#he needs energy to be constantly active and productive

[hd-junglebook]

The Art & The Muse

Pairing: Luke Hughes x Artist!Reader

a:n currently spiraling at the moment so don't be shocked if I release five more fanfictions that I wrote 30 minutes before posting with no proof reading. lol.

Masterlist Link

Summary: A struggling artist finds inspiration in the most unexpected place - a painting class which the famous Luke Hughes has joined. y/n is in awe at his beauty, finding herself fascinated by his masculine beauty.

Prologue

word count - 1568

Luke let out a deep sigh as he sank back into the worn leather of his favorite chair, relishing the rare luxury of a day off. No early morning practices, no media obligations, no road trips - just him, his apartment in New Jersey, and the peace and quiet he craved.

Well, almost quiet. Luke could hear the muffled sounds of his older brother Jack clattering around in the kitchen, no doubt raiding the fridge for a snack. Luke rolled his eyes and tried to tune it out, savoring the silence. He loved his brother, but sometimes Jack's boundless energy and enthusiasm could be a bit much, especially on a lazy Sunday like today.

As if on cue, Luke heard Jack's familiar voice echoing down the hallway. "Hey, Lukey! Get your butt out here!"

Luke groaned, resigning himself to the inevitable interruption. "What is it, Jack?" he called back, not bothering to move from his comfortable spot.

Jack appeared in the doorway, mouth half-full of what looked like leftover pizza. "Dude, you need to find a hobby or something. All you do is sit around and talk to girls all day."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Jack gestured emphatically, spraying crumbs. "Go out and find a girlfriend or something. Do something productive for once!"

"Close the door," Luke said tiredly, waving a hand.

Jack just laughed and turned to leave, still chewing noisily. "Whatever, man. Your life is boring."

Luke waited until he heard the click of the door, then let his head fall back with a groan. Sometimes he wondered how he and Jack could be brothers, let alone teammates. While Luke treasured his rare days off to recharge, Jack always seemed to have boundless energy, constantly looking for the next adventure or party.

A girlfriend, huh? Luke mulled over Jack's words. It wasn't that he was opposed to the idea, exactly. He just hadn't felt that spark with anyone lately. Between his grueling hockey schedule and the demands of his public persona, it was hard enough to find the time and energy for a social life, let alone a serious relationship.

Still, maybe Jack had a point. Luke had been feeling a little...stagnant lately. Perhaps it was time to try something new, step outside his comfort zone a bit. With a decisive nod, Luke reached for his phone.

Luke drummed his fingers against his thigh as he scrolled through the endless list of activities and classes, feeling increasingly discouraged.

His brow furrowed in concentration as he skimmed through the options, mentally crossing each one off as it failed to pique his interest.  Maybe Jack was right - he really was in a rut, stuck in the same old routine day after day.

Just as he was about to give up with a heavy sigh, a flash of inspiration caught his eye. An ad for painting classes at a local art studio.

Luke felt a faint tug of nostalgia as he remembered the hours he used to spend painting with his mom back home in Michigan, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips as the memories surfaced. It had been years since he'd picked up a brush, but the idea of reconnecting with that creative outlet was strangely appealing.

Intrigued, Luke clicked on the website and started browsing through the class schedules, his blue eyes scanning the page intently. The next session was in just two days - perfect.

Without overthinking it, he quickly signed himself up, a spark of determination lighting in his chest. With a decisive nod, he shut off his phone, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

With a newfound spring in his step, Luke headed out to the living room where he could hear Jack clattering around. "Hey, Jack?" he called out, drawing his younger brother's attention.

Jack poked his head out from the kitchen, mouth full of what looked like leftover pizza. He quirked an eyebrow curiously, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's.

Luke wrinkled his nose in mild disgust at the display, but pressed on. "I, uh, took your advice. I signed up for a painting class that starts in a couple days."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise, a spark of amusement flashing across his features. He let out a bark of laughter, pizza crumbs flying. "Painting? Seriously?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Luke shrugged, feeling a slight twinge of self-consciousness creep up his spine. "Well, I figured it was worth a shot. Gotta try something new, right?"

"Hey, that's great!" Jack grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, his infectious enthusiasm cutting through Luke's lingering doubts. "Who knows, maybe you'll meet some cute girls there or something."

Luke rolled his eyes, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That's not really why I'm doing it, Jack."

"Sure, sure." Jack winked and grabbed another slice of pizza, seemingly satisfied with the conversation. "Whatever you say, bro."

Luke shook his head fondly and turned to head back to his room, a newfound spring in his step. Maybe this whole "trying new things" thing wouldn't be so bad after all.

…

Luke pulled his beanie down lower over his sandy blond curls as he stepped out onto the street, trying his best to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

He had thrown on his most unassuming outfit - a simple t-shirt, jeans, and a well-worn pair of sneakers - before hesitantly heading out the door, Jack's cheerful "Good luck!" ringing in his ears.

As Luke made his way down the sidewalk, the nerves started to kick in. What was he doing, really? Signing up for an art class on a whim - it was so unlike him.

The old Luke would have scoffed at the very idea, content to spend his rare days off lounging at home or chatting up pretty girls at the local bars. But that Luke felt stale, stuck in a rut. Maybe it was time to try something new.

Still, Luke couldn't help the self-conscious twinge that made him want to turn right back around and high-tail it home. He could already hear Jack's teasing laughter, the endless ribbing he'd have to endure. But Luke steeled his resolve, forcing his feet to keep moving forward. He'd come this far, might as well see it through.

Luke rounded the corner, nearly colliding with an elderly couple out for an afternoon stroll. "Sorry, excuse me," he murmured, deftly sidestepping them.

The last few minutes of his journey passed in a blur, and before he knew it, Luke found himself standing in front of the art studio, its glass door beckoning him inside.

Taking a deep breath, Luke pushed open the door, immediately greeted by the soothing scent of lavender. His eyes swept over the space, taking in the rows of easels and the vibrant paintings adorning the walls. A petite woman with a thick accent approached him, a warm smile on her face.

"Hello, welcome! Can I help you?"

Luke cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "Uh, yeah, hi. I'm Luke - I signed up for the painting class?"

"Ah, yes, of course!" The woman's eyes lit up with recognition. "It's so wonderful to have you join us. I'm Helena, the instructor. Let me show you where you can set up."

As Helena led him over to an open easel, Luke felt a flicker of genuine interest. He followed Helena through the halls of the art studio, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of intimidation.

The walls were practically bursting with vibrant, expertly-crafted paintings - from sweeping landscapes to intricate still lifes. He found himself glancing around in awe, suddenly self-conscious about his own artistic abilities.

Helena continued to speak animatedly, her hands gesturing as she explained the layout of the classroom and the materials available. Luke nodded along, trying his best to appear engaged, but his attention was diverted the moment they passed by a particularly striking piece.

The painting was dark, with soft whites and deep blues creating a moody, almost mystical atmosphere. But what truly captivated Luke was the subject - a male figure, rendered with such realism and attention to detail that it almost looked like a photograph.

The sculpted planes of his muscular torso, the veins in his hands, the play of light and shadow across his skin - every element was meticulously crafted, drawing the viewer in with its hypnotic allure.

Luke found himself stopping in his tracks, unable to tear his gaze away. It was as if the man in the painting had somehow come to life, his masculine beauty radiating off the canvas.

Helena let out a light laugh, drawing Luke's attention back to her. "I see you've noticed one of our more...popular pieces," she said, a knowing smile playing at her lips.

Luke felt a faint heat creep up the back of his neck, suddenly self-conscious about his obvious fascination. "Uh, yeah, it's...it's really well done," he stammered, clearing his throat.

"Indeed." Helena gestured towards the open doorway of the classroom. "Shall we? The class is about to begin."

Luke nodded, stealing one last glance at the captivating painting before following Helena into the studio. As he took his seat at the easel, he couldn't help but wonder who the artist was behind such a stunning work. And more importantly, would he have the chance to meet them?

…

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[le-trash-prince]

Kenta

Okay. It is once again time for me to talk about my number one little man. I was interested in Kenta from the very beginning, and at some point I realized that I was not going to be normal about him, but I really did not anticipate how much he would come to mean to me. I hope y'all have enjoyed witnessing my descent into feral blorbo state. It is not over for me in the slightest.

I want to say that Garfield really acted the shit out of this role, and the writers knew what they were doing when they cast him. His arc was so important to the overall plot, with his growth being pivotal to Tony's downfall, and yet he had a relatively small amount of dialogue to work with (although certainly not the smallest amount of the cast).

A lot of his scenes involve him standing in Tony's office, taking instructions, or even just simply observing. A lot of his lines are based around business deals and errands—rather than furthering his emotional development. He doesn't give big speeches, he doesn't talk about his feelings or his dreams, it's always just "I'm doing xyz for Tony, and I will never betray him."

Some of his most dialogue heavy scenes are in one stairwell with Pete and in another with Tony, which I think are extremely pivotal moments, both of which reveal a fear of abandonment.

But it's honestly when he's quiet that he says the most.

And I love that, I'm obsessed with it. I love that the whole fandom could insantly tell that he and Pete had something going on, just from the way they looked at each other. I love that the storytelling in his arc was so highly visual.

In the beginning, Kenta appears to be nothing more than Tony's lackey: quiet, intimidating, and actively complicit with what is going on.

But as we see him more and more, it becomes exceedingly apparent that he cares, so much. I know I am biased in saying this, but I do also pay close attention to what other people are saying about Kenta, and I know almost everyone has been waiting the entire series to see him stand up to Tony. The amount of acting that Garfield did with his eyes, while remaining such a stoic character, was insane.

Despite him repeatedly declaring his loyalty to Tony, despite the fact that he does not reveal any actions against Tony until episode 12, we feel so much of his inner conflict.

I think for me, personally, the aspect of Kenta's character that I relate to the most is his inability to speak up when he wants to. I've struggled with selective mutism my entire life, and there have been countless, countless scenarios where I've had so many things to say and no ability to say them. The more dire the situation, the more my words fail me. I have to spend so much of my energy constantly planning for potential conflict scenarios just so I can have the time I need to figure out which words to use. Because it can sometimes take months for me to figure out certain phrases. And because it is so painful to stay silent when you want to tell someone to stop. To stop fighting, to stop hurting each other, to stop hurting me.

So I was beyond moved and proud to watch Kenta finally be able to protect his brothers and quietly say the one thing he has wanted to say all along.

Don't hurt anyone anymore.

Don't hurt anyone anymore.

Don't hurt anyone anymore.

I will take some of the words that P'Chod gave to Garfield before they went into production. "It’s just you want to live in a peaceful house and be happy together.” All we want is peace.

I wish that Kenta had not been forced to kill Tony because I don't think he has ever wanted to hurt anyone. But I'm sure as hell not sorry that he did it. There will always be people who are unwilling to stop.

And I recognize that Kenta tried a peaceful method first. He gave X-Hunter what they needed to put Tony in jail, and Tony refused to give up. He was never going to be the kind of person who would simply surrender. To him, these people's lives are property that he is entitled to.

Here is an auto translation of something Garfield said about Kenta at the final episode screening.

"I already knew that Kenta would be similar to me, in that I'm someone who doesn't dare to express my feelings to the people around me, saying very little. So when I got the role, I felt… that it teaches us that as long as we dare to be ourselves and do things that make us happy, that's enough."

We may never know what happened to Kenta after Tony died, but I hope he is able to find his peace. I hope he is able to engage with restorative justice, and I hope he is able to learn what family really should be.

And I hope that someone, anyone, will give him a goddamned hug.

the first shot / the last shot

Thank you, Kenta, from the bottom of my heart, for showing us yours.

[cowboyemeritus]

Il Suo Campione (Copia/Reader)

Chapter Eight

Series Masterlist

Summary: Copia learns the horrible truth.

Content Warnings: references to gang violence, drug abuse/addiction, brief mention/description of a corpse

Read on AO3

notes: hey everyone! sorry updates are getting farther apart - i've been having some problems staying motivated. seeing all your support for this story helps, though, so thank you all so much :)

as of right now i'd say this is about the halfway point of the story. i genuinely do want to finish it, so please bear with me while i sort out this writer's block issue.

i feel like there are a few clunky parts of this, but i got to the point where i felt i just needed to publish it lol. sorry in advance. i hope it's somewhat interesting, at least.

a few people have asked to be tagged when new chapters come out, so if you want in on that lmk!

thanks again! feedback is always welcome. you all are the best :)

Copia has struggled to keep you off his mind since the night of the match. The evening’s events had only confirmed his growing suspicion that there is something seriously amiss with you. It’s easy for him to look back and recognize you’ve always been quiet and detached, yet constantly on guard and prone to bouts of explosive rage. Whatever, or whoever, instilled that in you had exited your life long before you met. What is new is the hate he saw reflected in his bedroom mirror, and the shame in your eyes when you lost. From his experience being Nihil’s son, those are feelings with which Copia is intimately familiar. They’re easy for him to recognize and treat accordingly in others. The rest he’ll have to work on.

He ties not to think about the emptiness in your eyes as you watched Diego bleed out on the cold, dirty concrete. Something tells him that’s out of his wheelhouse.

Copia’s cheek is still tender from where Mary had hit him. For the scrawny creature that he is, the greasy punk can sure pack a punch. As much as he wants to drag him through the streets for it, he really should have seen it coming. Mary is the protective type, and Copia certainly didn’t help himself by neglecting to call or make your whereabouts known until the next morning, returning you to your bother concussed, battered, and zoning in and out of reality. Copia knows he deserved it, at least in part.

“You don’t know anything about her!”

Mary is naive; he doesn’t know half of what goes on in the dark recesses of this city. He hasn’t had to make the painful choices, the sacrifices, that keep this kind of business flowing. But, he’s right. Copia has no idea who, or what, you really are. The notion is starting to eat at him.

