#like. I tried rejoining again because it use to be so much fun

[mcwexlerscigarette]

five years later and twitter is still the most miserable social media lol

[wonderlandwalker]

Proven Wrong | Finnick Odair x Reader

THG Masterlist / Taglist / Inbox

Summary: Finnick broke things off with you, but everything changes when he gets jealous

Content Warnings/Tags: Smut, mdni, porn with very little plot, jealousy, did not proofread, not even once

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: There's a fifty-fifty chance this is horrible and my sleep-deprived brain is gaslighting me into thinking I need to post it but I guess there's just one way to find out. This is my first time writing Finnick smut and it's not what I used to but I'm also not mad at it, so enjoy this ( hopefully ) while I go have a panic attack in the corner second time today xx

You could see him looking at you, the way he trailed his eyes down the exposed skin your dress graced his eyes with. Wherever you went you could feel his presence burning from behind you. But you knew better than to give into it, because Finnick had made it clear you couldn't be together. Ever since you had returned from your games there had been a spark between you that you had wanted to feed, you wanted to give it oxygen to see how big it would get. But Finnick didn't want to feed the flame, because he was scared it would burn him down. And so you both went your ways, but you couldn't avoid each other.

Every capitol event and each hunger games you would see each other, you would see him looking at you with that longing in his eyes that made you wonder if this was really what he had wanted. But you didn't dare question it, because you had tried before, and all it had led to was a waste of energy. No, you wouldn't fall for that again. 

And you hadn't been doing it intentionally, you hadn't even noticed at first when Gloss got a little closer than usual or when his hand made its way to your waist. To be honest, you were quite enjoying yourself, and you had given up on the idea Finnick would turn around.

So when you did notice, you let him. You let Gloss whisper into your ear and you laughed at the silly joke he had made, and you weren't even sure if you were actually enjoying his attention or the attention in general.

But you didn't have much time to wonder before you were interrupted. A hand placed on your shoulder and a quick ‘can I borrow her for a second’ and you were being dragged into the hallway close by. If it hadn't been for the fact you recognized him from the smallest actions you would have been startled, but you could never be startled around him.

“What do you think you are doing” He sounded bitter, and maybe, just maybe you were glad you could get to him the way he would get to you.

“I'm having fun, what are you doing” 

“You know that's not what I mean, what are you doing with him” He had you cornered between himself and the wall, and he was so close that you could feel his heart beating in sync with yours, but after all this time you had spent trying to get over him, you weren't one to give in easy.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore Finnick.”

The moment you told him you could see a flash of hurt pass his eyes, if you didn't know any better you would have sworn he looked like he regretted something.

But you pushed past the thought, and you pushed yourself free from him, going back outside to rejoin the party. As the night went on you kept looking at him, you kept looking and every time you did, his eyes would already be on you. He was watching you as if he hadn't told you he didn't want to be with you. 

In the beginning, it had been blissful, but it hadn't taken long for your relationship with Finnick to turn complicated, and in the end, it had broken like a glass that's been pushed towards the edge too many times, finally slipping off.

But when you excuse yourself a little while later and walk inside to get a moment of peace from the crowd outside, you meet him again. This time though, he doesn't even greet you, he’s immediately grabbing your arm and urging you to follow him up the staircase. You enter the first room you find and the moment he shuts the door behind you he’s on you as if it's his last chance to do so. He pushes you up against the door and grabs your legs, pleading with you to wrap them around him as his lips crash into yours. For a moment you want to let him, you want to bask in this euphoria of feeling him against you, but you have to remind yourself it will only be worse in the end.

“Finnick you need to stop.” You were trying to sound convincing, really, you were, but the way his fingers are roaming your skin makes you sink into him, and your voice sounds more like a plea. 

He’s moved his attention to your jaw, to your neck, and when he meets your pulse point you throw your head back against the door, but he still knows you, and before you can hurt yourself on it he’s bracing you with his other hand against the back of your head.

“Careful now, wouldn't want you to get hurt.” It’s ironic, you think, the way in which he seems to care so much all of a sudden when he didn't seem to care all this time before. But you still don't stop him, you don't stop him as he walks you over to the empty bed and you wouldn't dream of stopping him as he drops you down on it, hovering over you. His hands are everywhere and it feels as if he’s showing your skin an entire new kind of pleasure. His hands trail lower until he hikes up your dress and leans down to kiss a path up your thighs as if he’s following a map that will lead him to hidden treasure. 

If it had been anyone else, you would have felt ashamed, you would have cowered away at how quickly he was getting to you. You’re leaning into his touch and when you moan out his name, he says.

“I bet Gloss doesn’t make you feel as good as I can, does he?”

And you wouldn't know, because tonight had been the first time you really noticed him, but it brought out something in Finnick you’ve been trying to get for ages, and you're not about to tell him just yet.

“I thought you said we weren't together.” You want to see how far you can take this, because it’s not often you hold the upper hand. A dark look flashes through his eyes as you look at him and he doesn't say anything just yet, but he’s doubling his efforts as he gets closer to your core, and the moment he makes contact with your clit through your underwear, the moment you arch your back and moan his name again as he feels how wet you are for him, he regains the control.

“And I thought you said you were a good girl, guess we were both wrong.” He looks up again from where he had settled between your legs, and the hypnotizing effect he has on you makes you sink into the mattress as he gets back to his mission. His mouth is on you as if he’s been starving for months and you are the only thing that will salvage his hunger, your legs are tingling and he has to use his arm to keep you down. Before you know it he’s using his fingers and you swear you don’t care anymore what happens after this, whether he’ll leave you alone or not because right now, all you can think of is the way it all feels. You can feel his fingers curling inside you as he whispers praises to you, you can feel how close you are from the way your insides twist at his words, and you can feel the flood of relief as he tells you to let go, and you do. 

You’re breathing is still heavy as you feel the mattress dip beside you and when you open your eyes you see him looking at you.

“I’ve missed you.” He sounds like he’s trying to apologize, and in a way he is. Because he’s sorry for all the time he’s wasted and he’s sorry it took him this long to realize.

“I’ve missed you too Fin.” His eyes melt a little at the nickname, and he leans in to kiss you again. It’s much softer this time, and you just know it’s all going to be okay.

[helloalycia]

𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 [𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑] — 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑

one / two / three / masterlist / wattpad

summary: when Jackie gets into a fight with Eve, she stops talking to you before finally revealing a bombshell that changes your relationship forever.

warning/s: mentions of underage drinking and of cheating.

author's note: here is the long awaited part 4! glad to see this one got a bit more interest, it was a fun one to write. this particular part is longer than the others, but i couldn’t split it so yeah, enjoy :)

After that random encounter with Eve at the arcade, I never really expected her presence to affect Jackie and I again. Oh, how wrong I was.

Jeff and I were at school to watch another Yellowjackets game, coincidentally against Eve's team, the Lions. Of course, I didn't think much of it as I was only here to support the team and Jackie. Jeff was waiting in the bleachers for me whilst I went to grab something I'd forgotten from my locker since I was already at school. It was on the way out and back to the bleachers when Eve found me, giving me a playful smirk.

"Well, if it isn't Y/N Sadecki," she said, eyeing me.

"Eve," I acknowledged with a nod.

"You here to support your little girlfriend?"

Knowing she was talking about Jackie, I felt my cheeks grow warm and tried to remain indifferent. "Jackie's just a friend."

"You should tell her that," Eve suggested with a knowing look.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, knowing she was trying to wind me up for whatever reason.

"It's unfortunate you have to watch me beat her," she said with a satisfied smile.

"You can try," I retorted, defending the Yellowjackets.

All Eve did was smirk before walking away to rejoin her team on the pitch. As I watched her go, I noticed Jackie in the distance, watching the two of us and glaring at Eve. The game was about to start so she couldn't do much, but I hoped she knew there was nothing happening between us. The last thing I wanted was for Jackie to think I liked her arch nemesis, especially after we almost kissed a year ago.

The referee blew his whistle, signalling for the players to get in position, so I returned to my seat beside Jeff as Jackie was forced to let it go for now.

"Popcorn?" Jeff asked when I took a seat.

I accepted it wordlessly, stuffing my face as I watched the game with anticipation.

The game started out pretty tense, with both sides getting close to scoring but eventually getting beat by each other's defenders. It was almost half time and everybody could sense a tension between Jackie and Eve, with the latter blocking every attempt Jackie made to score. She was following the blonde like a shadow, never giving her chance to breathe, and though that was expected, it was a little more extra than usual. Even from where I was sat, I could see Jackie getting frustrated by her presence.

Just before half time, Shauna was racing towards the goal, kicking the ball to Jackie. Everybody was on their feet as they watched her approach, ready to score, but out of nowhere, Eve performed a sliding tackle. Jackie hit the grass instantly, making everyone wince at how hard she landed on her knees.

The referee blew the whistle – possibly a yellow card? – and Jackie was sitting upright and fixing Eve with a glare. Then Eve must have said something to piss her off because before anyone could react, Jackie got up and shoved Eve backwards on the grass. She looked like she was about to go at her again, but Shauna intervened and held Jackie back as she yelled something at Eve. The referee was frantically blowing his whistle as a few more players broke up their almost-fight, and the crowd stared with surprise, wondering what was happening.

As Jackie was escorted off pitch by the referee, I could see Coach Scott scolding her, but she didn't seem to care. Very unlike her, she rolled her eyes and walked off.

"The hell was that?" Jeff muttered with confusion.

I shook my head. "I don't know... but I should see if she's okay." 

He nodded as I got up to leave, hoping Jackie was alright. Not only did that sliding tackle look painful, but clearly Eve had set her off, and Jackie wasn't easy to piss off.

I followed after her as she stormed inside the school, but she didn't get far when I called after her in the empty hallway.

"Jackie, are you okay? What was that?"

She didn't stop marching forward as she answered, "Leave me alone."

I furrowed my brows. "What? Jackie, I just–"

Suddenly, she stopped and turned around to glare at me. "I didn't ask for your help, now go."

Taken aback, I swallowed awkwardly. "I didn't–"

"Why the hell were you talking to her?" she interrupted, hazel eyes staring into my soul.

Feeling lost, I said, "What?"

She mimicked me, "What?" before scoffing angrily. "Don't play dumb, Y/N. Eve. Why were you talking to her?"

Unsure what this had to do with anything presently, I decided not to let her accusatory tone get to me. "She talked to me."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "How convenient."

Definitely lost, I asked, "You're mad at me? For that?" When she didn't answer, her jaw clenching, I said, "What did she say to you out there? Why are you upset?"

She shook her head, suppressing a frown. "Just leave me alone."

And with that, she stormed off towards the locker room, leaving me super confused and also super curious as to what Eve could have said to rile her up.

I hoped she'd calm down within a day or so and finally talk to me, but all weekend after the game, she'd been avoiding my calls. And if her mum picked up, she'd lie terribly saying Jackie wasn't there. I didn't understand why she was so pissed at me when Eve was the one who'd annoyed her. Could she really be angry at me for one conversation?

The only reason I finally got through to Jackie on the Sunday afternoon was because she picked up without meaning to.

"Jackie, wait, please!" I exclaimed, not wanting to lose her. "I don't want to fight. I just want to fix this."

To my surprise, she stayed on. "What?"

I swallowed hard. "You've been ignoring me. I... I know you're upset, but I just want to fix this."

I heard her sigh on the other side, but she said nothing.

"What did I do?" I asked in a pleading voice. "Tell me and I'll make it right." She fell silent and I sighed tiredly. "Okay, well, can you tell me what Eve said to upset you? You've never acted like that in a game before. You're supposed to be the team captain."

Just when I was convinced I was talking to myself, she finally spoke quietly. "She was saying how she was going to win the game." She paused, then reluctantly continued, "And you. Talking about how irresistible the Sadeckis were and how you were next on her list. That it was a shame she couldn't get to Jeff first."

My eyes widened slightly, not expecting that. 

Sighing, Jackie admitted, "It sounds stupid now I'm saying it aloud. I never cared what she thought, she's just some girl. But I... I saw her talking to you and I just– I thought–"

She didn't finish, and I tried not to hold my breath, not wanting to read into it.

"Jackie, that's nonsense," I assured her kindly. "She was just smack talking you to get to you and she succeeded in that. I wish you hadn't let her."

"I know," she agreed. A pause, and then: "I'm sorry for getting upset and yelling at you. I was just pissed."

"It's okay," I said, giving in. "Just..."

"No," she suddenly said, a little more confidently. "I wasn't pissed. I was jealous."

Eyebrows furrowing, I said, "What?"

Upset, she continued, "She doesn't get to do that! Everything I've ever wanted, Eve tries to take. Jeff. Winning states."

I wasn't sure what to say, sensing her frustration through the phone.

"You," she finished, making me second guess if I'd heard correctly. Judging by my silence, she added, "Yes, I want you."

Jaw dropping a little, I said, "What?"

"I don't want to do this over the phone," she said, exhaling deeply.

"Jackie–"

"I've gotta go," she said, and hung up before I could say anything else.

I couldn't move for a moment, reeling at what she'd just said. Did she just admit she liked me?

—

Jackie's words were on my mind for the rest of the weekend and well into Monday. I tried ringing her again, but there was no response so my only hope was to see her in school and talk it out there.

