#and tbh even the folks who think he's jealous

[not-poignant]

Sending some questions rom the fic meme, 20, 21 and/or 25 about Palmarosa? Ty

20. What is something you wish more people noticed about this fic?

The tag that says: this is NOT canon compliant. The author's note that says this is isn't canon compliant and adds: "D&D purists enter at your peril." It's always always that I wish the purists would notice that the story is not and is not pretending to be canon compliant.

That. I wish more people noticed that about the fic. The folks who go into FR lore and go 'I bet the author's doing this' and it's like 'I've never heard of that.' Or the folks who are like 'Mephistopheles should be red' and it's like well he has a canonical blue counterpart and also I don't care.

And secondly it's like, I feel like folks set themselves up for disappointment if they miss the tags. I've only ever played one campaign of D&D and it didn't touch Avernus. All I know about vampire spawn and devils comes from BG3 and patchily maintained Wikis. And while I have done a lot of research, I think anyone could say pretty clearly that you can spend a lot of time doing research and still not know a very great deal indeed if you've only ever had limited experience in the world and haven't paid for the canonical materials.

Like I cannot tell you how many people go 'I bet you're doing this because of (X lore I've literally never even heard of)' and it's like anon, I don't even know how to read, I don't go here, blease I beg of you, notice the tags/author's notes.

Folks who expect little cool tricks based off hidden lore in Forbidden Realms canon are going to be extremely disappointed if that's something they're invested in. Like, no. This is a character-driven story where I'm making stuff up that suits the story and the characters. Some stuff is taken from lore, some stuff is invented lore, it's 'whatever works.'

21. What is something you didn't expect people to notice or gravitate towards in this fic?

I didn't actually expect so many people to gravitate towards thinking that Raphael is always jealous when he's punishing or hurting Astarion. That was kind of odd to me, because I don't really think that's how his mind works.

Like I do think he's possessive, but that to me is different. And I think he's possessive because he's Lawful Evil and has a contract with Astarion, so anyone who acts as though they have power over Astarion and the contract, is therefore acting as though they have power over Raphael, which makes him furious. And I do sort of see how people turn that into 'oh he's jealous because Astarion is his' but it's like well, no, it's not really about Astarion as a person at all. It's about the principle of the contract and the threat to his seat of power which is - as we've seen - a threat to his life.

Likewise, he doesn't hurt Astarion or whip Astarion because he's jealous or for any kind of 'relationship' reason, but because he's been lacking in souls, he's weaker than he used to be, he's used to feeding a much broader sadistic appetite, and Astarion was weak and Astarion was there and I suspect he knew and found it very appealing that Astarion would feel betrayed after he'd done a good job and he thought that would lead to better sadistic satisfaction than tormenting someone like Fhaeleb (and he'd be right, as I said in my author's notes, Astarion suffers very prettily).

I guess I'm always kind of surprised how many people folks try to (in retrospect very understandably) attribute predictable human motives to Raphael's actions. Some of his actions are predictable, especially in the context of him being a sadist. But what I find the most fun about writing him, is that his motives are different by and large to many of us.

His core focus is always attaining more power and more souls, and also feeding via sadism, and he will do other things! We know he enjoys other things in life that seem a lot more 'human' and have very little to do with directly attaining power or torturing people, but I also think he's living his best life when he's kind of doing all of it at the same time, lmao, like watching a pornographic play while debauching Astarion, who is both into it and not into it, which creates a low-key delicious anguish that I think Raphael is very into, on the way to getting even more things that he wants, lol.

He's not falling in love with Astarion, although I do also - on the flipside - think he's a bit more human than some people think he is (since killed and resurrected - I've said he's lost his pit fiend form which means now he really is 50% human again), but that'll be talked about in the next chapter.

But it is really interesting watching people kind of like... try and find ways that Raphael works that aligns with what they know of people they've met. And while there is logic to his actions, it's not 'I'm attracted to Astarion so I'm jealous of anyone else touching him' logic. Possession can look a lot like jealousy, but to me they're two different things!

(It's very interesting watching folks either ascribe wholly human motives to all his actions or alternatively, wholly evil and manipulative motives to all his actions, in a very black and white kind of way. I think we see enough of him in the canon to realise that it's not that simple, for a start he's definitely got his own internal ethical compass, and he's also a horrendously sadistic torturer - enough that it goes against canon to have him not be worse to Astarion, which is where the fic is actually most not canon complaint tbh, and I killed him and resurrected him into a weaker form to justify that lmao - and he's just... Imho, to me he resists 'he's doing this' quantification in that he's doing about 10 different things, and some of those things contradict each other, because he's going through a rough time right now. So anyone who's like 'he's doing this one thing' is like... I mean maybe, but he's got these 9 other things going on. But sometimes he's also just not doing that thing at all. Like Raphael is not jealous of Temter, but he certainly finds Temter and amusing sore spot to keep pressing on to make Astarion twist on the hook).

25. Is there anything you would change now about this fic? Why or why not?

Oh definitely not. So far it's going how I'm wanting it to go (considering it has no plan!) :D Idk I'm enjoying writing it, and I don't like to go back and change things once I've committed to them, so it's rare that I actually even consider thoughts like that? I'm not that kind of writer where I go back and think like 'oh I should have done this' or 'I should have done that.'

I'm writing a serial, if there's stuff I think I should have done, I can usually find a way to introduce it later

~

From this meme!

[drvscarlett]

BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM

Alex Albon x Horner!Reader

Summary: Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel may be Christian's favorites. But Y/N Horner has her own favorites.

The Tortured Drivers' Department series

A/N: one of my favorite tracks and i hope i could give it justice. let me know what you folks think

Taglist. @tea-bobba @boiohboii @c-losur3 @haikyuen @stelena-klayley @stinkyjax @0710khj @jinimon-tr

I'll tell you something right now you ain't gotta pray for me Me and my wild boy and all of this wild joy

LittleMissY/N what a fun winter break bonding before the 2019 season starts. aren't we cute #GiveYouButterflyWings

PierreGasly the disrespect, my face is cut off after taking so many photos of you!!!

LittleMissY/N sorry not sorry PierreGasly Seb is also upset that you didn't even include him in that photo. LittleMissY/N tell the man to make an ig first.

MaxVerstappen33 why did the rookie get a solo shot before I did???

LittleMissY/N don't be jealous maxie, atleast you're still in the family mantle MaxVerstappen33 you are not slick Y/N tsk, im telling your dad LittleMissY/N respectfully, fuck off!

Alex_Albon it was nice meeting you Y/N!

LittleMissY/N its so good to meet you too alex :))) PierreGasly suspicious behavior!

User3 enjoy your time out there with the boys!

User5 anyone notices how Y/N is literally teasing everyone and then when it comes to alex she seems shy

User7 I smell a crushhhh User9 be for real, maybe its because alex is a rookie and Y/N didn't bond well with him yet.

LittleMissY/N dad took me to work and not bad for a rookie!

ChristianHorner I'm not taking you to work again

LittleMissY/N don't you miss me?? i thought you missed me ChristianHorner not anymore LittleMissY/N too bad, im applying for a job in f1

PierreGasly are you even watching the race??

LittleMissY/N yeah, you missed the points lmao! PierreGasly i hate you

Alex_Albon not a really good start for me but I'll try better next time!

LittleMissY/N dont stress, you have plenty more opportunities to do well! I'll see you next GP? Alex_Albon of course, I mean I'm being paid to drive that car hahaha LittleMissY/N you're funny PierreGasly are you seeing this MaxVerstappen33 MaxVerstappen33 im dying out of laughter LittleMissY/N I'm gonna pay your mechanics to miss out a few screws

User5 she is so pretty!!! how come she is christian's daughter?

User7 I met her during FP1 and girlie is so in love with a driver

User8 i think we know why Y/N is coming around the races.

Alex_Albon happy to get some points for today! My first in my rookie year!

User2 Amazing job today Alex

User3 Alex Albon, you make us all proud!!!

LittleMissY/N GET IN THERE ALEX!!!!! BLOODY AMAZING!!! SUPERB DRIVE!!!

Alex_Albon thanks Y/N, i can hear you shouting from Red Bull to Toro Rosso LittleMissY/N this is amazing news and everyone has to hear it!!!!!

User5 alex and Y/N are so cuteeee!!! Y/N is so excited for Alex's first points

User7 anyone else ships Y/N and Alex??

F1Fans OOF! Albon suffers a big crash during the practice session in Shanghai. Do we think choosing Albon is the right choice for this season?

User1 nasty crash, too bad that he will be missing qualifying.

User2 c'mon be a little more lenient to the guy, shanghai is a difficult track

User3 should be sacked tbh

User4 why are they allowing albon to drive? he isn't that good.

LittleMissY/N oh get over yourself. i bet you can't even drive an f1 car even if you tried. Drivers crash every now and then, Alex Albon is a fantastic driver that's why Toro Rosso got him. This is just a bad weekend for him but I'm sure he will bounce back for the actual race. User7 my surprise when I realize that its actually Y/N Horner defending Alex Albon's honor User8 we love Y/N in this household.

User9 praying for a better race results for Alex

PierreGasly posted a story...

LittleMissY/N replied: HOW DARE YOUUU???? WHO IS THAT RAT???

LittleMissY/N but tbh thats a genuine reaction. imagine starting from p20 and ending up into p10??? LittleMissY/N OH PIERRE QUIT IGNORING ME! LittleMissY/N i hate you so much

Alex_Albon replied: oh no, what happened to her??

PierreGasly your biggest fan has a bit of a teary moments. She is currently filling up my DMs with how much of an amazing driver you are Alex_Albon that's really nice of Y/N

MaxVerstappen33 replied: man Y/N is down bad

PierreGasly i knowwww MaxVerstappen33 christian just walked in to ask if Y/N has a crush on Alex PierreGasly its so obvioussss MaxVerstappen33 well except for alex lol

GeorgeRussell63 with my best mate Alex_Albon !!

LittleMissY/N Well hello there georgie

GeorgeRussell63 hello miss Y/N Horner, what are you doing around here?? LittleMissY/N just saw you tag alex and figured i should say hi to his bestie GeorgeRussell63 im watching you LittleMissY/N ditto :))

Alex_Albon we look good there!

LittleMissY/N you look extremely handsome there Alex MaxVerstappen33 simppppp LittleMissY/N im gonna crash your car

User5 another bestfriends making it to formula 1 together

User7 its so funny how Y/N shows up in any tagged photos of alex, miss maam you are whippedt!!!

LittleMissY/N I'm off to crash anyone who crashes him in the next race. Mark my words!!!!!!!! Still a great drive from AA, my favorite driver <3

Alex_Albon thanks so much for the support Y/N. No need to crash to anyone

LittleMissY/N okay but my offer will always stand

PierreGasly you are sooooo down bad

LittleMissY/N I'm going to put you down

User6 is Y/N, Alex's girlfriend.

User7 i think she likes him and alex is so oblivious User9 yeah, Y/N likes alex so much LittleMissY/N shut it.

User11 i just love how supportive she is with alex being a rookie and all

ROOKIE ALBON DEFENDS Y/N HORNER.

In a recent interview, someone made a mistake of putting Y/N Horner in a bad light. Not to worry because Toro Rosso driver, Alex Albon is there to rescue. The whole thing starts with a simple question of what does Y/N contributes to the team to which Albon answers that Y/N is the social media manager. The interviewer made the mistake of commenting how anyone could do that job. This statement seems to anger the rookie as he defends her by listing down her educational achievements and how her role is important to the team. Albon refused to answer any question with that reporter and Christian Horner has placed an indefinite ban for his drivers to speak with the reporter.

LittleMissY/N when he defends you:

PierreGasly i would have hit that reporter's face if i was there

LittleMissY/N awww pierre, i knew you always had a soft spot for me. PierreGasly only we (max, seb, danny, and me) can make fun of you MaxVerstappen33 facts! LittleMissY/N good to know

User4 red bull boys lining up to protect their princess

User5 i swear, aren't they together yet???

GeorgeRussell63 when did i consent being posted as a meme???

LittleMissY/N since you became my new bestieeeee GeorgeRussell63 i also don't recall consenting to that LittleMissY/N its only a matter of time before you accept it.

LittleMissY/N gonna miss you so much pierreeeeeee anw time to transfer to red bull

User4 not the black and white photo

User5 its so weird to swap teammates in the middle of the season

PierreGasly dumbass.

LittleMissY/N I'll continue cheering you on always PierreGasly aren't you the sweetest? LittleMissY/N this is available for a limited time only

Alex_Albon thanks for the welcome again to RB maxverstappen33 LittleMissY/N

PierreGasly hey i gave you my seat, a little thank u would be great Alex_Albon thank you Pierre LittleMissY/N stop fighting alex, he is so kind PierreGasly oh c'mon!!!! MaxVerstappen33 mate, Y/N will always drop us for Alex. Dont forget that LittleMissY/N smartest person as ever Max

Alex_Albon the car is feeling really good for my first race in Red Bull. Good race from p14 to p5!

LittleMissY/N PROUD OF YOU ALEX!!! THAT WAS AN AMAZING DRIVE

User1 i swear Y/N you have notifs on for alex Alex_Albon thank you Y/N!!!

User3 Alex really deserves to be moved up with that RB seat

User4 RB proving themselves to be a big challenge to Mercedes this year

User5 sucks that max dnf this race, just imagine the next race where they can be stronger!!!!

