#hook line and sinker ✨

[beepboopappreciation]

how you feel about this 'bot?

BASTION!!!!!! I absolutely adore him!!!! I like to think we would be the bestest of friends ✨

He just wants to explore and learn more about life and living and nature!!! Bastion deserves everything that is good and pure in this world. I just want him to be happy. He deserves friends and hugs and only the best!!!! I love his little beep boops <3

[candybowbeansies]

petition for more kithes op? 🥺👉👈

half jokes aside, Gwimmy is such an adorable blushy bb boi 🥺

Kiss 😚🩶🤍

i just want to shower him in kisses, to let him know he's loved ☺️

[delopsia]

Soft! Rhett thoughts:

Rhett has seen you around town a few times and thinks you’re beautiful, he bumps into you at the local diner and stutters his way through an introduction. Rhett feels so out of his element all the sudden ,he doesn’t know why he’s done things a lot scarier and stupider than asking a stranger out on a date but with sweaty palms and shaky hands he manages to ask you out (if mentioned later he’ll deny how he anxious he was). Since he doesn’t have much money it’s a picnic but since he burns anything he cooks he just prepares fruit, chips and sandwiches lol. You watch the sunset together and once night falls you ask him to name the stars and constellations for you, (at this point he’s pretty sure he’d do anything you ask). The two of you are laying in the bed of his truck with several blankets to lay on and to cover with, you fall asleep with your head on his chest as he quietly points out the stars whilst rubbing his hand against your back. (In the morning you’re both woken up by the sun and royal chews into rhett for being an hour late to work but rhett can’t seem to find it in himself to care)

Btw I am by no means a writer but I hope this thought made you feel better 🩷

Rhett being absolutely smitten and losing all of his usual confidence is so precious to me 😭 Why is hopping onto the back of a bull a million times easier than asking to get a coffee with you? Big dummy is so stressed about the question itself that he entirely forgets one crucial detail. The only place in town that serves coffee is closed due to a recent fire. Worse, you two are standing directly across the street from it, and the fire damage is ✨painfully obvious✨

"I! Uhm, sorry I forgot about...lunch? No—!" Because the coffee shop is also the only restaurant in town. Twenty something years in this town and he's blubbering like a damn tourist, ears red as can be, and heavily considering if he should just flee the country at this point. But then you suggest a late lunch in the park, and just like that, you've got him hook, line, and sinker. He's nodding his head without a second thought, like an obedient little puppy, entirely forgetting how far his wallet is stretched right now.

Rhett can make a decent sandwich, but he's fortunate enough that his amused mom hangs around in the kitchen to supervise and give him pointers, lest he drown that poor turkey sandwich in mayonnaise again. Perry makes like a vulture and lingers around for the inevitable mess-ups and extra fruits that are left over, and he's the only reason why Rhett doesn't walk out and forget the damn sandwiches on the counter 😭

Sitting on a blanket in the grass is cute for a little while, but the bugs arrive before the sandwich bags open. And somehow, you two find yourselves sitting on opposite sides of his truck bed, legs tangled and laughing about how Rhett nearly spilled the blueberries when a crane fly tried to land on him. Rhett's trying to save face, but it's hard to feel embarrassed when your laughter sounds like a melody sent straight from the heavens.

There's a selfish part of him that is absolutely thrilled when he realizes it's a chillier night than what he initially expected. You're scooting closer to him, muttering about the cold, and he's wrapping an arm around you, and you're cuddling into him like a cute little bug and, and

he's going to die.

The only thing that slows his racing heart is you asking about the constellations, and well, he can't help but tell you everything he knows. His deep voice is so soothing that at some point, he puts you to sleep, and :( he just melts. There's no way that he's comfortable in this truck bed, but somehow he falls asleep with his cheek resting against your forehead. You haven't the slightest clue about it, but come morning, you've got a cowboy wrapped around your finger 💕

[beeefantastic]

“You best be careful detective, and turn back now. He will capture you- hook, line, and sinker.”

-

Ohhh spooky underwater scene!! I quite like drawing the shadows cast by water, I think I want to do something like this again! In regard to Trout, I think im way in over my head about the comic lol. It’s easy to get lost in the details! Especially because I want to make it GOOD. So (although I doubt anyone is bouncing off the walls in anticipation) I might explore him a bit more before any big story posts! Enjoy✨

[dgttwisted]

prankSTAR!!✨✨✨

Hayeli from @mellosdrawings and Akanda & Akedya form @rakiah

Hayeli, Akanda an Akedya sit at the lunch table disgussing something very very important.

"Listen up we've decided to add to our ranks!"

"currently there is three of us that's an odd number aka bad luck"

"i have enough of that as is we don't need to add to it, you brought this up which means you two already have someone in mind don't you?" Hayeli says already mimicking there movements

"hehe~" they both laughed

"indeed we do~ take a look behind us"

on the table behind the twins Lilith was eating mac & cheese with Grim.

"Grim would be funny but isn't he prone to lighting most things on fire?"

"no no not Grim Lilith!"

"the child? Vil mentioned her once hmm what was it he said? well if i can't remember it's probably not important, anyway isn't she rather young to be a prankster?"

