight through to Mystic Mountain… In either case, we’ll be heading up north. Come on, you two. We need to get father and Lord Malleus to Black Scale Castle.

Battle Map Conversation

(Lightning flashes)

Grim: !!! Didja see that, Yuu! There’s a big ol’ mountain way over there. Looked like it was jet black.

Silver: That’s the sacred mountain known as Mystic Mountain. According to legend, the Thorn Fairy herself used to reside up there… And now, this country’s imperial capital, Dragon Capitol City and Black Scale Castle, sits on its peak.

Grim: Wait, so we gotta climb up that thing!?

Silver: We might be able to get them to loan us some flying mounts once we reach that camp site… But the mountain is always covered in dark clouds, and I heard anyone who climbs it without the dragons’ permission gets struck by lightning. Apparently, it’s to keep out any intruders. So I doubt we’ll be able to get there by air travel…

Grim: Yeah, but ain’t we carryin’ their egg!?

Silver: Everything depends on us getting to the camp site, I suppose.

(Soldiers march close by)

Silver: !! Those footsteps…

Grim: It’s the Silver Owl! What should we do?

Silver: Let’s hide in the thicket and wait for them to pass by… And then, we’ll pick off any of their men who have their guard down. We’ll be able to minimize any damage to our side that way.

Yuu: So we’ll have to fight them, then.

Silver: Yeah, if we don’t take some of them down and reduce their numbers, there’s a good chance they’ll just end up surrounding us. You know… The way he talks is all different, but the things my father says now really aren’t all that different from what he used to say when he was on the Guard.

(The soldiers approach)

Silver: …They’re here. Let’s go!

Battle Map Conversation

Silver: There’s some buildings up ahead, past the forest. Is that the camp site General Vanrouge was talking about?

Imperial Guards: Gyagyaaaa! Gyaruru!

Grim: Ooooi! We brought Lilia. Hurry up and come help-

(The guards brandish their weapons)

Grim/Silver: !?

Imperial Guard B: Human, enemy! Comrade, give back!

Grim: Crap, they think we’re the bad guys!

Silver: Damnit, and Sebek’s not here. We don’t have anyone who can translate for us…

(a projectile lands in the camp)

Everyone: !?

Iron One A: We found the fae’s campsite! Men, chaaarge! Ah! That huge egg that human’s holding… Is that the dragon egg!?

Iron One B: What luck! Out of all 15 units that entered the mountain, ours is the one that ended up finding it!

Iron One A: That egg is ours! Chaaarge!!

Imperial Guards: Gyagyaaa! Firume! Garrururu!

Grim: Grrr, it’s just one problem after another with these guys!

Silver: We have to help them. Grim, Yuu, we’ll need to fight our way through!

Battle Map Conversation

Silver: Phew… We were able to chase off the Silver Owl. But still… I can’t believe they have 15 of those units prowling the mountain. We won’t be able to stay here. Let’s go.

Imperial Guard A: You, not enemy? You, beat iron one…

Grim: That’s what we’ve been sayin’ this whole time, man!

Silver: We’re trying to deliver General Vanrouge and the heir’s egg to Black Scale Castle. The general is badly injured.

(The Imperial Guards huddle tighter and talk amongst themselves)

Imperial Guard A: Okay. We, enemy, search, beat. You, castle, go. Comrade, we, protect, far away.

Grim: Uhhh… Are they sayin’ they’re gonna handle whoopin’ the Silver Owl for us?

Silver: Yeah. And they’re even offering us their protection.

Imperial Guard A: Attack, sorry. Night’s blessing, upon ye.

Silver: …Thank you. And the Night’s blessing upon ye all.

Battle map conversation

Grim: Haaah, haaah… Geez, the road’s gettin’ steeper an’ steeper. Ya better not drop Tsunotarou’s egg, henchman!

Yuu: It sure is heavy…

Silver: You okay, Yuu? I don’t see anyone trailing us, so I’m fine if you want me to hold the egg for a while.

Grim: What, you’re gonna carry both Lilia and the egg at the same time!? Don’t you ever get tired?

Silver: Of course I’m tired. But it’s weird… I also feel like there’s this strength welling up inside me. Maybe because I’m thinking of “that day”.

Grim: Whaddya mean?

Silver: The day I found out my father and I aren’t related, I ran away without even thinking. It was a night kind of like this one, it was raining really hard and the forest was pitch black… the weather was just awful. I couldn’t go back home, I couldn’t move forward, I just sat there and cried… But my father came and found me, and he carried me home on his back while I was bawling my eyes out. And that’s why… I know it’s probably not really appropriate to say this given the circumstances, but that’s why I kind of feel happy right now. I’m happy that I’m now able to carry him on my back. And this time, I’ll be the one to carry him home.

Battle map conversation

Grim: Hmm… Is Malleus really inside this thing? Looks more like a big ol’ jewel than an egg to me.

(Grim pokes the egg)

Yuu: Something moved inside! …I think.

Silver: For as long as I can remember, Lord Malleus has looked pretty much the same as he does now. Makes me wonder what he looked like when he was born.

Yuu: He was probably in his dragon form.

Silver: Ah! …Maybe that’s what’s stopping Lord Malleus from interfering with father’s dream, because he’s dreaming of a time before Lord Malleus was born… Imagination is the root of all magic. And maybe it’s hard for Lord Malleus to control something he knows nothing about, something that’s beyond his imagination…

Grim: Whatcha mumblin’ about, Silver?

Silver: It’s nothing. There’s no use wondering about this and that. Let’s keep moving.

Battle map conversation

Silver: Huh? …The smell wafting from this forest, it’s so familiar. ...Ahh, that’s right. The house father and I lived in is across Mystic Mountain. …It’s okay. I have all those memories of the time we spent together in that house right here with me. No matter what happens here on out… I’ll never lose my way again.

Land of Briar – Woods

Silver: Haaa, haaah…. That bridge up ahead… goes over the gorge that connects Dragon's Tail Mountains and Mystic Mountain.

Lilia: Ugh… Where are we…?

Silver: Are you awake, General Vanrouge? We’re just about to reach the bridge that goes up to Mystic Mountain.

Lilia: So you really did climb up the mountains carrying me on your back…?

Silver: Yes, sir. And there weren’t any issues along the way.

Lilia: And what about the egg!?

Grim: No worries. Yuu’s got ‘im.

Lilia: *sigh* …Oi, Silver. I can walk by myself, let me down already.

Silver: Are you sure? I’m fine carrying you to Dragon Capitol City.

Lilia: Heh, you’ve gotten so cheeky. Listen, you might not be able to sense it, but the fog that envelops this place is rich in magic. My wounds’ll heal up in no time here. …Easy does it.

(Lilia climbs off Silver’s back)

Lilia: Yuu, I know you’ve been lugging that heavy thing around for a while now. Here, give me the egg.

Yuu: I’ve kinda gotten attached to him.

(Lilia takes back the egg)

Lilia: I don’t see any cracks or anything on it. ….*sigh*… It’s so damn heavy. Ah, and before I forget, I don’t see Sebek anywhere. Did something happen?

Silver: He stayed behind with Sir Baul to hold back the enemy for us… We haven’t met up with them again yet.

Lilia: I see… So he’s with Baul…

(The ground rumbles)

Grim: Eep! Was that an earthquake!?

Lilia: No, that awful noise has to be…

Iron One A: We finally found ya, Vanrouge!

Iron One B: Take out the bridge with the armored excavator! We have to slay Vanrouge and get that egg at all costs!

Lilia: Tsch. They’re bringing out that huge thing again…!

Grim: And there’s Silver Owl guys pourin’ in from left an’ right!

Silver: General Vanrouge, Yuu, Grim, you guys hurry and cross the bridge! I’ll buy you some time! I WON’T LET ANY OF YOU PASS THROUGH! I’LL BE THE ONE TAKING YOU ON!

Iron One A: Ha! You’re just a stupid kid, you seriously think you have a chance against us? We’ll smash that bridge and throw all you guys to the bottom of the gorge with it. ARMORED EXCAVATOR, FULL SPEED AHEAD!

???: I call upon thee, Lightning – Pierce through the clouds above! Living Bolt!!!

Iron Ones: Guwaaaaah!!!

Silver: That flash of lighting just now, it’s…

Sebek: T-To think, you would be standing around dawdling here of all places…. D-Did you fall asleep along the way? …Yowch!!

Silver: Sebek! ...That armor…!?

Sebek: Ha! So you’ve noticed, have you! I should very much like to flaunt it off right now, but… That will have to wait until after we’ve dealt with the enemy! Ouch!!

Iron One A: Reinforcements, huh! Arrgh, hurry up and get that Armored Excavator up and running again!

???: Oh, no you don’t! Haaaaa!

Baul: There’s no way we’d let rotten scum like you take even a single step on these sacred mountains! I’LL DEVOUR THE LOT OF YOU!!!

Silver: Sir Baul! You’re okay!

Baul: …Hmph. You did good making it this far. I’ll commend you for your tenacity, if nothing else.

(Bats fly across the screen)

Lilia: Heh… Looks like you’ve escaped death as well, Baul.

Baul: General! I apologize for taking so long to get here.

Sebek: Sir Lilia! Where are His Eggcellency, Yuu, and Grim?

Lilia: I had them wait somewhere safe, beyond the bridge.

Sebek: But should you not be recuperating with them…!

Lilia: Dumbass. I wouldn’t be much of a general if I sit this one out, now would I? You don’t need to worry about me, my wounds are all closed up now thanks to our blessed Mystic Mountain. Now then, Silver Owl… If you want to run away, now’s your last chance.

Iron One A: Hah, you talk big for somebody who looks like he’s about to pass out. You guys don’t stand a chance. We’re gonna take both your head and that egg of yours and go home heroes! You aren’t gonna have your way with things any longer! …YOU MONSTERS!

Land of Briar – Woods

Iron One A: T-That’s impossible… How are they beating us?! There’s only four of them, why the hell can’t we bring them down!?

Iron One B: I heard fae can draw in magic energy from nature. They must be absorbing the evil energies on this mountain and healing themselves while we fight! They’re gonna wipe us out at this rate. Commander, please, give the order to retreat!

Iron One A: Damn those blasted monsters….! To make it all the way here, with that egg just within our reach… Dammit! MEN, RETREAT! RETREEEEAT!

(the iron ones depart)

Everyone: Haaa, haaah ,haaaa….

Sebek: Did we… Did we chase them off?

Lilia: Looks like it…

Silver: T-Thank goodness…

Baul: Praise be to the Mystic Mountain’s divine protection, praise be to the Night’s Blessing…

(The ground rumbles)

Silver: !? An earthquake!? And it’s a big one!

Sebek: The storm’s raging even worse now… Augh! I can hardly open my eyes!

Lilia: The land is resonating with the dragon’s- with Meleanor’s rage.

Baul: What on earth! There’s a bunch of black clouds and thorns covering the Verdant Moors.

Silver: !! This is just like when Lord Malleus overblotted…!

Sebek: Don’t tell me, is Lady Meleanor-!

Lilia: Shit, the bridge is about to collapse!

Baul: Hurry, everyone!!

Battle Map Conversation

Lilia: Haaa, haaah….  I can see… Dragon Capital City up ahead… We’re almost there, Black Scale Castle isn’t too far off. Soon as we drop off the egg, I’m heading straight back to the Verdant Moors….!

(Something rumbles in the distance)

Everyone: !!??

Grim: Eep! I think this earthquake’s the biggest one yet!

Baul: Everyone, to me! I’ll put up a forcefield!

Sebek: I-Is it over?

Baul: Appears so… Ah! There’s a bunch of boulders blocking the path we just came down.

Silver: We’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s hurry!

Part 2

Part 3

[lizzie-queenofmeigas]

If TG wanna hate Targaryens and Daenerys, fine! Just stay consistent in your hatred. Stop stanning the Greens, they’re Targaryens and never once refer to themselves as Hightowers. Stop comparing your favs to Targaryens. Say goodbye to “my ship is just like Jaehaerys and Alysanne or Aemon and Naerys” and “my faves are like Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya.” Stop wanting your faves to have dragons, I thought they’re weapons of mass destruction and nuclear bombs ? Stop giving them elements of Daenerys’ storyline, her quotes, titles and traits. No more “I’m no ordinary woman, my dreams come true” for Helaena, no “mother of dragons” titles for Alicent and Elia, no more “my fave will ride one of Daenerys’ dragons!” Stop stanning House Tully, Baratheon and Tyrell, they owe their relevance to Aegon the Colonizer, they are literally collaborators with a colonial government per your own arguments! Stop wanting Jon to be the son of Rhaegar, he was a colonizer who cheated on his Italianx wife, stop basing your arguments on Jon being Azor Ahai on the basis of being Rhaegar’s son, stop fantasizing about him riding a dragon or wielding Dark Sister. Stop wanting your favs to sit on the Iron Throne, that’s a Targaryen creation, and by the way they should not rule the Seven Kingdom’s either, this state was created by House Targaryen, let Westeros decolonize and go back to being seven backwards regions going to war under the smallest pretext! Stop stanning Young Griff, he’s a Targaryen and canonically doesn’t mention his Martell mother. Stop whining about the deaths of Jaehaera and Helaena, they’re Targaryens, shouldn’t you be happy that there’s two less ? Stop watching HOTD and don’t watch any future Targaryen centric prequels. Stop shipping Rhaenicent, one part of this ship is literally someone you consider a nazi colonizer whose ancestors genocided Westerosi, why would you want her anywhere near your pure Andal favorite ?

The truth is that the Targaryens are the coolest house in ASoIaF with some of the best characters and Targ antis know it.

"This ask is lifted from ozymalek/phoenixashes".

