#but i would talk about a movie from 20 years ago so why can i not talk about a music video from 6 or 10 years ago ?

[vanessagillings]

I’m posting the ever-so-rare photo of myself alongside one of my characters based on my childhood because today is World Autism Acceptance Day, and I wanted to show my little corner of the internet who this particular autistic person is:  

I was officially diagnosed in February, at age 38 (I’m now 39). A lot of people thought I couldn’t be autistic.  Some people who know me in real life still don’t.  And until around 10 years ago, I didn’t think I could be either, because I was nothing like the stereotype media portrays. I was told that autistics lacked empathy (untrue), and never played make-believe (also often untrue) and only enjoyed STEM.  I was — and am — an empathetic artist -- and make believe?  I can spend days sketching finely bedecked bears brewing tea or carefully choosing the right words to weave tapestries of fiction — though perhaps my hyper focus was a bit of a red flag.  Even so, how could autism describe me?  I was a good student.  I got straight A's. I didn’t act out in class.  I can make eye contact…if I must.  And lots of girls hate having their hair brushed with an unholy passion, right?  Clearly I swim in sarcasm like a fish, so autism couldn't be why I was so anxious all the time, could it?

If someone had told me when I was younger what autism ACTUALLY is — instead of the nonsense I’d seen on screens — I would have seen myself in it.  I didn’t hear that autistics have sensory issues until I was in my mid-twenties, which is when I first began to really research autism symptoms, and I had almost all of them:  sensitivity to light, smells, fabrics, temperatures, textures, and certain touches, all of which make me feel anxious, I fidget (stim), I never know what the hell to do with my hands or where to look, I talk too little or too much, I have special interests, I have entire animated movies memorized shot-by-shot and can remember the first time and place I saw every movie I've ever seen but I often forget what I'm trying to say mid-sentence, I echo movies and tv shows (my husband and I have a whole repertoire of shared echolalias, making up about 20% of our conversations), I was in speech therapy as a kid, I have issues with dysnomia and verbal fluency, I toe-walk, I can't multitask to save my life, I like things just-so, I’m deeply introverted but not shy, I need to recover from all social interaction — even social interaction I enjoy — and I find stupid, every day things like grocery shopping, driving and making appointments overwhelming and intensely stressful, sometimes to the point where I struggle to speak.  It turns out, I am definitely autistic. My results weren't borderline. Not even close. And while these aren’t all of my challenges, and not everyone with these symptoms is autistic, it’s definitely something to look into if you present with all of these things at once. 

So why did it take me so long to get diagnosed? The same bias that exists in media threads through the medical community as well, and because I'm a woman who can discuss the weather while smiling on cue, few people thought I was worth looking into. Even after I was fairly certain I was autistic, receiving an official diagnosis in the US is unnecessarily difficult and expensive, and in my case, completely uncovered by my insurance.  It cost me over $4000, and I could only afford it because my husband makes more money than I do as a freelance illustrator — a job I fell into largely because it didn’t require in-person work; like many autists, I have been chronically underemployed and underpaid, in part due to physical illness in my twenties, which is a topic for another day.  But it shouldn’t be like this.  It shouldn’t be so hard for adults to receive diagnoses and it shouldn’t be so hard for people to see themselves in this condition to begin with due to misinformation and stereotypes. Like many issues in America, these barriers are even higher for marginalized groups with multiple intersectionalities. 

It’s commonly said that if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.  This is why it’s called a spectrum, not because there’s a linear progression of severity (someone who appears to have low support needs like myself might need more than it seems, and vice versa), but because every autistic person has their own strengths and weaknesses, challenges and experiences, opinions and needs.  No two people on the spectrum present in the same way.  And that’s a good thing!  No way of being autistic is inherently any better than any other, and even if someone on the spectrum struggles with things I don’t — or can do things I can’t — doesn’t make them more or less deserving of respect and human dignity.

But speaking solely for myself, the more I learn about autism, the happier I am to be autistic.  I struggle to find words and exert fine motor control, but my deep passion and fixation has made me good at art and storytelling anyway.  I find more joy watching dogs and studying leaf shapes on my walks than most people do in an entire day.  More often than not, the barriers I’ve faced weren’t due to my autism directly, but due to society being overly rigid about what it considers a valid way of existing.  My hope in writing this today is that maybe one person will realize that autism isn’t what they thought — and that being different is not the same as being less than. My hope with my fiction is to give autistic children mirrors with which to see themselves, and everyone else windows through which to see us as we actually are.

If you’re interested in learning more about autism or think you might be autistic, too, I recommend the Autism Self Advocacy Network  autisticadvocacy.org and the following books:

What I Mean When I Say I’m Autistic by Annie Kotowicz

We're Not Broken by Eric Garcia

Knowing Why edited by Elizabeth Bartmess

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD

Loud Hands edited by Julia Bascom

Neurotribes by Steve Silberman

(trigger warning: the last two contain quite a lot of upsetting material involving institutionalized child abuse, but I think it’s important for people to know how often autistic children were — and are — abused simply for being neurodivergent).

Thanks for reading 💛

[deadghosy]

🍃🍂🍃🍂

BEING ROOMMATES WITH COLLEGE MODERN AU! AANG:

𓇢𓆸°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･prompt: in a world where the Alta world didn’t have a war and it was just a peaceful modern life.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚being roommates with the avatar as you are just a non bender is either peaceful or chaos.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚oh you’re sleeping in? If classes were cancelled, he’s sleeping in with you as a appa and momo plushie is beside you. If classes weren’t cancelled, he’s sending a light blast of air to your bed to lift you up. You were startled and immediately started chasing Aang around pissed off while he laughs his ass off.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚movie nights are an absolute must. Cause Aang is a person who likes to hang out with people he feels comfortable with. So you better expect him to ask you to choose, he loves to know more about you.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚this man deadass almost burnt the dorm room down and you were panicking until he put it out with his airbending. Aang looks back at you still shaken up. He sighs going over to you, making sure you were okay. He hated to see you scared and he apologized by ordering your favorite food instead.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚Aang could possibly teach you history if you asked him. I mean, he was sealed in ice 100 years ago at most. You would hesitate as this bald headed roommate of yours just wait with a patient smile.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚he does take you to visit the air temple he came from. At the southern air temple, he shows you how he did the air scooter. You laugh and smile until he sped past you making you fall. You got up angrily and chased after him as he laughs.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚this little Mr clean ripoff asshole ate your leftovers once. And for once Aang saw death himself seeing you actually catch up to him around the apartment. AND HE WAS IN AVATAR STATE TRYING TO DODGE YOU THROWING SHOES AT HIM. 😭

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚one peaceful day/night was when it was just raining that whole time. You had told Aang that rainy days/nights make you tired fast. So when you fell asleep on the couch while watching tv and listening to the rain, he laid beside you. Having his tall body on you as you snore peacefully. Even momo joined, leaping on Aang’s head. It was just a calm moment the whole night/day.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚if you’re stressed and overstimulated by your classes and work. Aang is literally gonna hug you, and might as well try to do your work for you. He’s such a good friend and roommate. He looks behind him to see you sleeping peacefully with momo. He smiles, feeling happy that you are getting the rest you need.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚now if Aang seemed tired or overstimulated. He’s either being alone, or going into your arms for a hug since a hug is what everyone needs sometimes. He is deadass having his head in your neck and passing out. I feel like the reason why he is just tired is trying to keep the peace in the 4 nations to not make a war happen just in case.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚arguing over who’s answer is right is everyday of your life with him as your roommate. He’s somehow got 11 as an answer on a math question while you got 80 as an answer. You two were about to throw hands until Zuko came by and told you two dumbasses that the real answer was 20…

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚if you’re sick at dorm, he’s blowing up your phone while he is at class taking notes. He doesn’t care if he gets scolded or made fun by the gaang for worrying that much about you. He just wants you to get better so he can hug you without getting sick himself. Aang might as well make momo force you to medicine.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚you once accidentally snored on him, Aang snickered of course. But he wrapped his arm around you gently to make sure you won’t wake up or feel uncomfortable. He’s smooth like that.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚after being roommates for like 2 semesters, you guys became close friends. You would wear matching hoodies, shirts, etc. cause Aang is an affectionate person, he wants to make sure you have a friend to lend a shoulder on. He’s that guy who you could talk and rant to for hours and he will listen to you closely.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚you still smack his head as a joke to hear that impact. And yes Aang will blast your ass away from him and put you in ice prison or rock prison from his bending. He’s not playing games. See if you were heavy handed, it’s justified to have you in prison of rock or ice. Now if you were to have your hand wasn’t heavy but light, even if you try to hit hard. Aang is making fun of how “weak” you are.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚imagine how chaotic it would be at night if you two did a horror movie night. Screaming together and just start tweaking out at each jumpscare and every time the suspense was too much. Yeah both of you didn’t sleep until you guys were holding each other closely. With Aang having his arms wrapped around your waist and you having your arms around his neck. You jumped scared at a jumpscare, making you shiver into Aang’s neck. Aang had enough and turned the movie off, picking you up bridal style and taking you to bed.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚that time when Aang had his hair grown out, you tried to do small baby pig tails with his short hair. Aang relaxes at your touch as he almost falls asleep until you were done. “Ta-da! I’m done, go look bro.” You say patting his cheek. He lifted his head from your lap and walked to the bathroom mirror. He must say, he did look absolutely funny. But he looked “fabulous” is what you said. That was until he shaved his hair again to match his culture.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚i feel like being roommates personally with Aang would actually be calm sometimes. Considering you two have such chemistry together during these college times. He definitely has an album of you on his phone. He’s the type of friend to remember everything about you specially. And not in a weird way but like a “okay noted, get them this favorite snack when they are in a bad mood” way. But mostly he takes selfies with you by his side. Hide all you want. You are not missing this selfie.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚if there’s a fair around, he’s getting you all the stuff animals. You would have to drag him away from his yellow and red hoodie from the shotgun game. You were embarrassed by the stares people got at how the avatar was getting dragged by a simple adult man/woman like you. But honestly it’s fun with Aang at a fair cause he makes sure you have fun as well. Sharing cotton candy was the first thing in his mind as he pays the person and holds the cotton candy. You felt flustered sharing the cotton candy cone from his hand as he just laughs at how cute you seemed.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚Aang and you definitely had been asked if you guys are together. You would immediately try to tell the person no as Aang is trying to either process the accusation, or make it worse by telling them that you both are. Playfully of course.

🎐˚｡⋆୨୧˚taking calm summer walks, and that summer air just hitting your face and his. It’s just relaxing. You two talk to each other, probably wanting to go to republic city for shopping for more groceries or such. You notice the sun setting as you smile, the golden ray of sun hitting your face. Aang looks at you lovingly while you talk about how beautiful the sun is. Aang agrees, still looking at you whilst you two sit down on the soft green grass.

[queensunshinee]

Time Of Our Lives || Part 20

warnings: SMUT! 18+!, dirty talk, p in v sex, oral sex, fingering, praise.

Part 20:

There was silence. Liana wasn't sure how long they stared at each other in silence, but it was too long, and she so desperately wanted to stop looking at him and die a slow death filled with agony, suffering, and embarrassment because that was obviously what awaited her in the coming hours.

She was supposed to share a bed with him after she asked him if he wanted to fuck her, and he basically said no. Well, he didn't say anything, which might have been even worse.

"Forget about it. It was just hypothetical about random people," she swallowed, and Art nodded. "As a concept. Like in that movie with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher," she continued rambling. "Justin Timberlake," Art said in a voice she couldn't quite understand. "What about him?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Ashton Kutcher is another movie," he explained. Neither of them moved their gaze. Liana was afraid to blink. She felt like she was in some stupid game, and the first one to break eye contact would lose and end their life in seppuku out of sheer embarrassment. "Oh," she had nothing else to say.

"Ask again," Art suddenly said after a few more seconds (maybe minutes, maybe hours, maybe days, how long had they been standing in this room?). "What?" she swallowed again. "Liana." His voice was authoritative. They both knew she couldn't escape this. "It was nothing," she tried. She really tried. Why did he have to humiliate her and couldn't just let it pass? Why couldn't they wait a year or two and just laugh about it together? Why was the joke always at her expense? "Liana." The same tone again. He wasn't going to let it go, and he was taking his time to torment her slowly. Why was it so hot in this room?

"Do you think people can fuck without commitment?" she asked after a few more seconds of silence. "That's not what you asked." He leaned on the dresser behind him, losing patience with the girl in front of him. "Put on your big girl pants that you had on five minutes ago and ask again," he said. "If you heard me, why do I need to repeat myself?" she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Okay, if you can't finish the pitch properly, then the answer is no," he rolled his eyes and sighed. Art was getting annoyed with the situation. It didn't make sense that she was doing this. After five years, she gave him a taste of something and then took it all back in a second. She wouldn't let him savor it.

"Why are you angry with me now?" she sounded confused. "Because you're talking in circles instead of saying what you want when you know for sure that the moment you say it, you'll get it. Who's afraid to ask for things when they know they'll get exactly what they ask for?" he looked at her, raising an eyebrow. There was a hint of frustration in his voice, but he managed to keep his cool. He managed to be the more authoritative person in the room without losing empathy.

All Liana could think about was how attracted she was to Art when he spoke exactly like that. When there was a hint of disdain in his voice. A mutual understanding of the power dynamics. Until now, she had decided the dynamics between them, and the moment she gave him an opening, Art grabbed it with both hands, and only he knew how much he intended not to let it go.

"Let's just go to sleep," he rolled his eyes again and moved towards the bed, passing through her as if she wasn't standing there at all. "Art. Wait, come on." She grabbed his hand, and he stopped. They both breathed heavily. He gently ran his fingers over her hand, feeling her pulse and realizing how fast her heart was beating.

Let me in Let me in Come on

That was all he could think about. He needed it to come from her. He needed her to ask, to tell him she wanted it. Otherwise, he'd ruin everything. The entire past year would go down the drain. He couldn't allow their relationship to regress because he misunderstood the dynamics. He couldn't let her ruin what they could be together for a fleeting whim.

"Do you want to try it? The friends with benefits thing?" If it was possible, her heart beat even faster.

Art pressed his head to hers, their foreheads touching. This was the closest he'd been to Liana in the last five years, and his level of self-control was inspiring if anyone knew what it took from him right now. "How will we do it?" he asked. His voice was hoarse and raspy, but outwardly he still showed complete control. As if at any moment, he would detach from her and go to sleep. As if she needed to convince him. To sell him that fucking her was a good idea. He felt almost cruel. Almost sadistic, making her do it. But he needed to hear her talk about how much she needed him. How he was the solution for her right now. How he could give her something no one else could.

"The benefits part is pretty self-explanatory," she mumbled, closing her eyes. "The friends part we're also okay with," Liana added. "We can fuck whoever we want without questions or vetoes, and if someone says the arrangement no longer suits them, we forget everything and go back to drinking wine and playing Scrabble on Thursdays," she took a step back, and Art sighed. A bit angry at himself for showing how much the break in contact bothered him.

"You can't sleep with Patrick, though," he stated. Not asked. Making her raise an eyebrow. "Okay, so you can't sleep with Tashi," she quickly added her own condition. "Tashi and I never slept together, and we don't plan to sleep together anytime soon, but fine," his voice was amused as if he wanted to ruffle her hair because she was so sweet in his eyes. Liana considered kicking him in the balls for being such an arrogant bastard.

"I'll cancel everything, watch out," she said the only thing that came to her mind. "Uh-huh," another amused remark. As if he didn't care at all about what she was saying. "Donaldson!" she crossed her arms under her chest. "I still want wine and Scrabble on Thursdays. If that gets canceled, then the sex thing is also off," he continued while she looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Art," she swallowed and looked at him with a slightly different expression. He recognized she was more serious now. "It can't be like five years ago. You can't use this against me, okay?" she said, and Art wanted to die when he saw how much it stressed her out to tell him that.

"I'm three times more desperate for this arrangement than you are. The only one who can use any of this against anyone is you, Liana," he said sincerely, and she nodded. "So let's do it," she extended her hand for a handshake and smiled sweetly. "Are you for real?" he asked with a smirk on his face. It didn't make sense that she was so cute about such a sleazy deal. It just didn't make sense. "Shake my hand already, Arthur," she said, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Their breaths mingled as both their eyes closed, and Art's lips brushed against Liana's. At first, there was a tenderness and almost shyness. As if it was the first time either of them had any human contact with any other person. After a few seconds, the kiss became hungry, and there was no battle for dominance because it was clear to both of them that Art was taking control from here. The moment his tongue asked for entry, Liana would part her lips and allow him to enter and explore her mouth from the inside.

And within seconds, one of his hands was on Liana's waist, and the other roamed over every part of her body. If Art could, he would touch all of her at once. For a moment, he didn't know what to focus on. Just the thought that after five years, Liana was his again, and he was allowed to touch her, could bring him to the edge.

Neither of them knew how, but her shirt found itself on the floor, and Art's lips began to trail small kisses on her neck as he guided them both to the bed, where he threw Liana. Taking a few seconds to look at the woman in front of him, half-naked and smiling shyly.

His. His to do with as he pleased. His to decide what he wanted. His. His. His. Liana was his. And with those thoughts, his lips were on hers again, and one of his hands was on her right breast, playing with her nipple. He pinched, squeezed, and held it fiercely, somewhat punishing for all the years he couldn't do exactly that. She moaned into his mouth, and as strange as the sound was, it felt as if he'd heard her moan just two days ago.

"Fuck, Art," she mumbled in a half-moan as his mouth was on her neck again, "You can't leave a mark," it was barely audible, just breaths, but Art understood her and in response, his teeth found a spot under her ear. Just to show her that if he wanted, he could, and she wouldn't say anything because here she was, not saying anything, just breathing and trying to touch him back. But he didn't leave a mark on her neck. No matter how much he wanted to claim his territory. He decided he'd leave marks elsewhere.