LittleMissY/N i hate corona so much but im facetiming my bestfriend Alex and life seems a little bit better. Stay safe everyone

PierreGasly my beSTfrIend Alex

LittleMissY/N go to hell Pierre PierreGasly lolololollllll whippedt culture

User5 im pretty sure you miss the races as much as we do

LittleMissY/N for real but we have to make sure that its safe to race again

User5 queen Y/N!

User8 i love their little livestream on twitch every now and then. Its the best thing to pass time

User10 love you queen Y/N

LittleMissY/N BACK TO RACING AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

Alex_Albon quite excited to support us again?

LittleMissY/N of course, im red bull's biggest fan! MaxVerstappen33 red bull fan or alex albon fan? LittleMissY/N its good for you to know your place luv

User7 ITS RACE WEEKEND!!!

User8 look at them wearing masks, you should all do that too

User9 i cant tell you how much i missed races

F1Fans ICYMI, Checo Perez is getting that second Red Bull seat in 2021.

User1 wow checo??? congrats man!

User2 what about alex???

User3 im pretty sure a certain Horner is not happy with the decision User4 Im actually waiting for her reaction

LittleMissY/N AND THIS IS HOW I WILL FIND OUT????

LittleMissY/N you broke this family apart ChristianHorner LittleMissY/N BUT WHY???? User7 Y/N is just like us for real

User8 good riddance for albon, max needs a better teammate

User10 the only reason why albon has this seat is because Y/N Horner likes him a lot. LittleMissY/N everything that alex does is based on his pure talent. My dad won't even let me into meetings that's why im just as surprised as everyone regarding this decision. and fyi im gonna send this to my lawyers. User9 don't play with Y/N when it comes to alex.

LittleMissY/N Grill the grid episode, the one where I made them cook for my birthday

ChristianHorner happy birthday dear

User1 happy birthday to our queen, i hope lando made something edible for you!

User3 look at Y/N's birthday full of red bull current, former, and reserve drivers

PierreGasly sorry I couldn't make it but happy birthday to my soul sister

MaxVerstappen1 hoping for more birthdays for you Y/N

Schecoperez happy birthday hermana!

CarlosSainz55 Happy birthday little miss Y/N

Alex_Albon Happy birthday Y/N, hope you like your birthday!

LittleMissY/N thanks alex <3 User4 everyone been commenting on her post but she only responded to alex User9 girlie u r so whipped!!!

GeorgeRussell63 I wish you can get a seat next year mate

User5 i know, i think alex is wasting his potential being red bull's reserve driver

User7 right?? checo's chemistry with max is really good and i dont think christian will sacrifice that User8 i just want a decent team for alex

LittleMissY/N Are you cooking something georgie?

GeorgeRussell63 that depends, are you helping? LittleMissY/N for our common friend, absolutely User9 now what does this mean???? User10 anyone wanna tell me what's george and y/n conspiring together???

F1Fans No news about Albon's contract in 2022 and today we have seen Albon talking with Christian. It doesn't seem like its about contract renewal.

User2 anyone wanna bet that Christian is talking to Alex about Y/N

User3 what is going on, where will Alex be in 2022

User4 if alex switches teams then would Y/N switch too?

User5 i mean she already did it with toro rosso and red bull User6 but this is like the same group. What if Albon goes to Mercedes or McLaren, would Y/N join there too?? User7 blood is thicker than water everyone User5 i dont think yall understand how much of a simp Y/N is that she can go anywhere Alex goes.

User9 i just want alex to be in an f1 seat in 2022.

LittleMissY/N new hair, new color!

MaxVerstappen1 booooooooo!!! navy blue supremacy

LittleMissY/N i won't be taking any fashion advice from the man who literally wears only Red Bull merch. MaxVerstappen1 hey once upon a time you were always wearing our team merch especially when its no. 23 LittleMissY/N have fun crashing in the next race.

WilliamsRacing we like the color! Suits you!

User1 what is going onnnnn User2 i think alex is transferring to williams RedBullRacing im watching you

RedBullRacing we miss you queen!

LittleMissY/N aww, miss you!

WilliamsRacing Albon joins Williams for 2022! He will be partnering up with Nicholas Latifi, who retains his seat.

LittleMissY/N LETS GO!!!!!! FINALLY, ALBON BACK IN AN F1 SEAT

User1 Trying to beat Y/N in commenting and liking first, failed.

User3 so this is what george and Y/N is cooking.

User8 goodluck to alex!!!

User7 hoping that this time around, he can stick around for the long run.

Alex_Albon seas the day

User1 OMG BOYFRIEND ALEX????

User3 i think my bestie Y/N is crying somewhere rn

User4 i didn't expect alex has a girlfriend

User5 alex?? what are you doing?? this isn't Y/N

User7 have fun at your vacation alex!!!1

MaxVerstappen1 mate, who is she??

PierreGasly you should have warned us you were softlaunching someone

CarlosSainz55 congrats with the relationship bro!

Alex_Albon exploring the city with her.

User5 she takes so good photos of alex!

User7 queen Y/N its been 36 days since you last commented

User8 i fear girlie is heartbroken User9 i hope Y/N is okay

User10 alex and his girl are so perfect together

MaxVerstappen1 who is she alex??? cmon answer your phone

PierreGasly I swear were not sent by Christian to ask about this new girl of yours

WilliamsRacing pretty girl for a pretty boy!

Alex_Albon indeed <3

LittleMissY/N unbothered queen, so sorry for stabbing you GirlInRed

GirlInRed it hurts kind of little but anything for your therapy

User4 not Y/N fake stabbing someone because of Alex's girl

User6 this is so funny, Y/N

User8 so beautiful! you deserve better

MaxVerstappen1 well you know violence isn't always the answer.

LittleMissY/N oh really coming from you? MaxVerstappen1 cmon, I'll pick you up. Tell me where you are and lets talk LittleMissY/N i don't need to talk, im happy where i am

PierreGasly are you sure you're okay?

LittleMissY/N I have answered you a hundred times, im fine!!!!! PierreGasly Im still getting you ice cream LittleMissY/N awww pierre, you didn't have to

Alex_Albon merry christmas everybody!

MaxVerstappen1 hold up, did i miss a chapter or something???

PierreGasly is this a joke or something???

User4 I thought you have a girlfriend???

User7 all along its Y/N??? IT WAS Y/N ALL ALONG?

User9 lucky lucky lucky

GeorgeRussell63 FINALLY! I have been laughing so much with all the conspiracy online

MaxVerstappen1 you knew and you never even told us??? LandoNorris mate why didn't you even tell me? I thought we are 2019 rookies trio Alex_Albon sorry mates, i just have to keep this a secret a little longer

WilliamsRacing what a happy couple, so can we post your photos now?

RedBullRacing she is still our girl WilliamsRacing i think you should ask her about that

LittleMissY/N thankful for almost a year and a half with you

User4 what??? A YEAR AND A HALF???

User7 this is probably going on ever since Alex has moved to Williams

User8 my romeo and juliet!

ChristianHorner why am i not informed that it has been this long?

LittleMissY/N but daddy i love him :< ChristianHorner no. LittleMissY/N but what if im carrying his baby? ChristianHorner jesus christ, tell me you are kidding. LittleMissY/N i am but see it could be worse. i mean we just hid our relationship and not an entire family. ChristianHorner fine. invite him over and lets talk LittleMissY/N yay!!!

MaxVerstappen1 who knew you could keep a secret for that long???

PierreGasly Im more surprised that she was able to bag alex, are you sure you are perfectly sane Alex_Albon? Alex_Albon well I really really love her LittleMissY/N alex :< you used the love word Alex_Albon i mean you should have been used to it when you hear it everyday from when you wake up and before you fall asleep MaxVerstappen1 YOU TWO MAKE ME SICKKKKKK!!!!! NOT IN MY COMMENT SECTION

User10 folks i think we should apply to Y/N's school of being down bad and manifesting their dream partner

User15 what a lovely couple they are, goals!!!

[atinylittlepain]

Easy Cowboy - A Joel Miller Story

Joel Miller x f!reader/f!oc

Joel Miller masterlist

The ladies around Jackson can’t seem to keep their eyes off Joel. While he seems oblivious to their advances, she’s prickling with a feeling she knows she shouldn’t be having. What’s a gal to do when everyone wants to take a ride on with her cowboy?

warnings | 18+ SMUT, angst, alcohol consumption, jealous and possessive Joel, and reader tbh

“You know, if you’re not careful your face could get stuck like that.” Ellie slaps a hard hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her eavesdropping. She’s been standing in the back of the makeshift town hall, watching folks trickle in for the weekly community meeting. She huffs at Ellie’s knowing smirk.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, kid.” Ellie snorts, resting her head on her shoulder as she hangs off her arm.

“Oh, you don’t? You just always look like you’re about to strangle all the little housewives of Jackson?” She tries to soften her scowl, not quite sure how Ellie can figure her out so fast. She figures it must have been because of all the time they spent together on the road. Because the truth is, she would like to strangle some of the women of Jackson, at least sometimes. Like right now, as they’re eyeballing Joel, who’s standing at the head of the crowd with his brother, like he’s a goddamn piece of meat.

She had been listening in to their conversations, a few muttered desires of wanting to “ride that salt-and-pepper cowboy all night long” as well as some shared enjoyment of his “tight little jeans” that hugged his “equally tight little ass” just right. She hadn’t realized she had started shooting daggers at them until Ellie startled her out of her rage-induced reverie. 

Ellie tugs at her arm, once again shaking her out of her thoughts, “you know, a whole gaggle of them has started coming around when we get back from patrol? They like to watch him dismounting. S’fucking gross, man. Can you imagine? Having the hots for Joel.” Ellie grins, tilting her head, “well, I guess you can imagine.” “Ellie, watch it.” The girl puts her hands up, muttering “alright, alright, geez” before she shuffles off into the crowd to sit with some of the other teens of Jackson. She’s been relieved to see her finding some companions in town, thinking back on that young boy, Sam, and how hard it had been on her to lose the sweet comfort of a fast friend. She on the other hand, has had less luck, all the women her age casting sideways glances whenever she comes around. 

She’s heard the murmurings around town, mostly women’s gossip, calling her Joel’s “pet,” jealous scoffs at the way she and him move around each other, with each other, like magnets constantly coming back to contact. But she knows the truth. He’s not hers, not really. It’s mere comfort in closeness, familiarity. She had been with him since the beginning of this journey, been there for him. Through the loss of Tess, the trouble in Kansas City, and the whole road since. And even though there’s an understanding, an intimacy that runs bone deep between them, the sex has always been purely physical, just two bodies coming together again and again and again. She’d never ask him for anything more, the companionship is enough. But hey, who’s she to stop him from picking up a sweet little thing in town? Someone who’d cook him dinner, give him a back rub with soft hands that had never held a gun. Someone who wasn’t a whole decade younger than him.

She’s quick to block out these thoughts, bringing her attention back to the meeting that’s beginning. She watches Joel’s gaze scan the crowd as Tommy begins to talk about new security measures they’re working out. Even though she’s pressed up against the back wall, his eyes still find hers, but she’d be hard pressed to admit that her heart gives a tight squeeze when he offers her a sliver of a smile from across the room.

…

People are filing out of the hall, a few stragglers hanging around to talk to Tommy and Joel as well as the other leaders. She sticks at the back of the room, watching Joel look pretty uncomfortable in being forced to field so much conversation. Most of the people waiting to speak with him happen to come from the female half of Jackson’s population. She can’t help rolling her eyes at the way they hang off his crossed forearms. He keeps glancing her way, something pleading in his eyes, silently begging her to come give him an excuse to get the hell out of here. She’s enjoying watching him squirm just a little too much. Ellie sidles up to her again just then.

“You better go help him out, he looks like he’s about to blow a gasket.” She glances at the girl, fighting back a grin at her words.

“Suppose I should put him out of his misery.” She nudges into Ellie, earning a light laugh from the girl.

“You gonna go hang out with your friends tonight?” Ellie nods, they’re showing a movie in one of the old ski lodges.

“Alright, kid. Be good and–”

“Be safe. Yes, mother. I should be saying the same to you and the old man honestly.” She gasps at that, getting ready to chastise her, but Ellie is already slinking out of the building. That damn smartass.

She turns her attention back to Joel, who now has one of the women, she thinks her name is Katie, hanging on his shoulder and mumbling something in his ear. She scoffs, getting ready to shuffle over and save him from her mushy-gushy ramblings, but she pauses when she gets a better look at his face. He’s smiling. It’s small, but she knows it well. He glances at her briefly, but quickly shifts his gaze down to the floor, letting Katie continue to flirt shamelessly with him. For whatever reason, it’s enough to set her blood boiling. He’s a big boy, he can handle this himself. She quickly turns heel and stomps out of the town hall, heading straight to the bar.

…

She drinks way more than she knows she should. But, quite frankly, she’s too pissed off to care. Sure, she could put up with all the women throwing themselves at Joel, so long as he kept ignoring them. But it seemed like he had finally gotten the memo that he could have his pick of any of them, and that their little partnership, or whatever the hell it was, would soon be over. Well, fucking good for him then.

“You here alone?” She actually jumps a little off her stool at the intrusion before sighing and turning to whoever just startled her. She knows his name is Will, a young man who also works patrol shifts. He’s what people would have called a pretty boy, back before. Sort of floppy, sandy blond hair and soft blue eyes, dimples that crinkle when he splits into a smile. But she knows there’s more than meets the eye to this one, she’s been on a few shifts with him, and he can hold his own for sure.

She swallows another gulp of whatever it is they keep brewing before nodding.