[paulrobinsonshotel]

Steven Moffat

Gives Ten an equally important role to Eleven in his anniversary special, Makes RTD's Time War central to the episode's storyline, and resolves it in a way that doesn't undermine Nine and Ten's character arcs, gives Billie Piper a major role without infringing on Rose's storyline, gives Paul McGann the regeneration story he deserves, gets Tom Baker back on the show one last time, and gives us one very brief, tantalising tease of the next Doctor. And all this was while having no actors under contract, and BBC executives constantly interfering.

Chris Chibnall

Used his final story to bring back two beloved companions from the classic era, and gives them closure with their respective Doctors. Brings back several Classic Doctors and the Fugitive Doctor to aid Thirteen in her final battle, and revealed that companions from throughout the Doctor's life have been getting together and supporting each other, as they will now do for Yaz. And this was in the aftermath of the pandemic, and at a point when a new showrunner couldn't be found, with no idea what future the show had.

Russell T Davies

After getting near complete creative control of the show in time for the 60th anniversary, burns the Thirteenth Doctor's outfit away, immediately pivots back to his Doctor and his companion, with just some old villains to represent the other 55 years of the show. Doesn't bring back any other elements from the show's history until the third episode, and even then, has Mel and Kate play second fiddle to his characters. Doubles down on the self-indulgence of The End of Time by refusing to have Tennant regenerate at all, uses the Fifteenth Doctor's introduction to give Ten a happy ending rather than letting Ncuti Gatwa define his character on his own terms as every one of his predecessors has done. And writes the Nobles (his characters once again) as the one true found family the Doctor needs, as though the Ponds and River and Clara and the Fam were just passing acquaintances.

Two of these are constantly accused of trying to undermine the show and making it all about themselves. I'll let you decide which one it isn't.

[brittle-doughie]

Infinity and Beyond - Looking Into The Sweet Signals from Space Update!

We’re finding the imposters among us with this one!

The aim of this concept is to have it be a multi-update deal akin to the Dragons storyline with how they say “like the dragon series, we’re diving into a story set in a rich, expansive universe”. This peaked my interest, I’d love to see what they have in store! I know there are some folks who like or don’t like the Dragons story, so I wonder what you all think of this!

Meet Astronaut Cookie! She’s cute, has an ice cream sandwich satellite for a pet, even has a cat cookie motif with her costume? What more could you want! Yeah, her skill might be a bit too reminiscent of Cyborg’s (who also got a skin after 84 years lol), but I’m willing to look past that.

Alright, I’m kind of vibing with the setting already, cookies are probably toothpaste, wonder if they clean your teeth when eaten. How does one “escape” or even fortify against a blackhole? The event itself sounds similar to the Sugar Maze event to me…in a way somehow. Wait, why is Stollen Cookie here?Also Planet H A M B O R G A R

I’m now getting Star Wars: Rogue One flashbacks. Just like Cyborg, it’s been 84 years since he got attention, so I’m happy to see he got a cool skin to deck himself out with!

The Surprise Bears. They can either go well or go very poorly, still means I don’t have to run over and over again for the god damn legendary ingredients. However, I do hope the challenges aren’t meant to be a cap in any way, since that already drags it down when you were able to AFK for hours beforehand, even if it sucked. Team Fight getting a gem boost might give me more incentive to play.

(Gmod flatline sound effect plays)

The Deal with Legendaries is canceled, y’all /j. I can’t keep up with their pace, bro. I’m over here trying to write it from time to time and they already have another one on the way, I’m dead. Xylitol Nova himself is getting flak for having a supposedly dull design unworthy of the rarity, I’m already seeing it in the QRTs on Twitter lol. For me, I’ll wait until I cast judgment, he has a pretty cool skin though…

———————————————————————

(Astronaut Cookie looked all around her new setting, seeing the city’s sleek, clean, futuristic design she hasn’t seen much of back on Earthbread. The cookies here didn’t look all that different too, save for their ingredients being possibly toothpaste in some capacity. She was caught staring at this one cookie in particular, she observed them inspecting the shield and instructing the robots to different spots close to the barrier, Xylitol Nova Cookie chuckled at her once he noticed.)

Xylitol Nova Cookie: Ah, I see you’ve taken an interest in one of my cookies. That would be Xylitol Y/N Cookie, they’re in charge of making sure the barrier is in peak performance, they’ve been hard at work ever since we’ve seen reports of the blackhole.

(Xylitol Nova walked over to them as Astronaut followed. Meanwhile, you were instructing both cookies and robots alike on the status of the barrier, making sure that no fault in any way was detected. Until the voice of someone very familiar to you called your name..)

Xylitol Nova Cookie: Hello, Xylitol Y/N Cookie. How are you doing?

(You greeted Xylitol Nova in return and proceeded to ramble on about the barrier. You did your best at trying to speak to him, but couldn’t ignore that cookie next to him staring at you. It also looked like Xylitol Nova wasn’t taking your analysis seriously with that smile of his, something that bothered you to no end!)

Xylitol Nova Cookie: How routine of you, Xylitol Y/N Cookie. Always thinking about the barrier when we haven’t had any issues in the past couple rotations. We have a guest here today and I’d like for you to meet her-

(You couldn’t, you had to inspect the rest of the barrier-when Xylitol Nova Cookie suddenly hugged you from behind with a strong grip, a scene that made Astronaut Cookie feel…envious. You complained and grumbled as you try fruitlessly to free yourself)

Xylitol Nova Cookie: Xylitol Y/N Cookie. You are taking a break from now until further notice, I’d hate to use my authority on you, but this is for your own good. Feel free to interact with your fellow cookies, come and see me in my residence, or even introduce yourself to our guest here~! (I’d prefer you pick the second option in my opinion)

(You continued to struggle until it felt tighter to move, you looked to your front to see Astronaut Cookie hugging you from the front, her head resting on your chest. You swear she’s…shaking a little bit?)

Xylitol Nova Cookie: What do you know? Even our visitor is agreeing with me, she appears to have taken a liking to you too.

(…Who was this?)

[starbylers]

Mike thought Will liked Angela (and he was not happy about it)

I think a lot of us already agree on this, but I wanted to talk about how it was definitely intentional. The basis for this theory is the fact that we are shown Mike remembers multiple things from El’s letter. Why would they have him recall a bunch of information but not this specific, intriguing detail about Will liking a girl? Answer: he clearly does remember, and his behaviour in the airport (and after) is supposed to demonstrate this. (Btw I don’t believe Mike 100% understands his feelings for Will, I’m on the fence about how aware I think he is).

The audience is shown that…

Mike knows about Joyce’s new job (he was frustrated by it)

And about El missing the flowers (so he brings her some)

And about El’s ‘friends’

So why not Will’s ‘for a girl’ painting?

(Here’s a refresher of this painfully awkward interaction)

Mike enjoys Will’s art. This is canon. He has a book full of it, it’s all over his walls. Yet, after he asks about the painting-looking thing in Will’s hand, Mike awkwardly shuts down the conversation like he has no further interest whatsoever, like he wasn’t the one who brought it up. It’s the definition of pretending not to care. Why would they have Mike behave like this unless to show the topic was aggravating him on some level?

Also, hearing that your best friend likes someone is kind of a big deal. It’s something you are very likely to question and tease them about. But Mike doesn’t say anything. He’s with Will the entire season, yet he never once brings it up. That is the most incriminating part. Why would he not mention it unless he felt weird/uncomfortable for some reason?

Obviously Mike believes the painting is for a girl Will likes. Jealousy ensues (but again I don’t think Mike fully understands what he’s feeling). Now the Angela specific part. Mike gives Will this faltering look when he says Angela’s name:

Then when Angela approaches them at Rinkomania, we get this blink-and-you-miss-it glance from Mike to Will after El introduces her:

I’ve seen people say Mike was looking at Angela’s friends here, but I don’t think I agree. Plus from the perspective of this theory it just makes logical sense he would check Will’s reaction to the girl he presumably likes. Also he sneaky glanced at Will multiple times in the airport (see this post), so I don’t think it’s far fetched they’d have him do it again here.

I think this is how it happens: Mike suspects the rolled up thing at the airport is a painting (educated guess). He asks Will ‘what’s that?’ in such an abrupt, random way that it seemed as though he was desperate to know but trying to act casual. Then Will confirms his painting suspicions, and (courtesy of the letter) Mike assumes it’s for a girl Will likes, which is why Mike shuts down the conversation so fast. He doesn’t ask any more questions because he thinks he’s already got the answers. Then hearing Will repeat only Angela’s name back to El must’ve sent alarm bells off in his mind, and at Rinkomania he’s like so this is The Girl huh? (Obviously after the skate incident he finds out he was wrong lol).

This whole thing is a very subtle element of the storyline, but it’s undeniably there. I know there’s a general agreement on this idea already but I like looking at the details :)

[showtoonzfan]

Hey it’s been a bit! The Mammon episode finally came out, so here’s my review!

Pros:

- The sign language scene was cute. Kinda weird that a kid was seeing a show that was clearly for adults but I love me some representation so it gets a pass.

- Despite Blitz not really needing to be in this episode, I thank god he had little screen time and more time was dedicated to Fizz.

- The fish ladies (despite having wonky color palettes that made them EXTREMELY hard to look at) were cute.

Cons:

- Mammon is so flat and uninteresting but I don’t know what I expected from a creator who always hypes her characters up that always end up being one of the three go-to personalities she picks for her male characters. In Mammon’s case he’s just a loud mouth cursing bum so way to ruin another Deadly Sin and make them boring af, moving on.

- I don’t like how Mammon and Fizz’s relationship are similar of Val and Angel’s, Viv keeps recycling stories, characters and plot lines ect, it makes Angel’s story for Hazbin really predictable/underwhelming and not exciting to look forward too especially since we already have the “mafia bad daddy” aspect to him too that they pulled for Moxxie. I guess the idea of Mammon being a controlling ruler is fine on paper but not much is done with it, Fizz just quits in the end like it was easy with zero consequences so what was all that build up for.

- Fizz himself once again feels REALLY out of character, he’s just too soft compared to how he was introduced in season 1. He’s constantly nervous in this episode and insecure, as well as walking on eggshells, and even in Oops he wasn’t THIS sensitive. I’m all for characters struggling and being kicked down but it has to make sense and not feel forced, and once again it feels like Viv is trying way to hard to make the characters she once introduced as snarky assholes to uwu innocent babies. I refuse to believe Fizz was actually INTIMIDATED by this random geeky imp who insulted him, as well as the fish ladies whom he was weirdly nice and welcoming to. It’s also weird seeing how uncomfortable/nervous he was around his fans when I thought the whole point was that he LOVED praise and loved being famous, at least that was season 1 Fizz. Now he feels retconned. Seeing him say “I just need this gig” is weird too, the explanation to why he went through all of this makes no sense, Fizz still has Ozzie and is famous in the Lust ring, and I understand Mammon is his idle but to go through all that abuse for so long for something that could have been so easily avoided feels forced to fit the plot, but it also makes Fizz look dumb.

- There’s confusing lore stuff regarding Mammon and Ozzie, and it makes me realize that Viv should have picked ONE storyline aka ONE Seven Deadly sin to go with Fizz’s story because this is getting mixed up. Fizz acts like if he looses this completion, he looses everything, which confused the heck out of me because no he wouldn’t have? First of all, Ozzie is a fucking powerful sin, how would you loose him? Second, from what we know from season 1, Fizz is a jester who performs at Ozzie’s club. It was Ozzie who built the sex robots across the rings of hell, NOT Mammon, and in season 2 we see that Fizz is under Ozzie’s care and lives in his house. Yet for some weird reason Mammon also represents Fizz and uses him for profit, but it’s not really explained in a way that makes sense, like Love’s art had said in her Fizz redesign video, Fizz’s job is really confusing on what exactly he does. Having both Ozzie and Mammon represent him overcomplicates things and the show did a poor job at explaining how this goes.

- Once again Viv dumps trauma and struggle onto her characters without building it up first. When did Fizz ever give off the impression that he was being controlled or abused, or even that he was so insecure and constantly walked on eggshells to be perfect. In Oops he was happy to be in the spotlight and happy to get the attention, he bragged to Blitz about how successful he was. He seemed happy to perform for Mammon and talked of him highly, and now you’re pulling an Angel Dust situation where he’s expected to be perfect 24/7 and it gets to him emotionally, while also being someone who’s physically and mentally abused. Yet another season 2 episode that wasn’t planned, same as how Millie wanting to feel important wasn’t planned, same as how Stolas seeing Blitz as genuine love wasn’t planned. Different episode, same issues.

- I’m so done with the Hell lore bro, this place officially has no rules and demons can just do anything without consequences. There’s no class system, there’s no rankings, there’s no power dynamics, screw anything that Viv says. There was no fucking reason why Ozzie and Fizz’s relationship needed to be a secret. There was no reason showing Ozzie threatening his workers to not tell anyone about his love life if he was just going to admit it to EVERYONE THE NEXT EPISODE IN FRONT OF ANOTHER SIN ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME— what was the POINT. What is the point of Stolas and Blitz’s conflict. What is the point of Stella being classist. What is the point of these class systems and rules if you can just announce that you technically broke a hell rule and no one gives a fuck and you get off scott free. Mammon telling Ozzie “you’ll regret that” like a cartoon villain doesn’t do anything either. What is he ganna do? Tell Lucifer, the character that canonically won’t appear in HB because the sins won’t appear in HH? If Lucifer rules over the sinners, who the fuck is in charge for the rest of Hell. Where’s the authority? And Mammon is just ganna come back for another episode to give the gang trouble cause lord knows we don’t have enough fucking villains already.