"no way thats the perfect age to start! we started as pranksters at a young age, just think by the time she is our age Lilith could be a master prankster"

"kids are very impressionable we butter her up an the skies the limit!"

"i see what you mean but what about Grim? I've heard he's very protective of his 'henchmen' as he calls her"

"don't worry we already have a plan for him!"

"a prank to start off this prank adventure!"

---

Akanda & Akedya preemptively bought cans of tuna an put them in a spaced out line that lead right back to ramshackle. surely no one would actually fall for this-

Grim started tracking the cans down immediately ditching Lilith.

"looky what we have here~" Akanda, Akedya and Hayeli circle Lilith in a teasing manner though not a malicious one.

"i believe it is our new up coming prankstar!!"

"it's the Aka's"

"oh does though already know of our reparation!?" this could put a wrench in there plan.

"no we've never spoken but Vil mentioned you before....sorry i can't pronounce your name right"

"fear not little star drop!" Hayeli says with all the enthusiasm one could have talking to a 7 year old. "names shames thats not important right now whats important is that like my friends have just said we've come to help you become the best prankster ever!"

"prankstarrrr prankst....." Lilith furrowed her brow she was trying to say it right "Prank-ster!" the three of them clapped when she said it right

"i don't know what that is"

"that is why we're here! to show you the way!"

"we promise you will have a blast!"

"that's right a bunch of fun, you like having fun don't you?"

"yes of course! who doesn't!?"

hook line an sinker they got there prize Lilith now the pranking has started. or at least that was there plan just some innocent pranks.

---

"this first prank is an easy one!" they hand Lilith a sliced lemon "ok squeeze this lemon into that students drink when he's not looking!"

"why?"

"...it will be funny trust us"

"I'll try!" Lilith walked over the student couldn't really not notice her

"can i help you?"

Lilith froze for a second "um your not supposed to look!"

Akanda, Akedya and Hayeli all collectively face palmed

the student chuckled a bit an playfully covered his eyes an Lilith squeezed the lemon into the drink. "ok im done thank you!" as she walked off the students friend told him what happened he still drank it anyway after all he wanted to make Lilith happy for trying.

"i did it!"

"....."

"...."

"...."

"did i do something wrong?"

"nya? no you did fine...uh lets try something else!"

they moved to the next location

"ok this will be another easy one are you ready?"

"yes!" she still pumped even though she doesn't quite understand how pranks are supposed to work.

"this corner is famous so many blind spots even rook avoids it! when you hear someone coming jump out an make the loudest noise you can think of!" this time they weren't expecting anything crazy but there was no way to fail such an easy prank.

Lilith waited by the corner patiently hearing footsteps draw closer she jumped out "BOO!" the man in question shrieked so loud it scared Lilith she lost her balance an fell over.

the man in question was idia, the Twins an Hayeli were giving Lilith thumbs up. Lilith got back up an went over to idia "are you hurt? it was supposed to be an easy prank!" she wasn't supposed to say that part out loud

"o-oh u-h good job? i-" before Idia could finish his sentence Akanda grabbed Lilith an ran though it was so fast Idia couldn't processes who it was.

---

"this prank is a bit hardcore an you'll need one of us to help you but if we pull it off it'll be the best nya~"

"no ones gonna get hurt this time?"

"nope! promise!"

Lilith hold out her pinkie the twins were staring blankly for a moment not sure why she was doing that. Then Hayeli lifted out his pinkie an shook Lilith's.

"promise~"

Lilith beamed "ok!! what are we doing!?"

---

Lilith an Hayeli snuck into Leona's room as the Twins were in a vantage point to be look outs. the plan was easy tie a bucket of water to the door an water would rain on Leona when he came in.

"looks pretty high up"

"don't worry ive been practicing!" before Hayeli could ask what she meant Lilith started thinking happy thoughts start to glow an float up.

"looks like you didn't need me after all-"

"um....i don't know how to tie knots"

"oh uh give me a sec Kaleidoscope Divine~" Hayeli started glowing an floating just like Lilith though just before he could even start to do the tie the door swung open but instead of a splash of water the bucket full of water slammed into Leona's head.

you would think Hayeli was in track in field with the speed he grabbed Lilith an ran leaving trails of dust behind him. the twins met up with him an they met over behind Sams shop.

"why did we go here?"

"we need to bribe her with sweets so she doesn't snitch"

Lilith is in shock she couldn't fully processes everything that had occurred though while the twins an Hayeli were trying to hatch a plan a shadow covers Lilith.

"OI!" the voice made Lilith look up it was her worst fear at that moment it was Leona holding an ice pack to his head "what do you have to say for yourself herbivore!"

"...waaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!" Lilith started uncontrollably crying "I-I-I'M SORRRRRYYYYY WAAAAAAAAAA"

"OI I'm the one whose injured here don't start crying!"

Akanda, Akedya and Hayeli were slowly stepping back trying not to make noise. though backed right into the chest of the last person they needed to see that day.

