#but I want to come off as friendly!! I want friends!!

[sodaabaa]

shadows and spirits, part one

azriel x reader reader is azriel's mate but she hasn't accepted the bond yet due to her fear of azriel himself.

tw: slightly nsfw, brief mentions of illyrian misogyny, suggestions of edging and arousal

Bells rang as the door to the bar opened, signaling the arrival of the day’s first customers – or so Y/N thought. She walked to the bar counter, leaving behind the half opened crates of newly shipped wines and spirits. She’d deal with those later. 

“Y/N! How’s my favorite bartender?” Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court walked in with his arms raised and a friendly, welcoming smile on his face. 

She fought the urge to smile at the sight of her friend, “I’m only your favorite because I give you discounts and secrets,” she whispered the last part as he approached.

Y/N ran one of the most popular bars in Velaris, being a favored spot for many because of its proximity to the Sidra River and the spectacular view it offered (and of course, the variety of top-shelf liquor favored by Rhysand himself). Y/N knew everyone and anyone that frequented her bar. She often provided a shoulder to cry on and a few shots of tequila to mend broken hearts. Because of this, she gathered vast amounts of information from the citizens of the beautiful city and when needed, she reported back to Rhys. 

Rhys smiled, leaning his elbows on the counter. She swatted at him with a towel, “I just cleaned that.” Rhys chuckled but didn’t remove himself from the dark wood counter.

She opened her mouth to ask Rhys why he was here when something pricked at the back of her neck. Her eyes darted to the man trailing behind Rhys like a shadow, and then back to the High Lord. She stood a little taller, back straightening as she steeled herself. 

“Here on business, I guess?” She asked him. His smile faded as he nodded. She poured herself and the High Lord a drink to avoid any more eye contact with the man who’d just entered. They clinked their glasses and downed their drinks. With a sigh, Rhys pulled something out of his back pocket.

“Have you seen these men?” He placed a few pictures on the counter and waited for Y/N to recognize them. 

“I may have seen them, they look familiar. I can ask the girls, maybe they’d have more luck identifying them,” she replied. 

Rhys nodded, “Alright, be on the lookout for these guys. They’ve been stirring up some trouble and I’m gonna need to put an end to that before it gets worse.” “Are they Illyrian?” “Unfortunately,” Rhys replied with a sigh.

“I’ll keep an eye out for them,” she gave him a curt nod. 

“Take care, Y/N,” and with that, Rhys turned to leave. Azriel on the other hand, stayed behind. Y/N quickly busied herself with wiping down the counter and tidying up in hopes he’d get the signal and leave.

“You can’t avoid this forever, Y/N,” he finally broke the silence, his voice deep and flat – it rumbled through her, causing the hairs on her arms to raise. 

She threw the towel onto the counter, “Watch me,” she spat back. Big mistake. His hazel eyes darkened, shadows coming to life around him; twisting and flaring with an emotion she couldn’t decipher. He exhaled, silently making his way out the same door he arrived in. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“You could at least try being less hostile towards him, the poor man is in a constant state of sulking these days,” Feyre said as she swirled the glass of ruby-colored wine in her hands.

Y/N rolled her eyes at her friend’s attempt at getting her to talk to Azriel. Feyre frequently visited the bar since it was closeby to her art studio. The two had hit it off quickly, becoming close friends and bonding over art, music, and men. Feyre had found out about Y/N’s mating bond issue and because she was biased (being friends with Azriel), she constantly pestered Y/N about it. 

“Feyre, I already told you. I don’t want anything to do with Illyrians – they’re possessive, violent, and they view women as breeding machines,” she looked at the High Lady, “and I mean this with all due respect to Rhys, I don’t want to be mated to an Illyrian.” 

“He’s really a big softie, I promise. Just get to know him, he has the same complaints about Illyrians as you do!” Of course she would defend him, they’d been close friends ever since Feyre first arrived at the Night Court. But she overlooked the innate instincts of the warrior species. 

Y/N sighed. She tried to repress the memories of her parents – her mother, like Y/N, was mated to an Illyrian. She knew the culture they were raised in, the way they looked down on women, the violence they were accustomed to. To top it all off, Azriel was the Spymaster of the Night Court – the rumors about his cruelty and power were enough to keep Y/N away from him in fear. Luckily, she knew he’d stay away until she accepted the bond.

“I somehow doubt a man who tortures people for a living could be a 'big softie',” she replied with a scoff. 

Feyre sighed, “He doesn’t hurt the innocent – in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him hurt a fly even,” she took Y/N hands in hers, “He’s a good man, Y/N. Give him a chance.” 

Y/N huffed, “I’ll think about it.” 

Feyre squealed, an uncharacteristic sound for a High Lady to make, and pulled Y/N in for a hug. 

“You won’t regret this!” 

I somehow doubt that, she thought to herself.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As the sun began to set, the bar came alive with people ready to unwind after a long day of work. The air hummed with laughter and conversation, glasses clinking in the air while soft melodies floated about. Y/N looked around the bar for the men Rhys was looking for, taking in the lively atmosphere – a jolt of pride running through her as she surveyed the place she built up from the bottom.

Despite the bustling noise of the bar, she felt that damned prickle on the back of her neck, her eyes catching on the shadows in the corner. He did this every so often – lurked in the corners, watching her. She rolled her eyes, returning to the customers at the counter asking for drinks. 

“Hey sweetie, give us a smile!” One of her unfortunately regular customers called out. He leaned forward, trying to get in Y/N’s way.

“Find someone else to bother tonight, Devon,” she replied, topping his glass with more liquor avoiding eye contact with the sleazy man who constantly vyed for her attention. 

“Oh, but I wanna bother you,” his hand grabbed hers. 

“Devon, I’m really not in the mood for your bullshit tonight, let go,” She said as she tried wriggling her wrist out of his grip. The nuisance of a customer pulled her closer but stopped in his tracks, abruptly letting her hand go and backing away from the bar. He all but scurried away and Y/N sighed. She knew there was only one man who could make people shit their pants in fear like that. 

“You could’ve at least let him pay before he left,” She said without even bothering to turn around as she picked up the abandoned glass of whiskey.

The man behind her dramatically placed a few coins on the counter. She braced herself for the brooding face and shadows as she turned around. She glared up at him, the height difference between them all the more prominent as he stood not even a foot away.

“Stop sending Feyre to do the dirty work of convincing me to accept the bond,” she tried to sound intimidating – or at least serious but she found it difficult when faced with his presence, it consumed all of her confidence and left her feeling small, defenseless against the Spymaster.

“I didn’t send her,” he replied rather monotonous but she could see the tinge of amusement on his face at the sight of her trying to put up a confident front.

“Well if you’re done playing savior, can I get back to work?” 

“Would it kill you to say 'thank you?'” He blocked her from passing by with his aggravatingly large obsidian wings. 