- It feels weird that Ozzie would just sit back while someone whom he knows is a piece of shit is treating his loved one badly. I get he was concerned but you’d think one of the seven deadly sins would have more power and authority.

- I was expecting some big gross bug-like thing to appear when Mammon was transforming into his final form, only for it to the exact same design but with small extra eyes and a spider lower half that isn’t even visible in most shots….GOD VIV.

Watching this episode also made me remind myself that this is supposed to be Hell. Seeing Fizz feel better and stand up for himself was sweet but these soft lessons and morals don’t belong in a show like this, and it’s extra aggravating regarding Viv’s double standard, how she can just pick and choose which characters she wants to be evil and which characters are saints. Overall not anywhere near the worst episode of season 2, but I am officially done with Helluva Boss so-

[httplilyyy]

𝐏𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒 || 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

pairing: tara carpenter x reader

summary: the ghostface killings are happening again, but this time it's on a whole other level

warnings: descriptions of violence, guns, swearing, scream vi spoilers, bad writing

word count: 3.9k

a/n: sooo, i got bored and decided to give it a go at writing a series. this will follow the storyline of scream six and that means this will contain scream six spoilers so if you haven’t seen the movie yet don't read this, or do, if you want? :) 

scream masterlist | next part

001. pumped up kicks - foster the people

‘But he’s coming for you, yeah, he’s coming for you.’

“Oh shit, yes! Yes!-”

“Tara-” You groaned, looking up at the ceiling.

“I know.” Tara huffed, getting up from her spot on the bed.

She made her way to the door, slamming it open before shouting at her roommate, Quinn. A ‘sorry’ got sent back along with a ‘we’ll be quiet’ causing the two of you to voluntary eye roll, knowing that wasn’t true.

“You’re going to get so many noise complaints one day.” You chuckled, sitting up as you looked over at Tara, shutting the door behind her.

“Don’t.” Tara said, pointing a finger at you in an accusing way which made you laugh.

“At least she’s getting some.” You muttered, sending a condescending smirk to your best friend.

“Oh, I'm sorry you have such a high sex drive.” Tara replied sarcastically, sitting beside you.

“Only when you’re near.” You rebutted, causing Tara to grimace.

“Shut up.” Tara said, bumping her shoulder into yours, hands covering her face.

“I’m joking, I’m joking.” You laughed, holding your hands up in mock surrender.

“I don't know how I put up with you.” Tara mumbled, getting up from her position, opening up her wardrobe where her halloween costume was.

“You love me.” You said, dragging out the ‘o’ in love, a smile displayed on your face.

“I tolerate you.” Tara said, looking over her shoulder.

“I'll take that.” You shrugged, getting up as well and making your way next to Tara, taking your own halloween costume in hand.

“Chad and Mindy will be here soon so hurry up and get ready.” Tara said, beginning to take off her top.

“Jesus, a warning next time.” You exclaimed, slapping your hand over your eyes.

“We’ve known each other for years, stop being an idiot and get changed.” Tara sighed, shaking her head at your antics as she let a small smile grace her features.

“Yes boss.” You mumbled, sending a salute her way before getting into your costume.

The two of you were quick to get ready and before you knew it the doorbell rang. Chad and Mindy stood at the door, grins plastered on their faces as they hurried the two of you outside.

Tara told Quinn she would be back later and her response was ‘yes’ but you all quickly interpreted it as a moan. Rushing out of Tara's apartment, the four of you made your way onto the streets of New York.

As each of you continued your walk to the frat party, you were stopped by Jason wanting to talk to Tara.

You didn’t pay attention to their conversation, wanting to get some alcohol in your system as fast as possible. Tara bid her goodbyes, joining back up with you, continuing on the way to the party.

As soon as you stepped through the door to the party the smell of cheap booze and sweat overrides your senses. Making a beeline for the drinks table, you poured yourself a random concoction which was mostly alcohol.

After you were happy with your drink you mingled with a few other people. Chad went off and met up with Ethan and Mindy went off to see her girlfriend, Anika.

Not realising it, but you had left Tara when all she wanted was to be by your side. The younger Carpenter didn’t really enjoy larger crowds since the incident last year, always preferring to have you by her side.

Shoving and pushing through a mass amount of people, Tara made it to the drinks table, where you once were. She had a couple drinks herself, before going off to talk to some other people.

After having enough social interaction, deciding she needed more alcohol, Tara walked back over to the drinks table once again.

You had your eye on her the whole night, making sure she did nothing that she would regret in the morning and you soon realised that she was approached by someone, immediately recognising who the person was.

His name was Frankie and he had quite the reputation of being a fuckboy, never treating a woman respectfully and only wanting them for a good time.

Not liking the idea of where their conversation could go, you left the people you were with and made your way to her.

Drink still in hand, you watched as Frankie dragged Tara through the house. Anika tried to talk to Tara but she shrugged her off, continuing to follow Frankie, hand in hand as they walked towards the stairs.

Jaw clenching in anger, you pushed through more people making your way to Mindy and Anika.

“What the hell is Tara doing?” You asked, steam practically coming out of your ears as you gripped onto the red cup in your hand.

“By the looks of it, going to hook up with that guy.” Mindy said, an unpleasant look on her face.

“Fuck!” You exclaimed, clenching your jaw, you quickly followed after Tara, placing your drink down on the way.

The two of them watched as you stormed away from them in hopes of catching up to Tara, knowing that they may need to get Chad.

They searched the house for Chad and they finally found him standing with Ethan. Anika quickly told him that he was needed and the three of them followed Mindy who was making her way after you.

“Hey dude!” You shouted, watching as Frankie and Tara stopped on the stairs, turning to face you. “How about you leave her alone, huh?”

“Sorry, I don't think I heard you clearly.” Frankie replied, a small smirk on his face.

“Tara’s good down here, don't you think?” You said, a little louder knowing he heard you perfectly fine the first time, nodding your head to the younger Carpenter.

“Hey, no, y/n, it's fine, I want to.” Tara said, stumbling down the stairs towards you.

She stood in front of you, swaying from side to side as she placed her hands on your shoulders. You shook your head, moving your eyes away from Tara for a split second and onto Frankie, which involuntarily made you clench your jaw.

“See, y/n, she wants to.” Frankie said in a mocking tone before turning back up the stairs where he took a hold of Tara’s arm and made her trip.

“How about you get your fucking hands off her.” You said through gritted teeth, pulling the boy away from Tara and down the stairs.

Frankie tumbled into the wall opposite the stairs but he quickly recovered and made his way towards you. Just as he was about to push you back, Chad stood in front of you and shoved Frankie.

Tara pulled you back towards her where she rested against your arm, desperately trying to get the boys to stop pushing and shoving each other.

“Guys, yeah hi, sorry to interrupt,” Sam said pulling Chad and Frankie apart before turning to Frankie, “I'm just gonna tase you in the balls real quick.”

Sam pulled out her taser and within a millisecond Frankie had doubled over and was writhing on the floor in pain.

“Don't ever lay hands on my sister.” Sam threatened, looking down at Frankie.

“You fucking bitch!” He spat out, clutching where Sam had just tased him.

Tara stumbled out of your arms and took a few steps in front of you. She swayed a little so you placed your hands on her waist, making sure that she wouldn't fall over.

“Sam, are you fucking kidding me?” Tara shouted, laying one of her hands over yours, steadying herself. “You’re stalking me now?”

Tara looked at her sister, letting out a scoff before making her way out of the house. She gripped your hand harder as she pulled you outside along with her.

The younger Carpenter rushed down the street, you following in tow, trying to keep up with her. For someone so short you were surprised how fast she could walk.

At multiple points along the way, you had tried to get her to stop and calm down but it was no use. That was until you jogged a little closer to her, taking her hand in yours and pulling her around so she was facing you.

You held both her hands in yours, resting them on her chest as it heaved up and down. Your bodies were close, almost touching.

Looking into her eyes you watched as hers darted everywhere else other than your face, her lips were slightly parted, breath fanning over you as she tried to calm herself down.

“Hey,” you said softly, “look at me.”

“Why would she- I can't-” Tara rambled breathlessly.

“Calm down.” You smiled, pulling her into you.

She wrapped her hands around your waist and buried her head in your chest. You held her tight against you, feeling as she slowly decreased her breathing, back to its normal state.

You parted slightly, holding her shoulders, watching as a few tears fell from her eyes. You raised a hand and your thumb gently swiped them away. For a moment it seemed as if it was only the two of you and nobody else. But that moment was ruined when you heard Sam call after Tara.

“Tara!” Sam shouted, walking up to you both as Chad, Mindy, Ethan and Anika followed behind her.

“I can not believe you did that, you embarrassed me.” Tara shouted, moving away from your grasp.

“That guy was a dick, he was going to take advantage of you.” Sam said, pointing back behind her, gesturing to Frankie.

“So?” Tara snapped.

“So?” Sam repeated, shock evident on her face.

“If I want to hook up with an asshole, that's my decision.” Tara exclaimed, pointing to herself. “It's my decision.”

“Okay.” Sam sighed, trying not to roll her eyes.

“It's not about you, I mean- you're out of my life for five years and now you can't leave me alone for five minutes.”

“Because you are not dealing with what happened to us.” Sam remarked. “Have you even gone to see the counsellor? Once?”

“No, I'm not going to.”

“Why not?”

“Because I'm uninterested in living in the past like you are.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Okay, Tara-” You tried, reaching for her but she just pushed you away.

“It means I'm not gonna let what happened to us for three days define the way I live the rest of my life.” Tara exclaimed, continuing the argument with her sister.

“So you're just gonna pretend it never happened?”

“What are you doing here, Sam?” Tara asked after a deep breath. “In New york? I mean you're working two shitty jobs and you help out or whatever but what's your plan?”

“I-” Sam stuttered, trying to think of something to say.

“I know what I am going to do, okay cause I'm gonna keep going to college and I'm gonna get my degree and I'm going to live my life.” Tara said, pointing to herself again. “My life!”

“Tara come on-” You tried again.

“Y/n, God! Shut up! You’re just like Sam! You both follow me and wont let me out of your sight.”

“Wha-? Hey, we’re just trying to look out for you.” You said, shocked that she snapped at you.

“I- I know, I know you both are but Sam, you can't do it for the rest of my life though. You have to let me go.”

“Hey!” Some random woman shouted, coming over to you all before she threw her drink over Sam. “Murderer!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sam questioned, pushing the girl into her friends causing you and Chad to quickly hold the older Carpenter back.

“Bitch.” The woman uttered, standing back on her feet.

“You got a problem with me?” Sam exclaimed, raising her arms in question.

“You guys should stay away from her, she knows what she did.” The woman said, pointing at Sam before walking away with her friends.

“I didn’t fucking do anything!” Sam shouted, trying to wring her shirt out.

“Okay, walk away Sam, walk away.” You said, gently pushing her away from the woman.

“I’m fine, y/n.” Sam sighed, looking up from her shirt and at Tara walking away from her again. “Go after Tara, before she breaks something in the apartment.”

“She didn’t mean anything she said, you know.” You smiled, trying to reassure her.

“Go.” Sam said, sending a small smile back and you gave her a nod before doing as told.

Once you finally made it back the door to Tara’s apartment was shut so you spent at least five minutes knocking on the door before someone heard and opened the door for you.

“Hey, where’s Tara?” You said just as Quinn opened the door.

“Oh! Uh- I think she wants to be left alone for a little while.” Quinn replied.

“Is she in her room?” You questioned, walking past her.

“Yeah but- y/n!” Quinn said trying to catch up to you before you got to Tara’s room but she was too late.

You opened Tara’s bedroom door and you were met with Chad and Tara leaning in for a kiss.

“Woah! Sorry!” You said, surprised, eyebrows raising in shock.

“Quinn!” Tara exclaimed, looking at the woman who was peaking over your shoulder.

“I’m sorry! I tried to keep them away!”

“You knew?” You asked incredulously, turning around to face Quinn who sent you a sheepish smile.

“Sorry.” Quinn winced.

“Unbelievable.” You muttered.

“What do you want, y/n?” Tara wondered, making you turn back to her.

“Oh uh- nothing.” You said, sending her a small smile as you rubbed the back of your neck. “I’ll leave you two to it.”

You backed out of her room, closing the door behind you but before it shut properly you heard Tara call out your name.

“Yeah?” You hummed, poking your head back in her room.

“Chad, could you give us a minute?” Tara questioned, turning to look at the boy beside her.

He gave her a nod with a small smile and left the room with Quinn, shutting the door behind him, leaving you and Tara together.

You stayed standing by the door, not really knowing what to do with yourself. You looked around Tara’s room but never looked at her.

Tara sighed and patted the space beside her on the bed, you obliged and sat down. Not knowing what to do you stayed quiet, playing with your fingers in your lap.

Tara instantly felt guilt creep up her, knowing that she was the reason for the tension between the two of you. She gingerly reached out her hand to touch yours but pulled back just before they could touch.

“I’m sorry.” Tara said quietly, it almost came out as a whisper. “I didn't mean to snap at you.”

“It's okay.” You smiled. “You were angry at Sam and I got in the middle of it.”

“Still-”

“It doesn't matter, it's all water under the bridge.”

“I may have told Sam to back away but I don't want you to.” Tara said, turning to face you.

“I’m not going anywhere.” You replied, taking Tara’s hand in yours. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Thank you, for not letting me go up those stairs.” Tara said quietly, resting her head on your shoulder.

“It’s no problem.” You smiled. “I doubt he’s very good in bed anyway.”

“True.” Tara snickered, thankful the two of you were back to normal.

“So you and Chad, huh?” You teased, knocking your elbow against Tara's side, causing her to remove her head from your shoulder.

“Oh, no, I don't like him like that.” Tara chuckled, causing you to cock your head to the side in confusion.

