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#get it like audrey but its aubrey
arkham-ayden · 1 year
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I finally updated again.
I have the silly little gay people in my fic being angsty again. Check it out if you love gay people or are sad beyond mortal comprehension! I will say, I ended at a slightly weird note, but there is a reason, all to be revealed next chapter. Have I got yall interested yet?
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Nah but for real, I'm actually going to try and be more consistent because I love this fandom and I'm proud of what I've created and what I'll continue to make. I'm not planning on giving up on this fic anytime soon, even if updates are sporadic right now.
In other news:
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Let me know what you think! Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! Just don't be mean about it; I'm sensitive, Audrey!
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sweetteainthesummerx · 4 months
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THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG
Ollie Bearman and his girlfriend turned wife, as seen from social media and the public. 
series masterlist
reader has a name and a no fc, but is portrayed as East Asian :) No warnings, probably going to have multiple parts :) ALSO NO HATE TO MACE CORONEL I literally searched up young actors and he popped up AND no hate to ollie and Estelle's relationship I just wanted to write for fun. pls be kind this is baby's first Tumblr post also someone pls help me how do I make my blog aesthetic
★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★
E-news!
TRENDING NOW
AUBREY YANG WINS OSCAR AT AGE 17
Aubrey Yang, age 17, wins Best Supporting Actress in break out role on blockbuster movie, Station 13. This young star has been acting since the age of 7, landing roles such in which she worked with household names like Michelle Yeoh and Robin Williams. Her astounding and emotional performance as a newly orphaned teen in the apocalypse adjacent Morgan Freeman has secured her spot in this tumultuous industry. In her acceptance speech, Yang delivered an impactful critique on Asian presence in Western Media and how her win is “ not just [hers], but for all of us”. 
Yang is set to star in upcoming movie, White Jade Tiger, a historical film based on the book of the same name, directed by John M. Chu next fall. 
See below for Audrey Yang’s Acceptance Speech I 2024 Academy Awards. 
aubreyyang posted
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liked by morganfreeman, michelleyeoh_official, and 987,432 others
aubreyyang Wow. I am still in absolute shock. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me and helped make this happen. Here’s to more change and more love in the future! 
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morganfreeman well done, and well deserved Aubrey. It was an honor seeing your incredible talent and hard work. 
— aubreyyang thank you so much for guiding me and imparting your wisdom!! I love you on set dad!
michelleyeoh_official They grow up so fast…proud of you, Aubrey!
— aubreyyang MICHELLE MY HERO
dior.n.goodjohn MY QUEEN YOUVE SLAYED TOO HARD IM AFRAID
— aubreyyang AHHH MY GF VAN TRIP WHEN???
user dior and aubrey are friends???
user2 yes they’re both from vancouver their friendship is so cute 
macecoronel ❤️
liked by author 
sabrinacarpenter girlboss
aubreyyang SABBB my lover
olliebearman posted
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olliebearman Spring break, ready to get back on (the) track 😁
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celebgossipnews_page posted
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celebgossipnews_page Aubrey Yang has won an Oscar: but is she winning in the love department? The actress was seen arguing with long-term boyfriend, Mace Coronel in front of Nobu Downtown last Friday night, at 9:00 pm. She left the restaurant in tears, without Coronel. Could this power couple break up at the height of Yang’s career?
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user1 dude I hate him sm like wdym u pulled Aubrey, the baddest baddie out there
— user2 fr man is washed up
aubreyyyfanpage girl stand up that man is not worth it LEAVE HIM
— yang4eva WORDD miss ma’am he does not deserve u ONE CHANCE PLS
aubberieyaang posted
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aubberieyaang as liv once said, its brutal out here 
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celine_diorr NAH NO WAY LIL BRO CHEATED ON U LIKE WDYM
celine_diorr WHEN I CATCH U BRO WHEN I CATCH U
liv_laugh_love girl are r u ok u know its bad when ur quoting me
— aubberieyaang I can’t help it I start singing one step forward three steps back whenever I start crying
chuck_bushes do u want me and walker to go beat him up
— celine_diorr YO I want in
— aryannawhatrudoinghere me too
— walkdontrun pulling up to his house rn
— leeahh_j AUBREY I LOVE YOU DONT CRY
— aubberieyaang AW I LOVE U GUYS
dallastexas dude how r u showing up to set and pretending to be okay
dallastexas im gonna grab food and come over to urs
— aubberieyaang PLS. Also water im so dehydrated
★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★
© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.
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blessedwithabadomen · 6 months
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in love with the mess - day ten
summary : Aubrey is going on tour and, for once, she's decided to focus on having as much fun as possible. Oli can be a little shit but he does nothing short of adore Audrey and... well, maybe Noah a little, too. Noah likes the flirting, as long as no one gets too close, emotionally. But what will happen when the three of them take it too far?
content : smut (p in v, dirty talk, oral (f and m receiving), hints at anal play), angst, fluff
length : 10k
tags (let me know if you want to be tagged!) : @veronicaphoenix @cookiesupplier @lma1986 @jilliemiw86 @bngurngheart @lacktoesandtoddlerants @narcissisticbehavior81 @flowery-mess @shilohrosechicken @justeli6 @starvingarsyn @floatinglikeaswan @blacksoul-27 @somebodyels3 @kageyasma @spikeisdaddy @broken0mens
a/n : Hope you enjoy this one!! Comments and reblogs keep the writer writing 💕
•••
day ten
I was getting tired of unexpected knocks on my hotel room door. Especially when it was much too early and I was already rushing to get ready after something had prevented me from properly packing my suitcase last night. Now I had mere minutes until I needed to be downstairs with the rest of the crew and the band because Bring Me had an awfully early bus call to get to Sheffield. I couldn’t blame them for that - it was home, after all. Most of them were using the day off to visit friends and family, but Oli and, as far as I knew Matt too, were heading for the store for the day.
I ripped the door open as much as I could under the weight to find none other than Oli himself standing in the hallway, an amused smirk on his face.
“I don’t know how well you slept last night, but this hotel really has to work on soundproofing their walls,” he chuckled, letting himself in just past the doorway as I stood frozen. “‘Cause I was definitely wide awake hearing two people have the fuck of their lives. Like, holy shit, staying quiet definitely wasn’t part of their vocabulary at all. Did you hear them at all?”
“I…”
“Not gonna lie, it sounded pretty hot, I was almost a little tempted to, you know.”
He raised his eyebrows at me as he motioned toward his crotch.
“Oli-”
“Did you really not hear anything?”
The bathroom door opened so abruptly I almost jumped at the sound. Noah had freshened up but was still very much in yesterday’s clothes and extremely sleepy. I could basically see the gears turning in Oli’s head as he looked back and forth between us.
“That was you! Oh you dirty, dirty kids,” he laughed. Noah looked thoroughly confused, still standing in the doorway of the bathroom. Oli gave another chuckle, but something was amiss. I’d known him for years. I knew Oli’s teasing face, the way he sounded, the way his eyes crinkled in earnest. This wasn’t it. And it kept me silent, somehow.
“Well, bus call’s soon, so no time for a second round, eh?” His voice didn’t match his words. I couldn’t quite figure it out just yet, but it made me feel uncomfortable and awkward. Noah seemed to think the same as he stayed suspiciously silent, toying with the hem of his shirt.
“Yeah, no, I’ll… I’ll catch you downstairs, yeah?” I finally managed to vomit out. Oli simply nodded, raised his hand in what I assumed should be a form of goodbye and then vanished back into the hallway.
It was only when the door clicked back into its lock that Noah moved next to me. Grabbing whatever he had left in the room - he briefly paused as he saw the bottle of Hennessey, but ultimately decided not to touch it - he got ready as if his bus call was imminent.
“I keep fucking up,” he said, more to himself than anything else as he moved past me to put on his shoes.
“Noah, you’re-”
“No, I am. It’s- it’s fine, I just need to-”
My hand on his arm stopped him just before he reached the door. He looked so conflicted, so torn, that it broke my heart along with his. I wanted to tell him it was going to be okay, that we could be okay, that Oli would be okay, but even in my head it sounded like a lie. I couldn’t promise him something like that. All I could do was allow myself to be his for the taking if he ever decided to, well, take me on.
I pulled him down with a hand on his neck and put my lips on it and I hoped it would tell him everything I couldn’t say.
•••
Oli wasn’t waiting for me when I arrived downstairs. He wasn’t in the parking lot either. Or downstairs in the bus, or in the lounge. But the curtain of his bunk was pulled tightly shut and it worried me beyond belief. I wasn’t quite sure what exactly had caused him to withdraw, but my brain was providing me with a multitude of options, spinning through all of them at lighting speed as if it could make me decide on one of them, and it made me dizzy.
Especially because simply pulling away was so out of character for him. I’d expected him to make a fuss, pick a fight, get mean, argue with either me or Noah or both of us at such a volume that the rest of the hotel voluntarily evacuated, but none of that had happened. Not even a tiny remark shot our way. Not a single item thrown around the bus in frustration.
Either way, I was just so over not communicating.
Aubrey u up?
I was almost shaking waiting for his reply. It seemed silly, texting him the very thing he’d texted me that first night before the tour had really started, but I hoped he would recognise it and not consider my joking offensive when he was dealing with… something. When my phone displayed a new message, I almost threw it away in surprise, as if I’d been expecting radio silence.
Oli Is this a bootycall?
So - he didn’t hate me. And he remembered. It was a relief, really. With a slight smile playing on my face, I walked back towards his bunk and pulled the curtain back. He didn’t noticeably react, simply kept lying with his back turned to me. He did, however, shuffle forward just the tiniest bit and I took it as an invitation to climb in and shut the curtain behind me.
It was a tight fit, both of us in his bunk, especially since Oli had gotten noticeably more buff than the last time we’d done this on a tour, but with a bit of rearranging and me spooning him closely, we made it work. I placed my hand over his heart, feeling it beat underneath my fingertips, so fast it was almost concerning.
“Hey,” I whispered, quietly, as if anyone else could overhear us, as if it would matter if they did. Oli didn’t answer in words, but put his hand over mine, stroking the skin delicately. “Talk to me.”
“Don’t wanna,” he mumbled, like a stubborn little child. I couldn’t see his face, but I imagined him to be pouting as he spoke. Was this better than the explosions we usually faced when he got mad? I decided yes.
“Oli,” I replied, hoping his name in my mouth would sound vaguely scolding. “We talked about that. Communication and all that? Come on. I can’t bear it when you withdraw like this.”
He sighed so heavily it moved my body along with his.
“It’s embarrassing though.”
“And you can blush all you like, but you’re going to tell me. I’m not even looking at you. It literally won’t get better than this. And I won’t let you off the hook any time soon, I hope you know that.”
He grumbled for a little bit longer but I sat it out, knowing he’d come around sooner or later. The sooner was reached a lot more quickly than expected. I had been well prepared to spend most of the drive to Sheffield here, in silence, just holding him and waiting it out.
“It’s stupid, really, but seeing you with Noah this morning, knowing what you’d done…” He took a deep breath. I didn’t interrupt him even though the thoughts were already running through my head at high speed again. “I don’t mind that you fucked, you know. It just feels like… like he got something from you before I did and… it makes me feel like a leftover. Like the two of you don’t need me.”
I desperately tried to wrap my mind around what Oli was telling me. He was jealous that Noah got to have me first? That I’d decided - although it wasn’t much of a planned decision, but he couldn’t know that - to sleep with him before I considered Oli? That maybe I desired the other man more? Wanted him closer, in a more intimate setting, than Oli?
“And I know we’ve, like, done stuff before, all of us,” he continued. It seemed like now that he’d started, he barely managed to stop. “But I don’t just sleep with anyone and, fuck, this sounds so stupid, but I thought it might be special, sleeping with you for the first time, sleeping with both of you, and now I feel like I’m not really part of it anymore…”
He wasn’t just thinking about Noah being the first one to sleep with me. He was also thinking about me being the first one to sleep with Noah. I gave myself some time to think during the moments he stayed quiet. How would I have felt if they’d gotten together first? Leaving me as the odd one out, the one that hadn’t been present when they shared this new level of intimacy.
I probably would have felt rejected too.
“If it helps at all, neither of us planned to have sex last night,” I explained. “It was very much a spur of the moment thing after he crashed at mine because he’d been drinking. I think… I think I would have preferred it with you around as well.”
I hadn’t realised it until the words left my mouth, but it was true. Sleeping with Noah had been amazing - but if we’d shared that experience as a threesome, all sober and fully awake, it would have been phenomenal. I had no doubt about that.
“And you’re not second best. Not at all. You and Noah… I have so much love for both of you, in such different and such similar ways all at once. I could never prefer him over you, just like I could never prefer you over him. I’m sorry that it happened like this and that you had to find out like that.”
I didn’t know what else to say. How else to make him understand. I couldn’t take back what had happened. I couldn’t magically turn back time and turn Noah down, or make Oli appear in the room too. I could only try to make up for it moving forward. And I planned to.
“Dinner’s still on tonight, right? The three of us?”
Oli nodded. I wouldn’t have noticed if we’d not been so close. I pressed a kiss into his dark locks.
“We’ll make it up to you. Noah and I. Promise. Will you let us?”
It took a moment of Oli struggling for me to realise he was attempting to turn around. I almost slid off the edge, already imagining myself falling to the floor in the little walkway between bunks, but Oli quickly shifted and put an arm around me in the most complicated way to keep me safe. There was a lot more shuffling, trying to keep our limbs intact and our hair from getting caught up somewhere, until we settled on a final position, our legs intertwined, foreheads pressed against each other.
“As if I could ever resist you, Aubrey. You and Noah, both.”
•••
As it turned out, I didn’t have all that much to do when I travelled to the store with Oli and Mat. Most of the organisational matters had been taken care of by the local workers, those in charge of Drop Dead and everything around it, and I was barely much more than a glorified babysitter as I ushered Oli back and forth to where he was needed.
At least his mood had improved considerably. I hoped I had played some sort of part in it. When he talked to the people around him, waved to a couple of fans, studied the designs he’d helped with, I knew it wasn’t a facade. He was truly happy here, and I caught myself thinking that maybe he could be truly happy with me and Noah, too.
“I don’t really know how long this will take, but it might be a while, so if you want to leave, I don’t know, walk through the city, get a nap, you really don’t have to stay here,” Oli told me when I managed to catch up with him. I knew he meant it. He wasn’t one for playing games like that. “I can text you and Noah the address of the place I reserved at, and the time. How’s that sound?”
I agreed, not because I was bored but because I felt wholly unneeded and kept standing in the way. The question of what I was going to do with my time was answered much quicker than expected as I ran into Becky on the way out.
“You know, I think we get a discount on this stuff. And if not I’ll make Oli give you one,” I grinned as I watched her flip through some of the shirts.
“Thank god, because this shit is expensive,” she replied, immediately letting go of the fabric in ther hands. “What do you say we go for an equally as overpriced coffee instead?”
“I do love me a good dose of caffeine,” I admitted.
Becky held out her arm for me to take it and I complied with a giggle, leaving the store with her and wandering the streets, making small talk as we tried to find a coffee shop to our liking. When we finally located one, ordered and sat down, I felt all the exhaustion I’d been carrying with me take over. I sank deeper into the comfortable armchair, wondering if it’d be inappropriate to get in a little cat nap.
“Looks like Oli is keeping you up. Or was that Noah?”
I briefly panicked, wondering if, somehow, word had gotten around that I’d slept with Noah.
“You’re hanging out with both of them a lot. Now I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted trying to keep my one man at home happy, never mind two. And those two out of everyone! You truly picked the most exhausting ones to be friends with.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping it wasn’t too visible and took a quick sip of coffee to hide my embarrassment.
“Yeah, they're… a handful. But I doubt it's much better for them, I'm sure I can be just as exhausting,” I laughed. “So you got a man at home, hm? Is he gonna visit on tour or has he already and I've simply missed him?”
“Oh no, he's going to be around in Dublin. It's where we live, actually. Got abducted to the other isle by an Irishman. In my defence though, he looks like Hozier's younger brother and he's just as tall, so really, how could I have resisted!”
“Tall men, eh,” I agreed, moving my cup to cheers with hers.
“Tall men, indeed.”
We stayed quiet for a moment, both of us lost in thoughts, but I wasn't a fan of the silence for long.
“Are you looking forward to going home then? We only have four more dates left, right?”
“So much. Unfortunately it's not for long. I'm leaving again on the 26th for the Bad Omens tour.”
“You’re heading on their tour with them?” This was news to me. I was well aware Bad Omens were still going to be in Europe for a while and I had absolutely been staring at those tour dates as they were selling out one by one, tempted to make a trip somewhere to see them headline, but with no work lined up it was impossible to plan. The fact that Becky had been hired by them hadn’t been relayed to me.
“Yeah, apparently they were looking for someone local and Bring Me suggested me since I’d already worked a few shows with them before. No rest for the wicked, eh!”
“No rest indeed,” I sighed. I wished I wouldn’t be getting any rest either. Maybe I should beg someone for a merch job on that tour. They probably had all their positions filled, but I was getting desperate at this point. Being away would also give me some time to find a new place to live. But did I have the guts to straight up beg for it, knownig I’d probably only get it because they took pity on me and not because they really needed me?
“So, you’re basically in a long-distance relationship then, with you being away so much, aren’t you?”
Becky exhaled into her cup of coffee. “We make it work, you know? It was tough in the beginning. He has a very steady, reliable, boring day job and I’m just all over the continent but we’ve accepted that about each other. We check in and I usually video call him in the evening. And, well you can get creative with what you do on video, too.”
I almost spewed out the coffee at her remark, knowing fully well by the tone in her voice what she was referring to. The wiggling eyebrows sealed the deal.
“Sorry,” she giggled. “Couldn’t help myself.”
“By all means, I’m glad you’re having a good sex life still.”
I put the cup back on the table. I wasn’t sure how long it had been empty for, but I knew I’d been holding onto it for no obvious reason.
“Did he ever mind? Knowing that being with you would mean being away from you for a long time?” I paused for a moment, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my questions. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that, I’m just sitting here interrogating you like you’re on trial.”