She put her hands on her hips and mustered up all the vitriol she could, “Yes, actually, it would. Now get out of my way before I kick you out.” 

He let out a breathy laugh, a laugh. Y/N, now fuming at the man before her, shoved him in the chest, knowing it wouldn’t amount to much but it helped relieve her annoyance.

This time, he chuckled, a sound that resonated through her, only serving to fuel the fire that was Y/N’s anger. She grabbed one of the soda guns under the counter and aimed it at the nuisance before her. His brows lifted in surprise and he lifted his hands in a mock surrender. Her eyes fell to his scarred hands and her stomach dropped as her hands gripped the soda gun tighter.

“Alright, alright,” he conceded, “I’ll be around.” With that, he returned to the shadows and Y/N let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

At the end of the night, the final few customers stumbled their way out of the bar and Y/N took a seat at one of the tables, exhausted from the day’s work. She poured herself a drink, relishing in the quiet – though her relief was short lived when she sensed the shadows in the corners. She squinted, grabbing a towel from her apron and threw it at the corner. He caught it, revealing himself from the shadows. 

“If you wanna lurk here after hours, the least you could do is help me clean up.” Amusement once again danced over his dark features. No doubt thinking about all the ways he’d make her pay for her rude behavior. He didn’t say anything as he started wiping down the tables, eyes occasionally finding their way back to Y/N, shadows brushing her skin when she walked past him.

They cleaned in silence, Y/N taking a mop to the floors while Azriel put up the chairs and collected stray items off the tables. Something clicked in her then, she felt almost at ease with his presence. Almost. 

“Do you know what happens when accepting the mating bond is delayed?” He said, breaking the silence.

She looked at him from across the room as he put up the last few chairs.

“What happens?”

His eyes darkened, narrowing at her, “There are reports of males being unable to stop themselves from taking their mate, over and over," he paused, giving her a moment to process, "I like to think I have more restraint than my dimwitted brothers but even I cannot control nature,” his voice was dangerously low as he spoke. It made Y/N stomach flutter in ways she couldn’t contain. Her skin prickled as she took in his words. Her chest rising and falling in an unsteady rhythm, suddenly realizing she was at a crossroads. 

She’d been putting off accepting the bond for years now. They had first met at the grand opening of the bar. Rhys had come to congratulate her and survey the bar and of course, he had brought the inner circle. They became her first customers. A feeling of dread welled in her stomach when she first laid eyes on Azriel and somehow she knew it was him, her mate. She cursed the Cauldron for pairing her with the deadliest Illyrian in Prythian. 

“You won’t be able to delay it forever, Y/N,” he stalked closer to her, massive wings dragging behind him, a predator approaching its prey.

She took a step back, stumbling into the table behind her and she flinched. He smirked at her clumsiness. 

“Eventually, you’ll feel it. The primal, unavoidable need. The raw desire,” he drawled. 

She swallowed, looking up at the man who now stood too close to her for comfort. She leaned back, her weight shifted to her hands gripping the table behind her to put as much distance between them as she could. He only looked down at her, his intense gaze raking over her body, sensing her fear. He leaned down, she could feel his breath tickle her ear as he said, “That’s not fear, Y/N. It’s arousal.” Her breath got caught in her throat at the show of his abilities. He straightened and stepped back, giving her room to breathe. 

“Good night, mate.” 

He disappeared into the night, leaving her dazed and flustered.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Y/N entered the bar, grumbling at Daisy, one of the bartenders, as she passed by the bubbly girl.

“Woah, what’s got you all crabby this morning?” She glared at Daisy, prompting her to find some task to tend to as Y/N slouched on the counter. She couldn’t get a wink of sleep the last few nights. Azriel’s words echoed in her mind, keeping her up.

It’s not fear, it’s arousal. 

After he left the bar that night, she found herself almost constantly in an aggravating state of arousal. Despite this, she couldn’t find any relief no matter what she did. She tried pleasing herself but when all she could think about was Azriel and his dominating presence, she decided to erase the memory of him through a string of one night stands. To her utter dismay, none of it worked. It nearly drove her mad. She hadn’t seen Azriel in the past few weeks since that night and she realized he was giving her space on purpose, to heighten her need to see him again. Asshole, she thought.

She poured herself a drink, hoping it’d dull the throbbing in her head (and in other places she deigned to acknowledge). 

“Day drinking? Is there something bothering you, Y/N?” 

Great. As if the day couldn’t get any better.

The velvety, deep voice rang through her, causing damned butterflies in her stomach. He stood before her, dressed in his fighting leathers, blue siphons pulsing with power. He gave her a knowing smirk.

“I can’t deal with this today,” she said as she walked off.

“You could give in, you know. It would provide you with the much needed relief you’re so desperately trying to seek,” he taunted.

“No thanks, there’s bound to be some half witted man that can satisfy me plenty,” she shot back.

The shadows around him flared, reaching out towards her but not quite touching her. Azriel’s eyes were dark. Maybe it was stupid of Y/N to taunt him, dangerous even, but she'd spent the last few days in sleepless agony because of him. He could suck it.

“Aw, is the big bad Spymaster jealous?” She teased.

“Don’t play games with me, Y/N.” She walked back over to him, lifting her chin in defiance. 

“Or what? We both know you won’t touch me until I accept the bond.” 

He smirked, “You will accept the bond. And when you do, you are going to be at my mercy. Begging for relief,” he gripped her chin with a hand, sending a chill down her spine, “And I’ll take that as an opportunity to remind you of your obstinance.” 

“I bet you’re just as pent up as I am. It gives me peace knowing you can only find relief with me. Maybe it’ll give me the strength I need to continue denying you.” 

He let out a breathy laugh, “I have centuries of experience on you, little girl.” 

Her stomach dropped at the degrading title. The reminder of his age dawned on her. He fought in the first war against Hybern, Y/N hadn’t even been born then. She was a mere century and half to his five centuries. 

“Cat’s got your tongue?” He taunted with a smile.

She shoved him off in a sudden movement. Grateful to be away from him. 

“Fine, I’ll give you some room to breathe. Cauldron knows you’ll be needing it.” 

He left as fast as he had appeared, once again leaving Y/N off-centered for the rest of the day. What have I gotten myself into?