“But you were going to kiss?”

“No, he was just trying to get something out of my eye.”

Hearing Tara say that you felt the little green eyed monster crawl back to its hiding place and you let out a small sigh in relief.

You’d never tell Tara what you were feeling right now, especially since you’ve been friends since you were little. It wasn’t until after the events in Woodsboro where you started to develop feelings for her. Feelings that went a little more than friendship.

Unbeknownst to you, whilst you were caught up in your own head, in the other room Anika turned up the tv, showing the news.

Quinn ran back into your room and ushered you and Tara into the living room. Confused, you both followed her.

As you walked into the living room, you quickly noticed how everyone’s eyes were on the tv. Showing a man who was talking about how two university students were killed.

Looking to your left you caught Sam’s eye and you knew what was going to happen. You shook your head silently telling her to back down but she didn’t listen to you.

“Pack a bag, we leave in ten.” Sam said, before she walked off to the kitchen.

“Sam! Wait- Sam!” Tara called out as she followed her.

“We’re getting out of the city.”

“Sam! Hold on. Let's talk about this for a second!” Tara said. “Cause this might not have anything to do with us.”

“Are you serious?”

“It's a big city. It's halloween, everybody’s wearing masks.”

“Tara, this isn’t a coincidence.” Sam cut in. “You knew him.”

“Barely.”

“Chad, Mindy, y/n back me up.” Sam said, gesturing to the three of you, but you stayed quiet.

“I mean it is a little bit-” Chad started.

“Close to home.” Mindy finished off.

“See.”

“Quinn, your dads a cop, right?” Tara asked after a beat of silence. “Can you call him and find out what’s going on? Before you make the unilateral decision to abandon my college education and flee the fucking state.”

“I’m calling him now.” Quinn said, dialling her dads number.

“Thank you.” Tara said.

Suddenly Sam’s phone went off on the table causing everyone to turn their heads towards the sound, stopping in their tracks.

“Who is it?” Tara questioned.

“Why did everyone just freak out when her phone rang?” Ethan asked, confused about the whole situation.

“You gotta keep up my dude.” Anika huffed, leaning closer to Mindy.

“Sam, my dad wants to talk to you.” Quinn said, passing her phone over.

“Mr Bailey, hi.” Sam said, pressing the phone to her ear.

“Hey, Sam. I was actually just about to call you.”

“My sister thinks I am properly overreacting.” Sam said, causing Tara to roll her eyes.

“Unfortunately you're not.”

“What do you mean? What's going on?” Sam questioned, eyes darting at everyone in the room.

“I'm afraid I need you to come down to the station.”

“I'll be there in a sec.” Sam replied before hanging up the phone and passing it back to Quinn.

“Wait what's going on?” You asked, standing beside Tara.

“I’ll be back soon, I just need to do something.” Sam said, not giving away what she was doing.

“Are you going to tell us anything or..?” You continued, watching as the older carpenter got her keys, phone and put on her coat.

“I won't be long.” Sam smiled before walking out of the apartment.

You huffed, throwing your hands up in the air, not realising that Tara was also putting on her coat.

“Tara, no-” You started, walking towards her, trying to stop her from walking out too.

“Stay here, I'll be fine. Sam will be with me the whole time.” Tara said, placing her hands on your chest and pushing you backwards. “I’ll be fine, trust me.”

“If I don't hear from you-”

“I know, you’ll come and find me.”

“Please be safe.”

“I will, I promise.”

Tara gave you one last smile before she left the apartment too. Due to both Sam and Tara leaving, Mindy, Chad, Anika and Ethan decided to leave too. After everyone had gone it was only you and Quinn in the apartment.

You told her you would wait in Tara’s room till she got back and you got a hum of acknowledgement from Quinn as she rummaged around in the fridge.

Sighing to yourself, you flopped onto Tara’s bed. Staring at the ceiling you tried not to fall asleep and just as you were about to drift off, your phone rang.

Thinking it was Tara, you immediately answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” You answered.

“Hello, y/n.”

Body tensing, you realised whose voice it was. You pushed yourself to the end of Tara’s bed, eyes scanning around the room for anything suspicious.

“What do you want?” You questioned, hand tightening around your phone.

“Two things actually.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

“One, for everyone to know your secret-”

“My secret? What the hell do you mean by my secret?”

“And two, I want to see you suffer.” A chuckle passed through the phone.

“Well come and get me asshole! I’m right here.” You said through gritted teeth, raising an arm up beside yourself.

“Hmm, tempting. But I've got my eyes on someone else.”

“Spit it out then motherfucker!”

“Someone you seem quite fond of.”

The line disconnected and you felt your heart rate accelerate, practically beating out your chest. You threw your phone onto Tara’s bed, hands running through your hair.

“Fuck!” You shouted, quickly grabbing your phone, putting on your shoes and running out of the apartment.

Running down the flight of stairs you barged through the doors and onto the streets of New York. Your head snapped from side to side to try and find any sign of Tara.

Suddenly you heard a loud bang, one that sounded a lot like a gunshot. You ran in the direction that it came from and you were met with a corner shop.

Looking through the glass on the door you spotted someone wearing a ghostface costume, holding a shotgun as they looked around the store.

“Tara.” You whispered, watching as the ghostface’s head snapped to something of which you didn’t know.

Using that as an opportunity, you made your way into the store. Realising it may not have been your smartest idea, you quickly hid for cover.

Thinking of a plan in your head, you decided to move fast, hoping to distract the ghostface.

You rounded a shelf into another aisle where you came face to face with ghostface, luckily for you their back was turned and they walked away and into another aisle.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, you felt your body get a little lighter until you saw Sam and Tara crawling your way.

They stopped dead in their tracks once they saw you, shock evident on their faces.

“Get ready to run.” You mouthed to them and you put your hand up, stopping their protests. “Trust me.”

They gave you a nod and you made your way towards them, being as quiet as possible. You made sure the Carpenters were behind you when you made a small amount of noise, letting the ghostface know where you were.

Just as they stepped in front of you, in another aisle, you used all of your strength and along with Sam’s help, the two of you had pushed the shelf over and onto the ghostface.

A gunshot rang out and the three of you made your way out of the store. Police cars surrounded you and you felt Tara tug you closer to her so she could rest against your side.

As the three of you looked back at ghostface, they weren't there, only a ghostface mask on the floor with the back door swinging backwards and forwards.

[slut4teyam]

I LOVE YOUR WRITING SMM

Can I request reader giving Loak head on his bday and it can gradually turn into some sort of p in v? Idk you decide the storyline boss

TYSMM and once again your writing is worth dying for.

-anon :D

Birthday Gift

(Lo'ak te Suli Tsyeyk'itan x F!Omaticaya Reader)

minors dni!

Genre: fluff and smut

Warnings: swearing, slight teasing, dom!lo’ak, voyeurism (masturbation), cock riding, missionary, blowjob, tying up, p in v, praising, (please tell me if theres any i've missed!)

Backstory: Y/n and Lo'ak knew each other through their older brothers; Neteyam and Ateyo. Y/n had taken an interest in Lo'ak when she first saw him, which eventually grew into a crush as time passed. They mostly hung out with each other while their brothers did in the Hallelujah mountains, where they lived, but even so they had a close friendship. That all changed four years ago though, when Lo'ak approached y/n at a clan celebration, drunk, and confessed his feelings to her. Ever since then, they have been dating and spending every day together, not to mention they were sexually active with each other, as they were promised mates. It was Lo'aks 21st birthday, and Y/n had the perfect gift for him.

Lo'ak and Reader are aged up to 19+ years old!! (Other characters except for Tuk too! Tuk is 12 here, don't be weird)

--

Today was your boyfriend, Lo'ak's 21st birthday, and Eywa did you have the perfect gift for him. You and Lo’ak have been dating for four years now, ever since he confessed to you at the clans victory celebration against another one of the sky peoples attacks. You've had an active sexual life ever since, feeling comfortable to try new things, and sometimes you'd even tease Lo'ak in public to the point where he'd have to pull you away and fuck you hard. Your perfect gift revolved around exactly that topic; sexuality.

"What's your gift for Lo'ak, Kiri?" you asked, walking alongside her to the Sully's tent. "I made him an armlet, he's been wanting a new one for so long." Kiri replied to your question before looking at you, "What is your gift? she asks you now. "Hmm," you hum out, looking up to create a 'thinking face', "Probably presenting myself to him naked, if not a blowjob." you laugh out as Kiri scrunches her face at your response. It was true though, that was EXACTLY your birthday gift for your boyfriend.

Kiri ended up chuckling lightly at your response too, as you entered the Sully's tent. You knew Neteyam was gone with your brother Ateyo, and Jake was probably hunting with his friends for tonights feist, like he had mentioned before. Only Neytiri and Lo'ak remained, as Neytiri was painting Lo'ak's body with your traditional paint. "Hi baby, happy birthday!" you say to Lo'ak, giving him a short hug along with a kiss. "Thank you babe," he chuckles after your kiss, as you follow Kiri to sit down next to Neytiri before giving her a soft smile that she always returned.

"Got me any gifts? Come on, spill it!" Lo'ak asks enthusiastically, making you and Kiri look at each other and burst out laughing at your previous conversation. Lo'ak looks at the both of you, confused. "What? Did something happen?" he asks, clueless of your reasons for laughing. You brush it off with your hand, calming down your laughter along with Kiri. "You're ready, Lo'ak." Neytiri speaks, standing to leave the tent as she holds the bowls of natural paint. Lo'ak nods at his mother as he kneels down next to you, immediately grabbing you by the waist and placing a rough kiss on your cheek.

"I should leave soon, the sun is setting and I still need to change." you state while snuggling into Lo'ak's shoulder. "Mind if I come? To help you undress and stuff of course." Lo'ak chuckles as you playfully slap his arm. "Behave, Lo'ak!" you lecture him once again playfully. Kiri chuckles, as Lo'ak gives you one last peck on the lips before you stand up and head towards the door. "See you in an hour, y/n!" Kiri shouts behind you, as you wave your hand back at her.

You leave the Sully's tent, heading over to your own to make preparations for tonight. You had a seductive, revealing outfit planned already. You quickly make it to your tent, as you didn't live far away from the Sully's.

"Hello, y/n." your mother speaks as you step inside of your tent. The whole clan was invited to the celebration of Toruk Makto's youngest sons 21st birthday, therefore your mother was getting ready as well. "Hi mother, you look gorgeous." You told her, as she smiled at you while thanking you. Your mother was a beautiful woman- she looked young even after two children. Most of your people say you got your beauty from your mother, and that was the best compliment you have ever received.

You walked over to your part of the tent as you gathered the pieces of clothing you had planned out, before quickly putting it on your body. You had put on a short loincloth in a dark shade of red, along with a top that covered your neck more than your chest, made of Pandora's most beautiful flowers, in the same shades as your loincloth. You had planned to keep your hair untied, and that was how you left it.

Pleased with your appearance, you grabbed your pocket knife along with one of your old but pretty loincloths, before sitting down on the floor. You cut a rectangle piece from the cloth, smoothening it with your hand before taking your ink and writing the words 'Meet me at your tent in 20 minutes - (y/n's initials)' on the piece of cloth.

slight time skip, at the party

You entered the celebration premises with the rectangle piece of cloth tucked into your current loincloth. The party was immaculate; the area was lit by torches, as your people either danced around a bonfire, or talked with each other while munching on the food. You smiled at your peoples festive spirit while looking around to spot your birthday boy, but instead you see your brother, Ateyo, with Neteyam. You start walking towards them, saying hi to others you know of on the way.

"Hi Neteyam, hi Ateyo" you approach the two males as they direct their attention to you. "What's up little sister," Ateyo asks mockingly, while slapping his tail on your back. He chuckles as you hiss at him, before rolling your eyes and turning your gaze to Neteyam. "Have you seen Lo'ak?" you ask him. He looks over to his left, trying to get a better view before speaking "Yeah, he's somewhere there" he points to the direction he was looking at "he was talking to dad and his friends." Neteyam adds.

You look the same direction as Neteyam pointed, seeing Lo'ak talking to older men with his dad. You turn your attention back to the two males in front of you. "I guess I'll just have to bother you while I wait for him to be free." a cheeky smile plasters on your face. Ateyo rolls his eyes now, huffing as Neteyam chuckles, before his gaze turns to an individual approaching you. "Hey guys!" Kiri exclaims while walking towards you, making you turn around and smile softly at her. "We're gathering to give Lo'ak his gifts, come!" she adds on, before walking back the same direction she came from.

Your smile grows cheeky once again, remembering your gift for the birthday boy. You follow Kiri while making a 'let's go' motion with your hand to the two males behind you, as they start walking too. You make your way to a more isolated place of the celebration area, where the volume of the music is lower, but the view of peoples festivity is still clear. You see some of Lo'ak's friends already there while you, Kiri, Ateyo, and Neteyam sit next to them in a semi circle. "I brought him, dad got so mad!" Tuk exclaims as everyone turns around to look at her, pulling a chuckling Lo'ak by the arm into the middle of the semi circle.

The people around started wishing Lo'ak a happy birthday, as he thanked them while sitting down. Your boyfriend looked at you, his gaze going up and down your partially revealed body, as he gulped before lookin away. "Let's start giving our gifts in order from the left, to the right side of the semi cirlce." Kiri suggested, as everyone nodded. One of Lo'ak's closest friends, Tsanten, was the first to give his gift, which happened to be a knife. Others went after, giving him gifts that varied from armor, to bracelets.