“Oh, don’t worry about, darling. Ask all you want. For us, it was never a question, really. What can I say? We fell hard and fast. I could have moved to Australia and he would have made it work.”
I didn’t know why I felt like crying. I tried to hide the tears that were on the edge of emerging by organising the items on the little table in front of us until they had straightened out and seemed in order. Maybe that was more suspicious than me getting emotional.
“So, it’s all about love, isn’t it,” I said, trying hard not to sniffle. “As long as you love them enough, you make it happen.”
I only looked up when Becky put her hand over mine. Her eyes were soft, but there was no pity in them and I silently thanked her for it.
“Sometimes you have to realise just how in love you are first. Or allow yourself to admit it.”
•••
By pure luck and what I could only call a miracle, I bumped into Noah in the hallway of the hotel, on the way back to my room. He stopped immediately, and then let me into his room, assuring me it was empty for now, when he realised I didn’t want to have this conversation where we could possibly be overheard.
“Aubrey, I’m sorry,” he started but I held my hand up to stop him before he got any farther.
“I know. I know you are. I don’t know what kind of stuff you need to figure out for yourself, but I’m giving you the time to do it, okay? You’re always welcome in my room and, well, in my bed and just about everywhere else and if there’s things you want to discuss, I’ll make time for you. I’m just asking you not to keep going back and forth and changing your opinion and treating me like someone you’re dating as long as you’re not. Dating me that is. Alright?”
I took a deep breath, holding my head up high. Somewhere in the edges of my brain, I could almost hear Lia cheering me on, congratulating me for speaking my mind and putting up boundaries. I knew it was the right thing to do. For myself, for once.
“Alright,” he simply said. He deserved a little more space to think over what I’d just told him. I hoped he would.
“Well, in completely contrasting news, I hope you know we’re going out for dinner with Oli tonight?”
Noah nodded.
“Good. Because we’re going to treat him right, okay? He’s been… well, he feels a little left out of whatever the three of us have going on and that’s not happening on my watch. So we’re going to be real good to him tonight, whatever that entails and wherever we end up with. Anything to let him know he’s just as important and cherished. Is that something you can do?”
“Yeah… yeah, I think I can.”
“Good.” I gave him a smile, feeling the energy leave me as I finally got everything out I had come here to say. “Put on something nice. Apparently it’s a place that needed a reservation.” I walked a little closer, putting my hand on his chest. “I think we’d all enjoy the turtleneck a lot.”
•••
Oli and Noah looked positively divine when we met up at the restaurant later that night. Noah was every bit as gorgeous as I had hoped he’d be in the turtleneck. Even Oli gave him an appreciative whistle as he saw him, which once again caused Noah to sport a lovely little blush. Oli himself was wearing a white shirt that accentuated his broad shoulders and had entirely too few buttons opened. I briefly considered ignoring our dinner reservation as just taking them back to the hotel immediately and by the way the two of them were mustering me, those thoughts seemed to be mutual.
I’d made an effort. My black dress, thin, with lace and spaghetti straps, had an asymmetrical cut, showing off much more of my right thigh than my left. It was a shame I couldn’t wear it without tights, but the January cold simply wasn’t allowing it. The heels were the only ones I could walk in confidently, with a wide block heel, velvety and sexy. Both men still towered over me.
I’d also put on my dark red lipstick, at Oli’s request. The one that would smudge if touched. It might make dinner a little more complicated, but that was a challenge I was willing to accept.
Luckily, the place didn’t turn out to be too fancy, I realised as a waiter showed us to our seats, Oli’s hand on the small of my back and his other resting on Noah’s arm. Oli hadn’t needed a reservation because it was so impossibly packed during a random Thursday in January. He had needed one because he had asked for a very special table.
The waiter led us to a little platform on which sat what I could only describe as a bird-cage-esque structure, a hexagon of lightly coloured, wooden walls, two of them completely open and leading in and out of the main restaurant area, the other four adorned with a grid of windows. It seemed like there was a spotlight on it, right in the middle of the room, but as soon as I stepped inside and took my seat, I realised it also came with a lot of privacy. It was perfect.
“Bottle of wine?” Oli asked as we flipped through the drinks menu.
I looked over at Noah, but even before he could have seen me stare, he shook his head. “None for me today. I’s rather be sober.”
I wanted to tell him thank you and I know why but either would have opened up questions about what had happened the last two nights, things Oli wasn’t in the loop about, and it didn’t feel like my place to tell. Either way, Oli accepted quickly, ordering some water and and mocktails for the table, claiming that just because we were abstaining from alcohol didn’t mean we couldn’t have some fancy looking drinks.
“I can’t believe we only have four more shows on this run,” I sighed. I hadn’t meant to mention it really, but it was starting to weigh on my mind after my talk with Becky earlier. It had made me realise just how close we were to saying goodbye, going our separate ways. Oli back to recording the album, Noah still on tour, me… well, I’d have to figure that one out, too. So far my search for both a job and a place to stay hadn’t been very successful.
“Hey,” Oli interrupted my pondering, putting his hand over mine. Noah seemed to briefly feel left out, grabbing my other hand to mirror the sentiment. “No being sad at our date. It’s not like we’ll never see each other after.”
I wasn’t quite that confident in the future, but he was right. Now was not the time or place to start overthinking.
“Date, eh?” I joked instead. Deep down, I wanted confirmation, but I was too cowardly to ask outright. Then I remembered Noah’s hesitation to the idea of us going on a date before, but he was simply sipping his newly arrived drink, either ignoring the underlying question or being at peace with it. I couldn’t quite figure it out yet.
“I figured it should be one, you know,” Oli mused in fake contemplation. “Only seems fair to take you two out for dinner before I fuck you.”
If Noah had been slightly apathetic at the conversation before, he now put himself in the middle of it as he did a literal spit take, droplets of his mocktail landing on the wooden table. I was quick to mop it up with my napkin, trying to hold the laughter at bay. Oli didn’t care. He gave a bark that was loud enough to be heard by just about everyone in the restaurant. There were some spots on Noah’s turtleneck too and even though they would probably dry to be invisible on the dark shirt, I reached out to pat at it too.
He stood up a little abruptly, feeling the wet fabric with his fingers. “I’m just gonna head to the bathroom. Order me the chickenburger, yeah?”
Oli and I were still giggling by the time he disappeared from view.
“Should I go after him?” he questioned with a smirk. “Or is that gonna make things worse?”
“The latter probably,” I giggled. “He might think you’re trying to fuck him in the bathroom stalls.” Oli made a face that suggested he was thinking about it. I smacked my hand against his shoulder. “I’ll go check on him. Order me whatever, you know what I like.”
By the time I’d reached the toilets, Noah was already exiting the room again. I approached him slowly, a hand coming to rest on his chest when I was close enough.
“Oli a bit much for you?”
“When is he not,” he sighed but immediately followed it up with a smile. “It just came a little unexpectedly.”
His hand reached for mine, again, playing with my fingers and stroking the back of it as I kept it on his chest, heavy breathing underneath.
“You know he doesn’t expect anything of you, right? You don’t have to go home with him, or us. And if you do, no one’s making you do anything. He knows you’ve never, you know… been with a man like that.”
“I want to,” Noah stated, voice much more steadfast that I would have expected. “I really do. I’m just… nervous I won’t be any good.”
“Oli’s so into you, I don’t think he’d care even if you did everything wrong your possibly could,” I giggled. Relief flooded my veins when he joined in. “Besides, he’s no better off. He talks a lot of shit and he’s really good at pretending, but unless he has a whole other life he hasn’t shared with me, his experience with men doesn’t go further than some drunken make-out sessions either.”
Noah nodded, perhaps slightly unconvinced, but a lot less jittery than before. I pressed a kiss to his lips, delighted by the fact that I didn’t have to get on my usual tiptoes with the heels I was wearing. He kept me there, for a moment, with his hand at the nape of my neck, even when the kiss had ended. Simply breathing each other in. I allowed him to decide when to break the contact. I figured he needed it.
“Thank you”, he whispered.
“What for?”
“Just being you.”
•••
The rest of our outing continued much less dramatically, but filled with laughter and little flirts. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so good, just by being around these two. Oli had ordered for all of us as the waiter had indeed come by while Noah and I were gone. There was a good chance I was making heart eyes at him when a plate of curry appeared in front of me. He’d known it was my favourite. He seemed to know it all, I realised.
We ended up squeezed in the backseat of a cab, each of us with a to-go back with desserts on our laps. Oli insisted on taking them, even though neither of us were thinking very much about eating right about now. The tension in the backseat was thick - not necessarily bad, considering growing arousal and excitement were pumping through my veins as I tried to imagine what was to come.
The car took a sharp turn, prompting a low gasp from Noah when my body pressed closer to his. On his exhale, a soft hum was pulled from his throat. A reminder that I wasn’t the only one who was about to benefit from this.
The scenery outside changed, restaurants and cafés and shops giving way to a residential area, little blocks of flat, small houses with tiny gardens in front. Not the industrial complexes, the hotels, the high-rise buildings I was expecting.
“This isn’t the way to the hotel.”
As I turned to Oli, I was caught off guard by the smirk on his face. That fucker. He had ordered the cab, he had planned this. Planned - what, though? He let out a chuckle at my confusion, clearly pleased with my reaction.
“Because we’re not going there.” Oli leaned in, lips brushing my ear, yet speaking loudly enough that Noah wouldn’t be left out of the conversation. “Did you really think I’d let you bed me in a random hotel room and not my place when we’re in Sheffield?”
Noah tensed next to me. As I turned to look at him, Oli’s lips once again brushing my skin, I realised he was clutching the takeaway container a little more desperately. He’d definitely heard. And by the way he was trying to press the box down against his crotch, it had gotten him just as hot as it had gotten me.
The driver announcing our arrival saved either of us from reacting to the fact that Oli had just all but told the driver we were going to hook up in some capacity or other. All of us scrambled to get out into the cold night, no thoughts left but to get inside as quickly as possible. All I wanted was to get those two undressed, get my hands on them, my lips, I didn’t care if it was going to be a bedroom or not. I was beyond superficial details like that.
Noah wrapped an arm around me as I shivered in my coat, both of us careful not to drop the desserts. The building towered over us, several stories high and quite obviously new. Much more expensive than I could ever afford. I hoped it would have more soul once we were inside. Oli unlocked the door, the little Powerpuff Girls charm dangling from his key ring, and led us to the lift. It went all the way to the top floor where he let us into his apartment.
It was… perfectly Oli. The place had a homely feel to it, not small enough to feel cramped, not big enough to get lost in the feeling of its vastness. I wanted to stay forever, go through his things, study the way he decorated, how he sorted his stuff, what he had kept over the years and what had gotten moved into a faraway closet that never got opened. All the things that made him tick.
The large bookcase was filled with novels that called out for me to leaf through, study their contents, let my fingers run along their spines, ask him which ones he had read yet, see how his collection compared to my much smaller one. Little trinkets and souvenirs from all over the world were placed in between. So many stories to tell. So many anecdotes I hadn’t gotten to hear yet.
My eyes fell on the floor-length windows. They provided a stunning view all over the city, lights twinkling in the dark. I could stay here and watch forever. If I could afford it, I’d surely get a place like this too. As I stepped closer, trying to avoid the glare from inside lights, the container in my hands almost bumped into the window pane. Right. The desserts.
“Oli, where do-”
While I had been exploring Oli’s living room, Noah had apparently started exploring Oli’s body. The takeaway boxes safely set on the counter of the open kitchen, the two of them were tightly intertwined. Oli was holding Noah close, his arms wrapped around the other’s waist as Noah perfectly molded himself to Oli’s chest. His own hands were impatiently touching his back, his arse, his shoulders, as if they couldn’t get enough of what they were feeling. It was a familiar sentiment.
I approached the pair, dropping the takeaway next to theirs, allowing my fingers to trail over both of their bodies. Noah pulled back when he realised, lips already red from the intense kiss.
“Bedroom?” I simply asked. Noah nodded enthusiastically as Oli untangled himself with a smirk. He led us through a short hallway, past his bathroom which seemed even more luxurious than the hotel ones I’d been fawning over, and into his bedroom, the second to last door.
It was much less decorated than the living area, but still drew me in. The dark carpet, heavy curtains that hid the window, the plush bed - the bed was large enough that, if I hadn’t known better, I would have assumed Oli had ordered it specifically for the three of us. We’d fit in much better than at the hotel which was more than an advantage for what we were planning to do that night.
Noah seemed to have the same thought as he pushed Oli onto the mattress, immediately dropping to his knees in front of him and starting to work on removing Oli’s trousers. Not wanting to be left out, I moved onto the bed as well, slowly unbuttoning Oli’s dress shirt, one by one, my fingers tracing over every inch of hot skin that revealed itself. Oli was already growing restless, one of his hands covering mine to speed up my movements, but I remained relentless.
I didn’t care to remove the shirt completely as I pushed the fabric away, revealing a chest full of tattoos I would never get sick of staring at. Oli’s breathing quickened as I let my fingertips run over the lines, his nipples, up his neck.
“Aubrey, I swear to god, if you don’t kiss me soon-”
I leaned down, letting my lips touch the shell of his ear, just as he had done in the cab.
“Yeah? Then what?”
I didn’t torture him by waiting for an answer, instead putting my lips on his with no further warning, immediately catching him in a passionate kiss. He sighed, then gasped into it, leaving me to wonder what Noah was currently up to, but when Oli tried to get me to open my mouth, deepen our connection further, I pulled back. His lips were tinted red now, a slight stain of my lipstick even on the skin around his mouth.
I wasn’t quite sure why yet, but it was a sight that utterly captivated me and made me adore him more. I wanted to kiss him stupid, leave my mark all over, see my lips all over his body, every day. I pressed another kiss on his cheek, then in the middle of the rose on his neck, where the red was losing itself in between the thicker, black lines, a colouring book I wanted to try all my shades on.
Looking behind me, I watched as Noah pulled Oli’s underwear down his legs, discarding them without much care, much too preoccupied with the way Oli’s dick bounced upward as it was freed from the fabric, already considerably hard and mouth-wateringly delicious. Feeling my stare on him, he managed to tear his gaze away, only to grin at me in the most devilish way, motioning for me to join him on the floor. I did without hesitation.
He pulled me in for a quick kiss, allowing me to leave more of my lipstick on him too, even though the marks were already becoming more faint in their intensity. I could only imagine the way my own face looked, colour shifting around my mouth, no precision left in the outline.
“Help me treat Oli right?” Noah whispered against my lips. “I bet he’ll love two mouths on his dick even more than one.”
He did. He couldn’t be blamed - I wasn’t sure how I’d cope if I had two pairs of lips, two tongues, playing with my pussy at the same time. As soon as Noah and I both started leaving teasing little kisses on Oli’s length, he dissolved into a puddle of moans. He was still propped up on his elbows, watching the two of us on our knees, so it was impossible to tell if it was just the feeling of it or the visual as well.
It wasn’t the most technically perfect blowjob in history as Noah and I kept clashing, getting more and more lost in our own lust of getting our mouths on Oli, tasting him, swallowing him, then licking him while the other person swallowed him. Oli’s hands were all over the place, completely uncoordinated as they grasped at the backs of our heads, our hair, the bedsheets, anything they could find. One of my hands had travelled to Noah’s crotch.
I was much too distracted to do much but enjoy the way he was growing in his trousers. Or how my knees were uncomfortably rubbing against the hard floor. My brain was clouded with lust and the need to get Oli to come. Tonight was going to be all about him, in away he’d let it, and just the thought of spending a few more hours with my hands on Oli, getting him high again and again, hopefully finally feeling his dick inside me, had me delirious.
“Fuck, I’m not gonna last,” Oli mumbled. When his hand found the back of my head again, gripping my hair and pulling me off him, it was with intention. His eyes were almost pleading when I looked up. “Can I-?”
I nodded before he posed the complete question. He could. In fact, I was gagging for it. As much as I’d enjoyed blowjobs before in my life, never had I been craving for their smells, their taste, their cum as much as I did with these two.
Noah pulled away, letting his fingers play with the part I wouldn’t manage to get in my mouth, fondling his balls, as I slowly took Oli as deep as I could without gagging, still missing a good portion, but all aspirations to swallow him whole would have to wait another day.
Oli wasn’t lying when he said he was close. His hips were starting to shift off the bed, fighting a losing battle as he tried to keep himself from fucking my mouth, his noises an amalgamation I wanted to record and put in a song. When he came, he did so with a punched-out sound, shallow thrusts that slowly stopped as I swallowed as much as I could. When I let him drop from my mouth, I could feel some of it dripping from my lips still. Noah caught me in a kiss, greedily licking at them until there was nothing left.
“Jesus Christ, you two are nasty,” Oli groaned, but all of us knew it was the opposite of a complaint. He sat up a little more, face flushed, looking utterly satisfied. “Now why the fuck are you still dressed?”
I stood up eagerly. The whole scene between the three of us had gotten me uncomfortably wet, my panties noticeably sticky. I didn’t care what exactly would follow, as long as it included an orgasm of my own sooner or later. I’d barely grasped the seam of my dress when Noah’s hands appeared on my legs. Their warmth seeped through my tights, mixing with the hotness of my own skin.
“Let me,” he whispered, still on his knees, hands travelling upward, slowly and teasingly, until they reached the hem of my tights. He rolled down the fabric, over my thighs, where he paused to press a kiss to the snake tattoo, over my knees, my shins. He only stopped to take off my boots, then resumed his task, until my feet and legs were bare.
For a moment, as I looked down, Noah on his knees before me, those big brown eyes staring up at me, adoration radiating from his whole being, his hands under my dress, it felt like a worship I wasn’t deserving of.
Then, he got up to pull the dress over my head before I could ruminate on it or start to cry. Noah never let me miss his touch for too long, toying with the clasp of my bra as he peppered kisses all over the side of my neck, finally unhooking and removing it completely, only for his lips to attach themselves to my nipples. I couldn’t seem to do much but take it all in, sighing at each and every touch, purely giving into pleasure.
His fingers were tracing over the fabric, so lightly I could barely feel it at all, but it was enough to cause my knees to buckle and my hands to grasp onto his body for fear of falling. I was so hopelessly turned on, every tiny thing had me losing my mind.