Heaving out a sigh, he pulls into Secondo’s driveway. The crunch of the gravel under the car makes him nervous; he’s always convinced there will be glass or nails or something sharp waiting in there to fuck up his tires. He holds his breath as he drives up to the house and parks, slowly letting it out only once he’s certain nothing has popped. Stepping out of the car, he looks up at the blocky, brutalist home, a shock of gray against the blue sky and rich green of the surrounding pines. In a very childish part of his mind it looks like some sort of supervillain lair, an ominous thing ready to swallow up all who dare enter. Considering what business-related activities occasionally go on inside, it’s not a far off comparison.

Copia groans. He’s not as bad as Nihil, but Secondo has always been the runner-up for family hard-ass. It’s a product of their childhood, he thinks. Secondo and Terzo were so close in birth they were raised like twins. As they grew up, someone naturally had to balance out the ambitious, reckless energy of the third brother. While he’s no stranger to debauchery, at his core Secondo is a calculating, exacting man, brutally efficient in everything he does. Seldom does he waste time with pleasantries and fluff.

The garage door begins to lift, the racket startling Copia. As the panels slide upwards more and more of his brother is revealed. First, it’s his shoes, fine Italian leather polished to hell. Then, his slacks, starched and pressed like he’s having tea with the Queen. There’s a clean, white dress shirt and then Copia is looking Secondo in the face. He doesn’t appear as put together as he usually is, something a bit haggard about him. The creases under his eyes are deeper, a dusting of stubble across his jaw. From behind him two men appear, each holding the end of a large mass wrapped in sheets. As they pass by him, carrying the bundle out of the house, Copia instinctively knows that Diego will be resting in peace from now on.

“Come in.” It’s not quite a command, but not an invitation either. Copia would have preferred a “hello.” Sheepishly, he follows as his brother turns and walks briskly to the door separating the garage from the rest of the house. It’s a short journey. As with all of Secondo’s things, the space is staggeringly neat, no boxes of junk colonizing the floor like at his home. He glances over at one of the parked cars, a 55 Coronet, and smiles to himself, remembering when it was new. It had been bright red back then. Secondo’s face had been a similar shade as he sat in the back seat, knuckles white while Primo gave Copia his first driving lesson. With every jerk of the vehicle a new vein appeared on his forehead, Terzo lauging harder and harder until he’d nearly pissed himself. They went to the creek after that, Copia battling nausea from a cigarette, his first, that he’d bummed off his third brother. That had been a good day.

At some point in the 60s, Secondo had the coat changed to black. By the 70s, it had been involved in so many crimes he’d stopped driving it altogether, the plates removed and shredded. Now here it sits, gathering dust, a relic of more innocent times. As Copia crosses the threshold into the house, he finds he’s not smiling anymore.

Despite his home’s harsh exterior, Secondo is a man of taste. A sensualist. His decor reflects that, all dark leather and silk, shelves lined with antiques and souvenirs from his travels. His office, however, is the only room that actually looks lived in. It wouldn’t be a surprise to Copia if he slept in there. There’s very little in the way of mess, but with a trained eye, he easily picks out the hints of disorder that are hidden around the room like Easter eggs: crumpled wads of paper on the floor by the wastebasket, a coffee cup perched precariously on the windowsill, the contents long cold. The decorative pillows on the couch could use a good fluffing, and there’s a quilt, the once colorful fabric faded, folded haphazardly and draped over the back. Maybe he has been sleeping here.

Secondo clears his throat, putting an end to Copia’s scavenger hunt. He looks across the desk at his brother, suddenly feeling like a child again. From the expression on his face it’s clear he’s in for a scolding. Copia holds back a groan, crossing his ankles and tucking them beneath his chair. He’d better get this over with.

“Is this about what happened the other night? I don’t have any details other than-“

“The girl,” Secondo says. “This is about her.” Copia is stunned. For a moment he stares at his brother, blinking, before even trying to open his mouth.

“I-” Suddenly he feels a bit flustered. “What- The fight? I know w- she lost, but…“ His underarms are uncomfortably sweaty. Terzo said he’d work on it. Perhaps he’d been drunk that night after all, the bastard. “What did you think?”

“She is far too attached to you. That is what I think.” Copia is taken even farther aback.

“Excuse me,” he sputters, quirking an eyebrow at his brother. “But I do not understand why that’s any of your business. Do Primo and Terzo’s,” for a moment he’s stuck on what to call you, “associates need your approval now too?”

Secondo rolls his eyes. “This is different,” he insists. “She is different.” Copia can’t meet his brother’s gaze, eyes darting to the window. Outside, a small, gray bird perches on a branch, preening its feathers. It looks up suddenly before taking flight, a blur of brown and white in pursuit. Copia swallows, crossing his arms.

“There is nothing wrong with that, fratello,” he grumbles, not sure how much he can defend you beyond that. He knows what his brother really means. But is this what he called him here for? To critique his choice in women? “And you’ve had your fair share of weird girls-“ He jumps when Secondo bangs a fist on the solid wood of the desk.

“Fucking Christ.” For a moment, there is something unreadable, but deeply frightening, in his eyes. He lets out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. The tension in the room is palpable, thick like tar and just as foul. Wordlessly, Secondo rises from his seat, shuffling over to a beat-up, old filling cabinet in the corner of the room. Flecked with rust, it is, perhaps, the only common-looking thing he owns. From his pocket he produces a set of keys that clink together as he unlocks one of the drawers. Copia can just barely see that it is full of documents, organized into neat folders. Carefully, he reaches into one of the files and produces what appears to be a newspaper clipping. He looks back and forth between Copia and the paper for a moment, the conflict surprisingly plain on his face. With another heavy exhale Secondo settles back in his chair, placing the slip face-down on the desk. With a look that says “I told you so,” he slides it over. Copia takes a shaky breath, feeling his brother’s eyes bore into him. Leaning slightly forward in his seat, he gingerly turns it over.

He’s confused by what he sees.

The cutting is of a portrait, taken in a department store studio. There are two people in it. One is a man in his early thirties. His face has a gauntness that immediately tells Copia he’s a user, his skin pale and slightly jaundiced. He smiles but his eyes are tired, the creases around them deep and the circles dark. He’s strung out, only just holding himself together for the sake of the little girl next to him. As his eyes drift over to the child, who cannot be older than four or five, Copia feels his blood turn to ice.

Even twenty years younger, the girl in the photo is unmistakably you. He would recognize that face anywhere. Still, it takes a moment for him to fully process exactly what he’s staring at. That smile… You look too innocent, too happy to be, well, you. Whoever this is, she is a copy, a sick fabrication of the person you could have been. It’s just not right. It’s uncanny.

“I don’t…” Copia tugs at the collar of his shirt, finding he’s in desperate need of oxygen. As the pieces begin to click together, a knot of dread settles deep in his stomach. “Why do you have this?” Secondo sits there with his arms crossed, eyes full of more emotion than he has seen from his brother in a long time. There’s anger, pity, and shame there. Copia says nothing; he already has half the answer anyway. “W-what…” Unable to find the words he sighs, letting the breath out slowly. A few strands of hair have fallen in his face and he brushes them back, steeling himself. With a look to his brother that he hopes conveys resolve he straightens in his chair. “Tell me. The whole story.”

Without breaking eye contact, Secondo pushes his readers further up his nose. When that hand comes down the tip of his pointer finger is resting on the forehead of the man in the photograph. “One of ours. Started dealing to pay back some debts. I am not sure who he owed, or for what. I never knew him personally.” There’s a moment of understanding, an unspoken agreement between the two brothers. They don’t know, but they know. It’s too familiar a story, one Copia has heard hundreds of times to the point where he’s sick of it.

And yet, the show goes on. The coffers must always be full.

“He tried to make a deal and it went sour. Nearly got us busted. Fuck, I have never seen Nihil so pissed.” A memory resurfaces: his father, fists still shaking, setting down a pair of bloody brass knuckles on the breakfast table. They never managed to get the stain out of that tablecloth. “The numbers were already suspicious. It did not take us long to find that he had been skimming off the top for his own use. He stole from us, fratellino.” In this line of work, that’s enough to justify almost anything. Secondo glances back down at the photograph. “So we did what had to be done. Those were father’s orders.”

There is a long moment of silence between them. Copia is reeling, still trying to make sense of this devastating information. This can’t be. This has to be some cruel joke. He looks down at his hands. They’re far too clean. A disturbing thought crosses his mind. “She was there?” Secondo shrugs.

“We did not see her.” An even worse thought rears its head.

“If she…” He swallows, not wanting to accuse his brother but needing an answer. “Would you have… You know.”

Secondo shakes his head, gazing out the window. The disgust bleeds through even the most minute shifts of his face. “No. Not for anything. And certainly not for Nihil.” Copia feels his shoulders drop but is still on edge. His brother is never this forthcoming and it’s overwhelming. It’s all too much.

“I see,” he says, feeling a little sick. We made her this way. Before he can stop himself the image of you lying on that old boxing mat, confused and hurt, flashes through his mind. You had told him you were sorry. Whether he wants to laugh or cry at the cruel irony of that he doesn’t know.

This is all my fault.

“Does the old man know?”

“No,” Secondo grunts. “And he never will. But the girl has to go.” Copia is stunned, then enraged.

"I won't let you touch her."

Secondo waves him off. "I meant she should skip town."

“Still, why?” The anger returns to his brother’s face.

“Vengeance, Copia. What would she do if she were to find out the truth? She may already know. For all we know, she could be feeding information to the Giordanos as we speak. That would certainly explain why all our fucking product is going missing.” The insinuation lights a spark inside of Copia.

“You think I don’t know the people who work for me? That I share Family secrets for pillow talk?” He scoffs, crossing his arms. “I haven’t told her anything about the business. She is innocent in all of this.”

“Then all the more reason why she must go. You will get her killed, if she does not kill you first.” Logically, Copia knows he’s right, but the implication that he can’t protect himself, that he’s become your unwitting fool, just makes him feel like a child. If he had wanted that, he would have gone to Nihil. And there’s another, deeper part of him that knows he can’t abandon you now. Not after what his family — what he — has done to you. His heart aches at the thought, despair beginning to take root. He has to make this right, but how? How do you even begin to repair damage like that? It seems like an impossible task.

“Why would you tell me this,” he mutters, still staring at the beaming little girl in the photograph. He can’t recall ever seeing you smile. Have you even felt happiness since that day?

“Because we are family. I have an obligation to protect you.”

Copia grunts, angry and sad and ashamed. He glares up at his brother. “When has that ever mattered?” Secondo furrows his eyebrows.

“It has always mattered.”

For a moment, Copia forgets himself. “Where was that rhetoric when Terzo-” He stops, pressing his lips together. Across from him, Secondo sits silently, but there is the faintest trace of hurt in his eyes. Copia wants nothing more than to curl up and vanish, to turn into a little bug and crawl away. “I’m sorry, I-“

“That is all I had to say,” Secondo states, unwavering. “I strongly suggest you take my advice. You can be on your way.” Copia knows it’s not a suggestion. Nodding, he rises from his chair. Secondo stays seated, skimming over one of the papers littering his desk, no longer paying him any mind. He doesn’t bother saying goodbye, mind racing as he sees himself out of the house.

When Copia gets back in his car he sits there a while, his head in his hands.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

diasomnia, 1 — 19

***Spoilers ahead!!!***

Note: this is just a general summary of what has happened so far and my initial reactions to those major events. I focused my comments on whatever interests me the most (ie lore and funny character interactions), so there are definitely details that were overlooked and lines that were simplified to make a joke; please do not rely on this as a translation.

Big thanks to @shuuenmei and @curekibouka-writing for clarifying the more confusing tracks of the story (some parts were difficult to follow the sequence of events for) and the details of the✨ deep lore ✨ It was fun screaming with the both of you—

Ah yes, Yuu’s Sleeping Beauty dream right on cue. Finally starting to put together the puzzle pieces, huh (Yuu goes to check on the Great Seven statues to confirm they saw the Fairy of Thorns in their dreams)? About time—

As expected, Sebek loses his mind and tells Yuu to not abuse Malleus’s kindness. He’s also super pissed that Malleus and Yuu act familiar with each other (and over the nickname). Yup, that interaction went about as well as we all predicted…

Not Lilia being the “I’m an anime boy late for anime school (the internship meeting)!” trope 😂 All he needs is some toast in his mouth!

Crowley talks about boring things how the internships will work and we hear more about the areas of interest for the third years.

Lore ✨ Each internship “semester” is 3 months and you can only take certain internships if you qualify for them via your grades, credits, and electives. You can choose to do 3 separate internships (again, 3 months each) or do 1 internship (for all 9 months). A B or higher is needed on two of the “semesters” to graduate. Students must also submit reports each semester. Some places additionally require interviews and/or special tests to be passed before a student is accepted as an intern. Placements are not first-come, first-serve; you need to earn that spot.

Trey says he wants to do something related to pastries or agriculture; basically, things close to food production 🌾 He wants to take advantage of his opportunities as an NRC student while he still can!! Trey said he wants to work right after school rather than go to university.

Cater is interested in the entertainment industry; he mentions magazines and videos?? It seems he isn’t interested in higher education.

HELP they randomly mention that Ace’s older brother interned in the entertainment industry too (it gets brought up when Cater was considering a theme park for his own internship)??? TRAPPOLA NII ALSO CURRENTLY WORKS IN ENTERTAINMENT????? When do we get to meet him, Ace—

Vil is continuing to advance his own career in film. He already picked out a studio to apply for, and expresses an interest in magical pharmaceuticals (though he doesn’t intend on going to college). Very fitting specialties for everyone, I must say!

Rook is interested in archeology so he can learn more about the world! After learning about S.T.Y.X., he realizes there’s so much more he doesn’t yet know. According to Trey, Rook does appear to intend to pursue college/higher level studies.

LMAO at Trey constantly having to translate Rook-isms for everyone 😂 Classic Science Club…

Unca Weona is cwanky cuz the talking is disturbing his nappy—

Leona’s going to a mining and energy facility in his home country. It’s an option offered only to those with high grades. Leona wants to be a lazy ass 🦁 “They won’t fail their prince, lmao”

Idia is doing an software engineering internship at Olympus Corp (ie TWST Google) 👀 This is huge because back at the end of episode 5 (ie the episode 6 preview), Idia was actively rejecting offers from Olympus Corp, claiming that he wasn’t welcome anywhere. Character growth… Idia isn’t welcome back at S.T.Y.X. because of the Overblotting and how it nearly exposed the organization to the public eye LOL 😂 Absentee Shroud parents upset with him cksbskwbkcnfke

Malleus doesn’t seem to be interested in picking an internship; he says that, to him, 3 months is too short a time to really learn anything (temporal dissonance strikes again). In the end, he is going to research historical ruins?? He can hang out with the Gargoyles 😎 and Rollo/j

BRO WHAT ???? Lilia is dropping out of NRC??? THE FUQ,,,,!.’sveksbskebkzvczbvvv?$$$&85inmw I had to hard stop at this scene because it caught me by surprise.

The first years are talking about Mickey (like if there are certain conditions to get him to appear??). Oh god, they're planning a Mickey Mouse stakeout????? AND ORTHO IS INCLUDED IN THE GROUP AWWWW 🥺 He searches his databases and uses his cool robot tech to look for more information about Mickey but finds nothing.

GRIM MAKES A SUS COMMENT ABOUT HOW ORTHO IS MORE HELPFUL WITH THIS (Mickey and Yuu's worlds perhaps being tied or related to one another) THAN CROWLEY IS.

They overhear Sebek shouting in the cafeteria; he’s in disbelief that Lilia is dropping out of school.

So anyway, Lilia’s magic has, in fact, weakened significantly (he was almost late for the internship meeting because he woke up and found that he couldn't teleport). He plans on retiring in the Land of the Crimson Dragon (Mushu???? IS THAT YOU).

Interesting??? It seems that Lilia has been progressively losing his powers since even before Sebek and Silver were born… It’s not a super recent occurrence.

Sebek and Silver are understandably upset and mention that while it would be easy for either of them to visit Lilia, it would be almost impossible for Malleus because he will be so inundated with his royal duties after graduation. Malleus is distraught as well, but he insists that they respect Lilia's decision. AND HE’S LEAVING IN LIKE A WEEK? That’s barely enough time to mourn or to emotionally prepare for the fallout…

Malleus pitches an idea to talk to his grandma to not overwork Lilia (vice dorm leaders being overworked? What? In this game? Nooooooo/s).

Malleus's grandma is name-dropped (Maleficia)??? Is everyone in the Draconia family just Mal-something????

LOTS OF OMINOUS DIALOGUE ("Time is running out", "Fate cannot be defied", etc.)

After that whole conversation it’s clear that something isn’t right (despite Malleus maintaining his calm in front of Diasomnia). As soon as he’s away from them, the weather instantly turns stormy AND we see Malleus's blot accumulating as early as 7-13 in what I assume will be a very meaty episode.

Sebek and Silver help Lilia pack; Silver finds this tin in Lilia’s room. There is an old bracelet of acorns and thread inside.

Lilia shows up and says that it’s the most precious item he’s ever been gifted??? But it’s not clear who it’s from.

There's another item in the tin (the ring on a chain)! It has a weird effect on Silver?? I think it makes him sleepy???

The gem in the ring is the same color as Silver’s eyes; Lilia thinks its because his parents wanted his eyes to be forever unclouded and pure 🤨 That’s cute and all, but it makes me really suspicious that something super bad will happen later and I’m living for that—

This ring was tied to baby Silver when Lilia found him. He planned on gifting it to Silver when he's finally an adult... and now is that time 😭 Ain’t no way they’re giving us these heartfelt moments only to not tear it down later with something devastating… And?? With the ring being so fancy, there’s no way Silver isn’t descended from some rich family (or even royalty/nobility) himself??? Prince Silver real????/j cuz that ring sure does look like Princess Aurora’s crown…

Sebek pulls up with THIS fucking monstrosity?? It’s a weapon (axe???) Lilia used from back in the day (like, in war). However, nowadays he uses it to chop regular shit like wood. The weapon looks very similar to one that Maleficent’s minions use.

It's made out of a special magical ore! It’s called Mystium, and it changes shape according to the wielder’s magic.

Back to Yuu and co. staking out Mickey! Grim is finally realizing that if Yuu goes home, he’ll be alone 😔 Noooo, fur baby… Don’t be sad..

They wait for a while but get sleepy because Mickey is taking forever to appear. When Yuu wakes up, they see Malleus’s green lights and they go outside to find it’s snowing (again, because of his weird mood). He apologizes and makes the snow vanish, then confides in Yuu about his insecurities.

Malleus tells a story about how he froze the castle and some people when he was a little kid (omg Elsa core???) because because his grandma had promised to eat with him and was late or didn’t show up due to her royal duties keeping her busy. It sounds like even the palace servants were afraid of his power because of incidents like this. Like. It’s kind of implied Malleus almost killed them (Lilia says Malleus almost “lost” those people) with his magic.

Lilia was the only one who came for Malleus to check on him when he was upset, dried his tears, and tried to understand him. He comes over and frees the people that Malleus froze, then everyone starts preparing and eating shaved ice made from the ice encasing the castle (not randomly, I think it was Lilia’s suggestion).

Malleus gets jealous because he saw everyone enjoying food without him and/or he thought Lilia was angry at him. (This is the point when Lilia tells him he has great power so he has to be careful how he uses it, ie the “you almost lost the people that you’re now happily eating with at the hands of your own magic” talk.)

Lilia uses his weapon to make some shaved ice for Malleus and invited him to join in (I think this may be the same weapon Sebek finds in his room in the present???); this helped Malleus “connect” with other people, or at least invited him to join and do the same thing the others were) It’s because of Lilia that Malleus is okay with eating cold things. UM???? HELLO???? Is that why Malleus’s favorite food is ice-cream??? Or at least a part of it?

BTW LONG HAir PONYtAIL LILiA CANON yes I’m way more excited about this than I was about that entire ice story

Yuu calls Malleus lonely 💀 and Malleus is shocked because he’s so used to being alone that the thought never occurred to him…

Oh no, Malleus learned that Yuu has “found a way home” (ie Rickey Rat hunting) 🙃 he’s like. “You are leaving me as well?” AND RIGHT AFTER HE JUST LEARNED ABOUT LILIA GOING… Lilia, who has been with Malleus ever since he hatched from his egg…

Friends, family… everything and everyone he cherishes is leaving Malleus. “Even if I have great power, I have nothing. I gain nothing, I always lose. No one will invite me, not anymore.” No Lilia, No Yuu 😞 Malleus, your abandonment issues are showing—

NAUUUR not more ominous shit 😭 Not the “man, I sure do wish everyone wouldn’t go :(((( if only there was a way for me to have everything I want…” coming from the mouth of a super insanely powerful magician…

NOOOOO not Yuu unintentionally enabling Malleus… He asks if there was a way to be with your loved ones forever, would Yuu take it?????? YUU DOnT SAy YES YOU FUQQinG IDIOT… ENABLER Yuu didn’t learn from Trey/j

MaLLEUS MY duDE 😔 DOn’T PULL ANY STUPID ShIT PLEASE (ie we all know he probably will)

Aaaand that’s all for now, folks!! Lots of sketchy lines and lore centering around grandpappy Lilia 🤡

Overall, I like the direction episode 7 is going so far! I was really worried that it would focus too much on Yuu and Malleus’s relationship rather than elaborating on Malleus’s relationships with the rest of Diasomnia, but I’m glad that the main story actually touches upon how integral Lilia is to his found family—and to Malleus, of course. A lot of interesting plot points have been set up (especially surrounding Mickey and Lilia), and I’m really looking forward to seeing how those conclude 👀 I feel like we also got spoiled with character lore; I love that time is a Real Thing in TWST and the the boys are aging and thinking hard about their futures. Can’t wait for the angst to hit me full force like a truck 💕

[legendary-pink-dot]

Stages of Growth

Pairing: Francisco "Catfish" Morales x reader (no gender specified, but female in my mind)

Rating: Mature (is that still a common rating today? I'm an Old)

Warnings: A couple references to sexual activity, but nothing too graphic.

Word Count: 1,000 on the nose

Summary: A chronicle of your relationship, and Frankie's hair.

Notes: Fuck you, Pedro, for having such pretty hair. I spend way too much time thinking about it. And about Frankie generally. ❤️

---

When you first met Frankie, his hair was medium brown and short. A close-cropped buzz cut, mandatory for basic training, given to him without choice. It suited him, but also didn’t – a perfect match for his ambivalence about joining the military and what the service meant for him. You wondered what personality his hair would have once it had a chance to grow in. What kind of man Frankie would become, the promise his future held, what kinds of things he could and would learn to do.

When you finally had your first night together, he had just arrived home, on leave from a long deployment, your letters having kept him company and chronicled your growing connection. His military haircut had been allowed a reprieve as well, one of the perks and markers of being chosen for Special Forces training, needing to blend in with the locals of the various foreign countries he was sent to. That length of hair reflected well on him and the way he carried himself with new confidence, though there was still a tendril of ambivalence left, along with one wayward tress on his nape that insisted on rebelling, growing literally sideways with no sign of ever giving in.

On that first night Frankie had let you excitedly fist your hands into his longer locks as you kissed, quietly observing how it added fuel to your fire. Later that night, he let you guide his mouth to wherever you wanted it on your body, your hands in his hair acting as reins or restraints when needed and as silent praise when not. When you came, you had pulled his hair so hard that he saw stars and it spurred his own high, barreling him uncontrollably into it seconds later.

By the time he quit the military after many years of dedicated service, his locks had matured into a deeper brown – “English Walnut 7533” according to the Pantone color chart you had pilfered from your interior design firm – and had changed shape and texture, expressing itself in mostly neat, evenly shaped waves and curls, especially in humid weather or the rare time he let you style it for him with your carefully chosen products.

One of your best memories from that time was a hazy, lazy day in the tropics when you were both too overcome with the heat to do much else but lie in shaded loungers on your balcony. Frankie was suffering from the temperature, and the light strokes of your fingers across his brow hadn’t been enough to soothe him, or to satisfy you.

Coconut was the hotel room’s free shampoo offering, and soon the scent of sweet suds had wafted between you. You felt tiny soap bubbles pop, carbonation as you slid your fingers through his locks; you saw the frown lines on his forehead gradually smooth out as his eyes drifted shut and he sighed in delight; you felt the air around him drop several degrees purely from relaxation. You relished his moans when the cool rinse water sluiced down his scalp and into the repurposed ice bucket from the previous night’s champagne. Despite the humidity, his curls had dried by the time night fell, only to turn into sweaty waves again once you tumbled into bed with newfound energy to explore each other’s bodies.

On his first day at work as an aviation mechanic, his pilot’s license having been suspended over some cargo he shouldn’t have flown, he smushed his hair into an old baseball cap that read “Standard Heating Oil”, borrowed from a close friend and military comrade, and took to wearing it almost constantly. He said it was for practical reasons and that he was just too lazy to fuss over his hair, but you knew better. That hat was the first thing he took off when he got home, and the last thing he put on when he left, like he was some method actor with dual personalities.

When he came home a week late from a private group mission gone disastrously wrong, dropping his bags in the doorway and enveloping you in a crushing hug, one of your hands had automatically threaded into the curls on the back of his head, longer and strongly defined now, more for you to hold and more for him to be anchored by.

When he finally shared what went wrong on the mission and how they had lost their leader and friend, he buried his face into your neck, your tears trickling down your cheek to be absorbed by his scalp. One glance downward and all you could see was his locks shot through with silver and grey – much more of it than he had left with. Whatever he went through in South America had quickly accrued compound interest.

He had also lost his hat somewhere during the mission, and from then on never wore one again unless required to at work.

When he had nightmares or panic attacks from that mission, the touch of your hand gently weaving through his hair was his lifeline, something to focus on as he fought his way back to reality and to you.

Now solidly in middle age, Frankie has fewer nightmares, the dreams having receded both in frequency and intensity, and the silvery grey evolution of his hair color seems to have abated too, a rare pause in time.

He keeps his hair at the length you like: long enough for the curls to fully develop and be free, but short enough that he doesn’t have to fuss over it too much. He lets you style it, even lets you wash it for him as your new Sunday evening relaxation ritual. He lets you do whatever you want; you’ve earned it after everything he’s put you through as part of his messy, fractured life.

Tomorrow, Frankie’s pilot license is finally set to be reinstated. Maybe you’ll suggest he get a haircut to celebrate this next stage of his life. Or maybe not.