"just where do you think you three are going?" it was Vil undenounced to them it wasn't just Leona who had spilled the beans on there shenagins but Grim an Idia to. "if i recall i asked you three to never involve Lilith in your trouble she is far to sweet for the pranks you pull"

Hayeli smacks his fist into his flat palm "OOOOH thats what you said!" he knew he'd remember eventually.

Hayeli, Akanda an Akedya got detention an Lilith had a 5 minute time out an had to write an apology letter to Leona.

[dewlight-dreamer]

My holiday treat (for myself) ✨☕️

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation is not something I just stumbled upon, I’ll admit. A dear friend of mine recommended The Untamed to me. There was a buildup of almost two years until I finally got to it. And then I started the novels, and jumped into the infinite rabbit hole of adaptations, starting with the manhua, the donghua, and the lovely collection of fanfics.

The whole MDZS universe swept me off my feet, made me fall hook, line, and sinker. It drew me in with its complex story and well-rounded characters that are so loveable and relatable.

I just want to briefly appreciate the series of books and its various adaptations (not in this one post but in multiple). I will write brief character and/or scene analyses, or just share some (not particularly organized) thoughts on the series. So, stick around this space a little more, if you’d like! If not, I am also happy “yapping” into the void ^^;.

For now, I want to leave you with some random things I like about MDZS, in bullet points and in no particular order.

the complexity of the characters and plot.

the slow-burn romance! And the strong bond Wangxian gradually develops

the cathartic nature of their queer romance: it’s nice to have a narrative where their love is accepted by society without question >> (I will probably make an analysis post writing about the queer nostalgia in MDZS and its creation of queer utopian spaces — might be semi-academic).

the “reincarnation” trope — the “I have also loved you in your previous life”-type of pining :3 I love this trope! It’s so wonderful and angsty (my AO3 tags also make this evident).

Wangxian is adorable; also the sun/moon dynamic in their ship — the light/dark themes

I relate to Lan Wangji on a spiritual and personal level

complex side characters like Jiang Cheng, Jin Guangyao, and side-plots like the one involving Xiao Xing Chen and Song Lan

[blakbonnet]

ARTIST OF THE WEEK @midearthlingart ✨

This week's AOTW is Laz aka midearthling, and any AOTW event intending to bring classic ofmd art back into circulation would be incomplete without them <3 She agreed to answer a few questions for me and shared some great tips for beginners:

- Which do you use to draw (app/digital or traditional)?

I think everything posted here is digital, done mainly on Procreate, although I have started using Art Studio Pro more recently and I really like it (also an iPad app but available on other machines afaik!). I do like to doodle and do studies in my sketchbook though, I think it's good to keep me sharp and for a change of pace! And sometimes ideas come easier that way. But any completed pieces tend to be digital.

- Fave brushes/pencils/mediums (links/screenshots?)

On procreate I'm partial to using jingsketch basic’s flat brush, it’s so versatile for sketching and painting! Other brushes in my regular rotation are the default chalk and 6b brushes from procreate. I also have a soft ‘photoshop’ brush that I use to flat in colours, and a round brush I downloaded that I often use for sketching too; unfortunately I can’t remember where I got either of those ones but I’m pretty sure they were free! Sometimes I use random texture brushes, and the default watercolours in procreate.

- Your favourite piece you've drawn?

I go through phases of really loving some pieces and then hating them again (I often dislike my own art!) One of the best things I ever drew is a very nsfw comic so I unfortunately can’t share it on tumblr lmao. But in its stead, I think this and this have a special place in my heart.

- Who's harder to draw: Ed or Stede?

Honestly it just depends on the day! Both can be difficult to capture for different reasons; oddly I think for me I don’t have Ed’s face pinned down as much as I do with Stede’s. I’ve drawn them so much at this point I can bang them out without reference most of the time, but every now and again I’ll have a difficult angle and need to reference again! Stede’s nose is my absolute favourite to draw though.

- One essential tip for beginner artists?

Keep going! References and 3D models are your friend! It’s okay to make studies of other people’s works in order to learn (just don’t share and try to pass it off as your own!) Tracing photos to learn is also fine too, these are all just tools to help you hone your skill.

- Why OFMD? 🥹

It did something to my brain! I remember watching it back in March 2022 when there were only 6 episodes out at the time, I binged in one go and then the very next day watched all of them again. It just felt so cosy! I watched initially when I heard about it because I already loved Rhys and Taika’s works so needless to say it was hook, line and sinker from me from the start—I did not stand a chance! When it turned out to be a queer, middle-aged love story I knew it would be special to me forever.