“She’s so fucking wet, she’s basically dripping on my fingers,” Noah chuckled. “Where do you want her?”
“Right here, on my face.”
I stiffened immediately, eyes snapping open and staring at Oli, who had gotten comfortable on the bed, in all his naked glory, motioning for me to join him. I felt equal parts insecure and excited - I’d never sat on anyone’s face. Not only had no one ever offered, I was also terrified of being too much. My thighs suffocating the other person. Looking awful from their angle. Not being able to come because I was so tense from holding myself up so desperately.
But Oli… Oli wasn’t just looking at me with lust. He wasn’t doing this for any reason but because he craved it. Because he knew he could make it good for me. And, even if my heart was beating out of my chest with nerves, I trusted him.
“I thought tonight was going to be all about you?” I teased, still stalling. Noah was busy pulling my underwear down my legs, tapping on each ankle in turn so I would lift my feet, aiding him in removing the item.
“Who said this is anything but a treat for me?”
Somehow, that sealed the deal. On slightly shaky legs, I crossed the short distance, climbed on the bed and then hesitated as I kneeled next to Oli’s body.
“How-”
I didn’t need to finish the question. Oli, once again, knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Face that way,” he ordered, motioning toward the room, toward the other man. “I’m sure Noah can think of something to make it even better for you.”
With a nod, I awkwardly climbed over Oli’s body, trying to position myself over his face, much too preoccupied with what I was doing and how it would look and whether I might squish Oli to watch the other man. I found myself shuffling, again and again, the muscles in my thighs straining as I held myself up. I didn’t know where to put my hands, or whether to lean in any particular way. Even Noah removing his tight turtleneck and shoving down his trousers couldn’t sufficiently distract me.
“Aubrey, what the fuck are you doing,” Oli mumbled from underneath me, making me halt in my movements.
“I just-”
“It’s called sitting on someone’s face, not hovering.”
I was about to protest, but then his hands heavily grasped onto my thighs, pulling me down so decidedly that I had no option to fight against it, and then, the words still on my tongue, he licked through my wetness and I was so over convincing him of anything that didn’t include his mouth on me.
A moan was ripped from my throat as I dropped my hands forward onto Oli’s chest. Fuck. I’d severely underestimated just how turned on I was. His tongue was flicking my clit ever so slightly, every now and then, before going back to explore the rest of my pussy, and I was already throbbing.
Noah crawled onto the bed next to us, fully naked now, his hard cock standing proudly, and somehow, the pure sight of it heightened my arousal. I ground my hips downward, unable to get enough of Oli, but his hands, clasped tightly on my thighs, kept me exactly where he wanted me. It was as exhilarating as it was frustrating.
I was desperate to come now. I was desperate to feel something inside of me, too, in addition to Oli’s tongue on my clit, but I didn’t want to beg. Not yet. And this night was about Oli - if he’d wanted his fingers in me, they would already be there. All I could do was let myself fall into the sensations, trust that his teasing would result in an orgasm, and study Noah, who was now climbing onto Oli’s frame as well.
I watched as he took his own cock in his hand, admiring the way his fingers looked wrapped around it, then he ground his hips against Oli’s. Oli’s dick gave a twitch in response, ready to grow hard once again, and the moan vibrated through me so deliciously that I felt like screaming. I kept eye contact with Noah through it, as difficult as it was becoming. His smile told me he knew exactly what he was doing - both to Oli and to me.
With a sly grin, Noah repeated his action. His whole body shuddered at the contact, obviously desperate for release, but his focus was solely on Oli and me. Oli moaned again, loud enough that I could both hear and feel it, and it was good, it was so much more than good, and I needed it badly, so, so badly. Noah knew. He grasped onto both of their dicks now, wrapping his long fingers about him and Oli, getting the other more and more hard, jacking both of them off.
Oli was growing restless again, his hips thrusting upward to meet Noah’s movements, his mouth now constantly moaning against me, his vibrations ever increasing. He closed his lips around my clit now, so delicately and yet strongly enough and I came, shouting and screaming and clawing at his chest as my legs trembled and then gave in, almost dropping fully on Oli’s body.
Noah was quicker, though, catching me easily, strong hands holding me up until I managed to drop onto the mattress as all of my muscles refused to work. Then he bent down toward Oli and I turned my head just quickly enough to see the wetness I had left on Oli’s face and how Noah proceeded to kiss all of it away.
Oli lost himself in it for a moment, but he wouldn’t let Noah have the upper hand for long. With a quick move, he turned the two of them around, trapping Noah against the mattress. Noah, so tall and broad, suddenly looked utterly smitten and small underneath him.
“How have we gone so long without my mouth on your dick,” Oli mused as he kissed his way down Noah’s chest. “You already got to suck me off twice.” He was now palming Noah’s dick, his mouth stilling somewhere along his hips. “Now it’s time for me to get mine. You gonna be a good boy, Noah? Keep your hips still so I can blow you? You better be or this is gonna be over before you know it.”
Noah nodded, eagerly, falling into this submissive role with ease, which I couldn’t help but take note of. It was fascinating watching him, who was always so self-assured and in control on stage, let go of it all and simply put himself into Oli’s hands, knowing and trusting he would get exactly what he needed, if not always what he wanted.
Oli’s mouth hovered over Noah’s dick now, his breath already hitting the tip, but before he gave into Noah’s wishes, he turned his head toward me. I’d since sat up, craving nothing more than a front-row seat to the spectacle as my body slowly came back to life.
“And you be a good girl too and prepare yourself for me, yeah? I’m going to fuck you when he’s finished and I’m not going to put any fingers in you first.”
My face was heating up with such intensity, I could only imagine how red it was. But I, too, nodded, shifting my body slightly and parting my legs, ready to do as he asked. What I was seeing in front of me would drench me once again in no time anyway.
Oli engulfed Noah’s tip without any further hesitation now. Noah’s hands flew to the back of Oli’s head, halting in their movements immediately but then relaxing into his hair as he realised Oli wasn’t going to scold him for it. I let my fingers wander between my thighs, another wave of wetness hitting me as I watched the two men. Oli had clearly done his research, expertly bobbing his head, taking Noah a little deeper, but keeping to the rules he had put to Noah just days before to save his voice for the rest of the tour and moving his hand to pleasure all of him.
When I slipped a finger inside of me, I found no resistance, just slick walls begging for more, begging to be filled properly, so I let another finger join. The noises of me pumping my fingers in and out were impossible to ignore, but they still paled in comparison to Noah’s low groans and the way Oli was starting to drool around Noah’s cock.
The third finger was a stretch, but Oli was big enough that I knew I needed it to take him comfortably. I didn’t mind it. I enjoyed it just that bit more if it was a little too much, a little too intense, a little too fast. I would probably love taking Oli without any preparation at all. I pushed the thought away for another day.
Noah was close now. I could tell from the noises that escaped his mouth, the way his fingers were all but tearing at Oli’s hair. He had trouble keeping his hips down, but if there was one thing to know about Oli is that his threats usually weren’t empty. Oli sped up further, both his mouth and his hand. I quickly removed my fingers from my pussy, just in time, as Noah came, moaning so beautifully, unable to stop thrusting into Oli’s mouth once, twice. I would have come on the spot too if I’d still been touching myself.
Oli pulled himself off, licking up everything that had escaped him from Noah’s cock, who whined pitifully. The way he wiped his mouth on his hand almost seemed obscene. Even after all that had transpired already. Noah was busy catching his breath, eyes closed, looking utterly satisfied. Oli, however, was far from done.
Crawling over to the bedside table, he opened the uppermost drawer. Filled with condoms, lube and wipes, as far as I could see, it obviously served as his closest assembly of anything he could need for spontaneous sex. Though I didn’t doubt he’d have a much bigger collection of things somewhere else. He blindly grabbed one of the condoms, tearing it open and rolling it onto his thick, hard erection. My mouth was watering already. In an instant, he was on me, pulling me into a bruising kiss.
“How did he fuck you, Aubrey?” His lips was wandering from my neck down to my chest, pushing me backwards until I was lying flat, then letting his teeth graze over my nipples. I cried out at the feeling, sensitive to a fault and yet not getting anywhere near enough. “Did you do it missionary, like an old couple? Did he make you ride him, watch your pretty tits bounce? No… He did you from behind, didn’t he?”
His hands harshly grabbed onto my hips and before I knew it, Oli had turned me on my front, pulling me up to my knees in front of him. I propped myself up on my elbows, ready to let him do whatever he wanted to me as long as it involved his dick in me. His fingertips were digging into my flesh now, hard enough that I knew it would leave bruises. I couldn’t wait to see them.
“Let’s see who can do it better, doll.”
I didn’t have any more time to prepare as he pushed in roughly, not stopping until he was entirely buried in me and I was crying out at the delicious stretch. He felt amazing in me, even without moving, but when he finally did, it brought me to new heights without any trouble at all. He didn’t show any mercy, thrusting so hard that the bed was moving along with us, the sound of skin slapping echoing the room. I gave myself over to him completely, allowing him to treat me however he liked, utterly brainless, unable to care about anything but the fire in my lower belly burning hotter and hotter.
I barely realised Noah was moving, much too distracted by the way Oli was fucking me to take note of anything else, until he appeared in my field of vision, fumbling with the drawer Oli had left open. Curious, I tried my best to lift my head to see what his plan was, but Oli gave me another hard thrust that caused my arms to falter completely, my chest hitting the mattress. I didn’t try to hoist myself up again.
I heard a click, some shuffling behind me, then-
“Fuck!” Oli exclaimed, pushing into me again with a shudder. “Oh, fuck.”
I didn’t know what had just changed, but suddenly, Oli was a mess, irregular in how he fucked me. I pushed back into him, missing the rhythm he had established, but he was still slightly distracted.
“Fuck, Noah, that’s-”
I allowed myself to turn my head, struggling with the position, but managing just enough to see Noah standing behind Oli. There was no way to see exactly what was happening, but with the way Oli was now arching both toward me and toward Noah, his body seemingly unable to decide which way to go and-
“Did Noah just put a finger in your arse?”
“Two, love. Two;” Oli moaned, losing control at the treatment. Then, as if remembering his main goal, he crowded against my back, positioning me just the way he liked and fucked me hard, again, bringing me to the brink of my orgasm in a matter of moments.
I was loving the sounds in the room, the filthy atmosphere, the way Oli and I were chasing our heights, the way Noah made himself part of it, how Oli faltered under it. It was only a matter of moments, my own hand reaching between my legs, and then I was clenching around Oli, crying out at the force that hit me, riding it until I felt utterly spent, letting Oli, who was now nothing but a sweaty mess against my back, fuck me harshly until he came too, shooting into the condom with high-pitched moans.
Oli just about managed to pull out before collapsing on my back, pressing me into the mattress, until I started struggling underneath him, his ever heavier growing figure leaving me gasping for a breath I wasn’t able to catch yet anyway. Noah was the one who ended up providing the most aftercare, stashing the lube he’d used on Oli, passing around wipes and water he got from somewhere I couldn’t quite follow, but he was also the only one out of us whose brain still seemed to work at least a little.
I ended up making grabby hands at him like a little child as the sweat on my body slowly turned cold, leaving an entirely different type of goosebumps to wreak havoc on my skin. Noah saw, pulling the plush blanket up with him as he got into bed next to me, making sure to tuck both me and Oli in before hugging close to me.
Oli was still on his back, staring at the ceiling, apparently questioning… his life, maybe? He certainly looked like it. I figured it might have had something to do with the surprise action he got from behind this time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a first for him.
Oli, who always seemed so experience, never showed any hesitation or shyness about anything we did, surely had his boundaries too. And letting someone finger his arse surely wasn’t something he casually shared with a lot of people. What would that mean for the two of them? Noah had taken a brave step today. All I could hope was that it would open a door to more between the two of them. I knew they wanted it; they simply needed to admit it too.
Noah was still nestled into my side when Oli finally decided it was time to cuddle for him as well. There was no room for talking, not tonight. All of the unspoken things were going to be left to fester in our brains for a little while more, threatening to become more clear as the post-orgasmic haze lifted bit by bit, but I was hoping we’d be drifting off to sleep before it engulfed us. Talking was for tomorrow. No travelling, very few things on the agenda, a hometown show at night. It could wait.
Oli’s mouth was on my neck, nuzzling his nose into my hair. But this time, his warm breath was comforting instead of arousing. Until he left a much-too-hard bite on my earlobe, obnoxious as usual, and I blindly swatted at his head.
I was just about to drift off, fully comfortable sandwiched between the two men, when Oli spoke up.
“So, who fucked you better, doll, me or Noah?”
I wanted to be appalled, offended or at least pretend I was, but all that happened was that an insane giggle left my mouth, shaking my whole body until it had spread to the sides and taken Oli and Noah as well. Noah buried his head into the other side of my neck as I awkwardly slung my arm around him. Turning my face toward Oli, I grabbed onto his chin just enough to move his mouth to mine, pressing a short but heavy kiss against it.
“Guess you’ll both have to fuck me during the same evening for optimal comparisons.”
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So, I thought of this and thought you would like just as a nice imagination fodder: New up and comer designer Marinette is trying to make her bones in the fashion world when help comes from an unexpected place: An ex-rival and childhood tormentor with a bone to pick with her horrible, cruel, unloving mother. Unreciprocated familial love turned bitter and Chloe just wants to bring Aubrey Bourgeois down and prove to the Fashion World, she is over, no matter who she has to lift up to get it, even if its Marinette!
Extra points if among the hired new models are Lila, (under yet another fake identity and 100% unable to hold herself from hitting on Chloe making Marinette-- TOTALLY NOT JEALOUS, shut up Alya!) and Adrien (Marinette's ex fiance, no one knows why they broke up, but we do, its because of the whole secret about his father's identity, in fact, that was why he would even accept, he knows Chloe needs to deal with how Aubrey made her feel in her own terms) and Zoe being just kinda there, as the voice of reason, but hardly able to say Chloe doesn't have a point...
Hello!
This idea made me giggle. I'm guessing this is a rom-com of sorts with reluctant frenemies to friends to lovers. Audrey getting her ass handed to her? Lila Redemption? Adrien dealing with his father's identity? Zoe being the voice of reason but also causing headaches for Chloe's 'stages in Denying I Have Feelings for Marinette'? Sounds perfect!
They go through awkward business meetings and tense coffee meet ups at first. I mean, who wouldn't? But then Chloe needs a dress and she is helping Marinette so obviously she's going to wear something she made, right? Cue cute and blush inducing interactions of measuring (Marinette just wants it accurate, okay?) and picking fabric (Chloe wants the perfect shade shut up Zoe it's not a date) and hey, if they ended up having dinner just because they're already there (it's definitely not a date) then...no one needs to know.
Lila is a little shit and is the first to pick up on their tension and because she's Lila (no matter the redemption) she'd want to see Marinette pissed. Adrien is torn on wanting to tell Chloe but this is the happiest and most glowing Chloe has been and Marinette has been through a lot to get where she is and they're on good terms and he wants the best for her so...maybe as long as Lila doesn't do anything harmful...
Zoe: You like Marinette.
Chloe: I don't-
Zoe: It's not a question. You drew a heart in her name, on a cheque. A cheque, Chloe.
Bonus:
Alya: Woah, loosen the hold, babe. That glass looks close to breaking.
Marinette: Wish it was Lila's fac- fans! Cause, they're annoying! Following her around... *cracks*....like a damn puppy -
Alya:...
Marinette:.....
Alya: Chloe's looking at you by the way.
Marinette: Aha! Take that, Lila- oh.
Marinette:....
Marinette: Fuck.
Alya: I'll get the wine.
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slashingdisneypasta · 2 years
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*kicks down your door* I have some of my own would you rathers for you! It’s horror character edition, both horror house and non-horror house!
1. The house residents have to stay at a hotel because Beetlejuice brought termites during his visit. Everyone else has been bunked together except Patrick and Michael. Would you rather have to share a room with Patrick Bateman or Michael Myers?
2. Would you rather get stuck with trying to repair Christine or having to feed Audrey II for 2 weeks?
3. Uh oh! Both Pennywise’s have gotten into a fight! The fight has caused others to join one or the other’s side. Whose side are you on, Pennywise (1990) or Pennywise (2017)?
4. Pinhead has asked you to take care of Chatter beast while he’s gone for the week, but you had promised Tiffany that you would babysit Glen and Glenda while she’s on vacation with Chucky. Do you take care of Chatter beast or do you continue to babysit Glen and Glenda?
5. You are driving on the open road when you notice some hitchhikers. You recognize them to be Jason Voorhees and Bubba Swayer. They ask you for a ride, problem is, you only have enough room to take one of them. Do you take Jason or Bubba?
6. Would you rather let Carrie do your makeup or do you let Jennifer do it?
7. You walk in the kitchen one night to see that Freddy has eaten all the Christmas cookies Pam made for the Christmas party. He asks you to keep it a secret. Pam is both angry and heartbroken when she discovers the cookies she worked so hard on are gone in the morning. Do you tell Pam what happened or do you keep Freddy’s secret?
8. Would you rather stay the night at the Overlook Hotel or the Bates Motel?
OOh, yay!! Thank you so much for these!! And be sure to share your own responses, too!!
Damnit BJ. We need to start spraying him at the door. HMM... I prefer Michael but... Patrick isn't exactly subtle when it comes to killing, so its possible I could get away from him!! Besides, he definitely wont trash the place which is total load off my chest so, yeah, I'll go with him! ^^
Aubrey!! It would be a dream if I could befriend the plant- but even if they do try to eat me, that's honestly okay too XDD I wouldn't let any of the Slashers kill me- but I would risk it all for Aubrey XD
I'm Pennywise 1990's side, for sure. I'm not a big fan of IT in the first place but I much prefer Penny's look and laugh in the miniseries!
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4. Easy peasy- I already made a commitment to Tiffany so sorry Pinhead don't tear me apart for this but I have to decline... thank god...
5. Oh!! Ah- This one hurts my heart!! I'd probably take Bubba... because he's human and cant walk forever, but Jason's a zombie and probably could walk forever... it hurts me, though!!
6. Carrie ^^ I have feeling she'd be gentle with me and so it might be kind of relaxing!
7. I'm no fink- and he may owe me after this which is a valuable favour to cash in, so... Sorry Pam.
8. BATES!! Mostly because I havent seen the Shining, or Dr Sleep, or anything like that. Also though because I prefer the vibes at Bates Motel.
Thank you again! ^^ These are really great!! Number 5 genuinely hurt my soul to pick 😅XDD😅 What are your answers?
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starlightswitch · 15 days
Text
Just 45 Years Difference
(for Writer's Month day 31 prompts double and beach)
Aubrey’s favorite seat at the beach bar was open, and so was the seat next to it. The one next to that was taken by an elderly man, maybe a little older than Nick’s grandpa. “Hey,” Nick said, putting his hand on the back of it, and then quickly corrected himself to sound more polite. “Excuse me. Do you mind if we sit here?”
“Go right ahead,” said the man, with a gesture of welcome.
They sat. Nick ordered a mai tai, which had been his drink of choice so far. Aubrey tried something new, a rum cocktail called a Love Bird. They’d had their drinks about ten seconds when Nick started tapping his hand on his glass so his ring clicked.
The man smiled. “Newlyweds?” he said.
“Yeah,” said Nick, with a bit of surprise, and then, “I guess a lot of people our age are here on their honeymoon.”
“That,” said the man, “and—” And he clicked his ring too.
“Oh,” said Nick.
“As if you don’t still do that regularly,” said his wife. She leaned around him to grin at Aubrey, who giggled.
“Anniversary?” Nick asked, gesturing to them with his glass. “I guess everyone who’s not here on their honeymoon is here for their anniversary.”
The man nodded. The woman said, “Forty-fifth.”
“Forty-fifth? Wow.”
“Congrats,” added Aubrey, raising her glass. She reached it over and they both clicked with her.
“Any advice?” said Nick.
The man said seriously, “It’s too late for my advice if you’re already married.”
Audrey burst out laughing. She had to put her drink down before she spilled it.
“Beg your pardon?” said his wife. She looked like she was trying not to laugh.
The man rolled his eyes. Still looking at the ceiling, he said, “The advice was not ‘don’t get married’. The advice was ‘don’t marry the wrong person’. That’s really the key to staying married for 45 years and being happy about it. You have to marry the right person.”
“Aw,” said his wife. She offered him her hand. He kissed it.
“Ooh, can I see your ring?” said Audrey, sticking out her own left hand.
“Quote of the trip,” Nick said to the husband. “We talk to someone for two sentences and she wants to see their ring.”
“Why would I not when we’re in a place full of happy married couples and I love rings? Ooh, pretty!” she said, leaning in closer when the woman held out her hand. “I thought about doing that for my wedding band—the stones inside the band like that. But I didn’t necessarily like how it looked with the curved band.”
“I thought about a plain band to match his but he could tell I loved the sparkle. And it turned out to be seven diamonds—” She spun it to show the diamonds didn’t go all the way around. “—which I like because we met when we were seventeen.”
“Aw,” said Audrey. “I should tell my sister that,” she told Nick, “if she and Mitchell stay together.”
“First marriage in your families?” the man asked.
“No,” said Nick.
“Mine yes,” said Audrey. “I just have a younger sister.” She giggled. “When she gets married I just want her to get all our same vendors. Especially our photographer. And our DJ.”
“What about you guys?” said Nick. “Grandkids getting married yet?”
“A couple already married. The next one could be proposing any day now.”
“Ryan should have proposed already,” the man put in. “That girl’s going to get tired of waiting.”
“That girl would never,” the woman said with a smile, “and you know it.”
In the lull, Nick took another drink, then looked at his glass. “I guess I might as well get another when I’m done with this one,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going swimming anytime soon.”
“We could get lunch,” said Audrey.
Nick turned to the other couple—“Do you want to get lunch? We could all go together.”
“Do you want to spend your honeymoon with a couple of geezers?”
The woman gave him a mischievous look. “Do we want to spend our anniversary with a couple of young whippersnappers?”
“It could be like a little double date!” said Aubrey.
The woman grinned. “We met on a double date,” she said, touching her ring with its seven stones. “At least, it was supposed to be a double date.”
“Supposed to?”
“There’s a story there,” said Nick.
The woman got to her feet, reached for her husband’s hand, and gestured with her head. “I’ll tell you at lunch.”
--
2020 day 31: Something New By Moonlight (there was only one bed!  x FFF 64 made from stardust)
2021 day 31:  Grandma’s Blessing (purple)
2022 day 31: Good At Asking Questions (rainbow + artist and model)
2023 day 31: Someone on Her Side (at a hotel)
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exchangersilverr · 10 months
Note
audrey on the dyslexia mention its aubrey /nm!
um so GUESS WHO GOT 2 NEW TATTOOS for the price of HER sanity... iolite actually but its all of our body so. thumbs up. She did it themself and they actually look good!
uhhh i got my manager to quit on my behalf too so that was cool . Also ordered a journal for systems so maybe we can get a grip on who what when where. maybe!
- Say, losing its last marble (by eating it.) 🍊
Aw man I fucked up-- also I know that means 'not mad' but my brain keeps reading it as 'not mine' before I click...
It's a shared body yes! My sister does her own tattoos. I'm a little wary of it myself because I feel like in her case it is just reckless but at the same time it's a form of art she enjoys, so how can I complain too much?
Ooh, that sounds neat! It's also neat to figure out who works best in what kinds of situations!
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musical-avery · 1 year
Text
About Avery
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Full name: Avery Marie Miller Nicknames: Aves, Miller Age: 27 years old Place of Birth: East Haven  Occupation: Escort, Barista and Nail technician Education: High School Diploma, training as a Nail tech. Languages: English Basics
[ Sophie Turner | 27 | female | she/her ] Hey, look! It’s [Avery Miller ] at [The Pink Ladies&The Quick Stop Motel&The Human Bean]. Did you know they [work] there as a [Nail technician&Escort&Barista]? I guess they’re from [East Haven] and have been in town for [all her life], living in [Happy trails in Southerland park]. I also heard they’re a little [Resentful], but also very [Persistent] which definitely makes sense.
More Information TW: abuse, rape, drugs 
Avery grew up with her older sister Aubrey and her mom. Her father left before she was born, or so her mother told her, leaving her without a father figure. Since her mom had an all day and night kind of job as an escort her older sister mainly raised Avery until she was 12 years old. 
When Audrey fully left their home, got married and pregnant, Avery was left behind, and its something she has always resented her sister heavily for. Left in East Haven, taking care of their alcoholic, serial dating mother fell to twelve year old Avery. It was a heavy burden to bear and most days Avery felt like she was drowning. 
At 14 Avery tried to run away, to find her sister and get away from the increasingly bad home life she had, but when she was found sleeping on a park bench a few towns over she was driven back to her mothers trailer. 
She tried again to run away when she was 18 years old, but once again the police caught her and brought her back home. This time, what prompted it was that her mothers boyfriend had raped her for the first time, and he continued to do so for two years until their relationship imploded. That was a very hard time for Avery and laid the foundation for the hopelessness and negative world view she has to this day. Believing that she’s worth nothing to others and that there is no escape for her from her home town. 
Her grades were in the toilet, though knowing that she needed to graduate to be able to support herself, and her struggling mother, Avery pushed trough high school. She was known as a trouble kid. The kind that started fights, smoked on school property, had sex in bathroom stalls, with foul language and inappropriate relations to teachers and students. 
All trough her life the only solace Avery has truly had is her music. She is a singer and self taught guitarist who joined band simply so she could sing in a choir but quit in high school because her older friends thought it was lame. 
While both her mother and sister has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, Avery has somehow managed not to fall of the wagon. She’s had periods in her life where she has self medicated with alcohol or partied too hard with coke, but she has never fallen completely into the depths of addiction. These days she prefers to smoke weed and indulges with alcohol when she has the time off. 
To keep her mother and herself afloat after high school Avery interned at The Pink Ladies where she became a nail technician. Unfortunately the money she was making was not enough, and so her mother pushed her into escorting. These days she is also working as a barista in the mid afternoons until early evening, hoping to eventually be able to afford a small place of her own. 
Her biggest dream, apart from becoming a singer songwriter or get a record deal with her band is to have a place of her own. To be able to move out of her mothers house and be as free of her as she can be. 
Avery holds a lot of grudges and resentment towards Audrey for leaving her, for not helping out and falling off the wagon when she needed her the most. In her mind Audrey is selfish and got the picture perfect life out of East Haven, with a man who loved her and a family of her own. All the things Avery never got. And she blames Audrey for what she did not have and to a degree believes she will never have. 
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Okay friends.
Normally I would reblog from my writeblr, but this is important to me and you’re important to me. I wanna show this to y’all specifically.
So, I’m gonna post the whole chapter over here as well.
I’d love to hear what you think! And also, with this chapter specifically,
I hope it hits you like it does me.
(if you prefer to read it on ao3, you can do so here)
My eyes flutter open lazily. For a moment, I don't remember falling asleep.
The lights are still on. I'm laying on top of the covers with my still-throbbing head snuggled softly against the pillow. Damp clothes cling to my skin, sending an irritating chill up my back. As I lay here, I'm calm. Cozy from the oblivious numbness of a good nap. Everything looks sharper and feels softer. I don't know the last time I slept like that.
The ignorant bliss only lasts a few more seconds, and then the day's events come rushing back. I suck in a breath and jolt upright. How could I fall asleep at a time like this? How long was I out? Damali--!
I stopped.
Oh, yeah.
I didn't need to rush anywhere anymore. It was over. No matter how long I was asleep, it was long enough for 'Drea to get the message. It didn't feel like she was here yet, but she'd be on the way.
The longer reality settles in, the heavier silence hangs in the room. This should feel more like a relief, I think. Instead, it just is. Flat. Maybe it'll be different when 'Drea starts the process. Damali always looked like she was having so much fun. I can do that too. My favorite face, hair, body, voice, all the styles I've thought about hundreds of times. I stop once I realize I won't get to stop pretending when it's time for my new name. I'll finally have to choose. The usual ominous weight creeps down my stomach, paired with a shudder that makes the hairs on my arms and neck stand up.
No.
I quickly get out of the bed and swing open the doors to my closet. Enough is enough. It's over. I'm so fucking sick of wavering all the time. The decision is made. Notebook. Markers. Pen. I slam myself back down on the bed, pen in a death grip, and commit.
My last name and backstory were already decided, so I just needed something to pair well with it. Delilah Renan's niece...Aubrey Renan. Spencer Renan. Casey Renan. Each one gets its own color palette. 'Drea will make anyone look however they want, but it's up to us to come up with a personality. Aubrey sounds the most like the original plan--a troubled niece. She gets red, denim jacket blue, black like ripped leggings and leather jackets, and mustard gold. Spencer reminds me of Kendra, strong and silent, dark blue and chrome. Casey was twirly skirts and curls, muted pinks, purples, and greys.
The second I have ten options, I toss the list aside and attack my closet, ripping out every relevant piece of clothing I can find and throwing it in a frenzied pile behind me. By the time I'm done, I can barely see the floor or my bed. I hastily strip off my wet clothes and start playing dress up.
The twist in my stomach continues to tighten, a constant, nagging pull in the background of my frantic fashion show. With every coil, my movements grow more desperate. I shrug it off. The anxiety isn't real. It never is. All I need is to see how well it will work. Once it's in front of me, I'll believe it and it won't be so bad. Didn't I spend all my life wishing I was someone else, anywhere else? Why should it feel wrong now?
I wear outfit after outfit. All of them are wrong. For some reason or another, they're not convincing enough. Everything I choose for Audrey reminds me too much of Sapphire. I don't have enough bright clothes to pass as Casey. Spencer feels the most believable, but I always catch a twinge of something not good enough. Something missing. I rush to keep the black hole in my stomach at bay.
It's the makeup. I wouldn't wear the same style if I were Spencer. A subtle line of eyeliner. Mascara. Maybe some rosy-nude lipstick and a little bit of blush. A black baseball cap to complete the look. It looks good. Like this is a girl that could exist. I could play the part and believe it.
I hold my hand out in front of the mirror and smile. "Hi. My name is Spencer Renan."
I try it in different tones. Different wording. Different smiles and sometimes no smile at all. None of it ever feels right.
Fuck! I start to yank off the clothes in frustration. Just fucking pick one already!
Why can't I do this? This isn't hard. Even if it was, it's better than the alternative. I'm not going back. I can't go back. I can't do this anymore.
The denim jacket snags on something as I tear it off. Its chain makes a quiet clink from the jostling. My rampage finally freezes in place. Sabin's ID tags. Slowly, thoughtfully, I untangle them from the fabric.
I forgot I had them on.
They've been around my neck for a year. I sleep with them. They constantly hang with the weight of his life and all the potential life he could've had if it weren't stolen from him. It's all he ever had that he could claim as truly his. All that's left of him. And I forgot about it.  
It's something I haven't thought about before. In all my daydreams of escaping and running away, with a face I thought would be better, easier, it never crossed my mind that Sabin couldn't come with. Keeping these would be a liability. They're a dead giveaway. Why would a Norm like Spencer Renan have the ID tags of a once-deadly experiment? Panacea is everywhere. They caught a glimpse of this and my fancy new identity'd be blown.
I look back in the mirror. I'm not completely undressed yet. I still have the hat, the jeans, the undershirt. It's enough to see that the tags have been what's missing all along. They clash against the Norm costume like a splash of neon paint, jingling incessantly. The truth is loud. Too loud, even if I kept it locked in a box somewhere. If I want this to work, I have to get rid of them.
If I want normality, I have to bury Sabin.
I sit down. Without any distractions for so long, the black hole in my stomach grows until I feel its pressure dragging down my ribs. My hand reaches up to clutch the tags again. I try to move toward the clasp on my neck, but my arm refuses to move any higher.
"This is the only thing I've managed to keep away from them. Will you keep it safe for me?"
His voice rings like the jingling of the tags. Why can't I do this? He'd want me to do this. All he ever wanted was a chance at a normal life, and if he couldn't have it then I had to. He'd want me to forget about him. Sometimes I thought he wanted death more than he wanted me, and I couldn't blame him. I could let him finally rest and drop his only remains in the ocean he loved so much, or in one of his boxes, or wrapped around Dimitri for him to guard instead of me.
Of course that's what he meant. Why did I ever think he wanted me to fight for him? Sabin decided a long time ago that the only place he'd ever be safe was six feet under.
And now I'm the one that has to kill us both.
It isn't fair. Why would he make me do this? Why would he think I could? Did he really think he meant so little to me that I could drop the thought of him for my own survival?
This is all that's left of him. Once it's gone, there will be no evidence that a Sabin Khilcov existed, and the only person who would give a fuck wouldn't be able to remind anyone. He didn't deserve to be forgotten. None of us do. If I die, he dies. Another fucking Chaos Power latched to my life.
"I don't wanna do this!" I cry out and lean forward, resting my head against the mirror in front of me.
But what else can I do?
I can't go back out there. I know I'm not strong enough. Whether I like it or not, this is all that's left. I lost this fight a long time ago. The black hole dissipates with the honesty, and suddenly everything clears.
I never needed commitment.
I needed to mourn.
I never had time before. Now, for once, I'm stuck in an in-between space where the time between the present and when 'Drea shows up could stretch on forever. It's death row, waiting for the executioner. How do I wanna spend my last moments as me? Not crying, that's for sure. I'm so sick of crying.
I slowly sit up and glance around. Everything happened so fast last time. I didn't get to say goodbye to anything. When I was still at home, I used to think there was nothing I would miss when I finally packed up and left, but that isn't true. My room was once the only place I had that was completely mine, without anyone else's influence. I made this place myself: the color of the walls, the designs, the way the furniture was arranged.
I'll miss my bed. I'll miss sleeping under the watchful presence of the diamond on the wall--it always made me feel safe. I'll never be able to draw it again. Or anything I used to. I'll have to leave all my photos too. If I wanted to paint at all, I'd have to completely change my style. It'd be better if I didn't. My heart lurches at the thought.
I turn to look at myself again. The hat hangs low enough that it drapes my eyes in shadow. They're puffy from crying so much and my thick eyeliner is all but non-existent, save for the smears. I look fucking pitiful. There's an emptiness in my eyes and a sickly grey tint to my skin that makes me look like I'm already a walking ghost. Too numb and too dead.
I wipe underneath my eyes. This is what longing after normality looks like. You waste all your time and energy wishing that you were just a little bit more like them that you don't realize how much of yourself you're killing in the process. I'll still be like this if I leave. No matter how different 'Drea makes me, the grey tint will remain. My eyes will stay empty.
I don't want this to be the last image I have of myself. Tear-stained, helpless. Even corpses get to look their best on their final day, don't they? If I'm not allowed anything else, I at least want that right.
What’s my best? What's the last image Ariana Salem wants the world to remember her as?
One last time. The hat's the first to go. My hair falls down in messy waves, still blocking my eyes. I find a ponytail band and pull it back. My movements have purpose. They're liquid. Effortless. There's nothing I have to second guess. I've done this routine so many times that at least in this, I know I can trust myself.
The clothes come off next. It feels like taking off a bra that's too tight. My eyes scan the piles of clothes and stop at dark long sleeves, peeking through beneath jeans and T-shirts. It's a dark turtleneck. Snug enough that it won't catch on anything, but loose enough that I can move freely. The pants match, only with a few extra pockets than normal. I step into some boots. Black, sturdy, a little worn from reliable use.
With the stereotype eyeliner scrubbed off, I take the pen and reapply. This time, a clean line. Smooth and even along my lid. Then, a sharp edge at the end. Rising up and up, way farther than it should be, almost into my hairline, until it looks like knives instead of wings.
My mom's face was always flawless before a big case. She'd walk out of the bathroom somehow looking airbrushed. Not a hair out of place. Suit pressed, heels shining. She made sure when she walked into a room, everyone knew she came to win. Watching her was like watching art being made. A whole new life created from colors, shading, brush strokes. War paint, my dad would joke, to which my mom would lovingly roll her eyes at his terrible humor.