But at school, I didn't see her around like usual. At lunch time, I found Shauna eating, who redirected me to the library, and that was where I ended up finding her. She was tucked between some shelves, looking for a book, and I told myself it was now or never before approaching her.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," I said quietly, aware we were still in the library and also not wanting to startle her. Still, she jumped a little.

Recovering from her surprise, she remained focused on the bookshelf. "I was studying."

"You avoided my calls," I reminded her. "Dropped a bombshell then hung up."

She swallowed visibly, before glancing at me. "Sorry."

Her eyes didn't linger for long, and she was back to looking at the books.

"i just want an explanation, Jackie," I told her.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "There's not much to say."

Her feigned innocence was admittedly starting to frustrate me, and I frowned as she continued to avoid my gaze.

"What did you mean when you said you wanted me?" I asked outright, tired of beating around the bush.

She mumbled, "Nothing."

"Jackie," I pressed, impatiently.

"Really, nothing," she assured me with a quick glance.

"It wasn't nothing. Not to you. Or you wouldn't have hung up. Wouldn't have gotten so upset."

She pressed her lips together, sighing deeply, and I gave her the benefit of the doubt when I watched as she seemed to struggle with an internal conflict.

"Jackie–"

"Fine," she said suddenly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "It was something."

I waited, heart sinking to my stomach the longer she took to speak.

"I want you," she finally admitted, turning to face me with a worried expression. "Because I fucking like you. And you make me happy. And I hate that I didn't see it sooner. But there it is."

It was as if someone was squeezing my insides, everything shrinking into nothingness as she said the impossible.

"But... but why is that a bad thing?" I asked softly.

She exhaled, shaking her head and looking away. "It's not. It's just... complicated."

I tried to meet her eyes. "Why? Because of Jeff?"

Saddened eyes finally met mine, accompanying a guilty nod. And it spurred me on for some reason, because the girl I liked actually liked me back, and how the hell was that possible?

"I don't really give a shit about what he would think," I said truthfully, surprising her. "What anyone would think."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

It was hard not to laugh as the realisation of my situation dawned on me. "I liked you way before he did, Jackie. I've had a crush on you for years. Why the hell would I let him get in the way of that now that I have a chance?"

The fact that she seemed genuinely taken aback by my admission made me wonder if I'd hid my crush well enough all these years, or if she was just terribly unobservant. Either way, she didn't know what to say as she tried to study my expression.

"I do have a chance now, right?" I asked with a shocking amount of confidence than I thought I was capable of.

As if the roles were reversed, she struggled for words. "I– yes, but–"

That was all the confirmation I needed when I stepped forward and kissed her, hoping to put her mind at ease. She relaxed against me, kissing me back slowly and carefully and in a way that made me forget anything other than her.

After a moment, I pulled away to speak, but she grabbed me by the shirt, tugging me back to her lips, and I didn't argue it. My arms wrapped around her waist, her back gently hitting the bookshelf behind her, and she didn't let go of my shirt as she held me in place, lips devouring mine.

My mind was spinning and my insides were humming with desire once we pulled apart for air, and I could still barely believe I'd just made out with Jackie Taylor.

"Now what?" I breathed out, eyes flickering between hers.

She caught her breath. "Well, I like you and you like me."

"Yeah..."

A ghost of a smile was on her lips as she let her head fall to my shoulder with feigned frustration. "Jeff is gonna be pissed."

I snorted with amusement, shaking my head. "He doesn't have to know. Not for now, at least."

She hummed in agreement, pulling her head back to look at me again, though this time truly looking at me. I grew nervous under her gaze, any confidence I had disappearing.

"Sorry, you were studying," I said lamely, though in my defence, I didn't expect to interrupt her by making out with her between the shelves.

She shrugged like it was a mere inconvenience before tugging me back to her lips, and of course, I couldn't resist Jackie Taylor's charm.

—

Sometimes I couldn't quite believe I was in a relationship with Jackie, albeit a secret one. But then she'd look at me in a way that only I knew meant more and I thanked my lucky stars she liked me back.

When we were in the presence of others, we'd act like we always did, though Jackie would sometimes leave lingering touches or stare at me for a little too long, and I always warned her not to make it so obvious but she seemed to take that as a challenge.

Not even Y/BF/N knew, and one time at school, she grew suspicious. Again, all Jackie's fault, but I'd like to think I denied it pretty well. I was at my locker talking to Y/BF/N about our Music class assignment when Jackie approached us with her usual smile.

"Hey," she said to us both.

"'Sup, Jackie," Y/BF/N greeted, returning her smile.

"Not much, just wanted to ask Y/N if she was still on for studying later," she said, glancing at me. Funnily enough, that wasn't code for anything – she was actually gonna help me study. But the way her hand rested on my forearm as she awaited an answer definitely earned a second glance from Y/BF/N.

I nodded, remembering I had her notes in my locker and grabbing them. "Yeah, that's fine. Can you take these? I'm just gonna forget otherwise."

She accepted the notes, finally letting go of my arm, stuffing them between her books in her hand. "Awesome. I'll catch you later then."

"See you later, Jackie," I replied, and her gaze definitely lingered a second longer than it should've, making my cheeks grow warm at the attention. I broke our stare and she chuckled before walking away, probably not even realising she'd done anything out of the ordinary.

I cleared my throat, about to resume my conversation with Y/BF/N, but she was glancing back at Jackie before quirking a brow at me.

"What?" I asked, closing my locker.

"The hell was that?"

I played dumb. "I don't know what you mean."

She looked at me with disbelief before tracing her hand up my arm exaggeratedly. With a high pitched voice, she mimicked Jackie, "Oh, Y/N, I do hope we're still on for studying later!"

I slapped her hand away, avoiding her eyes. "Oh, be quiet, that's not what happened."

She followed me as I attempted to walk away. "Isn't it? Girl, that was weird, even for Jackie." When I didn't reply, she asked, "Are you two together?"

I scoffed a little too quickly, glancing at her sideways. "You're kidding, right? She's Jackie Taylor."

Y/BF/N narrowed her eyes at me with suspicion. "You didn't say no."

I rolled my eyes lightheartedly. "Okay then, no, we're not. You done now?"

Thankfully she dropped the subject, but I was still a little nervous at being found out. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but telling her just meant it was one step closer to getting to Jeff. And Jackie and I were still new – there was less pressure this way.

—

"Lottie Matthews is loaded," Tommy said what everyone was thinking.

The band and I were stood outside Lottie's house, a party which she had invited us to and was paying us to perform at this evening, thanks to Jackie's recommendation.

"C'mon, they'll be waiting," Y/BF/N encouraged us all, snapping us out of our daze of admiration, before leading the way.

We brought our equipment inside, past the few guests that had arrived a little earlier than they were supposed to, and Lottie and Jackie were there to greet us.

"You all look great!" Jackie exclaimed with a smile once she spotted us, before her eyes landed on me and her smile softened into one that was only reserved for me. "Love the coordination."

I rolled my eyes playfully, though felt my cheeks flushing at the attention.

"Thanks again for having us, Lottie," Aaron thanked her for all of us. "Where d'you want us setting up?"

Lottie began to lead the way to the gigantic living room, the others dragging their equipment with them, and I was about to join them when I felt Jackie tugging me back.

"Hello to you too," I said with a stifled chuckle as she pulled me into her, almost knocking heads.

"You look really good," she said quietly, eyes looking me up and down.

"So do you," I returned, squeezing her hand in mine before glancing around then sneaking a quick kiss. "I should go help the band. But I'll see you around, Jackie."

She sighed childishly but nodded, letting me go, and I tried not to laugh as I followed after the others. I'd like to say that she was good at keeping us a secret for the rest of the party, but every encounter we had went pretty much like that.

As more people showed up, the party was in full swing within half an hour, and what a party it was. Lottie's house was practically a mansion, with a games room, cinema room, a huge pool in the garden and more than enough rooms for people to sneak into. Between sets, the band and I promised we'd stay sober, only here for the music (and Jackie), but that didn't mean we couldn't witness some hilarious stunts pulled by other kids stupid enough to drink their body weight in alcohol.

It was quite the affair, and it was made even better when I remembered how much Lottie was paying us to perform. Her parents were filthy rich, so what was probably pocket money to her was going straight into my savings for college.

After yet another exhilarating performance, I was waved over to Jackie who immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me to the empty spot by the dining table to talk. We perched ourselves on the edge of the table, hands a mere few inches away from one another, and it took every ounce of willpower for me to not touch her. I couldn't help it, she just looked so beautiful.

"You guys are playing so well tonight," she complimented sweetly, before tilting her head to look at me with a cheeky glint in her eyes. "You finally gonna tell me who that last song was about?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, remembering the last time she'd asked me that at the fair. Except this time, she was definitely playing dumb to embarrass me. "Something tells me you know, Jackie."

"Yeah, but I have to hear you say it," she continued to tease, finally resting her hand on top of mine.

I gave her a knowing look, smile creeping on my lips. "You know it's about you."

She feigned surprised, hand to her chest. "Really? I never would have guessed! Gosh, Y/N, I'm so touched!"

I shook my head with dismay as she laughed at her own joke. We stayed there for a little longer, her catching me up with some dumb stuff she'd witnessed tonight and also pestering me about a date she wanted me to take her on, and I loved every second of it. Because everybody was stuck in their own world, the closeness between Jackie and I wasn't even suspicious.

Unfortunately, that got interrupted when some guy approached us, drink in hand and definitely a little tipsy as he struggled to stand upright.

"Hey, ladies," he bellowed over the radio playing through the speakers.

Neither Jackie or I said anything as we waited for him to either speak or leave.

"You're the girl who plays the guitar, right?" he slurred his words a little, meeting my eyes. "I never thought I'd like a lady musician, but there's something about the way you–"

"I'm not interested," I told him firmly.

He blinked, not expecting that, before looking to Jackie and trying his luck once more. "How about you? You're a–"

"Don't even think about it," she told him with a judgemental stare.

He rolled his eyes at the rejection before downing the cup in his hand and walking away.

"Y'know, I love that people are finally seeing how hot you are an' all, but I also hate it," Jackie admitted with a half smile, glancing at me.

I breathed out, chuckling at her honesty. "It's a good thing I've got eyes for someone else, isn't it?"

She pressed her lips together, bright eyes flickering between mine distractedly, and then her expression softened. "I really wanna kiss you right now."

I nudged my shoulder with hers gently. "Later. I promise."

She pouted adorably, only making me want to kiss her, but I managed to hold back. And this didn't seem to sit right with her as she jumped off the edge of the table and spun around to face me, holding out her hand.

"What?" I asked, resting my hand in hers.

Once she closed her grasp on it, she dragged me through the bodies of guests before pulling me into a room that I'd never been in before. It looked like some sort of pantry in the kitchen, well-stocked, I couldn't lie. But I barely got chance to ask her what she was doing before she pressed her lips to mine, kissing me hard.

All night I'd wanted to kiss her. but clearly she'd wanted it just as much as she pulled me close, barely letting me breathe as we made out between the dried pasta and sweetcorn cans. The party was merely a distant memory as I tuned out the chatter of the guests and the beat of the speakers, instead succumbing to the taste of Jackie's lips and the scent of her perfume.

We were breathless when we finally pulled apart, her hands encasing my face between them, my breath tickling her lips.

"You really couldn't wait, could you?" I spoke, a hint of amusement in my voice.

She scoffed lightheartedly, shoving me back. "Shut up."

I laughed quietly. "Bit desperate, isn't it? For Jackie Taylor?"

She quirked a brow, finger fixing her smudged lip gloss. "Really? Says the one who wrote a million songs about me?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Touché."

She smirked, before fixing her hair too. "I'm gonna go. You should too if you wanna make your next set."

"Yeah, yeah..."

She winked before leaving me alone in the pantry, and I made sure my own lipstick was fixed before heading out.

The party went on until pretty late into the night, and it was after midnight when Lottie and Jackie began kicking stragglers out. The band called it a night, but I felt bad leaving Lottie and her friends to clean up alone, so I stayed back to help out. By the time we were done, I offered to give Jackie a ride home, mostly because I just wanted to make sure she got back safely.

"Your mum knows you're with me, right?" she asked from the passenger's seat as I was driving.

"Yep," I said between a yawn. "You think she would've trusted me out this late alone?"

Jackie let out a tired chuckle, leaning against the door. "Yeah, she loves me."

I rolled my eyes lightheartedly. "Whatever."

"Sleepover at mine," she insisted. "It's already late. I don't want you driving back alone. You might as well."

I glanced at her. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "You're overdue cuddles anyway. It's only fair."

This brought a smile to my face. "It's only fair. Uh-huh."

Even tired, she was adorable, and I couldn't say no. Plus, I was exhausted and it was the weekend, so what was the harm?

Once I arrived at Jackie's, we headed straight to her room and collapsed in her bed together, tired but content as we wrapped ourselves up in one another. The perfect end to a perfect night.

—

I changed the notes on my music sheet, giving my composition another go on the piano. It sounded a lot better now, but I still wasn't happy with it. I was working on my assignment for Music class, having booked out the classroom and piano for today's lunch to hopefully get some inspiration away from my bedroom. It was working, kind of.