“I suppose I am. Why? You wanna join me?” Her tongue has certainly been loosened by the drink and hell, if Joel gets to shop around, why shouldn’t the same go for her? Will smiles before sitting on the stool next to hers, turning so their knees are brushing lightly.

“How are you settling into town?” She quirks a crooked grin at him.

“Oh, just fine. Although I don’t think any of the ladies will be inviting me to their book clubs anytime soon.” Will laughs at that and it’s a sweet sound, one she thinks she could get used to. He leans in, whispering conspiratorially to her.

“Well, I think they’re all just a little jealous of the way you yank that man of yours around on an invisible leash.” She can’t help the laugh that bubbles up at that, a boldness sweeping through her that sends her leaning into Will even more, bringing her lips up close to his ear.

“Well, let me tell you, he’s certainly not my man.” There’s a heavy pause of silence.

“He’s not?” She leans back just slightly to look into his baby blues.

“Nope,” she pops the letter p, “but if you know anyone looking to be, what’d you say? On my invisible leash? You let me know, alright?” She’s going to regret everything about this when she’s sober, but for now, she’s letting her anger roll into lust. Will swallows thickly, eyes darting from her gaze to her lips.

“I think I might know someone, yeah.” 

…

They’re a stumbling entanglement of limbs and sloppy kisses as they meander down the street towards her house. Her head is swimming in Will, drowning out the incessant chants of Joel’s name. It’s dark out as they near the porch of the house she shares with Joel and Ellie, none of the lights are on inside. He must be shacking up with Katie for the night, fucking good for him.

She leads Will up the steps to the front door, and as she fumbles with her key in the lock he presses up against her, leaving a wet trail of open-mouthed smacks along her neck that makes her squeal. Will huffs a laugh, spinning her around and pressing her up against the door, licking into her mouth. She pulls away with a wet click of spit.

“Shh, we have to be quiet, someone might hear us.” They both giggle before diving in for another writhing kiss.

“Well, wouldn’t that be a shame.” She lets out a shriek that she quickly cuts off by clamping her hand over her mouth. Will jumps back from her. 

They both whip around to see Joel sitting on the bench seat out on the porch. His arms are crossed over his chest as he leans back, his legs kicked out and crossed in front of him. Even in the dim light of the evening she can see that he does not look very pleased with what he just saw. He stands with a sigh, slowly shuffling over until he’s standing right in Will’s space. He’s not much taller than him, but Joel still makes the other man look small with the way he’s scowling at him.

“Will, I suggest you go on home now.” Will’s eyes dart between Joel and her, hesitant to do anything.

“I said now.” Will jumps a bit at Joel’s harsh tone, taking one last look at her before shaking his head and stumbling down the porch steps and off down the street. She can’t believe what just happened.

“What the fuck, Joel?” He breezes past her, opening the door and turning around to look at her.

“The door was unlocked the whole time, by the way. Or are you really so drunk you couldn’t figure that out?” She’s dumbstruck by the venom laced through his words. He huffs before turning and going inside, her mutely following on his heels.

“Thought you’d be over at Katie’s, not lurking on the fucking porch.” It comes out as a grumble and he spins on her fast, looking totally confused.

“You must be real drunk, because you’re talking total nonsense.” She scoffs at that.

“Oh am I? So I didn’t see her practically chewing your ear off in the town hall?” Joel’s face falls, just for a moment, before he’s back to a furrowed scowl.

“Is that seriously what this is about? You’re jealous of some lady who I couldn’t give two fucks about?” They’re both up in each other’s faces now, arms crossed and pressing against each other.

“Fuck you, Joel. You seemed to be enjoying her attention just fine. And, for the record, I’m not jealous. But if you get to have yours I don’t see why I can’t have mine.” She sneers in his face but he looks like he’s about to explode, fists now clenched at his side.

“I am yours, goddamnit! And you’re mine. Not anyone else’s and especially not Will’s!” The tendons in his neck jump as he shouts at her, his eyes wild. It’s been a long time since she’s seen him like this, and suddenly she’s feeling really dizzy.

All she manages is a hoarse croak of his name before she’s keeling over at the waist and emptying the contents of her stomach all over his shoes and the floor. Through the dull ringing in her ears she hears Joel mutter a few choice curses before rather carefully toeing off his boots. He shifts over to her side and brings a warm palm between her shoulder blades, smoothing up and down the expanse of her back. She just hopes she got drunk enough that she won’t remember any of this the next morning.

…

Unfortunately, she receives no such mercy, waking up late the next morning with a throbbing headache and a very intact memory of everything that happened the night before. Joel had quietly helped her upstairs, shushing her groans as he cleaned her up, helping her out of her clothes and into one of his flannels that she had previously filched from him. He had even helped her into bed, the last thing she remembers before she passed out being him brushing her hair back from her face and muttering “get some rest, trouble.”

She’s completely mortified, and the only reason she feels brave enough to leave her room is because she knows Joel had a morning shift scheduled. When she creeps into the kitchen seeking a glass of water she finds Ellie leaning against the counter.

“Woah, so much for being good and being safe. You look like shit.” She groans, nudging Ellie to the side to grab a glass and fill it up.

“Thanks, kid. Feel worse than I look.” “Pretty sure that’s a statistical impossibility, but what the hell happened? Joel looked like he wanted to punch a hole through someone’s face this morning, like, more so than he usually does.” She glances at Ellie, choosing to take a long swig of water rather than answer her question. The girl huffs, stomping off with a muttered “no one tells me anything around here, jesus.”

Luckily, she has the day off from patrol, so she can spend it licking her wounds and avoiding Joel until he comes back tonight. She cleans herself up, taking a shower, still marveling that they get to have warm water. The rest of the day is spent simmering in a stew of her emotions. She goes to help out in the greenhouses, mostly because she knows Joel never goes over there. Unfortunately, that’s also where most of the women of Jackson work, and she can’t help but notice that their side eyes have transformed into blatant glares today.

She’s hauling sacks of soil when an overheard murmur makes her stop in her tracks. Did she just hear the word slut? She whips around, meeting the gaze of a pair of women.

“Excuse me, what did you just say?” The women share a look before both clearing their throats, the one finally speaking up.

“Oh nothing, hon. It’s just, Laura here lives across the street from you and Joel. She was telling me there was quite a scene on your porch last night.” The woman raises her eyebrows at her, a snide grin sliding across her face. She’s stunned speechless by these two birds’ boldness, but Laura seems to have something to add.

“A word of advice, sweetie. A real man like Joel needs a real woman, not some silly girl who’s messing around behind his back.” She drops the two sacks she had been carrying and they thud heavily on the ground, causing the two women to startle. She doesn’t stick around to hear any more of their advice, mostly because she knows that beating them up isn’t an option. She trudges through town, trying to hold back the tightness in her throat and the heat behind her eyes. It’s a race before the first tears fall, trying to get home before anyone sees her completely lose her mind.

Unfortunately, she runs right into Tommy, literally, smacking into him as she rounds a block. He holds onto her forearms as she stumbles back. She feels her stomach drop, because if Tommy is back, that means Joel is too. He tries to ask her if she’s alright, but she just shakes her head, shifting out of his grip and continuing her beeline home, scrubbing harshly at her eyes to keep from fully dissolving.

When she gets to the house, she sees no sign of Joel on the porch, a small mercy. She quietly slips upstairs, and can hear the shower running, choosing to shut herself into her room before promptly burying her face in the sheets on her bed. There’s no holding it back now, and she begins to silently cry. No real thought behind her tears, just a general sense that she’s royally fucked everything up. She doesn’t cry often, not in this world, and so it’s a short-lived fit, leaving her drained and curled up across her bed. 

There’s a soft knock at her door, the sound of shuffling boots. When she doesn’t answer he opens the door anyways, tentatively stepping inside. She refuses to look at him, sitting at the end of her bed and drawing her knees up under her chin. She hears him let out a sigh.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ll live.” He huffs at that, walking further into the room and leaning up against the wall across from her.

“Good. ‘Cause I’m still pissed at you.” Her gaze jerks up to his face and she’s met with his steely expression.

“Why are you pissed at me? I was drunk, Joel, a-and really upset, ok?”

“No, it’s not ok. Christ– I– I thought what we had meant something, right? And you were just ready to throw that away? With Will? I mean– fuck– I-I don’t get that.” She raises her chin defiantly at him.

“What we had? That’s a load of horseshit. What did we have, Joel? Association by proximity? A warm body to curl up with? A half-decent fuck? No, you don’t get to keep me as your little hanger-on while you try out all the other flavors in Jackson.” He scoffs, grabbing fistfuls of his hair.

“Well, that’s real rich coming from you, considering you were getting ready to spread your legs for the first boy who looked your way.” She’s on her feet in a flash, taking one long stride to get in his space and slap him across his face, jerking his head to the side. He looks stunned as he holds his hand to his cheek.

“Fuck you, Joel. I’ve already been called a slut once today. I don’t need it coming from you too.” His demeanor changes instantly, brow furrowing.

“Who called you a slut?” She sighs, turning her back to him as she holds onto her arms across her chest.

“Baby?” 

“Don’t baby me, Miller. And who else but two bitchy members of your little fan club. Why don’t you go talk to them? I’m sure they’d be more than happy to give you their opinions of me.” There’s a hiccup of silence that passes between them before Joel’s gently reaching for her, turning her back to face him. She won’t lift her gaze from her feet.

“You gotta help me out here. I just– I don’t understand what happened for you to– christ– when I saw you with Will– you’re killing me here, baby.” She finally looks up at him, resisting the urge to thumb away the deep frown on his face.

“Look, Joel. I can admit that what I did was stupid. I just– fuck– I know what we are, what we were– and I had no right getting so worked up seeing you with those women. But please, don’t keep stringing me along. I’m not gonna wait for you in your back pocket until you find someone better than me. I can’t do that.” He’s looking at her like she’s grown a second head.

“What are you talking about? I’m not fucking looking for someone better. I’m looking at you, goddamnit! I want you. Thought that was clear.” She scoffs.

“I think we have two very different definitions of clear then. Joel, we’ve never talked like this.” He throws his hands up in exasperation.

“I didn’t think we needed to talk like this! You and me, we understand each other. Didn’t think we needed words for us.” Her brain can’t help the chant it starts up of us us us us. 

“Well, just a little communication would have been nice.” He sighs, shaking his head as he sits down on the end of her bed. She joins him, looking at where their thighs are pressed up against each other. 

“Look, I’m sorry. I guess I should have been more– clear, about how I feel about you.” She glances at him.

“And how do you feel about me?” He just shoots her a look, brow raised.

“I’m actually waiting for an apology too y’know.” She huffs at that, dragging a hand down her face.

“I’m sorry for almost fucking Will. There, are you happy now?” He lets out a deep laugh and it startles her, the baritone thrum. 

“Goddamn, Ellie may be right. We really are a pair of idiots.” They glance at each other, and a laugh is shared that feels like a door opening, like something new. Joel carefully slides one of his hands to lace with hers, clearing his throat.

“Y’know you’re it for me. Only want you. Christ, these women around town drive me fucking insane, so goddamn handsy. If I didn’t think it’d bug you I’d keep you under my arm all the time, maybe then they’d get the fucking message.” What she says comes out as more of a mumble, but Joel still catches it.

“That wouldn’t necessarily bug me.” He grins, dipping his head to meet her gaze.

“Oh, it wouldn’t?” She rolls her eyes, but shakes her head no.

“Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind.” He slings his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his side and landing a kiss in her hair. It feels like the biggest relief ever. He huffs out another laugh, shaking her where she’s melting into his torso.

“Pfft, fucking Will.” She groans at him, trying to pull away but he just holds onto her tighter, muscling around her until she’s halfway sitting on his lap, twisting to look him square in his very smug face.

“ I think you would’ve been sorely disappointed by that kid. He wouldn’t have a clue what you like, what you need.” 

“Oh yeah? And what exactly do I need, Miller?” He’s got a cocky smirk on his face, it’s a look she doesn’t often see on him. He shifts her on his lap some more until she’s finally straddling his waist, arms wrapped around his neck and thighs framing his hips. She gasps at the heady contact. 

“You need me, honey. Same as I need you.” And with that he’s drawing her in by her jaw for a harsh kiss. There’s nothing sweet about it, all clashing teeth and stubborn tongues. They’re both still cooling off from the mutual anger and it shows in how they grab onto each other, licking into each other’s mouths and swallowing each other’s groans. He presses his calloused fingers into the sliver of skin between her shirt and her jeans, dragging her hips impossibly closer until she’s grinding into his hardness. He lets out a low thrumming moan at the sensation. She grins.

“You need me, huh, Joel?” He grunts, trying to dip his head into her neck but she pulls him back by the hair at the nape of his neck, drawing a low moan from him. She presses a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Why don’t you lay back for me, cowboy?” She can see the flush creeping up his neck as he huffs out a low laugh, but she means business. She pushes hard on his chest, tipping him back onto the mattress with a soft “oof” as she gets to work on the buttons of his shirt while he toes his boots off. She laves her tongue over each new inch of exposed skin, and by the time she gets to the bottom of his shirt he’s letting out the sweetest little grumbles. She noses along the waist of his jeans and he huffs.

“Such a tease.” She grins up at him, finally unbuckling his belt and harshly tugging it out from under him in a way that makes him startle.

“That’s right, baby. And I can do whatever I want. Because this is all mine, right?” She rests her palm on his stomach, feeling his rapid breaths rise and fall. He swallows hard, looking down at her with his hands crossed behind his head.