It was your turn to give him your gift now, as Kiri was before you and gave him the armlet she had made. Lo'ak loved it, as he quickly wore it on his arm before thanking Kiri. "Hands are empty, I wonder what you have for me babe." Lo'ak stated, as you smirked at him while pulling out the folded piece of cloth from your current loincloth, handing it to him. He looked at you, sarcastically smiling before unfolding the cloth and reading the note written on it. You tilted your head to the side as he read, your smirk never leaving your face.

He gulped, his eyes never leaving the note as he folded it right back, now tucking it in his loincloth. He looked up at you, smirking, while raising his eyebrows up and down before looking away. Your smirk just grew wider, before your expression became ‘worried’. "Oh how rude of me, I forgot to bring Lo'ak's actual gift!" you make up, "Can I please be excused to go grab it?" you ask while standing up, excusing yourself away from the crowd without anyone actually dismissing you. Your brother eyes you strangely before looking at Neteyam, who seems to understand what's going on with the cheeky smile on his face.

You walk away while swinging your tail, seductively looking back to see Lo'ak's deep gaze on you. You turn back around smirking, as you move faster. You were headed to his tent to make sure everything was in place, and to of course wait for your boyfriends arrival. You reach the Sully's tent, there was no one inside just like you had expected. You walked over to where Neteyam loaded his arrows, you had hidden two pieces of medium length rope when you came by a couple of days ago in preparation for your night with Lo'ak. You took the pieces in your hand and quickly headed over to Lo’ak’s mat, placing them close to it.

"I knew you had something planned," you heard Lo'ak speak as he appeared at the entrance of his family tent. You smirked as you looked over your shoulder, slowly standing up. “Of course, I planned the best of the best.” you stated while Lo’ak walked towards his mat, smirking as he got closer to you to the point where your back was touching his chest. “Mind leading me through this plan?” he asked in a raspy voice while leaning over to your ear.

You smirked, before turning around to face him. Your chests were touching now, as you looked innocently into his eyes, placing your hands on his shoulders. You started to slowly kneel in front of him, sliding your hands down his body while doing so, never breaking eye contact. You felt him tense up at your touch, as you finally got down on your knees and tugged on his loincloth. He licked his lips before smirking, as you directed your gaze from his eyes to his loincloth, slowly untying it. He watched your every move as the hard on he got from your previous touching grew.

You placed down the piece of clothing after untying it completely, coming face to face with his huge, erect cock, that wasn't so unfamiliar to you anymore. You looked back up at him, and saw him staring down right back at you, with deep, lustful eyes. Without breaking eye contact, you took his cock in your hands, giving it a couple of pumps before licking his tip. His breathing hitched, as you wrapped your mouth around his cock, sucking it while taking it in and out of your mouth.

"Fuck baby," he breathed out while biting his lower lip, "that pretty mouth of yours, taking me in so good." he added on, groaning when you twirled your tongue around his tip. He closed his eyes while his mouth opened, as he took his right hand and wrapped it around your hair, bobbing your head deeper onto his cock. You started gagging on him reaching down your throat, which made him throw his head back, continuously moving your head back and forth on himself.

"Mhm just like that baby, you're making me feel so good." Lo'ak praised you in a raspy voice before biting his lower lip. He was so close, and it got him even closer when he looked back down at you; tears were rolling down your face as his cock disappeared and reappeared at the entrance of your mouth, while you sat seductively in front of him, ass poking out. He let out a load groan as he came into your mouth, eyes rolling back into his head while he continued to bob your head, riding out his high.

He took himself out of your mouth as he kneeled down in front of you, staring at your teary face with a smirk, before leaning into your ear "Swallow it baby, make me happy" he whispered before backing away in front of you once again. You swallowed, never breaking eye contact as you opened your mouth wide for him to see his semen gone. His smirk grew wider, "Good girl." he whispered, before you smiled at him and slammed your lips onto his. He quickly complied to your sudden action, as he held you by your waist, pulling you on top of him while he moved himself to lean back on the wall.

With one swift move, you grabbed the pieces of rope you had placed next to his mat, as you lifted his right arm up, tying his wrist to the knitted branch walls. (i literally don't know what their tents are made of and since they don't have a headboard i gotta use my imagination ykyk) Lo'ak looks at you with pure confusion and shock, his eyebrows furrowing. "Really? Tying the birthday boy up? I think my gift should include touching you." he huffed out, as you smiled cheekily at his frowning and worked on tying his other wrist to the wall. "Hmm, maybe I have a show to put on." you grinned, backing away now that you successfully tied both of Lo'ak's hands to the branch wall behind him, over his head.

He stared deep into you as you sat on your spread open knees, moving your hands from your thighs, to your stomach, over your breasts, and to your neck. He watched your hands touch all over the places he couldn’t, as you started to tug on your top clothing. You smirked at him staring at you, while you removed your top, revealing your breasts to him. He licked his lips, not taking his eyes off of them as you took your left hand and drew circles around your left nipple, shortly before taking your hand down and tugging on your loincloth.

"So unfair" Lo'ak said in a deep voice, as you removed your loincloth, fully exposing your body to him. His open and hanging hands turned into fists when you started to roam your hands from your breasts to your soaking cunt. Fuck, he’d do anything to touch you right now. You bit your lower lip as you started rubbing circles around your clit with your right index and middle finger. Lo'ak moved himself to sit up properly as his already hard on grew bigger, his gaze never leaving your hands working their way on your womanhood. You smirked, and slowly put a finger inside, letting out a moan along with it.

"Baby let me make you feel good, not your finger" you heard Lo'ak say through his clenched jaw, moving his wrists harshly, trying to escape from where he was tied at as you kept thrusting your finger in and out of yourself. You grabbed your left breast with your left hand, moaning louder as you inserted another finger in, your speed gradually increasing along with it. Lo'ak tried to set himself free once again, trying to roughly pull his wrists away, but growled as he failed. "I wanna touch you" he spoke in a low tone, which turned you on even more. You kept moaning at every one of your fingers thrusts as Lo'ak growled out "Fuck".

You were so close to your climax but you stopped yourself, as you wanted Lo'ak to be the one to make you cum. You smirked as you took your fingers out of yourself, crawling onto his lap. He smirked at you, leaning his head back, but never breaking eye contact as you placed yourself on top of him. You lightly sat down on his tip before quickly lifting yourself up again, you were teasing him which led him into growling as he tried to get out of the ropes he was tied in.

You finally fully sat yourself on top of him before lifting yourself up, and repeating. He smirked, biting his lower lip and closing his eyes. "I wanna touch you, let me out of these" he whined out. You leaned in, continuously riding him as you started kissing and sucking all over his neck, making him groan at not being able to touch you. "Please baby, let me out of these, I need to touch you" he pleaded, but you just wrapped your arms around his neck as you slammed your lips onto his.

He kissed back, right before biting your lower lip and entering his tongue into your mouth, dominating it over yours. Eywa, he was so dominant even when he was tied up, it was so hot. You moaned into his mouth as he thrusted his hips into you, reaching deeper in. You smirked against the kiss, as you continued riding him-

You were under him. Moments ago you were on top of him, but now- his hands were next to your head, his body was hovering over you, oh Eywa. You turned your head to the side and saw the ropes you had tied him up with ripped apart, he had let himself out and with the swiftest, most quickest move, gotten you under him. He grinned at your shocked and confused face, "You thought Toruk Makto's son wouldn't be able to escape some ropes?" he stated in a mocking tone, taking his left hand to grab your right, and then left wrists, before placing them on top of your head.

He tightly held both of your hands with his left hand, as he moved himself down to face your exposed breasts. Without another word, he started licking all over your right breast, while sucking on your nipple. You whimpered under him, as he spat on the breast he was occupied with before turning his attention to the other one, now licking and sucking all over it. He was still in you, but wasn't fucking you. "Lo'ak" you whined out, as he left your now swollen breast with a string of saliva attached to his mouth, directing his attention to you and bringing his face in line with yours once again. "Yeah baby?" he asked, responding to you calling his name. "I need you to fuck me, having you in me isn't enough." you replied to his question, as he leaned back on his knees before pounding into you. Hard.

His left hand was still holding the two of yours over your head, as his right hand was holding you still by your hip. He threw his head back as you screamed out his name at the unexpected series of movement. "You like how I'm fucking you, hm?" he asked before licking his lips and sliding his right hand onto your left thigh, pushing it down to reach deeper in you. You nodded at his previous question, trying to calm down the fact that you were a moaning mess, but every one of his thrusts hit so deep in it was impossible to. “Come on baby, use your words. You like how I’m fucking you?” Lo’ak asked once again, as you screamed out “Yes!”.

“Good girl,” he replied to your response while endlessly pounding into you. You felt your previous climax approaching, as he hit right on your g-spot, making you clench around him. "I'm so close Lo'ak, right there yes yes yes!" you screamed out as he continued to thrust onto your g-spot.

He loved the pretty moans coming out of your mouth; it was like music to his ears. He loved how you clenched around him and screamed out his name, it got him closer to his own release. "Mhm me too baby, fuck you're so hot." he panted out, his stamina refilling with your moans as he thrusted in and out faster than ever. He looked at your body, fuck, you were perfect. Your curves, your hair, your tiny waist, everything about you was so perfect to him.

"Lo'ak!" you screamed out, releasing on him as his cock twitched inside of you. "Yeah baby me too," he groaned out as he came inside of you, but took his cock out shortly after to paint all over your stomach and breasts. "Mhm, gonna decorate my birthday gift real nice." he said, biting his lip right after. Lo'ak let go of your hands, as you placed them on his neck, pulling him in and kissing him. He kissed back, and this kiss felt nothing sexual, it just felt like pure love.

You were a panting mess when Lo'ak pulled away, smiling, as he plopped himself down next to you. You snuggled into his rising and falling chest, as he wrapped his arms around you, placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

“You are the best birthday gift I could ever receive." he said after some silence, which got you blushing like the first time he ever confessed. “Kiri’s gift was thoughtful too I’d say” you chuckled out, making him chuckle too. “I guess, maybe. You’re more useful though.” he replied to your previous response, making you place a soft kiss on his lips once again.

--

I dedicate this fic to my bby @henrycavillswifey <33 genuine wifey and I think you deserve good Lo'ak smut 🤭 

Overall I REALLY enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it haha :))

I have some Neteyam requests I'm planning on getting onto soon hehe, and thank you so much on your support on my other fics <33

Until next time,

-dero

[chiriwritesstuff]

The Girl in IT- 8. The Panic! in the Breakroom (Christine's Version)

A Boss! Joel Miller x IT Specialist F! Reader AU

The LIST │ Series Masterlist

Chapter Rating: M

Chapter Summary: Joel and Sugar spend some time apart and have serious conversations about their relationship's future. Everything is about to change...

Chapter Warnings and Tags: No outbreak AU, Boss x Employee Relationship, Sugar Daddy Lite, Reckless Driving, Talks about Periods and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and all of the shitty things that could happen with it including blood loss, miscarriage, and painful pregnancies, Someone gets punched (it's Joel, he gets socked in the face), Sugar takes a backseat as chaos ensues, Badass Ellie Miller, Ellie is going through it, Joel is going through it, Sugar's going through it!, Badass Survivalist Bill to the rescue, There is no smut in this chapter (like at all), no beta we die like men!

Word Count: 8.2 K

A/N: Here it is, the first chapter of my big rework, as I mentioned in this post. If you've read the original posting of this chapter, you know it ended with a surprise pregnancy and a proposal. As much as I know many of you enjoyed that outcome, it was also a departure from my true intentions for Sugar and Joel's relationship timeline, which set off a chain reaction for this story. I was afraid of alienating my readers- I thought by avoiding a darker or more heartbreaking storyline, I wouldn't upset anyone and felt like giving a happy ending to this chapter was the right move. Upon reflection, I started to regret it. Trying to censor myself out of fear of losing readers and not staying true to myself is not the way to go, and I've learned from this lesson.

There is a massive plot change in this chapter. Most of the story is the same, but I have included several pivotal moments with Joel and Sugar that will change the tone of the rest of the series. I do promise that we will be getting our happy ending, just at a different pace. This chapter does have some triggering moments, so please read the tags before reading. I also want to note that chapters 9 and 10 will be completely rewritten. I have set those chapters to private as I continue to rework them, and I hope to get those chapters out promptly before we dive into 'My Wife in IT'. Thank you so much for reading and for sticking around. I really do appreciate it.

"The conference should only be a few days, baby," Joel reassures you, planting a soft kiss on your forehead before disappearing into the walk-in closet to grab a flannel.

As he starts getting dressed, he catches your lingering gaze and teases, "See something you like, baby?" A mischievous smirk plays on his lips as he zips up his jeans.

Unable to resist, you slide out of bed and join him. Wrapping your arms around him from behind, you pout and playfully protest, "Do you really need to go, though?" You reach around him to button up his shirt, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "The bed will feel so empty without you... and it's kind of weird being here alone."

"Well, with Ellie being in the house I bet you'll hardly feel alone, hell, I can just see her attached to your hip the whole time," Joel replies, spinning around and pulling you into the warmth of his broad chest, kissing the top of your head. "You won't even notice I'm gone when she's around, she'll keep you on your toes plenty."

"Have you spent time with Ellie lately? You know anything could happen when she's around."

Joel smirks, "You've got a point there. I still need to fix the oven from her latest kitchen mishap. But hey, don't stress. If you bring Sir Bubbles along, she'll be entertained for days. It's like she's more attached to him than she is to both of us combined."

"But do you have to go, Joel?" you protest once more, "I'm sure Tommy can handle things; he's a big boy."

Joel raises an intrigued eyebrow. "Bigger than me, Mami?" he murmurs, giving you a little pout.  

"No one is bigger than you, Papi," you tease, giving him a wink. Gazing up at the ceiling, a sudden wave of unease twists your expression. You find yourself clutching at your middle, groaning slightly in pain.