As I chewed my lip, tapping the same key over and over thoughtfully, I heard footsteps behind me and glanced over my shoulder.

"Jackie," I said, surprised but smiling at her presence.

"So this is why you ditched me," she said jokingly, before standing by my side and resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm working on my assignment," I reminded her with a knowing look.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, a ghost of a smile on her lips before she nudged me over and took a seat on the piano bench beside me.

She began to press some random keys with her finger, making me stifle a laugh.

"Like Beethoven himself," I teased, and she shoved me in the shoulder without looking up.

"You're shit at soccer, so zip it," she reminded me, making me groan.

"You're never letting me live that down, are you?"

Finally, she glanced at me with a quirked brow and an amused glint in her eyes. "What part? The bloody nose? The missing the goal a billion times? Or the breathlessness after running only one lap around the field?"

I pressed my lips together, narrowing my eyes her way. "I hate you."

She laughed, leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek before returning her attention to the piano. "Yeah, no you don't. Now, teach me how to play something."

I sighed, knowing she wouldn't leave me be if I didn't, so I taught her a few chords, enough to satisfy her urge to be skilled in something she really wasn't. Okay, a little mean, she actually wasn't terrible. But she was impatient and very easily distracted, and I was running short on time.

"Okay, Jackie, I actually need to do my work now," I said apologetically.

She sighed dramatically, giving me a doe-eyed look. "Fiiiiine, if you must."

"If you really wanna learn, I can teach you properly another time," I promised her, tilting my head towards her, mimicking her expression.

"Nah, I just wanted to spend some time with you, but I can see I'm not wanted nor loved," she said, keeping up with her dramatics as she stood up.

"Jackie." I laughed as she lingered, slowly approaching the door.

"Until next time, I suppose," she continued, and I rolled my eyes at her theatrics as she left the classroom.

God, she could be annoying sometimes.

—

It had been a few months since Jackie and I had started dating and I guess I was so enthralled with her that I never really considered how everybody else perceived us, particularly my brother.

I was certain we'd done a good job at keeping us a secret, but then Jeff was becoming suspicious, and I knew we couldn't keep it hidden for much longer.

Using our usual cover story of 'studying', Jackie was over at mine to hang out, though this time staying for dinner at my mum's insistence. Shauna was also over, since she was Jeff's girlfriend an' all, and it didn't make much of a difference since we were all friends, but then dinner actually happened and I felt stupid for thinking it would go smoothly.

"Y'know, I love how close of friends you and Y/N have become," my mum was saying to Jackie as she passed her the garlic bread. "Always inviting her over to yours."

"Just tutoring her for French class," Jackie answered smoothly. "Happy to do it."

"You're terrible at French," Shauna commented with furrowed brows, and Jackie almost faltered as she thought of a response.

"But better than I am," I filled in with an awkward laugh.

Jeff quirked a brow. "And your grade is improving with all this tutoring?"

I met his gaze, sensing his suspicion. "B average."

He hummed, glancing between Jackie and I curiously.

"You should invite Jackie here more," my mum said to me, thankfully interrupting whatever Jeff thought he was piecing together. "I don't want her family thinking we're not a good host." 

"Oh, they would never think that," Jackie replied with a laugh. "They love you."

My mum flashed her a grateful smile, eating out of the palm of her hand. I believed we'd gotten away with it, plus I now had more reason to invite her over. But when I looked back opposite me, I saw Jeff and Shauna studying the two of us curiously and I was never good under pressure. I focused on my dinner as my mum rambled on about something or the other, but the couple before me were watching me the whole evening.

Once the meal was over, Jeff went to drop Shauna home as I did the same with Jackie, though I was a little more distracted than she was.

"I love your mum, she's so cute," she was saying as I drove. "And you heard her, right? Gotta stop by more. Her words."

"Yeah, I think you're actually gonna have to start tutoring me French now," I realised.

She pulled a face. "What? Why? I suck at French."

I gave her a sideways glance. "Did you really not see Jeff and Shauna? They don't think we're studying, Jackie."

As if remembering, Jackie snorted. "Yeah, but who cares what they think? There's no proof otherwise."

I sighed. "I know, but I also know my brother. He's gonna be all over us. So, you're gonna have to start tutoring me French when you come over."

She chuckled quietly at this, unbothered. "Oui oui, Monsieur Y/N."

I tried not to laugh. "It's Madame. Monsieur is for guys."

Pursing her lips, she glanced at me. "Fuck."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "God, you're lucky I'm good at French."

—

Asking Jackie to actually tutor me for French class was easier said than done. Turned out she really did suck at French. I ended up teaching her more than she could teach me a lot of the times, and then there was the issue of how she kept getting distracted by random things because the last thing she wanted to do was homework.

The few times that Jeff 'accidentally' walked in my room, we were actually studying, which only reaffirmed my suspicion that he suspected something more between Jackie and I. After the first few weeks, he stopped checking on us, so I assumed he stopped caring. And I may or may not have let my guard down just a little...

"Okay, I just need to recite this to you," I told Jackie, sat cross legged on my bed, opposite her. "Follow along on the paper and tell me if I miss something."

She hummed, glancing at the paper before looking back to me. I could see she wasn't focused and gave her a knowing look.

"Please, Jackie, my test is next week."

She laughed. "Y/N, you know this paper front to back."

I didn't let up. "Jackie."

She sighed dramatically before straightening up and looking at the paper. "Okay. Go."

I nodded and cleared my throat, before reciting the paper in French. It was a speaking exam, and though I wasn't too worried, it didn't hurt to practice. Of course, as I was speaking, I realised Jackie was only looking at me, eyes on mine, and definitely not the paper in her hand.

"...Jackie!" I scolded her, making her blink. "How do you know I'm saying it right, huh? You're not even reading it!"

She bit her lip, trying not to laugh again, then tilted her head towards me. "I'm sorry. I can't help getting distracted. You're so hot when you're focused."

I sighed, though my cheeks were growing warm. "Jackie. Not the time."

"Well, if now's not the time...," she started teasingly, leaning forward on her hands so she was directly in front of my face. Her eyes flickered between mine flirtatiously as she continued, "Then when is?"

I tried to hold my ground, refusing to let her win just because she was stupidly cute and stupidly kissable right now.

"Y'know what I just realised?" she asked rhetorically, hazel eyes glinting with mischief. "Teasing you is pointless. One kiss and you're mine."

"Jackie–"

She silenced me by doing just that, pressing her strawberry-flavoured lips to mine, courtesy of her favourite lipgloss. Unfortunately she was right, and as soon as she kissed me, I melted under her touch, eyes fluttering close. Her hand rested on my neck as she tilted my head up, having the perfect gap to push her tongue into my mouth.

As we made out, studying long forgotten, my senses were overtaken by all things Jackie, so much that I didn't hear anybody come in my bedroom until said person cursed out loud.

Immediately pulling apart from Jackie, I looked to the door to see Jeff standing there with a shocked expression.

"I knew you weren't studying!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger at us. Then it seemed to dawn on him what we were doing instead, and he glared at Jackie. "Seriously?!" With a lower voice, he whisper-shouted, "You're sucking face with my sister?!"

Embarassed, I scolded him. "Jeff!"

"In case you forgot, you cheated on me with my best friend," Jackie retorted, standing up to face him.

"So you make out with my sister?!" he repeated, hysterical.

Jackie scoffed. "You don't get to be mad right now! You literally–"

"That doesn't give you the right to–"

"–and you cheated on me for fucking months–"

"–my little sister isn't your–"

I sat there awkwardly as they bickered over the stupidest things, still flushed with embarrassment.

The sound of my mum calling all of our names, followed by the promise of lunch, silenced Jackie and Jeff long enough for me to stand up off the bed, subtly wiping Jackie's lipgloss from my mouth.

"This... this isn't over," Jeff said, looking between us, before storming out of my room and downstairs.

Jackie clenched her jaw before glancing at me, expression softening. "You okay?"

"Yeah... I think. You?"

She nodded. "Let's go eat."

The two of us trailed in after Jeff, taking a seat beside each other at the dining table where my parents were waiting already. Thankfully, Jackie was still her easygoing, talkative self and made conversation with my parents as we ate. Jeff and I were quiet, occasionally glancing at one another before looking the other way if we accidentally caught each other's gaze. I still couldn't believe he'd caught me making out with Jackie. This wasn't how I wanted to tell him about us.

"...Y/N, Jeff, you two are oddly quiet today," my dad noticed, making everyone look to us.

When Jeff didn't speak, I answered, "I'm just a little tired. Lots of studying."

Jeff choked on his water and I instantly regretted my choice of words. Jackie looked between us before changing the subject with my parents, saving the moment. Thankfully, they didn't try to talk to me again, and Jeff still didn't have much to say.

After a horribly awkward lunch, I left to drop Jackie off home, glad when we were finally away from Jeff's judgy eyes.

"So... you think he'll get over it?" Jackie asked me in the car.

"Probably," I answered. "Eventually."

She nodded slowly, glancing at my house as we drove away, before saying, "Sorry if it's awkward between you both now. It wasn't my intention."

I sighed, a small smile on my face when I glanced at her. "It's okay, Jackie, it's not your fault. Besides. You're kind of worth it, so."

"Oh, really?" she asked, quirking a brow playfully.

"Just a little," I played along, and she laughed.

"That's good to know, yeah," she said, before squeezing my knee gently.

—

I wanted to talk things through with Jeff as soon as possible, but when I returned home after dropping Jackie off, he was in his room and I figured it was best to give him some space. The next morning, he was already out the house when I went downstairs for breakfast, so my only hope was to find him at school.

I wasn't sure if he was actually annoyed at me or not, since he hadn't spoken to me since yesterday and I didn't really see him around much. I put it down to needing some space again, giving him the benefit of the doubt considering he saw his little sister and ex-girlfriend making out.

After school however, I was surprised to find him waiting for me by my car in the lot. He didn't look annoyed or upset, which was a good sign, but I was also planning to wait for Jackie just now, so I hoped this wouldn't go down badly.

"Hey, Jeff," I greeted as I approached him, a little confused.

"So, I've thought about it," he said instantly, hand clutching the strap of his backpack as he paced a little.

"Uh-huh..."

"I just needed to process it all," he continued, stopping his pacing but struggling to stand still.

"Right," I acknowledged, patiently waiting for him to finish.

"You don't need my permission, obviously," he disclaimed quickly, before saying, "but I'm okay with it. You and– you and Jackie."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised at his reaction, or at least witnessing it so soon.

"It was just strange," he admitted, finally relaxing once he'd gotten his words out. "My ex moving on with my sister."

I couldn't resist reminding him, "You literally moved on with her best friend."

He winced slightly, but nodded. "Right."

I chewed the inside of my cheek as we stood there, neither of us saying anything.

"Okay then...," I started, once I realised he was done. "So, we're cool?"

"We're cool," he agreed, before reluctantly asking, "Out of curiosity though... how long? Y'know, you and Jackie?"

"A month? Maybe a little longer?" I answered truthfully.

He nodded, letting that digest, then said, "You seem to get along well. I'm happy for you, Y/N."

I began to smile, despite his awkwardness. "We do."

He smiled too, albeit a little uncomfortably, and mine soon turned into one of amusement.

"Hey," Jackie finally arrived, looking between Jeff and I, though unsure how to react as she was as surprised as I was upon seeing him.

"He's okay with it," I told her, making her eyes widen slightly, taken aback.

"Oh."

"I'm happy for you both," Jeff added, nodding at Jackie.

She recovered from her temporary stupor quite quickly and began to flash Jeff a mildly condescending smile. "Well, that's very mature of you, Jeff. Thanks."

He seemed a little embarrassed, but nodded before glancing at me. "Catch you later, Y/N."

"See you later," I confirmed, watching as he left us to it.

Only when he was out of hearing distance did I look back to Jackie, who was stifling her urge to laugh.

"I guess that's that then," she said what we were both thinking.

"It is," I confirmed with a hidden smile.

Her green-golden eyes met mine with a hint of mischief. "That means there's no need to hide this anymore, right?"

Realising she was right, I nodded. "Guess not."

A grin appeared on her lips, but before I could question it, she yanked me forward by my jacket, pressing her lips to mine in a brief yet passionate kiss that had me floating and forgetting what my name was.

She flashed me another smile before getting into the car, and I was left speechless, before a grin appeared on my own lips. No more hiding anymore.

[ittybittyhogan]

Stargazing part 1

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Routledge reader

Warnings: None

Word count: 770

Description: JJ and Y/N have always had feelings for each other but they each thought the other could never see them as anything other than a bestfriend.

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to post this! When I started writing this it was just supposed to be a short flashback but it got so long that I made it into its own part. I might change the name at some point when I've finished more of the later parts. I'm working on the next part I hope to post it soon. Enjoy!

This part takes place 1 year before the rest of the story.

-Midsummers-

Sarah and Kie had invited you to Midsummer because they knew it wouldn’t be very fun with just the two of them. You were all excited to spend the evening together, but you were especially excited that JJ would see you all dolled up. You and Sarah and Kie went dress shopping together, and you picked out a simple floor length light blue dress. 

(this is your dress)

At the party everyone was having fun. You were with the girls on the dance floor when you heard someone calling your name.

