#being dramatic about this so I can ignore where jordan placed

[marshmurmurs]

Pass on the title, pass on the crown

[msmischief101]

♜Pairing: Briles ♜Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Brett Talbot ♜Tags/Warnings: Mutual Pining, Party Games, Truth or Drink, Alpha Brett ♜Words: 4517 ♜Someone is jealous/hurt + "I never want you to feel like you're not good enough." (@raksh-writes) ♜ ao3

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Truth or Drink

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“I can’t decide if this is the most brilliant or the stupidest place to party,” Stiles mutters, trudging alongside Brett towards the abandoned distillery. There is a lot of nothingness that’s followed by the preserve. “It’s like you want someone to get eaten or murdered.” Or, since this is Beacon Hills, first eaten and then killed. As the resident alpha of Beacon County, Stiles really expected the werewolf would know better. 

But Brett seems more amused about that than anything. “It’s just a party.”

“It’s never just a—“ Stiles’ foot catches on something. Despite this being absolutely not surprising in the slightest, he’s got no chance to catch himself. 

Luckily, Brett has no intention of letting him kiss the ground. With ease, he catches Stiles around the waist and sets him back onto his feet. “I swear,” he mutters, wrapping his arm around Stiles’ shoulders, “you could trip over your own shadow.” 

Now is probably not the time to inform him that tripping over his own shadow is basically a daily occurrence. Sometimes, Stiles is still surprised he graduated at the top of his class with the FBI. “What can I say?” Stiles tries not to squirm away because he still isn’t sure if he can handle all this casual intimacy. It’s so different from having sex with Brett — and Stiles doesn’t know how to feel about that. “My shadow likes to see me fall.”

Brett chuckles and pulls him closer. “I’m glad you came.”

If Stiles is going to feel the same way remains to be seen. Agreeing to accompany Brett to this lacrosse partly mostly happened because his dad threatened to drive him here himself. Ever since his breakup five months ago, Stiles made a point not to leave the house — especially after moving back home from Quantico. Beacon Hills is a wayward station on his path to figuring out where to go — and a place to wallow in self-pity. It didn’t matter how many people considered him smart and attentive, he still didn’t notice that his girlfriend fucked other people for more than a year. 

Stiles doesn’t want feelings. He doesn’t want a relationship either, but something threw a wrench called Brett in his plans. 

Stiles fucking hates it. Because his goal is to leave, and Brett can’t leave this hellhole now that he’s Satomi’s successor. This— whatever this is, it’s already doomed. When Jordan told him his caffeine addiction would become his undoing, Stiles did not expect it to be in the form of Brett fucking Talbot. 

Sighing, Stiles slips out from under Brett’s arm and walks the small path up to the distillery in front of the wolf. The music and voices are much more distinct now — they also come with memories of other parties; especially the one he finally caught his girlfriend with somebody else. His birthday was explosive, to say the least. Stiles grimaces. “I’m way too sober for this.” 

Chuckling again, Brett nudges him towards the door. “Don’t be so damn dramatic.” 

Dramatic feels like an understatement, yet again something Stiles decides not to point out. He also tries his best to ignore the pack symbol clawed into one of the walls. That’s certainly not a bad sign. Not at all. 

“Talbot!” A guy Stiles doesn’t know throws his hands in the air almost in a winning gesture. Turns out, this guy isn’t the only person Stiles doesn’t know. He wasn’t sure what he expected, to be fair. After all, he hasn’t been involved in anything Beacon Hills lacrosse for almost six years. 

“No way.” That voice comes from his left, and it sounds far too familiar. “Stiles!” And that would be Mason. Fantastic. “I didn’t know you were back.” 

Stiles isn’t surprised to find Liam right next to him. Those two are inseparable — and without their partners. That is quite the unusual picture. 

“Hey,” Stiles says, trying his best to sound excited to be here, “how are you guys doing?” It’s probably best not to mention that he’s been back for almost two months. Turns out he decides not to mention a lot of things. Then again, it’s not like he owes anyone. Unless it’s Brett. Stiles has told Brett a lot more than he thought he’d be ready for — even about the shit his ex pulled despite promising himself he wouldn’t bury that six feet under. But Brett is easy to talk to, and, if you know what you are looking for, just as easy to read. Even though his face seems closed off, Stiles can see the annoyance in the way his lips narrow ever so slightly.

It could have a lot to do with Liam, however, something about the way Brett places his hand on the small of Stiles’ back indicates differently. It’s a weirdly possessive gesture. Something he never really expected Brett to do. But he does, and that’s opening a whole other can of worms. Brett leans down, brushing his nose against his temple. “I’ll grab us something to drink.” He presses his thumb against his back before walking away. 

Us. 

Stiles blinks. Us. Stiles hasn’t been aware this was an ‘us’ situation. When did this turn into an ‘us’ situation? Sure, they arrived here together, and, yes, they have seen each other at least three times a week for the past couple of months. But just because they had sex — he’s getting paranoid because of a single fucking word, isn’t he? Brett is probably just being nice, so Stiles can catch up with Mason and Liam. He needs to leave this town as quickly as he. It’s already starting to drive him insane again. 

Well, it’s not just the town. It’s also being fucked over for more than a year by his ex. 

“I didn’t know you two are a thing.” Liam’s voice may be barely audible over the music, but his bitter tone is hard to miss. 

“We’re not.” His reply might have come too quickly if Mason’s raised eyebrows are any indication. Stiles gestures dismissively. “We ran into each other a while back—“

“A while back?” Liam echoes and his face goes through a lot of emotions until it seems to settle on irritation. “How long are you back?” Which really means, ‘how long are you back without telling us? And why did you tell Brett instead of us? And would you have ever told us?’. That’s a lot of questions wrapped up in a very short one. 

Stiles has no clue how to answer that without making it worse. “I’m not sure,” he replies with a half-shrug. That’s at least partially true. At first, he didn’t even plan to stay here. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. He wanted to see his dad and Jordan… and then he just didn’t leave. He quit his job, got rid of his apartment, and moved back into his bedroom. Working the supernatural cases for his dad while living at home helps him to save a bit of money until he’s figured out where to go and what to do. It’s not what he wanted with 24, but it’s still better than nothing. “I didn’t even plan to stay this long, so I didn’t even announce it.” Nobody would know he’s back if he didn’t run into Brett because Stiles doesn’t leave the police station or the house unless he had to do something about his caffeine addiction. 

“Other than Brett you mean,” Liam mutters, his tone again drenched in bitterness. It’s not like they’ve spoken a lot ever since Stiles went to college. 

Mason raises his hands. “Let’s just get a drink as well.” Without waiting for their response, he walks over to the group of tables that seems to be the makeshift bar.

Brett is standing next to the tables, holding two red cups, laughing at something the guy next to him said. His gaze darts to Stiles almost immediately, however, and when he locks eyes with him, a weirdly private smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. 

Stiles can feel his heart leap into his throat. This is bad. This is so fucking bad. Still. Stiles finds himself walking toward the werewolf and accepts the drink with a grin. “How drunk am I gonna be tonight?” 

Chuckling, Brett wraps an arm around his shoulders again. “I’ll take good care of you.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

The guy talking to Brett shifts more into Stiles’ view. “Hi,” he says, smiling almost uncomfortably wide, “I’m Gabe.”

There’s the smallest moment of Brett’s arm stiffening around him, but Stiles can’t really tell if Brett is pulling him closer or if Stiles is stepping further into the embrace. Either way, his shoulder bumps against Brett’s chest, and he’s suddenly very aware of the scent clinging to Brett’s skin; it reminds Stiles of something wild, fresh, and, strangely enough, a night spent at a bonfire. He likes it. To be exact, Stiles can’t get enough of that scent. “Stiles,” he says, more interested in his drink. The vodka is another thing Stiles can smell. He still gives it a chance and carefully sips on his drink. The moment the liquid touches his tongue, he grimaces. “Oh god.” That’s what he gets for letting a werewolf make his drink. “You could’ve just given me vodka straight.” 

Brett chuckles, tapping his finger against Stiles’ upper arm. “You said you’re too sober for this.” 

“That was a statement,” Stiles says, but he can’t help the quiet chuckle, “not a challenge.” 

Gabe points at him, continuing to grin uncomfortably wide. “You sound like you’re in desperate need of a round of Truth or Drink.” 

“I’m definitely too sober for that.” Stiles carefully sips on his drink again. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say Brett is trying to get him drunk. But considering the guy is a werewolf, Stiles highly doubt he has any clue how alcohol affects humans. Let’s hope his Polish genes help him not to make a fool of himself. Then again, he can hold his liquor. So, he probably shouldn’t be too worried. 

“That’s kind of the point of a drinking game, isn’t it?” Brett quirks a brow, grinning in a way that really does not bode well. “Let’s go.” And with that, he drags Stiles towards a group of people already sitting in a circle. 

This is going to be great. 

“Move ladies, Talbot graces us with his presence.” 

The good thing about coming here with Brett is that people are mostly not interested in him. So, Stiles will probably mostly be a bystander — something that’s proven correct because aside from Lori, who is sitting to his right, as well as Mason and Liam, he’s hardly asked a question at all. Not that Stiles complains. He does not mind just sitting here watching all the other people giggle or make an ass out of themselves for either replying or not replying to a question. 

But people are getting more tipsy and the questions riskier, and Stiles just knew that his luck would run out eventually. Gabe cuts his gaze towards him — and something about his expression makes his stomach drop. “So, Stiles,” Gabe says, grin only getting bitter, “who’s the best person you’ve ever had sex with? Name some names.”

Stiles licks his lips. His gaze darts to Liam and Mason, and he really tries his best not to look at Brett at all. That would probably give everything away. Besides, it’s simply nobody’s business who he is and isn’t sleeping with. Clearing his throat, he takes a sip of his drink. 

“Oh, come on! Really?”

“That’s the game, G,” Brett chuckles, nudging Stiles as he shifts into a more comfortable position. 

Tapping the rim of his now empty cup, Stiles considers who — he still hardly knows anybody attending this party — and what to ask. They seem to have entered the intimate partner stage, so he settles for something safe. “Mason, what was your last first date like?” 

Unsurprisingly, Mason immediately starts talking, rattling on and on about his last first date with Corey, and giving Stiles enough time to refill his cup — with a much better mix — and settle back down between the Talbot siblings. 

After a few more rounds, it’s Lori who addresses him. “If you could cheat and no one would ever find out,” she asks, without even the hint of a smile on her face, “would you?” Her hazel eyes are intense. It’s almost a little scary. 

Stiles hates the question, mostly because cheating is a seriously sore topic for him, and no matter how much he pretends that it’s okay, it still hurts. But it’s not like Lori knows she’s basically stepped into something. Stiles shakes his head. “No.” He’d rather die than hurt anybody in this way. “I’d never cheat on anybody. Ever.” 

For a few moments, Lori keeps staring at him. It almost feels as if she’s looking for the truth in his statement — or for the lie. After a few seconds, she nods and smiles. “Good.” That word weighs a ton for some reason, and her smile is weirdly relaxing. 

Stiles doesn’t want to think too much about it. Pursing his lips, he looks around the circle of people and takes a sip of his drink. He’s far from drunk, but he cannot deny that Brett’s vodka mix gave him a bit of liquid courage. 

“Brett,” Stiles says, leaning back a little to look at the alpha, “do you like telling your partner what to do in bed, or do you prefer to be told what to do?” They never really talked about what they liked and disliked during sex. It’s more a relationship than a casual hook-up conversation. But this game feels like a good opportunity to learn something new. 

Brett tips his cup back and forth, studying Stiles for a few prolonged seconds. The music is loud, but Brett’s almost inaudible chuckle makes Stiles shudder despite himself. When they lock eyes, Stiles wishes they were back at Brett’s place. Alone. But they aren’t, and it’s killing him. 

Smirking, Brett bends his leg and props his arm on his knee. “I’m dominant by nature,” he says, punctuation every single word. “If my partners are up for it, I very much enjoy telling them what to do.” Brett tips his head to the left, eyes roaming over Stiles’s face. “Did that answer your questions?”

More than enough. Maybe Stiles should go into detail about that later. “Yes.” Stiles nods, hiding his grin by sipping on his own drink.

“Good,” Brett says, and again this word seems to weigh a ton. Licking his lips, he looks up. “Liam, what do you think? Does size really matter?” 

Stiles elbows Brett in the ribs, fully aware that he’s hurting himself more than the werewolf. Those two are going to go after each other no matter how much time has passed. They’re never going to be friends, but despite Liam’s narrowed eyes, whatever Mason told him seems to keep him mostly civil. Instead of answering or snapping at Brett, he simply shoots him a dirty look, takes a sip of his drink, and continues the game. 

More questions are bouncing around. A few people leave, and a few others join them. People getting bolder with their answers and questions. 

“Stiles.” He has no idea why Gabe seems to have made him his target, but Stiles honestly isn’t the biggest fan of it. Either way, the guy seems to have way too much fun to stop. Grinning, he leans forward in an almost conspiratorial manner, “what are your thoughts on sex with me?” 

What?

Stiles blinks and opens his mouth. 

“Bastard,” Brett mutters, and judging by the way he shakes his head, he did not mean for anybody to hear over the music. But Stiles heard, and, for the lack of a better word, Brett looks pissed. He’s glaring at Gabe too, something the guy seems to be completely unaware of. For some reason, Stiles doubts they’ve ever actually been friends at all. Even Mason and Liam, who he’s never been all that close to, thought they are a thing. If Gabe were Brett’s friend, Stiles doubt he wouldn’t notice anything. 

Wait. 

Wait. 

Is Brett jealous? No. No. That’s just ridiculous. Why would Brett be jealous of a question like that? 

“Stiles?” Brett turns to look at him, quirking a brow. “Did… did you drink?” Because not answering this question is answer enough. Right? No. Unless. Unless maybe Brett is just— okay, this is getting ridiculous. They’re fucking. That’s it. There’s nothing else going on. Because Brett knows Stiles is going to leave eventually, and because Brett isn’t stupid enough to fall for someone as paranoid as him— or for someone who forced him into agreeing that they’re nothing more than a booty call. 

But they are, aren’t they? They ate dinner together. They watched movies together. They watched movies with the pack. They made breakfast. Stiles complained to him about work. Brett grumbled about his alpha duties. They talked about ex-partners. They text all the time. 

Fuck.  

“No, I—“ Stiles licks his lips and swallows around the lump in his throat. Shit. He didn’t mean to stare at Brett. “What… what was the question again?” Focus, Stilinski. This is getting ridiculous. Taking a breath, he turns to Gabe. Cool and collected. He’s going to tell the truth, he just needs to be sure about the question again. Before he says something stupid. 

Gabe smirks now, cocking a brow as he points at Stiles. “What are your thoughts about sleeping—“ he opens his arms, almost as if he’s some big shot “— with me.” 

“Not for a million bucks, buddy.” Stiles shakes his and takes a sip of his drink regardless, smirking a little as Gabe’s face falls as if he’s actually expected a different answer. 

Brett relaxes next to him, and he looks almost a little smug with his raised eyebrows and the way he grins before sipping on his drink. 

Clearly unamused, Gabe gets to his feet and leaves the circle without another word. 

Lori laughs into her beer. Yeah, there is clearly something going on between Gabe and Brett that Stiles is very much not aware of, but it feels like some form of rivalry. They’re just weirdly passive-aggressive about it — and it’s probably born out of some stupid lacrosse thing. 

Stiles forces himself not to read into this any further. “Jiang, what’s your biggest turn off?” 

Jiang scrunches up his nose for a few seconds then he shrugs. “Not sure, so I’ll just…” he trails off and raises his cup to his mouth with a chuckle. After drinking the contents of his cup in one go, he points at Lori. “What’s the kinkiest thing you have ever done during sex?” 

Lori doesn’t even stop to think about an answer. She sips on her drink and turns to her brother, looking right past Stiles with an unreadable expression. “Brett,” she says in a tone that makes her brother stiffen a little, “what’s your last text message? Show it to the person on your right.” Lori sounds like a woman on a mission, and Stiles has no idea why because he is the person on Brett’s right. Why would Lori want him to see a text message? 

Oh, no. No. He is reading into things again. 

Brett’s grip around his drink tightens, and for a few seconds, Stiles is sure he’s not going to show him anything. Mostly because it’s probably the text he sent Stiles when he was pulling into the driveway to pick him up. Still, Brett hesitates for a few seconds, studying first Stiles and then his sister before shifting a bit so he can reach his phone. After another couple of seconds of hesitation then Brett unlocks his phone and goes through it before holding it out to Stiles. This time, he isn’t looking at him, however, he is staring his sister down with the most closed-off expression Stiles has ever seen him with. 

Furrowing his brows, Stiles grabs the phone and looks down. It’s not the text message Brett sent him last. It’s a chat with Lori. 

>> No, it’s not enough. But I can’t force him. His girlfriend fucked him over. I just wanna

The text message cuts off there, and Stiles feels like he’s invading Brett’s privacy. But he gave him his phone. It’s basically impossible to only read the last text message. 

Stiles is scared to get hurt again. Can you blame him?<<

Stiles can feel his blood run cold. 

>> You know I’d never hurt him. I wanna show him off. I wanna tell people about him, bring him around to pack nights and shit. I’m ready to do whatever he wants to with him. Fuck. I can’t even think straight. I just want to be with him. 