His lips descended slowly, cruelly, little kisses on her collarbone. He lingered on one, adding a nibble. "I'm going to leave so many marks on you, Lia. You'll be covered in them," he said, returning to the same spot. All Liana could manage in response was a mumbled, sultry plea.

"Please," she moaned again. Neither of them knew what she was asking for, but Art had already moved to the other side of her collarbone, taking his time on another spot.

Then his lips halted above her breasts, all the while playing with her nipples. He made sure not to neglect either, giving equal attention to both the left and the right.

"You seem like something's bothering you, Liana. What is it?" he teased, knowing she couldn't answer him now; she was in a world of her own.

"You're wearing too much," she mumbled, opening eyes filled with tears of pleasure that blurred her vision. She wanted more of him. She wanted to consume him entirely, above her, beside her, within her. She wanted Art Donaldson in every way he would allow her to have him. "Need more," she mumbled, and his lips covered her left nipple, making her moan as he growled into her chest.

Art rose above her despite the physical pain of pulling away. Liana's eyes were on him as he took off the pants he'd been wearing just minutes ago. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something.

"More," she said, biting her lower lip and playing with her own nipple. What a sight. If Art died now, he'd die happy.

He removed his boxers, presenting her with his erect cock while Liana surveyed every inch of his body.

"Do you want me to do a little spin or something?" he joked, trying to regain some control. "Are you waiting for an invitation to take your pants off, or are you just going to lie there and order me around?" he asked, restoring the balance to their relationship.

Liana nodded and lifted herself enough to remove the pants she was wearing, staying in a tiny black thong.

"Leave that on," Art said as she was about to remove it too. He couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing but wasn't entirely surprised. "Such a good girl with underwear like these, what am I supposed to do with that, Lia?" The playful tone returned as he started to plant wet kisses on her stomach, making her moan at the compliment.

Her panties came off with his teeth, after he didn't spare her any comments on how wet she was.

"Look, Liana." He brought them close to her face, and when she moaned, she brought her mouth close to them, opening it, but Art gently tossed them onto her nose. "Are you happy?" he asked, and she nodded. "Of course you're happy. You're so wet you'd come from just one finger inside you." Another moan and growl. Again, her chest arched that Art had to steady beneath him. So needy. So beautiful.

His mouth was on her clit in a sharp movement, along with two fingers inside her. He wasn't wrong; her first orgasm came within seconds. She had been so horny in recent months. So in need of touch, and Art provided it superbly. Art was here to fulfill and respond to everything she needed from him.

"I need to ride you. Please," she mumbled, opening her eyes, returning to reality from her orgasm within seconds.

"Who am I to deny you what you need," he replied and moved off her, sitting on the bed beside her, leaning against the wall.

Liana climbed onto him at that moment. As if she hadn't yet recovered from the high, she began to rub against his thighs while his large hand grasped her ass.

"Fuck," he said, turning his gaze away from her for a moment, but she made him look back at her with her hand. Her other hand found his mouth, inserting two fingers he took deeper, showing her he would take whatever she gave him. Another moan, at this point, it was hard to tell who was making more noise. Who was more desperate.

"Stop being a tease," Art lost his patience. "Or I'm fucking you the way I want." He stated, and as he said it, in that voice she loved, she inserted his dick inside her. Not even slowly. Not allowing herself a moment to adjust to the feeling of fullness. She felt filled with Art Donaldson, and it was the best feeling in the world.

"Move, Lia," Art smacked her ass, bringing her back to reality, and she began to move, initially forward and backward slowly, making him release sounds she didn't remember from him. "Just like that, good girl. Faster, Liana," he released more incoherent commands. She shoved her breast into his mouth to give him something to occupy himself with. He moaned into it, not taking his eyes off her as she picked up the pace, moving up and down.

"I'm close," she managed to say. The fingers that had been in his mouth and then visited hers were now playing with her own clit as she rode him. Both were covered in sweat from the effort.

"Me too baby," he said into her, sounding muffled from her chest, making her moan because he had again decided to bite her sensitive nipple.

"It's okay, I have an IUD," she said, and his growl was deep and throaty as she felt the heat of his release deep inside her while she contracted around him from her own orgasm, thanking God for the decision to get an IUD after the abortion.

"You're perfect," he mumbled as she slowly moved off him. Her body was limp, and she couldn't talk and breathe simultaneously.

"We need to shower," she mumbled and giggled in response. "In the morning," he replied.

Both had their eyes closed, knowing there was no chance they would move from current position.

Art's alarm clock was set for 5:45 AM, waking him swiftly. He hit the button, hoping for a moment before Liana woke up too. His hand rested on her chest, his head nestled into her neck, their legs entwined. Art couldn't stop smiling, feeling like a fool. He wanted to lie to himself and say he always woke up like this when a woman slept over, but the truth was, Liana was the only one he woke up with this way. No matter how much sex he'd had in his life, the sleep and his need for touch afterward were only with Liana.

Amid these thoughts, he realized his cock was hard, demanding to be inside her again, as if she might disappear from his life once more. Slowly, while she was still asleep, his mouth started placing gentle kisses on her neck, where it had rested before. His hand played with the breast it was already on.

Liana woke with a moan. "Morning," she mumbled. "Mmhmm," he replied from within her neck. "What time is it?" she managed to ask without turning to face him, giving him more room to scatter his kisses. "Early," he replied. "Need you like this," he explained what was happening. "Yours," she simply said, and he growled in response. How could she say something like that so effortlessly? "Mine," he said softly. Both of their eyes were still hazy from sleep, and her hand started moving up and down his dick. Another growl. "Fuck, Liana, just like that," he said. They were both too lazy to move, but his hand was already between her legs too. Their moans mingled, and he turned her face to him, giving her a deep kiss as he did. "God, Art," she mumbled into him, and he bit her lip, holding it between his teeth and releasing only when he couldn't stifle a moan.

He moved her small hand from his dick and slowly slid it where she needed him most, hearing the most beautiful sigh he'd ever heard. Everything about it was needy, gentle, slow, and sloppy, and neither of them cared. Liana was drunk on his cock. She could do anything he asked of her right now, in this exact state; wet, lazy, and under the influence of his dick and large hands holding her tightly.

"You feel so good, Lia. So tight and wet, fuck. You take me as if you were made for me," he said into her ear, and all she could do in response was breathe deeply and tighten around his cock. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she mumbled, and Art was sure he was hallucinating. He growled so loudly, in such a low tone, he thought he might pass out for a moment.

"Are you thanking me for fucking you?" he asked in that voice she loved, and she wanted to see his face, but she couldn't because she was facing away from him. "Feels so good, Art," she said, and he felt her come around him, making him come too and stay inside her for a moment longer, not wanting it to end.

"Hey," he said after he pulled out of her, and she turned to face him. He moved some hair from her sweaty face. "Hey," she smiled and kissed him, making him close his eyes for a moment. "I need to get warmed up before the match. You can sleep a bit more, but don't miss breakfast," he kissed her forehead as he stood up and headed towards the shower.

And while he was showering, he wondered if Liana knew this wasn't what friends with benefits looked like; This wasn't how you acted if you wanted to have sex and move on as if it never happened. This wasn't how you kissed. This wasn't how you hugged. This wasn't how you fucked.

That day, with Liana sitting in the stands, Art played the best tennis of his life. Two levels above his average, against an opponent all the bets said might defeat Art from the first set to the last. All the commentators trying to explain Art's moves didn't know he was invincible when Liana Levy slept in his bed and then sat in the stands watching him.

And while Art played, there were other eyes that didn't leave Liana, ones that were hard to miss in one of the rows in the stands- Patrick Zweig. He saw Art's performance and, with the necessary caution, understood what was happening around him. He understood that Liana hadn't lied when she spoke to him in the parking lot. She was Art's now, and all Patrick could do was become better. Become worthy again.

Well, hello there. How are we feeling??? I can't believe it's part 20 and you guys can still stand me. It's basically insane to me. I'd like to hear your thoughts about the chapter, so pls pls pls comment and DM me. 

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[ari-the-arotistic]

So I was thinking about pirates of the Caribbean, and each characters unique moral code and way of approaching life, as one does, when I remembered a particular scene about our beloved James Norrington... the very first scene in which Jack and James meet. Now, as a long time Sparrington shipper, I adore the Sparrington fandoms adopted head canon of Jack's compass pointing directly at Jack when James is holding it as having a romantic connotation too it, but this is Disney we're talking about, and a Disney from 20 years ago at that, so it is of course just a head canon. And while it is a beloved head canon, I will always be a writer before a shipper, and what that scene says about Norrington from a writer's perspective is far too juicy not to share... So buckle up for a very long meta post about who James Norrington is as a person, and how it was set up in this scene(and later reinforced in the second and third movie). This is my first real meta post, and I'm very excited for it, so let's jump right in.

First of all, the compass scene.

As we can clearly see in the image above, since the red line that points to the object of the holder's desires is no where to be seen, its relatively easy to conclude that it's hidden from our view by the sun dial in the middle, and thusly is pointing directly at Jack. Elizabeth is off to James's right, and no one is standing behind Jack, so unless the compass was pointing at something in the far off distance that just so happened to be in Jack's general direction(unlikely) its pretty clear what(or who) the compass is pointing at. For most potc fans, this is fairly standard knowledge. But it's what this fact says about Norrington's character that I'd like to focus on. After all, what does it say about a man that a compass that shows you what you desire most is pointing at a pirate, and the very face of piracy at that, instead of your canonical love interest, when you're a Commodore of the Navy? As stated above, Sparrington shippers often point at this scene as proof that James has a bit of a pash on the ruggedly handsome pirate, or at the very least, a thing for men. But from a writer's perspective, this just simply isn't the case, and not because the writer's in this instance are the notoriously homophobic corporation we call Disney. The reason why this is so unlikely from a writing perspective is because given the context clues, we as an audience are meant to draw the conclusion that this is the first time that they meet(I have heard rumors of them meeting as children in the books, but having never read them, and focusing only on the movies, I'm not including that in this post). And since this is the first time they've met, it's highly unlikely that the compass is pointing at Jack because James has a bit of a thing for him. Even if James has heard of Jack's many exploits, he does not truly know the man behind the legend, so having romantic feelings for the pirate at this point in time just isn't believable. And even if James was a closeted gay/bi man, it's still unlikely that the compass would be pointing at Jack of all the men around the Commodore(of which there is a lot, some of whom he is incredibly close with) seeing as Jack is the poster boy of piracy, and at this point in the movie it's made abundantly clear that James vehemently detests the notion and all who practice it. If James were to be holding the compass in Jack's vicinity in later movies and it still pointed at the pirate, an argument could definitely be made that it was because he had developed feelings for Jack, but for their first meeting, it's just not realistic. So it's much more likely that the reason the compass is pointing at Jack is because of James's desire to send every pirate he meets to "a quick drop and a sudden stop" as he so eloquently put it to a young Elizabeth. This is further reinforced in the third movie when it is revealed that Beckett's desire to have Jack dead at his feet would prevent him from using the compass to find Shipwreck Cove if the pirate was not already at the aforementioned location, or, well, dead. This is again, relatively common knowledge. But like I said before, it's what this fact says about James that is the whole point of this post... and that is that James cares more about his career than anything else, even the woman he claims to love. Now for some, that statement alone might seem like a pretty obvious conclusion, but it's how this scene subtlety sets up this core aspect of Norrington's character before we even truly get to know who he is, and how it's brought to it's full height in the second movie, and the core aspect of his redemption and subsequent death in the third that I'd really like to talk about. Which brings us to the next segment of this post...

How James lost his commission to the navy...

And how he got it back

So let's start off with how James lost his commission... it's a story we all know pretty well, and one he tells to Gibbs in the scene shown above, when he plans to either join Jack's crew or get revenge on the man that(he believes) ruined his life. After Jack's escape in the first movie, James grew obsessed with capturing the pirate, so much so that he foolishly followed the Black Pearl into a hurricane, resulting in the sinking of the Dauntless, and the loss of countless lives that had been aboard the vessel. It's unclear aside from James himself who had been on the ship at the time, and who did or did not survive, but the death toll was heavy, with most, if not everyone who wasn't James, having perished in the storm. While it is not the most extreme example(which we'll get too in just a bit), this is a pretty clear example of James prioritizing his career above everything else, even reason and logic. And all just to capture a singular pirate, even at the cost of his own ship and crew, and rather ironically, the very career that he had been so desperately trying to hold onto in the first place. Which brings us to the next scene I'd like to discuss... James stealing the heart of Davy Jones. This moment is the absolute peak of this part of James's character. This is the moment where James takes his obsessive need for his career to the max. This is the moment where James truly prioritizes his career above everything else, even the woman he claims to love(and for Sparrington shippers, above the man he's reluctantly come to care about). At this point in time, when James decides to take the heart for himself to regain his old station, he's been on the Black Pearl long enough to know the full situation. That Jack is in some kind of trouble with Davy Jones, and that if Jack doesn't use the heart to bargain for his freedom, then the Kraken will hunt Jack, and subsequently the Black Pearl, down until he and everyone aboard are dead. And that includes Elizabeth. And yet, despite knowing that stealing the heart would basically mean sealing Elizabeth's death, he still decided to do so. Sure, the argument could be made that he thought Elizabeth would be able to escape somehow, but the chances of her dying at sea, or some other terrible fate befalling her before she could safely make it back to civilization would have been highly likely. Of course we as an audience know that this isn't the case, but James does not. So essentially, James was so obsessed with his career, and maintaining the image of the honorable Commodore that he didn't even truly register that he was putting Elizabeth, the woman he loves and has been trying so desperately to woo for the past two movies, in danger. And he won't fully realize the consequences of his actions until the third movie, in a deleted scene no less(I swear when I find whoever decided to delete some of the most important scenes to James's character...), when Davy Jones informs Governor Swann of his daughters untimely demise on the Black Pearl. Of course, almost immediately afterwards, Beckett retcons that statement by informing the Governor that Elizabeth was recently seen in Singapore, but for a few minutes, James has to sit with the fact that Elizabeth was dead, and it was his fault. And even after learning that she was in fact still alive, James has now finally come to the realization that if she had still been on the Black Pearl when it sank with its Captain, he would've been the one to send her to her death. And for Sparrington shippers, James has to sit with the unavoidable fact that he was the reason Jack had died(even if the pirate does come back), despite the fact that it was Elizabeth's betrayal that was the final nail in Jack's coffin, since she wouldn't have had to do that if the Kraken wasn't after them in the first place. Which brings us to the final scene I'd like to discuss...

James choosing a side, and paying the price

Now, before we fully delve into this scene, I'd like to take a moment to talk about James's own perception of himself, and his relationship with honor and integrity. From the very first scene in which we meet James Norrington, we are made aware that he has a strong moral compass. He firmly believes piracy is evil, and that all who partake in piracy deserve a swift end. He perceives his Commodore persona as being the paragon of honor and integrity, and the sole arbiter of justice. We can infer from the line "By remembering that I serve others, Sparrow, not just myself" that James does have honorable intentions when ridding the world of pirates, that being protecting the innocent citizens under his care, but as seen once again in the first time James and Jack meet, wherein James adamantly tries to arrest Jack despite the fact the fact that pirate had just saved Elizabeth's life, his actions to achieve that goal are not always quite as honorable as his intentions are. This is especially highlighted once again when James gave Beckett the heart of Davy Jones. James's intentions here were once again rooted in honor and integrity - he believes that the only way to keep people safe from pirates is too return to his old station, to the image of honor and integrity he had built around the title of Commodore, and the only way to return to his old station is to give Beckett the heart. But the action itself was far from honorable, seeing as James had to betray the woman he loved just to obtain the heart, and that he was now putting it into the hands of a dangerously unstable individual who planned on using it to commit mass genocide.

And now, we finally get to the scene above... Of course, it's made clear throughout his scenes in the third movie leading up to this one that James is already starting to regret giving Beckett the heart after seeing the damage being caused, but since Beckett is targeting pirates specifically(although we as an audience know that Beckett's definition of pirate is very loose) James figures that the ends justify the means, as he often does in situations regarding piracy. It is not until his reunion with Elizabeth, where he learns that Governor Swann is dead, and that Beckett lied to him about the Governor's whereabouts, that James truly realizes the enormity of his mistake. It is in this moment that James has a sudden realization that fundamentally shakes him to his core, and is the reason behind his change of heart later on. He realizes that the honorable Commodore persona that he had tried to cultivate and keep a hold of for so long had never been truly honorable at all, and that by giving Beckett the heart of Davy Jones, he had effectively tied the noose around the neck of his own honor and integrity, as well as the necks of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent people, with his own hands. And as that one vine goes, this was the moment James knew, he fucked up. Which leads to his decision to change sides in an attempt to redeem himself, and his subsequent death in the process. Of course, part of James's reason for helping Elizabeth escape was that he does care for her, but given everything I've detailed about him so far, I think it's safe to say the main reason that James decided to help Elizabeth and her crew was because he wanted to undo the damage he had done, and he had faith that Elizabeth, Will, and Jack would have some sort of plan to defeat Beckett, and stop any further damage to come from his mistake. And now, for his death scene itself... As much as I love the idea of James surviving and joining the pirates(whether at Elizabeth's side or Jack's is unimportant), I firmly believe that his death was a necessary end of this part of his character arc, and that if he were to survive he would still have to go through a major ego death for this part of his character arc to end properly. Because as Bill turner drives that wooden pike into James's gut, it's not just the physical death of his body, but also the metaphorical death of Admiral James Norrington, and the ideals that James had used to build the persona out of. So even if James survived, the Admiral would still have to meet his metaphorical end, thusly causing James to lose a core part of himself that had been guiding most his decisions so far, in the process, which would start the next part of his character arc, where he would have to deal with the loss of a key part of his personality, and rebuild himself from the ground up to finally, truly become the image of honor and integrity he had envisioned from the beginning.

