#being stripped of being a little girl and having fun from day 1 and now i finally get to be. just be

[cinnamon-phrog]

Finally sorted my Barbie outfit- I'm gonna see it tomorrow!

[melanieph321]

Dusan Vlahovic x Reader - Boss Me Around Part 1/6

I'm so excited for this one!🤭

Reader is a former yacht girl now newly moved to Turin, Italy for her job as a real-estate accountant. There she meets Dusan Vlahovic, a former client of hers, a client she never thought to see again. However, with Dusan being Readers new boss their past becomes a liability. Nevertheless the spark between them still lives. This story is a romcom with both His and Her POV!

Enjoy!

Miami did get a little crazy in the summer, thankfully it was your last year being a yacht girl. Yupp, you were keeping your promise. Once you were out of college you were putting your flip flops on a shelf and stuffing your bikini in the back of your pantie drawer. It was time to grow up and stop treating life like a circus. It was time to get a real job.

"But you'll still visit me when you move to Italy, won't you?" Izzy said, as the two of you shared a scooter on your way to the marina.

"Are you kidding? With my new salary I'm flying you out to visit me. We'll have so much fun together in Turin."

Although it was considered a job, you had formed many great friendships through yachting. Izzy was your best friend in the game, the one you never road without. If it hadn't been for Izzy teaching you the ways of the yachting game, you might as well have ended up in some really bad situations that a lot a girls do whilst seeking the fast way to earn some cash. It was important not to get too in awe of the experience. Izzy had tought you that. Izzy had also taught you that the biggest mistake girls in yachting did was fall in love with a client, a mistake you were thankful you had avoided throughout your career. Although college boys never realky gained your interest either.

"So who's this guy anyway?" You asked. "A nepo baby looking to party?"

"More like a self made billionaire. Raul says he owns like half of Serbia when it comes to real-estate."

"Impressive." You nodded. Your last job as as a yacht girl would be a breezer. It was easier to deal with rich entrepreneurs than spoiled nepo babies who believed to rule the world.

Or so you thought.

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

"I think they're here." Alex said, looking over the boat deck, keeping an eye out for the girls. Once he spotted them Dusan rose from his taning bed, on his way to alert the crew to prepare the boat for departure.

"There's only two of them." Alex said, looking displeased as he returned from the deck, approaching his friend.

"Yes, one for you and one for me." Dusan said, pointing between the two of them.

"Man, you really have gone soft." Alex sighed. He was already suprised to be invited for a fun day out on his friend's new yacht, only to find the vessel empty of people if you excluded the crew members. "What happened to the old Dusan?" He said. "The one that likes to party. The one that taught me that the more the merrier, huh?"

Dusan chuckled. "I guess he's retired."

"At twenty four? How sad."

"Look, we can still have a good time. The girls said that they were up for anything."

"Yeah, but if I know you you're probably gonna ask them to watch you take a nap."

Dusan shook his head, a smile in his lips.

"When did you get so boring man, is that what a billion dollar empire does to you?"

Dusan opened his mouth to get back at his friend but that's when they heard voices below.

"Hello, anybody home?"

"Up hear!" Dusan shouted, a minute passing before they heard footsteps climbing the stairs. Two girls emerged, dressed in nothing but strips of fabric,  bikini's barley covering enough.

"Hi, I heard you guys were looking to party." The blond one said. Her hair was cut short with several tattoos covering her arms.

"Yeah, that's us." Alex grinned.

"Well, the party has arrived." She cheered.

Dusan had nothing against girls with short and bleached hair, but tattoos never did it for him.

"Great. How would you girls like your martinis?"

"Dry." The blond girl was quick to make clear. "And no olives."

"Got it, dry and no olives. How about your friend?"

All eyes turned to the second girl who's presence hadn't been as notisble as her friend. But now that he had his eyes in her, Dusan found it almost impossible to diverge his attention from her.

"Y/N?"

"Huh?" The girl seemed distracted,  her gaze having stuck to a point below Dusan's chin. He wasn't wearing a shirt,  only swimming trunks. Perhaps she found it rude, him introducing himself half naked. Not that she was any better.

"What drink do you want?" Her friend asked, in a bit if a rush to get the party started. The crew was heard above their heads,  the yacht would set sail at any minute now.

"S...ame as you." The girl stuttered. Her voice was unique. It was quite deep but in a very feminine way.

"No olives?" Her friend confirmed.

"No olives." The girl nodded. Her friend then followed Alex downstairs to the bar, leaving Dusan with no trail of thought in the presence of the girl which his eyes had yet diverge from.

"You have a very nice boat." She said,  trying to somther the rise of an awkward silence.

"Um, thank you." Dusan said, clearing his throat. "It's new actually."

"I can see that." She seemed fairly fascinated, as she dared approach the boats railing, admiring the view of Miami Beach.

"Yeah, how so?" Dusan asked, joining her side. But instead of admiring the view, he couldn't help but to admire her. She had eyes that sparked something within him, a sudden thrill.

"What do you mean?" A frown ruined her face.

Dusan felt the need to make himself clear. "You said that you could tell that my yacht is brand new,  how so?"

"Oh." She turned for her back to rest against the railing, her eyes now wandering across the newly swiped deck. "Well, it's every billionaires dream to own a boat and put it on display in Miami, or am I wrong?"

"I don't know." Dusan smiled. He was quite entertained. "I've never heard of this fenomenon. Surley the expert is you considering your experience with billionaires and boats."

The girl's eyebrow rose with interest, however Dusan's slik comment did not seem to have insulted her.

"Perhaps it's not every billionaires dream." She said, turning her head to face him. Again, her eyes sparked a thrill within Dusan, a thrill he was more than excited to explore. "But it sure is every newly crowned billionaires dream."

He wrinkled his nose.

The girl had a twinkle in her eyes. "My friend googled your net worth on our way here."

"I see." Dusan nodded. "Fair enough. I may or might not have bought this yacht in honor of my business flourishing this past year. However I'm not planning on docking it in Miami for display."

"Your gonna sail it across the seven seas?"

Dusan snorted, unintentionally of course. How did she make him do that? Her comment caught him of gaurd. "Not really." He said, collecting himself. "I'll have a friend of mine bring it home for me. He's more of a professional."

"Yeah, that's probably a better idea. Sailing a boat through pirate infested waters can be tricky without experience."

Again, the girl made him chuckled. It was pathetic how tipsy he came across. The girl must smell the glass of champagne he had earlier on his breath and think he's one of those creeps to invite yacht girls on their boats just to get them drunk. He had to assure her that he wasn't like that. He had to assure her that she could feel safe with him.

"We got martinis!"

Just as he was about to ensure her safety, the girl's friend showed up, followed by Alex who carried a tray of filled glasses. "Let's get this party started!" He said, handing out the drinks, making sure everyone had a glass in their hand for a toast. "To a lovely day, spent with two lovely girls." He said, as cheesy as ever.

"Cheers to that!" The blond girl said, rasing her glass.

Before downing his drink Dusan turned to her friend, making sure that she looked to be having a good time as well. He was suprised to find her smiling at him, an empty martini glass in her hand. "Drink up." She winked.

Dusan did exactly that. He would do whatever she asked him to, whatever.

[ashwhowrites]

I'd like to request a whole fluffy mess, please!

I'll let you write either Steve or Eddie (or... both...) and just cuddles after a long day. Curling up to go to sleep, everyone's exhausted and just happy to be with their loves. Can be innocent or sexual 💋💋

Love you, pretty girl

Cuddling with two pretty boys doesn't sound bad

Not proofread

Small fluffy blurb

Robin called in sick, so Steve got stuck working a Friday morning, and Friday night shift alone. Dealing with the rush of teenagers with nothing better to do. Rushing to stock shelves, answering questions, and checking people out with their movies. He also had to deal with girls trying to waste his time by flirting non-stop.

Eddie had a day full of exams, and Y/N made him study all night long.....but in a fun way with help from Steve. His body was exhausted, and now his brain was being drained. He had to deal with Jason's rude remarks. Then he had hellfire.

Y/N worked a double at the bar, dealing with nasty men hitting on them. Other men screaming for their drinks, and underage kids trying to show them fakes. Their body was growing tired and they couldn't handle any more conversations. They just wanted to close out everyone's tabs and go home to their boys and sleep.

Eddie arrived at Steve's apartment first, throwing his backpack on the floor, yanking off his shoes, and heading straight for the bedroom. Stripping off his clothes, leaving him in boxers as he crawled into Steve's bed. His eyes looked over to the alarm clock. The red numbers told him it was 9:00. Eddie yawned and tucked himself in the middle, surrounded by Steve and Y/N's smell, comforting him as his eyes closed. With the long day he had, it didn't take him long to fall asleep.

Steve could feel his eyes burning, the computer screen telling him it was 11:30. The store closed at midnight, he was under an hour away and that's all he focused on. His eyes craved to sleep, his body craved his partners and he craved his bed. Once it hit 11:45, Steve declared that it was midnight and began to lock up the store. He was always thankful his apartment was close to the store because he swore he almost passed out twice on the way home. A sigh of relief left his lips as he walked into his apartment. Tripping instantly over shoes. Steve didn't have to guess twice about whose shoes would be left right by the front door.

"fucking Eddie" he mumbled to himself. Moving Eddie and his shoes to the hallway. Once he finally made it to his bedroom he noticed Eddie snoring right in the middle. Steve laughed to himself and changed into basketball shorts, leaving his chest bare as he crawled into the bed. Eddie felt the bed shift, still half asleep, and rolled over to one side. Steve followed his body, throwing his arm over Eddie's waist, and yanking Eddie against his chest.

Y/N was exhausted. Finally shutting down the bar as the big clock read 1:00 am. Driving as fast as they could while being safe. Silently cheering as they pulled up to Steve's apartment. Practically running the door, and racing into the bedroom. Taking on the sight of their two boyfriends cuddling in the middle of the bed. Their heart warmed as they yanked off the smelly bar clothes. Digging for a clean pair of Eddie's boxers and a T-shirt from Steve's closet. Sighing as they inhaled Eddie and Steve's scents were now on their skin. Smiling as they crawled into bed.

Both boys felt another body join them, half asleep and they both moved over a little. Allowing Y/N to squeeze in. Leaving Steve in the middle as Y/N wrapped their arms around him.

Eddie snored as he held Steve's hand that was on his chest, Steve's arms wrapped around Eddie, and Y/N wrapped around Steve.

All three could now finally sleep in peace.

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Paz lives modern au part 4

part 1 part 2 part 3

The Quaritch-Socorro household has money. They are firmly upper middle class. You wouldn’t know it though from how the family looks and acts.

They are cheap asses. Not like extreme cheapskate levels of penny pinching but if they can save a buck they will.

Clothes from Goodwill with a few holes that Paz can easily patch up? Hell yeah she got three bags of “new” clothes for her family for $7!

Miles is taking his family for a “fancy” night out? They’re going to the all you can eat Chinese buffet in the Walmart strip mall. Adults eat for $10, kids $6. 

If you think Paz is disappointed that this is what her husband considers fancy then think again. For her this is the lap of luxury 

They don’t leave until everyone’s had at least three plates because the kids grow like weeds and “mama and papa are getting our money’s worth”

Miles goes hunting with his squad mates and loads up their deep freezer with deer meat. 

Paz gardens not as a hobby but because growing food yourself is cheaper than buying it. 

She cuts everyone’s hair too, including her own because “why the hell would I pay for that. I can cut a straight line.” (She’s completely unaware that her own curly hair would look like a hack job if she ever straightened it out. Luckily curly hair can hide a lot of mistakes)

Miles has her cut his at the end of every month like clockwork but one time they skipped it.

One of their kids had been born a few days earlier so Miles just let it go for the first time in years. 

