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nullset2 · 1 year

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Ruby, or how I learned to Stop Worrying (about Inheritance) and love Composition

Hi, I'm Alfredo I used to live in a ghetto in Mexico and I got out of the sewer by sheer determination and now I'm in Washington. I'm also a complete and utter fool and an Internet Clown. Word of warning.

It's the world of the 90s and the commercial Internet, in its nascent stages, was just about to change everything as we know it. It is foreseen that there will be a massive demand for software engineers, and a simplified programming paradigm and development methodologies are in order, lest the wave is missed (and you don't wanna miss the billions that are about to come your way with the Internet wave).

So, a solution is conceived: let's design simplified, managed memory models to run software in. Then, let's outsource. Let's have the glorious engineer from the North design the class hierarchy (there's a little snicker-worthy joke in there but that's an exercise left to the student) and ship it off to the cargo cultists in the south so they replicate it verbatim. Pointers? Dereferencing? Calling free()? Psh, all of those things are too complex. You cannot trust those types, whose brains are assumed to haven't even achieved anything past the concrete developmental stage. Let's do managed memory models and after that, let's move to Object-Oriented programming and boom: that's the ticket right there, you prompt the developers-slash-cargo cultists to "inherently" model things as a relationship of concrete things (you know things, right? I know things. I have things around. I use things! Things are good. Things are safe. I'm a material girl in a material world).

Congratulations, now you unlocked an almost infinite pool of workers. Your stock will go up by a quarter of a cent.

So there comes a little cool company called Sun Microsystems which made some kickass servers and they come out with a hardcore Object-Oriented language and a "processor independent" (famous last words) runtime for it called Java and we're all merry. It's actually pretty brilliant in a vacuum. Its model of Object Orientation is the ~~dumbest~~ simplest possible way to explain relationships between entities in a system. Make everything follow a class hierarchy and make the program necessarily exist within it. Maximize code reuse. Model everything with inheritance (which is also sort of a very easy concept to grasp). You're laughing all the way to the bank.

Cat extends Animal Dog extends Animal Car extends Vehicle Compact extends Car

All of us went through these asinine examples ~~because Oracle and Microsoft moneyhatted our schools to guarantee a steady funnel of third worlder human sacrifices to the tech god~~ because OOP is sort of assumed to be the lingua franca in programming. We learn to model things this way and to write a useless interface with a single implementation for the 100000000th time. We like big, buff Object Oriented code because it makes us feel like big boys. It looks industrial. It's what I learned in school. It makes me feel warm and secure to model everything as objects. We hit our code with a hammer and it makes a loud CLAAAAAAAAAAAANG and we like it. We can get to write unit tests with Mockito or some other nimrodian unit test framework for a whole day and still get paid.

But what's the problem with Object-Oriented Programming? It is pretty fallacious to assume that every component in an abstract system can be modeled in a concrete manner, and that's why at some point you end up with -Handler classes or enact() or do() methods or, eek, even worse, static class methods that do all sorts of naughty things, and there goes your laughing to the bank and now you're stuck listening to a dude who looks like this talk about public static void main and being pedantic about programming in Californian Fry.

Parentheses: I've been on both sides of this world and let me tell you that it's horrible all around. I hate how many times I got the stupid "What is dependency injection" interview question, which is like the litmus test that you're baseline edumacated, which you're supposed to answer legitimately and not by googling and reciting Spring MVC documentation, which is what most third worlders apprently do. I have more important stuff to do with my life other than proving that I'm not a mouthbreather. I am still a mouthbreather, but I don't want to prove that I'm not. I want to get to the good part.

There's also the usual, predictable arguments about the weak points of inheritance: multiple inheritance diamond problem, etc. I won't talk about them here. Let's get to the good part.

There's also the inherent, never-ending change to things. As much as the I-Ching is the book of changes and how there's a succint vibration in everything we do and are, systems change, and change often. Business priorities change. The code necessarily reflects the business, and these have to change and adapt faster and faster and faster in a high-paced world such as ours. And this is relevant --over time we have sort of converged on this idea that java codebases are too burdensome to stay agile in today's world. Nobody wants to do Java anymore. Billion dollar industries have been created merely to find a way to make it palatable to work with the java machine, like Scala and Clojure.

So in the 2000s you had your teenage years and everyone was like, punk rock and stuff and wanted to do things differently and NO IT'S NOT A PHASE MOM, THIS IS WHO I REALLY AM, and the python, ruby, and (big L on this one) javascript environments take prominence, and there you have a sort of established internet making billions and we all hear about the Zuckerbergs and the Billion Dollar companies and everyone and their grandmother wanted to make an app to ape it.

Now, the pendulum has sort of swung back and we're old and tired and grumpy old people and we want our static typing and our compile type safety because we don't have time to manage a personal life and marriages and kids and fucking ruby code of all things, and that's why everyone likes golang now and why you can't presume to do javascript without typescript unless you want to be very much shamed.

But fortunately we did learn something in those teenage years, and what I want to mainly cover is that there are better ways to architect software besides Inheritance. Golang supports composition through struct embedding for example.

Composition makes change easier (allows for loose coupling)

Have you ever seen those pieces of japanese wood joinery, where they manage to beautifully join several pieces of wood in a perfectly solid way without any glue or compounds, and which can be assembled or disassembled without tools? That's loose coupling and it's a principle that applies to software as well.

Remember, software changes because everything changes, and you want to make it so it's as easy as possible to change and rip apart dependencies and components in your software in a clean and easy way, without having to redo the whole thing.

When I used ruby I noticed extensive usage of the include statement (which apparently did something different than it does in other languages, which is to read external source code) and Mixin types. I found out that the Module (instead of the class) is the first-class citizen in the Ruby world and that when you use include you "glue" (or "mix in") the methods of a module into another one. You don't have to carry the cruft of both inherited classes.

Composition expresses your components' relationships as a "has a". Instead of modeling Manager as an inheritance of Person and Employee (Manager is a Person and Manager is an Employee) (good luck with that, it already sounds painful enough), you can just model a Manager as a selective mix in of certain sets of attributes which are not tightly bound, (Manager has some traits which make it a manager). If something changes, you just remove mixins as you please. You don't have to worry about a whole chain of classes in the hierarchy being affected because one day you had to change Person and everything breaks now.

You're effectively doing "inversion of control". A thing should not have to produce its own dependencies, its dependencies should be provided to it.

Besides I like this pattern of things being dependent on the module rather than the class, because in my opinion, systems have two kinds of collections of behavior: what happens to the data, and the processes in-between. It makes total sense to use the object as the first-class citizen for data, because it's intuitive: it's an instance a domain model with data, and the data travels together with little pieces of logic which tell it how to transform. However, for the "behavior in between", it makes not as much sense to pair data and logic. Some things are data-only (Config) and some things are logic only.

Composition makes testing easier

Let's pretend that we test our software, mmmkay? Somebody will come along and start chastising you about test-first, and unit testing everything, but in the java world, unit testing things is incredibly complex and not a very pleasing task. You end up using unholy concoctions of frameworks to just write a single unit test. You have to refactor your dependencies into interfaces so they can be swapped for a patched component at test time with some esoteric binaries.

In other languages? "Just write better modules bro". In golang it is incredibly easy to swap patched dependencies in testing time. In java you have a bad time every single time.

Composition effectively delegates traits which would normally be expressed as part of the domain model onto dependencies, which can be swapped out in testing time for patched dependencies.

Inheritance breaks encapsulation, Composition does not

Let's return to our Manager example. If you model your Manager implementation such that it inherits from Person, you're effectively exposing all the innards of the Person class to the Manager class, which it may not necessarily need. If you used mixins, all of those implementation details would remain isolated. That's why it's considered that Inheritance breaks encapsulation.

Composition is better for ORMs

It is also incredibly complex to map your inheritance-centric domain classes to tables in a database because SQL has no way to express inheritance relationships between tables. Rails uses a hack/workaround called "single table inheritance", where a certain type is assumed to be many other subtypes depending on an extra field which the framework bolts onto a database table called "type". This is cumbersome and leads to more questions than anything.

In contrast, SQL uses foreign keys to represent composition relationships between tables, and this is incredibly smooth.

Conclusion

Not everything is bad news in inheritance land, however. It has perfectly valid use cases, but it is tight coupling and it will be complicated to modify over time, and my dear friend, what I'm trying to do here is to provide little tidbits to make your day better and your work easier. It was the giant on which shoulder we used to once stand, but we get to do things differently now.

But as with everything, tread carefully.

#works #essays

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sugawara-sweetheart · 3 years

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𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔰𝔦𝔱𝔢 | 𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔱 𝔦 (𝔪)

❥seijoh 3rd years x fem!reader / oikawa x fem!reader

❥warnings: dubcon/noncon, manipulation, blood, multiple smut scenes, forced orgasm, begging, praise kink, voyeurism, spit-roasting and implied double penetration, slapping, degradation, free use

❥word count: 4.0k

❣︎anon: hello thereeeee :) so i was hoping to request a dark fic for the seijoh team X reader who is their manager. So early on she joins and she it and is friends with all the boys and slowly they all manipulate her into doing sexual things with them but like before anyone could try anything they had to clear it with Oikawa and Iwa. I think Oikawa would use you the most and prob be the the one to break you so u only trust him. Maybe one day Kindaichi and Kumini try to punish you and corner u in the locker room with Oikawa and you run to him clutching his shirt begging him to protect you and he’s just there with a shit eating grin and decides to show his underclassmen how to treat a woman (sorry this is so long)

based off this ask- but changed a bit + split into 2 parts for age reasons as i dont write underage characters :)

manager of aoba johsai high- the role is one that has filled you with pride from the moment you received it in your first year of attending the prestigious school. over the next few years of being manager, the team had grown to be like your family. you’re like another addition to your fellow third years; oikawa and iwaizumi are your closest friends and matsukawa and hanamaki treat you almost like a younger sister even though you’re the same age, kyōtani is never quite so rude to you like he is to others and every day you can count on yahaba to greet you with a sweet, unique compliment. the first years look up to you like an older sister, trust you, care for you. the volleyball team are the group of people you love the most that on your eighteenth birthday when your fellow third years buy you a sweet cake with teal icing and your name scrawled in buttercream and lit the candles, when hanamaki cheers that you’re finally eighteen, the last one of them to be an adult and oikawa holds out his phone to take pictures of you, you wish to have them in your life forever.

maybe if you knew what were to come of you that night you’d never had wished for that.

oikawa starts off nice at first. he walkes you home, the back of his hand grazing against yours and a bounce in his walk that you almost start to feel that light, electrifying hope bubble inside you. it’s obvious that over the course of three years the handsome, charming captain had become extremely popular with the ladies and you’d be lying if you said a small part of you doesn’t hope that maybe he’d have an extra sparkle in his eye for you, that his heart would flutter a little bit faster when he’s around you, that the cool, collected, charismatic oikawa tōru would feel a little flustered around you. so you don’t refuse him when he stops at your doorstep, shifting his weight from side to side as he rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged a little pink under the white strobes of the streetlamp.

“it’s a bit late so i’ve messaged my dad to come pick me up from here.” he says with that charming signature smile stretched across his face. “you don’t mind if i wait inside with you, do you?” the light feeling of joy buzzes too much in you, your head spinning at the idea of your crush being alone in your home with you that you don’t even pause to wonder when he messaged his dad, his phone having been in his pocket the whole walk home.

it starts off normal enough when you take him up to your bedroom. your house is quiet with your parents still at work and oikawa has a smile tugging at his lips as he strolls around your bedroom, admiring the photographs you have on the wall and his fingers playing with the fairy lights strung around the room.

“have you enjoyed your birthday so far?” he enquires and you grin as you settle at the end of your bed, nodding.

“it was so fun! thank you so much for the cake- who’s idea was it?”

“it was mine, of course.” you roll your eyes at oikawa’s remark, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks as he settles beside you, his thigh pressed against yours. you’d never been so close to him before, especially alone and as you squirm slightly you can feel his eyes piercing into you, a gleam held in his chocolate brown orbs.

“you’re eighteen now, you’re a big girl.” you chuckle as he lays down across your bed, holding himself up with his chin propped in his hand and his eyes rake over you slowly. “no longer an innocent little girl.” you’re not really sure what to say but you can’t deny there’s a suggestive lilt in his voice, one that makes your cheeks burn and your palms feel clammy as you fumble with the hem of your teal polo shirt. “have you done anything naughty yet?”

“what?” you’re laughing awkwardly but your heart thuds against your rib cage as oikawa reaches out, grazing his finger along your thigh to send shivers running down your spine.

“come on, you’re a pretty girl and you’re officially old. you must’ve done some nasty things, or maybe you haven’t? are you innocent, y/n? pure?” he laughs as you lower your head, not wanting to meet his eyes and you’re just hoping that you’ll hear a car pull up. sure, your parents won’t be pleased that you let a boy up in your bedroom but you’d rather be grounded for a weekend or have a bad scolding than be alone with oikawa for longer. but nothing. when was his dad going to come?

“have you ever touched yourself?”

“tōru, i- i don’t really like what you’re aski-”

“it’s okay if you haven’t.” oikawa beams, sitting up and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “i can help you out there.” his smile makes you feel cold and it’s no surprise- with all the fangirls trailing after him, hanging onto his every word it’s no surprise he used them to his advantage but the way he’s looking at you now makes you tense your legs, pressing them together as you clench the hem of your shirt.

“i-it’s okay-”

“no.” he’s smiling sweetly but his voice is too firm. you don’t like the feeling of his hand splaying over your thigh, gripping the soft fat but not letting go. “please, let me treat you- consider it a birthday gift.i’m your oldest friend- you’d rather do it with someone you know and trust than some stranger.” he’s grinning and you don’t know if it’s because of the dim lighting and the half-shadows of your bedroom but it looks like a horrible leer that makes your blood run cold. “i’ll take care of you. i’ll make you feel good, and you’ll never have to regret or worry about your first time ever again because it’s all done. then when you go to college you won’t have to worry about being inexperienced!” he’s almost there. he leans close, tucking a loose lock of hair behind your ear. “you like me, right?” you’re hesitant but the way he’s studying you so closely, his eyes boring into yours, you feel naked already. so exposed. you can’t lie. you nod your head slowly and oikawa inhales sharply. “that’s what i thought. and i’ve always liked you, y/n. you’re so pretty. so can i?”

you want to say no. you want to move away, not let his lips that are ghosting yours press any harder. you wish his dad was here already, or your parents or maybe if iwaizumi had walked you home instead. but you feel so pinned under his gaze, so trapped like a rabbit caught in headlights, you only nod.

it isn’t bad. but it isn’t comfortable. oikawa kisses you too sloppily, his tongue melding with yours and drool spilling over your chin. it feels weird and foreign for his tongue to invade your mouth and his hands roam over your body too greedily, groping at your chest and hips in pinching ways that leave you squirming. he pulls off your clothes roughly and your cheeks burn with humiliation when he leaves you bare on the bed, straddling over you and spreading your legs to see everything. he fingers you first, his long limbs stretching out your walls and it hurts a little from the rough thrusts of his fingers. but then when he curls them and rubs at those sensitive spots that makes you squirm, it feels good- even better than when you’re alone. and oikawa is oddly sweet, cooing in your ear about how pretty you are and swallowing your moans with his heavy kisses and swirling your swollen clit gently and slowly till you’re finally cumming over his hand, drenching it in your slick. but that doesn’t make you any less scared, a protest dying in your throat, when he tugs off his clothes and his hard cock slaps against his stomach. he’s painfully hard and thick with precum oozing from the flushed tip. you want to pull away but from how he’s caged you underneath his body there’s nowhere to go. there’s nowhere else to look except into his cold brown eyes and your cries go unheard over his moans.

“so pretty.” he smiles as he slides his cock along your folds. it’s warm and heavy and you jerk when he taps it against your sensitive clit but he’s sweet, kissing your forehead as he edges his length towards your entrance. “i’ll take care of you so well- no one will ever make you feel this good except me.”

“tōru-” your anxious whine just makes oikawa inhale sharply before he slides his cock into you, groaning at how you bury your face in the crook of his neck and your nails rake down his back, hard enough to surely make him bleed. his cock throbs in your walls that seem to burn with the stretch and you feel so full with pressure building in the pit of your stomach.

“look how good my cock fits in your pretty little cunny. this pussy was made for me.” his teases make you whimper but he softly presses a tender kiss to your forehead before his lips meet yours in another desperate kiss. they don’t stop- tracing down your throat, the little bites stinging with possession as your soft moans fill the room, pleasure infused with pain, before his lips wrap around your pebbled nipples, sucking and nibbling and pushing you closer to the edge.

“you’re such a sweet girl,” oikawa smiles when he’s dressing himself, milky cheeks flushed and his eyes glittering as he gazes at you lying on the bed. you feel heavy, weighed down with the ropes of cum splattered across your stomach and chest, and with your heart feeling cracked with every heartbeat you can’t even move. your skin burns all over wherever oikawa touched you and scarlet pools below you, staining the bedsheets but he just smiles at you like you’re the best thing. “i’d be a fool to ever let you go.”

you’re bound to oikawa forever.

you don’t know why but after that day being stuck in school sends you into a panic. being surrounded by tall, broad strong boys every day in that vast gymnasium makes your ears ring, black spots filling your vision as your world spins. everything sounds so distant like your head is plunged underwater, and then two firm hands press on your shoulders. the clean smell of oikawa’s aftershave fills your nose, his perfume strong too, and his brown hair tickles your cheek as he leans down to you, smiling wide. everything starts to clear.

“you okay, y/n?” watari enquires, his eyes a little wide. “you seem pale.” the other boys watch you closely with intrigue, not looking so convinced even when you nod and force a shaky smile.

“just felt a bit dizzy.”

“you’ve got ro remember to take your vitamins, y/n-chan.” oikawa chastises you, but there’s a broad smirk on his face as he wraps his arm around you, pulling you into his side. “it’s okay, you can sit here on the bench with me.” your racing heart starts to slow when he takes you to the side, sitting down beside you and resting his hand on your thigh as you watch the boys resume practise. you’ve not been the same since that night, but for some reason even then you can only cling to oikawa to make you feel okay, even when he was the first one to ruin you.

you think it would just be him. that he’d be the only one who’d let some sweet words flow from his lips and even though your mind would scream no and your heart would feel heavy, you’d still pull off your clothes and let him have his way with you, hoping the kisses and the soft cuddles afterwards would make you feel better, even though they never do.

how naïve of you.

“we’re going to iwaizumi’s house tonight.” oikawa smiles at you after practise one friday evening. you hesitate a little, glancing at your other friend who’s lips twitch into a mere smile but you can’t voice your confusion. usually oikawa’s favorite friday evening activity is fucking you into the mattress till you’re a drooling mess whether you like it or not, but this time iwaizumi is here. a small semblance of hope ignites in you- maybe you’ll just hang out as normal friends and do normal things like watching a movie like you’ve been craving for so long, that a small warm smile grows on your face as you nod happily.

“let’s get meat buns on the way home then!” you cry, turning to eagerly stuff your notepad into your bag to get out of the gym quicker. you don’t see the smiles they exchange.

iwaizumi’s house is empty when you all arrive but you’re too excited to have a fun normal time with two of your closest friends, just like old times, to notice the thick tension brewing. or perhaps you don’t want to see it. you don’t mind iwaizumi nudging closer to you as oikawa feeds you bits of pizza and you don’t shake off the vice-captain’s hand that finds its way onto your thigh, grasping it tight through your teal sweatpants. it’s only when oikawa gets to his feet that you become aware of how close iwaizumi is to you, his grey eyes piercing into you, and your heart hammers against your chest as you try to cling to oikawa’s arm.

