#and then I need to help her understand where she’s right and wrong and that either way she’s safe now

[themathomhouse]

I have to assume you're deliberately misunderstanding prev at this point, but on the off chance you're not I will repeat what they have explicitly said one more time, with some of my own emphasis because tbh Lucas isn't an especially bad example of what I was talking about. He's just the best known on tumblr. He is, however, awful at acknowledging the work his first wife did on Star Wars and how much that contributed to the success of the trilogy, and, exactly like prev said, has tried to take the reins himself in the subsequent years and demonstrated exactly why she was needed in the first place.

George Lucas isn't a bad film editor. He's also the person who wrote the script and directed (the first) Star Wars. I think it's fair and accurate to say that the (first three) Star Wars films are a product of his vision - and where he was inspired and helped by other directors and collaborators, he's actually great at acknowledging their contribution!

With one exception.

Marcia Lucas is an excellent film editor. She isn't the only editor who worked on Star Wars at all, but, as prev said, the team who worked on the films overall win awards for being particularly good - and Lucas himself acknowledges that he's not the best editor or director! He didn't direct episodes V or VI because he is actually capable of understanding where his strengths lie. This is why he hired other people to edit his films!

One of those people was his then-wife. They are now divorced. Likely because of this divorce, and also because the divorce was partly caused by Star Wars, he now fails to tell the story of how the Star Wars films were kind of a mess when they arrived at the editing suite. Marcia (who had also edited his previous films, because she is a professional film editor and an excellent one) understood his vision and also made several changes without which most people who worked on the film say it would not have come together. George had great ideas, the effects would have been great, but it just wouldn't have sparked a phenomenon the way it did without her work. And he himself used to acknowledge this!

Until they got divorced. Which was right as Episode VI came out. And now he doesn't acknowledge her as much as he really should - and if I remember correctly, Spielberg has called him out on this!

Like I said, I actually don't think he's a particularly egregious example. He's someone who usually is great at acknowledging his collaborators and he's often good at acknowledging where he needs someone else to do something because they are better at it. He hasn't made a film that's anywhere near as good or interesting as the original Star Wars honestly in no small part because he actually has taken a producer role or co-writes or generally just doesn't want to be the director as much since Star Wars. Where he has done, like prev said with the tinkering with the original trilogy, and like EVEN HE says about episodes I - III, the result is just not as good as it could have been.

I'm basically commenting here because your misunderstanding of prev comes off as incredibly bad-faith, especially as this post is constantly just tagged as George Lucas in a way that honestly? I don't think is fair. But prev was actually very specific as to what they were referring to with him, and they're right! Like. Famously right. But I'm hoping that I'm wrong about the bad-faith and this will help both you and others see where prev was coming from, as well as tbh maybe people could tag this as F Scott Fitzgerald because that man literally stole segments out of his wife's diaries without telling her until she read it in his published works, that's more what I was getting at.

I've also just spent all these paragraphs giving context to Lucas mostly because of other posts, when what you're saying is that not only do accolades mean nothing, but it apparently also means nothing that he is not actually a professional film editor. The editing team, of which Marcia was part, was composed of people whose entire job is to edit films. That is why he hired them instead of doing it himself.

okay but if you ever see a male creative who had a string of great work and then everything else he did was dogshit, go to the "personal life" part of his wikipedia and look at his relationships. you'll either find a major tragedy he didn't recover from (completely understandable) or, more likely, there was a woman in his life doing uncredited shit editing his stuff or contributing generally and she's not there anymore.

I told a friend about this phenomenon in literature and he called me weeks later like, I remembered what you said about women doing uncredited work when tim burton came up. he made a string of bangers then everything else just was nowhere near as good. the timeline matches perfectly to when he was with this german visual artist (lena gieseke). he's done some good work in collaboration, but if things were dug into I suspect we would find she did a lot more than people realise.

so yeah whenever you look around like wow women didn't work in history, or, women aren't auteurs, or, there just aren't as many great female writers - societal reasons for that aside, half the time they absolutely did.

[jamiewrites-stuff]

Hypnotic

[002] [003]

WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE😭 WHERE DID Y'ALL COME FROM- Thank you for enjoying my fic so far, I'm overwhelmed-

Anyways, here's another one. I'll try to make the chapters longer but no promises 😗✌

Please make sure to comment on what you think so far, I love reading the comments, it motivates me to write more💕💋

Btw, I gave them names to this- well, I didn't come up with the names. Credit goes to: @filijester (I think? Please correct me if I'm wrong) , I just picked these because it seems like the names a lot of people agree on, plus I think it fits them.

Abby Saja: Beomseok

Romance Saja: Jae-Hyun

Mystery Saja: Garam

Baby Saja: Daeun

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They descended from the ground, their feet gently planting on the stone pavement.

Luckily no one was around to witness such a sight.

They didn't want to be bothered by the trouble of humans seeing them appear from the depths of Hell.

"This is.. much different from what I was expecting"

Beomseok muttered, letting out a small whistle as he looked around. It's been a while since he visited the human realm, its the same for all of them.

"What now boss?"

Jae-hyun asks in a teasing manner, leaning an arm against Jinu's shoulder.

The Leader of this little group stayed silent, eyes carefully observing the area around them.

The Tall buildings, the blinding lights, the loud noises. He was in unfamiliar territory.

He didn't want to admit it.

But he didn't expect to get this far.

He had a plan in order to defeat the hunters, but he didn't think far enough ahead on what they'll do in between.

"You'll need a place to sleep"

A familiar voice said, as the ground in front of them opened up a portal, a silhouette of a familiar woman made her appearance before them.

But she looked more solid.

More human.

She wore a Black suit along with a matching pencil skirt and heels, though some of the top buttons of her suit were open, revealing more of her cleavage.

Her eyes lingered at the group.

She did all that she could to improve their appearances, but she could tell that her work wasn't finished yet.

"What are you doing here?"

Jinu questioned, not expecting her to join them on the surface, especially in that outfit.

"I figured you needed a manager"

She smirked, making some eye glasses appear at just the flick of her wrists, calmly putting them on.

She had to look the part if they were gonna pull this off.

"And based on what I'm looking at, I'm right"

She stated, giving them one final glance before turning around, she snapped her fingers, gaining their attention as she walked on ahead.

"Come."

With one simple command, the group looked at each other hesitantly before following after her.

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They arrived at a Hotel, it seemed like it was the expensive kind based on the decoration.

They just walked right in, None of the guards didn't bother to question their identity and just allowed them entry.

Their appearances immediately caught the attention of nearly all of the people in the area, yet they paid them no mind.

Beomseok glanced over at a group of women gazing at him from the waiting area, he couldn't help but send them a little wink, causing one of them to dramatically faint into another's arms.

He smirked, getting the confidence to walk towards the counter.

"A room for 6, please"

He said, placing a hand on the marbled surface as he looked down at the person behind the reception counter.

She only gave him a look of unamusement, despite her coworkers practically drooling at the mouth at just the sight of him.

"Do you have a reservation sir?"

She questioned, moving her gaze down at her computer screen, typing away at the keyboard.

Beomseok's smirk faltered at her attitude towards him.

That wasn't right.

He couldn't understand.

Why wasn't she reacting like the rest.

He glanced at the others beside her, seeing that familiar desire in their eyes, before his gaze went back at the Woman, who looked at him with complete disinterest.

It took a toll on his growing ego.

But before he could say anything, he was pushed aside by their self proclaimed Manager.

He let out a small shriek at her rough push, making him stumble back until his group mates caught him just in time.

"Excuse him, he's new"

She chuckled, leaning her body against the marbled counter. Her voice definitely caught her attention as the Woman looked away from the screen to look at her.

The woman took in Y/n's appearance, how the suit hugged her figure perfectly, that seductive gaze, her hair perfectly in place, not a single flaw in sight. The receptionist's body tensed up a bit as a swell of sudden nervousness overwhelmed her.

"I apologize if we're drawing in unwanted attention.."

Y/n muttered, placing her chin against her palm, referring to the crowd that was beginning to form behind them.

"It was.. Never our intention to cause trouble.."

Her said, a soft smile appearing on her lips.

The woman's ears turned a light shade of pink, as she tried her best to keep her focus on her eyes and nowhere else that was deemed... inappropriate in the workplace.

She cleared her throat, fumbling a bit on the keyboard.

She couldn't afford to get distracted.

"That's.. Quite alright, but we still need a reservation Ma'am."

Y/n smirked, her hand reaching over to the computer, grazing her fingers lazily along the screens edge.

"Oh, I'm sure we do..."

She said, keeping the woman's attention purely on her, the computer screen glitching for split second before reverting back to normal.

Y/n smiled innocently, leaning back a bit as she tapped the monitor.

"Y/n L/n, care to type it in for me Doll?"

She instructed, sticking out her bottom lip just a bit in a slight pout, drawing the other woman's gaze for just a split second.

Before she grew stiff and awkwardly typed in the name.

As if by a miracle, her name appeared on the screen, assigning her and the group to the penthouse, located at the very top floors.

She cleared her throat, turning back to Y/n who was wearing a patient smile.

"Yes, I see that you have a room reserved"

She nodded, grabbing the room card and handed it to her. Ignoring how the moment their fingers brushed against each other, it sent shivers down her spine.

Y/n grinned, happily taking the room card key, while her little demons leaned closer to her to get a good look at the key.

"Thank you so much"

She smiled, subtly bumping her elbow against Jinu's stomach.

He stammers, glancing at their manager then at the receptionist, quickly catching on.

"Yes, thank you"

Jinu said, politely bowing at them with the rest of the group mimicking his actions.

Y/n glanced at him with a hum, it was good that he caught on fast, but not fast enough.

That needed work.

With that thought in mind she walked on ahead, the boys swiftly following close, stepping inside one of the Elevators.

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Once they were inside, Y/n lift herself off the ground and went to the couch, a large cloud of history formed around her body for a split second.

Changing her clothes into something more comfortable.

Jinu watches Y/n drift down on the plush mattress, now wearing a Bathrobe that loosely hung on her body.

He took off his shoes, placing them in the shoe compartment near the door before stepping further inside, the rest followed his actions, just purely by instinct.

"Why are you helping us?"

He couldn't help but ask, that question has been ringing in his ears for a while.

Why did she agree to help him?

He would've left the topic alone, if it weren't for the fact that she's here with them on the surface, instead of falling back into a deep sleep.

Actually going out of her way to become their manager.

Y/n flicked her wrist, letting a glass of red wine appear in her hand, she didn't answer his question right away.

She let's his thought linger, she lifted the glass to her lips and carefully drank from the glass, her body melting against the couch in utter relaxation.

"Ease up Jinu"

Jae-hyun said, patting their leaders shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, the others were already making them selves at home.

Daeun and Beomseok were raiding the kitchen for something to eat.

Garam quietly made his way to the couch, casually sitting down beside Her, staying perfectly silent as usual.

"You'll get wrinkles from thinking too hard"

Jae teased, placing a finger on the others forehead, pretending to smooth out the imaginary wrinkles.

Jinu scoffs, lightly slapping his hand away with a small glare, Jae chuckles before walking away to go join the other two in the kitchen.

Y/n sighed, still feeling the man's gaze linger at her for some sort of answer.

"I told you didn't I?"

She says with a playful smirk

"I needed some good entertainment"

She chuckled to herself, her eyes hiding a mystery to them that Jinu couldn't seem to solve, at least not yet.

Her eyes flickered to the side, flickering with amusement as she pointed the glass at the spot beside him, where a familiar Tiger with quite a derpy expression made his appearance.

On top of his head sat another familiar face of a bird wearing a cute Gat.

"I was also interested in that little cub of yours"

She says, cooing when the Tiger slowly made his way towards her.

"Sweetest baby"

She whispers, letting the large Tiger practically lay himself on top of her, he let's out soft purrs nuzzling his head against her chin.

The bird cawed at his companion, flying over to sit on the backrest of the couch.

His eyes glaring at the Tiger, silently judging him for being so oblivious to the obvious danger, who was currently smothering him with scratches.

Jinu raised an eyebrow at the sight, not knowing how to feel about his large cat getting swept away so easily. So much for loyalty.

Garam slowly turned his head to the side, watching how Y/n smothered the Tiger with pets and small forehead kisses, unintentionally covering his blue furr with red lip marks.

His lips twitched a bit.

She didn't even notice how he slowly scooted closer to her on the couch.

"You're just the sweetest little thing, yes you are~"

She praised, finding a spot underneath his chin that made his purrs grow louder. Oblivious to the fact that the Saja next to her was quietly trying to get her attention as well.

Jinu shakes his head, letting out a deep sigh before turning around

Quite possibly to find a room where he could plan more clearly without any distractions.

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Taglist💋: @gremlinartstudio @nisarelle @enerofairy @ajunoiseee @whodis-26

[saturnyo]

Guitar Strings & Gunpowder

Pairing: JacksonEllie x Blind Reader

Summary: You've been on your own for as long as you can remember, save for the occasional partnership when you needed supplies. Life after the outbreak was tough for everyone, especially you...since birth, you were blind. Having to learn how to go through life and survive infected and other terrible shit life throws at you. One day, while taking a rest from traveling, someone approaches you and her offer to help changes your life.

Warnings: Blindness/Disability Representation, Mild Violence/Tension, Romance and Intimacy, no smut(sorry)

WC: 2.3k

Snow had a unique sound to it.

The way it would crunch underneath your boot. Or the feeling of it against your palm as you crushed it in your hands.

You wanted to understand the feeling of being free, of being uninhibited. You can take care of yourself; in fact, being born blind helped hone your skills, sharpening them beyond what everyone could do, and what they never bothered to develop. Living in this world, surrounded by near-death, fear, and silence, constantly forces you to rely on no one. And not to let them take advantage of the fact that you couldn’t see. There were no secret superhuman powers, just your grit, patience, and your stubborn refusal to give up.

And right now, your boots press into the snow that’s colder than usual, sloshy and slick as you searched for supplies.

Your supplies had been running low for quite a while; the only things left were a small bottle of water and a can of peaches, which you were sure had mold in it from being stored on a shelf for over twenty years. You hadn’t cracked into it just yet, not wanting to come to terms with the fact that you could go hungry in a matter of days. Everything you came across was picked over or destroyed, and no one had the heart to offer supplies. Which, in a way, you understood, but it still didn’t help your situation.

The stick in your hand tapping in front of your feet helps you know where it’s safe to step, aside from the birds chirping, the only other sound in your ears. It was a welcoming feeling hearing nature reclaim its space after everything fell apart, but what came after the fall was terror. It made you tougher, smarter, but more cynical. Stopping to take a breather, you find a log to sit down on and take a moment to rest before continuing, with no actual destination in mind.

A few moments pass

And then you heard it…footsteps.

It’s not infected, but it could be a raider or someone else wanting to take advantage of a lone girl in the woods. You quickly stand up holding the stick like a baseball bat.

“Who are you?” you demanded, trying to hide the slight shakiness in your voice.

There was a pause. The wind is blowing through the trees. And then a voice, sweet and soothing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” the voice said. “It wasn’t my intention.”

Her tone held complacency, but also a command. Not to demean you, but to calm you.

“You still didn’t answer my question,” you said, firm now.

“Ellie. I’m from Jackson. Just out on Patrol.”

Patrol. The word settles uneasily and makes your stomach churn. The type of people who take what they want and do not apologize for it.

You straighten your spine, raising the stick higher.

“And why the hell are you sneaking up on people, Ellie?”

“I wasn’t trying to,” she said. “I saw you were alone, thought you needed help.”

“Wrong.”

The silence settled again. A bird chirped only once.

You hear her shift on her feet, even though you couldn’t see, you could still feel. And her eyes were searching you, gauging what kind of person you could be.

“Are you going to swing that stick at me?”

“Depends. You plan on getting closer?”

Another pause. Then a silent, short chuckle.

“No. Not unless you want me to.”

That caught you off guard. Her voice wasn’t condescending. It was calm, not cocky. Not pitying. Just honest.

You didn’t lower the stick, but you didn’t raise it higher either.

“Jackson, you said? This is Wyoming?” you asked hesitantly.

“Yes, we are a few miles north of here. It’s walled off, and there’s warm food. Beds. Whatever you need,” Ellie explained.

You were still wary, regardless of the other half of you screaming to go with her. It was a Hail Mary. A saving grace that you could get rest and food. However, who she is and what the rest of Jackson could be like remains unknown.

“I’ve been on my own for a while. Not big on trusting people,” you muttered.

“I get that,” she said softly. “I’m not going to bother you. But if you are hungry, you can join us.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Us?”

“Me and my patrol partner. Her name’s Dina. I told her to stay back.”

You narrowed your eyes, though it was more for show than to intimidate.

“What’s the catch?”

“None. You don’t owe us anything; we want to help.”

A dry, humorless laugh fell from your mouth. “That’s not how it works. Everyone wants something in exchange for help.”

“I used to think like that, too,” she whispered. “But I’m being honest. You don’t have to ride back with us or walk next to us, you can walk near us if it’ll make you feel better.”

You didn’t answer. You let the space and silence settle between you again, weighing your options. It’s either risk it and continue on your own, or head back with Ellie and Dina. And if she hasn’t figured it out yet, Ellie will find out you are blind. And that could pose more troubles than it’s worth.

“No strings attached?” you asked again

“No strings,” Ellie responded.

You held your gaze directly at her, a skill you learned not to let anyone know that you couldn’t see.

“Fine,” you said, gathering your pack off the forest floor. You could hear footsteps turn away. Not to run, but allowing you to follow. A pit of fear settles in your stomach at the thought of having to trust anyone again, but you had no choice. You needed supplies.

The sole thought of getting shelter, away from the infected and others who would try to hurt you, was the only reason you were going.

And for right now, that would be enough.

Ellie’s eyes were on you as you walked down the main street of Jackson, almost studying you. She’s been quiet since you passed through the gates. Not silent in a suspicious way, just thoughtful. Like she was holding a question but hadn’t found an intelligent way to ask. The stick you were still using tapped lightly against the ground with each step. You kept it low, less obvious. Not broadcasting what it was for, but you didn’t hide it either. If Ellie thought it was for balance or the only option you had as a weapon, that was fine. You let her assume.

You could hear kids laughing nearby. Horse hooves pounding against the ground. Hammers clinking against metal. The town was full of life, and people were happy. It was noise, not chaos, a hum of something, something living. An experience you hadn’t heard in so long.

She was still there beside you, silent. Steady. Ellie hadn’t really spoken a word since you two met. There was a moment, quick but real, where you turned your foot a bit too much and stumbled. The ground shifted beneath you, and before you could correct yourself, there she was. Her hands caught you, quick and precise. They were soft and warm. Her touch was different. And even though you just met, her hands on you were the first ones that didn’t feel wrong.

It didn’t feel invasive or hesitant—no awkward fumbling.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to grab you like that. You okay?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

You adjusted your grip on the stick again, letting the moment pass. There was more quiet between you. Not uncomfortable, but heavy with thoughts neither of you spoke out loud.

Then she asked, soft and careful. “You uh…been to a place like this before?”

You kept your face towards hers. Or at least you hoped you did.

“Not like this,” you said. “Usually, they don’t let in people like me.”

“People like you?”

You didn’t answer her right away. Let her wonder. And she didn’t push. But the silence between you had changed. More heavier. Another thirty paces before she tried again, making sure she was more careful and thoughtful this time.

“Do you always hold a stick like that?

Now that made you pause. Not because it offended you, but because it was the first time someone had really noticed you in a long time. Really seen you.

You gave a quiet shrug. “It works.”

“Is it…is it for finding your steps?” she asked.