He was on leave too and helping his wife manage the household so what did he care.

He grew a beard during that time too and Paz was shook.

She didn’t even know her man could look that good, with his curls starting to come in and his mountain man beard.

She pouted for days when Miles went back to work and had to be all “clean cut” again.

We all already know that Spider likes to keep his hair long.

His mom doesn’t care but his dad isn’t a fan.

 He blames his wife for it.

When Spider was a toddler, with his long blond curls, he started getting mistaken for a girl

Miles didn’t like that so he started insisting that his wife cut it.

Paz couldn’t bring herself to do it though. Spider’s curls were so pretty. Just like her’s and Miles’ if he’d ever let it grow out just a little.

“It’s not like it won’t grow back” 

“Yeah but it’s baby’s first haircut”

“So what! We’re having another baby right now.”

“But he’s my first baby!”

Miles eventually convinces her and they get all set up in the kitchen only for Paz to not be able to go through with it.

She was five months pregnant and overly emotional so can you blame her.

Miles rolled his eyes, took the scissors and just started cutting away himself 

Spider was completely unbothered until mama started crying 

“He looks like a little man!” Miles just ignored her

But then Spider started crying because mama was crying, which made papa get frustrated, which made them both cry harder.

Miles told Paz to just leave, which she did because she could see how she was affecting her son.

But that only made things even worse because Spider screamed for his mama, trying to wiggle out of his seat, making grabby hands in the direction she’d gone. 

Until Spider was five getting his haircut would result in a tantrum.

“It’s because you traumatized him,” Miles would half jokingly half seriously tell Paz. She’d just roll her eyes because yeah he was right but it’s not like she was going to admit that.

No matter how old Spider got he just didn’t like getting his haircut for some reason. He wasn’t sure why. He just liked it long.

To Miles' chagrin his other sons emulated their big brother.

So he’s this gruff clean cut military man, with a wife who despite being ex-military herself wears her curly hair long and wild, dressing like a hippy (loose flowy, comfortable clothes, in fun colors because she had to wear neutrals for too long in the military) his oldest son dresses similarly to his mom, but more skater style. When he gets a little older he starts doing his hair in impressively elaborate braids. Spider's younger brothers more or less copy his style (they also don’t have much of a choice because they get Spider’s hand me downs) and his little sister is mommy and daddy’s little princess and dresses kinda like a nature fairy, all flower patterns, pinks, greens, blues and glitter. So much glitter. 

 All this to say Miles looks boring while his family looks kinda excentrique.

Some of Miles' work colleagues have caught him out and about with his family a couple of times and if they weren’t scared shitless of the man then they’d probably roast him for having such a “sloppy looking” family.

Miles has more or less made his piece with it though. He might tisk disapprovingly at one of his children's styling choices every once in a while when he’s in a bad mood but after four kids you learn to be less of a control freak

Paz and Miles are low key doomsday preppers 

It’s not that they believe the world is actually going to end in some biblical plague or something.

They are just extremely prepared for natural disasters (and terrorist attacks, or World War III)

There basement is loaded with enough food rations and bottled water to keep the entire family going for about twenty years give or take

They run preparedness drills for every scenario they can think of once every three months

The kids hate it

Mom and Dad even ran one while Spider was in school, picking up the ten year old in the middle of the day and taking the entire family on a “camping trip” to a cabin in the woods six hours away 

When he was twelve his dad told him that was practice for what they’d do if there was a nuclear attack on major cities. 

When Spider was four and really started climbing on things Miles took it upon himself to build his son a “jungle gym” in the backyard 

It was really a baby version of an American ninja warrior obstacle course.

Low key Miles was doing military training on his son but Spider fucking loved that obstacle course so it was really a win win.

Miles has a lot of way of “low key” instilling his kids with a military mindset and physical prowess 

As a punishment he’ll make the kids do things like fifty push-ups or ten laps around the house

Both parents run the house on a fairly strict schedule, breakfast at 7, dinner at 6, then all the kids do their homework, twenty minutes of the kids cleaning up after themselves, then it’s off to bed.

On the weekends Miles and Paz teach their kids “practical skills” which are really just survivalist skills

During the summer the kids go to “wilderness camp”

Which is really just a rotating cast of their parents' old squad mates taking them into the woods and showing them stuff.

Miles joins in on the weekends or if he can take the days off to teach his kids things like hunting, tracking, fishing all that jazz

Needless to say the Quaritch-Socorro kids are kinda scary because of this.

When Spider was like seven he told a classmate in detail how to shoot and skin a squirrel with a sunny smile on his face. As if he was talking about a cool dinosaur fact or something 

The kid cried, the teacher got involved, Spider was sent to the office and his parents were called.

Paz was basically like “yeah his dad taught him that. So what? It’s a good skill to have.”

When dad picked him up from school that day he took Spider out for ice cream as a reward for remembering everything so well.

[bestfriend491]

Fooling Around

| From Request Number 1.

Okoye x Female Reader

Summary: You're a very unserious Dora Milaje when Okoye's around. Or maybe you're just unserious in general. Author's Note: Just a little fluff to keep you occupied. Word Count: 1.7k Short Fluff Warnings: None

A cool breeze made its way through the palace as you roamed through one of its secluded passages. You kept close to yourself, trying to keep the little heat that your body was producing to yourself. 

In all your years as a Dora Milaje, seeing all of the technological advances that the palace had gotten, the temperature control of the building in winter was below average. 

Though you were often cold in any open place, you were sure that the palace was the problem here, not you. Every year it was the same thing, and you couldn’t for the life of you find a decent spot to stand without freezing. 

Your wife, Okoye, claimed that it was just your personal problem. That everyone else was completely fine in the cold seasons. 

“Y/n, don’t” she'd say when she’d see you trying to take one of your blankets with you to work. 

Though she’d stop you everytime she found you sneaking one, you still attempted to every now and then, wanting to stir up a bit of trouble. While also needing to stay warm. 

“It’s the uniform.” you always tried to reason. “It’s not good at trapping heat. If you don’t want me to take the blanket, then get someone to update the uniform.” 

She still refused to believe you. 

It didn’t stop you from taking your blanket with you, but it did make you better at hiding it. 

When you were alone guarding a section of the palace by yourself, you often wrapped yourself up and stood comfortably waiting until you heard footsteps approaching you. Then you’d throw it off to the side. 

It often led you to lose a lot of blankets, but you felt like it was well worth it. 

You did the same now, the blanket you had on soothing and sending you off into a relaxed state for the day. 

Maybe a bit too relaxed. 

You were so distracted by the warmth, that before you knew it, footsteps were close and you were rushing to strip yourself of the covering. 

“Y/n?” you heard Okoye’s voice behind you as you threw the blanket to the side, fixing your uniform. 

“Yes.” you turned around to see her looking at the thrown object. 

She rolled her eyes, smiling at you for a brief moment before becoming serious again. 

“I need you to come help me with training today.” 

You eyed her in question, “Training? Isn’t that for the new recruits today?” 

You got a sigh in return. “Yes. Ayo’s caught something and Aneka stayed home to take care of her so you’re the last person available right now.” she explained. 

You grinned at her, “Okoye, if I’m your last option you’re better off doing it alone.” you laughed. 

“That’s what I said.” 

“Hey!” 

“I’m kidding.” she poked fun at you. Then she returned to her serious face, “I need you, my love. You’re a people’s person, and in case you haven’t noticed; I am not. You can help calm the girls’ nerves.” 

You thought about it. Seeing as you weren’t busy, it would keep you occupied. But you weren’t really the trainer type when it came to the Dora. You were more of the comedic relief that could fight when needed. 

It was, however, a lot warmer in the training facilities. You were already beginning to freeze again from the lack of your beloved cloak. What was the harm in being a substitute trainer for the day. 

“Okay. I’ll do it.” you said, starting to walk away from your previous spot. 

“It wasn’t really an optional choice,” Okoye whispered to herself. She looked down at the blanket you’d so terribly tried to hide. 

Shaking her head, she picked it up, following you out of the palace. 

“Y/n. Before we go in there. You have to promise to be serious about this.” 

You leaned against Okoye as you walked, knowingly smiling at the woman. 

“Darling, when have I ever not been serious? “ you asked. 

She pushed your face away, “Almost every day since I’ve known you.” 

You pretended to gasp, placing your hand on your chest. 

“Ouch. That one hurt, my love. That one hurt more than any bullet or sword possibly ever could.” 

“It’s not like I’m lying. Just please don’t play one of your tricks. I need the girls to feel comfortable, not more nervous.” 

You got to the main building, looking at her. 

As you entered, you blew her a kiss, “I will try my best. But I cannot make any promises.”

When you got inside, a fair amount of young girls stood in there, standing up straight, ready for instruction.

‘I see we’ve entered what others would call hell.’ you thought. Okoye cleared her throat loudly, eyeing you down from the middle of the room. 

“Oh, sorry. Did I say that out loud?” you said, covering your mouth. 

A few snickers came from all over the room. 

Your seriousness had barely lasted a few seconds. 

“Ehm, now as I was saying. You’ll be split into groups for today and Y/n and I will evaluate you group by group.” 

Okoye explained the training rules more, while you  stared out into the room, looking at all of the recruits. 

Most of them were of the same age that you had been when you joined. Probably the youngest group of recruits in the past 5 years.

To you they still looked like babies. Not young women prepared to become warriors. 

There was a determination in them, though. One that resembled Okoye’s more than anything. 

As you observed the skills that they had learnt in the previous training sessions, you felt a rush of pride come over you. 

They would be good. Although they were a bit too serious for your taste. 

“That was good.” you said to a girl who was working on her spear handling. 

“Your technique is just like the General’s.” you said. 

The girls immediately became reserved, shaking her head. “I’m nothing like the General. She’s far too good.” 

“That is true.” you smiled at the girl. “But you’re not far off. Work like that more often and you’ll be competing with her in no time.” 

“Thank you.” she whispered. 

“In fact, I’m going to go tell her about you, um…” 

“Hawele.” 

You nodded at her, “I’ll be right back.” 

“Wait-” Hawele tried to stop you, seeing as you still had the rest of the group to observe. 

She waited with her group of 4 other girls, as they all watched you approach Okoye. 

They stared in complete awe at the ease that you exuded when you talked to the General. You smiled, laughed, and even dared to touch her arm while you spoke to her. 

It was an amazing sight to see. 

When you returned, half of them still looked at you like they’d seen a ghost. 

“What’s wrong?” you asked, looking around to find out what was bothering them.

“How do you do that?” Hawele asked. 

“Do what?”  

Another girl pointed to Okoye. “How do you talk to her so easily?” 

“Oh, Okoye? What are you talking about? Okoye’s the easiest person to talk to.” 

They shook their heads in unison. 

“What? You don’t believe me?” you asked. You were all looking at the General now. 

“Oh come on. She’s harmless.” 

You looked around for an example of how to show them. Then you saw the shimmer of a spear next to the group that she was helping train. 

It was nearby but not directly in her sight. 

You started to leave the group again, “Watch.” 

They all watched as you snuck behind Okoye, making your way to the back of her group. She was too occupied with her demonstration to see you getting on the ground and swiping her spear. 

It was a fast movement, barely noticeable to anyone but your girls that stood with their mouths hanging open. You casually walked back to them, hiding the spear in the place where yours usually stood. 

The girls looked both impressed and mortified. 

“Go put it back!” one whispered to you. 

“She’s gonna find you.” another went. 

More whispers of concern ran through the group, the breathing getting heavy. 

Okoye definitely took notice of that, taking a few glances at you.

Some girls even tried to physically push you to the direction of Okoye’s group, though it was a hopeless attempt. 

“Stop, you're making a scene. I’m just trying to show you something.” You tried your best not to laugh at the clear expressions of distress. 