[gun-leg]

Top ten fits to wear after dunking a party member under lava and then attempting to confront your previous pirate captain, only to fall hook line and sinker into his trap and disappear with barely a trace for 2 weeks in!!!!!!!!! ✨🔥 🌋

[Greed's normal fit]

[kataraavatara]

“but the whole point of the dance was that everyone was unlikable 🥺🥺 why won’t they show the derogatory way Rhaenyra was portrayed in fire and blood on the big screen, why isn’t she fat with no redeeming qualities so i can hate her 🥺🥺”

because those cgi dragons are EXPENSIVE. this is a million dollar production that employs thousands of people. HBO is a company.

unfortunately, the corporate heads at HBO aren’t renaissance era aristocratic patrons, funding art for the sake of art. they are businesspeople, they are expecting the millions of dollars they put into the show to come back to them and then some. general audiences like protagonists they can root for. you can criticize them for how they did it but acting scandalized they did it in the first place is, dare i say, stupid?

and weep and wail all you want, but Daenerys Targaryen keeps the lights on and the bills paid at HBO headquarters and they know it. There’s a reason the Targaryen spinoff got greenlit instead of the Jon Snow one. There’s a reason house of the dragon opens with “172 years before daenerys targaryen” and not “172 years before Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen” “172 years before Stannis Baratheon” “172 years before Tyrion Lannister”

and the absolute lack of critical thinking towards book rhaenyra truly astounds me. if you were paying attention, maester Gyldan is a sexist FREAK. He talks about how “nubile” six year old girls are. I’m not saying book rhaenyra was a saint and it was a smear campaign, but come on. you’re convinced she had zero redeeming qualities and spent all day either eating or having sex. everyone talked big talk about how they understand how George is ✨criticizing the patriarchy✨ and then proceeded to swallow rhaenyra’s portrayal hook line and sinker with zero critical thinking involved.

oh no, did HBO try to turn an unlikable figure into a likable one general audiences can root for after the reception to their last “women be crazy” episode crashed and burned? i’m shocked. shocked, i tell you.

[contacthigh520]

✨🎪 circus event (part 1) liveposting thoughts!

this will not make much sense if u haven't read the event lmao! - YAY!!! we’re in solaria!!! (i thought we might be considering pv dante mentions something abt an inaugural bonfire?)

…. the shadow circus 👀 - i really dig the aesthetic of this event… the card looks didnt entirely sell me but the dark circus + the mix of soft pastel circus is v nice. i like the patterns too - garu the drawerrrrrrrrr

- theyre friends frfr.........

- DANTE AT THE CIRCUS!!!!! (offtopic, but i like that the chapter titles for this one are 'uncanny'.... good vibes....) - 'i asked first' ok enten sama. that's your boyfriend bro, be nice - ooooo honorary ringmaster..... i guess the circus is kind of a big deal for him to be coming out to do that? - oooo around the world. i wonder if dante was the sort of kid to dream about running away and joining the circus - ooooo eiden u care so much about solaria and dante that ur talking to him about the economyyyyy - and dante 🧐u were going to invite him to see the circus. interesting. almost as if you. like him or something - DANTE COMPLIMENTS FOR GARU!!!! CON-CRIT FOR THE PUPPY!!! - hehe handsome devil - bro is so weak to garu...... the power of puppy... - "we?" <-- guy about to get roped into hijinks - SOOLEY MENTION!!! (I HOPE HE SHOWS UP...) - guy who is tempted by rare beasts and praise... they got u hook, line and sinker bro..... - awww eiden made the outfits.... - he made them so fast........... in one night??? - EIDEN HAS A PIGEON??? BRO U ARE NOT AN ANIMAL HANDLER... THAT BETTER BE STUFFED. - oooo so rock paper scissors in this world is boulder wind claw… interesting📝garu fr likes dante…. very funny for him to tip the scales like that. brotherly squabbling - oh eiden... your naming processs.... it really is too beautiful to comprehend - upon closer inspection that thing (the pigeon) is def alive or at least charmed by magic. eiden.... if that is a real bird....... - friendship huddle.... theyre so cute... (also this is out of order, but karu's atheticism and dante's skill are such a fun combo, esp since they rile each other up) - LMAO..... ZACK??? (normal ass name) - (jotting down notes) anti-yokai sentiment in solaria? - p impressive performance (jotting down more notes) dante can form shapes with his fire.... - YAY!!! im glad this is going so well!! its a very sweet precursor to what im hoping is some creepy darkness - oooo i like zacks design (at least, what i can see of it) - looneytoons stack peering through the curtains - OOO ZACKS DESIGN FUCKS ACTUALLY? its v nice... red white and black... the best palette.... the bg music being slightly slowed is such a nice uncanny touch - mmmmm v fun and unsettling.... - dante's expression in this card are so full of attitude lmao... - that's right play nice dante ASDKKLSAD garu was just trying to have a nice moment man - ah... ur social skills, sun lord.... - eiden translating right in front of his face.... it is v funny (and sweet) to me that dante, presumably, pushed everything in his schedule a little forward so he could compete with them <3 - oh his name is bruin... two named npcs! huh! garu do not go with him....... - 'absolute perfection'...... - LETS GO KARU!!! - karu creep sense activated........ - yokai microaggression moment - i rly like how the event highlights how similar karu and dante are... or at least, how their ideals align... they feel like such a rare duo - 'identity is not determined by titles' is a very interesting quote from dante…. 📝📝 - dante backstory mention..... enei moment real... have a little fun sun lord - three... three named npcs (ah ah ah) - the conflict is v good... i didnt expect it to veer this way when the pv came out but this is a v circus appropriate conflict - ah... dante and eiden putting the puzzle pieces together - ooooo v interesting that being a 'yokai' would be so desirable performance-wise. to go to this extent... - erm bruin yokai fetish - [its always sunny titlecard] "The Gang Busts Circus Abuse" now to await part 2...