"Baby? Are you okay?" Joel is suddenly at your side, his face etched with concern. He pushes your hair out of your face, giving you a small smile.  

"I don't want to call it, but I think my period is coming," you reply sadly. 

"You would think with all of the times we've tried to get pregnant, surely it would take," you sigh, frowning as you stare at the ceiling, not wanting to face Joel and his disappointment. "I'm sorry, Papi."

"Why are you apologizing to me, Sugar? We have all the time in the world! Besides, I'm loving all of the attempts," he wiggles his eyebrows, pressing a kiss on your forehead. I'm more concerned about your health than anything else, okay?"

"Okay. I'm just worried because we're not getting any younger, and I don't think your knees can handle chasing a toddler," You tease, pulling him into a slow and languid kiss.  

"I'll have you know, all of this sex we've been having has given me a new lease on life, I haven't worked out so much in my damn life! I'm in my prime, baby." Joel runs a hand through his hair as he walks over to the bedroom door, scanning the hallway for Ellie. He turns back to look at you on the bed. "Promise me you'll see a doctor if you get any worse?"

"I can't make any promises-"

"Sugar, I'm serious. If you start to get worse, you call Ellie and have her take you to the doctor. I mean it, baby. Please. Just put my mind at ease, okay?"  

"Okay."

"Ellie!" Joel's voice echoes down the hallway. "Come here for a second!"

"Yeah?" Ellie pops her head out of her bedroom door. "Are you heading out now?" She strolls out, securing her hair into a ponytail as she settles beside you on Joel's bed. "Hey, why don't we swing by your place after the old man leaves to pick up my buddy? I can't wait for Sir Bubbles to see his new cat jungle!"

You flinch slightly, adjusting into a seated position next to Ellie. "Sure thing. We can grab some lunch on the way, too."

Joel clears his throat, retrieving something from his dresser and handing it to you with a smile. "I've been meaning to give this to you sooner, but since I'm leaving for a few days-"

You open the envelope he hands you, eyes widening at the realization that he's giving you an American Express card that matches his, your name etched onto the metal surface. "Woah, Joel, I don't think this is necessary-"

"If you're going to be spending time under this roof while I'm gone, I don't want you using your own money for things like groceries and necessities, especially if it's for you and Ellie. Use this card while I'm away; go to the mall and go wild," he glances at Ellie, who grins conspiratorially. "But no more guitars, Ellie. Not after the last time."

"How was I supposed to know the guitar was $10,000? The one in your office is twice the amount, I swear!" Ellie groans, knocking her shoulder against yours. "I'm sure Sugar will keep me in check, you have nothing to worry about, old man!"

"Hey, are you ready yet, asshole?" Tommy's voice suddenly booms from the front door. "We needed to head to Waco ten minutes ago!" he exclaims.

Joel sticks his head out of his bedroom door. "Yeah, just give me a damn second!" Grabbing his weekender duffle, he presses a kiss on your cheek. "Okay baby, I need to go. I'll see you in two days, okay?"

"Okay," you reply with a smile, pulling him into a kiss. "... and don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen to me, okay? Promise."

"Reservation for Miller," Joel tells the hotel receptionist, retrieving his wallet from his back pocket to produce his Amex. "It should be under Joel Miller."

"Welcome back Mr. Miller!" The receptionist beams, tapping away at her computer. "Let me just pull up your reservation. Give me a moment... Ah, yes, reservation for Joel Miller, one room, two keys."

"Wait, hold on," Tommy interjects, nudging Joel aside. "What do you mean one room?"

"The reservation for Miller only indicates one room," the receptionist replies with a sweet smile, her head cocked to one side.

"Well, there must be some mistake, miss." Joel's brows furrow with concern.

The receptionist glances at the screen, her brow furrowing slightly. "I apologize for any confusion, but that's how it's listed in our system. One room, two keys for Mr. Joel Miller."

Tommy exchanges a perplexed look with Joel, a touch of frustration evident. "Look, we need two separate rooms. Must've been a mix-up. Can you check again or maybe offer us an additional room?"

The receptionist hesitates for a moment before typing away on her keyboard. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Let me see if there's anything available." After a brief pause, she looks up. "I'm afraid we're fully booked tonight, with the conference and all, and the reservation is for a single room. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"Please tell me there's at least a cot or a pull-out couch in the room," Tommy groans, shaking his head.

The Receptionist hesitates, giggling awkwardly. "Well, there's a king-size bed? I guess it's pretty spacious?" 

Joel and Tommy exchange glances, silently communicating their dissatisfaction with the situation. "Alright, fine," Joel concedes with a sigh. "We'll make do with what we have. But this better not become a habit."

The receptionist offers an apologetic smile. "I assure you, Mr. Miller, we'll do our best to make your stay enjoyable. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."

Joel and Tommy head towards the elevator, resigned to share a room for the night. As they walk away, Joel mutters to Tommy, "We'll sort this out tomorrow. Let's just get some rest for now."

"I guess it'll be like old times, brother, sharing a room and all," Tommy grunts. "I swear, if you snuggle up with me or fart in the sheets, I'll punch you right in the balls."

"If my memory serves me right, weren't you the one sneaking into my bed when things got a bit dicey in the night?" Joel retorts, arching an eyebrow while casually checking his emails on his iPhone. "Oh, Joel, I'm so scared of the boogeyman, can I sleep with you tonight?!" he imitates in an attempt at a childish voice, smirking.  

"It's really gonna be like that, huh? You're gonna play that card? What about that time after we watched 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'? Weren't you begging Mama to let you sleep in her bed, thinking Freddy's gonna suck you up from your bed like Johnny Depp? Am I gonna wake up to you screaming?"

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Tommy, you ass-" The elevator dings to their floor, a family staring back at them. Tommy clears his throat, navigating around the family, shooting Joel a look as he heads to the room. "Evenin'," Joel murmurs, tipping his head to the family. "Excuse me."

Tommy is already in the room by the time Joel casually strolls in, rummaging through the welcome basket the conference organizers had prepared for Joel. "Well, it's nice of you to grace us with your presence, 'Mr. Austin's Entrepreneur of the Year 2023,'" he teases, extracting a bottle of Johnny Walker. "At least they give you the decent shit." Taking a swig straight from the bottle, he hands it over to Joel.

"Nah, I'm not drinking tonight," Joel murmurs, dropping his weekender unceremoniously on the floor as he plops onto the bed, pinching the space between his eyebrows. "I want to stay sober just in case Sugar calls me."

Tommy takes another swig, settling on the couch beside the window with a view of the city of Waco. "I noticed that she was looking a bit pale. Something going on?"

"She told me that she's about to start her period, I'm assuming that they can be quite an ordeal," Joel muses, glancing at his phone screen displaying a photo of you and him at your birthday dinner. A smile creeps across his face as he observes the image, capturing the moment when you kissed his cheek while he smiled at the camera. "I just have a really weird feeling like something's wrong," he groans, stretching his back onto the mattress.

"Well, Sugar's a big girl; I'm sure she'll be okay. Hell, I know how periods go, with Maria and all. Maybe I'll have her check in just in case." Tommy looks out of the window. "This is nice, you know. The two of us. Feels like it's been ages since we've done something like this."

"That's because the last time we were like this, it was your bachelor weekend in Vegas, and you ditched me and fucked off on some strip club crawl with your friends," Joel chides. "Then you had the fucking audacity to crawl into my bed, only to throw up on me in the middle of the night."

"I told you I was sorry! Shit, you could have come out with us, but you were still hung up on Sugar, even then. I don't know if that girl knows just how much you've loved her all these years."

"All that matters is she knows how much I love her now. Besides, I think it's only a matter of time before I ask her to marry me," Joel muses, revealing a ring from his jeans pocket.

Tommy's eyes widen at the sight of the diamond ring, whistling. "Shit, Joel, you're serious. How many carats is that puppy?"

"Just about 2 carats. Do you think she'll like it?" Joel asks nervously.

"I think she would say yes even without that rock; the girl's been crazy about you."

"I'm scared shitless, to be honest," Joel murmurs. "Never would have thought I would be put in this situation again, getting married and all... wondering if it's the right thing to do since my first marriage crashed and burned."

"Well, it's not like you married for love the first time around," Tommy muses, taking another swig.

"Now I have a second lease on life, time to get married for real. For love, this time."

"So, you get the girl, you ask her to marry you. But what about after that?" Tommy asks, taking another swig of Jimmy Bean. "... are you guys planning on having any kids? Do you want any more kids? You're not getting any younger, brother. Surely you don't want to be chasing some toddler when you're pushing 60-"

"I mean, we talked about the prospect of having kids, Sugar's only 36. I'm not gonna deny her of something she may want because I'm older than her." Joel responds with a heavy sigh. "Truthfully, I would give her anything she wanted, no questions asked... but sometimes I think to myself, what about our kids? I don't want to die before they become adults, you know?"

"... but is kids something that she wants? Sugar's a beautiful woman, surely if she wanted a family, she would have already gotten one, you know?" Tommy muses, chuckling to himself. "Maybe she would have gotten her head out of her ass sooner and sought you out beforehand."

"What are you trying to say, Tommy?"

"I'm saying, maybe before you ask her to marry you, you both have all of your cards on the table, brother."

"What if she wants kids, though? What if she wants a family, and I'm too old to give it to her? I don't want to lose her, I can't lose her. Not when I've just gotten her. I didn't work hard for these last ten years only for me to lose the girl because I can't give her what she wants."

"I have a feeling you don't have to worry about losing her, Joel. I do think that you should talk to her, at least."

Joel nods, a knot forming in his stomach as he contemplates Tommy's words. "Yeah, you're right. I need to have an honest conversation with Sugar about this. I owe her that much."

Tommy claps Joel on the shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "She loves you, man. Just be open and honest with her, and I'm sure you two will figure it out together."

"Yeah, I hope so," Joel murmurs, a mixture of determination and anxiety swirling within him.

"So, what's the plan for dinner tonight?" Ellie asks, idly toying with Sir Bubbles by the towering cat tree in the family room. "I was thinking of whipping up some homemade Hot Pockets. I saw Sam snacking on them the other day, and they smelled divine!"

"You know, Ellie, you could just buy them at Randalls for $2 instead of going through the trouble of making them."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" She grabs her phone, tapping away at Safari. "I found a great recipe that seems easy enough! Why don't we head to Randalls and grab the ingredients I need?"

"The whole beauty of Hot Pockets is the convenience," you groan, shifting on the sofa while flipping through channels. You wince as you manage to sit up. "You're not one to do things half-assed, are you?"

"I'm a Miller; we don't do things halfway. We must embrace chaos in all its glory, you know?" She glances at you from the corner of her eye, frowning at your pained form. "Are you sure you're okay? You look really uncomfortable sitting there."

You offer her a small smile through the discomfort. "Yeah, I'm just fine. It's that time of the month for me, always a bit uncomfortable."

Ellie nods in agreement. "Yeah, I hate it when I have my period. The cramps, especially! How do you deal with it? Midol?"

"Well, I have a condition that makes periods hell for me," you admit. 

"PCOS is a beast I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It's like period symptoms on steroids, honestly. Bad cramps, nausea, heavy period flow, the whole nine yards and then some."

Ellie frowns at that. "How long have you had PCOS?"

"Since my mid-twenties?" you muse, scrolling through your phone. "It's been a while, that's for sure."

"Bullshit! That's like a decade! How can you deal with such painful periods like that every month? I would be yelling at the doctors to rip my uterus out!" Ellie pets Sir Bubbles, her face deep in thought. "I heard that women who have PCOS have a hard time conceiving. Is that why you haven't had any kids yet?"

You snort. "Yeah, well, I haven't been trying to have kids, either."

"But I bet it's different now that you're with Joel, huh? I bet he's been wanting to knock you up since you agreed to be with him," she smirks. "I mean, for someone who built his own house, you'd think he would insulate the walls a little more, make it more soundproof-"

"Ellie-" you grit through your teeth, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"What? I know it's just human nature to want to be intimate with your partner-"

"Ellie, deciding to have kids is a big step in any relationship. It's something that changes your life forever."

"...and is that something you want, Sugar? To have kids?"

"I don't know what I want, really," you respond truthfully, shrugging. "I never really allowed myself to think about the future like this before, and now that I'm with Joel... it's making me question whether or not I would be a good mother. I... I didn't grow up in the most nurturing home when I was a kid, but I do remember promising myself that if I were to have any kids, I wouldn't raise them the way my parents did."

"That's understandable," Ellie quips thoughtfully, settling herself into the couch as she faces you. "I don't think I would ever want kids. It seems so freaking scary and overwhelming; I can't fathom the kind of pressure you're feeling about it. Have you talked to Joel about this?"

"We've talked about it," you admit, the weight of uncertainty evident in your voice. "I don't know if he wants kids, but I'm just not sure if I'm ready. I don't know if I'll ever be ready, you know? I'm scared of disappointing him. What if he sees it as a deal-breaker?"

Ellie nods sympathetically, her demeanor softening. "I get it, Sugar. It's a tough spot to be in. But Joel loves you for you, not for whether you want kids or not. And if he's the right guy, he'll understand your concerns and respect your feelings. Joel's a lot, but I know that this man would do anything for you. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Trust me, I live with the guy."

You exhale slowly, feeling a bit lighter with Ellie's reassurance. "Thanks, Ellie. I guess I need to talk to Joel and figure things out."

"Exactly," Ellie responds with a hopeful smile. "Communication is key. Just be honest with him, and who knows? Maybe you two can find a way through this together."