It stuck with me. Just like the image of 'Drea, stalking the streets as Gemstone. Her mouth, adorned with fangs and lipstick and upturned in a wicked smile, the last thing her victims ever saw. It sends some kind of spark cutting through me. Anger, envy, admiration. I can't tell.
It radiates a dull warmth in my veins. I close my eyes and focus on it. Take a few long breaths. There's only one thing left to do.
One last time.
With every breath, I imagine more and more sparks firing off, from the center of my chest outward. The sparks stretch further underneath my skin. Even as it starts to sting, my breathing never strays from its steady beat. Familiar growls rumble awake inside me, shivering up my spine. Their gnashing teeth grind in the pads of my fingertips. The vileness of Kendra's energy slithers and pools into my hands and fills my mouth like dripping, bitter poison. It's everywhere.
Once again, I'm standing at the door waiting to be let in. I let the energy coil and snap for a while. Immerse myself, like all the other times before. The venom curls down my arms like dancing ribbons and juts out like daggers. As strange as it might sound, it brings a smile to my face. The pulsing warmth of home. An armor of thorns fashioned from unbreakable black diamonds. Anything that grazes its edges decays and burns to ash.
There's no recoil this time. The growls and gnashing teeth melt into a contented thrum. It doesn't bite back.
There's nothing left but the reveal.
I slowly open my eyes, and quickly lean back. The sudden stark difference catches me off guard at first. But the surprise only lasts for a moment before I return to staring.
The smirk is still there, slightly brightening my dull skin. My blank, rust brown eyes are swapped with the deep and dangerous red. I never noticed before, but besides being more intimidating, the eyes brighten and bring color back to my face. You can only see the tired circles if you're hunting for them. It's too hard to look away from the red, like a rattlesnake tail. The color holds you hostage until it's too late to look away. My whole body shifts with this much power in my veins. I stand up straighter. Lift my chin up.
The difference is striking, seeing something on a screen versus right in front of you. It's not like I haven't been chased by this image the whole time. She follows me everywhere. Everyone else can't get enough of her and I could never figure out why. Is it possible to be jealous of yourself? I avoided her for so long because I didn't think I remembered how to live up to her standards. She reminded me of everything I wasn't.
But I've tried on so many faces in these last few minutes and none of them, not even the one I started with, felt more like home.
I was so convinced that I didn't know who this was anymore, but the opposite is true. I fooled myself into believing that this isn’t who I am in the first place. It was so easy to fall for the pretend.
The longer I bond with the mirror, the more a fog lifts. Things connect, like finding new shapes in an Abstract painting.
I get why Sabin would want me to leave, and why he stopped trying to stand up to Panacea in the first place. Eventually, you just wanna live, even if that means following their rules. Believing that I was incapable meant that I wasn't responsible for anything. I had an excuse. My fear and inaction were justified because see? I'd just fuck it up anyway. I cloaked myself in an armor of apathy so thick that nothing could get through. Not pain, risk, loss, freedom, friends, power, love, or even myself, claiming self-destruction in the name of safety.
How familiar.
Somewhere down the line, Panacea got in my head and convinced me to do their job for them.
How could I let them take this away from me?
I'm not sure of anything anymore. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, or if I'm making the right choices, and I sure as fuck don't know how to take care of anyone. But after this, I know I'm sure about one thing:
I can't go the rest of my life without feeling like this ever again.
Like this, no one can touch anything I love with their blood-stained hands and dodge justice. I am the monster under their bed, the heartless beast they write stories about. This is the face Norms fear. My face. The face of power, in a girl who's sick of the expectation to accept second-class citizenry like some gracious gift.
They plaster my likeness on every corner, news outlet, website and radio station, pretending it's a warning for the people. But really, it's to signal the other rats like them that I'm coming. And I take no prisoners. Even after months of me hiding here, dripping in tears and defeat, they kept locking their doors and looking over their shoulders for me. Even though I'm only one person. Even though I'm just a kid.
The smirk shows on my face so effortlessly because this is what freedom feels like. Finally realizing that Panacea can't do shit to stop me. No one else owns my face but me. They can bring me back to this exact spot thousands of times, but this power inside of me, this beast with dripping fangs and gnashing teeth is hungry for blood, and it's not gonna let me stop until those who have wronged us know exactly who the fuck they're dealing with. Why should I be the one afraid of them?
They should be afraid of me.
Kendra's energy flares at the ready in my hands. The blank space of indecision lifts, and my empowerment is swapped for the hovering reality.
I already signed my death sentence.
'Drea was on the way.
How much time did I waste already? What's been happening to Sabin while I've been stuck existing in nightmares? What's happening to Damali every second I stall here? I cuss under my breath and rush out the door.
"Kendra--!"
I stop short. She's leisurely sitting on the floor outside my room. Cell phone in lap. She looks up at me matter-of-factly while my mind reels.
"That took you considerably longer than I anticipated," she says, starting to stand up. "You were farther along than we thought."
I stare in bewilderment for a few more seconds before my brain finally catches up. "You were out here the whole time? What about 'Drea?"
"Never called her,” she says. “I gave ShadowGrl the sample instead. She should be almost done."
She tosses the cell phone back to me and moves toward the stairs. When I don't follow, she turns. "Are you not finished yet?"
Her tone jolts me out of my confusion and back to my usual scowl, albeit softened a bit for honesty’s sake. "How did you know I wouldn't bail?"
"You don't want to quit, human girl. You want sleep and a vacation.” She briefly pauses to shrug. “I gave you what we had available.”
Then, a small, rare smile softens her face. "Also…I like to believe I know who I chose."
There's absolutely no doubt: It's the nicest thing Kendra's ever said to me. My scowl melts into an eager smile. She turns around before I can get too sentimental.
"Now, let's get a move on. I believe you have another human to save?"
I follow her down the steps without another word. Her energy crackles eagerly in my hands, but it flows smoothly. There's not enough doubt lingering to clog the connection anymore. The static evaporates to nothing. Finally, I've remembered who I am and what I'm capable of.
I think it's time I remind Panacea.
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wormonafewlogs · 4 years
Text
we are watching Happiest Season let’s goooo
THE OPENING CREDITS ALREADY SET THE GAY ASS STAGE HELL YEAH
uhaul lesbians
omg straight people
I love this tour lady
heist heist heist heist hEIST HEIST HEIST
oh my god straight people wtf
oh to be mackenzie davis
oh she’s actually an orphan
ITS CHRISTMAS YOU KNOWWWW
(spoilers below the cut)
daniel levy is a god
dan gets my “omg straight people”
oh no it’s gonna be bad
“I took lessons for 8 years” jane ily
kristen stewart is having Gay Judgement
OH BUT THEY WANT TO SHARE A BED
jane deserves the world
I’M SCARED OF WHATS GONNA HAPPEN W HER
NO they DID NOT bring connor
mackenzie is Gay Panicking
audrey plaza is SO PRETTY
I’m so scared what’s gonna happen w jane. I’m terrified she’s gonna walk in and ahhhhh
dan levy continues to deliver
“have they ever MET a lesbian?” icon
don’t worry kids, she doesn’t want to sleep there either
OH THEY ARE ASSHOLES
those pretentious bitches
ok eric is ok
no it’s MY early christmas present
me @ sloane: “I f**king hate this bitch. I want her in the ditch” iykyk
jane and sloane are so under appreciated by the family it scares me
nice save kristen
“this family has nothing to hide” oh no
ew straight people with a lot of UMPH
omg he’s flushing the fish noooo
✨❤️aubrey plaza❤️✨
I want them to be friends
STRESSSSS
the peace sign omg
heist heist heist hEIST HEIST
release the roomba
I needed this break
OH NO THE TWINSSSSS
oh no they’re going to the mall together
no the kids are DEVILS
wtf this never happens
what are these security guards
WHAT THE FUCK
ok they should’ve had the kids put a ton of jewelry. that would’ve been more sus
AUBREY PLAZAAAAAA
THEY HAVE DRAG QUEENS????
omg eric’s gonna be there
oh god no I’m stressed
STRESS
I really want a movie from harper’s perspective
I’m lowkey feeling some bi erasure here. like is harper bi or gay? like u feel if she was bi there would be a bigger deal of abby hanging out with connor but I also don’t want that and ahhhh
EW STRAIGHT PEOPLE
I think harper and abby need hugs
GOD TO BE HARPER
I love abby’s outfit also I AM GAY
she’s making a knife with a candy cane ilh
DAN LEVY HAS ARRIVED YESSSSS
they are pulling this off wonderfully
STRESS
ok quiet down a but there’s a party upstairs
pls shut the door oh god
NOOOOO OH GODDDD
ok dan levy I see u
F**K OH NO OH NO
oh I thought eric was gonna be gay but this is an... interesting twist
OK DAN I SEE U I SEE U
eric and abby r such a mood oh wow
OH MY GOD JANEEEEEE that’s do PRETTY
oh my god they were roommates
jesus I’m dying pls save me
hell yeah jane go off
god this is so powerful
aubrey plaza continues to deliver
ok that was REALLY bi erasure how they called harper a lesbian
“lies” mmm bitch try again
it’s gonna happen oh my god
is she gonna propose??
bring out all the surprises ig
WOOHOO POP OFF
nonono nonono no no NOOOOO
dan NOT THE TIME
yes
proposal?
ohhhh I love thissssss
oh no
I actually gasped
HOLY SHITHE REALLY STUCK IT TO THE HOMOPHOBES HOLY SHIT
jane <3
an epilogue???
I LOVE THIS SONG
oh he won!
they went to a pride parade together!!!
is that???? a girlfriend for riley????
TL;DR ok wow that was a lot of stress. like way too much. but um that delivered. like seriously. I love this movie
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sweetteainthesummerx · 4 months
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THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG (4)
In which Ollie and Aubrey's interaction is captured online
series masterlist
notes: hey y'all! this is super slow burn but I promise its worth it :) Leave a comment ( I go feral for those) and ask to be added on the tag list if u please
★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★
f1_09gossips posted
clip one: An iPhone camera captures a slightly grainy video of Aubrey Yang, wearing a newly given Ferrari cap, greeting Charles Leclerc and Alexandra Saint Mleux after the Monaco Grand Prix. She shakes his hand and gives her a hug in greeting. The three converse in rapid French, laughing once in a while. Ollie Bearman walks by mid-conversation, and Charles grabs his arm. The tall boy turns and sees Audrey, cheeks flushing visibly. Her back is now turned to the camera, but she waves and he smiles at her. The paddock is crowded and loud, but the camera shakily zooms in on the group. She shakes his hand, and he bends down to ask her something, speaking into her ear. She smiles and nods and he looks to his manager for something. His manager hands him his phone and he takes a selfie with her. He lifts his arm and she slides under it as he hands the phone to Charles. They both hold up peace signs, arms wrapped around the other. She offers him a hug as his manager calls him to leave to an interview. He returns it eagerly, bending down a little to hug her properly. Her hands loop under his arms to pat at his back gently, and his are wrapped around her waist. When they break, he says something again and waves as he leaves. Alexandra and Charles watch on with thoughtful looks on their faces.
clip two: Aubrey Yang, walking hand in hand with Lily Muni He as the two navigate through the paddock.
f1_09gossips Aubrey Yang seen in the paddocks yesterday!
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dudududumvp GUYS I SAW THEM and let me tell u ollie was fangirling
-- user1 hello???
-- dudududumvp yeah he was blushing and everything it was so cute
aubreyyang posted
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aubreyyang Was an absolute privilege to film in my home city. WE LOVE YOU VANCOUVER 🇨🇦
White Jade Tiger is a project that is so close to my heart. As a second generation immigrant, this book meant so much to me as a child. Now, getting to play Jasmine and bring her story as well as thousands of others to life is an honour. Oh, and a Dallas pic to feed your soul :)
WHITE JADE TIGER OUT JANUARY 2025
tagged: whitejadetigermovie, dallas_liu
liked by alexandrasaintmleux, olliebearman and 670,332 others
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dallas_liu 🔥🔥🔥
user1 oh i didn't know she was canadian
-- aubreyyang born and bred, baby!
-- aubygfan1 OMG ILYSM
charlesleclerc felicitations!
-- aubreyyang merci! j'espère de vous voir (et Alex) à la première
-- f1wagsfvr damn everyones flocking to her insta she must be so lovely
-- dior.n.goodjohn trust me she is
-- user2 dior what r u doing here 😭
macecoronel congrats!
this comment was removed
WESTERN ASIA MEDIA PRESENTS
Dallas Liu and Aubrey Yang for White Jade Tiger
Western Asia Media Interviewer: Welcome, you guys!
Dallas Liu: Thanks for having us, man.
Aubrey Yang: It's so good to see you!
WAMI: It really is. Last time we saw you both, you were working on Crazy Rich Asians and Shang Chi respectively.
DL: laughs and shakes his head. Woah, that was actually so long ago.
AY: Don't, I feel old.
WASMI: Okay, so before we get started, we have a couple of personal questions... Aubrey, we didn't know you spoke French!
AY: Oh, that. I grew up speaking Canadian French at school, because it's mandatory in Canada. But actually, I've met some really good friends lately who are Monégasque, so my accent has been leaning towards there.
WASMI: Are these friends by any chance very famous motorsports racers?
AY: Yeah, Charles and Alex. They're both super cool.
WASMI: Onto you, Dallas...
f1wags posted
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f1wags Ferrari rookie Ollie Bearman and model girlfriend, have allegedly broken up, according to sources.
liked by bearmanheart and 3846 others
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user1 NO WAY
bearmanheart MY CHANCE BRO
user2 aww they were cute
user3 rip
olliebearman posted
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olliebearman Monaco you never disappoint 🇲🇨 ❤️
liked by charlesleclerc, aubreyyang and 78,972 others
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user1 i think him and Estelle actually did break up she hasnt been at any of the races for like weeks
-- user2 do uk why
-- user3 prob because shes so much older
charlesleclerc what are you doing partying 🤨
-- olliebearman sorry dad 😔
aubrie_yangfan WAIT IS THE BREAK UP CONFIRMED my Aubrey ollie pipeline might come tru
-- username5 ur actually delusional 😭
★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★
Taglist: @callsignwidow
© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.
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blessedwithabadomen · 7 months
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in love with the mess - day seven
summary : Aubrey is going on tour and, for once, she's decided to focus on having as much fun as possible. Oli can be a little shit but he does nothing short of adore Audrey and... well, maybe Noah a little, too. Noah likes the flirting, as long as no one gets too close, emotionally. But what will happen when the three of them take it too far?
content : smut (fingering), fluff, overthinking, drinking
length : 5.8k
tags (let me know if you want to be tagged!) : @veronicaphoenix @cookiesupplier @lma1986 @jilliemiw86 @bngurngheart @lacktoesandtoddlerants @narcissisticbehavior81 @flowery-mess @shilohrosechicken @justeli6 @starvingarsyn @floatinglikeaswan @somebodyels3 @kageyasma @spikeisdaddy
a/n : I struggled with getting this chapter out but here we finally go, hope you enjoy it!! leave me a reblog or a comment if you do 🥰
•••
day seven
The day off was badly needed, for everyone. For once, pretty much everyone was actually free, with Oli only having a single phone interview and Bad Omens’ calender being completely bare of responsibilities. As soon as we got to Newcastle, the day was fair game for everyone. Unfortunately, we were all currently still stuck on the busses.
All of the crew and most of the band was either gathered downstairs or had retreated to their bunks, so when I checked the upstairs lounge at the very back of the bus, I only found Oli. He looked up from his phone when I closed the door behind me. Dressed in what looked like the most comfortable sweater known to mankind and loose sweatpants, he looked incredibly soft. He must have seen the longing in my eyes because he threw his phone further down the couch without any hesitation and opened his arms to me. Maybe it was his way of checking if we were okay. I thought we were. Well, mostly.
I climbed into his lap, facing him, briefly reminiscent of two evenings ago, letting him hug me as I buried my face in his neck. His hands easily wandered under my hoodie, finding nothing but bare skin beneath it, warmly brushing against my back, my spine, as if he could make out the tattoo there still, even without seeing it.
“I just don’t want this to change, you know?”
“I think it’s a bit late, don’t you?” I chuckled. We definitely never used to cuddle like this, touch each other like this, allow each other’s hands to go these places. I felt him exhale into my hair. “We don’t have to… We can still be the same. Just Oli and Aubrey.”
His hands wandered to my hips, caressing the flesh there, inching up.
“We can just… do whatever feels good. We don’t have to be anything. It doesn’t have to be deeper than that.”
His touch was turning feather-light, along my ribs, upwards, every fingertip leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake, leaving me to sigh in pleasure. His neck strained so he could press the tiniest kisses onto my neck.
I didn’t know who I was lying to more, him or myself. But it felt impossible to care when he was treating me like this.
“Let me apologise properly,” he whispered into my ear right as his hands found the curve of my breasts. I gasped quietly, finally lifting my head to put my mouth on his, a silent permission. When he removed his hands from the inside of my hoodie, I almost protested, but he made quick work of unzipping it and opening it just enough to get a good look. “Fucking gorgeous, doll.”
Then his mouth was on my nipple, fingers stimulating the other and I almost cried in relief of finally having him on me like this. I grasped onto the fabric of his sweater, one hand going to his neck and holding him as if I was terrified of not feeling his lips anymore, but he indulged me without complaints.
Nibbling at the flesh with his teeth, he waited until my nipple was fully hardened before switching to the other. A gentle lick was immediately followed by a vicious bite and I’d cried out before I could stop myself. Oli immediately retreated, but his hands kept kneading my breasts still.
“We’re still on the bus with everyone, love,” Oli scolded me but his smile told me he was enjoying it way too much. “I’d love to tell you to be loud, but I don’t think you want that kind of attention, do you now?”
I shook my head, quickly, brain turning to mush as he continued to touch me. The door to the rest of the bus was behind me, and minus the fact that my hoodie was unzipped, I was still fully dressed. Even if anyone were to burst in, we wouldn’t look too suspicious. Not yet, anyway.
“Think you can keep quiet for me?” Suddenly one of his hands landed on the waistband of my sweatpants. “Because I’d quite like to treat you some more.”