I just want to be with him. 

Shit. 

Shit. 

Stiles doesn’t meet Brett’s eyes when he returns the phone. The silence of the group sounds louder than the music. Leave. Stiles needs to leave. Every fiber of his body begs him to stand up and run. He clears his throat. “Excuse me for a moment.” Without looking up, he gets to his feet and turns on his heels. Fuck. Stiles empties his cup in one go and drops it on a table. He needs to get out of here. He needs to breathe. This is the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened. 

Brett wasn’t supposed to catch feelings. 

He wasn’t supposed to give Stiles hope. 

Fuck. 

Pressing his lips together, Stiles rushes past a group of people, pointedly ignores Gabe calling his name, and all but runs towards the door. He can feel the panic set in again. The panic of falling in love before having it ripped out from right under him. Stiles is not going to get through that again. Especially not with Brett. No. Brett is— he’s different. So fucking different it hurts to even think about losing him. 

“Stiles!”

And that’s his cue to go faster. Stiles hurries out of the door. The fresh air is like a punch in the face. Yup, that first drink hit him after all. He stops for all but a second, squeezing his eyes shut to clear his head. When he opens them again, the world around him seems steady enough that he dares to hurry down the path they walked up only a couple of hours ago. It feels like an eternity. 

It’s at the end of the path that Brett finally catches up to him. “Stiles.” His fingers loosely wrap around his elbow yet they seem to root him to the spot. “Why are you running away from me?” Brett looks hurt, so fucking hurt that Stiles has the urge to throw up. 

He doesn’t want to hurt Brett. It’s the last thing he deserves. “Because…” Stiles takes a deep breath, trying to string the words floating in his brain into something coherent. “Because I think I’m falling in love with you, okay?” It sounds like an attack even to his own ears, as if all of this is Brett’s fucking fault — and maybe it is. “That’s why I’m running. I can’t do this. I can’t feel like this again, knowing I’m gonna lose it anyway. Fuck, Brett, I don’t even want to fucking stay in this town, what am I supposed to do?” 

Despite everything he just threw at him, Brett cups his neck, thumbs brushing over his jaw. “Just talk to me,” he says softly, not looking angry at all, “you could’ve said something.”

“Why?” Stiles curls his hands around Brett’s wrists, but he doesn’t pull his hands away. He simply can’t. “I don’t want to stay here. I hate this town, but you can’t leave. I would never ask you to either. It’s just not worth it. I’—“ 

“Hey, hey.” Brett moves his hands, cupping his cheeks now. “Don't just assume everything. You read the texts—“ 

“Brett, I’m a paranoid mess. I have a mountain of trust issues. You deserve someone better.” 

“No.” Brett leans their foreheads together. “I never want you to feel like you're not good enough. You hear me?” 

Stiles closes his eyes and lets out a breath. “You  deserve someone who wants to stay here with you.” 

Brett kisses the corner of his mouth. “But I want you, all of you. The good, the bad—“

“The crazy?”

Chuckling, Brett kisses him again, a little longer this time. “We’ll work on that self-deprecating humor first thing in the morning.” 

Shaking his head, Stiles leans back. Something about the way Brett looks at him clears his head — and makes him feel calm. He’s never felt this type of stillness before. But that doesn’t change any facts. “I don’t want to stay here.” 

“Then we’ll figure something out.” 

Stiles sighs. “Brett—“

“I said,” he interrupts him in the softest voice he’s ever heard, “we’ll figure something out. Please.” Ever so gently, Brett nudges their noses together. “Let me prove to you that I meant every word in that text message.” 

For some reason, Stiles has the feeling that ‘no’ isn’t exactly a word existing in Brett’s vocabulary — and he certainly isn’t taking it for an answer. Stiles leans his head forward, and Brett simply opens his arms, allowing Stiles to curl against him. Sighing, he wraps his arms around Brett’s waist, breathing him in, allowing himself to fall for him just a little bit further. Maybe… maybe they’ll figure something out. They have to figure something out. Because walking away now that he knows Brett is feeling the same way is going to hurt just as much as walking away in the future. 

Stiles takes a deep breath. 

He’s going to give this a chance. 

“So,” he whispers, tilting his head enough that his nose brushes against Brett’s throat — a touch that rewards him with a shudder, “you said you’d do whatever I want?” 

His question is followed by a short huff, but the smile is audible in Brett’s voice. “Somehow I get the feeling that I’m gonna regret that.” 

“Maybe in the future,” Stiles mutters, pressing his lips to the crook of Brett’s neck for a second, “but for now I just want something to eat and then go back to your place to figure out if you answered my questions truthfully or not.” 

Brett hums. “Sounds like we should grab some food right now.” Smirking, he curls two fingers around Stiles’ chin and tilts his head up. “Because I have a few ideas that’ll keep you up tonight.” 

Now, that’s something Stiles loves to hear a lot. “Good thing tomorrow is my day off then.”

“Oh, good.” Brett brushes their lips together in a way that makes Stiles’ legs go weak. “So, I can have my way with you tonight and fulfill your every wish tomorrow.” He paints every word against his lips, “how does that sound?” 

“So good that I’m considering skipping the food.” 

Brett barks out a laugh and picks Stiles up, throwing him over his shoulder quite unglamorously. “You’re gonna eat. Trust me. You need it.”

[citrinesparkles]

cat.

jason todd, eventually x gender neutral reader. 1,388 words. notes: this is part one of i don't even know how many and i cannot believe how wildly out of hand this got. this was a 500 word idea and it's gonna be at least three parts someone help (thanks to @angelz-dust for being so patient with me and encouraging on this!!! would never have made it out of the drafts without you <3) warnings: danger to kids, mention of a couple arguing, animal illness (spoiler alert: it'll be fine i Promise), a little (lot) different than my usual edit: part two here!

"let me be perfectly clear: if you even think about showing back up here, i will know, and i will make your life a living hell until i finally put you out of your misery. understood?"

"yes! yeah man i get it. understood."

"then i'd get going, if i were you." the man scrambled to his feet and bolted off across the playground, leaving jason to shout after him. "and warn any buddies you might have, too!"

he picked up the discarded knife and pocketed it. he then turned around slowly, hands visibly empty in a careful attempt not to scare the two kids behind him- well, careful not to make it worse, anyway. they, understandably, seemed a little shaken already.

"are you both alright?" he asked softly, slouching just a little to seem as harmless as possible.

probably would have been easier if they hadn't just watched him threaten someone.

the older kid- probably fifteen, if jason had to place a bet- nodded silently before glancing back at the little girl he was still hovering in front of protectively, who was just... staring.

she couldn't have been older than six.

"jazz?" the boy asked, voice tight. "are you hurt?"

he was ignored. "are you superman?"

the question, innocent and earnest and a little timid, made jason laugh. "not quite, kiddo."

she tilted her head like a curious puppy, furrowing her brow. "why are you wearing a jacket?"

jason glanced up at the boy, who seemed comforted by her mini interrogation. good.

talking was a good sign, too, so jason crouched down to meet her at eye level.

"because it gets cold out here!" he said, raising his hands up with a small wiggle of his fingers. "gloves, too."

"well, duh," jazz said with a giggle- a win, jason thought. "no fingerprints."

he nodded. "also helpful."

"and the hat to hide your face!" she said proudly, stepping forward a little to point at his helmet.

"wow, you've got the whole thing figured out, huh?"

"mhm! my friend ricky loves batman and his friends. he talks about batman and nightwing and spoiler and robin and red robin and red hood and batgirl all the time! they hide their faces like you, ricky thinks it's because of bad guys."

"they're kinda cool, huh?"

"nightwing's my favorite," she said firmly, as though it was something she had considered at great length and was fully prepared to defend.

"not red hood?" jason smacked a hand to his chest in mock hurt, shifting back dramatically. "i'm crushed, truly."

"no, ricky says red hood used to be an alien, but then got bored and now he annoys batman for fun instead. that sounds mean."

...well, okay, maybe he did annoy the big guy for fun a little. "that's an interesting theory, all right."

"ricky's got all kinds of theories. he thinks batman's a robot-" jason snorted- "and that nightwing was like pinochle."

"you mean pinocchio," the boy corrected quietly. "pinochle's what gramma plays."

"pinocchio!" she exlaimed, with a "ch" sound in the middle that made jason smile. "a doll that got turned human. that's how he does all the flips and stuff, he's got magic."

"hm, ricky seems like an interesting guy," jason said thoughtfully, making a big show of rubbing the chin of his helmet. "what do y-"

he was cut off by a loud, insistent meow, and jazz gasping even louder before taking off to the bushes.

"w- hey, don't rush off like that!" he said, shooting up off the ground as the boy sighed.

"there's this cat that she's been taking care of," he explained quietly. "the thing's got attitude for days but i think it's sick or something. jasmine's been bringing it little bits of tuna and chicken, but it's not like we can get it to a vet."

jason hummed. "why do you think it's sick?"

"it's thin, with its eyes all watery and sunk."

"might just be malnourished," he muttered.

"she's been trying to find it a home, y'know."

there was a wink-wink-nudge-nudge quality to the kid's voice that did not go unnoticed.

on one hand, it was good to hear something other than fear from him, but on the other... "what part of the tactical armor makes you think i'm an option?"

"the part where you just stuck around to check on us instead of running after that guy."

okay. maybe the quiet thing hadn't been so bad. the cocky 'amateur psychologist' thing was a little grating.

"you the real red hood?" the kid asked suddenly, shaking jason from his internal grumbling.

"what do you think?"

"i think you just saved our lives, and i wanna know who i'm thanking."

jason turned to him with a flourish. "red hood, baby saver extraordinaire. at your service."

"baby- dude, i'm seventeen!"

okay, so he would have lost his bet. "noted. still a baby, trust me."

"what are you under there, twenty something? whatever, grandpa."

jason chuckled, turning back to watch jasmine pet a small cat under one of the yellow lights littering the park. "you did well, looking out for her with that guy. you got a name?"

he scoffed. "would've been better if i'd kicked him between the legs right when he opened his mouth, instead of letting him get started on the whole 'what're you kids doing out so late?' bit," he muttered darkly, pausing for a moment before answering. "my name's jordan."

"well, jordan, what are you guys doing out so late?"

"mom works nights, and the neighbors were fighting. it was loud enough to wake jazz up, and it wasn't the kind of thing she needed to hear. i figured a trip to see her cat would be less awful than hearing them call each other things i wouldn't even call my friends." the breeze picked up, rustling the trees and catching on jason's jacket. "and then the asshole with the knife decided to make a bad night worse."

"is jazz your sister?"

"yeah, she's a good kid," jordan said, fond and warm. "sorry about the whole ricky thing, though. he's obsessed with those vigilante conspiracy videos and tells her all about them at school."

"no, no, it's fine. i can't wait to tell wing about his new origin story, he'll love that."

jasmine suddenly came bounding back towards them, grabbing their hands and yanking them to follow her. "c'mon, you need to meet cat!"

"you call it cat?"

jordan bristled subtly. "is there a problem with that, red?"

"no, no, it's an appropriate name. just making sure." jason waved his spare hand at his head. "helmet makes me hear things sometimes."

jordan opened his mouth, but his sister plowed right over whatever he was going to say, pulling on jason's hand again. "cat, meet... what's your name?"

"red hood."

"you can't be red hood!" she whirled around, indignantly putting her hands on her hips. "there's already a red hood in gotham. besides, you're not even wearing a hood, so it doesn't fit anyway."

jason turned his head to jordan, who was smiling- a good sign, but probably a bad omen for whatever he was about to say. "she's right, man. it's not a hood."

"tough crowd," jason muttered. "uh... then you can call me, uh-"

"bucket!" jasmine suggested happily, tapping his helmet. "because this looks like a bucket."

if there was one thing vigilantism had taught him, it was that sometimes you actually do need to pick your battles. this...

this was not worth fighting.

"sure, fine, whatever. hi, cat, i'm red bucket." he turned away from the kids- both of whom looked entirely too happy about the whole 'bucket' thing, he thought- and crouched down to finally look at the cat.

it did look a little sick, actually.

it was gray, and thin, and-

and now it was headbutting his knee like it was trying to push him over.

"cat likes you!" jazz cheered.

"sure does," jordan said pointedly. "isn't that interesting?"

jason opened his mouth, but his snarky comment died in his throat when the cat settled down right in front of him and blinked slowly up at him with a sweet tilt to its head.

...shit.

just- shit.

he sighed, standing up and looking back to jordan and his stupid, entirely-too-pleased-with-himself grin. "so, jazz," jason grumbled reluctantly, "where does cat live?"

[ragingbookdragon]

I Won't Wait For The Day When You Look Back And Say That You Need Me And Love Me The Same

Hal Jordan x Reader One-Shot

Word Count: 1.4K Warnings: Angst

Author's Note: Galleons' new album has put me in a mood y'all. Enjoy my angst! -Thorne

**********************************************************************

The nights in Coast City were fairly cool compared to the days. Bright stars spread across a blanket of black, the scent of sea salt in the air, the sound of waves crashing the shore. The beach had always been one of their favorite places to hang out when they weren’t on an airstrip or at a bar. It was always the place she could see Hal for the man he really was, not the smart-ass, arrogant pilot. No, Hal was calm, soft words and stories coming from his lips, love for his friends and work.

It’s what she loved about Hal. All the years they’d been friends since they were kids, more often getting in trouble because once Hal started skipping out on school to watch his dad fly, so did she. She remembered getting scolded by her mother one afternoon, and the next morning she and Hal were hauling down the street past the school to the airfield, waving at Martin’s jet like he was waving back at them.

Of course, when Martin died, so did a part of Hal. He stopped eating for a few months, too sick to keep food down. He didn’t cry though. Just stared blankly at his lunch pail while everyone else ate their lunches. She found herself glued to Hal’s side during that time, simply resting her head on his shoulder while she ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, always offering Hal a bite; he merely shook his head.

And then one day it all changed. They got older, Hal jerked awake from his stupor, restored with a vigor that rivaled a nuclear power plant. He talked about joining the Air Force, becoming a pilot, flying all the time. From what he sometimes said, his mother wasn’t happy about it, forbade him even, but he wouldn’t be dissuaded. Hal had once taken her hands in his own, her ignoring how warm they were and the fluttering in her chest as he begged her to support him. She smiled and hugged Hal, promising to always support him.

She’d been there when he left for boot-camp, was there when he graduated, there when he was discharged and went into the civilian sector working at Ferris Aircraft. And she was there when he became Green Lantern. Was there when Coast City was destroyed—she’d gone to Gotham to visit her sister the day before, pure luck. She was there when Hal regained himself, forcing himself so hard to regain the trust of his fellow Lanterns. She stood beside Hal with heart overflowing with love for the man, always offering it to him in the guise of support and firm words.

He’d come back from a mission, shown up at her doorstep and offered to buy her dinner if she came with him and listened to him complain about his week as a Space Ranger. She’d merely laughed and grabbed her coat, letting him lead them to diner on the boardwalk and then to the pier where they stood, overlooking the water and the moon above.

“What’s it like up there, Hallie?” she asked, adjusting her grip on her purse. “Being in space…flying past the stars?”

Hal chuckled. “It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before. All the childhood wonder of wanting to sail the stars coming alive.” He glanced at her. “You ever wanted to fly up there, (Y/N)?”

“Yeah.” She nudged him in the ribs. “Gotta let me borrow the ring one day and lemme try it.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Aww, why not?”

“Because knowing you, you’d blow something up.”

(Y/N) scowled. “Rude.”

“Truthful,” Hal grinned, and she shook her head, a smile coming over her lips. “Are you going to take that job in Gotham?”

She shrugged, sighing, “I don’t know…never really wanted to leave Coast City…and Gotham’s insurance is sky-high.” (Y/N) looked at him. “I guess I’m just waiting to see if there’s a good reason to stay.”

“You mean you’re waiting for the dramatic love declaration as you’re getting on the plane?”

“Something like that,” she answered, and they laughed; (Y/N) glanced at the purse in her hands. “Something like that,” she murmured again, and he leaned forward.

“What’d you say?”

She dug around in her purse then yanked something out, about the size of her hand; she handed it to him, watching him flip it over in his palm, recognition flashing across his face as he said, “This is one of the limited edition patches my dad bought…I gave you mine when you weren’t able to get one in time.” Hal looked at her. “You still have this?”

(Y/N) nodded. “I carry it everywhere I go. It’s my lucky charm.”

“Do you really?” he asked, wonder in his voice and she nodded again.

“Yeah. Always.”

“Why?” he laughed. “I figured it’d be stuffed in a box somewhere.”

(Y/N) blinked, trailing a finger up the side of the stitching, letting the feelings she always hid finally come out. “I keep it with me because it reminds me of the man I love.” She gazed at him as his eyes widened, jaw dropping. “I look at it when I need help. I wonder what would Hal do, then do the craziest, ballsy thing instead of playing safe.”

She brushed her fingers against his. “Truth is, Hal, I am waiting for a good reason to stay in Coast City…and I want that reason to be you.” (Y/N) smiled at him. “Hal, you’re the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and you’re always the last thing I think about before I go to bed.” His hand was so warm. “We’ve been friends a long time and I think if we both took the step…we can be more.”

(Y/N) took a step closer. “So? Do you wanna give it a shot? You and me?”

