#burgundy is really her colour

[foul-milk]

the it couple of f1🙌

[janamensch]

I drew this on Sunday but forgot to post it because other things were going on, so here, look! Juliett is being so sneaky and inconspicuous in her pink cloak

[alavestineneas]

Losing dogs

pairing: young!coriolanussnow x fem!reader

summary: His golden prize, his future wife, was now bound to him by the ring on her finger. Of all of his investments, this one had the potential to yield the greatest return. warnings: not really canon-compliant, mentions of minor violence, blood and shitty relationships word count: 4k

Part 2 is here!

author's note: remember kids, manipulators and sick bastards are only hot in fiction - don't do them (and drugs) in real life!

The polished toes of his new shoes reflected everything in the grand hall—they caught glimmers of lamps adorned with gold, colourful drapes on the enormous windows, and the kaleidoscopic dresses of women around. The chatter filled the room, almost too loud to hear the music—not that he would enjoy it either. Some things require focus.

''Mister Fabius, Missis Fabius.''

Corialanus's face melts into a smile-like expression at the sight of the older couple.

They look like lice in the large building—rich lice, that is. The golden and platinum rings on Missis Fabius's fingers shine with every gemstone known to man, mirroring the bright lights. The jewels look ugly on the wrinkly hand, he notes. What a waste.

''Mister Snow, what a surprise! I was just telling Livia of your prodigious success in your new position. Incredible work, Mr. Snow; simply incredible! ''

The man's face radiated with excitement, getting closer in shade to his burgundy tie. The gold threats on it piqued more interest for Mister Snow than the words of the old man—after all, it's not every day you meet such luxury in person.

The man's wife, however, seemed less enthusiastic; her cold, bored gaze circled him up and down, stopping only after getting the satisfaction of an undoubtedly unpleasant conclusion. 

Coriolanus mentally went over his outfit, hairstyle, and anything else she might have noticed. Nothing was out of place; the holes in his coat were a thing of the past. Still, it was something—that thought found its place in his brain, drilling a small hole in its way. 

''When will we know of your decision, Mister Snow? We gave you time—a lot of time.''

''This evening, Mrs. Fabius. After the play, I promise to give you my answer tonight.''

He has to look first. What fool buys a horse blind? Sure, the horse came with immense fortunes and, most importantly, connections, but still. He couldn't afford to make a hasty decision, especially when the stakes were so high. After all, he was one of the most desirable bachelors; Fabiuses had to thank him for even considering the offer.

''There is no agreement until tomorrow, Mister Snow. We will have you for breakfast at nine o'clock sharp,'' Mr Fabius said, placing a hand on his wife's back and leading her towards the entrance. They could afford not to make one's adieu.

The opera was popular among the richest; all of the seats were taken. He would have lied if he said the golden rails and red velvet didn't make him feel a bit out of place. Nobody paid him any attention, although this time it didn't hurt him as much as usual. He could hide in the shadows of his box seat without being concerned about making an impression.

Not the stage, of course. It was the least of his worries, although he did pay a high price for a ticket. No, he looked at her. 

The golden gown on her was a shimmering masterpiece. Layers and layers of the most expensive fabric covered her body like soft waves, crashing down at the round neckline with their gilded ends. She wore diamond earrings, just like her mother did, although they suited her better. 

Coriolanus remembered her from the academy; she always sat near the window, gazing out at the world with a longing in her eyes. She wasn't a very bright student but rather a dutiful one. always on time, always prepared with her assignments, and always eager to please her teachers. The heiress to the jewellery empire. The flower of the elite social scene. Her presence attracted attention, yet she seamlessly blended into the background, never stealing the spotlight. YN Fabius was everything he needed her to be—a picture, but never a spectacle. 

-

The manor was grand and opulent, showing the wealth and status of the Fabius family. Its sprawling gardens and delicate architecture were a testament to its esteemed position in society. Collums, paintings, and endless staircases stood as if frozen in time. It was as if there was no war just a decade ago. 

''Mister Snow,'' the butler called out, his voice echoing through the grand foyer. ''Breakfast is served in the blue dining hall; if you would please follow me.''

Thousands and thousands of steps and passages lined the walls, leading to various wings and chambers of the mansion. It was warm, even during the cold autumn season. Only keeping the fireplaces always lit must cost a fortune.

When they finally reached the needed room, Coriolanus was slightly out of breath. The blue walls reached the high ceiling, painted with pictures of half-naked gods and goddesses frolicking in fields of flowers. It created the illusion of a smell wafting through the air as if the vibrant colours had come to life. 

The table was served for four, not three, suggesting that someone else was expected to join them. The silverware gleamed under the soft rays of sunshine, casting a shimmering glow across the room—pure silver, nothing less. 

The door behind him opened with a gentle creak, revealing Mr. Fabiuse's humble figure. His simple, at first glance, shirt was another of the perfectly constructed illusions—Coriolanus knew the fabrics like the back of his hand. The shirt, though seemingly plain, was made from the finest Egyptian cotton, woven with intricate patterns. 

''Mister Snow, how good that you came on time. Excuse my ladies, the girls are such girls at every age. Take so long to get ready,'' he laughs. ''Please, take a seat," Mr. Fabius said, gesturing towards a plush chair covered in velvet. 

''There is no point in all of those paints once you hit sixty,'' Mrs.Fabius said, appearing right behind her husband. She circled the table before taking a seat herself, her eyes glancing disapprovingly at the young man. "Let's begin before the food grows cold," she added with a sigh, her tone tinged with resignation. 

''Of course,'' Mr. Fabius nodded, lifting the lid on the first dish. The aroma of it filled the room, and Coriolanus couldn't help but feel his hunger grow. He didn't have the habit of eating so much in the morning—another thing he needs to adjust about his routine. 

When Mr.Fabius finally placed the fork down, Coriolanus knew it was time. ''Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Fabius. I must say, I thought a lot about your proposal, and after careful consideration, I have decided to accept it.''

''Good.'' Mrs. Fabius answered instead, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. "I'm glad to hear that, Coriolanus. I believe this union will bring great delights to both of us." 

Mr. Fabius seemed not to notice the interruption. ''I think a winter wedding would be absolutely perfect. Everybody seems to be getting married in the spring, but in the winter? Oh, it's definitely going to be a hit. Ah, and here's the lucky bride-to-be!''

She stood beside the just-opened door, her eyes following his expressions. Her hands, adorned just with one small pearl ring, were gently clasped together in front of her. She looked nervous, like a child standing in front of the full class on the first school day. Her dress, a delicate lace creation, clings to her figure like a second skin. 

He smiled at her. YN looked like an antique statue, as if she just stepped out of the ruins of the Panem. Coriolanus wasn't even sure she was breathing—her stillness was so deep. 

''Let's leave the lover birds to chirp,'' Mrs.Fabius said, standing up. She walked towards the couple, her heels clicking against the floor, and extended her hand towards YN. "Congratulations, my dear," she said with a warm smile before leaving, her husband following after her.

''It's time for a ring, isn't it?'' Coriolanus cleared his throat. Everything is to be done appropriately; there is no reason to avoid traditions. He reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a small box. White, of course—who is he, if not a romantic at heart?

''Mr. Snow,'' YN watched him stand up and come closer with the same expression she always bore—a mixture of melancholy and worship. ''Grant me something.''

He paused. Coriolanus didn't like to make promises. He would have to make it clear to her later, after the wedding—the fact that he took her for a bride was enough of a promise. Still, he needed this engagement to work, and he was not about to lose it to a crude lie. With a sigh, he softly replied, "What is it that you desire, Miss YN?"

''Promise me you will be kind to me. All of our marriage, promise to be kind to my heart.''

Coriolanus almost laughed in her face. Oh, what a lovely, clueless fool. "I will do my best to treat you with kindness, Miss YN."

''Good,'' she smiles. ''I think we will make a great couple then, Mister Snow.''

''Coriolanus, my dear. Please call me Coriolanus." 

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance. It was sealed. His golden prize, his future wife, was now bound to him by the ring on her finger. Of all of his investments, this one had the potential to yield the greatest return.

-

Mr.Fabius didn't lie—his daughter was the perfect bride. She never spoke to him unless he did first; she never questioned him. She simply followed his lead, like a well-trained pet. A pretty, lovely YN. She knew what to do, how to dress, and what to say. He searched for one—at least a slight imperfection—and couldn't find one; it was as if she wasn't a human, which, to him, she wasn't.

''What are you going to do today?'' he asks, without bothering to look up from the newspaper. He doesn't wish to hear her answer, but he still asks out of courtesy. Coriolanus knows that her daily routine is made up of attending charity events, dinners with influential figures's wives, and shopping for designer clothes. It's a predictable pattern.

''Well, the trees I ordered came in today; I'll have to chat with the new gardener about them. Are you meeting with anyone important later?" 

''As a matter of fact, I do. Larry Tremblay wants to include me in a business deal he's been working on." 

It's partly true, but she doesn't need to know more. Just a familiar name was usually enough for his wife to hum in satisfaction and assume that he was still climbing the social ladder. Not this time, evidently.

''You shouldn't accept.''

He looked up from his cup, trying to guess if she had gone out of her mind. YN looked like usual, her eyes meeting his without a care in the world. Why today, of all days, she decided to question his decision was beyond him. He cleared his throat, attempting to maintain his composure. "And why should I decline such a good-looking opportunity?" 

''He beats his wife. Just yesterday, I saw her with bruises. ''

Coriolanus fought hard to keep a smile from forming on his lips. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, feigning indifference. He knew his wife wasn't the brightest, but this? "Is that so?" 

''Don't you understand what it means? The man only beats his wife for two reasons. If he has always enjoyed those types of things, which Larry did not, or if he loses power and control in other aspects of his life. The business isn't going as well as he wants it to,'' YN lowers her gaze, losing confidence in her voice. ''I thought you would want to know that.''

He would, very much. Her conclusion was the dumbest thing he ever heard, based on some black and blue marks and a twist of her imagination. Still, it was interesting—his wife's head wasn't always empty like he hoped. She thought enough to notice something, and she listened enough to remember his partners. 

''I will keep that in mind,'' he replied, his tone tinged with a hint of annoyance. What harm could it do to entertain her thoughts? It was even slightly amusing to see her try to piece together a puzzle that didn't exist. 

-

It wasn't so fun anymore when Larry Tremblay was fired exactly two weeks later. Surely, it could be a consequence, but Coriolanus Snow didn't believe in them. There had to be something, anything, to explain his wife's sudden knowledge—she couldn't have acquired it on her own, about that he was sure.

YN looked unfazed by his questioning gaze as she lay on the dark olive-coloured sofa in his office, continuing to play with a snow-white kitten on her stomach. It was his wedding gift, one of many—the pricy creature with a diamond collar. He thought it was rather symbolic—two caged animals who were once considered sacred.

''How did you understand that Tremblay was about to be fired?'' Coriolanus asked, his voice laced with suspicion. It could be that she overheard the woman talk about it, or even that she had some inside information from her connections. What bothered him more was what she could know from the same source about him.

YN paused, her fingers gently stroking the kitten's fur as she met his gaze. "I didn't know that. I simply knew he had trouble at work. Evidently, they were big enough for him to lose his position." 

''Really?'' he chuckled. Maybe she was telling the truth. ''Then, what can you say about my work?''

YN's eyes narrowed slightly. "Your work doesn't matter; how you present yourself does. Can I give you some advice?'

 "Sure.'' Coriolanus bit his tongue, fighting the urge to snap back at her. After all, it is what he married her for—to fit in. He took a deep breath.

''Buy a new car, but not the most expensive one; it will give off an impression of stability, like you know the job isn't going anywhere. Your shoes are always too polished; it's like you wore them right out of the box. And throw away that hideous tie you always wear—you look like a student." 

''Something else?'' Coriolanus mustered a weak smile, trying to hide his frustration. 

''I don't want to offend you, Coriolanus. But I want you to do well. After all, you are my husband now, and your success reflects on both of us. Why not help where I can? You know I love clothes.''

''Good, '' he replied, forcing a more genuine smile. "Now get away from that cat before it scratches you. I'll figure out the rest on my own." 

''Of course you will. You are the smartest man I've ever met.''

-

He was. It was because of his intelligence that YN married him, because of his ambition. Well, that and something else. 

From her earliest childhood, YN knew what she was destined to be. She was the child of late parents, the only child, and a girl; she would inherit everything the generations of her family worked so hard to achieve. And YN was no fool; she needed a man. Driven, proud, and cold-blooded. The one who was not afraid to get his hands dirty while she spent her time leisurely in his shadow. Oh, no—YN never minded her place, much like her mother did. She taught her to bet on the finest horses, and Coriolanus Snow was no exception. 

From the time she saw him in his ridiculously tight shirt in the academy, she knew what she wanted. Him. The top of every class, the charmer with pretty eyes—a catch, really. Her mother said there was darkness inside her dear Coriolanus, but YN knew. That's why she now sits in the opulent living room, waiting for him to get home. Mr. Snow was a horrific, ruthless man. But he was still, at his core, a man. 

And men never listen. That's how she got him and got him good—a silent, fawn-eyed creature that he thought he could control. An obedient wife and a lovely lap dog. It was funny to see his gaze twitch slightly when she said something she wasn't supposed to—how long would it take him to figure it out? 

It's time—his tall figure appeared in the corridor leading to the living room. YN watches silently as he takes off his shoes and coat, placing them on the rack by the door. Home at seven p.m. sharp, just like any other day. Just like any other day, dinner is at the table. 

He never said thank you. Instead, her closet grew bigger with countless dresses, bags, and shoes—sometimes even brand-new jewellery. YN didn't mind it; she loved it—the jealous whispers of other women at the events about how lucky she was. She didn't have to sleep with a big, fat old man to get the latest fur coat or the most exquisite diamond necklace.

At least a few times a month now, Coriolanus would wake up in the middle of the night, screaming. This night was one of those: YN woke up from the constant turning and tossing in the bed. She doesn't know how he didn't figure out why; it was easy to guess his food contained something to make his sleep far worse—YN made sure of that. Maybe he just didn't have the heart to admit his weaknesses, even to himself.

''Hey,'' she whispered, getting out of the warm covers. YN tiptoed over to Coriolanus' side of the bed, careful not to bump into anything in the dark. ''Hey, wake up. Are you okay?" she asked, gently shaking him awake. 

Coriolanus jolted upright, his eyes wide with fear as he gasped for breath. He wasn't; of course, he wasn't. Yn would have lied if she said she didn't find it hot to see him like this—sweat glistening on his forehead, his chest heaving. 

''You were having a nightmare again.''

He looked at her with the eyes of a lunatic, still not over his dream. ''What did I say this time?"

''You were mumbling something about birds and songs, I think? It didn't make much sense." 

He doesn't recall that she mentored the 10th game too. Without much success, of course, but one thing she did remember was a girl from District 12 who liked to sing. Coriolanus remembered her too; it was evident from the fear that crossed his eyes.

''Excuse me,'' he said, his voice still shaky. ''I need a moment.''

YN watched as he stumbled towards the bathroom, his hands twitching. As much as her husband wanted to hide those parts of himself, he couldn't. Not from her. 

There was nothing else to do but wait. YN climbed on the bed, turning her back to the bathroom door. Coriolanus would only come out when he thought she had fallen asleep. She learned to control her breath when she was just a little girl; it saved her life once, when a rebel pointed a gun at her small frame, meaning to shoot. He didn't—what use was it to waste a bullet on a non-breathing child?

Surely, after some time, the blonde man stepped out of the bathroom. For a few minutes, he listened to her steady breathing before sliding under the covers and pressing his body against hers, his large hand covering her shoulders. Coriolanus wasn't gentle; YN wasn't sure he knew what the word meant anyway, but he was careful. His arm around her chest wasn't tight—just enough for him to bring her closer.

As much as YN wanted to turn around and face him, she didn't. There was no point—like any other human, he hated the feeling of vulnerability. Instead, YN focused on the warmth of his body. Coriolanus Snow was a god more than a human, and real gods were never kind. The only currency they recognized was blood.

-

The annual party for the victor of this year's games. The first year Coriolanus Snow worked as a head gamemaker, his creation was a bloodbath, a spectacle of violence and despair. He did a good job—an excellent one, even—and one of the greatest stars of today's celebration was him.

They needed to dress the part in clothes that exuded power. And so they did. Coriolanus's suit was ample—purple velvet with gold embroidery—the colour of Roman emperors. The colour of the winners. The suit hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, suiting his white hair. Gold cufflinks, gold rings—he looked like a sovereign among men. It was risky to do so right in front of the current president, but who was Coriolanus Snow if he was not confident in his success? 

YN wore the gown from the matching collection, a floor-length masterpiece. The deep purple colour was a stark contrast to her skin tone. And jewellery, of course—she came from the Fabius family for a reason. The lavender diamonds on her necklace and earrings. They were rare—the rarest—even. Only a few violet diamonds have been mined in the past seventy years.

It was all anyone talked about behind their backs. Whispers, rumours, and so much venom dripped from the mouths of Panem's elite—that's what they were hoping for, anyway. The Snows were just as shamelessly rich as they were powerful. 

That's why they now sat at the President's table, just a few faces away from them. Coriolanus smiled to himself - not even the President's wife could compare to YN. Not in fashion, not in elegance. He had an impeccable taste - even a person far away from politics could see that.

''A toast!'' the President stood up with a glass in his hand, turning to face the Coriolanus. ''I am sure many of you know who was the mastermind behind the games this year - it's my pleasure to introduce Coriolanus Snow to those of you who don't. However, not many know his story of success. From a dirt-poor background, when his greatest possession was his family name, he worked hard to achieve the position he holds today. Let us raise our glasses and celebrate his remarkable journey to success and the country of Panem - the land of opportunity!''

YN cursed under her breath as she listened to the crowd cheer for her husband. He remained stoic - the only thing that gave away his fury was his eyes - they grew as dark as the sky outside. She didn't bother to calm him - this fire was impossible to put out. The President made a fatal mistake with his speech - she knows. But the true fear crept into her heart when she saw the President's wife pass Coriolanus the dish. 

Cabbage.

Under a fancy sauce, it could be transformed into a delicacy fit for their circle. But tonight, it was his last straw. The colours changed on the face of Coriolanus, from white to all shades of red. His fists clenched, and veins pulsed on his temples. The room fell silent as they observed.

''Oh, I am so sorry,'' YN chipped in. Quick, something. ''I have a terrible allergy to cabbage.'' 

The President's wife looked concerned. ''Oh, I didn't know.''

YN made her eyes water, throwing a coughing feat for more dramatic effect. ''I think I need to step outside for some fresh air." 

She felt a warm hand on her back. ''Let me accompany you, just to make sure you're alright." her husband announced, carefully leading her towards the exit. 

-

The first thing he did when they reached the women's bathroom was break the mirrors in a fit of anger. Shards of glass scattered across the floor as he paced around the room like a caged animal. YN watched as shouted and hit the walls, sitting on the bathroom floor. Beautiful one - the tile was a lovely shade of pink, contrasting with the chaos unfolding before her. 

After a good few minutes, he finally calmed down and sank to the floor beside her, his face buried in his hands. Her husband, her hauntingly beautiful, pathetic husband - oh, what a sight. He looked mad, maniac, even; his blonde hair was far from its usual perfectly styled form, falling on his tear-stained cheeks.