No sarcasm. No pity. Just a unique sense of curiosity. You stopped. So did she. The sounds of the town moving on around you were still playing in the background. Although you couldn’t see her, she was still there. Her presence was undeniable; you couldn’t help but try to look in the direction she was in.

“It is. Not saying it can’t be difficult at times, but I’ve learned to deal.”

She didn’t gasp. She didn’t give any false “oh god, I didn’t know.” Ellie’s breathing steadied, taking in the realization of what she suspected.

“Okay,” she said, before turning and waiting for you to follow the sound of her footsteps. Eventually, you placed a hand on her arm, and she took it, helping you down the street towards whatever else is waiting for you.

Some time had passed, and now it was New Year's Eve. You had settled into a place of your own, and of course, Ellie helped you learn your way around. It wasn’t because she thought you were incapable, but almost like she couldn’t stand you being alone. You brushed away the warmth that spread every time she was near—or ignored how her voice sounded when she was whispering to you at the cafeteria when you wanted to know what was going on around you. It didn’t mean anything that she always showed up every day, at the same time, waiting to take you to the greenhouse. After you had met Joel, Tommy, and Maria, you told them how you wanted to contribute in whatever way you could. You casually mentioned your love of plants, although you hadn’t tended to any in a while, considering that outside Jackson’s walls, you didn’t have time to garden.

But now tonight, the snow was falling, creating a scenic backdrop to the festivities. There were a few people outside, mainly children being chased by their parents or teenagers gossiping together in a group. You were inside, sitting down at the table with Maria and Joel beside you. They kept you company while everyone else danced to the band playing. Ellie was off to the side, speaking to Jesse, when she saw you sitting there swaying in your seat to the music. The unmistakable sound of her footsteps approached you.

“You gonna sit here all night with these ancient beings or do you want to dance?” she remarked.

Joel, sitting beside you, scoots his chair back a bit. “I’m not ancient,” he grumbled.

“Yeah says the man who can’t go a minute without complaining about his knee pain.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, but you could sense there was a smile in his words.

Ellie’s gaze turned back to you. “Let’s dance.”

You blinked, taken aback by her question. Dancing was something you didn’t know how to do. No one bothered to teach you.

“Dance? Oh, I don’t know. I’m not sure how—”

“I got you,” she cut in, her hand reached out, grabbing yours and pulling you to your feet. “I won’t let you fall.”

Her hands caress yours as you let her pull you to the dance floor, and a slow song begins to play. The softness of her skin beckons you to follow her as you ignore the anxiety building in your chest. Your palms were sweaty, and your chest rose up and down in a pace that hurt. Ellie leads you to the center.

“Just follow my lead and I’ll make sure you are ok,” she murmured.

You nodded, unable to speak, as she stepped closer, her chest touching yours.

“I’m gonna put my right hand here..”

You feel it land on your waist, her fingers gripping slightly.

“And my left hand will go here..”

She grabs your right hand, enveloping it in her left. Ellie begins to guide you through the steps as the music makes your bodies sway.

“Step to the left..”

You stepped, your foot brushing hers, your breath catching slightly.

“Good,” she murmured, her lips close to your ear now. “Now to the right...”

You moved again, stiff and uncertain, then softening with each step she led. Ellie was warm. Steady. She kept her hand on your waist, not moving lower, not pulling you closer than you allowed. But she was there, her chest brushing against yours.

The music was filling the space between you. Something old, romantic, and smooth that made the world feel slow. Softer. You breathed her in. The faint scent of cedar and something sweet…like soil clinging to her clothes from patrol earlier that day.

“Still with me?” she asked softly.

You nodded, your voice lost somewhere in a daze.

Ellie shifted, her cheek pressed against yours as she leaned in.

“You’re doing perfect.”

You let out a shaky laugh. “That’s generous.”

“I don’t lie about important things,” Ellie whispered.

She guided you through another step, her thumb stroking slowly across your knuckles. You could feel her skin shake against your own. And you couldn’t help but do the same.

“You’re trembling,” she whispered.

“I’m not used to this,” you admitted, voice tight.

She took a break, this time slower. More careful.

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I’m not letting you go.”

You tilted your head slightly, following instinct rather than reason. “Ellie…”

She stopped moving. So did you. The music still floating around you. Her thumb swept along your jaw, your eyes closed, as she leaned in, savoring the feeling.

“Can I?” she asked.

You nodded yes, and her lips met yours, tentative at first, searching.

Then you kissed her back.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely real. Full of every unspoken thing that has been building over the last few months since she first saw you that day in the woods.

When she pulled away, Ellie looked at you, and you felt her smile again.

“Want to keep dancing?”

You nodded. “Only if it’s with you.”

[charafansmile]

what do you think of Berdly deltarune?

I like him! I think he's an interesting little guy, and I enjoy the role he fulfils in the story. He's a redditor and he sucks alot but by God is it funny to watch him be a redditor and suck alot.

There's specific parts of him as a character that I think deserve to be discussed (primarily how the character is fundamentally one with sexist beliefs) ..but alot of berdly negative I think goes too far in on the him being sexist angle (he is, but let's be real he's 15 and capable of learning. If we were supposed to think he's sexualizing noelle or susie he'd be written more overtly like burgerpants is). My own stance is that he's a play on the 'white knight' sort of 'nice guy' with the subversion that he's not actually interested in noelle romantically. But does still think he 'deserves' her. Not quite an incel but playing with those tropes.

He is weird and pushy ABOUT romance and I think that angle of the character provides an interesting dynamic with suselle (being that noelle has to learn how to stand up for herself) and the player and kris ourself since we can go directly against what kris wants by saying yes to him. He's basically the annoying team member you can't get rid of that is 'harmless' enough to not really be a threat so much as he is a device for other characters development. (Sidenote, I don't like calling his actions harmless and I'd really rather people not defend him being pushy with romance as him being autistic and not understanding social cues, he's inept sure but that sort of behavior does need to get called out and I hope there's some scene in the festival where he apologises or something.)

Of course me seeing him as more of a plot device atm doesn't mean I don't think he's a character in his own right, I enjoy the inferiority complex he's got going on and his friendship with noelle is very sweet to me. The lightnerds.. they talk vidya games togetehr... As weird as he can be he's just one of those people who you just can't spend alot of time around without wanting to strangle them. Like queen said. Nothing REALLY wrong with him, he's just annoying.

I also think there is a potential for something deeper with his character, and him being avoided because of his behavior does have potential for angst.. but I don't care for reading into it that deeply or blaming his isolation on outside factors that don't recognize the fact that berdly: is a jerk. He's an ass, he's rude, he's self-important and condescending...all of those are the reasons for people avoiding him. It's his own fault. He's that kid in high school who insults your handwriting and keeps talking to you when you're trying to ignore him. You may have a few casual conversations with him and be able to have fun on occasion courtesy of being in a small town without more options, but he still acts like he's better than you for no real reason. It's his biggest character flaw outside of the romance thing and probably my favorite thing about him. Love characters that keep fucking things up for themselves. I think the scene in chapter 4 of the library where he starts spluttering when he realizes susie doesn't want to hang out with him if he's being a jerk will be something that comes up again, if his arc continues. Ideally it'll be something like this

He keeps being pushy with noelle + susie + kris -> they ditch him -> He realizes they dont actually like him that way-> he eventually apologizes -> they hang for a bit -> he reverts to being kind of a jerk again -> they threaten to ditch him -> he realizes his error a second time and then apologizes again -> character arc fulfilled.

Not that he'd be completely fixed, he seems the sort to need multiple lessons, but I think being friends with susie would be good for him? She wouldn't put up with him like noelle does or ignore him like kris does, she'd call him out and stand on it in a way that I think would help develop him...the issue is he needs to get over his crush on her and a few(alot) more beats of self reflection before he's able to be #normal about it. Susie needs more friends too but well.. as good of a friend as she'd be for berdly being a better person I'm not so sure he'd be a very good friend to her without a lot more development. His interactions with her post realizing he can be stupid were funny but I need him to stop flirting yesterday. Idk this parts more an aside. They COULD be gamer buddies...but im unsure of it.

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari sniffled, looking into her papa's eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she just sniffled and listened. She looked down for a moment, processing what the hero said and gave a nod while her eyes narrowed a bit in thought. "I... Think I get it." She muttered, voice still slightly trembling as she spoke. She looked back at the projection and sighed. The child slowly backed away from Hawks and went back to look at the journals again, one last time.

There she read a few more journals from her mother. A few from when she was pregnant with her siblings.

"Today is September 29th, I gave birth to my little boy Kitearo a few days ago. It's been exhausting but he's worth it. Lynx has been a huge help in taking care of our son. I looked into Kite's future and I saw he was going to have a lot of siblings. Not my first choice honestly. If you asked me five years ago I would have said two or three kids would be enough, not seven. But it feels right at the same time. While I saw his whole life unravel I couldn't help but feel helpless... But a part of me knows it can't be messed with, even though I want to save my son from an early grave. I'll have to wait until all my kids are born to get the full picture."

Kari frowned, figuring out pretty quick that her mother knew the whole time, or at least had an understanding.

"It's Febuary 23rd. Flo and Fino are a few days old now. I got a bit more of the picture since seeing Kitearo's future. They meet a similar fate. It hurts, but seeing them work hard to protect their youngest sister, a little girl with white hair, something isn't adding up. I know I can't stop it but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt a whole lot."

"It's been a rough few weeks, Shade has been a bit of a handful. Always curious but always quiet which is a bit unnerving. Sure she cries and makes noises but she's more quiet than not. The doctor says she has nothing wrong with her but I still worry. I was able to see into her future. Lynx has his work cut out for him that's for sure. So far I know all my kids and my husband die on the same day, doing the same thing. I can't say for sure where I am but I can make a few guesses. Again that little girl with white hair makes a big appearance. I'll name her Kari. Kari Kana Lee Himura, long name but it looks like it suits her. When she's born I'll hopefully get all the answers and try to write them down."

"Another pair of twins. I'm not super surprised, Lynx had twin younger brothers after all so I think that runs in the family. That and I saw them while looking into their siblings' futures. These two look mirrored, it's kinda cute. I've named them Boom and Beats cuz the symbols on their cheeks are cute music notes. They are the loudest that's for sure, it's funny. I've had so many kids and all of them are so different even though they're under the same roof and have me and Lynx as their parents. I know why they look so different and why their quirks are different, it's a side effect of my quirk after all. But their behaviors and personalities aren't tied to it, I don't think. It's so fascinating to watch them grow and develop... I know I probably only have a few more years to live. I've concluded I die in child birth when giving birth to Kari. I know I'll be leaving behind my family and my friends... But I noted that my nephew is the one responsible for the deaths of everyone, under the control of my sister given his pupils... Something isn't adding up but I'm guessing Kari develops my quirk. If that's the case then she needs to exist. It strengthens our quirk and hopefully she'll be able to help others like I did, in someway. Though that's her choice and I don't want to force it onto her. I'm glad dad talked me into writing that one entry about my quirk, I hope she can read it one day so she can meet me... Well, a snap shot of me. It won't be the same I know but it's better than nothing. I just hope she doesn't hate me or get mad. It's kind of a selfish reason but there's so much going on... I just hope she understands."

Kari sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "I... I don't hate you mom." She whispered after a few moments of silence, hugging herself. "I just wish I knew you." The child gulped and moved to look back at the journal about All of the Above and began taking notes. "But yea, I'm glad grampa talked you into writing about your quirk too... It's gonna help me a lot." She muttered then looked at Hawks. "You think we can go somewhere I can train? I... I wanna try doing this thing mom talks about. I'm not sure if I can get back into that weird mind space thing but... But if I can maybe you can meet my siblings, well a snap shot of them... This is kinda confusing." Kari puffed out her cheeks then went back to writing. "But we don't have to do it today if we can't."

Hawks didn’t speak at first. He just let Kari cry. He didn’t try to hush her or pull her away. He dropped down to one knee so she could lean into him easier, wrapping his arms around her small frame like he could shield her from every painful word she had just read. His wings even curled in slightly, a quiet gesture of shelter.

He held her gently as the sobs came out in waves—her pain wasn’t small, and it didn’t deserve to be treated like it was.

After a long moment, his voice finally came—soft, steady, low enough it didn’t try to overpower her crying but just… sat with it.

“I know, kiddo. I know it hurts. It’s not fair. None of this is. You didn’t get a choice in any of it.”

He tightened the hug slightly, one hand cradling the back of her head.

“But I need you to hear me when I say this next part, okay?” He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his own golden ones steady and full of something more than just compassion—it was conviction. “She didn’t die because of you. That’s not how this works. She died for you. And that’s something only someone who loves their kid more than anything in the world would do.”

His thumbs gently wiped her tears.

“Your mom knew the risks. She was a top pro. She wasn’t someone who walked into things blind. She fought to bring you into this world anyway, Kari. That means she wanted you here. She made a choice—and that choice was you.”

[eviemonroeer]

The Monroe Effect: Chapter 18

Set in between Seasons 5 and 6 of ER. It's original material y'all!

Warnings: varying pregnancy symptoms, Carter's crappy parents (mainly his mom)

WC: 2.4 k

ER story belongs to original creators, just adding on my own original charter.

Taglist: @pleasecallmeunhinged, @rainmg, @arigoldsblog, @queenslandlover-93, @hagarsays, @antisocialfiore, and @snowflames-world

Main Story: prev | next

Snapshots: prev | next

The next couple of weeks were a blur. I finally had my twelve-week appointment where I was cleared to return to nursing duties with the promise I would take it slow at first. That was something Carter took very seriously. He made sure I stayed off of big traumas and basically snagged me for every one of his patients, so he knew how I was doing at all times. It was a little suffocating, so we had to have a discussion about it. As twelve weeks turned into thirteen, he gave in to letting me help with cases Mark or Kerry were on, which was a welcome break. We had gone out a couple more times as we were able to manage, mainly dinner or a movie, whichever fit. But it was nice to be separate some of the time too. 

The baby was doing very well considering our start. As I reached fourteen weeks, I started to round out a little more. It wasn’t noticeable through my scrubs just yet, but in just the right shirt or dress, you could tell something was there. My morning sickness was still coming and going, but way less frequently than before. Mainly I was just tired. Growing a human on top of working ER shifts was no joke. Carol and I liked to commiserate on that daily. I had also called my aunt and finally told her I was expecting. She was excited for me and hoped everything would go well, and promised to find the time to visit once the baby was born. Just the reaction I expected her to have; nothing angry, but nothing over the top. However, I was not prepared for the next family members I would have to face. 

Carter had come over for dinner. I had actually cooked for a change and was excited to finally watch Speed with him for the first time. However, while I was plating the meal and serving, I could tell something was wrong. He was fidgety and quiet; two things Carter typically wasn’t unless he was hiding something. He was even pushing his food around with his fork when he typically dug right in at the end of a long day. 

“What’s wrong?” I bluntly asked, taking a bite.

Carter looked up, opening his mouth to lie most likely. But I raised an eyebrow and his lips shut. He closed his eyes, sighed, and then looked back at me. “My parents are coming to town, and they want to have dinner.” He paused. “With both of us.” 

“Oh.” I said, my eyebrows shooting up a little. “You told them about me?” 

“Not in specifics. Dad asked if I was seeing anyone, and I mentioned you.”

“Mentioned me. Well, uh, did you mention this?” I gestured down to my belly. 

“I did not.” He admitted. “I really wasn’t ready to have that conversation with them.”

“You know you’re going to have to at some point. This baby is going to come faster than we want.”

“I just want them to meet you first. Get a chance to know you before we drop the bomb on them.”

“Oh yeah? And when is that going to happen?”

“Friday night.”

I coughed, choking on the bite I had just taken. I took a drink and cleared my throat. “Excuse me?”

“My parents are going to be in town this weekend. I understand if you don’t want to come, but it is the first time I’m seeing them in person in literal years. I could really use someone to bounce off of.”

I sighed and looked at that sad puppy dog face. There was no way I was going to be able to say no to it. “Uh, okay. Yes, I will meet your parents this weekend.”

Carter leaned forward and kissed me. “Thank you.” He pulled back. “There’s just a couple of things you’re going to need to know.” 

 

I pulled at my dress for the millionth time, turning and examining myself from every angle. It was a simple black midi dress with an asymmetrical hem and for the most part it was hiding my slight baby bump pretty well. However, I was still scared Carter’s parents were going to be able to tell I was pregnant the moment they saw me. 

“You look beautiful.”

I turned to look at Carter, who was leaning in the doorway. He can gone with a dark blue button up, dress pants, and some nice shoes. Why did he always have to look so effortlessly good all the time? It wasn’t fair that I had to hem and haw over every little detail. That I had to try on a million things and still not find the right one.

“I don’t feel beautiful.” I groaned and turned back to my mirror. “I feel huge. Your parents are going to know the minute they see me.”

Carter shook his head and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around me so he was holding my bump. “You look beautiful. It’s going to be okay.” He kissed my neck. “Let’s get going. We don’t want to be late.”  He walked over to the bed, handing me my shawl and clutch. “You’re gonna be great.” He kissed my hands and led me out the door. 

   

Carter put a hand on my lower back, walking beside me as we followed the waiter to the table. The restaurant was nice, had a valet and everything. Everyone was dressed really well, and I suddenly felt too casual. As we got into the heart of the restaurant, we were led straight to a table where two people who were undoubtedly Carter’s parents sat. They both stood as we walked up.

The man was literally an older version of Carter with grey hair. They were both the same height from what I could tell with a relatively same build. It was nice to see the future didn’t look too bad and now I knew where he got the nose from. The woman though I could tell was like stone and didn’t seem like she would take to kindly to funny business. Her dark hair was pulled back in a low bun, her lips fixed in a harsh line. 

I gulped. What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

 “John.” The man said, coming over to shake Carter’s hand. 

“Dad.” Carter responded, extending the gesture. “Hi mom.” He walked over to the woman and kissed her cheek. “Mom, Dad, this is Genevieve. Evie, this is Jack and Eleanor Carter, my parents.” 

“Nice to meet you.” I said, trying to put on a sincere smile despite my nerves. I held out my hand to his dad, who kissed it and his mom who shook it. When we all finally sat, Carter pulled out my chair. ���Thank you.” I whispered and Carter smiled at me before taking his own seat. A waiter came around and started pouring wine. 

“We went ahead and ordered drinks.” Eleanor said, taking a sip. “It’s a vintage red. Very good.” 

“Thanks mom.” Carter said, his eyes darting to me. I smiled again but reached for the water glass in front of me. 

“So, John, how are things going for you at work?” Jack asked, reading over the menu.

Thus began the small talk portion of the evening. Carter mainly led the way, talking about work and giving his parents updates on his life. I would describe everything as pleasant as we ordered our meal and fell into casual conversation. However, I could feel Mrs. Carter’s eyes on me as she took note of everything I did. And eventually, I was put on trial at the table. 

“Where are you from Genevieve?” Eleanor asked, completely ignoring the current conversation to start this new one.

“Uh, Ohio. I moved here after I finished school.”

“Oh, what’s your degree in?” Jack asked, a little more engaged and curious then Eleanor. 

“I have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I’m an RN and I also have EMS certification.”

“An RN? So, you must work with John?” The question was back to Eleanor.

“Yes ma’am. We both started at County at the same time.”

“For his residency?”

“No, when he was a third-year medical student.” 

“How old are you?” 

“I’m 25. I turn 26 in September.”

“Oh, you’re younger.” She said with a note of disdain as she took a sip of wine, something I was extremely jealous of. If I weren’t pregnant, I’d be on my second or third glass by now. Carter grabbed my hand underneath the table and gave it a squeeze as the waiter returned with our meal. I stomach sank a little as I grabbed my knife and fork. 