"You know, you're pretty wise for a little shit, but I do appreciate the words of wisdom, Ellie Bellie. Maybe you're not so bad after all," you tease, a chuckle escaping your lips. "Thanks for the armchair therapy. Should we get a move on to buy the ingredients for these hot pockets of yours?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ellie sighs. "We might as well head to Target, so we can get some Midol too. Grab your key; I'm driving! Can't have you navigating these streets in your condition. Plus, I've been meaning to take the Tessie out on a joyride!"

The next morning, you wake up to find blood on the sheets. Panic grips you as a sharp, stabbing pain surges through your lower body, causing you to double over in agony. You suppress tears as you carefully slip out of Joel's bed, realizing that your flow was so heavy it soaked through to the mattress. Gathering the sheets, you remove your stained pajamas and underwear, wrapping yourself in a towel to avoid waking Ellie down the hall.

On tiptoes, you make your way to the laundry room, groaning with each step. After depositing the soiled linens and clothes into the wash, you hobble back to Joel's bedroom. Sighing, you enter the bathroom and draw a hot bath. Glancing at your phone, it's 5:34 am. You meet your reflection in the mirror, eyes widening at the sight—your skin is pale and clammy. Quickly splashing water on your face, you try to shake off the discomfort.

You recall your recent FaceTime with Joel. You remember the sadness and concern in his eyes as he saw your pain. It's not like any period you've experienced before.

"Baby, I really think you should go to the ER," he pleads. "Wake Ellie up, have her take you-"

"It's just my period, Joel," you assure him, smiling through the pain to ease his worry. "Sometimes they get really bad, maybe this time is one of those times."

"I just wish you wouldn't be so stubborn, Mami. This is really concerning, maybe I should drive back-"

"I just think I should sleep it off. If it's not any better, I'll go to the hospital, okay? Sleep makes everything better," you promise, knowing your stubbornness may hold true. It's not new to you, but how is Joel to know?

"I wish I could keep you on FaceTime all night, just to make sure you're okay, but I don't want to keep you up with all of Tommy's snoring-"

"I'll be fine, baby, don't worry. You have a big day tomorrow, Austin's Entrepreneur of the Year," you tease, hoping to divert the conversation. "I love you so much, Papi. I wish you were here with me."

"I wish I was too, baby," Joel smiles. "Call me tomorrow? And please, if it doesn't get any better-"

"... I'll go straight to the doctor. I promise."

"Hey, Sugar, you don't look too hot."

"I'm fine, Ellie. Just a little headache," you assure her, managing a weak smile while holding up your Owala water bottle. "Probably just dehydrated, nothing a little water can't fix. I also got my period last night, and it always gives me problems. It's just a bit heavier than usual."

Ellie eyes you with concern. "Maybe it's time we get it checked out. Joel did say-"

"I know, Ellie, but I'm already behind on my reports, and Tess will flip if I don't finish them by the end of the day. I'll tough it out. If it gets worse, I promise I'll get myself checked out. I'll even let you drive me there, okay? Let's just keep this between us for now. I wouldn't want to bother Joel by being a baby about period cramps."

"Well, could you at least try to eat something? I swear the last time I saw you eat was yesterday. Joel's gonna kill me if something happens to you, and I really don't need that kind of stress right now. Not before the apprentice exam," Ellie urges, sliding her glass container into the microwave. "Besides, you can try out the Hot Pockets we made last night!"

"Isn't this supposed to be the other way around? I'm the adult in this equation; I should be looking over you, not the other way around," you chuckle. "What would Joel say if he saw us right now?"

"He would give us his best frowny face and bridal carry you out of here, taking you to the doctor," she replies, taking the seat across from you. "I'm not lying when I tell you that you look sick as hell. You should be at home, resting! I'm really worried about you, Sugar. For real this time. You need to at least eat something so you don't pass out!"

She places one of her creations on a plate, presenting it in front of you with a flourish as she begins to devour her own, inhaling it in a few bites. "Damn, that was good," she exclaims to herself, leaning back in her chair, taking a sip of her Baja Blast. "Come on, Sugar," she pleads, "Eat!"

You take a deep breath as you eye the hot pocket, your stomach churning at the overwhelming smell. With a hesitant smile, you lift it off your plate, taking a small, careful bite to avoid offending Ellie. "Mmm," you say softly, placing it back onto your plate. "You really outdid yourself this time, Ellie!" you commend, pushing the plate away. However, the effort to conceal your discomfort becomes futile as your head starts to spin when you attempt to stand.

Ellie's eyes widen as she quickly rises from her seat. "Sugar-"

"Ellie, I'll be right-"

Before you can reach the door, everything turns black.

"Sugar!" Ellie screams, dropping to her knees as she attempts to lift you, panic evident in her voice. "Somebody, help!"

Bill bursts through the door in an instant, his eyes wild as he assesses the situation. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't know!" Ellie exclaims, cradling your head in her lap as tears stream down her face. "She wasn't looking too good, so I gave her a hot pocket, and she took one bite and fainted! What am I going to do? Joel's going to freak!"

"Bill?" Frank calls out as he enters the breakroom. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Frank," he says calmly, "Call 911. Tell them that someone passed out." He turns his attention back to Ellie, his eyes focused. "Ellie, do you know if she hit her head?" Ellie is frozen in place, her breathing erratic, the weight of the situation settling in.

"Ellie!" Bill shouts, trying to maintain control. "Focus! Did she hit her head or not?"

"I don't know!" she says shakily, her hands trembling. "Everything happened so fast!"

"Bill," Frank says uneasily, "She's bleeding," he points to your lower body, his eyes widening in fear. "It's a lot of blood, fuck, is she... what if-"

"Fuck this!" Bill mutters, urgency in his voice as he picks up your limp body. "Frank, get the van, we need to go to the hospital, NOW." He looks over at Ellie, who is crying uncontrollably. "Ellie, call Joel."

"But Sugar begged me not to call Joel-"

"Joel won't forgive you if you keep him in the dark. Get him on the phone, NOW," he commands, darting towards the door behind Frank. "... and pick up the pace! You're coming with us!"

Ellie grabs her phone from her back pocket, her hands shaking as she scrambles to call Joel. She curses as it goes straight to voicemail. "He's not answering! It's going straight to voicemail-"

"THEN CALL TOMMY, ELLIE!" he shouts as Frank parks near the entrance, engine still running. He hurries out of the driver's seat, opening the back door. "Ellie, sit here! I need you to elevate her head!" 

Ellie jumps into the car, phone in hand. Bill gently places you in the van, positioning your head across Ellie's lap. "Keep it elevated, okay?" Ellie nods, looking at you with concern. "Do you think she's going to be okay?" she whispers, placing a hand on your cheek. "This is all my fault-"

"Ellie," Bill says, heading toward the driver's seat. "This is not the time for that," he steps on the gas, swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle. "Put Tommy on the phone, now!"

Ellie fumbles with her phone, quickly dialing Tommy's number. As the line rings, Bill navigates the van through the chaotic streets, tension thick in the air.

"Come on, Tommy, pick up," Ellie mutters anxiously, glancing at you still cradled in her lap. After a few tense moments, Tommy's voice crackles through the phone.  

"Ellie? What's happening?"

"It's Sugar. We're on our way to the hospital. Something's wrong," Ellie replies, her voice shaky. "I tried to call Joel but it's going straight to voicemail! Could you put him on the line? Please!"

"Shit, Ellie-" Tommy stammers, "He's about to go on stage-"

"What's going on?" Joel notices Tommy's unease. "Who is it?"

Tommy hesitates as he puts the phone on speaker. "It's Ellie, something's happened at the office-"

"Joel? Dad?" Ellie cries, her voice quivering.

"Ellie? Baby girl, what's wrong?" Joel asks worriedly, peering out to the stage as the emcee begins. "Baby, what's going on?!"

"It's Sugar, something happened at lunch-" she sobs, looking down at your pale form.

Tommy's eyes widen as he witnesses Joel's demeanor change rapidly. "Ellie, what happened to Sugar?" he soothes, trying to get her to calm down through her sobs. "Come on baby, breathe-"

"She passed out at work! I know, she shouldn't have gone in, but she swore that she was fine! I tried to get her to eat something and she looked sick all of a sudden... and then she was on the ground, bleeding! It all happened so fast, I swear! I'm so sorry, Dad! It's all my fault!" she cries.

"Joel," Bill cuts in, honking as he narrowly misses a car he overtakes. "I'm heading over to Austin General, ETA 2 minutes. She's lost a lot of blood." He runs a red light, a barrage of horns erupting from the maneuver. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to get her there."

"You're driving her there? Why didn't you call 911?" Joel demands.

"They would have taken too long, Joel. Minutes we do not have. Trust me, I'll get her there faster than they could," Bill hesitates. "Joel, I think she's-" The line cuts off as Ellie's phone dies.  

"BILL? ELLIE??!" Joel screams into the phone frantically as he runs his hand through his hair. He tries to call Ellie back, only to be met with voicemail. "Fuck!" he shouts, trying to call Bill. "Why aren't they answering?"

"Joel, you're gonna have to tell me what the fuck is going on-"

"Sugar collapsed at work. They're on their way to Austin General now. Grab your shit, we're leaving."

[and it's with my great pleasure to introduce you to our keynote speaker and Austin's Entrepreneur of the Year, Joel Miller!]

"Okay Mr. Miller," the assistant interrupts, hand on his earpiece. "You're up!"

"I have a family emergency, I need to leave," Joel replies, attempting to make a quick exit.

"No can do, Mr. Miller; it's your turn!" The assistant insists, pushing Joel towards the door.

"Are you deaf?!" Joel shouts, forcefully removing the assistant's hands from him. "I already told you, my wife is being taken to the hospital right now-"

"Just get on stage, say your piece for five minutes, and then you can go straight to the hospital," the assistant insists, shoving Joel towards the door, unfazed.

Joel's frustration boils over, and he shoves the assistant back, his anger reaching its peak. "Listen, I don't give a damn about your schedule! My wife needs me, and I'm not wasting another second here!"

The assistant, angered by Joel's defiance, clenches his fists. "You're not going anywhere until you fulfill your obligations. This is important!"

"Joel, we don't have time for this!" Tommy grits, glaring at the assistant. "If we leave now, we can miss the rush on 1-35."

The assistant grabs Joel's forearm, pulling him as he makes his way towards the door that leads to the stage. "You're getting on that stage, give your fucking speech, and then you can fuck off and get to your little wife-"

Joel pulls himself out of his grasp. "Are you fucking kidding me? Don't put your hands on me!"  

The man glares at Joel. "Look asshole, we fucking paid for you to come here, and you're not going to make some half-assed excuse about your sick wife-"

Joel's patience snaps, and he throws a punch, hitting the guy square in the face. "Don't talk about my wife like that!"

"Fuck! You broke my fucking nose!" he shouts, tackling Joel to the ground. He manages to land one good punch before Tommy intervenes, pulling the man off of him and shoving him to the ground. "What the fuck is your problem, man?" he yells as he tries to get up.  

"Joel, are you okay? Come on, let's get the fuck out of here before they call someone!" Tommy hoists Joel onto his feet, his lip split and a bruise forming on his cheek. They run towards the parking garage, Tommy throwing his keys at Joel as they jump in, peeling out of the parking stall. At the corner of Joel's eyes, he sees security guards running along the lot, searching for them.  

"Stop!" one of the guards yells, trying to block the truck at the exit. Joel swerves around, narrowly avoiding the guard as they pass the parking attendant booth. He hits the gas, driving through the parking arms, pieces flying over the dashboard as they merge onto the main road. "Joel, think they'll chase us?" Tommy asks, the tension thick as they speed away. "I don't think Maria will appreciate watching us on a high-speed chase on the evening news-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tommy!" Joel cuts him off, navigating towards the freeway out of Waco, heading to Austin. "Just let me fucking concentrate on the road!"

"Slow down, Joel! Dying on the way there won't help anyone!" Tommy yells as Joel narrowly avoids a car while speeding down the freeway. Fortunately, no police cars are chasing them as they make their way towards Austin. "I can't believe that guy wanted to fight you, and you just started throwing punches!"

"Tommy, not now," Joel grits his teeth, gripping the wheel tightly. "I knew I should've stayed home. If I were there, then-"

Tommy's phone rings, displaying Sarah's face on the screen. He answers the Facetime call, and Sarah's concerned face fills the screen. "Where are you guys?" she asks nervously. "Ellie's phone died, but the hospital just called asking for information. You're her emergency contact, Dad."

"Do you know what's going on?" Joel inquires as he navigates down the freeway. "I don't have my phone, but we're on I-35 right now, should be there in about 30 minutes."

"They can't release any information because we're not family," she says hesitantly. "I'm legally supposed to call her parents, but-"

"You can't call them, Baby. She wouldn't want them there. Tell them she's my wife, and I'm on my way," Joel insists.

"Dad, I don't think we should lie about that-" Sarah expresses her concern.

"I'm all she has, baby. I can't be kept in the dark. Were you there when it happened?"

"No, but Dad, she was bleeding. There was a lot of blood-"

"Damn it!" Joel slams his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes wide as he overtakes a few cars, stepping on the gas. "I should've followed my gut and stayed home. She was already in pain when I left yesterday!"

"Well, speeding down the freeway isn't helping, Dad!" Sarah shouts through the phone. "We're all concerned for Sugar, not just you. I sent Tess to the hospital to bring chargers and Bill and Frank's phones. I need you to relax; it's not going to help her if you two get into an accident!"

"I can't help it, baby girl. I love her, and it's hard to think straight. All I'm thinking about is how scared I am. I can't lose her. I've already known how it feels losing her all these years; I don't think I can survive a second time."

"I know, Dad," Sarah replies. "Just get to her in one piece, okay? I'll let you know if I hear anything back."