[mercymermaid]

so

next stop theatre rtc production rant

@ihavenoideamanokay you're being sacrificed

- jane didn't actually sing during her first verse of karnak's dream of life, she just flung her doll around which was iconic

- karnak unfortunately spoke very quickly and didn't have the comedic timing of 2016 :(

- virgil was this tiny little rat who moved up and down it was so silly

- karnak had little blinds in his booth and the front one got stuck and at first we thought it was a bit until he opened the side one and said "oh that one works-" (and then during the entirety of uranium suite he was trying to fix it 😭)

- ocean and constance both had the same outfit, jane had the same outfit as them but with white socks (instead of black), noel had a whole ass blazer over his dress shirt, mischa was. mischa. and ricky had a normal sweater vest over his dress shirt and a beanie

- during uranium suite constance kept managing to channel Main Character Energy (/pos) and then ocean just went. nope <3 and constance actively looked hurt

- once karnak started speaking and they were all standing there ricky was rubbing his throat like "oh my god-"

- noel was a lot less vocally expressive but damn his facial expressions were on POINT

- constance was just having this huge ass panic attack throughout the entirety of everyone's catchphrases and it's hilarious

- speaking of, during everyone's introductions, they hovered by karnak's booth just in like a video game idle animation

- noel, instead of being disgusted, just kinda shrugged like "okay, me, pop off"

- ricky did a handstand and slayed

- jane sounds a lot more like an actual teenager, which was great

- she also had a ragdoll which slayed and it's head was constantly falling off

- noel looked like he was struggling very VERY greatly to keep it together while ocean talked

- mischa and noel were so nice to jane 😭 - noel was talking to her about nails during ocean's intro and waving ajd shir, and they both like ushered her around and shit oh my godddd 😭 they'd make hand gestures and jane would imitate and they looked so proud oml 😭 

- mischa sounds german 😭 

- ocean started her songs by aggressively blowing a whistle which spurred everyone into choreography

- jane was really out of it and didn't actually know what she was doing until towards the end of what the world needs 

- ocean somehow managed to hurt everyone at the end - noel was hit in the nose, constance was knocked down, ricky was as well, mischa got kicked away, and ocean used jane as a little stepping thing at the end

- they all very much enjoyed that, and as karnak announced the 'unanimous vote' thing, ricky and noel both were trying not to laugh

- noel started dramatically clapping and it was great

- "not all gay people are fun to be around" he stared ocean right down, stuck his middle finger in his mouth and then cornered her into the middle while aggressively flipping her off (as he should)

- noel yelled a LOT more than "sweet jesus christ on a stick" when he was fed up "I LOVE YOU GUUUUUUYS-"

- his idle animation was some really weird sexually invigorating writhing (funnily enough mischa was sitting behind him 😭)

- instead of the gay pose for the "his mother found out two things", this mf all but twerked and showed off his ass to the audience 

- this man. /pos

- during the "i hear it gives you an erection" ocean looked on the verge of tears and smiled and nodded aggressively when constance suggested just moving on

- noel was fruiTEA he was not holding back at ALL 

- the taco bell pic was on thr back of a karnak poster and noel all but sprinted and screamed to stand in front of it and trying to play it cool (he failed miserably)

- oh the flirting with mischa was WILD

- at one point he made some innuendo ("never wrote a novel.. or had sex.." points at mischa with a wink) and mischa immediately started texting talia

- instead of a full-blown kiss scene it was a bit more of a little peck and then mischa going "😍"

- and then right after that he got his wig lmao

- he was laughing like a MANIAC he was FERAL

- he was about to do a split and then after constance refused to pay he gave up

- his "tell the lord im dying like him" moment was less dramatic and more peppy

- he just say up and excitedly started rattling off what he would say

- he walked down a pathway of chairs and boxes to The Box and then did his lovely singing while everyone else was also on chairs and shit lmao 

- ricky's accordion was rapidly falling apart 💀

- karnak danced to every song except wtwn and ballad

- again. more fucking flirting with mischa. this man was WILD-

- everyone was sitting on the sidelines during ocean's lesson rant

- jane was sitting with constance, trying to show her her doll, which constance accidentally threw onto the stage

- jane went to get it and mischa went "no-"

- also when karnak said "not every story has a lesson" constance was motioning for him to stop like "please do not-"

- tsia was dope. he had a fur coat and EVERYTHING. he was slaying hard

- everyone was being extremely sexual which was fuckinf hilarious to watch 💀 

- noel was getting INTO IT

- ricky had a silly little robot head thing

- "i lay my masculinity at the altar of your maidenhood" he offered his rapper dollar sign necklace 😭 ily sm my guy

- someone said "aw" and he focused on them for the rest of the song lmao

- talia was beautiful. the big projection fabric was brought in as a veil by jane, and then they used it to shadow project jane and (i think) noel dancing behind it it was so cooollllll 

- instead of the dance circle they all just started dancing crazily it was great lmao

- mischa fucking THREW himself at ricky and noel that mf was sobbing

- no sped up speech from ocean (thankfully /j)

- however at the virginity bit noel immediately walked over like "fucking SPILL"

- they all collectively nudged ricky forward it was so sweet like "you should go"

- it was. wild.

- as he was explaining his religion, noel was nodding along like "yeah this seems sick dude"

- instead of having ocean, jane, and constance at the beginning, he had jane, constance, and noel (bisexual king) 

- he had a cape for a bit but took it off before the "it gets weird now"

- speaking of there was no backstage or costume change he just played guitar aggressively smh

- everyone had a cat helmet and fluffy cat tail and they all has different color and they all had visors and mischa's was constantly falling off 💀 

- mischa: "dude you are so cool now" ricky: "nobody-" *gives the biggest fattest nastiest side eye to ocean* "-ever listened to me"

- BALLAD WAS SO AMAZING HOLY DHRIROFJDUSSHITITISHUDIEKDSB AJRUSJSJFJFJRAUGHFHDUSUFJEIIRH can you tell it's my favorite song

- jane gave her doll to karnak 😭 dadnakdadnakdadnakdadnak-

- her voice was so powerful holy SHIT

- the choreography was everyone moving around with masks on their hands like heads before the first chorus, and then after that it was just hands constantly grabbing at her

- she was terrified kf the hands and heads

- oh and there was uv lihting which made everything very very ckntrasty holy shiat

- her voice was torn between fear pain and anger and it was so fucking gorgeous DUDEEEE

- THOSE HIGH NOTES 🤩 best jane ive seen since emily rohm (i say, this being the only other version i've seen-)

- at the end she just kinda stood there, nobody else was on stage, she kicked the floor like a lil pouty child (my sweetheart) but then when the others started singing happy birthday her eyes widened like "what the fuckkkk"

- mischa beat boxed the first half of the og birthday song

- the new birthday song was super awkward but then ocean figured out the beat and it got really fast really randomly for some reason- felt a bit rushed

- they all blew it out together so once she reached for the cupcake it was already put out

- she didn't wander off to eat the cupcake shr went straight to Ricky

- at first he kinda dismissed her but... oh my goD

- her voice was so confident "savannah, with the greenest eyes..!"

- once the focus shifted off of them ricky unwrapped the cupcake and then he took a bite to show her how to eat it then they took turns until she just shoved the entire thing in her mouth-

- mischa was all alone and then he pointed the bottle at noel who came over

- he offered a sip and noel was such a lightweight hetook one gulp and his knees buckles 😭 

- they had their deep convo and then just took turns drinking until they ended up finishing the entire bottle

- the constance ocean situation. goddamn. it escalated to yelling and then constance punched he really hard and ocean sat down and sulked for the entirety of jawbreaker

- mischa was the guy and he had the tattoo and once he was Free the look of disgust on his face as he tried to dust himself off

- everyone was kinda smiling somberly as constance talked

- DADNAK GAVE HER A SPARKLY JACKET EAFHFHGJGJG

- they all kinda did their own jigs yk

- dadnak had them walk past his booth and grab various sparkly accessories from a bucket for them to dance with it was so cute

- no recorder solo sadly but she did do some wicked scatting

- it was utterly amAZING

- AFTER SUGAR CLOUD. OCEAN HUGS CONSTANCE AND OUT LOUD FULL ON TELLS HER "I'M SORRY" LIKE FUCK YEAHHHHHH

- as ocean being the final vote is announced, the choir turns to look at her rhythmically, and then just look at that exact spot for the rest of her monologue

- it is. long. obviously

- as she's turning around to pick the final vote, everyone makes varying faces of some sort of hope, and as she chooses jane, they relax

- jane's life is revealed by a waterfall of photographs coming from the ceiling and everyone crowds around her to point out all the stuff in them as ocean starts its not a game

- eventually she has all the photos and she's shuffling through them quickly on the verge of tears

- she leaves without much fanfare, constance WAVES and jane runs off behind the wings

- karnak gets his ass killed and just leans out the window, very dead (his death scene was.. interesting)

- as they start it's just a ride oh my god 😭 it's so happy because they're just kinda running around and dancing together and everything AUGH MY HEART

- NOEL HUGS OCEAN. 

- THEY DO THE SPIN ON THE "TURNING ROOOOOUND" BUT NO BIG JAM OUT HOW DARE THEYYY

- JANE COMES BACK OUT AS PENNY WITH A DARKER WIG AND GREEN EYES AND SHE GUIDES THEM ALL TO THE AFTERLIFE BC THEY ALL END UP SETTLING INTO THE ROLLERCOASYER POSITION

- AND THEN PENNY SINGS THE “I KNOW THIS DREAM OF LIFE IS NEVERENDING” WHICH MEANS HER NOT SINGING IT EARLIER WAS FORESHADOWING LOOK AT ME I’M A GENIUS

OTHER STUFF

- this one chair to the side was used as the breakdown chair because constance had like thirty anxiety attacks on it and noel was barely keeping himself together from tearing ocean to shreds 

- can't remember in which interaction specifically but ocean pisses mischa off and he stomps off to sulk backwards on a chair by ricky

- either at the beginning of lament or tsia jane fucking. chucks. her doll somewhere behind karnak's booth

- at one point jane and ocean are sitting next to each other and jane keeps trying to initiate contact and ocean is leaning away like 'fuck no babes'

- mischa beat boxing was a good bit and he did it twice-

anyway that's all-

[princess-of-the-corner]

Once again, I think my asks are being eaten SO:

1) I am torn between two names for Koda’s pupper - Whisper and Moro. Whisper is a character from Sonic the Hedgehog. Moro is the name of the giant wolf that raised San in Princess Mononoke. Both work, but I’m not sure. 

(Also, I’m just imagining after the internships. Like, hey guys, how was it?

Kaminari: “I found out I have a sister cause my dad is a serial cheater.”

Momo: “I was used to shill hair products, and repeatedly insulted about my weight.”

Tsuyu: “I stopped a drug smuggling ring.”

Fumikage: “Eimi and I spent the entire week trying to keep up, and I don’t know if Hawks ever figured out that Eimi and I are separate people.”

Iida: “… I tried to kill someone via vigilante justice …”

Izuku: “I tried to STOP Iida from committing murder via vigilante justice!”

Shoto: “I helped Izuku and Iida not get killed by Stain.”

Himiko: “I was also there!”

Kouda: “… I found a doggie. She can change size. She saved my life, and we’re friends now. She can carry me, and is very fast … She said I’d be a good hero …”

Everyone else: “Fuck it, he wins.”)

2) Glad you like “Seance”! I think my idea was, Fumi can kind of … “connect” with someone via their Quirk, which … considering most Quirk users he meets are ALIVE, doesn’t do much beyond giving him some mild empathy powers. Though with Eimi, it lets them fight as almost one person. It’s not until he meets people with Quirks that have Vestiges, like Izuku and [Redacted] that he starts really getting anywhere with his Quirk, or starts realizing it EXISTS in the first place. I’m … actually not sure if Fumi would realize his Quirk? Like, with Vestiges, if he trains it enough, he could probably see and speak to them. Currently, he’s just … passively empowering them to be able to interact physical objects? That he’s focusing on? Like with the Ouija Board (I’m trying to think of limits so Fumi can’t just wholesale SUMMON GHOSTS).

Though, now I’m imagining he figures out his Quirk, gets it working, and then meets AfO.

AfO: *smooth, charismatic recruitment speech*

Fumi, looking at the literal ARMY of angry Vestiges around AfO: “Sir, I’m going to have to respectfully decline.”

-

Honestly the fact that Koda’s internship starts with ‘I need a new mentor because mine got hit with a bus’ and ‘the world is full of free dogs!’ he’s really just swinging between great time and bad time.

Also my only name thoughts is because I keep thinking of the size changing dog from Danny Phantom, which is Cujo, named after the Stephen King book. Which.... worked in DP but is too dark for Koda.

Re: Fumikage:

Yes!!!

Honestly I’m liking it on just. Being able to click with someone’s Quirk mentally. But yeah he mostly hasn’t expanded on it because he doesn’t realize it’s there. He just clicks into Eimi’s energy because he’s used to it it takes no effort.

And now it’s getting a touch stronger already as he clicks with his classmates in battle, but it’s not as practiced on others so it’s more ‘general vibes’ rather than full on connection.

Plus! He’s now actually constantly around a bunch of Ghosts thanks to Izuku and [REDACTED]. His passive ability to sense them is constantly being activated, which has him looking closer, and eventually he’ll be able to see them properly.

Also YEAH The looking at AfO the most haunted motherfucker is just. OOH BOY.

[sagau-my-beloved]

Help. Since morning I just have one thing on mind, reverse sagau avian venti fluff 😭😭😭😭

- 🧩anon

I get it man I think about Venti's wings at least twice a day 😔😔

But you can't just say that and not share, gimme the avian Venti fluff pls

I'll go first, so Venti who's just constantly accidentally knocking things over with his wings in your little apartment, who gives you a sheepish smile and maybe a nerves laugh everytime he hears something else fall to the ground

Occasion he has the reflexes to grab it midair but for the most part you've just become accustom to the sound, he still feels bad if anything actually breaks though

In traditional courting manner he'd probably try really really hard to surround you in things you've shown some sort of a preference towards, like if you like soft things or purple things or shiny things, as soon as he sees something that meets that description it's immediately 'brain off retrieve item' mode, and then he'd get all excited when presenting it as you give him a confused or concerned look depending on how expensive the item is because he doesn't exactly have money to just splurge

Since it's pretty common for birds to have decreased energy in the winter months (and also canon that the Anemo Archon literally is believed to hibernate after Weinlesefest) Venti would probably want nothing more than to spend the whole winter in bed with you, and would absolutely whine and moan whenever you try to get up, especially if it's to go to work or really outside of the house at all

It's just so cold and unpleasant when you're not right there lying beside him, like a part of him is missing, he really doesn't understand how you can manage this level of productivity all year round or why you'd even want to when he's right there with open arms ready to hold you and watch movies or just cuddle all day

And he's absolutely not above just trapping you with his arms, legs, and even wings if it comes down to it, cause now he simply can't live without you being right there, it might as well be a physical need cause it's frankly impossible for him to be comfortable without you and that means he can't sleep at all, and that means he's gonna feel super tired and unpleasant later

When it's cold out is one of the rare times that you see him actually lethargic, which only makes him clingier than usual, gotta stay warm through body heat of course, in bed, away from people, with only each other, and did he mention no one else?