[jgracie]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ PJO/HOO BOYS + TROPES

masterlist | rules

pairings percy jackson, jason grace, leo valdez, frank zhang & travis stoll x reader

warnings none!

on the radio the cheesiest love song you could think of

an wanted to post something this is what i came up with

percy ⊹ she fell first, he fell harder

in camp half blood, having a crush on percy jackson is seen as both a blessing and a curse. a blessing because he’s the perfect guy - he’s cute, respectful, charming, funny, and so much more! however, he is also a gold rush. everyone likes percy, how could you possibly get a chance with him? it’d be better for you to move on and find someone less popular in the love department. despite all the warnings you receive, you can’t stop liking him and, well, it seems aphrodite commends your commitment towards the son of poseidon! for all of a sudden, all he can think about is the way your eyes shine in the sun and how your laugh rivals any song on the radio. it doesn’t hit percy how much he likes you until he’s replaying a brief interaction he had with you from three weeks ago instead of sleeping. as the realisation slowly sinks in, percy smiles. not only did he fall, but he fell hard

jason ⊹ everyone can see it but you two

everyone who knows you and jason knows that the two of you come as a package deal - wherever you go, jason follows and vice versa. you would go to tartarus and back to ensure jason’s happiness, and he would do the same for you! classic best friend behaviour, right? it’s totally normal to cuddle your best friends to sleep, right? you’re allowed to look at jason’s biceps as he trains in a friendly way, right? you just admire his strength, nothing more, nothing less! he stares at your parted lips as you suck air into your lungs after a particularly hard day of training, but that’s just because you’re his best friend and he thinks you’re gorgeous in a friendly way! your other friends are all just overthinking it, you and jason definitely have a typical best friend relationship with strictly platonic feelings… right?

leo ⊹ brother’s best friend

the one rule your brother drilled into you your whole life was that while you could date whoever you wanted, his friends were strictly off limits. you’d abided with no issues whatsoever, all of his friends weren’t your type anyway, and it’d be so awkward dating someone who already has a lot of history with your brother (especially if you break up later on)! if all of that is true, why’s your heart desperately yearning for a certain mechanic by the name of leo valdez? and why does it feel like he yearns for you, too? the universe seems to have laid out the perfect romance, so naturally, you seize the opportunity and express your gratitude. all you have to do is explain the situation to your brother, who would be furious… oh well, you might as well hide your relationship while you think about how to tell him - it’s not like he notices the sneaky touches leo gives you when he’s ‘not looking’

frank ⊹ childhood friends to strangers to lovers

when frank had disappeared all those years ago, you were devastated. how could your sweet frankie, the boy who lived right next door, the boy who’d play house with you and kiss the bruises on your knees in hopes they’d heal quicker, leave you without saying a word? no matter how much time passed, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. time did not heal the wound frank left right in the middle of your heart. it wasn’t until you discovered you’re a demigod and were taken to some place called camp half blood that you’d run into frank once more. now, he was known as praetor frank zhang: son of mars, legacy of poseidon. despite all the fancy titles and duties, your frankie didn’t change, and as the two of you grew closer and closer, you couldn’t help but feel something more than platonic love for the boy next door

travis ⊹ fake dating

you wanted to make your ex jealous, travis wanted to get his crush to finally realize she likes him. what better way to achieve both goals than by fake dating each other? the two of you already got along pretty well as friends, so pretending to date each other wouldn’t be questionable or hard! all you had to do was be a little more touchy than you already are for a month or two, then, once your ex wants you back and he gets the girl of his dreams, you ‘break up’ and move on. however, you can’t help but feel jealousy yourself whenever travis talks about this girl - what’s so special about her anyway? what does she have that you don’t? similarly, travis always gets annoyed whenever your ex is brought up, you should be with someone much better! (someone like him, maybe?) when the two of you finally get exactly what you wished for, you can’t help but feel a little reluctant to break up, even though your relationship was never real to begin with

[formulawolff]

✧˖° golden girl & her star boys ✧˖°

hello everyone! ♡

as part of the alkaline series, i felt that this was necessary. i’m going to give a little bit of background on the readers’ relationships with the other drivers on the grid! (i also just love to yap. that’s the real reason!)

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

✧˖° williams ✧˖°

alex albon — one of her best friends and teammate. basically like her older brother who is constantly giving unwanted advice. they banter and argue CONSTANTLY. however, she deeply appreciates his ability to be 10000% honest with her at all times. she’s definitely cried on his shoulder numerous times.

he was the first person to accept her to the f1 scene with open arms. he is constantly defending her name and likeness to the media. although he won’t admit it directly, he has a deep respect and love (sibling sort of love!) for her. he wouldn’t want anyone else to be driving alongside him at williams.

✧˖° mercedes ✧˖°

lewis hamilton — they are friendly with one another, but not super close. lewis is super friendly and inviting, she is just a little intimidated by him. he has this powerful aura, and since he’s always been one of her role models, she has a hard time approaching him. the conversations they have had, she’s always been grateful for his encouragement and advice.

sometimes he will make fun of her for being so “american.” (lots of yeehaw, stereotypical jokes about the u.s.) she laughs it off though, usually countering back with her witty humor.

george russell — as we know… these two do not get along. he’s polite, but does not necessarily enjoy her bold and brash personality. he thinks that she’s a little “too much” at times, especially with how opinionated she is on social media. lewis has to often remind him that he needs to be friendlier, considering her contract is up at the end of the 2024 season. and he knows toto is scouting for a new driver, so she may be potential option.

begrudgingly, george will sometimes compliment her. it’s not super nice or over the top, but they are compliments!

✧˖° red bull ✧˖°

max verstappen — he adores her! he has a ton of admiration and respect for her, often complimenting her techniques or good laps. they are somewhat close, checking in with one another during breaks. he is also protective of her likeness, often reminding journalists that her gender doesn’t matter. she’s a worthy competitor and an exceptional driver. (since you know, she’s a contender for the champion slot but we won’t address that yet!) they often do interviews together with the other guys!

he thinks her american slang, accent, and mannerisms are cute. he has a slight crush but is also somewhat scared of her. it leaves him feeling confused yet bewildered at times.

sergio perez — the two are friendly. sort of like coworkers who work in different departments but are cordial with one another. since she’s so young, checo thinks that she has a lot to learn. he does offer advice, but not often. he does believe that she is a talented driver and deserves her spot on the grid. he is well aware of max’s little crush and teases him relentlessly for it.