“Y/N! Y/N!”

You recognized JJ’s voice and looked around to find him.

“Hey JJ. What’s up?”

“Come with me.” He whispered in your ear.

JJ reached down and grabbed your hand and led you away from the dance floor and around the side of the building, where it was much quieter. 

“Sooooo… what’s going on?” You asked him, bewildered.

“I need to tell you something…” He trailed off. You could tell that he wanted to say more but couldn’t find the right words.

“JJ you’re my best friend, you can tell me anything.”

“ I like you, Y/N. I have since we met in third grade. I thought you would never see me the same way so I tried to get rid of my feelings for you but I can’t. I hate it when you’re not around, I can’t live without you.”

You were too stunned to speak, but JJ thought the silence meant you didn’t feel the same way, so he sighed and turned to walk away, but you caught his wrist and pulled him back. His eyes met yours and you immediately got lost in the deep blue sea of his eyes.

“JJ, I like you too.” You said quietly while still lost in his eyes.

Rather than answer, JJ pulled you in and kissed you. It was a soft and passionate kiss. You had both waited so long for this moment, and it was perfect. It was everything you had dreamed of. JJ wrapped his arms around your waist and you put your arms around his neck. Eventually you both had to pull away to catch your breath, and you both got lost in each other’s eyes again. JJ spoke first:

“How much trouble do you think I’ll be in with John B when he finds out about this?”

“A lot,” you replied. “He’ll probably kill you.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t tell him quite yet.”

“Good idea,” you said while giggling at the thought of your brother finding out that you had kissed his best friend. JJ was laughing at this too, and once you had both stopped laughing so hard, he cupped your face in his hands and said;

“Y/N, will you go on a date with me?”

“I think you already know the answer to that,” you said, while your eyes flicked down to his lips. He smiled and you closed the distance between you and kissed him again. 

“We should go back to the party before our friends start looking for us,” JJ said quietly when you broke apart.

“Yeah, they’re probably wondering where we are,” you agreed.

You shared one last short kiss before JJ gently took your hand and led you back to the party. When you spotted your friends you both let go of each other’s hand so no one would get suspicious, although the rest of the pogues wouldn’t think too much of it because you and JJ had always been very close and you two were always giving each other hugs or cuddling with each other during movie nights.

“Where were you guys?” Sarah asked when you had rejoined your friends. “We were about to start looking for you.”

“Sorry,” you said, “we were just talking about going surfing tomorrow and i guess we lost track of time.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow when she noticed your smudged lipstick and how flustered you were, but she didn’t say anything about it. 

“Where’s John B?” You asked, trying to change the subject.

“He’s over by the drinks,” replied Kiara.

“I’ll go tell him we’re all over here,” said JJ.

“I’ll come too,” Pope said and followed JJ.

“Here,” Sarah said and handed you her lipstick and a mirror. “Your lipstick’s smudged,” she explained, “I don’t think you want John B seeing that and getting suspicious.”

“Thank you, Sarah. And please don’t tell John B.”

“Of course,” Sarah and Kie replied together.

When John B came over with JJ and Pope he didn’t make any comment about you and JJ disappearing. You had gotten away with it. For now.

A/N: ahhhhhh I can't believe I finished this! I would love to hear what you guys think. If you have any suggestions for the next part please stop by my inbox.

[thirstnotes]

| Rivals to Lovers - Clark Kent - Part Eight - Impatient Clark |

Pairings - Clark Kent x AFABBlackPlusSizedClark

Warnings: Sprung Clark, Language, Typos, Rambling, Smut (Minors DNI), Morals?WhatMorals?Clark, Kiss Stealing Clark, mildly conflicted reader, oral

If you don’t like it, don’t read it

"Haven't seen you by yourself in a while. Going well?" Lois winked, picking out vegetables, presumably for their stew.

"Pretty much," he said, unsure why he'd even followed her into the pantry in the first place. Well. He knew why. It was because you'd insisted, determined to help him get his match before it was all said and done.

He looked out at the kitchen, but you had disappeared and his eyes searched a bit before settling on Lois again, who had crossed his line of vision again.

"Pretty much? I'd say it's going very well considering you two can't seem to keep your hands off each other."

"No more than you and Luke," he laughed, though completely distracted. Luke was still at their station, texting and scrolling through his phone. A moron, yes, but at least he wasn't trying to slither into your space.

Where did you go?

His eyes found your car still parked in the parking lot and you were rummaging through it's trunk. For what was anyone's guess, but eventually you'd stopped and sat in the open space.

"Nothing like us, actually. It's not official or anything. It's just kinda fun," Lois went on, oblivious to his inattentive ears.

"Really?" he hummed, sounding amused. Were you upset at him for going? Maybe he should've stayed and just fuckin told you that this stopped being about Lois days ago.

"Yeah, I mean, it's totally casual. If you, say, asked me out tomorrow, I'd say yes. Well, when I say you, I mean anyone really, not you per se. I don't think that you would, since you seem pretty serious about Y/N," she babbled with a laugh. His eyes rolled from the lot to her.

"We're still feeling it out, but something like that."

"I can tell," she shrugged with a laugh, grabbing a couple of potatoes and a tomato to add to her basket, "If I could find a guy that looks at me like you look at her, I could finally settle down."

It was a generous opening she'd put out there for him, but he genuinely couldn't care less. His fixation on you had finally taken full hold. You owned his every thought. Once upon a time, he'd have jumped on the chance to raw her right there in that pantry, but he wanted nothing more than to wish her well and raw you in that parking lot.

His eyes found you again and he could see you strolling slowly back, biting your lip with a naughty smirk. Much like when you were texting him before your date with Bruce.

Jealousy flared in him again. There was no way Luke put that smile there. It had to be Bruce.

He took a deep breath and tapped her chin. "You will in no time."

With that, he held the door for her and guided her out before returning to your station to wait for you. He hadn't registered the mildly disappointed look on Lois's face as she left his side to rejoin Luke, nor the lingering stare she gave you when you'd returned casually from outside. He was trying to check the damage. You looked much happier and your heart was beating faster. He resisted the urge to scowl.

"Where'd you disappear off to?"

You washed your hands again before kneading the dough one last time and setting it into the oven. "Just getting some air. How'd it go?"

He couldn't stand it. He wanted so badly to tell you he could see you texting your Sugar Daddy. To watch your pretty eyes widen with a little guilt and revel in watching you squirm while you tried to spare his feelings and play down your relationship with the billionaire.

It was truly adorable to watch you pretend you didn't see your relationship with him as anything more than a ruse

He affected you

He just needed to get you to admit it

His eyes rolled from you to Lois, who was feeding Luke something. You looked from them to him with a frown.

"Not well?"

His eyes floated to the oven where the dough was slowly rising. This was it. He saw the perfect corner to back you into. "Very well, actually. She informed me that she and Luke aren't actually official...thennnn, in so many words, she asked me out."

Your eyes widened at the tea he was pouring. "Get out. What did you say?!" you hissed quietly, like a hopeless gossip. So fuckin cute.

"I...told her that I was deeply in love with my girlfriend," he lied with a heavy breath, his eyes meeting yours.

He could see a full range of emotions cross your face. You were trying to make sense of his self-sabotage, which was a given, considering all that he'd done to make this slam dunk happen. Which was valid. It was kind of a ballsy move to just tell you how he felt.

He wasn't nearly as direct as Bruce, who seemed to take a sadistic pride in his brutal honesty, but he liked to think he was pretty honest. Diana called him "downright devious" when a situation called for it, but he had to disagree. He simply liked it when things went his way and there wasn't anything wrong with that. Especially when end justified the means. What's a little manipulation if it meant he'd have you. You, who wanted him just as much as he wanted you.

He didn't know what you were thinking about his sudden U-turn, but he was ready for whatever you were going to do. Even if it was less than pleasant.

After all, he had used you

Now he was telling you it was you he wanted all along

So he'd not be surprised if you were pissed at him for taking you in circles

He deserved it

But at least now you knew

Which was fine

You'd calm down eventually

Even if you didn't and hated him

At the very least he knew you were attracted to him

He could work with that

So long as you were his

He heard a small snickering beside him and his brows furrowed.

Okay, maybe he wasn't ready for that reaction

"I never thought I'd see Golden Boy Clark Kent chicken out."

"What?"

You looked at him curiously, smile fading. "Or. Are you planning on keeping her dangling on the hook for a while?"

Of fuckin course. You didn't believe him.

He breathed a frustrated laugh, using the leverage of the situation to pull you in front of him, weaving his fingers through yours. "Something like that."

You beamed triumphantly, responding perfectly, your body resting against his. "Mmh. See. I know you. That's pretty slick. Kind of messed up, but I respect the game."

"Thanks."

What game?

He was beginning to question if he had any game at all

After all, the woman he wanted was in his hands physically, but she couldn't be further from his grasp

Anyway, your bread bowl baked well, but came out a bit lopsided

Which was fitting, consider that whole day was fucked to pieces by the time class had ended

You were both back in the car, the savory smell of your hard work wafting through the car.

He scrolled through his phone quietly, listening to you talk about how proud you were of your bread bowl with a small smile on his face

"Did you have fun?" you asked, looking towards him. His eyes rolled to you.

"Yeah, some."

He wanted to ask who you were texting so badly

You frowned. "Are you having second thoughts about the Lois Thing?"

Depends on your definition of said Lois Thing

The Lois Thing as in "his feelings for Lois altogether"

or

The Lois Thing as in his "ploy" to keep Lois guessing and wanting more

Because the latter isn't even a thing

But you probably meant that one

"Actually, I kind of enjoy the chase," he admitted, his eyes floating to the road.

"I noticed."

His eyes rolled back to you. "I take it you don't approve?"

"The opposite actually. I think everybody likes to be pursued sometimes."

"That include you?" he smirked, parroting your question from days ago.

You hummed a laugh. "Especially me."

He smirked.

Oh you had no idea how long he was willing to chase you

He was reaching his breaking point

Every second your delicious scent wafted past his nose, he felt his control slipping

An image of your towel slipping from your yummy curves flashed past his thoughts and he swallowed

He really needed to stop.

You both pulled to the front of his apartment and got out of the car to grab his half of the food from your backseat. He followed, eyes following your movements as you slowly rounded the car, typing on your phone.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking between you and your screen.

"Putting the ball in Lois's court," you said, biting your lip with a sly smile.

He frowned, somehow not liking the direction this was going. You shrugged, your fingers working on a thoughtful explanation. "I'm gonna tell her we broke up. That way, she'll drop Luke like a hot brick, call you up, and you'll be in there."

"You're really okay with doing that for me."

It was more of a judgmental statement than a question. You raised a brow at him.

"Of course? I mean. You annoy the hell out of me, but I like to think we've grown to be friends to some degree.”

It was official

He'd absolutely kill for you

"Sure," he smirked with an exasperated laugh.

"What, we're not?" you laughed back.

"Oh, the very best," he surrendered, hands up in mock defense. You rolled your eyes with a laugh, shifting your weight to your other leg at his sass and sarcasm. So fuckin cute.

"Look here, Mr. Sassyass,” you chided, tapping his chest with your phone for emphasis. “I’m doing you a favor. You could at least show a little gratitude.”

Well. If you insist

He dipped in, his lips stealing yours again with another soul crushing kiss. Your phone slipped from your hand and it clattered to the ground, landing somewhere under the car. Or the sidewalk. Somewhere. Whatever. He didn't give a fuck where it went. Neither did you, evidently. You were more preoccupied with running your hands through his curls, tasting him as much as he was tasting you. It was incredibly satisfying. He pulled back slowly, running his thumb over your soft, warm lips.

"I should go..." you breathed, your body betraying your words as your hands snaked up his chest to loop around his neck.

"You should..." he agreed, giving you another greedy peck.

"For real..." you warned weakly, pulling him closer.

"Mmhm..." he hummed, kissing you deeper this time, greedier still, savoring the way your body reacted favorably to him. You were melting into his kisses as if it were as natural as breathing.

“But,” you tried to rationalize between his needy pecks, “Bruce-“

“Doesn’t have to know.”

Ooh, what a delicious reaction

Your heart skipped a beat

Your body was decidedly warmer

Despite your moral reservations

You were excited

His mouth trailed from the corner of your mouth to your neck, to the exposed skin of your collar bone, stealing the breath you were trying to catch. You practically purred when his teeth scraped the skin there. Your fingers found his chin and you guided him to look at you.

“Upstairs.”

True. You were in public

Though the sidewalk was dark and practically dead, what few passersby flowing by, quietly minding their business

Not that he gave a fuck

You tasted so fuckin good. He wanted more.

He was drunk with satisfaction

...But perhaps you had a point.

Which is how you ended up in his bed, hovering over his face like a chandelier

It was truly a beautiful blur

Stripped clothes on the floor

Your lingerie mingling with his boxers

A heavenly mess

His hands hooked your beautiful thighs, pulling you down to meet his ready lips. Warm ready tongue swirling over the most sensitive part of you, drawing the most wanton sounds from your pretty, kiss-worn lips. Finally. You were his. Even if you went back to the stupid bat, for the moment, you belonged to him.

He didn’t see himself looking back.