"What do you mean I can't go in with her?" Ellie groans, attempting to keep pace with the gurney as they rush you down the hallway towards a room, with Bill and Frank following behind.

The doctor raises an eyebrow at her. "Are you her family?"

"She's my sister!" Ellie asserts. "I was adopted by her family!"

"Doctor," the nurse interjects urgently. "She's lost a lot of blood; she's going to need a transfusion... she might be in the middle of a hemorrhage-"

"If you know she needs a transfusion, then what are you waiting for?"

"The patient has O Negative, and we don't have any on hand-"

"I have O Negative!" Ellie tells the nurse, showing her wrist. "I found out my blood type after an accident as a kid. Take it from me, please!"

The doctor eyes Ellie warily. "... and you're sure she's your sister?"

"Not by blood, but by heart. Please, doctor. She's important to me, and I know she would do the same for me in a heartbeat," Ellie pleads.

The doctor sighs, nodding his head in agreement. "Fine, if you say that she's your sister, then I'll just take your word for it. Nurse, prep her for a blood draw. She's a match."

"Hey! You can't park here!" The hospital security guard shouts as Joel and Tommy hastily exit the car, leaving it right outside the ER. Joel sprints through the hospital, Tommy trailing behind him. He reaches the receptionist's stand, his chest heaving. "Where is she? Where is my wife?!" he demands, attempting to jump over the partition, with Tommy trying to hold him back.

"Sir, I'm going to need you to calm down," the receptionist replies, glaring at both of them. "I'm going to need a name."

Joel hesitates but states your first name, adding 'Miller' as your last. Tommy shoots him a look, signaling the obvious lie, but Joel gives him a warning glare. The receptionist's eyes narrow at Joel. "She was just brought in 20 minutes ago. She's currently under observation but will be put in a room soon. Should be room 203. You can wait for her if you'd like."

Joel breathes a sigh of relief. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"I don't, but the attending Doctor should be with her. He could answer any of your questions," she hands him a clipboard. "I'm going to need you to fill this out for me with her information, and then you can head down the hall and take a left. Her room should be a few doors down that corridor." She assesses his disheveled state. "Sir, are you needing assistance as well?"

"I'm fine," Joel dismisses her as he fills out the form. He takes out his Amex and hands it to the receptionist. "I don't have her insurance card, but please put all charges on this card."

The receptionist's eyes widen at the color of his Amex. "Certainly, sir."

Joel strides down the hallway towards room 203, catching a glimpse of Ellie in the room adjacent to yours, a nurse tending to her bandaged wrist. His heart lurches at the sight, but he pushes the worry aside for the moment. As he approaches your room, he sees Bill and Frank sitting on a nearby bench, their expressions heavy with concern. Frank rests his head on Bill's shoulder, a distant sadness clouding his eyes.

"Bill!" Joel's voice echoes in the hallway. "Thank you for bringing her here!" He notices their somber demeanor and furrows his brow. "What happened-"

Bill hesitates, his gaze flickering with reluctance. "Joel, I think it's best if you go inside and talk to the doctor," he suggests softly, his voice strained with emotion. "He'll be able to explain everything to you." He offers a weak smile, though it fails to mask the worry etched on his face. "Frank and I are gonna head back to the office, alright?"

"Yeah," Joel stammers, nodding. "Thanks again, Bill... for everything."

"Anytime, Joel," Bill responds, his eyes watery. "Take care of her, okay? She's gonna need you."

Joel's stomach churns with apprehension, but he nods in understanding. With a final glance at Bill and Frank, he takes a deep breath and steps into your room, steeling himself for whatever news awaits him. He nods as he walks into your hospital room, audibly gasping at the sight of you, unconscious. A doctor is tending to you, engaged in conversation with a nurse. He turns around at the sound of the gasp.

"Mr. Miller, I presume?"

"What's going on with her, Doc?" Joel asks, his face reflecting a mix of worry and tears.

The doctor eyes Joel silently, a heavy sigh escaping from his chest.  

"Why are you not telling me anything? She's my wife-"

The doctor, catching on to Joel's distress, gives a serious look. "Mr. Miller, let's maintain a level of seriousness here."

"But she's practically my wife! I'd give my life for her, you understand? Please, man to man, wouldn't you do the same for someone you love?" he pleads, Tommy, looking away from his brother to keep himself from breaking down.  

The doctor, unyielding, emphasizes, "We have legal protocols to safeguard those who can't speak for themselves. I can't divulge information to just anyone; there are procedures that must be followed for the well-being of the patient."

"Well, what can you tell me, then?" Joel's voice wavers as he pleads with the doctor. "I'm in the dark here, doctor. Please," Joel begs. "Just give me something. Tell me she's going to be okay."

The doctor takes a deep breath before delivering the news, "She was pregnant, Mr. Miller. She has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and is anemic. Due to significant blood loss, we had to perform a blood transfusion. Luckily, someone who accompanied her was a match."

Joel's heart sinks as the words hit him like a ton of bricks. "Was? So, Sugar and the baby... Are they okay?"

The doctor's demeanor shifts, his eyes reflecting a mix of empathy and gravity. "Mr. Miller," he begins cautiously, "Sugar lost a lot of blood during the procedure. She was suffering from a hemorrhage and was going into shock. I did everything in my power to save them both, but... I'm sorry, Mr. Miller. The baby didn't make it. Sugar almost didn't make it out herself. Without that blood transfusion-" He trails off, the weight of the situation hanging heavy in the air.  

"Ellie..." Joel whispers, realization dawning on him as he connects the dots. "That's why she's bandaged up?"

The doctor leans in, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. "Yes," he confirms, his tone somber. "What we did was highly unethical and illegal. I don't appreciate being lied to, but your daughter's quick thinking saved Sugar's life. Despite the miscarriage, Ellie's actions kept Sugar alive. It was incredibly brave of her. I'm willing to keep this between us if any issues arise. Sugar is still with us because of her. That girl has nerves of steel," he chuckles softly, his gaze distant with memories. "Reminds me of my daughter. Us fathers need to stick together, right?"

Joel nods, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on you lying on the hospital bed. "I knew something was wrong... I should have stayed back. I can't imagine the pain she must have been in-"

"Unfortunately, this is highly common for women with her condition," the doctor interjects, his tone gentle yet matter-of-fact. "As much as we can dwell on the what-ifs, most times the baby won't make it past the first trimester. It does give us a little hope that she was able to conceive to begin with. Have you two been trying long?"

Joel's shoulders sag slightly at the doctor's words, a mixture of grief and understanding washing over him. "We've spoken about it, but only decided to try recently," he admits, his voice tinged with sadness. "But we never imagined it would end like this."

The doctor offers a sympathetic nod, his expression reflecting empathy. "I'm sorry for your loss, Joel. Losing a child is never easy, but please know that you're not alone in this. If either of you need support or someone to talk to, we have resources available. I want to have Sugar spend a day or two here, just to make sure her blood count gets back to normal. You're welcome to stay as long as you need to, okay? I'll make sure of it."

Joel manages a faint smile, grateful for the doctor's compassion. "Thank you," he murmurs, his gaze drifting back to you, his heart heavy with sorrow yet filled with love and determination. 

The doctor nods, glancing at Joel's disheveled appearance and the split lip. "I can get someone to fix that for you if you'd like. Waking up to see you like this might frighten Sugar. You must have been through hell to get here."

"Pretty much," Tommy says sadly, his eyes filled with tears. "Thank you for saving Sugar, doc. We really owe you one."

The doctor nods. "Yeah, well, thank your little girl; she's the real hero today." He gestures behind Tommy and Joel. Ellie stands at the doorway, nervously fiddling with the bandage on her wrist. Giving Joel one last nod, the doctor makes his way to the door, giving Ellie a comforting pat on her shoulder as he walks away. Joel turns his attention back to Ellie, a sad look on his face as he tries not to lose his shit in front of his brother and his daughter.  

"Ellie-" he starts, his voice shaky. "Baby-"

"Oh, it was nothing, you know, just another day at the office," she casually says, downplaying herself. "Besides, she's family, and we do anything for family." 

"You're damn right we do," Tommy boasts, pulling Ellie into a side hug. "You saved the day, Girlie."

"You sure did," Joel cries, pulling her into a tight hug, his tears soaking into her hair. "You did so good, baby girl. Thank you, thank you, baby."

Ellie hugs Joel back, sobbing into his chest and clinging to his shirt. "I was so scared, Joel. It made me think about what happened with Marlene, and I just froze! If Bill didn't step in, I don't know what would have happened—"

"Ellie—"

"... and I told her that she should tell you. She looked so sick, so I told her that she needed to eat something, and I gave her a hot pocket—"

"A hot pocket?"

"Yeah, we made it last night, and even then, I knew something was up. She was always wincing and flinching in pain, told me that she was on her period—"

"Ellie. She was bleeding out, then. It—" Joel takes her face in his hands, his expression serious. "She was pregnant, baby girl. She has a condition that makes her bleed heavily. Fuck, she must have been in so much pain—"

"Wait," Ellie says, her eyes reflecting shock. "What do you mean, she was pregnant? Does this mean that she lost the baby?" she says solemnly, turning her attention to you. "Joel, I'm so sorry, maybe if I had been more stubborn and firm with her, maybe-"

"Ellie, trust me when I say that none of this was your fault, baby girl," Joel pulls her into his chest as she sobs, his hand soothing her back. "These things happen all the time with women that have the same condition as her. Honestly, I'm just happy that she had you to watch over her, you did everything perfectly, alright? No more tears, baby. Sugar's still here with us, and that's all that matters, okay?"

"Okay," Ellie murmurs into his chest. "Joel, what's going to happen now? are you going to tell her? We need to tell her, right?"  

"Why don't you head back to the office with Tommy and let me worry about that, alright?" Joel responds, sighing as he sits at the edge of your bed. "I think you've had too much excitement for one day, I can talk to her when she wakes up, okay? Don't worry."

Tommy places a comforting hand on Joel's shoulder, pulling him into a side hug. "I'm really sorry, brother. If there's anything you both need, just let me know, okay?"

Joel nods. "Thanks, Tommy."

"Ready to go, Ellie?" Tommy asks, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We better get moving before they tow my truck out front." Ellie nods as they both give you and Joel one last glance, making their way out of your hospital room.

"Let me know if you need me to bring you anything from home, alright?" Ellie tells Joel, giving him one last smile. "Take care of yourself. I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Get some rest, okay?"

Joel looks back at them helplessly as a sob escapes his mouth. He buries his face in his hands, finally allowing himself to fall completely apart. As heartbreaking as the miscarriage is, the thought of losing you at the same time is unbearable. How could he have turned a blind eye to the pain you were going through? How could he have almost lost you, just like that? The guilt and anguish weigh heavily on his shoulders as he grapples with the harsh reality of the situation.

"I'm so sorry, baby," he cries, reaching for your hand. Joel presses a soft kiss on your forehead, his tears falling upon your face. He wipes them away as he settles himself on the seat next to your bed, his eyes never leaving your face as he waits for you to wake up. Every fiber of his being yearns for you to open your eyes, to assure him that you're still here, still fighting alongside him.

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[lunar-years]

The horrifying fandom takes and theories it's generated aside, one of things I really love about Ted Lasso is the way it handles motherhood/babies/the future for its two main female characters. Like, on the one hand is Rebecca who so obviously and vocally has always wanted to be a mother, but married someone who didn't feel the same way and put her own desires aside for his, then had that fact thrown back in her face years later after he's abused and divorced her and gotten another woman pregnant.

A big part of Rebecca's arc is the constant frustration of having to accept the hand life's dealt her even when it's the opposite of everything she'd always wanted for herself. She's someone who wanted to be a wife and wanted to be mother and then finds herself in middle age as neither of those things. Then she makes the decision to pursue it on her own (which was awesome, I love that they showed her going to the fertility clinic and inquiring about whether pregnancy was a possibility for her! there's not way to become a mother!) and then she has to face her inability to get pregnant. And it sucks! but as sad as that is, it's also very...real? And the show doesn't miraculously let her have a miracle pregnancy anyway (like stupider shows would do, tbh), but instead has Rebecca come to terms with herself and her life under its new circumstances. She finds purpose outside of the things she once thought she would be and the roles her younger self assumed she would play as an adult. By the final episode, she's calling Richmond her family! She's realized what she wants most is the stay at the Club. She's come into her own. And then, yeah, there's the little ambiguous opening of Matthijs and his daughter and her possible future there with them--but importantly it isn't the end all to her happiness, anymore. It's a sign that she still has opportunities, just maybe not in the way she first envisioned, that no doors have closed forever and that what she's been looking for might come from unexpected places. there's no timeline!

And then you have Keeley, who's in her 30s and focused on her career and still figuring out how she wants that to look and who she wants to be. And yeah she's dating, and she has a serious onscreen relationship, but the topic of children (or marriage for that matter) never even once comes up! It's not made some big arc about how she doesn't want those things, and it's not some big fight with Roy or a goofy "really, you've never thought about babies?' conversation with Rebecca, it's just never something that's made relevant to her character nor her growth! She's a whole person without those things and she's clearly not actively pursuing them. And these two women with very different goals and wants are completely supportive of one another--it's never even a question :)

I thought both of their storylines in that sense were very refreshing to see on TV and like, comforting? If anything, the discourse it's spawned has been very...eye-opening...about how conditioned people have become to expect traditional marriage and babies storylines from every single female character. But the show doesn't give in to that mentality and instead shows that there's not one way a family has to look and not one way to be a mother and there isn't a set timeline for any of this stuff even if later you change your mind. And then if things don't turn out how you think, it doesn't mean you aren't going to end up with a good life! that was such a good message.