You waved at them to settle down, seeing Okoye reach for her spear. 

Not finding it where it last was, she looked around checking the surrounding area. Concern washed over her, and though not many would immediately notice, she was becoming slightly frantic. 

She went on like that for only a few minutes, before she made eye contact with you. 

When she did, and you made a point of looking away, she knew that you were the culprit. 

She approached your group, who instinctively backed themselves behind you for protection.

“General Okoye.” you said with every bit of charm you could muster. 

The girls backed away again as Okoye went for your arm. 

Quickly she retrieved her spear, seeing the scared girls behind you. 

For a brief moment she melted at the sight of them using you as a shield. 

“Girls, I see you’ve all gotten acquainted with our best comedian Dora Milaje. Also known as my wife.” 

“Wife?!” one girl said. 

“That's me.” you smiled pointing to yourself, “ and I’m truly a blessing.” 

“That’s one way to put it.” Okoye said. “I think that’s enough for the day, my love. You can go back to your station now.” 

You sighed, pretending to be devastated. 

“That’s too bad. Can I get my blanket back?” 

Okoye rolled her eyes. Going to find the blanket, and coming back to hand it to you. 

As you made your way to the door, you were happy to see that the girls were all smiles looking at the exchange. 

“See, She’s very easy-going.” 

“Out, Y/n!”

And you made your  way out of the room quickly.

[orionchildofhades]

steddie swapping soulmate au part 13

part 1 |[...]| part 12 | part 13 | part 14 | Ao3

---

What follows is the longest talk Steve ever had.

He sits numbly beside Robin, the silence surprisingly easy between them.

Or perhpas it's not that suprising, given they both stripped their souls bare.

Robin doesn't like Steve.

Not because he's unlikeable but because Steve is a boy and he isn't a girl. And Robin, who is a girl, also likes girls.

It doesn't shock Steve has much as it could have, not when he knows his other soulmate is a boy. Not when he knows that he would do anything to not see the disdain in Eddie's eyes. Not when he knows he would have fallen in love, if Eddie had not clearly showed him he didn't want him.

But Robin says that, if Steve won't be a dick about it, they can still try to be friends. They're going to share a body, after all. Several time in their lives.

Steve, in returns, explain what happen with Eddie.

Robin seems surprised that he has two soulmates. Even more surprised to learn that Eddie, defensor of minorities, rejected Steve so straighforwardly because he is a man.

When Robin attempts to hug him, it feels very strange. Not many people have tried of offer him physical comfort in the past. And none of them were taller than him.

He doesn't find it uncomfortable.

It takes a while longer for them to settle into some sort of agreement. Robin was not expecting a relationship, of any sort, and Steve could clearly see how afraid of him she had been.

Yet they are soulmates, even if they are meant to stay platonic, which Steve is ready to accept if it means he has someone by his side. There is a reason why they are supposed to be linked.

Even if the universe made mistakes before.

Still, Robin agrees to give him a chance at friendship, as long as he doesn't drag her as his girlfriend, or tries to make her join the popular crowds.

"I like being a nerd, you're not all nice about it but I'd rather have good grades, band practices and people with whom can hold a meaningful conversations rather than being some eye candy, and speak of nothing but silly rumours."

Stings a little bit, but he can understand.

He, too, would like to have some meaningful conversations.

They don't really part for the rest of the day, but they stay away from the crowds. They don't really talk either.

Robin is fast to grab her own bag and start working on the class she is currently missing.

Steve is the one to go out and join society for a little while, just to grab them some food. He is amazed by how easily he can cross the corridors with Robin's appearance. He probably shouldn't, realising that she probably is often made fun of, but he can't help but wish for the same kind of invisibleness. It feels so much more peaceful.

They both go back home, Steve to Robin's, Robin to Steve's. He tries to apoligise for the empty walls and lonesomness of his own, knowing how uncomfortable it make him, who is now used to it, feel. Robin just waves him off.

She cares so little about it, Steve wonders if he is overreacting.

When he falls asleep in Robin's colourful sheets, he tries to enjoy the few seconds of warmth, hearing the sounds of the TV playing in the living room, the faint light under the door, nothing like the creepy cricking of his empty house and the cold morning he'll face, alone again tomorrow.

Steve tries not to feel down when he does wake up alone.

He is used to it.

He ignores thoughts of Eddie, a well-oiled routine, but his mind does stop on Robin.

He wonders if the universe truly hates him, wonders what he did to deserve two soulmates who wanted nothing to do with him.

Not Robin, she said she'd give me a chance, he reminds himself. He'd take whatever she was willing to give, even a half hearted friendship.

In the corridors of the school, alone for once, his head full, he doesn't realise when he bumps into no other than Eddie Munson.

The man is still taller than him, his hair flowing around his face with something akin to grace.

"Congratulation, man," the other man says, bumping a heavy ringed hand against his shoulder.

Steve almost wonders what it means before Eddie continues. "Your soulmate. Did a right number on me yesterday," he laughs, something deep and it would perhaps be enjoyable if it did not stab Steve's heart in a thousand different ways, if it wasn't at his expense. Does the man really hate him so much that he can't accept that Steve has someone else? At least he should feel free of the burden Steve was.

He just pushes past Eddie, not caring if he bumped into his shoulder and made the other man's bag fall.

He tries as hard as possible to keep the tears in.

He only manages to until he reaches the bathroom.

[peridyke]

How many comics do you have? and where can I find them?

thank you for asking!!!!

sadly right now i don’t have any finished comics to show off as I only recently got the time to seriously work on my art BUT i do have a variety of projects that i can show off! there’s some stuff i’m actively working on and other stuff that’s more of a back burner thing but let me list out everything i’ve done/have planned on doing

1) angel bites

ok so my current project i’m working on right now is called angel bites and it’s actually going to be a fun lesbian erotica comic about an angel girl and devil girl who are bandmates and who secretly hook up on the side. i’m currently in the process of thumbnailing this one and i’m guessing it’s gonna be around 60 or so pages. once im done i’m gonna have the comic up on patreon/have it for sale digitally on a platform like itch.io BUT the first 20ish pages are sfw so I will post those publicly for free so i can show off my work and characters.

i designed these in universe pin ups that i haven’t posted publicly yet and even though i wanted to wait until i finish the third one in the series that’s a little sillier theyre my most recent and best looking art of the characters

2) sacrificial lamb

sacrificial lamb was my main focus for a bit but i’ve taken a break from it for the time being to work on other projects. it’s a more serious project than anything else i’ve been doing but it’s one i’ve been planning out since 2021 and that i do want to seriously look into getting published when it’s finished. it is a lesbian horror comic about a butch lesbian rabbit whose femme cat girlfriend gets sucked into the darker side of new age spiritualism. here is my WIP of the cover and a finished page

3) claw wrench

this is a lower priority project of mine but one i still want to make exist in some form one of these days. it’s about a teenage cat named milly going to live with their estranged super genius mad scientist half sister named mindy and her robot assistant mr. rogato. it would be a newspaper strip style comic with a few larger plot threads. i might start it up one of these days after i’ve gotten some other comics under my belt and i feel like i have a better mental image of what i want the writing to be like. here’s some designs i did in 2021

4) be mine, valentine

this is a project featuring characters of mine who i’ve had for a few years but only recently decided i wanted to turn into a short story. it’s about a peryton coder named cupid who is unbeknownst to herself a trans girl egg discovering her identity after being hired by a trans girl sex worker unicorn named valentine to help build a website for her work. it’s a short but sweet little love story that i have to plan out better before i seriously work on it but i can see it being something i make in the near-ish future. there will be some nudity and sexual themes but nothing pornographic so i will upload it for free online when it’s done ^_^ sadly i um…don’t have a sfw drawing of valentine yet LOL so you’re just gonna have to deal with a cropped pic

5) thalassophobia

this is probably most relevant to peoples’ interest who follow me and something probably remember. thalassophobia is a really big steven universe fan comic i started writing to give lapis a more complete arc. i had a lot of passion for it back in 2022/23 but steven universe hasn’t been on my mind as much recently so it’s gone on the back burner. still i put a ton of work into it so i’d like to come back and finish writing it one day, although for the actual comic process i might see about getting some help on pages and colors and such since considering the scale i think it’s way too big for me to do solo. here’s a cover and a few test pages i did

I HAVE ONE MORE COMIC TO TALK ABOUT BUT IVE USED UP THE IMAGE LIMIT i’m gonna finish in a reblog so give me a second

[imawkwardlysoc]

"from the sky, drop like confetti"

Song- Confetti by Little Mix ft. Saweetie

Pairing- gn!reader x dagger squad

Warning(s)- Drinking, making someone jealous

Summary- After that night at the Dagger household, the reader and the Daggers decide to go to Vegas for some time away.

Wordcount- 904

Pt. 1

A few weeks after that night at the Dagger household, all of us decided to go to Vegas to relax and get away from work. Also, they were given a long leave after doing another stressful and death-defying mission. Thankfully I work remotely so I can just take my laptop with me just in case a work emergency happens. I’ve also been staying at the Dagger house ever since I moved out of the apartment.

Ever since we got to Vegas Thursday afternoon, all we’ve been doing was walking along the strip and sometimes shopping for last-minute things. There was some drinking during the day but not that much. Bob even got himself an alcoholic beverage when we were eating dinner.

Now it’s Saturday evening as we just got back from dinner and are currently getting ready to go to some clubs. Good thing the hotel we’re staying at gives a really good deal on military discounts so we were able to set a suite for a reasonable price. Backing away from the mirror, I adjusted my outfit before being satisfied with it.

“Damn! You guys look hot!” I complimented Halo and Phoenix as they walked out of the bathroom with their outfits on.

Halo was wearing a two-piece outfit with white pants and a strapless bralette. Phoenix on the other hand was wrapping a red spaghetti-strapped red lace bralette with a black skirt that fell an inch or more above her knees. Both of them were wearing platform heels that matched their outfits.

“Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself,” Halo smiled as she fixed her lipstick.

“Did you guys get the text from Ice and Mav?” Bob asked.

“Don’t add or subtract to the population,” I read out the first message.

“Don’t get into fights and/or jail,” Hagman added.

"Immediately assert dominance if you do," Yale read.

“Please don’t let Fritz out of your sight. Have fun and stay safe,” Rooster read the last message.

“Hey, that wasn’t necessary,” I saw Fritz frown.

“Do you not remember the last time you got drunk?” Ohama looked at him.

“No obviously!” Fritz threw his arms in the air.

Everyone chuckled, including myself, and we finished getting ready. All of us left our suite and headed down to the club that was in our hotel. We got in pretty quickly since we already had a room here and we were staying in one of the suites so we had some sort of priority entrance.

As we walked into the club, it was already crowded with people. Rich kids spend all of their parents' money while there are some hotshot celebrities in their booths while spending their money on the most expensive booze. Then there's us, twelve naval aviators and a high school teacher trying to celebrate the night away despite us not having partied since our college days.

“Alright, cheers!” Harvard held up his shot.

“Cheers!” Everyone shouted over the music and cheered before drinking the shot.

The burning alcohol traveled down my stomach and warmed it up. After a couple of shots, Phoenix and Halo dragged me out to the dance floor to dance with them. The three of us danced to the music that was blasting throughout the club, enjoying the time we were having.

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I groaned as I saw the sight.

“What?” Phoenix questioned as she saw where I was looking at.

“Really?” Halo questioned as we headed off the dance floor.

Returning to the booth we managed to get, I took a shot and stole the one that Hangman was about to drink.

“Sean’s here,” I told them. “Even with the girl he cheated on me with.”

I looked over at the dance floor to see him smirking at me before focusing his attention on the girl he was with. Rolling my eyes, I took another shot before focusing back on the group.