By contrast, in the spring and summer he'd be all over the place, dragging you halfway around the world because it's "nice out" and you "shouldn't waste it inside all day"

Still just as affectionate, that's not changing no matter what month it is, and still just as on alert towards other people, hanging out with other people a lot means that you might start preferring their company and he's not losing you to somebody else, which really just adds up to him turning the whole courting thing up to the extreme

And that means prepare to be serenaded in the most romantic ways he can conjure and also not have to do any of your own cooking for awhile, he'd probably be very unconsciously into keeping everything clean too because he's gotta prove himself as a good partner

Really Venti would just be a lot more clingy and would probably have a stronger urge to join you in a lot of your everyday activities, like eating, showering, working, and obviously sleeping, to the point where he purposefully waits and morphs whatever schedule he has around doing those things with you because they're just that important

Then I personally like to imagine his feathers fluffing up when getting caught off guard, like he just immediately goes into 'make yourself bigger' mode on instinct and suddenly you're smacked in the face by a wing

I can't stress this enough but he would love love love you touching his wings, no question about it just don't stop, it's a pretty surefire way to get him to just keep you in bed all day cause you could do it for hours and he still wouldn't be satisfied

But the cutest thing in the world just came to me, Venti accidentally making something that mimics a little chirp when happy, and then getting super embarrassed about it because that sound wasn't supposed to come out—

Sigh avian Venti need's to exist more as a general concept because I'm hooked, it's adorable and I'm so sad I can't find it anywhere else

[realmadridfamily]

Anastasia Tomazova - Lunin : "We love Spain very much, the people here are very friendly, we feel very welcome and comfortable."

Influencer, mother and owner of an Instagram profile with around 200,000 followers. Yes, Anastasia Tomazova is more than just a WAG. Although the Ukrainian is married to Andriy Lunin, goalkeeper of Real Madrid, this fact has not affected her personality in any way. As she confesses : "we are the most ordinary family". Noting her huge potential in social media and considering her future projects, we meets with the young woman in one of her favorite places in the capital of Spain, the massage, facial and body care salon "Ritualyté". There we talk about her dreams, fears and even get some information about her upcoming wedding.

We are in one of your favorite places in Madrid. What do you find in Ritualyté that you haven't experienced in other beauty salons? How much importance do you give to beauty and self-care? Yes, for me it's my favorite place because massages are a must for me. I have an active lifestyle and sometimes I need to find time to relax my soul and body. I really like to take care of my body, especially after giving birth, because after giving birth the skin is not as tight as I would like. That's why I had to turn to specialists to make sure everything is in order.

From all the salon offers, which treatments do you use most often and how often? I really like the results of LPG massages to tighten and give elasticity to the skin, as well as relaxing massages with aromatherapy oils, chocolate therapy …

We know you love aromatherapy products. How do these essential oils affect your physical and emotional well-being? What changes have you noticed after using them? I love the scent of the oil because I am very sensitive to smells and this helps me relax and gives me energy.

We’ve also seen you use innovative water-based exfoliators to exfoliate and double cleanse your scalp. As with any beauty technique you undergo, would you recommend it to your followers as an Influencer? Yes, I have been wanting to try this procedure for a long time, because I saw it in my home country, in Ukraine, but I think this is the first salon where it has appeared in Spain. The water head massage is fantastic. Since I find the head to be the most sensitive area for massage, I would recommend everyone to try this procedure to relax and feel its effect.

Congratulations, you've reached 100k. Tell us about your experience in this industry? How would you define your profile and what values ​​characterize it? My profile is more football-related because I am a footballer’s wife. But I try to develop it in more feminine directions. I also have a female audience who are interested in what we do outside of football, how we live, what restaurants we visit, what cities and shops we go to. I often get asked for beauty tips …

For example, do you want to start your own beauty center or cosmetic/fashion brand? Do you have a project in mind? I would like to have my own clothing brand, but it's a bit difficult right now because I'm focused on motherhood. Now I'm also thinking about opening a development center for children. But we'll see later.

We also know you love sharing these plans with your husband, but what are your other favorite hobbies as a couple? We love trying different food, delicious dishes, cuisine from different countries. That's why our favorite pastime is to go and explore new restaurants. I also plan to learn to play golf.

As an elite athlete, Andriy must have little free time. How does it feel to be the wife of a footballer who is constantly in the media? How do you cope with the constant press attention, the headlines, the pressure … ? Well, for me it's not that complicated because I'm used to my husband having to play almost every three days, but for the child it's a bit complicated because he's small and wants to see his dad more often. Honestly, I read very little newspapers. If you read everything, you can go crazy. We've probably gotten used to this lifestyle for many years and behind football we're the most ordinary family that likes to spend time at home.

For example, you decided to get married in a completely private way, away from the spotlights and in a sweatpants! Would you do it again or do you feel like celebrating the wedding in a beautiful wedding dress and walking down the aisle? We had a wonderful wedding. We would do it again! We will also celebrate our golden wedding in sweatpants. Of course, we are planning a celebration for our loved ones, we want to take them to one of the islands and organize a celebration. But we will do without a fluffy wedding dress.

You have been living in Spain for over 5 years, but you recently said that you were okay with the idea of ​​moving if it would give your husband a better future. Do you still have that idea? We love Spain very much, the people here are very friendly, we feel very welcome and comfortable. But if my husband has to leave this country, of course I will support him and we will go where it is necessary. I am a person who loves to travel, so I am not afraid of the idea of ​​moving.

You have a little son. How do you as a couple cope with parenthood? What traits would you emphasize in yourself as a mother and in him as a father? Becoming parents means becoming more mature. First of all, it means responsibility and worrying about that little child. Being able to be patient, attentive and active, even at night, when you are tired or sick.

Would you like your son to follow in his father's footsteps in the future? Well, that's a difficult question. On the one hand, I would like to, but on the other hand, I see how much time and health my husband devotes to his work, that as a mother I don't know if I would like my son to go through that. Although it's only his decision who he should be, we will support him in everything.

How has your life changed? Life has changed 180 degrees. We approached parenthood very responsibly and were prepared for it. That's why we love spending time together, teaching our son different things, playing with him, watching him develop and grow. Sure, it has its drawbacks: sometimes you want to sleep, but that too will pass with time.

Finally, would you like to continue expanding your family? What plans do you have in mind? There are no such plans for now. For now, one child is enough. Now we are focusing on raising him and our career. It's very difficult to plan anything because we don't know where we will be in a week.

[403tarot]

TAEHYUNG ENERGY CHECK - 11.23

general: tahyung is experiencing a moment of peace and tranquility that he hasn't had in a long time. he has always been someone constantly concerned with being productive, making an effort, and presenting the best of himself, but i feel that with the release of his latest work, taehyung allowed himself to slow down and be kinder to himself, to stop being so harshly self-critical, and to enjoy the fruits of his own hard work. he is happy!

love: there's someone new setting up camp in his heart. things are in the early stages, but i can see that he's considering moving forward soon, waiting for the right moment... in any case, love is in the air.

mental health: probably in one of his best phases. taehyung might be receiving some form of professional support or simply has started to learn how to communicate his thoughts and emotions more effectively.

physical health: things are okay, as far as possible. at least, that's what taehyung thinks. it's not like he's actively seeking check-ups and visiting the doctor frequently, but as long as he feels everything is in place, he doesn't feel the need to.

professional: many new ideas are emerging and then being discarded shortly afterward, sometimes because he doesn't see ways to accomplish them and sometimes because he's a perfectionist in his work and wants everything to come out flawless, even if it's just a draft. he intends to start a new project soon or at least begin preparing for it

[the-panda-queen]

Demon Brothers in order of least to most hygienic

Tbh this wouldn't leave my brain, explanation/ reason also listed. You can try to change my mind but not really.

1.) Leviathan- You can't convince me he doesn't smell the worst/ shower the least of the seven. Once he gets his hand on the latest manga or gaming obsession this dude does not leave his room. He will stay locked in front of his console until he gets all the achievements and checks all the forums. One time his brothers thought they could starve him out but he has an emergency stash of rations so he can keep gaming/ reading/ watching anime. He'll even pee in empty energy cans just so he doesn't have to leave his room. Whenever he does finally leave his room after his latest binge whatever brother sees him first will shove him in the bathroom and spray him down, clothes and all. He has long sense accepted his fate.

2.) Belphegor- Its canon that whenever he does shower he has to start head first or he'll forget what parts of his body he's cleaned or hasn't cleaned (T_T). He values sleep above all else and sees shower as a chore he could go without doing for extended periods of time (why shower when all he does is sleep, its not like he's dirty). Beel will carry Belphie to the shower when his stench gets to be too much.

3.) Beelzebub- He's pretty physically active and after Fangol practice he does shower at the school. In the evening before bed he'll do a "quick" workout then start heading to the bathroom with the intent to shower but gets hungry on the way so he'll go to the kitchen to grab a quick snack and sort of forgets that he was supposed to shower. He'll notice the next day that he has a bit of funk and as long as if doesn't cut into his breakfast time he'll go an take a quick shower. If he doesn't have time he will wait till after Fangol practice.

4.) Lucifer- Mans is constantly busy with student council work and keeping track of his brothers antics. Between all his duties both inside and outside of RAD he barely has time to take care of himself. Barbatos will make a not so subtle comment about how Lucifer is Diavolo's right hand man and should hold himself as such in all aspects including but not limited to cleanliness. Lucifer takes the hint and showers.

5.) Satan- He has to be better than Lucifer at anything and everything. While his room might be a chaotic mess he does try to ensure he's cleaner than Lucifer. Sometimes when he gets hooked on a new book or detective show he'll start to neglect his basic needs but Asmo will quickly tell him he needs to go shower, even though he doesn't smell.

6.) Mammon- As a model he gets access to some free products from his photoshoots/ ads and ensures when he gets to his modeling gigs he's a fresh clean canvas for whatever the photographer has in mind. In between work he might feel a little lazy and miss a shower or two but nothing crazy. He still smells nice.

7.) Asmodeus- The cleanest and best smelling out of his brothers. Has access to a plethora or soaps and shampoos. He hates getting sweaty and dirty, will avoid it at all costs. Even when his doing his "extracurricular" activities he will be the first to jump into the shower afterwards. Even if he's spent the whole day indoors he showers/ bathes at least twice a day. In the evening he'll have a nice soak in his magic infused bathtub.

[eviestrology]

Synastry Ship - loupdelta

@loupdelta Thanks for requesting!!

ASPECTS

Moon Trine Moon: You have an unspoken bond and intuitively know how each other feels. Your emotional connection is effortless and harmonious. It’s easy to trust and be empathetic with each other. You’re a good source of emotional comfort and security for each other. You have a safe space to be vulnerable.

Mercury Sextile Mars: You enjoy being together and this aspect makes your connection very passionate. He will help you become more direct with your feelings. Conversations will be lively and productive.

Mercury Sextile Jupiter: Conversations are lively and inspiring. You inspire each other to learn more and are very supportive of each other’s ideas. He believes in you and encourages you.

Mercury Trine Saturn: He helps you plan your life and give form and structure to your ideas. He knows how to advise you to help improve your life. You are able to solve problems in your relationship through careful and logical communication. Your conversations may be dry or overly serious at times, however.

Mercury Sextile Uranus: You have a good intellectual understanding. You are in tune with each other and are able to finish each other’s sentences. You are able to come up with a lot of creative ideas and solutions. Open communication is a big part of your relationship.

Mercury Sextile Neptune: You have similar interests and share a similar appreciation for the arts. Conversations will flow easily and you finish each other’s sentences. You will generate a lot of energy and creativity between you two. A risk of this aspect is that this can be a meeting of minds more so than physical. It’s great for platonic relationships.

Mercury Conjunction Pluto: Your conversations tend to be probing and deep. You’re inspired to explore the mysteries of the universe, to undergo some profound changes in your understanding and in your ways of thinking, and develop a deeper understanding of and compassion for life, spirituality, and humanity. Frequently what starts out as a light, friendly conversation ends up as an in-depth psychoanalysis of each other. When you’re together, your thoughts, ideas, and conversations take on a deep sort of intensity - you might talk about life’s larger complexities, such as sex and death, or the intensity could come out in the way he treats you. If your relationship has any issues to solve, this aspect could help with that, as it encourages you to talk things out in a serious and thorough way.

Mars Conjunction Mars: Your levels of action, desire, and sexuality are compatible with what should prove to be a lively relationship. Both you and Jaehyun are assertive and willing to go after what you want. Your competitive natures and desire for self-expression are focused on mutual interests and goals. The competitiveness in your relationship is likely positive and healthy. You might also need to be active with one another, as excess energy may turn sour if not channeled well. Allowing one another the freedom to pursue separate interests is also important.

Mars Trine Jupiter: You feel like you can take on any challenge and you have what it takes to be successful. Everything comes together easily and you will enjoy an active life together.

Mars Opposition Saturn: You feel like you are constantly judged. He may make you feel childish and attempt to control you. He may criticize everything you do, from the way you behave to the way you dress. It is very hard to overcome this aspect as the more you try to assert yourself the more disapproving he becomes.

Mars Trine Uranus: Very exciting and adventurous relationship. This could be a relationship that lasts forever, and yet you still feel the excitement as though it were a short fling. You find it easy to act freely and without restraint.

Mars Sextile Pluto: This aspect indicates intense sexual desires within the relationship. There is a sense of competitiveness in this relationship. You will need to find a healthy way to express this or power games could become an extremely intense theme of your relationship. Lots of passion and attachment.

HOUSE OVERLAYS

His Sun in Your 11th House: This relationship usually starts out as a friendship and you may meet through friends. You’re best friends as well as lovers. You can talk for days and have similar ideas and views. You accept each other’s flaws easily and it is easy to confide in each other. This is great for long-term relationships.

His Moon in Your 1st House: He feels secure with you and comfortable sharing everything with you. It’s easy to be emotionally open and vulnerable. You intuitively understand each other’s feelings and needs. The relationship is soothing and warm. Good overlay for a strong marriage.

His Mercury in Your 10th House: Good for professional relationships. He’s like a mentor to you and might also act as a PR person for you, talking you up to others. You like talking about your life goals and career with each other. He motivates you and gives you ideas about how to move up in your career. You have mutual respect for one another.

His Venus in Your 10th House: He has the skills and qualities you lack and want to have. You might view him as a role model. He can help improve your status and introduce you to people in high places. However, he might sometimes feel like you see him as a trophy husband. You have a lot of respect for each other and love to show off your partner in public. You make each other look good. You get a lot of attention when you’re out in public together so if you’re shyer it could be uncomfortable at times.

His Mars in Your 6th House: You inspire each other to work on yourselves, improving your health and well-being. You show love by offering help to the other and have a calming effect on each other. Daily chores become more enjoyable when you do them together. It’s easy to resolve issues and compromise. 

His Jupiter in Your 10th House: Great for professional relationships. You help each other gain status and position in your careers. He motivates you to reach your goals and step into more leadership roles. You work well together and there is a lot of mutual admiration and attraction for each other. 

His Saturn in Your 12th House: He will help you become more aware of unconscious behaviors that are interfering with you achieving happiness. He will either help you get rid of these behaviors or he will use these weaknesses against you. He might not appreciate or notice all the nurturing and compassionate gestures you give him. You could end up feeling very lonely and insecure in this relationship. 

His Uranus in Your 10th House: He challenges you to think outside the box in your career and suggests ways to advance. You will either welcome these ideas or find them too over the top. There is a sense of competitiveness between you two. 

His Neptune in Your 10th House: He becomes involved with your career. He helps you discover the importance of building relationships and being aware of the emotional needs of others in order to advance in your career. His ideas and creativity can help you advance in your career. He thinks highly of your abilities and may idealize you.

His Pluto in Your 8th House: He wants to know all your secrets and fears. He will either help you overcome them or use them against you. He makes you feel vulnerable, but this exchange of secrets creates a powerful bond between you. Depending on the kind of person he is, this will either be a very positive or negative overlay. Sex is intense, passionate, and very experimental.

OVERALL RANKINGS

Emotional intimacy: 5/5, you can talk for hours and still have things to say. You intuitively know how each other feels and your emotional connection is effortless. A very supportive and open relationship.

Physical chemistry: 5/5, no major blockages.

Trust and Boundaries: 5/5, easy, flowing communication that makes it easy to trust and be open with each other.

Equality in the relationship: 4/5, he could be controlling and judgemental at times. He pushes you to improve and advance in your career.

Satisfaction: 5/5, honestly this is the most soothing and warm synastry ship I have done in a long time. Aside from some controlling tendencies, there are no big red flags. You're willing to talk things through during conflicts and work well together.

[soullessjack]

okay sorry I’m going full autism here but I am so obsessed with how fucking weird Kryptonian physiology is and all the implications of it. Like

Kryptonians do not have powers on Krypton. They’re exclusively a side effect of Earth’s lesser gravity and yellow Sun, but why would their biology only be affected by a singular planet light years away from them, and why does their biology include the capability for bending metals and shooting eye beams and seeing through solid materials? There’s nothing in Krypton’s environment to suggest that those are natural survival mechanisms, like human hair is for warmth–and even if it was, they’re useless mechanisms because they can only be applied under another planet’s specific environmental conditions.

Jor-El’s hologram makes it a point to mention to Clark that he will develop powers, and those powers could lead to people becoming afraid of him. If Kryptonians are functionally humans on their planet with powers that only exist under the conditions of another specific planet, how does Jor-El know about them or to warn Clark about them? How does he know fear will be an inevitable reaction from the people of Earth? Have Kryptonians ever gone to Earth before, or are there other planets that activate their powers? Does Krypton have a history of accidentally inciting fear with their abilities that could warrant Jor-El including that as a warning for what Clark could face after they develop?

Could different reflections of sunlight, like moonlight or an eclipse or even a rainbow, affect Clark’s powers? Could they make him weaker or stronger or give him entirely different powers altogether? There’s a STAS episode where that one weather control guy filters the sun’s energy into exclusive red rays that significantly weaken Superman, but what could other rays do?

Kryptonians don’t necessarily need food or drink to survive and sustain themselves, and can basically photosynthesize yellow sun energy. But then, why would they be naturally dependent on another planet’s light source for energy, and why would they have mouths and teeth and a digestive system if their energy intake isn’t exclusive or necessary in that form?

Kryptonite is essentially the equivalent to our radiation, uranium, etc lethal radioactive materials. How could an entire race exist or develop to utopian standards of life on a planet made of radiation? Are their powers a product of being constantly irradiated by their own home? Do I know too little about earth radiation to understand any of this? (Yes).

I’m sure there’s answers lying around in the comics somewhere, and I’m even more sure these are all just questions that don’t have answers because most comic book origins were simplistically constructed and later-expanded ideas without any real solid backing. Also, I am just autistic and really into biology and knowing the reasoning of things, so this only matters to me for those express purposes

[blurredcolour]

Nom De Plume | Part Two

Nom De Plume Masterlist

Summary: The first month of filming brings many surprises – Cloé’s behaviour, Austin’s kindness, and your reaction to it all.

Pairing: Austin Butler x Female Reader

Warnings: Mean Girl Trope, Medium Reader Injury, Austin With a Cajun Accent, Vague Understanding of Movie Production, Mature/Explicit Themes [Dream Sex, Oral – M/F Receiving, Penetration, Unprotected Sex] – 18+ Only

GIF credit: @carriediariesedits

Word Count: 5987

»» ────── ஓ ๑ ✧ ๑ ஓ ────── ««

Filming was a marathon.

Greta knew exactly what she was looking for in each scene. Each shot. And she was happy to film whatever number of takes required to achieve her vision. You were truly in awe of Austin and Cloé’s ability to reset – shifting back in the exact position they started from, delivering their lines with the same emotion and energy as the first eight times.

You wondered if this is what writing looked like to others…only a much more internal process, naturally. Greta had chosen to start production with a few scenes of Antoine and Yvette getting to know one another in the barn, and it felt like a very natural place for everyone to ease their way into the story. You found that the burden on yourself and Pearce during filming was minimal – supplying lines, answering questions, assisting Continuity.

When Greta called cut, Austin would usually make his way over to check in with Pearce and yourself. He would clarify finer points of his character, motivations, and how each line fit into the bigger picture. The degree to which he was invested in the story made your heart ache fondly.

You had let Austin know that ‘Sloan’ would be fine with answering any questions he might have, he just needed to pass them along through you. Over the past two weeks, however, he had not once taken you up on that offer. He seemed more than satisfied with the answers that Pearce and you were able to supply on the spot.

Cloé…. well, she was fantastic on screen. Off? You did not have many kind things to say. She would lay helplessly as her team rushed over to her to ensure her every comfort. You expected a certain amount of swarming by hair, make-up, and wardrobe. But they would literally hand feed her and hold the straw on her Perrier which was chilled to her specified temperature. She basked in the attention, and actively called more to herself when her team weren’t satisfying her. Needily fishing for compliments from any crew member she could make eye contact with.

Her most annoying behaviour, by far, was born of her constant desire to have Austin at her side. She would croon his name and, being a gentleman, he would return to her even though you could tell he had more questions for Pearce and yourself. She fussed and cooed and petted at him constantly. The man deserved a medal for his patience with her. ‘Or maybe he likes it…’ the nastier part of your brain stabbed at the fragile blossom of feelings budding beneath your breastbone.

You huffed quietly at yourself and took Pearce’s coffee order, refreshing your mind with a walk to the craft services trailer just outside the studio. You were reaching for the door, two hot beverages balanced in one hand and a snack in your pocket, when it suddenly swung open toward you, making you jump with a squeak. You were fumbling with the drinks in an almost comical fashion when Austin’s large, steady hands seized a cup in each, smoothly avoiding disaster. You pressed your hand to your heart and exhaled slowly.

“Sorry there, makin’ ya jump yet again…” He grimaced.

You shook your head violently.

“I’m sorry for basically shouting in your face. And very, very grateful for your drink rescue.” You smiled warmly and offered your hands to take them.

“Why don’ we getcha a tray?” He winked teasingly and held the drinks hostage, heading over to the cart to get a coffee for himself and requesting a tray.

You quickly packed his drink into it with the other beverages and he looked to you startled. You smirked back up at him triumphantly, the chuckle that he emitted sending a thrill through you. He grabbed the drinks before turning with you to head back inside.

“So…is it as borin’ as ya thought it woul’ be?” He smirked at you with a raised eyebrow.

You could not help the laugh that shot out of your throat.

“Is it that obvious? Gosh I need to work on my poker face.” You joked but shook your head. “It’s…quite analogous to the process of writing. I just…didn’t expect it? But it makes a lot of sense that…getting it to the point that the creator is looking for takes trial and error.” You opened and held the door for him, gesturing him through.

“My, whatta generous answer. Most people are simply bore’ ta tears.” He laughed cheekily and you couldn’t help but join in.

You looked up to see Cloé’s eyes trained on the two of you, a frightening coldness in her expression. It was not one you had ever seen from her before, and it was extremely unsettling.

“Well, it’ll be a nice change o’ pace ta break outta this bar’ tomorro’ ‘n’ shoot on tha back lot.” Austin continued, resecuring your attention.

“Yes! Male bonding.” You grinned as you looked back to him and he laughed again, removing his cup before handing you the tray. “After two weeks in this barn, I can honestly say I’m excited.”

You watched as he took a deep sip, savouring the warmth with closed eyes. You stood there, spellbound by his presence. His mannerisms. Pearce broke your focus by reaching in between the two of you to snag his cup from the tray.

“Thanks for this.” He murmured tiredly and patted your head.

You felt for Pearce, not only was he attending filming all day, but he was also reviewing the daily footage with Greta well into the evening.

“All right folks, break is over, places please!” The assistant director called, and Austin tensed, looking around for something to do with his coffee.

“I’ll take care of it for you, go ahead.” You smiled, holding out the tray and he mouthed ‘thank you’ before hurrying back to his place amongst the straw.

You took your seat behind Pearce and looked up to set, almost choking on the sip you’d just taken. Cloé was sending you that fiercely cold look once again, her hand splayed on Austin’s chest as makeup touched up his lips. You looked down to the script in your lap quickly, as though that gaze physically hurt you. As far as you knew they were simply co-stars, but her behaviour spoke of something more. Or, at least the desire for something more?

The next morning dawned sunny and warm, the perfect weather for shooting the tarmac scene. You had opted to walk to the backlot, soaking in the smell of the damp earth coming back to life with spring. Pearce had offered to take your bag with him on the golf cart, but with all of its occupants it was quite packed, so you’d waved him off as they went ahead of you to the outdoor set. You were about halfway there when yet another golfcart passed you. You looked up and furrowed your brow in confusion as Cloé was riding on the back. She was not on the call sheet for today, so you found her presence surprising. Seeing you, she loosened her grip on the papers in her hand, sending them fluttering into the trees.

“Can you…Thanks!” Was all you heard of her shouted statement, but the meaning was clear enough.

Clean up after me.

Sighing heavily, you set your heavy bag down on the side of the road and began picking up the sheets of loose paper, frowning to see it was script pages. Your hard work, carelessly tossed into the woods to put you back in the place she felt you ought to be in. Beneath her. You followed the trail of pages further into the long grass, under the trees, until you suddenly came across a rather steep hollowing running through the wooded area.

There were just four more pages down there, and you were not about to give up now. The slope was unfortunately not as stable as it appeared, and your feet slid down the turf as you plummeted to the bottom of the hollow. You had thankfully not landed in the water; however, your right ankle had definitely folded up under you and was not wanting any weight to be put on it. Stubbornly, you hopped and limped to gather the last of the pages, hissing and wincing at the hot lances of pain that seared up your leg when you tried to use the injured ankle.

“Fuck me…” You growled to yourself bitterly, looking up the steep wall of the hollow. You folded up the script pages and stuck them into the waistband of your pants at the small of your back, pulling your shirt down over them before trying to pull yourself out. Your yelp was uncontrollable and pathetic to your own ears. You turned to look down the length of the hollow, considering walking along it back toward the office. There must be flat ground somewhere. But a persistent ache had started in your joint, and you truly doubted your ability to get far.

 Footsteps sounded in the grass above you, and you gasped, looking up to see Austin staring down at you wide-eyed.

“Whatcha doin’ down here in tha grass, cricke’?” He tilted his head in confusion. “Saw yer bag back there. Pretty sure we’re filmin’ up tha road, no?” His eyes narrowed as he saw you holding your foot off the ground, only the tips of your toes on your right foot touching the turf. “Yer hur’…”

He slid down quickly to stand beside you, crouching down to assess your ankle. He barely touched it and you yelped again, immediately following it up with an apology. He straightened and frowned softly, taking a deep breath and turning to yell back up to the road.

“ME-” The rest of the word ‘medic’ was cut off by your palm sealing over his mouth with a little more force than you intended, but your reaction was filled with urgency.

“Please don’t make a fuss, please don’t…” Huge, hot tears of humiliation mingled with pain rolled down your cheeks. “I’m not even supposed to be here, please don’t make a fuss, I’m not, I don’t, please…” You rambled, leaning against the bank of the hollow in defeat.

He gently gripped your wrist and peeled your hand from his notably soft lips before gathering you to his chest in a reassuring hug.

“Hey, hey shhh…I gotcha, ok? We’ll getcha outta here…” He looked over the terrain thoughtfully before pulling his head back and craning his neck to catch your eyes with his. “Ok I got ‘n idea, ya trus’ me?”

You sniffled and nodded pathetically, leaning on him a little. He squeezed you once more before stepping back and turning around.

“Hop on my back.” He said, looking back at you over his shoulder as he bent his knees and your eyes widened in shock. “I mean it, we’ll climb out together.”

You wiped your eyes and bit your lip before hobbling forward and pushing up onto his back. His hands found the backs of your knees and hoisted you higher. You slid your arms under his to reach up through his armpits and grab at the fabric of the uniform covering the front of his shoulders, not wanting to choke him.

“Thank ya, cricke’. I do like breathin’.” He smiled and wrapped your legs around his slender waist. “Hold on tigh’ now, I need both han’s.” You tensed your leg muscles to hold on, pressing a whimper into the back of his neck at the pain. He lurched forward and scrambled his way out of the hollow before standing on flat ground. His hands quickly slid under your knees once more, releasing the pressure on your ankle as he carefully but quickly worked his way back to the road. “Yer doin’ so grea’, cricke’, almos’ there.”

You didn’t dare look over his shoulder, not wanting to see the faces of the people waiting on the golf cart. Didn’t even look up as he turned to deposit you in his empty spot on the backward facing bench. He knelt before you, looking up at you as you refused to look up at him.

“Can we getcha some help now, cricke’?” He tilted his head and you finally relented, nodding softly. He smiled warmly and it was not five minutes from the time the driver radioed the medical team to when their van showed up.

“Go on, I’ve taken enough of your time.” You looked to him firmly as the medics moved you to sit on the tailgate of their van.

“Ya sure?” He hesitated and you shooed him away with a gesture of your hand, offering him a brave smile which he returned before heading off to set.

Two hours, and a trip to the Accident & Emergency department, later, you knew it was not broken. It was, however, a nasty high ankle sprain. You were not allowed to bear weight on it for at least three days, so you were settled into the office with your leg propped up on the coffee table, an ice wrap around your ankle, and your shiny new set of crutches leaning against the wing of your armchair. That was how Austin found you near three o’clock that afternoon, carrying a cup of the same drink you’d enjoyed after your trip to craft services with him yesterday.

You looked up from your laptop where you were working on something for Pearce and scrunched your nose at his expression of sympathy.

“I really did it this time…” You sighed dejectedly, saving your document and closing the lid on the laptop. He set the warm drink in your hands and settled across from you in Pearce’s chair. It was then that you noticed he was in his own clothes, jeans and a light knit black sweater.

“Not broken, though?” He asked hopefully and you shook your head.

“Just a sprain. Thank you. Thank you very much for helping me at my most pathetic.” You looked down, slightly ashamed, in retrospect, at your overly dramatic behaviour.

His warm hand pressed against your left knee and squeezed gently.

“Be kind ta yerself there, cricke’. You were hur’. I’m jus’ glad I saw yer bag…” He smiled gently and you looked up to him slowly.

“I was wondering that…how you knew when to show up. Thank you.” You repeated again.

“Yer verra welcome. So, what are yer orders?” He glanced at your foot and then to your crutches before his eyes returned to yours.

“I’m working from home for the next few days, just came back to get my laptop then I’ll catch a cab. No walking on it at all for three days, then slowly add weight back on it over the next few weeks.” You leaned down to snag your laptop back from where it rested against your chair and packed up your laptop.

“Lemme drive ya again? We know tha way…” he offered hopefully, and you hesitated but found you did not have the strength to argue.

“I’m going to owe you a lot more than a conduit to a reclusive author...” You sighed in defeat, and he shook his head, standing to unplug and reel in your charging cord.

“Consider us even if I can cook yer dinner tonigh’.” He collected your things, sliding your bag over his own shoulder before holding out the crutches for you to help yourself to your feet.

It was awkward but he was patient and made sure you were steady.

“That does not compute.” You finally replied to his offer. “That puts me further in your debt.”

You slowly progressed along the hallway with him, swinging the crutches forward before swinging your left leg forward, alternating between the two as your right foot stayed bent at the knee behind you to keep it off the ground.

“Ah, but you’ve neglecte’ ta include tha coefficien’ where it makes me really happy ta cook fer people.” He countered and you laughed despite your struggle.

“Coefficient, hmmm?” You teased and breathed a sigh of relief to see his car and driver waiting outside the studio. Not much further now.

“ ‘xactly.” He replied firmly and took the crutches from you once you’d sunk down into the backseat. The driver then took the crutches from him, tucking them into the trunk as you carefully swung into the car completely and buckled in.

He slid in beside you and looked to you expectantly before you sighed fondly.

“I really don’t have the wherewithal to deny you, so do your worst.” You smiled wearily and leaned back in the seat.

“Perfect. D’ya need groceries?” He asked as the driver headed off toward Slough.

“No, thankfully I went to the store yesterday. Fully stocked.” You looked to him with a nod before giving the driver your precise address. He parked in the lot in front of your building. As you were working your way out of the car, the two men arranged for Austin to get home later that evening without the driver needing to just wait around for him.

You had never been more grateful for an elevator as you rode quietly up to the fourth floor, leading Austin down the hall to your simple one bedroom. You headed straight for the couch, needing a rest from the crutches, and Austin set your things down beside you before heading to the kitchen. You settled in, propping up your leg as you watched him assess the ingredients before preparing dinner for you. He also found time to deliver a fresh ice pack to ensure you were as comfortable as possible.

The kitchen, dining, and living room were all one open space in the apartment, and your view of him was unimpeded. He seemed confident in the kitchen, his knife skills were top calibre, and in what felt like no time he was presenting you with a bowl of pasta. The enticing aroma of it made your eyes water in gratitude.

“Thank you, Austin, this smells amazing…” You murmured in awe, blinking as he took a seat on the floor in front of the couch with his back propped against the coffee table, cradling his own bowl. “Wait, no I can move…”

He shook his head, looking up at you as he chewed his generous mouthful before swallowing.

“This is fine, cricke’. Eat up.” He took a smaller bite, eyes never leaving your face as you did the same, his lips flickering up into a smile at the happy sigh you emitted.

“So yummy…” You exclaimed softly and barely uttered another word as you ate every last bite, the fact that you had missed lunch only registering in that moment.

He beamed as he took the empty bowl from you.

“There’re two more servins’, I’ll put ‘em in tha fridge fer ya.”

He took the dishes to the kitchen and washed up, leaving things to dry in the drain tray. He came back and took the ice pack off your ankle.

“Don’t wan’ tha’ ta give ya frostbite. Now…” He crouched down in front of you, eyes level with yours. “Anythin’ else ya need afore I leave?”

You shook your head quickly, feeling heat bloom in your cheeks at his proximity.

“Then may I reques’ somethin’ selfish?” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Would ya be willin’ ta share yer numbe’? I…Pearce is so helpful, but I really ‘preciate yer input, too.”

Heat splotched down your neck and across your chest, but you managed a nod, pulling out your own phone and switching details with him.

“I will, quite literally, be right here on this couch so text whenever I can be of assistance.” You spoke once you were capable of coherent thought, eager to repay him for all his help today.

“It’ll be strange withoutcha on set…but ya rest up, ‘kay?” He unfolded his body to stand to his full, lanky height and you swallowed thickly.

“Thank you, Austin…” You replied earnestly, watching him give a small wave before heading down to meet his driver.

You felt banished. Useless. There was only so much work to do remotely, so when the first text arrived from Austin the next day you practically dropped your phone in your haste to read it. To help him.

– Cloé is asking why Antoine doesn’t speak more fluent French, and I think I have the answer, but would you be able to confirm the reason for me? –

Seeing her name made you frown a little, but you were happy to provide the answer to him.

– Of course! The state of Louisiana removed Cajun French from the school curriculum in 1921, five years before Antoine was born. He understands more than he speaks, due to spending time with his parents and grandparents, but there was no formal Cajun French education for him. Hope that helps. –

His flood of grateful replies made you smile brightly and feel a little more purposeful. Later that afternoon, he informed you that he had written letters to Yvette for the hospital scene in Calais and asked if you would be open to reading them over for him. You happily agreed, at which point he informed you they were handwritten, and he would arrive with them in a few hours. Oh, and he was making dinner again.

Somehow, you managed to shower and change out of your sweats into jeans and a sweater, but your hair was still wet when he knocked on the door. You made your way to answer it on your crutches and opened it carefully.

“Hey there, cricke’.” He grinned and stepped in careful not to kick your crutches as he took his shopping bag to the kitchen counter before turning back to you. “How’s yer day been?” He walked with you to the living room where you settled into the comfy nook you had built on the couch with pillows and a blanket.

“Boring. I felt kind of useless until you came up with a question to amuse me.” You smirked fondly and he chuckled as he undid his jacket, lifting the right side to reach into the inner pocket to pull out a stack of five handwritten letters.

“It was a genuin’ question, but I’m glad it served a secondary purpose. Thank ya verra much fer lookin’ these over fer me. I know…they’ll only be set pieces but…” He held them out to you, and you took them carefully, cradling them between your hands.

“My pleasure I…get the impression it helps with your character development?” You tilted your head curiously and bit your lip as he rewarded you with a brilliant smile.

“ ‘xactly. Cloé won’ be writin’ hers, someone from props will, I guess. But it really does help me ta think like him…I brought ingredients for rice bowls this time, soun’ good?”

“I…are you sure? You worked all day…” You protested hesitantly.

“Completely sure. Thank ya for lettin’ me do this for ya, remin’s me that I’m a fully functional adul’.” He squeezed your shoulder in his lengthy grip before heading over to the kitchen.

You carefully unfolded the letters, smiling as they were written in historically accurate pencil. The pencil was the preferred writing tool for soldiers of Antoine’s financial means. They could be sharpened with a knife, were not affected by the cold, and did not require refills of ink.

Putting them in order, you read through the first one carefully, chewing on your own trusty pencil ruthlessly. It was shockingly good. Not to say that you doubted Austin’s abilities, just that…you could not have written the letter any better yourself and you had created the damn character. You devoured all five of the letters ravenously, vaguely aware of the sounds of him working in the kitchen, humming something to himself. The apartment was starting to smell very good, but you were completely absorbed.

You found your fingers itching before you reached for the laptop, opening up a word processing document to start typing up a reply from Yvette. She would have been too injured to reply until all five letters were received, so she would only have sent one reply. You continually referred back to the letters, wanting to tie it into the sequence. You played around a little with a few words, knowing it would have to be translated, but you wanted to capture the era, as well as Yvette’s feelings, correctly.

His warmth and the scent of cedar behind you soaked into your consciousness. You turned your head to look back at him. He had perched on the arm of the sofa, knee resting against your side as he faced the laptop screen over your shoulder.

“O…obviously, your letters are very good. Might be nice to put her reply in your kit for the later scenes as your unit closes in on Germany.” You bit your lip as it felt terribly personal to let him read it, but you scrolled up and held your breath as he leaned in to read through it. His arm reached around you to scroll down until he’d read the entire thing.

“God ya really get these characters don’cha…” He breathed against your ear, making you shiver slightly, before he sat up.

“I…” You shook your head, at a loss for words. “I’ll get it translated and sent to someone with pretty handwriting.”

“Antoine would put that in his breas’ pocke’…nex’ ta his heart.” He intoned thoughtfully, hand moving to press against his chest over his own heart.

His romanticism might just be the death of you, your own heart thumping loudly in beneath your ribs. You tried to focus on carefully folding up his letters and offered them back to him. He tucked them into his jacket again before standing to serving two rice bowls and returning to sit with you.

“So, when ya come back, day after next, I’ll drive ya.”

“Austin, please, you’ve done so much already. The cab won’t be that much from here…”

“Nah, selfish reasons. I get ta ask ya so many questions when yer ma captive audience.” He grinned and you managed a laugh despite the acrobatics your heart was performing inside your chest.

Was he flirting? Was he working? Lord only knew; you certainly did not. But you could hardly deny him anything at this point.

“Don’t get too excite’, ma call times are murder…” He teased.

“A small price to pay.” You shrugged in reply, digging into your dinner. “Especially because I got to eat your food. Damn you can cook.” You ate happily, savouring every bite.

He watched you for a few moments before starting to eat his own quietly. He didn’t stay late, just long enough to clean up after himself, wishing you a goodnight. He texted you a few more questions the next day before letting you know he’d be picking you up the next morning at six. You were dressed and downstairs, waiting for him. You were determined to be as little an imposition as possible.

The two of you fell into quite a tidy routine over the next two weeks, travelling to and from the studio together, eating the occasional meal together, digging deeper into his character to really capture Antoine’s essence for the film. Your ankle was getting stronger, too. By day eleven, you no longer needed the crutches at all, just patience and your ankle brace.

As the car pulled away from the studio at the end of the second week, Austin was shifting and fidgeting nervously next to you. His long fingers were pulling at one another, front teeth vicious against his lower lip. You took a breath before reaching out to set your hand on his forearm, gently squeezing.

“Are you ok?” You asked softly, quiet enough that the driver would not overhear.

He looked to you quickly and exhaled deeply, pausing a moment before he shook his head.

“I…we tried a pre-read o’ tha scene fer nex’ week ‘n’ I’m jus’…nah…”

You swallowed tightly as you knew what scenes were being filmed next week. The first time Yvette and Antoine made love, followed by a montage of their passionate love life.

“Is there anything I can do?” You chewed on the inside of your cheek as your mind went to some of your more descriptive lines in the book.

His brilliant blue eyes sought yours in the intermittent glow of the streetlights.

“Would ya be comfortable readin’ it through with me? Talkin’ it through with me?” His thumb and forefinger came up to pinch the cupid’s bow of his upper lip, tugging at it absentmindedly.

All the moisture seemed to evaporate from your mouth in that instant. As though you had swallowed a fistful of sand. Your tongue was not responding to the neurological signals from your brain, and it felt like a thick, dead weight.