“Yes, please, Oli, I promise, I’ll be quiet, please,” I babbled, the words spilling out of me in desperation. He chuckled, satisfied, probably loving the way I became putty in his hands. I didn’t care. I’d been riled up since this tour had started and I’d not found a single moment to at least get myself off. He didn’t need to know but I’d be begging on my knees as long as he offered to help out with it.
Luckily, for me, he seemed to be aware of the time constraint (and the fact that we were in semi-public, technically) and took pity on me. In one swift movement, Oli’s hand vanished in my trousers and delicately traced along the line of my underwear. It was almost impossible to take, the slow teasing, the waiting. I was getting wetter with every passing second as the anticipation took hold of me.
Oli was gorgeous underneath me, eyes dark and hooded, his head dropped onto the backrest of the seat, his Adam’s apple moving with every swallow. He was easily enjoying this as much as I was. When his fingers finally brushed against my pussy through the soaking fabric of my panties, I buried my head into the side of his neck, desperate to make noises that I would only let him hear.
“Fuck, you’re a mess, doll,” he muttered, his low voice almost sending a shockwave through me. “So wet for me. You love this, don’t you? Love being teased like this, feeling my fingers all over you. Bet you want even more, right? Do you want more, Aubrey?”
“Oli, please,” I repeated, sounding even more pathetic than before as my hips started to move, trying to get any friction at all. He chuckled darkly into my ear.
“Stay quiet,” he hissed, once again, and then he was pushing my panties to the side and I almost cried out with how much need for him I felt in that moment. Then his fingers were on me, touching me in places I had only been dreaming about. His groan when he felt just how wet I was beneath his fingers was pure music to my ears.
It felt like lightning striking my body when he touched my clit, just the slightest stroke, a hint, a tease. His other hand gripped my hip to hold me in place, working against the way I wanted to move into him, get closer, get more. Then, his finger trailed down, painfully slowly, leaving me a blubbering mess as I begged for more, unable to make sense of my own words. When he pushed it into me, I had to bite down onto the fabric of his sweater to keep quiet.
“More, Oli,” I cried into his shoulder.
“Such a desperate little thing. Just put my finger in you and you already want another.” He was moving, in and out of my pussy, letting both of us hear just how wet I was in the quiet room as I kept biting back my moans. “I think you can take it. I think you can take a lot more than you think.” Without warning, he pushed another finger into me, rougher this time, making my walls squeeze around him, but so, so perfect. “I think I’m going to have fun testing your limits with you, don’t you think, doll?”
There was no option left to answer him in my brain. Not when his other hand moved from my hip and also disappeared in my panties, circling my clit, while he kept pumping his fingers into me, faster and faster and all I could do was gasp and cling onto him and shake under his treatment.
“Come for me, love, want to feel you fall apart on my fingers.”
I was practically riding him now, unable to keep my hips at bay as I needed more and more and more of his fingers inside of me, the touch on my clit getting heavier, my noises becoming louder without any way to stop them as I once again buried my head in the nape of his neck.
“Show me your face, doll. Show me how you fall apart.”
I stayed put. He didn’t get to see my face when I came. Not yet. Not now. I didn't owe him that, or an explanation.
The orgasm took me with force, leaving me trembling and moaning into him, squeezing his fingers as the ecstasy travelled through my body. I was feeling lightheaded, a floating sensation, a wet mess, my body had never been so alive. I cried his name, again and again, slowly riding it out until I tensed up as the sensations ebbed away, leaving me panting and oversensitive. Yet, when he pulled his hands away, I still felt cold and aching for his touch again.
I stayed in place for a little while longer, trying to catch my breath and make sense of the world around me again as the post-orgasmis bliss slowly lifted. Only when I was sure I could hold myself up without aid again did I move from where I had collapsed against Oli’s chest.
He looked ecstatic. Absolutely pleased with himself, almost gloating. Underneath me, where I was still sat in his lap, I could feel the way he’d grown hard. It was a tempting thought, delicious, really. After all, I’d gotten to see his cock up close before and I was dying to get it in my hands, in my mouth, in me. But he wasn’t going to get off that easily. Quite literally.
I lifted myself off him, getting my clothes back in order, zipping up my hoodie. I ignored the way I desperately needed to change my underwear.
“Good start in terms of apologising,” I grinned at him.
Then I turned around and left the room, feeling extremely pleased with myself and still tingling all over from finally getting some relief. His shouts of protests were easily ignored with a smile on my face.
•••
I found all of Bad Omens gathered in the lobby of the hotel we’d checked into. Only Nicholas had spotted me so far, giving me a welcoming smile, but not saying anything. It gave me the perfect opportunity to sneak up on Noah and pinch his sides as a way of greeting. He jumped with a tiny squeal, to the amusement of everyone around us.
“Sorry, love,” I apologised but only meant it a little. Then I turned to the rest of the band. “Mind if I steal him away for a little bit?”
My question was greeted with a chorus of not at all, please take him away from us and don’t bring him back too soon which Noah replied to with a couple of middle fingers. Still, he followed me away from them and as soon as it was just us, he gifted me the smile I wanted to see every day for the rest of my life.
“You got any plans today?” I asked, itching to touch him but unsure what the unwritten rules were about getting physically close in front of, well, everyone. I didn’t even know what he had told his bandmates. If he’d told them anything at all. He had been hanging around with me and Oli a lot. But maybe they were used to it. Maybe he could be the vanishing type sometimes.
“Not until dinner,” he grinned.
“Ever been to Forbidden Planet?”
“That sounds like a trick question somehow.”
Apparently, he was still on guard after my successful attempt at scaring him.
“It’s a retailer. They have a big store here in Newcastle. And it’ll make all your nerdiest dreams come true, promise.” I held my arm out to him, daring him to link himself in with me. “Date?”
Noah hesitated, barely visibly, but just a moment long enough for me to catch it. I scolded myself immediately. Couldn’t I have chosen literally any other way to phrase my question? Of course he wasn’t going to ignore the fact that I’d called it a date. Not when this whole thing between him and Oli and me was feeling a little bit normal again but still relied on so many unspoken things. He’d told me he was convinced he was a bad partner. I didn’t need to push him into any romantic antics.
Before I settled on a way to circumvent the situation, Noah had taken hold of himself, grabbed my arm, and looked right into my eyes, softly and honestly, and agreed. “Date.”
•••
The store was, in fact, Noah’s personal heaven. As soon as he had set eyes on it, he was like a little kid let loose in a toy store, walking the aisles at a snail’s pace and telling me all about his favourite and not-so-favourite franchises. I wasn’t going to lie, my nerdy knowledge was much more limited in comparison, but I listened and walked with him and let myself drown in the way his eyes sparkled at anything and everything. There was simply something so endearing about watching someone dive into their passions and sharing them with you, even if you didn’t understand all that much. It didn’t matter.
At some point, rather undetectedly, his hand had wandered into mine. I only noticed when he found yet another amazing collectible and tried to hand it to me and my right hand was already restricted. Suddenly, it felt like the world had stopped turning, just a little bit, just for a moment, before everything went back into hyperfocus and I took the toy from him with my left hand and didn’t catch a single word he was saying.
His hand. In mine. In public. I couldn’t grasp what was happening. I felt secure, fluttery, and nervous at the same time. He was holding onto me tightly, pulling me along. I was hoping my palms weren’t as sweaty as I feared they might be. Then his thumb started stroking mine and I just about passed away on the spot.
The moment was over much too soon. Noah let go when he found something that required both hands and I felt lost and whiny and it was embarrassing how much I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn’t beg him to put his hand back where it belonged.
Where it belonged. Was that it? It surely felt right it. My heart and the butterflies in my stomach were telling me so. Oh, I was in deep trouble.
Noah wandered away from me when he spotted the massive section of comics and mangas at the back and I left him to his own devices as he flicked through page after page before sorting some of them in a pile that I assumed he meant to buy. I went back through the section of little collectibles, trying desperately to ignore how many thoughts were still going through my head and how my hand still seemed to tingle where it had touched his.
I quickly made a little novelty purchase, stuffing it in my pockets before Noah would see, just moments before he joined me at the till with a stack full of comics that the cashier was only too happy to ring him up for. Armed with a bag full of his purchases, we left the store, slowly strolling down the street.
“You got plans tonight?” I asked, suddenly remembering him mentioning it earlier.
“Dinner with the lads. Like, everyone. Us and Bring Me. Do you want to come?”
“No,” I chuckled. “You go have your boys’ evening, I don’t need to intrude on that. Do you want to meet at the pub later though? Have a drink, a little chat, just get out for a bit?”
“Us and Oli?”
I studied Noah’s face for a second, trying to figure out if that was what he wanted or if he craved more time without him there, but I found nothing but excitement at the idea of getting together as a group again.
“Of course. Let him know at the dinner? You guys can text me when you’re done and we’ll meet up somewhere.”
He kissed the top of my head in confirmation.
•••
Being alone with my thoughts hadn’t been the greatest idea of the day. I had ordered a bit of room service, as a treat, but now I was left with nothing to do but get ready for later and ruminate about my life choices. If I’d been able to push my worries away before, spending time with Noah and him just going ahead and holding my hand had ruined all my plans of ignoring them further.
None of us had really talked about… anything. Oli had apologised for being a dick, but that had been absolutely unavoidable. His behaviour toward me hadn’t been acceptable and he knew. But the rest of it had remained unspoken. The kisses exchanged between us. The teasing. Oli and me crossing aboundary that had been in place for years now. Oli and Noah. I was sure they hadn’t discussed the night either.
What did it mean for either of us? For all of us.
I slumped back into the bed, still perfectly made by housekeeping.
In my head, I tried to start with Oli. The facts were the following: We’d been friends for a decade. I’d been crushing on him for probably just as long. Nothing had ever happened prior to this tour. Now he was flirty, pushing my limits, teasing me. I’d seen his cock (and fuck what a gorgeous cock that was). We’d kissed. He’d fingered me. But also: He was scared of intimacy. His last girlfriend had labelled him ‘emotionally unavailable’. He had tried to flee in the middle of the night. He didn’t talk about his feelings because ignoring them and lashing out was easier.
If only I had an idea what his intentions were. Or if he even knew himself. Because I wanted more of him, I wanted him in my life and in my bed, and even if I wasn’t quite sure in which capacity, I was aware that my feelings were making it harder and harder to bear the thought of losing him.
Noah. I’d only known him for a short while, but it already felt like a lifetime. There was so much I still had to learn about him but I was willing to spend whatever time necessary devoted to it. I wanted to know it all. Which was a problem considering he was also someone who kept to himself when it came to his thoughts. He’d shared little bits, but I could see there was so much more simmering under the surface. I knew he was scared of getting close to someone again. That accusations of being a bad boyfriend still plagued him. But then he kissed me and he held my hand and he made my heart flutter and that was pretty fucked up.
Was Noah someone who would sleep around? Get his kick, get his rebound from whatever he was or wasn’t over yet? It all felt so much more serious, but then he withdrew and I couldn’t quite tell anymore.
But what did I even want from him? I wanted to be close to him, yes. And I loved spending time with him. But where was this supposed to go?
And then there was this thing between the two of them on top of it. Oli constantly flirting with Noah. Noah blushing at everything. Oli and Noah kissing. Did any of us know what we were doing? Were any of us ever going to talk about it? Or would we just keep going, digging ourselves deeper into what we had gotten caught up in, until it swallowed us whole and spat us out, leaving us to come out on the other side better than ever or cut to the bone, shattered and ruined, with no point of return.
The latter was a nightmare scenario. And one I definitely didn’t want to experience. I was going to talk to them, tonight, I decided. Get whatever clarity we were willing to give each other. Whatever clarity we were able to give each other.
My eyes fell on my open suitcase, pieces of clothing spilling out.
Yes. I was going to talk to them. And I was going to look fabulous doing it.
•••
By the time Oli texted the groupchat with the name of a pub and an order for me to be there in 15, I had just finished applying my liquid lipstick. The red colour looked devilish on my mouth, in the very best way. I hadn’t bothered with the idea of eyeliner, convinced that my nerves would only cause me to mess it up completely.
Checking my outfit in the mirror one more time, I gave myself a nod of approval. The black velvet dress ended just above my knees where I showed just a little bit of flesh clad in see through tights before my heeled boots covered most of my calves. It was ever so slightly overdressed for drinks at the pub but it would serve its purpose.
I decided to walk, wrapped up tightly in my coat, to get some fresh air in the January cold and try to sort my head, but I arrived before I knew it and as soon as I had found the two of them sitting at a booth in the farthest corner from everyone else, I knew there was no point. I was going to have to wing it. Impossible to stick to any kind of plan as soon as I looked at them.
Both of them looked ridiculously handsome, relaxed from the day off, as if they didn't have a worry in the world. Noah was blushing slightly, again, but that could be the light, I concluded. They stared at me expectantly, Oli giving a low wolf whistle, Noah’s smirk more than self-serving, and I realised I had to decide where to go sit - they were on opposite benches, a table between them and questioning of who I would choose.
Somehow, this felt like more than just a seating choice and I didn't like it at all.
I realised that I was standing around looking as lost as I felt and ended up sliding in next to Oli.
“Guess I'm the favourite,” he grinned. Had he and Noah discussed this before?
“Maybe I just wanted a better view of Noah,” I bit back, causing Oli to gasp in mock offence as Noah grinned happily.
Suddenly, Noah's smile vanished and now he was definitely blushing. I felt some movement next to me from Oli, saw him shoot Noah a dangerous smirk. When it clicked, I was so fast in leaning down and putting my head under the table that I managed to catch him in the act. Not only had Oli toed his boot off, his foot was against Noah's knees, seemingly trying to push them apart. When I tried to come back up, I bumped into the underside of the table hard enough to make the drinks they had already gathered shake.
“That's what you get for being a nosy bitch,” Oli lectured, but his hand was already at my head  carefully feeling for an emerging bump. “You're a danger to yourself, you know that?”
“Not my fault you're horny again when I just wanted to talk to both of you,” I grumbled, pushing his hand away and rubbing the sore spot on my head. I really needed to take better care of it. That, and my heart.
“Is that why you came dressed like that?” Noah asked. I feared Oli was being a bad influence on him - he was growing more cheeky, at least when it came to me. I wasn't complaining though.
“Well, I thought I might still give you something to look at while I hold a monologue no one wants to hear.”
It was enough to sober up both of them immediately. My heart was beating a little too hard and I felt like suddenly I had no idea what I was going to say anymore. Quickly grabbing Oli’s glass, I downed the rest of his beer as if it would make any difference on such notice, but I could always pretend.
With another deep breath, I decided to just go for it and see what would come out of my mouth.
“I don’t want a day like yesterday ever again. I don’t want to panic about what I’ve done when all I did was follow my instincts of what felt right in the situation and both of you willingly participated and we still all felt like shit the next day because we never discussed boundaries and I don’t want anyone to lash out and I don’t want anyone to withdraw and I don’t want to get another headache trying to solve a puzzle that refuses to cooperate.” Oli and Noah both looked like deer that I’d just shot arrows at, frozen in place and just that little bit ashamed. “I know none us meant to hurt each other but we did and… I guess I just…”
I was losing my train of thought I knew it, walking the ever-thinning line between trying to speak my mind and still protecting myself and my feelings. I didn’t want to say too much, I didn’t want to corner anyone. I didn’t even know what I wanted myself, so I hid myself away by asking them instead.
“I guess I just wanted to know where we stand so none of us… none of us get hurt again.”
Noah was the first one who spoke up, staring intently at the contents of his glass as he talked. “I don’t think I have the capacity to commit to anything at the moment. I know my last relationship has been over for more than a year but I’m me and that’s what ruined it all last time and I don’t want to subject that to anyone.” Oli almost started to protest next to me, obviously not agreeing with Noah’s words, but my hand on his thigh calmed him down immediately. “I like being with you. And I like having fun with you. If we can agree on that.”
I wanted to tell him no. I wanted to tell him he didn’t get to hold my hand and care for me and be so sweet and then ask of me not to demand more. I wanted to push back on everything he had said, tell him that it was all bullshit and that he could be capable of so much more and did he really think we couldn’t see he wanted that?
But I didn’t.
Because I was a coward and I was selfish and I didn’t want to think about what all of this could mean for future me. I simply wanted Noah in any way he would allow me to have him, I’d take the crumbs if it was all on offer, even if it hurt. Because it was still better than not getting to have him at all, having to refrain from touching him, from kissing him. I simply wasn’t sure I could do it.
Oli coughed next to me. How long had we been silent after Noah’s words?
“Well, you know me,” Oli said in what I assumed was supposed to be a joking tone of voice. “Sucks as a boyfriend but always up for some fun.”
He bumped his knee into mine and then apparently kicked his foot against Noah’s, who gave him a bit of smile, but still seemed a little unsettled. Maybe because he’d just bared a bit of his soul, maybe because he was still unsure of how this would continue.
I put him out of his misery. Him and Oli both, probably. Grabbing one of Oli’s hands on the table and the reaching for Noah’s as well, who only just managed to pry it away from his cold glass, sending a shiver down my spine at the difference of temperature, I hoped I would seem genuine.
“Perfect,” I lied. “A bit of fun it is.”
•••
Noah wrapped me up in his arms as the three of us walked back to the hotel and I was torn between wanting to push him away because this was not the definition of fun we had agreed on and melting further into his embrace until it made it almost impossible to move just to have him close. Still, I allowed it.
We didn’t speak until we got back and then we ended up awkwardly lingering in the hallway in front of my room, as if all of us had an idea of what we wanted to do but none of us wanted to say it out loud.
“Do you want to come in for a moment? I have a present and- not like that, Oli, stop smirking. It’s stupid, it’s just something I picked up earlier today.”
They followed be into my room eagerly, even as I protested again that it was an actual present and not me in lingerie. It seemed to finally convince them when I started rummaging through my bag. A pair of hands was at my shoulders, shrugging my coat off me, and when I turned around and watched Noah put it on the coat rack next to theirs, their shoes taken off and tidily put underneath, my heart ached a bit for how domestic this scene was.
“This is pretty silly,” I admitted as I grabbed what I was looking for and sat down on the foot of the bed. “It's just because I overheard someone of the crew jokingly call us the Powerpuff Girls the other day and then I saw these keychain earlier and…”
I handed both of them their respective gifts, watching as their faces changed from confusion to utter amusement, both of them studying their new keychains.