“S’all yours, darlin.” She knows she’s got him when he starts talking like that, his southern drawl melting his words and dripping slow like honey. He shudders as she lays one more open-mouthed kiss below his navel before finally undoing his jeans and shucking them down his legs along with his boxers. His cock immediately springs up to his stomach, dribbling pre-cum in the tufted hair there. She lays between his spread legs and noses up the length of him, just barely letting her lips brush against the tip. He grumbles under her teasing.

“C’mon, baby. Why don’t you go ahead and take what’s yours already, huh?” She grins at his almost pained expression, the crease between his brows and the little huffs he keeps letting out. 

“Always so bossy. Lucky for you I’m in a giving mood.” He goes to speak again but is quickly cut off by a broken moan when she finally licks a broad stripe up the heavy vein of his cock before taking the head into her mouth and giving an experimental bob. She finds a rhythm, taking him a bit deeper each time until she’s swallowing around him in her throat in a way that makes his toes curl. 

“Fuck– s’perfect– perfect mouth taking all of me. S’good, so good for me, baby.” He reaches for her, trying to card his fingers through her hair and guide her movements, but she immediately stops, grabbing his wrists and pinning them up by his shoulders.

“Uh-uh, no touching, Miller. You’re just gonna lay there and take what I give you, got it?” He looks frustrated that she stopped, that she’s demanding so much control, but he just swallows thickly and nods. She smiles and lays a quick peck at the corner of his mouth before sinking back down and returning to work.

He’s a writhing mess under her as she sucks him off, digging his hands into his thick hair to stop himself from reaching out for her. She can feel his thighs tensing where her hands are splayed and knows he must be getting close. This time, she’s surprised when he interrupts her, yanking her back by her hair and forcing her to look up at him.

“Alright, think you’ve had your fun. S’my turn now.” His movements are fluid and startling in their quickness as he sits up and effectively flips them until she’s splayed out on the bed underneath him. She gasps as his mouth and hands wander everywhere, making quick work of the buttons of her shirt before not so gently shrugging it off her shoulders and tossing it on the floor. He mouths over the fabric of her bra in a way that makes her back arch, giving him enough space to undo the clasp and slide it off her before dipping back down and taking a peaked nipple into his hot mouth. His teeth graze over the sensitive skin and she sighs out his name at the sensation. He grins up at her in a way that makes her want to smack him.

“This all mine, right darlin?” She lets out a breathy “yes” and it’s all he needs to hear to get back to work, starting to suck and bite harshly at her skin, leaving mottled bruises in his wake as he travels further down her torso. He makes quick work of her pants and underwear, shuffling them down her legs and tossing them aside, working his way back up to her center by dragging his mouth along the inside of her leg, nuzzling into the plush of her inner thighs. She can’t help the whimpers that start to crack in her throat under his ministrations. He hovers his mouth over the heat of her cunt, each exhale sending shivers up her spine.

“You’re lucky, darlin, you know why?” She furrows her brow at him, he just grins.

“Because unlike some people, I’m not a fucking tease.” With that, he’s licking a flat stripe through her folds that sends her hips arching up into his mouth. He’s holding nothing back, a sloppy haze of slick dipping from her entrance up to her clit. The sound of him devouring her is obscene laid over her drawn out whines. Joel knows her well after so much time together. Knows how she likes it, what she needs when he eats her out, when she needs him to slide his fingers inside her and give her something to clench down around, right as she’s teetering on the edge of release.

“Come for me, baby. Just like this. Show me you’re mine.” His low murmurs send a thrum through her core that’s enough to snap whatever resolve she had left as she comes undone around his fingers, shivering as he continues to lick at her. She finally pushes his face away from her with a gasp, becoming too sensitive to let him keep working at her. 

He crawls up her body, meeting her for a kiss and she groans at the taste of herself on his tongue. She draws her knee up to his hip, using the leverage to flip him under her, straddling his waist and soaking his happy trail with her dripping cunt. His hands are kneading at the meat of her ass and she lurches forward when he brings one down in a harsh smack. She scowls at the smug look on his face.

“Don’t give me that look, baby. Still pissed about seeing you with that fucking kid.” She rolls her eyes, going to say something smart but her voice dies in her throat when he lands another slap, causing her to gasp out his name and bury her face in his neck. He kisses her temple sweetly, a stark contrast to the sting as he smacks her ass again. She thinks there’s going to be marks left afterward, though maybe that’s the whole point. 

He finally lets up, once again gripping her ass in a way that makes the tender skin smart. She tilts her head to hold his gaze, pressing in for another kiss. He pulls away first, his breathing a bit ragged.

“You gonna ride your cowboy, baby?” She lets out a gasp as he laughs at the look on her face.

“So you have heard what those women are saying. Goddamnit, Joel–” he cuts her off with another hard kiss.

“Don’t give a fuck about what they’re saying. Just want you, now.” She presses her palms into his chest as she shifts her hips back, lining the tip of his cock up with her entrance before slowly sinking down. They’re both a mess of sighs and whines as she settles with him fully inside her. It’s always a stretch at first. Joel traces his fingers down her arms before wrapping his broad hands around the plush of her hips. She gives a few tentative rolls into him that sets his eyes turning back in his head. She slowly finds her rhythm, sinking down on him with each bounce and twisting her hips until he’s a panting mess beneath her. She rests the flat of her palm along the base of his throat and doesn’t miss the way his eyes widen at her movements. 

“Tell me how it feels, baby, s’good for you?” Joel grunts at her question, his fingers flexing where they’re squeezing at her waist.

“S’fucking perfect. You’re perfect– fuck– take me so well, darlin.” He bends his knees and plants his feet into the mattress, the shift causing her to press forward until their chests are smashed together as he starts to thrust up into her. She lets out a broken cry at the brutal pace he sets.

“Fuck, Joel– n-need more– need you– need you to–” he shushes her, already complying without needing her to say it as he flips them over so he’s caging her in. He drags a long kiss out of her before sitting up and pulling out of her, making her whine at the loss. 

“Want you on your hands and knees for me.” She doesn’t need to be told twice, flipping over and getting into position as Joel palms his cock behind her. She shudders when he presses up against her, just barely dipping back into her. She whines at his teasing, trying to draw him deeper but he squeezes her hips harshly.

“Patience, darlin. I’ll give you what you want. But I gotta ask you something first.” She glances at him over her shoulder, brow furrowed. 

“Need you to tell me. D’you think Will could fuck you as good as I do?” She huffs at that.

“Joel, I said I was sorry– christ– just fuck me already.” That’s not what he wants to hear and he acts like he’s getting ready to pull away from her entirely. She stammers on her words she talks so fast.

“No, no! H-he couldn’t fuck me like you do. No one f-fucks me as good as you– please, Joel.” That’s apparently enough of an answer for him as he lines himself up and thrusts into her in one long stroke, pressing his hips hard against the swell of her ass. She lets out a long preening whine as he starts to thrust into her, slow but deep movements that make the bed shuffle up against the wall. His hands are roaming over her back, her sides, down to her hips, rough calluses making her shiver.

“Fucking made for me, darlin. Nobody else, huh? S’just you and me.” She lets out a breathy “yes” to his low rumbling words, fisting the sheets below her as she feels the pleasure starting to spill over once again.

Joel seems to notice it too, snaking one of his hands down her front to bluntly swipe against her clit. 

“You gonna come for me, baby? Just for me, right? Not for anyone else?” She nods frantically, pressing her hips back into his with each thrust.

“Y-yes, Joel– fuck– s’all for you– only for you– p-please don’t stop– so fucking close, baby.” He curls over her, his broad chest brushing against her back as he brings his lips to her ear.

“Give it to me, baby. Come for me, right now.” That’s all it takes for her to seize up in his hold, pulsing around his cock and tumbling over that blinding edge of pleasure, a broken cry of his name the only sound she can get out. She bows down onto her elbows, pressing her cheek into the sheets as he fucks her through it, making the pleasure simmer almost painfully as his pace starts to falter too. 

“Fuck– s’good for me, baby– you’re perfect.” His voice sounds nearly pained and she immediately knows he’s close.

“Want you to come for me, Joel. Let go for me.” He presses his forehead between her shoulder blades, rutting haphazardly into her.

“Tell me you’re mine, darlin. Wanna hear you say it.” 

“I’m yours, Joel– p-please come, baby– come for me.” He curses lowly, pulling out but keeping a hand on the base of her spine as he strokes himself a few times before he’s painting her ass with his spend. The only sound as he comes is his breathless gasps of words.

“Fuck– I’m yours, darlin– I’m all yours.” It’s silent for a moment as they both catch their breath, Joel flops onto his back next to her and she splays out on her stomach, shivering at the sensation of his cooling come on her skin.

He glances at her flushed face, the twitch of a smile at his lips as he wheezes out a laugh.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, trouble.” 

…

Ellie looks between the pair at dinner, seeming to be trying to figure something out. 

“You two look pleased with yourselves. Something big must have happened between now and this morning when you were both so goddamn testy.” That earns her a glare from Joel. She holds her hands up in surrender.

“Hey, hey. I’m happy for you guys, seriously. It’s about time you stopped dicking around, gonna save a lot of ladies some serious trouble now that you’re officially together.” She quirks an eyebrow at the girl.

“What makes you think we’re “officially” together?” Ellie just shrugs.

“Well, usually you both make more of an effort to cover up the evidence, but from the looks of those bruises on both your necks I’d say you’re done hiding the obvious.” She swallows hard around her bite of food, glancing at Joel, sure enough spotting a trail of hickies peeking out of his shirt collar. She only feels a little guilty. Joel just huffs.

“Alright, kid, easy does it there. But, yes, just for the record. I guess, we– well, we– uh–” she stops his floundering, bringing her hand to rest over his on the table.

“You were right, Ellie. We’re together.” The kid gives them a smug look.

“I am both disgusted and happy for you.”

…

With everything finally out in the open, she feels no hesitancy in joining Joel in bed that night, curling up around each other in a tangle of limbs and settling on the brink of sleep. She glances up at him from where her cheek is resting against his chest.

“Joel?” His low murmur lets her know he’s listening.

“I wanna tell you something. And you don’t have to say anything back. But, I love you. You need to know that.” There’s a heavy pause of silence before Joel draws her into him a bit tighter, sighing over the top of her head.

“Feel the same way, darlin. Guess I’ve been in love with you for a while. Just a hard thing to say, in this world.” She breathes out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. He clears his throat.

“Hope you know I’m not letting you go now.”

“I know, cowboy.”

…

They both have a patrol shift the next morning, and as they step out onto the porch bright and early, she can see Laura across the street, sitting on her own porch and watching them pointedly. Just as Joel turns back to her after locking the door, she grabs him by the nape of his neck and spins them into an entirely too intense kiss for this early in the morning. When she pulls away with a lewd little pop, Joel’s face is painted with shock, his eyes darting from hers to her lips and back up again.

“What the hell was that for?” She just shrugs before taking his hand in hers and hopping down the steps. She waves to their neighbor with her other arm.

“Morning, Laura!” The woman doesn’t respond, primly looking away with a scowl on her face. 

She doesn’t care though, not when Joel’s got his arm wrapped around her and his hand on her hip as they head off down the street for their shift. Might as well give the ladies of Jackson something to talk about.

[imminent-danger-came]

I love reading your tags- especially when theres just even MORE info dumping there.

The least favorite character ask made me giggle a bit, "This character that appeared for a single episode is actually pretty cool. And this character is really awesome in this particular context. But ALSO I really like this character with very little actual screentime."

You‘re absolutely right though! Characters whose only purpose is to fill a particular role are chosen really well too! Like the Host Girl; sure, she doesn’t really have a personality or anything, but she doesn’t NEED to have one. As you said, she‘s collateral damage. She gives us more insight to Wukong, she shows us just how ruthless he can be. He‘s willing to kill the epitome of innocence: A child. A defenseless little girl with a cutesy voice, who was just in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

(It‘s also worth a mention that, contrary to Wukong, she revealed a softer side of Macaque. Not to the extent the fandom built it up, but in an arguably more meaningful way. He‘s worried/feels bad for a total stranger. Even if it was only a concerned look, she once again gave us a deeper insight to a member of the main cast.)

And the characters with less focus either have really genuine interactions (Yellow Tusk with Azure) that just endear you to them, or they drop a banger line (like the Jade Emperor) before their purpose is fulfilled.

Nothing wrong with being a plot device if it‘s done well!

This wasn‘t really much of an ask rather than me rambling. Sorry.

I welcome rambles in my ask box! Half of you that show up in my ask box could just write your own analysis posts.

And you're also totally right! There isn't anything wrong with characters that are there just to function as plot devices. Sometimes a child is there just to be a child, and that's all they need to be. I think I feel this way about Megapolis (a name for the city that hasn't even been mentioned in show). Like it's a city filled with innocent people, it's MK & the Gang's home, and that's all it kinda needs to be tbh. LMK has to be extremely tight with what it chooses to focus on because of time constraints, and it does that well. When it comes down to it, focusing on the characters/plot is more important than focusing on the setting (which I think debatably wouldn't contribute much anyways—like we don't need more of a reason to care about the city, you know?).