“So, Genevieve, does medicine run in the family for you?” Jack asked as he began cutting his steak. A bit of blood pooled out as he did so, and I felt my stomach flip. “John is the only one of us who went into the field, much to our disapproval.”

“Uh, no. My mom, Diane, was a seamstress and had her own shop. She did everything from baptism dresses to wedding dresses.”

“What does she do now?”

I bit my lip and forced a smile. “Uh, she actually passed away. She’s been gone almost ten years.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that.”

“What about your father?” Eleanor asked, without the slightest hint of sympathy.

“Mom.” Carter pleaded. “Maybe let’s cool it on the interrogation.

“I’m just trying to get to know Genevieve. So, dear, what does your father do?”

I held my tongue the best I could. “I actually don’t know. I haven’t seen him since I was two.” 

“So, dad how were the Hamptons this year?” Carter quickly asked, trying desperately to change the subject. 

“There were some storms, so we decided to go to Martha’s Vineyard instead.” Thankfully Jack was also trying to relieve the tension as best he could. I tried to focus back on my meal, but the minute I cut into it, my stomach churned again. ‘Please don’t do this now baby’, I directed towards my stomach. I was already having a hard enough time. 

“Genevieve, are you feeling alright?” Eleanor asked, raising an eyebrow. I looked up to meet her cold stare. “You’ve barely touched your food and you haven’t had any wine. Or is it not to your taste?” 

“Mom.” Carter hissed, giving her a warning. 

“No, it’s great Mrs. Carter. I’m just not very hungry.” I looked down at my dish again and felt the wave of nausea roll over me again. Any other time I would have devoured the pesto covered meal, but right now the Carter spawn was not having it. All they wanted was Doc Magoo’s pancakes. Of course, tonight had to be the reoccurrence of my morning sickness. I grabbed my water glass again, swallowing slowly to keep my stomach at bay. 

“We can order something else if you’d prefer.” Jack offered, taking another bite of his medium rare steak, which again, wasn’t helping my stomach. 

“It’s alright. Thank you.” 

“John, is there something you need to tell us?” I turned back to Eleanor, who was studying me heavily, the same way she had all night. I swallowed again and smoothed out my dress, trying to suck in my stomach. She knew, she had too. She was just waiting for someone to say it out loud. 

Carter sighed and closed his eyes before speaking. “Uh, yes.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin before grabbing my hand and putting it together on top of the table. “Mom, Dad. Evie is pregnant. About four months along.” Jack coughed before swallowing hard. 

“Is it your baby?” 

“Mom! What the hell?” 

“Eleanor!”

“What? Women try this kind of thing all the time, especially with your cousins. Why would it be any different this time around?” 

“Evie’s not like that.” 

“Every woman is like that if they want money bad enough. John, this phase of yours might be fun now but you need think about the repercussions. 

“A phase? Repercussions? What the hell are you talking about? Evie is my girlfriend, and we are having a baby together.”

“She’s not like us John. Who’s to say she’ll even be around in a year or two? And then what about the money you’ll have to pay her.”   

“Excuse me ma’am, but I don’t need your money.” I said and all eyes snapped to me. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady and calm. I had sat their paralyzed in fear for to long. “As I mentioned, I have a job. One I love, might I add. I have my own place, which I pay every bill for. I like my life. I don’t care about or need any of your money. Just your son. Excuse me.”              

I threw my napkin down on the table and got up, bag and shawl in hand as I headed back towards the door. How the hell could she think that what she said was justified? She had no idea who I was. She barely spoke to me all evening, just coldly stared and judged. She never even gave me a chance. I went outside with the purpose of catching a cab to get as far away from this place as soon as possible.

“Evie, wait!” I didn’t turn, but I could hear and feel Carter run up beside me. “Hey, look at me.” I refused. “Please look at me.” He gently turned me to face him, and I tried to hide the tears pooling in my eyes. He grabbed my chin and lifted my head up. “Do not listen to a thing my mother said in there. I have never, nor would ever think you got pregnant for my family’s money. She was out of line, and I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

“I knew she wasn’t going to like me.” I choked out. “From the minute I sat down I knew she looked at me like I wasn’t enough.”

“Evie....” Carter grabbed me and brought me to his chest, holding me close and tightly. I had known Carter too long to think he would ever agree with his mother. But it still sucked that one of the only grandparents my kids would ever have, thought I was no better than the dirt under her shoes. “What can I do to make this better?” 

I sniffled and looked up at him. “Can we go get pancakes, please?” 

Carter smiled and wiped the tears from my eyes. “We can have anything you want.” 

“Right answer.” Carter chuckled and wrapped me in his arms tightly. He kissed the top of my forehead as the valet pulled back up with his car. We hoped inside and headed for Doc Magoo’s where I stuffed myself with all the breakfast food I wanted, worlds away from that horrible dinner table. 

[sisterdragonwithfeathers]

|:| <- frustrated little face

[edwardshundredyearoldspunk]

can't stop tearing up every time I hear "but I've seen this episode and still love the show." something about this metaphor being used to describe loving someone who is self destructive breaks me. like a beloved tv show with some bad episodes, she can't stop seeing this person as greater than the sum of their parts. and yet, the use of the word episode and it's association with mental health struggles implies this is a common occurrence for this person. within the context of this persons self destructive tendencies, the "who's gonna hold you like me?" has a tinge of concern to it. taylor's worried for the person being able to keep it together in the event that the relationship ends. people are so busy making fun of the "seven bars of chocolate" or "tattooed golden retriever" lines that they are completely missing out on the painful beauty of the song

[gccdstories]

Imogen breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Isaiah, upon feeling the brush of his hand on her arm. She didn't even realize she'd been as tense as she was when he'd been behind that door until she'd laid eyes on him again, until she'd felt his touch.

But the way he stood, the aura coming off of him-- It concerned her, even if she knew where the anger truly directed.

~

Kaden nearly vibrated with the intensity of power that he held back. That flooded through every single inch of his veins. A part of him wanted to lash it out against Isaiah as the other passed him, as Isaiah had spoken to Kertayan--

Every single piece of him felt like it was too loud in here, and at the same time, that roaring was too quiet. Contradictory in every way, and he needed out. It was all Kaden could do in that moment not to outright explode, to unleash everything, to lash out and destroy every single one of them--even if he knew it wasn't them that he hated, that he wanted to harm, that he felt any anger towards--

But in that moment, Kaden needed out.

He needed out before he destroyed everything.

~

Nismera closed her eyes as Einar continued. The dull throbbing behind her eyes had increased into a constant ache now. Her brother--as much as she loved him--was going to be her undoing if he kept this up. Or at least make her lose the rest of her sanity and her head explode.

Like it wanted to do. Right now.

The pain of the migraine settling in to be a constant for the day.

Sharp nails scraped along the table as she stood, eyes opening and leveling her glare on Einar when Nismera raised her hand to cut him off.

❝ Your worries have been noted, Einar. ❞

Fuck, Kaden.

Even her thoughts on him were exhausted.

❝ But I'll deal with it. I'll deal with Kaden. With all of it. Do you understand? ❞ The last thing Nismera wanted to have to mess with was Einar running off in vengeance or misguided anger or whatever else he conjured up.

She couldn't have that--especially when she knew there was always more to Kaden's behavior than he ever let anyone see. Especially these days.

~

Isaiah having once more left her alone to deal with this entire fucked up mess, Imogen's mind whirled. Twisted. Her arms crossed over her chest as she paced, and she barely heard Kertayan at first, could barely seem to focus on the conversation.

Even if a part of her was grateful for the distraction. At least right now.

❝ He remembered that? ❞ It had been a comment once, centuries ago. A throwaway thing, really, that Imogen had said, as they'd walked through one of the wild fields, as the scents caught her attention. The fact that lilies always made her think of home...

An eyebrow rose as she looked back at Kertayan. ❝ Out of all the horrors in that place, and he hated that there weren't flowers for me? ❞ Only Isaiah, her mind seemed to supply the thought with a fondness that Imogen wasn't used to feeling.

And yet, at the same time, it instantly felt right. True.

But she shook her head at the offered drink, the tenseness still set in her shoulders to a certain extent. It was like that all through this place; Imogen sensed it through so many of them. That air of something is wrong.

She couldn't help but wonder if they felt it because of Elianna. Or Kaden. Or if her presence was part of it. Or if it always felt like that here. Maybe she just hadn't realized it at first, lost as she was with Isaiah...

❝ I don't think I can rest until... ❞ Imogen trailed off, but the meaning seemed to be clear.

She needed to know what happened. She needed to know everything worked out.

That, above all, Isaiah was okay.

Isaiah shoved him back from the door, getting in his face.

"Watch me."

He shoved the door open, eyes landing first on Imogen. He exhaled, fingers running down her arm and tugging her away from Vincent and Kertayan.

He bit back the words, to whisper in awe she'd stayed. That she'd waited for him.

Kertayan snorted and looked past Isaiah to Kaden.

"So no one died. That's -"

"Call them."

The bubble vanish, Isaiah's grip on her tightened and he dragged his eyes to Kertayan. Those eyes gold flecked watching him.

"Call them, the entire Council. We nearly lost our loremaster and warmaster, Elianna hasn't woken yet has she?"

He turned to Kaden, his magic pushing up against his skin, demanding to snap and break his heart.

"You've become a liability. I'm letting Mera deal with you. But I'm telling them, Mama hasn't survived this long to have you cost us the war."

------

Einar stopped pacing by the door, briefly looking his sister over. Ember only rose an eyebrow at him, hair pulled back in a war braid. She didn't show the turmoil, the hours she'd probably spent in panic as the news swept through the ranks.

Einar dragged his eyes to their aunt Nismera, his hands clenched and he pointed down the hall. His voice ice.

"He was going to let her die. He was going to let Ma die because -"

------

Enva rubbed at her temples. Why couldn't Kaden and Elianna do one thing properly? They couldn't be around each other, okay, so don't be around each other! Was it that hard for them? If she and Dacre had to part ways she'd bury her emotions and keep going.

Sotoria desvered that at the bare minimum. She looked up from the maps, not acknowledging Vincent as she met Dacre's eyes.

"Am I asking for a miracle? They can't be around each other so they shouldn't be. Why can't they do one fucking thing correctly."

Dacre shrugged, focusing on whittling the dragon in his palm.

"No you're not. They're clearly unable to follow basic commands. It -"

"Imogen is here."

Enva swallowed the urge to snap at Vincent. Dacre stiffened though, and maybe she did. Enva eyes narrowed at him.

"As a prisoner? Did you kill the guards holding her? I can open the back passages for -"

"She's here because she chose Isaiah."

Vincent looked ill saying the words, his jaw clenching tight. Enva frowned and looked toward her parents.

"Doesn't Isaiah have Malcolm's blood? Should I kill him? Is he manipulating Immi?"

She knew Autumn would crush her for it, but no one manipulated one of her dearest friends. Even an ally.

------

Kertayan sat on the edge of the windowsill watching Imogen flit around the room. He was counting down the minutes before Anaxia burst into the room.

She'd probably found out by now.

But no use sitting in silence.

Isaiah hadn't asked him to watch her, she probably didn't need it. But Vanir instincts died hard for him. Vanir worked on a kin system, Isaiah wasn't his King but in a different world maybe he would have been.

Malcolm had been a King once, gold eyes he'd seen in his mother's portrait hall. Gold eyes that demanded you Knelt and Obeyed. To Vanir everything revolved around blood.

Blood feuds.

Blood honor.

Blood ties.

"He says you liked wisteria and lilies. He lamented there wasn't any flowers in the prison to pick to make you things."

Kertayan eyed the door. Did Kaden understand yet?

Did he understand the axis had turned from he and Elianna?

If this was Vanaheim the colony would have knelt for her already. She'd be deep in royal chambers, bathed and anointed with blood wards.

Like so many of his own sisters, driving his mother's colony forward, giving them endless soldiers and bodies for this neverending fucking war. A path Melinoe hadn't wanted, she'd been too free, too curious. And as much as it has felt like tearing his own heart out, he'd not acknowledged or claimed her, let her fly off.

Kertayan pushed off the windowsill prowling closer. He poured her some water, looking her over.

"You should sit, drink, rest."

Old habits died hard.

He was bred to serve.

His mother wasn't here, he was a Prince with no king yet.

Maybe it would be Isaiah and Imogen, maybe he could finally get away from his parents and have a different colony, a different legacy to forge.

Maybe he could finally see past the blood he was drenched in.

[thehmn]

I’m a strong proponent of lying to get the help you need. I always try the truthful route first but if that gets me nowhere? Lying it is.

I think it’s important to respect other people’s time, wellbeing and money so I don’t do it in situations where I know I’m in the wrong, like if I want to get into a place just for fun and someone could get in trouble for letting me in wrongfully I’d rather not.

But sometimes people just don’t understand why something is important in your situation so you have to turn it into something they understand. When I lived in England I constantly lied about being pregnant so gas station employees would let me use their bathroom because for some reason they didn’t have public bathrooms.

Or when my doctor’s secretary couldn’t get it into her head that my stomach pains were very serious and concerning and insisted I couldn’t get an appointment this month so that evening I “found” a lump that I was pretty sure was nothing but it meant I had a reason to call her the next day and get a new appointment immediately and when the doctor told me the lump was harmless I could tell her what my real problem was and she immediately scheduled ALL the tests and examinations because she understood how concerning it was. I just had to get past the fucking secretary with a lie.

Fuck I even support that elderly man who lied about having four children who were stuck in a house during a flood but when the rescue team got there in a dinghy they realized it was four dogs. The guy knew he had to lie because he was too sick to help them himself (able bodied people in the area were able to save their own pets) and they wouldn’t have helped him if they knew it was “just dogs”. In the video the rescue team can be seen choking up and padding him on the back while he cries with his scared dogs in his arms. The team is clearly not mad because they can see how important the dogs are to him but I have no doubt he was right in thinking they wouldn’t have helped if he had told them the truth.

So do what ya gotta do and lie lie lie.

[fushitoru]

i don't wanna lose this with you a spiderman gojo fic

pairing ⸺ spiderman!gojo x reader

summary ⸺ an amalgation of misunderstandings and stress lead to a very big fight between you and satoru, but you certainly don't expect the way he wins you back.

warnings ⸺ college au, spiderman!au, angst, hurt/comfort, i warn you reader might infurate you, but she's just a woman in stem :(, tooth rotting fluff bc he's a loser for his gf, not edited sue me

playlist ⸺ quantum rizzics

a/n you'll probably need to read the first installation (nsfw, so mdni) to understand this one :3

general masterlist | spiderman!gojo m. list

you've blocked gojo on all platforms.

you don't really remember what caused the "break up" (you didn't really break up). maybe it's the fact that you've been stressed about grad school admissions, your dorm's floor was covered in his boxers, and he's never been able to visit you pre-3am these days. somehow, the city's criminals are determined to keep your boyfriend away from you, and maybe it was your pms, or maybe it was truly just because satoru is annoying. regardless, it's when you guys have plans that's not an impromptu healing-gojo's-wounds-in-your-dorm-at-3am sesh and you're waiting at the coffee shop that you explode.

because he was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago, and when you move to go to the bathroom, you see him. through the window, his white hair is never not noticeable, and who you see next to him makes you falter.

he's standing next to a girl with blue tinted silver hair that you recognize as mei mei, and she's gripping his upper arm as she smiles while looking at his face, his lips with such fuck me eyes that you could tell they were having some sort of intimate conversation.

and if it were an ideal day, you would know that it's all a misunderstanding, you would know your boyfriend is someone you trust. but, again, the cards were stacked against you, and the only things that go through your mind all make your eyes all glossy. he's late to the one date that you planned because you and him were finally free at the same time and you've been busy because you've been desperately applying for internships because unlike your boyfriend you don't have a plethora of papers and coding experience and you've been getting four hours of sleep on average this week and ugh you've heard a rumor that satoru used to hook up with her and fuck now your tampon is poking at you in the wrong way—

great. now tears are fully streaming down your cheeks. in public.

as you rush to the table where your stuff is your vision is so blurry that you also almost fall flat on your face as you stumble over the legs of chairs and tables. blurting out a ensemble of choked up sorry's and excuse me's you hurriedly gather your laptop and notebooks in your backpack and book it for the exit.

the biting cold stings at your face, but you nevertheless determinedly move in the opposite direction of where satoru and mei mei are situated, praying your boyfriend doesn't recognize you. however, it seems that the heavens are working against you because you hear a yelled "baby?"

you don't look back because you know a new set of tears will leave your eyes, and with it being finals season, you're not very hydrated to being with. but you hear footsteps running towards you and fuck your boyfriend's long ass legs because he quickly catches up to you. then, he grabs your hands, attempting to stop you from running away and face him.

"baby," he breathes, baby blue eyes looking into yours as he moves to kiss your forehead. you stay silent, pinning your gaze to the ground while shivering. "where are you going? aren't we supposed to hang out right now?"

look, you and gojo have a good relationship. but recently, things have gotten...strenuous lately. you guys haven't been communicating, and it might not help that half of your calorie intake was from energy drinks. or perhaps what lead you to say what you said next was driven entirely by the brain eating mold on your unwashed dishes, but dumb excuses aside, you sneer. "shouldn't you be busy doing that with mei mei, instead?"

a small part of you--the part that knows you shouldn't be like this--feels relief that hurt doesn't immediately flash across his eyes, only confusion. but lack of sleep has not only stripped away at your sanity but also your people pleasing and overthinking tendencies, leaving you only as a girl frustrated, even irrationally angry, with her boyfriend. so you only avert your gaze when he dumbfoundedly asks, "what?"

"what do you mean, "what?"" you scoff, wrenching your hand from his grasp. "you were ten minutes late to our meet-up, gojo." it is at your use of his last name, instead of your sweet my love, that the hurt you've been looking for flashes across his eyes. he moves to speak but you cut him off, no longer wishing to be here with him. "if you're so busy talking to bitches you hooked up with before, why did you even bother saying yes to hanging out with me?"

he looks at you in confusion, eyes quickly flitting back and forth across you. then, slowly, as if he's still processing the weight of your accusations, he says, "i don't exactly know what you're referring to, but let's calm down---"

and you see red.

"calm down?" you snap, voice sharp and icy, just like the wind stinging your cheeks. "did you seriously just tell me to calm down? you were late again, gojo, and i find you chatting it up with her?" you practically spit the word, arms crossing as a flimsy defense against both the cold and the ache building in your chest.

satoru blinks, his confusion genuine, but you’re too far gone to care. "wait—mei mei? is this about mei mei? she's not—"

"don’t you dare finish that sentence," you cut him off, your voice rising as your blood boils hotter. "i don't want to hear how she's just a friend, or how it's not what it looks like. i’m so tired of hearing the same bullshit excuses."

"baby, you're jumping to conclusions—"

"and you’re jumping at the chance to look like an idiot in public," you snap, your hands trembling now, either from the cold or your rising fury. "god, what do you even say to her? let me guess, you go around telling girls you're spider-man to get into their pants, huh? bet that works like a charm."

the accusation hits like a slap, and for the first time, satoru looks genuinely stunned, his mouth falling open slightly. "what the hell are you even saying right now?"

"am i wrong?" you let out a bitter laugh, one that echoes in the frosty air. "you’re late to the one date i actually planned, and i see you with her, all cozy, like i’m not even waiting for you. like i don’t even matter."

his eyebrows knit together, frustration mixing with something softer. "you seriously think i’d—"

"i don’t know what to think anymore, satoru!" the words burst out of you, your voice cracking as hot tears well in your eyes. "all i know is that i can’t keep feeling like this. like i’m some afterthought while you’re out doing—whatever it is you do. swinging through the city or flirting with your exes or—" you choke on the words, wiping at your cheeks furiously as the tears spill over. "just forget it. i’m done."