You shuddered out something he didn’t comprehend until you were tugging his hair. His eyes flickered up to you and you looked down at him, holding on for dear life as your legs dangled over his shoulders. When had he sat up? His greedy, sloppy slurping slowed until it had ceased altogether, senses flooding back into him when he sensed your panic. He stood up and effortlessly set you onto your back, letting you process the truths that had just been exposed in the past 60 seconds. Once again, a full range of emotions crossed your eyes.

But truthfully, you didn’t look as terrified as he’d imagined

Your heart was only slightly elevated

Your body still warm

Possibly warmer

But you were shaking, no matter how subtle it was

He hadn’t pulled back far before you’d caught his forearm firmly. For once his heart was pounding out of his chest.

“I fuckin knew it,” was all you said before you pulled him in for a kiss for once. He felt relief wash over him as he let you take over.

Well.

For now anyway

(Part 9) (Part 7)

[billthedrake]

BIG DADDY (PART EIGHT)

It was a novel, fun vibe between me and my high school buddy Kevin. McConnell had flown down for a long New Year's weekend in Austin.

"Had to get out of the fucking cold," he growled in his Jersey accent when he called to tell me he was coming down. He asked if I wanted to come to the city and stay over for an old fashioned guy's weekend. I hesitated, because Cheryl was over 8 months along in her pregnancy, but she insisted I go have some fun.

Now that I was alone with Kevin in his hotel room, I was glad for guy's night in the city. There was still a naughty thrill to fooling around with my good friend, and I knew Kevin felt that times five.

"Can't believe I just got Brennan-fucked," he grinned, pleased with his new coined term as he lay back on the bad, watching my naked body as I rejoined him in the bed after taking a post-fuck piss. I half expected things would be weird between us now, but we just rode the thrill.

"You seemed to like it," I said as I slid back under the sheets, cozying up to Kevin's gym-toned body. Cocky, maybe, but also checking in with my buddy.

"I did," he said thoughtfully. "I tried bottoming a couple of times wasn't crazy about it. Leave it to Big Man Nick to make me love it."

"We shoulda done this back in high school," I said with a hearty laugh.

"Damn, man," Kevin sighed. I could tell he was battling some emotions, and I felt a little bad for teasing him. We kissed some, and I enjoyed feeling the cum-covered, sweaty torso of my friend as he felt up my muscle, before reaching down to grope my cock. "You think you got another in you, Brennan?" he asked, clearly getting worked up again.

"Like a kid with a new toy, huh?" I laughed.

"Pretty much, man... you got a beautiful cock, Nick."

I felt that said dick firm up to steel hardness in his grip. "You keep that up, buddy, and the second round is gonna come sooner rather than later."

Kevin grinned and let go of my dick, instead wrapping his arms around my waist and hoisting my body up onto his gym-toned body.

"Ooof, you got some strength buddy," I laughed.

My friend bit his lips playfully and nodded. "You don't know how many times I dreamed of us in this position back in high school."

"You crushing out on me, Big Guy?" I said, feeling nervous about what his answer would be.

"Hell yeah, I am Brennan," Kevin replied. "But it's cool. I know where I stand. I'm not gonna make demands on ya, ever, bud." He looked up in my eyes and I could feel his body relax, except for his cock which throbbed against my own crotch. "Listen, I've been holding out. The reason I'm down here is to scope out a place to live."

"For real?" I asked. It was the last thing I expected.

"For real," he said. "God Nick, you didn't tell me Austin was Jersey expensive," he laughed. "Even worse, maybe."

"It's a little better further out," I explained.

"Fuck that," Kevin said. "I've had my life on hold for too long living someplace I didn't want to live." My buddy seemed to be getting more contemplative. "I need something different. Dad was pissed when I told him I was quitting the business, but he'll get over it."

"Damn, McConnell," I hissed. "You really are moving."

"Oh yeah," he said. "I'm gonna fuck my way through all the Texas cowboys I can score. Make up for lost time."

"It's not really cowboy country here," I started to say.

"Don't spoil my fantasy," Kevin winked. "And cowboy or not, they sure grow 'em big down here."

I didn't have any objection there.

Kevin's hands were caressing my sides and his legs were spreading, letting me scoot in between them.

"You gonna fuck me again, Brennan?" he asked.

I nodded, getting horny again for sure. "Yeah, McConnell, I'm gonna fuck you again."

***

Come January Cheryl gave birth to our daughter. Iris Jessica Brennan. A healthy and happy baby. I was over the moon, and so proud of my wife for how great a mother she was.

I'd negotiated paternity time with Big Daddy when he promoted me to CFO. Mark ribbed me like hell for taking it, and truth was I still went in once a week and checked emails to delegate stuff that needed delegating. But R.C. Pool Supply would be fine, and some things were more important.

Unlike the Bryant men, I did my best to help out with everything. Not only the Dad stuff of setting up the nursery and babyproofing the hell out of our place, but waking up in the night to feed the baby, or cooking for Cheryl when she was too exhausted. I was glad to be there for both of them those three months.

But holy hell, those first months made the pregnancy dry spell of our sex life pale in comparison. Cheryl still wasn't ready for vaginal sex and her postpartum hormones made sure she wasn't up for anything else either.

"Sorry honey," she apologized one night as I held Iris as we sat on the couch. "I know we haven't had sex in a while... I'll make it up to you, promise."

I missed it, missed it a lot, but my schedule usually meant I could go over to Randy Slocum's before he went on shift. Sometimes it was a quick BJ stop while I ran errands, but often I'd have that cop strip down for a longer session in his bed. Maybe because I wasn't fucking Cheryl, I liked to do Officer Slocum nice and slow, missionary, lots of making out before I put my legs on my shoulders and fucked that rack of Texas beef.

I was even getting more romantic with Dan Bryant on our three-times a week gym meet ups. Forgoing the shower quickies and settling for some time in the back seat of his SUV.

"I remember what it's like with a newborn," my brother in law chuckled after he came up from a particularly intense blowjob, my cum deep in his stomach. "You doing OK, Nick?"

"Better now," I smiled. "You're the best, kid," I said in my best bedroom voice before leaning in to kiss Dan softly.

The ex-football player got a goofy, shy smile and said softly. "I just like making you feel good... after all you've done for me."

My dick stayed hard and twitched again as he said that. I don't know that I did anything for Dan other than fuck him. And be his friend. But I ran my hands up along his business casual polo shirt, feeling the hard muscle beneath, and some of that natural padding.

We kissed again, a little more excitedly.

"You gotta get back to the office?" I asked him, now eager to get off a second time. Like I say, I'd been pretty backed up.

Dan shook his head and smiled, those baby blues drawing me into another kiss.

There, in the back of his SUV, I took my time. Rimming Dan's hot, muscular ass, then giving an extra dose of spit on his pucker. That would be all the lube we'd get, but it did the trick. Dan Bryant was hungry for dick and he took me with some gentle coaxing. Pretty soon I was nailing him hard and fucking a load out of his balls.

"God, Nick!" he grunted as he did his best to catch his sperm in his hand. I gripped his hips tight and pounded my seed into him. He'd be going back to the office good and wet down there, for sure.

I was in a real fucking good mood as we uncoupled and wiped off with some spare napkins from the glove compartment before getting dressed again.

"So Nick..." Dan said, almost nervous to bring it up. "Courtney's baby... it's yours isn't it?"

Dan's wife was five months along now and showing. I promised Court I wouldn't tell Dan, but I also didn't want to lie to my brother-in-law and buddy. "What do you want me to say, Dan?" I replied.

He nodded. "If it's gonna be anyone else, I'm glad you're the father," he said softly, blushing as he admitted it.

"You're the father, buddy," I tried to assure him. "No matter whose seed it is."

He flashed me a game smile, like he was trying to convince himself of that. Then he shrugged. "I guess I'm not man enough for Courtney."

I could read all of his self doubts and troubles and anxieties in that moment. Never living up to Big Daddy. Never being honest with himself. He was trying to be honest now.

I patted him on the shoulder, squeezing that bulk affectionately. "You're all man, Dan. You just happen to like dick," I explained.

That made my brother-in-law smile, a real smile.

"But can I give you a bit of advice?"

"Yeah, Nick," Dan replied with a puppy-dog eagerness.

"Courtney... well, you don't need me to say this, but your wife, she's the kind of woman... well, you need to give her a lot of attention, Dan. Even if you have to think of me when you're fucking her. If you don't, she'll get that attention from other men."

"I can do that, Nick," Dan said, surprisingly chipper to take my advice.

This was a fucked-up family, and I was part of it now.

We'd talk more as we opened up to one another. Over golf games and business trips and guys' weekend getaway to Dallas to see a Rangers series. But that would come later. For now, Dan and I just knew we were solid. Somehow, Courtney's pregnancy had brought us closer. No matter how much a heel I'd been, Dan loved me. And in my own way, I loved him, too.

***

Cheryl wasn't kidding. She made things up to me. I'd already started back at work when her libido came roaring back. We had morning sex, and I got a welcome home blowjob, and after putting Iris to bed at night, we fucked again. My balls were well drained, and there was no more Randy Slocum time. I even apologized to Dan, but he got it.

"That's cool, Nick. I've been taking your advice... with Courtney. We're kind of having our second honeymoon, even," he said to me as we got changed from our lunchtime gym workout.

I slapped his back. "Glad to hear, buddy."

But the man most thrilled about Cheryl was Big Daddy. He came over almost every night. Presumably to see his granddaughter, but he never left without fucking Cheryl, or at least getting head from her.

We started fucking her together. Me and Mark, side by side, in the bed, taking turns. It was incredible. Watching his big beefy body in full rut, oversized and overpowering his petite daughter, making her orgasm. Then feeling his hands on my more athletic build as I fucked on his father cum. Then kissing both my wife and father-in-law in succession.

As hot as it all was, it made Cheryl happy. My nympho wife had returned and she had both the loves of her lives to keep her satisfied.

I gave them a night together and went over to Dan's for some brother-in-law time. Courntey was over at Mrs. Bryant's, and Dan and I made the most of it. We made out like teenagers in his man cave and slowly stripped down.

"God you have an incredible body, Nick," Dan hissed. "I... I think about it when I fuck Courtney." Then he looked up at my with a lewd grin. "Sometimes I fuck her like you fuck... she loves that."

"I bet she does, buddy," I growled, taking the initiative to pounce on his beefy body and wrestle him to take the top position. Dan was rock hard beneath me. By the time I was fingering his pucker, I felt any resistance melt. "You gonna make me proud, brother?" I teased. "Gonna be a good cunt for me?"

"I'm your cunt, Nick," Dan answered in a heartbeat. "Anytime you need."

I pushed my dick in and we both let out a heavy grunt.

***

I knocked on Mark Bryant's office door. It had been a half hour since the receptionist had gone in for a "private meeting" to take care of my father-in-law's needs. It was my turn for a private meeting.

"Come in," he said, but I was already stepping inside and shutting the door behind me.

"Brennan!" he greeted me. "How's everything going?"

"Good, Mark," I said, plopping myself in one of the leather-upholstered chairs.

He gave me a look. He knew something was up. "Here for business?" he asked.

"Not exactly," I said. "I told Cheryl, but I wanted to make sure you knew. Whenever we have another baby, there's gonna be a paternity test. And I better be the father."

That caught Big Daddy off guard but he gave me his best poker face. "Or else?"

I laid down my royal flush. "Or else I'm making public another paternity test."

That got him mad. Face beet red mad. "What the hell... you blackmailing me, punk?"

I shrugged, not letting his harsh voice get to me. "I call it insurance. You may run things around here, sir, but my home is my castle and I run it. Got it? "

He grinned at my audacity. "Not a lot of men talk to me that way, boy."

"I'm not a lot of men," I replied. "I honestly don't care what you think of me... but I need to know... we got an understanding?"

Big Daddy nodded, and his flush anger turned to a knowing grin. "I'm just glad you're on my team, Brennan. You got some killer instincts."

I smiled and stood up. "Hope to see you this evening, sir. Cheryl's usually up the wall in heat by 5, so maybe if you could leave a little early today."

I could tell that turned the big man on. "Anything for my princess," he growled.

***

I made sure Cheryl was on the pill. I monitored it, and she knew, making sure to take one in front of me from time to time. I think she was scared I'd mess up things for her and Mark. We talked about having another child in three years' time. I wanted Iris to have a younger sibling, but with enough years spacing out our kids so it didn't seem like a frickin' day care around the house.

So I wasn't concerned when I started working later hours. I'd been stepping into the CFO role at the office and while I enjoyed the responsibility and the pay, I was getting home around 8 at night more and more. Big Daddy would already be gone and I'd have a nice wet creampie to eat out of my wife's snatch, while she clawed gently at my hair.

"Yes, Nick, oh yes, babe! Oh GOD!" she'd cry as I'd get her to cum with my tongue. There were some real advantages to having a nympho wife.

****

Dan was traveling on a couple of sales call, so I was spending my lunch time in that favorite abandoned parking lot. It was winter, a real winter week, even in Texas and I leaned back in the driver's seat while Officer Slocum blew me.

It had been too long, and I'd forgotten how hot he looked in full uniform, his cap resting on the dashboard. I gripped the nape of his neck and thrust up into his throat. God help me, the cop knew how to take it.