“He’s just here to make me jealous,” I told him. “So, anyone wanna volunteer to help me get him jealous?”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rooster raised his eyebrow.

“I’m in a petty mood today so yes,” I smiled at him. “So, who wants to help me?”

“I’ll volunteer,” Harvard raised his hand.

“You’re sure about this?” I raised my eyebrow.

“I’m sure,” he nodded his head.

I went over to him and sat down on his lap while I wrapped my arms around him and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. We laughed at everyone’s reaction and I dragged him to the dance floor. We danced and sometimes he would spin me around while saying some nonsense in my ear making me laugh.

“How are you so good at this?” I questioned.

“Did this for a couple of friends in college,” he replied. “Look, he’s getting jealous.”

“Good,” I smiled and grabbed his hand. “Come on, I’m pretty sure that everyone is waiting to leave and to grab some food.”

We left the dance floor and asked if anyone was ready to leave. All of them nodded their heads and we paid our tables before leaving the club. The cool hotel AC hit our faces cooling us off from the sweaty, hot club. As we walked to find a food place that was open this late before making the trek to McDonald's, I heard Sean calling my name but ignored him and continued walking.

[cowgurrrl]

since OFTM asks are being answered atm, I thought I'd come through with a few questions of my own about this WONDERFUL and LOVELY series because it's that good!

1. ik we're wayyyyyy past it but do rockstar!joel and actress!reader do anything for Valentine's day? have they done things early on the relationship, do they still celebrate now or maybe it's something simple like posting cute photos of each other on their stories??

2. okay this one is a fun one and I know there was an ask about how reader would potentially be a presenter at an award show BUT would she ever host at some point? if so, i definitely think she'd pull it off + she'd probably do some cute promos as well, maybe even do an announcement promo with joel in some way! i think it'd be fun for her if she did + joel and the kids would LOVE it.

3. as reader ever got to work with big name actors/actresses before or does she prefer more indie like things and working with more unknown actors and actresses?

4. idk if it was mentioned at some point but was reader ever pregnant during a project/role she was doing? how was her experience and what was it like? i def think there'd be times when joel visited the set and she was all smiles because "daddy's here! visiting us" haha, it'd be precious!

5. this one is ABSOLUTELY silly but i notice how some celebrities will be at big events or something such as a tennis game or whatever and some of the reactions are SUCH a mood so i feel like if joel and reader attended some type of event like that, their reactions would be so silly and REAL.

last one finally lmaooo, im sorry i just love these two lots but speaking of special events, i think of how sweet and nice it is to imagine joel just watching from a distance as reader is out doing her thing at a premiere or something like the met gala where she looks GORGEOUS and Joel's thinking "wow, there she is! that's my amazing beautiful wife" 🥹🥹🥹 because he's such a supporter of her HELLO and he's just an awe but also, imagine how reader feels whenever she sees joel on stage knowing that a song is being dedicated to her or just watching her husband from a distance knowing that's the person she's married and fell for.

ANYWAYS! this is so long, again so sorry 😭 but I'm curious to know your answers when you get a chance 👀💜💜💜💜

DONT BE SORRY THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR OKAY

I think at the beginning of their relationship, they definitely go all out for Valentine's Day. Nice hotels, dinners, heartfelt (and expensive) presents, the whole nine yards. I think when Sam and the girls are little, it gets harder to do stuff for Valentine's Day especially when you're bouncing between work, school, and helping your children make "Valentimes" for their classmates. Things calm down just a little and you two will settle for a nice, homemade dinner in your messy kitchen after the kids have gone to bed. Joel will send flowers to you at work and you'll humor him with a silly, giggly strip tease even though you're wearing sweatpants and a shirt with marker stains on it. It's pure, domestic bliss. Once the kids are older and they've been married for a long time, I think they would alternate between elaborate plans and low-key ones. After all, they definitely don't need an excuse to be grossly in love with each other.

I could totally see her hosting an award show! She'd be so busy but having so much fun and she'd recruit all her famous contacts to help her with promotion and what not. On the night of, if Joel's not there, he totally sets up a watch party at home with all of the Miller kids, spouses, and grandkids and cheers you on the whole time. If he is there, the kids are probably there too and help you backstage with awards, setting up different presenters, and keeping you calm. You'd all get dressed up and take nice pictures as a family. I see it being hectic but so rewarding (no pun intended)

I think it's a good mix of both! I have it in my personal canon that she does go on to do some Marvel, Greta Gerwig, Bridgerton type projects that have so much hype (and a huge budget) surrounding them but I also see her taking on some smaller roles from smaller production companies as long as the story is good. In my head, Red Dirt Girl (the movie talked about through much of the main storyline) is a smaller production and smaller actors but they all end up taking OFF after that.

I WAS LITERALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS TODAY GET OUT OF MY HEAD okay so I think with Sam, she is definitely pregnant in the middle of filming something but doesn't realize until she passes out at work or something and she gets taken to the hospital where they find out she's pregnant. They weren't trying but they weren't being careful so it's a little bit of a shock but they adjusted. For the first time in her career, she'd let them hire a stunt double for her and would take it easier than she had in the past. They'd definitely have to change some wardrobe and people would treat her like she's made of glass but it's all manageable. Joel would be the biggest change of pace. He'd been on set before but after they find out they're pregnant, HES THERE EVERYDAY. I think they'd fight about it a little bit just because she feels a little smothered and Joel agrees to back off a little. As she progresses, I think she'd be more okay with him visiting and would poke at her belly and be like, "your dad's here." With the twins, they find out relatively early on because her symptoms are so bad it's literally unavoidable and they try to keep it a secret for as long as possible BUT when she goes back to reshoot a scene where she has to be smoking a cigarette or something, she's like, "..... no." and they're like "we need this for continuity," and she's like "I'm pregnant. With twins." BECAUSE WHAT ELSE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO SAY. I think she would've worked for longer when she was pregnant with Sam than when she was pregnant with the girls just because of the risks and Miller children are not known for being easy so I definitely think she'd have a harder time with the girls than she did with Sam but everything ends up okay!

It's canon to me that the Millers are a BASEBALL FAMILY it was actually one of the first things I wrote for the One for the Money universe! Joel is partial to the Astros (boo) while she's definitely more of a Cubs/Yankees fan because she lived in New York and did a lot of filming in the Chicago/Midwest area for a time. I think they would be able to compromise and cheer for the Dodgers together but when it comes to their personal teams, they don't play around. Sam also goes on to play baseball professionally so I see them going to baseball games together as a big, happy family. Being an actress, she DEFINITELY wouldn't be able to keep her emotions a secret and would regularly be caught yelling, cheering, and dancing along to whatever song is playing through the stadium. God Bless anyone in the nearest vicinity when the Astros and the Yankee's play each other in the World Series.

I 100% think Joel has these moments all the time at events. I see her off doing her own thing like interviews or individual photos and he's just staring at her like "that's really my wife." He's known to get teary or really affectionate on red carpets, giving photographers everything and more. She tends to do the same thing, especially if he's getting recognized for something, and will get choked up during interviews about him. They're just so in love and proud of each other they make me SICK

Thank you for all your fun questions about my little oftm family! I hadn't thought about some of these before and it was really fun to think about them so thank you!!!

[ikeromantic]

Alice and the Beast pt 5

For my IkeRev 1K Follower Celebration! Finally part 5 of this Beauty and The Beast/IkeRev AU. I have enjoyed this so much! So, part 5 of 5. Approx. 2900 words.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Alice had a very hard time feeling happy in the days following Lancelot’s curse. She wanted to help him. To find a cure, a way to free him from the Magic Tower’s power. But she could think of nothing. It hurt to imagine a world without Lancelot in it. 

Kyle noticed her mood and tried to cheer her up by sharing his alcohol stash. Edgar brought her all kinds of wildly colored candies too, and told her funny stories. He even brought the Creeks to her room. None of it helped. 

She just couldn’t pretend it was ok. That she was ok. Every day she crept by Lancelot’s room to gaze at the flower. There was only one petal left now, a defiant strip of scarlet. Alice hoped it would hold there forever. 

One cold afternoon found her sweeping snow from the kitchen steps, her thoughtful frown hidden behind a heavy woolen scarf. Her movements were precise, mechanical, as her mind traveled other paths. Imagining ways she might break Lancelot’s curse, like marching up to the Magic Tower and demanding they end it before it was too late. 

Then, out of nowhere, a clump of snow slapped wetly against the back of her collar, slipping down beneath her coat to chill her skin. Alice let out a shout of surprise. She whirled around to see where it had come from, and there stood Edgar. He had his hands behind his back, an innocent smile on his face.

“Why hello, Alice!” He gave her a little wave. “Did I surprise you?”

She narrowed her eyes. “You threw a snowball at me.”

“A snowball? Why would you think that? I just came out to give you a bit of good news.” 

“I can feel the snow dripping down my back where it got under my collar. And you’re the only other person out here.” Alice tried for a severe tone, but Edgar’s grin and pretend innocence brought a smile to her lips. 

Edgar gave a slight shrug. “Maybe a bird dropped it on you. Or it fell from a branch? Hm.”

“Yes. A bird rolled a snowball, lifted it into the air and just happened to drop it down my back.” Alice rolled her eyes. “Well, anyway, what is your good news?”

His smile grew wider. “We are having a party. Tonight. A proper one, just like the old days. Music, dancing, a feast . . . doesn’t that sound fun?”

Alice liked parties. They were few and far between in the village. But she didn’t see much to celebrate right now. Unless - “Did he find a cure?” Her voice shook with sudden intensity.

Edgar’s smile fell for a moment. “No. But he wants to celebrate your time here.” His jade eyes seemed to pierce her, seeing right into her thoughts. “We should enjoy the time we have together, not mourn what will be. Don’t you think so, Alice?”

“I . . . y-yes. You’re right, of course. We should.” She felt suddenly ashamed of her melancholy. Lancelot was still there, still with her. And she’d been wasting their precious time together by being sad. 

“I’m glad you think so too. So - Kyle and I are setting everything up. You should go and get ready.”

Alice nodded, a complex knot of emotion tying her tongue. She followed him back inside, still sorting out her feelings. He left her at the door to her room, to go ‘get things ready’. 

Inside her room were several fancy dresses, jewelry, shoes, and everything else a girl might need to attend a real ball. Alice spent a few moments just staring at it all. She’d never seen clothing so fine, or jewelry with real gems. Even the shoes were satin and velvet, much too nice for a mere village girl. She wondered for a moment where all of it had come from, but during her month at the mansion Alice learned not to question the strange magic of the place.

By the time she was ready, the sky beyond her windows was stained red and violet with the setting of the sun. She  hurried down the hall, hoping she wasn’t late. Surprisingly, Lance met her before she made it to the dining room. Alice saw him before he noticed her. He was standing straight, his gaze focused on some distant place only his mind’s eye could see.

Alice knew most people wouldn’t see what she saw in him. He wasn’t a beast, despite his thick fur and fangs and claws. Those were nothing to the man beneath, the one that shone through his sky blue eyes. Determined to do the right thing, even at great cost to himself. And she realized as she neared, that what she felt for him was love. She did not want to go home. She did not want to leave him, nor lose him. Not to anything. 

Lancelot looked up, his gaze radiant as he took her in. “You are beautiful.” 

The simple compliment made her pulse gallop and her cheeks heat. “I . . . thank you. The dress is - it’s very nice.” She found her tongue tied as she wrestled with her emotions. Alice wanted to run forward and throw her arms around him and tell him everything. But she held back. It would be unfair to burden him with her feelings. First, they needed to break the curse and then she could pour her heart out to him.

He held out his hand and she took it. “I want to show you something,” Lance said, guiding her not toward the dining hall, but another wing. One that had been blocked off, for safety - according to Edgar. Now, the doors were unlocked, and the handle turned easily when the Beast reached for it.