[dovedewdrop]

Supercut

In my head, I play a supercut of us  All the magic we gave off  All the love we had and lost / 3.1k

✨Part 1✨

A/N: Thank you to everyone who showed so much love for part 1🥹 y’all are so kind🥰 Dedicating this to @gracieispunk because it’s her MFING BIRTHDAY🥳🩷

Warnings: pre/post-outbreak. flashback heavy. fluff. soft/mild smut. miscarriage. kinda angsty. v sad. Flashbacks in italics.

---

It had been nearly a month since Joel and Ellie had made the snowy grounds of Jackson their home, 27 days to be exact. The pair of you had kept your distance save for the small nods of heads as you leave your house in the early afternoon for your shift. You tried not to get wrapped up in what he was doing, which only proved to become harder after day 3, when Tommy and Maria had put them up in the house across from yours.

You had to remind yourself they hadn’t done that on purpose, that living spaces around here were hard enough to come by, but it didn’t sting any less when you watched them play happy families through your living room window, hanging decorations on their Christmas tree.  

It had also been 27 days of torture, your own mind acting as a prison cell, full of memories that haunted your dreams.

You sat in the restaurant nervously rubbing the top of your left thumb with your right, staring at the booth in front of you, eyes occasionally drifting to the other families at the tables around you, parents who looked to be in their 30s with young children, looking as though they were drawn by society, a “picture perfect” family. You’d managed to keep the storm at bay in your mind, but the winds were creeping back in and the water began thrashing around again, “What if she doesn’t like me?” “What if she thinks I’m trying to replace her mother?”

You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you hear laughter approaching you and before you even have chance to process, they’re stood next to you at the booth. You stand up and smooth out your dress, standing up to gently press a kiss to Joel’s cheek whilst his hand slides around your waist, gently pressing a kiss into your hair, a soft, “you look gorgeous,” whispered into your ear. The blush creeps up your cheeks fast and for a moment you feel as though you’re the only two people in the room but then you see her, Sarah, holding her dads hand and it makes your heart melt. 

They slide into the booth and you follow suit, Sarah eager to get her hands on the colouring sheet and crayons you’d picked up for her, a small frown appearing on her face when Joel nudged them closer to your side of the table. “Come on kiddo,” his eyes shifted to you, a soft smile gracing his features, “gotta introduce you to my friend.”

She eventually stops reaching for the colours and instead holds onto Joel’s hand as he tries to explain who you are and why she’ll be seeing so much of you, if that’s okay with her of course. “And this,” he looks at you and then back to his daughter, “is Sarah, and she’s incredible at colouring, ain’t that right?” She nods eagerly before her eyes fix on the colouring again.

“Well it’s a good job I picked this up for you then,” you say, directing your full attention towards her, placing the paper and crayons in front of her, she smiles gratefully at you.

“Thank you,” Joel reaches his right hand across the table to hold yours and the other comes to smooth out Sarah’s curls.

“No, thank you,” you watch as his brow furrows inwards in confusion.

“What are you thanking me for?” He chuckles ever so slightly.

“For trusting me.” He lets his brows go and they relax.

“I don’t know if you know this, but I’m kinda in love with you.” His thumb rubs circles into your hand and his lips curl upwards into a small smirk at the shock evident on your face. You let out a delighted huff of air and look down at your hands intertwined.

“Good because I’m kinda in love with you too Mr. Miller.” The look he gives tells you you’ve got him, hook, line and sinker. 

The three of you order, eat and spend nearly an hour and a half laughing, Sarah lets you help her with the puzzles on the back of the colouring paper and at 7:30pm you go your separate ways, Joel enveloping you in a hug to keep you warm and places a soft, chaste kiss to your lips, his beard scratching your chin slightly, with promises of seeing you tomorrow. When you slide into bed that night you receive a text from him that lights up the white walls,

Sarah said she really likes you and wouldn’t mind if you coloured with her some more, I think Sarah’s dad really likes you as well, goodnight sweetheart x  

You continue to look through the windows, watching Joel and Ellie share a laugh, you think for a second that Joel sees you but if he did, he pretends he didn’t. You felt a wave of embarrassment wash over you just like you had 3 days ago when you confessed to him on the porch.

You’d decided it was best to drag your feet upstairs to bed, a challenge in itself since your muscles felt so heavy, like they were begging you to stay and watch the scene unfold, like they were encouraging you to imagine yourself being involved in their festivities but ultimately you climbed the stairs and tucked yourself further into the duvet, letting the warmth of your own body heat lull you to sleep.

That night you dreamt about Joel’s body heat. You’d been out for dinner, taking advantage of Tommy’s babysitting services. The energy between the two of you had been palpable, it was present in the way he brushed the hair out of your face or the way your hand sat on his thigh as he drove you both back to his place from the restaurant. He’d bought your favourite wine especially for you when he’d gone shopping earlier that day and offered you a hearty glass when you’d gotten in and kicked your heels off, you curled up next to him on the couch whilst he sipped from a beer. 