I was getting turned on so I just went for it, fucking Slocum's throat till I was blasting off.

Randy slurped my prick as he pulled off, sucking off the mucus-y spit and sperm and cleaning me off before giving it a final kiss. He was flushed from excitement when he leaned up. "That was hot, Mr. Nick," he grinned. "Nice." He was a couple years older now than when I first got a blow job off him, and he had aged out of those rookie looks, but still looked young and beefy and fuckable. He pulled a napkin out of my glove compartment and wiped the excess spit from his chin and lips before putting his cap back on.

"I guess I should tell you, Mr. Nick... this will be the last time for us."

God help me, Randy Slocum has gotten some self respect, I thought. "That's cool, Randy," I said, as I wiped off my prick and tucked it back in. "If you ever change your mind..." I offered. Something about getting a cop who can take a throat fuck had me not wanting to stop with Slocum cold turkey.

He grinned. "It's not that, sir... It's just, Jess and I are moving to Austin. I lined up a job with the PD there."

It actually took me a second to put two and two together. Maybe because it never occurred to me that Kevin McConnell was such a sly player. Good for my buddy. I reached over and squeezed that muscle through his uniform shirt. "Best of luck, Officer. Just one last request..."

"What is it, Mr. Nick?" Slocum asked.

I grinned. "Just treat my buddy well," I said. "He deserves a little extra service."

Randy laughed, amused I'd figured it out. "Can do, Mr. Nick."

[alexanderlightweight]

hi possessive Alec plssss

Thanks for the prompt! I hope you like

—

Alec knows that Magnus will be at his side as soon as he asks, but Alec also finds value in observing, no matter how much he aches for Magnus presence.

So by the time Magnus rejoins him, laughter in his eyes but a tighter smile than what he’d left with, Alec sighs and leans against him.

“You should stop spoiling them.” He finally says, once Magnus catches his breathe. Alec looks at his hands and tries not to meet what he knows will be Magnus’ judgemental gaze.

“Alexander.” Magnus laughs out loud, “you are hardly one to talk—“

“And look where that got me, Magnus.” Alec interrupts him harshly. “How much Ive cost us both, with always prioritizing them. Why can’t it ever be about just us? Why can’t I prioritize you, and you me? Why do they even matter when it should be us against them, not them constantly tearing us apart.”

“I thought, no—“ Magnus pauses, “I assumed. I watched your behavior and instead of thinking if you’d been trained into it, I assumed you preferred it. And so I focused on them, to win you over.”

Alec shakes his head. “Its not your fault I was too weak to protect us. I have their backs, I always have. But now, so many people have their backs. And you and I will always be fighting. So who can I trust with mine? Magnus, you’re the only one I can.”

—

Magnus blinks, because Alexander isn’t wrong. And also it’s something that has always annoyed him, but a price he never minded paying to keep Alexander.

“So you’re saying,” Magnus asks, voice low and hungry. “That the next time your siblings interrupt one of our date nights for some trouble they’ve caused, I can portal them away? And that the next time they beg my attention at a diplomatic function I can ignore them for the beautiful man in my arms?”

Alexander scoffs and wraps his arms around Magnus waist, chin pressing into Magnus shoulder. “I’d rather you just ban them from even finding the loft without permission. And I don’t mind it when you have fun, but it always seems to cost you.”

Magnus is surprised but pleased, and he wonders just how much of what they both want has been hidden by expectations.

“And in an emergency?” He asks, wondering how far Alexander is going with this.

“They can call us. Or use the emergency fire message flare. Like is protocol. Also Shadowhunters are supposed to regroup at the Institute for a reason, you’re not a necessary stop, just an express stop.” Alexander scowls against Magnus’ jacket and Magnus has to hide a delighted grin at Alec’s possessive charms.

“They don’t even pay you and you don’t ask them too. You’re supposed to be setting an example, not letting yourself be taken advantage of.” Alexander bites his shoulder and Magnus doesn’t even care that the spit has probably ruined the silk embroidery on his suit. The tiny little sting of pain ignites his blood and he leans down to kiss Alexander’s jaw.

“Sweetheart, are you to telling me to be heartless, to every shadowhunter but you?”

“You’re never heartless, Magnus.” Alexander tells him and it’s so sincere that Magnus feels his brittle heart crack in response. “You have the gentlest heart I’ve ever met, so you should protect it. From my people, my Institute, my family.” And Alexander takes a shaky breath and presses a kiss to Magnus’ neck. “Magnus, I can’t ever lose you again. So protect yourself, even from me, if you need to.”

Magnus hushes his sweet, pretty boy with a soft kiss and sways with him to the music.

Alexander’s grip is greedy around his waist, his entire body pressed flush against Magnus, as if trying to claim as much as he can. It’s hardly the right strange for the song that is playing, but Magnus hums and rocks with Alexander to the music and delights in this uninterrupted moment.

It’s charming and some dark, deeply suppressed part of Magnus coos over it. Because Magnus loves to be wanted, and Alexander wants him so very much. Alexander craves him and wants to be devoured, so that he fills up all the spaces Magnus has empty. So that no one else can intrude.

And somehow, after months and months of Magnus tolerating what he thought would be an eternity of shadowhunter after shadowhunter at his door, Alexander has drawn a line.

And Magnus is very pleased with how it was drawn.

[midwestmade29]

Anonymous Request #2

Bonus Mom Word count: 1,587 Divider by: @saradika-graphics Original anonymous request: "Can I send in a request? After that Christmas proposal fic it melted my heart when Isla asked the reader to be her bonus mom! 🥺❤️Anyway we can get a fic of moments where the reader is being the best bonus mom?"

Only disclaimer: your heart may melt from all the cuteness 🥹

I really loved this request! It was so cute & fun. Thanks again for the request! I enjoyed writing it for you 🖤

When Christian first introduced you to his daughter, you were a nervous wreck. “What if she doesn’t like me? What if she thinks I’m weird? Or that I’m not funny?” were just some of the thoughts that crossed your mind before meeting her. It was paramount to you that things worked out since your relationship with Christian was getting serious, so there was the potential of the 3 of you becoming your own little family one day. You wanted nothing more than for her to accept you and to build a good relationship with her.

Fast forward to now and the two of you are inseparable! You and Christian’s daughter hit it off right away, developing a bond and a connection even stronger than you ever could’ve imagined. You quickly fell in love with her spunky and fun personality, and it was evident that she’s just an all-around awesome kid! There’s never a dull moment when you’re together, always laughing and being silly, sometimes even joining forces to play a prank or two on Christian. Of course, there were some instances when things weren’t so easy. This new relationship dynamic between you provided tons of learning moments as the two of you got used to each other. She had to test the waters and push some buttons to see just how far she could get with you, and you had to stand your ground to let her know that you weren’t always going to give in. Even when she did push the boundaries, you embraced it because it meant she felt safe and comfortable showing you all the different sides of herself to you. At the end of the day, she trusted you and welcomed you with open arms and an open heart.

After dinner one night, it was time to work on the homework Christian’s daughter had brought home from school with her. She went to the living room and grabbed her folder and a pencil before rejoining you at the kitchen table. When you noticed that it was math homework, you sighed internally because math was not your favorite subject. You always tried your best to help her with it, even though sometimes it felt like she was teaching you a thing or two instead of the other way around. She’s just too smart! Christian was currently in a different state for Dynamite or else you’d stick him on math homework duty. After watching a how-to video on YouTube and 30 minutes later, the homework was finally finished. “Phew! Who knew 3rd grade math was so hard!” you joked. “Tell me about it!” she quipped back. “They just teach it differently now compared to when I was a kid. I’ll get the hang of it eventually.” “You mean back in the olden days? Did you stink at math back then too?” she jested playfully. “Math has never been my favorite but give me an English assignment and I’d totally ace that! Now, let’s get our comfy clothes on and get ready to watch your dad on tv before you have to go to bed.”

You always tried to show interest in her hobbies and her favorite things, even if some of them you didn’t really know much about. She always lit up whenever she talked about her deep love for reptiles; lizards, snakes, turtles, you name it! While you didn’t quite share the same sentiment about them, you still did your research to learn more so you could try and keep up with her conversations about them. One night when you and Christian were lying in bed, an idea came to you that made you incredibly excited. “Do you think she would like to do that?” you asked trying to contain yourself. “She would love it! I can’t believe I didn’t think about doing something like that before.” Christian approved, while being a little envious of your clever thinking. After letting out a happy shriek, you grabbed your phone off the nightstand and began searching for any reptile sanctuaries near you.

The very next day, you and Christian told his daughter that you were taking her on a surprise day trip. The entire 2-hour ride to the sanctuary, she tried to guess where you were going, but she never figured it out. You would’ve thought you were at Disney world the way she screamed when she read the sign after you pulled into the parking lot! It was amazing to see all the creatures the reptile sanctuary had taken in and were caring for. Some were in bad health and needed a lot of TLC, some had been displaced from their original homes and habitats, while others were just waiting to find their forever homes. “Would you like to hold one?” the caretaker asked Christian’s daughter. Pure happiness spread across her face as they handed her a small spotted gecko. “Do you know what type of gecko this one is?” the caretaker asked her. Without hesitation, she immediately said “That’s easy! It’s a leopard gecko. They usually live in desert like areas, and they like rocky surfaces.” You and Christian stared at each other in amazement, and the caretaker was even taken back a little by her proficient knowledge. “Very good! Now, I’d love to hear what you know about our snakes over there. They’re about due for their lunch so you can feed a few if you’d like.” As soon as the word “snake” left the caretakers lips, you cringed at the thought of the slithering serpents. “Do you want to hold one Y/N?” she asked you about the snake in the enclosure before you. Christian chuckled to himself at your weariness, causing you to scowl at him in return. You’d do anything for this little girl, even step out of your comfort zone and let a ball python wrap itself around your hand.

It had been “one of those days” for you and Christian’s daughter. Nothing seemed to be going right since the moment you woke up this morning! There was barely a moment of rest for you all day since you were so busy, and on the car ride home she explained that her school day was rough too. Both of you plopped down on the couch when you got home, ready to veg out and decompress for a little while. “When is Daddy going to be home?” she asked. Christian had been gone for several days traveling with AEW, but he was coming home tonight. “Hopefully in just a couple hours sweetie, as long as his flight is on schedule.” You replied softly. A hug and a kiss from Christian were definitely the cure for the challenging day you both had. Unfortunately, things still didn’t go in your favor as the night went on. Little problems somehow turned into bigger ones, making you and Christian’s daughter feel even more down in the dumps. The worst part of all was seeing her break down in tears after you got an unexpected phone call from Christian. “I’m sorry baby, my connecting flight has been delayed due to bad weather. I’m looking into getting a different flight but it’s not looking good.”

Once you were off the phone, you wrapped her in a tight hug and shed a few tears yourself. “Daddy is trying all he can to get home sweetie. If we can’t see him tonight, he’ll definitely be here in the morning.” Another hour passed by without a call or text from Christian. You had let his daughter stay up as long as you could, but it was now time for her to get to bed. After brushing her teeth and getting pajamas on, you helped her get situated in bed. You covered her up, then sat on top of the covers and grabbed the chapter book the two of you had been reading together. You took turns reading the pages until you got to the end of the chapter. She wasn’t quite ready for you to leave yet since she was still upset that Christian still wasn’t home, so you agreed to lay with her until she fell asleep. Somewhere between staring at the ceiling and hating airplanes, you had fallen asleep too. It wasn’t until way later in the night that you were awoken by a kiss on your forehead. “Hi baby…” Christian whispered. It took you a minute to come to before you fully realized where you were and to believe what you were seeing. Christian smiled at your drowsiness as he helped you stand and wrapped you in a tight bear hug. “I missed you.” He spoke softly into your ear. You pulled your face back far enough so you could kiss him like you’ve wanted to do so badly ever since he left for his multi state trip with AEW. “Why don’t you tuck her back in and I’ll meet you downstairs.” You suggested quietly. Christian nodded as you walked over to the doorway. You swooned when you turned around and saw him pulling the blankets over her arms and give his little girl a kiss her on the cheek. Morning couldn’t come fast enough because you knew exactly how excited she was going to be having her Daddy back home!

“Bonus Mom” was your new favorite title. It was a name you don’t take lightly because it meant everything to you being a part of this little girl’s life. You would always be there for her no matter what, and you couldn’t wait to make more memories together!