"What do you think of me?"

His voice is hoarse, a few notes down from a honey-like. She likes it better, YN thinks - nothing of the fasçade he was trying so hard to uphold. No, just a raw hunger with a mix of equally raw despair.

"I think you are an animal, Coriolanus."

She smiles, watching his expression change. He suspected it, of course - her husband was a smart man. Still, he can't believe it - his head twitches in her direction, his gorgeous bottomless eyes shining under the weak light of the only surviving floor lamp.

"What?" he asks with such a loss in his voice YN has to fight the urge to bring him close. Not now, she thinks. It's not the time. 

"A hungry, desperate, sick, sick animal with nothing to lose."

Coriolanus gets closer abruptly, clearly angered - she can't let him leave now. His arm shouts to find its place on her neck, long, slim fingers forming a circle around her throat. "You think I am after money, don't you?"

"No, no," a yelp escapes her lips, bordering a hysterical laugh. "Only fools are after money, Coriolanus, and you are no fool."

YN watches as he loses his grip a little, calmed by her words. What a pitiful, fascinating creature was her husband - one word of reassurance and he is willing to let thousands of cursings slide.

"What is it, then? What did you fantasize about in your small dull head?"

He still doesn't believe her. YN is surprised at how quickly it becomes boring. 

"You want power."

Clap - the grip on her neck is tight again.

"That's why you choose the fear. People forget the hand that feeds them, but the one who beats? Never."

The frown on his face falls a little, and through the gritted teeth escapes something like a curse. "You talk an awful lot about me," he notes. "What are you hungry for?"

"You."

He laughs. That was a deep, chest laugh - YN thinks she never heard him laugh so sincerely. "You want my love? Don't lie to me, YN," he taunts, pressing a little harder on her neck.

"Not love. Love is easily swayed, is it not? No, I want you."

Coriolanus looks at her as if he never done so before. Well, he looked thousands of times, but he didn't see. His eyes study every expression in hers, every part of her face. "A hungry dog is not a loyal dog," he finally masters.

There is a certain silence after his words. YN gulps, desperatly trying to help her dried throat - the blood from his hands ran down her neck onto her exposed chest, leaving sticky, dark trails behind.

"Feed me, then."

He kisses her. He puts a force behind it, watching her hands fall on his chest for some kind of support. Coriolanus kisses her until there is no air in YN's chest anymore, and she has to push him away to take a rushed breath. 

They were going to be just fine.

After all, they both never bet on losing dogs.

[dirtylittleheart333]

A GOOD, KINDA BAD GUY

Matt finds someone who is stuck in an elevator. Concerned, he sits with her to keep her mind off her situation and learns some things about her. What happens when those elevator doors open just enough to let him slip inside?

Paring: Matt x OC Warning: 18+ Smut Notes: Listened to 'We are scientists - Nobody move, Nobody get hurt. Type: One-shot

A GOOD, KINDA BAD GUY Matt walked through the deserted, dimly lit hallway, on his way to the elevator. The thick, heavy carpet underfoot, was patterned with dark colours of burgundy and royal blue with shades of neutrals. It was meant to disguise dirt and dust from heavy footfall, along with keeping noise to a minimum. The walls were pained in a neutral fawn shade, that held art on simple canvas. None of them really matched but Matt shrugged his shoulders as he turned the corner that would take him to the two set’s of elevators.

Unbeknownst to Matt, Zarah had entered the elevator a few minutes earlier and slumped against the mirrored interior. Since it was her last day at her job, she stayed late to see that everything was in order and up to date for the next employer taking over her position. It had been a long day; it had been pouring rain, her Uber driver had hit on her prompting her to get out a block sooner than her actual location, and she had to take an Uber because her car battery was flat. All she wanted to do was relax in a tub full of bubbles and then climb into her bed. Life had other plans though, and the elevator came to a jolting halt.

Matt pushed the down button between the two elevators, illuminating it in a glowing green. He tilted his head up expecting to see which floor the elevators were currently on and which direction they were travelling but instead, he found himself looking at a blank screen. He cocked his head to the side a little, waiting to see if there was any indication the cars were running. There was no sound to denote they were even functioning. He thought it was strange since they had been working only an hour or so before. Matt let out an audible sigh and shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned. He mulled over the thought if he wanted to just go back to the apartment or if he wanted to pursue his original plan; going for a midnight walk.

As he stepped forward, the doors behind him made a clanking noise, and then they creaked open. Matt glanced over his shoulder but the doors stopped, only leaving a small, narrow opening that he guessed would barely fit a hand through. The lights in the elevator were low and soft music floated out, along with a soft, flowery scent.

‘’Oh my god,’’ he heard a soft voice say, ‘’please!’’

Hands slid between the opening of the doors, and long, elegant fingers with perfectly manicured nails closed around a door, ‘’open you…motherfucker! I can’t with this tonight,’’ the soft but now agitated voice said. When the doors didn’t move, a groan escaped through the doors and the fingers let go and then disappeared back into the elevator.

Then he heard what he thought was crying. He couldn’t be 100 percent sure, but he wouldn’t have been surprised if she was crying. As he turned to the elevator again, he wondered if the voice was agitated or rather, upset. Maybe a mixture of both since being stuck in an elevator could have had several emotions surge through the body. The nervousness of being confined and closed up in a steel box for an extended period of time was not something pleasant to contemplate, let alone actually being in that situation.

Matt stopped in font of the doors, not wanting to leave anyone that was in distress, let alone stuck in an elevator, alone, in the middle of the night.

‘’Hey,’’ Matt said, ‘’are…are you okay?’’

There was a brief silence, then a sniff before she answered, ‘’not really; I’m stuck in an elevator.’’

‘’Yeah, I can kinda tell…that’s why I’m asking,’’ Matt said, concerned, ‘’did you try the emergency button? Or the one with the bell on it?’’

‘’It doesn’t work,’’ she replied and sighed, ‘’ and I’ve got my finger on the bell right now… nothing. This is the third time I’m getting stuck in it. I just have to wait until it feels like working.’’

‘’Oh,’’ Matt said and put a hand up on the cool metal door. ‘’Do you live here?’’

Again there was a brief silence and he wondered if she was was having a difficult time in there or was she shy and cautious? ‘’Yes,’’ she said eventually, her voice shaky from crying, ‘’I live here.’’

‘’Why don’t you tell me about it…this place…maybe something about yourself?’’ Matt said, turning around. He then sat down on the thick carpet, leaning against the elevator. If he couldn’t help her, he could at the very least keep her distracted until the elevator decided to work or help came along from other services.

‘’You don’t have to stay and keep me company. I appreciate it, but -’’ she was saying when Matt cut her off

‘’Maybe you’re keeping me company. I was going to go out for a walk because I couldn’t sleep, and I don’t know if I feel like walking down 30 flights of stairs,’’ Matt said

‘’We’re on the thirtieth floor?’’ she asked

‘’Yup,’’ Matt said

‘’I get so scared every time this happens,’’ she said barely audible as her voice cracked and Matt knew she had started crying again.

‘’Oh, hey,’’ Matt said, turning himself to sit parallel with the elevator, ‘’you’ll be okay. Just talk to me. Tell me…what’s your name?’’

‘’Zarah,’’ she replied, ‘’what’s yours?’’

‘’’I’m Matt. That’s a nice name…I’ve never heard it before,’’ he said

‘’Thank you, everyone just calls me Zar. I like your name too. Matt is a solid, strong name.’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Matt said with a light chuckle. That had actually made him feel good.

‘’Do you live here?’’ she asked

‘’No, my brothers and I are visiting a friend for a few days. We got a van and we’re doing a summer trip across the US and staying with friends we know in some cities so we can get a little relief from being cooped up in a van all the time. We left Boston and we’re going back home to LA,’’ Matt said and she gasped softly

‘’I’m moving to LA in two days. My uncle is a real estate tycoon, so to speak, and he asked me to run one of his offices there. So you said we’re on the thirtieth floor?’’ Zarah asked

‘’Yeah. What floor do you live on?’’ Matt asked

‘’I’m in apartment 69, so one up,’’ Zarah replied

‘’That’s a good number,’’ Matt said softly and Zarah started giggling softly, making Matt smile. He didn’t think she would hear or get it if she did. Not so quickly anyways, but she was quick. The giggling turned into laughter.

‘’I can’t disagree. It is a good number,’’ she said and then fell silent, her laughter suddenly stopping. Matt frowned. He wanted to hear more of her laughter, he voice, and her sweet, infectious giggling. When she had abruptly stopped laughing, it felt like someone had snatched Matt and put him out into the cold on a winter night.

He heard some noises – a sigh, a click of her tongue, a frustrated moan, and then a sound he knew really well; the sound of fingers tapping on a phone keyboard. Just about anyone could recognize that sound.

‘’You okay in there?’’ Matt asked and leaned against the frame of the elevator, stretching his legs out as he stared at a mark on the opposite frame, just above his shoe.

‘’I’m…yes, thank you,’’ she said and silence once again fell around them

Matt had just opened his mouth to say something to keep her from thinking of her situation when she began singing softly, but it was the words she was singing that had Matt snapping his head up.

‘’Not like this, I’m not going out This is not love, I’m a glorified doorstop sticking my foot out for you..’’

‘’You listen to Domonic Fike?’’ Matt asked, sitting up straight

‘’Yes,’’ her small voice said and he could tell there was a smile forming on her face, ‘’you do too?’’

‘’Yeah…that’s my favourite song!’’ Matt exclaimed

‘’This is amazing, I don’t know that many people who listen to him,’’ Zarah said and then sighed again. He could hear her standing up. Then, there was some feint noises he couldn’t put his finger on what they were, but he knew she started pacing. He closed his one eye to try and peer through the narrow gap of the doors to see her, but he couldn’t make anything out. He heard her typing on her phone again and then sniff.

‘’Zarah?’’ Matt asked

‘’It’s so hot in here. Is it possible to loose air or am I just freaking out? I haven’t been stuck in here for this long,’’ she said and Matt could hear the panic rising in her voice. It was higher pitched than before and she was also talking at a rapid speed. Matt had to think fast to try and piece together what she had actually said.

‘’Zarah, you won’t run out of air, okay? I won’t let that happen. I know the space between the doors is minimal but it’s better than nothing,’’ Matt said and stood up.

‘’It’s so hot,’’ she said again and he could hear her blowing air from her mouth to try and keep calm

‘’I…I don’t know what to say…take something off…I guess?’’ Matt said and ran a hand through his hair, not believing he actually said that. Ah, fuck. His mind reeled as he wondered if he fucked up. He really liked her, and was hoping at the end of this, they could at the very least see each other but he wouldn’t have been surprised if she told him to outright to fuck off.

‘’I kinda have,’’ she said in almost a whisper

Matt smiled, relieved she had spoken to him and the thought that she was a little risky and taken something off was a little arousing. ‘’It’s alright. Look I’m going to put my hand through the space and if you feel like you need to, and you’re freaking out, just hold it okay?’’

‘’No, Matt,’’ she protested as he slid his hand through the gap. It was a tight squeeze but he managed.

‘’It’s okay,’’ he persisted

‘’No, it’s not. If the doors close, it will literally break every bone in your hand. I will not allow that,’’ she said

‘’I’ll risk it. I don’t like hearing you upset,’’ he said and then he felt something on his fingers. It was warm and wet and as fast as it came, it disappeared again. It started with his little finger and ran up to the index, causing Matt to retract his hand. ‘’What the fuck was that?’’ he asked

‘’I licked your fingers. Don’t put them in here again,’’ she said and Matt burst out laughing. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting but it wasn’t that.

‘’You think that’s going to stop me?’’ he asked

‘’It should. I bite too. Those are some nice long fingers though! Don’t tempt me to do anything else with them, Matt,’’ she responded and sucked in a breath, ‘’look Matt, I appreciate you so much. You actually have no idea how much but I can not let you do that. You will lose your hand if these doors suddenly shut.’’

‘’Alright. I do need my fingers,’’ he said

‘’Yeah. Do you wanna tell me what for?’’ she asked

Matt laughed, ‘’use your imagination,’’ he said

Zarah bit her bottom lip, holding back that she already did. She had yet to see the man himself but, she had had already envisioned him. He was so sweet and kind. He had a voice that made her stomach flip every time he spoke and the fact that he was so concerned for a complete stranger made him even more appealing. Then she saw his fingers and she was happy that he hadn’t heard the little moan that came from her.

‘’So this elevator thing happens often?’’ Matt asked, pulling her from her thoughts

‘’Mhm. This used to be a hotel but they renovated and made it into apartments. It’s an old building, and though it’s been made into modern apartments, it still runs on the ancient system that ran the hotel. It’s a beautiful place and the apartments are huge but there are problems. This elevator does this…every 3 or so months. They can’t find a fault after the elevators get going again so technically they can’t fix the problem…’’ she said and trailed her sentence off when Matt heard her phone ding faintly. Again she sighed and typed something in response to the message.

‘’How long have you been staying here? I think my friend only moved in a month ago,’’ Matt said

‘’A year,’’ she replied shortly and her voice hitched again

‘’Zarah, why do you keep getting upset every time you message?’’ Matt asked, realising that every time he had heard her fingers racing across her screen typing, she got upset.

‘’I’ve had a bad day. I…I broke up my ex a few days ago and now he just won’t leave me alone. Today has been particularly bad. He keeps sending me these messages that are…’’ she said and took a deep breath. Matt waited for her to continue but instead he heard a whimpering cry.

Matt was slightly alarmed at how much he felt his heart tugging for her, and at how much he wanted to protect her. He heard her phone ding again and she let out a tiny sob. He hated that she was trying to hide her hurt and crying from him, but he also understood that sometimes people found it difficult to show those emotions openly.

‘’Zarah, pass me your phone,’’ Matt said

‘’Why?’’ she asked

‘’Do you trust me?’’ Matt asked

She pondered for a moment and nodded, not thinking that Matt couldn't see her. ‘’Zar?’’ Matt called

‘’Oh. Yes, I trust you. You wanted to lose a hand because of me…yes I trust you,’’ she said with a shaky voice

Matt laughed, ‘’okay then, pass me your phone. Does he know you’re moving and where too?’’

‘’He knows I’m moving but he doesn’t know where to. He doesn’t even know my uncle asked me to work for him. He spends all his time practicing with his so-called band with delusions of grandeur. He is always walking on a dead end street even when there are side roads leading to much better things. I took care of him for a year, paying all his bills. I haven't even been with him in 6 months...you know... because I don't trust him but I was still playing along. I’m so stupid. I always fall for the bad boys that are no good for me. Now I’ve put my foot down and decided to move on and he thinks I’m the worst person to roam the earth,’’ she said

‘’You’re not stupid, Zar,’’ Matt said softly, ‘’it seems to me you had a kind heart and were willing to help someone out. It’s his loss and he knows it. He knows you’re not losing anything but you’re gaining a lot by looking out for yourself. You’re also not the worst person…he wants you to be the worst person in his story now and will probably leave out all you did for him, but it’s not going to affect you because you’ll be happy…maybe in a relationship with someone that will appreciate you and actually look after you for a change. Maybe the next guy will be a good guy mixed with a touch of bad but only the good kind of bad.’’

‘’Good kind of bad?’’ she asked quizzically

‘’Yes, the good kind of bad,’’ Matt laughed, ‘’though maybe you have never come across those kinds of guys. Again, use your imagination.’’

Zara laughed, ‘’Ooooh I get you! That…does sound so nice,’’ she said seductively. Matt wasn’t sure it was supposed to come that way, but it did and it was alarmingly provocative to him.

‘’Pass me your phone,’’ Matt said again. ‘’You need to change your number tomorrow.’’

‘’Yes. First thing,’’ she said and pushed her phone through the door.

Matt took the phone – it was unlocked and an unread message was alerting. Matt quickly opened it before the phone locked again, and the messages opened up. He read a few messages and took a breath as he shook his head. No wonder she was crying and upset and now, he knew why she sang wurli. The guy was rude, belittling, vial, controlling, and commanding in the messages. While Matt had thought about sending him a text back to tell him to stay away from Zarah, he also knew it wouldn’t help. Guys like him cared about no one but themselves. Guys like him…were all mouth and no action. She was far too good for him.

‘’Zar…I was going message him but it would be fruitless. The best thing you can do with a guy like this is cut him off. Don’t respond. I might be wrong, but I’m 99 percent sure if you stop responding, he won’t message you again. It’s like…you’re feeding the ego in him, if that makes sense,’’ Matt said

‘’Okay,’’ she said softly and Matt was just going to push the phone through the door when the doors silently slid open. Both Matt and Zarah looked at the doors, then at each other in shock that the doors were opening. She was sitting on the floor at the back of the elevator, her eyes wide, her mouth falling open. As soon as they were wide enough for one person, maybe two if lucky, to get through, they began closing again.

Matt’s mind raced – there was no time for her to push herself up from the floor, move forward and get out of the elevator, let alone gather her things. Nope, there was only one solution and that was for Matt enter the elevator. As the doors were closing he, turned his body and slipped through the narrow space just in time before they closed.

‘’Shit,’’ Matt said through a laugh, only making it just in time. He pulled his eyes off the doors and turned them to Zarah.

‘’You,’’ he said softly, a smile forming on his lips as she got to her feet.

She bit her bottom lip and was going to reach for her jeans when the elevator once again stopped. The halt, so unexpected had Zarah falling into him as she lost her balance at the same time he reached out to keep her from falling.

‘’Shit, sorry,’’ Zarah said and looked up up him as she straightened up

Matt shook his head slowly, left to right, ‘’what for?’’ he asked as their eyes connected.

Zarah swallowed hard and took a step back, but immediately regretted it. His arm around her waist, his hand softly touching her slim hip had felt right. So right, but why? They had only just met. However, he was the first man she had met who exuded sex from every pore. He was ridiculously good looking…hot…sexy…she stared, but not meaning to. His eyes were gorgeous, his features so strong and chiselled. His most kissable lips and straight nose tied together to form perfection. He had pierced ears…a weakness she had with men.

As she stared, so did he. His eyes raked up and down her body, his smile getting wider and wider with each second that passed. She was slightly shorter than he was, with big eyes that, although red from crying, were gorgeous. Her long wavy cherry auburn hair framed her heart-shaped face perfectly in layers while her full lips and nose were perfectly proportioned. She clearly worked out with her tight, toned body. She was only wearing a pair of black and pink panties, riding low on her hips, and a black fitted t-shirt that was straining against her breasts. Matt could see her hard nipples outlined by the fabric, indicating she was wearing no bra. His semi turned into a full-on hard-on. His eyes veered to the floor and saw her jeans lying in a pile next to her handbag and a bra that matched her panties on top of it. A bottle of perfume lay behind the jeans along with a note pad and pen. Her empty pink Converse were neatly together by the jeans. Where she had been sitting was a denim jacket laid out with tissues balled up, scattered to the left. On the other side was a Yeti water bottle.

When his eyes finally met hers again, she opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out. Matt let out a laugh and took a step closer to her.

‘’So, I’m Matt,’’ he said wanting to break the comfortable but long silence.

Zarah smiled and sucked in a breath, surprising herself – had she even been breathing since he joined her in the elevator?

