#guilty for ignoring all dms but

[cloudd-nyne]

.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Wicked Games 2

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: non/dubcon, cheating, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Steve Rogers

Summary: you had a one night stand. Or did you?

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

You’re not ready but you have to be. The taxi ride doesn’t give you much time to get yourself together. You tip the driver and thank them before you get out to face the music.

The red brick building lures you back to reality. You barely get a step into the apartment before your name rings out. Barrett appears at the end of the hall and you shut the door.

You sigh and hang up your keys and purse. You keep your phone in your hand and face him. 

“Hey, I called work. Let them know I’d be starting late.” He sways at the threshold to the front room. He’s nervous, maybe even guilty. You ignore that tickle in the back of your head. 

You’re silent as you veer into the kitchen. He follows and looms behind you. He teeters in the doorway as you put your phone on the counter. You focus on making another coffee. 

“Are you feeling okay? You look tired.” He’s pandering just like he always does after a fight. He won’t apologise, he’ll just act like a dog with its tail between its legs. 

“Yeah, I’m tired. Exhausted. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to wash my mug out.” 

You open the cupboard and take out a cup. He sniffs. “Honey, please, I swear, it wasn’t about the mug. I’m stressed and I miss you--” 

“So, you call me lazy? You yell at me?” You slam down the lid of the machine. The surge of anger quickly swells and erases the night already washed away with the vodka. “I told you, if you ever yell at me--” 

“I know, I know. It won’t happen again. I was emotional. I was stupid. I don’t know why I started it all. Really. I think...” he shakes his head and drops his chin. He looks up at you shyly and gives a sad smile. “I miss you. I guess having you mad at me is better than you ignoring me so--” 

“I wasn’t ignoring you. I asked for five minutes to change and you wouldn’t get off my back.” 

“Yeah.” He rubs his cheek and mopes. He stares at you and you stare back. You wait. The air roils between you as he thinks. You see the frantic glimmer in his eyes. “Oh, uh... I’m sorry?” 

“Are you apologising or are you just saying what I want to hear?” You challenge. 

“No, I’m sorry,” he says more firmly. 

“For?”  

His brows furrow and his lips part. “For... uh... babe... you know... what I did.” 

The machine quits grinding and you throw your hands up. You turn around and pour yourself a cup. You inhale the scent and it eases the hangover thumping in your skull. 

“Just go to work.” 

“Babe--” 

“Take some coffee, I don’t care,” you swipe up your phone and shuffle toward the other door. “But go. We need space.” 

He doesn’t speak until you reach the doorway, “I’m trying.” 

You don’t respond. You go to the bedroom and shut the door. You need a shower and sleep. You want to wash off yesterday and forget it all.  

You can hear Barrett in the kitchen. Your phone vibrates and you check the screen. You expect a call-in but find a text instead. It’s from a strange number. The message makes your heart skip. 

‘Last night was amazing. Would love to see you again. Let me know when’s good for you.’ 

Your hand shakes and you gape at the text. You tap your thumb to expand the options and hit the center; ‘block’. Last night did not happen. You put your coffee on the nightstand and chew your lip. 

As soon as the message swooshes away, another flies in. It’s Wendy; ‘hey, you good? You left before I woke up.’ 

Your blood slows and your head pulses. You have to sit down. You grimace at your phone. She doesn’t remember either. She has no idea you didn’t go back to her place. Good. That means it can all stay forgotten. 

You press reply and steady the phone with both hands. ‘Sorry, had to get back. Barrett called. Thanks for the night out.’ 

You hit send. As soon as your fingertips touches the screen, your stomach flips. You throw your phone on the bed and race to the door. You swing it open and scurry into the bathroom.

You hurl into the toilet as your husband calls from the kitchen, “babe? Everything okay? Want to me to stay home and take care of you?” 

You groan and lean your head on your arm. You heave and swallow back another wave of nausea.

“Just go!” You snarl back. 

Maybe it’s what he did. Maybe it’s what you can’t remember you did but you need him gone. You just need a chance to get your head straight and figure it all out.  Not just what happened or didn’t happen, but what’s going to happen next.

You can’t keep doing this with Barrett. This is the last fight you’re having about a goddamn dish. 

[littlemissmentallyunstable]

thanks for you request!! I’m SO SO SO sorry it took me so long to complete, there has been so many edits and rewrites and start overs but anyways, here is the final product, I’m praying it doesn’t disappoint. my motivation has not been there lately… anyways I gave it a go, hope you enjoy 🤍🤍

title: the hawthorne with the green eyes

pairing: jameson hawthorne x (first person) reader

synopsis: your avery’s best friend and she’s suddenly been thrown into a world that isn’t her own and she needs you… but in going to support your best friend, you don’t expect a certain someone to take you interest

warnings: mild swearing and mentions of the reader having a dead father

a/n: this is set mid the first inheritance games book, timelines may clash a little but work with me please 😭😭

tag list: @tornqdowarnings @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @heartwithsimplenotes @lxvebelle @xoxo-vee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual

“I go on holiday for two weeks and of course that’s when everything blows up,” I exclaimed over the phone.

Avery was down the other end. I’d practically just stepped foot back in my house after fourteen glorious days in Europe and just about had time to fling my suitcase to the corner of my room before I straight away called her. How did I miss everything?! Pretty much as soon as the plane touched down back in America my phone practically blew up with messages and calls and news alerts. Suddenly my best friend’s face was all over TV and I had a billion DMs from people I’d never even talked to before.

“Timing is impeccable as always,” Avery laughed.

“Tell me everything,” I said.

Screw jet lag, this was way more important. We had the longest conversation I think I’ve ever had in my whole lifetime. She told me all about the will of this mysterious Tobias Hawthorne and the people involved. She explained how she’d been flown all the way out to Texas and was now required to live in Hawthorne house for at least a year where basically the whole family resided. Including four of Tobias’s scarily hood looking and intelligent grandsons.

“I can’t lie, this all sounds like it’s been plucked right out of a novel,” I said.

“42.6 billion dollars,” she confirmed, “what gets more fictional than that?”

“Ave this is crazy,” I replied, eyes as wide as saucepans.

“I can’t believe it,” she responded with a long sigh.

“You’re literally a billionaire,” I murmured. Saying it out loud made it even more real, even more shocking.

“I never thought I’d hear anyone say that out loud,” she said, then she sighed again,“I just can’t work out why I inherited it, I mean over his family it doesn’t make sense.”

“Well what did his grandsons have to say?” I asked.

“One thinks it’s a game of sorts, like a puzzle,” she explained, “their grandfather used to give them puzzles when they were younger and he thinks I’m the final one.”

“Are you okay?” I questioned suddenly, feeling guilty I hadn’t asked her right away,

“Yeah I’m fine,” she exhaled, “I’m a billionaire right?”

“No, I mean are you really okay?” I clarified, “because if it were me I know I wouldn’t be.”

“I think I’m okay,” she replied, hesitating a little.

“Avery,” I sang in an accusing tone.

She laughed a little and then, “I don’t know how to feel about any of this,” she sighed, “god I wish you were here.”

“Then I’ll come,” I blurted out, the instinct too prominent to ignore.

“What?” she gaped, as I pictured her with a hanging jaw.

“I’ll come to wherever you are, seen as you can’t come to me,” I replied, “that is if you want me to.”

“Of course I do,” she said, “but that’s a long trip for you and-“

“I don’t care about any of that,” I interrupted her before she went off on a selfless tangent, “seeing you is going to make whatever I have to do to get there worth it.”

“You’re an angel, a real life angel,” she whispered and I could hear the smile in her voice.

I laughed, “see you as soon as possible, I have a plane ticket to book.”

“Wait,” she told me suddenly, making me jump a little, “I’m paying.”

“Avery-“ I said, attempting to begin to decline.

“No, you can’t even decline because I’m a billionaire,” she snapped before I could even say no, “heck I could buy you the whole plane if I wanted.”

“You don’t have to do any of that,” I pressed further.

“Let me buy the ticket, it’s the least I can do,” she said, “and I’m getting Oren to pick you up from the airport.”

My mind flicked back to her explanation, the name sounded familiar. It took a few minutes for it to finally come to me, “Isn’t that bodyguard?”

“He’s the only one I’d trust with your life,” Avery explained.

“God Ave, you make it sound like I’m going to get shot,” I attempted to joke.

“I really need to be cautious at the moment,” she said, warning in her voice, “this whole billionaire business is not as glamorous as it seems.”

“Oh Avery,” I murmured sympathetically, “I’ll be there to hear every last drop in a few hours, okay?”

“Thank you,” she said, he tone thick with gratitude, “you have no idea how much this means to me.”

***

Next thing I knew I was on a first class flight to Texas at three AM in the morning. I’d never flown first class before. It’s a shame I didn’t get really experience it, seen as I fell asleep for the entire flight, still exhausted from my previous travels. For the parts I was awake, it was beautiful and such a lovely smooth ride. When I’d finally made my way through passport control and grabbed my luggage I was in search of Oren. Avery had text me the number plate of the car ready to pick me up. Seemed she’d forgotten to mention it was a limo I was being picked up in. That information alone would’ve sorted me out just fine as there was only one limo at the pick up station. I walked up to the window and tapped on the blackout glass. It rolled down all of a sudden, making me jump. A man sat in the front, a flat serious expression on his face.

“Identification,” he said before I could even get a word out.

Identification? What the hell did that mean?

“y/n l/n,” I guessed, my name seeming like a viable option for a response.

“Physical identification,” he clarified.

“Can’t you see my face?” I asked, not really knowing what else he meant by physical identification.

“Do you want to get in this car?” he deadpanned.

Great! I’d gotten on the wrong side of Mr. Smiley now.

I wracked my brain for what he could mean by physical identification, “do you want my passport or something?”

“That’ll do,” he nodded sharply.

I fumbled around in my bag like an idiot until I find my passport. I handed it over as soon as I could.

He took it swiftly and analysed it for a good few minutes, “okay jump in.”

“Are you Oren?” I asked, swinging the back door open and putting my suitcase down by the seats.

“Most certainly,” he replied, as I slid in.

“Avery mentioned you,” I clarified, worried he might he starts speculating I’m an enemy imposter dressed up as Avery’s friend coming to commit a murder.

He gave me a thoughtful look as he began to pull out of the pick up station, “all good things I hope?

“Very good things,” I reassured him.

He smiled to himself, almost looking touched, “that’s nice to hear.”

We fell into an awkward silence. There was nothing more necessarily to be said but something hung in the air waiting to be said, but I don’t think either of us could work out what. Thankfully for me, it was Oren who broke the silence first.

“It is also nice Avery has a friend coming to stay with her but I hope you understand you won’t be able to have your normal coffee and catch up anymore, Avery’s life is so different now,” he said, his tone authoritative and serious.

“I know,” I nodded, “I understand how dangerous it all is. I’m just here to make sure she’s okay.”

“That’s very nice of you,” he replied, “you are a good friend.”

“This is the bare minimum,” I shrugged lightly, “and I know she’d do the same for me if ever I needed it.”

And that was true. She’d do anything for me in a heartbeat. Avery needed me right now, so that’s exactly where I’d be.

***

The rest of the car journey was relatively smooth. I conversed briefly some more with Oren, having the standard school and home life, getting to know me talk. I didn’t mind his company at all, he was a genuine man with a kind heart. I could tell as much from just that hour in the car. When we finally pulled up, sunrise is on the horizon. The house was a phenomenon.

I got out of the car and just stared up at it, my jaw dropped in pure shock. The exterior was huge and it looked like a castle crossed with a Manor House crossed with the worlds biggest mansion. Everything about it screamed prestigious. It reminded me of a historical palace I once toured when I was younger.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it,” Oren smiled, handing me my luggage.

“Oh thanks,” I nodded, “and yeah, woah. Avery owns the whole of this?”

“Every acre,” he nodded.

“Someone needs to pinch me, so I know I’m not dreaming,” I murmured, “it’s magnificent.”

“It truly is,” Oren agreed.

I stared up at the building again and attempt to take in the grounds. It’s so vast I can’t even see all of it. It expands for what seems like forever. I was so lost in thought when my name was shouted that I nearly didn’t hear it altogether.

“Y/N!” shouted a voice. It could only be one voice.

“AVERY!” I screamed, whipping my head around.

I spotted my best friend and suddenly discarded all of my luggage, it somehow seeming irrelevant at this time. We sprinted towards one another as fast as possible and collided. I flung my arms around her and squeezed her as tightly as humanly possible, it’s a wonder I didn’t suffocate her. She did the same, holding me so close that I heard the uneven thumping of her heart in her chest. I inhaled the comforting scent of her perfume as I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling at home in her arms. I didn’t even realise I was crying until we pull away from each other.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she laughed, tears also rolling down her cheeks.

“You better believe it girl,” I smiled, “thanks for the plane ticket, first class is gorgeous.”

“Get used to it,” she told me, with a little wink.

“No, I’m not becoming a gold digger friend,” I shook my head, putting a palm out, “I refuse.”

“We’ll see,” she said, with a graceful shrug.

“Nope,” I shook my head stubbornly.

“Let me show you the house,” she said, veering the subject elsewhere.

“I know you said it was big but you didn’t mention it was this big,” I gaped, my eyes glued to the structure.

She smiled sheepishly, “big was a bit of an understatement on my part.”

“You think?” I laughed, still trying to drink up the details.

As we walked up to the doorstep I became aware of movement coming from behind us, I turned around to see Oren walking around two meters behind us. Quickly I whipped my head back around to Avery, to avoid awkward eye contact with him.

“Does he follow you everywhere?” I asked, dropping my voice low.

“Most places,” she shrugged in reply.

I raised my eyebrows.

“It’s not as creepy as it seems, trust me,” she said, “he’s very subtle.”

“Okay,” I replied unsurely, tempted to turn around again.

“Just don’t think about it,” she told me as we approached the door.

I tried to, but it was impossible not to be aware of someone tracking your every move. I began to wonder if I’d been microchipped with cameras and microphones yet. Avery grabbed the door handle and turned it, pushing the door open to reveal what looked like magic.

It seemed even larger on the window with its towering central staircase and large windows. The corridors seemed endless and so did the rooms within them. The floorboards were wooden and glossy, clearly expensive. The carpeted parts were velvet, they must’ve been. I wouldn’t have been surprised to discover that everything was embroidered with some sort of gold laced trim. A large, intricately crafted chandelier hung roundly from the ceiling, glistening with crystals. It was mesmerisingly beautiful. And my best friend owned it all.

“Ave…” I trailed off, at a loss for words.

“I know,” she nodded, beaming at me, “come in.”

“I feel like if I walk on the floors I’ll scratch them or something,” I scoffed.

“Don’t be stupid,” she grinned, yanking my arm so I practically fell in, “where should we go first?”

“Shouldn’t we pick up a map or something?” I joked, “is there a tour guide who can show us around?”

She giggled, “I’m your certified map and tour guide today.”

“Lucky me,” I winked, “where to first, oh noble one.”

“How about my room?” Avery suggested.

“Yes! I need a room tour!” I replied, excitedly.

“This way,” she said, grabbing my hand and cocking her head towards the large central staircase, that split into two.

***

I’d thought the house was beautiful but I couldn’t believe Avery’s room. Heavenly was an understatement. She had a queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room, that looked so comfy just staring at it made me sleep. She had a chest of drawers and matching vanity and a massive bookshelf that I was green with envy of. I noticed two bifold doors on one side of the room, which confused me.

“Open them,” she grinned, as if reading my mind.

Slowly I curl my hand aground the edge and pried the two doors apart. I almost fainted at the sight. A walk in wardrobe. Of course I’d seen them in the movies but never in real life, in someone’s house. It was such a massive wardrobe, it reminded me of that scene from Barbie, where her wardrobe seemed endless.

“No way!” I gaped at her.

“Way!” she winked.

There were of course other species of furniture, like shelves, a desk and chair, a beanbag, bedside tables, an armchair and so much more. Anything could ever want or need was in that room. Like the huge TV or the mini fridge. There was a small door on the other side, which I presumed lead to an en-suite, as I caught a glimpse of bathroom tiles inside as the door was slightly ajar.

“It’s definitely an upgrade from the car,” Avery exhaled.

I looked at her sadly. I’d offered her to live with us for a while so many times, but she declined each and every time. I thought it was because she didn’t want to be a burden. She never deserved the life she had, she deserved this now. After all she’d been through, all she’d lost, all she’d worked for, she deserved this. And secretly I was glad a random dead billionaire left her in his will.

“Don’t give me that look,” she said quietly.

“What look?” I asked.

“The one where your eyes go all sad,” she murmured.

“My eyes go sad?” I said, almost laughing.

“You know what I mean,” she rolled her eyes, then sighed, “I wanted to live in my car okay?”

“Okay,” I mumbled, unconvinced.

No one wants to live in their car, it’s something you’re forced to do when your home is no longer liveable. But I didn’t press the matter, those days were long gone now. Now she had this. She pulled me down onto the mattress beside her. We laid down staring up at the ceiling, my head resting on hers. We didn’t say anything for a good while and the silence was comforting, it was nice. It allowed us to breathe a little.

“This house is full of secret passageways,” Avery murmured after a while.

“You’re kidding,” I said.

“Nope,” she grinned.

“This just gets more and more like a mystery movie by the second,” I replied, wide eyed.

“I know,” she said, “I’m finding it a little mental.”

“A little?” I scoffed.

She laughed lightly, airily. It was a pretty laugh but not a proper one, if I’d been looking at her face, I was sure that the smile wouldn’t have quite reached her eyes.

I say up and she followed suit, so I looked into her eyes and asked her, “are you really okay?”

There was a long pause. Hesitation. It told me everything already but still I waited for her to respond.

“No,” she sighed. It surprised me that she said that. Avery wasn’t one to admit she wasn’t okay very easily, not even to herself. So the fact that she was admitting that to me out loud spoke volumes. She was really not okay. I didn’t say anything right away and let her carry on.

“This is a lot,” she exhaled, “and I know it makes me sound so selfish. I have everything and anything I could ever want but it’s just so much to adjust to.”

“You don’t sound selfish, you sound human,” I reassured her. She needed to know that her feelings were normal, if I were in her position I know I’d be a mess. But she was here, holding it all together or trying to at least.

“I have a helicopter, a freaking helicopter and there’s all these interviews I have to do, functions I have to attend,” she exclaimed, “I don’t know what to do with myself half the time. I mean it’s so obvious I don’t fit in, I wasn’t born into all of this.”

She took a sharp breath in and I decided I needed to let her rant and get these things off of her chest.

“School is like a living hell, most people hate me,” she groaned, “private school is not for me, I’ve got no friends there and everyone seems to be either shooting me weird looks or whispering my name. And it shouldn’t affect me and I know it’s pathetically stupid but it really does.”

“Hey,” I soothed, rubbing up and down her arms, “kids are stupid and you know they’re just jealous. Besides you won’t be in school for that much longer anyway. One, two years with these people and then you never have to see them again. And you’ve only just joined recently, there’s time to make friends if you want to. And I’m only a call away, no matter where you are, what time it is, we have phones for a reason.”

“Yeah,” she blew out a breath, “yeah, okay.”

“You can carry on,” I told her, “just get the weight off of your shoulders.”

“I don’t want to complain, it feels wrong,” she sighed.

“Nu-uh,” I snapped wagging my finger, “you’re a human with feelings which means you have every right to complain so shoot girl.”

“Thank you, really,” she said, her big hazel eyes deep with gratitude.

“Stop thanking me for doing the bare minimum, this is like getting you a spoon from the cutlery drawer when you ask,” I said, “now tell me, what else?”

“My life is apparently constantly at risk, I mean I have bodyguard who is standing outside this door right now,” she replied, “I could be killed. Literally killed. And people want to do that to me and that’s so hard-“

Her voice broke and she struggled ro pull herself together, despite how hard she was trying. I instinctively enveloped my arms around her and pulled her tight to my chest

“I’m sorry Avery,” I murmured, “that’s awful, absolutely awful. But you have Oren and you know he’s going to take good care of you, you have whole teams of people preventing that from happening.”

She mumbled an indecipherable response and let a few tears slip.

“And these stupid people aren’t making things any easier for me. All of them are so…” she trailed off, “I can’t find the right word to describe them. Grayson thinks I’m some sort of threat and I’ve inherited this money because I’m a scheming, lying, manipulative snake. Xander seems to live to confuse me, constantly throwing out weird phrases that just throw me off. Nash, well Nash is just very laid back, he doesn’t seem to care about me or my role in the will which is good, but I don’t like the way he looks at Libby. And Jameson…” she hesitated, “Jameson thinks I’m just a game, one left by his grandfather. And the worst part is I dont even know what I’m here and I can’t figure it out.”

“Yet,” I replied.

She titled her head, confused, “What?”

“I can’t figure it out yet,” I explained.

“That’s patronising,” she said, “are you trying to take me back to first grade?”

“It might help you,” I shrugged.

“First grade?” she laughed.

“An open mindset,” I clarified.

She doesn’t reply.

“These grandsons for the most part seem a bit snobbish if you ask me, you shouldn’t pay too much attention to them,” I said, “they’re not worth you at all. You’re not a snake, you’re not stupid, your sister isn’t a prize and you’re not a game. You know this, in here,” I press my palm on the left side of her chest, “don’t let them make you forget it.”

She smiled through glossy eyes,“what would I do without you?”

“Have a mental breakdown in the shower alone and pretend it’s all okay,” I guessed.

“I did that yesterday,” she told me.

“Damn it I didn’t get here fast enough,” I joked, my heart breaking at the thought of Avery sobbing all alone.

She cracked a weak smile, “you got here, you are here, that’s all I care about.”

“Just take a second and breathe, okay?” I said.!

“Breathing,” she replied. I could hear she was breathing in and out in a rhythmic, calming motion.

“Good, keep going,” I nodded in encouragement.

We fell into silence again but like most of our silences, neither of us felt discomfort. I let her breathe, I let her think, I let her have the moment to herself I know she’d felt to selfish to take since she got here.

“Better?” I asked after a while.

“Better,” she nodded her head.

“You’re going to get through this, it just all seems a lot right now because you’re not used to it and it’s all come at once,” I said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she replied.

We wrapped our arms around each other, a warm hug acting as some sort of cocoon, excluding the outside world for mere moments. I breathed in her shampoo, the smell comforting. We stayed in each other’s arms for long time. We had both needed it.

“I’m really glad your here,” she whispered as we pull away.

“I’m glad I’m here too,” I told her.

***

“I still can’t believe you live here now,” I exhaled, the side of my cheek pressed on her head.

We’d gone back to talking, catching up on each other’s lives for a bit. It seemed we just never could stop talking. And it felt good.

“I know, it’s crazy,” she admitted, “me and Lib have just about got used to it.”

“Libby’s here? Now?” I asked excitedly.

Avery nodded.

“Please can we go and see her?” I asked, “I haven’t seen her in so long.”

“Of course,” she grinned, “I’m just going to ignore the fact that you love my sister more than you love me.”

“It’ll probably make you feel better,” I shrugged, teasing her slightly.

“Hey!” she laughed, slapping my arm lightly.

I’d forgotten how much I’d missed Avery’s company. She wasn’t just my best friend, she was part of me. Every time we were together I was just immediately elevated. I needed her.

“What? You said it,” I grinned, poking my tongue out.

“My best guess is that she’s baking in the kitchen, so we’ll look there first,” she explained.

“How comes she’s baking at nine in the morning?” I asked.

“She’s productive,” Avery shrugged.

I nodded as we exited her room. I followed Avery, presuming she would know where she was going. But after a labyrinth of corridors and a few smiling landmarks, I began to doubt her orienteering skill and decided we were lost.

“Ave I swear I’ve seen that suit of armour before,” I mentioned to her.

“There’s a suit of armour?” she asked.

“We’ve seen it like three times now,” I nodded, pointing to it.

She tilted her head and examined it, “we have not!”

“I’m telling you we definitely have,” I replied,

“You have walked past it four times actually,” a sudden voice said, making me jump out of my skin.

I turned around to see a boy coming up behind us. He was very tall, towering over both Avery and I. There was a bounce in his step and amusement in his voice, he was young, energetic and full of life. He had dark skin and a small grin planted on his lips. And there was a certain wistful sparkle in his eyes. I presumed he was one of the four grandsons, but I was trying to work out which one due to the descriptions Avery had given me.

“Have you been watching us?” Avery scoffed, arms folded,

“I just happened to notice you walking past four times,” the boy shrugged.

Avery narrowed her eyes at him, “why did you count?”

“I wanted to see how many tries it would take you until you realised you were lost,” he replied coolly.

“We’re not lost,” Avery insisted.

“Are you sure?” he chuckled, eyebrows raised.

“I call it non-purposeful wandering,” I piped up

He looked at me for the first time, his deep chocolate eyes meeting mine. His eyebrows now shuffled inwards and he tilted his head to the side, “I don’t recognise you.”

“I’m y/n,” I smiled, “I came to visit Avery.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” he nodded, “did you only just arrive?”

“It was about an hour ago,” I shrugged in reply.

“Did you fly all the way out here?” he asked me.

“From Connecticut to Texas,” I confirmed with a short nod of the head.

“Now tell me,” he said, looking very serious, “do robots interest you?”

I side glanced at Avery and she subtly signalled for me to carry on conversation.

“I’ve never really thought about it before,” I said honestly.

“How have you lived your life without thinking about robots?” he gasped, looking somewhere between purely shocked and offended.

“I don’t know,” I replied, “should I start?”

“I’d strongly advise you to,” he said, “they’re most interesting.”

“Is that why you’ve got a singed eyebrow and oil on your sleeves?” I asked, not being able to suppress my mind’s curiosities.

“Observant,” he smiled.

“That’s what they say,” I replied awkwardly, knowing Avery would tease me about this later.

“Robots have a tendency to explode when you get them a bit wrong,” he explained, “if you can get past that, it’s great.”

“Explosions don’t really sound like my cup of tea,” I said, “but I suppose you never know until you try.”

“You have a good spirit,” he told me, “I think you would work well with robotics.”

“Thanks,” I replied, taking it as a compliment to mask my confusion over the whole conversation. I took him as someone who you just rolled with, no matter what. So that’s what I was attempting to achieve.

“Blueberry or lemon?” he asked me.

“Blueberry, no matter the context,” I answered without missing a beat.

“I like you,” he nodded, “Avery can we keep her?”

“For the time being,” she grinned, “unless she starts biting.”

“Can’t make any promises,” I winked then turned back to the boy, “you know your way around this place right?”

“Most of it, though I still discover a new secret passage way every now and then,” he shrugged, as if it were the norm to find secret passageways around your house.

“Do you know how we get to the kitchen?” Avery asked.

“And you said you’re not lost,” he teased her.

“She’s testing you,” I said,

“Is it because you got stuck non-purposefully wandering on your way there,” he smiled, using my precious wording,

“Precisely,” I nodded.

“Okay then,” he replied, “to get the kitchen you just need to follow these suits of armour and when they stop take two rights and walk down your closest set of stairs. You should find it there, if I’m not mistaken.”

My jaw hung slack, “you memorised that?”

“Sort of, thought I usually end up stumbling upon the kitchen by accident through a secret passage way,” he shrugged, “it’s an important room to locate.”

“I guess,” I agreed

He nodded, “Safe travels.”

“We’re not trekking across a desert,” I laughed.

“No,” he smiled, “this is much worse.”

And with that he turned and walked in the opposite direction. We watched him until he exited the corridor and went off elsewhere.

“That’s Xander,” Avery filled me in.

“The one who’s addicted to scones?” I asked, the blueberry or lemon question finally making sense.

“Yes, that’s him,” she confirmed.

“Yeah that figures,” I nodded, “I like him.”

“He’s nice, I mean he doesn’t act like he wants to kill me all the time so that’s a plus,” she said.