Thanks for reading 🖤

[dany36]

the deed is done! after 84 hours, finally got through the true ending in dragon's dogma 2. as a new dragon's dogma fan, i gotta say...what an amazing game, loved almost every minute of it, and despite its many flaws, it's in my top favorite games for sure now that i saw the ending mostly did not disappoint and had some time now to think about it. there's been a few other open world games where i've spent 60+ hours playing them only for me to realize that wow, i did not have a good time at all with this and don't ever want to touch them again, but dd2 is definitely not of them. i honestly can't remember the last game i played that just had such a fucking grip on me, maybe horizon zero dawn which is like in my ultimate games ever: if i wasn't playing dd2, i was thinking of what i was going to do once the weekend came around and i'd be able to play it again. in fact, i was thinking of going back to granblue fantasy relink after this but i think i'm just gonna have to do ng+ to get some of the quests i missed + increase my pawn affinity (yes i know i'm a bad arisen lol).

i think i saw someone else say that it's hard to explain why they love this game because my god it has its flaws, but i'm gonna try to explain in my usual long-ass junk thoughts below, with endgame spoilers:

ok first of all, the gameplay and the vocations. holy shit. not gonna lie, i was at first a bit intimidated by this game because it seemed elden ring-ish and that game never really got my attention because of people saying how hard it is etc so i just never bothered to play it. it took a bit for me to get the hang of dd2's gameplay because i mostly just stick to jrpgs like tales, xenoblade or games like horizon, tomb raider which...aren't really hard games at all? so personally this was a pretty big switch for me. even if at first i was getting beat up by simple goblins, i was enjoying the hell out of it. i stuck with fighter for like...the first 45ish hours because i like being at the front of the fights and the use of the shield provided me a way to defend myself from attacks since there isn't really a dodge button here so it's what made me feel most comfortable. but man, exploring the other vocations and Seeing Number Go Up to maxing out your discipline in them is probably what kept the gameplay so fresh for me even though i pretty much went through the overworld twice: once normally, then another time when i realized i was close to the "first" ending and i was like oh shit better go back and do everything else that i might have missed.

but yeah, pretty much of the four vocations that i tried (fighter, archer, magick archer, mystic spearhand), the gameplay just felt so fluid and fun even when i was fighting my 10th griffin or my umpteenth goblin swarm. finding different ways to fight off enemies even as i was towards the end of the game is probably what made me not feel so bored with it. like, i remember i had just switched to MS and i ran into a drake, so even though i had defeated one as an archer and another time as a mystick archer, going against this one as a mystic spearhand felt like a new experience since i obviously couldn't do the same type of attacks i had done before! really glad i got out of my comfort zone of just sticking with fighter to explore some of the other vocations.

and speaking of the gameplay, i absolutely loved the pawn system. being able to have your own customizable companion that follows you along your journey and is loyal to you no matter what is just such a great concept, and on top of that, you get to also form bonds with other people's pawns as you're forming your own party! i'd get so sad when i'd have to dismiss a pawn that i had been traveling with for weeks in-game, and even more so that when i tried to rehire them, they completely changed vocations so i couldn't get them to rejoin my party since they were no longer what i'm looking for :( also, i had been wondering how people were getting their pawns to blush with them, which i mean for mine i didn't really mind because my main pawn was male and it seemed like some people wanted their pawns to be romanceable so i was like eh that's fine, that's not what i'm going for. HOWEVER it looks like if your pawn affinity is high enough, you get a slightly different speech from your pawn at the end when they help you kill the dragon! so that's also a really neat detail that the developers added, so i'm for sure gonna go for that since oof, when my main pawn was delivering his speech at the end....it was breaking my heart but i was so happy for him that he had gained some free will of his own, so hell yeah i wanna see what other things he says at the end with a high enough affinity!

the overworld exploration. ok, i don't know what it is about this overworld that made exploring every single corner and (almost) every single cave a joy to explore. having played botw/totk i hated the overworld so much because of how empty and unrewarding it felt, and how repetitive the caves got. i'm not saying that dd2's overworld is perfect, but seeing a golden trove beetle stuck to a tree of a ledge or finding a ferrystone at the end of a cave felt more rewarding than whatever the hell totk tried to do. i will say though that towards the end it was a bit disappointing how the treasure chests with weapons were containing equipment that was weaker than i already had, but i mean, considering i went through the overworld twice, i think that one is on me. i know some people complain how..."narrow" or "restricted" the exploration feels sometimes because at times you're just walking down a path and there's just huge cliffs on either side of you so you don't really get like to see an expansive view of the overworld, but honestly that never really crossed my mind. i actually didn't discover the elves' home until towards the game, even as i was making my way to it, i was just looking around taking in my surroundings because of how new and fresh it felt to me.

sidequests!!! ok this is another thing i've heard people complain about and how "shallow" they seem and i'm like....excuse me? did we play the same sidequests??? sidequests are like one of the things i love the most about any game (huge xenoblade x fan where the sidequests make the most content of the game), so having come from playing big games like granblue fantasy relink, botw/totk, xenoblade 2&3 where the sidequests are just soooo fucking boring, they make no attempt at getting me to care about the NPCs involved, have no interesting sidestories, or are just boring fetch quests, dd2's sidequests were a breath of fresh air.

like, are the people complaining about the sidequests just not care about daphne being abandoned as a child and now living in the slums but she actually has a twin rich brother (oh and seeing the maid that brought this all up now in the slums because she was fired for it?? oof!!), that one nun that was poisoning her patients at the giving hand under the guise of helping them, saving dorieann and then helping her save the sacred arbor (i'm sad i left this sidequest for last!), ulrika being fucking chased out of her village and being unjustly blamed for the dragon attacks (this part pissed me off soooo much and i was so happy to go back and kick all of their asses!!!), pawns being sold off to battahl via some weird human trafficking oxcart, helping hugo lead a more honest life after being imprisoned for having been part of that one desert gang, OH that one girl that wanted to learn magic and then loses control and almost kills her fucking grandma?? WILHELMINA'S SIDEQUEST??? (honestly one of my favorite sidequests in a game ever tbh, that end reveal was just too damn good) I mean i can go on and on!! SURE not all sidequests are winners and some are more shallow than others, but i'll be damned if the majority of these sidequests didn't have me invested in the NPCs and i'd be devastated if i were to mess them up somehow. so yeah, i mean i can maybe see them complaining that some characters' sidequests should have been more developed, but i think that takes me to my next point...

the story. i gotta say, the first part of the game's story just had me hooked and i couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. the whole thing with disa's plot and the false arisen and you trying to uncover the truth with captain brant's help so you could take your rightful place as the sovran, like...i was invested! but then like many people rightfully complain, once the coronation happens and you get to battahl, all of this kind of....falls off?? like it doesn't really matter anymore idk? i was so shocked when i opened that one door that phaseus goes through and the pathfinder was like "oh yeah go here and that's where you'll find your journey's end" i was like no way! over so soon? i mean, again, as an xcx fan, i'm fine with like, stories being interesting enough that keep you engaged but are not fully fleshed out, the gameplay and the sidequests in dd2 were enough to keep me playing. but like, it's kind of weird that nadinia takes like, a third of the game's coverart and i felt like we barely got to know her or that she was relevant enough for the story?? there were like what, two sidequests she was involved? the one where you find out who is trying to kill her, and then when you are guiding her in vernworth. i just loved her design and i was looking forward to seeing how else she would fit in all of this. same with ulrika, after you finish her sidequest, for someone i thought was going to be more important to the story, she really does disappear after you make her the chief of harve village. hell, apparently her whole quest is missable if you don't go back to melve to help out with the dragon fight! so i mean, yeah there's a lot of characters and story plots that i feel could have been more fleshed out, and the whole world lore didn't really click in for me until i got to....

the ending and the postgame world. man, that really made sense on how or why the pathfinder was able to change ambrosia's mind about handing over the godsbane sword so quickly. i was so confused by that and it honestly annoyed me cus i was like, what the hell, are the developers that lazy?? but no!! turns out we were just all characters in the pathfinder's little fan fiction world where everyone had a specific role and path to play in his little game!!!! fuck!!!! rothais my guy!!! this honestly just blew me away, no wonder all his victories and accomplishments felt empty after finding this out!! it was all a game to the pathfinder! defeating the dragon and becoming the sovran would have been a meaningless victory! i fucking LOVED how the pathfinder takes you back to your battle with the dragon to make you realize hey, you're stuck in a loop unless you do something different, which the dragon alludes to when you take too long to figure it out and he says "you're too late...!" and the fight begins again. damn, i just, love it when games do shit like this. i have to admit i had to look up what i had to do after fighting the dragon twice. i knew i had to do something while flying with the dragon because of the heartbeat, but i had completely forgotten i had the godsbane still with me (and thought it was weird how it only highlighted the item menu!).

and like the whole feeling of being in the postgame world just took me back to my majora's mask days, and i fucking loved it. the world is ending and you have to evacuate everyone from the major towns you've visited, and apparently you only have a limited time to get it done because the fog will slowly consume the towns if you rest for too long. and talking to some of the people trying to get them to evacuate as they're still going about their daily lives and they're like, no, i refuse to, let the world end i don't care!! so majora's mask, amazing. really liked the one where henrique didn't want to evacuate until you saved the enslaved pawns as well....ugh so good! apparently once you defeat the last dragon from the beams, the fog will no longer advance and you can explore the unmoored world freely, but honestly, since i had already gone through the overworld twice, i had no intention of grinding my equipment and trying to get "the best gear" because honestly, some of that endgame gear is kind of ugly lol.

really enjoyed the new dragon boss fights at the end though because being at lv 60 even without all of my gear leveled up or dragonforged, the giant bosses or the drakes weren't really as threatening as before and these new ones gave me something more challenging and interesting again! and don't get me started on how badass it was to see my pawn overtake the talos and kill a dragon for me...that moment really had me with my mouth agape and just made me go "wow, this game is amazing" for the nth time. i think in ng+ once i get to the unmoored world, now that i know that the timer kind of stops with the last dragon defeated, i'll explore a bit more and see how much tougher the new enemy varieties are. :)

one thing i didn't like though and i think it goes back to my story complaints from before is that like, ok you have to evacuate all of the leaders you've interacted with. i immediately warped to harve after talking with rothais because i was like ok ulrika my girl, let's get you and your people the hell out of here, do you not see the sky!! but....no...? she's supposedly one of the major romanceable characters but there's no quest to evacuate her and her people so...i guess just forget about the harve village? hello? she IS technically a leader so i don't know why this just wasn't a choice. oh wait, i guess because her whole sidequest is missable so they didn't want to make the true ending missable in case you couldn't evacuate harve...? ahhh who knows. but this really annoyed me lol.

also, not sure why everyone is saying or concluding that both the arisen and your pawn are dead as part of the true ending. i mean, ok, whatever, i'm used to bittersweet endings and i don't know enough about the dragon's dogma games lore to know more, but honestly i'm choosing to believe that my character and her pawn got washed up in a remote island but will come back and hence why your highest affinity character is looking off at the ocean :) or am i thinking about xcx again... either way, that ending cutscene of the old man sailing out seemed like dlc teaser or something so we'll see what comes out!

alright this is getting kinda long so just gonna finish it off with a couple of other things i didn't like about the game:

the music?? i mean, coming from gbf relink which has such a banger soundtrack, not sure there is much to say from the music department in dd2. the main theme though? fucking amazing. i get so pumped up when it plays when you choose the game in the ps5 main screen or in the proper title screen, and i even got a little teary eyed at the ending theme. but honestly, nothing much else to be impressed here. i might change my mind once i give the ost a proper listen but yeah, just some initial thoughts.

enemy variety. took me a while to notice but, for such a big overworld and where the world is just so dense with enemies, the enemy variety in this game is.....not so great. i think i saw someone say that there are like 26 enemies in total? with goblins, wolves, harpies, saurians, and bandits being the most common that you'll encounter during your travels. it really is annoying when you're trying to get from one place to another and you just keep getting ganged up by mobs that really will just not let up on you even if you run away from them. and apparently there weren't really any new enemies coming from dd1/da so...it's really baffling

the fast travel. with how much back and forth some of these quests require you do, people's complaints about the fast travel options in this game are valid. i wish they would give you an eternal ferrystone as part of the ng+ cus yeah, oxcarts aren't foolproof from being destroyed by enemies that attack you on your way to your destination, and honestly i'm glad i saved my ferrystones for the postgame world because i just was NOT going to be walking about everywhere in the unmoored world or w/e. i really do wonder how much time from my 84 hours was just spent walking to and from destinations. i read this comment elsewhere but this game really doesn't respect your time as a player so i'm glad i got to play a big part of it during my week off work.

romanceable companions. look, as a lesbian i can't complain that the two major romanceable companions are both women, but i do feel bad for people who wanted to romance captain brant or literally any other male NPC and have more fleshed out romance scenes like we got for ulrika and wilhelmina. even so, i mean, it really does suck that the game makes this choice not matter in the end? i got both ulrika's and wilhelmina's romance scenes and after wilhelmina disappears i was going for ulrika, but in the end neither of them ended up being my highest affinity character and instead i have gywndlr of all people looking out to the ocean in the ending cutscene. and that's really it i mean, your highest affinity character has no bearing whatsoever in the story except if they're there clutched by the dragon's hand and the ocean scene. i mean, not to talk about an early 2000s game, but tales of symphonia did such an amazing job with its affinity system that i still have not played another game that takes your choice for your highest affinity character matter so much in the main story plot. (haven't played bg3 so please don't come after me--although if you made it this far then thank you i guess???) so, while yes the ulrika/wilhelmina scenes are cool, the concept of romanceable/high affinity characters just felt underwhelming when compared to a 20 year old game.

whew!!! ok i didn't except this to be so long but considering how, yes despite all of the flaws regarding the enemies and the fast traveling and the overworld and the affinity system and the story and underused plot points and seemingly rushed content....i still fucking love this game and can't wait to do a ng+ run of it and just catch all of the references that i missed (at the very beginning the dragon already spells it out that you need to like kill your soul and body to break the curse and reveal the true world....love it!!!). i don't know if i'll ever play dd1/da considering i've heard people say that the gameplay is a bit rougher and the pawns not as....great?? idk but for now i can't wait to do some fanart of this game and will look forward to any updates/dlc that capcom releases for it. <3

[lunashifts]

DR Self 🌙💖

🌙LUNA LILY WAYNE💫

- nickname(s): little moon, moonbeam, lunes (mostly tim and the girls), lulu (mostly childhood)

- alias: baby/little bat

- birthday: 17. October

- age: 20

- height: 163cm

- hometown: gotham

- race: human

- sexuality: straight

- pronouns: she/her

- gender: female

- hair color: blonde (natural), pastel pink (dyed)

- eye color: blue (Bruce's eyes)

- occupation: studies pedagogy at gotham University

- language(s): English, French, German, Japanese

- s/o: Jason Todd + Dick Grayson (poly)

- positive traits:

very kind, always tries to help, very empathetic and compassionate, is more bubbly and fun when she knows the people around, creative, introverted

- negative traits:

little shy, stubborn, naive sometimes, trusts too fast, insecure sometimes, definitely (a little?) spoiled and coddled

- likes: books, movies, superheroes and vigilantes, fall, rain, night time, boba tea, the color pink, dogs, cats

- dislikes: too hot weather, waking up early, thunderstorms, if other people are sad/hurt, insects

- hobbies: reading, dancing, watching movies, journaling, video games, painting, piano, baking, Horse riding (mostly as teen/kid)

I'm the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Maria Claire Windfield, a random fling he had. She didn't tell him she was pregnant until one day when I was four years old she just showed up at the Manor and handed me over to him and then left Gotham. From that day on I grew up in the Manor.