“I know tonight wasn’t fancy or nothin-“

“Joel,” You cut him off, “ don’t need fancy, just need you, ya know that.” A humble smile graced his face at your admission and before you even knew what you were doing you were placing a kiss to the pulse of his neck, the corners of your lips curving into a small, saccharine smile as he lets out a contented sigh. 

“You tryna start something you can’t finish again?” The octave of his voice had dropped significantly, to your ears it had sounded like he was drunk and if it weren’t for the fact that he’d only consumed just short of three units, you’d have believed he was.

“I don’t know what you mean Mr. Miller,” He huffed out a short laugh at that and turned on the sofa to face you, his big, manly hands coming to cup your cheeks and subsequently nearly swallowing your whole face all the while his lips hovered dangerously close to yours. 

“Such a minx,” his deep brown eyes looked lovingly into yours before they flitted to the plush skin of your lips. The temperature was rising. “Come ‘ere”, something snaps inside him as he lifts you up into his lap and kisses you feverishly.

From then on it’s a frenzy of clothes decorating the floor of his house, almost like a trail of breadcrumbs from the living room all the way to the bedroom. 

It's been two hours of lips colliding and heavy breathing, of wiping sweat off your brow bone and not even coming close to the pleasure that you know will course through your bones when you finally get to finish but for now you’re both content to roll around in the sheets, to play and explore, to kiss and cuddle, to talk and fall further in love, if that was even possible. 

Your back arches off the mattress, his lips pressing delicately to the centre of your stomach, both hands wound around your back. You dig your nails into his scalp and he groans against your core, licking a long stripe before looking up at you with such innocent doe eyes before replacing his open, panting mouth with a smirk that’s embedded in his scruff. He pulls you into his lap to grind against him whilst you both look deep into each other’s eyes and when you let out a soft, delicate moan, his eyes are rolling back into his skull. The whole scene plays on repeat in your head like a broken record, until finally you jolt awake. 

A tear slipped from your eyes and your hand comes to covers your mouth so as not to wake Tommy and Maria when your sobs break through the dam. You sit clutching the duvet to your chest to help soothe yourself and you try to push all thoughts out of your head.

You’d just had a sex dream about your ex-fiancé, well, not a sex dream but a sex memory and God how you wished it was real, to feel his touch linger on your skin again. You desperately needed to distract yourself, so you shoved your feet into the slippers that sat next to the bed and headed downstairs to grab a glass of water. You concentrated on not letting the water overflow from the cup whilst your hand shook. 

The next morning you’d woken up on the couch, Maria shaking you awake ever so gently and letting you know with a sympathetic smile that if you didn’t start getting ready for work that you’d end up being late. You awoke confused and sore, which only hindered your emotions for the rest of the day. People came and went throughout your shift at the Bison, everyone in Jackson was polite and kind and always made conversation with you whilst you fixed them a drink, it made the hands of the clock move faster, something you were always grateful for. 

However, time seemed to stop when Tommy and Joel walked through the front door, you felt a sudden sense of shock but immediately argued with yourself about it, why should you be shocked? He lives here now, this is just as much his home as it is yours.

You reasoned that it was more because you hadn’t exchanged any pleasantries since your confession a few days prior, he didn’t seem to take it very well, so you were left in the dark to sit with your thoughts and emotions. Tommy rounded the bar and came to stand almost in front of you, except you could still see him over his shoulder, “go for your break,” he whispered.  

You took thirty minutes to compose yourself over a coffee, mulling over your feelings, wondering why you felt so pathetic in his presence, why you couldn’t just get over it whilst simultaneously chewing at the inside of your lip, a habit that you picked up post-outbreak. When you entered the pub again Joel was downing his third drink, a habit he seemed to pick up post-outbreak. Joel was never a big drinker before; he knew his limit and the only time you’d seen him truly lose it was a memory that stayed with you to this day.

You served locals, or should you say friends, and watched him throw back whisky after whisky, you clocked his glances in your direction that swiftly developed into stares until eventually Tommy was pulling him up and out the front door, guiding him home. You wondered where Ellie was, whether she was getting along with the other kids and was staying over or whether she’d have to deal with the aftermath of Joel’s binge. You felt for her, she seemed like a sweet kid, always with an edge of sarcasm to her, but sweet, nonetheless.

That night you tried your best to fight sleep but after a long day of fighting your emotions, you ultimately lost that battle too.

Your vision was glassy as you stood beside the bed. If you hadn’t clocked the crimson in your peripheral vision then the cramps that followed shortly after would have told you that something was wrong. Now you’ve been stood frozen in the same place for five minutes, not knowing what to do, your thoughts racing at a hundred miles an hour. You blinked and the tears began rolling down your face, the water bringing you out of your trance and prompting you to pick up your phone and call Joel.

He answered but you still didn’t know what to say or do. After a few “hellos” and a “are you there?” to which you gave a muffled response, he knew there was a problem. 

“Darlin’, what’s wrong?”

A beat.

“Talk to me.” His voice was so soft and kind, only ever for you and sometimes Sarah. “Do you need me to come home?”

“Yes,” you broke down then, knowing that you couldn’t let the words tumble put of your mouth but also knowing that this is what Joel was going to walk in and see and it was going to be a huge punch in the gut. All you could do was curl up onto the floor, dragging the blanket you kept at the bottom of the bed into your lap and wait for him to scoop you up and tell you it was okay.