“w-where are you going?” you squirm at the bruising grip iwaizumi holds onto your thigh, tightening when your eyes widen at the smiling captain. “d-don’t go.”

“shittykawa,” iwaizumi growls. his voice is permeated with anger, brow furrowed as he glares at his best friend. “i let you go first but not to turn her into your own personal whore.” your throat goes dry when oikawa lets his high laugh ring in the room, piercing through the throbbing in your ears as you feel your throat tighten.

“i can’t help it if girls like me better, iwa-chan.” you wince when iwaizumi hisses, his nails piercing through the fabric of your pants, but the pain fades as oikawa leans down, cupping your face gently. the malicious look on his face is anything but soothing. “be a good girl for iwa-chan. i’ll be back.”

the door snaps shut and you whine as iwaizumi pulls you onto his lap, mouthing kisses to your neck and jawline as you squirm, gripping his shoulders tight. there’s no denying the unmistakable stiffness pressing against your clothed cunt, the shifting of his hips pressing it into you.

“oikawa isn’t the only one who can treat you.” he groans, tilting your face to lock your eyes with him. you swallow hard, nodding as you’re frozen with your heart pounding against your chest, nausea churning in your stomach. “you like me too, right?”

you can’t deny iwaizumi’s hot. if there was another person you’d have fallen for on the team, it would definitely had been the ace- the funny, muscular, intimidating ace who never failed to take care of you, just like an older brother. but that was before all this, and as you nod slowly you realise he’s just the same as oikawa. you really don’t know your friends at all.

his kisses are rougher than oikawa’s, the taste of his lips bitter but the familiar scent of his cologne is all you try to focus on, trying to calm your racing heart, as he pushes you against the couch, peeling off your sweatpants. heat rushes to your cheeks as you try to press your legs together but one warning glance from iwaizumi, you force yourself to relax, blinking back tears as you stare up at the ceiling, gripping the cushion underneath you.

“that’s it, angel.” iwaizumi mutters against the soft skin of your thighs. you wonder if he’s simply ignoring how much you’re trembling as his coarse fingertips grazes along your folds. “open up for me, let me see my pretty girl.”

it isn’t awful. it isn’t as bad as your first time. it’s just your friend, it’s just iwaizumi, and oikawa wouldn’t have left you if if he didn’t trust his best friend. so you try to tell yourself it feels good when iwaizumi presses his face against your cunt, sucking your clit and licking at your wet folds whilst his fingers stretch you out, that his roughness is nice as he fingerfucks your pussy and that your orgasm isn’t entirely forced when the hot waves of pleasure crash over you exactly at the moment he demands you cum for him. his cock is thick and it burns as he stretches you out, your tears staining the soft fabric of the couch and your nails clawing at it whilst he grasps your hips, groaning as he fucks you from behind, telling you how beautiful you look dripping all over him, how well your pretty pussy takes his dick, forcing you to beg to cream all over his cock as if its something you want.

“did you both have a nice time?” oikawa smiles when he returns to the room, carrying a warm washcloth. “i really do wish i could’ve stayed and watched.”

“shut up, trashykawa.” iwaizumi spits, grabbing the cloth and you can’t help but flinch as he reaches to wipe the cum he released all over your bare back. oikawa chuckles as he crouches by the edge of the couch, his face inches away from yours and for the first time you want to spit at him. spit. yell. cry. claw the horrible satisfied smirk spreading across his face as he gazes at you like you’re nothing more than a damn pet. but you don’t. you let him kiss the tip of your nose and stroke your hair, blood ringing in your ears as your two former best friends talk about you, how good your cunt is, how tight you are, how you’re such a pretty little thing, like you’re not even there.

a pretty pet. a little plaything. a cumdump.

that’s all you’re reduced to, chained to oikawa and iwaizumi to use for their own pleasure. you’re swapped between them whenever they want- a bad practise match or an empty house, if iwaizumi’s extra annoyed at oikawa, if iwaizumi’s been hogging you too long. the rest of the team don’t notice a thing- they don’t see how you come stumbling out of the boys’ toilets after oikawa with your lips swollen and your knees weak, a far, distant look in your glazed eyes and the stains of tears drying on your cheeks. or perhaps they ignore it, just like they ignore iwaizumi’s pointed look after oikawa’s pissed him off that makes you run to his side, nodding when he tells you he’ll be walking you home tonight. or maybe it’s something else entirely, you consider when you feel the eyes burning into you at practise and you look up to see hanamaki and matsukawa staring at you from their positions on the court, smiles tugging at their lips that only they seem to understand.

makki and mattsun, as you’d endearingly used to call them, see it as a game. their laughter sounds like a manic nightmare in your pounding head when they tug you onto the floor- not even a bed, but the hard wooden floorboards of oikawa’s bedroom- and tug off your clothes. your tears stain the floorboards, nails scraping against the wood as you plead oikawa and iwaizumi. stop it. stop them. please. but your sobs go ignored and end up being muffled by mattsun forcing his cock between your lips, the leaking head bruising your throat as makki’s fingers force their way into your dry cunt.

“aw, poor baby.” oikawa coos from the other side of the room where he and iwaizumi lounge, the latter clearly sporting a hard-on. but oikawa’s brazen, not even bothering to hide how he gets off on this, watching you sob and gag with hungry eyes, stroking his cock lazily. “doesn’t she look so pretty when she cries?”

“so pretty.” sneers mattsun, slapping your tear-stained cheek that bulges lewdly with his cock stuffed in your mouth. “she looks real good taking my cock down that slutty throat.”

“wait till she’s taking not just one cock but two like a good pretty whore.” hanamaki’s hand is harsh as it slaps down onto your bare ass and your legs wrestle weakly, fingernails clawing at the floor, when he shoves his cock into you.

any other club. whether it was netball, athletics, even the fucking occults club that barely just survives with three members- anything would’ve been better than becoming the manager of aoba seijoh’s volleyball team. hamartia had crashed down onto you earlier than you expected.

your last year of high school is pathetic. the only catharsis you can find is numbness- it’s easier to push away all the dark feelings that fester inside you. whore. cumdump. slut. only good for sucking dick. you almost become immune to the words groaned at you when they’re pounding into your cunt, fingers gripping your hair tight and tongue wet with the saliva they’d spat into your mouth. an everlasting torture. oikawa insisting on you coming round to his house, easily charming your parents and everyone else with a sweet smile so he can spend the weekend fucking your mouth or cunt- whichever he preferred. whenever he’s angry, upset, overjoyed- every emotion is bruised into your body when he uses it, soothing your sobs and pain by kissing away your tears and promising to make you cum because you’re so wet you must be enjoying it, you’re taking his cock so well, you’re so good for him. if it’s not oikawa, it’s iwaizumi’s taking he wants- demanding gruffly that he wants you. he’s always so rough, his grip bruising on your hips and your scalp burning as he tugs your hair back to leave a trace of bruises along your throat but he’s different- his sweet words afterwords aren’t laced with a malicious gleam, not like oikawa.

and of course, makki and mattsun aren’t done with you. you can always tell when it’s their turn, impended with the bright grins they flash at you or throwing their arms around your shoulders at practise. it’s funny how you look like a normal group of friends but you’re anything but- no group of friends force you into the empty locker room before a game, pushing you down onto your knees and forcing their thick lengths into your mouth one after the other till all you can taste is their cum. it’s no better after games, but you just always hope that they win so they can be nicer, they can at least make you cum after they’ve jacked off all over your teal tracksuit. but if they lose, hell swallows you in fiery flames when you’re a crying mess forced down onto two cocks ripping you apart, only your sobs are ignored for your face to get fucked.

the worse was after nationals. you’d cried with the rest of the team following their loss, when victory was snatched from their hands just as they were so close to tasting the sweetness of victory, but it wasn’t for the same reasons. it’s because you knew you were going to get ruined, be left a bruised aching cum-stained mess.

the day clubs end for the third years, you’ve never felt so much more relieved. tears of happiness well in the corners of your eyes when you’re forced into taking picturess with the team, oikawa’s grip on your arm burning but at least you’re free. free from this hell, free from him.

you never learn from being so naïve.

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nautilicious · 2 years

Text

why i ship prudence & potions

(Did y’all remember that all the HP pairings have ship names?)

Thanks to @tomato-greens for asking, and for reading the novel that resultedLOL.

I like fics where fucked-up people find happiness. I need to see distrustful and wounded people finding their person(s). I need to see the odd, misunderstood outcasts finding a bulwark in each other. I need them to keep each other's secrets. (Bonus points if those secrets are vital to the plot, though knowing each other's deep dark personal secrets is plenty good, too). I want to see people facing adversity together, and healing from those wounds together.

Those are the themes that I come back to over and over again. Many of us like the "blond one/dark one” or “sunshine one/grumpy one” ships, but it goes deeper than that for me.

(And if y’all have recs with these themes, please do mention them -- any fandom welcome; I like to read good stories even if I haven’t seen/read the source material. I’m happy to give recs, too.)

It's interesting, because I don’t go for teacher/student scenarios. I know those are popular, and that’s fine; we don’t have to like the same things (kinktomato!) (If student/ teacher naughtiness is your thing, however, HG/SS fandom has a lot of excellent authors, and that particular scenario is often done scorchingly well. Snape as a dramatic and powerful Dominant/Top/playmate/etc is totally believable. As is how hot it might be for Hermione to bring someone like that to heel.)

What interests me most in any fic is: why these characters shouldn't be together, and how they are going to overcome that anyway. I like to see serious obstacles. I mean, I enjoy the classic "I'm too scared to risk our friendship" obstacle well enough, but I'd rather see something more complicated. "I used to be a brainwashed assassin," or "I started out on the other side of the war," or "everyone thinks I'm cold and horrible but really I'm not."

With HG/SS, the power imbalance always has to be addressed. Some stories do this by being set post-canon, and those can be very nice. (Hermione stumbles across a man everyone thought dead, or they know he's alive but he avoids everyone and then for some reason she has to seek him out, or they are co-workers at Hogwarts/the Dept of Mysteries/?? and get forced to work together, etc).

For any story set during book 6 or 7, however, the author is required to do a fair amount of work in order to address how to get these characters into a relationship that I feel comfortable reading about. That usually inspires fantastic stories. Stuff like: war-related reasons (their connection wins the war!); marriage law scenarios (or related notions like "Death Eaters have the Ministry and say you have to marry a Death Eater & Snape is the only one who can save you"); potions accidents (in one classic fic they switch bodies and it won't wear off for six months, so now Hermione has to play the spy!); magical mishaps (accidental bonding!); or even just something like aging up Hermione via time turner usage. And let's not forget "Hermione accidentally goes back to the past and meets a Snape her own age!"

(The time travel ones are so fun; I really love them. I’ve been pretty into “someone goes back in time and makes it so all the bad things don’t happen after all” kinds of stories, regardless of pairing or fandom. Fix-it ftw. But I digress.)

So just in terms of kinds of stories, the HG/SS fandom has a vast and creative landscape.

But there’s more! We get cool world-building, too! I won’t claim this is unique to HG/SS -- it’s actually one of my favorite things about HP fanworks in general. Fanon explanations for magic/rituals/artifacts, house elf/creature rights issues, social tensions, and pureblood culture -- just to name a few of the popular building blocks -- are always more thought-out and nuanced than what JKR gave us. (Fuck JKR, btw.) Hermione-centric stories are often lore-heavy because of the kinds of problems/mysteries writers create for her to solve (which is awesome!) and even more so if Snape’s intellect/talents are involved.

Most of the HP stories I’ve read have phenomonal character writing, since that’s a thing I look for. And I do love a number of HP characters. There’s just something about Snape, though.

From the very beginning, fans have wondered about him. He defies easy theories. (If he hates Harry, why does he save him so often? If he’s a bad person, as his classroom manner makes him seem, then why does Dumbledore let him get away with it? If he’s villain, why do his actions always seem to help the good guys? Is it trauma that makes him act that way, or is he a jerk and we should discount his heroic actions? Can we trust Harry as a narrator when it comes to Snape?) All of these questions require nuanced answers, because he’s neither irredeemably bad or obviously good.

Love him or hate him, he's almost always right where the action is. (Lorrie Kim wrote a whole literary analysis called Snape: A Definitive Reading if you want to dive deeper.) And that gives fans a heck of a lot to work with.

Before we got HBP & DH, authors made up a bunch of really cool stuff about Snape, creating all kinds of fascinating backstories for him. These pre-canon imaginings of his history and motives are often quite different than what JKR chose. (Quite a few are better, IMHO). Post HBP and DH, authors successfully use canon to give these characters the kind of interiority that fanfic does so well. And the HG/SS fandom, in part because it skews towards more experienced writers, handles these characters very well indeed.

Hermione and Snape have a lot in common. Intellectual passion and rigor. Intelligence. Introversion. A fervor for justice, fairness (maybe more Hermione on that one), and duty. They both read. They think things through deeply. They can be quite creative and inventive. We’ve seen both of them be ruthless and sneaky. As far as the sexual dynamics go, I’ve seen every combo of experience and inexperience, and they’re all great. With all that intellectual ardor and determination, writers can create all kinds of compelling and believable interpersonal moments. Lots of great building blocks for an alliance, and then a romance.

Maybe she saves him with the power of love. Maybe he teaches her how to use her intellect to the fullest. Maybe she believes in him and that allows him to go farther. Maybe she was a cynical/melancholy person/outcast her whole life and Snape only ended up being an outcast because of the Mauraders. Or maybe Snape really was a screwed up, toxic person who eventually got better but was still trapped by his teenaged choices, and learning about his life means she loses her innocence but gains wisdom in witnessing his struggles. Maybe they both had abusive childhoods. Or maybe one of them was loved and teaches the other how to be vulnerable. There are a lot of delicious things to explore, and many talented writers exploring it.

All told, I continue to have a great time, in the HP fandom in general and with HG/SS in specific (though I’m happy to geek out with you about any HP ship, tbh). Would be happy to hear your thoughts or send you some recs, or whatever. (You can check also this sshg review site for one fan's reviews of popular fics).

#snamione #hermione/snape #hearts and cauldrons #harry potter ships #fandom things #gpoy

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dialovers-translations · 3 years

Text

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE BLOOD Vol.2: Mukami Kou [Track 1+2]

Original title: 目隠しされて & 無神コウ

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, Blood Vol. 2: Mukami Kou [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here (00:00~14:03)

Seiyuu: Kimura Ryouhei

Translator’s note: Continuing my marathon of MB CDs, everyone’s favorite idol Kou-kun is up next! I’m not a huge Kou fan myself, but he’s the main bias of my best friend so I’m always reminded of her when I translate his CDs. :p I used to find his voice quite annoying in the past, but in this CD, it didn’t bother me too much.

Track 1+2 ll Track 3+4 ll Track 5+6 ll Track 7+8 ll Track 9+10

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 1: Blindfolded

“...Hey!”

*Creaaak*

“Hey, you...!”

*Creaaak*

“Are you listening?”

*Rustle rustle*

“Say, say...~”

*Rustle rustle*

[00:15] “...Ah! Seems like you finally woke up! Ahー Thank god! You just kept on snoozing forever, for a second I thought you’d never wake up again!”

You look around, seeming confused.

“Eh? You want to know where you are...? Eeh...~ How cruel! You don’t recall? ーー Everything that happened before getting here, I mean.”

You flinch.

“Ahaha~ Seems like you remembered, huh? Exactly. I kidnapped you here~”

You ask him why.

[00:52] “...’Why’? You’ve been asking an awful lot of questions this whole time, haven’t you? Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped. After all, you’re currently stuck in pitch-black darkness. I guess it makes sense to grow anxious or scared...Fufufu~ But rest assured.”

*Rustle*

“I’ll explain the whole situation step by step, okay? First and foremost, you’re currently blindfolded, lying on top of my - Mukami Kou-kun’sーー

*Rustle*

ーー bed, you see~”

*Rustle rustle*

[01:31] “As for why I kidnapped you. Hmー There’s a few, but one of them would be because you’re a special human. ...Fufu~ Do you know what that means? It basically implies that you’re in a different league from just any other regular human out there. You might not be aware of it yourself, but to our species, your existence stands out as extraordinary.”

*Rustle*

“Actually, you know that already, don’t you? You’re being kept as a pet over at the Sakamaki manor after all.”

You protest.

“...Eh? You’re not being ‘kept’? Ah, sorry, sorry! I didn’t quite put it right, did I? I take back my words. More accurately, you’re their...prey, aren’t you?”

He pins you down.

*Thud*

[02:23] “Fufu...Ahahaha~ No need to look so dissatisfied. It’s the truth, isn’t it? Besides, that’s the second reason which made me interested in you so I dare argue it’s a good thing?”

*Creaaak*

“Hm? You want to know who I am? Didn’t I name myself earlier? You’ve got such bad memory.”

You shake your head.

[02:51] “Ah...That’s not what you meant? Ahー Gotcha. Hm...Can I spill the beans already? But I feel like Ruki-kun will give me an earful if I do and he’s a pain to deal with when he’s upset. ...Let’s see...~ Fufu...~ I’ll tell you when I feel like it, okay?”

*Creaaak*

“Anyway, I gave you an answer to your questions so happy now? More importantly, I want to know about you first. All sorts of things...~”

*Rustle*

[03:32] “We actually managed to get a hold of their weakness, so just like Ruki-kun is always saying, I should get an idea of what I’m dealing with. So to start off, I better do a little investigating to find out what exactly makes you so special...~”

*Rustle rustle*

“Fufu~ You’re shaking...My touch is still foreign to you, isn’t it? No need to be so scared though. I’m a nice guy after all.”

He pulls you close.

[04:04] “Here, I’ll stroke your head for you. ...Good girl, good girl...So stop trembling, okay?”

*Rustle*

“Hm...You’re more alert than I thought. Fufu~ You’re letting them have their way with you despite that?”

You protest again.

[04:28] “How odd...Or perhaps you’re simply feigning this cautious attitude? In that case, you’re one hell of a naughty kitten~ They say that a skillful hunter gets a kick out of going after highly alert prey and honestly, I think I may understand where they’re coming from. It’s boring when something is too easy to get. ーー I can already get my hands on pretty much everything I want through my job after all.”

*Rustle*

“...Ah! But I don’t really like how I’m implying those guys are skilled by saying that. What do you think? As the one they’re hunting for, how do you feel about them?”

You remain quiet.

[05:17] “Heeey~ Aren’t you going to answer? Giving me the silent treatment is a little mean, don’t you think? Hmー I guess it’s a little difficult of a question to start off with. In that case, let me ask you an easy one. Ah, right! How about this? ーー Does it really feel good to have them suck your blood? You know, does it make you feel like you’ve ascended to another world? Like your body is just floating mid-air~”

*Rustle*

“...No answer once again? You really are dull, geez. What will get you to talk? Should I ask you about your favorite spots? Or perhaps you really don’t care about those guys at all?”

*Rustle*

[06:12] “Ahー I’m kind of fed up with this already. I’m out here trying my best to be nice and all I get in return is the cold shoulder. What are you playing at?”

You explain.

“...You can’t say those things to someone you’ve only just met? Heh~ I see...That makes sense now that you mention it. In that case, I suppose I have to introduce myself first.”