✧˖° mclaren ✧˖°

lando norris — one of the besties! he’ll often ask her to come on to his livestreams with him during breaks or the offseason. they snap one another frequently, often using the weird and funny filters. he loves to hear about her perspective on the f1 world, considering her position as the first american female driver. they’ve met up a few times between races to hang out or he’ll bring her and alex food to the paddock. he knows that she loves peeled apple slices so sometimes he’ll bring some to her the morning of race day.

he is a firm believer that she’s going to be a first female world champion in the next few years.

oscar piastri — another one of the besties! they’re close but not as close as reader & lando. he also enjoys hearing her perspective on everything f1 related. he’ll tag along with lando quite often to bring food, snacks, and drinks to the paddocks or hang outs. one of the first few drivers on the grid to approach and befriend her. (he couldn’t help but notice how anxious she looked, and he wanted to give her some comfort)

✧˖° ferrari ✧˖°

carlos sainz — one of the besties! is very willing to do funny bits for social media with her, no matter what it entails. he enjoys her fiery personality and her ability to stand up for what she believes in. he’ll often join her, lando, oscar, and charles for hangouts between races. sometimes he’ll list her as an emergency contact because he knows how much she’s on her phone. he teaches her spanish from time to time, just the basics so that she can get by when they’re traveling. (although sometimes he’ll tell her the wrong things on purpose, just because it’s hilarious)

charles leclerc — one of the besties! he will often join her and lando on livestreams, especially if they’re sim racing. he’s very competitive with her and tries to beat her in every game possible. he loves when she helps him with english, as he often has troubles with the language. he is fascinated by the idea of texas roadhouse, and wants to go to one with her, carlos, lando, and oscar sometime. additionally, she’s the first one he goes to when he needs help understanding a specific social media trend. or help buying gifts for his girlfriend.

✧˖° aston martin ✧˖°

fernando alonso — endearingly refers to himself as her padre. loves to tease her about anything and everything, in the way a father would to his daughter. they have lengthy discussions over a variety of topics, ranging from opera music to what they had for breakfast that morning. she has a deeply rooted admiration for him, and views him as a role model.

lance stroll — one of the besties, but not as much as lando or oscar. they’re very friendly to one another, lance’s father often asking her if she wants to reconsider williams and join aston martin in 2025. she usually says smiles and says no, much to his father’s dismay.

✧˖° alpine ✧˖°

esteban ocon — the two do not really speak a whole lot, but they’re friendly and polite! like many of the other drivers, he enjoys seeing a new face and getting to know her!

pierre gasly — very friendly with one another! he enjoys having a fresh new face to the grid, and a new perspective that comes along with it. he’ll often taunt her in french, laughing when she gets frustrated that she can’t understand what he’s saying. he’ll compliment her when she has a good lap or a great race. he respects her boldness and how she is not willing to let the press paint her as someone she’s not.

✧˖° haas ✧˖°

nico hulkenberg — they do not really speak, unless it’s at an event or something press related. she does respect his seniority over the younger drivers! additionally, he respects her and wishes her well before races.

kevin magnussen — a similar situation to nico! they do speak to one another from time to time, often chirping greetings in the morning. he does tease her for really only knowing english, telling her that she needs to “hop on that owl app or something.”

✧˖° alphatauri ✧˖°

daniel ricciardo — the mf bestie. this man knows a little too much about her. besides alex, he was one of the first people to welcome her to the grid with open arms. when he was the third driver for redbull in 2023, he found himself bored often. so, he would wander into the williams paddock, searching for her. since they have a very similar sense of humor, they feed off one another, often laughing so hard they have tears in their eyes. they were often attached to the hip throughout 2023, james having to shoo daniel away at times.

during breaks or at night, daniel would often find himself in her williams motorhome, snuggling or eating food together. they would often pair up to do press events, conduct livestreams, special events, or bits together. due to their close nature, rumors and speculation made their rounds across social media.

daniel deeply respects and admires her, finding her unapologetic nature extremely attractive. additionally, he just found her to be his go-to person, for anything. she was his comfort when he found himself missing racing.

at the end of the 2023 season, daniel found himself in a predicament, as he was falling in love with her. however, as time progressed, and as he signed with alphatauri, he realized that their lifestyle would not provide them a happy and stable relationship. so after her win in jeddah, he knew he had to face the facts and tell her how he felt.

things are a little weird now, but he wants to rekindle their friendship, hoping things will return to the way they once were.

yuki tsunoda — since the two have very similar personalities, they often find it hard to be in the same room together for long periods of time. however, they are polite and cordial to one another. they will tease one another at times, and she does follow him on social media.

✧˖° kick sauber ✧˖°

valtteri bottas — they do not really speak. when they do, it’s really only at the beginning of the season for press related events. she does respect his seniority, and loves hearing his stories of his time at mercedes with lewis.

zhou guanyu — they do not really speak. it’s a similar situation like valtteri. they do bond over being relatively new to the f1 world. she also loves the pictures he shares of his cat.

[avonne-writes]

A quick birthday drabble for @swifty-fox 🩷🎂 Happy birthday, dear!

Here's Chick Harding's POV, picking up from the end of my latest HS AU chapter. It’s Gale's 18th birthday 😊

When Georgia said she was going to go get the birthday cake they ordered for Gale, Neil thought she'd be back in half an hour. But it's been two hours and there's still no sign of her. As he predicted, the boys didn’t really need any distraction at first, but when he hears the sound of them coming down from upstairs, he knows that time's up. He’s gonna have to cover for Georgia or spoil the surprise. From his seat in the old armchair, he increases the volume of the soccer game he’s watching and pretends to be engrossed in it. He hopes that it catches their attention instead of the empty driveway.

As they approach, he hears them rib each other about one of those video games they play online with their friends, then Bucky throws himself down on one end of the sofa, Gale on the other. Bucky stretches his lanky limbs wide and yawns.

"Chelsea-Arsenal?" He says before he has even closed his mouth. "Ugh, that was one shitty game. Look at that corner. Did he wanna shoot a pigeon or something?"

Neil chuckles. He loves that Bucky has no filter whatsoever when he's comfortable, and it fills him with warmth that they are close enough now to share mundane moments like this. It feels like belonging. He feels blessed that he took his chance and asked Georgia out that hazy summer day one and a half years ago. Every day with her and her family has been a gift so far. Even the hard ones.

At the thought, he glances over at Gale, who's staring out the window instead of watching the game. His legs are curled up under him. On the opposite end, Bucky swings his own up on the cushions to sprawl sideways on the couch. He’s too long to fit, but instead of settling down with his knees pulled up, he starts kneading at Gale’s thigh with his feet. Gale ignores him. How, Neil can’t fathom, but the boy looks like he’s so used to that kind of behaviour that it doesn't even register to him.

"Where's Georgia?" He asks Neil after a moment.

There’s an edge to his voice that Neil can’t place, something anxious. Always so hard to read. Neil wishes he could just comfort him with a hug, a friendly clap on the back or a terrible soccer game rerun, but Gale continues to be unreceptive to him. It makes sense, he thinks, stomping down on the anger rising in his chest as he thinks of Gale's father. Gale doesn’t know, but he and Neil had an altercation after they moved Gale out. But Neil can be intimidating if he wants to be. He doubts that the alcoholic bastard is going to cause them trouble again.

"Getting some groceries." Neil lies smoothly.

Bucky groans. "What groceries? Fridge is chock full already, there's nowhere to put it."

"Damned if I know, boy." Neil spreads his hands, faking indifference. It works seamlessly on Bucky, but a hint of sadness appears on Gale’s blank face.