“Buttercup,” Oli read out loud. “Personality ingredient: spice. Loves to get dirty, fights hard and plays rough. Does not plan and is all action.”
Noah had been trying desperately to hold in his laughter but towards the end of the description, both of us were a giggling mess.
“Yeah, you're laughing!” Oli complained. “Let's see what yours says!”
“Bubbles,” Noah announced when he had mostly gotten his voice under control. Oli barked out a laugh. “Personality ingredient: sugar. Seen as very kind and sweet but is also capable of extreme rage and can fight monsters just as well as her sisters can.”
Oli was still snickering to himself when NoahI grabbed onto the keychain I still had in my hand, eyes flying towards the description label. “Blossom. Personality ingredient: everything nice. Most level-headed and composed member of the group. Strong and determined. Exceptional leader, master strategist, apt planner.”
“Is that what you are?” Oli teased good-naturedly. “A strategist playing us like pawns?”
He didn't give me the chance to protest before he had pushed me back, climbing onto my now lying frame, a dangerous glint in his eye as he dragged me upwards, further onto the bed.
“Noo, not my boots on the blanket!”
Noah's hands were on my calves, carefully pulling down the zipper, taking the boots off, all the while caressing the flesh through the thin tights covering it. I was taken aback and thrown for a loop at the insane difference between Noah's soft hands and Oli's dominating nature.
“See?” I told Oli. “This is why you're spice and he's sugar!”
“And Miss ‘Everything Nice’ likes to have a bit of both, doesn't she?”
He wanted to kiss me, badly, I could see it on his eyes and in the way they flickered down to my lips, but he wasn't going to get away with having the upper hand again. With a rough push, I had turned us around, Oli now on his back as I climbed onto his middle. I knew fully well I had only managed this through the element of surprise - Oli would overpower me easily if he tried. Turning around a little, I waved Noah closer, who willingly climbed onto the mattress next to us.
So, instead of giving Oli what he wanted, I pulled Noah in for a searing kiss, all my anger about our situation, about him being the sweetest person that constantly led me to believe there could be more pouring into every single one of my movements as I buried my hands in his hair. Oli groaned in frustration but didn’t try to intervene. Not even when one of Noah’s hands trailed down my body, feeling along my neck, my breasts, my stomach, and ended on Oli’s. I let myself enjoy Noah’s lips for a moment longer, my whole being constantly craving him. When I finally pulled back for a breather, I saw that his hand was lazily playing with Oli’s shirt.
I grasped onto the fabric as well, roughly pulling him up into a sitting position. Noah’s hand fellt into Oli’s lap. He didn’t do anything, but he didn’t move it away either. I quickly attached my lips to Oli, who sighed into the kiss with a softness I hadn’t expected. It made me slow down, take more care of what I was doing and where my hands were, stroking his chest and ignoring how lovely it felt.
I let him go when I wasn’t sure my heart would take it anymore. When I slid off his lap, I made sure to shuffle closer to Noah.
“Kiss him,” I whispered in his ear. “Kiss him like you mean it.”
Noah hesitated for a moment. I figured that Oli had taken the lead last time, simply taking what he wanted the way he usually did, and there had been a significant amount of alcohol involved. Now all of us were mostly sober. It all seemed that little bit more serious.
Still. Noah leaned in, one hand remaining in Oli’s lap as if forgotten about, the other gently cradling Oli’s neck. Oli looked… ethereal. Completely lost in the sensation, even though Noah had barely done anything. His mouth was falling open, ever so slightly, his eyes darkening. It felt sinful to watch. Then Noah’s lips were on his and both of them sighed into the kiss as if it was the first time. They looked divine together. No teasing, no battle of dominance, no jokes. Just pure…
Pure what? I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t sure if it mattered either. All I knew was that sugar, spice and everything nice were bound to wreck my heart and I would take it all.
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thegrav3yard · 3 years
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I wanna know more about your twin ocs! > v < Their designs are so cute n funky, they rock tbh!!
WAHHHH THANK U OK!!! jokes on you, you have fallen into the trap that is letting me talk about my characters :3
so, basically they spawned because me and my friend wanted to join a yttd roleplay, but we had absolutely no idea who to apply, you know? then i said “h.hey. two kids in a trenchcoat?” and we just fucking ROLLED with it
my friend designed their character first (aubrey, on the right of their ref sheet) who is the ‘brawn’ if the two, and autumn (left) is supposed to be the brains. though, theyre both pretty. feral and will bite people
their lore summary is basically their mom died when they were SO little. Their father, Adam (they all have similar names just so it’s confusing for us personally) ran a detective agency, but he was quite honestly very bad at his job, which was only made worse by his wife passing and him having to raise two newborns.
this led to then having financial troubles, and although Adam never really told the twins about it? its. it wasnt super hard to pick up on. So, to earn extra money, they opened up a detective agency!
They were, unfortunately, eight years old. who wants to listen to eight year olds? no one! So, they got a big trenchcoat, and Pierce Dixon was born. They...still didnt get mant jobs, because they were so obviously two kids in a trench coat.
So! That basically leads up to present day, give or take a few things, BUT. i still have fun trivia about her
has read her first warrior cats book
she HEAVILY enjoys childrens media, but will not talk about it at all. she needs to be taken seriously! she cant’ like kids stuff!
SHE HAS SEEN ALL OF GRAVITY FALLS
if you dont let her talk about what she wants to she will literally just leave the room
hates veggies. FUCK broccoli
was in band and theatre- As far as that goes for like, eight year olds.
she has undiagnosed adhd, same as her sister (except im pretty sure audreys is diagnosed)
she uses all pronouns, she has no time for gender when she could be solving mysteries
in the future though, she identifies as probably agender demisexual? im fucking with that or pan ace, maybe she’s aroace? im not suuuuper sure yet
enjoys kicking people in the shins with her light up sketches, watching them glow and then fucking SPRINTING away
she’s two inches shorter than aubrey, and aubrey wont shut up about it
wears a fake cardboard badge
she writes in only bubble letters or cursive, because she is MENTAL
her father, is in fact a dilf
so! in short im in love with her and would die for her, actually. shes so small
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I'm sad, would you ever consider writing a malvie Hogwarts au?
You sent me this a while ago and I’m sorry I’m just now getting to it! I hope you aren’t still sad, my friend! Enjoy!
There are definitely things that Mal loves about Hogwarts.Mainly the fact that she gets to practice magic for nine months of her life,that she no longer has to suffer through the ridiculous rules and spells thatlimit her magic when she’s not inside the castle walls. Seriously? A spell to limit spells? Mal is pretty sure that the geniuses who thought that up(aka the Headmistress and the Ministry) didn’t really think that through. Butstill, Mal isn’t going to argue, since Hogwarts has finally opened its doorsagain to the children of those found guilty of practicing dark magic. Mal doesn’twant to waste time pointing out all the flawed policies that govern those particularchildren, just in case it impedes her chance to do actual magic. Which would be a definite shame.
There are plenty of things, however, that Mal dislikes aboutHogwarts. Namely the other students.
The students who have been able to attend the school sincethey were first years, who always knew that there was a Hogwarts acceptanceletter waiting in their future. People like Doug and Jane and Audrey, who comefrom families made famous for vanquishing the darkness that apparently flows inMal’s own veins.
Hogwarts would be absolutely perfect, Mal thinks, if she didn’thave to tell with anyone else.
Mal tries to ignore the stares of Audrey and some of herfriends, instead working at keeping her head down and her focus on her potionshomework. She has her potions lesson after lunch and her homework is most definitelynot done and, well, it’s not the first time this week she’s found herself inthis particular predicament. So she can’t afford to let herself be distractedby Audrey’s snickering, not if she wants to get this done on time so ProfessorMerlin doesn’t find another excuse to send her to detention.
Though, listening to Audrey not so quietly gossip about herand the other six-year transfer students while trying to muddle her way throughpotions homework is not the type of thing that makes remembering why she lovesHogwarts an easy feat.
Mal tosses her Slytherin tie over her shoulder so it doesn’tget in her way as she leans closer to the table, her quill scratching acrossthe parchment. She’s nearly finished, just one more potion to analyze and then-
And then the quill in her hand suddenly turns into a snakeand Mal nearly jumps out of her seat, dropping the wiggling creature down ontothe table.
Audrey and her friends immediately burst into laughter andMal narrows her eyes as she looks across the library at them.
“Oh, sorry Mal,” Audrey says sweetly with a smile on herface, “we were just practicing our Transfiguration homework.” She sets her wandaside, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
Mal can feel the magic churning inside her stomach, can feelit burning in her veins. She narrows her eyes at Audrey, trying to even out herbreathing, trying to resist the urge to reach for her own wand and teach thegirl all about Transfiguration.
Not that it really matters because, suddenly, the papers andbooks scattered across the table between the girls turn into creatures alltheir own. Dozens of spiders and a half dozen rats suddenly appear wherehomework had been only seconds before, wasting no time at all in scampering andcrawling across the girls’ forearms and up their shoulders.
Audrey’s shrill scream cuts through the library, easilylouder than the shrieks of the other girls and the chairs falling backward andclattering across the stone floor of the library. Mal can only stare at them inshock, her eyes widening as she watches Audrey and the other girls attempt toshake spiders out of their hair and rats off the pleats of their skirts.
Her wand is still sitting in the pocket of her robes, thoughclearly that doesn’t matter. Mal can still feel the magic humming inside her, threateningto claw through her skin, desperate to be unleashed again.
Quickly, Mal gets to her feet, grabbing her parchment andbooks and turning on her heel, trying to ignore the panicked screams of thegirls and the murmurs of confusion of the professors who are attempting to helpthem.
Even still, Mal can feel the eyes of her classmates on her asshe hurries past their tables. “Did you see that?” One voice whispers. “Shedidn’t even use her wand.”
“And did you see her eyes?” Another voice from another tablechimes in. “They, like, changed colors.”
No one tries to stop Mal as she leaves the library, which isa relief. A few heads turn in her direction as she hurries down the hallway,but most people ignore her. For now, Mal thinks. Once news of the little libraryincident starts to spread, she doubts she’ll be able to avoid people’sattention so easily.
Mal decides to take advantage of the fact that no one islooking for her just yet, hurrying out of the castle and toward the lake that shimmersat the front of the grounds. She drops her books in the grass, following suitquickly, leaning against the trunk of a gnarled tree.
She knows that wandless magic is traditionally difficult foreven the most experienced magic uses, that it was often a sign of those inleague with practicing dark magic. The stronger the abilities, reportedly, thedeeper the connection to dark, evil magic.
Mal knows that once upon a time, her mother had been able topractice wandless magic. That she could do nearly anything without evenreciting a single spell.
And now…
Mal swallows, closing her eyes and tipping her head backagainst the rough bark.
Now she thinks that she’s just proved everyone right abouther after all. That she’s proved her mother’s words true too. That she isn’tvery different from Maleficent at all.
Mal listens to the sounds of the mermaids singing beneath thewater, to the sounds of the wind whistling through the leaves in the treebehind her. It all seems quiet compared to the humming of the magic inside her,the churn of it in her blood and bones. It used to be a sound that comfortedher, one she could reach out and press against with her mind, knowing that shewas special, that she had magic inside her despite the attempts made by othersto repress it, to keep it from surfacing lest it proved to be magic that couldbe used for evil. Being at Hogwarts had been the first chance Mal had tounleash it, to see what she could really do.
Maybe all of that had been a mistake, too. Maybe Belle, theMinister of Magic, and her cabinet had been right to fear the children of thoseconvicted of practicing the dark arts.
The sound of footsteps makes Mal open her eyes and she feelsher body prickle with relief at the sight of the girl in blue and silverstriped robes carefully picking her way across the lakeshore in Mal’sdirection.
“I thought I might find you here,” Evie says as she sits downbeside Mal, spreading her robes out beneath her.
Mal makes a face. “So I guess that means you already know.”
“Know what?” Evie questions. “That you apparently turnedAudrey into a giant spider?”
Mal can’t help but smile slightly. “That would have been cool.”
“What happened, M?” Evie questions. “Really?”
Mal can only shake her head. “I don’t really know. I just…Audreyand her friends were being assholes, like always,” she says and Evie nods,unable to dispute this particular claim. “They turned my quill into a snake.”
Evie’s eyes widen. “They did what?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mal says with a shake of her head. “That’snot…it’s not important.”
Evie narrows her eyes slightly but she doesn’t argue, thoughMal knows Evie well enough to know that she thinks it’s important. Importantenough that Aubrey might have more than just a few spiders to contend withlater.
“I don’t even know how it happened. I wasn’t thinkinganything specifically…I was just…” Mal looks down at her hands, sitting in herlap. “I didn’t have to use my wand or a spell. It just…happened.”
“You were upset,” Evie points out, leaning her shoulderagainst Mal’s. “And they definitely deserved it.”
Mal exhales, shaking her head. “That’s not the point,” shesays. “I used wandless magic. Just like…”
Evie’s hand settles on Mal’s knee and Mal closes her eyesbriefly against the touch. She misses Evie, misses the moments like this,moments that would have been so easy to have back home, when no one cared wherethey went or what they did, when there weren’t classes and lessons and pryingeyes. Sometimes, Mal thinks that all the children accepted into Hogwarts aftercareful deliberation by the Ministry were placed in different Houses on purpose,to keep them as separate as possible. Of course, Mal thinks they clearly don’tknow her and Evie. As though anything could keep them apart.
“Like our parents,” Evie finishes for her, her tone devoid ofemotion, the way it always is when their parents are brought up.
Mal nods, looking at Evie. “Exactly.”
“You aren’t your mother, Mal,” Evie says gently. “You aren’tanything like her.”
“I used to think that was true,” Mal says quietly. “Now Ijust…I don’t know if I can argue that anymore.”
Evie smiles at her. “That’s what you have me for, then,” shesays. “To talk some sense into you.” She presses her lips to Mal’s forehead.
Mal smiles slightly, leaning closer, wishing the touch neverhad to end. “I could be dangerous,” she points out. “I can feel the magicinside…it wants to be free.”
“I know, I can feel it too,” Evie assures her. “It’s a partof who we are. But that doesn’t mean it’s something evil. Or that we have to dosomething evil with it.”
Mal makes a face. “I kinda already did,” she points out.
Evie rolls her eyes. “Spiders and rats?” She raises aneyebrow. “Audrey totally deserved it.”
“Maybe…” Mal sighs. “Next time it might be worse…it might…”
“It won’t,” Evie says firmly, giving Mal’s knee a squeeze.
“You don’t know that,” Mal points out.
“But I do know you,Mal,” Evie says. “I’ve known you might entire life.”
When she leans closer, their lips meet and Mal sighs into thekiss, reaching for Evie’s hand on her knee and twining their fingers together.The feeling of Evie’s lips against hers, of Evie’s magic humming in tune withthe magic Mal can feel inside herself, makes it easy for everything else tofade away. It makes it easier to stop worrying, to quiet the magic, to calm herquickly beating heart. It makes it easy for her to believe what Evie is saying.
“You’re trying to distract me,” Mal mumbles against Evie’slips, not entirely willing to pull away, not quite yet.
Evie smiles, nodding. “It’s working.”
“It always does,” Mal assures hers, slipping her fingersthrough Evie’s hair, which perfectly matches the coloring of her tie and housecrest.
“See, I do knowyou,” Evie says, kissing Mal’s cheeks and forehead. “I know your magic ispowerful, like you. And good, like you.”
Mal turns her head so that her lips meet Evie’s once more andshe closes her eyes, letting Evie’s words repeat through her mind.
Evie’s conviction is catching and Mal can feel it spreadingthrough her like a balm, easing the nervous fire in her chest. Evie thinks sheis good and that seems to be enough, for now. Mal figures that other studentsat Hogwarts might not be willing to take the word of another student whopossibly has dark magic flowing through her veins too, but it suddenly doesn’tmatter what they think. About either one of them. She has Evie’s lips againsthers and Evie’s hands on her hips and Evie’s assurance that she is not hermother.  
What more could she possibly need?
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writing-with-chaos · 2 years
Text
Cynical Chaos - Chapter 35, “Pyramids of Salt”
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Well.
We made it.
We have 5 chapters left and I am finally posting my favorite one.
I am getting a little misty typing this, not gonna lie.
This chapter somehow came out of me on a summer just like this, and I think it’s important. The most important thing in the book actually. If you read any part of it, I hope you read this.
I’m gonna put the whole thing under the cut to make it easy. 
I hope it reaches you.
As always, you can read it on ao3, if you prefer (and please leave comments and kudos if you do!)
Without further ado, I give you...
Pyramids of Salt.
My eyes flutter open lazily. For a moment, I don't remember falling asleep.
The lights are still on. I'm laying on top of the covers with my still-throbbing head snuggled softly against the pillow. Damp clothes cling to my skin, sending an irritating chill up my back. As I lay here, I'm calm. Cozy from the oblivious numbness of a good nap. Everything looks sharper and feels softer. I don't know the last time I slept like that.
The ignorant bliss only lasts a few more seconds, and then the day's events come rushing back. I suck in a breath and jolt upright. How could I fall asleep at a time like this? How long was I out? Damali--!
I stopped.
Oh, yeah.
I didn't need to rush anywhere anymore. It was over. No matter how long I was asleep, it was long enough for 'Drea to get the message. It didn't feel like she was here yet, but she'd be on the way.
The longer reality settles in, the heavier silence hangs in the room. This should feel more like a relief, I think. Instead, it just is. Flat. Maybe it'll be different when 'Drea starts the process. Damali always looked like she was having so much fun. I can do that too. My favorite face, hair, body, voice, all the styles I've thought about hundreds of times. I stop once I realize I won't get to stop pretending when it's time for my new name. I'll finally have to choose. The usual ominous weight creeps down my stomach, paired with a shudder that makes the hairs on my arms and neck stand up.
No.
I quickly get out of the bed and swing open the doors to my closet. Enough is enough. It's over. I'm so fucking sick of wavering all the time. The decision is made. Notebook. Markers. Pen. I slam myself back down on the bed, pen in a death grip, and commit.
My last name and backstory were already decided, so I just needed something to pair well with it. Delilah Renan's niece...Aubrey Renan. Spencer Renan. Casey Renan. Each one gets its own color palette. 'Drea will make anyone look however they want, but it's up to us to come up with a personality. Aubrey sounds the most like the original plan--a troubled niece. She gets red, denim jacket blue, black like ripped leggings and leather jackets, and mustard gold. Spencer reminds me of Kendra, strong and silent, dark blue and chrome. Casey was twirly skirts and curls, muted pinks, purples, and greys.
The second I have ten options, I toss the list aside and attack my closet, ripping out every relevant piece of clothing I can find and throwing it in a frenzied pile behind me. By the time I'm done, I can barely see the floor or my bed. I hastily strip off my wet clothes and start playing dress up.
The twist in my stomach continues to tighten, a constant, nagging pull in the background of my frantic fashion show. With every coil, my movements grow more desperate. I shrug it off. The anxiety isn't real. It never is. All I need is to see how well it will work. Once it's in front of me, I'll believe it and it won't be so bad. Didn't I spend all my life wishing I was someone else, anywhere else? Why should it feel wrong now?
I wear outfit after outfit. All of them are wrong. For some reason or another, they're not convincing enough. Everything I choose for Audrey reminds me too much of Sapphire. I don't have enough bright clothes to pass as Casey. Spencer feels the most believable, but I always catch a twinge of something not good enough. Something missing. I rush to keep the black hole in my stomach at bay.
It's the makeup. I wouldn't wear the same style if I were Spencer. A subtle line of eyeliner. Mascara. Maybe some rosy-nude lipstick and a little bit of blush. A black baseball cap to complete the look. It looks good. Like this is a girl that could exist. I could play the part and believe it.
I hold my hand out in front of the mirror and smile. "Hi. My name is Spencer Renan."
I try it in different tones. Different wording. Different smiles and sometimes no smile at all. None of it ever feels right.
Fuck! I start to yank off the clothes in frustration. Just fucking pick one already!
Why can't I do this? This isn't hard. Even if it was, it's better than the alternative. I'm not going back. I can't go back. I can't do this anymore.
The denim jacket snags on something as I tear it off. Its chain makes a quiet clink from the jostling. My rampage finally freezes in place. Sabin's ID tags. Slowly, thoughtfully, I untangle them from the fabric.
I forgot I had them on.
They've been around my neck for a year. I sleep with them. They constantly hang with the weight of his life and all the potential life he could've had if it weren't stolen from him. It's all he ever had that he could claim as truly his. All that's left of him. And I forgot about it.  
It's something I haven't thought about before. In all my daydreams of escaping and running away, with a face I thought would be better, easier, it never crossed my mind that Sabin couldn't come with. Keeping these would be a liability. They're a dead giveaway. Why would a Norm like Spencer Renan have the ID tags of a once-deadly experiment? Panacea is everywhere. They caught a glimpse of this and my fancy new identity'd be blown.
I look back in the mirror. I'm not completely undressed yet. I still have the hat, the jeans, the undershirt. It's enough to see that the tags have been what's missing all along. They clash against the Norm costume like a splash of neon paint, jingling incessantly. The truth is loud. Too loud, even if I kept it locked in a box somewhere. If I want this to work, I have to get rid of them.
If I want normality, I have to bury Sabin.
I sit down. Without any distractions for so long, the black hole in my stomach grows until I feel its pressure dragging down my ribs. My hand reaches up to clutch the tags again. I try to move toward the clasp on my neck, but my arm refuses to move any higher.
"This is the only thing I've managed to keep away from them. Will you keep it safe for me?"
His voice rings like the jingling of the tags. Why can't I do this? He'd want me to do this. All he ever wanted was a chance at a normal life, and if he couldn't have it then I had to. He'd want me to forget about him. Sometimes I thought he wanted death more than he wanted me, and I couldn't blame him. I could let him finally rest and drop his only remains in the ocean he loved so much, or in one of his boxes, or wrapped around Dimitri for him to guard instead of me.
Of course that's what he meant. Why did I ever think he wanted me to fight for him? Sabin decided a long time ago that the only place he'd ever be safe was six feet under.
And now I'm the one that has to kill us both.
It isn't fair. Why would he make me do this? Why would he think I could? Did he really think he meant so little to me that I could drop the thought of him for my own survival?
This is all that's left of him. Once it's gone, there will be no evidence that a Sabin Khilcov existed, and the only person who would give a fuck wouldn't be able to remind anyone. He didn't deserve to be forgotten. None of us do. If I die, he dies. Another fucking Chaos Power latched to my life.
"I don't wanna do this!" I cry out and lean forward, resting my head against the mirror in front of me.
But what else can I do?
I can't go back out there. I know I'm not strong enough. Whether I like it or not, this is all that's left. I lost this fight a long time ago. The black hole dissipates with the honesty, and suddenly everything clears.
I never needed commitment.
I needed to mourn.
I never had time before. Now, for once, I'm stuck in an in-between space where the time between the present and when 'Drea shows up could stretch on forever. It's death row, waiting for the executioner. How do I wanna spend my last moments as me? Not crying, that's for sure. I'm so sick of crying.
I slowly sit up and glance around. Everything happened so fast last time. I didn't get to say goodbye to anything. When I was still at home, I used to think there was nothing I would miss when I finally packed up and left, but that isn't true. My room was once the only place I had that was completely mine, without anyone else's influence. I made this place myself: the color of the walls, the designs, the way the furniture was arranged.
I'll miss my bed. I'll miss sleeping under the watchful presence of the diamond on the wall--it always made me feel safe. I'll never be able to draw it again. Or anything I used to. I'll have to leave all my photos too. If I wanted to paint at all, I'd have to completely change my style. It'd be better if I didn't. My heart lurches at the thought.
I turn to look at myself again. The hat hangs low enough that it drapes my eyes in shadow. They're puffy from crying so much and my thick eyeliner is all but non-existent, save for the smears. I look fucking pitiful. There's an emptiness in my eyes and a sickly grey tint to my skin that makes me look like I'm already a walking ghost. Too numb and too dead.
I wipe underneath my eyes. This is what longing after normality looks like. You waste all your time and energy wishing that you were just a little bit more like them that you don't realize how much of yourself you're killing in the process. I'll still be like this if I leave. No matter how different 'Drea makes me, the grey tint will remain. My eyes will stay empty.
I don't want this to be the last image I have of myself. Tear-stained, helpless. Even corpses get to look their best on their final day, don't they? If I'm not allowed anything else, I at least want that right.
What’s my best? What's the last image Ariana Salem wants the world to remember her as?
One last time. The hat's the first to go. My hair falls down in messy waves, still blocking my eyes. I find a ponytail band and pull it back. My movements have purpose. They're liquid. Effortless. There's nothing I have to second guess. I've done this routine so many times that at least in this, I know I can trust myself.
The clothes come off next. It feels like taking off a bra that's too tight. My eyes scan the piles of clothes and stop at dark long sleeves, peeking through beneath jeans and T-shirts. It's a dark turtleneck. Snug enough that it won't catch on anything, but loose enough that I can move freely. The pants match, only with a few extra pockets than normal. I step into some boots. Black, sturdy, a little worn from reliable use.
With the stereotype eyeliner scrubbed off, I take the pen and reapply. This time, a clean line. Smooth and even along my lid. Then, a sharp edge at the end. Rising up and up, way farther than it should be, almost into my hairline, until it looks like knives instead of wings.
My mom's face was always flawless before a big case. She'd walk out of the bathroom somehow looking airbrushed. Not a hair out of place. Suit pressed, heels shining. She made sure when she walked into a room, everyone knew she came to win. Watching her was like watching art being made. A whole new life created from colors, shading, brush strokes. War paint, my dad would joke, to which my mom would lovingly roll her eyes at his terrible humor.
It stuck with me. Just like the image of 'Drea, stalking the streets as Gemstone. Her mouth, adorned with fangs and lipstick and upturned in a wicked smile, the last thing her victims ever saw. It sends some kind of spark cutting through me. Anger, envy, admiration. I can't tell.
It radiates a dull warmth in my veins. I close my eyes and focus on it. Take a few long breaths. There's only one thing left to do.
One last time.
With every breath, I imagine more and more sparks firing off, from the center of my chest outward. The sparks stretch further underneath my skin. Even as it starts to sting, my breathing never strays from its steady beat. Familiar growls rumble awake inside me, shivering up my spine. Their gnashing teeth grind in the pads of my fingertips. The vileness of Kendra's energy slithers and pools into my hands and fills my mouth like dripping, bitter poison. It's everywhere.
Once again, I'm standing at the door waiting to be let in. I let the energy coil and snap for a while. Immerse myself, like all the other times before. The venom curls down my arms like dancing ribbons and juts out like daggers. As strange as it might sound, it brings a smile to my face. The pulsing warmth of home. An armor of thorns fashioned from unbreakable black diamonds. Anything that grazes its edges decays and burns to ash.
There's no recoil this time. The growls and gnashing teeth melt into a contented thrum. It doesn't bite back.
There's nothing left but the reveal.
I slowly open my eyes, and quickly lean back. The sudden stark difference catches me off guard at first. But the surprise only lasts for a moment before I return to staring.
The smirk is still there, slightly brightening my dull skin. My blank, rust brown eyes are swapped with the deep and dangerous red. I never noticed before, but besides being more intimidating, the eyes brighten and bring color back to my face. You can only see the tired circles if you're hunting for them. It's too hard to look away from the red, like a rattlesnake tail. The color holds you hostage until it's too late to look away. My whole body shifts with this much power in my veins. I stand up straighter. Lift my chin up.
The difference is striking, seeing something on a screen versus right in front of you. It's not like I haven't been chased by this image the whole time. She follows me everywhere. Everyone else can't get enough of her and I could never figure out why. Is it possible to be jealous of yourself? I avoided her for so long because I didn't think I remembered how to live up to her standards. She reminded me of everything I wasn't.
But I've tried on so many faces in these last few minutes and none of them, not even the one I started with, felt more like home.
I was so convinced that I didn't know who this was anymore, but the opposite is true. I fooled myself into believing that this isn’t who I am in the first place. It was so easy to fall for the pretend.
The longer I bond with the mirror, the more a fog lifts. Things connect, like finding new shapes in an Abstract painting.
I get why Sabin would want me to leave, and why he stopped trying to stand up to Panacea in the first place. Eventually, you just wanna live, even if that means following their rules. Believing that I was incapable meant that I wasn't responsible for anything. I had an excuse. My fear and inaction were justified because see? I'd just fuck it up anyway. I cloaked myself in an armor of apathy so thick that nothing could get through. Not pain, risk, loss, freedom, friends, power, love, or even myself, claiming self-destruction in the name of safety.
How familiar.
Somewhere down the line, Panacea got in my head and convinced me to do their job for them.
How could I let them take this away from me?
I'm not sure of anything anymore. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, or if I'm making the right choices, and I sure as fuck don't know how to take care of anyone. But after this, I know I'm sure about one thing:
I can't go the rest of my life without feeling like this ever again.
Like this, no one can touch anything I love with their blood-stained hands and dodge justice. I am the monster under their bed, the heartless beast they write stories about. This is the face Norms fear. My face. The face of power, in a girl who's sick of the expectation to accept second-class citizenry like some gracious gift.
They plaster my likeness on every corner, news outlet, website and radio station, pretending it's a warning for the people. But really, it's to signal the other rats like them that I'm coming. And I take no prisoners. Even after months of me hiding here, dripping in tears and defeat, they kept locking their doors and looking over their shoulders for me. Even though I'm only one person. Even though I'm just a kid.
The smirk shows on my face so effortlessly because this is what freedom feels like. Finally realizing that Panacea can't do shit to stop me. No one else owns my face but me. They can bring me back to this exact spot thousands of times, but this power inside of me, this beast with dripping fangs and gnashing teeth is hungry for blood, and it's not gonna let me stop until those who have wronged us know exactly who the fuck they're dealing with. Why should I be the one afraid of them?
They should be afraid of me.
Kendra's energy flares at the ready in my hands. The blank space of indecision lifts, and my empowerment is swapped for the hovering reality.
I already signed my death sentence.
'Drea was on the way.
How much time did I waste already? What's been happening to Sabin while I've been stuck existing in nightmares? What's happening to Damali every second I stall here? I cuss under my breath and rush out the door.
"Kendra--!"
I stop short. She's leisurely sitting on the floor outside my room. Cell phone in lap. She looks up at me matter-of-factly while my mind reels.
"That took you considerably longer than I anticipated," she says, starting to stand up. "You were farther along than we thought."
I stare in bewilderment for a few more seconds before my brain finally catches up. "You were out here the whole time? What about 'Drea?"
"Never called her,” she says. “I gave ShadowGrl the sample instead. She should be almost done."
She tosses the cell phone back to me and moves toward the stairs. When I don't follow, she turns. "Are you not finished yet?"
Her tone jolts me out of my confusion and back to my usual scowl, albeit softened a bit for honesty’s sake. "How did you know I wouldn't bail?"
"You don't want to quit, human girl. You want sleep and a vacation.” She briefly pauses to shrug. “I gave you what we had available.”
Then, a small, rare smile softens her face. "Also…I like to believe I know who I chose."
There's absolutely no doubt: It's the nicest thing Kendra's ever said to me. My scowl melts into an eager smile. She turns around before I can get too sentimental.
"Now, let's get a move on. I believe you have another human to save?"
I follow her down the steps without another word. Her energy crackles eagerly in my hands, but it flows smoothly. There's not enough doubt lingering to clog the connection anymore. The static evaporates to nothing. Finally, I've remembered who I am and what I'm capable of.
I think it's time I remind Panacea.
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aion-rsa · 3 years
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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Into the White
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This Snowpiercer review contains spoilers.
Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 10
For the fifth time in the history of the show, the titular train of Snowpiercer finds itself under new ownership. Wilford built the thing, and then Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) stole it. She ran it successfully for 7 years, until it was taken over by Layton (Daveed Diggs). Layton’s tenure was not nearly as successful, because a returning Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) hooked up to the tail end of Snowpiercer and took the thing back over, sending Layton and Ruth (Alison Wright) to the compost heap for their troubles. Nevertheless, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the one thing you can say about Andre Layton is that he doesn’t give up very easily, and he is very willing to get his poop-covered hands even dirtier during violence. And much like last time, he has help up train, and more of it.
So, after a tip-off from Javi (Roberto Urbina) via the sewer system, Layton and Ruth have a new motivating factor. Get the train back, and go get Melanie and the precious climate research she’s been working on. (That is in addition to getting the opportunity to stop sifting through human waste all day, which is its own reward.) Wilford, already a dictator, has absolutely no reason to let that happen and will risk just about everything to maintain his precious control, but people like Layton and Ruth have nothing left to lose, and are willing to undertake a very bold plan to wrench control of the train from Wilford and his goons. With the help of all the other little people Wilford has been stepping on along the way, of course.
That’s the thing about Wilford. Throughout his journey back to the top, he’s done very little to engender support from the sort of people he’ll need to run his train, like Ben (Iddo Goldberg, who has a pretty great fight scene) and Javi, or the people he’ll need to keep the population of said train under control without excessive bloodshed, like Till and Ruth. When you make enemies with the people who keep the lights on and keep the people happy, it is much more difficult to lead effectively, if only because they know exactly how to take over your train and all the little secrets about keeping it going.
That’s one of the clever things about the set-up for Layton’s and company’s move in Graeme Manson and Aubrey Nealon’s script. Layton can’t do any of it himself. He needs Ruth to get him out of the compost heap and to help him take out the goons guarding Javi. Alex knows the secret way into Wilford’s bedroom because she knows the trains like the back of her hand and she will be a good distraction for Wilford. They need Javi to run Big Alice and to talk to Ben about their plan. They need Ben on Snowpiercer to actually drive the thing.
Till grabs Audrey to use as leverage to keep Wilford in line until they pull their plan off. Bogie fights off guards and helps disconnect the emergency breakaway point behind the aquarium car. Layton’s original take-over was mostly about violence, with most of the people who matter to the train staying out of the way. This time, everyone important to the train pulls together, making Layton’s second revolution attempt a much more democratic version. Even the Headwoods play their part in the game, albeit unwittingly, when they let Josie free as the new replacement for Icy Bob.
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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 9 Review: The Show Must Go On
By Ron Hogan
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Snowpiercer Season 2 Episode 8 Review: The Eternal Engineer
By Ron Hogan
All the pieces fall together because Wilford is the real enemy of the one hope the people on the train have of returning to a normal life somewhere in the world. Everyone on the train not named Wilford wants that; the only problem is, Wilford is the guy who can deny it to the group. The script is terse, whispered exchanged as they plan in secret, and big explosive scenes of Wilford yelling and slapping people, but Sean Bean is great at playing the character, particularly the shock on his face when Alex does her razor blade trick and gives him a little bit of his own medicine. Roberto Urbina also does some great work this week, as Javi is put into position as an unlikely hero who knows he’s not going to like what happens when you defy Wilford. Yet, he does it anyway because of loyalty to Melanie and the desire to see humans have a post-Wilford future. I would also be terrified of being beaten by goons and attacked by a dog and possibly tortured by a maniac.
The episode moves very quickly. Things happen, scenes move, and it only slows down just enough to let everyone get on the same page before it’s off to the next sequence. Clare Kilner does a good job of creating and sustaining that tension. There’s no ticking clock, but there may as well be as you can watch the chess pieces being moved in real time with guards heading this way and our protagonists heading in that direction.
People will be caught in the crossfire, and people will undoubtedly suffer because of this, but the move being made is logical, and the fact that they have to make the move or else lose all of their hard work and sacrifices makes the actions carry more weight as they happen. It’s bold moves all the way around, but the payoff is too big not to risk everything for.
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Layton might not like killing, but he’s a killer. For the moment, he is spared from sacrificing a comparative innocent to achieve a bigger goal, but Wilford is not going to forget, or forgive, Layton putting Audrey in danger. There might be two trains for the moment, but those two trains will have to come back together again at some point, and then the battle for the soul of what is left of humanity will really kick into high gear.
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