‘’Sorry, I’m…half dressed, it’s just been so hot in here. I even sprayed perfume to get some cool relief but it was such a short reprieve. It lasted a full second. But I don’t usually walk around like this,’’ she said

Matt shrugged his shoulders, ‘’I didn’t for a second think you did but, maybe you should,’’ he said

Zarah laughed. There it was! That laugh that had Matt aroused, that no other woman had ever achieved.

‘’So I guess the elevator’s stuck again,’’ Matt said, taking another step towards her.

Zarah nodded. Oh god, she was stuck in an elevator with the sexiest guy she ever laid eyes on, who was willing to sit and help her through it…who was willing to crush his hand for her. Then, her breath got caught in her throat as Matt took his jack off and slung it to the floor on top of her jacket. Her eyes widened at the tattoos on his arm and her eyes shifted to his groin. He was definitely hard and he clearly had a package to be proud of. She bit her bottom lip and smiled, but she quickly lifted her eyes up to meet his.

That’s all Matt had needed to know; she was decidedly in for this. ''You’re right, it is hot in here,’’ he said with a grin that made her moan internally. That grin would be the thing to unglue her.

‘’How long do think we’ll be stuck in here for?’’ he asked and removed his air forces heel to toe, kicking them off carelessly, not even bothering to unlace them. One landed near her jeans, while the other landed on it’s side near the door.

‘’I…it seems to have a mind of it’s own,’’ she stuttered and closed her eyes briefly feeling herself getting wetter and wetter as she felt desire and lust rise with his intoxication.

He lost his socks next. ‘’I have a confession to make,’’ he said and licked his lips, ‘’I saw you this morning in the lobby. I was waiting for my brother to tie his shoes when I saw you rushing to the door and then you slipped out of the building but I haven’t stopped thinking about you since. I don’t know why. I think your beauty captured me. I wanted to go for a walk tonight because I couldn’t sleep but I couldn’t sleep because I was wondering who you were, and if I’d ever see you again. Then this elevator thing happened and I got to know you – a faceless stranger, but you’re as beautiful inside as you are out. Strange how life works sometimes.’’

‘’You’re my good, kinda bad guy,’’ she whispered and her mouth curved into a devilish grin

‘’Let’s find out,’’ Matt said and slid a hand onto her neck, his thumb brushing over her cheek before he smiled and pulled her to his lips. Matt was sure to take it slow, he teased her with his tongue and played across the seam of her lips. He tasted her, moved his mouth across her cheek to her ear, and kissed her gently there and behind it. He enjoyed her as she moved her head to give him access. He kissed down the column of her throat to her neck, found a spot on her neck that caused her to shiver under his mouth and then he slid back up to her mouth. Her lips were slightly parted now and Matt bit lightly on her bottom lip, testing her, and when a moan escaped her, he smiled inwardly. His tongue scraped across her teeth and he gently touched the tip of her tongue with his. She smiled before she pushed her tongue into his mouth. She knew that was good guy Matt. She knew good guy Matt, he was sweet, kind, soft, and caring, but she wanted to see bad guy Matt now... all while bad boy Matt wanted to be freed from his restraints. When Matt grabbed a fist full of her hair she gasped in surprise but melted into him as he deepened the kiss. Holy shit he was a good kisser! If he was half that good in bed, she knew she had a winner.

When the kiss ended, he grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, breathing deeply from the kiss.

‘’Are there camera’s in here?’’ he asked, his eyes darting around the elevator.

‘’Broken, like everything else,’’ she said and pulled her own t-shirt off, her breasts bouncing free

‘’Anyone ever tell you, you have perfect tits and a perfect kisser?’’ he asked as he lost his shorts, setting his hard dick free

‘’Damn,’’ she whispered more to herself than him. ‘’Anyone ever tell you that you have a perfect dick?’’ she asked, with a smirk not able to take her eyes of his rock hard, straight cock that she couldn’t wait to taste and wrap her lips around

‘’I don’t care about anyone else,’’ he said before his head descended for another kiss. This kiss wasn’t like the first. This one was hungry, needy, probing and hot as a hand slipped into her thick mass of hair and his fingers curled through it to deepen the kiss and to let her know he was in control. She moaned into his mouth as a reward and his hands then slid down her back and cupped her taut ass cheeks, pulling her even closer. He wanted to feel every inch of her velvety skin against his. He pulled from the kiss and dropped his head to clamp onto one of her nipples, driving her wild. His hands went down to her panties and he pushed what little material there was down her sides.

‘’You sure you want this?’’ he breathed, lifting his head, his lips so close to hers again, they brushed as he spoke.

‘’Uh-ha,’’ she answered simply, unable to form words as his fingers brushed over her smooth pussy. Her breathing elevated with anticipation, her breasts pushing against his chest with each deep breath. He grinned and began creeping his fingers inside her wet pussy. She trembled and moaned…then whimpered when he stuck a second finger inside her, stretching her. She threw her head back - he was not a beginner; he used his two middle fingers not his index and middle.

‘’You’re a tight little one,’’ he whispered close to her ear sending a shiver through her body. He pulled his fingers out and lightly put them to her clit sending mini explosions through her brain.

‘’Well? You didn’t quite answer me. Do you want this? If you don’t answer me, I’ll know not to continue,’’ he said in a low voice this time

‘’Yes!’’ she said throwing her head forward, ‘’oh fuck yes please…I want it…need it. You. Please don’t stop, Matt,’’ she said almost breathlessly

As she said the words, he began rubbing her sensitive clit. The sensations were slowly starting to wave through her body, then she felt the big wave approaching, wanting to come crashing down. She gripped his shoulders and started to shake when he entered his middle finger inside her again. Her muscles contracted around his finger, then he entered his ring finger and she soared. She was so close.

‘’I’m gonna cum,’’ she breathed, pushing herself down onto his hand

‘’Not until I’m inside of you,’’ he said, taking his fingers out of her. With her legs weak and wobbly, he slid an arm around her and pulled her close to him. She felt his solid dick press on her stomach, his pre-cum smearing on her hot skin. The coolness of the liquid against her hot skin, and thought of all his pre-cum caused her to moan.

‘’Fuck me,’’ she said through gritted teeth

‘’That’s all I needed to hear,’’ he said and put his hands on her ass cheeks and lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around him then kissed him. He took a few steps and slammed her into the wall next to the car operating panel. One of the first things he had done when he got into the elevator was to observe everything – the mirror at the back of the elevator had a handle bar but the two side panels did not. She smiled into the kiss and ground against him, then he moved his mouth, kissing her jaw line and then down her neck as she arched her back and tilted her head back. His chain with a horse on it, dangled down and rested on her hot skin. The coolness of it made her arch her back even more and Matt pulled his lips from her neck.

‘’Fuck, put me inside you,’’ he breathed and Zarah reached between their bodies and curled her hand around his thick, long dick and lifted her self slightly. She put him at her pussy entrance and dropped herself down, slowly sliding onto his perfect dick.

‘’Oh fuck yes!’’ she cried surprisingly loudly but Matt loved a vocal woman. He sucked in a breath through his jaw clenching at the tightness and the amazing feeling of her wet, hot silky pussy.

He took his one hand off her ass, feeling secure she had her legs wrapped around his waist tight enough that she was leaning her shoulder blades against the wall. He grabbed both her wrists and lifted her arms up, pinning them to the wall with one hand as he drove in deep into her.

‘’Oh god that’s deep,’’ Zarah breathed

‘’You feel fucking amazing, and you’re so fucking gorgeous,’’ Matt said as she clamped around him, her pussy warm, wet and inviting as he stretched her.

Her breathing picked up, as he felt her muscles starting flutter around his dick. Her chest heaving, she whimpered and arched her back at the pressure on her arms, displaying her breasts so beautifully he couldn't help but suck and nibble on them. She moaned again, and he tightened his grip on her arms.

‘’Oh fuck,’’ she groaned and pushed herself into the wall, ‘’I’m gonna cum.’’

She was at his mercy, he was totally in control and she loved it. This is what men were supposed be like – a gentleman out side the room and a beast inside it. This is what Matt was trying to prove to her and she was more than happy for him to prove it to her over and over again.

‘’Just cum for me baby. Cum all over my dick,’’ he said in a low voice that sent a shiver straight down her spine and she did.

With an ear shattering scream, she came as it rocked through her body. She trembled and shook, surprising Matt as how strong her orgasm was. A smile spread across his handsome face as he felt a splash against his groin and her pussy held him a vice like grip. He felt her legs starting to weaken with the orgasm ravaging her body, so he leg go of her wrists and placed his hand back on her tight little ass.

She brought her arms down and draped them around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, trying to catch her breath. ‘’Your dick is amazing,’’ she said and lifted it with a smile on her lips.

‘’And you’re fucking gorgeous,’’ he said and captured her lips as he kept slamming into her, never missing a beat. He would change the pace at times but never missed a beat. The moans and grunts that came from him was only a further turn on for her as wave after wave hit her and rolled into one another as soon as one orgasm stopped, another rolled in and washed over her.

The sounds of his cock pounding into her wet pussy and his balls slapping her ass echoed off the elevator walls, mixing with their moans. A fine sheen of sweat on both their bodies glimmered in the dim light and there was nothing that could have stopped either of them, not even if the elevator decided to start up again.

Matt felt the orgasms starting to weaken her even more so but he knew she didn’t want to stop. While his legs could support them both, there was also a factor of her contributing by distributing her weight onto his hips as much as possible but she just couldn’t anymore. He didn’t want either of them to get hurt in any way, so he slowly pulled his throbbing dick from her.

‘’Wha…what’s wrong,’’ she asked, concerned as she lowered her legs

Matt laughed, his arm around her waist still holding her tight to him, ‘’absolutely nothing is wrong. Everything is right.’’

Zarah smiled and then squealed as he smacked her ass. She giggled and bit her bottom lip as Matt lifted a hand and pushed some hair that had plastered onto her cheek with all the sweat as he lowered his lips and kissed her forehead and then her lips.

He turned her around in his arms and pointed at the hand railing, ‘’bend over and hold onto that. It’s a little more stability for you,’’ he said and she smiled widely at him, eagerly which excited him even more.

She bent forward, her ass in the air and Matt let out a moan at the fantastic view right in front of him. She had the most perfect round ass with a smooth, pink pussy glistening with their juices. He marveled at her in awe at the way her body dipped and bent. With her body, the way she moved, and how flexible she was, he wondered if she was a dancer or did ballet. He made a mental note to ask her because he wanted to find out more about her. He wanted to know everything about her.

Zarah looked in the mirror right before her, at their reflections and smiled as he pushed himself back into her. She gasped in pleasure and he moaned, throwing his head back. Fuck he looked good! He went all the way in, hilting inside and bottoming out drawing groans from each them. When he brought his head back down, he caught her in the mirror and smiled slowly. He gave a nod and she let out a seductive moan as he began to pound into her. She dropped her head as he bottomed out again and when she saw the view from that angle she felt her legs buckle but Matt held onto her hips. It was such an amazing view she felt another strong orgasm coming on.

‘’Oh fuuuuck, Matt,’’ she said and held on tighter to the bar

‘’Yeah, I’m not gonna last much longer,’’ he responded breathing hard and their eyes connected in the mirror again.

‘’Oh my god, oh fuck…yes…yes..yes…’’ Zarah shouted then cried out in a lengthy moan as she spiralled out of control. An intensity hit her stronger than she had ever felt before. Her body was consumed by a blissful yet powerful wave as pleasure sparked through her body. Matt, looked on as her pussy squirted all over his cock. He watched her writhe, and he knew he couldn't hold it any longer. His fast and furious fucking was replaced by long, hard, and deliberate strokes. With every stroke he ground himself into her, making sure his cock owned every inch of her pussy. He leaned over Zarah and placed his hand around her neck, then pulled her up causing her pussy to grip him tighter. ‘’You’re the best fuck I’ve ever had,’’ he said and she felt his dick twitch deep inside of her as he let out a whimper that turned into an animalist growl as he shot load after load into her pulsing pussy. His cumming, moaning, voice, and his hand around her throat made her cum one last time. She slumped against him and looked in the mirror again. They were a mess but they were a hot fucking mess. Both of them were breathing hard and he let go of her throat as she went back to her original position. Matt pulled his still-hard cock from her and she let out a groan when he pushed a finger into her and hooked out some of their combined cum. He leaned over her again, holding his finger in front of her mouth.

Their eyes connected once again in the mirror, ‘’next time I wanna cum in your mouth,’’ he said and she opened her mouth and willingly took the cum and sucked it off his finger. She smiled and licked her lips.

‘’Nothing would make me happier,’’ she said and purred like a kitten licking her lips again. It really was good.

The elevator suddenly jolted again and began moving. Matt burst out laughing and pushed his lips to hers quickly and both got up to get dressed. In their rush to put their clothes back on, they only glanced at each other and smiled.

When it stopped, the doors swooshed open like they were in perfect working order and had never broken down. Matt took her hand in his and pulled her out of the elevator.

‘’Do you know where we are?’’ Matt asked

‘’My floor, where it was originally supposed to stop,’’ she said noticing a familiar looking plant near the elevator doors.

Matt nodded and stepped closer to her and cupped her cheeks with both hands then tilted her head up. He smiled down at her, ‘’I really need to get cleaned up so I can go back or my brothers will call the troops out to look for me. I don’t want to leave here though and not know what going to happen,’’ he said and brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, ‘’I really…really like you Zar.’’

Zarah smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief. ‘’I really…really like you too, Matt. I think you’re my good but with a little bad kinda guy.’’ Matt laughed, ‘’yeah, I think so. How about I came to your place later…and we try your apartment number out and move that to LA when we’re both there?’’

‘’That sounds like a brilliant plan,’’ Zarah said and pushed her lips to his.

Thank you for reading, you're very much appreciated. If you want to be tagged, please let me know under here or via a message. I'm kind of busy a lot but do try and post as much as possible. Again, thank you so much!

[holodecks-and-hennins]

TNG Original Costume Tests: Deanna Troi

I don’t have the actual documentary, just the Trekcore caps, so forgive me if I miss anything, and feel free to add on if you have more info!

Deanna had some great cut hairstyles, as well as some different contacts! Let’s dive in!

I really like this style! I love the little curls around the face. Also, I’m fascinated by that hair clip thing— it’s kinda unclear what it’s made of. If anyone has any info, pipe up! Her lipstick seems to get progressively darker over the first two seasons; it’s pretty close to this in Farpoint, but by Naked Now it’s already darker to go with her blue jumpsuit, and it changes again to even darker when the burgundy jumpsuit arrives in the second season. Contrariwise, her blue eyeshadow is a lot more prominent here than even in Farpoint. Channeling Spock and matching her department colour, I suppose.

I think I like the side view a lot more than the front view— that sparkly accent kind of gets lost in the hair in this view. The curls are still cute though! It’s also clearer in this picture the options for the Betazoid eyes. I didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out on Lon Suder, and now I can’t unsee it: Betazoids tend to have very large, very dark irises. Marina Sirtis’s actual eyes are a lot lighter than either option here.

The next hair option is this sleek bun. I think the decorations here are really pretty from the side, and again, less so from the front. I love the naturalistic design of those gold leafy patterns!

It looks a bit awkward from the front because of where the ends of the hair ornament fall. I think it might be nice if the top ones came over the front a bit more; I think the design would be clearer from all angles that way.

It looks like there’s a cool twisted or braided aspect to the bun, which I wish was easier to see! The side view also shows how far back the eyeshadow goes on this style. I think it looks pretty nice! It's a little closer to the style she gets later in the season, though more pulled back.

And this test is basically what made it on screen at Farpoint. This isn’t my favourite Troi hairstyle; the sparkly braided headband is cute, but maybe a little chunky and I think it has too many colours. I prefer the more defined loose curls she gets later to the loose frizz here. 

Including this last picture mainly for the smile! Though you can also see how the eyeshadow was toned down from the other tests.

[greenplumbboblover]

Not-a-tutorial - Lighting (Advanced)

Previous parts:

Not-a-Tutorial - Lighting (Basics)

Not-a-Tutorial - Lighting (Basics - Indoor)

Intention:

While dialogues and body language can say a whole lot on what you're trying to tell to the reader, lights can as well! Here's a great example:

(Left is with the lights on, right is with the lights off).

As you can see, the left one feels much more like it's... let's say, a winter-y 6pm, and she's studying in the library...

Whereas on the right, it feels much more like she's skipping on sleep, and it's 3am, studying.

Moods:

You can also use lighting for more tenser scenes! Here are a few examples from my story:

Here the setup was the same, but I added softer rose/red pastel-y colours... (Though this scene did have like 6 lights :p)

Here I not only used a blue backlight for giving it a “night” feeling, but I also added an orange and white front-light to represent a sense of hope and that our poor Ethan isn't alone.

Here I gave Vita and Nick Alto a yellow, green and red lighting setup, to represent more jealous and angry colours for Nancy. As Nancy is staring at them.

However, the pink represents not only the stage light, but also a sense of Innocence given her background of not understanding the entrepreneur game.

Here I gave little Bella a red background and light foreground, keeping the left part of her face dark, as the speech is about the future of the town. And with the light, she represents a bright but unclear future.

Note: all of these images do use Reshade, so trying to get these results without it may look a bit different!

Seasons:

Representing the colours associated with the seasons can give a scene a really cool feeling!

Summer, Spring, Autumn, Winter.

Color mixing:

One thing I thought was pretty cool with TS3's Lighting engine, is how colors in certain highlights will mix just like paint!

Red + Blue looks a bit purple-ish.

Red + Yellow will look a bit orange-y.

Blue and Yellow will turn green-ish at parts.

Custom Coloured Lights

Sometimes, some of EA's colours aren't... quite there. Or really what you need. Here is a short list of colours I've made and used:

0, 150, 255 - Replacement of Cyan (More of a light blue):

0, 163, 108 - Jade

255, 195, 0 (better Yellow)

What's the easiest way to find new colours?

It's pretty easy! If you google for "Colour generator" then there you go! Do make sure to get the RGB values from those websites!

But, for the ones who don't want to google, here are a few suggestions:

Give them a try and see which ones are great! Do go for colours that are quite strong in contrast. Pastel will just end up being white, and darker colours will just turn... well it will look like there is no light on :p

That was it! Hopefully it was insightful, and obviously feel free to add your own discoveries to it! :)

[kometqh]

Comfort Touch

╰┈➤ Ethan Landry x Fem!Reader

╰┈➤ Warnings: fluff turned to light spice

╰┈➤ Summary: What happens when amidst a fight you forget your date with Ethan?

╰┈➤ Word Count: 1.7k

Jazz music and various voices filled the crowded restaurant, the aroma of different Italian dishes mixed together and wafted through the space, and the clang of utensils on plates seemed to be too loud for his thoughts.

Ethan sat at a small, wooden rounded table in a faraway corner of the restaurant, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram and furiously tapping his foot on the floor, listening to the mild chatter. The long, taper candle in front of him gently swayed its flame and crackled from time to time.

He agreed to meet at 7PM sharp, and yet he arrived about ten minutes early, nervously nodding his head as the waitress assigned to his table attempted small talk.

'Yeah, I've got a date! I'm very nervous haha', is all he said, her words falling on deaf ears as he continued wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans before being led to the table he had reserved.

And now, it was just a minute before seven, and his heart was beating rapidly, thoughts running wild and eyes looking around the room, his phone long forgotten as his hands fidgeted with the table cloth.

The sound of heels clacking against the hardwood floor caught his attention.

Time seemed to slow down, voices turned into white noise as the sound of his own heartbeat turned him into a deaf man.

Her long, burgundy red dress hung on by two thin straps, revealing her shoulders and collarbone, and the soft fabric embraced her curves before coming to a loose end at her ankles.

Her hands clutched tightly onto the strap of a small handbag, and her eyes looked around the place nervously, skipping from head to head, in search for one particular man, as she came to a stop at the admissions desk.

He stood up from his seat, suddenly feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he realised how underdressed he was for the occasion, cladded in a simple white t-shirt, black denim jeans and a black denim jacket.

For his very first, and certainly not last, date with his crush. The most beautiful, smart and funny woman he has ever laid his eyes upon.

Her bright, wide open eyes met his, and the corners of her mouth tugged upwards as the waitress led her to their table. Her cheeks had a red tint to them, one that seemed to match the colour of her dress in intensity.

Ethan's body stiffened, his mouth went dry, his palms suddenly felt clammy and sweaty, as if he hadn't been wiping them every 15 seconds on his trousers since his arrival. He moved away from his seat, and closer to her only to stop by her chair, moving it out before she could do so herself.

The waitress placed two sets of menus in front of them, saying she'll be back in a couple of minutes to take their orders.

You slowly took in a deep breath, fidgeting with the edge of the white tablecloth, waiting for him to speak, or to at least stop staring.

A long minute passed before he cleared his throat, and scratched the back of his neck, snapping back to reality.

"You look beautiful, Y/n." He said quietly, looking down at his lap, making a poor attempt at hiding his blushing face.

You chuckled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

"You don't look too bad yourself," you retorted, reaching for the drinks menu, "though I must say, you really made an effort." You continued, restraining a chuckle as the blush on his face intensified in colour.

"What can I say? My wardrobe mostly consists of sweatpants and flannels," he responded, smiling lightly, "Chad had to drag me out to at least buy something."

You smiled, making eye contact as Ethan looked over the menu too, his hand finding it's way up onto the table and to your own hand, the other flipped the page as he read.

The two of you ordered your foods and continued chatting throughout the entire night, and as he walked you back home, he had asked to go on another date soon. That led to multiple dates over the span of a few weeks, which led up to now.

Ethan nervously stood at your door, pacing back and forth as he waited for you to come out. He could hear your voice shouting, which caused anxiety to creep into him.

He knocked on the door again, and this time your voice went silent. He could hear you approaching the door as you stomped towards it.

The door swung open, and he was met with your tear-struck face and frown. He had never seen you like this, and it felt as though his heart was being squeezed in an imaginary palm. The bouquet of your favourite flowers that he held were lowered down to his thigh, and his eyebrows scrunched up closer as he stepped inside.

"Ethan? Why are you here?" You asked, stepping back, your breath shallow and voice strained. Had you forgotten?

"I came to pick you up? For our date?" He asked uncertainly, closing the door behind him. He placed the flowers on the floor, and moved his hands to your face, thumbs gently wiping away the tears, he continued, "Is everything okay? I heard shouting."

You shook your head, grasping his hand with your own, looking away.

"Yeah. Everything's okay. But I don't think I'm in the state to go out." You said, attempting to lighten the mood as you sniffled.

Your eyes moved to look into his, and your gut twisted as you saw the worry in those chocolatey-brown eyes.

His lips were parted as though he wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat.

He shook his head and pulled you into a hug. You sniffled and stifled a sob, stuffing your face into his shoulder, letting silent cries out.

"We can watch a movie? You can choose. We don't have to talk about it if you don't feel like it love." He said quietly, his large hand gently stroking your hair, twirling random strands around his finger as he comforted you.

After a minute or two. you lifted your head, nodding at his earlier suggestion. The fabric of his sweater was now stained wet with your tears, but that didn't seem to bother him.

"I'll grab you a shirt, come." You said, tugging at his hand as you led him to your room. Your roommate, Anika, was on a night out with her girlfriend, so the two of you had the entire apartment to yourselves.

Ethan shook his head, and pulled you to face him.

"Go sit on the couch baby, I'll grab your duvet and I'll make some food okay?" He asked, cradling your face in his hands, his eyes searching yours for an answer. When he received none, he continued to walk with you to the living room, gently pushing you to sit on the couch.

In just a couple of minutes, he had brought over your duvet and two pillows, and now you were looking for a movie on Netflix as he stood in the kitchen, shoving some popcorn into the microwave.

His footsteps resonated within the room, and before you knew it, the two of you were in each others arms, sat up and watching Twilight.

Upon Ethan's suggestion of course.

It was one of those movies that could awaken your inner Mindy, the over-analyser and critic, all in one.

Your eyes were solely focused on the TV, Bella's dialogue filling the otherwise quiet room.

Ethan stared at you instead, brushing his fingers along the side of your arm, occasionally placing soft kisses on your neck and cheek, brushing the tip of his nose against your skin, muttering sweet nothings and whispers of comfort, as well as a couple of 'I love you's'.

Your breathing had steadied, and your tears eventually came to an end. The beeping of the microwave cut through the silence, but it was ignored by you both.

Only 10 minutes in, and you were already laying down, facing Ethan as you two mindlessly stared into each others eyes.

"Do you...wanna talk about it?" Ethan asked, a soft tone accompanying his voice, his eyes searching yours.

Exhaling loudly, you closed your eyes and nodded.

"It was my older sister. She was mad over something and projected it onto me." You said quietly, lips quivering at the thought of her harsh voice, spewing insults at you over something her fiancée had done.

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot about the date. I'll make it up to you okay?" You asked before placing a light kiss on his lips. Ethan nodded, smiling, and laced his fingers into your hair, pulling your face back to his as he deepened the kiss.

A gasp left your lips, and you shifted a bit, with Ethan moving to lean over you slightly, the movie long forgotten.

Your hands glided over his chest, feeling his abs through the soft fabric of his sweater. They were the remedy to your sadness. Satisfying to the touch and to the eyes.

Ethan supported himself above you, propping himself up on his elbow above your head, whilst his other hand stroked your cheek, then slowly slid down to gently grip at your neck, just how you liked it, rubbing at the soft skin with his thumb.

After a long moment, it continued its way down, down your chest and to the hem of your shirt, where his fingers lifted the material and traced circles into the skin of your stomach.

Your own hands flew up to his curls, scrunching them in your grasp, grazing your nails lightly against his scalp before tugging at the roots lightly, earning a gasp from the male.

Ethan smirked into the kiss, his hand caressing your waist. Your skin felt hot under his touch, and the argument from earlier evaporated from your head under the heat of the kiss.

The two of you continued for what seemed like forever, but were soon interrupted by the beeping of the microwave.

You pulled away, and Ethan half groaned, half moaned, licking his lips. You giggled and stared into his eyes as his hand tucked away strands of your hair. Smiling, you whispered,

"I think you should get the popcorn."

[saintwrld]

MONEY AND LOVE 2

pairing: shuri x black fem!reader

summary: in which you and Shuri share a mutual interest between money and love

warnings: slight teasing, t’challa’s here 🥳

translations: sisi omncinci - little sister.

word count: 4.3k (half the size of the first one…)

saints's notes: welcome to saint records! i truly hope you enjoy this one. by FAR one of my fav fics i’ve written. sorrows, sorrows, prayers for taking so long with this one, i was just simpin over a bunch of men (still am) but you know i had to write for bae!

love y’all deep!

taglist: @taiiunknown, @playgurlxoxo, @abenomeiiii, @pinkwright, @verachii , @vampzxi , @izrinmabel1 , @marsology , @inmyheadimobsessed , @heejayy , @venusdusse , @oceean .

money and love pt.1

-

The silence of the store was slowly killing Justine and Leilani as they sat in the comfortable burgundy chairs. Patiently waiting for their friend, they drank the complimentary flutes of strawberry champagne.

"Why the fuck is it so quiet in here? Don't they got some quiet background music or sumn?" Leilani complained and slouched on the chair, hoping for you to come back quickly.

"Already felt some old geezer staring at me when we walked in like do i not look lesbian enough?" Justine expressed and looked at Leilani for an answer to which Lani just shook her head. "I don't?" Justine stressed, taking out her compact mirror from one of her pockets on her denim jacket.

Before Leilani could comment, she heard your voice as you walked closer and closer to where they were sitting. You walked in the room first with the sales associate trailing right behind you, holding two large orange boxes.

"Sorry I took so long guys, the Kelly's were a bit further and your custom scarves were sealed." You smiled at your friends, clasping your hands together, your Patek shining as the sun hit the diamonds.

Leilani stood up to hug you tightly and immediately walked to the sales associate, eagerly waiting for him to open the boxes already. You returned the hug and took a seat next to Justine who immediately held your hand as you sat, squeezing it as a sign that she was grateful. A little code you three made when you were flying into France two days ago.

"Okay ladies. I must admit, I am incredibly excited to reveal your Kellys for you. We'll start with Justine." He smiled at your best friend, putting special gloves on to touch the large box. He took the lid of the box and put it to the side, revealing the famous Hermés logo on the dust bag. He gently opened the dust bag to take out Justine's custom Kelly bag. The silver hardware on the bag had contrasted beautifully with the lilac colour, her name embroidered in the bottom corner of the bag.

Leilani's Kelly was slightly bigger than Justine's however hers had little flowers painted along the bottom, with the bag being the most beautiful shade of blue. Both girls had tears in their eyes as they held their bags, immediately tackling you into a group hug. "As long as you guys are happy, then I am as well."

Leaving the large boutique, you could feel the Dora Milaje's eyes on you three, keeping a close eye on you per Shuri's request. You see, the princess never hid her fondness for you from anyone really. The only one who had no clue what was going on was her older brother, T'Challa.

Reaching the Maybach SUV, you placed the bags in the trunk along with the other luxury bags that had filled the car as the day went by. As you entered the driver's seat, your best friends took their seats. You started the car and you drove to the last of your appointments in luxurious stores, Cartier.

You had planned this specific activity for the three of you very thoroughly as it's usually quite difficult to get appointments with this specific brand but because you are closely connected with Shuri, it was the easiest process. You were getting matching love bracelets with Justine and Leilani with a few customisations and although you already had quite the stack of these bracelets, one more couldn't hurt, right?

Admiring your pricey friendship bracelet, you had waited for your friends in their lounge already cozied up as you had paid before even boarding the private flight to France. It was quite a warm Saturday in Paris, the streets bustling with people walking everywhere. You just wanted to get back to the hotel to at least get a chance to call Shuri. She had excused herself earlier in the day to report to her country's needs and you knew that the time difference would be weird but you just wanted to check in on her.

"Miss Y/N." You were pulled out of your thoughts by Tobi, one of the Dora that was assigned to you. You hummed in response as you looked at her then your friends who were looking around the shop. "The Black Panther would like to inform you that she is okay and will be in contact with you soon." She reported. "Okay, thank you Tobi. Would you like anything here?" You asked and the shock on her face was prevalent, causing you to smile.

"O-oh no Miss, I cannot accept that." She replied and you shook your head, standing up. "I'm ordering you to choose something for yourself and please let the other Dora know. We won't leave until you all have something." You expressed, the smile on your face never leaving. Tobi hesitantly walked away to tell the others who had to come to you for confirmation of your choice. After 30 minutes, everyone walked out of Cartier and all drove to the hotel, exhausted yet delighted with today's activities.

Seeing as you shared the large penthouse on the top floor with Leilani and Justine, all three of you entered the penthouse elevator carrying all your shopping bags and immediately sighing the second the elevator doors closed. "Gahdamn, I haven't had such a workout since that Drake concert last month." Leilani breathed out as she placed the bags on the floor and held her hips.

"You mean the concert or Aubrey himself?" You teased, earning a little push on your arm as you and Justine burst out laughing. "Man, it ain't even like that." Leilani kissed her teeth. "Girl, we all know that man want you. No man just buys a Porsche for a little crush." Justine snickered. Leilani glared at the both of you before smiling a little. "Yeah but I signed up to be in my whorish era and plus he weird as hell."

"You are right about that one but does he know that you're not interested?" You questioned, noticing how slow this elevator was. "I told him but- oh my god, he's gonna write a song about me." Leilani slapped her hand over her mouth and looked visibly stressed. "I don't need bad blood with 21 Savage." She sulked and you both couldn't help but laugh.

The elevator door eventually opened and you were met with a beautiful surprise. Bouquets of white roses were lined up alongside a few candles. You stepped out first, absolutely mesmerised by the sight before you. Justine was about to step out too but Leilani pulled her back into the elevator. "Y/n! We'll be downstairs to check out a few cafés, you have fun now!" She called out to you as she repeatedly pressed the closing button until it finally shut, giving you your privacy.

Taking off your heeled boots, you walked through the penthouse, leaving your shopping bags in the foyer. You couldn't hear anything besides the streets of Paris below. Walking into the living area, you noticed the chocolate cupcakes on the coffee table. With that being your favourite dessert, you immediately reached for one however you felt a sharp tap on your shoulder. Turning around, you tried not to scream but you quickly realised that the stranger was Shuri in her Panther suit that you've never seen her in.

“Oh..my..god.” The only words that could come out spewed out of your mouth as you admired the suit that you had thought was a myth a few months back. The sun reflected on the gold and silver accents of the suit with you desperately wanting to reach your manicured hands onto it. Slowly looking at her face, you saw the shit-eating grin she had displayed on her lips as she watched you gawk over her. She absolutely loved seeing your reaction to the suit, wishing she could’ve recorded it.

“Hello my love.” Shuri rasped out, staring into your eyes as her finger hooked under your chin, her signature scent flooded your nose as she stood ever so close to you. Trying to find the words to say to to the Panther was hard, with you eventually deciding to give your lazy smile, one similar to the type of smile you’d give her after hours of pleasure.

“Hi Shuri.” You managed to get out as you felt her suit-clad arms wrap around your waist, her hands deciding to rest on your lower back, giving you shivers when she let one hand fall down to your ass. “Tell me about your day. I heard you were quite the gift giver.” She smirked as her hand kept rubbing the same spot on your side where you had a surprise for the royal.

“It was a cute day. Finally picked up the bags for the girls and just decided to spoil them today because they deserve it. With the Dora, I wanted everyone to leave Cartier with something so..” you answered, watching her react with an impressed smile on her face, making you feel like you accomplished something that she would be proud of you.

“And did you get yourself something, entle?” She questioned, letting go of your body as she turned to the couches in the living area to take a seat then patting her thigh, making you internally squeal at the thought of you sitting on her lap once again. Ever since that wonderful night, all you ever wanted to do was to recreate that moment but you were way too scared to initiate anything of that sort.

Walking over to her and straddling her as she relaxed her head on the couch as she watched you settle on her lap. “Well, I did get myself something for my graduation soon and a few clothes for that surprise you were talking about.” You replied, playing with your nails, avoiding her eyes completely. “I’m so proud of you, sthandwa. I’m glad that I’m by your side.” She expressed all while slowly sliding her hands on your thighs as she listened to you speak. Shuri absolutely loved these little moments of intimacy between the two of you, be it sexual or non sexual. She had said that she would give you the world and she’s working on making sure you see the appreciation she has for you.

She would pay millions to see your smile every day as the sun would shine on your beautiful brown skin.

-

Laying your head on her lap as she gently stroked your arm, you were completely unaware of where you were travelling to as you slept peacefully from the moment the Royal Talon Fighter took off from the rooftop of the Wakandan Social Centre in California after you dropped off Leilani and Justine, specifically at Drake’s house but that’s a story for another day.

Several minutes later, you felt a hand shake you a little as you stirred out of your sleep, not feeling the aircraft moving anymore. You opened your eyes to the interior of the aircraft, seeing a few of the Dora’s hastily walking out while a few stayed inside waiting for you to exit. You sat up to see Shuri staring at you with a smile on her face and she reached for your hand as she stood up before you. You quickly fixed your Fendi bucket hat along with the wig underneath it before taking her soft hand and standing, holding your phone in the other hand.

Walking down the ship slope, you couldn’t stop your eyes from looking everywhere. Breathing in the extremely clean air, you looked at the different Dora’s who were amused by your widened eyes taking in the space before you. Looking forward, you saw Okoye and Ayo standing at the end of the slope, looking ever so powerful. Beyond them, you saw figures standing in front of this grand building that you had yet to recognise.

Shuri had greeted Okoye and Ayo, along with Aneka who was excited to the young royal after Shuri had said that she has a surprise) and seeing the Dora’s that Shuri had been speaking very fondly about had heightened your anxiety. The three women turned to you with warm smiles on their faces as they observed you standing next to Shuri, sensing your anxiety.

“Hello Miss Y/n. Welcome to Wakanda.” Okoye had greeted and her words had made you stomach drop in excitement. Turning to Shuri with your hand covering your mouth from shock, she chuckled at you before placing her arm around you to bring you closer to her body. “O-oh u-uh um, hello. Um, your country is spectacular.” You managed to stutter out to the women in front of you. All they did was nod their heads with the smae warm smiles they greeted you with.

“Come, I have people I want you to meet.” Shuri leaned down to whisper in your ear as she still kept her arm around your waist as she guided you towards the entrance of the palace.

“And so I see my little sister all happy outside the lab. Bast, if only we knew it would take a beautiful soul next to her to drag her out.” A voice boomed out, heavy footsteps making their way towards the both of you before stopping in front of Shuri. Lifting your head up, you were met with the sight of T’Challa, smiling ever so brightly at the arrival of his younger sister and her guest. The siblings did their handshake, ending with the ‘Wakanda Forever’ gesture.

He then turned to you and you could swear that your soul had left your body for a quick second. You mustered your best smile and held your hand out to which he ignored it and rather open his arms for a hug. Taken aback, you hesitantly walked into the hug, immediately feeling comfortable the moment he reciprocated the hug. After letting go, you stepped back into Shuri’s space who was now behind. Ready to introduce yourself, Shuri decided to do it for you instead whilst placing her hands on your waist. “Brother, I’d like you to meet Y/n Y/l/n. She’s my person.” She smiled, watching her brother take in the information that his sister blessed him with.

Letting the smile take over your face, you were thankful to Shuri for clarifying to her brother your current relationship status with his sister however you weren’t even sure what exactly you were with Shuri as the two of you had gone past the sugar baby/sugar daddy (mommy) stage when you two had met. You weren’t sure what these feelings for Shuri were but they felt good.

“Well, I am T’Challa. It is a great pleasure to meet the person that has stolen my sister’s attention. And this,” he gestured behind him a stunning woman, who walked over to greet Shuri with a hug. “Sisi omncinci” the woman had said as she let go of Shuri and made her way to you. “This is my person, Nakia.” He finished, looking ever so fondly at the woman. “Hello, my name is Nakia and might I say, you are absolutely stunning.” She expressed as she held your hands in hers. The smile never leaving your face, you introduced yourself to her as she studied your face.

“Not to interrupt this adorable moment-” “That’s exactly what you’re doing, brother.” Shuri rolled her eyes with a smile when her brother sent her a look. “Anyway, Y/n. If you don’t mind me asking, is that the Rolex Oyster Perpetual? With diamonds?” T’Challa asked as he studied your hand, admiring your watch.