I have this same opinion when it comes to the Demon Bull Family, which may be an unpopular take, but the truth is that a lot of their development happened off-screen. After ROTSQ and until we see them again in 3x06, it's clear that there have been positive changes between Red Son and his parents. I think I've seen some folk want Red Son to cut off his parents entirely, but that kinda goes against the core of his character. Part of Red Son's appeal for me is his complete devotion to his family despite their flaws (saving them in ROTSQ and EYD, attempting to save them in 4x09). Red Son and Princess Iron Fan only ever wanted world domination because that's what DBK wanted, and after that failed—they gave up. They hit the bricks. Red Son then started a food business with his dad (jealous of MK and Pigsy's noodle shop mayhaps?), and I think it's telling that DBK would even agree to do that to begin with. DBK and PIF's disregard of Red Son may not be acknowledged in the way people want, and I get that, but it's not that it didn't happen. I'd say there's another jump in their development between the end of 3x14 and the beginning of 4x09, where the fact that DBK calls out for Red Son as he gets taken away shows a closeness between them that we hadn't seen before. It's also clear that DBK has grown past the person who only wanted to create the world in his own image, chastising Azure Lion:

Demon Bull King: "How many times must you be struck down chasing this same foolish dream?"

(4x09 Roast of the Monkie Kids)

-

(Plus "This pursuit of yours has warped your mind brother—it is the only reason I could imagine that you would have the nerve to assault my home and harm my family!" echoing PIF in 1x10 "Come to your senses, this power has poisoned your mind!"; Azure unreasonably considers DBK a traitor like DBK had unreasonably considered Red Son a traitor, etc.)

DBK, unlike plenty of other antagonists in LMK (Spider Queen, LBD, and Azure specifically), learned to stop and accept the world as it was. He failed as a conqueror, but he still had his family, and he could try and not fail as a father for his "half-baked son"—or that's how I interpret DBK anyhow.

((I also want to bring up the fact that DBK didn't dare use the Samadhi Fire ring he had to power himself up with Red Son's furnace in AHIB. Like, even the Mr. Bull King has some restraint—there are prices too great to pay for the world, hence why he gave up on world domination after 1x10, when he almost killed his wife and son.))

To me it makes the Demon Bull Family feel like characters that exist outside of MK & the Gang, and can grow/change even when they're not on screen with our main characters, and I think that's cool. We also legitimately didn't have time for anything else.

[osscarh]

This is my first post ever and I thought maybe I could share a nice story with ya all. I've never really put it in complete order so it's time I do that.

As prelude, I own 3 cats. One of them, the oldest, is, at the time of writing this, 12 years old, with his papers noting that he was born the 6th of April 2012, 3 days after my dad's birthday. His name is Sacha, despite the vets who all name him Sasha (and also wrote that he's a girl for some reason? I mean he doesn't seem bothered but I don't think he understands English.) His name is kinda dumb but my bro named him. I prefer giving Egyptian names to my cats.

I got Sacha around 2015, I don't really remember which month. I was around 13 at the time and my first cat had just died. My mom was really feeling bad so we adopted Sacha from a center. His previous owners had placed him there cuz the lady got pregnant and apparently cats can mess with fetuses or something. Idk but I think his previous owners were lame cuz he stayed in that center for like 6 months and they took bad care of him. His claws grew in his paws, his fur got a lot of knots and he smelled really bad. He's half Persian so he needs a lot of care.

When he arrived home he was super sweet but really doing poorly. We toon him to the vet for his claws and hired a lady to remove his knots. He didn't like his new cut so the lady zooted him on I thinl weed? It was some drug, mfer has had more experiences with illicit substances than I and I'm kinda jealous tbh.

Sacha was my only cat for a while. My mom adopted Bagheera, a kitten born from one of her sister's cats when she divorced my dad around 2016 and Sacha stayed at my dad's place with me and my brother (the fucker who named him with such a lame name).

Anyway time passed, I lived my best life with my cat, took care of him, took him to vet every year for his vaccines (he goes outside), reconnected with my mom and adopted a kitten who was born in my mom's backyard and named him Settra. So that's why I have 3 cats. But back on track, in 2022 Sacha got an eye infection. We had to do a lot of ophtalmology to get it sorted and my mom helped a lot with that despite the fact that the cat wasn't even in her home. His eye's doing okay now but he needed new material be brought in his eye. Persians tend to be weak in eyes and nose.

Then when the summer vacations of 2023 ended, Sacha got sick. At first it was a minor cold so we didn't do anything, some snot in his nose, then around mid September he ate less. Come end of September and he was doing bad, still eating but always sneezing and his throat was inflamed. I brought him to the vet and he was given antibiotics that kinda helped.

By the beginning of October Sacha was doing pretty poorly and eating way less. He was always a fat cat so this concerned me a lot. The vet couldn't tell why the antibiotics weren't acting as he was supposed to have an infection so they gave him more and asked us to get a visit to a pet hospital 1h of travel away (Belgium is small, 1h of travel looks a lot for me but for American folks it's prilly shorert). So we did, got something planned for end of october. I wanted faster but they were full and he was still eating so not an emergency.

Meanwhile Sacha's health got worse. One of his eyes (not the one who had the surgery) couldn't open and he had little things in the part of forehead between his eyes that made a sort of scritchy sound when you ran your hand over it. Most concerningly, he wasn't eating. We (my mom and I) took him to another vet who did acupuncture with relative success, allowed Sacha to eat well for a day or two before going back to not eating.

I was getting really desperate so I mixed his food and fed him with a syringe for a week. I knew if my dad knew he wasn't eating, he'd suggest euthanasia as the costs of bringing a pet to the hospital are quite high. So I took his wet food, put it in my mom's mixer and mixed it for like 15 minutes when going back from school while dad was away, then cut it into even smaller bits and forcefed him with a syringe (his throat was super inflamed and small so he was probably in pain and I knew it but I couldn't stand to watch him thin like that).

On the 26th of October, we went to the hospital for him. My mom and I were reluctant to go there because it's an universitary hospital and we were kinda scared that he'd be put on life support and...I guess experimented on? We didn't want his life be prolonged if he was in constant pain but we went nonetheless. My mom took a day off work (again, she took a lot to get the cat to the vet) and I warned my Spanish teacher that I couldn't attend. She's a really sweet lady and I told her the story, she was super supportive.

The hospital was not all like we anticipated. The doctors were really charming and quite open with how much stuff cost. I speak French and the hospital staff spoke Dutch so we settled on English as a language to communicate with. Tirns out spending all that time playing dnd with strangers on discord paid off for me, I was able to talk with these docs no problem.

Of course without insurance it was expensive but it was doable to pay. They ran scans on Sacha and it was promising, they said he had an infection but had the right antibiotics for him. Since he didn't eat, they wanted to keep him there and we agreed. We gave our phone numbers and left.

When we visited Sacha the following day, they told us he had a lymphoma. It's blood cancer for those who dunno what that means (I certainly didn't till October). They asked us if we wanted to begin chemo.

I was fucking devastated. That cat had been with me through my parents' divorce, the death of family members, graduation, the lowest of my sick days and the brightest of my good days. I didn't want to leave him die of hunger without a fight.

My mom didn't have enough money to pay for it in full and my dad'd never use his money to pay for a cat's chemotherapy so I agreed to pay most of ot. I had a decent bit of money in a bank account, I basically never buy anything so pockeh money, student job money and birthday money stacked up. My dad'd never have allowed me to pay for that (neither him nor I even knew they had chemotherapy for cats) so I lied and said my mom paid for it.

He stayed at the hospital until the 31st of October, of course we visited him everyday and the hospital staff kept us informed with daily phonecalls to schedule a visit and tell us what was up. During that time (5 days since he arrived, 4 days since chemo started) they put a tube in his throat to feed him and started the chemo.

That. Shit. Worked. When we brought him home, he could open his eye again and even wanted to go for food (motherfucker do you know how much that tube costs?). He played with the other cats and we had a weekly checkup for him. I missed many Spanish classes. During his time at the center he really liked one doctor who calls him Sir and basically saved his life.

Of course he stayed at my mom's place. It was easier for feeding through his tube at first, my mom was in vacations and he needed 3 meals a day, then he stayed there. Wasn't gonna let him stay in the home of a person who'd let him die. I love my dad but fuck him for this. He admitted several times he'd have never brought my cat to that hospital (so he'd have left him die of cancer and hunger, poor cat was thinning by the day).

His tube was removed a month later and visits moved to once every 3 weeks. It's been continuing since then with me and my mom paying 50/50 for the costs. I missed a university travel to Athens because I couldn't afford it (something I'll never admit to my parents, I pretended there was drama and I didn't want to get involved) and I guess I won't leave the country this year. Honestly I'd have cut both arms to save that cat so it's a small price.

The people at the hospital love him too. He's really friendly so students can take his blood and try to take his heartbeat without worries. Problem is that he purrs too loud for a good lung listening to take place. Turns out Sacha loves getting pets and attention from groups of students and doctors who give him treats and headpats. He has done more drugs than me and has a better date game than me.

It's been quite a while now. Sacha's been doing really well and the recent reports note that he is in remission. I may have cried when I read that mail ngl. He goes outside and killed a big pigeon a few weeks ago. He plays with the other cats, he really likes Settra and for the first time in his life he does playfight. Bagheera likes him as a punching bag despite being smaller than him. My mom stays with him everyday and I visit half of the days of the week. He eats like a lion too, he went from 3 kilos to 4.7 kilos when he was last checked this Wednesday.

I guess this is a selfish post, it's kind of my way of both thanking the people who helped me like my mom, the docs and my Spanish teacher, without having to say thank you to their faces yet again, and a way of making my cat immortal in a way. Even with all the help, Sacha's gonna be gone one day, hopefully in a very long time. But this post'll remain for a while more so there'll be a trace of what humans did for that cat.

I also wanted to say that please don't be afraid to go to universitary pet hospitals if you have the means to afford it. It's a scary place, I didn't even know it existed but these people aren't out there vivisecting animals. They're really nice. And don't give up too early on stuff that matters to you, it's really worth to keep going, at least in this case.

And if you could do a few prayers for Sacha, that'd genuinely mean a lot to me.

Anyway here is the cat tax. I've included quite a few pics so this post can be even longer than it is.

Sacha as he was before he got sick:

Sacha as he was in October:

(Don't mind his lack of fur that's because he had too many knots and drastic measures had to be taken)

Sacha as he is now:

Sacha with Bagheera, on their favorite blankets.

Sacha and Settra begging to go outside (it's raining! I open the door and they don't leave!)

I love you, you dumb orange fuck.

[chelemlem]

please i love the love island AU!!!! some questions if you don't mind: 1) if lando/carlos were the runner's up, who won first place? 2) what was lando's reaction when he realized oscar is helping him 3) was oscar ever jealous watching lando crack on with other folks and what did that look like 4) WHO DID OSCAR FIGHT AAAH

HELLO ANON 🧡 ofc i don't mind !!!!

1. going off irl popularity it was probably maxiel lmao. even tho it's hinted daniel gets kicked i can see him having a midseason ~comeback a lá molly marsh in s10 a lá real life

2. tbh ! i don't think lando is toooo aware exactly how much oscar "helped" him... he's like okay sure oscar has a soft spot for me but also my longevity on the show is prolly bc i'm a good actor (he's not) and the public find my twinkish gremlinisms endearing (they do)... meanwhile oscar is behind the scenes cherrypicking edits to ensure he comes off as likeable and inducing chemistry w his partners via tswift soundtracks

3. WELL in my hc oscar's been working on love island for 2-3 years already and is extremely clear-eyed about the Showmanship Of It All and contestants Faking Sentiments To Secure The Bag but sometimes he'll be watching back footage of lando getting it on in a challenge all [bored professional voice] "yeah it's a good shot keep it in" and some1 (logan) has to be like uhhh m8 you're like. crushing my notes. let go

4. honestly this is up to interpretation lmao! timewise i see it happening right before the finale so it makes sense tensions are running high

THANK U FOR THE ASK <33 i had a lot of fun imagining how the grid would operate in love-island specific scenarios (casa amor homewrecker sharl anyone???) sgndkd i hope some of the subtler details came across (eg. lando "picking" george for the date implying he was an early bombshell vs one of the ogs). i love talking abt this au so feel free to ask as many qs as u want lmao <333

[bettathanyou]

Cedric The Sorcerer Headcanon List :

Relationship Edition 💕 (Gender Neutral)

Hi folks, it's almost Valentine's Day again. As a Betta fish I don't really care about that holiday, or most holidays really- but I do care about a very special sensational sorcerer <3 hope u enjoy! This will include sfw + slight nsfw, not too much graphic detail tho. I'll put a tag when the nsfw stuff gets listed!