Joel only spared a quick glance in the direction of your shared bed before slumping down on the floor next to you, he pulled you towards him, left hand engulfing your head and bringing it to lay on his chest. You felt a stream of tears wet your scalp from above, which only prompted your sobbing further, your whole body shaking in his arms as you began to wail, you were glad Sarah had already left for school so she didn’t have to hear you.

He kissed your head and shushed you gently through your crying whilst your gripped his bicep. After 30 minutes you’d both exhausted yourselves and managed to calm down to an extent- you felt numb.

“C’mon darlin’, let’s get you to the hospital.” He helped you up and placed you at the edge of the bed whilst he packed you a small bag, filling it with anything he thought you might want but in reality he was clueless and not thinking straight. He took your place at the end of the bed whilst you brushed your teeth, holding his head in his hands and huffing out the air he’d been holding in for what felt like forever, only looking up when you mumbled his name.

He helped you clean yourself up and change before helping you into the truck. 

After what felt like an eternity in the hospital, with Joel never letting go of your hand once,   you were sent home with everything that you needed and ordered to go straight up to Sarah’s room to sleep so he could strip the bed and take the mattress to the tip before getting you both a new one. After trying your best to hide the sounds of your crying into Sarah���s pillow you hear Joel slip into the room. He toes off his shoes and slides into the small single bed next to you, pulling your head into his chest. 

“Did you go to the tip?” You sniffle.

“No, I couldn’t just leave you here like this, it can wait, I’ll ring Hayley’s mom and see if Sarah can stay over there tonight.” His arms tighten around you and his head rests on top of yours.

“I’ll be here until you fall asleep darling.”

When you wake Joel isn’t lying next to you. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the red numbers adorning Sarah’s bedside clock, 23:26 PM and year ears pick up the sound of two voices being carried up the stairs  your eyebrows naturally draw closer together. When you make your way into the living room Tommy’s sat on the couch with his back turned towards you, his head turning before his body when his ears pick up on the routine creak of the last few steps.

You try your best to assess the scene in front of you but before you can even count to 3 in your head Tommy’s stood in front of you, still, his frame isn’t big enough to block out the sight of the amber coloured bottles that are strewn over the coffee table and his presence definitely doesn’t do anything to block out the noise of Joel’s sobs.

“I’ve got this, you should get some-“ He starts but you’re quick to shut him down, you try your best not to snap but you can’t help it. You don’t know how to feel in this moment.

“Rest?” You finish his sentence and his hand comes to stroke at your arm.

“I’ll be outside.” Tommy knows you, knows that even if you went back up to bed you’d only be tossing and turning with worry, so he gives you your space. 

You want to be mad, mad that you woke up and he wasn’t there, mad that you feel like this is something else you have to deal with on top of what’s already happened today- why couldn’t he have just waited for the storm to blow over? But you can’t be mad at him because all of the rage and pain and tears are bubbling inside of you too and you’d give anything to let loose like he has but you just can’t, you’re too exhausted.

Instead, you just sink down in the leather next to him, he looks up at you with red, bleary eyes and the tears start to fall even harder than they were a second ago, he looks broken and that breaks you even more. His head rests on your chest whilst your gentle, soft hands stroke his face, trying your best to soothe him whilst staring up at the ceiling, forcing your own tears down, your eyes are still raw from earlier, they’re painful so you won’t let yourself. You allow your eyes to shut for some relief, brush the hair off his face and kiss his forehead.

“Let’s go to bed, hmm?” You mumble into his skin. He nods but reaches for the bottle sitting dangerously close to the edge of the table, your hand reaches it before his though.

“I’ll grab you some water.”

The next morning you sit out on the porch again, you don’t know how long has passed whilst you’ve sat cradling your stomach under the green blanket, only snapping back to reality when you notice Joel sit down on his porch. You sneak a glance at him but find that he is already looking at you and even from this distance, about 20 metres away, you can see the rings of red threatening to swallow his eyeballs.

[misty-wisp]

✨💕 for HSR :3

AAAAA TY PRINCE :D

✨ - what draws you towards your hyperfixation? what is interesting about it?

okokok in terms of like, the story and lore it's how rich it is without being too rich. granted a lot can be hard to understand without reading up on things but you can get a good understanding of the worldbuilding and character lore from in-game cutscenes, maybe some NPC dialogue or data bank stuff if you need it. most if not all the characters are super likable too, so i find myself more easily drawn to them and their stories then i did w/ hoyo's other big game :P

worldbuilding regarding the different factions in the world is what interests me the most--you get a clash of all kinds of ideologies and philosophies and it's super interesting to see when they come together, like in the penacony storyline.

in terms of gameplay though it's the quality of life! the only real time-sink in it is when you're playing through the story, doing side quests, and when you have enough excess energy to really get into building your units--and even then, the auto-battle and support character system lets you tab out of the game while you're grinding so you don't have to stare at your screen and do the same thing over and over! as i'm typing this i'm nabbing materials for a future pull :P