Track 2: Mukami Kou

He removes the blindfold.

*Rustle*

“Here. Take a cloooose look at my face. I removed your blindfold as well. See? I’m this close to you. Our lips could almost touch.”

You look straight at him.

[00:19] “...Fufu~ Can you see me? I guess I should say ‘nice to meet you’? I’m sorry for suddenly abducting you like that earlier~ However, it would have been difficult to take you away otherwise. I guess you could say it was the optimal timing? It really was my one chance.

...Say, are you the type who doesn’t watch television very often? Well, I guess you don’t strike me as a girl who would.”

You tilt your head to the side.

“Ah, no, I’m just talking to myself. I just figured that you’d probably recognize me if you watched TV every now and then. Not that it matters though.”

*Rustle*

[00:57] “But really, things went surprisingly well if I may say so myself. I’m sure those guys are frantically looking around for you right about now. After all, their precious little treat was snatched away from right underneath their nose, haha~! Fufu...Ahahaha! Just remembering those foolish expressions on their faces makes me laugh.”

*Rustle rustle*

“And I’m going to dig into their precious meal soon...Haah...Somehow just being this close to you makes my breath hitch.”

*Rustle*

“Is this what you’re capable of? Say, how come you’re this delicious?”

*Sniff sniff*

“...You smell amazing. What kind of scent is this? Hm...~”

Kou takes a deep breath.

[01:55] “I can’t get enough of it...I wonder where it’s coming from?”

*Sniff sniff*

“Not here...”

*Rustle*

“Then here maybe?”

*Sniff*

“I can’t quite tell through your clothes...”

*Rustle rustle*

“Why not take them off? It’s not like you need them, do you? ...Come on, hurry. The scent on the fabric is throwing me off.”

*Rustle*

“Come on, go ahead!”

You hesitate.

[02:29] “...Hurry up, will you? You might not guess it, but I’m not the most patient guy around. If you refuse to take them off yourself...You’re not going to have a good time.”

You refuse.

“...Tsk. Ahー What a fucking drag! Do you think I’m a joke or something? Do you have any idea what’ll happen if you oppose me like that?”

*Creaaak*

“Ugh...”

*Thud*

“I’ve gotten a little irritated you see. And once that happens, everything starts to annoy me. So that look you’re giving me...Ahaha...It pisses me off.”

*Rustle*

[03:12] “...I’m going to gauge out those eyes of yours, for real. I happen to kind of like that sorta stuff.”

You start taking off your clothes.

“...Huh? You’re gonna strip? Ahー So you’ve chosen to obey? How boring. I just had so many good ideas of things to do to you.”

*Rustle rustle*

“Anyway, if you’re just gonna bend to someone’s will in the end anyway, wouldn’t it be better to simply listen from the very start? Or did you want me to snap at you?”

You shake your head.

“Ah, I see! Right! You’re that kind of girl, aren’t you? You wanted me to lose my temper...so I’d treat you horribly, right? Fufu~ What an M-neko-chan you are~”

You seem confused by the nickname.

[04:03] “Hm? You want to know what ‘M-neko’ means? Isn’t that obvious? You’re more stupid than I thought. The ‘M’ is the same one as in ‘Do-M’, duh! Masochists, you know? You’re the type of girl who gets a kick out of the pain, aren’t you?”

*Creaaak*

“With that kind of personality, I can understand why you’d enjoy spending time with those guys. We’re capable of pleasing you in ways a regular human never could after all. Fufu...~ Is it true the pain is addictive?”

You try and explain.

[04:45] “When you put it like that, I almost want to turn into a human girl for one day and have a bunch of Vampires feast upon my blood~ Well, of course, I much prefer being the one doing the sucking. ...Aah, I was told this as well. Apparently having your blood sucked feels like strong currents of electricity running through your entire body, is that true? How nice~ I’m envious~”

You frown.

“That being said, I’d rather not get bitten myself. I’d love to get a taste of that pleasure, but I’d rather die than let some other Vampire pierce me with his fangs. Heh~ ...Ah, oh no, I’ve been rambling...”

*Rustle*

[05:39] “Come on, take those clothes off. I’ll figure out where this delicious scent is coming from first. You’re hiding it underneath that dull (1) outfit of yours, aren’t you? ーー Your precious secret~”

You start to take off the rest of your clothes.

“Fufu...Exactly~ You’ve got to show me your meek side like that, or else I might just poke your eyes out~”

You tell him you’re done.

[06:08] “...Eh? You took them off? Now don’t be ridiculous. When I say ‘strip’, I obviously meant everything, right? You move your jacket to the side a little and call that ‘taking off your clothes’? Heeh...You really must be making fun of me, aren’t you? ...Listen, I hate being ridiculed more than anything...There are many girls in this world who would kill to be in this kind of situation with me, you know? Yet here you are, living that dream...”

*Rustle*

“Ah, right! You’re just pretending to be embarrassed but you’re actually happy, aren’t you?”

*Rustle*

“Oh! Or perhaps...You want me to rip you apart? I would never resort to such violent actions though. I mean, there’s nothing fun about tearing apart someone who won’t even scream from the pain, is there? Fufu...~”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) More specifically, he describes her clothes as lacking even the faintest hint of sexiness.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #kou mukami #diabolik lovers more blood #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

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liptonsbabe · 3 years

Note

2 + 13 from the fluff sentence starters list with thomas x reader? ty, i really love your works!! <3

i love u too lovely!

Team up [Thomas]

Thomas x reader

#2 “Is there a reason you’re blushing like that?”

#13 “Are you flirting with me?” “You finally noticed?”

from the fluff promt list here!

Word count: 1.1K

Warnings: none(?

"You want to do what?"

"It's kind of risky, I know," Thomas replies staring at me. A smile hides behind the pout on his lips making me growl "Sometimes I have really crazy ideas but they end up being good at the end of the day, right? That's what you all say. I just...I want you to come with me."

"Why?"

"Why? That's a good question" Thomas is silent, thinking. His brown eyes lose themselves in the horizon leaving me a perfect view of his incredibly aesthetically pleasing profile and his upturned little nose glistening in the moonlight "A very good question. Ah... the only good thing that comes to mind is because I'm an idiot and I need you guys by my side so I don't die trying, what do you think? Was that a good answer?

"Almost. I thought you were going to talk about the importance of friendship?"

"Yeah, that too."

"Uh-huh, so, you guys want to go to a city full of Cranks with the possibility, or not, of bringing Minho back even if you're not entirely sure he's there?"

"Basically."

"No way."

I pick up the bottle of liquor I've been drinking from for half an hour now. Campside is a very boring place if you don't have specific tasks within the different areas this place is divided into or if you finish those tasks too quickly, I do the latter cause there's nothing else I can do while I'm locked up.

Thomas, Newt and Frypanhave been very busy helping Vince to free the wicked wagons that transport kids to their facilities in order to continue with their research regarding the cure for the flare, so we don't see each other that often as we all have very different tasks. I am in charge of engineering along with Jorge and sometimes with the help of Brenda. This is one of the few moments where I can relax, steal a bottle of rum from Jorge's prized collection and hopefully lose consciousness until tomorrow morning. However, my plans are thwarted by the presence of Thomas who, sitting next to me, gives me an amused look as he watches me drink.

"And you guys need me cause..."

"You're part of the team."

"No shit."

"Yes you are. We've been so far apart lately, haven't we? Not just between us, we've even lost some communication with the others. I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. It's the circumstances, I guess."

"Still, I wish I could have some time for you, I mean, for us. Like it used to be."

"Thomas..." he clicks his tongue taking the bottle of rum from my hands giving it a big sip. His Adam's apple twitches from the alcohol in his throat making me swallow hard, looking away. He understands how much it makes me uncomfortable to hear him talk that way, where it involves both of us in a relationship that doesn't exist. Thomas and I are friends and it should stay that way. Not because we don't want to have a relationship, but because I feel it's not the right time to do so. Later on when all this craziness is over, maybe....

"Okay, I forgot, but you have to admit I'm right."

"You are."

"Fine. So, will you do it, are you going to join us?"

"I must hear the plan before I make a decision."

"Trust me, it's better not to know" he says with a chuckle handing me back the bottle. I take a big sip wanting the liquor to burn my throat "The less you know the easier it will be."

"Oh my god, I'm not drunk enough for this".

Thomas lets out a laugh holding a hand to his chest. I really like to see him laugh. His eyes close almost completely, his hands fly straight to his chest and his white teeth glisten in perfect white rows. The wind ruffles his ashy hair and I don't know if it's like that on purpose or if it's a very timely coincidence. When he finishes laughing he takes the bottle of rum from my hands again, drinking more than half of it in one motion. A little of the liquor escapes from the corner of his lips down his chin and then down his neck where it takes an unknown direction. His brown eyes scan me up and down returning the bottle which gets caught between his hand and mine. Then his naughty fingers snake around the nozzle of the decanter trapping my trembling fingers in his so warm ones. He pulls his body close to mine and even through the wind ruffling our hair I can feel his breath combined with the rum directly on my face making me blush.

"Is there a reason you're blushing like that?" Thomas laughs wickedly, knowing that his presence causes me to have a series of reactions that embarrass me.

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Since first day, you finally noticed?"

"Thomas, you're crazy."

"I am, but maybe you are more so for even thinking about helping me" he says, changing the subject because he knows it makes me uncomfortable "Still, there's a good reason to do it".

"Minho" I say because Thomas can't seem to say his name out loud. I understand his pain, it is the same pain Newt is feeling, Frypan and the same pain I am feeling. We are a family and without Minho we are not complete. I hold his cheeks, noticing the sadness in his hazel eyes. They struggle to hold back tears. He misses Minho. He misses him so much "He's fine, Thomas."

"How could you know?"

"I just trust that he is."

"You still have a lot of faith."

"At this point it's all I have left."

"You're right "Thomas lays his head on my neck letting out a sigh. There are few moments when Thomas is this vulnerable, afraid and letting his tears fall a little at a time. I stroke his back and after a couple of minutes he wipes the tears away, gets up from my shoulder and pretends nothing happened. I smile at him, taking the last sip of Jorge's rum "Well then, what do you say, are you in?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, not really" he replies, sniffling "but Minho needs us and leaving him in that place is not an option.

"Of course not."

"All we have to do is try to get into the city, watch out for the cranks and then... we'll improvise"

"Yeah, right" I sigh, sensing this is going to go horribly wrong "This is the stupidest plan I've ever heard of in my life, when do we start?

Thomas smiles, stands up and offers me his hand. I hesitate for a moment to follow him, but I know this is the right thing to do. He brings the back of my hand to his lips leaving a small kiss, pulling me with him towards the entrance of the camp where Frypan and Thomas are already waiting for us.

"Right now"

#tmr thomas #thomas imagine #the maze runner #the maze runner cast #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brian imagine #tmr newt #tmr minho #send asks

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zafirosreverie · 3 years

Text

Little bird (Agatha x Vampire!reader) part 7

“Agatha Harkness, get your coward ass up here this instant or I swear I’m gonna burn you at the stake myself!” You yelled.

“Then go ahead, because I’m not doing it!” Your girlfriend yelled back from the basement.

You groaned as you turned to the baby who was looking at you. It was Agatha’s turn to change her, but of course she ran away and locked herself in the basement. It was childish, to be honest, but you have been taking care of the little devil almost by yourself! Well, she wouldn’t get away this time.

You carefully took the baby, who giggled and rested her head on your shoulder, and quickly went downstairs to the basement’s door.

“I understand you being afraid of hurting her” you said, kicking the door “I can accept you not wanting to carry her” you kicked the door again “I can accept you not wanting to feed her!” another kick “But you’re not getting away from this!”

You kicked the door one last time, making it fall to the floor. Agatha blinked and stepped back when you growled. The baby laughed again and you walked to the other woman, cornering her and not letting her run away.

“Love-” she started but you weren’t having it.

“Take her” you said and she gulped. “Take her, Harkness” you growled.

The witch sighed and reached for the baby, who babbled and looked between you two before throwing herself into Agatha’s arms.

“I don’t know how to do it, Y/N” she said

“I’ll help, but the next time you run like that, I’m gonna kill you myself” you frowned.

She sighed but nodded, following you upstairs.

_____________

It was worth it. It was totally worth it.

You laughed as you watched Agatha fighting the baby, who kept trying to escape. Due to your little fight with your girlfriend, the baby was dirty for a long time and you decided that giving her a bath was the best option. She needed it anyway.

The girl had grown rapidly in recent weeks, going from being a newborn to looking like a 6-month-old baby, allowing her to battle the woman trying to bathe her.

“Be still, little demon” Agatha growled, but the baby just giggled and splashed her. “I’m this close to commit an infanticide”

You laughed again as she tried to keep the baby still so she could wash her hair. It didn’t work. The baby just moved and patted the witch’s cheek, babbling and trying to get on her feet.

“awww, she wants to stand! This is an important moment in every mother’s life, little bird” you teased and Agatha gave you a death glare.

“Doesn’t she know that we witches eat naughty children?” She groaned “I don’t have enough hands for this shit”

You laughed louder before you finally took pity on her and kneeled by her side.

“Let me help you, birdie” you said

“Took you sometime, love” she rolled her eyes.

Half an hour later, you two ended pretty wet but the baby was dry, clean and happy. Good for her. You left her on the bed while you two changed your clothes, but the little devil was curious and naughty and almost fell over the edge of the bed. Fortunately, Agatha managed to jump and grab her leg, avoiding the accident.

"Are you sure you don't want baby soup?" she asked as she put the baby back in the center of the bed.

You turned around to see a cute image. Agatha was sitting in the corner, in just her underwear, not having had time to put something on before jumping to the girl's rescue, and the baby quickly settled into her lap. You chuckled.

“I’ve gotta admit, motherhood suits you, darling” you said and she rolled her eyes.

“Give me something to put on, Y/L/N” she growled.

You chuckled again and gave her a dress before you took the baby and left the room to make the dinner.

Agatha sighed as she dressed and lost herself in her thoughts. She had to admit that you seemed happier with that baby than she has ever seen you, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t like the little demon too. But a part of her was still afraid. Afraid that the girl would be taken away from you. Not by her family, because you had looked for them and discovered that they were all dead. But there was so much that could go wrong, what if the hunters found you and killed you both? What if the baby gets sick and dies? What if she hurts her? What if she wasn’t a good mother?

Agatha didn’t want to be like...well, like Evanora. She didn’t want to put that baby through that. But you seemed so happy, and she didn’t have the heart to tell you how much it hurt her when you referred to yourself or her as the baby’s mothers.

“Birdie! Dinner is ready!” you called from the kitchen and she sighed again, trying to ignore the fear on her heart.

You smiled when Agatha appeared on the door. The baby babbled and extended her tiny arms to her, wanting to be carried by the witch. The woman smiled but didn’t take her, walking around you and taking the plate from you. You frowned as the baby growled.

“Are you ok?” you asked

“Yes, love” she lied.

You knew she wouldn’t say anything else at the moment, so you didn’t push, but kept looking at her the whole dinner.

____________

“Okay, I put the little devil to sleep” you smiled and got on the bed, lying down right next to your girlfriend.

Agatha sneaked an arm around your waist and pulled you closer, kissing your nose quickly and just enjoying the feeling of you in her arms. She knew you were going to ask her, and she knew she couldn’t lie to you, but she wanted you to know how much she loved you before having the conversation.

You saw the fear in her baby blue eyes, and you wished you could do something, but she needed to talk to you for that. Taking her hand to your mouth, you kissed her knuckles and waited for her to be ready.

“I’m sorry” she whispered after a few minutes

“For what?” you asked and frowned

“I-I'm not cut out to be a mother, Y/N” she whispered “I’m sorry, it's just-”

“You don’t want her” you said. It wasn’t a question, but there wasn’t a judgment in your tone.

“I-I don’t know” she whispered.

It broke her heart to look at your eyes. You weren’t mad at her, you were just...sad. And it was because of her.

“I don’t want to force you to accept something you don’t want, birdie” you said and caressed her cheek.

Agatha saw your tears rolling down your cheeks and she started to regret telling you this at all. She hated herself at that moment.

“But you want her” she said and you nodded.

“I-I think it would be better if i sleep with her tonight” you said and quickly got out of the bed.

“Y/N” she called for you but you were already leaving the room.

The witch sighed and felt her own tears rolling down her face.

______________

A week later, you still haven’t slept with her again. It felt like when you were afraid of hurting her after the blood incident, but worse. Because this time, you were afraid of her. She noticed how you tried to keep the baby as far as you could from her. When she entered a room, you would take the girl and leave, whispering an apology and breaking her heart.

You never let her carry the baby, nor asked for her help again. You were protecting the little vampire from her. Or at least that’s how it felt like. She never saw any of you for more than a few seconds, no matter how hard she tried, and you refused to talk to her about it. It hurted so much knowing she pushed you away like this, and she didn’t know what to do to win you back.

She spent her time in the basement, trying to practice her spells, but she would often find herself lost in her thoughts of you and the baby. She was being honest when she said she wasn’t ready to be a mother, but it didn’t mean she hated the little demon. In fact, she missed her too. The memory of the baby resting her head on her chest when you were traveling on the train, and the one of the bath, always made her smile.

“You’re an idiot, Harkness” she whispered to herself “the biggest idiot ever”

She loved you, more than anything, and she wanted to have a family with you. But she was scared. Scared that she would end up like her mother, pushing her daughter to the edge, hurting her and making her hate her.

That morning, when you were making breakfast, she went to the baby’s room and tried to talk to her. But the baby didn’t pay attention to her, she didn’t reach for her like she used to do, nor tried to hold her finger. She didn’t know who she was anymore.

“You already failed as a mother” a voice whispered in her mind and she knew it was the truth. She ran to her room and locked herself in. It was a horrible realisation.

You knocked on the door a few times, but she never opened. She could hear the baby on your arms and she just wasn’t ready to face both of you. You left her food outside the room but she didn’t eat. It wasn’t until midnight that the witch finally unlocked the door and stepped out.

“I’m sorry, little devil” Agatha heard you whispering as she approached the baby’s room. “I’m really, really sorry”

She could tell you were crying. Carefully, she opened the door a little, enough to see you lying on the floor, with the baby lying in front of you. You were caressing her cheek and kissed her head. The girl was too still, as if she knew something was happening.

“I love you, little one, I really do” you sobbed “But I love her too. With all my being...and it’s tearing me apart having to choose between you two”

The witch quietly gasped. She didn’t want you to choose between the two! She just wanted you to know how she felt.

“She has been with me for a long time, Sissy, and i owed her so much” you continued “I-I can’t imagine a life without her” you admitted “And until last week, I couldn’t imagine a life without you either...But i have to let you go, little one”

No. You couldn’t be saying that. The witch didn’t want to believe it. You just couldn’t be-

“I choose her. It will always be her, Sissy...I’m sorry” you cried “I had the hope she would love you as much as i do, but she doesn’t. And i can’t force her to do it. I don’t want to give you away, but I have to. I promise you, that the parents i found for you, are good, and would love you like i do”

The what?! Agatha felt a chill creep up her spine. That’s what you were doing? Finding new parents for her? Why didn’t you tell her?! It was her baby too, she should have a say in the whole thing!

Except ... she already had. The moment she said she didn't know if she wanted the girl, she had sealed everything. This was her fault.

“I love you Sissy” you whispered again, crying when the baby reached out for you.

Sissy.

Agatha’s eyes widened. You named her. You already had a name for her! She was yours! And she was forcing you to give her away!

“She chose you over her” Her mind whispered “She’s giving up her dream for you”

That was true. You had told her about your first children, a boy and a girl. You told her how much you loved them and how you tried to save them, but you were still a young vampire and were weak, so you couldn’t do anything for them when the men came and killed them. You had told her that you wanted a second chance. She had held you in her arms that night, letting you cry on her chest and whispered a promise on your hair. She promised you that you would be a mother again, and that she would be by your side, that you would watch your own children grow up and would make sure they were safe and sound.

And here she was, breaking that promise and taking away your second chance.

“I’ll hold you close to my heart, little one” you promised and stood, leaving the baby on the floor.

That’s when Agatha noticed the runes on the floor. You were going to open a portal to send the baby away. And you planned to do it when you thought she was asleep.

You were tired, really tired and you just wanted to take the baby in your arms, hug her and keep her safe. You were lying, there weren’t any parents waiting for her. You’ll just send her to the void. It hurted your heart, but there wasn’t a safe place for her in the world, not with all the hunters out there. You didn’t hear Agatha entering the room until she gasped.

“Y/N wait!” She yelled at the same moment you said:

“Goodbye, Elizabeth”

#x reader #reader insert #imagine #agatha harkness #agatha harkness x reader #agatha harkness imagine #agatha harkness x y/n #agnes x reader #agatha harkness x you #agnes imagine #little bird

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janeykath318 · 3 years

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The Best Worst Day Of Your Life: Bucky x Reader

It was an incredibly awkward way to meet one's’s future spouse, but looking back on it later, you realized it would make an incredible tale to tell your future children. It started with you being dumped at the altar, because the man you were crazy in love with and had promised to marry changed his mind.

You’d fled the church, unable to face your friends and family, and wandered until you found a bench, just inside the nearby cemetery.

Throwing yourself down on it, you cried your eyes out. How could he do this to you? He’d told you many times he’d looked forward to being your husband. He’d been counting down the days with you and eagerly planning the future. You couldn’t figure out what had suddenly changed and how you hadn’t seen it coming.

As the sobs turned to sniffles, you heard footsteps coming up beside you and someone cleared their throat.

“Ma’am? Are you alright?” a deep voice asked.

You blinked away the tears to see a tall brown haired man standing there, looking at you with concern. He wore a lot of leather and was a bit scruffy and you probably wouldn't have acknowledged him if you’d been thinking straight. However, You were too heartbroken to care about stranger danger.

“No,” you said bluntly, wiping away more tears. So much for that mascara.

“I just got dumped at the altar. The best day of my life just became the worst.”

The stranger winced.

“Aw. That’s terrible,” he sympathized. “I’ll never understand why people wait until the last second if they can’t go through with it. A real Dick move.”

“Clearly, he didn’t have much of one,” you said bitterly.

You noticed he had a bunch of flowers in his hands and you realized that your ugly sobbing had probably disturbed his graveside vigil.

Very embarrassed, you buried your face in your hands.

“And I’ve been making a spectacle of myself in this cemetery. I’m so sorry to bother you, Mister. I promise I’m not that inconsiderate normally.”

“I wouldn’t say Crying is generally considered out of place in a cemetery,” the man observed. “And you aren’t bothering me. I was just paying my semi regular respects. My parents have been gone for years and I like to bring flowers for them.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” you said.

There was something very familiar about his face, but you couldn’t think what it was. It was a very nice face, though.

Picking yourself up, you dusted off your dress, hoping it wouldn’t be stained. Your attempt to walk forward, however, didn’t go well as your heels sank in the damp grass.

“Argh!” You groaned. “I did not think this through.”

Sitting back down, you removed your shoes. Better to get dirty feet than a dirty expensive dress.

“Can you get back okay?” The stranger asked.

“I think so,” you nodded. “You seem like a good guy. I hope your special someone appreciates you.”

Cute stranger cracked a very attractive grin. (His chin had an adorable dimple that you tried your hardest not to stare at.)

“I don’t have one, but thanks. I hope your ex realizes what an idiot he was.”

“Thanks,” you said with a grateful smile, glancing back toward the church. Your stomach churned, but you couldn’t avoid it much longer. “I’d better get going before they send out a search party. Time to face this mess.”

“So long. Hope your day gets better,” offered leather guy.

With a wave, you started back toward the church, thinking it was a shame such a nice guy was still single, never dreaming you’d meet him again.

Nearly three years later, after having sworn off romance in the wake of your own disaster, you were finally persuaded by an old college friend to go on a double date with her. It took a lot of pleading from Darcy, but when she said she was dating the new Captain America, you were more inclined to go through with it, if for nothing else than to meet the amazing Sam Wilson.

“Ok, fine. But his friend better be worth this,” you told her. “I’m not breaking my drought for some average dudebro.”

Darcy grinned in delight.

“There is nothing average about either of them. Trust me,” she said with a naughty grin.

Turned out Sam Wilson was a very charming guy and super cool when being introduced to you. You could see right away why he and Darcy were so good together and your misgivings were somewhat eased.

“So, please introduce me to your mysterious friend that no one will give me any clues about,” you said, looking pointedly at Darcy.

Sam pulled his friend out of the corner where he’d been lurking and pushed him toward you.

“Y/N, meet James Barnes, otherwise known as Bucky, otherwise known as a pain in the ass.”

You and Bucky looked at each other and then a shock of recognition had you exclaiming in unison, “Cemetery guy!!” “Jilted Bride!”

You stared at each other in disbelief, Sam and Darcy also wide-eyed, before the realization of who he was sank in.

“You’re Bucky Barnes?” You gasped out.

Bucky was looking very nervous now.

“Is that going to be a problem?” He asked, in a wary way that suggested it HAD been a problem before.

“Nope. I’m just flabbergasted I didn’t recognize you before. There was something about you that made me instinctively trust you, even though you were a stranger. I could tell you were a good guy.”

“Awww,” Darcy crooned as a crooked smile appeared on Bucky’s face.

“Let’s get our table and you can fill us in on your mysterious meeting! I demand details!” And Darcy herded you into the restaurant with unbridled enthusiasm.

When you and Bucky had finished your story, Sam and Darcy both went “awww!”

“So, you know about me, then?” Bucky asked quietly.

You nodded and he gave a sigh of relief.

“Well, I’ll take it as a good sign you’re still here.”

He looked hopeful and your heart was filled with emotions. This man was a hero who’d spent years brainwashed and forced to do horrible things, but he really was a very good man.

“This is the first time I’ve gone on a date since he dumped me,” you admitted. “I haven’t really wanted to, unless the guy gave me the same vibes you did.”

Bucky smiled at you very warmly.

“Thanks for giving it a chance, Y/N. I haven’t had much luck dating either. I think I was subconsciously comparing them all to you.”

You felt entirely too giddy at this statement.

“Their loss,” you said with a wink. “So, do I get to see your other hand, or is that a third date kind of thing?” You asked boldly, glancing at his left arm, which he’d kept mostly concealed in the leather jacket.

Sam snorted and Darcy chuckled, but Bucky turned pink and almost sheepishly placed his metal left hand on the table.

“Force of habit,” he said. “Freaks people out.”

“Not me. I think it’s gorgeous,” you told him, admiring the intricate design. “Wakanda?”

“Yep,” Bucky said, flexing it. “They’re geniuses. Fixed my brain and everything. No more worrying about being turned into the soldier again.”

“I’m very happy for you, Bucky,” you told him, feeling genuine joy for his good news. “I can’t imagine what a relief that must be.”

Sam and Darcy took charge of the conversation for a while and you and Bucky mostly stole glances at each other. Somehow, though, your hand ended up clasped in his metal one.

“So, were you able to resell your dress then?” Bucky asked. “I’ve heard they can put quite a dent in one’s wallet these days.”

“Yeah, actually I was,” you told him. “A friend of mine bought it and wore it to her wedding, which had a much happier result. At least one good thing came out of that mess.”

“Only one?” He asked, squeezing your hand gently.

“Well……..I guess we’re about to find out,” you told him, smiling shyly.

A couple years later, you were wearing white again, but this time the groom showed up, looking unbelievably handsome and grinning ear to ear.

#bucky barnes x reader #wedding drabble #not really a drabble #but im using the same tag for filing purposes #bucky barnes #Fem! Reader

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talkfastromance4 · 3 years

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A Luke&Lily Christmas oneshot

Hey ya’ll, I’m sorry it’s been so long that I’ve written for our favorite girls. I haven’t had much inspiration and when I do get an idea and start to write, I just think it’s horrible. Anyway, this is some holiday fun.

word count: 3.2k

warnings: mentions of difficulty in conceiving, family fluff and some uncle love

donate to my ko-fi here :)

Masterlist

Luke&Lily Masterlist

Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated :)

• • • •

Christmas at the Hemmings’ household is always full of joy, music, and a little chaos. With Lily being in first grade she was in the Christmas concert at school where the children sang songs. She practiced around the house with Luke who would sing along with her and help her with the motions that the music teacher instructed.

With the holiday cheer also came some holiday downs. You and Luke had been trying for another baby ever since Posy turned two in May but you’ve had no luck so far. You and Luke both had tests done and everything came back normal, the doctor said stress can prevent a pregnancy and you have had a stressful time at work lately. You’ve had to take on filing for more cases which resulted in less time at home.

Luke tried to ease your stress away with his touches and kisses but it was your mind that was all wound up. You had a million thoughts racing through your mind on what needed to be filed, when court dates were, when deadlines were coming up and now to add on Christmas?

Thankfully, Luke was more than happy to help you decorate the house. He even bought three sets of gingerbread kits.

“We can have the guys come over and make them with the girls,” he smiled proudly.

Lily and Posy loved decorating the tree and placing their handmade ornaments on the branches. Posy was still too small yet so Lily was lifted in Luke’s arms to place the angel on top of the tree. When the decorating was done, you all made hot cocoa and snuggled up on the couch to watch the old claymations of Christmas shows on the tv. Lily loved the Jack Frost story and Posy loved watching Rudolph.

It’s the night of Lily’s concert and you have just fastened on her black shoe with the bright silver buckle. She has on a pretty red velvet dress and a green headband to tame her curls from her face. You gaze at her for a long moment, tears pooling in your eyes at how big your baby girl is already.

“Why are you crying mama?” Lily asks, touching your cheek.

“You’re just so big, sweetheart, mama forgets sometimes,” you smile through your tears. “I’m okay, don’t worry.” You give her a kiss on the cheek then take her hand walking out of her room to Luke and Posy who are in the living room.

He’s dressed Posy in a cute green dress with red tights. She looks like the cutest little elf.

“There’s the star of the night!” Luke exclaims upon seeing Lily. she smiles bashfully at her stepfather then runs to his arms. “You look like our angel on the tree, my sweet.”

“Dadaa!” she giggles squeezing his shoulders the best she can.

“What do you think, Pose? Should sissy be on the tree, hm?”

“Yeth!” Posy claps her hands together with a big smile on her face.

“No one is going on top of the tree,” you scold with a smile. “We need to get going, babe so we aren’t late.”

“Can you go get yours and Posy’s coats?” Luke asks Lily who nods and skips away to the mudroom. Her black shoes clicking on the floor.

“You look pretty enough to put on the tree,” Luke hints, rising from his knees to stand in front of you. He skims his finger over the swooping neckline of your white sweater that shows off your shoulders. He traces the snowflake pendant perched perfectly between your collarbones.

“I don’t think so, mister,” you poke his nose playfully and he pulls you against him. He has on your favorite green silk shirt of his, you can never take your eyes off him when he wears it.

“Can I put you on me instead?” he asks, pressing his lips to the shell of your ear. “Later tonight in bed?”

You sigh at his touch, the vibration of his voice makes goosebumps rise on your skin.

“Maybe...if you’re nice,” you preen tilting your head so he can attach his lips to your skin.

“I’m always nice. You’re the naughty one, lovie,” he chuckles.

“We’re ready!” Lily announces proudly.

You and Luke break apart then laugh at the mismatched gloves and lopsided hats on your girls. You praise them for their efforts but put the proper articles on each girl before heading into the car. When you arrive at the school, you walk Lily to her classroom where Mr. Glass (her teacher) is settling the kids down.

“Okay, we’ll be in the third row with your uncles,” you tell Lily. “Make sure to smile and have fun, okay?”

“Okay, mama,” she nods. You stare into her eyes, your eyes, knowing she’s nervous but trying not to let it show.

“You’re going to do such a good job, my sweet. Sing loud like we do at home, yeah?” Luke hugs her and kisses the top of her head.

You stroke her cheek lovingly one more time, say a quick hello to Mr. Glass and walk towards the auditorium where Ashton, Calum, and Michael are already sitting in their seats.

“Is she nervous?” Calum asks watching you shuffle past him to your seat.

“She’s not nervous,” Ashton shakes his head then takes Posy from Luke’s arms. “Hi little one, you look like the cutest ornament.”

“Is she nervous?” Michael asks peering around Ashton.

“She is, but she’ll be fine,” you smile. Luke grabs your hand and kisses it.

“Will she see us from here? We should be in the front,” Calum shakes his head eyeing a family of five in the first row. His eyes follow their movements as if he’s plotting a plan to switch.

“It’s assigned by grade, Cal,” Luke laughs. “She’ll be able to see us and she’s going to do great. Don’t worry.”

The lights dim and the audience claps as there’s movement behind the red curtain. The ages are from kindergarten to fifth grade. The curtains open as the kids file up on the stands, you spot Lily right away walking behind her friend Roman. She and Roman have been best friends since kindergarten and they have many play dates. His parents, Trina and Sophie, are wonderful people who you’ve also become closer to.

You and Luke spot them across the aisle, each of you waving happily.

When everyone is in their place onstage, the music teacher comes in front of them and introduces herself and explains how hard everyone has worked on this performance. She turns around and the music starts and Luke sets up his camera on the small tripod that fits perfectly on his knee. A promise he made to Cory and Ella to record the performance because they were out of town on a trip they couldn’t refund.

The songs they sing are the usual ones you’d expect at an elementary concert. The younger kids had bells for Jingle Bells, and the young ones did their hand motions to Away in a Manger. A favorite that had all of the kids excitement was Rudolph’s song. You kept your eyes on Lily the whole time who sang and smiled anytime she caught your eye or Luke’s or one of her uncles.

When the performance was over, they all took a bow and you screamed as loud as you could for Lily. She was beaming.

Lily found you in the crowd easily, hugging your legs then running into Calum’s arms who was already telling her how she was the best one up there. Trina and Sophie stopped by to say hello before they took Roman out for ice cream.

“Are we going for ice cream?” Michael asks and Lily laughs.

“Noo, uncle Mikey. We’re having hot cocoa bars!” Lily exclaims.

“We have a hot chocolate spread at home,” you correct with a smile.

Back at the house, the guys help Lily and Posy make their hot chocolate. Michael lets them put whipped cream on his nose and Ashton has Posy in his lap helping her drink her own cup. He blows on each spoonful before placing it in front of her.

“Sophie told me she and Trina were looking at donors again,” you tell Luke quietly near the stove. You put in the sugar cookies with Christmas trees on them for everyone to eat while drinking hot cocoa.

“Really? That’s great for them, Roman’s going to make a great big brother,” Luke smiles then notices your demeanor.

He knows it’s been tolling on you not being able to conceive. It’s been hard for him, too but he’s eased up a little after finding out there wasn’t anything physically wrong with either of you that prevented it. He’s happy that you’re on an eight day vacation over Christmas and New Year’s. It will be a time to relax and be with family.

“Hey,” he cups his hand on your shoulder, turning you to face him. “It’ll happen for us. We’ve been going a little crazy over it, but we can breathe and let it happen when it’s meant to.”

“I know, you’re right. I just can’t believe stress is making it this hard,” you huff tossing the oven mitts on the counter.

“I’ve got some ideas to help get you out of your head,” he grins leaning in to kiss you. He tastes like sugar cookies and chocolate.

Suffice it to say, he definitely found a way to make your head spin later when the girls were put to sleep.

“Okay, we’re going to be on teams and post on social media who wins the best gingerbread house,” Luke explains.

Calum and Lily are on one team, each of them wearing a Santa hat while Ashton and Posy are a team wearing reindeer antlers. Michael couldn’t make it tonight, he and Crystal were on a last minute trip before Christmas arrived. You and Luke were on a team together.

“Is this timed?” Ashton asks, already calculating his house with Posy.

“No,” Luke laughs, “the girls are only six and two, we can take our time.”

“You’re going down, Ash,” Calum says, filling up his bag of frosting. Lily is kneeling on her knees on the chair watching him.

The gingerbread house making is filled with lots of laughs and stealing of treats from Posy.

“No, Po, we have to have a chimney on our house!” Ashton giggles snatching the chimney pieces form her small fingers.

“Eat, Ashy!” she laughs reaching for it again.

“We can do it after we’re finished, little one, I promise,” he rubs her belly.

Calum and Lily planned together quietly on their end of the table. You love watching the girls interact with their uncles. The guys are so patient with them and love spending time with them. You’re really looking forward to your eight days off of being with your family and friends for the holidays.

When you were all finished you took plenty of photos of the houses and the creators of them. Luke posted the houses to his instagram story with polls on who was the best. Christmas movies were part of the agenda as well.

A week before Christmas, Posy had a high fever that lasted for three days. You desperately wanted to stay home with her but it was crunchtime at work so you made sure to cuddle her as soon as you were home. Her small body was so hot to the touch but you held her in hopes she would sweat it out.

“We should take her to the doctor,” Luke tells you quietly as you feed her more liquid tylenol for children.

“If it’s not down by tomorrow, we will,” you nod touching her forehead. It’s clammy but not as hot. “I’m hoping it’s going down.”

Luke sighs in exasperation watching you rock Posy in your arms. You’re humming to her and tracing the features of her face, a tactic that always soothes her.

“I used to get sick around this time, too,” you tell him when her eyes close.

“I hate seeing her so miserable.”

“Me too. We’ll watch her fever...her glands don’t feel that swollen. She hasn’t thrown up, right?”

“Only that time I tried to give her medicine,” he blinks slowly and you see the circles under his eyes.

“Get some sleep, honey,” you tell him. “I’ve got her.”

The next day, her fever did break and you and Luke were so happy. Lily made sure to bring home a picture she drew at school in hopes it would make Posy feel better. Posy got over her fever just in time for your Christmas Eve party.

Friends and family were gathered in your house with lots of food and music to bring in the holiday cheer. Cory and Ella watched Lily’s concert beforehand with Lily sitting on Cory’s lap. As more guests arrived, Cory was acting a little strange. He kept glancing at you and Luke while he held Posy in his arms.

“Are you okay?” you ask him finally taking Posy from him. She was starting to get fussy and hungry.

“Yeah, um… do you mind if I say something to everyone?”

“No, go ahead…” you say giving him a look.

He pulls Ella to the center of the living room, Luke sidles up next to you checking on Posy then nods to Cory.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know but we’re about to find out.”

“Everyone? Sorry, this will be quick,” Cory begins. He takes a deep breath then turns to Ella. “On our trip, I asked Ella to marry me.”

There’s gasps and cheers from everyone, yourself included as you look to Ella’s hand. Cory has just slipped on her ring, was he hiding it until this moment?

“And right after I asked her…”

“I told him I was pregnant!” Ella smiles pulling an ultrasound photo from behind her back.

There’s more cheers and congratulations. You’re the first one to give them a hug and to welcome her officially to the family. Others are swarming the happy couple with questions about how he asked and when she’s due. You handed Posy off to Ashton then disappeared out by the pool to get some fresh air, Luke wasn’t far behind.

“Hey, hey, c’mere,” he says, pulling you against his chest. You breathe him in deeply, letting his scent calm you down. “It’s okay…”

“I’m happy for them, I really am,” you sniff. “I love Ella, she’s wonderful and they’re going to be great parents but I--”

“I know, it’s hard,” Luke sighs, kissing your head. “We won’t give up, okay? I know it’ll happen, I can feel it.”

On Christmas morning you’re woken to Lily and Posy jumping on your bed screaming about Santa and presents. You and Luke give them hugs and kisses as you wake up trying to get the sleep from your eyes.

“How about some cocoa while we open presents?” you ask.

You make the cocoa with the help of the girls while Luke brews a pot of coffee for you and him. It’s six in the morning and it’s going to be a long day of driving and opening presents at other houses. Luke snaps photos while Lily and Posy open their presents. Lily claims to love each one and that it’s exactly what she wanted.

Luke loves the gifts you gave him and you couldn’t wait to wear the dress he bought you for the day. After breakfast, you all went over to Cory and Ella’s to open presents and you discussed her pregnancy a bit more. After the initial shock, you were excited to see her through this journey. She asked tons of questions about morning sickness and headaches.

“Are you planning on finding out what you’re going to have?” you ask.

“I don’t think so. We want to be surprised. You’re sure you’re okay with this, Y/N?” Ella asks, her eyes full of worry.

“I’m more than happy,” you assure her, “you’re a part of the family. And, I might be biased, but Lily will be the best big sister to your baby.”

“Posy will too,” Ella smiles, “I don’t want her to feel left out, in my mind, they’re both big sisters.”

“You’re right.”

After Cory and Ella’s you went to Michael and Crystal’s house for more presents and a big fancy dinner of ham and all the fixings. You started to feel a little dizzy towards the end of the meal and went to sit down on the couch. Luke came by rubbing your temples in concern but you told him it was probably just the rush of the day.

Later that night while Lily and Posy placed their new stuffed animals in their beds to sleep with, you were piling their presents in order when another wave of dizziness struck you. You sat down and held your head until it was time to say goodnight to the girls.

“You sure you’re all right?” Luke asks as you crawl into bed.

“I’m fine. Just a busy day,” you sigh collapsing onto your pillow. “Speaking of...are you doing anything right now?”

“Going to bed?” he laughs.

You swing your leg over his waist so you’re straddling him.

“How about doing me?”

Luke is eager to get you out of your pajamas and under him. Lips and hands explore familiar territory as he rocks his hips into yours. You have to fight to keep your moans quiet as he makes your head dizzy in a completely different way.

The rest of your vacation was full of lots of relaxation and spending well deserved time with Luke and the girls. You played games with Lily and even took the girls ice skating. By New Year’s Eve, you were feeling a little drained and the thought of alcohol made your stomach turn. There was a babysitter watching Lily and Posy while you went to a rooftop bar for the countdown of the new year.

You had a blast but in the back of your mind, something was nagging at you to get a pregnancy test. You shared a kiss with Luke at midnight, giggling when his hands squeezed your ass. On the way home, you asked to stop at the drugstore making an excuse you needed more aspirin.

Once home, you charged for the bathroom and took the three pregnancy tests in the box while Luke talked with the babysitter and paid her. You wait anxiously for the three minutes to be up. When your phone’s alarm sounded, you looked at each one. Each one had the word ‘pregnant’ on the stick and you stared stunned.

“Lovie? Are you sick?” Luke asks, knocking on the door.

Too excited to wait, you whip the door open and exclaim “I’m pregnant!”

“You’re--what?” he asks, jumping at the loud burst of the door opening.

“Look!” You drag him in the bathroom pointing to the tests. “I’ve been dizzy lately and feeling queasy...this is why!”

He stares at each test individually, his lips forming the word ‘pregnant’ three times. He lets out a whoop and kisses you.

“I love you so much. See, I told you it would happen when it’s meant to. What a way to ring in the New Year.”

“Happy New Year, baby,” you smile up at him cupping his cheek.

“Happy New year,” he smiles then places his hand on your belly, “baby.”

Taglist: @calpalirwin @thecurlsofgod @myloverboyash @rotten-kandy @tea4sykes @jannimoeller3 @loveroflrh @iovehemmings @cxddlyash @princesslrh @katiaw2 @g-l-pierce @fairyintheglass @gosh-im-short @lukeisbaby @spicycal @mysticalhood @notinthesameguey @wastedheartcth @itjustkindahappenedreally @calumance @babylon-corgis @thew0rldneedsmcreycghurt @lanternlover2 @istaywithmyjonas @calteahood @sarcastically-defensive17 @another-lonely-heart @devilatmydoor @frontmanash @philthepegacorn @mantlereid @lukedorkyhemmings @addietagglikesbands @kikixfandoms @sanrioluke @mayve-hems @morguelth @haikucal @thatscooibaby @meghanrose05 @idontneedanyone @dinosaursandsocks @haveufoundwhaturlooking4 @suchalonelysunflower @burstintocolor @zhangyixingxing1 @dead-and-golden @mymindwide @everyscarisahealingplace @stardust-galaxies @blackbutterfliescal @redrattlers @lovelybonesetc @karajaynetoday @quasighost @i-like-5sos @creampiecashton @calpops @superbloomed-c @ophelia-enthusiast @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @flaneurcth @dariangarcia

#dad!luke #luke&lily #luke & lily writing #luke fluff #luke hemmings writing #luke hemmings fluff #dad!sos

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sanyu-thewitch05 · 3 years

Text

So as someone who’s been watching Winx Club since I was a child.

NETFLIX SHAME ON YOU! LIKE REALLY?! YOU MESS UP EVERY LIVE ACTION YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON!

Why make Flora Terra? Why make her white? Why get rid of Tecna? Why make Musa non-Asian?

And some of the rumors about what happens in the show or plot are unfortunately believable!

Riven is a bisexual predator who used alcohol to get “naughty” with someone (why just why? Like I know Riven was a douchebag in the cartoon but not that much. Also why make him bisexual)

Faragonda is an alcoholic who hates her job. ( checked the casting list online the headmistresses name isn’t even Faragonda. It’s something else)

Stella and sky are a couple in this show.

Sky’s a cheater(I see we’re going this route aren’t we)

Now then the Specialists:

Sky is still named Sky in the show

Riven is still named Riven in the show

But here’s where we go wrong.

On the online casting list more than a couple never heard of names of characters. Like Silva, Dane, Sam, Mike Peters, etc. I believe these characters to be the missing specialists.

Silva seems similar to Helia plus his actor looks like him. Except the short hair and beard. Dane maybe Brandon. Sam seems like a name you would give a nerdy character so that maybe Timmy. Don’t know who the hell Mike Peters is though.

Moving onwards the Trix:

From what I’ve heard they got rid of the Trix, and replaced them with a single character named Beatrix. This seems to be likely considering there is an actor who’s a girl listed under Beatrix.

Final thoughts:

Coming from a black girl who’s going to be forced to watch shit like this because this is what’s for teens nowadays. Or at least this is what is being made for teens anyway, I’m done. I’m moving over to anime, the plot is better even in the horrifying stuff. Also, the outfits look horrible and the campus is all grey and gloomy. Netflix do better. I would rather watch Winx club as an anime than something like this.

On another note of diversity in teen aimed shows nowadays: Coming from a black girl who likes to read and is in a multitude of fandoms...I don’t care that X character that was white is now black! I just want good plot and something not like Riverdale. Honestly, I don’t need to see black people everywhere in every show or movie I watch. Especially when they’re not necessary to the plot, I’d rather they be left out if that’s it. Then at the cost of having black character in there they get rid of some other character.

An example would be every redhead ever in modern media(except bloom and maybe a few other characters). Why is it that the redhead is replaced with a black character? Is it too hard to find a white actor and put a wig on them. Worst examples were Starfire and Jimmy Olsen. I haven’t seen a redhead or ginger in so long that I’ve almost forgot that they existed. Redheads are already rare enough in the world, you can’t give them some representation that isn’t someone with poorly dyed hair. Leave the characters the same way they were in the book or comic!

Then there’s the disturbing trend of hiring adult characters to play teenagers, for the sole reason of having far too many sexual encounters than the average teenager would have. Riverdale is the best example of that. These people are supposed to be around 15-16. Now they’re engaged in cults, prostitution, murder mysteries, etc. Is this what Hollywood thinks teens are like? Furthermore, who writes this stuff? Have they been around any teenager at all? If the rumor about Riven using alcohol to get someone to have some sort of sexual experience with him is true, I’m going to be devastated.

They are only 16! Stop sexualizing teenagers! Write them realistically!

Netflix on the other hand has a horrible record of pedophilia(Cuties, the 12 forever writer, the Babysitters club writer) in my own way I’m glad the actors aren’t teenagers. I feel like if they were we would be seeing an article or tumblr post revealing their pedophilic ways. But, it’s uncomfortable to see how much sex is portrayed with underage characters. Frankly, it’s inappropriate to have teenagers OR any underage character having sex on a platform where adults can view it and pedophiles have access to it. Netflix needs to do a better job doing it’s film and show media, and hiring people that don’t have such a creepy past or are disconnected with the current youth.

Final thoughts over. One last thing.

Why does this whole mess look like a Wattpad writer had some sort of involvement in this? Literally has every telltale sign of a Wattpad writer!

Why name the show Winx then? They really wanted to capitalize off the fandom, didn’t they? Does this also mean no transformations and no outfits? Are they getting rid of the best parts of the show?!

#netflix #Netflix #winx club #Winx club fate saga #fate: the winx saga #disgusting #winx riven #winx flora #wattpad #netflix shows #netflix why #winx terra #fate the winx saga #winx musa #winx timmy #winx brandon

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rhysismydaddy · 4 years

Text

Naughty Neighbors pt. 4 (Elriel)

I’m thinking there’s going to be two/three more parts to this. I know it’s longer than what I usually put out, but I did mention it’s a slow burn, so... Idk. I really like it and want to keep writing it.

DRUNK NOTE: thank god I wrote this earlier because i’m too far gone to do much editing hahah sorry if there’s errors also sorry it’s short

__________________________________________________________

~Elain~

For exactly three horrible seconds of Elain’s life, he doesn’t move. He doesn’t so much as breathe as she stands there, holding him to her, mouth pressed against his.

It’s absolutely horrifying.

But then he pulls back just enough to murmur, “Holy fuck, Elain.”

And then he kisses her.

Walking forward, he presses her against the wall, sheltering her with his body and caging her in.

She’s quickly becoming addicted to the way his chest is pressed against hers, hard muscle dragging against her now-heavy breasts in a way that makes her pant.

But that’s nothing compared to the addiction she was forming for how he kissed her.

It’s deep and heavy and so seductive her knees go a bit weak. He--Azriel--seems to notice and slides a knee in between her legs, which helps keep her upright but does absolutely no favors for the growing ache at the apex of her thighs.

Gods above.

Elain shoves her hands in his hair to keep him close to her, and his go to her hips, then slide around to her backside, then run across her waist. He’s everywhere, hands and body surveying every inch of her, but his mouth moves consistently slow against hers.

She feels like he can’t get enough of her, like she's driving him crazy. And she fucking loves it, because she’s never felt like this before.

Never... been kissed like this before.

He moves to her neck, then down to the top of her breasts. “Azriel,” she moans. Or maybe begs.

His head snaps up, eyes meeting hers instantly. His usual honey and moss colored eyes are dark, lined with urgency and desire and maybe just a little crazy. “That’s going to be the fucking death of me.”

Before she can analyze that, they’re kissing again, and Elain can’t stop herself from running her hands over his chest and abs, then pulling him even closer.

Azriel presses his hips into hers, and she gasps into his mouth, making him smile. She reaches behind her to open the door and take him inside, but he stops her with a hand on her wrist.

“Elain.”

Still a little breathless, she whispers, “What?”

Taking a healthy step away from her, he shakes his head and says, “We can’t... I’m not going in there.”

“What?” she repeats, beyond confused. She’d thought he’d wanted to... and his body had definitely wanted to...

“I’m not taking you to bed while you belong to another man, Elain.”

“I don’t belong to anyone.”

“Maybe not your body,” he agrees, placing a wide hand on her chest, right above her heart. “But I want this to be mine. And you’re going to give it to me.”

Her mouth is open, probably grazing the floor, but she just stares at him in disbelief. Azriel smiles softly, runs a thumb over her bottom lip, then kisses her cheek. “Goodnight, Elain.”

Then he turns and goes inside his apartment, the door shutting between them with a deafeningly quiet click.

~Azriel~

Yeah, I’m one dumb motherfucker.

I had the girl I’d been pathetically pining for finally kissing me, finally admitting she wants me, and I told her I wasn’t going to have sex with her.

And where does that leave me? With a fucking painful erection and the urge to put my fist through a wall.

I head straight for the bathroom and turn the shower to the coldest setting possible. But even as the ice water runs over me, my blood continues to thrum.

Good gods, I want to kiss her again.

I want to kiss her all the time.

Her full mouth fits mine perfectly, and the way she kissed me... no cold shower is going to get me to forget that. Not to even mention the way her body felt under my hands, the soft curves practically begging to be touched.

Shoving my head against the tile, I try to ignore all that. But it doesn’t do an ounce of good, because then I think about the way she said my name.

It was so natural for her, even though she’d learned it ten minutes before. She’d said it like it was everything to her, like a precious gift she’d never return.

By the time I cut the shower off and flop in bed, I’m exhausted, so when the phone rings, I ignore it and shut my eyes. But it rings again, and I see that it’s Mor, so I answer. “What?”

“Wow, thank you for that heart-warming greeting,” she teases. “Bad night?”

“No, I’m just-” thinking about Elain and don’t want to talk to you at the moment, “tired.”

Thing about Mor is, she can always tell when I’m lying.

“Something happened! What happened?”

“She kissed me,” I tell my best friend, smile on my face.

Mor howls on the other end of the line, making me laugh. “I told you making her jealous would work!”

“Yeah, yeah, you were right. It worked. She wanted to...” Cursing, I cut myself off. She doesn’t need to know everything.

She, apparently, doesn’t hold that belief. “And did you?”

“No, we didn’t. I want her... I want her to love me first, Mor.”

She’s quiet for a few moments, but then she says softly, “You really like her, huh?” I stay quiet, but it’s answer enough. “Then make her fall in love with you.”

“Oh, I plan on it,” I chuckle, because it’s true. Now that I know what I’m missing, I don’t want to waste another minute without it. “But I have to be well-rested to trick fair maidens into loving me, so goodnight. Love you.”

“Love you too, stupid.”

I hang up and stare at the ceiling, still smiling like an idiot.

My very helpful brain thinks about Elain on the other side of that wall, lying in bed doing the same thing, thinking about me.

I tell it to shut up and go to sleep, but the stupid bastard doesn’t listen.

The last thing I think before finally falling asleep is that I can’t fucking wait to see Elain tomorrow.

Elain doesn’t go to work all week.

I know because it’s Friday, and I’ve been by the store every single day since Monday. Some girl named Christine has been there, and she gives me a weird look every time she notices me peeking in.

Honestly, I don’t get it.

Last time she tried to avoid me, she was embarrassed and knew I’d tease her. This time... I didn’t do anything wrong, right?

Maybe she’s sick.

Or maybe she just feels guilty. That’s probably it. I haven’t heard the boyfriend come around this week, and she’s not the kind of girl to dump someone over the phone. So maybe she’s waiting until she sees him and ends things to see me.

The thought makes me smile, drawing a raised eyebrow from the guy I’m currently tattooing.

“You look like you’re thinking about a girl,” the old biker-looking man remarks with a gruff. I can’t help but grin and shrug and he sighs. “Just don’t fuck up my tattoo.”

I nod and focus, shoving all thoughts of Elain into a small box in the corner of my mind.

But the damn box won’t stay closed, and by the time I leave work that night, I don’t care if she’s trying to do the right thing and avoid me. I have to see her.

Even if nothing happens, I have to see her.

The week’s been boring without her soft smiles and cute little dresses, and I want to hear what she’s been up to, cooped up in that apartment.

I practically run up the stairs and down the hall to her door, already smiling as I knock. It takes a few minutes for the door to open, but when it does, the smile falls away and takes every last drop of happiness with it.

She looks awful.

I mean, she’s always beautiful, but she looks like she hasn’t slept or eaten since I last saw her. Her hairs a dirty mess, she’s in a raggedy sweatshirt and sweatpants, and there’s dark circles under her big brown eyes.

Eyes that don’t hold an ounce of happiness to see me. “What do you want?”

The question throws me, but I answer honestly. “I wanted to see you. Are you alright?”

Elain doesn’t answer, just stands there for a minute. Then she says, “Leave me alone.”

The door swings towards me, but I jut a hand out and stop it from closing. “What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

Because like Mor’s told me for years, it’s always the man’s fault. Even when it isn’t the man’s fault, it’s the man’s fault.

Whatever it is, I’ll apologize and smile and tease her until she’s smiling, too.

“Did you do something?” she repeats in a small voice, eyes going a bit misty.

The sight hits me hard, and I take a step forward, but she shoots out a hand and shoves me back. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

If it wasn’t the unusual curse that stops me dead in my tracks, it’d be the way her voice sounded as she said it. None of the usual warmth, no soft laughter.

She sounds... she sounds like she hates me. And I can’t take it. “Elain, what the hell did I do?”

~Elain~

Is he serious? What did I do?

The genuine confusion on his face makes the carefully-crafted dam she’s been building around herself burst. “What was this to you? Some sort of sick game?”

“What are you-”

“You tried your goddamn best to drive me crazy, and like a complete idiot, I let you! How stupid could I have been...” She looks up at the ceiling as if that will give her the strength to face him, to say the words. “To think you wanted me.”

His eyes go wide, and she lets out a humorless laugh. “Elain-”

But there’s no going back now, and there’s no stopping the words from coming out.

“Oh, save the bullshit. You got what you wanted. You proved I’m a horrible girlfriend and an even worse human being, so just leave me alone.”

Before he can respond, she demands, “And what was that crap about wanting my heart? You’re a pathological liar. It’s just not enough for me to cheat on Lucien with you, is it? You want me to fall in love with you.”

His jaw is tight, hands bunched into fists, but he stays silent.

Tears are streaming down her face, but she forces herself to glare and say, “That will never happen. I’m not stupid enough to love you.”

She slams the door in his face, then drops to the floor to cry. Pressing a hand to her chest, she tries hopelessly to ignore the voice in her head telling her if that were true, this wouldn’t hurt so damn much.

____________________________________________________________

Uh, can I just say right now that I’m sorry? Hang in there. I TOLD YOU IT’S A SLOW BURN. Part 5

@bamchickawowow @astreia-oniria @keshavomit @elrielllll @januarystears @zukos-simp @whimsyrhys @lameomclameo @wineywitch202 @thedarkdemigod @captainthefangirlofhp @elriel4life @queen-of-glass @courtofjurdan @nessiantho @texas-shaped-waffle-maker @stardelia @myshadowsingeraz @tswaney17 @illyriangarbage @nicerhero @fancycrowncat @sjmships @poisonous00 @perseusannabeth @cursebreaker29 @girl-who-reads-the-books @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @rowanisahunk @superspiritfestival @studyliketate @over300books @justgiu12 @maastrash @a-bit-of-a-cactus @aesthetics-11 @b00kworm @sleeping-and-books @musicmaam @savemesoon8 @hizqueen4life @maybekindasortaace

#elriel #elriel fanfiction #elain #elain archeron #azriel #elain x azriel #acotar #acowar #acomaf #acofas #acotar fanfiction #acotar fandom #a court of mist and fury #a court of thorns and roses #a court of wings and ruin #a court of frost and starlight

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forkanna · 3 years

Link

[AO3] [WATTPAD]

WARNING: Another NSFW chapter, though this one contains more plot.

NOTE: I apologise for taking nearly a month off from posting. Just haven't been in a writing mood. I'll be trying to get back to our regularly scheduled programme soon!

~ o ~

The appointed hour had arrived. Rise watched Ai's face carefully as it was screwed up in concentration, trying to ignore the anxious flutter in the pit of her stomach. This situation was life-or-death, because if it went in a direction she didn't like she would probably want to throw herself off the nearest bridge.

"Well…?"

"Hmm… it's like… a shiny flower… butterfly… thing."

"What?!"

Huffing, Ai pushed up on her elbows a little more. "Well, what do you want me to say?! That's what it looks like, spread open like that!"

"Ughh, you don't have to make me feel like my body is weird! I'm doing this for you, remember?"

"Yes, and I appreciate it, of course," she conceded with a roll of her eyes. "But don't act like I don't have a point; that is what it reminds me of. I'm just being honest."

Now all Rise wanted to do was close her legs. But she had to ask one more question. "Does… does that mean you don't like it?"

"What? No way, don't be an idiot!" Crawling forward to look straight into her eyes, she whispered, "You're the hottest chick at Yasogami. Well, besides me." They both smirked. "And every part of you is beautiful, do you hear me?"

"Okay, okay," she muttered glumly, trying not to pout. "Sorry."

"No, no, I get it. Suddenly I'm the bitch whose opinion matters a lot because my body is the only one that gets really close to yours. Like, you're obviously going to be worried that I'm not into your body as much as you're clearly into mine."

"Geez, you don't have to put it like that, Ebi-chan. I'm not a pervert! I just… I really like my girlfriend, it's normal! Well… not that liking girls is."

Ai shrugged as she reached down to pet her fingers up and down over Rise's abdomen. They were on the tatami in the middle of their hotel room, the setting sun barely lighting up the walls, and Ai was still fully dressed whereas her girlfriend had fully disrobed, to give her the chance to examine her body at her leisure. It was a little weird, and she felt like a lab experiment, but she knew Ai had probably felt much the same when she was sniffing around her dick before. Fair was fair.

"I think it's pretty normal," Ai protested as her flawlessly-buffed fingernails teased through Rise's well-trimmed strip of pubic hair. Why was that not just hot, but somehow yet hotter because they were such delicate fingers?

"Mmhhh… well, I… I feel so guilty, still. Like we're sneaking around and doing something naughty."

Her lips quirked into another smirk. "Oh, we're definitely naughty. But sneaking around? It's kind of a social media blitz for you or whatever, so… either we're not doing that at all, or we are amazingly shitty at it."

"Shut up," she snorted, bopping Ai on the ear with her knee. It was the easiest thing to reach. "But um… I guess that's true."

"Everything's completely fine, girl," she told her in that extremely rare tone of gentleness that made Rise's heart pound double-time. "We're golden — it's Golden Week. Loosen up."

Snorting, she shot back, "I could have said that to you this morning." Ai rolled her eyes. "Y'know, when my finger was in y-"

"Yes, I get it, I get it." Her head tilted to one side, honey-hued locks pooling on the floor. "Did you like that?"

"Well… it was weird, and kinda gross at first. But!" she protested when Ai started to grimace. "I'd do it just to make you happy, even if it was horrible. And it wasn't, okay? I even…"

When Rise still hadn't finished that sentence after a few seconds, Ai wound up prompting her, "You even… liked it? Hated it? Give me something to go on here."

"No. It's too weird."

"Come on, it's just us. You gotta get used to trusting me sometime. Or don't, I guess."

"Are you… guilting me?"

"See? You already don't trust me." But when Rise pouted, she snorted and poked her in the tummy. "Just playing with you… but maybe also making a point. I know I'm kind of a bitch, but I'm trying to trust you despite almost outing me to the entire school. Can it start cutting both ways?"

Thoroughly chagrined, she whispered, "Well… that's not exactly what this is. But I get it. I'm just embarrassed and you know that, but I'll try to open up… if you do."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So if I admit I thought it was pretty hot, watching you get all squirmy… will you admit that you liked me slipping a finger up there?"

Stalemate. Both of them were staring into each other's eyes, trying not to give ground. A perfect example that both of them were correct in their estimations of what areas they needed to work on. Eventually Ai took a breath and sighed, "Okay, okay, you're right. I just… it's almost like admitting weakness. Which is so dumb that I care, we should both be getting more comfortable with each other."

"Okay. Just this time, even though you didn't say it, I'll accept that as you admitting you liked it," Rise said in a slight sing-song. When her girlfriend pouted, she went on, "And I thought it was hot. Like, not the butt part exactly? But fingering you…" She could feel her cheeks heating up from having to put it into words.

"Yeah. I mean, I get that. Just because it's… where it is, doesn't mean you didn't fuck me right."

"EBI-CHAN!" she hissed in a scandalised tone.

"What? You did. I mean, now that we're being honest…" Ai still had to clear her throat, even if she was doing a better job of keeping an even tone of voice. "Your finger started hitting really deep — hit my spot, and it was all over. I've never, ever felt like that before. It was like my fingers and toes and nose and tits were all orgasming with me."

Rise had been gaping at her until the very end, when she let out a weak little laugh. "Nose and toes, huh? Wow. But I'm really happy I could help; I just wanted to make you feel good, and find out if that was one way we could do that."

"Definitely. Like, now that I'm past trying to pretend I don't need it." Ai squirmed a little. "Uhh…"

She sat up a little more, petting through her hair. And she leaned into the touch. Had she ever done that before? "Do you want me to do it again? Not right now!" she reassured her, and Ai relaxed a little. "But just, um, just in the future."

"I think so. Is that weird? You're my girlfriend, you shouldn't have to fuck me in the ass like a dude."

"Mm. Well, then I'll fuck you in the ass like a lady."

Ai giggled a little, crawling up to curl around her body. "I don't know exactly what that means, but I'm there. I'll offer you the same anytime you want."

"Oh, I think I'll be okay," she laughed easily. "I've never had any interest in that. Before! Before now. Wait — no, I still don't have any interest in having mine… d-do we really have to keep discussing this?"

"No," Ai told her with a slight smirk as she leaned in to kiss her cheek so tenderly that Rise briefly forgot that she was even nervous about the topic of conversation. "We could go back to talking about that phone call."

A brief pause. "So about my butt…"

"Come on, it can't have been that bad," she challenged her with a little snort. "You're just gonna keep being your fabulous self, and so will I, and Japan will join the fucking twenty-first century."

"Yeah, I just… talking about it… I'd rather focus on you, on us. On Okinawa! This is one of our last little flings — especially for you, senpai."

Clearly, that hint wasn't lost on her. She sighed and cuddled a little closer. "You're right. We should enjoy it while we can."

"Mmm, it feels like somebody already is."

"That's- it's an involuntary reaction! I was literally staring down the barrel of your pussy two seconds ago — anybody with one of these would have theirs sticking straight up, too!"

Voice the tiniest bit haughty, she said, "Well. I'm not going to assume anything, okay? I know you don't want me to… give you a little kiss down there… or caress with my fingers… or-"

"What a goddamn tease," she muttered.

"You love it." When Ai didn't answer, she grinned and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, pulling her in yet closer. They didn't really need any words anymore. As hard as it was to ignore that firm presence, given how unfamiliar Rise was with such things, she just tried to keep her focus on those sweet lips pressing against her own, on the warm back beneath her palms. On the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

That realisation bowled her over. Even though they had been trending in that direction, she had yet to truly think about their future together. Sure, they would have to list Ai as male in order to get a marriage certificate… or would they? Maybe they really shouldn't worry about it. Not being able to enjoy the same status as her straight friends would be frustrating, yes, but it wasn't the end of the world. As long as she could live with her lover and share their lives, that was good enough.

By the time they finally parted, Ai managed to breathe, "I want you so bad…"

Careful to keep her tone neutral, she whispered, "How?"

"Any way I can have you. I… shit, what the hell did you turn me into?"

"Then I'm all yours. You can… have my mouth again, if that's what you like. Or did you wanna go, um… go all the way?"

"I don't know!" she groused as she pulled at her hair. Not that this minor crisis was reducing her arousal any; it was still grinding into Rise's hip and driving her up a wall. "UGH! I want to be as close to you as I can, and that seems like the way, but I also don't want to be the 'boy', you know?"

Drawing her in for another brief kiss, she whispered, "You won't be. Not to me; you'll always just be Ai. My cute little Ebi-chan. I… do you want me to use my finger on you again? I'd love to! I wanna do anything that makes you happy!"

"I… kind of? But no, not right now. I want to make you happy this time."

"Oh." Rise felt another flush of shame, trying not to remember the very obvious fact that she didn't have a stitch of clothing on her person. "Well, um… I want what you want." Did she just give her permission?!

"Good. Then let me try, um… with my mouth. I'll probably suck, but hey, no time like the present to start practicing. Especially if I ever want to be able to do this right."

"Sure! Yeah, that's… that's the same thing I was thinking while doing it for you." With a slight squirm, she then lowered her voice to barely a whisper, "I'm just… I'm sorry if it tastes, or smells… you know…"

Ai lifted a hand to waft away such thoughts. "You'll be fine. It's you. I mean, even if you weren't the sweetest girl in the universe, you're still Risette; that label of yours wouldn't let you have some stanky puss."

Bright red. Like a stoplight. Even though Ai was saying hers wouldn't be so aromatic, the very idea of it meriting a word such as "stanky" made her want to take a bath with a toaster. "U-uhm… thanks?"

"Anytime, girl."

And that seemed to be all the warning she got before Ai was kissing her way down her chest toward a clear goal. This was it; she was finally going to get as good as she gave. Unless she thought of some legitimate reason to ask the teen queen to pull back… but her mind was a blank. All she could think about was those perfect lips dimpling the skin of her abdomen, the lusty gaze being shot up in her direction as she moved lower, and lower…

Lowest. She felt a kiss in her hairs and she couldn't entirely suppress an anxious squeak. Her eyes slid closed as one leg moved up to drape over her girlfriend's back, hoping that would somehow encourage her — prove that she was ready. Even if she wasn't.

"This alright?"

Oh no. Ai was calling her bluff; it was glaringly obvious how high her nerves were running. "Y-yeah… it's just really, um, new?"

"I get that."

Then Ai moved again, and Rise almost curled into a ball. "WOW! That's- you kissed my…"

There was a slight sheen on Ai's smirk when she raised up to look at her properly. "You are soaking fucking wet, Kujikawa. How bad have you been needing it?"

"I haven't been! Honestly, I'm- NNH, how are you doing this?!"

"Pretty easy," she shot back before leaving a long lick along the entirety of her vulnerable flesh. Rise reached down instinctively to grip the hair attached to that head that was giving her so much pleasure it was overloading her system. Did everybody experience this? Was she oversensitive, or was it normal to feel like every inch of her skin was on fire, like she was losing all control?

"God, this is getting me so hard," Ai breathed before diving back in. Which didn't help matters in the slightest; Rise already felt like she was losing her mind, and knowing her girlfriend was nearly as bad off only heightened her pleasure, making her want to roll over and rut on her face. Or…

Or go further. Ai wasn't ready, and she would respect that, but if just her lips and tongue were making her feel this phenomenal, what would it be like for them to really go for it? Uniting their bodies had to be just as good as taking care of each other in turn, if not better.

"NH!" she finally burst out when she felt the pleasure rising. "I'm… I'm about to- it's gonna happen!"

"Yeah?" Ai panted as she used her thumb to caress that tortured flesh, gazing up at her with glazed eyes. "That mean… should I finish you off?"

The volume at which the word "YES!" ripped from her throat left their ears ringing. Rise would feel embarrassed about that — later. When she had time. Right now, she was too busy literally dragging Ai's head back down to devour her anew, moaning as her hips rolled up into their point of union. A little more — and the way her tongue was hitting her clit was spurring her on faster, making it-

Ai brought her to the hardest climax she had ever experienced. Feeling this one made her realise she had been only getting close to a real orgasm all those years since she first began to awaken sexually; a real orgasm blew those pretenders to the throne out of the water so easily. Guess that was what she got for never truly masturbating, or finding anybody who could take care of it for her.

Once the most intense of those sensations began to fade, Rise started coming back to her senses. A few things surprised her: she felt the tatami suddenly pressing into her back, because she had lifted herself upward. Ai's shirt moved when she started pulling her leg back, because her toes had clenched so hard in the fabric. The same was true of her hair — which she let go of first, feeling a few strands come away with her fingers with a little flare of guilt that she hadn't been gentler. Her mind had literally gone somewhere else while the ecstasy overwhelmed. It was almost scary, but mostly just… damn.

"Whoa," Ai breathed simply. The whole experience had left both of them speechless. After swallowing and clearing her throat, she licked her lips before wiping them on the back of her hand and crawling up to hover above her girlfriend. "You okay?"

"Hmnah!" was the best she could do. Ai giggled, so she tried to do better this time. "Yeah!"

Grinning, she pressed her face into Rise's neck. "Yeah. I can handle that review, I guess. Still wanna know if I did anything stupid, though; like, this was my first attempt, I can't have been perfect."

"Oh… you… close to… heaven." She hadn't meant to say 'heaven', it just slipped out.

"Really? Well… good, that's good." Ai was kissing her neck a little more firmly, more frequently. It suddenly occurred to Rise that she could feel that bulge digging into her hip; poor Ai hadn't gotten off since that morning, even if she did get there twice.

"You… want help?"

"Huh? Oh, naw, I can ignore it. Don't even trip."

"But you… I wanna… I like your friend." She took a couple of breaths, finally beginning to fully recover. "What can I call her?"

"Annoying," she snorted, and Rise rolled her eyes while she grinned into her hair. "Bitch that won't leave the party."

Nodding, she kissed into her scalp and earned herself a little sigh of appreciation in return. "I like her. That doesn't mean you have to, or like… that you have to keep her or like her for my sake. But just so you know, we get along pretty well. I mean, for a girl and an, um, appendage."

"Dork. But thanks. And it makes me mad that we have to have this conversation… but I appreciate that you get it. That you can really, uh, want my D without forgetting that I don't want it at all."

"Yeah, of course. I might have been dumb when we first started out but I learn fast."

"You do," she agreed with a little squeeze. Rise wrapped her arms more tightly around her girlfriend, appreciating their warmth, their connection. "It's honestly refreshing. Like, I got so much hate when I came out… even from my own family. I had started to believe it was impossible to expect people to get me. Then here comes this prissy famous bitch."

Rise smacked her on the arm, which only earned a harsh chuckle. "Who's the bitch here, really?" But then she moved her hand down to her bulge. "Let me take care of this. Like, it doesn't have to be anything special, or… not unless you want more."

"Mmhh… annoying." But Ai looked away, biting her lower lip. Again, Rise questioned why she found watching that to be so hot but she tried to relegate that question to the back of her mind for the time being.

"What is it?"

"Your mouth is so good… fuck, I'm sorry. Like, that's a lot to ask, twice in one d-"

"You got it." When Ai just blinked at her, she shrugged bashfully. "I'd do that. I'd use my finger again, I'll give you whatever you want. As long as you're okay with me figuring out how to do it as I go, I don't mind! It's nice that we can help each other out."

Though it took her a second, she started to nod with a slight smile. "It is really nice. Weird, but like, I guess it's not since we're dating."

"Yeah," Rise giggled. "We're just not used to dating, right?"

"Mm. You're sure I didn't mess up while muff diving?"

"While WHAT?! Excuse me? You can't call it that!"

Smirking a little as she sat up and started to disrobe, she purred, "I can call it whatever I want, Risette. Now perform for me. Maybe I'll just jerk off onto your butt."

"NO! Ew, why would you do that when I- that's gonna be all sticky, we'd have to take another bath!"

"So what? The last one turned out to be a real event…"

"Yeah, for you! And you were definitely writhing and squealing all over the place!"

"Y-yeah, well, that was your fault!" she shot back as that ready-and-willing cock bounced out into the open air. "Maybe I'll take you up on your mouth just so you can't say mean things to me."

Rise pursed her lips for a moment before saying, "Maybe I won't be as careful with my teeth this time."

"Hey, don't joke like that," Ai said with a shiver. "I might not want to keep her but that is NOT how I wanna lose her."

"Then behave," she purred as she crawled toward her lap, rubbing her cheek against the warm length. "And I'll behave exactly the way you want."

Ai complied. She complied for the following ten minutes, and got exactly what the doctor ordered — because the alluring Nurse Rise was tending her every need. Five star service.

To Be Continued…

#We'll Face Ourselves #Saphir de Lune #forkanna writes #persona 4 fanfiction #p4 fanfic #rise x ai #jess the writer

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callmemythicalminx · 4 years

Text

The Last Of Us 2: We Need To Talk About It

*Spoilers ~ ye have been warned!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve held this off for as long as I could, but I’ve given up resisting- we need to talk about The Last of Us 2. It’s an incredible masterpiece, there’s no doubt about it. The graphics are beautiful and incredibly realistic, and the gameplay has made bounding leaps in progress since the first game, offering a more exciting and intense experience for the player. The actors have of course done incredible jobs and the sound design is amazing. Altogether, a pretty amazing game… Except for one thing- the story.

The first game was widely loved for many reasons, but most prominently, and I’m sure many will agree with me on this, the story and the characters are what made it stand out and still hold up to this day. Joel and Ellie are amazing characters, incredibly complicated and realistic. The former was a man we as players grew to love, after seeing the horrible pain he had to go through and the hardships he faced. We saw him do unspeakable things, hurting and killing many, all in the name of survival. But still, we cared for him, because we saw him grow to love too, risking all to keep his new daughter safe. Ellie was a young kid, forced to grow up too soon in a world that didn’t really care about her. Faced with the fact that she was the possible saviour of humanity, she had the weight of a brighter future on her shoulders. In each other, these two characters found someone to care about again. Joel saw the daughter he lost and couldn’t protect. Ellie saw a father who wouldn’t leave and would help keep her safe.

After seeing the bittersweet ending of the first game, we waited for 7 long years to see Ellie and Joel return to our screens once more. Trailers promised new adventures with the pair, as well as the much-anticipated impact of Joel’s actions after taking Ellie from the Fireflies and stopping the creation of a possible cure. Even when leaks about the story were released, the majority of fans held strong to the belief that Naughty Dog would lead us well and would give us a great sequel to finish off an incredible generation of progress, leading us into a new age of video game storytelling.

Oh, how wrong we were…

Make no mistake here- I know Joel isn’t a hero. What he did at the end of the first game was incredibly selfish. I’ve always seen him as an anti-hero because of his sometimes cruel and violent actions and that can’t be forgotten. Undeniably though, he is still such a beloved character, who we can’t help but connect too because he’s human and vastly complicated. He was also living in a world where people are doing much worse things to survive. Darker, more evil actions that weren’t close to anything Joel ever did. Can he really be blamed for some of his actions, when seeing what other surivors had done? When I first played The Last of Us, I couldn’t help but sympathise with him, especially as I saw him slowly become more caring again after meeting Ellie. He’s incredibly interesting too in terms of characterisation because he’s neither good nor evil- he’s just human, trying to survive in a nightmare world.

Obviously, playing as Joel made a world of difference as to how we perceived him and whether or not he was a hero or villain. If we’d been playing as a completely different character, perhaps a Firefly, we would have most definitely seen him in a different light. This is where Abby comes in. I’ll give Naughty Dog credit here, it is a really interesting concept to introduce a playable character who’s seen the other side of our famous duo’s actions. It’s a great way to make us think even more about the consequences and the effect we have on our environment. As the daughter of the lead surgeon meant to operate on Ellie, Abby has seen the negative effects of Joel’s actions first hand. This opens up a widely explorable concept for the player to experience, offering a new complicated character who has seen her own pain and hardships just like Joel and Ellie did. She’s sure to be liked… Right?

Unfortunately, no.

In the span of two weeks, Abby has become one of the most hated gaming characters of all time. The reason why- bad storytelling.

I understand what the game was trying to do, I really do. I see what the story was trying to tell and portray, but the writing and pacing ruined this before the game had barely even started. I know I can speak for most when I say that I was expecting Joel to die, either it be naturally or inflicted by someone (or something) else. Naughty Dog know how to tug players’ heartstrings, as we saw at the start of the first game when Sarah was killed. It was bound to happen, though I didn’t really want it to. Joel deserves a worthy death, one befitting of his character which would complete his arc and bring a conclusion to his story. What we got instead was single-handedly one of the worst character deaths ever presented in a video game.

Joel dies at the hands of Abby, less than 2 hours into the game after we’ve seen him for only 10 minutes or so. He and his brother Tommy willingly walk into a very suspicious situation, in the most stupidly uncharacteristic way, revealing their names and where they’re from. They say this to a group of 10-20 strangers, in a building where they can easily be ambushed and restrained. Abby is at the helm of this group, driven to Jackson for one thing- the need to avenge her father who Joel killed. After hearing who they are, the group is obviously more alert and ready to strike. Joel then says, and I quote ‘Y’all act like you’ve heard of us or something’… Bear in mind here, that our Joel from the first game knew he was a wanted man and that he couldn’t trust anyone. Hell, he didn’t even trust Ellie for a good while before he started to care for her. But here he willingly gives his name and acts shocked when it’s recognised? This is not the Joel we know, who’s incredibly smart and can see a trap a mile off.

In one of the most sickening occurrences I’ve ever seen in a video game, Abby then shoots Joel in the knee with a goddamn shotgun. Tommy, of course, jumps into action to help his brother but is quickly restrained and knocked out. While listening to Joel’s horrific groans of pain as he lays wounded on the floor, Abby then has the audacity to ask him to ‘Guess’ who she is? Other than the fact that this is incredibly cringy, there’s no way in hell Joel would have the faintest clue who she is. He doesn’t run a family check on everyone he kills, does he? She could be the daughter of a random soldier he killed or some other nobody.

Ever a badass till the end, still having no clue who she is, Joel tells Abby to get on with whatever she has planned. She gets someone to tourniquet his leg while she collects her weapon to end his life- a golf club of all things. After calling him a ‘stupid old man’, something that both upset and pissed me off too much, Abby then begins to start beating Joel to death. You play as Ellie now, as she tries to find him. She enters this group’s hideout to see her father hunched on the ground, curling in on himself, spasming because of numerous brutal hits he’s received to his head. His face is bloody and bruised, his eyes barely open as a pool of blood spreads around him. We feel the horrendous pain Ellie does as she’s quickly restrained and forced to watch Joel meet his death. She begs, rambling for him to get up and leave, but there’s nothing she can do. Ellie’s horrified cries are ignored as she begs for mercy and with a sickening crunch, Joel receives one final brutal blow to the head.

And he’s gone. Like that.

If this was written true to the character we know and love, Joel would have never entered that building and given his name that easily. Neither would’ve Tommy. These are two seasoned veterans of a zombie outbreak, who have seen the horrid measures people will go to when provoked or desperate. Is the game really trying to tell me that they’d trust a bunch of suspicious-looking kids, walking willingly into a crowded area with no weapons, standing apart instead of together? Joel didn’t trust anyone in the first game, why would this change?

Regardless of the fact that he’s in Jackson now, which is ‘friendly to travellers’, and that he’s grown ‘softer’, he’s still not gonna be trustworthy of strangers. By and by, Joel is still a wanted man and he knows this, he took away the world’s chance at a cure for Pete’s sake. Secondly, this is plain and simple a terrible death for Joel. Not because of how he died (because this is a zombie apocalypse, after all, it’s going to be brutal even if it’s awful to see) but the fact that this happens the way it did and the placement of it. There’s no closure to his character arc or to the rift between himself and Ellie that’s, at this moment, unknown to the reader. He didn’t die saving Ellie, which as cliche as it sounds, would have juxtaposed beautifully with Sarah’s death at the start of the first game. Imagine how satisfying it would have been to see that Joel would be willing to die for Ellie after he’s been focused only on surviving and himself. Imagine if he’d died in Ellie’s arms just like Sarah did in his…

The timing is also really bad considering we’ve barely seen any of him in the two hours we’ve played. When we see Joel die, it doesn’t feel as impactful as it could’ve been. We haven’t seen any new or old encounters with him and Ellie, except for the small seconds at the start as he retells the end of the first game. We haven’t had a chance to fully reconnect with him. His odd actions further distance us away from him because he’s not acting like he usually would. Therefore we’re left with a horrifying death that feels hollow, strange and disconected.

Abby does not help make this scene any better, which is a shame, because I think if different choices were made to push this death further in the game, we could have had a chance to care for her or at the very least begin to like her. Instead, we have no clue as to who she is or what her motivations are before this. All we know is she’s looking for someone. To then see this new character kill someone so beloved, in the most brutal way… Players are gonna hate her immediately! I hated her immediately! And like I said, her dialogue in this scene is atrociously bad, especially when she insults Joel. That really felt like you were adding salt to the wound there Naughty Dog.

Imagine if you will, what a better death or a change in chronological order of Joel’s death could have done to help the story. If we’d got to know Abby more, playing as her for longer than two hours, she might not have been as hated. The player could have begun to like her and sympathise with her, slowly realising who she is and at the same time, seeing the damage Joel has caused in his selfish decisions. She could have still killed Joel, but towards the end of the game, so that the player would have felt more conflicted about her doing it after seeing her past, seeing the pain that she went through. The game could have reminded us that Joel is still an anti-hero. Imagine that? If the game had made us admit to ourselves that, though it’s painful to watch, his death might have just needed to happen to make up for the loss of everyone he killed? It could still have fit the environment they’re in too, with a brutal and harsh death that could’ve come out of nowhere, but still felt justified in the story. Tess in the first game had a brilliant death, befitting of her badass character, yet still shocking and realistic to the world she lived in. Instead of becoming a zombie, she instead let herself be shot after bravely standing outnumbered against the enemy while Joel and Ellie escaped. It was a great death and Joel had every right to one of his own.

Maybe he didn’t even need to die for his actions at all though? Let’s not forget that he’s not the only one who has done bad and unspeakable things in this broken world the characters live in. He’s not irredemable, he’s a complicated human being who has had to adapt to the world around him. Think about some of the groups we came across in the first game- is Joel really worse than them? Yes, he took away the world’s chance at a new begining, but did it even deserve to start again after seeing how horrid people had become? Imagine if your loved one was sacrificing themself for a world that didn’t deserve it? Imagine if the cure might not even work or be possible to create, would you really just let them die? Joel’s only human, he acted with his heart instead of his mind. I have no doubt that Abby would probably do the same, or Ellie, or any other character who had those same choices ahead of them. Joel’s actions were selfish, yes, but he shouldn’t have to die for it. I wouldn’t want to lose someone I cared deeply about, just for a possible cure that would save an unworthy world.This is why we aren’t finding fault with the fact that Joel died, it’s HOW and WHY it happened that’s got us so pissed off.

What makes his death and the story even worse is the ending of the game. All the pain and trauma Ellie goes through killing all of Abby’s friends to find her becomes worthless. Why- she lets her go free. After fighting her twice and losing her fingers during one of those fights, Ellie suddenly has an epiphany and realises that revenge isn’t the answer. She lets Abby go. Once again, I understand what Naughty Dog were trying to do here and once again it could have worked.

‘Revenge is bad’. It’s been in many games and this message has worked beautifully in most too, like in Red Dead Redemption 2 for example. It worked beautifully in the game because it’s something that Arthur makes reference to a lot, reiterating the fact that ‘revenge is a fool’s game’. We see that pan out when John gets revenge at the end of the game and pays the price for it. The reason it fails in The Last of Us 2 is that this message comes from nowhere. Ellie has killed hundreds of people leading up to her final fight with Abby and she’s lost even more in the process too, including friends, her family and now her ability to play the guitar which was the final big thing linking her back to Joel. She’s brutally murdered many, torturing others so badly that she turned into a shell of herself afterwards. She suffers from PTSD because of Abby’s actions, seeing the death of Joel repeatedly, leaving her physically and emotionally weak. It doesn’t make any sense that after all this traumatising violence and pain, she suddenly gives up on the notion of revenge when she’s just about to kill the murderer of her father. The most disappointing thing is this message could have still worked if done correctly. If she could have realised revenge is pointless sooner, this wouldn’t feel as out of place as it does. Why does this one person, the murderer out of all people, change Ellie’s mind, after killing so many? Sure, you could say she has a family now and she was reminded of them, but then why would they have such an impact at the point of Abby’s near death, when Dina begging Ellie to stay didn’t work in the first place? It’s. Bad. Writing.

Abby and Ellie have both hurt each other equally, killing family, close friends and their fathers. Instead of killing each other, the story could have led them to realise together that Ellie is still the key to saving humanity, and with Abby’s link to the fireflies, they could somehow still create a cure.

Imagine. That. How fulfilling that would have been? Instead of the horrid, pointless ending we got instead.

Joel’s death could have brought the two together, connecting the Fireflies once again with the cure to right the wrongs he did. He could have realised that Abby was looking for him and willingly sacrifice himself to make up for what he did, completing his arc like I mentioned while also dying a fitting, badass death. He could have left a note for Ellie to read, explaining his actions, to say sorry and to show that he knows this is the only way to fix what he did. At the end of the game, Ellie could have looked out on a recovering world, singing her own rendition of Joel’s song, this time full of new beginnings in the face of great sacrifice.

That’s how you finish a story and a character’s arc. I’m no world-class writer, but I could imagine many different ways this same story and message could have panned out but with better writing, pacing and time, telling a tale of angst and sadness, while opening up a new chapter of hope and healing. The real end of the game leaves you feeling hollow and depressed, unfulfilled in the journey you’ve just experienced. Games are at their basic principle means of enjoyment, we play them to escape our lives and to have fun. They can be dark, harrowing and painful but still an absolute pleasure to play. What doesn’t help in defence of the game’s story is that the game director Neil Druckman said himself ‘For us, with The Last of Us specifically (Uncharted is a little different in our creative approaches), we don’t use the word ‘fun’. That feels… wrong to hear. If video games are not enjoyable, then what is the point in playing them?

I think it really says something in particular when the most enjoyable part of the game is a flashback between Joel and Ellie where there’s no real action. It’s just them, exploring a museum for her birthday, talking and joking and it’s the best part of the game hands down. It doesn’t include any of the new brilliant gameplay and while stunning, doesn’t really have much visual impact either. What makes it so special is just seeing the characters we love interact and have fun like it’s a scene cut straight from the first game. After 7 years, us fans were yearning to see more of Joel and Ellie’s cute relationship, so to only have that and a few other small scenes is so… unsatisfying. If we had more of their adventures before Joel’s death, I know that many people would have been much more accepting of it. It would have definitely been more impactful, having given us the chance to reconnect with them both again. Going back to Ellie on her revenge path after that museum scene was so depressing. It’s such a shame that further interaction between them was just forgotten about and thrown aside. They were such a big factor in the first game’s success, so to see them barely together felt too strange. Though we play as Ellie for the most part, it began to feel less and less like Last of Us and more like some new zombie game. Playing as Abby so suddenly too and for so long just further implemented that weird feeling. It’s a real shame because I really can’t stand her at all now. But she could have been a great character if the story was much different.

I can’t help but feel that the story feels patronising and degrading to its audience in some ways. Some of the choices and plot lines feel very disrespectful to the characters and fans, simply because of what it expects of you after forcing you through unwanted pain and misery. Let’s not forget also that we were lied to in the trailers. Showing numerous clips of Joel as his oldest self to reel us in, then change them to be flashbacks? Flashbacks which happen to be the only good pieces of storytelling in the whole game. It’s just wrong. And quite frankly it’s disgusting. Video games are expensive nowadays. We already knew many fans were gonna buy it anyway because we’re loyal to what we love. But to intentionally make that push, using lies, to secure sales for an expensive game from a huge fan base… it’s disrespectful.

As a whole, I can see what Naughty Dog were trying to do. They were trying to create something different, do what they wanted instead of what the fans wanted. That’s not a bad thing at all, it’s ballsy and creative to do something like that with a well-loved franchise. Rockstar took that same leap when they created Red Dead Redemption 2, forcing you to play as Arthur instead of the beloved John. It worked for them because they wrote the story well enough so that you’d have time to explore this new character and grow to love him, especially when faced with his actions and his mortality. Arthur dies brutality but fans still love the game because it was a fitting and wonderful way to finish his character arc.

This idea fails with The Last of Us 2 because the player isn’t properly engaged with the story before shit hits the fan and their favourite character is dead. I have no doubt that if it was written differently, if we’d been able to see more of Joel before his death and had more than two hours played with Abby that this story could have actually worked. The message that ‘revenge is bad’ could have worked. Ellie and Abby both have the same arc, experiencing something traumatic, being consumed by revenge, then ultimately realising it’s worthless to kill. We could have followed the same arc with a much better version of the story we actually got.

Instead, it feels like the game is intentionally pissing us off, continuously ruining that idea, first by making us watch as Joel is brutally and stupidly killed so soon, then secondly, by then forcing us to play and connect with Abby for 50% of the game when that seed of hate for her has already been planted. This is another one of the moments in the game where I feel like we’re being patronised. Is it really fair to paint us in such a bad light for not wanting to play and grow to like Abby, when we saw her as a stranger brutally kill our favourite character? Is it really that bad for us to hate her after she has caused so much pain when we’ve only known her for two hours? It’s such a shame because she could have actually become a new well-loved character.

I’d just like to say that while I think the story is bad, no one who was involved in the making of this game should be attacked for it. Video games, especially in this age, are such hard things to make because so much goes into them and I don’t want to discredit anyone’s work. Regardless of my or anyone else’s opinions on the game or its story, the team at Naughty Dog have still poured hours of time and effort into making it. They shouldn’t be receiving attacks or hate, we can still discuss the game and our opinions while being respectful. The actors shouldn’t be receiving hate either, they acted brilliantly with what they were given. Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey especially should be credited for their work. And Troy Baker, though he was only in it for a short while, deserves an award just for that final ending scene between Ellie and Joel- it made me cry buckets. He made this character come alive beautifully and he deserves all the praise for it. And so do the rest of the cast, who did exceptionally good jobs.

In my eyes (though it sounds bad) The Last of Us 2 doesn’t exist as a game. In my own perfect world, it’s actually just badly written fanfiction posted to Tumblr or Wattpad. As goes in my made up ending, Joel and Ellie move to Jackson and restart their lives after the end of the first game. Eventually, he tells her about what happened and there’s a rift between them for some time, which is, of course, to be expected- it was a momentously selfish thing for him to do. Over time though, Ellie learns to forgive him and the rest is history. Because there’s no real canon ending, anything can happen. So… Did they eventually create a cure? Who knows. Did they stay in Jackson, happily living out their lives? Maybe. Did Joel die a badass and sacrificial death protecting Ellie? Possibly. Or did Joel die eventually in old age, surrounded by his family, holding his daughter’s hand as he passed away?

I hope so…

He may have been a complicated anti-hero. He may have even been a villain. Regardless, he still deserved a respectful death and in my perfect makebelieve ending…

He got it.

🌟🌟/5

Photo Credit ~ some from @ inora_miller on Instagram

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nerdzzone · 4 years

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Light After Dark: Chapter Two

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

Note: I was planning for this to be longer so I’m sorry if this is a bit of a boring chapter, but I figured something is better than nothing and it gives some more insight into Brooke’s life. The next chapter shouldn’t take me as long as this one did so don’t lose hope! And a big thank you for every like and reblog of chapter one!

______________

April. 17. 2020

Considering I was anxious and restless before injuring my ankle, the few days after were fairly close to absolute hell. I couldn't put much weight on it, not enough to walk on, so I was stuck on the couch with my foot raised up on the ottoman unable to hobble away from my mother's fussing. She felt guilty for forcing me out of the house the day I got hurt and therefore felt she needed to hover and fret around me all day to make up for it. I mean, it was nice to have someone bring me drinks and snacks whenever I needed them, but for the most part constantly being asked if I was alright and the endless fluffing of cushions was suffocating.

There was a reprieve though on the fifth day after my injury. For once, during the evening, everyone was off doing their own thing and I had the living room to myself. I had a full glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn and I was enjoying the peace and quiet. It was just the break I'd needed and I was feeling fully refreshed as my movie finished and my sister flopped down on the couch next to me.

"Hey, Cassie," I greeted her, but was met with a simple grunt in response. "Where's Molly?"

"I sent her out to the garden with Mum," She sighed. "I just got off the phone with Luke."

I shot her a sympathetic look before nodding my head towards the bottle of wine on the table.

"Pour yourself a glass," I instructed. "You look like you need it."

She nodded, quickly dragged herself off the couch and headed to the kitchen before appearing moments later with a glass in her hand. Once she'd poured herself some wine, topped mine off and settled in, I resumed my questioning.

"Is Luke doing alright?"

She sighed again and took a large gulp of her drink before nodding.

"He is, yeah," She assured me. "It's just hard. He misses us, Molly in particular of course, and he's down about all the horrible things he's been seeing. So like, he's fine, but he's not. He's struggling emotionally, I can tell, but he doesn't want to talk about it when I call. And I'm so worried about him. They don't have enough PPE, supplies are dwindling, as if his job just isn't dangerous enough at times like this."

Her words came out in practically all one breath as she toyed with the necklace around her neck, one that Luke had bought her just before we left London. Her grip on the wine glass in her hand had me worried she would snap the stem, but my heart really went out to her.

"He's going to be fine," I assured her, knowing my lack of expertise on the subject would really do little to comfort her. "Luke is responsible and cautious. Even if they don't have enough protective equipment, he won't go running into a situation that isn't safe. He knows what he has to lose if he gets sick, he'll do anything to make sure he gets back to you safely at the end of all this."

"I know, I know," She took another swig from her glass. "But it's not always in his control and I know him well enough to know he wouldn't ignore someone who needed help just because he didn't have the right protection."

"But he'll take whatever precautions he can," I insisted. "He loves you more than he loves the job."

"I know," She repeated with a sigh. "It's just hard being apart for so long. I really miss him."

"I know you do," I smiled sympathetically. "I can't even imagine how hard that must be, but if we all just stay home and away from other people this whole mess can't go on forever."

Cassie shot me a suspicious look with a smirk on her face.

"That's the most positive thing I've heard you say since we got here. Are you feeling okay? Did Dad slip you some good painkillers?"

I tried to swat at her from my side of the couch, but my elevated ankle restricted my movement.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes. "Being the tortured, mopey one is my thing. I'm just trying to stop you from stealing my aesthetic."

"Your aesthetic?" Cassie raised an eyebrow at my word choice. "You sound like a wannabe teenage Instagram model."

I giggled, realizing it was true.

"What can I say?" I asked in a very bad valley girl american accent. "I like totally have to keep my followers happy or I won't get any likes."

She stared at me blankly for a moment before she burst out laughing.

"That was horrifying," She informed me. "Please, never do that again."

"Oh, you just wait," I teased. "Only a few more years until Molly discovers the world of likes and followers..."

She cringed at the thought.

"A few? I'm hoping for at least ten..."

"Ten?!" I laughed at her optimism. "Maybe five, but I seriously doubt she'll stay off social media until she's seventeen."

"I didn't have Instagram until I was twenty-four."

"Only because it didn't exist," I scoffed. "If it was around when we were teenagers, you would have been all over it."

"But we didn't so I can still hold that over Molly's head when she starts insisting she needs it," She smirked as she reached for the bottle of wine on the table. That was when she noticed that Man of Steel was on the TV. "Oh my god, are you watching his movie?"

I felt my cheeks up as I realized she'd caught me, but I tried to play it cool.

"I've never seen the whole thing," I shrugged. "It was on Netflix so I figured I'd give it a go, it wasn't because he's in it."

"Oh, I see," She nodded as she filled her glass and poured the last splash into mine. "It's just a coincidence that after being carried around in Superman's arms, you're suddenly interested in watching his movie."

Her words were dripping with sarcasm, but I just rolled my eyes.

"He carried me out of necessity," I reminded her. "And I told him he didn't have to."

"How was it out of necessity if he didn't have to?" She smirked. "And then he just had to have your phone number, was that out of necessity too?"

I tossed the last few kernels of my popcorn at her, but she just shielded her face as she laughed.

"Asking for my phone number was clearly out of politeness," I informed her. "Since I haven't heard anything from him."

"Didn't he message you that night after you met?"

I nodded, but felt a familiar disappointment.

"He did," I confirmed. "And we chatted a bit, but I haven't head from him since."

"Well that was only, what? Four days ago?" Cassie pointed out. "That's not long enough to give up hope, he's probably just busy."

I raised an eyebrow at her suggestion.

"Busy doing what? We're in the middle of a pandemic, no one can go anywhere or do anything."

"People still have commitments," She reminded me, frowning at my pessimism. "And mum says he hasn't been home for ages so he's probably got a lot of catching up to do with his family."

"I guess that's true."

"Besides," She started, a smirk replacing her frown. "Why do you even care so much?"

"I don't!" I lied. "It doesn't even matter. Nothing could happen between us anyway with all this going on. He's just nice to look at so it was nice to daydream for a moment."

"Of course something could happen! My friend met a new guy on a dating app since all this started and she seems really happy with him."

"Have they even met yet?"

"No," Cassie admitted sensing my skepticism. "But you have met Henry so you don't have that issue!"

"But we wouldn't be able to get within six feet of each other for potentially a few months," I resisted. "And even when we can get closer to each other, kissing or whatever might not be allowed until there's a vaccine so what’s the point?"

"Ooh, ‘or whatever’," Cassie wiggled her eyebrows, her low alcohol tolerance clearly showing. "But seriously, if things start easing up in a couple months then kissing a man might not be so dangerous."

"I have asthma," I reminded her. "Kissing a man could actually kill me."

She tossed her head back and groaned at my stubbornness.

"Well by the time you're able to, you might not even want to. But you won't know unless you send him a fucking text."

As she was speaking, the door to the back patio flung open and a tiny, but very loud voice filled the room.

"Mummy said a naughty word!"

My niece, Molly, screamed as she flew through the door.

"She did!" I agreed. "That wasn't very polite of her, was it?"

"No!" Molly shook her head, dirt that had been smeared in her hair falling to the floor from the motion. "Naughty words hurt people's feelings!"

"They do! My feelings are very hurt."

Molly frowned at that information as she put her dirty little hands on her hips.

"Mummy, you need to apologize."

Cassie rolled her eyes as she turned to me and I smirked.

"I'm sorry for using a naughty word and hurting your feelings, Brooke," She said reluctantly. "But I stand by what I said. You don't have to wait for him to make the first move."

"The first move?" Molly questioned, her face lighting up. "Are you playing a game? Can I play?"

I laughed at her enthusiasm as her mother and I shook our heads.

"No, sweetie, we're not playing a game," Cassie told her. "And you can't do anything until we get you all cleaned up! Shall we go run you a bath?"

Molly looked disappointed, but nodded her little head.

"I got really dirty helping Nana plant some plants..."

"I can see that," Cassie smiled. "Let's go wash it all off."

I smiled as they left the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I went back and forth on whether I should message Henry and was just about to pull out my phone to maybe write a draft when my parents came through the door Molly had just appeared in. Taking it as a sign to not do what I was about to do, I locked my phone and put it back down.

"Hey, sweetie," My mum smiled at me. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine," I assured her. "And honestly, my ankle's a lot better. I can hobble around enough to look after myself."

"I know, but you don't need to while I'm here," She insisted. "I never get to dote on you girls much anymore, it's been nice having an excuse."

"I know and I appreciate it, but I'm fine."

My mom nodded and kissed my head as she walked past on her way to the stairs that Cassie had just chased Molly up.

"Just shout if you need anything," My dad added as he followed her. "Goodnight, kiddo."

The days were getting longer so I hadn't realized it was almost eight o'clock already. I shouted my goodnights before putting the empty wine glasses in the empty popcorn bowl, scooping up my phone and limping into the kitchen. Once the dishes were tidied away, I went up to my room and quickly changed into some pajamas before getting comfortable on my bed with my foot elevated once again.

I set my laptop up next to me with something mindless playing on Netflix before turning my attention back to my phone. I opened my conversation with Henry, but I was at a loss for words. He was a world famous superstar. He worked with and probably dated some of the most attractive women in the world. Why would he want to hear from me?

I closed the conversation again with a sigh, wishing I had some more wine to relieve some of my inhibitions. I was just about to put my phone away in defeat when a stroke of curiosity hit me and I opened Instagram instead. I liked a few posts that friends had made before tapping on the search bar and tentatively typing Henry's name. A few fan pages popped up, but his account was there with that coveted blue tick. I felt a strange nervous bubbling in my stomach, like I was somehow infringing on his privacy, but it was there for anyone to see so I decided to scroll just a bit.

He didn't post much, but that made sense from what I knew of him. He didn't strike me as the kind of person who wanted everything in his life to be on display plus he was a pretty busy guy with all the movies and shows he'd been in lately. There were a few pictures of Kal, a few pictures of some baking and cooking he'd been doing, a few horses and some lovely selfies. One in particular caught my eye. He was wearing a rugby jersey and his hair was long with a slight curl. His jaw was strong and he looked incredibly handsome.

I clicked on it eagerly, hoping to get a better look, but my heart sank instantly as that little heart popped up. I'd liked it. A picture from six months ago. He would know I was creeping through his photos, it was such a rookie mistake! I cursed myself, quickly closing the app and tossing my phone onto the bed as if it never happened if I couldn't see it. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I suddenly remembered why I always felt like social media was much more suitable for the younger generations.

#light after dark #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill fic #henry cavill x ofc

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thewidowstanton · 3 years

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Josie Stone: costumier

Costumier Josie Stone was born in London and lived and worked there most of her life but is now based in Rochester in Kent. She’s been in the business “going back to the Flower Power days of the sixties” in London’s King’s Road, and worked for a lot of up-and-coming pop groups, selling clothes to Tommy Roberts’ Kleptomania in Carnaby Street. She made fashion samples for designers Paddy Campbell and Katherine Cusack, and one Christmas Liberty’s department store had windows showcasing Cusack’s dresses – including one for Diana, Princess of Wales – all of which Josie had made. She also created samples for adverts in the boutique Medusa near Sloane Square.

Later Josie moved into the entertainment industry, making outfits for both the children’s and adults’ Royal Variety Performances, as well as doing TV work for the Des O’Connor Show, the Michael Barrymore Show, the Lesley Garrett and Frank Skinner shows, TFI Friday and for organisations such as Butlins and Bassline Circus. She’s made costumes for shows on cruise ships and for films such as Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and has made those for Thursford Christmas Spectacular for many years. Even though Thursford always credits her work, her considerable contribution to the industry has largely gone unrecognised.

She is performer Becky [Rebecca] Burford’s mother, and her son-in-law is stunt man Andrew Burford. The Widow’s Liz Arratoon has always regarded costumes as a vital part of any show and was delighted when Josie agreed to chat about her impressive – and lengthy – career.

The Widow Stanton: Have you always loved clothes and fashion? Josie Stone: It was always in me. I was one of these kids that when my mother and father bought me a sewing machine I made all my dolls’ clothes.

Was this skill in your family background? No, my mum was very good at sewing… very good. But no they didn’t do this. My father was a printer. I learnt a lot at school and a lot from my mum. I didn’t go to college; we had lessons at school for making… millinery classes and also sewing classes.

That’s amazing! We had sewing classes at school but we never learnt anything worthwhile. How did you start out actually working in the industry? I left school and went to a couple of places making shirts but that didn’t last long. Then I met up with this guy who had his workroom above Tesco’s in Victoria. He was very keen to start making… it was like Flower Power days but you couldn’t buy shirts and trousers and things like that for the pop groups. Those sort of things just weren’t around. So I went to work with him. It was a rented flat he lived in and we were all working in there making these things. Then he suddenly got this place down King’s Road in Chelsea called The Potato Shop; on the corner in World’s End. At the time Granny Takes a Trip was just down the road from us, with this American car sticking out the window that appeared to crash through on to the step. It was great! I mean good fun, great fun!

Do you design as well as make? No, I don’t design. I get a drawing and that’s it. It depends on who the designer is… sometimes you get ‘I want that at the bottom, I want the skirt to look like that and the top to look like that’.

Can you remember any of the pop groups you worked for? [Laughs] No! You’re talking a lot of years ago, lots of years ago. It was any group that was starting out in that industry and they had nowhere to buy their things. We would buy Indian bedspreads and make them into kaftans, sailors’ trousers, dyeing them all different colours and altering them, and frilly shirts that would be sold to the antique market at the Sloane Square end of the King’s Road, near the town hall. We had one floor in The Potato Shop and there were crazy carryings on downstairs in the basement. We didn’t really know what it was all about but it was a bit naughty. One night we sneaked back into the place and worked all night so this guy could get his order out.

We always hear about the Swinging Sixties… how much fun was it? Oh, King’s Road was lovely. Beautiful, beautiful. It was a wonderful place to be in the sixties with all the Flower Power, then the punks. It was great fun; it was wonderful fun. It was all unknown to me; it was all new and that was the start of me getting into that type of work. My dad worked just off of Carnaby Street and he got us work from Kleptomania, a big, big place where all the pop groups used to go. We’d be making more kaftans and shirts with frills all down the sides and the centre. There still weren’t many shops around that were selling that type of thing. Tommy Roberts would sell to people like Jimi Hendrix and The Who. It was just fun. [Laughs] I was a single girl having great fun going from one place to the next, really.

After that I worked in a boutique called Medusa. I was downstairs making samples all the time. I didn’t used to do much production. Mainly I’d make a sample up and then if they liked it it would go off to wherever, to a factory or somewhere like that to do production. Medusa was a swinging place, it was in a little alleyway off the King’s Road next to Sainsbury’s. I believe it was called Elystan Place. It was an up-and-coming boutique. That was at the time when Zandra Rhodes was big, and those sort of people. One time we made some samples for Apple Records, the Beatles’ label, but it never came to anything.

What was the best part of your life then? I was young and having fun and it was all the unknown. I lived then in Wandsworth Road with my parents, and these were all Chelsea people and they were different, completely different to the life I’d led, and it was just really way out, anything went. It didn’t matter what you wore, anything went. And I loved my job. I’d work any hours because I loved it. I didn’t always like the places, I’d go from job to job, but I did love my work and I then started having my own workroom. I decided I’d work from home. I worked with a friend from my first mother-in-law’s house and we were still doing the kaftans… a guy used to pull up in this black cab that was all painted with psychedelic patterns. It was at Tulse Hill – they were very quiet there – and the neighbours used to look in absolute amazement at everything going on. But we loved it, my mother-in-law loved it and it was good fun.

So, let’s jump ahead, how did the Liberty’s window display come about? I worked for somebody called Katherine Cusack. That was just when Rebecca was born and I was working from home. I think Katherine advertised in The Stage and she wanted to start doing semi-couture work. I’d make her samples and then she’d have a party and invite all these quite wealthy people to her lounge. It was a beautiful Edwardian house in Grafton Square in Clapham Common. Then she managed to get into Liberty’s and that Christmas the whole front had all the dresses that I’d made.

Which of Lady Di’s dresses did you make? It was a beautiful silk velvet in a beautiful deep blue. It had long sleeves and rouleau loops with little buttons all the way down. I think Di went into Liberty’s and bought it. I believe she was photographed wearing it for The Lady. Katherine was over the moon. But it was real pain to make because silk velvet takes its own route. It’s not the easiest of fabrics to work on because it’s so soft. It is beautiful but it’s not easy to make. You’ve go to have the right feed on your machine otherwise when you’re joining the seams up you’ll lose it and it will be longer one end. Josie! That dress was later auctioned for thousands and thousands! £48,000, I believe.

How did you make the move into showbusiness? I moved into that when Rebecca started at Sylvia Young’s. They used to put on shows all the time because it’s a theatre school and I started making costumes. Then I went on to doing the children’s Royal Variety.

Is that how you got on to the adults’ Royal Variety Performance? I’d got into a workroom at Acton doing samples for someone I met on the children’s Royal Variety. Then I went into my own workroom at Acton and I used to help her out. Various different designers got my name and we took on the work. That’s how we gradually started doing all the shows. She didn’t want to go on the shows so I used to go to the studios or anywhere where the work was and I’d fit the costumes and then come back and we’d finish them, but she stayed in the workroom to do whatever needed to be done there.

Can you tell us about any really nice celebs you worked with? Oh God, who haven’t I met? [Laughs] I worked on the Royal Variety for years with a wonderful designer called Linda Martin. That’s years and years so that’s one helluva lot of people I’ve met. Des O’Connor was sweet. He was lovely, lovely, absolutely charming and so was his wife. We used to do a lunchtime show with him. I did that for a lot of years. Michael Barrymore was also lovely. I was really upset when he went off the scene because he was a nice guy.

Does anyone else stand out? There’s very few that weren’t nice. They were all very nice. No one was horrible. I worked on Michael Barrymore’s show at Wimbledon Theatre and there were so many celebs on it that they had to share dressing rooms. This one particular share was with Warren Mitchell and Chris Eubank. And Warren Mitchell didn’t want to share with Chris Eubank at all. At the time Chris Eubank had this electric scooter that he would go all round the corridors on it. I could understand Warren Mitchell not wanting to share with him because he was a bit wild at this point. He’s the only one I can say wasn’t very pleasant, but I think it was because he was unhappy about sharing because he and Chris were complete opposites.

Do you know how many years you’ve done Thursford for? If we go this time, probably 20 years. The designer I work with there is Stephen Adnitt; he was Cilla’s designer. I worked with Linda Martin for 12 or 13 years doing Thursford. I’d never met Stephen, I knew of him, and he asked me to join his team. The designer gets the job and they’ll have a team and usually they keep that same team all the time. I’ve worked with him for eight years.

How many costumes might be involved in its Christmas show? We have to dress everybody at Thursford, even the orchestra. So you have 56 singers, 23 dancers and almost two full orchestras.

So when would you start to plan something like that? We – I work with Rita Best – would start end of May, beginning of June. Our designs would come in before then. We’d measure people and make the costumes and fit them in September. There are probably eight or nine sets of costumes to make. It’s enormous! Enormous. It’s the biggest show I think in Europe. We’d spend three weeks in Norfolk just making sure that it all works on the set; making sure that sequins don’t come off – I mean it’s covered, absolutely covered in sequins – and we’ll be sitting for hours and hours sticking them on. But again, we love it. We’d see the rehearsals and the preview and the day the show starts we’d come home. Our job was done. When I was working for Linda there, I’d be there working late at night. That didn’t happen so much with Stephen. He’d be like: “We’ve got to finish now.”

You mentioned doing millinery at school so do you do headdresses and that sort of thing? No, I would have liked to have done but for Thursford we have a milliner who comes with us; Shirley Davis, who has also been in the business a very long time.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps? Get into a workroom and learn how it goes. Learn how people work because what they learn at college is not how a workroom works. And really to earn any money at it, you’ve got to have a bit of speed on the machine. You can’t hang about. You can’t take a week or two or three weeks to make something. It’s nice if they can get into a workroom and see it first hand. I mean I get my work through various designers that I’ve known over the years or another maker who will ring me up completely out of the blue. Last week I helped someone out on a film. I’ll work on anything that needs a costume. I did Red or Black? at Wembley Arena, a game show developed by Simon Cowell. You could win a £1 million. It was massive. I worked with another designer called Scott Landridge, who did the children’s TV series The Worst Witch, the TV series Mile High and the sitcom Citizen Khan.

Have you had any costume disasters? Not really. [Laughs] I’ve had a lot of late nights or working all night to finish a costume off. You get the occasional broken strap and you have to quickly run down to the stage or on to the set and pin them up, or something doesn’t fit when they arrive. But no major disasters.

Have you been doing anything during the lockdown? Just before the lockdown we had all these shows on cruise ships lined up but that all went. At first I was making scrubs for the hospitals. I did loads of voluntary work for anyone who needed them. Sometimes they gave me the material and sometimes I’d provide it. They were using all kinds of material in the end, even bedspreads. I did that for a while and I also made these little pairs of hearts. They were to send to hospices and hospitals so the patient could have one to hold and the family would have the other one. I made them out of all the material I have here. I also did masks, but I’m not doing so many now.

Do you ever think about retiring? No! [Laughs] I love what I do. But the work will get less and less and that will be it. I mean we’ve had hardly anything this year. We did a few bits for Butlins and a big Dame’s costume, which I don’t think ever got used because that show was cut.

Can you pick out a few career highlights? I loved working on the Royal Variety at the Royal Albert Hall. I loved doing it in there. I did that quite a few times. Beautiful, beautiful. It’s a beautiful building and it’s just lovely to work in. If you look back at all the names that have been on the Royal and I did it for more than twenty years, there are a hell of a lot of names I’ve met. And that was quite fun.

Josie is hoping that Thursford Christmas Spectacular in Thursford, Norfolk will go ahead this year. If so, it will run from 9 November – 23 December 2021 at 2pm and 7pm.

In the meantime she can be contacted on 07956 832261 for commissions.

For Thursford tickets click here

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#josie stone #costumier #kleptomania #tommy roberts #swinging sixties #king's road #granny takes a trip #thursford christmas spectacular #royal variety performance #Becky Burford #andrew burford #diana princess of wales #Katherine Cusack #Scott Landridge #shirley davis #linda martin #rita best #stephen adnitt

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