Cedric would be soooo genuinely confused about flirting- he would either think you're joking, take things too literally or not see it as flirting- just you being really friendly

Once he gets it through that big ass forehead of his (/j/nm/) that you LIKE him, he will immediately freak out and berate himself for not seeing it sooner. Then try to plan an elaborate scheme to try to ask you out, in typical Cedric fashion

Courting him would include tons of body doubling, just being in his space and doing things together and listening to his rants- and teaching you about magic if you're interested

Cedric's innate way of expressing love would be through gift giving and acts of service- but of course would adapt to your love language if the ones listed above didn't align with you

Would be shy about touching you at first, but eventually he will warm up to it and soon will find any excuse to kiss you and give you a hug/cuddle

Naps together are going to be very common- he's so tired and doesn't even realize it until you make him feel safe enough to relax a little

Literally your BIGGEST fan and hypeman, for real this dude is so smitten it's ridiculous

Because of how poorly he was treated by others, he has alot of attachment issues to work though. Can be very clingy and jealous at times, but will always do his best to improve and grow with you

Would definitely say I love you first

So so SOO protective of you, he will fr curse anyone who would make you cry or feel upset- he may be a reformed villain, but would do some morally questionable things for your sake no problem whatsoever

If you feel sad and want a distraction, Cedric will go full sideshow magician and won't stop until he finds a way to make you smile

He is 100% pansexual, so your gender identity is irrelevant when it comes to attraction ((will obviously respect pronouns and call out anyone who doesn't full stop))

Once he gets over his initial shyness, he will find small ways to compliment you as much as possible

Will talk anyone's ear off if you're mentioned in conversation, he loves talking about how amazing you are and all the funny stories you two share

Doesn't care whether he's big or small spoon, he just wants you close to him

You both will have plenty of inside jokes and will reference them endlessly, even if it doesn't make sense to others

Talking to each other for hours or just sitting in comfortable silence, it's one or the other

You both will start mirroring each other's vocal mannerisms until it's just y'all constantly vocal stimming instead of talking in coherent sentences

He loves kissing you anywhere of course, some of his favorite places are your neck, shoulders, and the top of your head

Definitely aims to marry you, kids aren't on his list of goals tbh (the royal kids and Calista fr are more than enough for him 💀💀)

Cedric will read to you in bed on whatever book he's reading to help you sleep if you're having trouble

Nicknames for you would include: my dear, lovely, love, darling, sweetness, honey, and sunshine (in reference to you calling him crescent moon, you're the light that makes him shine bright :') )

Nicknames for him would include: ceddy, sweetheart, darling, handsome, mittens, (you only use that one to tease him lovingly about his gloves) and crescent moon/moon (given for his white bangs looking like crescent moons to you, secretly his favorite one and you only use it in private with him)

Cedric wouldn't exactly get used to much PDA because of anxiety and his struggle of self worth, but hand holding is negotiable (kissing each other goodbye is fine too, but only on the cheek)

In PRIVATE THO??? hoooo boy

THIS IS YOUR TW FOR THE NSFW HEADCANONS, DONT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU

Okay now the actual list starts here-

Loves to worship your body and has a serious praise kink. Need I say more? Yes, yes I do

A whimpering mess in bed, and you eat that shit UP

Has to take breaks cuz he just won't last otherwise 💀

Will think the first time you have sex with him was a fever dream until he wakes up next to you in bed with him

Feels grateful to even have someone who desires him

Foreplay doesn't start in bed, it's like a whole set up the entire day, with being extra loving and heavy flirting

Aims to please to a fault, so getting you off is what really turns him on the most

On that note, Cedric would feel uncomfortable receiving/asking for anything for a while, but as his confidence and self worth grows he finds himself a lot more receptive to it

He's pretty vanilla when it comes to positions cuz I said so but that's because he's so attracted to you he doesn't need anything fancy to climax

What he lacks in spice he makes up for in passion. No man will make u feel more appreciated and loved and that's on period 🤭

LEWD. HAND. HOLDING. yeah. Yeah.

Loves to say your name in bed

After you both finish, heavyyyyyy aftercare. Mandatory cuddles, gazing lovingly in each other's eyes, always brings you a towel first to clean yourself up (if he isn't already doing it himself) sometimes if you both have some energy left you'll run a bath for both of you and wash up together

You asked him once what your insides felt like as a joke, he replied "like home- warm and like I fit in perfectly" and you still haven't emotionally recovered from that

Obviously a power switch, next question

Has every sweet spot MEMORIZED

that's all I got so far, but PLEASE feel free to add on in the notes

[jayflrt]

Girlhood won, but Yeonjun lost. Ooof. Why do I feel like the order is gonna high key barbecue them a lil for that. I mean don’t they watch tv… Rich folk aren’t supposed to get CAUGHT with drugs—just do them because having enough money to randomly go to Monte Carlo is so stressful or whatever. I mean who wouldn’t need a blunt when they were worried about whether or not their parents will have to pay to fix their grades? Us peasants will never understand. My guess is someone is about to pay some serious scratch so this can all be a “misunderstanding.”

Also not me almost losing consciousness when you said JaYn was about to be DEPRAVED when they finally break. (So surprising that tried and true Shrek rizz didn’t do it for them. Alas 💀—Gurl put on something with a good jump scare and let that man “protect” you. I swear men cannot HeLp themselves in that situation. If they like you, they break with that perfect little bit of subtle leaning into them for security. You can’t overdo it because then it’s obvious and cheesy. And you can’t be like “nothing scares me” because whatever ok. Just letting your guard down and being a SMIDGE vulnerable—like tightening your fingers on his arm or a little jump or maybe covering your eyes… Just that little hint of vulnerability not helplessness no one needs that girl you a strong woman but I digress Jay would have been PUTTY IN HER HANDS. It’s a no-miss move. I would know 💅)

But I also feel like…….if YN was ever in actual danger of any sort… Jay would cut a man down. Like I wonder if that will come up…

ANYWHO—

New theory. Sunoo’s dad (or grandad if it was a long time ago, I forgot to check the dates 💀 but I’m just gonna assume dad so—) anyway Sunoo’s dad was the dude that got outed at Mercy Health but the accusations were just a cover for the fact that either he WAS snuggling up with YN’s mom or YN’s dad was just petty jealous and framed him. Now he’s the client and he’s looking for revenge.

OR…

The client is YN’s mom. She wants to be free to be with Sunoo’s dad or she just wants to be out of that relationship or whatever but she needs a way out and that is where Jay comes in. She needs dirt on YN’s dad to make a clean exit or a power move of some sort. She is able to blackmail Jay because maybe whatever she had on him involved someone going to the hospital…a hospital owned by Mercy Health perhaps…

GIRLHOOD WON!!!! (for now 🫣) there's a bit more on that in the next chapter where jay feels a bit conflicted about their priorities versus his own,, the class difference is getting to him i fear 🤧 (trying not to reveal Too much rn :'))

HAHAH they're gonna break a little 🤏 in the next chapter but this isn't even gonna scratch the surface for when jay finally loses it around her 😮‍💨 LMFAOAO THE SHREK RIZZ would've had me just giving up and watching the movie tbh!! 😭 shrek was definitely not the right movie for a moment like that because i cannot think of a single shrek scene that would've had me jumping or flinching around someone 😩 you're so right but our mc is lacking in the Flirting department bless her soul <33 next chapter will definitely pick up a bit tho 🤧

omg sunoo's dad and mc's mom as new suspects ✅ all solid theories actually 😳 jay has been SLACKING on the investigation tbh (blame his unwillingness to find dirt his new friends) but things will pick back up once they're back in yale 🤭 and more backstories will be revealed ofc!! it was lovely hearing from you as always 🥰 and i hope you're doing well and taking care !!! <3

[mygwenchan]

Stray thoughts while watching Love Syndrome III - EP5

Day wore that cast for weeks or even months... yeah I wouldn't want to touch it, that thing is nasty

The strippers are a nice touch though hehe

Jealous Day is jealous. He really doesn't want anyone to look at his man

Yes please, everyone take something off! Itt should start with his wig 🤣

Ohhh~ Itt was totally into that thing with the belt, what a naughty boy 😉

Cue Mac & Nan: Yeah, sorry folks. But it you see something like this, call the police ASAP and get that poor boy out of there. That's even beyond bad bdsm etiquette. Mac, my love, you should just castrate Nan. Maybe that would help

What's with the 70s porn music lol And suddenly everyone is making out ✨Is this a party or an orgy, who knows~

YES MAC throw that water into his face, baby! Throw the glass as well, fuck it, throw the whole bottle! Well, at least Day seems to feel a little bad for Mac, everyone else just ignores the situation (fuck them tbh)

Acts of service in the bedroom. We like to see it. They really need to have Long shirtless at least once per episode, huh? Maybe it's part of his contract? Maybe they knew his abs would save the series lol. They are nice abs though, I have to admit

Cuddle time~ That's cute

Flashback time~ The confusion is real, Day's as well as mine. Also, that kid Salmon is a shipper, they're really starting early these days 🤣

Sorry Day, but Itt is right. Car racing while being in that poor health condition is just asking for an accident to happen

Oh, Mac is back! Sweety, grab a car and run them all over. Just a suggestion

Itt fainted again, didn't see that one coming tbh. Was it too hot for him? Was he too stressed out? Probably both. Dude needs a vacation

Cute moment in the office. We like to see it. But Day, don't just answer Itt's call, not cool man. How did Itt later on know that it was Ball who called though? Ah jealous Day is jealous again. My dude, chill. Your boy isn't going anywhere

You go tell him, Itt! Day doesn't even try to remember you...

Oh? Looks like Itt is getting sick again. I feel him, I always get sick when I'm too stressed out, fever and all. Don't recommend. Also, I officially love Nik: "According to what I've studied, I think I can diagnose you. You're likely just sick!" LOL

Day: "Why does he love someone terrible like me?" Because it's the Stockholm Syndrome, baby~ 🎉✨

Not Nik suggesting that Itt got a fever cause he's on his period. DUDE XD He is the most character ever

Are they ever going to get into that car, or? Ah, now Day has another flashback and bad headache... Hmm, maybe that's why there are so many side characters? They're needed to hold Day and Itt when those idiots faint again

Tiny Itt curled up on the bed 🥰

Day "You can't take a shower, you're sick." Oh oh? Does that mean what I think it means?

YES, THE MAGICAL BL TOWEL MADE A COMEBACK!! They did skip the gay checkered sheets though, so one point deducted for that one

Most unhinged moment of this episode: Day taking a shower FULLY CLOTHED. Come on production folks, that would've been THE perfect excuse to show us Long's abs again, ah...

More fainting to come in the next episode. Stay tuned~

[destinyc1020]

although i would assume Sydney congratulated her privately, bt doing so publically (esp wit her being a fellow nominee and Z making history with her emmy nominations) wouldv been nice. once Z WINS thats wen im actually going to b lookin at folks tbh.

i think Z being a producer on the show (having a higher position than her fellow actors/actresses and possibly directing in s3 euphoria), her emmy win, her getting the most consistent n best storylines in euphoria and working closely wit Sam, there may be a intimidation factor to her wen compared to her euphoria colleagues n i wouldnt b suprised if there is a little bit of jealousy on their ends (with some of them). ik somebody used to send you (fake lol) updates on the euphoria set, n one of them was about jacob e being jealous on Z n Hunter for getting better storylines n although it was debunked i wouldnt b shocked if that were true for him n some other actors n actresses

Oh yea, that Anon was a fake 🙄🙄

I always take certain claims on set with a grain of salt, because ppl can always make up stuff just for kicks smh.

But yea, while I'm sure the cast gets along and stuff, smthg just felt a bit "off" this season for some reason (compared to Euphoria S1 filming), so maybe your suspicion might be right? I have no clue 🤷🏾‍♀️

I feel like during S1 the closeness of the cast was genuine, but S2, it felt a bit forced, or like some weren't as close as before (which, is understandable given the breakup of Z and JE 👀). So, who knows? Maybe some ppl took sides. Or maybe they weren't really as close as we thought, and the pandemic kind of made ppl grow a little further apart?

All I know is that Z and Hunter seem genuinely close like sisters, and you can always tell when Z is GENUINELY close friends with her cast mates and not just "acquaintances" with them, because she will spend time with them OUTSIDE of filming, and usually on a consistent basis.

Filming is like doing a temp job. You're working with ppl for a few months, and then that's it. You leave lol. 😂 Maybe you might see those ppl again if you have to film sequels or multiple seasons with them, but otherwise, you may get close to some, or you may not. 🤷🏾‍♀️

It's not a big deal imo.

I'm not close to EVERY single person I work with either. I'm friendly with ALL people, but some I'm more close with than others. And I've been working at my job for years. I can't even imagine how short it might feel just working for a few MONTHS with people lol. 😂

Some ppl you just instantly click with, and others... maybe not? Again, no big deal imo. As long as everyone is respectful of others on set, and you work well together, that's all that matters imo.

Most don't work on films or TV shows to become everyone's best friend lol 😆 It's great if you DO make friends, but that's not what happens all the time. Even Tom has talked about how he hasn't always felt like he clicked with ppl on some film sets.... and that's okay!

[the-teacup-poisoner]

About this blog:

I've been a true crime fan since I was about 15 (which was over 15 years ago – yes, I'm old), when I discovered Ted Bundy's case and read The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule. I was obsessed with him for a long time, but then I eventually moved on to other famous killers, such as Israel Keyes, Charles Manson, Ian Brady, Myra Hindley, Jeffrey Dahmer, Dennis Nilsen, etc.

During my Nilsen hyperfixation – I can't remember how –, I ended up being very intrigued by Graham Young's case, even though I've never cared about poisoners. I thought he would be boring, but as soon as I started reading A Passion for Poison, by Carol Ann Lee, I was hooked 🤩

Unlike other SKs, there aren't many books, info and discussions about Graham, which is very frustrating! I'm very grateful that Lee (who's an amazing writer and an incredible, meticulous researcher) decided to publish one about him, because the other two most popular books (Obsessive Poisoner, written by Graham's sister Winifred, and St. Albans Poisoner, by Anthony Holden) are rare, hard to find, and very expensive, especially if you live in a 3rd world country. It makes me jealous of Americans for having great libraries where they can find those books easily (I'd kill to get my hands on Obsessive Poisoner).