Looking down at your wrist at the pink watch that Shuri had given you as a gift when you complained about your studies to her, you nodded. “Oh yes it is! Shuri had them put on.” You smiled at him, seeing his face that held impression. “And might I ask if that is the Tiffany Dial addition?” You questioned, excitedly looking at his wrist as you finally were talking to someone about your love of watches.

Both Nakia and Shuri stood back as they watched their people fangirl over each other’s watches, discussing other watches. “I think your brother has made a best friend.” Nakia commented with a chuckle.

-

Walking into Shuri’s large bedroom within the palace, you slowly walked towards the bed, plopping down with exhaustion as she walked in behind you and locking the door. You were too exhausted to even marvel at the intricate details of her grand bedroom, just wanting to get in the bed with her and rest after today’s activities. After lunch with T’Challa and Nakia, Shuri had taken you to the infamous lab, excitedly showing off the place then going into the lively streets of the Golden City which had a street festival in honour of Shuri returning after a while out of Wakanda. Dancing the night away, you both came back into the palace with heavy eyelids.

She sat next to you and placed her hand onto your thigh, rubbing it ever so slightly. With your breathing slightly harbouring from her touch, you could feel your arousal slowly peaking in. She watched as your chest heave up and down and decided to rub her hand a little higher, seeing the reaction on your face. Opening your eyes, you saw her eyes lowering as she took in your body. It had changed the more you spent time in Pilates and from a special thing she would use on you from time to time.

She leaned down to your face, placing a few pecks onto your lips with you chasing her lips after the last kiss but you knew you were too exhausted. Shuri slightly tapped your face with her fingers, waking you up as she could see that you were slipping into sleep. “Come on baby, we need to go change so that we can sleep.” Shuri trailed off, feeling exhaustion take over her body as well.

After a much needed shower, you were both in your sleeping garments, with yours being a large t shirt and cotton shorts with her being boxers and a simple white tank top. Out of nowhere, you suddenly remembered the surprise you had for her. You were certain she hadn’t seen it in the shower so you were excited to show her. “Shuri?” You whispered out to her. She hummed in response as she was getting the bed ready for you two.

“S-so, I did something and I hope you like it as much as I do.” You softly smiled as you lifted up the large shirt to just under your neck, showing her your back. Her eyes went wide and she practically ran to your side to look closer, your giggles filling the room.

You had gotten your first ever tattoo two weeks ago and it looked healed even though you knew it was far from it as it was such a big tattoo. It stretched from just underneath your neck to the end of your lower back and of course it was painful but it’s something you’ve wanted for a while. You see, Shuri hasn’t seen it because the both of you had been busy, you battling your final exams before graduation and her with her Panther duties.

Shuri gawked over it for a while and asked multiple questions as if she hadn’t had her few scattered across her body. “It’s so beautiful, my love.” She commented. Shuri had also wanted to talk about something else and you could see that it had been troubling her the whole day. “Shuri. What’s wrong? Have you been worried the whole day?” You wondered, putting your shirt down and led her to the bed to sit next to her but she put you on her lap once again.

“The introduction I gave to my brother about you. I’ve been thinking about it.” She expressed and you could see the emotion swarming through her eyes. “Oh.” You said. Now that you thought about it, you’ve thought of what title you wanted to give Shuri but could never figure out how to tell her.

“U-um,” you started. “I’d like to say my feelings now because I’ve also been thinking about it as well.” You said and she nodded, wanting you to continue. “Obviously you know that I’ve never been experienced in anything romantic my whole life so you know that I’m new to these sort of conversations. But u-um,” you took a deep breath before continuing. “I like you beyond the agreement and I can’t figure out these emotions that you give to me. It’s a warmth I feel everytime I’m around you and it makes me feel..happy. You’ve treated me so amazing that I think, no, I know I’ve fallen for you.” You finished, absolutely terrified for her next words but glad that you were able to express them to her.

Her hand lifted up to stroke your cheek as she searched your eyes. “My pretty y/n.” She said, making you giggle at the nickname. “I want to wake up next to you and watch as the Wakandan sunrise reflects in your eyes every day. You..you make me extremely happy so would you please do me the honour of being my girl?” She said, holding you so close to her as if you were the most precious cargo to her, to which you were to her.

You nodded, feeling the warmth spread through your body once again. You threw your arms around her neck as she held you for what felt like forever. You slowly let go and held her shoulders for support. “My girlfriend.” She whispered as you leaned in to kiss her once again, only letting go to take breaths before diving into each other’s spaces.

The Wakandan stars shone on the both of you throughout the night as Shuri had wanted to show you that you were her girl and that she was your girl.

-

-

“Miss Y/n Y/l/n, Bachelor of Science with an achievement of a Cum Laude on The Dean’s List.” Professor Danbury called out your name from the podium. You walked onto the stage, carefully walking in your heels while doing your little celebratory dance whilst walking past other professors along with the Dean, giving you the biggest smile and a hug as she handed you the certificate and other documents. The cheers from the crowd had brought a smile onto your face, the loudest coming from Justine, Leilani, T’Challa, M’baku and Shuri. The Dora had called out their celebratory chant for the duration of you on the University stage.

“Once again, congratulations to the class of 2024!” The Dean had cheered, you and the rest of the students from your year had stood up and threw the graduation caps up in the year. After congratulating your college friends once again, you made your way outside where you were greeted with your new found family with Wakanda. You knew that your parents knew of your graduation but they had made no effort which never hurt your feelings so you were more than happy with your life.

Leilani had been the first one to run towards you, giving you a bone crushing hug while crying. “Oh my god! My baby graduated!” She exclaimed. The rest of the crew came to congratulate you, definitely putting attention on all of you as the royal family of Wakanda was there. Shuri had been the last of everyone to come up to you. Cupping your cheeks, she planted a kiss before hugging you and spinning you around.

“Congratulations, my love. I’m so proud of you.” She smiled, kissing you once again. You thanked her and spent time with the crew before Shuri remembered that she had a surprise for you (well more like the surprise texted her). “Oh! Entle, come with me. I have a surprise for you.” She said as she stood up from the benches the crew found on the campus gardens. Everyone followed you as you held Shuri’s hand and walked towards the large parking lot. She had stopped you before walking towards your Rolls Royce.

Looking behind you, all you heard were giggles from your friends and the crew taking out their phones to film your reactions. Along with other people that wanted to see what was happening.

“Shuri, what did you do?” You questioned, worried about the amount of eyes looking at you and your girlfriend. “So,” she started, chuckling ever so lightly. “Last week, you were eagerly talking about something and I knew it would make you happy.” She smirked at the confusion displayed on your face.

Before you could respond, you saw a light blue Ferrari SF90 drive in with a large red bow on top of the hood of the car. You squeezed Shuri’s hand as your dream car drove towards you. Looking at her, the smirk never left her face. “Oh my god! Shuri! You didn’t-” You couldn’t even finish your sentence as the car parked and your celebrity crush and favourite formula 1 driver came out of the driver’s side with a large smile on his face.

“Is that fucking Lewis Hamilton?!”

-

[nuttytani]

Making mehndi designs on them 

characters: dehya, nilou, kaveh, nahida, cyno, gn!reader

Dehya 

She’s really bad at sitting still, is the restless type and often messes up your designs by accidentally touching herself. So you have to scold her once in a while and keep an eye out 

Other than being told to sit still, she actually finds the process quite calming and relaxing 

The cold mehndi on her hands makes her shiver in a good way 

Plus, she gets to see you make all kinds of faces while doing her mehndi. And… she didn’t realise this before but you looked really pretty. The way the hot sun would cast a golden glow around you and the way your eyelashes would flutter with every blink–

Anyways

Being a pyro vision holder, her body runs warm so you bet her mehndi comes out really dark and gorgeous. 

As a thank you, she does your nails in a pretty burgundy to match the red on her hands 

Nilou 

She’s so excited that you’d be doing her mehndi for her!!! 

As a performer, she always has mehndi on her hands but it’s always just a simple big dot on the centre of her palms. 

That’s why getting some elaborate designs on her hands makes her feel so happy, plus the fact that you’re doing it makes it even better! 

You even purchased a blue tinted mehndi to make accents on her feet and her arms 

She’s in LOVE 

Her mehndi unfortunately doesn’t darken much, hydro vision holders just dont have that much body heat so the colour is almost orange-ish… except for the tinted blue designs! Which look stunning 

Kaveh 

Was shocked to hear that you wanted to put mehndi on his hands. Or feet. Wherever he preferred 

Sure, he used to play with his mother’s make up and mehndi before but ne never really got it done properly 

So this would be a first time for him 

He appreciates how you patiently handle him, there may have been times where he got a little cranky sitting still and his legs got numb but you didn’t give up

And he’s glad that you didn’t 

Because the end product was absolutely beautiful and he badgers Alhaitham by saying 

“y/n made these! They’re so talented… hey, look at me while I’m talking haitham!”

He wants to return you the favour by making mehndi designs on your hands too but he’s never held a mehndi cone before so it’s quite sloppy 

Still, you proudly show your hands off. “Look! Kaveh made this!! Pretty isn’t it?”

Nahida 

Actually, she’s the one who suggested you do her mehndi. All she wanted was a simple dot on her palms but you said no!

Nahida deserves much more intricate designs. Not that simple patterns are bad but you have never seen her indulge in her pleasures so this is the perfect time 

The-dream-mehndi-customer^™ 

You feel like you’re applying mehndi on a doll 

It’s so easy and probably the best person you’ve put mehndi on!!!!

Turns out extra gorgeous because she sat super still and the design was SAFE 

You got so excited that you even did her feet. Now Nahida has stunning red hands and feet.

Everyone compliments her 

Particularly her aranara friends 

Cyno 

He’s just bored while doing his duty when you come up to him like surprise surprise!!! 

You ask him if you can decorate his hands with mehndi designs

He immediately says no because he’s on duty 

Lo and behold, Nahida walks out of her office and she says 

“It’ll be fun! Get some break, work is done for the day anyways”

So now he guesses he’s stuck with you on the steps of his home with you hunched over his hands making pretty squiggles with mehndi 

You mess up his designs tho because Cyno could NOT shut up not stop making his stupid jokes which made you laugh at the stupidity of them 

Voila, one big mistake. You accidentally smudged THE ENTIRE DESIGN OFF HIS HAND AHHHHHH

Now you are upset and crying over your hard work being wiped away 

Meanwhile Cyno calms you down and tells you to just do his feet instead 

some mehdni references for yall

(a/n: if anyone is interested in me making a taglist, please let me know!)

[ordinarily-unordinary]

Dionysian Stuff

Hello! I thought i'd share some dionysian shit for you guys (all based off of my personal experiences with him, worship and relations with deities can vary between practices/practitioner) - Dionysus/Bacchus • God of Wine, Madness, Theatre, Religious Ecstasy, Festivity, Passion - Stuff I Associate him with • Mental Health • Self confidence • LGBT (he helped me come out to my parents/helped me realize I was agender) • That feeling when someone mentions a special interest of yours - Symbolism • Thyrsus, Grape vine, Ivy, Masks (the comedy and tragedy ones specifically), Pine cones/Pine trees • Serpents, Leopards, Panthers (Wild cats in general he seems to take a liking to, likes Leopards specifically tho) _ Colour Symbolism • Red, Purple, Dark red (like wine red, burgundy ig?), Gold - Personality (? this is just how he's communicated with me) • He's really big on confidence and gets kinda pissed at you when you talk bad about yourself • Really chaotic, kinda impulsive. (communicated that I was bored, he communicated back to go swimming in the lake by my neighbourhood) • Flirtatious but in a casual way? Like he'll compliment you and be generally 'flirty' ish but if you're uncomfy he stops • He loves talking about Ariadne (simp much?) like he loves her sm and its really cute. sometimes it ends up with him getting pissed about how Theseus left her and how she didn't deserve that tho. _ Offerings that he's liked • Poetry/Writing things for him • Wine (he's asked for it but since I'm a minor and cant get any I just give him some grape juice/sparkling ciders and that shit) • Fruit (especially the ones that are commonly made into wine) • Honey • Theatre stuff (He's liked it when I leave playbills from any shows I go to see on his altar) • I made him a playlist (since music is a big part of how my brain works) and he really liked that, so music stuff • Pine cones or pine needles (I live in a place where hurricanes and storms knock the pine branches off the trees so I give him a lot of those) • Stuff related to Ariadne (mazes, thread(maybe not red thread, he doesn't like Theseus very much)) _ Tarot that shows up a lot when I do readings for him • Temperance • Three of cups • Nine of pentacles Hope you liked reading my lil Dionysian post. If you have any experiences that you'd like to add, or questions you have, please send an ask, or ask/add in the replies! I'd really like to hear about your experiences with him, and I'm happy to answer anything.

[gogandmagog]

C’mon, I know you have a niche LMM post in your drafts to post, the tags are so empty 🤣

Lmaooo, I wish I had something good for this.

I don't know if it's really niche in a satisfying way, but it is certainly niche in a would-anyone-else-bother-themselves-thinking-about-this sort of way? 🥸 Here’s my most recent draft (that isn’t just a note to myself):

All just because a couple of weeks ago, I was reading this book of letters/correspondence between two Cambridge Apostles from around 1910 to 1915. Of course, the Apostles weren’t exactly a frat, so much as a secretive intellectual society, but as with most things, even the tiniest incidentals mentioned in (nearly any) text (or letters, in this case) will immediately return me to splitting Montgomery hairs, so basically I was (am, really) just over here fixating on the possible origins of the (quite fictional lol) Lamba Theta of Redmond.

To begin with, I’m 99% certain that it ought to actually be Lambda Theta* (lambda [λ] is the eleventh letter in the Greek alphabet), since Lamba doesn’t appear anywhere in the Greek dictionary, never mind the alphabet. That kind of small error was enough to launch me properly down a rabbit hole of Victorian (and then Edwardian) frats at Dalhousie University (Redmond’s basis), to see if there were any similarly named that might’ve presented itself as serving for Maud’s basis for the Lambs. As it turned out, there’s nothing. 🙃 The very first frat established at Dalhousie was Phi Kappa Pi, and that wasn’t until 1923... when LMM had attended some three decades earlier, back in 1895. Anne of the Island even predates frats meeting at DU, since it was first published in 1915.

For some scale, the first Canadian frat ever was est. in 1879 (Zeta Psi) at the University of Toronto, and then again in 1883, the same frat opened another chapter over at McGill.

Anyway, I guess was/is just interesting to me that when Maud was inventing up a whole fraternity for her alma mater’s fictional stand-in, she really wouldn’t have had any first-hand experience with one. 🤨 And yet… she understood enough of them to’ve had Gilbert rush/be initiated (with sun-bonnets and calico aprons), in order to become a fully pledged member. Google says that fraternities as we know them now didn’t become notable or popular in the States (which Canada was rather behind) until the mid-late 19th century. Sooo, I suppose Lamba Theta is attributable to just that (a thing of cute pop-culture), or else Zeta Psi at UT was infamous enough for word to get around, to even the more rural areas (there’s 1,801.7 km between UT and Dalhousie btw), about their proceedings.

*the first real Lambda Theta frat/sorority was founded in 1973, at Kean University, and it is a Latino/Latina fraternity; their colours are burgundy and grey - actually quite alike the colours of Redmond University

[starssaroundmyscarssblog]

Can you write for reader x Sherlock where reader is a little like Elizabeth Bennet, likes to read and paint etc. Singing and all the cultural stuffs and Sherlock has fallen for her too hard?

𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐍

pairing: sherlock holmes (bbc) x fem!oc

summary: in which sherlock holmes doesn’t catch himself from falling quick enough for jane burbank

word count: 3.04k

warnings: none

a/n: this was my first time writing for a request so i really hope you like it <3 i also made it [x/oc] as i'm more comfortable doing it that way but i tried to stay away from descriptions as much as possible to make this little fic as inclusive as possible too <3

he wanted nothing more than to talk to her, even if it was only a meagre apology for accidentally brushing against her in the library isle. she enamoured him and he hated it, even years later as he held the heavy velvet curtains between two fingers and watched her cross over the road and unlock the door to her flat. john smirked behind his newspaper, "you're doing it again."

"doing what?" sherlock huffed, letting the curtains drape back into place over the window. "saying i'm doing something again would mean i'm repeating the action. what's special about me standing by the window." he stalked through the flat and flung himself into an old wooden chair by the kitchen table, seething over his frustration.

he hated it when john was right. nothing frustrated him more than his closest friend seeing right through him as if he were a spirit. more often than not, when he was sulking about not having cases or waiting for results from his less-than-ethical experiments, sherlock would find himself rooted to the floor by the window. sometimes he would play his violin slow and mournful, sometimes he would stand in plain sight.

it would stun him when the sunlight bounced off the wire frame of her glasses, the reflection shooting through her window and right back to his. sherlock found it hard to concentrate on anything else when she would sit in her arm chair with a cardigan that on anyone else would have looked ugly but on her the bright colours did nothing but compliment her. she always had a pen or pencil or paint brush hidden away in her hair, and occasionally she would reach up and fiddle with it as she thumbed delicately through the pages of her book.

sherlock looked up from concentrating hard on the surface of the table when his phone buzzed him his pocket, and he pulled it out. his smile became visible against his will.

you're doing it again, if you want to come over you only have to ask

within minutes he was at the door, ripping off his burgundy dressing gown and trading it out for his thick and heavy belstaff. at john's call of "where're you off to all eager?" he simply shouted "out" as he clattered down the thin staircase. sherlock was out of the door and crossing the road faster than he was able to think, knocking sharply on the blurred stained glass window set into her front door.

there was a crash from inside, a mutter of swearing as she pulled back the door to reveal her haphazard state. sherlock stared dumbly at her, trying to ignore the red splatter of paint on her neck dripping onto her chest, searching for words as when he opened his mouth it turned dry. "you didn't ask," she said, but stood back to let him into her house anyway.

sherlock walked in through the hall, catching himself casting his gaze over the walls like he did every singe time. the university diploma sat pride of place over the mantlepiece of the fireplace in the living room reading 'ba joint honours in history and history of art awarded to jane burbank, graduating with a first from the university of edinburgh'

next to it was a framed photo of the pair of them stood together at a mutual friend's wedding the previous year. sherlock had gone along begrudgingly when he'd found out that jane was attending the party after the ceremony because her cousin was the maid of honour for the bride. they were both standing outside of the venue side by side, smiling into the lens as one of the flower girls was messing with the petal confetti in her small wicker basket in the background.

jane brushed her bangs off her eyes as she moved around the airy living room, shoving wooden crates of paint back into place on the shelf and moving her latest canvas out into the garden to dry completely. sherlock stood awkwardly in his coat and ran his finger under the collar of his shirt sitting tightly against his neck. she stared at him as she returned, wiping a paint stain off the hem of her white dress as she did so.