And that concludes this very long post. I could probably wax enough poetics about this aspect of James's character to write a short novel, but I've said everything important to this post, and if I go on any longer, I'm likely to start repeating myself lol. Thank you for reading, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or a reblog! I will always love hearing more about our polished peacock <3

[springseasonie]

Trust me. | LHC (M)

Best friend to lovers x fem reader

Summary: you just got out of a relationship, but for some reason, Haechan can't wait to tell you he likes you. It's not that you don't feel the same, but your mind isn't exactly in the right place after the breakup. But Haechan's words make you feel so good and so secure, that you just have to indulge into what could be.

Warnings: sexual content, LOTS AND LOTS of kissing, dry humping, penetrative sex, vanilla sex (womp womp), clothed sex (kinda), nipple play (if you squint), haechan is a tease kinda, they're a bit emotional and soft for each other 🤥, proof read but there may still be errors yikers

Word count: 3,2k

Song recs: slidin by kai, dive by victoria monet, in a good way by faye webster

A/N: my birthday was last week yipee I'm finally 20 now. I got lost of birthday money so I decided to buy a ticket for dream show in Newark. I'm so excited. I'm actually gonna see Mark after I missed 127 the last time. I was working on a Jaehyun fic but needed a break so I decided to write this one before the concert, so I hope you guys like it. This is my second actual oneshot so spare me 😭😭. Please give any feedback you can if you want. 🤍🩷🤍🩷

"What do you mean?" Your expression was blank, staring at him like a deer in headlights.

"I like you," he repeated.

"You're not funny," you spat, rolling your eyes as you scrolled through your feed.

"I'm not trying to be funny." You look at him, seeing the sincerity in his expression. Haechan is the type to joke about stuff like this, and it's scary that this wasn't a joke. You knew him forever, he even said you were like a sister to him at one point. When did it change? When did he see you as a girl and not as a sister?

"Haechan please." You let out a deep breath, rubbing your forehead in irritation. "What are you saying right now?"

"I have feelings for you Y/N. I'm not joking. I'm being a hundred percent serious," he said. He looked away from you, letting out a small sigh.

You went stiff, uncomfortable with the events taking place. It's not like you were repulsed by it, just a bit shocked. These scenarios only really happen in movies, this is never anything you thought about happening to the both of you. And considering you just came out of a relationship, this was not looking good for you. "W-why?"

"Why," he repeated. "I don't know…I can't even tell you where these feelings came from." He looked at you to see your reaction, but he saw nothing but worry from you. He knew what you were worried about. You didn't want to get a call from your ex saying he was right about you two, that you and Haechan do have a thing for each other. You didn't want to get that call saying he shouldn't have dated you, that he knew he couldn't trust you. It broke Haechan's heart seeing you in pain, seeing you hurting because of something he couldn't prevent.

"Are you saying this just to get in my pants," you mumble quietly.

"I would never do that to you. You know that," he reassured you.

"Are you aware that I'm literally going through a break up right now?"

"I know, I know." He lets out a frustrated groan, throwing his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't wait to tell you."

You sighed, leaning back on his headboard. You didn't really know how to process the information you were being given right now, let alone how you were feeling. Years ago, you would've been the happiest person in the world, having a crush on him when you were younger. You liked him a lot at the time, him being the only boy who ever talked to you in your life, and you wanted validation. But as you got older, you got hotter and you started getting attention from a lot of boys, and soon realized crushing on Haechan wasn't worth it.

But as you grew up, so did he. He became more attractive and received more attention. Sometimes you wish he hadn't. You were 15 when you first had a crush on him, he was just another cute boy in class who you happened to be friends with, but now he's 23. If you didn't know him as well as you did, you would probably fuck him, and you don't blame people for wanting to fuck him either.

"When did you….you know," you asked, trying to avoid looking at him.

Haechan glanced at you through his fingers, moving his hands off his face after. "I don't know…I guess when I saw you crying over that asshole, it really hurt me. I don't want to see you like that again, and I know I could treat you better."

You could feel your heart beginning to beat faster and your face growing hot. You were blushing. Haechan has never made you blush before. You hit him on the shoulder, making him hiss at the sudden pain.

"What was that for," he whined.

"Stop saying nonsense."

"It's not nonsense, it's true," he said. "And don't pretend you didn't like it. You're literally blushing." Hachan lifted his hand to poke your cheek, but before you could swat it away, he grabbed onto your wrist and pulled your body to his.

"What are you doing," you said, a shocked and confused expression all over your face.

"Getting closer to you." Haechan let go of your wrist and slipped his arm around your shoulder. You've been close to him many times but not like this. And the way he was glancing at you made you suspicious, you knew that look.

"Why," you questioned, squinting at him.

"Because I want you close."

"Can you stop flirting with me please?" You didn't mean it, but your voice came out small, causing Haechan to let out a soft chuckle.

"Why? Do you like it when I flirt with you." Haechan noticed you refused to look at him, watching you pout and turn your head away from him trying to not smile. "Look at me."

"No." If there's one thing you know about him, it's that once you give him what he wants, there is no winning ever. He'll mention it for the rest of his life, never letting you live it down. And you definitely didn't want him knowing the effect he had on your emotions. You held your breath as you felt his other hand come into contact with your chin, forcefully turning your head to look at him. His face was centimeters away from yours. This is the closest the both of you had ever been.

"Stop looking away from me." He spoke in a soft tone, almost like a whisper, and he wasn't shy about what was in his mind. His eyes kept flickering between your lips and the rest of your face. He wanted to kiss you so badly. He's been wanting to since you stepped into his room.

"I'm not anymore," you answered, tone blank.

He let out a soft chuckle, licking his lips after. "You're cute."

You looked down, rolling your eyes. You did like what you guys had at the moment. It felt natural to be this close to him, but you had reservations. "Are you sure you really like me?"

"You want me to prove it to you?"

'Yes,' was the only answer you could give him. You actually wanted him to kiss you so badly and you wanted to admit it. But there was still a part of you that was still a bit attached to your ex and what he would think if you got into a relationship with Haechan, the main reason you were broken up with.

"I'm a little scared Haechan," you admit. "I just don't feel all myself after the break up. I mean what would he think-"

You didn't even realize how close you and Haechan were. His lips were almost on yours. He couldn't even hear what you were saying, all he knew was that he needed you at the moment. He wanted to show you, prove to you how much he likes you, how much you meant to him. But only if you gave your permission.

"Don't worry about him. Just pay attention to me okay?" Your eyes fluttered shut as Haechan kissed you softly, moving his hand from your chin to your waist. It felt like water dowsing a fire, putting out your anger and sadness all in one go. This was definitely natural, definitely meant to be, no matter how cliche it was. He rubbed your waist softly as he kissed you again, pulling you closer.

You placed your hand on his chest, tugging at his shirt softly. You kissed him again a bit more passionately this time. Haechan has been with a lot of girls, but he's never had the feeling he had with you. Not even his old girlfriends gave him butterflies the way you did. He pulled away slowly, a smile tugging at his lips once you looked at each other. "Do you believe me now?"

You looked away from him as fast as you could, resulting in him lifting your chin planting another kiss on your lips.

"Every time you look away from me, I'm gonna kiss you," he muttered.

"Will you stop," you whined. You buried your face in his neck, hiding from the embarrassment of his words.

He chuckled softly, pushing his hair back. "I've never seen you so embarrassed."

"You've never seen a lot about me."

"Wanna bet?"

You moved away from the crook of his neck, eyebrows raised as you looked at him with shock. Haechan had a smirk on his face, but it was a bit different this time. His expression of sincerity changed into one you've never seen before. And at that moment you just happened to look down at his lap. "Are you turned on right now…"

Haechan's smirk slowly disappeared as he glanced between you and his lap. "I'm sorry…you're just really hot."

"Please just…take care of that. I'm gonna go home." You move to stand up, but stop when Haechan grabs your wrists.

"Help me," he muttered lowly.

"What?"

"Help me."

Haechan looked at you with desperate eyes, squeezing your wrist as he tugged you towards him. He made it hard to say no sometimes, always knowing the right look or the right words to say. Not just that, but you kind of wanted to. In the deepest parts of your mind, you shoved the thought of ever having sex with him away. And now you have the chance. "Are..are you sure?"

He leaned into you, lips brushing against yours. "Positive."

You kissed him, cupping his face softly. Haechan bit your lip, a smirk tugging at his lips. He slipped his hand on your leg, squeezing the flesh softly. You didn't know where this sudden confidence was coming from, but when you got up and straddled him, it was almost like he'd found a new reason to fall for you even harder. His hands never left your waist, pushing your hips over his hardened length.

"Jesus," you muttered.

Haechan gripped your hips, rolling them onto his lap as he pulled away from you. Haechan took in your expression, eyes never leaving your face as you began to breathe heavily.

"You like that?"

You nodded, resting your forehead on his. Haechan kissed the corner of your lips as you let off a soft sigh filled with pleasure. His grip began to loosen as he felt you beginning to move your hips on your own. Haechan kissed your jawline as he let you grind on top of him, pace slowly becoming faster and harder.

"Shit," you moaned softly.

"That feel good," he asked, whispering in your ear. "Are you gonna cum from me barely touching you?"

"Can you shut up," you huffed out.

Haechan chuckled, kissing you so softly it only left you wanting more. But when you leaned in for another kiss, he moved away, shaking his head. "I want you to cum first."

"W-what?"

"Do it."

In any other situation, at any other time, you would've said no and probably hit him. But you needed him so badly you wanted him so badly you were willing to do anything he said. You threw your head back slightly, gripping his shoulders as soft moans escaped your lips. Haechan couldn't take his eyes off of you, almost as if you were art.

"You're so pretty," he whispered. His eye contact was intense, a little too intense for you. But he liked it. He liked that he could have this effect on you just by looking at you. You finally let your tough exterior crash for him. Nothing in the world could turn him on more.

Your brows furrowed as you began to feel your stomach tighten. You hid your face in his neck not wanting him to see you, but he moved it, holding your jaw firmly. "Look at me," he said softly.

Your jaw went slack as your orgasm approached making your body tremble. "F-fuck," you moaned softly.

"Good girl." He wiped the sweat off your brow with his thumb looking up at you with a tender smile. "You're a good listener when you really want something."

"Fuck you," you breathed out.

Haechan kissed you deeply, hands slipping under your t-shirt. "Take this off."

You pulled away, pulling your shirt over your head, tossing it on his bedroom floor. Haechan's eyes raked over every inch of your exposed skin. He's seen you in bathing suits on many occasions, or clothes that showed your body, but this was entirely different. He gulped as he stared at your cleavage for a little too long, concentration only breaking when you cleared your throat.

"You act like you've never seen boobs before," you joke.

"Not yours." Before Haechan could say another word, you were already unclipping your bra. You let the fabric fall off you, and Haechan felt as if he stepped through the gates of Heaven. "Can I touch you?"

You nodded, eyes moving between his face and hands. Haechan's hands gently fondled your chest, thumbs subtly gliding over your nipples making you shiver. Haechan's mouth attached to your nipple, kissing and licking at the bud all while never breaking eye contact. His eyes went a bit wide when you let out a moan, making him squeeze your chest softly.

"Don't tease me," you whined softly.

Haechan couldn't help but listen. His hands left your chest and immediately undid your jean shorts. He gulped as you shifted off of him. You tugged your shorts off, letting them fall into a puddle around your ankles, but when your finger hooked around your underwear, Haechan stopped you. "Keep them on."

"What? Why-"

"Please." The whimper in his voice was all you needed to listen; you kept them on. You watched as Haechan pulled himself out his basketball shorts. He could tell you were nervous and grabbed your hand, squeezing it softly.

"Do you have any condoms?" You've had sex dozens of times, but with Haechan, it was starting to feel like your first time. And this time it felt way more intimate than anyone else.

The male nodded, leaning over and grabbing one out his nightstand. You stood and watched as he slipped it on, mind racing with so many thoughts. 'This is it,' you thought to yourself. You were about to fuck your best friend, and you really liked the idea of it. But what if it ruined your friendship forever? What if he regretted it?

"Hey. What are you thinking about?" Haechan's eyes were soft, his expression changing seeing the worry on your face.

"I'm just nervous."

"Nervous about what," he questioned as you got back on top of him.

You opened your mouth, but hesitated before speaking. You didn't want to say the wrong thing. You didn't want to confuse him or hurt him. Haechan always understood you and knew you meant well, but saying anything in this moment could fuck up what the both of you had going. "What if..what if this ruins everything? I-I don't want to feel like this was a mistake."

"Do you think you're making a mistake?" His hands slid from your waist to your hips as he looked up at you. He always admired how honest you were, even if it would hurt his feelings. You shook your head 'no', making him smile. "Then you have nothing to worry about, okay? Just trust me."

You nodded, letting him pull your underwear to the side. The sight was almost enough to make him cum there on the spot. He lined himself with you, biting his lip as you sunk down. A small sigh fell from your lips as you felt him fill you, hands flying to his chest. Your eyes are closed so you don't see the way Haechan looks at you now. If he likes you before, he sure as hell loves you now. Something about this felt so right to him no matter how nervous you were.

His breathing became heavier as you grinded on top of him slowly, eyes shut in a desperate attempt to look at him. He would've completely missed this if it wasn't for your eyes slightly fluttering open, intentionally looking down to avoid his need for eye contact. Haechan kissed you deeply, tongue sliding against yours as your pace quickened.

"Oh my god," you moaned softly on his lips.

"Tell me how good it feels."

You could almost combust with the way he was talking to you. His voice felt like honey dripping into your ears. "Feels so good.."

"You're so cute," he mutters. Softly moans leave his lips, hands gripping your hips. His grip is so strong that he's now guiding your movements, making your brows furrow when he pushes himself deeper into you. Haechan begins to thrust into you at the same time, almost sending the both of you into ecstasy. You clenched around, throwing your head back as you whimpered and moaned.

Haechan's moans and groans were like music to your ears. Unlike your ex who barely made any noises, Haechan loved making sure you knew he liked what you were doing. He moved his hand off your hip, taking it between your legs, rubbing your clit. "Oh my god," you groaned softly. "Fuck, keep going."

Haechan kissed your neck softly, moaning against your skin. He felt you clench around him slightly, making his brows furrow. "Damn it," he moaned softly.

”I'm so close," you whimpered.

"Wait for me baby. Can you do that?"

You nodded fast, hands moving from his chest to his shoulders, pulling your body closer to his. Haechan couldn't take his eyes off you. He couldn't say he never imagined this moment, but it was better than anything he thought of.

"H-haechan, fuck..I'm cumming."

His name falling from your lips was all he needed. Moans fell from his lips as you clenched around him, legs and hands shaking from the intense orgasm. Haechan kissed you deeply again and again as if it was the last time he could.

You pulled away from him, a tired smile on your face seeing tired heavy eyes. The both of you sat there quiet as a mouse, just looking at each other. At this moment, you think you completely fell for him. Maybe you always had feelings for him and it just took this moment for you to realize how strong they were.

"I think I'm in love with you," Haechan said, breaking the silence.

"That quick," you joke. But Haechan was serious. He really did think it was more than like now. "I think we should wait, Haechan. I…I need some time before I can get into another relationship."

"That's fine," he said. "I'll be here no matter what we decide to do. You can always trust me."

You sigh deeply, pulling yourself off of him, plopping next to his body. Haechan pulled the condom off, tying the end as he threw it somewhere on the floor. "Ew," you grimaced.

"I'll get it later." Haechan wrapped his arms around you pulling you closer to him. "For now, can we just stay like this?"

You giggle, snuggling into his arms and resting your head in the crook of his neck. "Just know that know matter what happens, I think I love you too."

That was the last thing that you said before you drifted off into sleep, leaving Haechan with the widest smile on his face.

[bomberqueen17]

who let me out

Most of the time I spend on Tumblr has been taken up in writing these Aubreyad book recaps so I haven't been talking about my own life but there's not a lot to say.

However!

I am making a voyage to England next week which is extremely exciting, and yes I'm going to see the museum exhibit about that archaeology dig I was so excited about. I have been so stressed lately that I have barely thought about this and in fact last night I finally was like "do i need like. socks n underwear for this trip. idek." and i haven't even looked at weather reports so I don't know what clothes I need. But I did live in the UK for a while once so I'm fairly confident that my good raincoat and new waterproof boots will be a good start towards an autumn wardrobe.

So I hope to talk about that more, coming up.

Meanwhile, rambling about personal life stuff

The last stint at the farm was so fucking stressful. I had to work the market sometimes, which means a full day of work on Saturday. We had so much work to get through, and several people who help us weren't available, so we had to do it all ourselves, and that meant some ten-hour days, meant some exhausting slogs. At the end I was like "do you know what I'm not going to do while I'm on vacation?" "no, what" "ever touch raw chicken." I singlehandedly had to package like 1000 pounds of raw chicken in two days, after having packaged 200 whole chickens the day before. I was just so tired of the way raw cold chicken feels in my hands. Ugh ugh ugh.

I got so stressed I just wasn't sleeping, which sucked. Oh, I'd get into bed, and I'd fall asleep at my normal time-- usually around 10pm-- and then I'd wake up at 2am and that was it, I was up for the day. I tried various things-- went to bed at 9, woke up at 1-- lay there pretending to sleep-- got up and wrote-- got up and walked around-- one night I watched the entirety of the Master & Commander movie from 2003 on YouTube. Why not! I did remember some of it from 20 years ago, how funny.

(My dad liked that movie. His favorite thing to do during movies was to quibble about historical inaccuracies. But this movie had so much fanservice for reenactors in it that he was quietly delighted. His quibble was that the violin and cello duets were too good, they should've recorded amateurs. He had a point.)

Anyway. I was researching various methods of helping one sleep-- the only one at my disposal was weed gummies and I spent one very miserable night just lying there high and bored and not sleeping and wasn't totally sober when morning came and that fucking sucked. I commute on foot or I never would have risked it, but being very slightly still high and exhausted and trying to do repetitive physical work was really, really dispiriting.

but we got everything done. In the end. And I left. And once I got home I went to sleep and I have not had really any appreciable trouble sleeping since. I can even nap, sometimes!

Heck.

One of the things I'd meant to take care of while I was at the farm was that of course on my birthday, my fucking driver's license expired. On the one hand, thank you DMV, it used to be that everyone's license expired on the same day, so you'd have to go wait in massive lines to get it dealt with. Now it's... not evenly distributed exactly, because people's birthdays are a random distribution, but it's a perfectly logical and reasonable way to organize expiration dates. But it meant that in the midst of this exhausting miserable stint of work when I didn't have time to do anything really fun for my birthday (don't cry for me, my mom made me a cake and my BIL bought me ice cream treats) I also was consumed with angst about needing to renew my license. i was so sure they'd yell at me because I hadn't renewed before it expired-- but they wanted me to do an eye test, and I could not, could not coordinate that, I'm overdue for an optometrist appointment by several years and I just could not fucking make it happen.

So I went to the DMV yesterday and was like "i both want to renew this license and upgrade it to the enhanced version since that will be required for planes soon" and they were like "we need both your passport and your social security card and two proofs of residency." and i was like you need the social security card and proof of residency to get the passport. and they were like yeah but we need all four things too. so I went back home with the form and found the various necessary proofs, but then I was able to make an appointment to go back. Great!

(They say, "make an appointment online!" but if you look up the DMV website there's nowhere to do it, and if you go to the website of that branch of the DMV there's nowhere to do it. Want to know why? Because it's not through the DMV it is through the county clerk's office. Now U Know: Go to the county clerk's office and navigate to their section on the DMV. It's separate! Who fuckin knew! Now you do! [In my case this was erie.gov because that is my county, but it may vary for you and if you are not in new york state i have no advice for you.]

All having an appointment means is that you are in a separate queue to be seen, which is likely faster than the general pool but may not be. Still, I thought it was a good idea.

And then it was early for my appointment and I was getting my shit together and I had my social security card and an old W-2 with my address and social security number and my old license with my address on it and for some reason I thought I could use my checkbook but that's not what they mean by a cancelled check but whatever. I had just a random pile of shit. And

where was my passport

where is my passport?

i'd had it in my pocket but i was sure i'd removed it from the pocket and put it into my purse. but it wasn't in my purse. "did you see it inside the house," asks dude patiently, who also is prone to losing shit and who knows me very well. "I don't know," I have to answer. "I remember putting it in my purse and it isn't there." I search the place I put my purse a thousand times, I go through the desk where I was sitting to collect the other proofs but i knew, I knew I had not brought it in there. Time is slipping away, I will miss my appointment. God time is slipping away and I can't find the thing. I ransack the house. I finally run out to the car, did I leave it on the seat in the car? It is not in the car.

In desperation, as it is fully time to leave the house and I will be late if I don't, I gather up all my other papers and go out to the car. "I will just go," I say, "and ask them, did they find it, because that is the last place I am absolutely sure I had it." Because the woman had looked at it to see if I had my social security card between the pages. And she'd handed it back to me. But my memory is such that the rest of what I did is not certain; I remember taking it, I remember putting it into my pocket, but this might be a story I am telling myself. This is the way in which I am a very good liar, because I do not remember things very well, and my well-honed abilities as a storyteller mean I am very, very good at instantly constructing what it would make the most sense to have done, and telling that story even to myself. But. here's the horrible truth: i don't know if it really happened that way. Many things I have witnessed, important things, I remember the story of but I'm not entirely certain they happened that way. Any story I tell may be fictionalized, and I usually dont' know it.

So anyway.

Got out to my car and there on the ground in the road (I am parked in the street) there is my passport lying next to the driver's side door of the car. When I had checked the car earlier, I had only gone to the near side, the passenger side, and looked in the window. It had never occurred to me that my memory of putting it into my purse might have been me just setting it on my purse and it not going in, which is clearly one hundred percent what happened.

So that was. A fucking wild ride, and I did not cry but only because I was too overwhelmed. I made it to the appointment and I could not hear the very nice clerk very well so I kept nodding at her in blank incomprehension and then not doing what she'd asked me to do. But this is the thing-- if you think of the most brutally competent people on the entire face of the planet Earth you might be tempted to imagine like, IDK, Marines or something, but that would be wrong, it is the clerks at the DMV. They will Get It Done, whatever the fuck it is, and they will NOT put up with your shit, but they will also not be mean to you. They will not usually waste time in smiles or gratuitous displays of humanity, but they are never cruel, they are implacable and pitiless but they are fair and they will help you and they will not smile about it but they will tell you which option to tick off on the form so that you don't have to pay a bunch of extra money, and they will be understatedly kind if you are frightened, and they will calmly and impassively repeat their instructions until they penetrate your uncomprehending skull, and you will get what you need to get because this is deadly serious and they are the kind of bureaucrat that actually make the world go round. It is not sunshine and rainbows but it will absolutely get done even if it takes months and years.

Anyway there's some kind of divinity in low-level bureaucrats who actually have to talk to frightened people, I tell you what.

The only time my clerk smiled at me was when I didn't hear her and she had to repeat that the screen was asking me if I wanted to register to vote, which is an automatic part of all their transactions. "Oh, no," I said, "I'm already registered," and she said "then press no," and I said "I do really appreciate the reminder though," and she smiled at that.

(They also ask you to enroll as an organ donor. NYS is an opt-in state, and many people just don't opt in; opt-out states have much higher enrollment for obvious reasons. Please opt in unless your religion or beliefs proscribe it! There are never enough organs and your grieving family will almost never remember to opt you in at the moment of extremity. You could save so many lives, and improve so many others. This PSA brought to you by someone who spent the pandemic lockdown in the home of a member of the local hospital's liver transplant team, who was so busy because all the New York hospitals had shut down their transplant facilities in order to turn the ventilators over to Covid patients, so everyone in New York who was getting a liver was getting it in Rochester. From my guy's team. So it was a stressful time. But I am successully re-enrolled as an organ donor. I am quite sure I already was one but the only two options were Yes or No so I checked Yes.)

Anyway I have so much to do and am so burned-out that I'm repeatedly getting stuck staring at things in odd rooms, so. We'll see how this goes. I have five days left to get ready for this trip wish me luck.

[decent0distraction]

So I’m working on a post about a Trolls au in which the Brozone brothers grew up and performed in the Bergentown Troll Tree since the third movie established that their grandma lived in said tree, meaning she, and little Branch, lived in captivity for a period of time; so the au is a what if in which the Pop Trolls never attempted to escape but instead worked to live and survive. But as I was going over my draft for this au, I had an idea for a smaller au that I want to talk about.

Brozone broke up and Branch was left with their grandma. She got eaten, he went grey, but got left behind when the Pop trolls escaped from the Troll Tree.

Viva, roughly 11 to 13 (see my other Troll au posts if you want an explanation for why I put her at that age at the time of the escape) does what she can the best she can; finding as many left behind trolls as she can and fleeing with them.

But Branch, small and sad and hopeless, is so still and quiet, so void of color, that he isn’t found.

By the time night falls, he eventually gets up and tries to find someone - anyone - but everyone is gone.

Branch is the last Troll of the Troll Tree and is entirely alone.

20 years later, Poppy has been raised by a stern, overprotective father who has molded her into the perfect heir who has grown up with the constant reminder that she isn’t the rightful heir, but she’ll have to do.

Peppy doesn’t mean to be cruel; he just can’t survive losing anymore of his subjects.

But Poppy has proven herself; she established a patrol and defense force, the subjects adore her, and she prioritizes safety while still allowing celebrations and fun.

But she can’t shake the feeling that the Trolls left behind, including her sister, are still out there somewhere.

This leads to some poking into certain secrets of the past; like the whole thing with the strings and the other Troll Tribes.

But she can’t leave her kingdom to go looking for ghosts. Can she?

Meanwhile, Branch has spent the last 20 years hiding, surviving off of left behind food, and basically lives in an apocalyptic state of what was the Troll Tree.

He stopped speaking when he lost his grandma. Not that he has anyone to talk to, heh. Sorry.

But it’s true! He spends his days hiding in old houses or sometimes underground, especially when the occasional Bergen tries to pick up those houses, hoping to shake a dead Troll body out of one. Like that one Bergen did years ago, finding an old lady Troll. (Yep, that’s right. Branch didn’t even get to bury his grandma)

So yeah, Branch isn’t ok,, mentally. He fantasizes about literally burning Bergentown alive, among other things.

He’s been living off of bugs, plants, and rotten food for so long that he’s recently been unreasonably considering luring a Bergen to him so he can at least get a few bites of a finger or something. Anything.

He has considered ending it, but he knew that his body would be found and eaten. He doesn’t want that.

He’s been to the tunnels that the escaped trolls made, but with everything sealed off, there’s no way to get out that way.

After years of weather and general neglect from the Bergens who built the damn thing, the cage around the Troll Tree has slightly larger gaps in between some of the bars. At night, Branch tries to slip out of the caged tree and roam the streets of Bergentown, hoping to find his way out.

But it’s a big town for someone so small and he can only move so fast being as hungry and tired as he is. So he always has to rush back to the tree before sunrise to avoid being caught.

Meanwhile, John Dory has heard rumors of the Pop Trolls having escaped. And Clay of course has heard Viva talk about her sister and her father, giving him hope that his baby brother was alive.

Bruce wants to believe that his family is safe on their little island of paradise, especially given that his wife has more of a size advantage and the rest of her fellow creatures are literally willing to rip apart any Bergen that dares to try going after Bruce or any other Troll on their island.

But Bruce still has horrific nightmares of finding his brothers dead or half eaten. The fear makes him want to seal up their island and keep out any outsiders should they want to hurt anyone. But his wife and family, and their community, work to remind him that he’s safe; that it’s all safe.

Floyd…

Floyd returned almost as quickly as he left. Or at least, he tried to. He couldn’t believe how stupid he was to leave a child in such a dangerous situation. But unfortunately, Floyd wasn’t quick enough. He couldn’t find a way back into Bergentown on his own and he couldn’t find anyone to help him.

So he has spent the last 20 years camping around the perimeter of Bergentown, attempting new ways to getting in but failing each time.

And it isn’t until 20 years after everything happened that John Dory finally tracks down his brothers.

Clay is the first to agree to help the oldest, even convincing Viva to join them in hopes of finding her family.

It takes some work convincing Bruce, but they manage.

They find Pop Village before they find Floyd, but Peppy tells Viva that Poppy ran away to find the other Troll Tribes. And her.

Viva has a panic attack and Clay stays behind to help her, as John Dory hears Peppy tell Bruce about how they escaped from the Tree via the tunnels. John Dory takes off through those tunnels, animalistic in clawing his way through the dirt and rocks to make new tunnels.

He had hoped to dig his way to the Tree, but he emerges out of the ground right outside Floyd’s campsite.

Their reunion is tearful and both are relieved to see the other again. Clay and Bruce catch up with the oldest and all four brothers exchange hugs and apologies.

Floyd is the first to pull away, convinced that if they all survived, then Branch must have too.

John Dory is hit with the realization that his little brothers are still little-like; they are still in the mindset of frightened children, crying for the only form of parent they ever knew; him. The oldest. The one who failed them.

He doesn’t want to present the possibility that because Branch wasn’t much older than a baby at the time, that he most likely didn’t survive. He doesn’t want to risk losing the brothers standing right in front of him.

But he can’t not try to find Branch. At the very least, he can’t let those monsters have their way with Branch’s corpse.

So the brothers work together until they finally find a tunnel that leads directly to Bergentown. They have to wait until nightfall to come out, but once topside, they make it to the tree to find Branch.

He immediately attacks Bruce, who was closest, having forgotten who they were and almost entirely out of his mind.

Starvation, isolation, and sleep deprivation has mind warping effects. He sees his brothers as literal monsters.

Floyd, desperate to have his brother safe and away from this awful place, manages to subdue Branch so that John Dory knock him out.

It’s almost too easy for them to carry Branch back to the tunnel and to Pop Village.

By morning, Branch wakes up in restraints. It takes a lot of work, but his brothers get some food in him and eventually he calms down and realizes that he’s safe.

Just in time for Poppy to return with the leaders of the other Tribes…

More to come

[twig-tea]

TWIG! Friend! I couldn't help but notice your tags in my excitement post about getting to La Pluie -- I see that you and I are YYY mutuals. :) Let's call YYY... say... zany or offbeat -- off the beaten path of the usual romance-dominated field of Thai BLs. What are some other "zanier" BLs (not just Thailand, but everywhere in Asia) that you love and would recommend for an off-the-wall experience? And, why?

@waitmyturtles I'm so sorry you sent this a million years ago and then I kept letting it languish. And it's extra rude because I love this question! It's so hard to add something like YYY to a rec list without a billion caveats, so this is a great chance to shout out some of the series & shorts that don't get as much attention. A few of these I know you've seen but I have to include them for completeness.

First, for the sake of other people reading this, as Turtles has written about, Cheewin brings his own kind of zaniness to almost everything he works on; my faves of his other than YYY are Make It Right and Secret Crush on You (the exception is Bed Friend, which is not in any way zany but I still liked it).

Also going to mention that since Turtles asked for off the beaten path zany, I won't be mentioning any of the popular comedies (in case you're wondering why I Became the Lead in A BL Drama or Man Who Defies the World of BL aren't on this list).

Alright now that's out of the way, let's get into the other recs!

Zany lesser-known BLs other than YYY

Ossan's Love Franchise (Japanese, 2016-2024, GagaOOLala)

It is... less true now that this series is lesser-known than it was when I started writing this draft (in uh... August 2023) but I shall persist! The franchise details alone for this series are complete crack:

A 2016 45-minute short [skippable imo];

The 2018 original series which builds the short into a zany 7-episode comedy series about a man in his late 20s who suddenly finds himself the love interest of his older boss (in his ~50s) and his coworker/roommate (in his mid-20s);

The sequel film Ossan's Love: Love or Dead (2019)which turns into an action film halfway through for no clear reason but also remains a romantic comedy in which the mains from the original season decide if they want to stay together

The AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky (2019) which has the same characters of the lead and his boss from S1 and the short, but this time they work in an airport and all of the surrounding cast is different and leads to a very confusing love rhombus. Incredible 10/10 no notes [people hate this because they like the mains from S1 & the film but I loved the mess]

The sequel season to S1 and the film, Ossan's Love Returns (2024) which you can absolutely watch in isolation and is about the main couple re-establishing their relationship and their found family friend group after being long distance for a few years.

It's truly excellent comedy, and gets better every outing; there are some barriers that might prevent some enjoying the earlier seasons but the most recent one is really delightful. You can hear me talk more about this series with @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup on The Conversation podcast!

Diary of Tootsies (Thai, 2017, grey/Netflix (for the movie))

I love Diary of Tootsies and the follow-ups so much. SO much. One of the best laughs of my life was the opening to the movie, and I cannot be in a long car ride without thinking about the purse incident in s1. This show doesn't get a lot of BL fandom attention because the romance arcs are not typical for BL (but that's one of the things I love about them). And the friendship in this series is truly what sells it. Season 1 is self-contained, a lot of people dislike the romance plot of S2; I really like the arc across s2 to the movie (as established above, I tend to be less invested in a particular ship across a franchise or multiple franchises). The movie plot is all about reconciling who you thought you wanted and who you are with (amongst all kinds of shenanigans).

HeHe and He (Hong Kong, 2018-ongoing, YouTube)

This mockumentary sitcom-style series does tackle some serious topics and is also absolutely hilarious nonsense across its 3 seasons. The very simple premise is that a gay guy ("hehe" is slang for gay) and a straight guy who are old friends become roommates when the gay friend breaks up with his longterm boyfriend and needs a place to stay, and hijinks ensue. They do direct-to-camera confessionals spliced in with scenes from their lives. I love this show so much, and it would actually be high up in my indie BL rankings if it were completed. I lose it at least once an episode. It's very queer (if you want a show that tackles everything from hookups to turning everything into a joke to being so, so mean to each other while also loving each other dearly to even chemsex, look no further), and I am in love with all of the wacky characters that have formed a love-hate found family that is deeply relatable. The creators posted a video a few months ago saying they're struggling to end it in a way that they're happy with so I'm not sure we'll ever get an ending for the show. But if you like comedy and queer content it's worth a watch even incomplete! I've been very patiently following this project since 2018 and it's legitimately one of my favourite shows.

Rainbow Prince the Series (Filippino, 2022, YouTube)

This is a musical; it is a lot of campy nonsense. There is royalty, political intrigue, a dog, kidnappings, and so. much. singing. The songs are surprisingly catchy and it's all extremely good fun. Also a lot of the dialogue is very clearly improvised.

Hey! First Love (Vietnamese, 2019, YouTube)

This series of shorts are mostly just silly fluff. The very tenuous plot is that these shorts are slice-of-life moments from a young established couple, but it's all really just excuses for Vietnamese comedy and BL romance tropes. If you haven't watched anything from Vietnam, this is a very low-stakes commitment (I think it's under 30 minutes of content all told; there are 4 "episodes" which are spliced together shorts, each of which has a tiny plot but there is not much of an overarching narrative, and then a Q&A with the actors at the end) and gives you a sense of the Vietnamese sense of humour. Both of these actors have gone on to continue to be in other Vietnamese BLs, so if you have watched Vietnamese BL you may recognize them! The production quality on this is charmingly low.

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (India, 2019, Amazon Prime)

This film was such a joy to experience in a live theatre. Billed "the first Gay Bollywood RomCom", this movie was a riot of chaos, dance numbers, shenanigans, hilarity, and cuteness. I loved the way this film incorporated the very real legal change to decriminalize homosexuality in its story. Arguably not "BL" as it very much fits in the bollywood tradition not the BL tradition, but OP did ask for all of Asia!

Like Love (China, 2014-15, grey)

And no I don't mean censored--this is from before China started censoring its BLs. This show has kisses as shown in the gif, and even (poorly cropped) sex scenes. It also is super bizarre. I was so confused by this show, the characterization, the fourth wall breaks, and how disjointed it was so I went to read the source material and...it turns out it's one of the most perfect adaptations I've ever seen, the book is in fact exactly like this. The characters are caricatures, there is no bridging between scenes, and the plot is the most absurd take on 'loserfail no-thoughts-head-empty character who doesn't admit he's gay but still ends up in a dedicated and loving relationship with a rich handsome domineering man ' I've ever seen. It's a bewildering experience. Note the sound quality on this one is suuuper miserable. I like s2 way more than s1 (s1 is getting together and includes a lot of the bullying-teasing and I'm-not-gay-I-just-need-him-to-pay-attention-to-me stuff, s2 is the honeymoon phase + getting the homophobic parents on board) but S1 is definitely the zanier of the two. That being said, if you wanted, I think you can dive right in to s2 (there's a direct-to-camera explanation of what happened in s1 at the start of it). Note that they set up a cliffhanger at the end of 2 in anticipation of s3 which was going to be made in 2016 but was cancelled because of the political changes in China in 2016 (this is one of the reasons I went to read the source material; they do get a happy ending in the books).

This is an extremely silly but also touching franchise with a lot of tropes I don't love, but also a lot of things I do (and just neat to see some stuff so early in BL: Underwater kiss? Helicopter ride? Femme fatale becomes friend of the faen? Supportive grandparent? It's all here). There are some fantastic speeches in s2 about supporting your gay children; I liked how in this the kids didn't give up on their parents but try to reconcile their filial piety with their dedication to each other. If you do watch S1, highly recommended you watch the series version rather than the film. For "S2"/the follow-up film, make sure you look for the uncensored film version.

The Lover Room 709 Cut (Korean/Japanese, 2016, grey)

This starts extremely silly, plays with BL tropes, and gets a little bit serious at the end but is mostly just full of puns and innuendos. Includes one of the most hilarious takes on kabedon, and egregious use of the soundtrack from Brokeback Mountain. Also: fart jokes. Folks worried it was going to stay teasing the audience but it does commit and we do get an actual resolution that is satisfying. I admit I've never seen the whole series (which includes stories of 3 other couples in the apartment building) but the BL cut is readily available if you search. Make sure you look for the deleted scene with the lotion application--this scene walked so IFYLITA could run (I'm kidding, but it's very funny seeing this scene now and thinking about that one).

The Boy Next Door (Korean, 2018, YouTube)

This is another older series playing with censorship (similar to The Lover) in which the two characters end up in BL romance tropes but are not actually in love...or are they? The shenanigans are very fun. This one is left more ambiguous than The Lover, which is one of the reasons it's further down the list.

Go! Go! G-Boys (Taiwan, 2006, grey)

I debated between this and another quirky comedy from Taiwan in the early 2000s, Formula 17, but while that's unequivocally a better movie, this one is lesser known and more zany, so it technically better fits the bill for this ask (but if you haven't, go watch Formula 17!). The plot is a bit cringe--straight boy signs up to gay beauty contest to pay off his girlfriend's debts (accompanied by his gay childhood friend who is in love with him) and finds his truth. Meanwhile a homophobic police officer has also infiltrated the contest for investigative purposes. Amongst all that admittedly not great setup, however, are several bizarre sequences including the incredible Lord of the Rings recreation scene (complete with Gatchaman of course), a killer soundtrack, a random delivery of poultry, someone slapping a cake, and, most absurdly unbelievable at all: police taking harassing death threats to the gay contest seriously. It does a great job of setting up what should be a dramatic scene and then immediately undercutting the tension with something absurd. It's not narratively good, but it is a fun ride! And yes, there is a happy ending. Stick around for a fourth wall break (literally) after the credits.

Something Crunchy Crunchy (Korean, 2018, GagaOOLala)

Extremely bizarre little musical short in which snacks are anthropomorphized as hot guys and they sing songs about being eaten and wanting to be eaten. Played entirely sincerely, but the concept is screamingly funny. Fascinating. Also, kind of poly?

Dom (Korean, 2016, GagaOOLala)

Another hilarious and weird Korean short, this time in which we see the protagonist's sex life from the perspective of the condom boxes that are anthropomorphized and given personalities based on their brands.

And since we can't leave out the ladies,

A few zany GLs:

Lily Fever (Korean, 2015, YouTube)

I wrote about this one a little in my GL rec list; it is absolutely bonkers nonsense. There is not really a plot, it's a fever dream of a show. Chaos! Not so much a romance as an excuse to see cute girls flirt and make out.

Legend of Yunqian (China, 2020, grey)

I debated including this one because only the middle is really the zany part, it's sandwiched with more serious xianxia drama. But in the middle of this miniseries is an extremely cute interlude in which xianxia characters time travel to present day for ~reasons. It's censored but there is very little uncertainty about feelings, and manages to be absolutely charming. Worth the short runtime for this kitten quickcut (subbed "Whomst?!" in the show for ultimate comedy). Warning for character death (but it's ok because time travel to reincarnated character!) Subtitled by the indispensable @douqi7s [see their pinned post for links].

BetCin (Filippino, 2022, WeTV)

A lesbian couple with a YouTube following decide to break up but then find out there's a contest for couples, and they decide to pretend to still be together to try and win the contest rather than tell their fans they've broken up. This series does some really interesting things by starting with a breakup and then looking at how two people who are no longer dating manage BGP while also managing their feelings. There's a lot going on in this show, and the hijinks definitely ensue!

Perfect One Night Stand (Korean, 2020, GagaOOLala)

This is a cute Strongberry GL short in which a friend agrees to help her other friend find a girl to have sex with before the day is over; they go through several quirky candidates looking for the titular perfect one night stand.

[chickenoptyrx]

You do so right by z Broly, you understand his potential. Your au with him and Trunks is a delight

Glad we all appreciate my blatant misrepresentation of the character 😌 im partly joking but man fr, 12 year old me would hate that instead of him bein a badass edgy monster, I draw him as.. *checks notes* .. an immature loser with bad coping mechanisms uwu

Ok but in true ask tradition! :U im hijacking this ask to talk about a dumb theory thats been rolling around in my head for like 2 years now: android 16 and broly similarities:

Ok so. If you aren't aware. The android arc of dragon ball was originally going to focus on the androids 19 & 20 and trunks even names them specifically

But Toriyamas former editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, didn't like them as the main antagonists and so Toriyama changed it to focus on 17 & 18 as the bad guys and introduced 16 as a sort of mystery

Now. This gets almost completely dropped once that same former editor ALSO doesn't like these androids and cell becomes the main villian for the arc (yeah yeah, the bomb thing is technically *there*, but its so inconsequential most people forget its even a thing :T )

So. Idk exactly when movie 8 went into production, but we know Brolys LSSJ form was inspired by trunks SSJ grade3 form that appears several chapters after cell has been introduced and the androids have become power-up fodder, so im gonna argue its safe to say the decision to move away from their story had been made

(side tangent that I find absolutely hilarious btw- despite gokus commentary in the HTC, SSJ grade 3 was the strongest form of ssj we saw at this point, so its pretty appropriate to use it as the basis of the strongest scariest ssj form.... rrriiiiiiiiggght up until toriyama introduced SSJ2 on Feb 2, 1993- near exactly 1 month before the first Broly movie hit theaters. Completely undermined what, up til then, looked like a trend in stronger form = bigger and beefier right as the big beefy strongest guy ever movie came out 🤣 absolutely love it!)

So anyways. The movies overall also tend to have varying degrees of similarities with recent arcs in the show and Toriyama, while not overly involved, would give the studio designs and story notes. And. Idk. Yall can tell me im reaching if ya want, but: A guy who's made into a weapon by his father who's on a quest for revenge and has this conflicting view of his son as both someone he feels he failed to protect, someone he cares about, but also as a tool for that revenge, and someone who's destructive power hes become deeply afraid of.. now where have we seen somethin like that 🤔 may be an extra reach but I also think its neat that despite their different face shape, Toriyamas gave em the same expression

Lol they're also both just ridiculously tall bastards. Like for no gd reason. And yeah, to me atleast, it explains why hating goku specifically gets shoehorned into brolys backstory (listen I can absolutely do the mental gymnastics to make it make sense! I'm fine with it! Its fine! I actually like it! ... but it IS a dumb shoehorned plot point! Both things can be true D:< ) look just lookit these tall ass shits

Anyway. My last note is just this statement from Toriyama about 16 and Gero. The way gero is presented is really in line with how I see Paragus as this tragic failure of a father- honestly caring about his kid, but letting grief and revenge drive him into conflicting corners where he wants revenge FOR the life denied his son, but also actively shaping his son into such a terrifying weapon that ultimately hed rather his kid just never be conscious cause thats the 'only way to keep them safe'

“Dr. Gero’s son who died young a long time ago served as the visual model for Android 16. He was a high-ranking soldier for the Red Ribbon Army but was shot down by the enemy. Dr. Gero reserved special feelings for 16 as “his son,” and although he equipped 16 with immense power and a frightening destructive device, he didn’t want to see him be defeated on the battlefield and thus programmed him to have a gentle personality. 16 was consequently considered a failed creation.” The smaller caption below Toriyama’s quote reads: “Was the reason Dr. Gero didn’t want to activate 16 perhaps because of his parental love to not see him destroyed?”

[roshellow29]

Idk why but I feel the need to rant about trolls band together so here's a warning for SPOILERS.

TL;DR I'll be talking shit about major conflict parts in the movie that I wished were handled differently >:((((

Please take caution (and a deep breath) reading this because I'm very bad at making sense when I ramble ok? Ok les go

OK SO.

The movie was great, loved the songs and I enjoyed branches family shenanigans, including supportive girlfriend poppy I've been WAITING FOR THIS (ifykyk)

But here are some things that bothered me that they could've definitely done differently

1. JOHN DORYS ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC- jd is great. He's actually my favorite! He's a cringefail boyfailiure and I love him for it. In the movie, his whole thing was that he was basically an ass who didn't listen to his siblings and always pressured and bossed them around. Cool, that's established. What's not is, Why??? It's really the whole "perfect family harmony" thing I guess.

Because later in the conflict he says that it was "hard being responsible for four younger siblings" (which bitch me too were litteraly the same) and that all they needed to be was perfect. what I don't understand is why? Why the whole perfect harmony? Where did it come from? They didn't say it was a big thing or that other bands did it? Would it get them more fame? Would it mean that they're perceived as the perfect brothers or something?? Also, why wasn't the grandmother more involved with the kids?? Did she pressure him to care for his siblings because their parents weren't involved or something? That's just one thing that's not really explained to me ig 🤔

And the whole thing that bothers me with jd is that he doesn't do the cliché "branch I'm sorry I was an asshole brother, and I wanna be a better troll to you and our bros. And blah blah blah" like they skip that entire potential jd apology??? I was expecting that with a hug?? I WANTED A HUG WITH BRANCH AND JD OK. He genuinely cares about him!!! You can see it, he really does. He's just bad at communicating. Like extremely - so they skipped that and just made him go, "We'll follow ur lead branch," and that's it.😐 no apology. No proper character development. Just him going "ok yeah I'll follow u one time." LIKE HUH. (This also includes the other siblings cuz they dipped on branch the same, and none of them said sorry!!)

OH and another thing. WHY WERE CLAY AND BRUCE SUCH ASSHOLES TO JD. ESPECIALLY CLAY. like I completely get it, he was an asshole, he pressured and bossed you around, we know that. But that was 20 PLUS YEARS AGO??? Like no you don't have to hug him but damn why r yall so cold???

I'm thinking that because I'm p sure they went no contact at all after they broke up. So how r they so sure he's still the way he was before?? (I mean they were kinda right but still) like you could've been super happy and then get disappointed later when trying to practice hitting the note. It would've made more sense to me idk. Like it just bothers me that they straight up ignore him- it's mean! (But I can't be too mad I mean they all have their reasons ig 🙄)

While we're on the topic of the family, on to my next point.

2. ROSIEPUFF AND HER DEATH. I think it was handled HORRIBLY. Like the whole movie I was just like "plz don't skip over it plz don't skip over it." And then branch drops the bomb on them right (which still caught me off guard like damn) and THEYRE DUMBFOUNDED, GREAT. And then after that there's NOTHING. NOTHING!?!??!?!?!? they don't mention it they don't apologize to branch for what he went through they don't take two seconds to mourn her they're just like "wait she dead?" And then fucking move on like. Why???? they don't question how, they don't question when branch was living in solidarity for 20 years, nothing. and I'm mad as fuck because that was part of Branches entire CHARACTER ARC in the first movie!! They don't mention he was gray they don't mention he didn't sing they don't mention anything. He went through that for 20 YEARS, ALONE. and they don't mention it. I rlly hated that- like they rlly didn't care.

Anyway.

Third smaller topic that I thought was gonna happen

3. I thought clay was gonna end up going, "actually yknow what, I AM fun" and then embrace himself because hes most definitely goofy. But nah they left him trying so hard to convince himself he's serious, and tbh he just came across as branch 2.0.

Alright moving on!!

4. I'm mad they didn't include a little flashback of viva and poppy being inseparable until the escape happened. Like I know popps was an infant but at the same time troll kids talk the day they're born, so it would've been nice to see them be together at least once before they separated.

Also.

I WANNA DECK PEPPY IN THE FACE. you lost your daughter and instead of MOURNING her and spreading her memory you decided to act like she didn't EXIST. WHY. like he was obviously depressed and sad but why didn't you tell poppy stories of her when she was a kid or something? And keep her memory alive??

(And sure. There's the thing with "They weren't gonna give poppy a sister until now" but I feel like they could've at least made poppy remember a small flashback is what I'm saying.)

Idk. I just wish it was handled differently like why is peppy keeping so much shit to himself lmao.

Oh yeah and then there's just my little nitpick and it's that I wish they included the troll leaders in the wedding sequence ok they're all friends they should've been invited ok I just wanted to see them again 😭(totally not saying thus cuz world tour is my fav but I am)

Anyway, yeah! I think this is just what mainly bothers me about the movie. I just feel like the conflict was handled poorly. But either than that it's still a good watch. I like it a lot :D

If you read this far, God damn you like to read, and thanks for dealing with my stupid thoughts!

If not, that's OK lol.

[aloneodi]

First date | Elizabeth Olsen

Summary: the first date but not their first date

Pairing: Elizabeth Olsen x male reader

Warning: little bit suggestive at the end, mentions of having sex and Y/N being overprotective and old schooled daddy~

Elizabeth's pov

"Have you told him?" I look at Ellie and smile. She is so worried that Y/N wont allow her to go on that date she is so looking forward to. Secretly I'm worried too. I mean Eddie is dating since he is 16 and Y/N is ok with it, but this is his daughter and eventhough Ellie is nearly 17, to him she is still a little girl. Thank God he is strictly anti-gun because otherwise I could totally picture him sitting on the porch and cleaning his gun when the poor boy arrives.

"I will tell him now. I'll be back in a couple of minutes" I give her a another smile and make my way to our room. I knock and get in. He is on the phone so I decide it is best to bring him in a good mood. I walk around the desk and curl up in his lap. He smiles down at me and finishes his call.

"Why Mrs. L/N did you miss me while l was in here" he says with a sexy smirk and even after nearly 20 years of beeing married this particular smirk makes me squirm a little. "I miss you whenever I'm not with you but actually we need to talk."

"What have the kids done now" I giggle when he looks annoyed because every discussion about the kids starts with 'we need to talk'.

"Well they are all good, but there is something Ellie wanted to tell you but she was a little worried of your reaction so she asked me to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"There is a nice boy in her school and he asked her on a date. She would really like to go, you know eat at a diner go to the movies maybe they go to the pool hall after that a typical teenie date." Y/N gapes at me and next he get's up with me in his arms, plops me down on his chair and starts to pace in our room while he runs both hands through his hair. Crap thats not good.

"Liz, baby, she is a child, she is way to young for a date. The answer is no!" he says with finality in his voice but I'm not going to let him ruin this for Ellie.

"Y/N, Ellie is almost 17 she is not a little girl anymore, Besides Eddie is dating since he is 16 don't you think that this is double standard." he glares at me and when I first met him that look would have made me cringe but now I glare back at him.

"Elizabeth that's different Ellie is a girl and I know what teenage boys want and they won't do that with any of my daughters. I mean imagine we let her go and two months from now she tells us she is pregnant. I'm not ready to be a grandpa" Ok thats ridiculous and I roll my eyes at him.

"First Ellie is not the kind of girl who has sex on the first date and second she is on the pill..."

"WHAT?" Y/N damn near screams and now I do cringe. Shit I never told him. "Lizzie why is our daughter on the pill. Is there something I don't know?"

"Y/N please calm down. I haven't told you about this because Ellie was so embarrassed that she had to tell me that she made me promise not to tell anyone else. A year ago she told me that she had really bad cramps when ever she got her period. So I took her to Dr. Greene and she told us that this is very common for young girls and that the pill could help. So we tried and it worked. This has nothing to do with birthcontroll for Ellie."

"Oh really, last time I checked the pill was birthcontroll. If she has cramps than she can take painkillers or take hot bath."

"Y/N please I don't want my daughter to take painkillers five days every month, thats not exactly healthy and Ellie knows that if she wants to have sex, she has to tell the boy to use a condom."

"You had the talk with her?"

"Of course I had 'the talk' with her. I don't want to be a grandma either. Well not right now. And do you want to know what she told me. Ellie told me that she would wait with sex until she knows she has found the right guy. She is very mature for her age, but we have to give her some space. It's one date and I already told her that she could not go without Ryan following her and you know what, she is ok with that as long as he doesn't sit at her table while dinner or in the same row in the cinema. So the worst that could happen is that they are holding hands or kiss..."

"Kiss" Y/N gasps and I have to stiffe a smile because he looks shocked. "Yes Y/N teenagers do kiss."

"Not my daughter she is too young!" Oh Y/N!

"Y/N we have to let her make her own expirience and I'd rather she asks us and we can meet the boy than her telling us she is going to friends house and meeting someone behind our backs. Besides all her friends are already dating and Ava she has her third boyfriend already"

"Well she is Collin's and Scar's daughter that was to be expected" Y/N mutters petulantly. "Come on baby I know this is hard on you but remember we have two more daughters and they will all start to date eventually see it as practice" I say with a smirk and he walks over to the desk again picks me up, sits down and puts me back in his lap.

"Fine, I want to meet the little fucker and if I don't like him they are staying here where I can watch him. Wait why don't we go with them?" Ok now I'm laughing. "You can't be real Y/N we can't go with them Ellie would die of embarrassment cuz everyone in school would make fun of her and you know how paparazzi is, they will follow us and it will be lot of trouble"

"Why?" he looks at me like this is a serious question and I think he is really thinking of doing it. "Because no teenage girl wants a double date with her parents how would you have felt if your parents wanted to go on a date with you and a girl you liked?"

"I would have felt that they are very responsable and-" I hold both hands up to stop him "Oh please you would have not felt like that. Look we agreed she can go once we met him so I'm going to tell her that he should come here to pick her up on friday and you can call Ryan now and talk to him." I kiss him quickly and leave our room before he can change his mind though I really hope that Ryan can talk some sense into my constantly worried husband.

Friday evening (Ellie's date night)

I sit in the family room and sip on my wine while looking lovingly at my poor husband. Thank god our younger kids are staying at my parent's house tonight so he can only drive himself and me crazy. He has called Ryan every day since I told him about the date on sunday, Actually I was ready to tell Ellie to go on her date on tuesday just to get this over with. Poor Ryan by now Y/N has compiled a 5 pages long list with things he has to watch and of course Y/N told him that he would be fired if Ellie gives him the slip or if they have sex.

Louis, my husband's dear manager is a wreck too because he was trying to convince Y/N that it was not possible to run a background check on everyone who will be in the diner or the cinema. Of course that wasn't safe enough for my darling control freak so now he has a deal with the manager of the cinema that no matter which movie they want to watch, the will watch it alone.

"Of course Ellie nearly threw a fit when she heard that but I calmed her down and also talked Y/N out of renting a diner for the evening as well as that would have been just too much. Jeez he was never that crazy with Eddie, but than again Eddie is just like Y/N, he looks just like him and he shares Y/N's interest in martial arts so he knows how to defend himself. I mean I don't want anything to happen to Ellie either but I think she needs to make her own mistakes to learn from them and besides Ellie also knows how to defend herself as Y/N had all of our kids go to several safety trainings and they all have security following them so there is no way that boy could harm Ellie. Ryan would rather shoot the kid than let anything happen to Ellie or our other kids Kylie, Grace and Matthew.

I'm interrupted from my thoughts when Ellie appears in the family room wearing a lovely light pink dress with the pumps I borrowed her. Her blond curls are tied back in a high ponytail and she looks so pretty.

"Do I look ok??" she asks a little shy and Y/N steps forward. "You can't go out like that. No way no dress or skirt go change into pants" he says and I get up too. "You look lovely sweetie. I really like the dress, don't listen to your Dada he is just worried."

"Fuck liz she can't wear a dress it's to easy to grab feel of her."

"Daddy!" Ellie pipes deathly embarrassed. "Damien would never do that. He is a nice boy. Please, please don't embarrass me I really like him" she begs wringing her hands and Y/N sighs. "Fine where is the fu- umm guy" he corrects himself and just than Taylor announces Master Damien Hamilton- Ellie's date.

We all look expectantly to the hallway and I have to stiffle a giggle when a boy who is at least 3 or 4 inch smaller than Ellie comes in and nearly falls over his own feet Oh dear, the poor boy is shaking. He has floppy black hair, his shirt is a little wrinkled and he looks deathly pale and stares wide eyed at us.

"Mom, Dad this is Damien." Ellie says and I swear Y/N is biting the insides of his cheeks when Ellie pushes the poor boy further into the room.

"Mr L/N, Mrs L/N it's a- a ple- pleasure to meet you" he stutters and holds his hand out to shake. Poor boy has sweaty palms and now Y/N is smirking, " Well Damien it is nice to meet you too, I do hope you will treat my daughter with respect" Y/N says and the boy nods wide eyed when we all sit down though he stands frozen to the spot in the room. "Sit" Ellie snaps and obediently he sits. Wow she really is her father's daughter so dominant.

"So Damien tell me in what activities are you involved in school." Y/N asks and the boy takes a deep breath. "I'm in the debatting and chess club and also part of the math athletes I'm not that good in sports, Sir." he says and actually he looks a little bit like a nerd but in a cute kind of way.

"I see and what do your parents do for a living?" I ask hoping this will be enough information for Y/N. "My father is working as software developer and my mom is a lab assistant Ma'am"

"We need to go now. Come" Ellie says suddenly and he follows her like a puppy out of the room, while we walk out behind them and watch as they get into his car and drive of with Ryan following them in one of the SUV's.

I close the front door and look at Y/N expectantly. "I like the boy, yes Ellie can date him." he smirks then stalks over to me, picks me up so I'm hanging over his shoulder and gives me a firm slap on my ass making me yelp.

"Now that we are alone Mrs. L/N I think you have to keep me occupied until Ellie is back home." he says in a seductive voice and I grin. "Why Mister L/N I'd like that very much." and with that he carries me into our bedroom where I keep him occupied in our very special way.

[latinapoetbts]

New Years Eve - KTH > Y/N [Latina] Short OS

Summary : * Smut, 18 + Y/N and Tae Hyung are old friends. You have been in love with him since you first laid eye on him since middle school. Keeping a friendship and controlling your feelings for him had been hard. It had been four years since you had last seen him and now you are visiting your home town for the New Years holidays. Find out what happen between the two of you once you see each other again. Part 1: You had not been back home in 4 years, or what you considered home in high school.  You were excited and happy to see old friends. It had been two years since your father had passed and so the only reason you came “home” was to see your best friends that were like family. You knew your friends would be a great support system for you during the holidays. The plans for your five day stay were set. You were staying at your best friend Jay’s home. She was thrilled to have you, you both had been friends since middle school, she was like a sister to you. The first night would include dinner with friends followed by latin dancing. The next two days were for hanging out and lastly the New Years Time Square drop with friends. Jay picked you up from the airport and drove you home. You guys spent the next few hours talking and getting ready for the dinner party. At least 20 of your good friends from high school had RSVP. Both of you were looking forward to catching up with everyone. 

“Is he coming, y/n?” Jay asked you.

“Uh, no he isn’t because I didn't ask him. Besides he doesn’t even know I’m here, so it doesn’t really matter”. You were hoping she would not ask anything else about him.

“Why are you being like this y/n? Just call him, I bet he’d be happy to come and see you. I remember the last time he was so upset that you didn't tell him you were home.” You scoffed at the memory of the conversation you had with him that day 4 years ago, his voice raised, nearly shouting at you, ‘...didn't you think I’d want to see you? How can you be so selfish...’. Yet nearly 4 years later and that was one of the last times you both ever spoke to each other. Anger and pain flared up in you thinking about all the time that had passed without one single call or text from him. 

“Jay, I don’t want to ask him, I’m sure he's busy.” 

“Y/n if you don’t call him I will and I don’t care if it embarasses you”. You knew she meant it, Jay always spoke her mind and did exactly what she said she would do.

“Ok, Ok, I’ll do it right now.”  You grabbed your cell phone and scrolled your list of contacts stopping on Tae Hyung. You felt a pit in your stomach forming from nervousness. You were angry and hurt but at the same time you could not deny that your heart still belonged to him. You had told him once before in a drunk 3 am phone call, that he was like an incurable disease that your only relief was to get as far away from him as possible. Which is a large part of the reason you chose to go to college in California. You let out a deep breath and started the call. 

“Hey you,” It had been roughly four years since you had heard his deep sultry voice and you were trembling just at the sound of it. You noticed their seem to be a hit of excitement in his tone. You spoke, your voice lacking confidence.

“Hi Tae Hyung, It's me, y/n”.

“I know I have your number in my contact list”.

“Oh... Right, So... what are you doing right now?” you ask trying to sound more confident.

“I’m about to watch a movie with someone, just finished buying tickets.” You wondered if he was on a date. 

“Oh...I see.. I'm sorry I’m bothering you.... I’ll let you go.” You fumbled your words.

“No your fine your not bothering me, I knew it was you and I wanted to answer. If you were bothering me I wouldn’t have answered. ” That put a smile on your face. 

“Oh, ok well I’ll be quick then. I’m in town right now and I have a dinner set with some friends from high school at 8 tonight at Bonita’s Taqueria if you want to come. If not its cool I know you're busy,” you quickly try to give him a reason not to come. 

“I’ll be there put me down for two. Just text me the address. “ You were surprised by his answer and absolutely bursting with excitement and nervousness. You said goodbye texted him the address and decided to work a little harder on looking hot for the dinner party. Jay helped with your makeup and hair and let you borrow a low v neck top.

“Girl you gotta be looking sexy tonight by accentation all your assets and you have plenty of them”. You laughed and blushed at the same time. 

“Jay he is bringing someone, I'm sure it’s a girlfriend”. Your heart sank slightly even admitting that.

“So, it's not like he's married”. You shake your head at your best friend she was wild. You secretly wished whoever he brought was pregnant, hoping that extremity would help you move on from him. 

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

You both arrive at the restaurant and see nearly everyone seated already. You both give hugs to everyone. You sit with your back to the entrance your stomach doing somersaults with anticipation of him coming. Maybe he won't come you thought hoping that might calm your nerves. That’s when you felt it, a chill throughout your body and your stomach contract, all you could think was, you knew he was there you could feel him. You even tell Jay, I think he’s here now, walking up. She laughed and then paused for a moment. 

“Damn girl that is some psychic stuff there yup he is walking up now just about to get to the door to come inside.” You take in a few deep breaths and turn to meet his gaze. You stand.

“Hi Tae Hyung” you say as you approach him leaving space between the two of you.

“Hi y/n!” he says as he pulls you in for a tight embrace that nearly took your breath away. You let go and take him in. He had grown taller and had really filled in. He was even more gorgeous than before. He was no longer the tall scrawny 18 year you had left behind. You could feel his eyes on you, taking in every inch of you from your head to your toes. He did not even attempt to hide his long pause at your chest. You wondered if he could tell you were blushing. 

“Oh ya...this in my cousin Jin. you might remember him.” You greated Jin.

“Yes I do remember you it's been a long time”.  You take a seat at the table and Tae chooses to sit directly across from you. He removes his black leather jacket and you take in more of his broad shoulders and firm chest. You both engage in small talk and you are barely able to keep eye contact with him. You hoped he did not notice how nervous you were around him. Slowly it started to feel like old times as the two of you bantered back and forth about your days in high school together, nearly appearing to be flirtatious. You tell him about the plans to go latin dancing and how everyone is going.

“I really would love to and I wish I could go but I have work tomorrow early, so I can’t. But I really want to see you again before you leave. Are there any plans I can just crash, even New Years eve, I don’t have anything super important that night?” You think for a movement.

“We are going to see the ball drop downtown at Times square. If you want to come?” You tell him. You watch him pause for a moment in thought.

“Maybe, I’ll let you know, I was hoping it would be something a little more low key so we can actually talk more.” You swallow taken aback by what he had just said that he wanted to be able to talk with you more. 

“Who all is going?” he asked, looking around the table.

“Um at least 14 from here tonight.” You tell him biting my lip. He is silent and you could tell his mind was deep in thought as he stared off in the stance deep in his own mind. 

“hmm...I have an idea.” He stands up and hollers for everyone's attention. Everyone turns to face him.

“I want to formally invite you guys to a New Years Eve party at my new apartment. It has a great view of the ball drop.  Drinks on me!” The table roared with cheers and drinks raised to Tae Hyung. You were very surprised at his sudden invitation and puzzled on why the sudden party plan when he originally sad said he had no special plans? Your heart begins to flutter uncontrollably at the idea not the possibility that his spontaneous idea was spurred on because of you. You felt like you would combust but quickly tried to push the idea out of your mind. You think to yourself, ‘he is probably having so much fun meeting up with old friends that he wants to get together again, it's silly for you to think he’d do all this for you’. You drank from your margarita trying to get your mind off him. The dinner came to an end and Tae Hyung insist on paying the bill for you and Jay. But you forcefully decline and thank him. After you paid your bill you talked with the group going Latin dance and agreed the group would start heading that way. You watched as Tae Hyung said his goodbye to everyone. You waited patiently and nervously afraid to make the first move in initiating the departure. 

“Y/N where did you park?” 

“We are in the furthest part of the parking lot”. 

“I’ll walk you there,” You smile up at him.

“Y/N I’m going to use the bathroom, don’t wait up I’ll meet you at the car,” Jat says winking at you. You turn to face Tae Hyung.

“Sure.” You say as walk alongside you.

“Y/N, I had a really good time with you tonight. I’m glad you decided to call me and let me know you where home this time and glad you invited me to dinner”. Hearing what he just said struck a chord in you. You felt a tingle of giddiness at his acknowledgement of his enjoyment of being with you but also a slight pain knowing 4 years had passed without him ever trying to contact you. Your heart was drowning in his soft words but you also felt slightly angry. 

“Ya me too, I really appreciate you coming out with such short notice. I honestly didn't think you’d come, I didn't  think you’d want to see me after 4 years with no contact not even a birthday text…But...” You tried to sound casual but your words fail you. 

“Y/N, that is one of my biggest regrets, not ever calling you and staying in touch, but please don’t put it all on me, the phone works two ways and I’m here now. I’d hope you’d realise the reason behind this party was you.” You looked up at him, tears nearly threatened to escape your eyes. You were shocked at the tenderness you were hearing. You could not believe that he was throwing this party for you. You try to hold back your emotions, ‘don’t get too wrapped up in this remember the promises he made last time’. 

“Well Tae Hyung I’m not sure why you would go out of your way to throw a New Years Eve party for the sole purpose to hang out with me. It sounds suspicious if you ask me.” You try to sound non threatening and playful to light up the whirl of emotions you were experiencing inside of you. 

“Your suspicious of my intentions Y/N? Really? We have been friends since middle school, what did you have in mind that I might do?” He smirks one eyebrow raised.

You attempt to fight back your nervousness. His comment reminding you of old times but with a new twist, forward flirtation. You both had always flirted since middle school but in an immature way, playing jokes on one another each time upping the aunty. Pushing each other in the pools, painting each others faces during a nap. Snowball fights followed by wrestling always ending by you being pinned down to the ground him straddling you hands pinned above your head. Always remaining in that position until you surrendered to his request. You calling him “Taedaddy”. A smile forms on your lips from the memories. 

“Well I don’t know, you're capable of anything. Perhaps retribution for the last prank before I left to California? If I remember correctly I bested you for sure. My only regret was not being there to see your face.” I laughed but also felt a tinge of blush to my face. The details of that prank resurfacing in your mind. A bit of regret after hearing the words leaving your mouth. Imaging what you might have just insinuated that might as well be considered an invitation. 

“Ah, yes y/n not that I ever have forgotten but I am glad it is now fresh on my mind. You’re right you may have bested me but less you forget I don’t get mad I get even and when I do…”. He neared your face dangerously close to your lips. His almond shaped eyes locking with you. You held his gaze interrupting him. 

“Yes, I know, it will be 3 times worse”. You roll your eyes, “I’m starting to consider alternative plans” You giggle trying to lighten sexual tension arising within you. 

“Oh no y/n it would not be a party without the honored guest and you won't want to miss this, I won't allow it...” he says his lips now grazing against your ear, his body inches from yours, your back now cornered against your car.  What is going on you wonder to yourself, why was he being this flirtatious. You definitely felt nervous, slightly breathless and a slight sense of eroticness pooled deep within. All the years of playful banter and jokes you shared together he had never whisper heavy breathes into you ear or hover his lips inches from yours. The gleam in his eyes was like nothing you’d ever seen before. You were not sure how to respond.  Finally your body responds. You place your hands firmly on his taunt chest and push him away as hard as you can sliding from underneath his frame. 

“Tae Hyung, shut up you're so damn dramatic if you think that is supposed to scare me, you don’t know me at all.” You laugh trying to change the mood and swat his arm. He breaks his aroua and laughs.

“Ok but you have to be their or I’m going to just assume your chicken.” He smiled coly.

“Of course I’ll be there” you opened the car door.

“Hey…” He grabs your arm and brings you into a warm embrace. You respond hugging him back just as tightly.

“Y/n you can't get away from me without a hug...I won't allow anything less. “ You melted into his embrace. You both pull away as you hear Jay greet the two of you. He says goodbye closes your car door and walks away.

“Ok y/n was was that? I thought you guys were kissing from where I was standing!”. You giggled.

“No, girl he was just you know being Tae Hyung, trying to “dominate” me all the time like he owns me. Whatever, I ended everything with the best prank. So I won in the end.” You laughed as you started the car and drove off.

“Oh yes, girl I remember you sending me that picture. It was fucking funny. I can’t believe you were able to tie him to the bed shirtless and then write that he sucks the best dick ever, followed by “call for a good time”, dumbass for getting that drunk.” You laughed harder but stopped and felt your face flush when the idea of him tying you to the bed for revenge sounded delightful. You danced the night away at the club with friends and slept in the following morning.

[gabessquishytum]

Hello Friend,

I am begging you to hear me out on a fic idea I just have not the time nor talent to write for now. But I really want to one day so maybe if you’ll help me get some of it out? Or feel free to add to it! It goes like this:

Hella slow build, Hob has been searching for Dream since he missed their meeting 24 yrs ago. He has nothing more to go on that Johanna Constantine looking for a being of his stranger’s description. But one day he sees Death and she can no longer hide from him that Dream was captured. She fesses up and gives Hob a hint of who to look for: “The Magus shouldn’t have been strong enough, Hob. Someone else helped him so you should stay away from it.” Hob won’t listen to that and she knows it. Bada-bing bada-boom Hob fishbowl savior intro is done.

The big thing I cannot get out if my mind is the LONGING. That they become friend friends who BOTH talk, about former lovers and sons, who visit each other’s houses, who eat together and cry together, who watch movies and maybe cuddle slightly too closely. I’m talking about the longing of too many wistful stares, too many deep silences, too much hand holding and charged eye contact, and so many unsaid words but it mostly being, “I love you.” Then after 20+ years of friendship, after Hob has reinvented himself again they finally have it out.

It was a family dinner or some stressful event for either Hob or Dream where they get too tipsy and too honest. “Gods Dream, can I finally kiss you?” Dream runs to the Dreaming out of fear but Hob finds his way to the throne room. Dream can only stare at him as he ascends the stairs and by god, why is he so beautiful? Why is he so unobtainable? Hob is not hurt, not angry, he’s confused. This cat and mouse game is so like them yet when they should have started furiously making out on Hob’s couch, Dream had disappeared into the air.

“I don’t understand, Dream. Surely, you must know how much I feel for you. I haven’t been able to hide it since you that day you shot a ramen noodle out of your nose at my impression of Destiny.” Dream chuckles but he still doesn’t look up from where his hands clench at his robe, pulling the stars around him like a shield. Hob steps forward so that their feet almost touch and he gently cups Dream’s face. Dream sighs as he melts into that hand and he’s grateful Hob does not make him look up further because seeing his beautiful face would crush him. Hob continues as a thumb caresses along a pale cheekbone. “I worried for centuries that you didn’t feel the same but I see the way you look at me. I know the regard you have given me in spades is so rare that even Lucienne couldn’t believe it. And I know I can comfort you, that I can make you laugh and that I am not afraid of any aspect of you. I can love you like you have never been loved before. And I know that you know it. So can you tell me why you ran?”

Dream takes a long time to say what he’s been thinking because while he needs Hob to know he is afraid what Hob knowing it will mean. “I will not have a relationship with you, Hob.”

“Why not?”

“I have already stated my intent, why must you know the reasoning?”

“Because I know you aren’t thinking about this right so I want to know what your lovely brain is cooking up there in order to make this reasoning.”

Hob says it so plainly, so lightheartedly that it should make Dream angry if it wasn’t something he adored about the man. But he will feign angry anyway in a spiteful attempt to get Hob to back off even though it’s obvious to them both that he won’t. “I won’t explain myself to a mere mortal. I cannot be with you so end this folly.”

“I’m actually immortal and cannot die so… And you said can’t that time.”

It was a trap. Dream turns away with a huff, out of Hob’s intoxicatingly warm palm. He walks towards the stained glass windows hoping the distance will help settle him but considering it’s colorful swirling motif is a representation of Hob’s joyous laugh the irony almost makes him scoff. He is so fickle these days. His false anger turns to embarrassment and then that turns to agony. He wants nothing more than to sink into Hob’s arms but he cannot be so weak as to ruin him. He is in the heart of the Dreaming at the helm of his throne but deep inside he knows Hob has all the power here. How long had that been true?

“Dream? My love, what are you thinking?”

Hob’s kindness burns him. Immediately his proverbial heart slams into his throat, choking him and tears well in his starry eyes. If Hob won’t take his anger maybe he would take the truth. “I cannot care for you in this way, Hob. I would not see you scorned the way I have ruined all those who previously cared for me.”

“Dream. You would not ruin me. And even if you did I would thank you for it.”

Images of Hob’s imagining flood in. Him crying with a reminiscing smile. Them screaming at each other and slamming doors. Hob wearing a suit of armor about to fight Hell for Dream and asking only to kiss him upon the hand as a boon though he knows he will never return from battle. It’s too much so Dream folds further in on himself.

“Love, please. I can see you’re hurting. Let me help you, let me love you.”

His pleading hurts and Dream does something he has never done before. He turns to face Hob and suddenly drops to his knees in front of him. Hob immediately lunges to pick him up but before he can do so Dream lays his hands on the icy stone before Hob’s bare feet. He closes his eyes against the tears there and places his forehead between his upturned palms. “Please. Please, Hob Gadling. Grant me mercy from this torture.”

Hob’s stunned into silence at the king kneeling before him. “Dream…I…”

“I beg of you, Hob. I could not bear it if I hurt you the way I have hurt those who came before you in loving me. Even now, I cannot say the words for fear calamity would instantly strike you down. So please, I am begging you as all that I am. As Dream of the Endless, Oneiros, Morpheus, Ruler of Dreams, King of Nightmares, and the master of the Dreaming and its inhabitants, I beg you please, do not love me.”

Silence echoes in the hall and the only sounds that make it pass the roaring in Hob’s ears is Dream’s unspoken words. I love you.

*****

That’s all I got so far in this hour long sleep deprived rant session (sorry!) but all that really matters to me is the image of Dream kneeling. Him begging Hob not to love him because I have always thought Dream would never accept Hob’s love so easily out of fear for hurting him because of course he’s already in love. I just always like the idea of them knowing but not saying anything because longing and pining are what make love confessions feel so much like relief. And I just want Hob to be as patient in this matter as a man who waits decades for an unknown friend. But mostly, I just want to be in looooovvvvveee.

Sorry this got out if hand lol. I did not mean to drop all this on yah😅 Any thoughts?😅 I know this isn’t like your normal asks but I’m ace so the smuttiness doesn’t occur to me so naturally. But if I ever get to writing this (in 10 years lol) then I will defs have some crying throne sex for you😘

Have a great day!! Thank you for all your wonderful thoughts that bring me joy everyday!!❤️

-🧶 Anon

🧶 anon you have RUINED me. Dream begging Hob not to love him??? Hi I'm going to cry. Dream has hardly ever begged in the entire course of his existence!! He desperately wants to tell Hob that he loves him - he can't even say it! He'd rather beg and humiliate himself than risk hurting Hob.

And poor Hob 😢 what would you do if the love of your life BEGGED you not to love him?! Holy shit!!!!

Hngnng. Thank you for sharing this, I hope you have the opportunity to continue with it! I think it has amazing potential and you can make lots of us cry with this concept!!!

[ramspatula]

Carnations | Cole Brookstone x fem!reader | Part 2

Ghosts don’t exist. And I’m not crazy. I swear I’m not lonely either.

Previous part, Masterlist, Next part

I toyed with the pink flowers Cole gave me and looked to the one on the wall, in the frame.

“Peach can you see that?” She turned from where she was laying on my bed, watching some random video on her phone.

“See what?” She asked

“The pink carnation… flower. The one in the frame.” I said and she frowned.

“Yeah I’m the one who put it in the frame and put it up there…. Why?” She asks and I turn to her.

“Do you remember when I told you about that old woman who came in every Sunday and only bought a newspaper and always had a singular pink carnation?!” I asked- demanded and she went wide eyed- sitting up.

“Woah. Yeah I do. Why?!” She asked again and I sighed.

“Nothing… I was just told that the woman died over a decade ago and the newspaper hasn’t existed for over 20 years.” I said and watched her face, she reacted oddly calm. I expected her to call me weird or tell me someone was messing with me.

“Ghost?” She asked and I deadpanned.

“Ghosts don’t exist.” I told her and she raised an eyebrow.

“Colourful people who can control elements and live for thousands of years exist but ghosts don’t?” She asked and I looked down. I didn’t want to think about that. I couldn’t be talking to a ghost?!

“That would mean I was being haunted by a ghost and I didn’t even know.” Why would Cole’s grandmother haunt me?

The room went silent and Peach sighed before looking at the carnation.

“Lloyd said he can’t see the flower. He asked me why you had an empty frame and when I told his that there was a flower in there, he looked at me like I was crazy.” She revealed and I turned to her.

“What the fuck?!” I questioned and she turned to me.

“Ghosts haunt lonely people. Are you lonely, Y/n?”

Am I lonely?

0:57 ————|——— -2:10

“Who can tell me how you can prioritise children first in an establishment?” I could do without this class right now. I could do without college right now.

“Are you lonely, Y/n?”

“Am I lonely?”

“Are you talking to yourself?” Kai asked. He taught the basic self defence class. Not that I ever did much. Not that many people turned up anymore. And by that I mean none. It was our hour to talk shit and pretend that we do anything. Peach always spent this time with Lloyd. At his home gym. They were definitely working out in some way.

“No.”

“You so were. C’mon tell me what’s going on?” Kai said, leaning on his elbows as we sat on the empty gym floor at the small university we both went to.

“Do you ever think about how this might not all be real? Like what we see isn’t what’s actually there.”

“That’s deep. I don’t like to think like that. Makes me feel unstable.” He told me and I nodded.

“But like-“

“Y/n, when was the last time you went out? Like on a date? And I don’t mean when you be really sad and join Peach and Lloyd’s movie dates.” Kai said and I whipped my head around, offended.

“Woah- first of all- fuck off. Second, I wanted to watch barbie and third, I have my fun. I just don’t need to brag about it to you.” I told him and he huffed, taking a swig from his drink.

“Hey! Don’t need to tell me twice. I was the fun- before I settled down!” He said and I scoffed.

“You’ve been in a relationship less than 6 months and that was back when I was 15 and you were 17. You should technically be locked up, pedo.” I told him and he looked at me offended, always hot headed.

“Don’t call me that!” He said and I laughed.

“Pedo! You like little girls!” I said and the ground felt a little warmer than usual considering it was nearing Christmas and I was wearing two layers right now.

“I am not a pedo! My girlfriend is older than me too! She’s 21, I’m 20… she’s the pedo!” Kai told me and I laughed.

“Mm sure.” I said and he threw his bottle at me and I gasped in shock.

“You’re a dickhead!” I swore and threw it back at him. He caught it without looking and opened the cap before taking a swig.

“So who you goofing around with now?” Kai asked and I shook my head.

“You wouldn’t know him- well maybe- he’s Lloyd’s friend- I think. I don’t know I met him at Peach’s birthday.” I told him and he frowned.

“Lloyd’s the biggest social outcast. He has less than a handful of friends. Do you know how easy that makes it for me to figure out?” Kai asked and I gasped.

“Peach would kill you if she heard you.” I said and Kai shrugged.

“Listen, spitfire, I would absolutely knock the life out of Peach. No effort.” Kai said and I kicked him, he whined. “Why?!”

“Peach would put you in a spliff and if not then Lloyd would snap you in a half.” I told him and he shrugged.

“Yeah I might struggle with Lloyd- since when were you that strong?!” He whined again and my face contorted into a look that read one thing- ick.

“Get up.” I told him and he sprung up.

“I’m good. Now let me guess this mystery man. Can’t be Jay because he’s Nya’s boyfriend… right?!” He asked, suddenly worried and I shook my head.

“I don’t think I’ve even met Jay.” I told him and he frowned.

“You must’ve. Ginger, freckles, yaps to save his life?” He listed and I shook my head.

“Definitely not Jay.” I told him and he frowned. “Why don’t we just talk about something else.” I said and he went to say something before his phone beeped.

“Sorry, gotta go. My boss just called me into work.” Kai said and was rushing out before I could say anything.

“Bye then.”

0:57 ————|——— -2:10

It was pissing it down. You could’ve convinced me it was a storm. I was wet and cold and I think lost?

“Fuck!” I yelled seeing the no signal or wifi available. I felt the tears enter my eyes. It was not my day.

“Excuse me, mam?” I turned to see the Earth Ninja and sighed in relief.

“Thank God! It’s you! I thought I was about to get mugged then.” I said and he laughed.

“Not on my watch. I actually remember you… bush girl.” He said and my face dropped.

“Do not give me that nickname it can mean two things.” I said and he raised his hands in surrender.

“How about we just get you home?” He asked and I smiled, professional man. Big man. Strong man. Stop it.

“Okay, thank you.” I said and he led the way, completely ignoring the fact that he the way to where I lived. I started to shiver.

“Okay this is no good. You’re shivering like you’ve just fell into an ice pool. Why are you out in just a hoodie?” He asked, concerned and I shrugged.

“Because I didn’t think!” I replied and he shook his head.

“C’mon, doll. Let’s get you out of here.” Before I could register he was hoisting me up into his arms, bridal style and jumping onto different building until he reached the top of the skyline and I screamed.

“What the fuck?!” I screamed and screwed my eyes shut, burring my face into his- wet- chest as he moved quickly and silently. Like dead silently, considering he was such a big guy. We suddenly came to a halt and he was slowly making his way through something before coming to a complete stop. I took the risk and looked up to see my room and then looked up to see him.

“Do you want me to put you down? Because I don’t mind holding you, sweetheart?” He said and I rolled my eyes.

“Just put me down, thanks.” I said and he gently set me down. I lifted my hoodie over my head, needing it OFF. I turned to him who was leaning on my open window sill and watching. I looked at him, questioningly. “Everything okay?” I asked and he nodded.

“I’m great. In fact I’m waiting for someone- hey Greeny! Straying a bit far from your patrol area aren’t you?!” He suddenly yelled out the window and the green ninja suddenly appeared on my window sill.

“I am still your leader, Earth. I can go wherever I think is best.” He told him and I made an ‘ooh’ sound, mainly to antagonise earth. I was also in complete shock that the green ninja was on my window sill.

“And I am still you’re big bro! Team comes first, okay Lil bro?” He questioned and the green ninja pushed his head away.

“You seem to be far away from your position too… bro.” The bro did not sound friendly…

“Okay, I see your point. I’ll be there in a minute.” Earth said the ninja squinted his eyes.

“Will you?” He questioned and Earth nodded.

“Just go! Don’t ruin my fun because I ruined yours.” He said and the green ninja rolled his eyes before jumping off the sill to god knows where.

“What the hell just happened?!” I questioned and he turned to me.

“It’s a big day for you! Meeting me and Greeny!” He said instead, cockily.

“Get out I need to shower.” I said and he tsked before sauntering over to the window sill.

“I’ll see you again?” He asked and I looked at him weirdly.

“Yeah whenever I’m about to die from hyperthermia again I’ll summon you.” I said and he laughed.

“Promise?” He questioned and I shook my head.

“Go!”

0:57 ————|——— -2:10

“Peach! Peach! Peach! Peach! Pe-eeeeaaach-!”

“Woah okay, don’t wear it out. Might start using my actual name.”

“Okay I-“

“STOP! Just might make me disappear.” She said, hidden meaning and I didn’t even think about it.

“Does Lloyd even know your actual name?” I asked and she paused.

“Yeah- I think. He’s seen my drivers license. You know the one I have because I can drive- anyway I’m doing an order, do you want this hoodie?” She asked and I momentarily forgot what I wanted to tell her. It was cute.

“Yeah!”

“Too bad. They don’t have your size.”

“What the hell?! Why would you even ask?! Anyway- trust me you are not gonna believe this. Like you might-“

“Just tell me.” Peach said, leaning back against the couch in our shared apartment.

“The Earth ninja took me home today.” I said and she sat up, alarmed.

“What?” She asked and I smiled.

“It was raining and I was lost because Kai had to go into work so he couldn’t drive me home and he showed up out of nowhere-“

“They’re ninja they do that.” She told me and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah but this is special because he literally waited in my room for a moment before the green ninja showed up and I think he was tryna see you again. I remember when you said you used to run into him all the time, do you still see him?!” I asked, rushed and she seemed uncomfortable with this topic.

“Yeah, he pops up every now and then to check in. People aren’t the nicest when you date Lloyd Garmadon. After that group tried to jump me he still sometimes makes sure I get home safe and he checks in to see if anything has happened. He’s sweet. The ninjas actually care. That’s why they’re better than the military… and they’re more powerful.” She said and went back to writing her essay.

“They’re sweet…. He was a total flirt! He called me doll, sweetheart and- and bush girl but I’m ignoring that.” I said and she frowned at me.

“Bush girl? Also- are you crushing on a ninja? I’ve never even seen you like a guy.” She said and cracked open her can of Diet Coke.

“I don’t wanna talk about bush girl. Okay I-“

“Don’t say it! Just tell me about this-!” Just then the door opened and a sweaty, out of breath, Lloyd came in.

“You have keys to our apartment now?!” I asked and he chuckled the keys in the bowl.

“No I have her keys.” He said and walked over to kiss his girlfriend before going to put his stuff away in Peach’s room.

“Staying the weekend?” I asked and Peach smiled.

“Hopefully. But who knows. He’s always on call but he promised that no matter what. He’ll come back here!” She said, hopefully. Lloyd, despite everyone hating him for his Dad, was in a pretty high position at his work and he was constantly on call. Personally, I think they hired him because they knew he’d have to do whatever they want.

“Hey, baby- did you hear?” She said giving me a mischievous look. I mounted a “what?” To her, confused.

“Hear what?” He said.

“Y/n’s met her dream man.” She said and I deadpanned.

“No-“

“No way! Who?” He asked, coming out her bedroom door, shirtless- SINCE WHEN DID HE HAVE ABS?!

“The earth ninja-!”

“Really?!” He said, amused.

“Yeah and she saw the green ninja too.” Peach added and Lloyd chuckled, making his abs flex.

“The green ninja huh? He’s real fond of you, peaches-“ That’s the closest his nicknames got to her name. The nicknames were ridiculously cute. “-but the Earth Ninja too? Are you two going for a theme?” He said and she laughed.

“You know if it wasn’t for your- abs- me and Peach would be lesbian lovers. Inseparable.” I said and he chuckled sitting on the couch with Peach settling between his legs and leaning her head against his thigh. “She’s was my pookie bear first.” I said and Peach rolled her eyes.

“I think you’ll find I have a lot more to offer than these abs.” Lloyd said and made his pecks do that thing where they move one by one. Peach hit him in the nipple and he didn’t flinch but laughed.

“Actually can you put them away- your muscles are scaring me.” I said and they both laughed.

“Okay but does my pookie bear want me to-“

“Hey! I named her pookie bear first-“

“Enough! You two are not having this argument again. And the next time one of you call me pookie bear and I’m gonna jump out that window.” Peach said.

“Speaking of names, Lloyd what’s Peach’s real name?” I asked and she deadpanned.

“Uhm… It begins with an I.” He said and she rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding, it’s Is-“

“STOP!” Peach called out and he smiled hugging her from behind.

“You know I wouldn’t.” He said before she shook her head and stood up. “You two behave whilst I order dinner.” She said like a mother with two silly children.