Anyway, as a result, this blog will be mainly about Carol's book, since it's the only resource I have access to. I'd love to discuss more about Graham (or any other serial killer, tbh), but since most folks in the TCC don't seem to have heard about him, I hope my posts can make others interested in Graham and his psychology. I'd also love to follow more blogs about him or other SKs (as long as it's gore-free) 🙂

And about me:

I'm Brazilian, an older millennial who likes cats, true crime (mainly Dahmer, Nilsen & Graham), A Song of Ice & Fire, Bowie, trivia, psychology, and learning about different cultures and languages.

My main account is @dissolving-into-molecules, btw.

PS.: I always feel like disclaimers like this are unnecessary and condescending, but just in case, it's worth pointing out that I don't condone. Trying to find the reasons that led someone to commit a crime, feeling sorry for the terrible life most SKs had and their wasted potential, or even saying they're good-looking are all fine by me and I'll probably do it too. It's the gushing, the fangirling, and the disrespect towards the victims, their families and the killer's family that can bother me.

But tbh, I think those things are rare and most of the TCC is reasonable, sensible and quite nice.

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

Ngl but I kinda like Frances, I mean she doesn't seem to me that bad person at all. At least not that bad that Emma was to Evan, she was just excited about dating her celebrity crush the reason why she was posting stuff about them including pictures of them together and posts on her Tumblr and Twitter. Any normie who got the chance with a celeb would do that, and the thing about her selling his personal info I don't believe it since there's no actual proof about. Plus now even though they're not together anymore, she never posted a shit about him, also I do believe that she loved him somehow, she never announced their breakup she kinda wanted to keep the door open in case they get back together. She doesn't give me that bad vibe at all tbh. And for Evan, he definitely saw something on her we didn't see so that he won't last with her for 2 years, we don't know the reason behind their breakup but there must he something off happened between the two, people were hating on her and assuming how weird and bad she is just because they were jealous how Evan dated a normie.

i feel like you have to remember how little it is to say frances is ''better'' than emma lol but yes, i definitely think some people went too far with their hate for frances. but overall, i only think she was as harmless as she was because evan seems less tolerant of bullshit.. if he gave an inch i'm sure she would have taken a mile. frances was never shy about being a sugar baby, it's just that evan isn't a sugar daddy. and he likely never planned to marry her or go to the next level, they didn't live together. i do think that it's misguided to say that any ''normal'' person who dated a celebrity would post about them in the manner she did - she was already someone with a social media presence and she continued to ''tease'' their relationship even after it got her hate, likely to sort of spite those folks and gain followers from the situation. hence her toying with the whole patreon idea and doing tarot card readings once her follower base grew. i do think this casts doubt on whether or not their relationship was motivated entirely by love or just convenience and opportunity. you can say the same for evan, he obviously didn't move as seriously as he had with past relationships, maybe he just wanted a younger girl to have some fun with. understanding the dynamic of a celebrity/unknown relationship, it would have been wise to not allow the public in at all to scrutinize. contrary to popular belief, you don't need to post all aspects of your life to social media. there are some times when it's advantageous to keep folks out of the loop!

[love-advice-on-call]

Hello!

I’m starting with the premise that I’m a pretty closed off person and that I have never, in all my 19 years of life, had a crush or a romantic attraction to anyone. I recently started to experiment with going out with a guy like 4 months ago and had my first kiss. Eventually he started to catch feelings (I didn’t) and even if I wanted do more with him I had to stop this thing because I felt like using him since I didn’t like him in that way. Then I downloaded Tinder to find other queer women (I’m bi) since I live in a small town and it’s difficult to find them here. I eventually ended up going out with three girls, but one of them didn’t inspire me much so I currently am texting with the other two. I went out two times with one of them and yesterday it was the third time. When I met her up at the station she was with a guy. I immediately understood he wasn’t a friend. The situation got embarrassing since me and the guy started staring at each other until she quickly hugged him and he took the train to go home. I asked her who was him and she started telling me things that were obv red flags about him (she didn’t seem aware of that). Now, I too am hanging out with another person so it’s not that I’m jealous…but the thing is that I had started to feel, even if little, something for her. But when she told me that she was hanging out with me and that guy, who was a walking red flag you know what I’m saying, putting me and him at the same level in her mind made me feel extremely disrespected. Like I understand if she was hanging out with decent people but HIM…come on now. So my little feelings for her immediately dropped. The date went well we chatted and made out and a bit more in my car but now I see her in a confused way, like a nice person to hang out it and someone to have sex with. No more feeling. Tell me what you think and sorry if this is a bit stupid.

Well to start off with, 19 years isn't too bad to be starting to explore this.

Second side note, TBH, I really don't like tinder, it's really gone down hill since the pandemic, but I get using it if you're in a smaller area and don't have as many options for dating. I've had some pretty solid luck with Hinge, and bumble is usually kind of "stale" (they should rename it to "white conservative Christians meet")

So what I think is that it sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders.

I totally agree with you that this girl doing SOMETHING with another person, whatever that was, and then haphazardly "surprise introducing you two" on a third date without actually telling you who you or really anyone is to her is a big red flag. Like that's just a poor dating move there and something you might see a 16 year old do. But anyways, yeah come on now, like seriously? what was she thinking

Of course, bummer that you liked this girl, but then she kind of imploded the relationship, but that's a part of dating in general. You never know what you get until you see them a few times and feel it out. Someone who you have high hopes for can end up being really weird at the end and someone you thought would just be a fun thing can turn into something serious. It's better they do something that lets you know they're not cool early, rather than 3 months in, even if it hurts to learn. It might also be good to stop seeing this person so you can focus more time and effort on a new person.

I think to me, it sounds like you're doing great, and despite being 19 and never having a crush or romantic feelings towards someone, I think that will change (and is changing) the more you go out with folks and gain experience. This will smooth out naturally for you I think. It sounds like you're growing really fast and you just gotta keep doing what you're doing. You made a big step with this person, but it might be time to look into taking the next big step with someone else.

Posted September 23, 2022

[thecraftymagician]

I’m feelin toxic today and have a two parter: M6 when they’re jealous of attention MC is giving someone else? Like what would make them jealous and how would the react?

Okay there is a second part to this one:

Part 1 is M6 being jealous towards MC and how they handle that while Part 2 is M6 dealing with MC being Jealous towards them

Like always I tried to give these some differences but some are just similar like the rest of humanity!

Warnings: Strong emotions, Anger, Swearing, mentions of NSFW but nothing explicit, Angst!

M6 x Jealousy (Pt. 1)

Asra💜

Asra is typically alright with most things. They themselves can be a bit flirty and aloof, even playful with their touches.

After spending so much time with you they know your mannerisms, tone of voice, ect like their own. They trust you completely.. Well to an extent.

The only things that truly get under their skin is being flirty with an ex (yours or theirs) and/or doing anything that is usually just for Asra. Using their pet names for anyone else, certain inside jokes, taking those kinds of people to places that the two of you have only ever been together, holding them a bit longer when hugging, ect.

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They will try so so hard to not let it get to them writing it off as you just being friendly or something. But then again you only ever call him sweetheart, so what the heck?

They will direct everything at the other person. After all it's their fault. Who do they think they are, thinking their good enough to be around their MC? No, no, calm down that's just crazy talk.. He just has to trust you. Snide remarks and jealous glares to that person nonetheless.

If you don't notice Asra acting differently eventually he'll eventually pull you aside. They'll start off talking about how much they don't like person B before slipping into they don't like how you are around them. He's not mad at you just.. He needs reassurance. He trusts you but when you do those special things..

He doesn't stay mad long just getting more sad and scared above all else. While you do make it up to them, he will still watch the other person like a hawk just in case.

Nadia💖

Nadia is alright with most of what you do. Spending alot of time with a friend is only natural, she has full trust in you.

She's fine with playfulness to an extent but flirting with anyone else unnerves her. Even if she knows it's only a joke it reminds her of past things.. She knows your different and tries her best to let it go But... When she sees your arms around the other person or touching them more than a normal friendly way almost all bets are off.

If it's equal and especially if they start it, she can easily send them far away if she wishes but won't until you get to speak. If it's all on you, it will not be taken lightly.

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In public/with guests or while that person is around, she'll merely give you a look. Or stare you down, whatever she can to get the point across politely. Gods have mercy if you continue.

Bedroom/Veranda. Now.

She'll make sure you're alone before rounding on you. She'll try not to raise her voice and will not get in your face but her tone is not a happy one. Just what is it that you think you're doing? She has trusted you with her most scared feelings and emotions and you treat her like some floosy?!

It'll take a bit to calm her down but she makes sure you know full well how much she hates that kind of behavior. Might turn NSFW with her tbh but that's a story for another time..

Julian🖤

Julian is closer to being a hypocrite but still self-aware. He gets anxious when you playfully flirt with anyone but always catches himself. But he knows how some folks are and feels queasy just thinking about you flirting at the tavern or with strangers.

He's okay with you giving close friends hugs or holding their hands, etc but it still bothers him to an extent. In all honesty there is a tiny part of him that is still worried about Asra, especially when you go on adventures together or hug him alot.

Hell, why are you going on adventures without him ever? He's supposed to show you the world like he promised you, so why is anyone else trying to?

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When he does snap, it's likely random but when you're alone together. Most of the time it's all just pent up from the past few weeks but he didn't want to sound silly bringing it up before now.

He's not mad, in fact on the verge of tears. He'll try to act stoic but his lip trembles a bit with a watery eye.

What did you mean when you said that guy had muscles to spare? Why did you entertain letting him bench press you? You're leaving again?? But when are we going to go somewhere together?

He'll need extra attention and reassurance to calm down and feel better.

Muriel💚

Muriel isn't one to get jealous easily. If anything he is perpetually protective of you. Sometimes it comes off as jealousy but if it's someone flirting with you or touching you it's more of a protective instinct.

When he does get jealous though it usually pertains more to trusting people. He doesn't trust just anyone so seeing you have alot of people close to you makes him feel insecure. For him, trusting and loving you is a very specific and almost rare thing, just for you. He admires that you are able to have close friends but he still feels a bit weird. Maybe he isn't as special to you as you are to him?

He had to go through the same thing with Asra a few times so he knows he's probably just overthinking but.. with you it's just different.

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He'll somehow be quieter than usual. Not exactly stand-offish but won't really be wanting to touch you or give hugs while he's unsure. I get the feeling he'll talk to Asra first before talking to you about it. He wants to make sure it's not just him. Of course Asra validates his feelings but let's him know that you probably don't feel how he thinks. He also tells him to talk to you about it.

When he does he feels very embarrassed and after talking about it with you, feels so much better and does want hugs but feels silly for worrying. He won't want to talk about it again but will keep it in mind for next time.

Portia🧡

Portia gets jealous frequently, more often than not as a joke. She likes getting attention though not in a Trixie Tang crazy way. She just loves her hugs and holding hands, flirting, etc.

That being said you can't always tell when she's serious. Subtly? What's that? If someone is giving you the eyes or you're taking too long she'll latch onto your arm. "Babe, I miss you! Who's this?" She'll point it at the other person and you equally.

She's not a fan of you flirting even as a joke with strangers. Friends is tolerable, she knows better but strangers is a gamble. Don't even think about touching their arm or hugs, at least for her sake.

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She'll try to play it off all cool. Soo who was that? They were kinda cute, huh? I don't know you talked to them for a while..

She won't get in your face really, just trying to be casual about it. If her feelings are super hurt she will tell you just that though she might tear up if she's angry enough. She really tries to just trust you though, she never wants to imagine that you'd ever really mean it. Still it can eat away at her and she wants to be sure.

She might need some kisses and cuddles to feel better.. or so she says, not that you'll deny her that.

Lucio❤️

Lucio unsurprisingly is one of those to get jealous more often. Still it's not as constant as you'd think. He is not afraid to let anyone know when he's being jealous.

Will he actually admit to it? Psh, no way! But he will roast the hell out of person B and brush them off when he's had enough. He wants to trust you much that doesn't quite stop him from watching you like a hawk. He'll definitely pout, insisting that he isn't.

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Typically no matter the situation he will go after the other person. Cut in for a dance, catch your arm and pull you away, even resorting to doing something stupid like sliding down the stairs to get your attention. Is not above flipping off or sticking his tongue out at person B.

He'll only really get hurt if you continue or brush him off in turn. M.. MC?? What's the meaning of this? No matter, he'll just try to make you jealous back, see how you like it. Ha! If you continue to ignore his efforts he'll get pissy.

If you keep it up for too long he'll be snappy with you along with being bratty and whiny. He might try to act aggressive with his tone and words but in actuality his ego is just bruised and you'll have to make it up to him however he sees fit.

[book-of-baba-fett]

After Hours - Boba Fett x FemReader

You run a bar on Tatooine, where you first met the bounty hunter known as Boba Fett. Even years after his death, your thoughts still linger on him.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, blood, men being total creeps (not Boba), mentions of past sex, past relationship (undefined), some light fingering, reader threatened by knife, armor kink if you squint, use of ‘princess’ by Boba Fett

A/N: Wrote this on a total whim, might turn it into something more down the line if enough folks are interested/I'm inspired by the Book of Boba Fett. Not proofread tbh, might edit later to clean up.

It’s always surprising how cold the air gets in Tatooine gets once the suns dip below the horizon; nothing but the black void where the sky meets the sprawling sands. People seek shelters in the warm cantinas of Mos Espa, like the one you own. They come from all sorts; smugglers waiting to refuel, bounty hunters on the prawl for a target. You've owned the place for years, and your 'no questions asked' policy cemented you with level of respect among the folks who frequented your cantina when they were on Tatooine; they didn't give you any trouble and handled anyone who started to step a toe out of line in your place. You're used to hosting a variety of clientele from the past of those who would stop in before dealing with Jabba; Bib Fortuna's hold in the area wasn't as strong, something not helped by the fall of the Empire.

You had no love for the Empire, but they did turn a blind eye to much of the Underworld; the New Republic has a morality clause that wasn't always great for business. Soon you saw less and less of the familiar faces you had come to know, and now you were dealing with a younger crowd of upstarts looking to make a name for themselves, but they were too full of arrogance and half of them died on their first jobs; only to be replaced by the next new face.

Tonight you're dealing with a particular group of assholes; a trio of men who can't be older than twenty and think they're the toughest force in the Galaxy after completing a heist. At first it was laughable, but when they started harassing your staff, it crossed the line.

You're pouring a drink for one of your regulars, an older, green Twi'lek man named Sauresh, when you hear a high pitched squeak from a corner of the bar; one of the men, a human with horrendously dyed blue hair tugged your waitress, Lin, onto his lap as she squirms and tries to rip his arms off her.

"That's enough," your firm voice calls from behind the bar, the room quieting into murmured whispers. The man and his friends don't realize your outburst is directed at them and lowly snicker, their laughs falling when they notice the eyes of the bar on them. The blue haired man narrows his eyes at you, tightening his grip on Lin as a lazy grin spreads on his face.

"Oh we're just having some fun, isn't that right sweety? the man sneers back. His friends chuckle; the one a Zabrak with tan skin and the other a human male with a shaved head and two thin, red scars maring his face. The scarred man eyes you, his cool eyes glinting with a hint of amusement.

"Maybe she's jealous and wants to join in the fun," he goads, spreading his legs wide and patting his thigh as he lifts his drink up to you, "This seat's available."

His friends can't even get their next round of laughter out before you've pulled out your blaster, and fired on the glass in the man's hand; shattering it and spilling the contents all over him.

"You bitch," he calls out, jumping to his feet and clumsily reaching for his own blaster.

A clambering of stools being scooted out echoes in the room, the familiar sound of blasters cocking and aiming all in the direction of the booth. You can't hold back your smirk; things might not be like they used to be, but nothing sets off a Tatooine crowd more than an outsider threatening a bartender.

The room stills, the only sound coming from the faint music from the radio. In their distraction, Lin breaks free from the blue haired man's grasp, sprinting into the backroom of the bar. The scarred man falters his grasp on the blaster, still drenched from his drink.

"I think it's time for you to leave," you suggest, tilting your head to the door, your blaster still trained on the man. His finger twitches near his trigger, and for a moment you think he's actually stupid enough to fire. His face twists into an ugly scowl but he lowers his blaster, reholstering it as he mutters to his friends over his shoulder. Jeers and laughter follow the trio as they exit, each of them shooting you glares as they pass.

Shaking your head, you go back to the drink you were making, sliding it over the counter to Sauresh who's holstering his own blaster as the room returns to normal.

"That was an impressive shot," Sauresh acknowledges as he hands you a few credits for the bill. "Where did you learn to aim like that?"

You shrug, grabbing the credits and adding them to your drawer. "An old friend back in the day."

Recognition flickers in Sauresh's eyes as he nods, a teasing smirk curving on his lined face, "Oh that's right, I forgot; you used to be shacked up with Boba Fett."

A huff of laughter escapes you, your face set hard as you try and fix a glare at Sauresh but you can't hold back the smile peaking through, "I wouldn't call it that."

It's Sauresh's turn to try and hold back a smile as he peers ar you, "Whatever you say, but I know that back in the day no one would have ever tried that shit here when Boba was around."

"Not unless they had a death wish," you admit back, but there's the familiar clench in your chest that tends to settle when Boba is brought up. Even though it's been 5 years. you still feel anger for how Boba died. You're sure in some sense he would have been glad to go out fighting, but you can't ignore the bitterness you feel when you're reminded that cowardly scum like Bib Fortuna survived and Boba was left to a gruesome death at the hands of the Sarlacc. You grab a glass to clean as Sauresh's eyes still follow you, "We were just friends; nothing more."

"Sure, sure. Don't know why you deny it; I remember those clones back in the day; so he was probably a looker under that Beskar."

"You nosy old man," you fire back, shaking your head with laughter. Sauresh downs his drink with a wink, slaps a few extra credits on the counter and bids you goodnight. You can't deny his words, but to say Boba was handsome felt like an injustice almost. He had a magnanimus presence that drew you to him before you had ever seen his face. His voice was like smoke, gritty and intoxicating whenever he spoke to you in his low tones; he was a man of few words but the ones he uttered were purposeful and held a weight of their own.

You still remember your first time with Boba; it was a cold Tatooine night like this, but back when the bar was more lively. Back then you would sometimes drink with customers, using them to keep up to date with the latest rumors. You had offered Boba a drink off hand; he never stayed in the bar for long, usually only coming by to collect payments or meet up with other hunters. But when he unclasped his helmet in the shadowed booth you were rooted to the spot, partially in shock because you didn't think he would actually accept but partially from the carelessly attractive man in front of you. You can still see the way his brow cocked at you, a knowing glint in his eyes as he gestured to the seat across from him.

You closed the bar in a haze that night, Boba's presence sprawled in the booth watching you; after your drink he slid his helmet back on but you could still feel his eyes on you, catching the reflective shine from his Beskar helmet. As soon as the last customer left, the tread of his boots and the clang of his spurs echoed behind you on the stone ground.

His hands rested on your hips, tugging you so your back rested on the cool surface of his chestplate, his modulated voice underneath his helmet whispering into your ear, "Careful, princess. A sweet thing like you should be careful not to turn your back around men like me."

You turned your head back, your eye meeting the painted helmet and searching for where you thought his eyes might be, "Well maybe I'm not so sweet."

He chuckled lowly, his chest rumbling behind you as your stomach clenched, you ass grinding back against his codpiece. HIs gloved fingers slipped beneath the waistband of your pants, a gasp leaving your lips as the textured fingertips circling your clit.

"Let's find out how sweet you are."

It became a routine after that; if Boba was in town he would hang around the bar in his normal spot, waiting for you to close up. Sometimes, like that first night, he wasn't patient enough to make it to your flat above the bar and instead bent you over the counter, fucking you into the next system. You had a rule about not sleeping with patrons, and Boba still remains the only exception to that, even as he's been gone for years.

Your thoughts linger on Boba as you wipe off the counter at the end of the night; you're not sad anymore really, but sometimes you do miss the steadiness his presence would bring. You're about to turn off the lights and head upstairs when the chimes at the door ring. Your brows furrow, you could swear you locked it already. Shaking your head clear you flip around, "We're closed for the night, come back tomorrow."

"No, I think we'll stay," a sneering voice calls out. The three men from earlier step into the bar, cold scowls on their face as they leer at you. The scarred one is the one who called out to you, his eyes roving over you as he stalks towards you.

You unholster your blaster quickly, only for his companions to raise theirs. You're a good shot, but these odd are against you. The scarred man knows you've caught on to your predicament, his grin spreading wider. He motions for you to lower your blaster which you do reluctantly, eyes scanning the room for anything you can use to distract them.

"Me and my friends aren't thrilled with how you disrespected us earlier," he explains, still pacing toward you. You back up automatically, cursing internally as you hit the counter of the bar behind you. Out the corner of your eye you catch a bottle you had yet to put away, the only other thing resembling a weapon that you can find.

"We can't have pretty things like you talking down to us and getting away with it," The blue haired man sneers from the side, his blaster still trained on you as you glare back. "Zid, why don't you give her some scars to match yours; that way everyone will get the message."

"Good idea," Zid sends you a chilling, teeth baring grin as he pulls a dagger out of his belt. You grasp the bottle on the counter, smashing it into the side of his head as he curses. Shoving him to the side, you break into a run only for the Zabrak to land a sucker punch in your gut that takes the wind out of you.

Gasping for air, your wrists are bound behind your back by the Zabrak, your head held in place. A sting breaks out on your cheek as Zid slaps you, his eyes wide and seeping with rage as a trail of blood runs down the side of his face; you didn't cause much damage with the bottle, but you did succeed in angering him. You work your jaw, setting your eyes into narrow slits as you watch him raise the knife; you won't give him the satisfaction of seeing you react. As he grins madly at you, the chimes at the door ring again.

"Fuck of, it's closed-" the blue haired man calls out only to be silenced by a blaster bolt to the head. You're blocked from viewing the door, but your heart races in your chest as you hear the tread of heavy boots, and those familiar spurs.

No, it's not possible.

But as the Zabrak's grip on you falters and your head turns, you recognize the armored figure in front of you all too well; he stands under the entrance light of the cantina, illuminated like the ghost he is. Boba Fett's presence is somehow stronger than what you remembered, a force larger than life, calling the attention of every being as his blaster smokes from the end of the barrel. His helmet tilts at you, appraising you for injuries as he glances back at the remaining men.

"Drop your weapons, and I'll consider letting you walk out of here," Boba's gritty voice orders, a deathly calm as he points his blaster at Zid. His scarred face scowls, his eyes turning back on you but he pockets the knife. With a nod from his companion, the Zabrak releases you, but shoves you roughly into a table.

Two shots ring out, and that's enough. Both men collapse to the floor with thuds, joining the body of their friend. The smoke from the shots lingers in the air as you push yourself upright, turning your gaze to Boba.

"I told them I would consider it." Boba gruffly says with a shrug, twirling his blaster and reholstering it. You can hardly calm the racing beat of your heart, the past few minutes still running through your head. You must be hallucinating, or those men killed you and this is your welcoming to whatever afterlife you're in. Boba must sense your apprehension, because his next words are slightly lighter, as light as Boba can be as he teases, "You're welcome."

Shaking your head, your lips curve into the slightest smile as you cross your arms, "Forgive me, it's not every day I see a dead man."

Boba's head nods as he steps toward you, the traitorous beat of your heart unrelenting. As he's almost to you, he side steps you and slides into a stool at the bar. His hands raise to his helmet, the release clicking as he pulls it off. The Sarlacc did it's damage, as visible by the pale scars etched along his face, but his aura is no less attractive as he fixes you with a dark look, his lips curved as his eyes rove over you. Your gut clenches as a throb takes place in between your legs. You shift your stance, trying to ignore the need taking root but Boba's eyes follow your movements, as he already knows the reaction taking place in your body.

"How about a drink for this 'dead man' then?"

--

Taglist:

@grimhood9 @pinkiemme @shuttlelauncher81 @fivesarctrooper @twistedstitcher27 @frietiemeloen @galacticgraffiti

[glowingbadger]

As you’re accepting modern-day HCs….I kinda need some for the BL with a s/o who isn’t Byleth. Anything goes, authors choice. I need to go recover from all those Poly HCs. They were glorious.

Goodness, that's a lot of beautiful boys and a lot of freedom lol let's go down the line and I'll give my general thoughts for all of our precious lions :) I guess if we're talking post-timeskip (which I personally always am lol), they're gonna be like... either in the last two years of college, or right out of college? Fuck it, college AU. ((I started with just the dudes cause that's what most of my writing is tbh but folks can definitely ask me about the ladies as well!))

Blue Lions Modern/College AU Headcanons (x GN Reader) - SFW

Dimitri: A political science major you had a group project with once and then a month later he finally had the guts to ask you out. He generally looks pretty clean and put together, but he wears an eyepatch, and rumors that he's secretly a hitman or in a gang fly around campus. Your friends are all terrified of him when you first start dating, but he wins them over once they've talked to him even once. After that, it only takes about two weeks for them to start referring to him as your wife.

Dedue: Definitely studying botany or horticulture or some such. You sit next to him in one of your lectures for a full semester before managing to ask him out. You expect a polite rejection, so you're surprised when he immediately says yes without even a moment to think. Studying with him is the best- he'll sit with you resting between his legs with your head on his chest and quiz you on what you need to know, placing a sweet kiss on your cheek or neck when you answer correctly. Your friends are definitely jealous- he's handsome, athletic, smart, kind, and he can cook.

Sylvain: Total marketing major vibes. He's one of those awful, awful people who never studies and spends his whole weekend at house parties and gets good grades anyway. A friend of yours hooked up with him once and said the D was phenomenal, but he's totally emotionally unavailable. He flirts with you for weeks before you're helping him back to his dorm one night after way too much drinking and he mumbles how "someone like you... c'do so much better th'n a guy like me..." You bring him coffee and aspirin the next morning and offer to go on a brunch date once he's sure he won't puke.

Felix: He's a business major, but his heart clearly isn't in it- he's only doing it because he's expected to run his father's company some day. He's at the gym every time you go (presumably plenty of times when you're not there too), before you realize it, you start looking for him there. You tell yourself it's just because you admire his motivation. He catches you staring though one day, and calls you out. Somehow, you stumble your way through introductions, but before long he's telling you how you're not stretching properly at all, how your jogging pace is inefficient, and just like that, you've got a gym partner who eventually becomes the most secretly-sweet boyfriend.

Ashe: Literary Classics major, and very well liked. No one's ever seen him at a house party, but he has plenty of friends, and is involved in a ton of clubs and extra-curriculars on campus. Eventually, he bumps into you at the library. Like, literally bumps into you rounding the shelves. His eye catches one of the books in your arms and his face positively lights up- he's been meaning to read that one for ages! How did you like it? Is the ending as surprising as everyone says? You end up finding a secluded nook to sit and chat for hours, until it's nearly dark. Then, he shyly offers to treat you to dinner as thanks for your book recommendations.