"I would've gone with her if I'd known."

No wonder that Georgia asked Neil to cover for her. She must have known that Gale would want to spend time with her today and to help out wherever he can.

Neil opens his mouth to say something but Bucky beats him to it. "I can take you to Walmart if you want."

Amusement tugs Gale's lips into a smile. "Walmart?"

"Anywhere you want." Bucky straightens his legs to plop them on Gale’s lap. He scratches his chest. "See? Chivalry isn’t dead."

Gale's smile widens, digging into the apples of his cheeks. He shoves Bucky's legs off.

To Neil's relief, the sound of tires rolling on the driveway and a purring engine interrupt the conversation. Finally! She's back, and Neil hasn't fucked up and ruined the surprise yet. He pushes himself up from his seat and stretches, cracking his spine. Bucky yawns again, then gets up to walk off towards the front door with resignation, expecting bag upon bag of food that he’ll have to haul in from the car. Neil is about to follow him when he hears Gale's tentative voice.

"Neil?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

He can count the number of times Gale addressed him directly on one hand. He turns to look at him curiously. Gale is taller than him, but he looks small as he smooths a hand over his long hair in discomfort.

"I was wondering..." Gale clears his throat, then stands up straight and looks Neil in the eye. "...if you knew any part-time jobs you could recommend. Maybe at a garage? Or something. I can learn anything."

Neil hums, impressed. "I'm sure we can find something." An idea occurs to him. "You’re good with spreadsheets, aren't you?"

When Gale nods, he grins. "I think I have just the thing for you."

That draws a smile to Gale's lips too.

The front door opens, and first Bucky, then Georgia walks in, twin grins on their faces, eyes squinting in their joy. Her auburn hair looks windswept, tumbling over her knitted green scarf, and her cheeks are flushed from the cold. Neil wants to sweep her into his arms and kiss her skin warm again, wants to hear her laugh against his chest.

But he’s not the one getting hugs and kisses today. It's not his day, and he doesn’t mind it one bit, because he gets to see Gale's expression shift from curiosity to surprise, then joy as he spots the box Georgia carries carefully to the kitchen. She sets it down on the table and opens the carton to reveal Gale's cake. It’s covered in fondant decorations shaped like his favourite things, and cursive letters wish him a happy birthday in the middle of it.

"Oh." He says when he sees it, then looks up at her.

Neil can’t see his expression but he sees hers crumple for a moment as she pulls him into a hug and kisses the side of his face. She closes her eyes as she holds him close.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Gale mumbles a thank you into her shoulder.

After a moment, Bucky steps closer too and wraps his long arms around them both. That makes them all laugh. For a second, Neil feels out of place, but they pull back from the embrace, and the next thing Georgia does is drawing Neil into one too. She smells like the sweetest flowers and fresh winter air, like Christmas and home. To Neil, she's all that and more.

She gives him a sheepish smile when she steps back. "How did you know I was going to get groceries too?"

[dehydrated-turtle]

//warnings// smut, nsfw, 16+

//contents// trans reader x dick grayson, masturbation, one bed, transmasc reader

//synopsis// You, a detective are working with your long time friend, Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing on a case but when you get to the stakeout motel, they only have one room with the one bed. One thing leads to another... wc - 1.3k

//full fic on ao3// wc - 3.2k

Driving to the outskirts of Blüdhaven, you and Dick were on your merry way to start a steakout on some drug dealers that have been selling tainted drugs to kids. Nightwing had gotten a “tip” (he beat up a thug) that the ring leader was staying in a sketchy house on the outskirts. Lucky for you guys, there was an even sketchier motel across the street that had a perfect view from the windows, spectacular for surveillance. 

You had become Dick’s go to cop in ‘haven after you “proved yourself” working on another case with him. You slowly became really close friends and being one of the best detectives in your precinct, you found out his secret identity, bringing you two even closer. 

“Looks like we’re pulling up to it now.” Dick says, turning the steering wheel and pulling into a gravel parking lot. The motel looked like it was on the verge of being abandoned, eaves troughs hanging down off the roof, clear water damage from outside, doors with no handles, and shingles missing from the roof. 

“Quaint.” you sigh, taking a good look at the building as Dick parks the car. 

“C’mon, let's get a room and set up surveillance, I wanna get it up and running as soon as possible.” 

You unbuckle your seatbelt and step out of the car onto the rough parking lot gravel, too cheap to get pavement I guess. As you keep looking at the state of the building, you follow Dick to the check-in office to get a room. 

As you walk in the door, a little bell jingles above your heads and a short, raven haired woman comes out from the back room. 

“What can I do you for?” 

“Uh, a room preferably.” Dick said with a chuckle and his signature friendly smile. You’ve seen him use it on kids who were in danger or to colleagues of yours. 

“Alright, let's see here…” She turned around to the wall that’s not so full of keys, “I’ve got one room left. Just a heads up, there’s only one bed so you two boys are going to have to share.” She hands Dick the key. 

“How could you only have one room, the parking lot was empty?” He says, looking at the key. 

“I dunno what to tell you kid, you see any more keys on this wall? How long?” 

He looks over at you nervously, “Uh, 4 nights.” He says while the woman taps something into her computer and Dick taps his card on the debit machine so your four nights are all paid for. No taking this out for company charges because it’s technically not a case. At least an official one. 

The two of you walk back out the jingly door and up the steps to try and find your room, 204. The door seemed tattered and like it had been beaten down in the past but at least the lock worked once you got in. Just as the woman said, one bed, queen sized so at least you could have your own space on the bed and not me practically on top of eachother. 

“Ok I’m going to go get some of the bags from the car, wanna help?” You say, walking to the door. 

“Sure, sure.” He replies, hurrying to the door and following you close behind. 

After you bring up all of your luggage and the many, many bags and cases of surveillance equipment, Dick flops down on the bed with a heaving sigh. You place the last case on the floor near the window and walk over to the bed as well, sitting on the opposite side as Dick. 

“I really don’t want to set all the stuff up right now. Maybe we can just set it up tomorrow morning, first thing.” Dick groans, turning onto his side to face you. 

“Yeah, it’s getting dark anyway, might as well get ready for bed.” You get off the bed and head toward your suitcase to get out a change of clothes and your toiletries bag before making your way to the bathroom. Said bathroom is disgusting but that’s not surprising, you just avoid the corners and don’t swallow the water. You change into your PJs which are really just a hoodie and a pair of shorts. You leave the room and walk back to your suitcase to pull out your phone charger and plug it into the wall. 

You ignore Dick as he gets his stuff out–just the same as you–and shuts the door to the bathroom as you crawl under the covers which seem to be relatively clean, at least they smell freshly washed. You lay on your side facing the bathroom door, scrolling on your phone when Dick comes out, wearing a tee shirt and boxers. You give him a surprised look and he responds, 

“Forgot my pants.” 

“Sure you did, or you just wanted me to see how much you’re packing.” You say teasingly with a smile. You mean it as a joke but he still flushes and turns away. Odd. He pulls his pair of sweats on over his boxers and comes back to the bed. He lifts the covers and scoots underneath. For a second your legs brush ever so slightly. 

“Sorry,” he says, rather frantically. Also odd. 

“Oh, no it’s ok.” You look up at him, he's still so flushed. “Ok, I’m going to sleep, I’m beat. G’night, Dick.” You roll over and snuggle into the pillow. 

“‘Night…” He replies, also shuffling into a more comfortable position to sleep in. 

You don’t really remember falling asleep but you definitely remember waking up: you had apparently rolled over again because now you were facing inward again. You were woken by some soft noises coming from beside you, some sort of moaning. You’re still not sure what it is because you’re still half asleep but as you open your eyes slowly, you have a perfect view of Dick’s dick, glistening in the moonlight. You don’t want to make it weird so you just stay perfectly still, watching him jerk off. 

His soft, quiet moans and whimpers make your boxers absolutley soiled, you try not to make any moans yourself. The squelching of his wet cock ringing in your ears making it extremely hard not to intervene. The bed starts to rock just slightly as he pumps his hand up and down, pulling him closer to a climax. You can’t see his face, with the way your head is, so you know he can’t see your eyes so you just keep watching, waiting until he’s done so as to not make it awkward for him until… 

He says your name. 

Amidst his moans and squealing whimpers, your name is whispered along with a string of profanities. His hand starts to move faster and his voice, louder. You want to intervene more than ever, now knowing that he’s jerking it to you and, by the looks of it, he’s about to cum. 

But what if you misheard. 

What if he’s thinking of someone else. 

What if he wouldn’t want you to touch him. 

Too many risks. 

His hand stutters and he squeals as you watch him cum all over his lower abdomen, rivers of white, pouring out of his tip. He lets out a sigh and dips his fingers into the cum on his abs, bringing it up to his mouth. You squeeze your legs together, trying desperately to feel something on your throbbing clit without arousing suspicion that you’re awake. 

He slides out of bed and heads toward the bathroom, nothing on his lower half so you watch his ass as he walks away. There goes your opportunity. 

You roll over and try to go to sleep but the image of his perfect cock keeps popping up every time you close your eyes, shimmering and jumping in his hand. Fantasies come to mind, you sucking away at it, maybe adding a vibrator to the mix before he comes back through the bathroom door. You can only imagine what his soft cock looks like as he comes back, bouncing between his perfectly toned thighs before he puts his pants back on. You feel him crawl back into the bed, pausing for a moment before sliding down into the covers. After a couple of minutes, you fall back asleep again. 

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

(Sorry if this is too weird for you. You can just ignore it if you like.)

So...what's it like to drink the Ghoul's piss? I'm wondering about taste, smell, temperature, and side-effects.

*blush*

(*Homelander voice* Go ahead...let's light this candle, huh??)

Friend, when I said this blog is kink-friendly and I don't judge, I meant that this blog is kink-friendly and I don't judge. I've yet to get a single ask/question/request that's made me uncomfortable, or even made me look at it funny, and this certainly isn't the point where I'm gonna start. With that said...

The taste? Oh babe, lemme tell you, it's not good. Don't get me wrong, I don't think anyone in the Fallout universe would have inoffensive-tasting piss (chronic dehydration is too widespread and frankly these people have fucked-up diets, plus constant radiation exposure for most of them). But I fully believe that ghoul metabolic processes are streamlined to utilize any beneficial resources with maximum efficiency (chiefly, calories and water; this would fall in line with characters like The Ghoul being put into situations where they survive for years and years with no food or water). To be blunt, I don't think his kidneys are producing a ton of urine, save for the bare minimum of biological waste that comes from them simply operating.

Long story short, I think the man maybe pisses once every few days if he's had enough water, and it would be dark and STRONG, both in smell and taste.

I also have a headcanon that ghouls run noticeably hotter than regular humans due to the sheer amount of energy that gamma radiation produces. The radiation alone may not produce much measurable physical heat, but I think a human body plied with it down to the cell level would basically work as a space heater. I don't think most ghouls worry about thermoregulation in the heat.

You know what that means, though? Incredibly hot piss. Like, steaming hot even when it's not cold outside. Hot enough to make you gasp when it hits your skin, startling without actually burning you.

In terms of side-effects from contact or ingesting, I'm envisioning the same sort of deal as with ghoul cum (which I elaborated on in an almost-equally unhinged post here); it's incredibly radioactive and will make you very ill if you fuck around too much. Getting a little on you probably wouldn't be any worse than trudging through your average puddle of nuclear waste, but if you're intending to have it inside you in any way, especially swallowing it, you need to be careful. Prep with Rad-X (which reduces the amount of radiation that "sticks" to you, up to a certain point), finish up with Radaway (which removes already-accumulated radiation) if you're determined to be a piss queen or a ghoul cum dumpster. No judgement! I just want to make sure you know you're in for some pretty severe nausea, open sores/burns (especially in your mouth), bleeding from the nose, and bruising if you're not careful. We love nasty fun around here, but we also love safety.

Also, you didn't ask about this, but based on what you DID ask, I'll assume you'd also be interested in knowing what his reaction to you bringing up such things would be.

And honestly? I think you'd get essentially the same reaction from Prewar!Coop and The Ghoul.

I think he'd be hesitant. Not because he finds it too gross or off-putting or anything, but he'd worry that it'll be disrespectful to you in a way that he, as a man, shouldn't engage in (moreso Prewar!Coop), and because he's worried it could be harmful to you (moreso The Ghoul). Don't get me wrong; I think he'd certainly be intrigued, and I think you being both bold and vulnerable enough to ask for such a thing would make his head spin in the best possible way. What a display of trust! As I've said before, I think this man had (and has) lots of weird kinks himself, he just hasn't had the opportunities to explore them that he needs. Many of those kinks he doesn't even realize he has.

But even though you can see that intrigue in his pretty eyes, see the forming bulge in his pants, you may have to be persistent if you really wanna try it out. He's very firm about not doing anything that'll really harm you, and he isn't initially convinced this won't.

If I'm quite honest? Prewar!Cooper would be even more turned on by it than The Ghoul once he came around to the idea. I think it would arouse him so much to see his favorite pretty little plaything so enamored with him that they'll do anything to please him, for him to make them feel good, including debase themselves completely. I think that you being so into him that you want him to piss on you, in you, would both stroke his ego and feed his most primal, possessive urges.

Best bet to get him started? Hop in the shower with him, get him all worked up as per usual, and then drop to your knees and start blowing him. Once you get him worked up enough that he could very nearly cum, pull back and keep stroking him slowly while you beg for it. Provided you've timed things right, there's no way he'd be able to say no...just give him a second. It's difficult to piss with a massive, throbbing erection. Maybe if you played with the head (with your tongue) while he tried, that would help. Who says you have to pull away when he finally starts if you don't want to?

Hope you're ready for an engagement ring after that.

The Ghoul mostly finds appeal in how filthy it is, in seeing this clean, gorgeous young thing having to dirty themselves to survive. Eventually, fully embracing the filth because they're part of the Wasteland now, coming to enjoy filth to some degree. I think that aspect of it would really get him going. Remember that scene where he watches Lucy drink the contaminated water that ultimately makes her sick? I saw a post on here when I first started the blog (I can't find it now!) about him offering Lucy an alternative to that when she was begging for some of his water...it really awakened something in me. Enough said.

I think he'd enjoy it as much as you, when it came down to it, but I think he would also make you beg for it, loudly and fervently, every single time you want it. From the very first time, it's gonna rile him up like no other that his pristine little companion is begging him to dirty them in such a disgusting way. I don't think he'd be too keen on letting you swallow it, honestly, much like I don't think he'd be too keen on letting you swallow his cum because of the radiation. But I think if you ask pretty enough, nasty enough, he'd be more than happy to piss on you or in your other holes. Only if he knows you're set up with plenty of Radaway, though.

People don't really get "engaged", or even married anymore, per se, but if you think you're getting away from this man after you let him do that to you, you're sorely mistaken.

[shieldofiron]

Vibe Check Part 4

No Pain, No Gain

The Frat Boy Au, Part 4

Read Previous on Ao3 or tumblr.

Steve is acting weird, and the worst part was, Billy doesn’t have any time to figure out why.

He was squirrelly, darting away from Billy’s hand if he so much as reached up to brush his bangs off his brow. Billy would normally take that as a sign Steve was stuck on some girl, except Steve kept coming back to their room night after night, faithfully.

And it was rush week and then pledge week, and all the while Billy is itching, ready to tear his own skin off. He needs a moment alone with Steve, just a second. Maybe he’s done something wrong, gotten too friendly, but he can fix it.

The pit in his stomach grows with every day that passed. No one else seems to notice anything except for Eden, who’s been shooting them both odd looks.

But instead of having a heart to heart he desperately needed, they’re lined up at the edge of the woods behind the house, and Billy is giving Pledge Sinclair a firm and uncompromising look, and then sliding his eyes purposely to Steve.

“Now, we got a lot of numbers on ya, brochachos,” Argyle nodds to the laughing brothers. “So we’ll do something to level the playing field. You can choose one brother to play for your side.”

The pledges huddle together a little, one of Sinclair’s nerdier friends whispering rapidly and pointing at Jason, then Chance. Sinclair just shook his head.

“We pick Billy,” Sinclair says firmly, with a cocky eyebrow Billy’s way.

Billy rolled his eyes, “Alright, alright. You’ll still lose, but you’ll lose with style at least.”

“Alright the rule is to capture the flag, and to keep ahold of all your flags,” Argyle pulls his ribbon from his hoodie pocket. “No excessive tackling but if you get another brother on his knees he has to give you a flag. Team with the most flags at the end of an hour is the winners.”

The pledges are jostling and laughing when Billy walks over, but they shouldn’t be.

Because as Argyle blows the whistle Steve takes off like a shot, sliding under the arm of a big pledge in one smooth motion while the rest look on in shock. He swerves and disappears behind a large tree as the rest of the brothers scatter.

“Okay, Okay, huddle up,” Sinclair gestures to the rest of the pledges.

“What was I trying to tell ya,” Billy huddles next to him, giving his not-quite-little-bro a soft punch, “Now we’re gonna lose.”

“No we have a plan,” Sinclair nods to one of the other pledges, “Billy told me Harrington is the strongest player. So we’re gonna use the best bait we know. Billy.”

Billy rolls his eyes. They should have just picked Steve and gone for the gold. Steve was a dancer out there, and he often didn’t need to get someone on his knees to…

Billy stuffed his hands in his pockets, ignoring the shiver running down his spine, “Fine. Tell me where you want me.”

And that’s how Billy finds himself guarding a decoy flag that the pledges had rigged up. From a distance it almost did look right, he had to admit it, the t-shirt fabric was similar enough to the blue ribbons in their pockets to fool someone. He hoped.

But that fabric is whipping around wildly now with a harsh wind. It was getting darker, and at this point Billy was about to write off this whole strategy. The air prickled with electricity, making Billy more on edge than ever. Fuck this, he just wants to be upstairs, smoking up or waiting for Harrington to come home. He didn’t ask a lot, but he didn’t sign up to be rained on.

Lightning flashes as he feels a strong kick to the back of his knees, and he almost goes down, grappling with his attacker for a fumbling moment, half turned away.

“Just go down nice for me,” The voice in his ear soothed his nerves more than bothered him, but he yanked at Steve’s sweatshirt anyway.

“Shut the fuck up,” Billy laughs nervously, twisting so that they face each other. They were about the same size, Steve had maybe an inch on him and he doesn’t fully press the advantage, but kicks at Billy’s legs again, trying to get him down on his knees. Billy shoves back hard, and they both almost topple over into the dewy grass.

Billy looks up into Steve’s eyes. They hadn’t been this close in weeks. Close enough to count the lashes around those pretty brown eyes. Steve has his hands on Billy’s bicep, and another on his waist, searching his hoodie for ribbons. It was only an illusion but the touch feels like it burned, like it was scorching Billy from the inside out. Billy licks his lips, shoving at Steve again, but weaker this time. Softer.

Lightning flashes, and Steve lets go, stumbling back. Without his support, Billy finally does fall, not a graceful fall to his knees but more of an awkward flop.

He looks up at Steve, who’s breathing heavily. He’s just staring down at Billy like he’d never seen him before. Like they were strangers.

“You want my flag,” Billy says. Not like it’s a question. Not like Steve would touch him for any other reason. Hadn’t been this close in weeks.

Steve pauses for a second, and then he nods slowly. Like he has to think about it.

Billy reaches down and unzips his fly, pulling a ribbon out.

It’s a weird thing to feel, when their fingers touch. Electricity in the air, all around. And thunder, in the distance.

Steve looks down at him with that weird look again, and then he backs up a step, stumbling, and falling into a run. Not towards the sound of other players, or Argyle’s whistle. Steve is running hell for leather towards the house and Billy is right behind him.

Fun fact this is based on a real life game my husband used to play with his frat brothers, swear to God.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

May I request A B I K L with Luffy?

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

I really hope that you aren't touch averse, because your personal space is also his now. Luffy is in a constant state of touching you in one way or another. He's always holding your hand, hugging you, hanging off of you, poking and prodding at you for attention, or carrying/dragging you around depending on your height. Luffy is the clingiest man you'll ever meet, and he's strong enough to make sure that you can't escape it.

He also likes doing stuff with you. His favorite part about going to a new island is bouncing around to all of the local food spots to try them with you. He lives for adventure and wants to experience those with you by his side.

Luffy goes hard with everything he does, and that applies to his love for you. While he is far from a romantic, everyone can tell that you're together in one way or another from watching how Luffy interacts with you. His love is intense and suffocating, and most of all, inescapable.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Luffy is the last person to care about making a mess. If he gets bloodied from beating a rival or threat to a pulp, so be it. He won't even notice until you're cringing away from him and begging for him to bathe first. He's the kind of person that will stop at nothing to protect the people he cares about, and of course that applies to you. You're never going to have to be afraid of anything or anyone besides him with Luffy around.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

Another one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of a guy. He has his ultimate goal of being the pirate king and wants to celebrate that with you by his side, and likewise wants to be with you whenever you achieve your own goals, but outside of that he's just going to see where life takes the two of you. As long as you're with him, and have ideally fully accepted him and his love, he doesn't really care that much what happens.

He's a lot like Ace in the sense that marriage straight up never crosses his mind. He thinks it's kind of dumb and pointless. It's not like he's going to up and throw away his darling one day just because of the absence of a marriage certificate, so what's the point? He's the pirate king, and you're his pirate queen/king/royalty figure of sorts. Isn't that good enough?

I can see him wanting to have a family one day with his darling, but that would be really far down the line. He wouldn't even start thinking about it until he's in his thirties at least. And well, I hope you also want children because once his mind is set, that's it. It's going to happen.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

A lot of people mistake you two for being just friends with the way he acts. He's so carefree and goofy with you. It isn't that much different from how he acts around his nakama, just more excessive and he kisses you sometimes. He's very openly affectionate (see A for more detail on that) and isn't one to shy away from PDA.

If you're acting up and "being difficult", Luffy is prone to just ignoring it while keeping an iron-clad grip on you in hopes that you'll wear yourself out and drop it.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Luffy is never actively looking for love, so any relationship that does happen will be something of a slow burn friends to lovers type situation. More likely than not, you will be a part of his crew well before he starts to catch feelings for you. The love progresses so slowly and naturally, that when paired with his tendency to already go to the extreme for the people in his life, his darling might not catch on to the fact that he's even yandere for them.

Your relationship doesn't even get a label until someone else points it out, and by that point you're going to already be blinded by his friendly demeanor and probably have no objection to it.

[blubushie]

tbh, as a woman who hangs out in communities where alot of middle aged men are guaranteed to gather around, you really hit the nail on the head. i've yet to find a tf2 fic that actually captures that male camaraderie that i've seen from the men around me.

Also, knowing this is the queer website and that much of the TF2 fandom is transmasc, I'm gonna address this so these kids can't go "I don't do that!! I'm a man!! I know what men act like because I-"

Men in queer spaces don't act the same way in the queer space as they do outside of it. I know I don't, cuz people get judgy. Queer community does not like men or masculinity. If you look too much like a man, or act too manly/boyish, or engage in male behaviours even with other men, they will look down on you. The only acceptable men are behaviorally effeminate, androgynous white twinks. If you divert from this in any way—too masculine, too POC, too physically male, too tall or fat or broad—they will treat you like a predator.

So a lot of these people, if they are interacting with men, are often interacting with other young transmascs who aren't socialised in male behaviour yet (usually online), or with men in queer spaces only—men who are masking. And they think men are just like this all the time.

And any man who doesn't play up the effeminate harmless uwu-shyboy persona is now scary or being toxically masculine because he's engaging in friendly ribbing with another man while being in a queer space.

I noticed it especially when me and an older bear went to a queer event (separately, we didn't come together) and he was practically ostracised because he's tall and bearded and bald and hairy and fat and very obviously male. And it turns out he was a trans man and he felt he didn't have a place in this event because everyone shunned him, or somehow managed to bring up toxic masculinity and how they don't feel safe with men in certain spaces, all in front of him while very obviously targeting him. The younger transmascs, of which there was quite a few, agreed with this. They ALSO didn't feel comfortable with him there because he was TOO male despite being just as queer as the rest of them (if not more—he was in his 50s and the oldest person there and had been out since his early 20s, so he defo had the most life experience of everyone there as far as the trans folk were concerned).

So naturally he and I hit it off. We separated off from the group, got drinks, and spent the afternoon in the corner, just us, discussing boats and fishing and lightly ribbing each other and laughing to ourselves while everyone else kept giving us glares and side-glances. Men are not welcome in queer spaces. Masculinity is not welcome in queer spaces. People treat ANY instance of masculinity as toxic. And so these young transmascs lost out on a perfect opportunity to see how men actually interact with each other, because the only other men they're actually interacting with are other trans men who don't know how men socialised as male act either.

It's kinda sad, in a way. Cuz they're gonna continue not knowing, and when the day comes they're gonna be blindsided and not know a fucken thing about how to be men in social environments because they don't wanna listen to or observe other men, not even the transmascs what came before them. Masculinity scary or some shit. And this is why it's SO IMPORTANT to have people outside of your familiar circle or your social group or your echo chamber as friends. It's why you should befriend your elders and learn from them, not shrink in fear cuz beards are scary or something. Not everyone can be a skinny white transmasc twink and not everyone WANTS to be. Masculinity is NOT a bad thing.

Anyway rant over. Point is these people don't know what male comraderie looks like cuz they don't actually put themselves out there to experience or observe it. Or even just engage in media where it's plainly showcased. 🤷‍♂️

[preywhore]

okay real question is it good manners to send a nude back if someone sends them one?? are they wanting that??

[aceredshirt13]

extremely funny to me seeing people say that Bertie has a heart of gold when his immediate solution to getting Freddie back together with his fiancée was to kidnap a child

[hella1975]

just full force threw a shoe at my sister's face and when my mum got me alone after she was like 'you shouldn't clobber her. but i get it' 😭

[thebirdandhersong]

diagnosed with can't-talk-to-guys-around-her-age syndrome. tragic

[lalanotes]

November 28- December 4

Bujo weekly spread!! <3

This week has just been so busy, and kind of stressful tbh. I drove on the motorway for the first time since passing my test, and of course in the middle my P plates decided to blow off in the wind.. I feel sorry for whoever it hit D:

<song on repeat : Worth It for the Feeling - Rebecca Black>

[spark1edog]

i think i may be somewhere on the aplatonic spectrum

[lecliss]

I think a 10yo just got attached to me in genshin and if this keeps up its gonna make me not wanna play cuz I don't wanna come off as mean if I have to tell her to give me some space, but I wanna play in peace ya know?