Hal had recovered a few moments before, mouth drawn in a line, eyes soft and kind, prompting her to believe her greatest wish was going to be granted—all those lucky nights wishing on a shooting star.

Then he opened his mouth and what came out left her feeling numb, fingers dead where they touched his. “(Y/N), I don’t know what to say…”

“Good unknown or bad unknown?” she offered, and he shook his head.

“I just…I don’t know.” He sighed. “I need time to think this over.”

(Y/N) tried not to let the hurt show on her face, instead masking it with understanding, leveling her voice as she agreed, “Of course…but I have to ask, do you know how long it’ll be until you have an answer?”

Hal inhaled. “I’m not sure.” Gently, he placed the patch back in her hand. “Here. You take this back, I—” his ring flashed, causing them to both look down at it and he sighed.

“Go,” she said. “You’re needed.”

He nodded. “Right.” Hal’s suit flashed over his body, and he rose into the sky. “See you around, (Y/N).”

“You too, Hal,” she answered quietly, knowing that the tone of his voice meant she wasn’t going to see him around for a while. She watched him fly into the distance, then she sat down on the pier and pulled out her phone, shooting the CEO in Gotham a quick text. I’ll take the job.

***A Week Later***

“Hey, Jordan!” someone shouted, and he looked up. “You’ve got a package!” they snickered. “It looks like it’s from one of your lady loves.”

With furrowed brows and a huffed laugh, he walked over and swiped the neatly wrapped green box from the other pilot’s hands, taking a seat in one of the lobby chairs before undoing the bow. He pulled the top off the box and shoved the tissue paper out of the way, surprise etching across his face as he saw the blue and gray patch resting on the delicate paper.

Hal pulled it out, catching sight of something beneath it, a small index card; he recognized her handwriting, taking it in his hand as he silently read,

I don’t think my good reason is here in Coast City. Maybe I’ll find it in Gotham instead. I took the job at Wayne Enterprises. I’m sorry for not saying goodbye, but something told me to leave this behind—you’ll need it in the coming future more than I will. Good luck, Hal, and please, be careful.

Love always,

(Y/N) (L/N)

[wroteclassicaly]

Waves of Blue (Andy Dolan x Reader)

Warnings: Language, smut, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, rough sex, hair pulling, face slapping, slight choking, mentions of drug usage, & angst.

A/N : AAAAAAHHHHH! I have found the post that teaches you how to add a read more on mobile! Shoutout to the person who told me about that! You know who you are! ^_^ Anyways, I am so gonna be posting more, even if it’s harder because I have to write the fics on my phone, versus my laptop, lol. I stumbled across the song Waves of Blue by Majid Jordan, and my ass was emotional af (I have included some of the lyrics here in blue!) I obviously don’t own the song/lyrics!

The song was the kick one of my drafts needed for extra inspiration! And so, I bring you the start of this mini fic! It won’t be very many chapters. And I will probably re-visit for a prequel, to write out how the reader and Andy first hooked up. But I wanted to try something different and start my fic with their relationship already ongoing. Hopefully it doesn’t suck, haha.?

I haven’t felt this inspired for a Cody character since Michael Langdon! I adore Andy’s traumatic, cocky, angsty, hot mess ass! And I really wanna explore the creativity he’s bringing me! Lemme know what y’all think? And give the song a listen - I’m in in love with it!

Forgive me if there’s some mistakes, loves! I’m nervous about how I’ve written Andy, and how the smut is. Hope y’all enjoy anyways!

:)

~*~

The rain is a glittering array of shimmering moisture as its presence is pouring down on the roof of your apartment. Your knees are knocked tightly together, jean fabric digging into flesh. Your phone is perched face down atop your legs, vibrating messages you don’t care to read. They’re not the ones that you want to see. You tilt your head back, the tears redirecting themselves down the sides of your cheeks. You turn your gazing direction to that silk robe atop your bed - a reminder.

“It’s just a fling, love.”

But it can’t be, can it?

You have to laugh at yourself. Isn’t this what every girl asks themselves when they’re dumped? Rare is an exception who steals the other person’s heart and changes that exterior they carry. Your phone vibrates again and that raging anger to match the ruby red color on his robe that rests on your bedroom sheets - it charges your energy like a violent strike of lightening! Your hand launches your phone into the hallway outside your bedroom door before you can stop yourself.

“There’s your fucking fling, dumbass Andy Dolan!”

You try to hum to fight off the incoming intrusive thoughts, to ignore your ringing phone in the distance, but it’s to no avail. You’re getting more overwhelmed with the pain by every agonizing second. Your fists clench into the leather armrests below. It’s too much, you can’t bear another second of this shit. It doesn’t matter that it’s raining, it doesn’t matter that you have over fifteen unanswered recent calls from Andy since you threw your phone - unbeknownst to you.

You snatch the stupid silk robe from its place and begin your knowing journey with the excruciatingly expensive item, having already made up your mind. A quick removal of your keys from the hooks beside your front room door and your bare feet seem to lead you - heart first - into the downpour. Your clothing is soaked the instant you step outside. Mumbling all the way to your SUV and clutching Andy’s silk garment becomes your saving grace to help anchor your focus. If one can be focused in bare feet during a thunderstorm, erratically throwing her car into reverse.

The drive to his place of privacy - his sanctuary - the cold place you once used to help him warm. It doesn’t take you long. With your tires grinding against soaking asphalt, country beach roads whipping past you, and your angry windshield wipers struggling to keep up with your car’s pace - Andy’s gates come into your sights. You’re trembling, too upset and geared to go for a turn around now. Andy didn’t change the security, so you let yourself in, abandoning your car just inside, doors open and interior carelessly being soaked.

It doesn’t matter. I just have to tell him this.

That’s your mantra for continuous approach. You round the long expanse of beautiful greenery, waves crashing violently in the distance, a love affair to collide with this storm. Your simple outfit of blue jeans and a baby blue tank top are beyond recognition, weighted down by the sopping wet summer. The shivering begins to thrum along to an invisible, but very present humming inside you. It’s that feeling, the one you know all too well.

Andy Dolan.

Like when you first met, you begin to tremble, letting your limbs move you accordingly. Making sense is last on the priority list. Normally, you would have a thousand conversational scenarios laid out, but that’s not the case. Rushed on purely raw need to tell him - no - inform him, that is what is in charge here. The soft grass is squishy between your toes, a tickle from each freshly mowed blade, water in the distance smelling like salt and flowing freedom.

Every sense is heightened for you right now. Your limbs are heavy, yet your footfalls are light, carrying you with a quick grace. You don’t bother with the front door, opting for his usual back door hang out. It’s a few more minutes before your destination is reached. That’s when you hear him screaming, his voice in high distress, hard and rough against the accent. Your chest heaves to cage hammering heartbeats that you can’t keep up with.

“Motherfucking ANSWER ME!” He shouts, ripping the phone from his ear to redial.

You rolls your eyes, assuming it’s a dealer, or whomever he would rather be with than you. After all, he’s the one who said he just needed an ideal situation, not a relationship.

“Y/N... come on, don’t be a fucking cunt! I need to tell you something, please!”

Almost on cue the song drops loud on his fancy speakers in the house, freezing you to your spot.

I wanna hold you close

Don't wanna let you go

Be with you night and day

'Cause I've been feeling so low

Don't have to ask me twice

You really take me there

I wanna touch your light

I wanna breathe in your air

Andy angrily taps at his phone again, almost growling, reminding you of a wild animal. That’s when you’re snapped into your remaining senses, moving up and onto his deck, standing just feet from him. It takes him a few seconds to look up and see you through the rain. You can’t bring yourself to go any closer, afraid to let go right away. That’s how it is with Andy, you always give in.

You cut him off before he even gets a chance.

“Fuck you, Andy.”

Damn, was that really what you worked up the courage to dangerously drive yourself here to confess?

His lips purse a popping a noise, eyes widening in surprise at your word choices.

“I really fucking hate you.” Is what you give him, finding it easier to take steps now.

He still doesn’t speak as you approach, almost as if he’s recoiling. That wild animal within Andy Dolan. He’s not used to this. You can barely see through the rain, feeling like a moron. The movies make it look so dramatic, but you feel like you’re a wet dog on the verge of catching a cold.

It does good at numbing you though, almost shielding you from those haunting blue eyes. You swipe a hand across your face to clear your vision, and take that final step onto the deck with him, now just on the other side of where he stands in the doorway. That’s when he decides to speak, his voice softer than you’ve heard. It echoes his exhaustion, his surprise.

“You’re not the only one that feels that way, Y/N.”

You shake your head in disbelief, both of you not daring to make that closing gap. You would douse his body with yours; wet and cold. You’d be lying if you denied the shiver that attacked you, drawing your body in like a magnet - helpless to its every move.

“Don’t give me this kicked puppy front. We’re all human beings, Andy. And I didn’t fucking deserve you cutting your baggage open and just... dumping out whatever you felt like on me and then letting me go.”

Fuck.

He inhales sharply, head tilting in this sadness you seem to understand within the moment. It steals your breath, a pain punching your ribcage, causing your heartbeat to skip a few. Your jaw twitches as you turn away to gather your bearings, starting back down into the yard.

Why the fuck did I come here?

I'll be holding you tight

When the night is through

Andy takes a deep inhalation behind you and that catches you, dragging you right back. Before you know which end is up you’re turning back around and striding across the pool deck and right into your former lover. Andy meets you in the harsh rains, his hands cupping your neck so possessively, that you can’t remember a time where this hot mess of a man wasn’t bull dozing your life apart. You grasp his face in your palms, that unshaven stubble prickling your flesh. Your mouth meets his, his phone becoming ruined and forgotten as he lets it fall to the ground beside him.

His strong arms path down to encircle your waist, pulling you in from the weather, bunching your t-shirt up until it’s pooling around your tattered bra. You raise your arms to help him discard it, the heavy wet noise it makes when it collides with a nearby pool chair is enough to make Andy gain his surroundings.

“Stop, stop. Are you fucking high?” He asks you, a cautious pause.

You shake your head. “Aren’t you?”

This is when he scares you with a solemn silence you weren’t aware he could possess.

“Andy...” You push your fingers through his damp curls.

“No, I’m not. I was just about to... when you didn’t answer.”

Almost as if he can’t take revealing that bit of truth, he thumbs a bra strap down your shoulder - deliberately slow. Your skin stings with the line of goosebumps that it brings, your own hands struggling to push that stupid ass identical robe off his broad chest.

“I should fucking rip this.” You say, causing a smile to come from him.

“Rip it and I’ll put you on your knees.”

“Has that ever stopped you before?” A challenging look presses your features, but Andy intercepts, wrapping your hair around his fist and pulling your hair back. You feel the ache crack from the tips of your toes, hot wired into your cunt - direct express.

“You need more marks from me.” His mouth caresses your jawline, stubble catching the underside when his lips find your neck, a stimulation that you have become accustomed to craving.

His teeth bite down, a few seconds more where you feel him cleaning his evidence with a light set of kisses.

“There we go.” He scrapes his milky white teeth across your ear with a whisper so hot that you bow into him; knees weak.

Your bra is the next thing to fall somewhere, your jeans following. Andy doesn’t wait for you to even kick them off, his fingers sliding into your lace panties to see how much you still need him. He licks his lips, eyes closing in pleasure, a familiar stroking rhythm unraveling from the tips of his fingers.

“Shit, that’s a good girl. Even when you hate me you still need me, don’t you?”

The cockiness makes your wrist snap and palm collide with his cheek. You’re riled up, he’s riled up. Something you know he likes. “Like you fucking needed that?” Is your retort.

He groans out, a honey wet dip in his tone. “Only you can fucking touch me like that, Y/N.”

Lightening flashes through the darkened midnight skies, rain pounding across the surface of the pool to create a special beat. Andy finds your mouth in desperation once more, working your underwear down in a frustrated jerk. His fingers part your slick folds and ease into you without any warning. You look down to watch his strong forearm flex in its working marathon, back and forth between your thighs.

We'll be riding the tide in the sky so alive

On waves of blue (waves of blue)

I'm in love with the thought of being in love

In love with you (love with you)

You can bring me along for the rest of your life

If you wanted to (wanted to)

You let go and give into him, not daring to question why you came here in the first place. You know why. Andy has stopped his touches, watching you with that lowered stare he gives. His body is glowing from the neon lighting his home harbors, his creamy skin glistening with rain water. He’s hard through those silk pants, nothing left to the imagination.

“Take them off. Now.” You command him.

He can’t hide the greedy smirk that appears on his lips, not taking his eyes off you as his pants and boxers disappear in one go. He is gloriously hard and thick. You almost want to laugh at your cliche salivating tongue. Andy brushes your wet hair off your temple, his hands moving down your body in a tapping massage - reaching their target to hook behind your thighs.

He lifts you with ease, your legs wrapping around his waist. He’s panting rapidly, nosing your neck. He grips himself, teasingly stroking your cunt to gather your arousal. You stutter on an exhale, unable to breathe out properly. It’s jagged and broken, much like your rationality.

You stop him when he attempts to press inside you. “Tell me again,” You plead. He looks at you in confusion. “Say I’m just a fling.” You finish.

“Y/N...” He struggles.

“Before you fuck me, I want you to tell me what I mean to you, Andy.”

It’s hard not to just fucking forget this and let go, let him take you, both of you get what you want and not have to deal with anything else. But you need to hear it. You want to know how much you’re not worth anything to him. You need to hear it more than you need to find out how much you mean to him. That’s what you came here for...

His enriching ocean eyes are glossy with desire, with something else you can’t place. They pin you into a set of shakes. You grip the hair at his neck’s nape.

“Everything.” He says it all at once, bringing your hand down atop his to help him line up, as he fucks himself into your cunt, stretching you with that delicious drowning burn.

You're no good for me

You got what I need

I just wanna be with you

You cry out, vision sprinkled with an array of floating shapes. Andy drives you against the door, hips slamming so hard you know you’ll be bruised before the night is through. You keep one arm around his neck, lowering the other to encourage him to hurt you deeper, nails clawing at his lower back, shredding the skin. His face stays buried in your neck, stubble adding to each motion he makes inside. You cling tight, using all your strength.

It’s slippery, it’s unstable, you can barely hold onto one another, but you manage. And that moment when you finally can’t keep yourself up, Andy lets you slide down, bringing you into the floor of the doorway, lifting your legs onto his shoulders, pressing in so hard you can’t contain the tears that roll from the corner of your eyes, coasting. He’s familiarized himself with how you come undone, even before you knew.

“You’re drenching my cock, baby. You need to let it go?”

You don’t answer, causing him to grip your throat.

“When I ask you something I expect an answer. You remember how this works, don’t you?”

“Fuck, yes! Please, Andy!” You don’t pride yourself now.

He guides a hand across you, as if he’s tuning a fine instrument. Your stomach quivers with a passing of his fingertips, engaging in a butterfly filled stomach clench. You’re tensing up, anticipating. Desiring.

“Fucking do it! Show me how much you still need this...” He trails off, dropping to rest his chest against your breasts.

“Even if you don’t need me.” It’s a counter thought to your need to hear him say he doesn’t want you.

“I’ll always need you.” You push him onto his back with newfound strength, and pin his hands above his head, your hips bouncing so hard that you can feel his firm structure beneath. That’s right, this is exactly what you have to have.

He’s damn near whining now, squeezing your fingers tightly. “Y/N.”

It’s a warning you don’t need. You lean down to steal a kiss, leaving him further winded, nudging his nose with your own, breasts smashed to between you two. Andy gives a silent agreement, dropping a hand down to quickly rub your clit. Your heartbeat is so out of control that you can’t hear anything but your own cries as you cum all over Andy’s cock. He follows with you, holding himself, keeping you there.

He’s shaking when it’s over. You can’t find coherent speech capabilities.

I'll be holding you tight

I'll wait this through

You stay resting on top of him, still keeping him inside. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know that there’s no going back now.

This is just another beginning...

~*~

Tagging: @dark-mei-rose @confettucini @lovelylangdonx

Lemme know if y’all wanna be added to the tag list?!!!!

[komotionlessqueenmm]

Imagine # 731

Words - 1,768

Gif NOT mine. (Found on Pinterest.)

If this gif is yours please let me know, so I can give you credit.

Gif credit goes to - Unknown.

Year posted - 2021

Warnings - Smut.

----

"You know what you gotta do man, you gotta just go up to her, you know, and you gotta just." Jordan smacked his hands together dramatically, pointing to his sister who was across the way laughing with a friend. "I don't know man." Brad took a long drag of his cigarette, staring at (Y/n). "Are you kidding me?" Jordan laughed while smacking Brad's shoulder dramatically, making Brad laugh a little. "I mean look at her. That woman is a fucking Goddess among men." Brad exclaimed making Jordan laugh. "Come on man, she'll adore you." Jordan reasoned before hollering to his sister. "(Y/n)!" She turned her attention to her older brother upon hearing her name. "Come here." He waved her over, smiling when she complied. "Come on man." Brad chuckled bitterly shaking his head. "What can I do for you Jordan?" (Y/n) rested her hand on her hip, the sun behind her giving her an angelic glow in her white bikini, with gold chains adorning her curves. "I'll tell you what you can do for me, you can park your pretty little ass on my friend here's face and give him the ride of his life." Jordan laughed when she rolled her eyes at him. "Fucking hell." Brad hissed under his breath, thinking she'd never give him the time of day now. To his surprise however she moved to stand in front of him, looking him over before taking a seat across his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh hey there." He murmured with a grin tugging at his lips. "Is that what you want baby? You want me to sit on your face?" (Y/n) asked sweetly while tracing his jaw with her fingers. "More than anything." Brad admitted, ignoring the excited laughter coming from Jordan. "Well you'll have to work for it handsome, because unlike my brother will have you believing, I'm not a slut." She hissed the last word before standing from Brad's lap, strutting away with more sway in her hips than usual. "She likes you, normally she'd have tried killin' us both for a comment like that." Jordan smiled at his friend, who looked almost crushed. "She doesn't even know who I am." Brad frowned before taking a heavy drag of his cigarette. "Oh she knows who you are, she asks about you everytime she sees you." Jordan laughed as he lit himself a new cigarette.

---A few hours later---

Walking upstairs Brad rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Where you off to cowboy?" (Y/n)'s voice sliced through the music filled air with ease. "Looking for a vacant bathroom." Brad smiled with a chuckle. "Come with me, I've got a room here with a private bathroom." She waved for him to follow, her crimson gown hypnotizing Brad as he followed her closely. "Lock and key." She held up a small key before unlocking her rooms door. "Smart." Brad chuckled as he followed her into the room. "Nice room." He commented as he looked over the extravagant room. "Yeah Jordan likes spoiling me." (Y/n) sighed with boredom. "You don't like being spoiled?" Brad asked with a playful glint in his eyes. "I like being spoiled, but I wanna be spoiled by my man, not my brother." (Y/n) explained with a small grin. "So what your man broke?" Brad asked a little worried she was taken. "Gotta have a man first sweetie, the bathrooms over there." (Y/n) pointed to the bathroom, Brad grinned as he walked to the bathroom, pleased to know she was single.

When Brad exited the bathroom he froze in his tracks, watching as (Y/n) unzipped her gown, letting it to pool at her feet. "So Brad tell me, do you want me to give you the ride of your life?" (Y/n) kept her back to him, teasing him with her black lace bra and pantie set. "Fuck yes." Brad breathed out licking his lips. "I don't do this normally, but I've been watching you for some time now. And I'm so sexually frustrated right now, I don't wanna wait until date four." (Y/n) explained, beckoning him to her. "I won't think any less of you angle." Brad promised as he took ahold of her hips. "Good." She smiled before pulling him down for a heated kiss, moaning into his mouth when he squeezed her ass firmly. "Now get your ass on the bed handsome." She murmured as they pulled apart, playfully smacking his ass. "Yes ma'am." Brad smiled before doing as she said, making himself comfortable on her king size bed. "Remove that pesky shirt of yours for me." (Y/n) insisted as she crawled onto the bed, straddling Brad's thick thighs. Quickly Brad sat up and stripped himself of his shirt, making (Y/n) giggle softly, finding his eagerness incredibly hot. "Mmm look at that." (Y/n) hummed as she stroked her hands up and down his firm chest. "I can't wait to see what you've got waiting for me in here." She mused as she unbuckled his pants. "I thought you were gonna feed me." Brad smiled up at her. "Oh I will, but I'm gonna have some fun first." (Y/n) smiled as she pulled his rock hard cock out of his pants. "Fuck that's beautiful." She murmured at the sight of him, licking her lips as she began stroking him slowly. "I'm glad you like him." Brad sighed heavily when she started dragging her tongue up the underside of his cock. "He's perfect." She smiled up at him before taking him into her mouth, and easing him down her throat slowly. "Fuck." Brad hissed, his head falling back into the pillows. "Just like that baby." Brad praised her, tangling his fingers into her hair. "Fuck you're so hot." Brad continued, as (Y/n) bobbed her head along his shaft. With a moan she eased him out of her mouth, releasing the head of his cock with an audible pop. "Delicious." She winked before climbing up the rest of his body, hovering her cunt right over his face. "Ready for me baby?" She looked down at him, wiggling her hips, teasing him. "I'm starving." Brad growled as he pulled her hips down, licking and nipping at her clothed pussy feverishly. "Ah!" (Y/n) cried out followed my a long moan. "More Brad please." She whined with need, laughing with excitement when he proceeded to tear her panties apart. "Fuck yes!" She bucked her hips as he began feasting on her, leaning forward she began kissing and licking along Brad's stomach, inching closer and closer to his cock. Greedily Brad pushed his tongue deep into her needy cunt, this goatee rubbing against her clit deliciously. "God yes!" (Y/n) cried out blissfully, kissing sloppily along his throbbing shaft. Brad growled against her soaked folds, as she began sucking him off again. (Y/n) bucked her hips softly as her orgasm approached quickly, moaning against his cock as he sent her over the edge.

Pulling him out of her mouth (Y/n) began rocking her hips, drawing out her high as Brad continued to feast on her. "FUCK!" She cried out, the muscles in her stomach contracting almost painfully as he lapped at her overstimulated cunt. "Brad!" She cried resting her hands against his hips, she applied most of her weight forward, attempting to pull away from the greedy man. Brad growled as he took a tight hold of her hips, pulling her back into place as he continued to eat her out. "Oh god I can't!" She cried out as a second orgasm washed over her without warning. "Ah!" She practically screamed as the most intense orgasm surged through her body. "(Y/n) are you okay?" Jordan barged into her room, quickly closing the door when he realized what he was looking at. "Oh my god." (Y/n) panted heavily while Brad licked at her lazily. "Oh my god." She repeated softly when Brad released her hips, allowing her to crawl away. "Holy fuck." She chuckled breathily, as Brad pulled her to lay back, swapping places with her, he made himself comfortable between her legs. "How was that angel?" Brad asked as he brushed back her hair. "I can't feel my legs." She giggled pulling him down for a kiss, moaning when he began sinking his cock into her still aching cunt. "Think you can cum one more time for me angel?" Brad asked as he bottomed out in her. "I'll cum as many times as you want me to daddy." She grinned up at him, the nickname sparking a fire within Brad. "Good girl." He growled as he began thrusting into her vigorously, causing the headboard to bang against the wall with each powerful thrust. "Fuck yes daddy!" (Y/n) cried out, clawing at Brads back, encouraging him to fuck her a bit faster. The bed squeaked, the headboard banged against the wall, (Y/n) was a moaning mess, along with Brands grunting and the obscene sound of his balls slapping against (Y/n)'s ass filled the room. "Shit!" Brad growled as he buried his face into (Y/n)'s neck biting at her skin, as he hiked her legs up onto his hips, allowing him to fuck into her even deeper. "Brad!" (Y/n) chanted his name like a prayer, over and over his name passed her lips, fueling his desire to fill her with his seed. "Don't stop." She begged before pulling him into a needy kiss, thrusting her hips up to meet his erratic thrusts in perfect tune. "Cum for me angel." Brad panted against her lips, as her cunt began constricting his throbbing cock. "Yes daddy." She huffed in pure ecstasy, her eyes rolling back as she came for the third time that night. "Just like that baby." Brad groaned as he to came undone, pumping his seed deep into her womb. "Fuck yes." He panted has he continued rutting into her, wanting to pump every last drop into her. "I should have jumped your bones sooner." (Y/n) panted with a chuckle, sighing when Brad pulled out of her and laid beside her. "You're mine now angel." Brad stated as he pulled her to lay against his chest. "Yes daddy." She smiled up at him, giggling when he playfully spanked her ass. "I'm gonna make sure you can't walk tomorrow." Brad warned as he pulled her into a kiss, kneading her ass in his hand. "Good." She hummed against his lips, the both of them grinning like sinners.

[ahsokalegend]

Ranking Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure Songs (Part 1)

Here it is, the definitive (read subjective) tier list of the top 15 Tangled The Series songs. I’ve been listening to these daily, and now you can too!

Let’s get to it:

[see Part 2 for #11-15]

10. With You By My Side

Harmonies for days, plagued by relentless forshadowing aka the best way to end season 2.

Pro: these 3 compliment each other so well vocally, chills every time

Con: heavy handed foreshadowing like we get it everyone will betray everyone but for now they’re happy

Rating: 8/10

9. Buddy Song

Let me reiterate THE! BUDDY! SONG! SLAPS!👏 Stream these legends and their beautiful friendship

Pro: Hilarious, stellar melody, broadway-esque extravagance

Con: a plant is trying to eat them during this song

Rating: 8.5/10

8. Next Stop, Anywhere

Ultimate peppy road trip music, especially the final chorus. You can’t get better than Cassandra singing while running with horses.

Pro: each chorus adds in another singer so by the end it’s all three of them and epic

Con: too much dialogue that shouldn’t be in the soundtrack version

Rating: 8.5/10

7. View From Up Here

This song is the embodiment of being free and flying. It’s hard to put into words how this song makes me feel. Classic Disney vibes.

Pro: beautiful vocals and visuals, nostalgic feelings galore

Con: Rapunzel and Cass as singing birds

Rating: 8.5/10

6. Let Me Make You Proud

Time for the best character, Varian, to make his solo debut. “Let Me Make You Proud” is when I first started taking this show seriously, and it was all due to Jeremy Jordan, Alan Menken, and Glenn Slater in this show-stopper.

Pro: that final high note, Varian’s singing voice

Con: I want more after the high note, song ends too quickly

Rating: 9/10

<Attention! You have reached the halfway point. Get ready for the S Tier.>

5. Let Me Make You Proud (Reprise)

If the original version made me stop and pay attention to Tangled The Series, the reprise broke me. THIS SONG is only 1 minute long. One minute spent watching my favorite character transform from a plucky kid to a tragic villain. THEY SET THE MOMENT HE BREAKS TO THE MOST HEART-WRENCHING MUSIC AND I’M NOT OVER IT.

Pro: Jeremy Jordan held back nothing as Varian in this scene. This is the most emotion-filled and shocking song of the show

Con: 1 minute long, I can’t put it higher because of that

Rating: 9.5/10

4. Crossing the Line

Did someone say epic orchestra? Nobody? Oh well, too late the horns are already here.

What’s great is this is technically Cassandra’s villain song, but it doesn’t play like any villain song before it. It’s building, unapologetic, and triumphant. This is Cassandra letting her walls fall and taking what she wants, consequences be damned. Is she right? No. Is she OOC for most of season 3? Possibly. Is it cathartic to watch her wreck two seasons worth of buildup and relationships? HECK YEAH!

Pro: bass boosted “If I’m burning a bridge let it burn!”🔥

Con: This is the one time I’d add back in dialogue from the show. Cassandra’s trigger word is wait. In the episode, Rapunzel asks her to wait three times: once at the beginning of the song, once in the middle, and once at the end. Each occurrence pushes Cassandra further away, but only one makes the soundtrack recording.

Rating: 9.5/10

3. Waiting In The Wings

Emmy winner, best ballad, moving work of art - all define “Waiting In The Wings”. There’s something gripping about a side character acknowledging her place and desire to be heard when the main characters continually overshadow her goals and actions. We all know the feeling, watching your life pass by feeling like you don’t get the chance to lead your own story. Wow, my kind of emo sad song. What can I say, Cassandra gets the best. This would be a classic Disney “I Want” song if the show had been a movie.

Pro: Eden Espinosa singing that key change at “I hear my cue.”

Con: Honestly can’t think of anything besides it not being my favorite, too perfect?

Rating: 10/10

2. Nothing Left To Lose

Stellar concept untouched by anything Disney has made. Here we have the redeemed villain kidnapped by someone he once called friend. He sees her in her brokenness, and instead of being condensing as she has accused others of being, he tells her the truth. Nothing good can come from giving into her anger as he once did. Varian pleads with her; not to choose good because it’s the right thing to do, but to save herself from spiraling self-destruction. By meeting Cassandra where she is emotionally, Varian is the last chance to pull her from the dark. The message is merciful, well-thought out, and completely in character for Varian and Cassandra’s situation.

This song is the epitome of “Your feelings are valid, your methods of coping are not.” Each second is breathtaking from the animation to the song itself. It’s the ultimate battle between the show’s best singers and side characters while demonstrating the power one true friend can have against your own pain and anger.

And you know what hits the hardest?! Varian doesn’t give up on Cassandra in this song (we’re not talking about later episodes here). Every time she thinks she has outmaneuvered, out-argued, or out-sang him he comes back all the more ready to reach the friend he knows is buried deep in her heart. It takes her physically removing him from her tower and caging him ON A CLIFF for the main section of the song to finish.

But that’s not where it ends. A now dejected Cassandra, reminiscent of her “Waiting In The Wings” motivations sings her true feelings now when nobody can hear. “Now, I have nothing... ... ... left... to lose...”. That long pause she takes after “I have nothing” allows the first half to stand on its own. This is Cassandra realizing Varian’s truth. By pushing her last chance at redemption away, by removing her last chance at a friend, she truly has nothing left to lose.

I could go on and on about this song: the 360° turn in 2D animation, the way Varian and Cassandra sing over each other at the song’s climax, the lyrics, Varian’s vulnerability, Cassandra at her most dramatic, and more. I’ll save you the time, it’s incredible.

Pro: THE BEST DUET why are you still here go listen to this song! Jeremy and Eden recorded it together in-person for a reason. It’s too good for anything less. Also, another Emmy nominated song

Con: It could lose its Emmy nomination which would be unjust yet poetic? Cause you know, “Nothing Left To Lose” loses would make a funny headline

Rating: 10/10

https://youtu.be/r-PYYaoq0fY

1. Ready As I’ll Ever Be

There’s a reason seemingly half the fandom joined due to this song. It encapsulates everything I love about this show flaws and all. Varian gets a solo! Cass gets a solo! Rapunzel gets a solo! Everyone gets a solo! Each time I listen it gets better. Nothing screams epic battle prep song like “Ready As I’ll Ever Be”. Plot and singing-wise this song has it all.

What makes this song a winner is my inability to analyze it. It’s not a song I think about, it’s one I enjoy and constantly replay. The impact this song has had on me and it’s ♥️❤️💕💜💛💖💞💚🧡💝💙-ness makes it the greatest song in Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.

Pro: ultimate hype song, villain Varian, mind-blowingly incredible

Con: the king sings (easy to ignore)

Rating: 10/10

Thanks for reading!

[silenthillmutual]

daniil dankovsky is autistic and here’s why:

because i’m autistic and i said so

i kid, obviously. what sort of autistic person would i be if i wasn’t read to back up my silly little claim with an overly long post of evidence a total of three people will read? (hi ned hi jordan hi raven :))

i’m aware that this is cringey because adults aren’t supposed to have autism or interests or talk about either of those things, but this is my blog and you are free to block me if the cringe is too much for you.

these are some things i picked out from the DSMV’s diagnostic criteria, found on the CDC website:

deficits in social-emotional reciprocity

reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect

abnormal social approach

abnormalities in eye contact and body language

defecits in […] understand[ing] relationships

difficults adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts

repetitive motor movements or speech

rigid thinking patterns

highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus

hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input

there’s also some misc. stuff not in the diagnostic criteria (though it may be in the adir or gars-3) i thought was worth noting.

important note from the diagnostic criteria: “symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning”. i’d say that in his case, they do.

spoilers for pathologic classic, pathologic 2, and the marble nest

deficits in social-emotional reciprocity

in bachelor route of classic, daniil

seems completely oblivious to eva making advances toward him, to the point where she complains to him that he’s ignoring her in favor of asking questions about simon.

seems surprised when people mention maria being in love with him, despite outright asking her a couple of times if she’s flirting with him.

not to mention the fact that he asks her that at all.

his inability or resistence to making connections with others is typically considered one of his character flaws. although it is not outright stated in the dsmv criteria, one trait of autism and other neurodivergencies is “having extremely high or extremely low empathy” - and daniil, despite being a doctor, lacks empathy. which is not to say he doesn’t care at all. i think that he does, but is terrible at showing it.

for example, this scene from marble nest:

Sticky: You must feel terrible… right? That’s fine. I forgive you. You just got confused… Adults always do. Daniil: Oh yes, adults are always occupied with the most asinine nonsense. Like feeling anxious that a bunch of urchins keep roaming the streets, putting themselves in mortal danger!

daniil clearly cares about sticky’s wellbeing (and the wellbeing of the kids looking after him, though he’s not cognizant that he’s in a coma), but his way of showing it is… kind of by being a jerk. all of which bleeds into the next item on the list

reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect

he has no problem sharing his interests, but in both pathologic classic & pathologic 2, daniil speaks with a flat affect - which is to say that he lacks intonation. the words we read him saying may be dramatic or come across as passionate, but the actual voice reading his lines is very monotone, which may contribute to being read as lacking emotion.

and in pathologic 2, he has a voiceline lamenting not telling “her” (eva?) how he felt

in marble nest, he’s teased by the tragedians for being “heartless”:

Tragedian: Maybe. Possibly. But it’s useless to explain to a heartless man. …Take heart, Excellency! If you ever find it, that is. And then come back to us… Even though it all sounds like a rather implausible turn of events.

abnormal social approach

daniil has a tendency to say things that are tactless, odd, or just socially inappropriate. i probably don’t need to point out too many examples, as i think it’s fairly obvious - these are the things people love to pick at when it comes to him, but i do have a few in mind. like, for example, from haruspex route in classic:

Haruspex: What of the antibodies essential for making a serum? Bachelor: I don’t know for sure yet, I’ll send you a report in a few hours. Don’t go about cutting people’s hearts out for your panacea until then. It’s a… controversial solution, you know… Haruspex: What?! Do you even hear yourself? Bachelor: Sorry! I meant no offence… it was just a momentary lapse of… well, you know. Haruspex: None taken.

until artemy points out, daniil doesn’t seem to be aware he just said something rude. even with therapy, picking up on social cues doesn’t come naturally to people with autism, so we tend to say things that come across as rude or strange to others without realizing we’ve put them off. we tend to lack a “filter” that tells us when things are or are not appropriate to say. even when we may recognize it, the rules may not make any sense to us. for example, it makes very little sense that allistics favor politeness over honesty.

i think the glaringly obvious abnormal social approach in pathologic 2 is him threatening to hold artemy at gunpoint to get in the house, which is just overkill, but my personal favorite comes on day 7, when he’s complaining about the orders aglaya has given him. artemy stops him to say he doesn’t understand what daniil wants from him, to which daniil replies:

From you? Oh, nothing. I was just sharing.

to daniil, they were just having a normal conversation. but some part of this - his tone or his words or maybe even his body language - didn’t give artemy the impression that this was supposed to be a regular conversation. (we could, in fact, attribute the same idea to artemy here; why didn’t artemy pick up that this was a normal conversation? the reason i count it towards daniil is because artemy doesn’t seem to have this problem with anybody else. for the record: i don’t think artemy is neurotypical either.)

abnormalities in eye contact and body language

it’s hard to get proof of this in video games, but i will say i think it’s very funny that in pathologic 2 daniil’s idle animations are “pacing”, “sitting like he desperately wants to start bouncing his knees but is stopping himself from doing it”, and “standing unnaturally still” - but there you go. i don’t know anything about making gifs, or i’d gif this one specific talk menu idle he does where he holds eye contact for about three seconds, looks away uncomfortably, and then looks back out of the corner of his eyes.

deficits in […] understand[ing] relationships

mostly examples from his route in classic:

when the army arrives, he can claim to block that aglaya, whom he’s known for two days, is his best friend

he seems baffled by the fact that everone is smitten with maria and working with her, and seems equally baffled by the idea that she’s smitten with him

despite eva implying on day two that she is in a relationship with andrey, is completely blindsided by the revelation on day 6, asking him, “How in the world is she ‘your woman’?”

i’d also like to use his sign-off on his letter to artemy, day 2 of the haruspex route - he signs it as “Your friend (hopefully)”. i know i’m not the only autistic person who used to ask people if we were friends or not. pro tip, if you’ve never done this: don’t. it really weirds people out.

difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts

the fact that he stands out is blatantly obvious even in pathologic 2 and in the haruspex route of classic. people will comment on him being an outsider and mention that they don’t trust him. but you can watch it happen in real time in his route, because he never fully acclimates to the town. he says something about this to aglaya on day 7:

Bachelor: Was there any particularly notable backstory? I’m deadly tired of all these people. They’re inhuman. They tell the future, believe in walking zombies, and die in all manners of painfully abnormal ways. Inquisitor: Your line of t hinking is obviously falacious - and I was implying something rather mundane. I promise you, no one can really tell the future around here: and neither are deaths inspired by third parties uncommon. Mysterious phenomenons do occur here sometimes… but hardly more often than anywhere else.

actually, there’s an example of him saying something similar to artemy on day 5 in pathologic 2:

Damn this town… I feel I’m trapped in a nightmare. The absurdity of it all… There’s no one to talk to. Everyone’s so volatile. They all seem to want to help, but… their help is worse than hostility.

some of this can be explained by the town’s strangeness, but keep in mind that the first instance happens after he’s been there and involved in the ongoing for an entire week, and the second at nearly a week in. clearly he’s struggling to adjust to the changes.

it’s also worth noting that his reason for fleeing the town in the nocturnal ending?

I have no place here anymore.

This town is no longer mine. No longer human. No longer rational. It doesn’t… accept the likes of me anymore.

repetitive motor movements or speech

it’s harder to see the motor movements in classic, but remember how i pointed out earlier that he paces? pacing is a form of stimming. murky, who is canonically autistic, can also be found pacing as one of her idle animations. having stock phrases for characters to speak when you come near them already ticks off the box on “repetitive speech”, but that by itself doesn’t really cover what they’re talking about - echolalia.

but you know what this does fit with? “‘quoting’ things(communication is HARD! sometimes we need to take shortcuts and use someone else’s words)“

i’ll get to the more obvious example in a minute - i want to point out something that happens very early in pathologic 2 first. you know how you first meet him and artemy accuses daniil of trying to guilt-trip him by asking if it’s true that isidor would still be alive if artemy had come sooner? keep in mind that he spoke to rubin first. and this is what rubin says, when you get a chance to talk to him:

Yesterday, I was told you had killed your father.

That’s not far from the truth, Burakh.

You betrayed him. You left when he needed you most. He cried out for your help, but you didn’t care. He was in peril, and you were too busy elsewhere, He believed, truly believed, that your arrival would put an end to his troubles. And, as always, he was right.

i’m not saying this was necessarily the game’s intent, but it’s entirely possible daniil is parroting back to artemy exactly what rubin said to him.

now, for what you’re probably expecting in this section: the latin. people love to refer to his use of latin as “random”, so let’s clear that up:

it is not latin daniil has made up. with the exception of latin that is mispelled in the game’s texts, all of them are proverbs or otherwise common sayings. you can find most of them on the wikipedia list of latin phrases, or through a 3-second google search.

he’s a doctor. him having taken latin isn’t anymore strange than a lawyer taking latin. in fact, if you pay attention, artemy also took latin; this is implied when artemy tells him he’s always sucked at it.

his uses of latin actually aren’t random at all. what he says fits the situation, and sometimes is used in place of him having to come up with something to say on his own.

prime example:

Forget it, Burakh. I have a splitting headache. If you have no urgent business, then we’ll talk later. Later, later… Qui non proficit, deficit.

qui non proficit, deficit - he who does not advance, loses ground. in other words, “i’m sorry, but i really do need to keep working.” one of his voice lines.

as for why he doesn’t translate the latin: it probably wouldn’t even occur to him to. these are not obscure sayings. the utopians all have a certain degree of education - what would he need to translate them for?

this bleeds into something that isn’t really mentioned, but that i’ve found i have a lot of trouble with in everyday life. autistic people have a tendency to either overexplain (and then have everyone get mad at you because they feel you’re being condescending) or underexplain (and have everyone get mad at you because you haven’t explained anything). the latin would be a case where it feels like a justified underexplanation. you’ll notice that when it comes to anything scientific, he tends to do the reverse, and overexplain. this also happens in classic, whether artemy has asked him to clarify or not.

rigid thinking patterns

the thing i had marked for this was simply his strict adherence to western medical practices and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural, even when it seems obvious - he has a conversation in his route in classic with yulia about this, and that is in fact how he manages to get to her: by asking saburov if there are any other logical skeptics in town. it should be noted they seem to be breaking with this in pathologic 2, where one of his voicelines is “I’m no positivist. There are things in this world beyond our mundane perception.” i have no idea where they’re planning on going with that.

there’s also a quote floating somewhere around twitter about him having been raised by a military man, and militaries tend to enforce very rigid routines. you could say the same thing of block - who (in classic at least) i also have my suspicions about.

highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus

special interests. the one that should obviously come to mind is thanatology, though i would argue latin if not classics in general is a special interest of his as well - in addition to his usage of latin, he also references pericles in the marble nest and was probably refering to the roman occupation of haruspicy in addition to augurs in the same text. he also makes references to shakespeare more than once in both marble nest and pathologic 2.

hyper- or hyperoreactivity to sensory input

i don’t have much written down for this one but there seem to be several places in classic especially where he asks npcs to stop shouting at him. we don’t really have the privilege to know their volume or how they’re interacting with him, but i think it’s also worth noting that he’s the only one of the healers who wears gloves. in pathologic 2 he’s the only named character i can think of who wears them at all. his thing in the lucid dream about the brain being “a border”? gloves are his border, as is his jacket, which may be worn to cut down on sensory issues.

he will also sometimes seem to “overreact” to the situation at hand - such as in classic, when some dogheads mispeak and say that daniil is going to “sterilize” them, and instead of understanding that they must have mispoken, freaks out over the idea that they think they’re going to be… well… sterilized. or in haruspex route, when his reaction to the inquisitor arriving is to threaten suicide.

miscellaneous

he never goes anywhere without that carpet bag. we don’t see it in pathologic 2, but we do hear about it and he doesn’t let it go for a second in classic - not even in the cutscenes where he’s using the microscope. his bag could be a comfort item.

“getting very attached to things like inanimate objects” could work for the bag - but you know what it actually fits the bill much more obviously? the polyhedron. in the haruspex route he recognizes that it’s a lost cause, but he’s still too attached to it to let it go.

in classic at least, daniil is absolutely terrible at lying. most autistic people either are not good at lying, or feel uncomfortable or anxious with having to lie. when he’s asked by yulia and the kids in the polyhedron to lie to block (for different reasons) he’s clearly uncomfortable with the idea that it’ll work. and when it actually comes time to come up with a way to lie to block about why he needs five rifles, your options are to either buckle and tell him the truth, or simply say that you need them for “self-defense”. block believes that you’re not lying to him, but daniil can’t come up with any embeleshments to explain why he needs what he’s asking for.

Commander: Are you hiding something from me? Bachelor: No.

he comes across as naive to other characters. in classic, capella has a voiceline saying, “The Bachelor is not smart. Intelligent, yes… but not smart.” in Pathologic 2, Daniil complains that Aglaya takes him for “a useless dreamer”. he’s also easily used by the Kains to fulfill their endgame in classic.

my final, and absolute favorite: he takes things way too literally. autistic people (and adhd people, from my understanding) have a hard time differentiating jokes and sarcasm. so my favorite moment in marble nest is a case of him taking that earlier advice - to “take heart” literally, by bringing the tragedians a literal human heart:

Tragedian: Oh… Excellency. What a sordid sight! Sorry for underestimating you. You definitely do have… how shall I put it… a creative touch. But this is pure madness. You can’t take things so literally! Daniil: You wanted me to come back to you with an open heart. Well, here I am. …It looked too fitting to be a coincidence.

your mind map, after this, updates to say “I misunderstood the tragedians.”

conclusion

people don’t stop being autistic with age and i think he’s a good example of what it’s like to be in your late 20s and be autistic. i’m sure i missed things as i haven’t finished haruspex route of classic yet and there may just be some other things he does or says that i missed! if anyone has anything to add they think fits i would love to know, thank you for your time :)

[humanransome-note]

Some asshole gives his review of Spiral: From the Book of Saw (and basically the series as a whole)

A lot of people were complaining about Chris Rock’s performance. And IDK why? It was very much jaded but well meaning asshole, which was what it was supposed to be? Maybe those reviews were skewed cause it’s Chris Rock. Maybe they were thrown off IDK.

One thing I’ve learned is that you should NEVER underestimate a comedy actor in a dramatic roll, especially horror ones. Robin Williams in One Hour Photo and his Law and Order episode. Jordan Peele directing Get Out and Us

I remember reading somewhere that the only difference between horror and comedy is that one has a punchline

Anyway I read reviews when it first came out, and everyone was complaining about the pacing and tone. Tone I can understand, Chris Rock, while still being solid in his role (Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” “Z” Banks) is a naturally bombastic man and it can feel a little out of place and almost forced, especially if you haven’t seen his other stuff and don’t know he’s just like that

This movie really went and said ACAB huh? Like the Pig from the originals always made me think of cops(okay that’s not true, I saw my first saw movie when I was like 8 and didn’t know pigs=cops) but when I learned that I was always waiting for some sort of police commentary (deeper than Wahlberg’s whole deal)

They toned down the gore, like a lot! So if your a gore hound, it won’t scratch that itch. But I think the movie’s better for it.

I, personally, consider the first 3 Saw movies an original trilogy. Not only because John Kramer (Tobin Bell, we have the same birthday 🎂) is alive in those three, but also because those three had James Wan and Leigh Whannel involved at some capacity meaning the original intent can still be felt

Spiral felt like a proper sequel to that trilogy

Everything from 4-7 felt mostly like a cash grab, 6 tried to do a social commentary on predatory insurance companies and the first trap in that movie the two victims were predatory lenders so a nod to the housing market crash

Back to Spiral

A few people said it was predictable, and maybe it was. (The end of Detective Pikachu surprised me, I am not a smart man) but even if it was, I still thought it was satisfying

Samuel L Jackson did not have a lot of screen time, but when he was on screen he felt like, well this is going to be a bit complicated he felt like my dad.

Not exactly like my dad, then I wouldn’t have cared about his character at all, but emotionally distant, there barely enough to be a real father

Him and Chris Rock had an, interesting chemistry I think

They definitely felt like emotionally distant family, Zeke trying to live up to his father’s legacy and his father wishing Zeke had done anything else

Again, this Movie really went and said ACAB

The first time we see Zeke in the precinct, we learn that he turned in a dirty cop 12 years ago and is still getting shit for it

A flashback, (one of many, this is a saw movie after all) shows that he got shot after his calls for backup were ignored, because he turned in that other cop.

And him being one of the only black officers, while probably not an intentional layer, definitely put me on edge in some bits

At the end of the movie, the killer actually touts Zeke as the ideal, offers to partner up and “clean up” the precinct

Even though he is touted as the ideal, there is a scene where he assaults, and basically tortures a witness

This witness was a Meth dealer, which might have been why the killer, who knew about this, didn’t see that as a bad thing

John Kramer’s philosophy was finding people he had felt squandered their lives, who didn’t appreciate the life they had, and putting them in life threatening situations so if they lived, they’d appreciate life on the other side

Amanda was just vindictive

Hoffman was, by the end, just a sociopathic thrill killer who like showing off his intelligence but his execution was arguably closer to Kramer’s, except at the very end

This one was out specifically for dirty cops

Which was and still is an issue a lot of people have with the trilogy

Kramer’s philosophy felt, extreme is putting it lightly, stupid is too simple. I think the best word I can come up with is privileged(?)

He felt that if it worked for him it should work for everyone, so he forced people to go through life threatening situations because his failed suicide attempt made him appreciate his life

Whereas this killer, their plan was for the greater good, shit execution mind (and that’s something I’ve started to notice and probably deserves it’s own essay/post whatever)

Back to the movie, it’s an hour and a half, so some bits do feel a bit rushed, but not enough to mitigate my enjoyment

All of the characters rubbed me the wrong way at least once, not because they were stereotypes but because all of them were some degree of asshole

TRAPS: what every saw movie is known for.

Again, they toned the gore down by A LOT, like the amount in Spiral is closer to the gore in probably the second movie I would say

Traps all had symbolism, like the first one was a cop who constantly lied on the stand, he had to rip out his own tongue or get hit by a train

The mechanism for one of the traps didn’t make that much sense to me, which was a bit of a bummer because one thing that almost all the first movies had, was that all traps could theoretically work. Like they actually had an engineering team by the last few films

I might be able to figure it out if I watched it again, there weren’t a lot of wide shots of the trap but the fact I have to do that “boo!”

Also, traps were scaled down. Much more reasonably sized, believable that one person could put the whole thing together

The end, oof, the end actually had some emotional impact

Like I will never, in my life, forget the end of the first movie, where most people probably get like “kill bill” sirens, I get “Hello Zepp” that’s how much it rocked my baby brain

But it wasn’t emotional it was surprising sure, but not emotional

Now biggest issue, in my opinion

Too many flashbacks, no where near as bad as say the first one, but i felt things happened and THEN their significance was explained

There’s probably more issues, I don’t doubt it, it’s a Saw Movie after all, but I went in expecting like Jigsaw

Which is shit even by Saw standards, no continuity was acknowledged, there was no consistency, the twist felt cool on the first watch but it didn’t hold up on rewatches and the motive felt too much like a personal vendetta

It didn’t feel like a saw movie is what I’m saying

This one did though, it’s not winning any awards, but I do hope they continue doing this The Book of Saw thing

If you don’t know, the very end of the last movie showed that Jigsaw actually had a cult following, like a legit cult of people dedicated to continuing his work

And while that wasn’t necessarily picked back up here, the idea was planted and this movie actually tried to do something with it

Also this movie, it felt like the people who worked on the movie actually wanted to build up from what the originals planted, like they actually cared about what they were making, which always improves a movie I think

3.5/5 wouldn’t have minded if I’d actually paid for it

[scvrllet]

For the blurb request can you do #30 from fluff with Harry Potter? Please :)

30 - “I’ve been in-love with you since we were kids.” from this prompt list

me posting twice in a day? wow

Childhood Crush

- 

You never understood why people would call their school their second home until you went to Hogwarts. Being a muggleborn who went to public school before receiving your acceptance letter, the only reason you agreed to go was to get as far away from the horror that was public school. Everyone there was horrible and you hated every second you spent there. The only person who made it better was one of your classmates, Harry Potter, who was also your best-friend.

He was often bullied by his cousin and on several occasions, you had intervened to save him. The two of you quickly became friends and you were sad when you realized that you would be leaving him behind. That is, until a man named Hagrid knocked on your door one morning with Harry by his side. 

Six years later and the two of you were still the best of friends though he seemed to have been acting different lately. He seemed to be more distant towards you and when he couldn’t, would avoid long talks and come up to an excuse to leave. You had asked Ron and Hermione about it but they would only smirk at you, telling you that you;d find out soon before changing the topic. 

This went on for nearly a month until you decided that you were done. Getting up from your seat, you walked down the stairs and headed inside to where the team change-rooms were. By the time you were in front of the Gryffindor change-rooms, Lee Jordan had announced that Harry had caught the snitch and Gryffindor won the game. 

 He had entered last out of everyone in the team and despite the victory, he seemed to be upset. 

“Harry!” You called gaining his attention. His face lit up slightly at the sight of you but he still seemed upset. 

“(Y/N), hey.” He said as he walked towards you. 

“Can I ask you something?” You asked him while nervously playing with your fingers. He noticed and cocked a brow but nodded. “Why have you been ignoring me lately? Was it something I said, or did? I don’t think I did anything to upset you but if I did then I’m sorry-” 

“It’s not something you did.” Harry cut you off. 

You looked at him with a confused expression. “Than what is it?” 

Harry laughed nervously. His eyes no longer looking at you but instead down to the ground at his feet. 

“It’s uh, I just. I love you.” He ended up blurting out catching you by surprise. “I’ve been in-love with you since we were kids.” 

His confession was met by silence on your end making him regret even saying anything. He deeply considering obliviating you so he that he could save himself form the rejection but was rather shocked to have your lips pressed against his own. 

The hand that was holding onto his broom was now resting around your waist while the other cupped your cheek. A million different thoughts and feelings were coursing through your minds but the only thing that seemed to matter in the moment was each-other. 

Had it not been for Fred and George’s dramatic cry, who knew what would happened in that hallway. 

“Oh my eyes!” George said as he quickly covered his eyes and turned around only to bump into Fred. The twins started to bicker over that action while you and Harry tried your best to not look so embarrassed. 

“Let me go shower and changed, then I’ll see you at the party tonight.” Harry told you before picking up his broom from the ground. You smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek before making your way out of the hallway leaving Harry a blushing mess. 

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[dreaminae]

We All Need The One Friend

Chapter 8

Hours rolled by as sunlight shifted to moonlight. Friendly competition soon became dangerous as personal tensions rose within the group.

"Rise of Batman!" One person guessed of Jordan's pose.

"Transformers!" A friend playfully argued.

Jordan changes poses in hopes that it might be easier to guess.

With time up, Jordan cracked up as everyone failed to guess his term.

"Okay, what even was that?" Simone giggled.

"Back to the future." Jordan responded in a 'duh' tone as if everyone should've known. "Greatest movie of all time!"

"I've never watched that movie in my life." Simone chuckled, "Plus, the greatest movie of all time is Parasite. Hello!"

"Jordan doesn't do subtitles." J.J laughed. "Like have you met my man?"

Everyone joined in the laughter, but Simone couldn't help but feel like it was strange that she hasn't known a small detail like that.

The game went on as Vanessa took the reigns.

"One word." One person shouted.

"A place. No no, a person." Another one added to list of clues.

"Uh, a painting.... a movie." Layla interjected.

"No, a plane. Wait, what?" One of them fumbled over when Vanessa switched stances.

"You're on a plane."

Giggling, Vanessa changed gestures again.

"Bald. You're bald. A bald eagle." J.J guessed.

"No, not an animal." Vanessa choked up.

"Aye, no cheating." Jordan chuckled as Vanessa spoke.

"C'mon guys." Vanessa encouraged, ignoring Jordan's rules. "You had a poster of him in your room when your ten." She spat out in Asher's direction.

"Samuel L. Jackson!" Asher shouted, jumping up as if he won the lottery.

Liv glanced between the two of them as if they grew two heads. It was stupid how one small detail held a bigger picture.

"Well, you don't get a point for that one." Simone scrutinized, gaining a careless shrug from Vanessa.

The game rolled on, leading to Spencer's turn.

Galloping his feet and twirling his arm, Spencer caused everyone to gather into fits of laughter.

"A cowboy," Jordan shouted first.

"The rodeo." Asher chuckled.

"Wild, wild west." Layla joined in, holding back her laughs.

Adding to his performance, Spencer shook his foot hysterically, while twirling his arm like a madman.

Finally catching on to his charade, Olivia thought back to the night she made Spencer rewatch all her favorite childhood movies. Quoting one of her favorite lines, Spencer had her in hysterics for half an hour. She could still remember him using her belt as a rope, shouting 'There's a snake in my boot'.

"Woody," Olivia muttered with a small smile.

"What?" Her brother asked curiously, not completely hearing her response.

"It's woody!" Olivia laughed, which Spencer replied to with a smirk.

They met each other eyes, before bursting out, "There's a snake in my boot!"

The entire group fell out laughing, excluding Layla.

Spencer returned to his seat grinning like an idiot, but couldn't help but to notice his girlfriend's harsh mood.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Layla nodded lightly. "Guess I am just tired." She muttered, not bothering to look in his direction.

Sensing there was more to it, Spencer left it alone, not wanting to cause a scene in front of his friends.

"Alright, I have the perfect game to play next," Vanessa announced, as she returned from the house with her bottle of booze. "Anyone up for a game of Never Have I Ever. The more you've done the more you drink."

Her announcement soured the mood as Spencer immediately shut down her idea. "Sorry, Ma." Spencer asserted firmly. "Ain't bo drinking happening this weekend."

His eyes flew to Olivia, followed by everyone else's. She rolled her eyes at their dramatics.

"Oh, please. Don't stay sober on my account." Olivia dryly encouraged. After all, this was the first time in weeks she'd been completely sober. With all of her friends within proximity this weekend, drinking wasn't an option for her.

Noting Liv's bitter tone towards her, Vanessa tried to ease the tension. "Sorry, Liv. I forget that you don't drink. That was so insensitive of me." She apologized, placing the booze on the ground.

"It's okay. It's not something I'd expected you to know, so.." Liv shrugged it off, dismissing the subject all together.

"No, liquor. Got it." Vanessa summed up, ignoring Liv's clear implied diss of Vanessa's newness to their group.

Asher rubbed Olivia's thigh, silently asking her to lighten up. Cocking up a brow, she gave him her iconic 'I could careless' glare.

"No drinks doesn't mean no turn-up." J.J cheered. "Introducing the burns of all burns -- jalapeno-infused pickle juice."

"What don't you have in that box man?" Spencer questioned, seriously wondering where J.J randoms items came from.

"Let the burns begin."

---------------------------

"Alright, never have I ever walked in on my parents doing it." Simone started the game off.

First victim up, Asher gulped down his first dose of the throat burning juice.

"Oh, God. Asher. No!" Olivia cringed.

"I don't wanna talk it." Asher chuckled at the memory. "RV trip...'08....super weird."

"Oh, you're gonna talk about it." Spencer and Jordan laughed together.

"Not the one to up to Sanoma. How could you not to me?" Vanessa asked playfully, catching Olivia's attention yet again.

Liv couldn't help but wonder just how much did Vanessa know about Asher, that she didn't.

"Cause I was scarred for life," Asher replied, oblivious to the questionable expression of Liv's face.

"Alright, my turn. Never have I ever bought 300 dollars shoes for my one night in Vegas." Simone teased Olivia's bad spending habits.

Tensing up, Liv looked everywhere besides at Layla.

"No cheating. Drink up, Liv." Simone laugh, unaware of the big secret she just revealed.

Layla's eyes narrowed in Liv's direction, fed up with the secrets.

Spencer gawked at his girlffriend, realizing that he and Liv might have to come clean sooner than expected.

"Alright, never have I ever said I love you just to get someone to hook up with me." Vanessa added to game.

All the boys drank besides Spencer.

"Yikes, that was a test that you all failed." Vanessa taunted, "Besides Spencer."

"My bro is a real one. When he says it, he means it." J.J admired, increasing the growing tension between Spencer and his love interest.

In Liv's case, her heart clenched at the mentally, replayed memory of Spencer professing his love for her. She yearned to have a chance just to tell him how she felt, despite the chance he no longer felt the same.

However, in Layla's case, all the times that Spencer claimed to love her we're burning in a flame of betrayal. Because despite that fact she had no solid evidence, that conveyed her worse thought she knew Spencer wasn't being truthful with her.

"You're a lucky one, Layla."

Layla's sneer went unheard by the majority of the group besides the two people who knew the jig was up.

Unaware of the conflicts brewing, J.J continued the game. His hand already pointing at his aimed victim.

"Never have I ever ran naked through a football field."

Admitting the embarrassing memory, Jordan gulped back his shot of pickle juice.

"Jordan! Tell me you didn't!" Simone teased.

"Okay. Okay. I did it. I run through the field, butt naked." Jordan chuckled. "What was it? Freshmen year?"

He and J.J chuckled laughed over the recollection.

"Varsity team stole all of our clothes, thanks to Ash -- over here --- acting like he owned the place during tryouts" Jordan recalled funnily.

"Cause I did." Asher cockily popped his collar. "It's called confidence."

"Confidence. Okay." Jordan playfully mocked. "Whatever you want to call it. Your dumbass stays getting us in trouble."

Asher nodded with a knowing smile. But Vanessa saw nothing funny about it.

"Wow." She gasped seriously. "Okay. Never have I ever crapped all over folks that we're supposed to be my friends."

The laughter stopped, and the smiles dropped in reaction to Vanessa switch up.

"Uh, Vanessa it's alright." Asher tried to jump in before she took things too far.

"It's just jokes." Jordan defended himself, not seeing the harm in messing around.

Vanessa's scornful expression was enough for Jordan to see that she couldn't disagree more.

Maybe it was her role as a protective sister that came into play. Perhaps, it was the jealously towards Vanessa knowing things about Asher that Liv didn't. Or maybe it was simply that Liv didn't feel Vanessa had any right to make presumed assumptions on any of the dynamics within their group when Vanessa barely knew any of them beyond a first-name basis.

Whatever it was, Vanessa's attempt to trash talk her twin was Olivia's last straw. And with that, she felt it was only right to return the favor.

"Hmm, well, Never have I ever spent the summer getting to somebody else's boyfriend a little too much." Liv snapped at Vanessa.

"Liv! What the hell!" Asher choked up, unable to believe that she publically humiliated Vanessa in that manner.

"Yo, Ash. Relax. Let's just play the game." Jordan instructed, trying to ease the tension he caused.

"You wanna play? Fine." Asher groaned. "Never have I ever cheated a concussion protocol to play in a game." He added spitefully.

"What is he talking about?" Simone inquired seriously, over the entire game. "You cheated your concussion protocol? How could you not tell me something like that?"

"You mean like you told me about Princeton?" Jordan asked, trying to guilt trip her right back.

"Wow!" Simone gasped in awe, tossing her blanket aside before storming off.

"Ah, babe, wait! I didn't mean it like that!" Jordan quibbled, following behind Simone. "Baby, wait. Sweetie!"

With the fun atmosphere ruined, the remainder of the group broke off to deal with their own problems.

-----------------------------

"Can you believe Liv?" Asher groaned, as he and Layla entered the kitchen.

"Not really. Find it hard to believe anyone with all the secrets that's been hidden." Layla replied harshly.

"What do you mean?" Asher asked, clueless.

"Simone's Never Have I Ever!" Layla responded in a duh tone. "When has Olivia ever gone to Vegas."

"Olivia wouldn't lie about going to Vegas. She has no reason to." Asher scoffed.

"You mean like she had no reason to lie about being in Mexico." Layla revealed.

"Liv came to Mexico? When?" Asher asked desperately. "She never told me."

"She went to Mexico to surprise her boyfriend." Layla groaned, annoyed that she had to be the one to tell him. "Only when she got there she saw you and random girl boo'd up." She gestured towards Vanessa as the brunette and J.J entered the room.

"Wait, you and Asher?" J.J asked heartbroken, catching the last part of Layla's statement. "Since when?"

"Where's Olivia now?" Asher requested to know, needing to hear all of this from her.

"I don't think that" Spencer began to suggest against going after Liv, but was interrupted by his girlfriend.

"She's down by bonfire," Layla interjected before her boyfriend could continue to shield his side piece from the mess they made.

Bypassing the other three teens, Asher went to find his girlfriend and demand some answers. Meanwhile, Vanessa and J.J left Spencer and Layla to handle their business in private.

------------------------------

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Texan-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and TikTok personality Allison Ponthier makes a splash with 'Cowboy' – it's the enthralling first taste of her upcoming EP. Finding a path away from her conservative upbringing, queer singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier is another artist making country music her own. Taking references from Kacey Musgraves and Orville Peck, Ponthier's take on the genre is high camp and features a kaleidoscopic visual world too. Growing a huge following on TikTok, 'Cowboy' marks the start of a whole new chapter for Ponthier with her debut release with Interscope and Polydor. The track itself references her move from the bible belt to New York City and her journey accepting her sexuality. Warm and inviting 'Cowboy' is cinematic pop with some real heart-on-sleeve confessional songwriting. Complete with a masterful music video that runs like a mini-movie complete with impressive special effects, on reflection, cinematic is an understatement. The video itself is a striking and exciting introduction to this new artist, “I probably watch movies more than I listen to music,” Ponthier says of the video. The clip, directed by Jordan Bahat (Christine and the Queens) adds a whole new cosmic energy to the track and aims to amplify the lyrics' detailed storytelling. As she unveils more of her forthcoming debut EP, Ponthier explains what we can expect from her; “a lot of my songs are about being uncomfortable in your own skin but getting to know yourself better, figuring out who you really are.” [via the Line Of Best Fit]

Miley Cyrus has shared the full video for 'Angels Like You'. The pop rebel returned in 2020 with her excellent album Plastic Hearts, a series of superb empowerment anthems. Album highlight 'Angels Like You' has received the video treatment, shot at the Superbowl in front of an audience of fully vaccinated healthcare workers. Miley has also provided a note for the video describing her feelings of gratitude to these workers. [via Clash]

LA punk four-piece The Paranoyds have dropped a new video for track 'Egg Salad', taken from their album Carnage Bargain which is out now on Suicide Squeeze. The video's director Nicole Stunwyck comments "The video presents the glitzy & glamorous world of a teenage girl who, after accidentally catching a beauty pageant on TV, dreams of her rise to stardom & subsequent downfall... It’s not a commentary on anything but an experimental depiction of my own personal fascination for young tragic starlets alà Valley of The Dolls."

Noga Erez and collaborative partner ROUSSO have shared a fifth compelling new single from forthcoming album KIDS which is set for release on March 26 via City Slang. 'Story' is a snappy, addictive song about how couples relationships are always a relationship between two people’s past and present. "Everyone brings their past experiences to the relationship even if things are great" Erez comments. "Sometimes past situations come in and take over." As with the album's previous singles 'Story' is brought to life with a captivating video, starring Erez and ROUSSO, who also provides vocals on the track. "ROUSSO is my partner in music as well as my partner in life" she explains. "This is the first time we tell a story about our relationship in a song and video. It’s a song about a couple fighting and how, in that situation, sometimes what you hear the other person say is not what they actually said. The making of this video was a 10-day couples therapy session for us. As we rehearsed the pretend fighting and martial arts moves we knew that, at times, one of us would get punched just a little too hard. It was so intense and interesting to live in this world, where our relationship comes alive in the most physical way."

After announcing Detritus with lead outing 'Stories' last month, Sarah Neufeld has unveiled the album's second single 'With Love and Blindness'. Neufeld says of the song and Jason Last-directed video, "The video for 'With Love and Blindness' came together through a long-time collaboration between myself and videographer Jason Last. I knew that Jason and I would work together again on some visual aspect for my third solo release, and it so happened that before I even began recording the album, we were presented with the opportunity to do a mini residence on Corsica with Providenza; an amazing collective with a farm, cultural laboratory, festival and residency program." She continues, "I was doing a short solo tour in Europe in the summer of 2019 in order to re-work some of the pieces from the dance collaboration to begin to find a shape for the album that was to be recorded in the Fall. In the middle of that tour, Jason and I travelled to Corsica for several days (graced once again with a suitcase containing Esteban Cortazar’s unique and beautiful creations). Besides performing in Providenza’s outdoor amphitheater, we were immersed in nature, literally staying in a treehouse perched on the side of a mountain, overlooking the dramatic coastline." Neufeld adds, "I found that the pulse of the landscape resonated with the essence of the music, especially "With Love and Blindness"; a sense of rawness, of sensuality, of a strange gravity intensified by the hypnotic summer heat and the general otherworldliness of the place." [via the Line Of Best Fit]

Molly Burman was brought up around music. At every family event, every party, the soundtrack would resonate with her, providing an education in itself. Both parents were gigging musicians, and she always wanted to follow in their footsteps, to use performance as a means of self-expression. Lockdown brought the time and space to bring these ideas into focus, and she's working to unveil a series of one off singles. Her debut single proper 'Fool Me With Flattery' is out now, a blissfully melodic piece of indie pop with some whip-smart lyricism. There's a tongue in cheek element to her sound that is fantastically endearing, matched by the subtle lo-fi elements of her bedroom pop confection. She comments: "I wrote the song after a long day of feeling overlooked and ignored by some of the guys in my life. I was fed up, angry and used the stereotype of a mansplaining misogynist to let it all out. This song is for anyone who feels belittled and like they’re being made to shrink themselves; be as big as you possibly can, and don’t let anyone fool you with flattery." The video is a hilarious showcase for Molly's offbeat sense of humour. [via Clash]

Punk provocateurs Pussy Riot have unveiled their latest song 'Panic Attack', as well as a music video that features a hologram of singer Nadya Tolokonnikova. This is the final release from Pussy Riot’s new Panic Attack EP, a collection of three linked songs that, for now, can only be streamed as separate singles. The title track features punk guitars underneath a tinkling music box melody, as Tolokonnikova turns anxiety into a sports cheer. “Gimme an A,” she says, “Gimme a T/ Gimme a T/ Gimme an A/ Gimme a C/ Gimme a K/ Okay? Okay.” While upbeat and seemingly cheerful, the synth-punk song comes out of the trauma she experienced in a Russian prison camp. As she explained in a statement, “After serving 2 years in a labor camp, I’m still struggling with mental health issues. Trauma, fear and insecurity never fully go away, causing depression episodes and deep anxiety. ‘PANIC ATTACK’ was born as the result of me staring at the wall for 24 hours in the middle of the pandemic, feeling 100% helpless. I was trying to write something uplifting to encourage people to get through the tough times. But I was just failing and failing. Magically, at the second I allowed myself to be honest and write about despair I was experiencing, I wrote the track in like a half an hour. Depression is a plague of the 21st century, and it tells me that there’s something broken in the way we treat each other. The video ‘PANIC ATTACK’ reflects on objectification of human beings, loneliness, disconnection from the environment that causes us to feel small and powerless. And it’s us who caused it with our own hands – that’s why in the end of the video I’m fighting with my own clone.” The music video for 'Panic Attack' was directed by  Asad J. Malik. He used 106 cameras to capture all angles of Tolokonnikova, then converted that information into a photoreal hologram. Afterwards, Tokyo-based creative technologist Ruben Fro built out landscapes reminiscent of video games through which the virtual Tolokonnikova could frolic. But as the visuals progress, those idyllic settings give way to a hellscape, and the singer faces off against a clone of herself. [via Consequence of Sound]

The wait is finally over. BLACKPINK’s Rosé shines like the star she is with her official solo debut. On Friday, she released two solo songs on her debut single album titled R, 'On the Ground' and 'Gone.' With its deep lyrics, angelic bridge, and Rosé’s high note at the end, 'On the Ground' is an exemplary song for her solo debut. Add the fact that Rosé is credited as a writer for the song, and one can really tell how much time she spent perfecting it for release. The accompanying music video, meanwhile, expands the story of life and growth. Rosé starts off looking lost and trying to find herself amidst all the wildness of life; she eventually encounters past and present versions of herself while searching for answers and purpose. By the end, she finds herself and her path forward, and one can’t help but smile as she sings an explosive outro. [via Teen Vogue]

On Ellise's latest alt-pop concoction the rising pop star gets gothic as 'Feeling Something Bad...' transforms a crush into an obsession. An expert at catastrophising everyday experiences, the LA-based artist has arrived fully formed with not only a consistent and cohesive sound but a striking visual identity too. That's even more clear when you press play on the accompanying video for her latest infectiously catchy track. With the clip directed by Joakim Carlsson we get to see Ellise in her absolute element as she brings "Feeling Something Bad..." to life in a macabre world of its own. “I just love dramatising little everyday feelings in life, so this is my big dramatic ‘I have a crush on you’ song,” Ellise explains – it's a song she wrote about a boy she barely knew. [via the Line Of Best Fit]

With President Biden determined to get the majority of American adults vaccinated by summer, bands are earnestly beginning to look forward to the return of live music. Purity Ring are the latest to announce 2021 tour dates, which they’ve shared alongside the video for their track 'sinew'. The song comes from WOMB, the synth-pop duo’s first album in five years that was released just before the pandemic struck. Directed by Toby Stretch, the clip brings back the abstract graphics and costumes that featured in the 'stardew' music video, continuing the enigmatic story of the domed bicyclist and their sun-headed sidecar companion. [via Consequence of Sound]

Australian Pop Princess, Peach PRC releases the official music video for her debut single 'Josh'. Peach PRC comments on the official 'Josh' visuals, “The music video was inspired by growing up watching the same five infomercials, morning news channels and old movies on my little pink box tv when I was a kid and couldn’t sleep on a school night. The idea was to have “josh” feel just as harassed the more he tries to call. Every creative step along the way was entirely my vision, from writing the music video script, to the lyrics and everything in between. I’m so happy and hope all the girls, gays and theys who dated “josh” will sing along.”

[calacuspr]

PR lessons from the European Super League announcement

Fans were allowed back to watch football in person for the first time this year at the weekend when the FA Cup semi-finals took place at Wembley Stadium.

In normal times, that would be something to celebrate and a key story dominating the sports headlines.

But when news broke on social media of the breakaway European Super League (ESL), fans and media alike could talk of nothing else.

Clearly some senior sports news journalists had been briefed, based on the accuracy of the financial information that they shared.

Many of the revelations, which were subsequently confirmed, suggested a tone deafness on the part of those clubs involved, some of whom have instigated redundancies, player pay cuts and even applied for staff furlough grants from the UK government, while millions have struggled during the pandemic.

The story also showed serious communications errors by the organisers and lessons that all sports organisations can learn from when it comes to issues and crises.

TIMING

The news of the proposed European Super League broke on Sunday afternoon but it was not for some hours until the official statement was released to the public.

This gave plenty of time for the news to be digested by media, fans and players alike, who almost universally expressed outrage and fury at the perceived greed and senselessness of the proposals.

Governing bodies, fan groups and politicians were united in their anger and opposition.

A plan should have been in place to ensure that a comprehensive statement was made available at a pre-agreed time to put the ESL’s views across at the point when the story was expected to break.

As it was, the official release was published late at night, ignoring one of the basic tenets of PR that you don’t leave others to fill the void with negativity when controversial developments take place.

NARRATIVE

Whether fans like to admit it or not, they love to see the top stars of world football playing for or against their team.

In the past week, seeing Neymar and Kylian Mbappe going toe-to toe with the might of Bayern Munich’s array of stars, for instance, provided a mouth-watering and engrossing tie that had everyone salivating at its spectacle.

But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen clubs lose tens if not hundreds of millions in lost revenue from ticketing, merchandise and food and beverage which have presented all sorts of financial challenges for clubs, particularly at the top of the game where salaries are sky high.

While some of this could be recovered once fans are allowed back into stadia, UEFA’s own new Champions League proposals appeared not to have convinced the 12 ESL clubs enough to gain their support when it came to it.

The initial ESL statement included: “The formation of the Super League comes at a time when the global pandemic has accelerated the instability in the existing European football economic model.

“The pandemic has shown that a strategic vision and a sustainable commercial approach are required to enhance value and support for the benefit of the entire European football pyramid.”

Given the parlous financial situation most clubs find themselves in, particularly the giants in Spain and Italy, claims that this is motivated by anything other than money lack credibility.

Florentino Pérez admitted as much when he finally spoke to a Spanish news organisation more than 24 hours after the story first broke, citing the need to recover lost earnings caused by the pandemic.

The ESL did not focus on the challenges facing the clubs and the reasons why the UEFA proposals did not make sense.

In doing so, they handed the moral high ground to their critics and rivals who themselves have not always taken into account the views of fans, players or clubs when making their decisions.

LEADERSHIP

The ESL statement quoted just three ESL executives, Real Madrid’s Florentino Pérez, Manchester United’s Joel Glazer and Andrea Agnelli, Chairman of Juventus.

When the press release was published on each club’s website, there were no individual quotes from executives of those clubs (even if they were not included in the original statement) with the curiosity of United’s Glazer even quoted on the website of arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, something that would previously have been considered unthinkable.

With such considerable financial backing, why were the executives of each club not guided on the key messaging so that they could engage with fans and media who are interested in their specific perspectives the day after the announcement?

If their executives really believe in the proposals they are seeking to implement, why not have the confidence to put the ESL case forward in person?

With no Video News Release or interview opportunities – remember that Zoom has been used in these socially-distanced times to great effect – the organisation gave the impression of arrogance and hiding behind its corporate backers at a time when the clubs’ fans are confused, angry and in need of direct engagement.

ENGAGEMENT

Talking of engagement, the late, great Sir Matt Busby, who led Manchester United to the title and European Cup as it then was, once said “Football is nothing without fans.”

What the Covid-19 pandemic has confirmed is that football’s global appeal has not waned in empty stadia, despite the clear lack of atmosphere without fans cheering on their heroes.

The scheduling of matches over the past few years has made the loyal, died-in-the-wool match-going fans feel disengaged and ignored, with long journeys at inconvenient times required to accommodate television schedules in lucrative overseas markets.

Is it any wonder that in his statement, Perez said: “Football is the only global sport in the world, with more than four billion fans.” Hardly a ringing endorsement of those in Madrid who live and breathe their club and undermining his later comments that audiences were falling.

While football tourists make up an increasing number of those who attend matches in person, clubs used to rely on a loyal, mainly local fanbase, whose traditions and rituals are the fabric of the atmosphere and intensity which makes top level football such a spectacle.

Granted, fans have never been an integral part of the decision-making process for clubs and football administrators, but so many of the leaders of the ESL clubs rarely, if ever, give media interviews or talk directly to the stakeholders who should matter most.

No wonder the scenes at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge were so dramatic, with former goalkeeper and now Technical Director Petr Cech having to plead with fans who were peacefully protesting and blocking the route for team coaches to enter the stadium car park.

The fact that fans from each of the six English clubs came together in a combined effort to thwart the ESL plans and even hold a Zoom call with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed the depth of feeling and the importance fans have in the game.

Coaches of the English ESL clubs claimed not to have known anything about the plans until they were revealed at the weekend. Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, forced to speak ahead of the Leeds United game when his club’s owners had not yet faced the media, said: “People are not happy with it, I can understand it. I can't say a lot more because we were not involved in the process - not the players, not me - we didn't know about it. We will have to wait how it develops.”

What of the players? Threatened with the prospect of being excluded from international competitions, how would they feel about these developments that they have had no opportunity to discuss before they were seemingly confirmed?

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson reportedly led a captains’ call before a co-ordinated campaign by him and his team-mates to express their displeasure on social media.

Liverpool sponsor Tribus pulled out of their deal before the ESL project collapsed. Time will tell how other club sponsors feel given the negative feedback towards their partners.

VISION

Football is all about entertainment, rivalry, and the jeopardy that can see a club win a trophy and be relegated in quick succession.

There is an argument that top clubs playing against top clubs in a closed format without relegation may lose its novelty, but even without engagement, the initial communications did nothing to excite and inspire the fans who loyally follow their teams home and away.

At a time when the football family should be working together to support all levels of the game from grassroots to elite level, these developments showed how little club owners care about their traditional fanbase.

The prospect of shorter games and other rule changes to suit a younger audience whose attention spans are supposedly limited added to the uproar and underlined the lack of understanding of the fundamentals that make football great.

As Adam Crafton, from The Athletic, put it: “It’s amazing. I just spent 48 hours thinking ‘surely there’s more to this? Surely they have a plan to articulate the vision?’ And then you realise, there really isn’t.”

It has been said that football clubs have been brands for some time, and if you subscribe to that train of thought, how much damage has been done to those brands and how will they recover?

***

When clubs started pulling out of the ESL on Tuesday evening, it did not take long for more to follow and forced the ESL to make a second, late statement which was so rushed, it did not even go out on headed notepaper.

Tellingly, almost 24 hours later, the ESL had not been updated to include the latest developments.

The ESL debacle raises further questions about the importance of club owners as custodians of these great institutions rather than simply using them as income-generating playthings with no consideration for culture and tradition.

While there has been widespread criticism and this has continued to be handled poorly from a communications perspective, too many organisations have been sleep walking to the point where this has now happened.

And as a result of that apathy, football’s reputation has been tarnished and it will take a long time to repair it.

[ianite-simp]

take it upon yourself pt. 1

"So you've made your decision." A voice hummed low in his head. A familiar voice, a god Jordan knew all too well. 

"Decision?" Faint bewilderment rang clear in his own words. Had he really? Had he really pledged himself to a god? As far as he knew, he hadn't yet. The necessity wasn't there, not for him. To tie himself to one would be a waste, it would destroy any balance in the realm. He couldn't add to the chaos, no, he had to fix it.

But Dianite had treated him kindly. The god had offered him a place, offered him power. He knew the god was waiting for him. But how could he accept? “What do you mean?”

A whiff of brimstone and sulfur drifted by, a soft touch of an invisible hand brushed his cheek. There was no response.

~

Silken bonds tied the hands of his lady. Smooth, glistening fabric bound the delicate wrists together, rendering her helpless. Pure white against soft skin. So delicate, so innocent How could they be hurting her? 

They were so unsuspecting.

With trembling fingers Jordan undid those bonds. Fingers trembling with an adrenaline that flooded his nerves, washed away his senses. The weeks of praying and waiting, of working and searching, they had led to this moment. Carefully, ever so carefully, he untied the last knot. The silk fluttered to the ground, forgotten, as he saw the damage it had done.

Skin rubbed raw, flushed and irritated. Brown eyes met purple, concern met exhaustion, an apology met acceptance. Had he only been there sooner, had they only figured it out earlier - perhaps some of the pain could have been prevented. Perhaps something could have been done.

He had never suspected that the bonds that held Ianite had harmed her. They were too gentle, too pure. But only on the outside were they so. That which was hidden away wore on the goddess, bit by bit. 

The adrenaline that had only moments ago filled him with anticipation threatened to explode out of him, escape through every pore. His own hands were shaking, shaking, shaking. The sheer sense of powerlessness, of failure, it consumed him. He hadn't done enough.

~

"She's gone, isn't she?"

"In this world, at least."

They stood a little ways apart from the others, debris crashing down around them as they hurriedly spoke.

"She'll be waiting for you in another place, Captain. And so will I." Strong, warm hands folded over his own. Just for a moment they held tight, a promise flashing across the deep red eyes that held his own.

"But I didn't save her. Didn't… didn't I fail her?" It was softly spoken. Any louder and his voice would have failed him. It would have cracked, would have given away the splinters in his own facade of stability.

With a soft squeeze, the god pulled his hands away. "But you helped to save me, Captain. Don't forget that."

~

Don’t forget that.

The darkness of the void surrounded him, encompassing his entirety. Whispering static filled his ears, fried his nerves. Stasis hadn’t set in yet, and he was so alone. He held his hands before his eyes, studying the weather worn skin. Fingers curled inwards with nothing to hold onto.

Don’t forget that.

How could he forget it? How could he forget those eyes, the depths that pulled him in ever closer? How could he forget the sight of her graceful statue crumbling into nothing? How could he forget the coarse skin, so gentle against his own? How could he forget his failure of her? How could he forget his promise to him? How could they still wait for him?

Don’t forget that.

His head fell forward against his chest, eyes screwed shut to block out the never ending dark. Nausea swept over him in waves that slowly grew in size. Something about the discomforting power of the void seemed stronger than ever. If only stasis would come to him.

Don’t forget that.

~

“You know Captain, it is lonely being a god with no follower.”

“That’s a lie.” He replied bluntly. Avoiding the Dianite's eyes. Avoiding the topic. Avoiding the implied question. Avoiding the guilt. Because if he turned and faced it, gods it would hurt him. A god imprisoned, a new force arising - things were dissolving too quickly for him to repair. How could he bring balance alone, with only his goddess at his side? He just wanted help.

He was being offered the irresistible, because it was just that. He was being offered an escape. But to turn his back on his lady was unimaginable, impossible. No, he just had to put the guilt and the worry aside. He just had to work through it. Because he could work through it. He just had to.

Besides, why would the god say such a thing? He knew that he knew the zombie was only pretending to be loyal to Ianite. So why would he bother to lie? It didn’t seem right. He had spoken with too much sincerity for his liking. A god had to have a champion, right? So how could he pretend otherwise? It didn’t add up at all, and he knew he’d be able to work that out. What was his angle?

~

“It’s just a business deal.” He said hotly, his temper flaring. What was the issue the others saw? Why was it a problem to speak with another god?

Tom and Karl's laughter and teasing fueled his rising frustration. Why couldn’t they just understand? He was trying to fix things, yet all they did was to hold him back. He was shaking, he knew, but the pure anger he felt had to escape somehow. “I stand for my god, alright? I’m with my lady until the end. Say what you want, I’m not turning my back on her. I can talk to another god, okay? It’s not a big deal, so stop making it one.”

Silence met his outburst. The conversation took a quick turn, but the anger didn’t fade. No, it was still there, broiling and bubbling just under his skin. How dare they? How dare they laugh and make assumptions about him? All he was trying to do was make things better, make them balanced. He caught a glimpse of his hands, knuckles white from being clenched tightly. Tingling from a lack of circulation.

His muscles relaxed slightly as he heard the god’s familiar voice again, a low purr. “I’ll consider your offer.”

“Thanks, m’lord.” He mumbled instinctively. The words were out before he even knew it. But he didn’t try to ignore it, brush past it. It was just a formality, right? No real meaning behind it. The rush of heat in his veins meant nothing. The acrid scent of wood smoke and brimstone meant nothing.

Just a formality.