The hesitant optimism melted from his face, expression returning to one of anxious dread. He may as well have driven your pencil through your heart, that look hurt so much. You forced a painful cough and squeezed his forearm again.

“Of course. I want to help you.” You rasped out and cleared your throat again. “I was just a little stunned but, yes of course.” You finished with a nod and exhaled in relief as he smiled softly.

“Thank ya so much, cricke’…We can do it in yer office? Neutral territory?” He offered and you swallowed tightly at the image of discussing sex with him in your living room. You nodded rapidly.

“Sounds good…But you should sleep in tomorrow. Like…ten o’clock?”

He chuckled fondly. “Deal…nigh’ cricke’.” He touched your cheek briefly, fingers running along your skin, as the car pulled up at your building.

Despite choosing neutral territory, you were nothing but an anxious wreck the next morning. You changed clothes four times. It was difficult to pick the best I’m-here-to-discuss-sex-with-you-in-a-totally-chill-way outfit. He greeted you in the car with your favourite Starbucks order and the pair of you sipped your beverages in mutual silence as the driver pulled up to the studio. It was still as busy as ever; other scenes being filmed in his absence. You led him up to the office, the two of you settling into the armchairs and opening your scripts.

“So…did you want to start by just…reading it through?” You asked quietly and he nodded quickly. “Full disclosure, I can’t act or read French that well…” You laughed self-deprecatingly and he shook his head.

“It’s gonna be so helpful, thank ya.” He nodded and started reading Antoine’s dialogue.

You replied with Yvette’s, reading aloud the stage directions as well. Every so often he would break out of character to ask questions, which you were happy to share your thoughts on. As always, you were careful to phrase your responses as though they were third-hand opinions rather than direct answers from the author. You may not be able to act, but apparently you were getting quite good at lying.

“Oh cherie ya have no idea what ya do ta me.” He purred from the chair opposite you, and you fumbled with your binder for a moment before supplying Yvette’s response.

“Oui, Antoine, toi aussi.” Your voice was tellingly thick.

You risked a glance at him as he read his next line and clenched your thighs together at the intense look in his notably darker eyes. You quickly dove back into the script, trying to breathe normally as you kept your eyes glued to the page. So close…almost there…The word choices did not help your current situation. You gripped the corners of the binder, hoping the feeling of plastic digging into your palms would give you the strength to make it through this scene.

You were barely mumbling the lines by the end, but somehow you made it through alive. Albeit completely flushed and aroused. You were extremely grateful Austin had suggested neutral territory. Until Cloé knocked on the door.

“Baaaaabe!” She squealed and hustled into the room without waiting for an invitation, plonking down on his lap.

He winced with a grunt, and you could not help but wonder if he too had found himself affected by the last two hours.

“Heya Clo, how’re yer scenes goin’ today?” He smiled to her politely and you immediately felt the sour taste of jealousy in your mouth.

Closing your script, you collected the empty takeout cups and deposited them in the garbage as she chatted idly about what she was filming that day, playing with his hair in what smacked of territoriality.

“So, you’re coming to my party tomorrow afternoon, right? Everybody’s gonna be there.”

There was silence and you looked over, startled to see her looking right at you.

“I … I, sure that sounds fun? What time and where?” You felt like a deer caught in headlights, committing yourself to be run over by this sudden party invite without time to think. She scribbled down her address on a piece of scrap paper from the coffee table and held it out to you.

“Tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to seeing you there! I’m sure Austin does, too.” She giggled and continued petting his hair. “So, Aus, I have a break now, can you come run lines with me? Pretty please?”

He blinked up at her helplessly before looking to you.

“I’ve got lots of work here, don’t worry about me. You should practice it until you feel ready.” You smiled encouragingly even as the sour taste intensified on your tongue.

He smiled at you sweetly before following Cloé out of your office. You puttered for a few hours before texting him that you were catching the shuttle home. He replied with an apology but, despite your dislike of the woman, it was good they were working on the scene.

You did some chores around the house before turning in early, hoping to catch up on some of your sleep deficit from adjusting to Austin’s hours. Your mind had other ideas. Your exhaustion allowed you to fall asleep quickly, but your mind…

The scent of straw is all around you. The stalks of it poking and scratching at the bare skin of your back. Contrasted by the slick, wet feel of Austin’s tongue on your neck. Reaching out you feel the rippling of muscle under the soft, tanned skin of his shoulders as he hovers above you. His golden curls fill your view, a haze of bright white light surrounding the two of you.

And his mouth is on you, between your thighs. Pillowy soft lips are pursed around your clit, sucking at the sensitive bundle of nerves. Your head is thrashing, his fingers are plunging in and out of you, your arousal squelching with the motion.

Your lips are stretching wide around the girth of his cock as your head bobs along his length, cheeks hollowing, the salty taste and velvety feeling of skin on your tongue. His sweet, desperate moans sounding above you. His fingers cupping your jaw, guiding your mouth.

The rough bite of weathered wood against your palms, your cheek. The ache in your lower abdomen as his deep thrusts nudge the tip of his cock against your cervix. The shudder that runs through you as you clench around him. The bite of his teeth on the soft skin connecting your shoulder to your neck. The splash of warm, explosive release inside you.

…You inhaled sharply, raising your head from where it was pressing face-first into your pillow. You found yourself laying on your stomach, you hand between your legs inside your sleep shorts. The tell-tale spasms of a recent orgasm fluttered low in your belly, slick covering your hand. The realization of what had just happened jolted you completely awake, and you nearly flung yourself out of the bed, yanking at the sheets tangled around your legs.

This was a mistake.

»» ────── ஓ ๑ ✧ ๑ ஓ ────── ««

Read Part Three

Nom De Plume Masterlist

[akshaymehndiratta]

9 Healthy Summer Foods To Keep Your Body Cool By Akshay Mendiratta

Mumbai is currently experiencing extremely hot climate, with temperatures soaring to 33.0 degrees these days which is excessive warmth. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning announcing that the scenario can also get worse within the following few days. If you feel the effects of the scorching heat and want to cool down, here are a variety of foods suggested by Akshay Mehndiratta that let you beat the summer and keep your body cool.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are made up of 95% water and are therefore incredibly hydrating and also detoxify the body. Staying hydrated helps improve stool consistency, avoid constipation, and promote regularity. In addition, cucumbers contain potassium, fiber, magnesium, manganese and vitamins A, C, K. It has antimicrobial properties, helps in detoxification, digestion, preventing cancer and other bone diseases. Cucumbers may have anti-inflammatory benefits. Akshay Mehndiratta says, Cucumber is a great option to stay fresh and nourished during the summer season.

Watermelon

Watermelon contains about 90% water, making it useful for staying hydrated in summers and providing your body with powerful antioxidants and essential vitamins. It can also satisfy the sweet tooth with its natural sugars. Watermelon is rich in vitamins A and C as well as potassium, magnesium and dietary fiber. Watermelon is a low-calorie food, making it a great choice for people who are watching their weight or trying to maintain a healthy diet. Overall, adding watermelon to your diet during summer can provide a variety of health benefits and can help keep you cool and hydrated during the hotter months.

Leafy Greens

Akshay Mehndiratta enjoys eating leafy vegetables because he understands how they benefit vision, skin health and the immune system. That’s why he suggests eating leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and lettuce, which have many health benefits, especially during summer. Green vegetables contain a variety of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K and folate, as well as calcium and potassium. These nutrients can help boost your immune system, strengthen bones and teeth, and keep your body running smoothly. The fiber present in green vegetables can help support good digestion and regularity, which is especially beneficial during the summer when outdoor activities and travel can disturb habits.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is a natural source of electrolytes, which helps restore fluids lost through sweat and keeps you hydrated during hot summer days. It increases liver function and when you consume buttermilk daily, toxins are easily eliminated from your body. Because it contains riboflavin, which helps in converting food into energy. A glass of buttermilk mixed with cumin, mint and salt is ideal to quench the thirst and cool our body during the hot summer months of April to July, says Akshay Mehndiratta.

Mango

Mangoes are tropical fruits that thrive in warm temperatures and the summer months are optimal for their growth and ripening. Mangoes are beneficial for keeping cool and hydrated in the heat. Mangoes are high in water content, making them an ideal fruit to consume throughout the hot, humid summer. Moreover, mangoes are low in calories and high in fiber. They include folate, beta keratin, iron, vitamins A and C, and levels of calcium, zinc and vitamin E. Overall, mangoes offer many health benefits.

Berries

Berries are a summer superfood rich in critical minerals and antioxidants. Their high water content keeps you hydrated in hot conditions and their bright colors indicate a wealth of vitamins and minerals. Berries are low in calories and high in fiber, making them great for weight loss and digestion. Plus, their inherent sweetness satisfies sugar cravings without the need for added sugar. Berries in your summer diet can help with general health, immunity and glowing skin.

Curd

Akshay Mehndiratta constantly recommends dairy products as they help regulate body temperature to a great extent. Curd is a popular summer dish because of its cooling effects and many health benefits. Eating curd in summer is healthy. Curd has a cooling effect on the body, making it a great food to drink on hot summer days. Curd is high in protein and contains vitamins B12 and D, both of which are essential for immune system function. Curd contains probiotics, which help improve the immune system by promoting antibody production and increasing the body’s ability to fight infections. Curd is a refreshing and healthy option that helps you stay cool.

Citrus food

Citrus fruits are essential in summer due to their pleasant taste and various health benefits. They are rich in vitamin C, which boosts immunity, and their high water content helps us stay hydrated in the heat. They are high in antioxidants, which protect your skin from UV damage, making them ideal for summer snacking, drinks and desserts. Plus, their soluble fiber promotes digestion, prevents constipation, and their low calorie and high fiber content helps with weight management by increasing satiety and reducing calorie intake, making them an excellent choice for summer snacks and meals.

Coconut

Coconut is a summer favorite, offering a variety of benefits for this season. Coconut water, which contains electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, helps restore fluids lost through sweat, making it a great natural way to stay hydrated in the heat. Coconut also contains lauric acid, which has antibacterial properties and can help strengthen the immune system when exposed to overgrown germs. Coconut meat is high in healthy fats, which provide long-lasting energy and increase satiety, making it an ideal snack for active summer days. Plus, both coconut water and coconut meat are high in antioxidants, which help combat oxidative stress and inflammation, promoting general health and well-being throughout the summer months.

As summer temperatures rise, it’s important to stay cool, hydrated and energized. According to Akshay Mehndiratta, adding nine nutritious summer foods to your diet will keep your body cool and your mind refreshed. Cucumbers, watermelons, and citrus fruits are many tasty and healthy foods. So, fight the heat this summer by loading your plate with these refreshing foods and reap the benefits of a cool, nutritious diet.

[aclosetfan]

I have an oc couple. Zach and Bella is their name and they give off greens energy. Anyway, when they're older, Zach likes to help Bella do her hair like, when he comes in from work. He helps her detangle and braid her hair, and she shows him the products she uses like coconut oil, conditioner, etc. Sometimes he does her hair while she plays the game, or they watch a sport or movie together until he's like "I need to shower and make dinner." So like, I like stuff like this, "tough guys 'pampering' their ladies " trope. I don't think Buttercup would actually trust Butch with her hair lmao, he might cut it too jagged or something. But he probably trusts her enough to cut or shave his head.

Anyways, i'm talking married/college graduate life, where they're probably casually sharing an apartment and developed a "more serious" relationship. I thought about this gesture of Butch clipping her toe nails after massaging her feet. He likes to take care of her and probably offers to help with very "intimate" deeds as an act of love.

Shoving in the blues to say, if anyone is doing their girls hair right, it's Boomer to Bubbles. He's got the parting and styling down.

But for greens I think Butch would enjoy massaging Buttercup's feet. I don't know. What intimate acts can you imagine the greens doing?🙂💚

Aw that’s very sweet! I love little intimate acts between couples. I won’t lie, it’s hard for me to imagine physically intimate acts because physical touch is the last of my love languages, which is so funny because I h/c that the greens are big on physical touch and have to force myself to write it. For me, I stick to the simple holding each other when they watch tv or fall asleep like they're constantly having to touch each other. Like walking down the street, their knuckles keep bumping, but because they're both "tough" (embarrassed) they can't hold each other's hands in public until later on when their relationship is more established. When they're more established, PDA is more acceptable to both of them. Nothing graphic, just holding hands, pecks on the cheek, or causally resting/wrapping arms around each other.

I think it'd be cute if they were also constantly trying to outmuscle each other, which results in multiple piggyback rides or bridal holds. Massages would definitely make sense. I also imagine a lot of bear hugs and slapping each other's asses when they feel like teasing.

I also think of them as the "quality time" couple. Hiking, going to concerts, and just maintaining a very active lifestyle. I had an outline I never got around to where the greens are engaged, but for whatever reason, Buttercup swears she's going to mess the relationship up because OBVIOUSLY there's friction since she's a good guy and he was once a bad guy, and why would he like her and everyone thinks they're going to break up and she can't let that happen and blah blah blah,

so she's always planning intense couple activities to like self-counsel the relationship, which she definitely only read one magazine article about, and as Bubbles watches her neurotically discuss the next 5k the greens will be running together to ensure a strong, healthy, active relationship, Butch is nodding along with a dopey smile because no one's ever given such a damn about him before.

So, yeah! Secret smiles, sly looks, encouraging words, and effort to make things good for both of them. Oh! and I'm also a huge fucking sucker for the two of them patching each other up after a fight, like good shit, 100% all day every day lets gooooooo yessir there's nothing more intimate than hurt/comfort. if that boy isn't hurt in some way and she ain't fixing him back up, then you know I didn't write it lmaooo

Also, it'd be funny if Bubbles actually hated Boomer doing her hair because they both know he’s better at it, and he’s 100% ready to shove it in her face. Like she throws her hair into a messy ponytail, and he’s like “oh, honey, no, please, what is going on here?” He’s HIM’s child, I make him no other way