💕- tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

i could do the easy answer and say sunday BUT i got stupid lucky and pulled firefly yesterday (which i am so happy about btw. i was devastated losing the 50/50 on her debut release) so i'm gonna ramble about her :3

where do i start with her...okay so like. technically firefly's presented as this sort of waifu character for players to get attached to and selfship with, and i fell for that hook line and sinker bc. god. god she's so sweet. i think what really got me into liking firefly in comparison to some others is that you just!!! spend time with her a little before the plot kicks in!!! you have a silly date and she shows you around and it's so fun!!! but she's hiding so much from you because of the script but also because!!! she doesn't want to freak you out or hurt you!!! and aughhhh. she doesn't want to hurt anyone. she just wants to have a good time with her new best friend before having to inevitably part ways bc of spoiler reasons. and shit!!! i want her to be happy!!!

in conclusion firefly and stelle/TB are the yuri of all time and i am v normal about them. i have got to get normaler

[always-is-always]

So, Scooter is stepping up to become HYBE America’s CEO.

I knew that the media was stirring up stories and interest in him for a reason beyond what seemed obvious. Nothing is EVER what the media portrays.

I know nothing about him as a human, other than he’s credited with discovering Justin B. His energy speaks, though. He’s just another player in the highly complicated system that makes up the American Music Industry. He needs more than a good smudging, for sure…

Bang PD has taken the full plunge, which is really unfortunate. That golden carrot that the American Music Industry dangles, and he’s swallowed it whole. There’s a reason why people say, “hook, line, and sinker”. It’s his karmic Path, evidently.

It’s going to be hard to watch what becomes of the K-Pop Artists who get pulled into the web as well. The Westernization of K-Pop isn’t necessarily a good thing.

I hope that on the other side of MS, that the members of BTS can stay clear of Scooter and his plans…. I’ll be holding space with fingers crossed. ✨

[delopsia]

DELLY ✨🍓✨ the tweet that was like, to the gal who dumped me a few weeks ago because “the hassle of dating a rancher wasn’t worth the time and effort” i’ve had 15 calves in the last 48 hours and you could’ve pet every single one – but with the floytts? rhett relaying a tale from before he was a married man about when a gal rolled through town and realized that maybe wabang wasn’t the place for her…

TEEEE (i have zero idea how to yell your name back at you) 🌻✨

haha wait, I had this tweet in my likes

Thinking about how,,,this all comes up while he's taking Reader and Robby to meet the calves (read: Rhett forgot something at work and didn't realize until they were out together), and he mentions the story, thinking this is something he has told them before. But Reader and Robby have absolutely zero clue what the hell he's on about, and maybe Rhett hasn't told them that tale after all.

"What? I didn't yell y'all?"

Weirdly, it's happened to him twice. Two separate ladies who rolled into town around the end of rodeo season and had him hook, line, and sinker, only to stick around long enough to realize how much work cowboys can be and fly the coop.

With unusually spotty cell service in and around the west pasture (wonder why), texts and calls were a rarity until after six o'clock. Dozing off mid-conversation, the dirt on his boots, the constant obligations, and then right when winter was beginning to subside, they were over it and gone! Right before the very first calves hit the ground!

"She kept sayin' she wanted t' see twin calves," Rhett continues, tapping a nosey little calf on the nose for nibbling at his fingers. "Can y' imagine what we got the next week?"

Bob shouldn't be letting this little one nibble at his wrist...but he is. "Twins?"

"Four pairs of 'em." Speaking of, there's a set of twins over in that pasture over yonder.

Worst of all? Both of those women missed out on an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience that even Rhett can't get tired of.

Calves with ear muffs.

It's kind of funny how it all worked out. Now he's gone from two people who didn't want nothing to do with his lifestyle to having two partners who are really, really trying to convince him to let them buy this brown and white calf...

[jackwolfes]

listen. listen. i already check your ao3 every day in case of updates, you had me hook line and sinker with rwrb and wesper, you got me and my partner to read watchmaker, there is no fandom you have or will ever write in that i will not follow your fic to. the chronicles of narnia is something i hold dearer than almost anything, tucked away secret and safe in the locket of my heart. i did not expect you to write something from that world, let alone for edmund — so often we forget he was just a child.

the secret, safe part of my heart where your story now lives whispers thank you.

ahhh my love this is so sweet of you 🥺💖 sometimes the spirit of small wet children who are easily groomable and traumatised about it compels me ✨

idk if i'll ever write any more but i genuinely didn't think i'd write this one!! so who knows!! if you ever have any thoughts on what you'd like to see me write let me know 😊

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💜 Batty About Books' July Reading Recap

❓ What was your favorite book for July?

🦇 My July reads included: ✨ The Backtrack - Erin La Rosa 💜 The Fragile Threads of Power - V.E. Schwab ✨ Ruthless Vows - Rebecca Ross ✨ It Happened One Summer - Tessa Bailey ✨ Hook, Line, and Sinker - Tessa Bailey ✨ Finlay Donovan is Killing It - Elle Cosimano ✨ A Fragile Enchantment - Allison Saft ✨ Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall ✨ We Got the Beat - Jenna Miller 💜 The Breakup Tour - Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka