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#like it's not a cheap trick of like. oh no he doesn't show up. he changed his mind
natjennie · 2 years
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it's about the fact that if stede had told ed he needed to find mary and set things right, he would've gone along. I know he would've. but in no world would stede be in a place to believe that ed would go. that someone would support him. so of course he goes off on his own, scared, in shock, delirious, exhausted, traumatized. of course he's on autopilot, trying desperately to go back to when things made a little bit of sense. if he was cognizant enough to include ed in his line of thinking, or course ed would be amenable, quickly reshaping their future to include a quick stop in barbados because it's what stede needed in that moment. of course he would. but they're both so fucking hurt and scared and have such low self esteem that badminton's speech and death, and subsequently stede's absence at the dock, were the nail in the coffin for them both. just.. the way that, logically, they could've come together, they could've communicated, they could have worked it out, but it makes absolutely perfect sense that they didn't. that they couldn't. yknow what I mean?
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verstarppen · 6 months
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˗ˏˋ MASTERLIST ˎˊ˗
the pit stop for all your reading needs !
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mv33 。⋆˚ max verstappen
max and the three musketeers — mercedes is a just a tiny bit worried about your dates with their archenemesis
ln4 ⋆⭒˚ lando norris
in a galaxy far, far away — there's little time between fast cars and spaceships, but you make it work
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dr3 ‧₊˚ daniel ricciardo
[ WIP ] pearls in his hair — they say alcohol brings people together, especially when you find a half-naked man by the lake of your vacation house.
ll40 ⭒𓈒ㅤׂ liam lawson
[ WIP ] rollar skate paparazzi — the guy you've been flirting with on the roller skate rink conveniently left out the part where he's super fucking famous
mv33 。⋆˚ max verstappen
[ WIP ] wrong kind of butterflies — max hates watching tv shows but he can't keep his thoughts away from that silly superhero show he watched on a 20 hour plane ride. and oh whatever shall he do when you actually meet on a charity party.
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mv33 。⋆˚ max verstappen
best trophy in your showcase — cheaters deserve to get cheated out of their career, or at least that's how max justifies destroying your ex's life
cl16 ☾⋆˚ charles leclerc
oh no he's hot — your comic book signing takes a turn when a fan walks in wearing a t-shirt with a poorly photoshopped "charles lechair" or wheover that is [ WIP ] caramel splotches — charles makes an oddly specific reference to your youtube channel just once, but the internet decides to internet [ WIP ] apricot bowls — there's nothing charles wants more than to win a championship, but you, the baby and the cottage are a close second [ WIP ] beef? she's a vegetarian — no one could've possibly predicted the real reason why charles made a joke that he'll join eurovision 2024...but you do, and so does your ex
ls2 ✮⁺₊ logan sargeant
behind open doors — the relationship isn't as secretive as you think it is. texan egg hunt — the ricciardo urge to be obsessed with america takes a whole new meaning when your relationship with the only american on the grid is revealed...because of kinder eggs glitter bomb — logan has a very special helmet reveal on instagram to celebrate your olympics gold metal and a scavenger hunt seems like the appropriate way to reveal it to you [ WIP ] she's everything, he's just logan — not to flex, but how many f1 drivers can say they're dating a princess?
gr63 ˖♡𓍢ִ໋ george russell
get on with the show... — mercedes have a strict policy regarding office romance, but that can't stop Totally Spies because they can't read
op81 ✩°˖ oscar piastri
[ WIP ] fly me to the moon — the world hadn't seen chaos until you parked a miniplane in the pit lane your boyfriend lunchables [ WIP ] blueberry pastries — the mclaren and williams admins love taking advantage of the fact that you and oscar only seem to look like you're not absolutely miserable on camera when you're together meddle about — the singapore heat can't kill you, but the sight of him sweaty and disheveled just might
ln4 ⋆⭒˚ lando norris
[ WIP ] just a couple of besties — the king of spoilers himself, lando "oh is it confirmed?" norris, reveals to the whole world he has a girlfriend...and not a soul believes him.
dr3 ‧₊˚ daniel ricciardo
[ WIP ] you, me, and franz kafka — danny ric doesn't understand how a book about a guy turning into a insect can be interesting, but if it makes his girlfriend happy he'll read it- and maybe melt a few fans' hearts along the way
yt22 ★⋆.⁺ yuki tsunoda
cheap tricks on route 66 — losing a bag at a out-of-city gas station with an etched phone number seems a little too convenient doesn't it?
ms47 ❀˖˙⊹ mick schumacher
count me in — slowly but surely that fake dating plan you cooked up starts leaving its confined lines
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last updated: 28/3/2024
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fictionalslvr · 4 months
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Maybe one with re4 or re2 Leon and your like his lieutenant/superior? I’d love to see re4 Leon w this lmfao esp since he looks so mad all the time but he’s actually js a big softie wanting approval from his superior 😪
NO BECAUSE--- This is actually SO cute LMAO! I don't know if you wanted something smutty or not, but here it is! Re2 and Re4¡Leon x Lieutenant¡F¡Reader (mentions of feminine body) fluffy and smut
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Re2¡Leon would make it very clear how much he wants to get the approval of his lieutenant, in that case, you. He's a rookie, after all, so anything he does, is to get him some praises. At each task, he would look up to search for you and see your gentle smile towards him, that would encourage him to keep doing whatever he's doing, but it seems right since you smiled! Buuuuut, if you get mad with him...oh no, no, no. He would be SO sad. A cute plump pout on his lips as he stared at his shoes, feeling guilty and not so well with the way you're frowing at him, you're not like this, and he doesn't like to be a bad rookie.
As for Re4! Leon...he would be a very stubborn man. He doesn't need to prove his value, not for anyone, and not even for yo— And just before he could think that, he's shooting at the range and doing a lot of cheap tricks, only to show himself up for you. It's like, shooting with his back turned to the target. With his eyes closed. With heavy guns ect. Even on the little things, he would try to get a minimal giggle out of you, that would be enough. Even if he won't say it, that would made his day. From days on, he starts to subtly bring coffee for you, putting a brown bag into your desk with something sweet you like, that (don't ask him how he knows your favorite) is gently placed with a little note on it, with silly drawings, mostly, happy faces like ":)"
NSFW UNDER THE CUT!!
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And if he can get some approval, he WILL do it. Re2¡Leon wouldn't hesitate a second if you told him your back were sore, immediately running behind you to squish your skin ever so gently above the clothes, even if that could relax you a little bit. But you kept grumbling, saying that the pain is not only physical, but sexual as well. Leon got startled by your boldness, and how normally you said that, but the look on your face indicates you're waiting for him to do something. And immediately, he got on his knees, kissing every inch of your thighs underneath that pencil skirt to show you how loyal and a good rookie he can be. Re2¡Leon would be the best at giving you some relief with sucking you off! He would be lapping at your cunt like a starved dog, face reddened and flustered, but he won't stop, not until your hands tangle around his hair and you scream his name when cumming on his mouth. He would even clean you up after it, just right after sucking you off like the good rookie he is <3
But, Re4¡Leon, wouldn't be so naive about it, no. He would hear you talking about your frustrated sexual attempts, and that would only fill him with even more motivation to show you how much of the best employee of you he can be! With that being said, he would offer himself, saying how much of that stress he could take out of you. His hips moved in sync with your, his pelvis getting closer to your wet hole as you kept moaning like never in a big time before. Leon would fuck you relentless, like he's been in need of that too, his dick banging inside and out of you. And, as the good employee he is, he would make you cum at least three times that day, only to watch your face contort in pleasure, he would be very proud of himself. With your moanings getting more and more whiny, he knew he was doing a good job. And after the first time, he would always be there to satisfy you, even if he pretends not to care about you, he's the best at fulfilling your needs and taking care of you right after it.
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Ok so now that I've spent some time thinking about the whole "Chuuya was never a vampire" twist, I... still don't like it. For many reasons.
Here's my explanation; if you want to read it, please do. I strive to be fair. I want to wait for the manga release before making a verdict on whether it's bad writing or not, and I also want to see the start of next arc to see where they're going with all this.
If you don't want to read it, and you're having fun with the twist (it is funny. I will admit that much), then skip this and keep having fun! I don't want to ruin anyone's enjoyment.
First of all. It makes no sense. There are things that just do not add up. There was never an indication this was a possibility.
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Bro. Did you put on costume makeup for the texture under your eyes? Did it wash off after nearly getting drowned and you had to frantically reapply it behind Fyodor's back and that's why we couldn't see your face for several chapters. Did you take it off again for your dramatic reveal here at the end? I demand smeared undereye makeup Chuuya in the manga when it releases hbfsdjhbfv
Ok this was more a joke. But here's what really irks me.
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From what I can recall, this is. True. He needs to have made contact to manipulate gravity. It's also re-established in this very arc.
Great. So how the fuck did he slow the elevator? He was with Fyodor in a separate room! This makes no sense. Did he leave to stop the elevator and Fyodor was like "oh chill. ok come back soon"??? What?!
Here's another thing I want to address:
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@ticklinglady I had this same question. However, on thinking on it again, I do have an answer that makes sense - they had to buy time for Sigma to use his ability on Fyodor, to gain knowledge on him about what he knows, and what his ability is. <-I feel confident in saying this is going to be important later. Sigma will still have a role to play and we will find out more about Fyodor!
Alright. Moving on to the themes, and why this also doesn't work (at least for me).
The theme in this arc is very much to do with the contrast between trust vs control. This is Fyodor's failing when it came to Dazai, and it is established very early on as the major contrast between them, in the Sky Casino arc. The vampires, though it seemed silly and random, fit nicely into that theming. And the conclusion, where Dazai showed extreme faith in Sigma and the Agency members (and what an interesting contrast that is; to have someone show faith in ordinary humans when his foil is a man who has faith in god but not humanity), that fits into that theming also. Ok, so this was an extension of that right? Showing faith in Chuuya, as always.
Yeah, no. I want to direct your attention back to this here.
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This line is the one that had everyone going "oh man skk is going to fuck you up for that". I made an entire analysis back when this chapter first came out about the themes that we saw, and Fyodor's utter devaluing of the effectiveness of people beyond just their skills and abilities (it's here, if you're curious). This is why I suspected that, since Dazai and Fyodor are intellectually matched, it would have to be Sigma and Chuuya to catch Fyodor off guard - because he only values what people can do, not who they are.
Well, we got a little with Sigma, before Fyodor took control of the situation again. (Rip buddy.) Sigma's tenacity and unwillingness to fall for Fyodor's manipulating him away from helping the Agency was based off his personal choice and free will. He managed to shoot him! Fyodor was reduced to a cheap trick to get close enough to stab him! There was a certain level of payoff.
But Chuuya? I want you to think for a second. What did he actually do? Not a single part of this was Chuuya's idea. It was Mori's - he was at the very least sent undercover under orders, if not sent to Meursault under orders. He didn't even glue his own fangs in apparently. Now let's go over what he did. Why was it so necessary that it be Chuuya there? Well, obviously because gravity manipulation was needed to slow the elevator and the bullet. Oh... hm. So. His ability. Was what was needed, huh?
But it was necessary for it to be Chuuya because of the bond between him and Dazai, right? Oh. Wait. So, Chuuya's personality and goals don't matter - only his ability to read Dazai.
This twist makes it so Chuuya as a person doesn't actually throw a wrench into Fyodor's plans at all. All that matters is that he is Mori's executive and Dazai's partner. I guess he was "utilized" after all. I thought, with his characterization in Fifteen and Stormbringer, that we were moving away from this characterization of Chuuya only by his bond with Dazai. Do you want to scream.
You might be saying, okay, but at the very least it showed the depths of Double Black's bond! ...did it? Not really, at least not to me. The only impressive part of any of this was Mori's preparedness. This was barely an skk plan. It was a Mori plan. Double Black placing their lives in each other's hands is a Tuesday for them. This is nothing we didn't already know. And truthfully, it goes nowhere near the level of sheer trust we saw in Dead Apple. Mori sent Chuuya in sure, but it was only after everything settled down that he realized that Mori suspected Dazai would need help. Before that point, it seemed everyone thought Dazai was dead except Chuuya. Chuuya chose to jump out of that plane. Chuuya chose to risk his life. It showcased his personality, his free agency, and the level of trust they had far, far better. And it was emotionally satisfying! Dazai was extremely grateful that his trust paid off! Chuuya was somewhat conscious during Corruption, enough to weaken his own punch and shout Dazai's name! Dazai prevented Chuuya from having his ability be separated from him by the fog! They are an unbeatable team... but they were still left exhausted, and had to rely only on each other. How does what happened in this latest episode compare to that in a way that makes me believe they've actually outmaneuvered Fyodor?
Listen. I'll take twists that don't really have a great build up if they further the themes or character development, or it just makes for good drama. There's an interesting pay off, at least, so I say "okay, okay. Could've been done better, but I'll let it slide for the intrigue." But here? Nothing. It was boring. Are you bored.
Anime watchers were probably more fine with it. Maybe it was a little disappointing, but oh well. But manga readers have been having this plot dragged out for years. A lot of said fans (including myself) were excited to see Chuuya become main series relevant and receive present day development - and it seemed like we were going to get that with the recent publication of not one, but two Chuuya backstory novels, and the drama of this arc pitting Dazai and Chuuya against each other. Instead, this did absolutely nothing of interest for his character. Why was he even here?
Which brings me to the last point, which is the characterization.
Going back and re-reading this entire arc now, it becomes one big stage performance. Ok, fine, it's a little funny. But now there's hardly anything of value to these interactions. The only ones that actually matter are Fyodor and Sigma, and Fyodor and Nikolai. All that buildup to drama between Double Black, to another incredible display of trust, to something shifting and changing from the status quo... all that build up, and nothing has changed for Chuuya, or for Double Black. The show of trust wasn't even that dramatic really. Are you bored still.
This also weakens Fyodor's character to me. Fyodor witnessed their incredible show of trust in Dead Apple. I assumed he was prepared for skk-typical bullshittery, you know, being a genius on par if not greater than Dazai. You're telling me he was so overconfident he completely missed that Chuuya wasn't a vampire? Really? Fyodor really had nothing in place that would verify whether the vampires were actually under control? He wasn't constantly checking for a plan? It really was just red eyes and fangs, and he thought that was fine? That's it? Ok.
Truthfully, I was kind of :| about several of the preceding twists in the Meursault arc, particularly the dagger Fyodor pulled out when he started acting to Sigma, and the door railing being preemptively crushed by Chuuya before the drowning started. The dagger was actually ornate in the manga, which raised several questions - it couldn't have come from a guard. It made me think there was more to that interaction than just Fyodor pretends to have a split personality and that there was actually something to that knife. Well, it was made to be a regular knife in the anime, so I guess theorizing across those lines are dashed.
What bothered me the most though was the crumpling of the rail to stop the door from completely closing. There was no indication of this in the manga. None. No one could've predicted that - because it's stupid. The water filled so fast it couldn't get out of the crack in the door, even though it was huge??? Dazai was in the control room - you're telling me that there was no security camera focused on the door??? You know, where you would position a security camera??? It was dumb to me, but I was willing to roll my eyes and move on because I was expecting a good payoff to all this, and well, it was funny.
But now, the whole arc is one extended joke skk were playing on Fyodor. And you're telling me that's how our major antagonist goes out? Our major antagonist of several arcs? Be for fucking real.
And depending on when Dazai figured it out, it may even cheapen earlier scenes. If he found out after the elevator slowed like people have been theorizing, I could accept that. That's fine. But I need people to recall: in the actual episode he states "it was all an act".
Is Dazai probably lying to save face? Sure. But as of this moment we actually have no evidence it wasn't an act from the beginning. Remember that Ango was communicating the whole time with Dazai. Remember that Mori was involved and helped Tanizaki and Kenji get to safety. It's entirely possible it was all premeditated.
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One last suggestion: the plan name was "Good-bye" as suggested earlier. This means that even if Dazai didn't know from the beginning, he knew by the time of his speech to Chuuya as he was drowning.
This means that his whole scheme with Sigma was not an extremely dangerous, life-risking play on his part at all (@daz4i has gone to explain why this sacrificialism isn't good for a suicidal character, which I recommend reading, but nonetheless it was still notable characterization for Dazai). And what about this?
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Even his own flashbacks and memories were, what? A lie? A performance? For whom? Not for Fyodor, that's for sure.
For us. The readers. For the people who are invested in these two and their dynamic. For the people who wanted development between them, because there are actually issues there that have not been resolved. People wanted Dazai to show real concern. Chuuya is still bitter, even if Dazai thinks everything is fine and the same since he left. There was a tease that we're going to get how Chuuya felt when Dazai left the Mafia at some point in the future. People were making angsty art and writing and getting really excited because all the prior interactions had appeared to be set up for the payoff of this drama.
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We get an introduction in the dungeon. We reveal their partnership and fearsome reputation during the Lovecraft fight. They perform flawlessly in Dead Apple. Throughout all this, they need no communication. They read each other and respond in tandem, always... but there's still an underlying tension in the way they do not talk to each other. I, and many others, had thought the prison escape arc was the breaking point for some development, since their prior appearances were all meant to establish them as a team, and this arc dealt heavily with the breaking of established things.
But no. Deus ex skk is perfect. They have no issues or flaws. Do you want to scream again.
Anyways. I recognize I'm probably just very disappointed right now and by tomorrow, I probably won't care anymore and will just roll with it. I think I was extra disappointed because while I tempered my expectations for, say, Yosano and Kyouka's involvement (sigh...), I fully expected skk would be handled well, being the fandom faves and where the money is at, so I guess I took the disappointment that much harder.
However, I'm eager to see how the manga tackles the ending, and if we will get any extra cues or better pacing there that may make me not quite so bitter. If it's any consolation, I do think we'll be getting Chuuya focus at some point in a future arc, and while I do think Fyodor is dead, I doubt he will have stopped haunting the narrative. He'll be back in some capacity. I'm pretty certain he's still the mastermind.
And I'm curious about the next arc and what's happening there. Maybe some things will be revealed later that will help smooth out the flaws here.
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goatcheesecak3 · 5 months
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Halloween headcanons 🎃🦇🕸🕷
Going thru a few of devon's characters and guessing what they'd be getting up to on Halloween
#1 Adam
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He's most likely taking you to some frat party, nothing too special, but he does dress up - well kinda. He puts a little fake blood around his mouth, says he's a vampire and calls it a day. Halloween is more about the parties than the spooks for him.
#2 Freddy Klein
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Halloween is a business opportunity for him, knowing that parents are gonna be taking their kids trick or treating, he organises a few spooky games and refreshment to try and get their attention to the dealership. You help the kids play games like bobbing for apples, while Freddy tries to sell cars to their parents. Once the night is over, the two of you celebrate some successful sales wrapped up on the sofa with a couple of beers.
#3 Casper Galloway
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Casper HATES Halloween, he's a big scaredy cat. Even the doorbell ringing from trick or treaters makes him jump out of his skin. He's still pretty freaked out from the whole zemon thing, so you go out of your way to distract him on Halloween. You order a pizza and snuggle up in bed to watch anything other than a horror film - he usually picks a rom com because let's face it, this man is a huuuuge softie.
#4 Mike (rip picture quality)
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You and Mike go to great lengths to make Halloween fun for Angel. You carve pumpkins together, make her a little boo basket and take her trick or treating. You let her stay up an hour past her bed time on Halloween, so she can watch a spooky film for kids, like monster House. Once she's been put to bed, you and Mike split a bottle of wine while watching a classic horror film and fall asleep on the sofa together.
#5 Dean Taylor
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According to Dean, Halloween is just an excuse to go out and raise hell without getting in trouble. He's been known to graffiti people's houses, set people's bins on fire and even mug drunk party goers. He's kinda an ass.
Where are you while all this is going on? You're at home none the wiser, waiting for him to get back so you can watch a movie together. You're under the impression that he's just out getting some snacks.. but now he's been gone an hour and you're pretty sure the store is closed by now.. oh, never mind, he just got back. He always seems to show up juuuust when you start to worry.
#Rodrick Heffley (yeah i made you wait until the very end, I know that's who you came here for)
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He's throwing a rager, and you better believe he's gone all out with his costume. He's painted his face to look like a skeleton and ordered a cheap robe off amazon so he can go as the grim reaper. He usually gets pretty drunk at parties, but on Halloween, every time without a doubt, he gets absolutely wasted. It ends up being your job to carry him up to bed and try to wipe his face paint off him so he doesn't ruin his bedsheets. He ends up getting very clingy and insists that you stay and cuddle with him instead of going back to the party - which you have no problem with at all.
A/n happy Halloween everyone! Hope you enjoyed these hcs, and let me know if you think I should do more "How different characters would act in a scenario" type headcanons- because this was a lot of fun to write!
As always, replies and reblogs are greatly appreciated, they help me figure out what sort of stuff people wanna see more of :^)
Requests are still open! Check my pinned post for details
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worriedvision · 2 years
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A haitham fic where he keeps giving really lusty looks towards the reader but it's that damn subtle that the reader thinks they're seeing things, or sth like their friends who are with them laughing when the reader talks about haitham, someone they are attracted to, giving them flirty looks bc 'why would he want you lol'
Gender neutral reader, it landed up not being suggestive, however the friends are really shitty. Reader is mentioned to be the 'smart one' of the group.
--
You were a student that decided to take some time to go to Port Ormos with your friends who insisted it was a must go. You didn't exactly see the appeal at first, it just looked like an area that hiked up prices when they spotted someone vulnerable enough to take their word for it when they claim something is of high value.
Your friends seemed to fit the description that these vendors looked for, them assuming these people knew more than they did. Thankfully, you could look at said items and call them out for being cheap products. There's the price tag that clearly shows a fraction of the price they just mentioned, oh and this is is a poorly duplicated product. The vendors stopped trying these tricks with you around, so your friends took you along wherever they wanted to go. You did find yourself rather bored, but there was a man you kept seeing out of the corner of your eye.
A rather handsome man, if you would claim so yourself.
You saw him give you a look that you thought you were just making up yourself. One where he's clearly interested in you, and it wasn't purely your intelligence. That little smirk you could have sworn was there for a split second, and the way his eyes seemed to eye you up before he stopped when your friends asked you to come along. The first few times, they don't even see what caught your attention.
One of your friends spots where you keep looking when they're trying to get your attention, and they start giggling at you.
"He is attractive, _." Your friend jabs lightly, you turning to face them. "You're the smart one, not the cute one." They continue, turning to gesture to your other friends.
"I can be both. Those two terms are not exclusive." You defend yourself, not taking your friends comments.
"Well, I don't think you have a chance with that guy anyway." Your friend brushes off. "Focus on yourself, not him, 'kay?" They smile, their tone sickeningly sweet.
You furrow your brows, not taking any of this.
"Where do you get off talking about me like that?" You huff out, truly not happy with how this friend was treating you.
"I'm just telling you the truth, it's not bitchy." They say, rolling their eyes.
"No, that is bitchy." You stop them, beginning to walk back towards Sumeru City. "I'm not taking this any more. It's obvious you're all interested in them as well, and I don't have the energy to deal with jealous people."
You hear your friends call out, them saying that they needed you to be the brains of the group. It's then you realise that they genuinely thought you were physically unappealing, and they kept you around to make them look better. You had enough of being used for other peoples gains, and now you were determined to truly focus on yourself. Now, you didn't have anyone holding you back from pursuing the topics that required more time than you could manage.
--
Haitham doesn't know about this interaction, and he keeps looking for your face amongst your friends. Not seeing it, he can't help but feel disappointed. Perhaps you were unwell, maybe you wanted to do something else other than stop your friends from being scammed by vendors. One of your more confident 'friends' approaches him, and a part of him hopes they'll tell him where you went.
Nope. They ask him out, sprinkling in how 'strong' and 'manly' he looked. They bat their eyelashes, only making themselves more desperate looking for a date. Haitham turns them down with a simple 'no' before he keeps looking for you. He overhears a vendor starting to upsell one of your other friends, and he decides to help just this once.
His presence alone is enough to stop the vendor, who can't even look him in the eye and try to brush it off as a silly joke. This friend of yours pretends he did this because they were waiting for a date, but his unimpressed look cuts through them.
"Where is your smarter friend?" Haitham asks, catching your friends off guard.
"Uhh, _? Really, you could pick anyone, but you go for-"
"Where did _ go." Haitham stops them, not wanting to bother with some flirty comments sprinkled in with answers that didn't answer his question.
"We don't know. I think they just went back to their studies, figures since that's their bread and butter." Your friend finally answers Haitham, who manages to hide his disappointment.
"Oh, well good luck then." He simply states, turning before he feels someone hold him back. Turning his head, he glares at the friend who was persistent with him.
"Who did you keep looking at, by the way?" The friend asks. "You kept looking in our direction, and I think you fancy one of us."
How did you get such bland friends, Haitham asks himself. These people were laying it on thick, not to mention they were not the smartest tools in the shed. They didn't even seem like good people, not caring about where you were right now.
He doesn't even dignify them with an answer, shaking off the hand and promptly walking away. As he walks away, he remembers the name.
_, huh? Perhaps he could find you without the help of your friends.
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ghostofaboy · 7 months
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I know you’ve written for these two before(especially Frankie) so many it’s not as interesting to ask, but do you have any hcs for Frankie or Din? I love ur fics btw!
Talking about Frankie and Din is always interesting to me. They are fascinating characters.
Frankie:
This man is a snack fiend. Always has things in his cupboards, always sat on the sofa eating something. If you're planning a party and need nibbles then Frankie is the guy to ask.
Loves tinkering. At home his garage or shed is full of little 'projects'. He loves taking things apart to figure out how they work.
Linked to the tinkering, Frankie is very organized. Everything has its place. Never leaves a project half done or left unfinished. So this guy will take your toaster apart, but he will put it back together and it'll work. Also you know he owns a label maker.
Frankie doesn't sleep well. He'd always been more susceptible to bad dreams even as a kid. So throw in some PTSD and he's got no chance for a good night's sleep. (Poor sleepy boy)
Not an adventurous cook, but what he can cook he does well.
Not a big reader, although he does have his favorites, but loves the movies. If it were more affordable he'd go every week. Always buys boxsets of his favorite shows and loves any special features and behind the scenes stuff.
Hates watching shows about flying. They never get the details right and it pisses him off.
A switch in bed. He can be dominate, be can be submissive. Frankie is very good at adapting to who he's with and what they both want in that moment.
Din:
Total neat freak. Everything has its place and must be put in the right place. Probably had a quiet melt down several times when Grogu was first on the Crest.
Very well read. There isn't a lot to do between bounties in hyperspace so to stop himself from over cleaning his weapons (*ahem*) he got into the habit of finding cheap novels whenever he could.
I can get behind asexual Din Djarin, but when I write him it's often as sexually inexperienced. He's just not had the time and opportunity to really explore that side of things. He's had sex but he's never had the chance to be intimate.
Din can sleep anywhere. I mean anywhere. On rocks, sat up somewhere, when it's warm, when it's cold. Whatever the location or situation if it's safe then he's out like a light.
He has no idea that he's attractive. If told so he'll think it's a line or a trick.
I think it's universally accepted that Din Djarin has a breeding kink.
Not a big talker when first meeting people. Likes to sit and watch and weigh people up. But oh boy once he considers you a friend get ready for stories. So many. Things that he's done, places he's visited, stories he's been told.
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guywrestlingaddiction · 3 months
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Double Team Triumph: Jeff Clark v Meadlock & Lorenzo (nrwrestling.com)
A successful two-on-one match needs the right formula.  It can't be too one sided where we feel sorry for the guy and trust me when I say that no one is feeling sorry for Jeff Clark - the man easily takes on two wrestlers at a time.  
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Jeff Clark v Meadlock & Lorenzo (nrwrestling.com)
SPOILER ALERT: I highly recommend viewing this match in its entirety before reading this post.  
The Backstory
Built like a football player, Jeff Clark is one imposing dude.  Six feet two inches of pure muscle, the man is a force to reckon with and just the kind of guy to teach two punks a lesson.  Enter Meadlock and Lorenzo, two wisecracking, disrespectfully punks, foolish enough to challenge Jeff in the ring.  
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Lorenzo: This guy's... *swallow* a little big Jeff: Let's see what you got!
Like a couple of hyennas the pair instantly begin to think of ways to pull dirty tricks on nice guy, Jeff Clark.  
The Double Team
Following a cheap sucker punch, the two begin double teaming Jeff.  Though they're trash talking punks, they know enough that the only way they can take a big solid dude, with massive arms and legs, like Jeff down is with dirty tactics.  
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Oh you poor silly punks. Your payback is waking up and coming at in you three... two... one...
The Triumph
Payback comes hard and fast for Meadlock and Lorenzo.  It just goes to show you to never turn your back on the ocean, or in this case a hulking muscle bear like Jeff Clark.  So don't turn your back on the ocean, Jeff Clark, or any force of nature really because if you do, you'll regret it.  
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Jeff getting to his feet like it's go time. 
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You guys are fucked. 
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Lorenzo is looking small in Jeff's massive grip.
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Meadlock doesn't fare much better, crying out in agony.
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The setup ...
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Knocking down the pins
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Dominate the small guy and make his partner watch.  Meadlock covers his face not wanting to see his eventual fate. 
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Meadlock embarrassingly tries to crawl away.  He's might be done but Jeff isn't done with him.  
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All of that leading up to the finale - the double bearhug.  Jeff Clark crushes two scrawny punks with those massive arms.
And that's how one became greater than two. Jeff is just too strong for two men, let alone two punks like Meadlock and Lorenzo.  It was a huge mistake letting the big man catch his breath because shortly afterwards, he was ready to dominate them both in the ring.  Actually it's Jeff's ring now and well, you can say otherwise, but the last guys that did were forced to grovel and submit to the alpha. 
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stagethreekoma · 1 year
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oh, pure heart's peer
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CW: None
Relationships: Nagito Komaeda/Reader
Tags: Fluff, GN! Reader, Kissing, Meadows, Frolicking, Self-Indulgent, Healing, Domestic, Lowercase
Word Count: 891
(i think i was meant to keep you warm.)
you take him out to the meadow.
you open the windows to greet the rising sun. the rays of light bring forth warmth and the light breeze kisses your cheeks with cold air.
taking a breath is a mixture of sharp and cool, you take the clear skies for what it is and quickly pad to the kitchen, a plan forming in your mind, eager to set it up.
it's not long before a second set of footsteps creak the floorboards but you pay half a mind to it, placing the sandwiches into the basket, nabbing the thermos along the way, filling it up with hot chocolate.
it's only when tentative hands tug at your shirt, informing you of his presence do you turn around and smile at the sight of eyes looking at you with curiosity.
a finger is brought up to his lips before he could even speak, blinking rapidly when a quick kiss is planted soon after, your finger in the middle and like that, you pull away to close the basket.
"my hope?" he whispers, pale skin warming up as he registers what you'd just done, lips twitching up, unable to stop the shocked chuckle bubbling in his throat.
he doesn't know why he's whispering, it's just you two out here. maybe it's the way the world itself was still in the process of waking up, the sunlight only starting to brighten up the land.
he doesn't get to dwell on it much, not with your hands on his, tugging him out the door, laughing lightly as he takes his and your jacket off the rack along the way, an inkling as to what you'd planned tickling his mind.
it's a trek, but it wasn't too far, the space between you is quiet but you squeeze his hand three times and reassures him that you don't mind.
the meadow is cool and still, morning dew still on the grass no doubt, the flowers gently swaying with the wind as the sun warms the earth.
you purr, it's a soft sound, one that makes his heart stutter still, you showed your neat little trick long before you took him here and yet, his breath hitches as his eyes meet yours.
your thumb rubs the back of his hand as you place the basket down, here at the top of the hill before rolling the sleeves of your pants and he follows your moves.
you bounce up when done, cradling his face when he looks up at you, brushing your lips against his before running down the hill with a carefree laugh.
he chases after you, heart soaring even as his legs burn, his hands reach yours once more and they hold them, hold him tight as you descend and make fools of yourselves.
he finds he doesn't mind, not when it's with you, a laugh comes out once more, it's raspy and hoarse but you look at him with bright eyes and kiss his cheek.
he loves you. he purrs himself, a cheap imitation but it makes you smile and he continues to do so.
this time, he's the one to pull away, itching to play and you perk up.
the moment he turns around and runs, he hears you laugh and go after him. it's fun, it's tiring but the sun on your backs, the breeze cooling your faces makes it worth it.
he yelps, when you pounce onto his back, rolling around before you could actually land on him and you lay against wet grass for a moment to catch your breaths.
your hand tiredly ruffles his white locks, blades of greenery flying out and he pulls a twig from your hair. soft giggling increasing in volume as you shift closer to encase him in your arms.
"we should... we should eat." he pants, the adrenaline easing through, his limbs feeling heavy with a huff.
there's a tiny rock digging into his back but he finds that he doesn't want to move just yet.
not when you card your hand through his hair, pushing it away to kiss his head, warmth flushing his cheeks as he takes a hold of your nape to pull you down, where he wants you instead.
it's soft, you've always been soft, his lips are chapped and dry but a quick lick wets it as he goes for another kiss, shivering lightly.
you purr, leaning back with a satisfied hum, getting up and holding your hand out, telling him it was time to head up.
his back aches, heart still beating a mile but he smiles, taking your hands and standing back up, pulling you into his embrace, giggling when you complain over his hair tickling your face as he nuzzles and breaths in the scent of you.
"okay, okay, let's go." he laughs, avoiding the light hearted swipe, taking the hand you would have used to smack and interlacing your hands together.
you huff but you kiss his knuckles and lead him back, this time however, you can't look away from him.
how could you, when the sun rises right behind him, shining his locks, making a soft halo, blinding still when accompanied with the smile he gives you.
he squeezes your hand, three times. you squeeze back, three too.
he loves you. you love him too.
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ashers1997 · 2 months
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Euphorics
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Warning this is a 18+ story with smut! No minors!!!
I laughed as I brought the glass to my lips while watching my friends Alexis and Marissa dance. We were at our favorite club, The Euphorics Lounge and Bar, and the night had only just begun. Along with Alexis, Marissa, and I being there, another friend, Miguel, worked at the bar. We could all talk and have a good time together, and also Miguel could give us discounts as a courtesy of the bar. Furthermore, given that we all preferred cheap vodka or tequila over wine and bourbon, our nights were pretty cheap drink-wise. However, even though the drinks are cheap, these nights can get "expensive" in a certain sense. Euphorics is a strip club/bar, and it is incredibly easy to drop hundreds of dollars there without even noticing. However, regardless of the prices, the bar in and of itself is a good time. I often stay near the bar, talking to Miguel while Alexis and Marrisa have fun on the dance floor and near the stage. While I admired strippers, and I always tipped while I was there, I never went out of my way to interact with them. 
"Do you want to join us, y/n!?" Marissa yelled over the music, and I just laughed and shook my head. I loved watching them have fun, but I preferred to stand afar and watch while I drank or smoked. 
She shrugged and continued to dance before pointing towards the stage and mouthing something to Alexis. I heard Alexis say, "Have fun!" before she walked over to me. 
"She's going to get closer to watch her favorite." She said while laughing, and I laughed too. There was one stripper named Jackson that she adored. And, in all fairness, Jackson was a fan of Marissa, too. He always went out of his way to show her attention when they were both at the club. While there was a general liking, there was also explicit knowledge that part of the connection was transactional. 
I smiled and shook my head as I watched them flirt near the stage. "I swear those two need to get together somehow." 
"I know. Either get together or get a room." As we laughed, I saw Alexis's eyes drifting to one of her favorite strippers. 
"Are you going to go say hi to Marcus or just continue to eye fuck him?" 
"Oh, hush." She said, lightly slapping my arm. "I'm going to go over in a minute. I just need to get my cash." 
Since I was seen as "the responsible one," I often looked over their bags on a night out. I didn't guard them or keep them from using their money; Miguel and I just kept them near the bar so we could make sure nobody stole them. 
"Alright, well, you have fun with Marcus. I'll be here." I say as I light up a cigarette and take a long inhale.
She smiled and grabbed her cash before walking over. 
"Is she putting the cash between her…yup she is," I murmur to myself, laughing as I exhale a puff of smoke. Whenever she gave Marcus cash, she only did it one way. She would take a twenty put, the bill between her breasts, and have him take it from there. It made me laugh every time and seemed amusing for both her and Marcus. It was their little game that they played every time. 
As my eyes drifted away from Alexis, I watched the other dancers. They interacted with customers on the floor or from the stage during this time. Sometimes they did pole tricks, but those were typically saved for the main show. As I watched, I noticed that there was a stripper who I didn't recognize. 
He was pretty. He had dark curly hair that fell over his eyes, a lean, slender frame, pale skin, and an infectious smile. I tilted my head and called to Miguel.
"Hey, who's the new guy on stage?"
"Oh, that's Timothée. He's actually been here for roughly a month. He doesn't typically work Saturdays. He's really popular, too." 
"Well, I'm not surprised. He's pretty."
"Yeah, looks like you've caught his attention too."
"What-" I turned back towards the stage and saw him staring…in my direction. 
"He just happened to be looking this way, man. Doubt he was staring at me."
"Sure, y/n. If you want to think that."
I was about to ask what the hell that meant when Alexis bounced back over to us. 
"Did you see me and Marcus?"
"Yes, I did. I see that gag has never gotten old."
"Nope, he loves it. Oh yeah, by the way, who was the guy on stage staring at you?"
"He wasn't staring at me."
"Yes, he was y/n. His name is Timothée, by the way." Miguel said to Alexis with a smirk, and I rolled my eyes. It wouldn't be the first time that anyone from our group tried to set me up with someone on a date. Or set me up to interact with one of the strippers. 
"No. He wasn't."
"I think he was."
"Well, you think wrong," I said with a laugh. "By the way, can I get a refill?" 
"Absolutely." He said as he made another vodka soda for me and slid it over. I took a gulp and looked back towards the stage, immediately noticing that Timothée had disappeared. 
"Besides, what was it for even if he was looking at me? Plenty of other people here are a thousand times more attractive than I am." 
"Um, y/n, I think he was looking at you," Alexis said while laughing and looking past me to my right.
"Oh yeah? And what makes you say that-" I was cut off as someone suddenly stood in front of me and, wouldn't you know it? It was Timothée. He had placed his arms on either side of me, trapping me in so I couldn't run away, which I desperately wanted to do now. 
"I can confirm I was looking at you. What are you drinking, by the way?" Timothée asked before he took my drink out of my hand and took a sip. 
"Mmm, vodka soda. A nice classic." He put the drink back in my hand, and I stared at him incredulously momentarily. He was even more attractive up close. And whatever cologne he had was the perfect mixture of muskiness and sweetness. As I stared, he smirked at me, and I realized he knew what he was doing. He was just the type to enjoy fucking with someone and making them flustered. 
As I came to my senses, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, and held it in front of me. 
"Oh, I won't take it from you that way." 
"Why not? It's a perfectly good bill. Do you want more?" I say, completely willing to give more but unsure.
"I said I'm not going to take it that way, never said I wouldn't take it." I stared at him blankly before asking the obvious question, "Well, how will you take it?"
He smirked and murmured in a low voice, "Put it in between your teeth."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Put. It. Between. Your. Teeth." I stared back in disbelief. As much as I wanted to believe he wasn't being serious, I could tell that, unbelievably, he was. I let out a sharp laugh. 
"You're kidding."
"I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Pretty Thing, but I'm not. Put it between your teeth, and I'll take it." 
"Pretty Thing? You're giving me nicknames now?"
"Is there something wrong with it? I'm only calling you Pretty Thing because you are, and I don't know your name." 
"My name is y/n. And if I'm a Pretty Thing, then you're a fucking tease."
"Oh, I know I am, darling. Now, will you give me that money properly and how I want it or not?" I wanted to shove the money back in my pocket, but part of me also wanted so desperately to see what he would do. So, unbelievingly, I brought the bill to my mouth and bit down with my teeth, smirking at him as if to say, "Try me." And try me, he did. He leaned forward and bit down on the other side of the bill with his teeth. I was in so much shock that I let go. He laughed as he leaned back, finally setting me free from the cage that was his arms. 
He took the bill out of his mouth and looked at it before placing a kiss on it. 
"This bill is incredibly special to me now. Tell me, are you doing anything after the show?"
"Going home." I practically spit out through gritted teeth. I was still in complete shock at what had just happened and utterly embarrassed. 
"Well…" He said, reaching around me and grabbing a napkin and a pen from the bar. "Why don't you meet me after the show backstage, hm? Hand this to the bouncer, and he'll let you in." 
He handed me the napkin, and on it was a small note that said "Meet me backstage," some numbers and his signature. 
"I look forward to seeing you, my Pretty Thing." He said, gripping my chin before he walked away, waving the money a bit to remind me of what had just happened. 
"What the fuck was that?"
"I have no idea, but I think he likes you," Alexis said while half laughing, clearly in shock. 
"Miguel, what is this, by the way?" I ask, showing him the letter I was handed. 
"Oh damn, he really likes you," Miguel said, reading the note while he cleaned a glass. 
"Why is that?"
"Well, this is basically an invitation to either just hang out backstage or fuck. Could go either way depending on what you want." 
"You have got to be kidding me."
"Hey, take it as a compliment. He's clearly attracted to you." 
I rolled my eyes and shoved the napkin into my pocket, trying to forget everything that just happened. 
"You're not going to use it?" Alexis asked, surprised.
"Why the fuck would I?" 
"Because it would be a good time, in my opinion." 
"Yeah, I don't think so." 
"Well, regardless of your decision, I want to watch the show right now. If we leave tonight without you seeing him backstage, I at least want to leave on a fun note." 
"I will not meet him backstage, but I will watch the floor show with you," I say, handing my glass back to Miguel and nodding at him for another refill. I took out another cigarette and lit it up. I discarded the other one in an ashtray during the exchange with Timothée and decided to light another. 
"Yay!" Alexis exclaimed. "Let's go up front." She started off without me as I grabbed my drink, and my mouth opened. 
"Up front? You have got to be kidding me." I followed her to the front, looking ahead at the stage and realizing that where we were about to sit would be incredibly close to the stage and even worse off. Close to Timothée. 
As we sat down at a table, I looked up at the stage and watched as all of the strippers got into place. Timothée was positioned roughly in front of me, and I was doing everything I could not to stare at him. I hadn't really noticed his outfit before due to shock, but now I had noticed it. He wore tight black pants, black sneakers made for the stage, and a loose silky black button-up. He had also left the top few buttons undone to expose his skin. I had to admit he looked amazing, but I also wanted to ignore how good he looked. I knew the more I looked at him, the more pleased he would be with how flustered he made me. 
As the lights dimmed, I heard the song "S/M" by Rhianna come on, and to say I wasn't surprised would be an understatement. An entire song about sadomasochism in a strip club? Yeah, that's to be expected. 
All of the strippers began their routine, and I admired how they twisted and turned their bodies. While most of the moves invoked similar moves with grinding and sex, there was a certain elegance to what they were doing that appealed to me. As the song continued, a couple of the guys moved to the floor and started interacting with crowd members. I turned to Alexis, who was eagerly looking over towards Marcus. 
"Hey, do you know if Timothée typically goes down to the floor?" I asked over the music. 
"I haven't heard anything about him doing that, but maybe?" She turned her attention back to Marcus, and I turned my gaze to the stage. I let out a small sigh of relief as I saw that Timothée appeared to be staying up there. Perhaps he didn't do floor work, which would honestly be a miracle. But just as I was relaxing, he suddenly ran to the edge and jumped off. A bunch of cries from girls erupted from the crowd, all attempting to grasp his attention and pull him towards them. I saw him look around and start walking towards a group of girls, and I let out a small sigh of relief. Even if he was down on the floor, maybe he would pay attention to the other customers. 
As I turned my attention towards that direction, he suddenly spun around and made eye contact with me. 
"Shit," I mumbled to myself. He walked over to me in this stalking motion. Almost as if he were a predator catching his prey. That's what I currently felt like his prey. He walked over and then circled around my chair. I avoided eye contact as much as I could, but then, as I was looking down, Timothée suddenly sat in my lap. He gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. Oh my gosh. This fucker was smirking at me, smirking. 
"I think I want to play with you, Pretty Thing." I felt like my eyes were locked on his. It was like I couldn't look away at how captivating his eyes were. They were a sparkling green, and with his accompanying dark and grungy eye makeup, they looked even brighter. His eyes were also incredibly seducing in and of themselves. He kept his eyelids low to make him enticing, and as much as I hated to admit it…it worked. 
I heard "S/M" reaching its crescendo in the background, but everything sounded muffled. I was too distracted by how Timothée was still gripping my chin, how our eyes were locked, and how he was grinding on me with so much force and desperation. 
He let out a low chuckle as I glared at him. I knew that despite my glaring, he could tell that at least part of me felt good. Somehow, despite how enveloped I was in him, I could reach into my pocket and pull out another twenty-dollar bill. He looked down at it and then back at me. 
"You know I won't take it that way Pretty Thing, give it to me properly." My glare darkened as I reluctantly put the bill between my teeth. I could barely maintain eye contact with Timothée as he leaned in, pushing my chin up slightly before biting the other side of the bill. He winked at me as my teeth released the bill, and his hand released my chin. He stood up and walked away with all the other dancers as the song ended. 
They finished the dance by jutting their hips in the air, and suddenly, the lights all lowered again. The crowd cheered, and some screamed, but my ears were ringing. Part of me wanted to be mad, and part of me wanted to enjoy how undeniably sexy that was. 
I stayed seated until the lights came back on. I looked down at my drink and then suddenly gulped down what was left before looking at Alexis. She smiled at me, and I just gave her a "Really?" kind of stare. 
"Oh, come on. You cannot look at me and tell me that what he did to you wasn't hot." 
"I can actually."
"Oh my god." She said with an exasperated sigh. Despite her sigh, she smiled. "You need to learn to enjoy yourself." 
"I'll enjoy myself when I'm not being relentlessly teased by a stripper who calls me 'Pretty Thing.'"
"You know most people would be incredibly jealous of you and would love to take your spot."
I rolled my eyes with a smile as we both got up from the table and walked back to the bar. The club was going to be closing soon. I hadn't even realized how late it was until I looked at the clock. It was already 1:00 in the morning. I was grateful I worked from home because tomorrow would be a rough day. I was praying I had Gatorade or PediaLite in the fridge.
"Alright, guys, come close out your tabs!" Miguel yelled out. I walked over and put my card down, and so did Alexis. Marissa was walking over as well and quickly put hers down. I wasn't much of a drinker, so my tab total came to about $35, and plus the two twenties I had given, I had spent roughly $75. Honestly, that was how much I spent on longer night excursions such as these, and I was pleased. Alexis and Marissa had spent somewhere near $100 each, but they drank a lot more than I did. It seemed cheap, but the drinks we got were the cheapest on the menu and the lowest quality. The club often made its money from the few high rollers who came in buying expensive bourbon and lap dances all night. 
"Dang, I spent that much?" Marissa asked, shaking her head. 
"Don't worry, girlie, I feel you," Alexis added, looking at her bill. 
"I wasn't too bad tonight."
"You never are, y/n. This is why we call you the responsible one." Marissa said with a sigh. "Oh yeah, I saw you get that lap dance during the show. Pretty hot, huh." 
I let out an exasperated sigh and shook my head. Alexis gave me a light shove with a laugh before letting Marissa know what had happened earlier.
"Oh my god, that's amazing. You're going to see him, right?"
"And why would I do that, Mari?"
"At least give it a shot. I think it could be good for you!" I stared at her as she shrugged with a smile and walked over to get her stuff with Alexis. I turned to Miguel, hoping to find some sane advice, only to be met with his knowing smirk. He could see that I was at least somewhat attracted to Timothée and what he did, and he could also see my bubbling curiosity about what would happen backstage.
"You know what I'm going to say to you, man." He said, cleaning some glasses while he spoke to me. I looked at him, Alexis, and Marissa, and finally down at my pocket. I pulled the napkin out and then turned to face where the back was. Did I want to do this? Did I want to see what Timothée wanted with me? 
"Do it, y/n. You know you'll regret it if you don't." Alexis said knowingly. I wanted to walk out, to shove the napkin back in my pocket to somehow prove them wrong, but I just couldn't. 
"Alright, I'll do it, but nothing is going to happen," I said while looking back at them before walking over to the stage doors. I reached the bouncer and handed him the letter. 
"I was told to give this to you," I said, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. The bouncer looked at the note, smiled, and opened the door. 
"He's the only one with a room on this side. Door will be to your right." I nodded and walked in, looking behind me one last time at my friends cheering me on. What the hell was I walking into? 
I shook my head as I wandered down a hallway and found Timothée's door. I took a deep breath and slowly opened it. I stepped in and saw Timothée sitting on the bed, smoking a cigarette and staring at the ceiling. However, once I stepped in, he quickly tilted his head and looked over at me. He immediately got a massive grin on his face and hopped off his bed and over to me.
"You decided to come, Pretty Thing." 
"Yeah, well, I got curious," I said, brushing past him and trying to keep my cool as I sat on the bed and leaned back against the wall. I looked around the room and saw that it was fairly simple. He had LED lights that were, unsurprisingly, red, a small vanity, and some clothes. I could see some shiny objects in his closet but couldn't tell what they were. On the bed next to me also lay a pack of cigarettes. I picked it up and looked at him.
"Can I have one?" 
"Use this one instead." He said in a low voice, walking over to me and handing me his own. I took the cigarette from his fingers, finding it difficult to maintain eye contact with him. I brought it to my lips and inhaled, breaking eye contact as I did to watch the smoke. 
"Thanks," I murmured in a soft voice. 
"Of course, my Pretty Thing." My eyes shot back up at him, and I suddenly sat up straight. 
"Why did you want me back here? You don't even know me."
"No, but I would like to know you." He said with a knowing smirk.
"You just love fucking with me, huh?"
"Personally, I would prefer to fuck you, but…sure." I opened and closed my mouth in disbelief. No one had ever been that bold with me before. I didn't even know what to say. I leaned back again and took another long inhale. 
"Something wrong? Has no one ever told you that they wanted to fuck you before?"
"No. And even if they did say that, typically they would start with 'Let's go out on a date.'" 
"I'm sorry I didn't take you out on a date tonight. I'll gladly take you on one this week, though. I was just impatient and wanted to be with you."
"Oh, is that why you grinded on me earlier, made me give you money with my teeth, and eye fucked me?" I asked with a slight venom in my voice. I wanted to come across as unbothered, but my mask was slipping. 
He looked at me before walking towards me again like he had earlier. Like I was his prey, and he was stalking me before he pounced. I watched as he slowly walked to the bed, got on, and then leaned over me, trapping me with his arms. 
"You loved everything I did to you, though, did you not?" I opened and closed my mouth, unable to find the words I wanted to say. 
He reached down, plucked the cigarette from my hand, and inhaled before holding it out to me. 
"Go on. Take a puff." I reached to take it, but he pulled back. 
"Ah, ah, ah. I said take a puff. Not take it from my hand to take a puff." I let out a low sigh, leaned forward, and took a long draw. 
"That's my Pretty Thing. Tell me, have you exchanged smoke before?" I nodded. I had exchanged smoke once. Alexis had wanted to try it, so I taught her. It was when one person took a hit of something and basically "fed" it to the other person through a kiss. 
"Will you indulge me, please?" He asked, looking at me with those seductive yet challenging eyes. I looked at him, looked at the cigarette, and then back at him. 
"Try me, you tease," I said in a low voice. Timothée let out a low chuckle and then reached down. He gripped my chin with his right hand as he took a long draw from the cigarette. I watched as he leaned in, and I closed my eyes. It wasn't that I didn't want to look. It was that I didn't know how to look at this man whom I had just met while we basically made out to exchange cigarette smoke. 
I opened my mouth slightly as our lips met and inhaled deeply. I heard a small sigh escape past my lips as I exhaled and felt my cheeks get red with embarrassment immediately. I finally opened my eyes and looked up at Timothée. I saw he was smirking again.
"That was a cute noise, Pretty Thing. I hope I can draw some more out of you." 
"Fat chance." I spit out as I watched him put the cigarette in an ashtray. 
"Oh, don't lie to me. You fucking loved that. You love what I do to you." I wanted to deny it, tell him he was delusional, but I couldn't. I did love it. And I hated that I loved it. 
"Tell me, do you love it because you're simply enjoying the indulgence, or is it that no one has ever given you this kind of attention before." I looked away and didn't answer. He was still leaning over me, I was still embarrassed from my sigh, and I felt so overwhelmed with everything. 
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him lean in, and then, as he spoke, I felt his hot breath ghost over my ear. 
"Let me give you that attention you deserve. Let me make you feel good." I turned back and sat up again, wondering if I could bolt out of his arms. 
"And how do you plan to do that? Hm? You've only just met me, you know."
"I know. And you know you're in my room at a strip club, right? Take a guess as to what I want to do to you." 
"You're insane."
"And you fucking love it. Now are you going to let me please you Pretty Thing or no?" I felt myself sinking into the bed; it was like I wanted to say no because I knew better, but this other part of me adored how desired I felt that I just wanted to give in. I wanted to kiss him, let him show me how well he could touch and pleasure me. I wanted to feel his lips and hands all over my body. I wanted to feel just how badly he wanted me.
I looked up at him, feeling any of my ability to fight back slip away as I said, "Please, Timothée…" And that was all he needed to hear. 
He leaned in and kissed me deeply, parting my lips with his tongue as his hands worked their way underneath my shirt so he could feel my skin. 
"Fuck you're lips are so soft…" He mumbled in a low voice as he continued to kiss me. 
I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair, loving their texture. I continued to kiss him as I grinded my hips back against his, somehow hoping that this could serve as a payback for earlier. And, in a way, it did. I heard Timothée let out a low moan as he jutted his hips back and gripped my waist tightly. 
"Who's the tease now?" He asked as he bit down on my lip, causing me to let out a quiet moan. 
"That's it. Sing to me with those moans." 
We slowly maneuvered our way on the bed so we were lying down with him on top and me underneath. I rolled my hips against his and whimpered as I felt his hands start to pull at my jeans. 
"What are you doing?" I gasped out in between kisses. 
"I want to taste you." He said in a low voice. 
"We were both just in a bar with a bunch of people that feel like it's a million degrees. I probably was sweating." I say, gasping between breaths as I pull back. 
"And? I was just dancing a while ago."
"I don't even know if it's properly shaved. You don't have to" 
"First off, I want to and once again: and? Why would I care if you were or weren't properly shaved?" He asked while looking at me in a completely confused manner. I looked down, slightly ashamed. 
"Has no one ever…ate you out before?" I shook my head no. 
"My last partner had said that was disgusting and never did, so I just assumed no one would ever do that."
"Well, respectfully, you're last partner was a fool to pass up on that opportunity." I couldn't make eye contact with Timothée and kept looking down until he reached up and grabbed my chin. 
"Hey, I promise you I will love it. If you take care of yourself and keep yourself clean, it will taste heavenly, and I can already tell you to do both. Please…let me indulge you." I stared back at Timothée and slowly nodded. I wanted to know what it felt like to experience that, and I would be lying if I didn't admit that having someone as skilled as Timothée eating me out seemed divine. 
"Good toy." He mumbled as he moved his hand from my chin to my throat and wrapped it around me. The vibes had just completely shifted, and I loved every fucking second. 
"Lean back, Pretty Thing." He said softly as he pushed against my throat slightly. I leaned back as he let go and just stared at the ceiling while I heard him unbuckling my pants. Never in my life had I expected to be eaten out by a stripper I had just met. I was about to tell Timothée one last time that he didn't have to do it if he didn't want to, when my voice suddenly caught in my throat. Just as I was about to tell him that, I felt something hot and wet lick a strip up my slit. The only thing that escaped from my throat was a long groan as my eyes rolled back into my head and fluttered shut. 
"That's it, pretty thing." He mumbled, his voice slightly muffled and distorted, and he continued to lick up my slit. "Give those moans to me…fuck you taste good." He licked up my slit one more time before pushing his tongue past my outer labia and in deep. I let out another moan as my hands gripped the sheets and my hips rolled up. 
"Mmm…grind on my face baby…come on, give me your delicious cum." He moaned against me before he went silent and started only eating me out. My hands frantically found his head, and I weaved my fingers in his hair, gripping lightly as I moaned. I gently pushed on his head, making him start to eat me out faster while my hips continued to roll against his face. 
"Fuckkk…" I moaned out. I had never known that someone eating me out could feel so heavenly. Dear god, I didn't want it to end. As he continued to lick my pussy lips, I felt something slowly slide inside of me and start pumping in and out. He had slid a single finger inside while he continued to lick, suck, and kiss my pussy. Quickly, I had turned into a shaking and moaning mess underneath him. 
I felt an unexpected pressure then and let out a small "Fuck Timothée." as my back arched. He had slid another finger inside of me while he had started sucking and kitten-licking my clit. His tongue was so incredibly skilled and fast that I could feel myself unraveling. No one had ever made me feel this good before; hell, even I had never made myself feel this good. 
I could feel my hips jutting upwards as Timothée continued to fuck me with his tongue and fingers, and I could also feel an orgasm approaching incredibly fast. 
"Timothée…please I-" I gasped out, grinding my pussy against his tongue, causing him to growl. 
"That's it…grind your pussy against my face. Cum. Now." On command, I listened. I came harder than I ever had before. I felt myself squirting a little, too, as I feverishly rubbed my clit against Timothée's tongue. I rode out high with my head tilted back as moans, groans, and whimpers escaped me. Finally, my hips stuttered forward as I rode out the last wave of my orgasm. 
"Fuck." I groaned out as I slowly sat up. As I did, I watched as Timothée slowly sat up as well. He looked at me briefly before he pressed against me and kissed me. 
"See. I told you that you would taste heavenly. It's like an aphrodisiac, isn't it?" I nodded silently as I looked at him and then slowly looked down at the tent in his pants. 
"You want some help?" I asked, slightly out of breath. He smirked and leaned back so he could sit upright. He quickly undid his jeans and then did a "come hither" motion with his finger. I slowly got up and crawled over. 
I was on my knees looking at him before he gripped my chin and drew me in. 
"Take my cock out and suck Pretty Thing." He let go forcefully, and I did as I was told. As I took it out, I felt my eyes widen. He was big, and he looked delicious. 
I slowly leaned down and wrapped my lips around their cock, and forced it as deep as I could into my mouth. I heard them let out a low moan and a soft "Fuck, that feels good, Pretty Thing…" before I continued. I jerked him off with my hands every once in a while to match the rhythm of my sucking their cock. And, every time I moaned, they jutted their hips up, forcing their cock deeper inside of my mouth. I felt them entangle their fingers into my hair and force me to go deeper. At one point, I gagged on their cock as my lips met their base before I was suddenly tugged up. I stared up at them with lidded eyes as I licked their precum from my lips. 
"Fuck…" Timothée groaned out before pushing me back down again, making me kiss their base and gag before pulling me up again. He did this a few times, pushing on the back of my head with his hand, causing me to deepthroat their cock and gag again and again. My eyes were rolling back in my head due to pleasure. 
"God, I'm going to cum…" He growled out before holding my head in place as his hips jutted up, and he came. I swallowed every last drop as he came into my mouth, and when he finally pulled me up, I gasped for air. 
"You did such a good job for me, Pretty Thing." He huffed out, looking at me. I looked back and closed my eyes as he leaned in and kissed me. 
As we kissed, I felt him turn his body and start pushing me down against the sheets again. I heard rustling and felt movement, and as I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck, my hand made contact with his skin. I opened my eyes as we separated from our kiss and stared. 
He looked otherworldly. He was so beyond beautiful and seductive that I was losing myself in him. He reached down and started helping me get my shirt off, and as he tossed it to the side, his eyes raked up and down my body. I went to cover myself, but he took my hands and held them down. 
"Don't. Cover. Yourself." He growled out as he looked down at me, fucking me with his eyes. 
"Fuck you are so beautiful. I can't wait to ravish you." He let go of one of my arms and then reached down and positioned the head of his cock at the entrance of my pussy. 
"Are you ready?"
I nodded. "Please, Timothée…fuck me." He let out a low growl and thrust into me, making me let out a low moan as my head fell back against the pillow. As my mind drifted, they started fucking me rougher. My arms splayed above my head, and my legs desperately tried to hold themselves up. But, I was so utterly lost in lust that they kept slipping. They responded as I reached my arms down to hold them up. 
"Don't you even think about it, Pretty Thing," before gripping my thighs and pulling me closer. They gripped my legs so they would be held further up, and when they did, oh my God, did it feel magnificent. They were plunging inside of me so deeply that my moans and groans became more erratic. Fuck it felt so good.
As Timothée plunged into me, I felt him grip my chin and force me to look at him again. God those eyes…They were so heavily lidded that I just drowned in them. He leaned down and kissed me as he jutted his hips forward, his hand caressing my body as if to try and memorize every inch. It was all too much. I wanted more of him; I wanted him to be deeper. And it seemed that he wanted to be deeper, too.
They leaned down and growled, "Get on your hands and knees." 
As they took their cock out, I flipped myself over. I was about to lower myself when suddenly they grabbed my hair and tugged me back while swiftly plunging inside of me. I let out a cry as they started fucking me roughly again. They were going much deeper this time, and I saw stars. They went from just brushing against my g-spot to brushing against my cervix. I don't know what on earth possessed me to utter my words, but I couldn't control myself. We were dealing with a version of myself that I had never met before, a being who craved lust and found themselves unsatiated. 
“Please…deeper…rougher…" I had unleashed a beast. I felt them grab onto my hips, my head falling against the pillow as they pounded into me. I honestly don't know how they managed to contain themselves, but they were finding a way. As they pounded into me, they growled. 
"You want it deeper, Pretty Thing? Do you want to take every fucking inch of my cock like a dirty whore?"
"God…Timothée, I need to c-cum!" I choked out. 
"Cum with me, Pretty Thing…Cum with me now." He groaned into my ear before he roughly pressed his lips against mine. 
We let out a cacophony of moans, groans, whimpers, and growls as we feverishly grinded against each other. At the same time, we came, making an absolute mess of ourselves and the bed. 
As we rode out our orgasms, our cries became softer and our movements slower before we came to a slow halt. 
"Fuck…" Timothée gasped out with a small laugh. "Aren't you glad you came back here, Pretty Thing?" 
"I'd hit you now if I wasn't so exhausted." 
"Eh. I'm into that."
"Oh my god," I exclaimed with a laugh. "Get out of me."
"As you wish, Pretty Thing." He hissed as he slowly slid out of me and flopped next to me on the bed, and I rested on my side. He turned onto his side to face me and slowly leaned in and kissed me. 
"I think you'll be staying here for the night, y/n. Don't worry, there's a shower." 
I let out a sigh, knowing he was right. I was in no shape to be walking home, and my friends were absolutely long gone by now. I nodded before reaching over to the floor and finding my pants. I grabbed my phone and pulled it out to text Alexis, Marissa, and Miguel to let them know I was safe and where I would be staying. I was met with messages from all of them saying. "Have fun! ;)" And I laughed. They knew me so well. I threw my phone to the side and turned to face Timothée.
"How about that shower?"
"Sounds good…I bet you'll feel even better in there." I gave him a light slap on the shoulder, and we laughed a little before he leaned in and started kissing me roughly again.
It was about to be a long day…
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melonteee · 7 months
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I really hate how they changed Nojiko, Genzo, and the others not knowing about Nami's deal with Arlong and making them really hate/dislike Nami. Why was there even a need to change? I'm not a writer/director or whatsoever, but what was the reason to change it that badly. (I feel all the Strawhats deserved better in the LA, I hope S2, if we get it, will follow the original a bit better.)
I feel like because they wanted this to be grittier and 'realistic', they wanted us to feel REALLY bad for Nami. Like, they REALLY wanted us to go "Oh poor Nami she really had no one :((" when, in my opinion, it's a lot more crushing that they ALL knew and Nami had no idea until her plan failed. Because Nami didn't WANT her town to feel sorry for her, she didn't want ANYONE showing her pity and tried to remove her town from the pain she felt - but she found out the WHOLE TIME they were just feeling BAD for her. The whole time they were protecting her and putting their hopes on her without her knowing and she FAILED.
Is that not MORE crushing than "Oh the whole town hates her but she's actually trying her vewy best :((" like ?? Is it not MORE crushing that the town had to pretend to hate the little girl they knew was trying to save them?? Nami even went up to Arlong HERSELF in the live action and wasn't stolen away by him to be tricked into making a deal as a child, she wasn't forced into a position to do this by any means. What even is the point of Nojiko's tattoos if they had no idea?? Her tattoos were meant to make Nami feel less alone because they are FAMILY, and that was a CORE of Nami's relationship with Nojiko.
Not feeling pity for Nami and her story, and Nami not WANTING anyone to pity her, is one of the reasons WHY she breaks down at the discovery of finding out the town knows. It's one of the reasons WHY it means so much that Luffy doesn't want to HEAR what happened - because he doesn't have to pity her to help her. He just wants to help her for her!
Also it is so fucking funny in this version Luffy literally straight up asks Nojiko what happened, and when Nami says "You don't even know what's going on!" Luffy says "Yeah, I don't" like ?? lmao ?? yes you do?? Even if you heard half the story you still ASKED and LISTENED?? If that isn't an example of this series just trying to throw in loyal shots to get a cheap, emotional reaction without actually understanding what the original scenes mean, I don't know what is dfghjkd
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14dayswithyou · 1 year
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Everyone’s reaction if MC came to them and told them they spent $200 on an oil change and got premium air😂
Ren "O-Oh? I didn't know they sold premium air...! What was the name of this place again?" How dare they try to take advantage of you like that. If they don't mind tricking someone as kind and benevolent as you, then surely they wouldn't mind if he sets their business on fire.
[REDACTED] "Y'can just ask me to help fix your car next time. I don't mind, y'know." He gives you a soft smile before pulling out his phone and anonymously depositing $500 into your bank account. "Want me to take a look and see if they did a good job?"
Violet "Huh?!" Almost immediately, she's pulling off her gamer headset, grabbing her purse, and pushing you out the door. "Where's their garage located? I think they need someone to knock a few braincells or two into them."
Elanor "Oh? That's so cheap! I got charged $350 for my latest checkup." Elanor doesn't seem to understand that you both managed to get swindled by the same shitty auto service. "I refused the premium air though since I didn't think I needed it."
Moth "You... do realise you just got scammed, right?" They're sporting a giant shit-eating on their face, but you could tell they were concerned as well with how delicately they phrased the question. "And there's no such thing as premium air..."
Leon "Does it usually cost that much?" Leon shoots you a considerate look before pulling out his phone to compare prices. "Uh... Sunfish? I think you got scammed... Hey, why don't we go pay them a visit? You can hold the door open while I throw a volleyball at their face!"
Teo "$200? Where did you go to get your oil changed? The dump?" He doesn't bother looking at you when he speaks, though you were grateful you got a response out of him in the first place. "Just buy a new car if that annoying red symbol shows up. The fuck does it even mean, anyway? Whatever. Take one of my cars if you want."
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….so what are your final thoughts on Escape from the Isle of the lost?
...This might get long.
Overall, if you ignore all logic, the plot is enjoyable. There are some pretty fun scenes and awesome puns and acronyms.
One of my favourite scenes goes as follows, set during Senior Quest (which is a bullshit in itself, but let's ignore that; the Seniors of Auradon Prep had to complete a list of tasks, organised by Jane and Carlos)
Last task on the list: Kiss a Prince
Mal, Evie and Lonnie: kiss Ben on the cheek
Carlos: „Yeah no that doesn't count. He's a king.“ *cut to Chad kissing his own hand* „That counts. Chad wins!“
This genuinely made me laugh out loud.
Another my favourite scene was Evie disguising as her mother. Evie was actually the best/most tolerable Core 4 character in this book. The only one with common sense. Except for taking four different ballgowns to a weekend visit of the Isle but I'm willing to forgive that.
And of course, Anthony, Ginny and Maddy.
Look, you cannot call Harriet Hook "vain and mean spirited" in the first book and then show her doing nothing but caring about her siblings and the Smees in the fourth book.
...I mean you can but I expect some kind of cognitive dissonance from the PoV character!
And I'd also want to see at least someone to acquire a brain when it comes to Uma. Honestly. She's a sea witch. She is wanted on land and "future lady Mal" hates her guts. WHY are you surprised she is hiding in the ocean and WHY do you think you're gonna find her?!
Speaking of which, once again, Uma should have won.
The book used same cheap trick - different flavour to not only make Mal win, but to erase the experience from Uma's mind as well. This should be considered psychological torture.
Time magic. Mind magic. Cheating.
MAL DIDN'T EVEN WORK FOR HER WIN. SHE WAS FUCKING DELIRIOUS THE WHOLE TIME. AND EVIE & JAY & CARLOS DIDN'T KNOW EITHER. THEY WERE OPERATING ON VIBES AND DEUS EX MACHINA MAGIC MIRROR. NONE OF THEM REMEMBERS THE FIGHT.
WHAT WAS THE FUCKING POINT?!
Uma should have won.
Also it's unclear if dubious mind magic shoved her off the Isle or not.
Celia literally gave up her Shadow to repair the Barrier and it's creeping me out. Like. She doesn't have a Shadow. Just..???
To be more positive, background AK girls had pretty fun cameos.
Oh and apparently Hades worked with the adult pirate crews in the early years of the Isle?
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forcebookish · 6 months
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If they wanted to do this Boeing storyline they should've done it around ep 8 or so cuz now it just seems lazy and inconsistent. Especially when they are cutting out scenes with real character/relationship development just for some cheap drama that we've pretty much already seen for the last 3-4 eps now. been there done that...can we move on now? oh but they can't cuz then that would mean Top would stop being everyone's punching bag and we can't have that. Like sorry but it's just not fun or enjoyable for me anymore when the one character with the most growth continues to get treated like this. And I get it..this show is meant to be messy and dramatic and that's fine but you should never do it just for the sake of doing it and that's what this show feels like at this point.
seriously, anon! it's fucked up that there doesn't seem to be ONE character in the whole series who believes in him or appreciates him. it used to be only mew and cheum, now for some reason neither of them - why cheum still isn't rooting for him, i'll never understand after all that. all he's done is be caring, come to MULTIPLE people's rescue MULTIPLE times, and all he wants is love?? like, what the fuck??? and now we have ANOTHER character calling him selfish when there has been no evidence that he is? but of course mew believes him and therefore the audience believes him🙄 boeing would have been a fun edition if mew actually saw sense and recognized boeing's bullshit for what it actually was.
if it weren't for this fandom MAYBE top being the series punching bag would have been fun but not to this point. it's not fun when everyone is against him for what is essentially NO REASON at this point. we know why he did it!!! why is mew acting like he did it JUST 'CAUSE when boston tricked him!!! tricking someone only counts if they're "straight?" what the fuck!
mew still loves top but WHAT ABOUT HIM does he still love? because it seems like he's completely forgotten who he is! maybe he's just clouded by anger, whatever, but if he actually listened to his heart he'd know that when boeing calls top selfish he's WRONG. EVEN IN THE CUT SCENE WHERE MEW IS TALKING ABOUT SLASHER MOVIE KILLING HIM TOP PUTS HIS HELMET ON FOR HIM. THAT'S HOW UNSELFISH AND CARING HE IS. ever since he forgave ray for BEING WAY WORSE THAN TOP, i just don't get him. it's like he's still mad just because the script says so, like you said just because we need drama. unfortunately, it's fucking boring drama we've already gone through!
ugh. thanks for stopping by, anon💔
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marshmallowprotection · 9 months
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gotta love this definitely Fully Functioning Website /s
but anyway, oh god reading Suit's cards. the Strength card comes up. it's upside down. Suit doesn't know that changes the meaning, he just sees "strength" and gets cocky like "ha! even your dumb cards know that I'm The Strongest!" and I'm like. Do I Tell Him. the deck just read him like a picture book
he probably notices me hesitate/not instantly confirm that yes Saeran you are the strongest, and works himself up again since Suit has to be angry about everything. cue a game of 78 pick-up while he storms out.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Your hesitation is what started this situation.
The room would remain tense as his scowl deepened and his eyes watched, no, waited for you to agree with him once and for all so it wouldn't bother him anymore. Those cards confirmed that Ray was weak and he was strong. That's all that matters to him. So, when you don't nod your head or meekly agree, he knows you're doing this now to screw with him.
There is no magic.
You played a card trick on him because you want Ray back and him gone. Your game was no different than the one you played when you first met him.
With a wicked hand, he slide the cards off the table and across the tile floor without a second thought.
"How dare you call me weak! How dare you call me cowardly when Ray is the coward! If you think you can manipulate me to bend over and take your demands, you've got another thing coming, toy! I am the boss of you. I control you! You don't control me or my future! You miserable, stupid, insignificant witch! Well, if you think you're clever, I'll show you what happens to witches when they're caught by those who know they're doomed to damnation!" He shouted.
You used that card on purpose to spite him, you played it in reverse on purpose, and you decided to make a mockery of him for a cheap shot. He would make you pay for it.
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after-witch · 1 year
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What do you think about Empty Smiles? I heard a lot of people say the ending was rushed.
Also, is this the final final of the smiling man?
I have a lot of thoughts about Empty Smiles! So I actually had a WIP post with my thoughts in my drafts that I forgot about, I'm going to rework that here for an answer.
Short, non-spoilery answer: Yes, the ending is very abrupt, to a frustrating degree. If you check on Goodreads, almost every review mentions this, it's definitely not just me.
As for "is this the final final," Arden did say she was toying with the idea of writing a middle grade historical fiction where the Smiling Man plays a role. So she may not be done with him! I would love it if she did that. I have endless WIPs where it's just "historical setting reader + Smiling Man."
under the read more: loooong thoughts (criticisms & otherwise) about Empty Smiles, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS for Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden.
First, the criticisms, because that's the juicy part right?
This book was too short. It really needed an extra 15-20 pages. The resolution is shockingly abrupt and doesn’t feel climatic at all. I literally had to go back and reread, because I thought I’d somehow skipped pages. I mean, I guess the resolutions in the previous 3 books were fairly abrupt as well... but since this was the last book, I expected something more drawn out and not as easy as "Okay we literally just walk and key #2 appears with no work or effort, then we're outside and we have key #3 and leave." There needed to be something more.
I don’t understand why the last two books were so short compared to the first two. Is it a publisher thing, maybe? Them wanting shorter books for middle grade consumption, instead of longer books which may be more YA? The library assistant in me says yes, but it is a theory only. I would hope it wasn't because Arden just gave up and didn't know how to end it.
Also the publisher does know how stupid it is for Empty Smiles to have excerpts of books 1-3 in the back, right? Who is reading book #4 but not book 1-3 first?? It's just to pad the book's physical copy out so that it doesn't look too slim on the shelves, and it's a cheap trick.
What else... so Phil is now part of the group but with how short this book is, you don’t get a solid sense of the new dynamic. They kind of wove Phil feeling left out in there (Phil is like, jealous that the evil clowns don’t ransack his house, lol, oh Phil) but it was a little flat.
Nmmm. Now for something a bit frustrating to admit. So I love all the Smiling Man, I’m over the moon about it, y'all know that for sure.
But I feel like the Smiling Man in this book is quite different from the Smiling Man in the first and second books in some respects. Why doesn’t he want to kill Ollie now? He was legit ready to doom her to die behind the mirror, to spend her eternity in a frozen hellscape either sleeping at best or chased by a creepy old hag monster ghost at worst, in book #2. He dug a knife into her heart, figuratively, when she told him about her mom dying.
It’s like he went from Book #2 “yeah I want you to die and suffer, watching you get dragged away to your damnation is so funny I'm actually crying, you thought you could best me, girl??” and #3 "literally trying to kill you guys, KILLED PHIL'S UNCLE" to being softer with her, no gloating, almost protective in some ways, for Book #4.
And mind you, he IS mean in this one. He really is. He shows Ollie a fantasy of her dad & Coco’s mom & Coco without her, trying to pressure her into agreeing to stay with him forever, and what he says to her is just so horribly awful and cruel. And he says terrible things to Coco (saying she’d look lovely as a transformed doll--lovely and quiet) and is delighted by the tortured ghosts of people who died, tormented, in a mental hospital.
He doesn’t care that the carnival has countless people trapped, and he tries to gift Ollie a doll that is a literal human being transformed into a toy. There’s a fucking... box... of broken “doll parts” (aka, literal human beings who are just?? broken?? pieces now jfc) and he doesn’t care that Ollie is horrified by it.
But there's this significant shift with his overall personal dynamic with Ollie. It’s like... he doesn’t care that she beat him anymore. That was the game the entire time. She beat him, and it really, really pissed him off, and he wants to get her (and by extension, Coco & Brian) back. So now he has her and it’s like... eh, whatever.
We get perspective from Ollie as to why her perception of him changes because they are constantly interacting and he is cordial and even funny sometimes, but we never see it from his side. We can’t, not without a chapter from his perspective. I honestly wish that Arden had been like, okay fuck it, and done a chapter from his perspective just before the final chapter. Maybe that would have helped. Because as it is, I am confused. 
I think this ties into why we needed to see Ollie make the deal in book #3, because I think that moment is what shifted the dynamic. He beat her. He finally beat her. We need to see that to get a resolution of their original dynamic, and to introduce the new one. But we don't, and so it's jarring.
And like... I find it fascinating, and I love it, and I lost my mind at him giving her soup and medicine and bandaging her hand and asking her to stay. But I have to personally fill in the gaps of why he's not acting so gleefully horrid over having beat her, and I shouldn't have to do that.
Also, loose ends, loose ends. What happened to the cat and the hound? Why is this carnival suddenly so important to the Smiling man? I'm sad that the cat & hound servants present in book 1, critical components of the Smiling Man when he’s in his element, don't appear at all. Especially the hound. He seemed quite kind to Ollie in the end, whispering gently that if she ever needed him, to call his name. Would have been a neat thing if she'd remembered, and called him. Maybe he could have given us some of the Smiling Man’s perspective that would have made his shift towards Ollie more understandable and sensible. 
For the positives.
Oh gosh, there's so much smiling man. There's SO MUCH. And we get a new facet of his personality, him 'at ease,' which is truly delightful. He randomly trips and horrifies a teenager. Why?? Just to fuck with them. He's surrounded by transformed humans who live terrifying existences as dolls that are literally given away to people who take them home as prizes, and he doesn’t care at best, finds it amusing at worst. Wonderful.
The way he interactions with everyone is just delightful. The way Tim describes him as "nice," but still refusing to let Tim see his sister; the way he's cooly cruel with Ollie and Coco sometimes, the way he gets frustrated with Coco ("Save me from stubborn girls" that line killed me and sent me straight up) and tells people to mind their manners and just... it's a smorgasbord of smiling man in his element. 
And the lore and backstory we get? I love it. It’s tantalizing, while leaving a lot open for interpretation. Especially when we get into the notion of the smiling man being “alone.” I can’t help but think of what someone else wrote about him on here, essentially saying that narratively, he is the :no one else to turn to,” he is Alone, personified, for people who think they have nothing else that they can do, nowhere they can go, no one they can turn to get what they want (whether they do or not). And for him to potentially in some ways, feel alone, and be alone, is very fascinating to me. 
And the little things, here and there. The train car being already decked out with furniture and such, and having old clothes in the drawer. Who was there before? How many were there before? Were there others, are there others? Tucked away here and there, perhaps agreeing to stay, perhaps not, and finding themselves trapped (into scarecrows, into dolls, into mirrors) when they aren’t able to escape like Ollie? 
I also love, on a non-smiling man related note, the closeness of the kid characters and the bond that they’ve developed. The end bit where Coco and Ollie agree that they’re sisters was heartwarming. I also love the involvement of the adults although apparently I’m in a minority on that one. I loved that it was realistic. I loved that, with Ollie’s dad, he wants to believe... feels compelled, deep down, and Arden keeps the detail going of him looking at the scar on his hand (from the snake in book #3) when the subject of Ollie comes up. Like some part of him knows, despite the smiling man’s magic.
Overall, I really did like it. The ending is not great/too abrupt, and I feel like we really did need that scene of the smiling man “winning” over Ollie from Dark Waters to truly bridge the characterization gap--but I love how much more Smiling Man we got, and I love that we got to see him basically be himself instead of in hiding for a good chunk of the story.
Oh, and... the Smiling Man wears Led Zeppelin and Grateful Dead band t-shirts to his carnival. I mean, the man knows how to dress. 
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