"wait." his voice is quieter now, more desperate as he steps toward you, his hand reaching out. "baby, come on, we can talk about this—"

"no," you say firmly, jerking your hand away before he can grab it. "i’m blocking you. on everything." then, mockingly, "you can figure out how to save the world without me."

his eyes widen, his mouth opening like he’s about to plead or argue, but you don’t wait for him to speak. you turn on your heel and storm away, the cold wind biting at your skin as the lump in your throat grows heavier.

you don’t look back. not when he calls your name, not when you hear his footsteps falter. you just keep walking.

it’s 3 a.m., and you don’t know if you exist.

well, you do, but after how light you feel after you’ve cried a disgusting amount, you just lie down on your floor staring at the ceiling and contemplating the meaning of life. or more specifically, the meaning of your life, which right now feels like it’s revolving around nothing but stress and a breakup you don’t even fully understand.

you wouldn’t be having these problems if you were a childless cat lady.

but alas, you’re just a college student. in the few days where you haven’t seen satoru, you’ve finished all your finals—miraculously, considering the fragile state of your emotional wellbeing—and now you’re finally on break in your dorm. you’re supposed to go back home in two days, but the thought of packing feels like trying to climb a mountain barefoot. you can’t summon the energy to do anything except wallow in your self-pity and selfishness, letting it wrap around you like a weighted blanket that’s somehow comforting and suffocating all at once.

you’d like to say this is rock bottom, but truthfully, it’s worse than that. because rock bottom implies a kind of finality—a place to push off from. this? this feels more like you’re sinking in quicksand, the weight of everything dragging you further down.

in your stress and impulsiveness, you’ve managed to kill your entire grind for internships. deadlines have slipped past while you spent hours doom-scrolling job boards and second-guessing every application. the ambitious, career-focused version of yourself feels like a stranger now, buried under the weight of your own doubts and insecurities. and on top of that, you may have potentially lost the love of your life.

it’s laughable, really, how thoroughly you’ve managed to self-destruct in such a short time. the worst part? you can’t even bring yourself to check your socials. if you unblock him and see there aren’t any messages, you think your heart might shatter completely. which, if you’re being honest, isn’t exactly fair to him. you’re the one who had the meltdown. you’re the one who blocked him on everything. he probably doesn’t even know what he did wrong because you didn’t even communicate anything.

your stomach twists at the thought, guilt mingling with the ever-present ache of missing him. he was supposed to be the one person who made everything feel a little less impossible, and now you’ve pushed him away.

there has got to be a taylor swift song for this.

so you make your way to your spotify account to listen to afterglow, putting in your airpods while somberly looking at the ceiling once again as the lyrics fill your ears. tears well up as soon as the lyrics start

i blew things out of proportion, now you're blue⸻

tears well up before you can stop them, hot and heavy as they trail down your cheeks. god, you’re a mess. and yet, as much as you hate it, you can’t seem to stop the flood of thoughts that follow.

you miss him. you miss the way he made you laugh even when you were on the verge of tears, the way his ridiculous confidence somehow made you feel like everything would work out. you miss how he’d stay up late just to facetime you when you were overwhelmed with schoolwork, how he always seemed to know exactly when you needed him most.

and now? now you’ve gone and ruined it. maybe he’s angry, maybe he’s hurt, or worse—maybe he’s just done with you entirely.

the thought makes your chest ache, your breaths coming in shallow and uneven as the lyrics hit their crescendo.

i need to say, hey, it’s all me, in my head—

then, suddenly the song changes. you frown as you hear early 2010's pop blast through your ears.

i threw a wish in the well, don't ask me i'll never tell⸻

why the fuck is call me maybe playing?

annoyed and rubbing at your eyes, you move the change it back to, now, the sad girl hours playlist spotify curated for your and assume your dead fish position on the floor once again.

however, it seems as if your spotify is genuinely tweaking, like it's realized it’s gotten your attention. when call me maybe starts playing again, you groan out loud and move your phone. but before you have a chance to switch the song again, it seems to switch.

baby by justin bieber.

call me, blondie.

i love you, i'm sorry, gracie abrams.

letstalkaboutit, aminé.

i don't understand but i luv you, seventeen.

please please please, sabrina carpenter.

and then, once more, as if to really drive the point home: call me maybe, carly rae jepsen.

again, it's 3am, and you're stuck in a surreal mix of grief and confusion, staring at your phone as your spotify queue seems to have gained sentience. each song feels like a pleading nudge, an unmistakable pattern forming, and your blood runs cold when you remember one very important fact.

you share a spotify account with satoru.

"carly rae jepsen," you mutter under your breath, a mix of exasperation and fondness bubbling up despite yourself. he's hijacking your queue. right in the middle of your emo songs.

you sit up abruptly, tossing your airpods onto the bed, and hover over the call button on your phone. there’s a split second of hesitation—your pride battling with your longing—before you give in and press it.

the line rings twice before his voice comes through, breathless, like he’s been pacing. "baby?"

the sound of his voice sends a fresh wave of emotion crashing over you, sharp and raw like an open wound. the sound of his voice makes your stomach twist uncomfortably, equal parts relief and guilt. "satoru," you say, barely above a whisper. "why are you messing with our spotify?"

"why am i messing with our spotify?" he echoes, his tone incredulous. "why did you block me on literally everything? what was i supposed to do—send you a letter by carrier pigeon?"

you wince at the edge in his voice, your earlier anger wilting under the weight of his hurt. "i… i don’t know," you admit, the words tumbling out before you can catch them. "i was upset, and i wasn’t thinking straight. i shouldn’t have done that."

"yeah, you shouldn’t have," he says, still sounding a little indignant, though there’s something softer beneath it now. "do you know how many songs i had to go through to make my point? do you know how hard it was to resist the urge to rickroll you instead?" then, there’s a pause on his end, the line suddenly feeling too quiet. then he sighs, his voice softening into something that feels too much like an apology. "i didn’t know what else to do. i hate not talking to you. i hate knowing i made you upset, even if i don’t entirely understand why."

you close your eyes, the lump in your throat returning with a vengeance. the silence stretches between you, thick and unbearable, until you finally break it. "i’m sorry," you whisper, the words slipping out before you can stop them. "i shouldn’t have blown up at you like that.” and now that the dam has been broken, it all comes rushing out as you start choking up. “i’ve just been so stressed, and i’ve been missing you and then i saw you with her and then got irrationally angry when i really should’ve trusted you and oh my god i’m like a possessive tradwife husband that doesn’t let you leave the farm i’m sorry and i didn’t even communicate before i blew up at you like that—”

"hey. hey, hey, it’s okay," he says immediately, his tone filled with an earnestness that makes your chest tighten. "i know things have been hard for you. i should’ve been better, too. more present. i hate that you’ve been feeling like this while i’ve been...doing spider-man things." then, he lets out a dramatic sigh, the kind that’s equal parts exasperation and playfulness. "but wasn’t fair,” and you can hear a whine in his voice, “you blocked me and then ghosted me like i’m some kind of random tinder match. do you have any idea how insane i felt when i couldn’t even check to see if you were okay? i thought you hated me."

your breath catches at his words, guilt twisting like a knife in your chest. "i don’t hate you," you say quickly, the words spilling out in a rush. "i could never hate you. i was just… stupid, and emotional, and i didn’t know how to handle everything piling up. i’m so, so sorry, satoru."

there’s a pause, and when he speaks again, his voice is quieter, a little more vulnerable. "then why did you say those things? about mei mei, and… and me using the spider-man thing to get into girls’ pants."

you bite your lip, the memory of your harsh words making your throat tighten. "i didn’t mean any of it," you whisper. "i was just lashing out, and i know it wasn’t fair to you. i know you’d never do something like that, and i trust you, satoru. i just… i let my insecurities get the better of me."

"wait," he interrupts, his voice laced with amusement that shouldn’t make your heart ache the way it does. "you actually think i’d use the spider-man thing as a pickup line? that’s...wow. that’s genius. i should write that down."

"satoru!" you exclaim, half-laughing, half-crying, your emotions unraveling all over again. "i’m being serious!"

"i know, i know," he says, but you can hear the smile in his voice, warm and teasing. "and i’m being serious, too. i’d never do that to you. mei mei’s just...she tripped in front of me, i was just helping her up. i didn’t even realize how it must’ve looked, but i’ve never done anything with her. you’re it for me, okay? always."

you sniffle, wiping at your cheeks as your heart swells and aches all at once. "you mean that?"

"of course i do," he says, his voice soft and sincere in a way that makes your breath hitch. "i love you, even when you block me on everything and make me resort to spotify warfare." he sighs again, but this time it’s softer, the warmth in his voice breaking through his remaining irritation. "i’m not mad. i mean, i was mad, but mostly i was just upset. you really hurt my feelings, you know?"

the lump in your throat grows, your guilt threatening to choke you. "i know," you say, your voice cracking. "i’m so sorry, satoru. i’ll make it up to you, i promise."

"oh, you will make it up to me," he says, the teasing edge returning to his tone. "i want a week of boyfriend privileges—no complaining when i steal your fries, no making fun of my movie picks, and you’re buying me snacks for at least three of those days."

a small smile tugs at your lips despite the tears still clinging to your lashes. "deal," you say softly.

there’s a pause on his end, and then his voice comes through the line, quieter but no less sincere. "you really mean it? you’re not still mad at me?"

"i’m not mad," you say, your voice thick with emotion. "i was never really mad at you, satoru. i was mad at everything else, and i took it out on you. but i’m not mad anymore. i just… i miss you."

"i miss you too," he says, and the raw honesty in his voice---the subtle way it chokes up, as if he had been crying and missing you too---makes your chest ache. "so, can i come over? or are you going to make me keep hijacking your playlists to get your attention?"

you laugh softly, the sound tinged with relief. "just come over already, you dummy. and bring snacks. good ones."

"done," he says, his grin audible through the phone. "i’ll be there in twenty. and for the record, you owe me at least a whole playlist dedicated to how amazing i am and you sucking the absolute soul out of my dick---."

"don’t push your luck," you reply, but there’s no heat in your words, only warmth (and you’re absolutely going to suck his soul out of his cock). regardless, for the first time in days, the tightness in your chest starts to ease, replaced by something lighter, something whole.

general masterlist | spiderman!gojo m. list

a/n he's so cute :( i'll keep on writing stuff for them whether it be small fics like this or long ass fics. i think my next one is gonna be freaky if you guys are nice to this one

TAGLIST im really sorry if i missed you if you sent an ask asking to be tagged pls feel free to remind me again im afriad ur ask has drowned in my shitposts and other asks

@chilichopsticks @livelaughloveisagiyoichi @moonchhu @k0z3me @seobluv

@m1gota @celloccino @satxoru @fishrene @myahfig4

@watermelonmuntchers @bxnfire @ayumilk @venussdovess @michelleeveline

@bochichi @applepi25 @6xillaa @almostdifferentstudent @mugamoo

@iv-vee @jaemissso @wil10wthetree @localartisttttt @rirk-ke

@backinmyphase @novaisbebita @heiejdhdh @blueemochii @helloalex80

@gojodickbig @kyon-cherri @nikkissecretlibrary @omg-its-rdj @isleqt

@suguruscousin @idkwhatursayinh @yourfavbabigirl

[whoevenisjavier]

EROTICA

part 1 | part 2

pairing: no outbreak!joel x reader

summary: Your thesis said, “analyze male behavior.” Joel said, “come sit on it.”

a/n: this is the 2nd part, which can't be read alone. i mean, you can read it without going through the first part (read it here), but you won't understand shit

additional tags/warnings: 18+, mdni. reader is 26, joel is 50ish. no outbreak. joel is a dad. conversations about porn. porn actor joel miller/javier peña. dirty talk. car sex. fingering. oral sex f! receiving.

wc: 6.5k

Out of shame, you avoid Joel the following week.

You dodge aisles when you see him at the supermarket, time your exits minute by minute to avoid running into him, and lock yourself in your bedroom like an emo teenager when your parents invite him over for dinner.

Because now, whenever you see him, all you can remember is his voice saying obscenities, his hands on women’s skin — and some men’s too. You remember yourself, in the privacy of your room, doing what you swore you would never do.

You even look up if there’s such a thing as a permanent fertile period, because none of this feels normal.

And of course, Joel confronts you about it.

On your father’s birthday night, he invites a few close friends over for a small cocktail party, followed by dinner. When you walk down the stairs, Joel is there, sitting in the living room armchair with a glass of whiskey in his right hand.

He’s listening to something your father is saying but glances at you. You immediately turn your back and head into the kitchen to see if your mother needs help.

Yesterday, you found a movie where Joel played a DEA agent rescuing a drug lord’s wife. He said so many filthy things to her while fucking her inside a police car that the words stuck in your head like Play-Doh in hair.

And maybe the area between your legs feels a little more sensitive too, which only makes you feel worse.

After the cocktail and dinner, spent tensely avoiding Joel’s gaze, you slip out into the backyard with a glass of wine in one hand and your Kindle in the other.

Inside, the party goes on, your father having opened another bottle of whiskey, and you can hear them from here. You need to stay out of your bedroom to keep yourself from typing "Javier Peña" into that damn search bar again, so for the next few minutes, you sip your wine and read.

“Finally, a place where you can’t hide behind the toilet paper aisle.”

Joel sits down on the chair next to you, holding his own whiskey glass. You lose your words because, yes, you actually did hide in the personal hygiene aisle yesterday when you saw him.

You play dumb.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know. You went all puritanical after you found out what you found out.”

“I told you it’s weird.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t need your approval. My life and career are my own. I said I would help you with your thesis, and I will, but if you keep running from me, someone’s going to think there’s something wrong between us.”

You take another sip of wine in silence, staring at the lawn like it’s salvation. Joel’s gaze burns into the side of your face before he asks:

“Have you watched any more?”

“For the thesis.” A lie.

“May I ask which one?”

“The DEA one.”

“Hmm.”

He finds your eyes as he sips his whiskey. He’s sitting with his legs spread, making his jeans stretch tight over his groin and thick thighs. And you know exactly what’s under those jeans.

You can’t resist your curiosity:

“Do you miss acting?”

“My ego does,” he says, like he’s thought about it a thousand times. “Not gonna lie, there’s a certain masculine pride in being a porn actor. It’s easier for men. But personally? No. Especially because of Sarah.”

“She knows?”

He shakes his head.

“She does. I told her when she turned fifteen because I’d rather she hear it from me than stumble across it online.”

“How did she react?”

“Well, I guess.”

You shake your head and cover your face with your free hand, groaning a little.

“I can’t stop wondering if my mom knows about you.”

“I hate to break it to you—”

You cut him off. “Shhh.”

His laugh is low but genuine. Your eyes meet again, and this time, you could swear his gaze dips a little lower, to the neckline of your dress, where a bit of flushed skin is showing thanks to the wine.

But he disguises it and gestures toward your Kindle:

“What are you reading?”

“Some articles to help with my research.”

“Have my films led you to any conclusions?”

“Um, definitely,” you say, staring at the lawn. “You cussed a lot. And you seem very interested in my opinion of your movies.”

“I'm curious.”

You internally roll your eyes. Men.

“You want a performance review? Aren’t the comments on XVideos enough?”

“I want yours.”

You ignore him, because your evaluation of his performance was made perfectly clear when you got yourself off twice in a row thinking about his voice.

Instead, you ask:

“Did the DEA girl really come? Because it looked real.”

Joel stays quiet for a while. When you glance at him, you notice a small smirk playing on his lips as he taps his fingers against his glass. His whiskey’s almost gone.

“Do you really want to get into that?”

“Why not?”

A few more seconds of silence. Then he seems to say "fuck it" internally and answers:

“I liked making the other actresses come. Some directors didn’t like it because it took longer, and ‘who cares if they actually orgasm if they can fake it,’” he says, making air quotes. “But I liked it. Not all of them, of course, and sometimes they’d tell me they were fine without it, but it was a preference of mine.”

“And the DEA girl?” you press.

“Was that your favorite?”

You shake your head.

“Which one was?”

You shake your head again, indicating you won’t tell him.

“The DEA girl was my ex-girlfriend,” he says.

“So it was real.”

Joel shrugs, and that's all the answer you need. The porch light behind you highlights his graying beard and the glint of whiskey on his lips. Your throat goes dry.

“How did you get into the industry?”

Joel clicks his tongue.

“Very personal question.”

“Okay, what made you leave?”

He glances at your wine glass and ignores the question, asking another instead:

“What wine is that?”

You consider not answering out of petty revenge, but your parents raised you better.

“Barefoot. I know it’s cheap, but I like it,” you swirl the red wine in your glass. “Even though I know I’ll wake up with a headache tomorrow.”

Joel rolls his eyes and stands, leaving his whiskey glass behind.

“Come on, bring your glass. I’ll give you some real wine.”

He starts walking toward the gate between your houses, and you have no choice but to follow, leaving your Kindle and the party behind. Joel’s broad shoulders guide you around the side of his house and into the kitchen.

It’s silent and dark, except for a single hallway light. Quietly, because Sarah is probably asleep, you pass through the kitchen and head to a door leading to the garage, where the lighting is dim at best. His truck takes up almost all the space.

Unsure of what to do, you hover at the door, watching as he enters a small room off the garage. It’s a little wine cellar, concrete walls lined with slanted mahogany shelves.

Joel comes back out with a bottle in hand. You recognize the label and freeze.

“You’re not about to open a Rockford Flaxman.”

“I am,” he says, brushing past you just enough to close the door behind you, locking the two of you in the garage. His scent hits you, and you fight the urge to bury your face in the crook of his neck. “Just closing the door so Sarah doesn’t wake up. Hand me your glass.”

“Joel, that bottle’s expensive.”

“Hand me your glass,” he repeats.

You give it to him. Joel pulls a corkscrew from a drawer you hadn’t noticed and pops the bottle open effortlessly. He fills your glass halfway and, as he hands it back to you, asks:

“Mind if we share the glass?”

You shake your head.

From another drawer, he grabs his truck keys, disables the alarm, and turns on a tiny, terrible-quality radio. Duran Duran starts playing.

Joel gestures toward the truck:

“Come on. We can sit inside.”

Heart pounding a little faster, palms sweating, you climb into the passenger side. You settle into the leather seat and finally take a sip of the good wine.

It tastes fruity and oaky, almost sweet on your tongue. You let out a long, contented hum.

“Really good,” you say after swallowing. “Best way to end the night.”

His fingers brush yours as he takes the glass. You watch him savor a sip before handing it back.

He speaks as he does:

“I left the industry because the doubts about real consent started eating at me,” he says, answering the question you asked earlier. Joel leans back in the seat, legs spread, head resting against the headrest, eyes closed. “And I’m not just talking about explicit consent. I mean about the people who were there because they had no other choice.”

“I can’t imagine anyone doing porn unless they had to,” you murmur.

“I get it, but some people genuinely like it,” he meets your gaze as you sip more wine. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious.”

“Maybe for men...”

“It’s more common among men, true.”

You offer him the glass. He drinks and gives it back.

“The agency that managed my films didn’t like it when I started giving interviews about that stuff. They gave me fewer scenes or scripts I’d never agree to do, and I had to start turning them down. When they began sabotaging me, I left.”

“Scripts you wouldn’t accept?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” you accept the short answer. “No other agency made you an offer?”

“They did, but when I left, I didn’t want to go back.”

“And yet, you defend the industry.”

“I don’t defend the industry—I defend the work I did, because I know how it was done. I don’t like when you generalize.”

“You know that sounds like ‘not all men,’ right? Of course not everyone was bad, but the industry itself is terrible. So when I criticize it, it’s the majority I’m talking about. And you were exploited too.”

He exhales deeply. There’s more you want to say, but you sense it’s a sensitive topic, so you change the subject:

“Can I ask what you do now?”

“I invest,” he says simply. “I made a lot of money back then and wasn’t stupid enough to blow it on parties and drugs. I invested in public and private construction companies, and now they pay me back.”

“Didn’t expect that.”

Joel gives you a look.

“Male privilege. I got into a lot of good deals just because I was Javier Peña.”

“That wouldn’t happen to an actress,” you guess, and he nods. “So now you just live off your investments.”

“Pretty much.”

The wine in your glass runs out. Joel notices, grabs the bottle, and this time drinks straight from it. You mimic him, putting the glass in the back seat.

“How was it, being an actor?”

“Fun. Lots of parties, admiration, glamor, L.A., and sex all the time,” he says. “The downside was the strict diet, weekly waxing, and almost daily health tests. I probably have a permanent hole in my vein.”

“Did you only date people in the industry?”

“Not a rule, but it was easier, so mostly.”

“Sarah’s mom—”

“No, she wasn’t in it. She was a friend.”

You figure she’s not around anymore, considering you’ve never heard Sarah mention her.

“If someone offered you two million dollars today,” you start, trying to lighten the mood, and his face softens, “for a solo film. Just you, just masturbation. Would you do it?”

“No, because of Sarah. Okay, my old films are still out there, but they existed before she was born. It’s different.” Another sip of wine. Joel continues: “I don’t think I’d even know how to behave in front of a camera anymore.”

“That’s not the spirit of the Longest Cumshot Award winner.”

Joel’s eyes widen in shock, and you burst out laughing at yourself, raising both of your hands.

“I didn’t look it up, I swear. It’s just one of the first pictures that comes up when you search your name.”

“Tell me your favorite film,” he insists.

You think about refusing again, but the wine is warming your face and your throat, and the atmosphere is too cozy.

“The title is ridiculous,” you start, and he grunts for you to hurry up. “Something like ‘Lust Lives Next Door.’”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Where he’s the neighbor?”

Keeping a neutral expression, you sip more wine, feeling his gaze fixed on you.

“Why?” Joel asks.

“It felt so real. You looked so...”

You lose the words. He prompts you:

“So...?”

“I don’t know. You looked like you really wanted her. Sure, you always looked like that—you were an actor—but with her, it was different. At least to me.”

Joel studies you a moment longer. Then asks, seriously:

“Did you touch yourself watching it?”

Your cheeks burn.

“It’s normal,” you defend. “Inevitable.”

“Only with that one?”

“Joel.”

He exhales long and slow.

“If you’re uncomfortable, we’ll stop. I’ll walk you home.”

You open your mouth to joke about how ridiculous it is for him to walk you home when you’re literally neighbors, but the seriousness of his question leaves you speechless.

“I’m not a porn actress. I’m not used to this,” you murmur.

“Then just nod,” he suggests seriously. Your silence is taken as agreement.

He asks:

“Did you touch yourself to any other of my films?”

A pause, then...

You nod.

He breathes deeply.

“Did you watch my films only because of the thesis?”

You shake your head no.

“Do you imagine me doing those things to you?”

You feel like you’re standing on the edge of a cliff. One step back, and you’ll be safe, intact but with a pounding heart. One step forward, and you’ll fall, jump, dive into whatever awaits below.

The blood in your ears almost drowns out the start of “Glory Box” by Portishead playing from that shitty little radio.

You take a step forward.

You nod.

Before he can ask anything else, you’re the one who speaks:

“Do you want to see?” you ask, fueled by all the liquid courage from the wine. You clarify, “How I touched myself.”

The answer comes immediately:

“Of course I do.”

You glance at the garage door, then at him, hardly believing you’re about to do this. Before shyness can take over, you close the passenger door, slip off your sandals, and adjust yourself on the seat so your back rests against the door and your legs stretch across the console. You place your feet in Joel’s lap, and you can’t help but notice the hard bulge pressing against his jeans—you have to fight the urge to abandon everything and just beg him to take you to his room and do whatever he wants with you.

Okay. You take a slow, steadying breath to calm your racing heart. Joel’s hand settles around your ankle, his thumb brushing the bone there, and that small point of contact anchors you.

The dress you’re wearing is short, so it only takes a small tug for the fabric to bunch around your waist. With bare legs, goosebumped skin, and heavy breaths, you hand him the wine bottle.

Joel accepts it without taking his eyes off you.

“I’m not as confident as your porn actresses,” you say, but to your own ears your voice sounds pathetically breathless.

His touch trails up to your shin and back down, his hand wrapping around your left foot. He says:

“If you knew how many times I imagined myself between your legs, you wouldn’t feel insecure right now.”

Your breasts ache against the thin fabric of your dress as you spread your legs. You slide your hand into your panties, and Joel doesn’t look directly at it—he watches your face instead. He studies your reaction when your lips part at the feeling of your fingers touching the sensitive, wet spot between your thighs.

The knowledge that he’s wanted this just as badly as you makes you bolder.

You tilt your head back, resting it against the car window, and look at the ceiling while you speed up your fingers. Everything feels so sensitive that you have to bite your lower lip to keep any sound from escaping.

“Fuck...” Joel murmurs, his touch sliding up your thigh. “I can hear how wet you are.”

“Give me your hand.”

Joel takes one last sip of wine and sets the bottle on the ground outside the truck before offering his hand to you. You barely manage to meet his eyes as you pull your panties aside and guide his rough fingers between your legs.

His fingers glide easily over your clit, so wet that it’s almost slippery, and the feeling is so good—his fingers are larger, different textured than your own—and he lets you use them like a toy.

Joel’s gaze finally drops to where your bodies meet. With his free hand, he palms himself through his jeans, starting to rub.

It’s too much for your mind to process.

You squeeze your eyes shut again, using both your hands to guide his and spreading your legs wider. You have to breathe through parted lips to stop yourself from moaning as he rubs that almost painfully sensitive spot over and over.

“Does it feel good using my fingers like that?” he asks, voice hoarse. You nod. “Then let me fuck you with them.”

You whisper your agreement, guiding his fingers lower after making sure they’re slick enough. You press down gently, and his middle finger sinks inside you with a wet sound.

“Joel…”

“Hearing you moan like that and it’s not even my cock yet,” he mutters, fucking you slowly with his middle finger. “Let me add another one.”

You nod. He adds another finger, and you barely manage to hold in the moan, especially when he starts moving them in a slow, delicious rhythm, dragging the strokes out rather than speeding up.

It all happens so fast. One second Joel is pulling you lower, sliding your ass almost onto the console, and the next, he’s bending down and putting his mouth on you—his tongue tracing a quick, hot path from your entrance to your clit.

You clap a hand over your mouth and grab his hair with the other, the graying strands slipping through your fingers. The position can’t be comfortable for him, half off the driver’s seat and bent over you, but he doesn’t seem to care. His lips close over your clit, sucking and licking, while his fingers keep fucking you. His beard scrapes the sensitive skin of your thighs and the slick heat between your legs—and somehow, that only makes you hotter.

You tug his hair harder, pulling him closer into you, and you swear he’s smiling against you, his mouth opening over your clit.

The third finger teases your entrance, and just that promise is enough—you come with a muffled gasp, both hands buried in Joel’s hair as you ride his face. His beard will definitely leave marks on your skin.

Joel waits patiently until your body stops pulsing around his fingers, even though his occasional licks don’t exactly help. Then he pulls his mouth away and sits back in the driver’s seat, wiping his beard with his hand to clear the mess you left behind.

You barely have time to catch your breath before he grabs you with one hand and, steadying your hips with both, pulls you straight onto his lap.

“Hi,” you whisper, still breathless.

“Hi,” he says back.

“You kiss?”

“What?” He smiles, brushing a lock of hair off your forehead. “You asking if I know how to kiss?”

“I’m asking if you have any rules against it, because I really, really want to kiss you.”

“You do?” His thumb brushes over your lower lip, the crease between his brows soft and nearly invisible. “I’m all yours.”

With that permission, you wrap your arms around his neck and move closer, trying to control your ragged breathing. You keep your eyes locked on his as you kiss his bottom lip, then his top, tracing them with the tip of your tongue, pressing your thumbs under his jaw to coax his mouth open.

You run your tongue across the opening, and Joel fists your hair at the nape of your neck, finally taking the lead and kissing you back.

You’re consumed by the taste of expensive wine, a kiss you’d only ever imagined through a computer screen—and you realize the actresses hadn’t been faking their moans, because when Joel sucks your tongue into his mouth for the first time, the sensation ripples right through the core of you, and you whimper softly into his mouth.

“Take off your panties,” he murmurs against your lips as he trails kisses along your chin, your jaw, and down your neck. You move with him, adapting to the pace and hunger of his kisses.

As he reaches your collarbones, Joel tugs the thin straps of your dress down and pushes the fabric until it bunches at your waist. Your breasts are exposed to the cool garage air—and to his hungry mouth.

“Joel…”

His tongue laps at your nipple, and he grows impatient. He slides a hand between your thighs and yanks your panties down with little care. You hear the lace tear but you can’t bring yourself to care, not when seconds later Joel is maneuvering you onto your knees so he can pull the ruined panties off completely.

Then he balls the fabric in his left hand and brings it to his nose.

It should feel ridiculous—like some cheap porno move—but it doesn’t.

He isn’t doing it for show.

He’s doing it because—

Joel grabs your hair again, keeping you firmly in place, and lifts the panties to your own nose. His mouth hovers at your ear as he says:

“See?” Joel’s lips skim down your neck. You catch the unmistakable scent of your own arousal, and your cheeks burn. “You’ve been dripping wet since the moment you walked into this garage.”

“You’re wrong,” you say, pressing his arm to press the panties harder against your nose. You inhale loud enough for him to hear and murmur, “I’ve been wet since the moment you sat next to me in the backyard.”

Joel looks at you, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He stuffs the panties into the front pocket of his worn jeans before unbuttoning and pushing them down along with his boxers.

You probably stare at his cock like an idiot, because seeing it on a screen was one thing, but seeing it now—right in front of you, the subtle changes from age only making it better—hits you hard.

“You’re smiling. What, is my dick funny?” Joel asks.

You shake your head.

“Your dick is practically a shrine to me.”

Joel rolls his eyes, wiping the corner of your mouth with his thumb.

“I’m real fucking close to come just looking at you,” he mutters, and you feel a flicker of disappointment, but it seems to be true, especially given how hard he is.

Joel shifts you into place on his lap, adjusting you like he knows exactly what he’s doing.

He leans back against the seat, partially reclining, and grips his cock with one hand.

“Come here,” he says lowly, pulling you by your thighs. When his thick cock nestles between your legs, you realize what he wants.

You brace yourself on his shoulders, biting your lip to keep any sounds from escaping as you lift onto your knees just enough to start sliding yourself against him.

The slickness between your legs makes it easy—wet and slippery—and Joel groans, tipping his head back against the seat.

God.

He looks huge beneath you, between your thighs, in the way his hands grip your hips and travel along your waist and back up. The rigid heat of him rubs directly over your clit with every glide, and you wrap your hand around the base of his cock to press him even harder against you as you move.

Joel’s hands grip your hips so hard you wonder if you’ll have bruises tomorrow. He glances down between you, where your wetness has coated him, and mutters a filthy curse between his clenched teeth.

“These tits…” he growls, lowering his mouth back to your breasts, drawing you even closer. “Can you come like this?”

You nod, tugging his curls at the nape of his neck, moving faster when he sucks a nipple into his mouth, leaving a trail of wet heat on your skin.

“Turn around,” Joel orders, licking the corner of your mouth. “I want to come on your ass.”

You obey instantly.

He helps you twist around so your knees stay on the seat but your back is pressed against his chest.

Joel runs his cock through your soaked folds, nudging your clit with the head.

He gathers your hair in one hand, pulling it aside so he can kiss the sensitive skin at the base of your neck.

“Rub yourself on it,” he says, voice rough. Your only support is the steering wheel in front of you, which you cling to as you rock your hips back and forth, grinding down along his shaft.

“You’re gonna fucking kill me doing exactly what I tell you,” he mutters against your ear.

“I like when you tell me what to do,” you whisper, barely able to form the words with the way that familiar tension is building fast in your stomach.

“Yeah, baby, I can tell by how soaked you are.”

You don’t answer, focusing only on your own pleasure now, shifting so the thick length of him is perfectly aligned against your clit.

Your leg trembles, your mind blanking with the focus on your orgasm, and you have to bite down on your sweaty arm to keep from crying out his name.

“Feels good?” you ask, panting.

“Jesus Christ, sweetheart,” Joel rasps, his hand tightening around your throat just enough to tilt your face toward his so he can kiss your jaw, your cheek. The slick sounds of your bodies are filthy, but it only pushes you closer. “Been holding back this whole time not to fucking come inside that sweet pussy.”

And that’s all it takes.

You come with a silent scream, clinging to the steering wheel, shuddering against him as your orgasm rips through you.

“Get up,” Joel says urgently, and, trembling, you lift yourself on wobbly knees.

He pushes your dress up your back, squeezes your ass—and you know exactly what he wants.

You brace yourself against the steering wheel, arching your back for him, and Joel lets out a rough, desperate sound.

Between heavy breaths, you hear the slick noises of him jerking himself off, and it only takes a few seconds before you feel it—hot spurts of cum hitting your ass, dripping down the backs of your thighs.

After what feels like forever, Joel slaps your ass gently and wraps his arms around you from behind, pulling you against his chest.

You let yourself collapse into him, feeling his heart pounding just as hard as yours.

You stay there for a moment, quiet, your lips dry when you finally whisper:

“Good wine.”

He laughs.

“Knew you’d like it.”

You close your eyes, tangling your fingers with his over your waist.

When you wake up the next morning, it’s to persistent knocking on the door.

Startled, heart racing, you open your eyes. At first, you don’t recognize the room you’re in, but then you feel Joel’s arm draped over your hips and everything from last night comes rushing back.

You two had cleaned up the garage as best you could, wiped down the seats of his truck, and then gone upstairs to his bedroom to shower together. You couldn’t bring yourself to leave, and he asked you to stay, so you texted your parents saying Joel needed you to sleep over (not a lie) because of Sarah, since he had to rush out for an emergency (a complete lie).

“Dad,” Sarah knocks again, and you have to replay last night’s events to make sure Joel actually locked the door before you both passed out. “Daaaad.”

He opens his eyes, still half-asleep, and pulls you closer against him. Sarah knocks again, and Joel grunts softly before calling out:

“Is the house on fire?”

She laughs.

“No, but you must be sick if you’re not up yet. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just got in late last night.”

Quietly, you trace your fingers over his beard. He meets your gaze and catches your hand, kissing your knuckles before hugging you closer, and you’re reminded that you’re both still naked under the covers—every inch of his warm body pressed against yours.

“Hangover?” Sarah asks.

“Sort of.”

“I left you breakfast. The school bus is about to get here.”

You watch his expression soften.

“Thanks, baby girl. Have a good day. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Dad.”

You hear her footsteps fading down the stairs, and you smile at Joel.

“That was so sweet,” you murmur sincerely. “You call her ‘baby girl’.”

“She used to hate it when she was younger, but she gave up fighting me on it,” he says, his voice raspy from sleep, making something in your stomach flip. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” you whisper back.

Joel brushes his thumb over your cheek and temple, then asks:

“Do you regret it?” You frown, not understanding right away. He clarifies: “Last night.”

“Of course not. Are you crazy?”

“You fucked a porn actor,” he says conspiratorially.

“An ex–porn actor,” you correct. “And we haven’t even fucked yet. Why would I regret that?”

Joel shrugs.

“Aren’t you the one who hates them?”

“Joooel,” you groan, flopping onto your back. “We already talked about this. I hate the industry. I could never hate you.”

“If you say so.”

You turn your face toward him when you feel his hand sliding over your stomach, your hip, your breast…

“Well, now I have a very subjective perspective for my thesis,” you tease.

Joel smiles, raising an eyebrow.

“Imagine explaining that when someone asks how you gathered your results—you’ll have to say Javier Peña showed you personally.”

You barely manage to suppress the shiver that runs down your spine.

“Our little adventure would make a good movie,” you say, but instantly regret it, shaking your head. “Forget it. Just the thought of any image of me out there makes me sick.”

Joel stays silent, but there’s a stupid little smile on his lips as he props himself up on his elbow, lying sideways. His other hand, which was resting on your belly, slides lower. Past your hip, past your thigh, and back up again.

“What’s with that smirk?” you ask.

He licks his bottom lip.

“Remember when you asked me what my favorite kind of movie was?”

That’s the sentence that leads, twenty minutes later, to you lying on your side, your back pressed against Joel’s chest, the morning light streaming through the thick curtains.

He holds you firmly as you reach between your legs, guiding his cock inside you. You almost melt in his arms, feeling the thick veins pulse against your fingers.

“A little more,” Joel murmurs into your ear, sliding an arm under your thigh and adjusting your position to help you take him. You reach behind you, grabbing his hip. Inch by inch, he fills you.

You look down between your legs, watching the way you stretch around him, and it feels like the bed is dissolving under the weight of it.

“Joel.”

“I’m right here, baby,” he says. You see him licking three fingers before reaching down to your clit, just as he starts moving his hips.

The next few days in Lake Placid pass exactly like that.

Some nights, you sneak across your backyard to Joel’s house, and he usually meets you halfway, catching you on the stairs with a kiss before carrying you to bed.

Other times, he sneaks into your house and fucks you on your bedroom floor, because your bed makes too much noise.

You keep working on your thesis and stop watching Javier Peña’s old movies. You don’t need them anymore—not when Joel Miller is texting you saying he needs you in his bed.

On your last few days at home, your parents throw a barbecue. Among the guests are Joel and Sarah.

It’s Joel who finds you in the kitchen as you’re finishing seasoning the potato salad.

He leans against the counter across from you, holding a can of beer. You glance up from the potatoes to meet his gaze, and flashes of last night hit you—when you two had sex in a ridiculous roadside motel because Sarah was having a sleepover with her friends at home.

“And when you go back to New York?” he asks, and you immediately understand what he means.

You shrug.

“I’m not going to pressure you into a long-distance relationship. We don’t have a relationship anyway. And I don’t want a long-distance thing.”

“But I want you.”

You stab a piece of potato with your fork and bring it to his mouth. He accepts it, chewing slowly while waiting for your answer.

“I want you too,” you confess. “But I know you have other priorities.”

“So do you.”

You nod. “So do I.”

Somehow, it feels like a goodbye.

Two months later, back in New York, you type the final period on the last sentence of your thesis.

You stretch your arms over your head like you just won a marathon and then slowly slide to the floor, lying flat on your back like a starfish.

Your spine cracks, your wrists protest after three straight hours of typing, but you can’t wipe the huge, satisfied smile off your face—you’re free.

You grab your phone and text your friends:

“Thesis done. Beer to celebrate?”

You end up doing a full bar crawl, treating it like a birthday or something equally ridiculous.

All it takes is a low-cut top showing off your cleavage, a sweet voice, and the line “Do I get a prize for finishing my thesis?” to score free drinks all night.

You flirt with a few guys, but none of them make you want to drag them home. None of them have a Texas drawl, a graying beard, and the smirk of a retired porn star.

Actually…

You open your chat with Joel.

The last message from him, sent yesterday, is a photo of the same wine bottle you two opened that night in the garage. You had texted back “wish I was there,” and he’d replied with a kiss emoji.

He’d mentioned he was attending some adult film award ceremony as a presenter or something, but he didn’t say where.

He must have been busy all day.

Tonight, you type:

“went out drinking with some friends to celebrate finishing my thesis and can’t stop thinking about you. swear if you were here, i’d be blowing you under one of the bar tables.”

You put your phone away.

You down a tequila shot and laugh when your friend toasts to the end of grad school.

At three in the morning, you still haven’t gotten a reply from Joel.

You call an Uber after making sure your friends are safe, pulling your leather jacket tight around your body. The ride sobers you up just enough to make you crave a whole bottle of water.

That’s exactly what you do when you get home.

You peel off your pleated skirt and jacket, leaving yourself in just a wool turtleneck sweater, and you’re about to jump into the shower when your intercom buzzes.

You glance at the microwave clock: 3:54 AM.

You answer.

“Hello?”

“Delivery from Javier Peña.”

You gasp and immediately buzz him in.

Your heart is already racing as you open your apartment door, standing half-hidden behind it since you’re not wearing any pants.

You practically bounce with anticipation at the same time you convince yourself you’re not dreaming.

When Joel appears at the top of the stairs, it’s like all the blood in your body rushes to your head. He’s wearing glasses and has that stupid, cocky smile, dressed in a black T-shirt with two simple words printed across the front: adult content.

“I can’t believe you’re actually wearing that shirt.”

“The name of the studio that sponsored the awards ceremony,” he says, stopping in front of you.

He smells so good it makes you a little self-conscious about the sweat clinging to your neck from the night out.

“Heard someone finished their thesis,” he murmurs, stepping closer. “Figured I should congratulate you properly.”

[pyraomen]

࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ 𝑱𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄, 𝐈’𝐌 𝐀 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝑻𝐎𝐎, elias moore.

𝑺𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 ─── ❝ i can easily understand why you're attracted to my man. but you don't want this smoke, so shoot your shot with someone else. ❞

꒰ elias “stack” moore x black!fem reader. established relationship. strong language, violence (threatening), gun mentioned, alcohol use, sexual references, verbal insults, mary slander. ꒱

[ꪆৎ] was having herself a good time down at the juke joint. her belly was full from that fresh batch of catfish annie had just pulled from the fryer; crisp, golden, seasoned just right. she’d even snuck a few sips of liquor from her man’s cup when he wasn’t looking, the warmth of it humming in her chest. the place was alive tonight, packed wall to wall.

sammie’s voice boomed over the crowd, deep and rich, weaving through the smoke and laughter like a sermon of rhythm and blues. the air was thick with sweat, perfume, and excitement. it was exhilarating, felt like home. folks were swaying, stomping, clapping, hips rolling to the rhythm of his song.

everything felt just right, until she heard her name.

mary.

“is that little mary?” she heard cornbread yell out and immediately came to an halt. she wasn’t usually one to eavesdrop, but when it came to mary, she was all ears. that girl was like a fly that wouldn’t quit buzzing around your kitchen — still hung up on her stack. there’d been more than a few run-ins between them, and each time [ꪆৎ] had tried to keep her cool. but tonight, she was fed up.

elias somehow sensing some shit was finna go down, appeared behind her. “what’s wrong, baby?” he asked, his voice low, eyes already scanning the room like he knew who the problem was. she turned slowly, locking eyes with him. “stack,” she said, voice flat and sharp, giving him a look of get her before i do. he let out a knowing chuckle and pulled the toothpick from his mouth, giving her backside a rough tap as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “i know, i know. i got it.”

stack wasn’t about to let it get ugly, not in front of all these folks, and especially not when he knew his woman didn’t play that. if mary didn’t leave on her own, one or both of them was looking to catch a bullet before the night was over.

[ꪆৎ] watched as stack made his way toward the entrance. she scoffed under her breath, shaking her head, then turned on her heel and made her way to the bar. the mississippi humidity clung to her skin, mixing with the slow simmer of anger already creeping up her spine. sliding onto a barstool, she fanned herself with her hand, though it did little to help.

her jaw clenched tight and eyebrows scrunched together. just the thought of mary trying her luck again made her skin itch. “need a drink?” came annie’s voice, smooth and matter-of-fact. [ꪆৎ] looked up to find the older woman standing behind the counter, a bottle of good whiskey in hand, the kind they didn’t pour for just anyone. she didn’t say anything, just gave a small nod, her fingers drumming anxiously on the bar top in a rhythm she barely noticed.

annie poured a glass, slid it across the counter, and gave her a look ; one full of shared understanding. wasn’t the first time a triflin heffa tried to sniff around one of the smoke-stack twins. and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last.

she took a slow sip of the whiskey, letting the burn calm the storm in her chest. or trying to, at least. the joint around her pulsed with laughter and music, but her focus was drawn to the front door, past the crowd ; where stack stood talking to her. their voices were low, but every now and then a word or two slipped through the rhythm of the joint.

“i was just... stoppin by,” mary said, her voice syrupy-sweet, the kind of tone women like her used when they were up to no good. [ꪆৎ] paused mid-sip, her ear twitching in their direction.

“you know i always had a soft spot for you, stack,” mary continued, a little louder this time, like she wanted [ꪆৎ] to hear. [ꪆৎ] set her glass down a little harder than intended. annie didn’t flinch, just raised an eyebrow, ready to step in if needed.

before she could make the decision to waltz over there. she heard stack let out a long sigh, voice laced with irritation. “mary, this ain’t the time or the place. i suggest kindly you get the fuck up outta here before i get one of these field bitches to do it for me. or better yet, get [ꪆৎ] to handle yo ass, you know she been itching for the right moment too.”

that should’ve been enough. but of course, it wasn’t.

mary let out a loud scuff, obviously feeling like somebody. “i’ll beat up every bitch in here and you know it.”

that did it.

[ꪆৎ] stood up slow, eyes never leaving the shadowy outline of the two at the door. her pulse thumped in her ears, the whiskey mixing with heat and rage. she didn’t shout, nor stormed ; she moved graciously through the crowd like a woman on a mission. 

annie just shook her head, muttering under her breath, “lord help that girl … she don’t know who she messing with.”

the crowd parted for [ꪆৎ] like it always did. some out of respect, others out of fear, but most just knew better than to stand in her way when she moved like that. her dress swayed with each step, graceful but sharp, the small pistol tucked in the folds at her thigh brushing against her skin like a silent reminder. the music didn’t stop, but the energy in the room shifted, low murmurs stirred, a few folks, cornbread included backed away from the door, sensing the storm brewin.

stack turned just in time to see her coming, jaw tightening. he didn’t move, he knew better than to interfere when she had that look in her eye. he wasn’t scared of his woman, but he was scared of his woman. this was between her and mary now.

mary, still too full of herself to read the room, crossed her arms and tilted her head. “so now you sending your little guard dog to the door?” she spat, chin raised.

[ꪆৎ] didn’t respond right away. she stepped up to mary, slow, eyes scanning her head to toe like she was sizing up trash on the side of the road. then she spoke, voice calm, but low and mean.

“you come to my man’s place of business, looking the way you look and talking nonsense you can’t back up. thought i wasn’t gon show, huh?” her louisiana accent thickening with each word she spoke. mary’s smirk faltered, just a little. “i ain’t scared of you. you hiding behind a man that i already had.”

[ꪆৎ] let out a soft laugh, humorless, deep, dangerous. her head tilted slightly, curls brushing her shoulder as she took one deliberate step closer, causing mary to shift her weight back instinctively. the scent of her perfume sharp and sweet in the thick air between them.

“that so?” she said, voice low and affluent, louisiana accent wrapping around each word like molasses. “you had him, huh? must’ve been real forgettable, since he don’t even look your way no more.”

mary’s eyes narrowed. “he still remember.”

[ꪆৎ] nodded slowly, pressing her lips together before replying. “maybe. a man remember trash when it stank long enough. don’t mean he want it back in his house.”

a few folks nearby let out a low “mmm,” like they just bit into something hot and juicy. even stack looked down at his feet, fighting back a grin he knew better than to let show.

mary’s smirk had fully dropped now, her jaw tightening. but [ꪆৎ] wasn’t done. “you got two good legs, mary. use em. cause if i take one more step, neither i nor elias gon be responsible for what happens next.”

mary stood frozen, the fight in her chest but no wind to back it up. she opened her mouth like she wanted to throw another blow, but the silence around them told her loud and clear. she needed to take her ass on.

she huffed sharply, her chest rising with wounded pride, then spun on her heel with a dramatic flick of her hair. her heels struck the ground with angry rhythm, each step echoing her bruised ego as she stormed away from the joint, shoulders stiff with false dignity.

[ꪆৎ] slammed the door shut, then exhaled slowly, adjusting her dress. “yall can go back to having fun”, she said with a wave of her hand. that was all people needed to hear to get back in they groove.

she glanced up at stack, “lets go home. i’m tired of playing with these little ass girls.” he didn't say a word, just took her hand like he always did, following the woman that never steered him wrong.

[sunflowerwinds]

try it | v.a

summary: when you get partnered up with the most irritating and cocky soccer player on campus, you wonder why she has girls fawning over her left and right when she’s so… insufferable. not that you would want to know… right?

next part -> bite it

pairing: fem!cheerleader!reader x soccer player!vi

contains: modern!au, reader isn’t aware of her sexuality (yet…) but it’s not specified what sexuality the reader is, mature content (MEN & MINORS DNI 18+) — oral (r!receiving), fingering (r!receiving), choking, cocky-kind of douchey!vi, brat!reader (quickly turned sub!reader), dom!vi, morally wrong in a sense, mentions of reader being in previous relationship with a man (very brief!)

word count: 5.1K

a/n: cocky vi, save me! also thank you a MILLION @venomvalley & @strawberrykidneystone for reading this over and helping me edit it <3 u guys are angels. would y’all like a messy ass pt. 2? let me know! comments & reblogs are appreciated, lovelies <3

With every fiber in your being, you despised Violet.

You had seen her around your campus your freshman year of college. At first, you were undoubtedly intrigued by her neck tattoo and the fact that she was talking to one of your good friends and fellow cheerleader, Caitlyn. It was in passing on the way to one of your basics and for a second, she had caught your eye.

The way her eyes raked up and down your figure caused your skin to blaze, becoming uncomfortably flustered.

You knew Caitlyn was into women; not that it had bothered you in any way. You just didn’t understand why she was talking to someone who had trouble keeping their eyes on her.

The epitome of a narcissistic soccer player.

You would hear Caitlyn gush about her for the next month as you stretched before practicing the routines, visibly flushed at the thought of the girl.

One day, Caitlyn dropped you as you were coming down from flying as she seemed to be focused on something other than practice. Thankfully, it was just the football field but it still infuriated you. She explained how this Violet character had asked her to just be friends after they had slept together. The team consoled her and told her she wasn’t worth it, she deserved better and that she was way out of her league until your coach blew her whistle to get everyone back on track.

You hated to admit it but you were sort of relieved you wouldn’t have to hear about the pink-haired girl anymore.

Every single time Caitlyn had brought her up, you sort of tuned her out.

Not on purpose, but you didn’t really need to hear about how amazing Violet’s tongue felt. You had set in your mind from that point on you would be free of anything even remotely related to Violet.

To your surprise, walking into your 10 AM English Lit class your sophomore year, there the familiar girl sat in the third row of the stairs of seats and desks. You pause your steps before rounding around to the other side of the classroom, not wanting her to be in your eyeline.

You shake your head to yourself as you sit down on the fifth row where it had been scarce of students. The professor has yet to arrive to the class so you begin working on an assignment from your class from the previous day. As you scribble your name on top, a soft ‘psst’ fills the room.

You ignore it in hopes it isn't aimed at you. A few seconds of silence follow before a hand smacks the top of your paper, a ‘hey’ leaving their lips. Your lips purse in aggravation, inhaling a deep breath before tilting your head up at the person.

Violet’s face stares down at you with a slight head tilt and a skeptical smile.

“Yeah?” You raise your brows impatiently, wondering when the hell she even got up from her seat.

“I know you from somewhere,” she states, pointing the blunt end of her pencil at you accusingly.

You shrug your shoulders, shaking your head slowly. “I, uh, I’m not sure. We’ve never met before.”

Which is true. You know way too much about her from your cheermate, but the two of you have never formally met.

“Are you in my chem class?” She questions, her presence becoming more and more bothersome.

You suck in a deep breath, blinking up at her from your seated position.

“No. I don’t take chem.”

“Huh. Well,” the professor clears her throat which captures Violet’s attention, stopping her words before motioning over to her original seat. “I’ll leave you.”

You send her a more irritated grin, thankful that the professor was able to intervene.

“As I was saying,” your professor clears her throat again as her eyes flicker to every student. “It was posted this morning in my announcements the link to the list of partners for our final project. Please make sure to check it so that you can reach out to your partner to get started as this is 40% of your grade. The deadline is also in the syllabus. Do not wait until the last minute.”

Out of curiosity, you open your phone to press on the megaphone icon on her page to see the link that she had just mentioned. You watch the bright screen load to the list. Once it fully develops, you scroll down to find your name.

An uneasy feeling settles in your gut when you see the name typed in bold right next to yours.

Violet Lanes.

Your stomach churns at the sight, and you want to immediately beg for the professor to pair you up with anyone else in the class. You suck in a deep breath as you mentally prepare for her to figure out who you are. The duration of the class passes in the blink of an eye, the eerie feeling of what you’d have to endure with Vi lingered in the back of your mind.

As class is dismissed, you walk out of the door and are met with Vi leaning against a wall as she types something on her phone. You shake your head as you adjust the strap of your backpack before walking up to Vi with as genuine of a smile as you could muster.

“We’re partners for the final project.”

Vi looks up from her phone, blinking her… (actually, quite pretty) blue eyes at you.

“Really? You’re–”

“Yes. So,” you suck in a deep breath as you peer down the halls to make sure no one you knew was lingering around. “We could meet up at the library whenever we’re both free for, like, an hour or two so we can hopefully get this done before the due date. Then we won’t worry about it.”

And so I don’t have to be around you for more than I need to be, you thought.

Vi’s lips twitch into a small smirk. “Sure, princess. What’s your number?”

Your face prickles with heat, your irritation spiking at the nickname. What is with her calling you that?

After you offer your number, you bid her goodbye and walk away before she could keep you there for longer than you wanted. Yeah, maybe it's a little immature but, gods, being around her makes your head ache.

A few days later, you get a text from Vi saying she would be free on Wednesday after her soccer practice. You agree to that first meet-up at the library as you, too, would be out of cheer practice by 3.

It was a nightmare.

Every time you tried to get her back on track, she would flirt openly with the girls who were passing by, slipping them her number with a wink. They flushed and giggled at the confidence radiating off of her. Your face contorted in annoyance with every interaction.

Clearly, she can't be trusted in a public space to stay focused. After the second work meet-up, you turn to her with a flat expression.

“We’re going to my place from here on out.”

Vi’s brows furrow for a moment before slyly smiling. “Why?”

“You get easily distracted with people,” girls, “around. It’ll be better for the both of us if we start working on this at my place.”

Vi would make a douchey comment back, but it's clear in her compliance that she knows you're right.

“Fine. Text me your address. I’ll see you next Wednesday, princess?” She grins as she begins walking backwards, away from you.

“Sadly.” You call after her with an eye roll as you watch her chuckle at your response, before turning back on her heels to walk in the opposite direction.

You, for a split second, stare at her back from a distance, furrowing your brows at the ink peeking out from her compression tee. You blink and realize you were… checking her out. No, no, you were just wondering what her tattoo was.

Yeah. Just the tattoo.

After hanging out at Caitlyn’s place across the way, you catch Vi walking to your dorm.

“Hey, princess,” her eyes trail down to your outfit before locking gazes with you. “Don’t you look pretty? Come back from a date?”

You adjust your falling tube top as you avoid her eye-line, scoffing at her half-ass flirting.

“No. I was hanging out with my friend. Practice was cancelled for the day.”

“Well, I guess you can lead me to yours. I’ll follow you,” Vi motions in front of her to the concrete walkway.

You pause at her words before continuing forward, sucking in a deep breath as you try to not think about how you were just with Caitlyn. Why do you feel so guilty? You and Vi were assigned to be partners in this project: it was out of your control.

You must’ve gone silent, as Vi bumps your shoulder with a whistle.

“Hello? You just stopped talking mid-conversation. Are you okay?” Her brows raise with confusion and a hint of concern.

You blink then stare up ahead as you approach your dorm building. Ignoring her question, you reach into your purse to retrieve the key.

“This is me. Come on.”

Your steps speed up as you hold up the key fob to the electronic lock, watching the red light flicker green. Surprisingly, Vi grabs the door for you and motions for you to head in first.

“Thanks,” you mutter.

Vi nods with a soft ‘you're welcome’ before letting the door shut behind her.

“So you’re a cheerleader?” Vi questions as you two make your way to the elevator.

Your brows furrow as you lean forward to press the up button, glancing at Vi.

“Uh, yeah. What about it?” You wonder where she’s going with this.

“Nothing, dollface,” she shakes her head as she waits for the elevator with her arms folded in front of her chest.

You ignore how much her biceps bulge and focus on the fact that she’s given you another pet name. You sigh in relief as the doors open with a soft ding, a few students stepping out before you two step in.

“I feel like I’ve been here before,” Vi says softly as her brows furrow and her eyes follow around the small space.

You side-eye her but keep quiet as your thoughts immediately cloud over with a thought: it could’ve been one of her one night stands or other girls that she led on for weeks or months until she got what she wanted from them.

“A friend?” You flatly question.

Vi shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, a… friend.”

Kill me now, you think as the doors finally open.

You both step out and Vi walks beside you, glancing down either end of the hallway. The second you approach your front door, you press your key fob onto the similar electronic lock.

You unlock your front door, hoping that your roommate, Sky, isn't home. She was usually at the lab around this time of day, but you had to make sure there was no one here. Vi lingers behind you as you twist the handle and use your shoulder to shove the old, heavy door open. You peak into your apartment with a relieved sigh to see no sign of her.

“Why are you looking around? This is your apartment, right?” Vi teases from behind you.

An angry heat rises up your spine at her words.

“Yes,” you seeth as you turn around to face her. “I was checking to see if my roommate was home.”

Vi merely grins at your flared nostrils and tense figure as she tilts her head at you.

“Aw, you ashamed of me, princess?”

You stare at her, unable to comprehend how girls just flock to her. You ignore her obvious attempt to press at your buttons as you suck in a deep breath, motioning to the still open door behind her.

“Could you close the door and lock it?” You ask her calmly.

Vi huffs out a breath before smacking her lips. “You know, a ‘please’ goes a long way.”

You're so close to shoving her out of the door and working on the project by yourself.

“Can you close the door, please?” You ask once again with a tight-lipped smile.

Vi presses her palm onto the heavy door and twists the silver lock with a soft click. She straightens her back so that she is next to you; somehow much closer than just a few moments ago. You swear for a moment that her long fingers brush past your own.

“Only because you were so nice about it,” she teases.

The amount of willpower it takes to hold back the eyeroll itching at you. You suck in a stabilizing breath to calm yourself.

“My bedroom is this way.”

Vi’s eyes widen at your words for a moment, tucking her hands into the front pockets of her baggy jeans.

“Wow. I didn’t think you were so easy, princess.”

You stop walking down the dimly lit hallway, turning on your heel to glare at Vi.

“If we’re going to get any work done, could you let up with the jokes?” You borderline sneer at her.

The only sort of reaction that you can emit from Vi is a cocky smirk. You're reacting exactly like how she wants you to; pushing you to see how far she could.

“Alright. I hear you loud and clear,” she holds her palms up in mock defeat, waving her white flag (for now).

You huff before, again, making your way down to your bedroom. You hold up your key fob and watch the light switch to green with a loud click. You’re hit with the airy scent of cinnamon and vanilla from your wallflower near the door.

“Damn. You cheer girls have nice ass rooms.”

You twitch at that. You cheer girls. Was she talking about Caitlyn? You shake it off as you walk over to wear your backpack that had been thrown on the ground near your bed, bending down to retrieve your notebook and grabbing your laptop from your desk from the other side.

Getting comfortable, you lay down stomach first on your bed.

“Let’s just… start, please.” You sigh as you flip your hair over to one side, huffing as you flip open your laptop to pull up your presentation.

Her hands go up again before she sets her own backpack down on the swivel chair in front of your desk.

“Jesus, okay. I promise the only person I’ll pay attention to is you, princess.”

You look up from your laptop, sucking in a deep breath.

“I’m the only other person in the room, Vi. And I have a name, you know.”

“I’m well aware, princess,” Vi says with a knowing grin.

You can’t believe how easy it is for her to get under your skin, but you can’t help but empathize with Caitlyn’s devastation with getting friendzoned.

“Whatever,” you murmur under your breath and turn your attention back to the matter at hand: the project that you are desperate to already be done with.

Vi shrugs her shoulders, grinning down at you before settling down to sit at your desk. You open your mouth to tell her to come sit next to you but catch yourself. She can stay across the room for all you care.

“Okay, so, I did a little bit of research on some of the most influential authors. I got some Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens. All of them. We could compare them?” Vi tells you as she flips through her notebook, completely taken aback by her words.

You take a beat before letting out a soft ‘yeah’. “We could do that. Like their writing styles?”

Vi nods as she looks from her notebook to catch your wide-eyed gaze. She scoffs and shakes her head.

“Don’t act so surprised that I did some work, gorgeous,” she leans back in your swivel chair, placing her sock covered feet on your bed.

“Well, before, you didn’t seem too interested in the work, so I think I’m allowed to be,” you snip back, again, ignoring the flirty compliment.

“What do you mean?” Vi questions as she tilts her head at you.

You roll your eyes before typing onto the PowerPoint presentation. “Don’t be stupid. You would flirt and hit on pretty much every girl who looked your way.”

Vi mutters a soft ‘oh’, a hum following.

“Well, don’t act jealous, princess,” she grins cockily. “You have my full attention now.”

You scoff at her before simply shaking your head.

Surprisingly, you're able to get a good amount of work done. You weren’t expecting Vi to be so… cooperative with you. The two of you bounce ideas off of each other without bickering. You can actually stand her for a moment.

Sadly, that lasts merely an hour before Vi stands up and stretches out her back before perusing around your room to look at everything that decorates your walls: photos of your friends, your cheer bows, a few posters, etc.

“Vi, what are you doing?” You sigh.

“Taking a small mental break. It’s great for cognitive function.” Vi hums as she holds up a little Sonny Angel that sits on your dresser top. “Do you ever do that or are you just always this tense?”

Your mouth falls open for a moment before shutting. Because you make me tense, your mind echoes.

“I’m not tense,” you slowly shut your laptop, as you want to make sure she doesn’t touch anything she’s not supposed to.

Vi snorts. “Sure. You got a boyfriend? Or girlfriend? Someone to help ease whatever is up your ass?”

You squint your eyes at her as the word ‘girlfriend’ leaves her mouth. Your stomach tightens at the thought but you shrug it off in an instant.

“Boys are… just no. Not something I need to be wasting my time on.” You admit.

Which is true.

“And girls?” She rebuttals immediately.

You feel your throat dry up as you look down at your laptop cover to hide your face, avoiding eye-contact.

“Yeah, uh, not something I think about either,” you lie.

You have. A lot recently. You couldn’t tell if it was being around Vi every week or– Well, you don't know what else it could be.

“Hm. Well, since we’re still taking that break,” she walks back over to your queen bed, standing at the foot of the headboard. “I could help you relax.”

A sense of vulnerability settles in your chest as you peer up at her from your laid position, pressing up on your forearms.

“What do you… want to do?”

Your voice, for the first time around Vi’s presence, isn't snippy. It's soft and hesitant; your nerves showing as something in the air between the two of you shifts .

“Do you want me to help you?” Vi’s hand reaches out to brush a falling strand of hair from your face.

Your answer could change everything between the two of you. Is it stupid to hook up with your friend’s ex-situationship and your project partner? Incredibly. Probably one of the dumbest things you’ll ever do.

And yet, you nod slowly.

“No, gorgeous. Tell me,” Vi’s lips twitch as her thumb rubs over the plush of your bottom lip.

A gentle whisper leaves your lips. “Yes.”

The second Vi gets that confirmation, her hand leaves your face and she makes her way around the bed. Your heart thumps so fast that the sound clouds your hearing. You watch her every move with anticipation, not knowing what she plans for you.

“You’ll tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable, yeah?” She hums as she kneels on the mattress, the age of the mattress showing as it creaks from the springs.

Why couldn’t you come up with anything to snip at her with? The second she touched you, you were done for. Your breath catches in your throat as you mutter a ‘yeah’ and wait impatiently for any sort of touch to relieve that aching.

As you hoped, her hands start at the back of your mid-thigh, dragging up to the bottom of your skirt.

“This is cute,” she says cheekily, tugging at the material. “Panties are cute too. Are these bamboo or–”

“Are you going to be a dick about this or are you going to actually do this properly?” You huff.

A beat passes and you think you’ve fucked up. Until you hear a gentle chuckle from behind you.

“Oh, I think you like it when I do this. Tease you a bit,” her hands run underneath the skirt to cup both of your cheeks. “Make you want it more.”

Your breath hitches as your pussy lips spread underneath the soft material of your underwear. They weren’t anything too special; black cotton hipsters with polka dots. You're thankful for the color as you knew there was a humiliating wet patch where your slit is.

You hear her shift from behind as she sits in between your legs, her hands coming back down to your thighs to push them open.

The material of your skirt is lifted, resting at your hips. You lift your hips to help her a bit, a boost of confidence washing over you when you hear her mutter a soft curse as she gropes at your ass again.

You shiver when she thumbs right on the wet patch dampening your panties, humming in satisfaction.

“Fuck, princess. Getting your pretty panties all wet for me,” she groans as she seemingly grows impatient.

Her long fingers hook at the waistband of your underwear, pausing for a moment. You mutter an ‘it’s okay’ as she continues to tug them down your legs to toss them on the ground next to the bed.

Almost immediately, she teases at your puffy folds with her middle finger. You inhale sharply as you roll your head to try and keep yourself from pushing your hips up into her finger.

“When was the last time someone did this to you, hmm?” Vi leans over your body so that her lips brush over the shell of your right ear.

Your mind flashes memories of your pathetic ex complaining about his wrist hurting after fingering you for three minutes before he just fucked you until he came.

That was over a year ago.

“Too long,” you admit with a soft moan as she slides her middle finger into you.

You hate to admit how amazingly overstimulated you are by this alone. The feeling of her tits in her loose cut off tee against your bare back and her lips grazing over your ear leaves your eyes shutting to level yourself.

“Aw poor princess.” She taunts as she hums, placing a kiss under your ear.

You grumble a ‘fuck you’ in response, to which she chuckles at.

“Vi,” you grip at your sheets as you whine, a shiver running down your spine.

The squelch of your sopping cunt makes your head drop in embarrassment, but Vi has other plans. In a second, the hand that isn't fingering you wraps gently around your throat to lift your head up. You moan softly as she squeezes your throat once, her thumb pressing against your jaw to make sure you don't dare try to hide yourself.

“No, no, keep that pretty head up for me,” Vi grunts as she pumps her finger in and out of you.

You whine as you arch into her long finger, the feeling deliciously addicting. She only has one inside of you as she teases about how tight you are, but you need to be more full. Full of her.

Your mouth betrays you as a weak and breathy ‘more’ leaves your lips, another shiver tickling down your spine as she curls her fingers.

A deprecating chuckle leaves her lips as she presses a kiss to your hot cheek. You hate how wet it gets you to hear her speak to you in such a taunting tone.

“You want more, princess?” Vi questions, her scarred lip curling into a smirk.

You nod as she slows her pumping down. Fucking asshole, you think, but bite your lip to keep the snarky comment to yourself. She keeps pace at the slowest she can possibly muster.

“What did I tell you about saying ‘please’?”

Oh, you're going to kill her. After you come, of course.

You tilt your head back as she gives your throat another squeeze, panting as she rubs her nose against your jaw.

“Please, more. Fingers, please.” You whimper, submission overtaking you.

“Fuck, you sound so good for me.”

Hand still kept firmly around your throat, she pulls herself back just enough to watch her hand pumping in and out of you. She carefully slides in her pointer next to her middle finger and becomes relentless. Her thrusts send a rewarding burn up her forearm to her bicep.

Getting to see you like this makes it all the more sweet. Timid moans leave your pretty lips at the stretch of her additional finger. She can't believe this was the same girl who would roll her eyes nearly every time she spoke.

Now, she has your eyes rolling back in the way she’s been craving since she first laid eyes on you.

“Vi, oh fuck. I’m gonna cum,” you whimper.

A familiar feeling settles in the pit of your stomach as you clench down on her fingers, a hot flash running up from the base of your spine to your temple. Vi hums at your broken and higher pitched moans, not letting up as she watches your soaked and puffy folds engulf her.

“Oh, it has been long, gorgeous. Gonna cum for me?” She removes her hand from your neck to tug down the elastic part of your tube top.

Your tits spill out, bouncing as you rock back to match her pace. Your eyes and nose scrunch up as your jaw slacks from the stimulation. Vi’s free hand palms one of your tits, pressing herself up against your back once again to mutter praises in your ear.

“So fucking good for me. Cum all over my fingers, baby. Come on,” she grunts.

You cum with a loud, broken moan as one of your clenched palms moves to wrap around the wrist gripping onto your perked nipple, needing to hold onto her in some way. Your face falls forward and muffles your shaky whimpering as you come down from your high. Goosebumps raise to your skin as she carefully removes her fingers, smiling to herself at the feeling of your cum dribbling down her digits.

Your breathing, as it finally was slowing down, picks up when you feel Vi’s hands grab onto your hips and flip you on your back side. You yelp in shock as you sit up on your wobbly forearms to peer up at her.

“What the fuck?” You breathe out, eyes locked on her own.

“I want to see that pretty face when I make you cum on my mouth,” Vi says simply, like she wasn’t finger-fucking the thoughts out of you. “Unless you feel relaxed enough.”

You let a second pass before shaking your head slowly.

Vi grins cheekily as she raises her hand that was inside of you, holding it up to your bitten lips. Like you’d done it a thousand times before, your jaw opens to take them into your mouth to suck off your cum. She groans as you swirl your tongue around them to get every last drop.

Not bad, you thought. You made a show of it by humming around the skin and grabbing her wrist to gradually tug them out of your mouth with a soft pop.

“Shit, lay back for me.”

You do as you're told and spread your legs without an afterthought. Vi shuffles down your bed so that she lays on her stomach, hooking her forearms around your thighs to tug you toward her face, right where she wants to be.

She still sees the shine of your previous orgasm coating your puffy cunt. She moans as she leans forward to drag her tongue over your slit once to get a taste of you.

Oh, she wasn’t going to stop until her jaw locked.

“You taste perfect, gorgeous” her bright and hazy blue eyes peer up at you from in between your legs.

You hum as you raise a hand to move her falling strands out of her hair, cursing when she uses a hand to rub at your clit. The touch at the sensitive bud causes your cunt to clench around nothing. You miss Vi’s fingers inside of you and you want to strangle her because of it. Her tongue prods at your cunt, smirking when you clench around it for some sort of relief.

Fuck, Caitlyn was right.

“Just like that, Vi, please. Don’t stop,” you breathe out with a whimper.

Vi merely hums against your labia as she sucks on each fold, her fingers not letting up on your clit. The sounds alone drive you insane. She sounds … hungry for you, her motions messy and sloppy.

In an embarrassingly short amount of time, you feel another stronger orgasm approaching. One of your hands mimicks her motion from before, groping harshly at your tit to pinch and roll your nipple in between your fingers.

“Vi, oh my god. Please, don’t stop. Shit, f-fuck,” you whine as your other hand finds her hair to grip onto.

Vi doesn’t dare change her movements, lapping her greedy tongue over your clit as your legs clamp around her head. She, with ease, holds back one of your thighs as she hungrily laps at you. Her eyes narrow at your hand, and she holds back her smirk.

She suckles on your clit and you swear your vision turns white as pornagraphic moans leave your mouth. You throw your head back as your hips buck up to chase your orgasm, sweat settling at the crevices of your hips. Your harsh breathing brings you back to reality, realizing how fucking tired and sticky you are. Every limb has become jelly at this point; boneless even.

As you try to stabilize your breathing, you hear Vi from in between your legs speak with a knowing tone.

“See? Breaks are good for you.”

“Shut the fuck up,” you slap her shoulder weakly as you let yourself fall back onto your bed.

Vi presses feathery kisses onto your inner thighs. Her soft laughter tickles the heated skin as you wipe a hand over your flushed face.

Maybe she wasn’t the worst partner you could have.

TAG-LIST: @cinnamonmilf @saturnhas82moons @sameshoeally @ferxanda @dosiji @bethowdie @ragoshmog @sawaagyapong @willurms @ellieslittleslutt @leeidk87 @alessabriel @mikellie @drunkenrosesluv @foresityyy @snuffphiliaa @hadesboneyard @rainbowdashparadise @itzsky82 @drunkalex @hitmehardmommy @moodient @chellecunttt @daughterofthemoons-stuff @unear7hly @oidloid @eeseooeos @violetszn @rosieeteaa @pnkreligion @agentsquid12 @satorix (crossed out users are ones it wouldn’t let me tag)

[georgeplease]

The One Where We Have to Fuck or Die

Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader

Fred gives Reader his test vial of a new love potion for the store. They quickly realize if they don’t have sex then it’ll kill her.

Tags: Porn Logic, Aphrodisiac, fucking like rabbits, both reader and Fred are in their late 20s-early 30s

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

It started as a normal Saturday for (Y/n). She had slept in, made some breakfast, cleaned her flat, and had been getting ready to relax for the rest of the day. That was until a familiar owl had found its way to her window, dropping off a letter with her name scrawled across the front. The handwriting was all too familiar, making her roll her eyes as she retrieved it from the owl before sending him on his way.

Having met the twins in her first year at Hogwarts was a pivotal moment, developing a fast friendship with the both of them after a prank gone wrong. That fateful afternoon sparked a 12 year long friendship between the twins and her.

Yet, there was always something between her and Fred, others may say they were destined together, they chose to believe they were just really good friends. It’s part of the reason he could send a letter like this, asking for her to rush down to his shop and help him. As annoyed as she would act, she would always rush to his side.

It didn’t take long for her to get dressed and make her way to Diagon Alley, easily finding her way through the busy street to her favorite store. As (Y/n) entered the shop she turned waving to George as she passed through toward the back. The store was as crowded as it usually was for a weekend, causing her to weave through several other customers before she was able to each the employees only section. The letter she had received from Fred to come to the store said it was an urgent matter, but having known him long enough, she was positive he was lying. But yet, here she was.

Not wasting anytime, she pushed into his office, seeing him sat at his desk, feet resting as he smirked upon seeing her enter.

“Well, if it isn’t my most loyal test subject.”

“What is it now, Fred?” She asked, crossing her arms, clearly not assumed by his mood.

Standing up, Fred walked around his desk, handing her a glittery pink vial, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she grabbed it from him. Looking at it, it was clear what it was supposed to be, having seen many of the Twin’s famous love potions before.

“A love potion? Don’t you already have several different kinds?” She asked, curious as to where this was leading.

“Not just any love potion, this is specifically for our older couples. You know, to help them spicy up their lives.”

“Like Viagra?”

Fred raised an eyebrow, not understanding what that was. He quickly shrugged it off, turning back to his sales pitch. “No, no. This is better than any muggle product.” Moving behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders. “What’s the number one reason most people get divorced?” He gave a second for her to think before answering for her. “That’s right, lack of passion. Imagine how many people we could help if we sold passion in a vial. How ‘bout that?”

“Work on your sales pitch, but I do like the idea.” placing a hand in her chin, she observed the vial closely. “I figure you want me to test it?“ Looking over her shoulder she sees Fred nod. “Have you tested it on anything else?”

“Tested a few drops on some plants, didn’t kill them so it should be fine for human consumption.”

“That sounds promising.” She teased, sliding away from his grasp. “What’s in it for me?”

“Besides being so horny there’s no way you won’t have an amazing orgasm once you go home?” He teased, before continuing his pitch. “Usual price, 50 galleons and unlimited supplies if you so need it.”

Fred stuck his hand out, waiting to see if she’d take his offer. After pondering for a few seconds, she reached out with her free hand shaking it. A deal with the devil, some would say.

Uncorking the vial, she pressed it to her lips, swallowing the liquid. Luckily, he had been able to get it to taste more pleasant than his other attempts, reminding her of fresh strawberries with cream. Her eyes moved to look at the ceiling, waiting for the desired effects to happen. Awkwardly she began to look around the room to pass the time, feeling a little weird to test this kind of potion in front of her friend, but money is money. And she trusted that Fred would not kill her.

As she took a look behind him, her attention was drawn to his work station. Her eyes were drawn to the ingredients he had used, haphazardly tossed about. There were the components to making a love potion, a rather simple potion. No, what caught her eye was the other ingredients he had mixed, a good amount well known aphrodisiacs along with an odd collection of ingredients that have her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Walking over, she got a better look at them, understanding why she felt so uneasy. Mixing these ingredients together are well known for causing the person who took the potion to die if certain conditions weren’t met.

Wide eyed, she snapped to look at Fred, her body feeling warm as she felt it begins to take effect. He seems none the wiser to his fatal error, his arrogant smirk pissing her off. Throwing the empty vial at him, she turned on her heel to face him.

“You fucking moron.” She spat, panic raising in her voice, her legs subconsciously clenching together as that heat began to grow between her legs. “You didn’t make a better love potion, you made an aphrodisiac with poison.”

Fred’s face contorted, not understanding why she seemed so ticked off. His brows pushed together, as he walked over to her, trying to better understand the situation, while also a little ticked off she had thrown the small vial at him. He began to watch her more closely than before, thinking that something about his potion had caused her reaction.

Trying her best not to act on the deep ache, she moved farther from Fred. The feeling was almost too much, her hand subconsciously moving toward her crotch, wanting to swirl circles to dull the ache. Instead, her other hand moved to hold the other one, interlocking her fingers together behind her back.

“What are you on about?” Fred asked as he moved closer.

“Fred, this potion is going to kill me. How fucking dense are you?” (Y/n) ran a hand through her hair, tugging at it to try and regain her focus as her thoughts grew more perverse.

“You’ve gone mental. Don’t tell me you never been horny before, love?” Fred teased, watching the way her face flushed like a virgin.

“I’m being serious.” She said, fanning herself as she felt her body warm up. “You’ve basically just signed my death warrant if I don’t get shagged as soon as possible.”

“So you’re saying, you need dick not to die?” He laughed, almost not taking her seriously.

“Shut up.” She spat, moving away from him as he moved closer.

“Have you gone sick in the brain?” He asks, reaching to take her temperature, which she skillfully dodged. “Honestly, woman, if you wanted me that badly you didn’t need to make up such an insane lie.”

“Fred, fucking listen to me.” She said, stepping forward and grabbing his face to look at his ingredients. “Think real hard about what these ingredients do. I know potions wasn’t your strong suit, but fucking think.”

As Fred surveyed the ingredients, he tried his best to recall his potions class. As his mind ran through all the things Snape had said, he came to the same horrifying conclusion she had come to moments ago. His head whipped around, noticing how want she looked, her eyes struggling to stay locked on his face, and the way her legs shook as they clenched together.

“Oh, I fucked up.” He mumbled, his brain racing as he tried to think of an antidote. Fred bolted from his spot, looking at what ingredients he had left. His mind was racing trying to figure out how to make an antidote before his potion killed her.

Her eyes watched him, panic rising through her body as she felt how the heat began to rise within. The potion Fred had brewed was a lot more fast acting than she was expecting. Even though her brain was being quickly consumed with impure thoughts, she began calculating how much time she had before it would inevitably kill her, but her thoughts kept getting interrupted.

Her eyes trailed down his body, wanting nothing more than to pull his trousers down and go wild with him. It felt insane, she had known him since they were teens and they had never once come close to hooking up, despite all the rumors that had swirled saying otherwise. Speaking of rumors, her mind couldn’t help but focus on the rumors of how good Fred was in bed, remembering how they spoke so highly of his ability. How the girls he did hook up with swore he was the best fuck they had ever had.

Letting out a drawn out whine, she stomped her foot, closing her eyes tight as she tried to fight back from thinking of him like that. It felt so shameful, like she was no better than a common pervert to think that way about Fred. Shaking her head, she used all her brain power to push the impure thoughts out, which she was successfully able to do.

Given the large amounts of aphrodisiacs he had mixed in, she figured they had less than 30 minutes before the effects became irreversible. No matter how fast her and Fred worked, she would still be dead before he figured the correct concoction. The only solution was that they had to have sex now. Eyes widening, she felt a new emotion besides instensely building lust, dread.

“We don’t have fucking time,” she cursed, her breathing becoming more labored as she tried to speak, “we have to do it.”

“It?!”

“It!!!” She shot back, already moving to throw her shirt off her body, exposing him to the way her chest heaved.

Fred nearly had a heart attack seeing her chest. It wasn’t like he was a virgin or anything, he had seen his fair share of tits, but this was his best friend. His insanely hot best friend he has had a massive thing for for years now, but still his best friend. His best friends who was surprisingly good at removing her clothes as fast as she can, most of her clothes now thrown about his office. His best friend who looked as if she was going to jump him any second now.

“We don’t have time for you to guess who to brew the antidote, unless you’d rather I die than fuck me.” Her voice was strained, trying hard to focus on her words than succumbing to the lust.

Fred didn’t respond immediately, causing her to look at him, worried he might just let her die rather than fuck her. Most of her clothes were already thrown around the room, she felt way too exposed for a serious moment like this. Raising her eyebrows, she shot him a concerned look, silently pleading that he wouldn’t just let her suffer for his mistake. It seemed to have knocked some sense into Fred, who quickly responded.

“Right,” he stuttered out, “you’re right.” He quickly said, beginning to unbutton his shirt, his mind racing with a million thoughts. “I am so bloody sorry, (Y/n).”

“Shut up, if you get all sad and shit it’ll be difficult for you to get hard.” She replied, trying her best to seem cold and calculated. Her thoughts were only occupied on getting this done as soon as possible, no need for feelings. “You can think of ways to make this up to me after I’m no longer dying.”

“Wait,” Fred said, making (Y/n) stop in her tracks, “let me just…” he reached over, pushing her close to him before apperating them both into the apartment above the store, right in his room. “This will be better.”

The environment from his office to his room was definitely better, no longer could they hear the muffled sounds of customers from within the store. Fred’s room was messy, clearly he hadn’t assumed this would be how his day would be going. As he threw his clothes onto the floor where the rest of his laundry seemed to end up, he tried to think of sexy thoughts to get himself aroused. But looking back at his friend, who was giving him the most fuckable bedroom eyes he had ever seen did the trick.

(Y/n) ripped off her underwear, tossing them into the room before laying on the bed, crawling backwards as she let out a shaky moan, her mind unable to fight off the lustful thoughts anymore. Her hand reached between her legs, trying to relieve some of the pressure, but only making her more needy. Some part of her felt humiliated, to be reduced this easily from a potion, no longer able to spit out any kind of insult at him as she stared up at him. All she was able to do was speak directly from her lust, not able to cover it up with any kind of quick witted reply as she normally would.

“Fuck,” she shakily moaned, her eyes then locking onto Fred’s, “need you. Badly.”

Now, here’s how Fred’s usual hook ups turn out. He charms them into his bed and then shows them how it’s done. Never in his life had he ever been lost for words, yet a situation like this rarely occurs. So you must forgive him for not knowing what to do watching his best friend of over ten years touch herself and talk to him like that.

Fred made his way to the bed, sliding in between her parted thighs. He felt like a total prat for even struggling to take control of the situation and fuck her. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Fred steadied himself, reaching down to stroke himself a few times. His cock stood tall and proud, making her clench in need as she looked down.

As he lined himself up with her entrance, he found the situation awkward given their history. She deserved better than a standard fuck, a little romance and, though he hates to say it, a little passion. Looking down at her, his hair falling perfectly over his face, he spoke.

“Can I kiss you?”

(Y/n) looked at him incredulously, already completely naked in front of him. The rational part of her brain wanted to tell him no, to keep their feelings out of this and just do what they have to to keep her from an early grave. But god, did she want to kiss him. To not feel like this decision is inevitably going to ruin your friendship.

She quickly nodded her head, her lust answering for her as she shot forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It should’ve been awkward, like kissing a sibling. They both should’ve hated the kiss, but instead it was electrifying. Their mouths melded perfectly together, as if they were meant to be.

As they made out, Fred got to work, rubbing the tip of his cock against her cunt, trying to coat it in her slick before he slid in. His eyes almost rolled back when he felt just got wet she already was, groaning into her mouth as his hips subconsciously pushed forward. (Y/n) whined against his mouth, her eyes screwing up as the tip of his cock bumped into her inflamed clit, mumbling out his name.

It was all too much, her body felt on fire as she began to beg him to fuck her, tears welling as the potion came to a head. Her head was swimming with lust as she felt his length press against her.

Fred began to push in, trying to go as slow as possible. God, it felt way too good to be true, as if she was meant for him the way she perfectly sucked him in. As he pulled back from the kiss, he couldn’t help but watch the way he stretched her open.

“You feel s’good,” Fred groaned as he was fully sheathed in her.

“Fred-,” her voice called out, the air from her lungs having been knocked out from the feeling. Her nails were digging into his back as she felt him bottom out, his words almost too much to hear at the same time. “Move. Move now, need it,” it would’ve sound like her usually bossy tone if it wasn’t as whiney as it had been.

His hips moved back, almost agonizingly slow before snapping forward with enough force to move her up the bed. She couldn’t tell if it was the potion or if Fred was actually this good in bed, but it was driving her crazy how good she felt. A part of her feared she may be ruined for life, that nobody else would ever make her feel this good ever again. Not that she’d ever admit that to him, his ego already too inflated for his own good.

“Need me that bad that you’ll beg for it?” He smugly spoke, his hips snapping forward to accentuate his point. “Need me to fuck you nice and hard?” He teased, clearly not feeling as awkward as he once did.

Reaching out, his finger masterfully found its way to her clit, swirling around it. (Y/n) threw her head back, loudly whining as she ground against him. Her hands went to cover her face, embarrassed that she knew the potion wasn’t entirely to blame for how horny she felt in this moment. That fucking her best friend was better than any rumor she had ever heard.

“Come on, tell me how good you feel, (Y/n).”

God, did she want to smack him upside his smug head, to wipe that grin off the cocky bastards face. But she couldn’t hide the way his words made her feel, how he cunt clenched tightly around him each time he spoke. Bringing her arm over her face, she attempted to hide from him, too flustered by his dirty talk. Nobody had ever talked to her like this and she definitely didn’t expect Fred would be the one to do so.

His hips started to slow, causing her eyes to snap open. Panic began to rise in her chest, both sides of her brain not wanting this to stop. It was a bluff, he felt way too good to stop. And he didn’t want her to die either.

“Need you to tell me how bad you want this cock.”

Exasperated by his sudden need to hear her, she let her lust driven brain speak freely. Throwing her head back, she didn’t even filter her thoughts out.

“Please fuck me, need to feel you fill me up. Feels so fucking good, Fred.” Her hips attempted to grind up against his, but felt his hand hold her down. “Wanted this, wanted to feel you stretch me out for so long.”

“You’re so bloody perfect.” Fred’s his snapped back into hers, a new sense of vigor taking over as he pounded into her. “Gonna make this pussy mine.”

His eyes met hers and for the first time they saw each other since this whole mess started. She stared up at him with her pupils blown out in lust, but with so much trust in him.

His hips stuttered as he felt unbelievably close, his mouth opening as his eyes shut, letting out a groan. “Oh, fuck. Feels so good. Not gonna last much longer.”

As he spoke, her hips began to rise, grinding against his groin as she met his thrusts. The deep need to release filling her mind to the brim. Her head moved to look at the clock on the wall, but Fred’s hand moved to stop her from looking.

“Focus on me,” he spoke, his voice deep as his hips began to hammer into her harder, “just focus on me.”

Looking into his eyes, seeing how he looked at her for the first time was eye opening. All the love and adoration he felt for her as his hips continued to pound into her made her legs lock around him, keeping him in place. Throwing her head back, her vision turned white, her voice cracking from the intensity she felt as her body tensed up around him, finally releasing.

And Fred was right, this was one of the best orgasms of her life. Mind shattering, earth breaking, pure bliss from such a tiny vial of poison.

His hips began to slow as she clenched around him, sucking him deep. Feeling him twitch inside her as he shot his load into her, his hips pressing firmly against hers as he released his seed. Her eyes clenched shut and her nails dug into his shoulder blades, hard enough to leave marks.

Unexpectedly, he leaned down, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips, his hips still pressed firmly against her. (Y/n)’s hands flew to his hair, tangling into his ginger locks as she kissed back, riding out their climaxes together.

Once the emotions came down, he rested his forehead against hers, savoring the remaining moments before he had to pull away. Looking back down, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, then pulling out, apologizing as he saw her wince at the feeling.

As Fred pulled out, (Y/n) felt her body begin to feel normal again, no longer under the control of the potion. Between the mix of sweat and the feeling of his cum leaking out of her, she felt that her thoughts were finally hers, no longer clouded by lust. Looking over, she saw Fred running a hand through his hair, seeing him in entirely new light than before. And suddenly everything made sense to her.

All those failed dates, countless nights spent wondering why nobody ever made her feel like this. It all clicked into place in her mind.

They were both laid in Fred’s bed, staring at the ceiling, coming to terms with everything they just did. No longer with the looming threat of death, it gave them a moment to reflect on what this meant for them. It was clear that they could not ignore this and move on from it, not when they both felt the same.

Fred makes the first move, moving closer to her, doing that thing where he pokes at her head when she’s over thinking. He gets one of those smiles that just lights up the room before he speaks to her.

“Soooo… round two?” Fred half heartedly joked.

Her hands reach to grab her pillow and push it into his face, softly smothering him. She playful pulled away from his embrace, needing to run to the bathroom to clean the mess.

“Shut up, I need to get cleaned up.” She spoke, trying to sound irritated but the smile on her face betrayed her.

He playfully reached out, missing her warmth next to him as she searched the room for something to cover herself with.

“Hopefully that afternoon crowd will keep George busy, because I’m not done with you.” Fred yells after her, laughing at her embarrassment as she wrapped a blanket around her and ran down the hall to his bathroom. “I have years to make up for not doing this.”

“Yeah, you can think of ways to make up for nearly killing me while your waiting.”

Tag list: @lowdownlolo @samsamsantos @clpritchett @almostpurplelady @wwmalufa @artzygurl @shininjjongg @hellohelohelo @multi-fandom-imagine @hehehhe1d @novausstuff @h-0-error @tatumrileyslover @marauderslover18 @renaholicss @vyxz-00 @lunacurlclaw @buendiabebeta @theacreativity @lousypotatoes @starziux @erika5373919882920 @rotravelsblog @stupidfer @liviacarol88-blog @calablack @aki-ham @elizabethblood9 @itsaperiwinkleworldv2 @reenfluffmarshmallow @liviacarol88-blog @

[dhruvkumaar]

How to pull off descriptions

New authors always describe the scene and place every object on the stage before they press the play button of their novels. And I feel that it happens because we live in a world filled with visual media like comics and films, which heavily influence our prose.

In visual media, it’s really easy to set the scene—you just show where every object is, doesn’t matter if they’re a part of the action about to come or not. But prose is quite different from comics and films. You can’t just set the scene and expect the reader to wait for you to start action of the novel. You just begin the scene with action, making sure your reader is glued to the page.

And now that begs the question—if not at the beginning, where do you describe the scene? Am I saying you should not use descriptions and details at all? Hell naw! I’m just saying the way you’re doing it is wrong—there’s a smarter way to pull off descriptions. And I’m here to teach that to you.

***

#01 - What are descriptions?

Let’s start with the basics—what are descriptions? How do you define descriptions? Or details, for that matter? And what do the words include?

Descriptions refer to… descriptions. It’s that part of your prose where you’re not describing something—the appearance of an object, perhaps. Mostly, we mean scene-descriptions when we use the term, but descriptions are more than just scene-descriptions.

Descriptions include appearances of characters too. Let’s call that character-descriptions.

Both scene-descriptions and character-descriptions are forms of descriptions that we regularly use in our prose. We mostly use them at the beginning of the scene—just out of habit.

Authors, especially the newer ones, feel that they need to describe each and every nook and cranny of the place or character so they can be visualized clearly by their readers, right as the authors themselves visualized them. And they do that at the start of the scene because how can you visualize a scene when you don’t know how the scene looks first.

And that’s why your prose is filled with how the clouds look or what lights are on the room before you even start with the dialogues and action. But the first paragraph doesn’t need to be a simple scene-description—it makes your prose formulaic and predictable. And boring. Let me help you with this.

***

#02 - Get in your narrator’s head

The prose may have many MCs, but a piece of prose only has a single narrator. And these days, that’s mostly one of the characters of your story. Who uses third-person omniscient narrator these days anyway? If that’s you, change your habits.

Anyway, know your narrator. Flesh out their character. And then internalize them—their speech and stuff like that. Internalize your narrator to such an extent that you can write prose from their point-of-view.

Now, I don’t mean to say that only your narrator should be at the center of the scene—far from it. What I mean is you should get into your narrator’s head.

You do not describe a scene from the eyes of the author—you—but from the eyes of the narrator. You see from their eyes, and understand what they’re noticing. And then you write that.

Start your scene with what the narrator is looking at.

For example,

The dark clouds had covered the sky that day. The whole classroom was in shades of gray—quite unusual for someone like Sara who was used to the sun. She felt the gloom the day had brought with it—the gloom that no one else in her class knew of.

She never had happy times under the clouds like that. Rain made her sad. Rain made her yearn for something she couldn’t put into words. What was it that she was living for? Money? Happiness?

As she stared at the sky through the window, she was lost in her own quiet little corner. Both money and happiness—and even everything else—were temporary. All of it would leave her one day, then come back, then leave, then come back, like the waves of an ocean far away from any human civilization in sight.

All of it would come and go—like rain, it’d fall on her, like rain, it’d evaporate without proof.

And suddenly, drops of water began hitting the window.

You know it was a cloudy day, where it could rain anytime soon. You know that for other students, it didn’t really matter, but Sara felt really depressed because of the weather that day. You know Sara was at the corner, dealing with her emotions alone.

It’s far better than this,

The dark clouds covered the sky that day. It could rain anytime soon.

From her seat at the corner of the room, Sara stared at the sky that made everything gray that day. She…

The main reason it doesn’t work is that you describe the scene in the first paragraph, but it’s devoid of any emotions. Of any flavor. It’s like a factual weather report of the day. That’s what you don’t want to do—write descriptions in a factual tone.

If you want to pull off the prior one, get to your narrator’s head. See from their eyes, think from their brain. Understand what they’re experiencing, and then write that experience from their POV.

Sara didn’t care what everyone was wearing—they were all probably in their school uniforms, obviously, so I didn’t describe that. Sara didn’t focus on how big the classroom was, or how filled, or what everybody was doing. Sara was just looking at the clouds and the clouds alone, hearing everybody just living their normal days, so I mentioned just those things.

As the author, you need to understand that only you, the author are the know-it-all about the scene, not your narrator. And that you’re different from your narrator.

Write as a narrator, not as an author.

***

#03 - Filler Words

This brings me to filler words. Now, hearing my advice, you might start writing something like this,

Sarah noticed the dark clouds through the window. She saw that they’d saturated the place gray.

Fillers words like “see”, “notice”, “stare”, “hear” should be ignored. But many authors who begin writing from the POV of the characters start using these verbs to describe what the character is experiencing.

But remember, the character is not cognizant of the fact that they’re seeing a dark cloud, just that it’s a dark cloud. You don’t need these filler words—straight up describe what the character is seeing, instead of describing that the character is seeing.

Just write,

There were dark clouds on the other end of the window, which saturated the place gray.

Sarah is still seeing the clouds, yeah. But we’re looking from her eyes, and her eyes ain’t noticing that she’s noticing the clouds.

It’s kinda confusing, but it’s an important mistake to avoid. Filler words can really make your writing sound more amateurish than before and take away the experience of the reader, because the reader wants to see through the narrator’s eyes, not that the narrator is seeing.

***

#04 - Characters

Character-descriptions are a lot harder to pull off than scene-descriptions. Because it’s really confusing to know when to describe them, their clothing, their appearances, and what to tell and what not to.

For characters, you can give a full description of their looks. Keep it concise and clear, so that your readers can get a pretty good idea of the character with so few words that they don’t notice you’ve stopped action for a while.

Or can show your narrator scanning the character, and what they noticed about them.

Both these two tricks only work when a character is shown first time to the readers. After that, you don’t really talk about their clothing or face anymore.

Until there’s something out of the ordinary about your character.

What do I mean by that? See, you’ve described the face and clothes of the character, and the next time they appear, the reader is gonna imagine the character in a similar set of clothes, with the same face and appearance that they had the first time. Therefore, any time other than the first, you don’t go into detail about the character again. But, if something about your character is out of ordinary—there are bruises on their face, scars, or a change in the way they dress—describe it to the reader. That’s because your narrator may notice these little changes.

***

#05 - Clothing

Clothing is a special case. Some new authors describe the clothes of the characters when they’re describing the character every time the reader sees them. So, I wanna help you with this.

Clothing can be a way to show something about your character—a character with a well-ironed business suit is gonna be different from a character with tight jeans and baggy t-shirt. Therefore, only use clothing to tell something unique about the character.

Refrain from describing the clothing of characters that dress like most others. Like, in a school, it’s obvious that all characters are wearing school uniforms. Also, a normal teenage boy may wear t-shirts and denim jeans. If your character is this, no need to describe their clothing—anything the reader would be imagining is fine.

Refrain from describing the clothing of one-dimensional side-characters—there’s a high chance you’ve not really created them well enough that they have clothing that differs from the expectations of the readers. We all know what waiters wear, or what a college guy who was just passing by in the scene would be wearing.

You may describe the clothing of the important character in the story, but only in the first appearance. After that, describe their clothes only if the clothes seem really, really different from the first time. And stop describing their clothes if you’ve set your character well enough in the story that your readers know what to expect from them in normal circumstances—then, describe clothes only when they’re really, really different from their usual forms of clothing.

***

#06 - Conclusion

I think there was so much I had to say in this article, but I didn’t do a good job. However, I said all that I wanted to say. I hope you guys liked the article and it helps you in one way or the other.

And please subscribe if you want more articles like this straight in your inbox!