The space beyond took her breath away. A ballroom, lit with a sparkling chandelier, the tiny, chiming crystals threw dancing rainbows of light across the polished stone floor. The walls were hung with colorful tapestries between the windows, and there was a mural on the ceiling painted with scenes of past celebrations. Music hung in the air, soft strains of a waltz on the edge of recognition.

“Do you like it?” Lancelot’s gaze was full of some deep, uncertain emotion as he watched her.

“Lance . . . this is - it’s like something out of a book!”

He smiled, his shoulders relaxing with relief, though his gaze was still troubled. “I’m glad. I wanted to share it with you. This ballroom hasn’t been used since my father’s time, when he held dances for nobles and wealthy merchants.” He chuckled. “I’d forgotten how it looks.”

“I can imagine the sorts of parties you must have had here. Beautiful people, dancing and laughing. I bet it was amazing.” Alice looked up at him, her expression full of wonder.

Lance’s clawed fingertip brushed her cheek. “Not as amazing as you, never as beautiful.”

Alice felt her cheeks heat at the compliment. She couldn’t think of what to say. Drowning in those sky blue eyes, with her heart pounding against her ribs. 

He rescued her by leading her out onto the dance floor. “May I?”

She nodded mutely. 

Lancelot’s hand curled around her back, pulling her close as he began the steps of a simple waltz. 

He was so close. Everywhere he touched, warmth pooled and spun lazily through her like warmed honey. Her pulse raced, pounding in her ears, faster than the beat of the music they danced to. Alice felt as if she were in a daydream, her body abuzz with pleasurable tension. 

“Lance . . . this is very nice. I really like y-dancing with you.” She leaned a little closer as she spoke, just so he could hear her better - that was what she told herself. 

There was so much affection in his gaze as he looked at her. “I am glad. I needed to see you smile again.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, the barest touch of his lips, fur lightly tickling against her skin. “Don’t be sad for me, Alice. Promise me that?”

“I can’t.” Her breath caught as all her emotions bubbled up from her chest. “I don’t want to lose you.”

He smiled at her so sadly, a melancholic sweetness to the curl of his lips. “I feel lucky that I met you. That you have let me care for you. Sharing in your joy. I have loved our time together. But after tonight, Edgar and Kyle will take you home. I don’t want you to see . . . to be hurt when my curse ends.”

“Lance. I won’t go. I want to stay here, with you.” 

He stopped dancing, his massive hand cupped her face. “You have to go on, Alice. To be happy. If you stay, it will just hurt more. I can’t bear to think of you hurt. That I made you cry. Again.” 

Alice hugged him, burying her face in his wide, firm chest. The cool buttons of his vest contrasted with the heat rolling off him. “I’m not going to let you face this alone.”

For a breath, he tensed as if he might push her away, but then his arms went around her, holding her tight against him. He said nothing, though she could feel a tremor run through him as he relented to her plea. “Alice, I-”

The window nearest them exploded in shards of glass and wood splinters. Lancelot shielded Alice from the shrapnel, enveloping her in his arms. Then he pushed her back and whirled around to face the threat.

Three purple-robed figures stepped into the gap, their hands glowing with blue flame. “This is your last chance,” one said in a rasping voice. “Serve the tower or fall forever, Kingsley.”

Lance didn’t deign to reply. His lips curled in a feral snarl and he lunged for them. The robed intruders were ready for the attack. They hurled lightning and fire toward him.The broken bits of window spun wildly in the air, a storm of sharp edges and jagged ends. 

Alice let out a scream, horrified that her Beast would be hurt. She felt helpless as she stood there, unable to do anything but watch. 

“Did you think to find me de-fanged,” Lancelot snarled, his eyes turning crimson. The shards of glass and wood clattered to the floor. The arcing lightning and hissing fire didn’t touch him. He tackled one of the figures to the floor. “Send this message back to your tower. I will not give in!”

Just then, loud voices came from the hall. Edgar and Kyle. And . . . Jonah? Alice turned toward the doors in time to see them fly open. Jonah and Zero were struggling with Kyle and Edgar, pushing past them into the ballroom. 

“What are you doing here?” Alice couldn’t believe her eyes. Why were her village friends at the manor? 

“We came to rescue you,” Zero shouted. 

“And bring you home,” Jonah added. He held a hunting bow, arrow loosely knocked. As his amber eyes moved from Alice to the Beast, he looked confused.

Zero, however, did not look confused at all. He held a hunting knife in hand, nearly as long as a sword. There was a certain regret in his gaze as he began stalking toward the struggling mass of Beast and the purple-robed men. 

“See,” one of the robed figures sneered. “Your people fear and hate you. They came here to kill you.”

Lance’s red gaze flickered toward the door and back again. “Better them than you.” Despite his brave words, the fight was three on one, and his magic and strength were beginning to flag. 

Edgar rushed toward Jonah, intent on stopping him. Kyle frowned from his spot in the door, his expression one of worry and disgust. 

Zero raised his blade, tensing to attack as he drew close to the fight.

“Wait! Zero! No! Don’t hurt him!” Alice broke through her shock to run toward them. “Please!”

Zero and Jonah both looked to Alice, surprised. Jonah shoved Edgar away from him. “What are you talking about? He kidnapped you! He’s a Beast!”

“He’s not! Lance is my- he’s my friend. Please, trust me.” Alice put all the love and desperation she felt into the words. She was no fighter, afterall. There was no way she could stop the Tower folk or her village friends from hurting Lancelot. All she could hope was to persuade them.

Jonah seemed to struggle with himself. His gaze slid from Alice, to the snarling Beast. Then he nodded. “Alright. We’ll stop those robed guys and then we can talk.”

Zero narrowed his eyes. “Sounds good to me. But be careful. The acolytes of the Magic Tower are dangerous.” 

Alice wondered how he would know that, but this wasn’t the time to ask. 

Edgar stopped trying to attack Jonah once he agreed not to harm Lancelot. But he kept a wary eye on him even as his grin returned. “Always happy to welcome a new ally.”

“I’m not your ally,” Jonah snapped, even as he advanced on the robed figures. 

“Well, fine. Be that way. I won’t share any candy with you.”

Zero sighed. “That’s not very nice. Either of you.”

Edgar chuckled. “Me? Not nice? What a silly idea.” As he spoke, he gestured to Zero and Jonah, some movement Alice didn’t quite catch. “Now these acolyte guys, they aren’t nice at all. And you can tell they know it. Why else would they hide their faces? Is that shame I see?”

“You shut up,” one of them shouted, turning his attention from Lancelot to Edgar. 

“Yeah, you aren’t worthy to see our faces!” Another moved toward Edgar. 

The third was too busy holding the Beast from his neck to say anything, but one assumes he was equally offended. 

While those two were distracted, Zero and Jonah moved in. Jonah’s arrow pinned an acolyte’s sleeve to the wall, while Zero’s attack forced the other back away from Lance. 

The acolytes seemed to realize they were wholly outnumbered now, and they had no intention of staying for a fight they might lose. The one fighting Lancelot struggled away from the tiring Beast to help his friends. They fled away through the broken window, leaving a tattered piece of purple fabric behind.

Alice rushed to Lancelot while Kyle went to check the others. 

Lancelot lay on the floor, his scarlet gaze slowly fading to the calm blue of deep waters. “Alice,” he breathed, his throat working.

She knelt at his side. “Did they hurt you? Let me see. Oh - oh Lance . . .”

“No.” He took both her hands in his. “Just . . . the rose. The last petal.” 

Alice’s eyes went wide as she realized he meant the end of his curse had come. It would run its full course and tonight - tonight was his last. “No, no, no. I won’t - Lance, you can’t! We - we barely - I -”

His gaze was so gentle, so full of affection that she fell silent. “I want - to - to tell you-” The words sighed from his lips, barely audible. “Alice . . . I lo-” Lancelot tensed, muscles tightening with a sudden shock of pain. He fought it, but he had so little left to fight with. 

She knew what he wanted to say. Alice could feel it. In the way he looked at her. The way he touched her. She leaned down to brush a kiss to his lips, unable to speak for the sorrow lodged in her chest. A tear escaped her lashes to fall on his cheek. 

The last breath rattled from his lungs, as if, with her kiss, Lance could finally stop fighting. 

“It’s over,” Kyle said quietly from somewhere behind her, close and yet immeasurably distant. 

“I don’t understand,” Jonah’s voice, tinged with confusion and worry. 

Edgar’s sigh. “Come this way. Let’s give her some space. I’ll explain everything.”

The sound of shuffling steps, moving further away. 

Alice held Lance’s hands. She couldn’t bring herself to let go, even though the light had left his eyes and she could already feel the warmth ebb from him. Her heart felt like a stone, cold and heavy. She wanted to tear it from her chest. She could not speak. Could not breathe. 

In the space between her heart’s steady beating, something stirred. A magic older than any curse. A spell that had no words, no gestures, required no arcane component. It was the deep magic of the world. Feral, chaotic. Though Alice did not understand it, she knew something was happening. Something strange. 

A tingling heat seared through her nerve endings. A torrent of warmth and light. She felt it flow from her hands into Lancelot. She became a riverbed, and the magic overspilled her banks. Flooding wildly from her, seeping, soaking, drenching. Colors that had no name danced in the air around her, but Alice paid them no mind. Her eyes saw only one thing. 

Lancelot stirred. Or perhaps, stirred is the wrong word. He rippled. The gold and brown fur blurred, faded. Changed. And when it was gone, there was pale skin. Torn suit fabric. The line of his forearm. A squared shoulder. The noble curve of his jaw. The graceful arch of firm lips, turned up at the corners in a soft smile. His blue eyes shone with an inner light, familiar in its passion and strength. “Alice.”

She fell into his arms and he embraced her. How - why - none of those questions mattered. Time would come later for seeking answers and justice and allies. In this moment, there was only breath and laughter and the tentative exchange of shy kisses. The feel of two hearts beating together, pressed chest to chest and soul to soul. 

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls-Season 2, Episode 12, Part 1 ("Richard In Stars Hollow")

You can read all of my previous commentary here. First 10 Minutes Summary : Emily needles Lorelai about her love life some more. A long comedic exchange occurs between Lorelai, Rory and Emily about the family burial plot. Emily and Richard discuss Richard's boring & repetitive retired life. Paris being Paris wants the staff of The Franklin to win a presitgious award given to school newspapers by any means necessary.

Richard is bored and realizes Emily actually had a pretty vibrant daily life while he used to be at work all day, and now with nothing to do he's getting in her hair and becoming a real pain in the ass M-A-N. Desperate to get him out of her hair, she ever so gently suggests he spend some time at the country club.

Wait wait wait. Stars Hollow video is really renting Grand Theft Auto? The violent-est video game to ever violent at that point? (all for the low price of 99 cents, Tuesdays and Thursdays only). Besides the graphic subject matter of the game, like cable TV and internet, I'm not entirely convinced that video games are even a concept in Stars Hollow. Go on, just ask someone on the streets of Stars Hollow if they know what a Playstation is. The citizens seem to be highly aware of modern music, but mainly watch TV shows and movies from the 1950's. I sound like an antrophologist observing some lost tribe that has no contact with the outside world.

You can easily read the titles on many of these movies. What are we renting today, guys? I hope you remembered to bring your Stars Hollow Video Membership Card (unlike Lorelai). This scene, man. Video stores! VHS! 99 cent rentals! Video store membership cards! Flip phones! Lorelai going outside because "the reception sucks in here". I'm positively dizzy. Just like the concession stand, the strip/mud wrestling club and the arcade (which are all places that are only seen once AFAIK) I am fairly certain this video store is never seen or mentioned again after this episode... So basically any kind of fun business that sets up in town is doomed to failure. Enjoy your diner and your movie theater that is actually just a projection screen inside a book store, citizens. In the United States, 1 in 5 small businesses fail in the first year.