~

"Captain." Ianite's voice was so gentle. It always had been. "Do you have the stone?" Her gaze was searching, earnest. He pulled his eyes away, directing them towards the floor deferentially. At least, that's what he told himself. It had nothing to do with the fact that he couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her eyes. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, only responding with a small shake of his head.

"I see." She let out a long sigh. Disappointed, definitely, but… She stood from her simple throne, touching a slender finger to his cheek. Her touch was so different from his. The other god had skin that almost burned against his own, but hers was cool. Both soothing in their own way.

He mentally flicked the thoughts away, as distracting and unwelcome as gnats. "I won't say I understand why, Captain, but I will try to." Her words were a reprimand, despite the well meant intentions guiding them. She was too kind, too confident in him. 

"I'm sorry my lady, I tried but…" His voice trailed off, his head falling heavily against his chest.

"It'll be fine." She shifted her hand to lift his chin, forcing him to meet her eyes. Forcing him to see the comforting smile, the spark of mischief already dancing again. Reminding him again that he hadn't failed this one. Yet. "If you ever should have the opportunity of getting it again, I would recommend you use whatever means are necessary, mhm?"

"Of course m'lady."

"Good." She stepped back, beckoning for him to rise from where he still knelt. "Leave it in my temple, should you get it. You know where. I'll be waiting for you."

~

Whatever means are necessary, he repeated. Whatever it would take. The balance it would help bring would be worth it. That was what he wanted, wasn't it? Preserve the balance, protect his goddess.

She was looking weaker, she had said it herself. The stone would help her somehow. Surely any deal the other god would want to make in exchange for it would be worth it. He knew he had a few things the god wanted, the sword perhaps, or maybe the wand. He hated to give them up, but it was for a good reason, right? It was important.

Whatever means are necessary.

~

Dianite seemed amused by his approach. “Persistent, aren’t you?”

It was rhetorical, but he still nodded. “I know you want what I have.”

There was a curious glint in the god’s eyes, as he studied him. It put him on edge, told him he had something up his sleeve. Nothing new in that, thought. “Very well. I’ll give you the stone.”

“In exchange for the items?”

“No. Consider it… a gesture of goodwill.” The god smiled, an almost coy look on his face. That look definitely meant he wasn’t up to anything good.

“Uh huh, sure.” He crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes as he met the god’s gaze head on. “What’ll it really cost?”

“Your loyalty?”

He was already shaking his head resolutely the moment the words left the god’s mouth. “Hah, nope. I’m loyal to my lady, sorry.”

“Hmm.” The god hummed softly, tilting his head playfully. “Are you now? Well,” he let out a dramatic sigh, “I see how it is, I guess. Don’t worry, I fully support that decision.”

Jordan was taken aback by the sudden shift in the god’s tone. “Wait, what? Weren’t you literally just trying to convince me to join your team?” 

“I don’t need to convince you of anything. I know you’ll see the truth of the matter soon enough, my boy.” Dianite reached a hand out to ruffle his hair. It caught him off guard, leaving him unable to duck aside to avoid it. The touch sent a strange shock through his body, running through his nerves like an electric current. It was… it was like the first time he communicated with his lady. It had the same raw, potent energy to it. His eyes met the god’s, confusion and alarm written clearly across his features. A satisfied, almost smug look met him.

“So would you still like the stone?”

Whatever means are necessary.

His eyes fluttered shut for a long moment, unsure of whether he was dreading or eager to respond. He knew what his answer would be. To refuse would be to go against his word to his lady. He had to accept.

“Yes, I would,” he took a small breath of air to steady himself, “my lord.”

He took the stone in a surprisingly steady hand, tucking it into a pocket for safe keeping. He didn’t catch the small wisps of green smoke that curled around his hand as he did so. He was too distracted by the strong scent of wood smoke and brimstone.

~

The overworld smelled of rain soaked soil, a salty ocean breeze, sweet wheat growing in the field. The End smelled of a crisp morning, the static in the air before a storm, and the musty scent of dried lavender and thyme. The Nether smelled of smoldering brimstone, crackling fires, and sulfurous smoke.

The smell of each dimension clung to the champions of the respective gods, faint yet always present. They quickly became accustomed to the distinctive scents, grew capable of recognizing each other by them alone.

Jordan didn't notice at first, the new odors that clung to his possessions. It was only when Karl made an off hand comment, something about how Tom must've been hanging out around his place recently. He laughed it off in the moment, joking about how he couldn't get the zombie off his island. But he couldn't help taking small whiffs of his armor, his clothes, the contents of his chests. There was something off about it, a familiar smell mingling with the old. An uncomfortably familiar smell.

But it couldn't mean anything, could it?

next →

[mediaion]

Motivational quotes to help you rid toxic people from your life

We all have dramatic people in our lives, but some people take it to the extreme. To help you stay strong and remove those toxic people in your life, take guidance from the Mediaion review team with this curated list of powerful quotes.

1. “No matter how valuable you are and your ideas, fools will certainly play both of you down, so exclude yourselves from the inflammatory environs of fools.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson

2. “It’s one thing if a person owns up to their behavior and makes an effort to change. But if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries, and continues to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go.” —Daniell Koepke

3. “The hardest part of being in an emotionally abusive relationship, it’s actually admitting you’re in one.” ― Anna Akana

4. “Not all friends know they have lost you.” ― Joyce Rachelle

5. “My father once said, ‘If you’re in the desert and you’re dying of thirst, are you going to drink a glass of blood or are you going to drink a glass of water?’ I think what he was trying to say, interesting coming from my blood father, is sometimes there are people in your family that can be toxic.” – Nicolas Cage

6. “We teach people how to treat us.” — Dr. Phil

7. “What’s broken is broken—and I’d rather remember it as it was than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.” – Margaret Mitchell

8. “An oppressive nature is like inclement weather, surrounding others and crushing them down with its infectious gloom.” ― Stewart Stafford

9. “Don’t let toxic people infect you with the fear of giving and receiving one of the most powerful forces in this world… LOVE!” ― Yvonne Pierre

10. “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” — Deborah Reber

11. “If someone thinks you’re being dramatic or selfish, then they obviously haven’t walked a mile in your shoes. It’s not important for you to explain yourself. You get a pass here. Don’t let anyone else try to saddle you with guilt or shame. If you need your space, take it.” ― Sarah Newman

12. “Sometimes there are things in life that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes change may not be what we want. Sometimes change is what we need.” —Don Bolena Jr.

13. “My encouragement: delete the energy vampires from your life, clean out all complexity, build a team around you that frees you to fly, remove anything toxic, and cherish simplicity. Because that’s where genius lives.” — Robin S. Sharma

14. It is really exhausting to live in a dictatorship of ‘Me’, which is basically a tyranny of others.” ― Stefan Molyneux

15. “Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.” ― Mandy Hale

16. “The people in your life will either help you shake hands with yourself or they’ll teach you what you don’t want. Everyone, eventually, does one or the other. All pain transforms to learning. All love transforms to self-awareness.” ― Vironika Tugaleva

17. “If it comes, let it come. If it goes, it’s ok, let it go. Let things come and go. Stay calm, don’t let anything disturb your peace, and carry on.” ― Germany Kent

18. “If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” — Michael Jordan

19. “Cleanliness is a habit that keeps the body, mind, and environment neat, clean, and delightful and free from dirt and toxic things.” ― Amit Ray

20. “I found peace of mind when I walked away from small fights not worth fighting. I stopped fighting for people who gossiped about me. I stopped fighting for those who didn’t respect me. I quit worrying about those who wouldn’t value me for being me.” ― Dana Arcuri

For more dramatic content on so many topics, head to Mediaion.

[blackrosesfanfic]

Chapter 236

Trey

Last thing I want to do is end my marriage. That's never what you think about when making a stupid choice. Following up with a thought instead of thinking it through. That's where impulse gets you. To the point of a failed marriage.

"Jayla?" I say rubbing her leg.

"Where did my mother go?"

I shrug a bit. "She is about as..."

Chris comes walking into the room. "The hell wrong with you Cammies?"

"Ain't nothing wrong with me. There's only one Cammie." Cammie snaps.

"Oh yeah?" Chris says leaving back out. "Mama Cammie."

"Christopher." She snaps rolling her neck.

Chris shrugs once he is behind her back. I chuckle. Cammie and her mother do act similar to one another. Especially when mad or upset. They really look alike then. Gwen sits on the bed. She plays with her phone then she sighs heavily.

"I don't know what to say." Mama Cammie sighs.

"There's nothing to say. It was years ago."

Mama Cammie shakes her head. "Imagine someone hurting your son. You gonna feel like it's nothing? Someone needs some scars. I will be upset until I feel like I did something."

"It's too late."

"No it is not. You went to the hospital. I'm sure they did an assessment on you. I just got to find out what it said and who I need to press some charges against."

Cammie narrows her eyes at her. "You can't do that. Everyone knows… Everyone will know. No."

"Well your father... Lonnie is coming to California."

"Why did you tell him?" Cammie yells scaring Caden.

I move to her to get Caden. She swats at me holding him closer to her. Shit. I don't know what to do. I know she doesn't want me to walk out. I'm not even going to attempt to walk out.

"Better to tell Lonnie than me." Mama Cammie snaps. "I can't handle this."

"That's the problem."

Mama Cammie stands up. "I'm just so angry with you."

"Cause it's my fault?" Cammie cries.

"No. Of course not." Mama Cammie puts her hands on her hips. "You never had to go through any of this alone. I know we were close. You told me everything. I never wanted nothing but you to be the best Cammie you could. Dancing on some stage doesn't tell your whole story. All I saw was you not wanting to talk about that boy because I told you what would happen loving him. I just thought you couldn't take me saying I told you so. So I didn't say it."

"Good." Cammie snaps.

I try once again to take Caden. He wasn't liking Cammie being upset. He was ignoring every attempt she made of calming him down.

"I've dealt with... I don't know Jayla. If you never wanted me there then how could I be there?" Mama Cammie shrugs. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." Cammie says letting me take Caden.

He screams loudly. Shit. I walk around the room. Mama Cammie takes him from me. He cries loud again but calms down as she dramatically rocks him. Cammie's ass is fucking spoiled. You mad at your Mama cause she wasn't there but now you mad at her for trying to fight for you. My Jayla.

"Mama, you are a counselor. How would you help your client connect with her daughter?"

"Son, I just say some horse, you know what. They just like hearing someone neutral. They like being able to speak and someone listens."

I chuckle. "Jayla not listening to nobody."

"Jayla is Jayla." Her mother says. "I'm just mad at her for not thinking we were close to share stories. We just yell at each other. She should have been diagnosed years ago."

Cammie sucks her teeth. "With what?"

"Best baby making genes." Gwen says in a baby voice to Caden. "You so sweet."

"But I made that though."

Gwen smiles. "With Trey's help."

I chuckle. "Yeah that was me. Sweetness."

"Sugar flowing through your veins. Just freaking sweet." Cammie says cutting me an evil angry look.

"Jayla text your father and tell him not to come. He might feel unwanted and not come."

I chuckle. "I'm sure he already on the way."

Cammie randomly looks down her shirt. She grabs Lane's cup from the table and puts it in her shirt then sigh. Someone clears their throat. I don't know if it was Cammie or her mother. They were both looking at me. I chuckle to myself. A part of me was thinking damn I like Mommy titties. Leaking milk. I turn around and walk out the room. Bout to get hard in front of the wrong mama. Still tryna make her like me. That family is tough at getting close to. I walk into my mama's bedroom.

"Gwen taking your place with the boys." I say.

"I kicked that Chuckie Doll out of here." She snaps. "Bad ass little boy. Opened the gift I had for Forrest. Talking about it's for his brother."

I laugh. "That's where he got those pacifiers?"

She rolls her eyes. "Your wife is right majority of the time when it comes to her kids. Remember that. She knows what she doing. I should've learned how to beat his cute face when he was less mischievous. Not so smart."

"Cammie and her Mama had a talk."

"Good." Ma nods. "Gwen knows her daughter as well. She controls that crazy side."

I nod thinking about the conversation. "Damn were you there?"

"I already know, Tremaine. I didn't have to be there. Best thing you can do for your marriage is get those two back together. I was wrong about Cammie's mother. Just like I was wrong about Cammie. They rub you the wrong way at first."

I nod in agreement. Nothing needed. That's so true.

Rollie

"You trying to piss me off on purpose."

I turn around looking at Leah. "Who?"

She looks me up and down. "You."

"What the fuck you talking about?" I ask calmly.

"Don't worry about it."

I shrug. "Fine."

All I did was walk in the bedroom and open my suitcase. I didn't do anything else. She didn't say anything else. So what am I supposed to say to what? I'm making her mad on purpose. By walking in the room? I check my phone to be sure she didn't send me anything. I don't even know.

"Aye, come here."

"No. You can't erase stuff with your fucking charm."

I sit down facing. "Is it cause you pregnant? What is it?"

"Just leave it alone."

"Yo, come here." I say again. Still trying not to be overly aggressive which I do a lot.

She sucks her teeth then walk over to me but not close enough to touch. "What's the difference between me here and there?"

I stand up going to her. Good question. I walk into her belly on purpose. She like 7 months and it really shows how close she is to having the baby.

"What did I do?"

"Same shit you always do." She snaps. I rub her hips. She battles with herself then gives in. "I tell Jordan no or I take something from her then you come and undo me completely. Take my opinion away like I'm not her mother."

I shrug. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"I thought I did something else." I say then chuckle. "What I did today that I need to fix?"

She folds her arm. "Did you ask why her phone was in here?"

"She just said it was in here. Leah." I pause. "I don't know what she said. I told her to go get her phone."

"She was texting in some group chat with older boys and girls. I don't remember all the shit they were talking about but nobody was filtering anything."

I frown. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugs. "When did I have time, Rollie?"

"I know you did." I nod. "We have a child coming. If you doing all the parent shit alone what you need me for? Talk to me while the shit happening. You should have called me into the room before you took her phone. Now she has to be punished again when we could have done it together the first time."

"Blame it on me."

I slap her thigh then walk away. "Stop whining. I'll be back."

"Rollie?" My mom says stopping in the hallway. "While I'm already being the worst mother on the planet, I minus well talk to you. You probably feel like I did you wrong as well. Well I didn't. But I do want to say that you are being selfish by holding something against me that's your fault. I mean... what I'm saying is I won't take back what I said about you running the streets trying to get yourself killed. You made the decision to continue running the streets instead of getting your life together."

She pauses, maybe for a response. I'm not sure why cause ain't shit to say.

"You could have been anything more than a convicted felon. I never wanted you to limit yourself to that. Your father wouldn't have it. But anyway. I really want to be in your life. You are still my baby boy. My only son. My first child. The first person I knew I would have and love forever. Nobody was there for you more than me your whole life. So yeah... I'm a bitch I know. But you aren't too far from the block in a male sense. You just stubborn."

I shrug. "Okay."

"Okay, nothing Rollie." She snaps.

"So what do you want?" I shrug. These fucking women.

She giggles. "A hug."

I frown my face. A fucking hug? "Okay, Cheesy."

I hug her short ass. I don't know who this lady is that wants to work on her fucking attitude. Never has she wanted to work with people to correct the shit her ass has done. But she saying let's forget the shit in the past. I'm okay with that. I do want her to be in my child's life. She was a great mother. Like she said she was always there for me when I was doing right. I'm just getting my damn life together.

"I can make you feel better and be a man about mine. I should have listened to you. Finished high school and went to college."

"You aren't even 40. You can be everything you could have been at 20." She smiles patting my back. "I'm sorry we had to go through so much to undo a broken heart. I should have just... I don't know. Don't know what I should have done."

I hug her tighter. My mother was probably 5'5 with 6' heels. I look down at her teeth. Top of her head came to my shoulders and she had on shoes. I never thought about what I would do if my mother came to me apologetic or whatever the hell she calls this. Didn't expect it. But she my mama at the end of the day and I would go broke paying someone else to wipe her ass if she needed it. I guess we all growing up.

"Are we done here? You soft."

She walks away abruptly. I don't know about this suddenly redemption shit. It's all good though. Like I said I want her in my child's life. She fucking spoils Lane and he adores her like his other grandma. So I can try.

"Why are you standing in the hallway, Rollie? I just knew you weren't doing what you should have been." Leah whines. "Can you get my food from the front door?"

"Yeah." I say walking away. "Then do what?"

She sucks her teeth. "Get your daughter."

"Oh." I say walking away then cutting my eyes back towards her.

When she became my daughter? Before we was mad about her being my daughter. Now she calling her that. Jordan sees me coming and hides.

"I heard what mommy said. Don't come get me."

"Go to your mother." I say walking to the front.

She whines. "She won't listen. She just yells."

"I'm coming in there. Give me that phone then go stand near the door. Wait for me."

"You said I could get it." She whines.

"Don't make this hard on us."

She stomps out the room leaving her phone on the couch. I sigh.

"Get back in here. I said give it to me."

"Not fair." She whispers.

I take the phone from her. "Stop acting."

Know she doesn't get in trouble. Might get this piece of shit taken for a night. She has a damn tablet anyway. I walk to the front door and take the food. She could have told me it wasn't paid for. I go dig through Cammie's purse and take a 50 dollar bill from a stack. Look at this shit. Fucking rich ass. I'll tell her. Maybe.