I immediately faced Lloyd and stuck my tongue out, he started doing the peck thing again and I cringed and put a hand up to block them from view.

“How are you supposed to date the Earth Ninja if you’re afraid of muscles?” Lloyd teased and I mock laughed at him.

“How’d you know he has muscles.” I said and Lloyd’s face dropped.

“Be serious.” He said and stood up, making his way to the bedroom. “Going in the shower, honey!” Endless supply of nicknames.

“Okay, pookie bear-!”

“ENOUGH! I am at my BREAKING POINT!” I yelled out to both and heard both laugh before Peach gasped.

“THE TAKEAWAY GUY THOUGHT I CALLED HIM POOKIE BEAR-!” I screamed and heard Lloyd let out a loud boisterous laugh. “WE NEED A NEW GUY.”

“Are you lonely, Y/n?”

Way to ruin my mood.

[oh-surprise-its-me]

Jake knows he feels too much, he’s felt too much for years.

Hangman.

Christ. If only they knew he had lists in his notes app for allergies, likes and dislikes, favorite foods and birthdays.

Hangman.

Yeah. It’d be more fitting if he had been the one to leave the other behind. But no, he was flying with Snakebite and the asshole left Jake behind but hadn’t done the move right. So Jake pulled forward and ahead and Snake had to abort.

Hangman.

He wishes he could take the persona off, but it settles on his shoulders like a jacket. He finds some comfort in it. Jake knows that Javy can see through it, why Jake always sticks close to Javy and doesn’t ask too many questions. Has the confidence in himself when he really hasn’t had any since his father kicked him out at 15.

Hangman.

He sits outside the hard deck in the sand, he hears someone come up behind him. It’s probably Javy. The only person whose ever come to check on him in 20 years.

“You good Jake?”

Oh. Oh. That’s not Javy. That’s Bradley.

He sniffs, “yeah what’s it to you Roo.”

Bradley lands on the sand next to Jake, he sits close enough their shoulders touch. “Saw you leave. But I also saw you start crying. Figured I’d check up on you.”

Jake let’s put a wet laugh, he scrubs at his eyes. Jake, such the fucking cry baby look at you now.

“Jake come on what’s up, are you okay? Are you hurt? Should I get Javy?” Jake shakes his head, “no let him have his night. It’s stupid anyways. I’m just a bit drunk.”

Hangman.

“Can’t be that stupid if it made you cry.”

Jake falls back into the sand, it’s easier this way, he can just stare at the stars instead of looking away from Bradley.

“Nat almost drank coconut rum.”

Bradley lays back in the sand next to Jake. “Not sure I follow. But keep talking.” Jake shakes his head. “She’s allergic. No one saw but me so I reminded her. She told me to fuck off, and that if she wanted a lecture from her mom she’d call her.”

Bradley let’s out a puff of air. “Shit. I didn’t know she was allergic.”

Jake laughs again. God this day can’t end fast enough. “Not dead allergic just enough it bothers her. She mentioned once a few years ago.”

Bradley nods, “you notice things about people. You care.”

Now it’s Jakes turn to nod, “reason I came out here was I figured no one would notice I was gone. Got too loud in there.”

“I notice.”

Now Jake turns to look at Bradley, he’s not sure what he’s expecting to see but the look of, caring? God Jake might even dare to say love? In Bradley’s eyes are a startling image.

“You always let Payback have shotgun because rarely gets car sick, you let Javy have all your pickles because he loves them. You remembered Nat is allergic to coconut even though I’ve known her for years and she mentioned it to you once.”

Bradley takes a breath sitting back up. “God Jake I think I notice everything about you.”

Jake is shocked that Bradley has been apparently watching him for years. Shit maybe his crush isn’t just one sided. He sits up, twisting to face Bradley head on.

“You care?”

Bradley smiles, “please god punch me if I got this wrong Jake but I more then care.”

And then he kisses Jake.

Bradley Bradshaw is kissing Jake Seresin.

Merry fucking Christmas in July to Jake.

Jake pulls away. “I’m a lot Bradley. I feel too much. I cry when dogs die in movies. I get angry around father related holidays. I have a weirdly dependent relationship with my best friend. I get it if you want to run away.”

Bradley takes Jake’s hand, he brings it up to his mouth kissing it and then using it to drag Jake into a hug. “I like a lot Jake. I’m grabby in the mornings. I take 30 minute showers. I cook but maybe not to the best level. I go full out at any holiday but I’m insufferably overkill around Valentine’s Day. I’m not running if you aren’t.”

Jake presses a kiss into Bradley’s neck. He feels tears in his eyes but for different reasons now. “Well I guess there’s only one way for me to know about the grabby morning part huh?”

Bradley laughs, he stands in one motion, and sticks a hand out for Jake to grab. “Wanna find out?”

Jake smiles up and grabs Bradley’s hand.

He’s not letting go. And he’s going to remember every damn moment of tonight.

[eddiemsworld]

Eddie Munson: Chapter 1. Fascination

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of drugs. Slow burn.

This does not follow season 4, however is set in 1985/1986.

It was yet another pep rally in the Hawkins high auditorium. You and Robin take your seats, Robin wasn’t in the band today which you were grateful for as you didn’t want to sit completely on your own. It was first day of school after summer break, both you and robin are now Seniors. You grabbed your notebook out of your bag and your favourite pencil and started to sketch. What you didn’t know is Eddie who is sat a few seats away from you is watching you.

Eddie kept looking over at you, he watched as you pulled your notebook out of your bag and started to sketch something. His eyes continued to wander.. his eyes trailing down and stopping when he noticed your legs, they looked so smooth and perfect. Eddie continued to silently watch you...he just couldn't pry his eyes away from you.

“Hey, Y/N, you have someone staring towards your left.” Robin whispered in your ear making you chuckle and carry on drawing.

Eddie overheard the conversation, his heart skipped a beat when he heard Robins words 'was she talking about me?' he thought to himself. He couldn't help but continue to listen as bad as it sounded.

"Don't be silly Rob, why would anyone be looking at me whilst theres cheerleaders literally right there?" You chuckled to yourself, continuing to draw your new character that you dreamt last night.

"Are you drawing that boring dragon game you play?" Robin questioned looking at your piece of paper making you pause for a moment to talk.

"It's not boring! You didn't even allow me to get you to play with us!" You exclaimed looking at her before continuing to draw.

"That's because I don't want to be playing a game with a bunch of ten year olds!" Robin said defending yourself, that made Eddie chuckle to himself.

"One day I'll prove how good D&D is." You said and you heard Robin laugh at your statement. You knew Robin meant no harm by laughing.

Eddies eyes widened what he just heard. Did he hear that right? It was a bit loud over the cheering, he would not of guessed that someone as popular as you would be into Dungeons and Dragons. Eddie smiled at the thought of you playing the game, he wanted to shout and say 'Hey, I play D&D too!' But he held back not wanting to create a scene and embarrass himself.

"Did you finally level up? You were raving about it to me the other night." Robin asked curious but she noted the grin on your face looking proud so she knew the answer.

"Yep, I'm now a level 16." You said as if it was nothing, it was a pretty big deal to you seeing as you can only level up to 20.

Eddie's eyes widened when he heard you mention level 16. 'Holy crap, 16? That's impressive.' He thought to himself. Eddie wanted to chime in and say he was also a level 16 but decided against it. He so badly wanted to talk to you, Eddie loves to talk, everyone knows it. But talking to you? No, he felt shy like how he was as a kid. You wouldn't think it now but Eddie was a timid kid, but things happen and change to shape who you are today.

"Before I forget Y/N, I can't come to the movies today after school. I picked up an extra shift tonight." Robin admitted looking guilty.

"Oh don't worry about it, I know you're saving up to buy yourself a car." You smiled, shutting your notebook and putting it in your bag.

Eddie felt an odd mixture of disappointment and excitement when he heard that you wouldn't be going to the movies. Part of him wanted to go with you himself... 'Don't be ridiculous Eddie, she wouldn't want to be seen with a freak like you.' He put himself down, knowing it was probably true. You are popular, sweet, kind, even the teachers loved you. He wasn't popular, he thinks he is kind towards his friends at least but the teachers hated him.

"I should be saving up for the new dice I saw in the shop window a few weeks ago. It was so beautiful." You sighed thinking about the dice that you've seen a few weeks ago.

Eddie saw you looking at the dice during the Summer but he didn't piece it together until now. He just couldn't believe this is all happening, it's like the universe finally has gifted him luck. Eddie was excited, he so wanted to burst out and tell you that he has so many sets of dice you can have. Eddie had to force himself to calm down, he was getting like an excited puppy.

"Is it the fire looking one? The one you showed me whilst we walked past?" Robin asked recollecting seeing it briefly.

"It's so cool Rob! It looks like there's fire inside!" You exclaimed a little too loudly amongst the game which was almost finished, you were one of the loudest voices in that moment.

Eddie chuckled silently to himself upon hearing your response. Feeling secondhand embarrassment the moment people turned in your direction, he saw you mouth 'sorry' and slouch down in your seat. Eddie saw your cheeks heat up and thought you looked quite cute. Not that he would admit it to anyone.

"How embarrassing." You mumbled to yourself. You can't help being passionate and when you do, you get loud. Robin patted your shoulder trying to comfort you, knowing that you hated being the centre of attention.

The pep was over before you knew it, you and Robin made your quick escape out of the gym doors and to the lockers before class starts.

Eddie remained a few paces behind you, listening to the friendly conversations you and your friend were having. A small part of him secretly wishing it was him you were chatting to. He continued to quietly follow behind you on your way to the lockers...occasionally looking around and making sure no one was watching him. Eddie did feel like a stalker.

Whilst you were looking for your stuff in your bag, you didn't notice your notebook fell in the process as it was quite loud by the lockers. You grabbed a textbook from your locker and quickly shut the door. The bell rang and you and Robin walked to math class.

Eddie spotted your book and picked it up, he looked around making sure that no one was watching. The urge to flip through the book and see your drawings was too strong. Eddie decided against it and put it near your locker, hoping no one else would pick it up. He quickly followed behind as he also had math class, luckily he made it in time. He was tempted to sit near the two of you...but he feared it would be too obvious that he was eavesdropping. instead, Eddie picked on an empty desk a few seats behind.

"Right class, I am Mr Wood and I'm your new math teacher for this semester." The teacher began, writing his name on the chalk board. "Right I have looked through last year's work and have decided to give you all seat partners." He finished making the class groan.

You and Robin shared a look, you got nervous thinking of being paired up with someone who you hardly knew. Eddie on the other hand was hoping he'll be paired with you.

"Eddie and Y/N."

Eddies eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the teachers words. His heart started to race...had he heard him right? 'Eddie and Y/N.' Mr Wood had assigned him and you partners. He couldn't believe it.

Robin gave me a look of disappointment as we usually sit together when we have classes and I always help her with her work.

"Now I assigned this way specifically hoping it will help with your grades. Some of you really need it." Mr Wood explained to the class, looking at Eddie in specific.

Eddie was ecstatic by the teachers choice...he couldn't believe his luck. Now he had a reason to sit next to you, he was actually excited for math. Eddie tried to hold a smile, he couldn't believe today could get any more perfect.

Math class flew by, which you enjoyed as math wasn't your favourite subject. Mr Wood paired you and Eddie? You haven't spoken to him but you've seen him briefly and he seems like a cool guy.

The bell rang and you were putting your textbook in your bag and you've noticed something was missing, your notepad. How did you not realise it was gone sooner?

Eddie noticed the distressed look on your face, his heart aching with empathy at the realisation on your face that you couldn't find your notebook.

"Shit." You said out loud, thinking of all the possibilities of where your book might be. You just pray that it's somewhere safe. You grab your bag and tell Robin that you'll stop by at your locker as you think you've left your notebook there.

Eddie was still lingering around, feeling bad. He knew he should've just picked it up and handed to you instead of putting it on the floor where someone could find it. Eddie was about to say something to you but decided not to as it sounded creepy. 'Hey I saw you drop your book but I waited till you left to pick it up then I left it on the floor.' Yeah that did not sound good at all.

He watched as you rushed out of the class and into the crowded hallway and followed you. He couldn't help but hope that it's still there for his own peace of mind.

You put your combination in and searched your locker, trying to find your notebook. You searched around but couldn't find it. You suddenly slammed your locker in annoyance.

"Y/N!" A voice shouted at you.

You spun around at the sound of your name and to your surprise it was Dustin. He reached for his bag and took out your notebook. A rush of relief washed over you as Dustin handed your book to you. Suddenly, Eddie felt a bit of jealousy bubble inside of him seeing your notebook in the hands of Dustin and not himself.

"Thank you Dusty." You ruffled his hair affectionately making him roll his eyes in a sibling-like way. "I'll catch you later?" You asked making him nod. You walked away with a sigh of relief knowing your notebook was with you once again.

Your art class went swimmingly, you were talented in art and the teacher always loved your work. He frequently complimented you, which always made you smile. Meanwhile, Eddie's class went by too...he sat quietly the whole time thinking about you.

The bell rang signalling lunch time. You didn't realise just how hungry you were until the sound of the bell broke you from your thoughts. You met Robin and she told you that she cant join you for lunch as she needs to study for the test next period. You offered to help but she declined saying it's her mess and you should eat.

You waited anxiously in line wondering where you would sit, you grabbed your tray once you got food and scanned the different tables. Chrissy noticed and asked for you to sit with them but you didn't fancy sitting with Jason and his goons. Chrissy is sweet but you can't stand her friends and boyfriend.

Eddie noticed this happening where he sat and felt shocked and stunned that you turned down to sit at her table.

"Woah, did Y/N just turn down Chrissy?" Dustin exclaimed in adoration as he also noticed what had happened. "Hey we should invite her to sit with us! Y/N!" Dustin waved you over without hesitation and didn't wait for the others to respond. Eddie grew nervous.

You turned to the sound of Dustin and smiled at him and began to walk over. People took notice of you approaching the table with Dustin's friends, whispers and laughs fluttered around the cafeteria. You took no notice and walked and sat down next to Dustin.

As you sat down at their table, Dustin greeted you with glee, clearly happy that you have joined.

"Hey guys, I'm Y/N. I hope you don't mind me joining." You sweetly spoke, making Eddies heart race seeing your smile close. You already knew Dustin's friends, Mike and Lucas and you knew who Eddie was.

Everyone introduced themselves and was happy that a girl was at their table and intrigued by you. 'Eddie's quiet.' You noted as you've heard he can be a loud character especially at lunch.

"Dustin told us you play D&D, is that true?" Gareth asked, making all eyes at the table turn towards you.

"Yes. Why do you guys play then or something?" You asked making the others chuckle at your cluelessness. Eddie thought your innocence is cute, and how you were literally sat at the Hellfire Club table and with himself being the Dungeon Master which you had no idea.

"Oh we play alright! Eddie is our Dungeon Master!" Dustin pointed out and tucking into his lunch. You looked up towards Eddie and gave him a smile, you had no idea.

Eddie's heart stopped when you looked at him, he felt a blush creep up on his cheeks when you gave him a smile. 'Man I need to get myself a grip.' Eddie thought to himself silently telling himself to pull together.

"That's cool! I taught Dustin how to play D&D." You admitted feeling somewhat proud of yourself and happy that he found friends in school because of that game.

The guys couldn't believe what they were hearing, they didn't know if it was true that you play D&D but to of taught Dustin as well was the icing of the cake.

"Eddie, you've been quiet." Mike pointed out taken notice of the fact that Eddie hasn't chimed in at all during your conversation.

Eddie's eyes jolted a bit at the sound of his name being mentioned..he froze for a second and began speaking. "Uh-I-...sorry I was zoned out..."

"Did you smoke too much?" Gareth snickered making the table laugh as well.

Eddie rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh but secretly his heart fluttered at the fact that you were sitting right across from him...watching and listening.

You were aware that this group apart from Dustin and the rest smoked weed...you even smoked on the occasion. No one knew that apart from Robin and Steve. Your parents would go ballistic if they found out considering they work in the police force.

"So Y/N, we were wondering if you wanted to play with us as we've got a campaign coming up?" Mike suggested to you, making your heart skip a beat.

"Really? I'd love to. When do you guys play?" You questioned, feeling happy to have got invited.

Dustin and Mike asked if you could join them earlier which Eddie accepted loving the idea of you joining, but he didn't let them know his eagerness. 'Yeah sure, it wouldn't hurt to have another member.' He replied with trying to act like his heart wasn't trying to jump out of his chest.

"We play every Wednesday after school!" They replied with happy to hear that you could possibly be joining them.

"O-Okay that works with me." You replied with smiling, finishing your lunch.

Eddie sat across from you, continuing to watch as you ate. He glanced down at his untouched food, but honestly he wasn't really hungry...his focus was all on you...his eyes locked onto yours you ate, studying your features and observing everything about you. He was truly captivated as you were still a mystery to him.

The guys at the table were engrossed in their own conversation, talking amongst themselves all excitedly. While they weren't focussed on you anymore, Eddie secretly continued to watch you, his eyes glued to you as you pulled your notebook out of your bag.

You flipped through the notebook to the page that you needed and took out a pencil to finish your character, your focus being on your task while the guys were still chatting amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Eddie continued to observe your every move intently...his fascination with you growing by the second.

"Wow Y/N that's so awesome!" Dustin said complimenting your art.

"Thank you, I only started it today after a dream I had last night." You truthfully responded.

Dustin seemed fascinated by the fact that you had only started to draw it today. He leaned forward to get a better view, clearly intrigued about what your dream was about that gave you the inspiration to begin this drawing.

You began to explain your dream to him which inspired your character. Dustin suggested you should show it to Eddie as it looked almost complete, Dustin thought it looked amazing. You were a bit hesitant at first, you weren't sure what Eddie would think of the drawing and you suddenly felt self conscious.

You were about to show him when the bell rang signalling that lunch was over. The guys began to pack their stuff and get up from their seats, leaving you to put your things away as well.

To be continued...