Kirk Job: Dirty Movie Peddler. Rory: Hey Kirk, I saw a couple of little kids over there looking at this tape that was kind of mature. You might want to put that stuff on a higher shelf. There's a half naked lady on the cover.

(the movie was Showgirls, by the way). Meanwhile, Emily is desperate to get rid of Richard and punishes him in the most extreme way possible. She unloads him on Lorelai and sends him to Stars Hollow. That monster. Lorelai: OMG. The most horrible thing just happened. Headmaster Charleston's been kidnapped! Two guys broke into his house, stuffed him into a Hefty bag, used those twisty ties and carted him off! When I tell you this is the exact fate I've always envisioned for Taylor Doose on my gritty R-rated Gilmore Girls reboot titled The Hollow. No really, go back to some of my old reviews and I have said this. Usually the sack gets tossed off the Bridge into the lake, a worthy fate for Mr. Doose. Some fun things I observed in the Gilmore Kitchen:

Rory's coffee cup is a pig in a bowtie and boxer shorts. . A killer Crock Pot. (my sincerest apologies to Milo Ventimiglia for not saying "SLOW COOKER", he's going to pop out of the bushes somewhere and correct me). That lady that was on every greeting card in the 90's (I think her name was Maxine). And those Pop Tarts, oh those Pop Tarts. Did I research them? Yes I absolutely fucking did. Turns out they aren't actually from the Pop Tarts brand. Lorelai was buying a cheap imitation. They were called "Kool Stuf", a short lived knockoff from Nabisco that were sold from 1999-2001.

To be honest I'm not sure why Lorelai is having an aboslute freaking meltdown about spending one day alone with Richard, her own father. I think she thinks it's going to be more awkward than anything and they won't have enough to talk about.

Okay, I was right. But seriously, having to make conversation with her own father is the only time Lorelai ever shuts up and can't think of anything to say? Really?

I was observing how gleeful Richard looked while walking into the diner and figured it was one of those "rich people are entertained by the lower class and he's never been in a diner before" type deals, but he then mentions a diner he used to visit in college. So I think it's pretty wholesome and sweet that he looks so happy to visit a place simply because Lorelai likes it. I like Richard. (usually), although he's a total pill in this episode and his mansplaining kinda makes me want to stuff him in that sack with Taylor Doose.

Lorelai: I thought you might like to walk around town and see The Sights. Well, you already visited the diner, so that's one Sight. Seeing the rest of the town will kill all of about 10 minutes. Good plan, Lorelai.

I hope she never stops.

Okay but that's just my exact pitch for my gritty R-rated Giilmore Girls reboot titled The Hollow.

I am firmly convinced they do. Paris: The worst that could happen is that I spend some time in your town and enter a pie in your county fair. Oh yes, I'm sure Rory would just HATE it if Paris had to spend time in her town with her. Paris I'm sure you'd love to enter your pie in her county fair, wouldn't you. This episode has everything. Paris and Rory sexual tension, Jess and Paris meeting for the first of only two times, Richard getting pissed off at Dean later. Richard walks in to the inn while Lorelai is working. L: I thought you were touring the town. What are you doing here? R: I visited all the stores. The cat one, twice. Then I walked around and I was done. Told ya. L: Did you see the park? Or the giant slinky? R: Yes I saw the park and the giant slinky, and the 100 year old oak tree, and the giant life sized Yarn Person. Giant Slinky? Giant Yarn Person? Where's the town getting money for this stuff? Paris' first order of business should be to investigate Taylor Doose and whether he's stealing the money he's always raising for The Bridge (he is). I also don't remember any sort of real park being seen or mentioned before. Paris (after taking the bus home with Rory): I think I have rabies. Burn my clothes. Emily in another episode: Only drug dealers ride the bus.

City Boy frowns upon all this bus slander.

Wasn't there suddenly a bar in season 7 or was that just some fever dream? Season 7 in general is just a fever dream to me. Lorelai gets drunk and sings "I Will Always Love You" to Luke, right? How did THAT place ever get the proper permits and permission to exist from Taylor Doose? I know it's like 5 years away but, investigate that, Paris. We were robbed of so many things incuding a Jess + Paris friendship. Oh, the literary & other intellectual debates we could have enjoyed! (on the flip side, a Paris + Jess romantic relationship would be so disastrous. Luckily for them it would also only last like forty minutes before they tried to kill each other and end it). Anyway I like to imagine all angles of every nook & cranny of this show and I enjoy imagining that carnage.

Crystal clear Tomatos sign spotting. Paris ever so subtly proceeds to ask Luke if his diner sees a lot of truckers looking to pick up prostitutes.

"It's pretty common knowledge that diners are breeding grounds for prostitution and drug dealers." Like the drug dealing gigolo who lives above the diner? Speak of the devil.

*clutches this minute-long interaction tightly to my chest* I won't ever let go...

Well, it is where he likes to stuff girls in a closet.

Hair...that beautiful hair...

So brief. Sigh. Luke and Jess are the best. Back to the Inn where Richard continues to be a pain in the ass Man and meddle in Lorelai's work, telling her how to run her business and pushing Lorelai perilously close to sack-stuffing territory. And in other meddling news, Rory's little snitcheroo about inappopriate movies has backfired on her. Rory and Paris enter the video store to find it nearly empty, as all of the inappropriate movies have been moved behind the Rory Curtain.

In Rory's defense, she did specifically tell Kirk to put the videos "on a higher shelf" and she probably expected Kirk to take her literally like he does every single time in history except for now. But she still should have minded her bizzness. Taylor: All the movies that we (him and Kirk?) deem objectionable will be hidden behind this curtain safely hidden from the eyes of children. Why is Taylor involved in this too? He doesn't work there? Can we skip to the sack-stuffing now? This would all be funnier if this sort of "shield the children" censorship wasn't still happening over 20 years later. Paris realizes The Rory Curtain is a great scoop for the paper, asks Taylor "How long have you been working here?" Good question... Lorelai brings Richard home, minutes away from tossing him into oncoming traffic so Rory tries to give her mother some peace and quiet and offers Richard a tour of her room where we get acquainted with her book stash.

Dang, girl! I'm kind of speechless...

Richard, for as much of a Buttinsky as he has been so far in this episode, gives Lorelai extremely sensible, real-world advice that it would benefit Rory to consider another school besides Harvard. Every time Lorelai hears this perfectly reasonable advice from her parents she loses her mind. Harvard's acceptance rate in 2003 was 11.3%. Thanks again, Googs. Lorelai thinks she can wave her "But she wants to go to Harvard" wand around and that'll magically get her accepted with no backup school or plan in place. I'll save further discussion of "Lorelai jeopardizing Rory's future just to spite her parents" for another episode that's coming up somewhere over the horizon, and because it literally just happened in the previous episode (in that case their fucking house was on the line due to Lorelai's stubborness), god I'm fucking tired.

What is it Rory?! Is it Ed McMahon standing outside with a giant Publisher's Clearinghouse check?

Oh. it's just Butthead. Part 2 coming soon.

[sherifftillman]

An Unambiguous Love [2/10]: Meeting Munson

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10 ::

alternate AO3 link

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson x f!Reader

Genre: fluff

Summary: Your favourite customers really make it easier returning to the town you never went to school in. If only your friends at work would stop trying to play matchmaker between you.

Chapter 2 word count: 2288

A/N: Thanks for the love on chapter 1! This chapter also introduces my favourite non-shippable character to write, see if you can guess who that is lmao. I'll be updating these daily, thank y'all for sticking with it! <3

It��s the morning after your first shift on the shop floor, and you’re getting yourself ready for your next one this afternoon. You’re really being thrown in at the deep end with a triple threat: new issue day, D&D supply launch day, and your first ever closing shift out on the floor. Thankfully, as long as your schedule still aligns, you’re paired with Ralph, who certainly wouldn’t abandon you no matter how quiet the day may be. You consider getting to the strip mall a little early so that you can perhaps get some extra encouragement from your new friend(? Can you call him that already?) Steve, but you realise that perhaps food is more important. Besides, when you do finally park up, you don’t see him directly in the window anyway. Perhaps he isn’t even working.

You head on in and see an already-exhausted Ralph tidying the comic crates. As you cause the doorbell to chime, Ralph looks at you with a resigned smile. You grit your teeth. “It’s been that bad, huh?”

Ralph shakes his head. “Ahh, it’s helped the time go quicker. Thankfully, we’ve got a little calm period now before the next storm… The after-school rush. Now, I’ll take the register for that, if you could just try and keep on top of keeping things as organised as possible.” You nod and take a deep breath in. Ralph notices and calls, “Hey.” You look up at him and he smiles reassuringly at you. “We’re gonna do great today, alright?” You nod again, more relaxed than your first. Ralph continues, “And I promise I won’t get a random migraine as soon as it’s convenient for me.”

Your eyes widen. “How did - Did Jesse get in trouble? I swear, I didn’t want that to happen, I didn’t mean to squeal -”

Ralph laughs, “Relax, kid.” Bold words from someone only three years older than you. “It didn’t come from the top. Not that Cam would risk having to punish his friend. Word travels fast amongst us here, just a heads up…” He walks over to you to bend down to your ear level and murmur, “Future Mrs Harrington.”

“Okay,” you step aside and hold up a finger while Ralph laughs. “That one, I am nipping in the bud. If a man being nice to someone one time means they’re bound romantically, then I feel sorry for all the women of Hawkins.” Ralph’s laughter intensifies.

The next couple of hours are an absolute flurry of teenage chaos. Comics are being thrown around, as are tantrums over the lack of issue 200. One kid, with curls falling out of his baseball cap, is instead parading around the brand new D&D section proudly, while loudly reassuring his friends that they can read his copy when he is done with it. A red-haired girl asks through stone-cold eyes how he could have possibly gotten a copy early, to which he simply shrugs and says, “I got connections. What can I say? I’ve been telling you all, I basically run this joint.”

The group surrounding him scoffs in disbelief. Remembering the names Steve used yesterday, and putting two and two together, you decide to have a little fun amongst the madness. You tap him on the shoulder, “Sorry, Dustin Henderson?”

He whips around and looks at you like a deer in headlights, swallowing hard. “Y-yes?”

“I take it that our exclusive deal for our most prestiged customer yesterday was to your liking?” you ask, raising your eyebrows slowly, silently willing him to play along.

He shows silent understanding by copying your expression. “Yes! Very much so. You’ll continue to have my patronage for a long time yet. Especially with this new section! I can’t wait to make new characters to use these dice on.” He takes handfuls of them and holds them up gleefully.

You interlock your fingers and place your hands on your heart. “Everyone here is thrilled to hear that you’re satisfied, Mr Henderson. Please, do not be afraid to call on me for any of your needs. I promise, I will deliver to you myself if that is what's needed.” You look around at all the flabbergasted faces of Dustin’s group, then once more at him to catch him mouthing a ‘thank you’ before he turns to face his friends again.

As you walk away, you hear him gloat, “You see? I am the nerd king! Bow down, bitches!” You take extra care in making sure the rest of the kids don’t see you accidentally laughing at the crack in his voice at that last part.

Eventually, things die down a little again, around the time most of the kids are going back home to their parents for dinner. Ralph looks almost completely wiped out, and you frown, “When was the last time you ate?”

Ralph shakes his head. “It’s fine, I told you I’d stay, I’m a man of my wor-”

You interrupt him, “You can’t teach me if you’re passed out. Just go grab a burger and some fries from the diner, as long as you’re back to teach me how to close up, I’ll be fine for a while yet.”

Ralph thanks you profusely as he leaves to go eat. Having to switch between tidying and ringing up really isn’t as bad as you were anticipating. A few angry people demanding certain issues that have already sold out don’t even phase you too much. 

As if by fate, you have a split second where it is just you and the stock out on the shop floor. You bask in the silence, the sheer amount of space without so many people crammed in every aisle… And then, in he walks. Grungy style, long dark hair, rings adorning every finger. He makes a beeline for the D&D section, immediately picking up a Player’s Handbook and skimming the pages delightedly. You watch him gleefully explore the store before eventually emptying his arms onto your checkout counter. His vibe is somehow nothing you’d expect from someone with his aesthetic, but also it all seems to… Fit him, somehow. He’s got the book, several dice sets, and a tray. “Just a few things, then,” you muse.

He chuckles, “Yeah, well. My old tray has not been holding well over my last campaign. The Hellfire club sure know how to cause total destructive mayhem even in this realm.”

“Ooh, Hellfire. Sounds official. You guys play for like, any special reason, or…?” You ask, but he shakes his head.

“Nope, I’ve just had waaaaay too much time to run my little old high school campaign. Being held back a couple years sure has its perks!” He takes a long, lingering look at you, and the tip of his tongue pokes out to lick his lips. “Sorry, uh, should probably introduce myself since you’ll probably be seeing me a lot around here now. I'm -”

You cock your head in curiosity, narrowing your eyes and smirking smugly as you figure out who he must be. “Eddie Munson?”

Eddie’s face falls. “Uh-oh. You don't know of Hellfire but you know of me? That can’t be good.”

Your eyes widen, “Oh, no, no, no! I promise it’s nothing bad, I - You helped Steve Harrington create a D&D character here the other day, right?”

The corners of Eddie’s lips twist into a smile, “I don’t think you could quite say that. I certainly tried to, but with little success.”

“Oh, well, yeah, but I - I found the sheet and I got bored so I…” You pull out your sketchbook you’d left tucked in the drawer beneath the counter and show Eddie your drawing.

He takes the book from your hands and starts running around the store, basically pressing his face into it. “Oh my god! This is incredible! And you did that based on what Stevie gave you? Oh, wait until we talk about my current party - Would you do commissions? Could you draw my current party’s characters and then also every one of my NPCs? I need your art to bring this campaign to life, now!”

Your cheeks flush a dark pink. “Oh, well… I’ve never been paid for my work before, and even then, this was just a bit of fun… I even had to get him to pose to get the hair just right since he wanted that in the drawing, too.”

Eddie stops his pacing and returns to you at the counter. He slides the sketchbook back over to you, rests his elbows on the counter and his chin on his fists as he looks to you. “And how much would it cost to have you draw me, then, huh?”

You finally get to talk to him undistracted long enough to get a proper look at his face. His eyes are dark brown, almost black, but not in a cold and uninviting way. His smile is infectious, crinkling the corners of his eyes as he does so. You eventually snap out of your daydream, clear your throat and say, “It wouldn’t be fair to charge you and not Steve… But then technically I didn’t draw Steve himself, just basically him as a half-orc, based on a few things he wrote.”

Stil resting his head on his fists, Eddie gently rocks his head from side to side, “So what’s my D&D alternative?”

“Hmm… You take your pencil out and tap it on your lower lip in thought. “I wanna say… Half-elf fighter who eventually becomes a bard. You got that sort of energy.”

Eddie grins. “Are you sure you haven’t done your research on me? You can’t have just guessed that I’m a musician.”

You gesture up and down in front of you, “I mean, look at you, dude.”

“Touche,” Eddie nods, moving to hold onto the counter with both hands and lean on it. “Yeah, I’ve got a band. Corroded Coffin. We’ve rocked the hell out of venues such as Gareth’s garage…” His tone suggests he’s about to list a number of venues, as does the way he taps one finger with the other, but he trails off after the first while pulling a face to show there’s no more. You laugh, and that goddamn smile of his returns. “Nah, we also have a regular spot, I shouldn’t complain. Suppose I should probably pay for all this, huh…” Eddie squints to read your nametag out loud.

You slap your palm to your face. “I've got to stop forgetting to introduce myself.”

“Hey now, I didn’t even get to, so now we're even!” Eddie points out. He looks at the dice towers situated next to you and lets out a low whistle. “Man, I’ve always wanted a tower, just for like… Real dramatic rolls. But I don’t know if I can justify paying that much in one go.”

A smirk creeps along our face as you come up with an idea, “How about a little bet?” You take out a random d20 from one of the jars on the other side of the counter, and pull a dice tower up in front of you, between you and Eddie. You hold the die between your finger and thumb, hovering it over the tower. “If this crits, you have to buy it right now.”

Eddie’s smile returns, “And what if it’s a natural one?”

“Then I pay for it for you,” you shrug. “Anything else, we leave it here.”

“I like those odds,” Eddie nods. “Let’s do it.”

You drop the die. It clatters between tiers of wood until…

“20?! No way.”

Your eyes widen. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to put you out of pocket! Let’s just forget the whole thing, it was just a joke -”

Eddie shakes his head. “I’m a man of my word. Guess I’m finally upping my game today.” He gives you a reassuring smile as he takes his wallet out. “So, uh, the party’s kinda full now, but if you ever wanted to just come watch a Hellfire game, we’d be more than happy to have you. We could even put you down as a reserve in case someone can’t make it, if you ever wanted to play!”

“We’ll see,” you give him a small smile. While this Eddie guy does seem sweet, you're still a little apprehensive from the last campaign you were in. 

“I’ll just keep coming by every day, as long as it takes to convince you,” Eddie singsongs, in a tone you’re comfortable enough with believing that it’s got friendlier intentions rather than insistent.

“That’ll be a waste then, since I’m not in every day,” you point out.

“Eh, then I just get to visit my good pal Stevie at the video store instead, I’m still good,” Eddie smiles before handing you an entire wad of cash. Your eyes widen, but you don’t ask any questions. You simply ring him up, give him his change and bag up his items for him. He grabs the bag and lifts it up in a farewell greeting. “See you ’round!”

You sigh wistfully to yourself, and hear a familiar voice pipe up next to you. “Alright, I believe you, perhaps Harrington’s not your man, after all.”

You jump at the sound of Ralph’s presence being so close before shaking your head, your face turning a deep shade of pink. “Shut up, so I’ve made conversation with two separate guys. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Uh-huh. Sure. I’ll remember that one at your wedding,” he smirks.

“What is it with all of you and assuming I’ll find my future husband while working here?!” you ask exasperatedly before noticing some comics that had fallen behind a shelf that clearly need your full and urgent attention.

[rustbeltjessie]

I'm currently participating in a month-long intensive writing workshop from Selah Saterstrom/Four Queens Divination. Which is fantastic, by the way—if she ever offers the Write Now! workshop again, I highly recommend it. The project I'm working on is somewhat autobiographical, and the autobiographical parts all come from approximately spring 2003-spring 2005. It's kinda funny, though, to be writing about a time in my life when I was a self-destructive trainwreck, while I'm here now in a time when I wake up, do school stuff with the kiddos, make myself a small breakfast of yogurt + granola + banana, and then do my stretches, before I sit down to write. (To quote myself: My life is easier now, but it's also less shiny. Or to quote W/IFS: Sometimes I miss those days—that's right, you heard me. Other times I could not give a damn.)

As research for my writing project, I've been rereading journal entries from that time period. Some thoughts/observations I've had while reading through them include:

1 - Wowwwww, none of these pass the Bechdel Test. Haha, I know a personal journal entry can't be measured with the same criteria as a film or whatever, but still. For a couple years there, I was very much "The Ugly One" from Teen Girl Squad. You know:

2 - I was actually surprisingly astute about my issues and patterns, even at the time. Astute enough to know how to stop them? No. But give me a break, I was in my early 20s.

3 - One thing that's the same as it ever was is that I am always lamenting about not writing enough. Like: I need to write more. Or: I've been writing a lot, but not as much as I want to. I think I'm just one of those people who, no matter how much time I spend writing, will always feel like it's not enough.

4 - I was reminded of an incident I'd—well, not forgotten about, but forgotten about an aspect of. So, for a couple months in the summer of 2004 I was traveling/couch-surfing. A., one of my roommates at the apartment I'd been living in prior to that, told me I could keep some of my stuff stored there until I found a solid place to live. When I did, I went back to get my stuff, and she informed me that while I'd been away, she'd had a party, and some of my stuff got stolen. Including my bike, and a bunch of my favorite records. In retrospect, I think she stole them, or gave them away, because she was a mean, fucked-up, vindictive person. And it just seemed really fishy. My stuff was the only stuff that got stolen; none of A.'s stuff got stolen, none of the stuff belonging to the person who'd moved in to take my place got stolen. Plus, it was only my most favorite records, not the ones I felt so-so about, and how would some random thief know what my most favorite records were or have the time to sort through the bin to find them? Anyway. That's not the part I'd forgotten about. What I'd forgotten is that when I got upset about it—and I wasn't even blaming her, I was just fucking upset—she called me something like a 'privileged crybaby' for being upset over 'little things like a bike and a few records.' Reading about that again just made me go: Uhhhh, what??? Like, I feel like getting upset about your bicycle and favorite records getting stolen is a pretty normal response for anyone to have in that situation? Especially when you're broke and can't afford to replace them?

In other, more recent news:

My oldest kiddo got an electronic drum pad for Christmas, but I asked him if I could mess around with it when he's not using it, and he's fine with that. So I'm teaching myself to play drums! That's like the only type of instrument I have no experience playing, so why the fuck not? I'm not good yet, but it's hella fun. And if I get better, and become a real drummer...well, if I'm an O.G. zinester and a drummer, I really will be the (nonbinary) girl Cometbus, haha.

I also found out that my county has launched a big harm reduction campaign re: drugs possibly being laced with fentanyl. They are giving out test strips, and Narcan, as well as doing one-off training courses in how to administer the Narcan. So I've signed up. Just because I don't do those type of drugs anymore doesn't mean I'm never around people who do, and I want to make sure I can help people if necessary. (I'm also really, really proud of my county for doing something like this. Harm reduction for the win.)

And, one last thing: I just discovered yesterday that if you type the word 'emo' on an Apple device, it suggests the black heart emoji. Amazing. 🖤

[shadowofmoths]

🦴☔️🌩🎃👻✨️💅🧿 <- an assortment take your puck

yr my hero for this ask . i AM just gonna choose 8 monster high dolls i wanna talk about . under a cut so as not to spam the entire dash

1.can i talk about neon frights twyla im dying to talk about neon frights twyla. theres things i rly like and really dont like about this line overall, (like. i can just tell looking at her that her hair is cheaply done, and everyones outfits are just the same hoodie and skirt situation) BUT. look. i love love LOVEEE her MAKEUP. and her little earplugs bc she doesnt like noise. her LANTERN?? the bunny details on her harness, but ALSO if you look closely at the top those are SPIDERS THAT ARE BUTTONS!! her hoodie has a little scalloped little peter pan collar situation?? ivbe literally thought of nothing of this doll for Days.

2. now. lets talk about neon frights draculaura. i love basically every single draculaura thats ever existed ever, shes my precious lovely girl and i love her sweet face. that being said . i Do Not Like Anything Happening Here.

i think the yellow is a terrible color choice. just awful. i think the purple lipstick could work and it doesnt. the skirt is hideous. the HAIR also bad. the laptop is cute, the shoes are good, and the bat wings on the collar are cute but theyve done that for draculaura before and better. but yeah look what they did to my girl :((((

3. NOW lets talk about the best doll of all time. haunt couture draculaura. i think of her all the time . she is so precious. i have nothing to add just look at how beautiful she is. NO NOTES.

4. im just gonna talk abt all these real quick. they come in a pack so its fine.

i love this drac so much, i think the cut of the cheerleader dress on her is sooo good. and FRANKIE. IS SO darling. look at them. the big shirt and their purple undercut LETS GOOO. toralei's dress having like, claw marks is so funny. everyone else is also good i just dont have much to say. i'd love to have some of these dolls but they do only come in the set and i dont want All of them so.

5. im sorry but i have to say something about monster ball lagoona.

like. the rest of lagoona's outfits tend to be athleisure type stuff. i dont know how they got from that to THIS!! what is this shade of fuchsia. the ruffles, the random black accents, the asymmetrical neckline, twenty seven different shades of blue... the lipstick...like, its camp, dont get me wrong, i think its fun in a disastrous way, but like. oh my god. especially in contrast with the other monster ball dolls i just. what. 6. MONSTER BALL CLAWDEEN THOUGH!!! the HAIR the BIG SLEEVES the BOWTIE the purple stripe on the pants the purse matching the shoes and the earrings like. shes iconic shes everything.

7. now we will talk about amped up frankie. like. absolutely fuck yes.

look at those fucking SHOES. (i also love how the g3 shoes are usually designed so that their prosthetic leg is revealed i think that rules. the pink strips in their hair, the tie and collar that are NOT attached to the shirt, THE KEYTAR. can you turn up the keytar i cant hear the keytar. 8. and lets end with my friend abbey bominable. first of all i love how shes taller than all the other girl dolls we love a tall gal. also you cant see her but she has tiny horns which i LOVE. i love her fanny pack i love all the accessories i love the sparkle i love that shes wearing a fur coat and a crop top like girl what weather are you dressing for i dont know but i dont care bc its a look. i love you.

[marlenafortuna]

Podcast Punishing - C.S

Warnings‼️ public teasing, spanking, blowjob

A/n: this is my first time writing anything in general haha. Let me know how I did

Summary: You decide to tease Chris, your boyfriend, a little during your featuring in the triplets podcast.

……………

I think the amount of times I asked my amazing boyfriend, Chris, to be in him and his brothers podcast, is uncountable.

The problem was though, me and Chris weren’t public the first 7 months of our relationship. Crazy, right?

Well Chris was very known to be scared of relationships and commitment, and suddenly announcing he was committed and in a relationship was somewhat difficult for us.

Well, the day has finally come, me and Chris made our relationship official about 3 months ago. And honestly, I don’t know how the fans have taken it.

From what I’ve heard from Chris the fans took it very well, atleast that’s what he told me.

I don’t know nor do I care.

Anyway, it’s 3 months after we made it public, and now I’m sitting in the studio ready to film the podcast.

The problem was tho, both me and Chris woke up extremely horny this morning. But I don’t know if it’s gonna be a problem.

The podcast started, they asked me a couple questions about life, Chris, and some other things.

But I start getting bored and I notice Chris like.. adjusting himself??

Did I really make Chris hard just from talking?

Seeing as I was sitting next to Chris, I decided to tease him a little, by palming him through his pants, which seemed to work.

Chris was fighting for his life not to moan or to make it any obvious that I was teasing them. But I was done with him being so stubborn.

So, I pulled down his pants and started jerking him off. I know it may sound weird, and it was, not gonna lie. But it was fun

TIMESKIP

Chris was angry, and it was obvious. Jaw clenched and muscles tense by the time we walked out of the podcast studio.

“Chris what the fuck is up?!” Nick asks, clearly confused by his brothers behavior.

“Nothing I’m fine.” responds a very clearly mad Chris. “Let’s go to my room, love” he says to me.

I know I’m gonna get punished for this, and I’m so looking forward to it.

We walk down to his room, and when I shut the door, he immediately slams me up towards it and pins my hands over my head.

“Do you really think you can just sit and tease me during a podcast and expect me to not react to it? Get on the bed, your clothes better be gone by the time I’m back” Chris demands through gritted teeth. I say nothing. I walk over to me and Chris’ shared bed and start stripping, slightly turned on by this situation.

……..

“I’m back, love.” Chris says as I’m laying on the bed. Head on the headboard with my right leg tucked up, naked. “Kinda expected to come back to you touching yourself”

I say nothing, because he rambles on.

“You’ve been bad. What do bad girls get in return?” Chris asks me, a smirk on his face.

“T-they get punished, right?” I ask, uncertainty in my voice, but I’m still confident I’m right.

“Mhm that’s right love, you’re so smart. Do you remember your safe word baby?” He grins

“Mhm” I nod.

Slap.

Chris slapped my left cheek.

“I need words baby, I thought you knew this”

“Now what is your safe word” he demands me to tell him.

“Red. My safe word is red.” I reply, getting impatient.

“That’s good ma” he smiles.

Why did he make me go over our safe word? What the hell does he have planned?

He flips me over and ties my hands to the headboard with his belt.

“Alright, I did some thinking, and I think your punishment should be spanking. 25 on each cheek. How’s that sound ma?” He suggests, not wanting to make it too much for me.

“Mhm, sounds good Chris.” I reply, genuinely okay with it.

“Alright ma, I do have one request tho. You’re gonna count them all, and you’re not fucking cumming. Understood?”

I agree, with words this time.

Slap. “1” I gasp, slightly surprised.

Slap. “2” a little harder this time.

Slap. “3” ouch.

……..

“50” I count, my ass stinging and burning from how harsh Chris’ slaps were. I cant say i didn’t enjoy it though.

“That’s my good girl, ma, now get on your knees for me.” He unties the belt while saying.

I get on my knees in front of his crotch, his pants slightly falling down from the removed belt he used for my hands.

I start pulling down his pants, palming him over his boxers.

“Stop fucking teasing me and get to work” he grunts, not liking my teasing.

I pull down his boxers along with the rest of his pants, and he steps out of them while I start slowly stroking his cock.

“Mmmmmh fuck” he moans out in relief, I understand that though, his cock was as angry red at the tip, throbbing and leaking precum. He looked almost in pain.

I start putting my tongue flat on the base of his shaft, slowly moving upwards and putting his tip in my mouth and sucking on it.

The noises he was making had me dripping everywhere on the floor. His noises were a mix of whimpers and moans, I LOVED it.

I start bopping my head on his cock, going up and down in a fast pace.

“Oh fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck so good ma.” He moans out. That has to be my favorite sound ever.

After a minute or two he pulls my head away, I look up at him in confusion.

“Sorry love, wanted to spare my cum for that pretty pussy instead” he says with a slight smirk, his eyes dark of lust and need.

“Get on the bed” he demands, and I oblige.

I lie down, legs spread, my arousal dripping just for him. He look at my glistening folds for a moment.

“So wet just for me ma? Damn I’m gonna destroy you.”

_____________

Part 2 will maybe occur.

[rainyraisin]

23 23 23

OKAY

Jeez this’ll be a long one

Honestly, what I hope people notice when looking at my art is the small details. But the thing is, unless you’re actively looking for them, you probably won’t notice some of them, which leads to you being like the only person who realises dhjsbfkd- I love your silly little analysises sm though so idm that much‼️‼️‼️💖💖💖🫶🫶🫶

There’s even more small details than these (keeping it to these because of the mobile photo limit) but I don’t do them as often as I’d like to, honestly I might ramp it up a bit at this point because I had a lot of fun with them in one of my latest pieces. Btw there are small details that I like more than these but some of them are reticent spoilers so I’m gonna keep from talking about those for now.

(Putting this all as a read more as this post will be LONG.)

Starting with one of the most obvious small details but one I just like a lot, the staff magical girl Ret!Don holds is shaped as a flower made out of octagons (which is the main shape I try to go for when it comes to Dee’s patterns but sometimes they turn out as hexagons dgehbfjd I mix them up a little bit)

Edit: forgot to mention, I picked a flower specifically cause silly guy loves botany hehe 💖💖💖

This one appears in a LOT of my drawings of tot Ret!Don, this is the way I like to convey a character not having their glasses on. Since he doesn’t get his glasses till he’s 7-8 years old (doing a timeline rn so we’ll see exactly when at some point dhdjhfjf), the majority of drawings of younger Dee will have this feature, especially as I tend to start drawing them with full eyes rather than line eyes at 9 years old (the pupils still look like this but the eyes as a whole are different)

Another silly tot thing (this is just smth I’m working on btw I haven’t posted any of it yet, dw about it tho :)))) ). I gave Leo this silly shirt to convey that this is the year that Splinter appoints him leader after stripping the role from Raph. Guy is already exhausted from his new role but he’s powering through it, look at him go!!! (That’s not gonna last long)

This is one I’ve already pointed out but it was a while back so I figured I’d include it here too. On Donnie and Karai’s refs (from April 13th and April 17th respectively), they both have a pattern of three dots in a sort of arch shape above their right eyes, Donnie’s showing whilst his mask is off and Karai’s showing whilst her mask is on. This particular pattern only shows for each character when they’re involved in a certain clan :) It also illustrates their connection later on in the show, far prior to the arc even occurring (still got a while to go!)

Two out of three of the images on these next two examples are from a piece I’ll prolly be posting later today! Basically in that piece I have included a couple of polaroids in characters decorating the room as I like to do that a lot for characters who I think would have these kinds of photos (Leo doesn’t have as many, only keeping two in his room but Don and Mikey display them on the walls whilst Raph has a small collection hidden away). This first one is in Donnie’s room and depicts the day Donnie got his glasses with April’s help!! The guy was ecstatic fr‼️‼️💪💪💪 April isn’t much of a hugger but she decided it was fine this time.

These next two images are from Leo’s and Donnie’s room respectively. I figured it would be nice to have a picture that all four brothers own, even if it’s bittersweet given later context. This was taken pre-leader Leo, so whilst Raph isn’t having the best time (the poor guy :( ), this was probably the best the other’s lives were for ages.

Okay, now we’re getting into stupidly small details. In the Top Of My School animatic, Mikey is drawing a picture of ice cream kitty during the second lyric “Some people never learnt how to be driven, some people don’t even try”. Other small details in this animatic include Leo’s trophies and blue ribbon which he scavenged from the dump, the Hamato Clan box which was retrieved in episode 1, along with the picture of Leo Mikey drew when he was younger, which (other than the hamato box) all first appeared in a drawing of Ret!Mikey and FA!Mikey spray-painting Ret!Leo’s room and were later mentioned in Chapter 3 of Reticent, “Consequences”. Another small detail is in one of the final scenes of the animatic whilst Leo is staring at himself in a mirror, realising some… not so nice stuff about his self worth, he replicates Splinter’s words and actions from earlier in the animatic.

I think the ice cream kitty detail is smaller but i wanted to keep these last two together (and also I talked about more than one small detail in that section). The first one is Mikey’s little stickers on his nunchucks in Season 2 Part 2!!! Just a little guy :) some are random, some are references to other characters, some are references to other iterations of Mikey (wonder which sticker that one is CHXJHDJF)

Now, this one is STUPID SMALL, to the point I don’t even think you can see it without zooming in on the original via Procreate (might prove myself wrong later though dbsjfbdj idk). During Season 2 Part 1, Casey’s purple detail are him changing his studs to be purple. I later considered changing it to something bigger (although I had NO clue what that would be, his sneakers maybe?) but then I thought about it more and honestly, I think Leo would be kinda peed off with him if he wore anything bigger/more noticeable cause honestly I bet he didn’t even notice the change the entire time Casey had these in-

Basically, the entire point of this post is, I like small details and I might have hints to past or future events in reticent in pieces via those small details, so be on the lookout!!! Thank you Aaron for asking a question, especially this one, it was very fun rambling, and THANK U FOR ALL UR ANALYSISES SO FAR‼️‼️💖💖💖🫶🫶 (I know it’s difficult to do them since ur co-creator so like u have to try avoid spoilers but I appreciate them all the same :D)