“Oh yeah, when do I get to meet the angel of a man who keeps wishing you death?” I grinned.

“Hopefully you won’t have to,” she grimaced

We finally made it to the kitchen, after a few wrong turns and a game of eeny-meeny-miny-mo. I spotted Libby from the doorway. She was piping vibrant blue icing, almost the colour of her hair, into a pink sponge cupcake. I snuck up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, tightly squeezing her closer. She let out a small gasp in surprise.

“Guess who?” I murmured excitedly.

“Is this real or does someone have to pinch me?” she asked, the smile in her voice.

“It’s real,” I assured her.

I let go of her and she spun around, cupping my face in her palms.

“Y/n!” she beamed widely at me, brining me in for a hug, “hi love, it’s been a while, huh?”

“Too much of a while if you ask me,” I mumbled into her.

“Glad to see you again,” she smiled as we break apart. The unspoken ‘make sure my sister is okay’ running through her eyes.

“Me too,” I replied, silently reassuring her of the reason I was here.

“I’m starting to think you prefer my sister to me,” Avery scoffed, scooping a little buttercream onto her finger tip and popping it into her mouth

“Sometimes I do,” I replied mischievously.

“Hey,” she complained.

I stuck out my tongue in reply.

“Ooo please taste this,” Libby said, quickly grabbing a couple of cupcakes and handing one to both me and Avery.

“Well it’d be rude not to,” I grinned, taking one gratefully.

“It would,” she agreed as Avery broke the half of the bottom off of her cupcake and put it into of the icing to make her little cupcake sandwich.

I stared at her in disapproval, “you are a monster for doing that.”

“You’re just bitter because it’s the smartest way to eat a cupcake,” she replied.

“When you eat a cupcake you shouldn’t be analysing how you eat it you should just eat it how it is,” I exclaimed passionately. We’d had this fight many of times and I would never stop backing my corner.

“I don’t want icing smeared up my nose,” Avery defended, “and this is the best way to prevent that.”

I shook my head and took a bite of my cupcake, like a normal person. The flavours tantalised my tastebuds, teasing them to crave more. The cake itself was airy and light, not too dry but not too moist. It was the perfect cake to icing ratio and nothing was over sweet or too artificial. It was like heaven on my tongue. I’d really missed these.

“So…” Libby asked, nervously, “what do you think?”

“How do you do it?” I replied, taking another bite.

“Good?”

“That’s an understatement,” I told her, “is there fairy dust in this or something?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” a new person entered, cutting off whatever Libby’s reply was. His accent was definitely Texan and I looked up to my surprise to find an older looking man. Well not old at all, just older than me. I presumed he was in his twenties. He wore a cowboy hat, titled slightly to one side and from under it I noticed his brownish-blondish hair. He had hazel eyes and a sharp jawline but what stood out to me was his nose. He had a similar nose to Xander which gave him away to being another grandson, but which one?

“What are you doing here?” Libby asked, annoyance in her tone.

It surprised me. I had never heard Libby talk to anyone with any remotely negative connotation. I widened my eyes and looked to Avery who only shrugged in response.

“Coming to check up on you and your crazy cupcake baking obsession,” he explained, walking further into the room.

“I don’t need checking up on,” she grumbled, turning back to her piping bag.

“Oh I know that darlin’,” he smiled. It was the kind of smile that you don’t see often, the kind of smile that shows everyone else in that room that the person who is being smiled at is the other person’s whole world.

No one had ever smiled at me like that.

I scooted closer to Avery and whispered, “Are they…”

“I don’t know, I’m 99% sure but it’s not official,” she explained quickly.

“Oh okay,” I nodded.

We watched as they bickered, back and forth for a little bit, unsuppressed smiles on both of their faces. They meant something to one another, even if they didn’t know it yet. They continued to argue until the cowboy noticed my presence.

“Who’s the new one?” he asked, nodding at me

“New one? She has a name,” Libby said sharply.

“I’m y/n. Avery’s friend and Libby’s practically adopted little sister, nice to meet you,” I introduced myself.

“Am I even relevant anymore?” Avery sighed.

“Nope,” me and Libby grinned simultaneously.

“Nash,” he nodded, shaking my hand, “nice to meet you too.”

“We’re going to get going now,” Avery said, “I haven’t shown her the bowling alley yet.”

My eyes widened, “bowling alley?”

“Catch you guys later,” she grinned, pulling me out of the kitchen.

“You have a bowling alley in your house,” I said, still in shock, “why didn’t you tell me already?”

“When’s the best time to bring up the fact you have a bowling alley, I mean it’s not exactly normal conversation,” she told me.

“Okay fair enough,” I responded, as we start walking again, “so are we meeting everyone like it’s a parody of sorts?”

“Seems like it,” she sighed,

“Tour of the hottie Hawthorne’s,” I joked, spreading my arms out to reveal an invisible sign.

She giggled, “hottie?”

“Oh please, you can’t deny it, they’re all gorgeous so far,” I said.

She looked around cautiously, “they could be listening you know?”

“Oh well I’m sure they know,” I scoffed, “besides you’re telling me that you don’t find at least one of them attractive?”

“Moving on,” she said quickly, brushing over the subject, with pink-tinged cheeks.

“Are you blushing?” I asked her.

“No,“ she replied bluntly, “shut up.”

“You’re blushing,” I sang, “which one is it? Oh please tell me Ave!”

“None of them,” she insisted, digging her heals in.

“I don’t believe you,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

She replied, “that’s because you have trust issues.”

“No it’s because I know you’re lying,” I told her.

She didn’t reply.

“You better tell me fast because I will attempt to make a move on one of them at some point,” I warned her, “Nash is already out of the question because he’s Libby’s, so which ones yours? I’ll pick between the other two.”

She laughed. It was the first time since we’d met up that I’d seen her properly crack a smile, her eyes fully lighting up, “pick whoever you want, no one’s mine.”

“You might regret saying that later on,” I warned her.

“Doubt it,” she shrugged, “just be careful, okay? These people, this family… just be careful.”

“I will, promise,” I nodded, “so who’s on stage next in ‘let’s meet the Hawthorne brothers’.”

“It’s a surprise,” Avery said,

I smiled, “oooo how intriguing!”

We turned the corner and I noticed someone approaching. Avery did too, as I noticed her breathing sped up a little.

“Speak of the devil and I mean the literal devil, here comes another,” she muttered.

Approaching us was a blonde. Like his brothers, he was tall, but not as tall. He was dressed in what looked to be a highly expensive suit and matching designer shoes. His face was serious and unemotional, like it was paralysed in a state of seriousness.

“Woah, hello jawline,” I mumbled, after catching a glimpse.

“Wait until he looks you in the eyes,” Avery murmured.

“Oh god he walks really fast,” I said quietly, as he approached closer and closer.

She grinned at me, “rich boy leg strides.”

I tried to smile but fail, “Why is my heart beating so fast?”

“He has that effect of people,” she shrugged, “intimidation.”

“Why does he look like he wants to kill me,” I said under my breath when he was about two meters away.

“That’s just his face,” she reassured me.

I began to ask another question, “Are-“

“Shut up,” Avery hissed and I understood why. The blonde had stopped infront of us and he was staring me up and down, as if he were scanning for some sort of hidden weapon I had.

“Who’s this?” Goldilocks snapped, his voice clearly portraying his dominance.

“A friend,” Avery replied curtly.

“A potential threat,” he said sharply.

Why did everyone in this place think I was some sort of axe-murderer. Was it common in Texas or something?

“She’s none of your business,” Avery grits through her teeth.

“We’ll see about that,” he replied walking away.

He hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, though I couldn’t work out if it was because he felt I was too below him or he just didn’t feel a need to. Whatever it was, it was clear that there was a tension between those two, but I decided not to bring it up yet.

“What’s he going to do? Research me?” I scoffed.

Avery shrugged as we continue walking, “probably.”

“You’re kidding!” I laughed.

“I wish I was,” she said, wiping the smile off of my face.

“So I take it he’s the one that hates you for breathing?” I clarified, mentally ticking him off of my list of what Hawthorne’s I had met and what ones I hadn’t.

“Yep,” she nodded, “that was Grayson.”

“Yeesh, his jawline looked dangerously sharp,” I winced.

“Better not get on the wrong side of it,” she winked.

“I think I already am,” I blew out a breath, “I mean if looks could kill…”

“Oh we’d both be long gone,” Avery giggled.

“I get the eye thing now,” I groaned rubbing my eyes, “god, ouch, it burns.”

“Doesn’t the piercing grey just give you a headache?” she asked.

“It really does, have you got aspirin?” I said.

She shrugged, “somewhere in the maze of a house.”

“Was he wearing a designer suit?” I was dying to ask.

“Always,” she nodded.

“You’re kidding, all the time?” I gaped.

She sighed, “All the time.”

***

We spent the rest of the day in various different places. I adored the library and the dance studio as well as the karaoke bar and swimming pool. These people had everything. But something was playing on my mind. I’d met three of the four Hawthornes, which meant there was still one to go. I hadn’t seen the other all day, but I had stumbled across his brothers another few times. I found it odd. Avery only shrugged when I asked her about it and presumed he was drunk somewhere. Avery and I had also convinced ourselves Grayson had a murder club, consisting only of himself, and we were the first on his hit-list. We figured if we went, we’d go together so it’d be alright.

Somehow, after touring not even a quarter of the house, we ended up back on her bed again, me catching her up on old school drama. I’d forgotten that she’d missed the break up of the century with an added cheating scandal from the girl with the guy’s brother.

“Hey I just need to run and find Libby a minute, I’ll be back,” she’d told me, after she’d received a text in her phone.

“Everything okay?” I checked.

“Fine,” she nodded once, “I’ll be back soon.”

But soon didn’t feel that soon. It was a little awkward sat in someone else’s bedroom without them. I didn’t know what to do with myself. After a while, I decided I should look for Avery. I opened the door and smacked into someone and almost toppled over.

“You should really watch you’re going, heiress,” the person said.

“Maybe you should too,” I scowled, looking up to meet a pair of alluring green eyes.

“You’re not Avery,” he replied, looking very confused.

“Gee, you’re observant,” I rolled my eyes, then suddenly felt a pang of guilt, “sorry, I tend to overreact when I’m pissed off.”

“A quality we share,” he grinned slightly.

“I wouldn’t call it a quality,” I said.

I stared at him properly, he was tall with dark, unruly hair. He had a similar bone structure than his brothers but his face was softer than Grayson’s, his features warmer.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he smiled, a witty, mischievous smile, “Jameson Hawthorne.”

He extended a hand towards me and I took swiftly it. His grip was hard, strong I noted. Jameson, the brother I was yet to meet. And dare I say it, he was the best looking by far.

“So who are you?” he asked.

“I’m y/n,” I said, “I’m a friend of Avery’s, I’ve come to stay with her.”

“That’s nice of you,” he commented, a little awkwardly.

“It’s the least I can do,” I replied quietly.

He doesn’t say anything back but I don’t want him to. It was hard enough focusing on conversation when he was looking at me. He was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. His whole face with was the picture of perfection. Symmetrical, but not harshly, it was more of a mellow, kind symmetry, that enhanced all of his features. His soft looking lips, his nice shaped nose and his eyes. God those eyes. They were a rich green like nature, glistening with intelligent thoughts.

“Well I suppose I’ll see you around then,” he said, pocketing his hands.

“I suppose you will,” I replied.

He walked away slowly and I realised that evening that my stomach fluttered whenever I thought about the Hawthorne with the green eyes.

***

That night I found it so hard to sleep. Avery was out in a mere few minutes but I couldn’t even shut my eyes. Tossing and turning and tossing and turning until I got so bored that I just slipped out of bed all together. I pulled a pair of socks on and left Avery’s room, beginning to wonder the dark hallway. I didn’t really think any of it through. Wandering in the dark, alone, in a house I didn’t know, surrounded by people I didn’t know.

“Midnight wandering are we?”

His voice made me jump but I didn’t let him see that. I turned around to see Jameson Hawthorne stood behind me. How long had he been there then? He looked so poised, so ready, like a big cat on the prowl. He needed to know I wasn’t his prey.

“Maybe,” I replied, a smile adorning my lips, “but even if I am I don’t know why that’s any of your concern.”

“Maybe I’m not concerned, just curious,” he said, “are you lost?”

“No,” I lied to myself and the world.

He waited a few beats.

“Maybe a little,” I smiled shyly, “this place is even harder the navigate in the dark.”

“Lucky for you I know it like the back of my hand,” he did, extending his hand towards me.

I stared at it, “do you want me to hold it or something?”

“No,” he shrugged, “I mean if you want to-“

“No,” I blurted out quickly, “not at all.”

He dropped his hand, a shadow of an expression I couldn’t read shifting across his face.

“Follow me then,” he said, shooting me a lopsided grin that I somehow manage to make out in the dark.

I walked beside him. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and slightly baggy pyjama pants. My cheeked heated up as I suddenly became horribly aware that I was dressed in my pyjama top reading ‘I need coffee’ and shorts decorated with cartoon coffee cups. I hoped Jameson wasn’t paying that much attention to me.

“So why are you awake?” he asked casually.

“I can’t sleep,” I replied bluntly. There wasn’t much more to it.

“Straight forward as that?” he said.

“Pretty much,” I shrugged, “why are you awake?”

“Can’t sleep,” he replied, with a small smile.

“Copycat,” I teased.

“Am I stealing your thunder?” he played along.

“Very much so,” I said, folding my arms across my chest, with a pointed stare laced with banter.

“My deepest apologies,” he exaggerated.

“Not accepted!” I exclaimed.

He grinned, then shoved his hands in his pockets, “Where do you want to go first?”

“Where would you like to take me?” I countered.

“I respect people who answer questions with questions,” he noted.

“Good because I do it far too often,” I told him.

“We’re going to the games room,” he announced.

“Why?” I questioned, like a whiny child.

“Because it is where I’d like to take you,” he shrugged delicately, before picking up the pace with longer leg strides.

I struggled to keep up as I asked, “this isn’t going to be like one of those sadistic murders where you cook me alive and blame it on someone else is it?”

“How did you figure out my master plan?” he teased, with a joking expression.

“I guess you’re just too predictable,” I replied, with a laugh.

“So you watch true crime then?” Jameson said.

From that comment I gathered he was an analyser. Just like me. He analysed conversation and made educated assumptions about people. But what split us apart was that he had the courage to say it to there faces, I kept all my observations in my head. I didn’t care if they were unconfirmed. But Jameson did.

“I listen to a podcast now and then, not a fanatic or anything like that,” I replied.

“Should we play a game?” he said to me, changing the subject suddenly.

“I thought we were going to a games room?” I said.

He thought for a moment and then responded, “a pre-game game.”

“I’ve heard you and your family are quite fond of those,” I said.

“Oh really?” he joked, quirking a brow.

“Yes really,” I grinned back.

“I see,” he pondered “and do you like games?”

“Depends,” I replied.

“On…” he prompted.

“What I’m playing,” I told him, “who I’m playing it with and why I’m playing it.”

“Interesting,” he hummed, opting thoughtful tone, “the man who makes it doesn’t want it, the man who buys it doesn’t need it and the man who needs it doesn’t know it yet.”

“Is that a riddle?” I almost laughed. It was so out of the blue, so sudden asking me a riddle in the middle of a conversation.

“Is my last name Hawthorne?” he countered with a smirk.

“A coffin,” I answered briskly. It wasn’t difficult to work out.

His eyebrows flew to his forehead, “that was fast.”

“Your riddle was maudlin and far too simple,” I shrugged.

He raised an eyebrow, “too easy? Okay, let’s try another and see if you’re as cocky.”

“Not cocky, just honest,” I replied.

He paused for a moment, thinking, “how can you physically stand behind your father while he is standing behind you?”

“My father is dead,” I said. It was true. I don’t know he I suddenly felt the need to blurt it out. It just happened.

“Oh-“

“But we’d have to be standing back to back,” I replied quietly, “that’s the answer to your riddle.”

“Correct again,” he nodded, then hesitated, “and I’m sorry about your dad,”

“Oh it’s okay, it’s not your fault,” I shrugged lightly, “I was young when it happened.”

I didn’t remember much, just being told I wouldn’t see him ever again. I had asked why and they had said he was going to stay in the stars now. And when I asked them if he’d ever come and visit, they told me couldn’t. So I cried. During the most part of my childhood I despised the stars, I’d stare up at them with a tear streaked face and curse them for stealing my dad. When I got older I realised the only thief was death and that the stars were nothing but a metaphor to hold a memory.

“I’m sorry,” he said again.

I shoot him a small smiled, letting him know I’m okay and that we can move on. He read my expression well and together we carry on. After a little while he stopped in his tracks outside a set of doors. I almost crashed into the back of him as he paused to abruptly. He swung both doors open at the same time, having a little ‘Elsa’ moment in let it go, as he walked through with his held high. I quickly followed, trying not to gape at the extraordinary components of the room.

There was a pool or was it a snooker table, there was air hockey, ping pong, table football, everything you could ever imagine. There was also a regular coffee table, surrounded by comfy looking chairs and a sofa. But what caught my eye the most was the games cabinet. It was a sight to behold. It covered an entire wall and reached all the way up to the ceiling. There was a ladder on the side that looked like it could slide across, like a book ladder. Within the cabinet laid dozens upon dozens of board games and other games alike were piled atop of each other, like books in an old crooked bookshop, all slanted and uneven in the most perfect of ways. There must’ve been thousands of games here. Jameson caught me staring.

“Ever played chess?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I don’t live under a rock you know,” I deadpanned.

He cracked a smile, “good.”

He jumped on the ladder and swiftly pulled out one of the several chessboards from the shelf and placed it down on the little coffee table. I followed him there and we both sat down. He then began to set it up and I was quick to help out the pieces in place.

“How good are you?” he asked.

“Why? You scared?” I teased, attempting to psych him out before the game even started.

“Only curious,” he said, cool as a cucumber.

“I can’t say,” I shrugged, “how can I judge my own ability fairly, I’m biased.”

“I suppose,” he replied, “but you would know if you’re alright at it.”

“I’ve won before,” I said. Actually I’d won quite a lot before, many many times. I wasn’t exactly lying, just being vague to work in my favour.

The board is set up, “what colour?”

“You choose,” I told him.

He shifted the board so the black chess pieces are on his side. Secretly my preference was the white anyway. I did a quick analysis of the board and sketch out a rough game plan in my head. I didn’t spend to long thinking, this game could go anyway and I didn’t want to be thrown off, but knowing what you sort of want to do was a start. Definitely the first few moves anyway.

“You start,” he urged.

“Such a gentleman,” I joked.

“I can’t help it,” Jameson winked in response.

I picked up a pawn between my middle finger a thumb, surprised at how smooth the finish was. This was an expensive chess set. I went with my classic start move of two spaces forwards into the centre. He grinned and mirrored the move on his turn.

“Copycat,” I teased.

“I would apologise but you still haven’t forgiven me from earlier,” he shrugged in reply.

“And I probably never will,” I grinned.

“Is this the beginning of some Shakespearean vendetta?” he scoffed, with a playful undertone.

“It might be, we’ll have to see,” I shrugged, “I haven’t decided whether it’s a comedy or tragedy yet.”

“Pick comedy, I don’t want to die at the end,” he said.

“We’re all going to die at the end,” I told him.

He replied, “not what I meant.”

“I know,” I smiled.

“You’re getting in my head,” he observed, realising my tactic.

“Am I?” I asked, batting my eyelashes.

“Yes you’re distracting me from the game,” he said sharply.

“Oh I hadn’t even realised!” I exclaim, doe eyed and innocent.

He narrowed his eyes at me, “your move.”

“Right,” I nodded.

We didn’t have much conversation after that. Actually the only conversation consisted of ‘your turn’ or ‘thanks’. Other than that only the sound of chess pieces being slid about the board could be heard as well as the dull silence that seemed like the loudest sound of them all.

Jameson had a lot of my pieces, the ones I didn’t need in my opinion. I let him have them, I want him to think I don’t know how to defend my pieces.

go on… my mind smiles, please. underestimate me.

I was deceptive and wanted him to underestimate me so I could surprise him, catch him off guard and steal the game from right under his annoyingly perfect nose. But Jameson Hawthorne wasn’t a big of a fool as I thought him to be. The few times I’d been forced to pull out critical moves, he noted them. He began to realise my talent for the game about half way through. He too was a talented player. His moves were swift but calculated, he was going to be a hard opponent to beat.

Move after move. Minute after minute. It was getting intense. Every move was critical, every second in between play was agonising. I found myself constantly self-consciously chewing on my bottom lip, captivated in my concentrated state.

He made his move and suddenly I realised what I can do. I could take a risk and bargain on what his next move was to trick him, but the tactic would only work if he moved the piece I needed him to move, otherwise it was checkmate for me. I sat there, weighing up my options. There was a chance he’d work it out and beat me, but there was also a chance he wouldn’t and I’d beat him. My eyes darted from left to right and back again until I impulsively took the chance. Praying my efforts had paid off, I watch his painstakingly slow next move. He shifted his knight diagonally by two. I wanted to stand up and scream in joy. I had him trapped. Brilliant. My calculated risk had actually worked. I kept a poker face as I realised he’d not yet noticed that I was a venus flytrap and he had crawled blindly towards me.

“Checkmate,” I smiled, leaning back.

His eyes were wide with surprise as his eyebrows shot up to his forehead. The reaction was so real, he didn’t have time to hide it. His jaw wanted to hang down but he was stopping it, I could see the clenched muscles.

“What?” I asked “didn’t plan on being beaten?”

“I was going easy on you,” he gritted through his teeth.

I grinned widely. So losing was a sore spot for Me Hawthorne. Interesting.

“That would explain why you look so shocked that I won,” I said with a sweet victorious smile.

“Fine, rematch but this time we play Hawthorne chess,” he replied, as if it were a deadly game.

“Hawthorne chess?” I raised my eyebrows.

He only smirked in reply.

***

He explained the rules. It was a lot like regular chess but there were six boards to play over and a few added rules that confused me. It wasn’t long before Jameson had me cornered.

“Checkmate,” he grinned, nicking my king.

“I was going easy on you,” I teased, mocking his earlier comment.

“Ha-ha,” he deadpanned, looking very unamused.

“Is your ego mended now you have a win?” I asked.

“Not quite,” he replied.

“Shame,” I pouted.

“Another match?” he suggested.

I shook my head then rubbed my temples, “I can feel a headache coming on. It’s probably from my lack of sleep.”

“Do you want me to walk you to bed?” he offered.

I shook my head again, “I’m not tired. My head just hurts.”

“I know something that might help,” he said.

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Fancy taking a trip the kitchen?”

“This is feeling very serial killer-y again.”

“I only snap into serial killer-y mode every third Wednesday,” he joked.

“Well now I know I’m safe!” I grinned back at him

***

We walked to the kitchen together and I noted it was a completely different route to the one I’d taken with Xander’s instructions this morning with Avery.

Once we got there Jameson leaned against the counter and asked me, “do you like hot chocolate?”

I nodded.

“Or would you prefer a coffee?”

His eyes were pinned to my pyjama set as he said it. I self-consciously looked down and blush a deep shade of scarlet, remembering the deign, as he snickered.

“Very witty,” I rolled my eyes sarcastically, “hot chocolate is fine.”

He fumbled around for a saucepan in the endless row of cupboards. I didn’t know how he knew which one to search in, they were all identical. He put it onto the hob and added some milk.

“Our cook goes home after serving dinner so I’ve gotten pretty good at midnight concoctions,” he explained.

“The way you say that makes me a little nervous there,” I told him.

“Maybe you should be,” he flashed a smile.

He put the hon on to heat up the milk and grabbed the instant hot chocolate powder, whipped cream, mini marshmallows and sprinkles.

“Are you five years old?” I laughed.

“Mentally,” he nodded, “is that an issue?”

“Not at all,” I said , “I’m with you there.”

“Nice to know I have a fellow person who had the metal capacity of five year old too,” he beamed, “our conversations will be incredible.”

“We’re having a conversation right now,” I stuck my tongue out, childishly.

“I’m describing the ones in the future,” he rolled his eyes, before returning my tongue gesture by poking out his own.

I smiled to myself as I watched him silently. Even at this time at night - or was it morning by now - he looked good. I wished I could see him like this every night and not feel like I was stealing glances at him.

“So what about you?” Jameson asked suddenly.

“What about me?” I chuckled.

“Well I don’t know much about you,” he clarified.

“You know my name,” I shrugged, searching for more information about myself, “I’m seventeen, Avery is my best friend, my dad’s dead, I like hot chocolate but I also like coffee, I find the rain relaxing, I used to play chess a lot, I like to read novels, I don’t like sleeping but I do all at the same time… now what about you?”

“What about me?” he tilted his head to the side, copying what is aid moments ago

“I gave you my information now you give me yours.”

“Jameson Winchester Hawthorne, I’m eighteen,” he began, “my best friends are my brothers, I don’t know my dad at all, my grandfather liked to give me games, I like hot chocolate and coffee, I prefer the snow to the rain, I have played chess since I could talk, I like to read too and I love sleeping but I don’t do enough of it.”

He’s countered all off my points and mirrored them with his own. It was interesting to compare us. We were similar but so different. I was about to reply but he cut me off.

“Woah!”

“What?” I asked.

“The milk!” He yelled, worry outlining his features.

I spun around to see the saucepan emitting in a thick blanket of steam.

“Why is it smoking? Can milk even smoke?” he shouted.

“It’s steam!” I rolled my eyes.

“Can milk even steam then?” he quipped.

“It’s a boiling liquid of course it can steam!” I exclaimed, for someone so smart, I did wonder how he was acting so stupidly.

“What do I do?” he panicked, the stress evident.

“Take it off the heat!” I cried out. I’d thought that was logical but no. Apparently it was not.

“Oh shit, yeah,” he said, almost laughing

He took the pan off of the heat and the steam began to die down. We made eye contact and started laughing like mad people, until our lungs couldn’t take it anymore and we had to get our breaths back, our bellies aching. We just seemed to fit, me and him. It was like we were the two missing pieces of a jigsaw that have been lost between the sofa cushions for years and now we’d finally been found and put together to complete the puzzle.

The milk turned out pretty much okay and we prepared the drinks a lot easier than we’d heated them. Jameson added every topping going excessively, which made me shake my head and laugh. When we were both done I took a sip, the warm liquid seeping through my body to the tips of my toes, making me feel a little less cold. It was delicious.

“Verdict boss?”

“S’alright,” I shrugged, “I’m kidding, it’s really lovely actually.”

“I agree,” he nodded, “maybe I should smoke my the milk more often.”

I laughed, “you didn’t smoke the milk, it just got a bit steamy.”

“Steamy,” he wiggled his eyebrows

“You really do have the brain of a five year old,” I sighed inwardly.

“Hey! I thought we already established that and moved on,” he said.

“I felt like we needed the conversation to resurface but we’ll put it to bed,” I sighed, then with a mischievous look on my face added, “for now.”

He grinned at me, taking another swig of his hot chocolate, this time getting whipped cream on his nose. I subtly rubbed my nose, hoping he’d mirror my body language or take the hint. He did. Silence hit us like a bus would hit an animal running across the road in the dead of night. Quickly. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable but nor was it comfortable. It just was. The only sound was the occasional sip of our hot chocolates.

After a while, I became aware that he was looking at me, actually it was more like staring. It was an analytical look in his eyes, like I was some sort of science experiment rather than a person.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, trying not to squirm as he held his gaze.

“You’re a lot like Avery you know,” he replied thoughtfully.

The comment caught me off guard and I couldn’t work out why. It wasn’t exactly an insult but it hit me like one. Why was Avery on his mind? And why was she on his mind whilst he was looking at me?

“Our brains work in similar ways,” I hummed, “I think that’s why we’re so close.”

“I noticed that,” he nodded, “but I also noticed you’re quite different at the very same time.”

The same and different? Being cryptic, I’ve decided, is a Hawthorne personality trait.

“How so?” I said.

“There’s something about you that is…” he paused to find the right word, “bolder.”

Bold? Really? That was one of last words I would have described myself with.

“You’ve only known me for a day,” I scoffed, “and you haven’t exactly known Avery for that long either.”

“I know,” he replied, “but you’ll find I’m very observant.”

It was only then I noticed his smile. It was the same smile Nash had on his face when he looked a Libby. And I hated to admit it but he look beautiful. His eyes illuminated, sparkling, bright. He looked genuinely happy. It made my heart melt a little, I wanted to see that smile every day. There was only major problem. I didn’t know if he was smiling at the thought of me or the thought of Avery. He could have easily be thinking about either of us and I didn’t want to get the wrong idea.

“You think Avery’s some sort of riddle,” I stated, trying not to let the bitterness seep through my tone.

“And you don’t like that?” he observed, an eyebrow raised.

“Any person who values another as just another game doesn’t get my greatest sympathies, no,” I told him blatantly.

“And what if she is?” he challenged, defensive.

“Is that all she is to you? Just a game?” I asked, getting angrier by the second, “what happens when the game ends Hawthorne, ask yourself that.”

“Then the game ends,” he shrugged, nonchalant as ever, “there’s not much more to say.”

“So she becomes nothing if not a tool for your own wants and needs?” I asked, stating it as bluntly as a pencil that barely writes.

“I didn’t say that,” Jameson insisted, a mixture of feelings betraying the usual mask he hid behind.

“You’re implying it,” I hissed, my eyes overcast, darkened.

He didn’t deny it and that gave me the only answer I needed.

“Now I don’t know you very well, but from what I have to go off of, I didn’t pin you as someone who was selfish,” I told him, raw passion in my voice, “a little bit cocky and far too brave, sure, but not selfish,” I snapped, my tone sharper, “but you’re acting like it and it’s not fair.”

He didn’t reply. Instead he morphed into some sort of stone statue, unmoving, unemotional, unwavering. I felt like a mother scolding her reluctant child.

“And did you even consider how hard this has been for her?” I questioned him, “coming here, to this labyrinth of a house, her life now dictated by a will, forever changed. She’ll never be able to walk the streets again like a normal person without paparazzi bombarding her. She’s just about adjusting to living here, one of your brothers seems like he wants to kill her, you treat her as if she’s a game and she’s being bombarded by the media, I mean the poor girl doesn’t even know why she’s here. She didn’t ask for this and I don’t want her to have to put up with your ‘I’m a Hawthorne so I’m going to use you because I’m entitled’ shit.”

Again, I got no response. For someone so witty and poetic with his words it was odd that now he chose to be silent. He stood still and said nothing. I wanted to shake him until he made a sound but instead I chose to be diplomatic, I chose to carry on.

“You can’t think of her like that, it’s not fair. Not for her or for yourself,” I said, “if you go by your whole life thinking everyone and everything is a game you’re going to lose people, fast.”

“You sound experienced,” he finally said, not replying to a word of my rant just picking out who he thought I was.

“Yeah well maybe I am,” I laughed bitterly.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, “I didn’t realise what it might feel like from her perspective of things. I’m used to being in my grandfather’s world, a world full of games and tricks and puzzles.”

“People aren’t puzzles,” I snapped.

“I disagree with you there,” he said, “people shouldn’t be treated like puzzles but every person is a puzzle.”

“Am I a puzzle to you Jameson?” I challenged, taking a step towards him.

“You’re one of the most intriguing ones yet,” he whispered, moving closer to me.

“Funny, I think I could say the same about you,” I murmured.

My face was inches from his, close enough to see his beauty up close. It was even more breathtaking. He looked down at me, his eyes so tentative, so gentle. We moved closer into each other, like a magnetic force was reeling us in, we had no control. It felt natural, it felt right. Our lips were about to brush…

He cleared his throat and pulled away quickly. My face grew very flushed as my eyes darted to the nearest corner of the room I could focus on.

“Still not tired?” he asks after a few beats of silence.

“Not in the slightest,” I replied, our eyes connecting once again. The soft rolling fields of hypnotic emeralds once again speeding up my heart rate.

“Good because neither am I,” he smirked, “say, have you ever played strip bowling?”

Now this could get interesting.

a/n: again, I’m really sorry for how long this took me to write and I realise it’s not my most amazing work, so sorry 😔😔 I really wanted to portray a strong friendship with Avery as well as interest in Jameson but idk if that was achieved. anyways hope this was okay, thanks for reading <3

TIG masterlist

[jasmines-library]

hi!! I’ve been going through a lot and needed something for comfort pft so I was wonderinf of you can do a batfam x suicidal!reader?? like hurt/comfort thank you!!

One Step at a Time

Note: Hello my lovely, I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling right now, I hope that things get better soon, please remember that you are loved. My DMs are open of you ever need anything.

Warnings: Self harm, depression, suicidal thoughts, swearing. Please read with caution as this contains heavy themes.

Word Count: 1.2K

⛤ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛤

It had gone unnoticed for a while. And that was in no way the Vigilantes’ fault. You had tried to keep it that way, burying your emotions deep beneath the surface so that they only appeared when you were alone.

You weren’t even sure when you started to feel this way, perhaps it was a failed mission or perhaps it was something unrelated, you didn’t know, but the thoughts and feelings never left. They grew like weeds in a brick wall, slowly burying themselves deeper into your mind and hacking away at your foundations until they began to crumble. No matter how much you tried to ignore them they wouldn’t leave as they screamed at you that ‘you weren’t good enough’ that you were ‘worthless’ and ‘didn’t deserve anything’. There were hundreds and thousands of thoughts that ricocheted across your mind so quickly that they left you completely drained and disorientated. And then came the other feelings…

You couldn’t help it. You had tried to, but the flood of emotions became too much and you resorted to finding ways to release it that you hoped the others wouldn’t notice. So you watched as the razor glinted under the light; a cruel piece of steel doused in red flames that sparked from your skin, not even bothering to hold back the tears that fell heavy down your face and splattered onto your shirt. At first you had told yourself it was a one time thing, but as the thoughts became worse, so did your urge. But the worst part was, you couldn’t help but feel guilty for it. Guilty for how your friends and family would feel when they found out. Guilty for how many times you had thought about just taking your own god forsaken life to make it easier for you and-

At first, you continued with your daily life. You had plastered on a smile and greeted them with a laugh leaving them none the wiser. But you were exhausted now. The lack of sleep from nights spent staring at the ceiling hadn’t helped, and you were struggling to bring yourself to leave your room. Everything began to feel like such an effort and you often pondered over if it was working. You often found yourself laying in bed staring blankly at the ceiling, unaware of time passing. 

Your disappearance hadn’t gone unnoticed. The boys missed your face at dinner. They missed seeing you around the house and they quickly grew concerned when you started appearing less and less. Though you always seemed to have a smile on your face when they saw you, they had noticed that your eyes didn’t quite have that same spark that they usually held. 

One particularly grey evening, you were curled up on your bed when you heard the soft rap of knuckles against the door. It had been a particularly rough day, and you couldn’t bring yourself to move so you knew that it was one of the boys coming to check on you. Neither of them spotted you yesterday either, and their concern was weighing down heavily on them. You didn’t respond. You kept your eyes closed and hoped that they would leave, assuming that you were asleep because you knew the second that you saw one of them that your heart would shatter into a million more pieces. 

“Y/N?” Jason’s voice called out into the darkness as he pushed open the door slowly. You didn’t have your curtains drawn but the dark and foggy night sky kept the room pitch black. Again, you didn’t reply in hopes that he would leave, but you could feel the tears welling up behind your eyes. 

“Kid?” He whispered, pushing the door all the way open and allowing the light from the hallway to flood in. With this he could see your body curled up on the bed. “You okay?”

Silence. Tedious silence. 

“I know you’re awake.” He said. He had heard your uneven breaths. Your stomach dropped, but you still made no move to react to him. 

You heard multiple steps of footsteps approach the bed before it dipped down beside you, which meant that he had his brothers with him. Your heart shattered and you sucked in a ragged breath. 

“You weren’t at dinner.” Tim said. “We thought you might be hungry.”

You heard him place something down on your desk. 

“Where have you been, Y/N/N? No one’s seen you recently.” Dick spoke softly, placing a hand on your back gently. 

You rolled over slowly, pushing yourself up slowly so that your back was against the headboard. They all saw the tear tracks on your cheeks but none of them said anything instead they shared an unspoken glance. 

“ ‘m fine.” You told them blankly. 

“Y/N-”

“I said I’m fine.” You tried to stay strong, but the waver in your voice betrayed you. “You should all go. You probably have better things to do.”

“Tt, why would you think that?” Damian frowned. 

“I don’t know” you shrugged, throwing your head back and feeling the tears welling up again. 

“Talk to us, kid.” Jason said “Tell us what’s up.”

You began to cry again at the tenderness of their thoughts for you, but the guilt built up again. “I- I’m sorry.” 

“For what?”

“I- can’t do it anymore. Everything is just too much.” You explained. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I feel so useless. I feel like I don’t belong anywhere! I just want it all to stop!”

“Oh, Y/N/N…” Jason said, pulling you close to his chest that you continued to cry into. “I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way.”

“I can’t do this anymore. Please…I want it all to stop.”

The brothers shared a worried glance. 

“It will kiddo. It will, we promise.” Dick told you as he reached out to play with your hair. “We’re gonna help you.”

“Dick is right,” Tim told you. “We love you, so, so much Y/N. And we always will. And we’re gonna help you.”

“It might take a little while,” Jason added, “but that’s absolutely okay. What you’re feeling is okay, Y/N, but we’re going to help you until you feel better.”

You nodded hesitantly. 

“We’re going to be with you every step of the way Y/N. The good and the bad, we will always be by your side.” Damian chimed in. 

“You are so, so loved Y/N. We couldn’t ask for someone more perfect in our lives and we’re not going anywhere.”

You sniffled at their comforting words as they worked to calm you. The five of you knew that the process would take some time, but that was okay. They would stand by you for as long as you needed. They would be there for every step forward and step backward that you took to reassure you that they were so impeccably proud of you everyday, and they would be there to remind you that you were so, so loved and that things would get better one step at a time.

Helplines:

If you're in crisis and need to talk right now, there are many helplines staffed by trained people ready to listen. They won't judge you, and could help you make sense of what you're feeling. 

Samaritans (or call 116 123)

SANEline on 0800 689 5652

 CALM on 0800 58 58 58 or CALM webchat service.

There are many more helplines for you to reach out to if you are ever needing someone to talk to.

[nottsangel]

hi guys. I’ve thought long about doing this post, especially since I’m trying to stay away from drama as much as I can, but this is going too far and i can’t ignore it any longer. I want to warn people and stop her, because this person’s behaviour is unacceptable and it has gotten to a point where people feel unsafe. besides my experiences with this person, there are many other people who i’ve talked to that have similar experiences, some even worse than others. this needs to stop.

the person I’m talking about is @/vampyshlut (formerly known as rafesbimbo).

this person has been harassing people, ignoring boundaries and not showing any respect whatsoever. she is manipulative, becomes obsessive real fast and will start love bombing. an example of this is intense clinginess; she gets upset and angry when you don’t respond in a certain amount of time and will spam you with many, many messages (e.g. saying that you hate her just because you weren’t online). another example is jealousy; she gets jealous when you interact with other people and will continuously push you (e.g. to commit) and make you feel guilty for not replying.

this was the case with one of my friends. she started acting like she owned them, and got mad when my friend would drink or smoke. after a while, my friend got fed up with this behaviour and blocked her, but even then she’d still send anon asks. when they texted her to stop sending asks, she said “i don’t want to, i miss you.”, and continued harassing them.

with one of my other friends ( @drudyslut ), she found out her real name, which she had never once mentioned on her blog before. when she asked her about it, she said “i did my research.” this is very scary and not okay.

to give another example, in my case, besides the fact that she was two separate emoji anons of mine and continuesly spammed me and asked me for attention with both, she also began degrading me at one point and called me names. it was very triggering and when i was evidently uncomfortable, she kept going and going. she never once asked if it was okay. she has zero respect.

mind you, these are just a few examples of the many things she has done to different people on here.

however, when people are fed up with her disrespectful behaviour and block her, she continues to contact them through many anon asks. and even when you block the anons, she somehow still finds a way to send anon asks from many different accounts and continue to harass.

and even though she claims that she has certain people blocked (and vice versa), when those people post something, she would post an indirect response on her own blog, meaning that she was/is still secretly lurking on blogs that have her blocked. not only that, for some weird reason she also wants them to know that she is watching them.

this kind of behaviour is NOT okay and being blocked means that that person wants nothing to do with you anymore. leave them alone and respect their boundaries.

the reason i decided to write this post is because this is still ongoing and it sucks that me and others don’t feel safe anymore on our own blog. with every anon ask we get, we fear that it could be her. it sucks that we can’t freely interact with other anons anymore because of this. it sucks that even though you block someone, they still find ways to harass you and you can’t do anything about it. i hope that this post will stop her and make her realise that she can’t keep going like this any longer. we all just want to feel safe on our own blogs.

to her: all we’re asking is that you leave everyone alone. if someone has you blocked, they have done it for a reason and do not want anything to do with you anymore. don’t try to get into contact again, don’t try to send anon asks through different accounts, don’t dm their side blog, don’t send texts to their phone number. move on with your life. and no, no one is ‘ganging up against you’, we’re standing up for ourselves and our friends because your behaviour is simply unacceptable and we are fed up. the way you treat people is not okay and it’s getting to a point where it’s really, really scary. i hope you can reflect on your own actions and will heal.

[fanartlover1234]

PRANK

Y/n plots a prank against Hook her boyfriend and Morgie her brother.

Made by a request in my dm

Can u do one where the reader pulls a rank on both morgie and hook for annoying her since hook is her bf and morgie is her brother with the help of her bff Uliana?

For the past week Y/n hfas grited her teeth annoyed and was sure she had screamed her boyfriends and her brothers name more times then she can count.

Today was the crossing of the thick red line pf her patience.

She was walking out of the dorma when a bucket of ice cold water rained over her.

She was drenched, her makeup ruined and her curls ruined as she stood there kicking the bucket away from her.

The girl looked around to see her boyfriend and brother look amused as they laughed.

He glared daggera at them when Uliana came up to her blocking her view of the boys.

"They've been at it for days, you su-"

"I want to make them suffer"

And so the planing began.

For three says she ignored the boys completely makinh sure they felt guilty untill the next hang out at the blue lagoon.

She sat at one of the rocks chating with Uliana and Malificent when both boys walked in with flowers in hand.

"We're sorry we terorized you, Y/n" both said in union almost making the girl laughed.

She got up and slowly malw her way to the boys and took the flowers from them before she turned around winking at the girls who smirked.

"Yeah im sorry too" she said looking at the flowers.

"For what?" Hook asked as he looked at his girlfriend.

"For this"

And before the boys react different fluids coated their body.

Chocolate for monday.

Chesse for thusday.

Milk for wednesday.

Slime for thursday.

Ink for friday.

Eggs for saturday.

And ice cold water for sunday

Even though he was covered in mix or different things that were hard to wash out Hook brushed the things from his face and looked as his girlfriends laughed with her best friends almost falling over.

"Thats for annoying me all week" the girl said now calm.

Hook and Morgie glanced at eachother before opening their arms and the girla smirk droped as she ran away with Uliana.

Hook caught Y/ns waist few meters from dorm room building and hugged her thight as she squeled before he kissed her.

Now both in her dorm they cleaned up and now changed.

James placed his Hook on the counter as leaned on the sink as he watched Y/n damp a towels to clean any spots missing.

She over to him and he placed both hands on her hips while she cleaned some ink on his collar bone.

"Y'know i was sure you hated me when you ignored me" he said looking at her as she now scrubed some ink from his hand.

"Who know maybe i do" she said.

"Well then i love it when you hate me" he said pressing a kiss on her shoulder.

"Shut up" she said walking out of the bathroom as Hook leaned on the doorframe.

"Make me" he said drawing her full attention on her.

"You're such a loser" she sat sitting on her bed.

"And you are my love"

[thepersonnamedsam]

introduction

pairing: genz!driver x '20!grid

summary: the first time the genz!driver meets the grid

word count: 766

warnings: mentions of fainting, a swear word, some bad google translated french

note: the timeline sucks, as always, so please ignore it, thank you so much

masterlist / taglist

2020, a year full with up and downs. For y/n, 2020 was something special and a year full of surprises. Having just placed 3rd overall in the F2 championship, she received an offer she just couldn’t say no to; AlphaTauri or Toro Rosso, the RedBull owned F1 Team wanted to sign her. Her, a teenager and a female! She couldn’t believe it. Of course she signed the contract and started as a Rookie in F1.

The media went wild as AlphaTauri released that y/n would be the second driver of their team. Everyone tried to get an interview with her, but y/n‘s PR team refused to let anyone interview that girl.

She first met Pierre, well meeting is maybe a bit exaggerated. He shot her a DM, where he wrote her, that he’s very excited to work with y/n next season. When they officially met, she was so nervous, that she couldn’t say a word to him. He found it cute.

On the 19th of February y/n joined the team for testing in Barcelona. That’s where she met 12 of the 19 drivers she’d be competing with. Legends like, Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel were all there. She was so nervous to meet all of them. Thank god she had Pierre by her side, whom she already knew, who gave her some kind of comfort. Even though he wasn’t really great at it, because he left her alone the second they walked on the grid.

Romain Grosjean was the first to notice her, looking all lost and helpless. „Bonjour, petite fille (Good morning, little girl), can I help you?“, his voice soft and kind. She looked up at him, (hypothetically and literally of course), and nodded her head. She didn’t know where to be. Where did AlphaTauri need her? „I don’t know where to go, like, where is the motorhome of AlphaTauri?“

„Oh mon dieu! (Oh my god!) You are y/n! I am so pleased to meet you! Welcome to F1, my dear“, his french accent prominent and hard to miss. He shook her hand, almost hugging her, not wanting to overstep any boundaries. „I will show you where to go, no?“

She was glad someone helped her. Pierre just left her alone, bastard. But Romain took her to her garage, thankfully it wasn’t that far and she didn’t have too much awkward time with the driver.

Pierre was standing outside his side of the garage, an apologetic look on his face. He felt guilty for leaving her at the entry. Franz Tost already spoke some harsh words with the young french man. „Look y/n, I‘m sorry for just leaving you. And merci Romain, de l’avoir amenée ici (and thank you Romain for bringing her here)“, Pierre looked at Grosjean for the last sentence. y/n just shook her head and blew some air out of her mouth, making some kind of fart sound. „Don’t worry man, found it here, didn’t I?“

Franz Tost did make them go inside and told Grosjean he should go back to his own garage. She met her engineer, her mechanics her PR team and every important person. She finally met her car for the first time, naming her ‚Buggy‘. And when she first raced in the car, she felt alive. She never felt this alive before. From F4 to F2, the car always got better and faster, but F1 was just a massive upgrade. She never wanted to drive anything less.

Lap after lap y/n beat her best time, over and over again. Every lap she got faster. And she was so happy to hear that. Everyone knew that she was an excellent driver, but still no one expected this good of a result.

After the testing y/n was so happy. Pierre invited her to dinner, wanting to make up for leaving her alone that morning. He also invited half of the grid. She met Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll, Daniel Ricciardo and Charles Leclerc that evening. And it was chaos. She was so nervous, more anxious to say, and every time a driver told her how much they admired her for her talent she almost fainted. Those were her idols and they were admiring her? She couldn’t believe it. She did faint at one point, as Lewis Hamilton, the 6 time world champion made a toast to the young female driver and the history she made and will make in F1.

She ended up with a bump ok her head and a bruise on her hip, but it was worth it. That’s how she met the grid, well half of it anyway.

°°°

taglist: @ironmaiden1313 , @topguncultleader , @missskid , @gulabjamooon , @lovelyy-moonlight , @peachyplumsss , @mistrose23 , @copper-boom , @love4lando , @champomiel , @serenityleah

[lex9923]

Tw// SA

This will be my one and only official statement on this situation, because frankly I’m done with all of this mental hopscotch happening.

I am a sexual assault victim. I was the same age as Caiti is now when it happened, and I was cornered with his hands down my pants touching my vagina and up my shirt touching my boobs, while I tried to get away and make it stop. I still to this day don’t know who my attacker was, but it will follow me for the rest of my life. It’s been five years since then, and my story has not changed once. Not ever. I hadn’t told people for a couple years cause I thought since I didn’t know who my attacker was, I wouldn’t be believed. As well as the fact that I came forward about a sexual harassment I faced at a job and was met with “well, boys will be boys”. Through it all, I am here, and I survived.

Watching the reaction to this situation from both of the main parties involved, those who weren’t there, those who were, and the fans had sent me spiraling. I’ve spent the past two weeks reliving that trauma from five years ago cause I thought I misinterpreted my assault as something else. I had not, and never have. It’s been incredibly invalidating watching the alleged “victim” change the story multiple times, make fake texts, omit important information, all while not even listening to the person she accused of a criminally offensive act.

Caiti is absolutely allowed to feel uncomfortable and regret what happened after the fact, but it is not, and will not ever be assault-unless George actually did touch her boobs, and then that will be a different discussion, but with her credibility disappearing, I’ll only believe it if he admits it himself. I’m trying to extend grace to her being young, sexually inexperienced, and caught up in online culture, but it’s hard the longer this gets dragged out. There are things you do when approaching a situation like this:

1. You absolutely need to provide evidence and proof of your claims. You can’t prove something that never happened, but you can prove something that did. It’s why it’s innocent until proven guilty. Expecting people to blindly believe you is delusional at worst and ignorant at best.

2. You must absolutely have your story 100% correct and factual to how you perceived what happened, before bringing forth any accusations. Using purposefully charged language and then changing the story to match the one you accused is not it. Nor is changing your story yet again when people are catching on to the inconsistencies.

3. Allow the accused person to defend themself. You can’t expect people to listen to all of your claims-most of them blindly doing so-and then get upset when people wait for both sides to say their piece, especially when you present no evidence at your initial statement. Again, you have to prove guilt. If you can’t prove it, the accused are allowed to defend themself.

4. You are in no way obligated to accept apologies, but acknowledging one was made-multiple times in fact- is the bare minimum. Trying to change your story one last time to make it seem even worse than what you both agreed upon, and then hiding behind “I’m not going to address this anymore” is manipulative at worst and cowardly at best.

I hope Caiti gets therapy, cause it’s clear she’s been severely affected by something, though I’m not sure she even knows what it is. I also hope she learns from this, and next time utilizes the “direct message” function every single app has. This could have been a dm, and the way it spiraled has been a shitshow and her intentions are coming off less and less pure the more this gets dragged out. I’m so sorry she was uncomfortable, and regretful, but until she shows any proof whatsoever of any assault happening, it will never be. I hope she heals, and I hope she gets better friends cause they have all failed her.

For George, I’m sorry this got blown so out of proportion and no one even privately talked to him about any uncomfortability being felt. I’m sorry his friends are performative. I’m hopeful that he was made aware of things he wasn’t before, and will do better next time. He is not irredeemable, and I believe growth is possible (the difference in his two responses proves as such). I hope this isn’t the last we see of him or his content, and I hope he can heal from this as well.

To my fellow SA survivors, I’m so incredibly sorry that our trauma has been thrown around like this. Our hurt and pain do not deserve to be mocked in this way, and I wish it would’ve never even happened. You’re stronger than what happened, regardless of how shitty this situation has been for us. And as a 24 year old, I like to consider myself a big sister of sorts, so I love all of you. We got through it then, we’ll do it again.

Speaking woman to woman, I’m sorry this has been so messed up. This will make it harder for us to come forward in the future and that is indescribably frustrating. However, that does not take away from the pain and hurt we went through, and I hope if you do have the strength to come forward, you are believed.

I’m done with this whole situation. It should not have come to this point, and if you stayed this far, I greatly appreciate you reading this. One last time. Caiti, I’m sorry you were so uncomfortable. Get therapy, better friends, and take a break from the internet. George, I hope you learn from this situation, and I’m sorry you were made out to be a criminally offensive person before giving your side or anyone ever speaking to you.

I hope you both heal.

I hope sexual assault victims having to relive trauma, and are affected by this continue to heal.

I love you all.

Lex

[saffire-8888-halo]

☆Includes- smut, illegal substances, degrading, ect. Read at your own risk.☆

☆I am taking requests! DM me or comment what you would want!☆

☆Author's Note- It's been a long time since I last wrote smut or fanfiction. So I'm sorry if it's not the best. Overall I hope you guys enjoy it! :)☆

∆Drunk Dial∆

§~Everything has turned hazy. How many drinks have you had? You can't remember. All you do remember is Zach deciding to throw a killer party. Along with Jared ushering drink after drink down your throat. Speaking of which, where did Jared go? You look over to see Jared singing some slurred version of Barbie Girl by Pitbull on Zach's coffee table. Laughing hysterically you grab your phone. You only meant to hit record instead you hit call.~§

*Ring*~~~*Ring*~~~*Ring*

"Hello?"

§-Jake's groggy voice fills your ears-§

*Hiccup*"Ohhh hiiii j-...jakeeeey"*Hiccup*

"Y/n? Are you drunk?"

§-Jake asks with concern-§

"Hmmm... *Hiccup* lemme see....*burp*...yeah...*giggles*"

"I'm on my way."

§-Jake's voice rings out stern-§

"Wait-.."

§-Dial tone-§

§~You don't understand how Jake is going to find you. He has no idea where you are. Instead of worrying about it you down another shot of vodka. The warmth spreads from your throat to your stomach. You quickly forget all about your drunk dial to Jake. What feels like hours passes before you feel a rough hand on your waist. Startled, you jumped and turned around to see Jake. Wearing an ed hardy t shirt and black jeans.~§

"Jake?"

§-Your confused having forgotten you called him-§

"Come on, we're leaving."

§-Jake's voice deep and demanding-§

"But-"

§-Before you can hesitate Jake throws you over his shoulder. His hands gripping the back of your thighs to keep you in place. You try to wiggle out of his grasp but he's too strong.-§

"JAKEEEEEE put me down!"

§-You whine annoyed. Jake ignores you as he carries you outside. The air is cold against your exposed skin. Jake opens his passenger side door and sets you down gently but firmly. Buckling you up Jake walks over to the driver's side, starts the car, and begins to drive.-§

"Why did you get so fucking drunk!? Something bad could have happened to you?"

§-You can tell Jake's angry but what confuses you is he seems worried. You guys have been friends for three years. It's not like you've never gotten drunk before. Why does he suddenly care?-§

"Why do you care? I'm allowed to drink Jake."

§-You roll your eyes and Jake's hands grip the steering wheel. The veins in his hands showing through his skin more. You can't help but stare. Something stirs deep within your stomach. Suddenly it's a thousand degrees in the car.-§

"I care cause I don't want you to get hurt! I know it's hard for you to believe that someone can care about you but they can and I do!"

§-Jake stares way too intensely at the road. You know you should feel guilty but seeing Jake this way is doing something to you. Something that makes you feel the need to squeeze your thighs together and stare elsewhere before you do something you know you shouldn't. You know you should just apologize and let it go. However the other part of you wins the part that wants more of this side of Jake.-§

"Aww what you don't like the idea of some dudes hands all over me...is that it?"

§-You fake pout in a whinny mocking voice. A small smirk evident on your lips. Jake hands grip the steering wheel harder and his eyes narrow.-§

"Maybe I do."

§-Jake mumbles deeply through gritted teeth. The heat in between your thighs rises and you have to resist biting your lip. Maybe it's the alcohol talking or maybe you have felt this way about Jake all this time. All you know is you want his hands on your burning skin. Instead of making it obvious you decide to play dumb.-§

"W-...what?"

§-You gasp as Jake suddenly parks the car's on the side of the road. He reaches over his fingers gripping your chin pulling you closer.-§

"You fucking heard me!"

§-His hot breath blows onto your face as he speaks. Your eyes dart to his lip rings shining due to the streetlight outside. You can no longer help it and pull your bottom lip in-between your teeth.-§

"No... I don't think I did..."

§-You smirk knowing you're getting under his skin. Jake's other hand slides up your thigh, his fingers playing with the bottom of your skirt. Leaning his head forward Jake whispers in you ear-§

"Dressed up like a slut hmm? You're just begging for attention aren't you?"

§-Your eyes widen hearing Jakes words.-§

"So what if I am? In fact, maybe I was about to sleep with some guy before you showed up!"

§-You liked seeing the jealous side of Jake. His hand that was once on your chin slides down to your throat squeezing tightly.-§

"If you're going to be a slut for anyone you're going to my slut!"

§-Jake kisses down your neck to your collar bone bitting and sucking the skin. Being sure to leave a mark. Jake unbuckles your seatbelt. His hand that was on your thighs wraps around your waist pulling you closer to his chest making you lean over the center council. Jake moves your hair to one side and leans down nibbling on your ear-§

"Say your mine!"

§-Jake's voice is deep and demanding. Everything is happening at once the adrenaline making your heart race.-§

"Wh- what?"

§-You whisper confused. Jake flips up your skirt and slaps your ass. You gasp loudly as the sound echos in his car.-§

"Jake..wh-.."

§-Jake hand meets your ass again this time hard enough you feel a slight sting.-§

"Say it!"

§-Jake's voice is hoarse and hot against your neck. You hesitate and his hand slaps your ass again. This time your sure he's left a outline of his hand.-§

"I'm...yours"

§-You finally choke the words out. Jake slaps your ass for the final time before he undoes the belt and zipper of his jeans. He pulls his jeans down slightly. Jake reaches over, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulls you so you're hovering over his lap. His lips connect with your neck. His tongue sliding and his teeth biting.-§

"I'm not just making you say that you're mine . I'm going to make sure you feel it."

§-Jake says deeply. Jake quickly pulls your underwear down and without warning he thrusts his dick inside of you. You cry out loudly. Your head falling into the crook of his neck.-§

"Fuck...Jake"

§-You pant out. Jake's fingers dig into the skin of your hips keeping you in place as he thrusts deep inside of you. His dick hitting all the perfect spots.-§

"Such a good little slut...my slut..."

§-Jake groans as he kisses your shoulder. One of your hands is tugging on his hair lightly and the other is scratching his back. You moan uncontrollably. Jake's thrust are slow but deep and rough.-§

"Ye-...yes...only yours..."

§-You whimper out giving into him. Jake's being pleased with your words speeds up the pace of his thrusts. You throw your head back and Jake doesn't hesitate to kiss your exposed neck leaving a hickey. Which you later will realize almost looks like a J. You start to clench around Jake's dick getting closer to the edge. This causes Jake to moan.-§

"Fuck...y/n...your doing so well..."

§-Jake grunts out in-between thrusts-§

"Ja-...Jake..I'm close..."

§-You cry out feeling the heat in your stomach rise.-§

"Cum for me...cum like the good little slut you are.."

§-Jake words are all you need. Your eyes close and your mouth falls open as you moan repeatedly. Your cum dripping down Jake's dick and into his lap. Jake thrusts into you deeply a few more times before you feel his warm cum shoot inside you. Jake kisses your jawline, cheeks, and lips. Whispering sweet things into your ear.-§

"Never get drunk without me ever again please. I don't want you to get hurt."

§-Jake says while staring into your eyes-§

"I promise"

§-You pant still out of breath. Jake smiles and kisses you on the lips softly.-§

"I guess we are out of the friend zone then..?"

§-You say sheepishly and Jake laughs-§

"You think."

§-He replies with a big smile on his face. He wraps his hands around your waist and just holds you for a very long time.-§

§-THE END!-§

[piosplayhouse]

I forgot if I ever posted about this publicly or privately but fully inspired by Harry's mdzs au my opinions on a svsss furry au will always be that

-Shen Yuan is vehemently "not a furry but just likes supporting artists" who was pretty active in closed species circles for having a ridiculous amount of super expensive rare species that he found really cool. Shen Jiu (no relation) is a very controversial popufur who runs in adjacent circles that sy has a huge grudge against after seeing sj bully a bunch of teen furries (binghe) for their half angle half devile wolf ocs, but even sy has to admit that sj's fursona Shen Qingqiu is really really cool. Sj eventually decides to cut ties with the whole community after getting into another new discourse and sells all of his accounts and fursona art to a broker, who then sells it to sy. Sy logs into the account and is about to reveal what happened, but Yue Qingyuan sends him a super long vent/crying dm and sy feels too guilty and awkward to come clean after getting that bombshell and so he ends up impersonating Shen_Qingqiu in the elite closed DeviantArt group Cang Qiong Mtn Sect group

-Binghe is in the group mostly as a punching bag for everyone to make fun of his half angel half demon oc Xin Mo, but sy recognizes him as the kid he saw sj bully despite being super humble and with great potential for art, so he decides to take him under his wing (I think I was imagining sqq as a dutch angel dragon but whatever you believe here you can replace that with an appropriate body part). Sy ends up buying binghe a super rare Sushidog named Zhen Yang and while sy is like well nbd some artist got a paycheck and some kid got a cute new adopt but as we all know Binghe is Irreparably changed Forever from this

-Airplane is a popular furry porn writer known for taking hyperspecific commissions and flagrantly ignoring closed species rules in his smut peddling. Sy hates him for this of course and also because his porn isn't that good, but he still reads all of Airplane's gay original werewolf species porn just because wolves are really cool ok!! Sy isn't even gay he just thinks it's so cool how the three headed demon wolf has a three tiered society and--. Airplane loves to fuck with sy by making sock puppet accounts advertising shoddy bootleg closed species like deltagens instead of primagens or something like that. Also btw airplane has a hamster fursuit but only the head and paws since he can't afford a full one, he just poodles at cons

- Mobei Jun is not a furry but his family owns a hotel chain that regularly hosts furcons. During one of these he was sent by his father to shadow staff addressing a misbehavior complaint against the furcon attendees and accidentally ran into half-fursuited airplane, during which it was somehow love at first sight. Airplane doesn't know that tho he thinks mbj is still mad at him for smoking weed in his hotel room at that con they met at when they were both 17

[sleepanonymous]

In light of recent events (that I fully missed and only caught the resolution of), I figured maybe I should drag this post out of my drafts instead of sitting on it like a coward.

TLDR: It’s important to respect the band, but it’s equally as important to respect your fellow fan’s wishes to not know Sleep Token’s identities.

(These two asks are from the previous drama, not what happened yesterday.)

I’ve had those 2 anon asks sitting in my inbox from that drama last month with a Tumblr user revealing Sleep Token’s names in a rant post because the guys did not unmask during/after the Wembley ritual. I hate to bring this back up but I feel guilty because I pretty much tossed a barrel of toxic waste onto that existing dumpster fire and walked away as everything exploded. I’d gotten back to everyone who DMd me and sent non-anon asks, but couldn’t answer these two. I didn’t want to publicly put that tumblr blog on blast because I did not want it to look like I was trying to instigate a witch hunt.

I had planned on ignoring these two asks since I had no way to DM the anon users, but figured I may as well use this as an opportunity to talk about something else: Sleep Token’s identities and respecting the band member’s wishes to stay anonymous.

Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to simply look up “Sleep Token” and not have the guy’s names and/or faces spoiled. It’s not your fault if this has happened to you, and you aren’t a bad person or disrespecting the band. Even if you looked up the information on purpose, that doesn’t make you disrespectful. It’s human nature to be curious, especially in regards to things that you love.

It’s okay if you know the names and faces of the member’s of Sleep Token. It is not okay to pass this information along in Sleep Token fan spaces, even if you disagree with the anonymity aspect or believe it’s just a gimmick. It is okay to be curious about the members and search for information about them online (such as old projects, public accounts, etc). It is not okay to harass them or their friends/family online (and yes, commenting “Worship” is harassment outside of Sleep Token’s official accounts). It is okay if you don’t find Sleep Token attractive after seeing their faces. It is not okay to hate on them or bodyshame them, especially in Sleep Token fan spaces. It is okay if you recognize the guys out in public, such as outside a venue. It is not okay to draw attention to them, take unsolicited photos of them, or approach them with anything other than respect.

The point I’m trying to make is that you can only be responsible for yourself. I am in a space where I regularly use Sleep Token’s first names, and relentlessly censor myself outside of that space to make sure I don’t accidentally namedrop. If I, an adult with ADHD and a 50 second attention span, can do this, so can you. Know that if you are refraining from openly sharing/spreading information about the band’s identities, you are not only respecting the Sleep Token’s wishes to remain anonymous, but you are also respecting countless other fans that are trying to avoid that same information for their own reasons.

It’s also important to remember there are people on the other side of the screen before sending hate. It’s easy to forget that a living, thinking, feeling, human reading what you’re saying. The best way to deal with people online who give you strong negative emotions is to block them and forget they exist.

If you’ve read this far then I just want to say that you’re amazing and I love you (especially if you’re my mutual or follower). You’re all truly the best community in this fandom. I hope you’re having/had a fantastic day. Forehead kisses and Large Mug Morning Espressos™ for all of you.

[briarberrythornedhart]

Sitting in his lap Part 2

Can be read alone I think. Fluff with a happy ending

CW: cursing/strong language, angst, yelling, lustful thoughts, backwash in soda (ew)

You cocked your eyebrow at him.

Eddie didn't…couldn’t … SURELY MUSN’T know what he was offering - what it would feel like to you? Maybe he just didn’t want to move his ass out of the throne for one minute? That would be a new level of lazy for Mr. ants in the pants.

“I’m serious.” He said, “ Sit down in my lap and see what it’s like- the view from here. Being in charge.” Eddie scooted backward to give you the most lap to sit on, spread his knees armrest to armrest wide and rolled his shoulders back. “Be their benevolent ruler... their peace-loving goddess.”

Okay. As if ignoring Eddie was possible, especially if he was close. As if you hadn’t dreamt of being on his lap.

“C’mon - Pretend I’m like your…grand vizier. Whispering evil advice in your ear but you can ignore me all you like because clever-you always finds the peaceful solutions which are probably smarter or whatever…” he trailed off, which was good because he was starting to sound a little sullen for some reason.

Only — in your dreams the guys weren’t nearby fighting over pizza like rabid raccoons and in your dreams Eddie was near-to-full naked and in your dreams he was removing your clothes… anyway… here you were with your friendly DM who didn’t intend this as a prelude to seducing you.

You ached with unshed tears inside. Hidden from anyone’s view. No one could know how Eddie made you feel, that would make it worse.

You settled yourself down on his thighs. Resigned to torture. You could cope with torture.

He felt too good.

He spoke low in your ear and it sent a shiver up your spine “Imagine.” His voice a purr. “All their eyes on you, hanging on your every word. Waiting for your planned session to unfold.” He moved a lock of your hair over your ear gently and your breath caught - hopefully he didn’t notice. “Heady stuff.”

“I know why you enjoy it, but I don’t think I would. Also, kinda doubt I could command the respect you get. I can’t do the voices and accents you do and all you have to do is clear your throat and we all snap to attention - which you LOVE.”

Eddie chuckled, “I do love that. I could coach you... give you tips, I’m just saying try it once, like... pineapple on pizza. Might develop a taste for it and It can’t hurt you.”

“Unless you’re allergic to pineapple.” You added. Making him snort. You turned towards him and looked (unwisely) at his lips. Gawd his lips. Then his eyes, back again to his lips. You could just lean in and taste them and ruin everything.

“Princess,” he was serious now. His voice pitched even lower. Eddie had called you ‘princess’ 3 times since you met and it was always very serious.

1 - ‘Princess, Chance Peterson was about to knock your ass right over, I had to scoop you out of the way.”

2 - ‘You know if you keep arguing with me at my locker, Princess, you’ll be late to Mrs. Guise’s class and she gives out detentions like she’s got a quota.’

3- ‘I don’t care if you saw a pretty wildflower out there, that part of the woods by Lover’s lake is rife with poison oak, gawd!! Princess, just... I’ll find you a pretty-ass flower, okay, just get out of the bushes, please?? You’re gonna ruin our Hellfire trip to the lake by making us all drive you home covered in a rash!’

Oh no. It was probably ‘I feel you squirming in my lap and caught you looking at my mouth but it’s not doing anything for me - we are just friends.’ or something dreadful along those lines. Cause you felt heat and pressure under your bottom, but it was probably not him getting an erection - like - wouldn’t his face show some sign... wouldn’t he grip your thighs and grind up against you and say your name in your ear...

You were saved by (your favorite, your self-adopted baby brother) Dustin returning to the gaming table. “Hey guys!” Making you both jump up - you personally feeling oddly guilty. “…there’s not going to be enough pizza for you if you don’t get over there. I know Eddie did the pizza math but I don’t think he reckoned on the bottomless pit of Gareth the Great’s stomach.”

“You had 4 pieces yourself, dingus!!” Gareth yelled.

“Only after I saw you go back for seconds!” Dustin threw his arms out pleading for justice to Eddie.

Eddie moved behind you, stage whispering “Talk to them, they need your divine guidance with resolving petty conflicts nonviolently.”

“Cease bickering.” You demanded. “There’s plenty of pizza left. Eddie’s pizza math is infallible.”

“Okaaaay ‘Mom’ don’t go and ground us...” Gareth started out with heavy sass. But he looked over your shoulder at Eddie and suddenly buttoned his beak.

You continued. “Dustin, go make a plate for Eddie. Three slices of pepperoni. And bring over that bottle of Dr. Pepper to refill his chalice before all that’s left is backwash.” You knew Eddie’s favorites. Of course.

“Ew. Backwash?? Gross.” Dustin shuddered but complied.

“Gareth, go get her Majesty three pieces of plain cheese. And the pepper flakes and the Parmesan flakes and one of the red cups with RC Cola and mostly ice.” Eddie ordered. Maybe he just guessed at your very favorite pizza night choices??

Your attention was fully back on Eddie. He nudged you in the arm with his shoulder. “So... before we were so rudely interrupted... I was trying to suggest thaaa....”

“We are out of cups.” Gareth interrupted with a grimace, bringing back a plate for you..

“Whaddaya mean we are ‘out’? I bought two sleeves of them at the beginning of the year... There were only 6 of you until the gals joined us. There should be plenty!” Eddie was more upset than you thought he should be.

“Yeah - I dunno - but Jeff just took the last one.” Gareth shrugged

You took the plate and made a ‘calm down’ gesture. “It’s fine - Don’t throw Jeff under the bus - I’ll be just fine. I’m more hungry than thirsty - it’s cool. ‘We’re all fine here... now’” You did your best Han Solo to try and diffuse the tension. But - It was mediocre at best. Not like Eddie’s.

“We can share.” Eddie made this a challenge, handing you his hellfire goblet- it must be said - very theatrically. His right hand was wrapped around the bowl of the chalice instead of the stem - rather like you wished he’d wrap those fingers around your.... Well.... suffice it to say you both had watched a lot of fantasy movies of one type or another. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s not tainted by my lips touching it or something. Or are you worried about backwash or whatever.”

“I’m not .... worried... just give it here.” You took the jeweled cup and tried not to react to the feel of his hand and yours touching. Even the littlest things involving Eddie got you worked up. You took a long sip while he watched you with his dark eyes - and then you handed it back. “Thank you.”

“You are most welcome.” There was a touch of something.... Sarcasm? In his voice. “See we can share and nothing bad happens. You don’t sink down to my level or anything.”

That was out of left field... or some other sports metaphor you didn’t fully grok, “What?? are you even talking about??”

“I know I know, I’m beneath you and everything, but it wouldn’t diminish you to, like, spend time with me outside of Hellfire club. I wouldn’t endanger your reputation, we could keep it secret. Like, you know, your other ‘normie’ girl friends probably think I’m trash, but I’m just a guy, j-just a normal guy...we could plan a one-shot, or... hang out like watch a movie or something.”

“First off - if any of my gal-friends - who are not ‘normal’ by the way - said you were trash I’d tell them what for. Secondly - I’ve asked you to hang out multiple times and you’ve oh so politely declined.”

“You asked me if I wanted to hang out with you and Dustin and Lucas... to go thrift shopping and do errands. I told you you could borrow my van if you needed it.”

“I didn’t want to borrow your van. I wanted to hang out with you. And I thought with them along, you wouldn’t say no - like - it’d be casual and safe.”

“Because you didn’t want me to get ideas.” he spat.

“No - just because you might be afraid I’d try and jump your bones, if it was just us two.”

“Jump my....Why would I think you’d ... jump my bones, you can barely stand me! You always run outta here after Hellfire!”

“I go right home so I don’t have to hear about you and your perfect pretty runway model Chrissy!!”

“I’m NOT with Chrissy!! She just buys from me, goddamnit! You are the one who keeps going out with the bland guy of the week!!”

“I have no control over the only guys asking me out being BORING as SHIT! And I haven’t been on a date in TWO MONTHS actually!! I’d rather not date than be bored!!”

“Then ::fuck:: WHy are WE Yelling!??!”

“Because I ADORE you, You DUMBASS!!” You blurted out. “You can’t just pull me into your lap and make me fuckin melt and play with me like a puppet and wonder why I’m upset??! yOU CAN’T BE that oBLIVIOUS!!”

Shit. See this - this right here - is why you avoid conflict like the plague. You know you are one second away from truth bombs that will blow up your life and You DIDN’T need Eddie feeling Sorry for you!! Or all the boys feeling sorry for you - all their eyes were on you for a bad reason and - only Erica wasn’t giving you a look like you were a pitiable creature. She was absolutely about to laugh at your ass, though.

“I failed.” Eddie bit his lips together, he reached out to take your hand and wove his fingers with yours. “I totally failed to pick up on that. Wow. Just crit fail on that perception check that you might ever like me back... But... um... I’m crazy about you... so... forgive me??” He closed the distance between you. He pulled your hand up to his mouth to kiss the back of it.

You were quiet - processing - did he just say he was crazy about... you?? Detect trap?? Retreat to safety?? Join a convent and abjure forever the company of men??

He raised his eyebrows and cocked his head slightly, waiting.

“I’m not mad at you.” You whispered.

“Let’s do errands sometime, but just us two. And - uh - I prefer to be called ‘smartass’ than ‘dumbass’, you know, in general.” He grinned the grin you recognized from when he made a particularly good roll of the dice.

“Fuckin finally.” You heard Jeff mutter. “Mom and Dad can stop fighting.”

“Yeah - just get it over with and real quickly kiss and make up, ya idjits!” Erica demanded. “We want to get back to kicking ass in the GAME.”

Eddie leaned in to say deep and sweet in your ear. “The first time we kiss-- it isn’t gonna be over with quickly.”

[nyxronomicon]

🍉 sponsor a fic for gaza 🍉

hey y'all! I decided to offer some of my favorite WIPs up for sponsorship as part of the @ficsforgaza campaign.

🔞 these fics and my blog are all 18+ and include smut and dark themes. minors DNI 🔞

to sponsor a fic, you can make a donation to the vetted charity of your choice. then, send a screenshot to me (feel free to block out personal info! I just need the amount and the charity visible) and let me know which fic you'd like it to go towards!

you can either send these in an ask or dm my main blog @vampnyx (sorry I can't turn dms on here lol)

not sure where to donate? gaza funds picks a random vetted gofundme each time you click the page. prefer a charity? I've donated to Palestinian Children's Relief Fund

for every $1 donated, I will add 100 words to the sponsored fic. for donations $5 or more, I can incorporate a kink of your choice into the fic (see my list of preferred kinks on my pinned).

salvation | suguru geto x f!reader (series masterlist)

Nearly a year and a half after your divorce, Suguru Geto still texts you. You stopped responding after he told you the ridiculous lie that he was a priest a year ago. When he sends a picture of himself in his priest robes, you feel a little guilty about ignoring him all this time. cw: dub-con (coersion), manipulation, others listed on the series masterlist. (sponsorship going towards the final two chapters of the series) words sponsored: 0/4000

thank you for the venom | toji fushiguro x f!reader

years of cheating and verbal abuse pushes you to murder your rich husband, satoru gojo. finishing a lovely dinner with him slumped over the table, you're surprised when toji shows up in your dining room to assassinate him, only to find him dead already. He offers to clean up your mess, but not for free. cw: reader kills her husband (poison), knife play (no cutting just a bit of danger), manhandling, toji physically restrains reader, other cw tbd words written: 1.1k of 2k-ish words sponsored: 1000/1000 🎉🎉

paperwork | enji todoroki x f!reader

you've been endeavor's secretary for years, and even though he's recently been named number one pro hero after all might's retirement, it seems his life is falling apart. though you've mutually pined for each other over the years, it never went anywhere. that is, until you accidentally mention that enji has always been your number one hero. cw: implied age difference, porn w plot, angst, power dynamic (enji's your boss lol), size (emphasis on him being large lol), other cw tbd words written: 1.5k of 2.5-3k words sponsored: 500/1500

blissful nightmare | death meme!Gallagher x f!reader

au based on the idea that gallagher transforms into the death meme werewolf-style. you talk your favorite bartender, gallagher, into taking you deeper into the dreamscape. the veil keeping gallagher in his human form becomes harder for him to control the deeper he goes, but his lust for you has him diving into that abyss after you. cw: monsterfucking, horror themes, rough sex, claws, heat cycle will be a revised and lengthened version of this words sponsored: 500/2000

fushiguro step.cest au | step.dad!toji / step.bro!megumi x f!reader

for this one I'm doing something a little different. here's the au so far: step.dad!toji | step.bro!megumi toji can't keep his hands off you (obviously) even in public. even in front of his son, though he tries to be discreet he's rarely successful. and of course, there are always consequences when you mess with megumi... cw: step.cest!!, megumi is ROUGH, cucking, maybe public/risky location, brat taming (from megumi), other cw tbd I'm allowing a vote per dollar spent on how many words I will use on each character's respective sex scenes, to a 2k total word max. If you'd like to sponsor this one, please let me know how you'd like to distribute your votes! words for megumi: 500 words for toji: 500 total words sponsored: 1000/2000

I have many WIPs so it's likely as I finish these I may swap in others. if you've seen me talking about a WIP you may be interested in sponsoring, let me know! I'm happy to open up other WIPs in the interest of supporting Palestine!!

posts about this (not the completed fics) will be tagged #nyx writes for gaza

[encasedinobsidian]

Javi fic reader survey!

I want to know people’s thoughts on how Javi is written in fic, if there are things people like/dislike etc about how he’s portrayed. I’ve seen some complaints about how Spanish is used, but beyond that I’m not sure what people think is important when writing his character, if there are pitfalls, things to avoid etc. 

I’m being very specific in how I write him for my series and deliberate in the use of body language, Spanish lines etc, but I’m wondering what the reader base is thinking about since Narcos has been around so long and some Javi fics date pretty far back.

I personally feel like he's sometimes turned into a caricature of himself when people talk about him, that he's labeled as a snarky slut and the complexities of his character are ignored. I'm fully guilty of doing this in now-deleted fics and I’m actively trying to show all facets of his character and not just the sleeping with informants gimmick. 

Any input is appreciated in the comments, DMs, asks, anons etc. I just want to know people’s thoughts on him as a fanfic subject !!!! 

Thank you <333

[keychainedd]

roxserpent, co owner of dandy's world and flavor frenzy, is a groomer

(thread copied from twitter, og link here: https://x.com/keychained_/status/1820573158673699105)

TW FOR GROOMING

rox / roxserpent / the co-dev of both flavor frenzy and dandy's world is a dangerous man who has a big history of grooming & harming minors and covering all of it up whenever he can't take the scorn anymore.

(for more info, look at this doc which words it so much better than i ever could have)

whenever i joined blush crunch for the first time, i checked announcements & saw that rox posted an apology thread. before playing, i heard that he drew porn of multiple th characters, some of which were minors, so i chalked it up to an apology for that and moved on

except, i didn't move on. i was a victim of grooming, and this apology set off alarm bells in my head. i felt guilty for continuing to play despite feeling like something was wrong, but i ignored it. i know many other of my friends had felt the same way.

i felt like the sheep mentality was something i couldve fit into, but it was difficult. it conflicted with my morals. i knew i shouldve said something, but i was scared. i understand now how many people felt the exact same way.

a lot of us were manipulated by rox. almost everyone i know has been. it's been hidden from fans for years. it'll continue to be hidden, especially now that dandy's world has gotten so big, but there's no reason to be scared. i don't care.

rox is a groomer who's created child porn of his friends, manipulated & hurt so many people, lied to every community he's been in, and has ruined lives. he doesnt deserve to be able to go on break, nor should he be able to hide this from people.

he deletes his accounts of the various stories, hides the glaringly obvious fact that he's done so much wrong, tells everyone it's "petty drama" and expects people to move on. it's not petty drama. it's grooming.

im deeply ashamed for how long it took me to make a thread like this. as a victim of grooming myself, i'm sorry. i'm truly sorry. i know how scary it is to see no one believe you. now onto my personal actions because of this server

i've gotten into so many fights over this server. i've hurt people and they've hurt me and i've caused far too many issues that i can count on two hands and i wanted to believe if i shamed other people for things, then i'd be able to redeem myself in my own head.

i was wrong. i'm sorry for the things i've said to people. my guilt that came from this server has snowballed into hatred and i've taken it out on so many people. i want to talk it out. please dm me, friend me on discord, contact me. i will listen

i regret how long it took me to post something like this. i shouldve never stayed quiet. i am angry at everyone including myself and i need to take my anger and use it to inspire myself to act.

rox, you are disgusting. you and all your friends absolutely disgust me. you hire 18+ mods on your server instead of releasing apologies. you force your mods to respond to tickets wondering what you've done and force them to defend you. you use people. that's all you do.

it's no one's fault but rox's for how long everyone had stayed with him. but, you should educate yourself. you should learn. you should spread the word, you should stop supporting bc, you should drop whatever you can to show support to victims.

you may be too scared to speak out, but you can. you always can. no one should stay quiet when they know something this terrible. i've learned it from personal experience. i'm sorry for taking so long. spread the word.

thank you for reading

[carlyraejepsans]

i was thinking about that ask i received the other day and how uncharacteristically upset the topic had made me when i usually just think "mh. gross!" and move on, and after mulling it over a while i realized it wasn't about the topic at all, it was the ask itself that freaked me out. i've mentioned sporadically before (for obvious reasons lol) that i used to be involved in fandom discourse when i was younger and that!! fucked me up quite a lot. between exacerbating my ocd and straight up getting cyber stalked (i almost feel guilty using that word, like i don't deserve it but. yeah that is 100% what happened to me), the topic is something I have very complex and personal opinions on but that i hate talking about in public because it still sets off my fight or flight response.

i know some people in the fandom are like "let me know if i ever rb someone who wrote/drew gross stuff" and that's entirely their choice and i respect it. but for the record, i am not one of these people. please, for the love of god, i am asking this genuinely do NOT come into my DMs about this, I don't want to know. assume I'm either living in blissful ignorance or my blacklist already covers me quite nicely & i wanna keep it that way. i vastly prefer the discomfort of stumbling into something unprepared and deciding what to do about it on my own, to the utter pit of dread i get whenever i open a message that starts with "hey just so you know-". i have blocked multiple people in the past over it. i WILL block more. be warned.

[note. this doesn't apply to people who have either hurt or behaved inappropriately with other members of the fandom, or spread bigotry and discrimination like racists and transphobes. please do let me know in those cases]

does this make sense? idk I'm kinda feverish you guys figure it out. I'm going to sleep.