"sherlock, i don't know why you insist on dressing like a child from the past in the middle of summer." london had been blanketed in a sticky, heavy heat as they hit the peak of august, making being indoors impossible but being outside worse. jane was only glad of her broken window to allow a constant breeze to pass through the ground floor of her house but knew the relief wouldn't last long. it was only a matter of time before the rain came in thick drops and plunged them into everlasting autumn.

he shrugged awkwardly and peeled the coat from his body, and when jane looked at him from behind her easel tucked away in a corner by the bay window he removed his blazer from his shoulders too. sherlock felt too free when he was with her, it scared him, but she made him feel to exhilarated to even care sometimes.

once, when they'd met at a summer research project collating students from different courses at the russel group unis, jane had cleared her throat to catch his attention in the library. at the noise he turned around, still holding the heavy volume, and saw her looking at him through a gap in the shelves perching her chin on the heel of her hands. "hey," jane whispered at him, "d'you want to do something fun?"

sherlock couldn't find his voice to tell her that what he was doing was fun and that he didn't really want to leave the safety of the library that late at night, but her bright eyes sparkling in the fluorescent lights hanging from the high ceiling from exposed wires made him throw caution to the wind and join her on their escapade. jane dragged him to a concert and to this day not one of them could remember who it was they'd seen only that they were rubbish and the cone of chips they'd picked at while walking through a grassy park was much more enjoyable.

he'd been dressed for winter then too, despite the thin linen of his shirt trying to cool him down in the muggy night air. but he couldn't care less about the heat invading his skin or the salt from the chips that caught on his finger tips because he was talking to jane burbank, and it had been all he'd wanted to do since she came bursting into the lecture hall for the summer programme two minutes late in a haze of frazzledness as she pulled down the hem of her summer dress where it had ridden up from her haste.

if he had been a better man he wouldn't have looked down past her neck but he couldn't help himself.

perched on the end of the emerald green sofa shoved against a bright white wall covered in artwork and cheap antique picture frames, sherlock fumed silently like the kettle he wished jane was setting over the stove because he could see john giving him his worst 'i told you so' look from the front window of his flat over the road. jane returned with a silver tray laden with small plates holding biscuits, two empty glasses holding ice and a large pitcher of sparkling orange juice.

"d'you want to go out and do something fun tonight?" jane found herself repeating the words every time she saw sherlock, which wasn't as often as she would have hoped considering she bought her house opposite his flat with his proximity in mind. he was always out sleuthing with john, who she'd seen more, and got on well with.

so was it really any surprise that jane took any chance she could get with sherlock, to make the most of the time they had together. he'd intrigued her all those years ago (it hadn't in-fact been too many years ago since they'd graduated with first honours, but life in the wake of sherlock holmes was long and weary) and still continued to do so now. she was pleased she knew him before he made it big as a 'boffin' in the national press and was even more pleased that he still kept up with her completely opposing lifestyle despite his cold-heartedness and want of plain fact.

with a gleeful grin and a shake of his shoulders as she squealed at his minute nod, jane was away to pack her bag and to grab her sandals before rejoining him at the front door. much to her excitement, sherlock had decided to brave the outside world without the protection of his belstaff, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his blazer was tucked neatly under his arm as he waited patiently for her. "ever practical," she muttered and locked the door behind her. the heat of the day beat down on her exposed shoulders from where she'd pinned her hair up at the back of her head and she pulled her sunglasses over her nose.

they set off and june looked at her watch, "quarter to three, fancy going out for something to eat first?"

"whatever you want to do," sherlock agreed, and sure enough half an hour later they were sat on outside tables for a cafe overlooking westminster watching the people go by. well, sherlock was watching the people go by and jane was peeling away the pastry of a croissant she'd ordered while taking occasional sips of her glass of diet coke. he tapped his fingers against the saucer for his coffee patiently waiting for her to finish so they could leave.

jane wanted to look through the markets in camden for old records before they tried to find a pub for dinner and finished off the day at st james' park to listen to the music drift over them from the live festival happening in hyde park that she didn't get tickets to. she was always asking him if he wanted to do something fun even when she'd planned the day to some kind of degree of legible and sherlock just agreed.

but he did so because jane had asked him to, and anything that was fun to her would be fun for him.

after their intermission at the cafe, where jane had stopped to take some candid photos of some couples she'd seen over the green before turning the lens on an unsuspecting sherlock, they suffered the stuffy carriage of the underground before emerging at camden. jane beelined for stalls selling records and cassette tapes she didn't need because her selection was already overflowing. she picked up a sleeve and turned it to sherlock, grinning, "don't you just love them?"

he smirked before saying, "i prefer blur" only to receive a smack on the shoulder for his admission. by the time they'd left jane had bought enough to put a sizeable dent into her savings account made for paying off her student debt and she was dragging sherlock to an art gallery she noticed was free to the public before they sat down to eat again.

there was something about her wide eyes as they walked around the gallery that sherlock couldn't tear his eyes away from. it might have been the sun shining down on her cheekbones from the glass ceiling or the way she looked like one of the twisted statues in her white dress and delicate sandals or her screwed up face as she focused on something in the background through the lens of her camera. being with jane was a break from the world he'd plugged himself into and he loved every second of it.

sherlock didn't love it as much, however, when they were sat outside (again) at a pub jane liked sharing a bowl of chips while she told him about the awful date she'd had with an awful guy who had an awful name two days prior. his back straightened and something curled in the pit of his stomach as jane told him about the bloke's lacklustre effort of wooing her, especially when he lumped her with paying for dinner and their tube fares back because he'd 'conveniently' left his wallet in a different jacket.

"he wasn't even wearing a jacket, sherlock, i mean can you believe it? i go on one date for the first time in months and he's a total prick!" she picked at a chip and dunked it angrily into the splodge of tomato sauce she'd poured onto the plate before soaking up any vinegar that had been left behind, "is chivalry really dead? i refuse to believe it is."

sherlock made a hoarse noise in the back of his throat before leaving for the bar and returning with a drink to replace jane's third glass of diet coke since they'd sat down. he placed down the cocktail in front of her and felt a flush of pride creep down his back as jane placed her hand over his to thank him earnestly. she took a sip, then another until the entire thing slid down her throat with a sigh of relief.

"i really needed that," she said and giggled to herself. sherlock forgot every time he was with her when she drank that jane was the lightest of lightweights, but when she'd had one she was happy and when jane was happy sherlock was well on the way to being happy too.

another cocktail later and jane had reached her happy medium for alcohol intake - she was blissfully unaware of anything happening outside of the six foot boundary around her but could still hold herself upright and kissed sherlock enthusiastically on the cheek when he caught the bill as a waiter was passing by their table. she laughed all along the path and the whole time the two of them were walking to st james' park.

sherlock didn't make it a habit to carry people around on his back, but when jane looked up at him with a pout and wide glassy eyes he acquiesced and hoisted her onto his back with her ankles locked together just below his navel.

she insisted on getting a cone of chips for old times sake even though they'd eaten enough to fuel an army back at the pub, and jane happily handed over five pounds in cash for a cone and a pot of curry sauce to the woman behind the till. "thank you!" she called out from over her shoulders and sherlock walked through the gates to the park and let her down gently onto the grass where they usually sat.

jane fell forwards and caught herself from landing on her face by her knees, laughing as she slumped forwards onto her chest and propped her chin up into her hands. sherlock sat beside her on his jacket and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, and she felt her skin flush where his fingers had touched. the music from the concert in hyde park eventually reached them just as jane thought it would and she began to hum the tune under her breath as she picked at the chips sherlock was holding out for her.

jane rolled onto her back and felt the blades of grass tickle her shoulders and she moved to make herself comfortable. "we never talk anymore sherlock." she huffed, and tried to reach out and run her fingers over his cheek but stopped when she realised her hands were moving in the completely wrong direction.

"you've been talking all day."

"but i mean you and me. we never talk, i talk at you and you listen."

"i like listening."

"no you don't, you'll out live god trying to get the last word in."

he laughed behind his smile, "i like listening to you."

jane pushed herself onto her feet and sank down again so she was eye to eye with sherlock. he could still see the red splatter of paint along her neck and upon closer inspection he found that the drips had dried throughout the day past the neckline of her already low summer dress. "i wish you would do more than watch and listen to me." she whispered, still tapping out the rhythm of the new song against her knee.

"but i like listening to you and i can't help but watch you. it irritates me." lies.

"no it doesn't."

damn.

before sherlock even had a chance to refute or say anything in his defence, jane's hands were placed gently on either side of his neck and she pulled him forwards to join their lips. jane held him so close that their noses bumped together repeatedly and she had to lean forwards to follow him when he pulled away. "jane!"

"what?" she questioned, finding that she'd sobered up at a startling rate when the gravity of what she'd done had truly set in. "oh, sherlock i'm so sorry i didn't mean to-" her words were cut off as he kissed her again, again and again to pepper kisses all over her cheeks and along her forehead where her bangs had fallen over her eyes again.

jane was a breath of fresh air, the calm in the middle of the storm he lived his life by. in the moment with her, sitting on the grass in a darkened london park he couldn't help but not care about what john would say when he finally got home or if jane would soon realise how dangerous tangling her life with his truly was.

she pushed herself onto him and held onto his arms as she kissed him harder, not caring that sherlock was the right-hand-man of every inspector at scotland yard or that his idea of fun was dissecting human bodies and testing them for bruising. the only thing that mattered to her was the boy she'd liked since she walked in late to the lecture hall was kissing her back after he'd admitted to her, drunkenly at their mutual friend's wedding, that it was all he thought about whenever he saw her

🪩⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊🔎

[picturesofthegoneworlds]

Hey there!

How is "forbidden" as a prompt for imodna? No parameters!

(Thanks for the prompt! you can read the whole thing here)

Imogen glances away from what she can see of the connection past the push of her rising and falling chest, up to Laudna, smile still gentle and reassuring and meeting her own, and she has a fleeting thought of Laudna's talons growing, of them puncturing into the soft flesh of her stomach before her hand sinks in completely, grip constricting around her insides, suffocating her second brain with a smile lengthening in an artistic splattering of blood as she preens back down at her.

It feels nice - causes Imogen to tenderly giggle and Laudna beams in return, the hand not emblematically imbedded in her stomach giving a thumb to brush along the apple of one of Imogen’s cheeks.

Maybe it’s the angle of the sun - but the colours around them seem to have grown more vivid, more enthralling. The emeralds and jades and peridots and malachites of the moss and the lichens and the shrubs and the fallen branches exaggerated by the diffusing edges of golden light that outline them all, outline Laudna too, where her shape does not overlap with the brass tarp above her head, bejewelled now, trimmed with teardrop diamonds, decorated like the threads of ruby and topaz that embellish her blouse.

Imogen reaches out and touches the embroidery, reads it under her thumb like she has done many times.

chevrons and lines

regimented, blockaded, uniform. Not splitting and bolting and meandering greedily to cover the burgundy fabric

freckled skin

(fuckin’ roots)

Intentional embroidery, her intent

A comforting thing, another good reason to have the material missing on her gloves – not that she’s wearin’ em right now.

A signal passes through her head – a point-less arrow bouncing back and forth off of offal corridors, probably meant to be carrying word of pain, but it only causes the corner of one of her eyes to crinkle, Laudna’s thumb next to it mistaking the movement for the crease of a smile (though maybe that’s also right) and leaving to join Imogen's hand at the front of her own blouse.

She doesn’t say anything - except birdsong, maybe - allows for it to permeate over her closed mouth as the pad of her finger begins the tracing of a scar from where it strikes at tip of Imogen's thumb, which in turn is still interpreting the transcript of Laudna's embroidery as she glides her skin over the ridge of Imogen’s wrist, down her forearm before switching back on herself to follow another fork.  

That makes Imogen shudder, still, despite their attunement, perhaps amplified by it really.

She draws them thoroughly, pattern traced so well that Imogen can feel the ghost of every touch stitching together like a spectral glove enveloping around her hand, as if she is wearing Laudna as her own exterior nervous system.

[cult-of-the-eye]

tma makeup headcanons:

Jonathan "serving cunt" Sims:

S1 Jon doesn't know what makeup is (he absolutely wore eyeliner every single day at uni but he's not letting everyone else know that)

He like spot conceals but that's about all he feels comfortable getting away with while maintaining his air of professionalism

He also despises the feeling of foundation on his face

S2 Jon is barefaced as the day he was born. My man's last priority is how he looks, he's too busy buying axes in central London and stalking his coworkers

S3 Jon has none of his makeup with him but he's got loads of spare time and Georgie has a whole drawer so he experiments a little bit, he goes for Kajal (black pencil eyeliner lining the inside of your eyes) instead of his previous winged eyeliner but he hesitates at the any colour because she managed to pull it off but he's never been one for drawing attention to himself like that but one day he goes for a burgundy or like dark purplish red colour and he's quite pleased with himself

I feel like Jon would go for a natural kind of look, with concealer and a skin tint at best, some dark brown eye shadow to deepen his hooded eyes and kajal

Martin Kslaying Blackwood:

Ugh I love this man so much

I'm literally such a fan of trans Martin it's pretty much canon to me so I'm headcanoning that he's very hesitant about makeup cause he was a late transitioner and had only just gotten used to passing recently so he doesn't want to do anything to risk that

But he's such a slut for a nice little blush or like a subtle lip tint

He goes for powder blushes cause liquid ones feel sticky on his face and also powder blushes just Look Nice

He also likes lip tints cause he's constantly rubbing off lip products, with the multiple mugs of tea a day and it's getting awkward handing Jon mugs of tea with faint lipstick stains on them

He keeps an emergency kit in his bag with like some eyeshadow if he needs to darken his facial hair and on a whim he puts a baby pink powder blush in there and a matching lip tint

So it's not like he decided to bring it to the safehouse, it was just sort of there

Jon finds it and he's like let's go, we're going down to the shops and buying some, we're gonna do some experimenting and Martin's like oh!!

When he was working for Peter Lukas, he was also barefaced, he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he put effort in

Timothy "Take notes" Stoker:

This man is such a fun makeup guy

He's a random dots around his eyes, shimmery colourful inner corner, new colour every day, just drawing shit around his eyes kinda man

He's a no foundation no concealer kinda guy as well I think

ugh just can you imagine??? They have a little tally of what colours/patterns Tim's using today and somehow he never managed to repeat a look - it might be a repeated colour but the pattern or the way it's used it's always different

And then one day he just stops. He still wears makeup but the colours are more muted and they make his eyes look bruised in a very decisive way

It's almost as if he's spent ages on a look and then tried to scrub it all away

Sashay Away James

She's such a glamorous girly I feel like she really enjoys the process of makeup more than actually changing the way she looks

I'd love her to be doing the whole shebang, spending hours picking the right primer and stuff like that

She goes for the yeah I'm wearing makeup and I'm slaying look

I feel like she's so good at a little nose highlight

Can you imagine every day Tim greeting Sasha every morning with like a love the highlight girl and it makes her happy every single time

Oh she's such a fake freckles girly absolutely

Hated false eyelashes cause they feel weird

Not Sasha believes makeup is pushing feminism backwards

[v3nusxsky]

Hi! I have an idea for a fic about Larissa/psychic reader(she's a teacher) ! I hope you'll like it!☺

R has visions, they're not all meant to happen and she knows that, the thing is, she doesn't know how to control it and when she touch people or people touch her, she doesn't only have visions, she share them too and she doesn't know how to stop that from happenning. So she wears gloves so there's no skin contact with people. These days, she seems to have very explicit visions about a specific person, her boss (of all people). And even if she's very aware that her visions aren't always true, she can't stop thinking about it. Somehow one day, she took off her gloves for whatever reason she had and forgot to put them back on and her hand brushed Larissa's and they both fell in a very specific vision (you could describe the vision if you want😁). Larissa's cheeks were flushed, she's was chocked by what she just saw and she asked R to explain what happenned.....and they end up having sex, you can be creative and add every kinks you want! Please?☺

I hope you wanna write it!

-shy anon🦋

What’s foretold 18+

*Authors note~ oooo I love this idea for reader to be psychic so im so excited to write this. I’m sorry for only one fic tonight my faints have been playing me up*

Trigger warnings~ Dom l Sub L mommy kink oral strap on thigh riding praise degrading humiliation breeding kink semi public sex sharing submissive r (mentioned) corruption kink

Prompt~see ask^^^^

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

You always made sure to adorn your gloves, they were made of the softest silk and you had s variety of colours to fit with your outfits, but the burgundy pair are your favourites. Psychics weren't a rare kind of outcasts but the type of psychic you are was most definitely rather unheard of. Because of the gloves, most people assumed you had elemental powers or something similar. The truth was touch, giving or receiving, would result in violently graphic visions. Not only that but whoever touched you was also subjected to what you saw. Visions aren't said to be reliable all the time, sometimes you saw the most horrific things and sometimes you saw some amazing things. There was no middle ground here for you.

Having your ability basically control your life was hard. You couldn't touch anyone really without showing them what you saw and that you couldn't control what you saw was upsetting. For those reasons you were rather isolated and extremely uncomfortable around others, always making sure no skin was showing to prevent the sharing.

Recently, you were being plagued with rather explicit visions of your boss. Highly inappropriate, you knew that but were absolutely powerless to stop them. They'd been happening for the past two weeks, lots of different visions but none the less hotter than the previous one. Recently, the vision you had was repeating over and over again was causing some issues for you. Being around the woman in question became too difficult for you, you would end up blushing and unable to keep eye contact with her even going as far as to stumble over your words.

Because of that reason you spent a lot of time in your classroom, alone and safe to let your skin breathe a little. You had some earphones in doing some marking which is how you missed her arrival. The beats distracting you from the world around you until you felt it. Your body violently thrown backward into a vision. Scanning the room to find the human who touched you, you were mortified to realise it was the headmistress. Her eyes transfixed onto the sight in front of you.

Larissa Weems hated meetings with the board, they were old and stuffy and often had outdated views. This meeting was rather interesting because before it started you and the headmistress had engaged in a extremely hot make out session where you began to rut against her toned thigh, until they knocked. Slight panic filled the blonde before she urged you under the desk and began the meeting. For the first few minutes you sat in shock, but hearing how stressed the older woman was, you felt compelled to help her out. And that's how she found herself trying to focus on those stuffy people while you licked, kissed and sucked over her long luscious legs and her clothed core. A subtle roll of the older woman's hips spurred you on to slide her underwear to the side and lick at her soaked folds.

You were forced out of the vision, jumping away as if the contact had burnt your skin and hurriedly shove your gloves on your hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" you whimpered over and over sounding like an afraid child. Larissa just seemed to be dazed, processing what she'd accidentally seen. You were spiralling, words flying from your mouth before you even had the chance to process what you were saying.

Larissa noticed how you were afraid of her reaction so she decided to take the risk, approaching you and slamming your lips together in a kiss. The kiss seemed to restart your failing brain as you pulled away gasping for air, "o god you kissed me? Did you want to oh-" you were shut up with another kiss. "Shush love, I don't mind what I saw, in fact it was nice to see it rather than just imagine it" she mumbled against your lips. "I uh um" you stuttered trying to process the woman's words but settled for another passionate kiss.

You relocated eagerly to Larissa's office as she wanted to discuss what she saw with you. But as things do, one thing led to the other and you now found yourself lip locked with your boss on her sofa. You straddling her thigh as she guided your hips into slow and steady movements of rutting against her. Your sex pulsing with the pleasure the movements caused. "Ris? " you panted resting your forehead to hers, "I uh im I never uh" you mumbled blushing embarrassed, almost as if you handing been dragging your clothed drenched cunt over her smooth milky white thighs.

"Oh pretty girl, mommys gonna take such good care of you, the visions showed you hmm?" She teased stroking your thigh and you couldn't help but flush bright red, remembering one vision that had Larissa  and a fiery redhead sharing you around as if you were nothing but a common whore, a mindless fuck toy for them to absolutely use and abuse all your holes. They worked in tandem until you were fucked dumb. "Mhm they did please" you whimpered, "want you to take me" was all the blonde needed to hear, for her to scoop you into her arms and your legs wrapped around her waist.

Truly you don't remember how or when but as soon as your back hit the bed, it was nothing but skin hitting the crisp sheets. Larissa stripped herself down to her underwear in a hope to make you feel less insecure, which completely worked because you were absolutely transfixed by the goddess in front of you. Larissa adored taking her time, exploring every inch of the virgin skin, what made you whine and whimper and what made you gasp. How if she sucked on your rosey pert bud your mouth would fall open ever so slightly and your hips buck upwards for her.

But truly something that she couldn't get enough of us your gasp as her tongue found your untouched folds. "Oh oh mommy" you whimpered enjoying the new yet strange but pleasant feeling of her tongue working on your slick folds. Because it was your first time, Larissa was extra careful but she can't deny when you came with an unexpected cry for her she couldn't help the need that doubled within her. "Oh fuck god was that" you tried and the blonde chucked. "You had an orgasm love." "More?" You mumbled with a satisfied yet lustful needy gaze. "Mommy can get her strap love? But it might hurt a little." You considered it for a thorough three seconds before pleading with her for that.

You couldn't take your eyes off the tall woman as she strapped the faux dick to her hips. "Mommy? Can't you just?" You trailed off not wanting to upset the shape shifter but curiosity was definitely killing you. "Oh sweetheart, I can and I will one day but I'm much bigger and thicker than my friend here", the smirk on her gorgeous lips said it all really. "Oh fuck me" you groaned and let your head meet the pillows. "Don't have to tell me twice" was the witty response you got before she approached your tired body once more.

You'd heard the horror stories of the first time, and truly it did hurt a tiny bit but if you could stick it out the pain would soon morph into something more enjoyable for you. Larissa made sure to comfort you as she slipped into your velvety walls. "Oh sweetheart I know, I know it hurts love, your doing so so well for me. Taking me so good. Almost all in love" she murmured pressing kisses to your neck or cheeks.

"Mommy" you whined, feeling her slip a hand to your aching clit, "please please" you whimpered. "Okay love, okay. We got to take things slowly otherwise you'll hurt sweetheart." The first few thrusts of her hips were slightly strange but you soon felt the pleasure become completely overwhelming for you. "Mommy! More more please" you mewled happily, causing the woman to pick her pace up and latching herself onto your pulse point. The feeling of your heart beating between her lips was truly something else. The moment her teeth scraped your pulse point you couldn't help but begin to beg and plead with her to make you cum for her.

Larissa moved your leg over her shoulder allowing her a deeper angle which was what threw you off the cliff into pools of blissful pleasure. "Mommy fuck no more please no more" you mumbled as you came back down from your high. "Okay sweetheart, kiss me?" The request has you doing a double take but happily obliging. Larissa used that opportunity to nibble on your lip, which caused you to moan happily and allowed her to slip from your drenched centre and distract you from any possible soreness there.

You were out of it, your first time being so magical and wonderful and truly but the visions you'd had to absolute shame. Larissa Weems is certainly one of a kind. You could tell that by how carful she was by cleaning the mess off your thighs. Even daring to get a cheeky extra taste before coming to hold you. "Are you okay sweetheart?" At first the mumbled reply was hard to hear so you repeated yourself, "mm so good better than visions so better" which caused the blonde to laugh and hold you close. "Okay sweetheart, you're exhausted. Get some rest."

Word count~ 1852

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Costume Meta 6x15

At first I thought this was going to be an ok length meta this week, having already written two mini metas based on bts pictures and then we didn’t get the download for a million hours and then just to add to the fun - Tumblr decided that I wasn’t allowed to type into a post wehre i’d added photos and then loading photos into a post wasn’t an option so this is the 4th version of this post I’ve had to create but I got there in the end, so I’m sorry its so much later that i would’ve like it to be - I just hope my insane ramblings are worth the wait!

There weren’t actually that many costumes this week but the guest cast had very interesting costumes and there are a million things going on with Buck, Eddie and Christopher so this week’s meta is very heavily skewed towards them! 

No Hen this week as she’s only seen in uniform - there was also very little Bobby - just the one costume!

Bobby

Bobby in navy blue actually doesn’t mean much this week - the choice of colour for his shirt is purely there to continue to parallel Bathena and Buddie from the last couple of episodes with the Burgundy and blue we’ve seen. Thank you as always for reading  - it really does mean the world to me that you're interested in the costuming of our wee woo show and I love reading your thoughts in the tags and notes!!! I’ll shut up now and let you have your lives back.

Athena

Burgundy ribbed top - stylistically it is in keeping with the other tops we’ve seen her wearing this season. Burgundy isn’t a colour we see on her very often (the last time was in 5x10 at the christmas party and there are only two previous costumes before that), so there was definitely intention to keep the burgundy and blue theme running into this weeks episode. The ribbing is disjointed on this top over the left shoulder, it hints at the idea of Athena not being comfortable with Dominic dying in the back of her police car - its that feeling of something lurking over your shoulder.

The other interesting thing it’s the return of the anchor necklace. We haven’t seen Athena in this necklace since 5x07. This necklace was very heavily connected to family and the idea of family anchoring her and giving her stability while she was in uncertain waters. It was a play on the idea that even when things were turbulent (Michael coming out, the divorce, Jeffery Hudson etc) her family was and is her anchor. The interesting thing about its reappearance here is that we don’t see her with any family aside from Bobby - for a necklace that has been so heavily tied to her extended family their absence in its presence is telling. It could mean some foreshadowing of choppy waters ahead (perhaps to do with Bobby in the finale) alongside her disquiet over this incident.

The leather leather jacket is the same one as we saw her wearing in 6x12 and I spoke in the 6x12 meta how it was very similar to the one we see Athena wear when investigating Eddies shooting and how it, along with Tamara wearing an echo of Bucks outfit in that episode. We have a similar parallel happening in this episode with Christopher’s jumper at Shannon’s grave. To have it reappearing for this scene specifically is telling me to link the scenes - ergo link to the shooting. 

For me that link surrounds the idea of mistaken or hidden identities because all three investigations include an element of this theme. The shooting - Ethan covers his tracks so that the police go for his ex partner and we see Athena hiding her identity by dressing as a firefighter to go to Bobbys rescue. In 6x12 Athena and May go undercover (with hidden identities) to try and find out what happened to Wendell, Wendell himself hides his identity to try and help Tamara and the Walshes tried to hide his identity when they set his body on fire. And now we have a case where Dominic tries to escape conviction through a body switch and hiding his identity. I haven’t quite pieced together what exactly this is saying about Bobby and Athena’s overall arc, but there is clearly something at play here.

Chimney

Chim is paralleling Bobby in the dark blue this episode. The Navy shirt help establish the red/blue theme for Madney in the same way Bobby’s polo does for Bathena. It is designed to do the same thing it does for Bobby - shift focus away from him and onto the one in the brighter colour. It is telling us that Maddie is the one we should be focusing on in the scene rather than Chimney and I’ll explain a bit more of that when we get to Maddies section.

The check shirt Chim wears to the IRS appointment clearly fits into check theory very nicely - not only in terms of the appointment itself, but it is part of a bigger piece of foreshadowing for Chimney more generally which appears to be connected to his family because we have seen him in a lot of check pattern this season and it feels like they’re building the tension with it - it is clearly leading to whatever happens to hi in the finale. 

This shirt is the same one he wears when he finds Maddie giving Jee-Yun a bath after they all return home from Boston. and because of this it feels like there is something specific connected to this shirt around the idea of finding happiness in the place you’re in - not needing more in the moment than what you have - not pushing for more. 

But there is also something connected to the idea of communication - that happiness is found when you communicate with your partner - the moment with Jee in the bath could only happen because Chimney and Maddie communicated which enabled her to return home and start rebuilding her family. The moment at the IRS was a clear indication of Madney not talking in advance, but ultimately coming out of the meeting in a better place - having communicated and reached a mutually happy decision. To me at least this speaks a lot about the marriage arc they are setting up for Madney - that we’re seeing them fail to communicate again, but they will eventually communicate and end up in the right place for them and will find happiness as a result.

Maddie

Maddie’s bright red top pulls our attention - it is far far brighter than Chimneys navy blue shirt and that is intentional - it is mean to make us think of a red flag and highlight to us that Maddie is where our focus should be for this episode. It is signposting us to the fact that in their relationship Maddie is the one who will ahve had dealing s with the IRS before when it comes to being in a relationship - Chimney won’t have had to do it as we’ve never seen him in this type of relationship. Maddie however would’ve had to file jointly when Married to Doug, so her having hangups about the fact the IRS have got in touch probably goes deeper than it just being the IRS getting in touch. It all connects into the theme of their arc for the episode. 

It is also important to note the difference in shades of red and blue that Madney are wearing - especially in relation to Bathena. Bathena’s are much closer together in terms of brightness and contrast. Athenas is slightly brighter becasue she is the focus, but it is closer to Bobby than Maddie and Chimneys are. This is a deliberate choice - it highlights the fact that Bathena are essentially on the same page - they are at the same level and in sync. Madney however are not in sync, they are in different places and we see that play out as the episode airs and we see Chimney searching for a ring at the end of the episode - back in his navy blue tee - we should note however that while he is doing that, Maddie is in her uniform - the maroon of her shirt bringing her closer into line with Chimney, but her uniform still provides a barrier - a safety net for her - in much the same way I described her scene with Buck in 6x12 when she is loading up his fridge.

Ok the check blazer is all kinds of fascinating to me. the three different types of tweed check, the denim jacket placket making it look like a jacket over a denim jacket, the fact that Maddie is wearing a jacket - in complete opposition to Chimney who is in just a shirt. 

There is something about Maddie wearing yet another jacket that is multi layered. This one looks like a blazer with a denim jacket underneath. This has been a recurring theme for her the season where we’ve seen her wearing blazers with false insert hoodies. We only really see her in these outside of her home environment, and there is something in that which suggests Maddie is feeling insecure in someway whilst outside the comfort of her home. 

The false fronts suggest that Maddy is putting up some sort of front as a way of protection outside of the home, that she is hiding here self from the outside world in some way - projecting something false. The general idea of layering is also about protection too so it’s a multilayered (forgive the pun) theme I haven’t figured out exactly what this means yet, but I think the fact that the season is culminating in an engagement arc for Madney suggests to me that her insecurities lie, perhaps, in how she feels the world views her as an unmarried mother and her trauma surrounding that - the wider arc of her PPD is still in play here because her own trauma extends beyond the PPD itself. Maddie is still battling demons in relation to Daniel as well as the demons we know she struggles with in relation to her previous marriage and the trauma she suffered at the hands of Doug

There is something about the idea of her going out into the world fully suited up to defend the fact she isn’t married to Chim, to defend the choices she has made to protect herself and to allow her to continue to heal and her fears that society will judge her for those choices -something that the IRS has (in her mind) proven to be correct. 

So you know how we’ve talked about the blue green theming being connected to break ups - Eddie and Ana, Buck and Taylor, well I don’t want to alarm anyone but we saw Madney in the same blue and green colour way!! 

I actually don’t think this is going to be about a break up - I think its more connected to a couple of other times we’ve seen these especially dark yet bright shades of  green and blue - the scene in 5x09 (with the pink washing up gloves) as well as the scene when Buck tells Taylor about kissing Lucy - and those two scenes connect to the keeping of secrets and the revealing of secrets, the trying to keep things hidden but them ultimately coming out anyway. It is one of the themes of the episode - keeping secrets, and misunderstanding things and struggling with the reality of moving on and forward. We also saw a similar theme at play when Maddie wore that shirt in the 6x13 - her ‘neighbour’ was hiding their identity. So fear not all the Madney shippers, we’re all good - they just need to communicate and sort through a few things - for Maddie it is very much her hang ups about getting married again - she needs to move on from this last piece of Doug’s hold over her and her life and those shirts are helping with that. 

Dominic

Dominic was wearing a very similar jacket to Eddies jacket from 5x10  and 6x08. it is not the same jacket, but it is close enough to draw the parallel.

Ok this is a bit hard to explain, but go with me. At first I thought the wardrobe department were just reusing a costume, however some dots have connected and I think there is a larger metaphor at play here. We have to remember that Athena is wearing a jacket that closely resembles the one she wore to investigate the shooting and that the theme of mistaken identities is at play in both storylines as well.

In 5x10 Eddie is talking to Carla about Christophers obsession over having a perfect Christmas then Chris wakes up from a nightmare about his mother. 

The second time we see the jacket, in 6x08, it is as Eddie watches Chris make his way into his school dance and talks about being different and fantasy becoming reality. 

 It’s therefore an interesting choice to have a very similar jacket on a guest character who is trying to hide, to hide his identity and hide the money he embezzled from an organisation with dream in its name all of this is telling me to connect his plot to Eddies. 

So if we look at Dominics storyline things make further sense in relation to what happens in this episode for Eddie. We have to place Eddie as Dominic, Natalia as the second body (whose name we eventually find out is Seth Davis, but not much more) and Buck as the coroner.

We get told a couple of useful things by the coroner (side note what is it with coroners in US tv programes contaminating their morgues by eating their lunch in them?!!!!) 

‘looking at a body doesn’t tell us much. Our answers are usually found under the skin.’ 

It is a pointed line and is the one that helps us to place Buck in the role of coroner - when he is at Maries grave with Eddie he talks about playing a role for everyone else, but he also talks about Natalia seeing him better than he sees himself. Buck hasn’t actually looked deeply at himself (because Buck is scared to - he is so very traumatised) but the coroners job is to look more deeply at others - to look below the surface of the skin and see what has happened, what is going on.  

Obviously in this case there are answers that can be found on the surface here - that it is the wrong person - the wrong body. The right body was there initially then it got swapped when no one was looking. So the body is labelled as the Dominic and the coroner has no reason to question the information they have (ergo Buck has no reason to question things about Natalia)it is only by twist of fate that the swap is discovered - you don’t have to look beyond the surface for the answers. Second time around it is definitely the right body because it is Dominic (who interestingly enough dies of a heart attack after taking too much of a medication designed to lower blood pressure - heart metaphor anyone?!) and the answers will only be found below the surface. Autopsies will be carried out on both bodies and in both cases it is likely that answers will be found - the cause of the Heart attack for Dominic and whatever it was that killed Seth Davis. This suggests to me that we will see Buck (the coroner) find his answers  that he’ll see into Eddies heart in some way at some point and also see whatever it is he needs to see below the surface in Natalia as well, but it won’t give him the answers he seeks (if they gave us the outcomes of the two autopsies - which we won’t get but thats fine - I would put money on cause of death being  completely unconnected with the heart)

Kelly - the speaker at Marie’s living funeral

I wouldn’t normally include a character like Kelly in my costume meta but there is something interesting happening with chains being increasingly connected to Buck through his girlfirends in some way so Kelly gets a look in. This is going to sound a bit off the wall but I promise it makes sense!!!

To start with I need to point out that there were several references to Charles Dickens in this episode. Kelly was giving  a speech about advice she had received from her Aunt and as soon as I saw the blouse she was wearing my brain connected dots to A Christmas Carol. This ties in so perfectly with the Victorian concept of a good death - which ties into Natalia as well. The chains connect to the ghost of Jacob Marley, who comes to warn Scrooge of what awaits him if he continues his current path. 

So as I mentioned - Scrooge, a miser who is set in his ways is visited by the ghost of his partner - Jacob Marley. Marley appears in chains - the chains of his fate - basically he created these through his own poor choices and stinginess.

Marley tells Scrooge he can avoid the same fate if he changes his ways while he’s still on earth and that 3 ghosts will visit him. This concept - the idea of being visited in some way by someone dead who was connected to you in real life and them giving you advice connects into Buck through Bobby in Bucks coma dream - we have a Bobby chained to the things he was addicted to in life; the pills and alcohol - but a Bobby who gives Buck a vital piece of advice (which is also heavily connected into his current arc) 

‘If what matters to you most is how other people see you, then you haven’t learned a damn thing.’

This sets Bobby up as the Marley character. Scrooge is then visited by the three ghosts in turn who show him his past, things that are happening in the present and the what could be the future if he continues is path. If Buck is Scrooge then his arc is going to involve him ‘being visited by’ three ‘ghost’s to show him the way. 

We have some bts (thanks @911bts for all your hard work) that suggests we may be seeing Taylor Kelly make a reappearance (side note choosing to call Maries niece Kelly will be a very nice touch if this plays out!) and she would be the ghost of Christmas past for Buck - showing him in some way aspects of his past that have led him to where he is now. 

I haven’t figured out who the ghost of Christmas present is although I wonder if it could perhaps be Lucy?! This would make Natalia the ghost of Christmas yet to come.  In the novel the ghost of Christmas yet to come is the ghost that most closely resembles the traditional image of death (but isn’t death) this is the ghost that convinces Scrooge to change his ways and to learn.

Obviously Scrooge does change his ways and we see him become someone who treats everyone with kindness, generosity and compassion, the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas.

But the concept of chains binding you to your past - to who you were and the mistakes you made etc is an interesting one in relation to Buck - the idea that death doesn’t free you from them and that second chances should be taken - but only if you learn the errors of your past mistakes - it all feels like it applies too well to where Buck is at and when we add the additional layer of Eddie and Christopher who fit into the roles of Bob Cratchit (who Scrooge helps and supports after his visitations) and Tiny Tim (a child who is disabled and whom Bob is devoted to). Dickens describes Scrooge as becoming like a second father to Tiny Tim at the end of the novel and we have been watching Buck become a second father to Christopher.

I leave you to decide whether or not I’ve completely lost my marbles!!!

Natalia

The handkerchief does in fact have blue roses on it. I wrote in the mini meta before the episode aired; roses in general terms mean love - red for romantic, yellow for friendship etc. Blue roses mean unattainable love (because they do not occur naturally - only through artificial means) - so that would suggest that both love is unattainable for both Natalia and Buck but also that any feelings etc are not real - they can only be achieved through synthetic or artificial means - suggesting that any attempt at a relationship is going to be forced. Blue roses can also mean (especially the lighter shades of blue) emotions - specifically the finding of hope peace and tranquility. So with all of this in mind we end up with the concept of Buck finding what he’s looking for and that Natalia will help him get there, but that it isn't love, its the peace, tranquility and happiness that he's been seeking for himself.

The black velvet blazer and black matt dress has a Victorian mourning dress vibe. This is playing into her role as a death doula - the Victorians were obsessed with the idea of a ‘good death.’ This idea stemmed from evangelical beliefs around being with family and making peace with God. In the Victorian period death was a very common occurrence and so having a ‘good’ relationship with it and being in close proximity to the dying was actively encouraged. A good death was considered to be a slow death which gave people time to say goodbye and for the dying person to see all of their family and friends through that process.

Once the person had died mourning was commenced and this too had strict rules. clothing was to be matt plain and black - bombazine, velvet and cottons were the most commonly worn fabrics (depending on wealth and status). Matt fabrics were preferred because they didn’t reflect the light - it represented the depth of the soul and the depth of grief. 

Dressing Natalia in an outfit which mimics Victorian mourning is playing into that concept - it is a physical representation of her job and more than likely her personality as well - she will very literally be all about death all the time in some way.

I stand by what I said in the mini meta I wrote when we got the sneak peeks, but I want to talk about the necklace choice again in light of the fact that it was, once again, buck being pursued (whilst at work) rather than doing the pursuing. the choice to use this necklace to connect Natalia to Taylor, to Veronica and to Ana is a very clear choice. I’m going to write a meta that focus’s on the necklaces we see the various girlfriends wearing, because there are some interesting things going on with them. But the fact remains that the necklace also contributes to telling us that Natalia is headed the same way as all of the others - that she won’t be his endgame romance. She is a representation of death and this necklace is playing into the idea of death having a claim over Buck - of Buck feeling like death has a claim over him and like I said above this plays into the Christmas Carol undertones we’re getting. It all connects to the fact that with these women, Buck keeps on repeating the same mistakes, he needs to break these chains or he will end up like Jacob Marley in the novel.

There is also something in connecting the chains to the water theme we see playing out in Bucks arc - about water finding its level and the chains representing the anchors that give a boat respite to hold it in place when not in port. If Buck is a boat and his water hasn’t yet found its level, the implication is that his waters are at the very least choppy and at worst - tsunami waves and that he needs to pause for a minute on his journey. Buck seems to make most of his progress when fairly newly out of a relationship with a woman - they seem to stall him - hold him in place but his growth is minimal. We saw in the tsunami, the boat anchored off shore where a couple were trying to get married but in the end only succeeding in their nuptial plans when they were on dry land. All of these chains connecting to Bucks girlfriends suggest they are helping to anchor his boat out at sea, while he is on his journey and needs a moment, but that when his water finds its level he won’t need chains or anchors - he will be in the safety of port.

The red dress is a great colour on her. it is a rusty red/orange and now I’ve been able to get a better look at this dress and I’ve seen the actual scene play out I have a few new thoughts. what I thought might be crosses is actually a looser design which looks remarkably like the graphics 911 uses for the incoming emergency calls to dispatch;

This is Bucks emergency - meeting with Natalia is a cry for help, but when you are the emergency service, you cannot call yourself for help! There is also  something in the fact that the other parts of the design on this dress look like keyholes. This is an interesting concept because Buck is looking for a key not a keyhole because he is looking for answers - a way to unlock what is inside him and move on (and through). Natalia is also a keyhole - she is seeking the answers to death - to what comes after and she is interested in Buck for that reason alone - i’m not saying she cannot develop an interest in Buck beyond that but as it stands the show hasn’t shown us her being interested in anything more than the fact that Buck died - she is the one to bring the conversation around to his death, not him.   

Flowers 

We are pausing here to go off on a little side quest into flower land!!! because the little arrangement on the table at the cafe/restaurant made me giggle!!

we have 2 pink carnations what I think is a deep purple chrysanthemum (although it could be a gerbera) sprays of babys breath purple statice

All of these flowers are very commonly associated with funerals and death.  Pink carnations symbolise gratitude while the dark pink one is also variegated with yellow - which means disappointment or disappointed hopes. the purple  chrysanthemum means sickness and is often given to those who are struggling with illness and need encouragement in their recovery and in most of Europe they are so deeply associated with death and funerals that it is considered offensive to give them to people outside of offering condolences. the babys breath means new beginnings while the purple statice means sympathy and remembrance (as an aside it also has a medicinal use - in the treatment of respiratory illnesses!!)

So all the signs both subtle and textual are telling us that Natalia isn’t going to be around for especially long as there is too much death surrounding her - even when in a setting that should be innocuous! 

Buck

The yellow ochre (at the brown end of the spectrum is very definitely a call back to not only his appointment with Dr Copeland - where he talks about hiding his true feelings from others - but it also connects with a broader theme for Buck that I’ve really only figured out because of this scene and his continued insistence on misunderstanding the assignment!!!

I know I’ve spoken at length about yellow being a colour of communication and clear thinking and its brighter shades can be symbols of joy, however I don’t think I’ve spoken enough about some of the more negative traits that can be associated with yellow - which I’ve never really felt fit the narrative before now, however seeing this episode has changed my opinion somewhat, and I am fairly certain that the show has been leaning into the negative traits for yellow ochre far more heavily than it first appeared. 

So yellow is considered the colour of communication, in part, because it is the first colour the cones of the eye can detect and so over time it has become associated with the need to convey information (such as hazzards etc), but it is also associated with communication because it was used heavily in Christian artworks on Judas - to highlight him and his betrayal - in part because it contrasts well with the blues and reds Jesus is often depicted in. If you look up Hans Holbeins ‘The last Supper’ for example you will see Judas as the only one depicted in yellow ochre. As a result yellow ochre can be associated with cowardice and fear. the brown undertones of yellow ochre can also hint at loneliness and isolation as well as stability and foundations for growth. I’ve gone back through my notes and I’ll highlight some of the key scenes where I think the dual meaning of yellow ochre is at play.

4x02 - the counselling scene with Dr Copeland 4x03 - Maddie talks to Buck after he confesses going to therapy 4x04&5 - Buck finds out about Daniel 4x14 - talking to Taylor while packing to go stay at the Diaz house          - At the hospital - the will reveal 5x03 - Buck gets home after the blackout - Taylor is on the TV 5x04 - Buck talks to Chim about Maddie being ok - ‘Its what she does” 5x14 - Equestrian therapy centre 6x11 - His trousers in the coma dream

These are most of the occasions where he has worn yellow ochre, there are a few others, but I’ve highlighted these one specifically because they tie into a key theme. Interestingly there are only two instances before the phone call with Dr Copeland in season 4. All of the ones I’ve highlighted are connected to Bucks mental state in some way and more specifically they are broadly connected with death (and Daniel). 

These are all times when Bucks mental health is in a vulnerable place - the therapy of it all is showing us Buck is not in a good place - we never really get told if covid lockdown played a part in his decision to go to therapy, or indeed how much the return of Abby played into it, but whatever his reasons, there was clearly some form of trigger, I surmise the fact that Abby returned to his life at a moment when death was surrounding them (including her fiancee being in the firing line) and I think it may have played its part. 

Finding out about Daniel is an obvious one - finding out why he’s felt like he wasn’t enough his whole life etc and how he has been walking in the shadow of death his entire life. interestingly we don’t see anymore yellow ochre in the rest of season 4 until Eddie gets shot - Death is back in Bucks life. The will reveal scene is a bit of a double ended sword on the yellow ochre front, not only does it connect to Eddies brush with death, it also links to Bucks own vulnerable mental state as well as being a moment that calls out Bucks passive suicidal tendencies by forcing him to live for someone besides himself. 

The one from 4x13 in his loft and the one from 5x03 both connect to his vulnerability - Taylor takes advantage of it in 4x13 and kisses him while in 5x03 she is absent and Buck is in a position where - after Eddie telling him he is going to take the advice Buck has given him - he is questioning his own relationship and if he is also doing the same thing to Taylor that Eddie has been doing to Ana. I genuinely think that if Maddie and Chimney hadn’t left LA in the next episode, Buck would’ve broken up with Taylor fairly quickly. As it is his support network shrinks very quickly and he clings to the one thing/person who isn’t expecting more from him and who is sticking around - even if he isn’t truly happy. 

Seeing the ochre at the equestrian therapy centre is also a moment of vulnerability for Buck - he is obviously worried about Eddie and his mental health, but it is also the first time they bring up the shooting and say something more than stating the fact that Eddie got shot. the black being dominant on that jacket is a reflection of him trying to cover up that vulnerability so he can be there for his best friend, but it is also us seeing a chink in Bucks armour around Eddie (remember the only time we’ve seen him in that colour with Eddie is in that locker room scene from 5x03).

I’m not going to go into the trousers from the coma dream in great detail, except to say that we are inside Bucks head for the whole time he is wearing those trousers so we are literally walking through all of buck fears and trauma and that may be why the yellow is on his legs rather than his top.

The graveyard scene was both interesting and loud on the costume front. You do not want to know how long I’ve spent trying to work out if this was the same jacket dyed or if it was a new jacket and I can confirm it is a new Jacket. Both Jackets are by Theory - the ochre one from last season the new one from this!!

This jacket continues the green theming we’ve seen in action for Buck this season, it is however a much darker green that we’ve seen yet and also ties in to Eddies army greens very nicely as well. The darkening of the green is actually really interesting because we’ve kind of gone from the very pale greens in 6a to the coma dream bright sagey green to this much darker olive green - its like we’ve skipped a few steps - a few shades of green. 

The army olive green of it is also aloud choice and very much intentional - it not only connects to Eddie very directly because of it being a shade we see most often on him, but it is also a nod towards the military side of things - the idea that Buck is at war (with himself) and that he’s feeling under attack - not from anyone else, but from and with himself - the no longer knowing who he is or what he wants. 

This green is not one we see on Buck very often at all in fact there are only 2 instances - the low key date with Abby in season 1 and on the couch with Chris when the firefam are at Eddies house - the I’m not really a guest scene. I tend to discount season 1′s costumes unless they are the exact same costume, because they used several designers that season and the costuming of Buck in particular was very different from season 2 onwards, so it tends to not have as much relevance. The 3x11 scene however - very telling in relation to what we’ve seen play out this season 

Eddie 

So much going on in Eddies costumes this week and repeat outfits everywhere you look. At Shannons grave we see Eddie in the same Jumper as therapy scene/ coming home to Buck. While there is very much the connection to Buck misunderstanding the assignment and the heart metaphors at play, there is another aspect to this outfit being worn again and that is his therapy session with Frank. the use of the same jumper as we see him wear in therapy is pointing out that Eddie is able to sit here at his dead wife's grave with their son and create a good experience because he has been in therapy.

I pointed it out in my mini meta, but its worth reiterating (this is literally the only vaguely decent shot of it I can get!) and notice how Eddie is very much not wearing his watch - there is no watch to be seen work or home or fancy watch!!! The lack of watch her is connected to Shannon - they have no more time - she is no longer a physical presence in their lives, in Eddies life, she is still present yes, but she no longer has any influence over Eddies time, his lack of time or indeed over Christophers time. Eddie has time, because the clock has stopped. This tells us Eddie has moved on and is at peace with Shannon now and that he has got past his anger etc, that he is in a good place with that aspect of his trauma and can look at things with a happier eye. 

Talking on phone to his mom when we find out about the earth day field trip. we get Eddie wearing the same jacket he wore to Hens leaving the 118 party. Again Eddies watch is prominent here - in fact Eddies watch is prominent in every scene he has except for the two scenes at the graves of Shannon and Marie. 

Having him in the same jacket as this one;

while putting him in a black shirt that connects him to Shannons death is a choice!! 

I have spent a lot of time while writing this meta trying to figure out why this shirt looks so familiar to me - I haven’t succeeded - it isn’t one we’ve seen Eddie wear before, but it is an interesting choice for him. its this greenish grey colour and has echoes of some of the clothes we saw him in during 5b, but it also has echoes of Buck in 5b - wearing a lot of grey with black. This is relevant because we saw Buck supporting Eddie during his recovery and this scene at Maries grave would appear to be the opening overtures of Eddie providing the same for Buck - now that he has seen more deeply into what is going on with Buck. in the same way that the Kitchen scene in 6x12 echoed the kitchen scene in 5x11 when Buck saw that Eddie wasn’t actually happy or in a good place, this scene in the graveyard has echoes of Buck being there in the immediate aftermath of Eddies breakdown.

Its not the exact same jacket, but I think its close enough that we can draw a comparison between the scenes because the black leather jacket Eddie wears here when Buck talks about Natalia seeing him is incredibly similar to the one Eddie wears to Bobbys in 5x18 - when he tells Bobby that he saved bot hEddie and Chris. That bobby saw him and provided Eddie what he needed, even if Eddie wasn’t necessarily welcoming it with open arms at the time - implying that Eddie will potentially do the same for Buck now - Buck may not be completely open to Bucks help in this moment - distracted as he is thinking Natalia has the answers, but that Eddie will provide support etc anyway.

The jacket is in fact the very same one Eddie wears when we see him at Bucks bedside for the one and only time - it is his widows weeds suede jacket. the moment we see how broken Eddie is over Bucks death and resurrection. The same jacket being worn a couple of episodes later when we have them at a grave side talking about dying alone and being seen by people is a really interesting parallel to draw. there is something in the fact that we see it here in this scene - when Buck is talking about being seen and when coma Buck didn’t see Eddie - in his coma dream or at his bedside in the land of the living. Buck felt/saw everyone else’s presence during his coma - he knew about Bobbys rosary beads and we hear Athenas voice from the real world echo in the coma as well as Christophers voice guiding Buck to the hospital. 

But Eddie was missing from it all - in Bucks eyes and mind. We the audience of course know that Eddie was present and that he was broken over it, we know that his lack of presence was far louder than if he had been more present in the episode. Bucks subconscious however doesn’t know that. He knows that Eddie cares for him, that he is his best friend etc but Buck exploring why Eddie wasn’t there in the dream beyond a conversation with Hen and Chim about what happened to him without Bucks presence is not something he is ready to look at yet. so we have a deeply traumatised Buck searching for answers without the tools to do so and therefore looking in the wrong places while we have an Eddie realising that Buck is different, but that he himself is also different and needing to mourn the fact that things have changed. 

This isn’t about him having his heart broken in a romantic sense, this is him having an epiphany about time and making the most of it. It is about him needing to mourn the fact that he has been changed by Bucks death and reconcile with himself so that he can move forward, so that he can be there fore Buck as Buck was for him. 

I will be forever obsessed with the choice to have Eddie wear the exact same henley in this episode as in 6x07 and 6x13. A scene showing Eddie missing his family and choosing to make time and go home to Texas to see them in the aftermath of seeing Buck make another self destructive choice which will probably end in failure. Connected to a scene where Eddie is talking about his Abuela being taken advantage of to the point of losing almost everything and to a scene where we can not only see the Buckley-Diaz family in full swing, but also see Christopher trying to take advantage of Bucks math skills and failing and the foreshadowing for the poker hustle which also isn’t as successful as Eddie had planned, and which he mentions in the previous scene at Maries grave - choices were made! 

Chris

At Shannon’s grave we get a rare sighting of Chris in a jacket!! The denim jacket is both a connection with Texas and with Eddie, but it is also a connection with Shannon and Shannon‘s death.  Thanks @theladyyavilee  for pointing this out to me, but Chris is wearing a denim shirt of a similar colour when Eddie told Christopher that Shannon had died. 

Denim jackets are culturally tied to westerns, cowboys and to Texas. Christopher wearing one here would appear to be a visual way of tying him to the childhood he had with his mother - backing up the conversation about making s'mores with her when he was younger. The fact that Chris is wearing a denim jacket connected to Shannon and her death over the top of a jumper which is connected to Buck and the moment Buck saved his father is an interesting connection and piece of layering to me.

The hoodie is white and grey striped - the horizontal version of Buck shirt from the shooting. this is suggesting two things to me - one it is connecting Chris directly to the fact he nearly lost both parents - sitting at the grave of one parent while wearing something that echoes an outfit from the moment he could've lost a second parent. I also think there is something in the connection to Buck specifically in this - its directly connected to the will and that Chris has a third parent - I can't wait to see if I'm just clowning hard, or if the change the stripes Chris is wearing are foreshadowing some connection to the will! 

We can't not talk about the fact the striped hoodie actually plays on several fronts not just the Buck connection! Stripes according to my theory are all about change incoming - the theory hasn't yet been disproven by the wardrobe department and I get the feeling that here is no different. The idea that a change is coming in Christophers life is one that has been hovering around for the whole season and the narrowing of the stripes would suggest that change is getting closer. The stripes have been telling us, but so it would appear are the little surfing skeletons on his tee at the end of the previous episode along with a proliferation of water and surf theming surrounding Christopher. I’m at the point now where I think Bucks water might find its level when Chris is in danger - it will be the wake up he needs to sort himself out and get his head out of his ass!!

Then we are onto the shoes. I know its almost impossible to see from the scene, but I am nothing if not determined so after a lot of zooming and messing around with the image levels and a bit of googling, I am pretty sure that these are the shoes Christopher is wearing;

If they aren’t foreshadowing Chris in danger in connection with water after all of the other water and surfing related clothing we’ve seen him in recently I don’t know what to tell you. 

Space theme surrounding Chris retuning to me from the wilderness in the form of a backpack - you have no idea how happy this made me. We haven’t seen Chris wearing anything space themed since 4x08 - in the scene with Buck when he ran away from home after Eddie told him about Ana. We have seen a backpack - a Star wars backpack in season 5 however we never actually see him holding it, it is always Eddie - and the space theme remains in his bedroom (the little we’ve seen of it). To me the star wars backpack was connected to Eddies mental health because he was at war with himself which is why we never see Chris in contact with that bag. The space theming is so closely entwined with Buck and Eddie, no one else and because there is so much blue in Bucks costume choices this season, to have Chris holding a space themed backpack that is blue is an interesting choice. The back pack is one that shows galaxies and very much represents the universe, but we have also seen Buck to be very entwined in Christophers school life this season - helping with homework, baking cookies etc. so it really isn’t that much of a leap to connect the backpack to Buck - giving him a presence in a scene that is connected to Christopher heading out for some school activity it is continuing the universe theme and continuing to Connect Buck to the Diaz boys - in a subtle way which gives him presence in their lives even in his absence. In an episode that is so strongly connected to Shannon, her continued presence in their lives even in her eternal absence, its a clear choice. 

The jumper with its three bands of colour is also intriguing me. there is something in the idea that it connects into the 3 theme we’ve had all season, but there is also something in the idea that the three bands represent the three people who are having the most influence on who Christopher is growing up to be  - Shannon - white as she is not of this world any longer and was the first parent Chris spent time with - Buck - Blue - in part becasue of the blue theming around him tis season, but also because it is next to the white - and therefore suggests the idea of the batton being handed over  - Eddie - the yellow ochre which is much closer to the brown we see Eddie in so much - Eddie is the earth from which Chris grows, it its the brightest colour on the jumper and suggests the brightest and biggest presence in his life.

The jumper in these colours also suggests the three elements of earth water and air, themes we’ve seen in play throughout this season - the blimp being the air (and an episode coming up called love is in the air), Buck being in the air when he gets hit by the lightning, the water theme has been there all season long in various forms, not least the pictures on the Diaz house walls and all the water connected themes on Christophers clothes, and there have been several episodes that have shown us Buck and Eddie digging - the slingshot tree call and the father hit by lightning in the sand are the two main ones. 

Chris sleeping away on the sofa in his stripey top while covered in a check pattern blanket just continues the theme of Chris and change incoming, as well as the threat of danger. For me the fact that we seem to see so much of Christopher in stripes in connection with Buck in some way - implies that the change that is coming is in relation to Buck and the fact that these stripes are being worn on the sofa where we have Chris mimicking Bucks sleeping position on the couch wearing a shade of sea-foam green (which means revitalisation and enlightenment) that also seems to be connecting to Buck - after we saw him in a striped top that echoed Bucks white striped shirt - its all making my eyes stand out on stalks. 

Honestly if you have made it to the end of this epic then I don’t know what to say other than I love you form the bottom of my heart. Its a bit of a beast. Will this show and its wardrobe department ever give me a minute to breathe?? Probably not and thats why we love it!! I’m off to sleep for a million years and send some prayers to the tumblr gods that next weeks meta is n’t such a challenge to upload!

As always, tag list below! Until the next episode! 💜💜💜

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