Dick was only there a few months when I showed up but he helped me settle in and always played with me even though I was much younger than him. Then a few years later Jason came along and the three of us became inseparable. I always had kind of a crush on them but like more of a little girl crush because I admired them and loved spending time with them.

After Jason's death, Dick helped me a lot and I tried to help him too. We grew even closer through it all. It was a really hard time and I never like talking or thinking about it. I even had some therapy sessions with Leslie about it.

When Jason came back it was like the best day of my life. Even though he was angry and changed a lot I still saw Jason in him and was just so happy he was back. That's also why I went behind everyone's back to meet him because I just needed to see him with my own eyes.

The second best day of my life was when Jason returned from being away with the Outlaws after two years and rejoined the Batfamily. Then slowly but surely dick, jason and I became our inseparable trio again.

Currently I still live in the Manor and study pedagogy at gotham University. I help out around the cave the first hours of the night and the whole night on weekends.

[heliads]

Hiii ❤️ oh dear, its so hot here currently,  which brought me to an idea that I would happily request. A Bucky Barnes one where the avengers (including the fem. reader) are having a day off and enjoy the time at the pool. Buck and her keep playing with the water and tease each other (they have a crush on each other tho) and the others start making bets on you to finally make a move. Then Buck does something mean like throwing her in the water but she pulls him with her and they end up kissing or smth?  I hope this is not weird and maybe you want to write something like that 😊😊 I'd appreciate this very much

omg your mind

masterlist

Bucky Barnes does not want to go.

He’s told the other members of the Avengers, his accursed team, several times before, and he’ll say it again today, even though today is the day of leaving and thus the odds of him being able to wriggle out of the whole affair are slim to none. He tries, though. He always tries.

“You should go,” Tony Stark says, “it’ll be fun. Get us all out of this skyscraper for once.”

“Having some peace and quiet for once would actually be fun,” Bucky counters.

“I’m paying,” Tony concludes. That finishes it.

“Fine.”

He’ll be a bad sport about it as usual, just to see if he can get a reaction out of anybody else. Some part of Bucky still isn’t entirely sure that they don’t hate him, and he swears that if he could just get one of them to snap, he’ll have proof of it. Wouldn’t that be better, to finally know that their polished veneers are just as cracked and burned as his?

After all these months, though, nothing has ever happened. Sure, Bucky finds himself locked in verbal warfare with Sam and Tony on the regular, but that’s different, that’s just for the sheer delight of it. Like it or not, Bucky at last can admit the truth: he’s one of the Avengers now, for better or for worse, and no amount of moping will change that. The only thing separating him from the rest of them is his own crotchety ways, and Bucky knows that better than anyone.

He’s trying, though. He only put up half a fight about this latest team building excursion, and everyone else contributes their usual steps to the dance. They can see straight through him, Bucky is certain of it, but they still let him keep up the charade for a little longer. It’ll fall off eventually, the normalcy is already creeping in at his seams, letting him forget a time when he would have chafed at such freedom.

Just in case, they drag in Steve as a Hail Mary, which feels like cheating. Steve Rogers is a manipulator’s best tool. All it takes is one soft sigh, a fixing stare from those glass bottle blue eyes, and whoever’s on the receiving end of his gentle stubbornness is caving within minutes. Bucky is no exception, even though he’s hypothetically had decades to learn how to come up with an antidote to this slow poison.

They’re better about it this time, Bucky’s hesitation to rejoin the land of the living. He’s getting better, too. He can remember how little he wanted to do when he first became an Avenger in title. The only thing that sounded good was hiding away in his quarters with the lights off, sitting in a corner and staring at his hands. The blood coating his knuckles only ever seemed visible to him, but it was the deepest red he’d ever seen.

Like he said, though, he’s getting better. It’s hard not to get better when everyone’s trying their damndest to make him fit in. Bucky can’t even fault them for their efforts, they’re not doing it out of pity or condescension, just some sort of understanding that they’ve all had it bad before their luck changed. Bucky is just the latest arrival to their circus of hopeless cases.

That doesn’t mean they’re walking on eggshells around him, either. This latest venture out into the world is to the pool, and just the other day Natasha was teasing him about how he was only unwilling to go because he’d be horrified at the lack of modesty that’s descended upon society since the forties. As if Bucky would ever find problems with the bikini, though. That’s the one thing he doesn’t mind in the slightest.

No, girls have never been his problem. Feels like even that tide is changing, though. There is one Avenger amongst the numbers that’s been calling Bucky’s eye ever since he arrived. Y/N L/N is wholly unlike him in every way that counts: kind, legitimately funny instead of just jaggedly sarcastic, prone to being confident even in tough situations or when you’re cripplingly alone.

Yet Bucky likes her anyway. He can admit that in the solitude of his own mind, as of yet still his own. His thoughts are preciously, fleetingly his, and all he does with his free thinking is to sink his mind into racing loops of her name, her face, the sound of her laugh. He’s hopeless, but she gives him hope.

So, although the Avengers presented Steve as the ultimate catch-all to convince Bucky to go with them to the pool, the secret real reason other than Bucky’s childhood best friend and Tony’s endless resources is the one excuse no one else noticed. Yesterday, Y/N had caught his eye across the hall as they were walking towards the training room and asked offhandedly if he was going. He’d said yes before he could pretend to hesitate, and the sight of her delighted smile was all it took to lock him down. Hopeless, he is indeed. He’s not sure that he minds it.

The team heads down to the pool soon enough. To make it special, Tony refuses to simply let them use the indoor, jetted Olympic pool located somewhere in the Avengers Tower, instead taking them out to a rec center down the block. It’s a nice place, usually only frequented by celebrities and singers who don’t want to have paparazzi breathing down their backs.

Thus, it’s perfect for a gang of superheroes who could really use a break. They do, of course, make sure to be seen talking casually in a group as they head over, because if they don’t have at least some good press in between the city shattering missions, S.H.I.E.L.D. will kill them, but that only lasts for a few minutes.

After that, they’re in the pool, and the sun is sparkling across everything in sight. For once, life is good. A memory forces its way into Bucky’s head unbidden, a different source of water, a different pleasant morning. A lake out in the country, belonging to one of Bucky’s many relatives until the Depression slowed down just about everything. He remembers mourning that swimming hole like a blood relative the day that it was sold.

Now, he doesn’t think he could find that same place if he tried. Landscapes have changed, cozy houses razed to make way for condos. It might hurt Bucky to think about all the ties he once had to his old life that have now been cut down in the time he was under the ice. It would, except he refuses to let himself think about it at all.

Why would he, after all, when he’s got days like this to take his mind off of his troubles? Bucky makes a show of smiling indulgently at Tony to show that yes, this was a good idea, and he’ll be properly apologetic to show how wrong he was to complain for days to come. Even the team politicking can’t keep him down for long, though.

The pool is outdoors, and Bucky lets the morning sun heat his shoulders for a few minutes before he heads into the water. He pulls his head under for a few seconds before standing back up again, running a hand over his now slicked down hair. It feels good, a sudden shock of cold against the summer heat. Water runs over his throat in rivulets, but instead of bloody he just feels clean. Let the chlorine bleach him pure, let his sins burn away into pool chemicals. The smell of it will stick with him for hours, reminding him of how it feels to be effortlessly human.

A splash of water shatters his thoughts away. Blinking away the water in his eyes, Bucky spins around to find Y/N treading water next to him, looking altogether too pleased with herself for startling him. It shouldn’t happen, not usually. A spy and a killer like him would never allow someone to creep up on him, yet he did. Perhaps it’s because he has never seen Y/N as someone who could ever hurt him. Something in his brain has only ever treated her as a part of himself.

She’s still waiting for a response to her aquatic assault, though, so Bucky responds accordingly. “What was that for?” He asks.

She grins triumphantly. “You were in my way.”

Bucky arches a brow, melodramatically surprised. “I was in your way? You had the entire rest of the pool to swim in, sweetheart. I don’t know that you need to be right here.”

To prove his obvious strength of character, Bucky splashes her right back. Y/N’s eyes widen in faux shock.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she says.

“I would,” he responds, and does it again, just because he can.

The only possible option from there is to launch a full scale war. It doesn’t go unnoticed by the others, especially not by Natasha, Tony, and Bruce at the far end of the pool.

Tony flips up his sunglasses so he can best stare at the spectacle unfolding before him. “Fascinating. I didn’t know Barnes could smile like that.”

Natasha chuckles. “Of course he can, Tony. Problem is he only does it when Y/N’s around.”

Bruce, who has carefully positioned himself to be as far away from the splashing as possible so his alter ego doesn’t get irritated, shifts a little to the left to avoid a particularly vicious wave. “I’ve noticed that too. Think it’s love?”

Tony snorts. “What else could it be? I don’t know that either of them would admit it in a thousand years, though.”

Natasha shakes her head slowly, contemplatively. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

The other men stare at her, but she refuses to clarify. They don’t need any extra reasoning, though. Nat’s usually right about this sort of thing, so her word alone is good as gold. Tony and Bruce exchange one last questioning look between themselves, then shrug and sit back to watch Natasha be proven right.

Bucky can admit it fully now, he’s having a grand time. He doesn’t think he’s felt like this– well and truly alive– in what could be forever. Y/N’s laugh mixes with his, echoing up the sides of the pool until it could reach the cotton clouds in the sky above them. They should do this more often, he thinks. Tony will be pleased, Bucky is finally a convert to the whole team building exercise thing. All it took was one little crush.

It doesn’t feel all that little, though. Looking at Y/N, he feels this tug in his chest so strong he almost loses his balance. He has never needed someone like this, not in a long time. She makes him feel– like what, exactly? A new man? No, better. The man Bucky has always wanted to be. The man he thought he never could be, not until he met her.

He must have been staring for a little too long, because Y/N’s splashes slow.

“Everything alright?” She asks, head cocked to the side.

Bucky nods quickly. “Yeah, yeah. All good.”

A teasing smirk appears on her face. “You sure? Maybe you’re just tired out. It’s okay to admit that I’m way stronger than you.”

Bucky’s jaw drops. “You wouldn’t dare suggest such a thing. It’s so wrong it’s crazy.”

“Crazy?” Y/N challenges, “Really? Crazy?”

Bucky grins. “Yeah. Crazy like me.”

Before she can ask what that means, Bucky surges forward, wrapping his arms around her middle and tackling them both into the water. For a moment, the bubbles from his attack cloud his vision, and then they clear to reveal Y/N laughing, even as she plunges further under the water. He tries to straighten up, but she shakes her head and grabs him back to fall with him. He has always been falling with her, for her, after her, that it only feels natural.

If he could, Bucky would freeze time at this very moment. It’s perfect, this, with the blue green light of the water tracing their every motions. He could drown here and die a happy man, or live and be even happier. Y/N’s hand is on his face, tracing the edge of his cheek, and that’s all it takes for Bucky to forget the last of his misgivings and just kiss her. It’s taken him too long to get around to it, but he can do it now.

When they both emerge at last, gasping for breath and still wrapped around each other, Bucky’s chest surges with the brightest hope he’s ever known. They get one moment of blessed stillness, both of them grinning like mad, and then the quiet sound of Y/N’s breathing is drowned out by raucous cheers from the other end of the pool.

Bucky and Y/N turn in unison to see Nat and Tony screaming at the top of their lungs, Bruce right beside them although a little quieter. Bucky swears he sees Natasha say something that sounds like Tony owes her money. Y/N laughs incredulously, which makes Bucky forget everything about their friends on the other side. All that matters is her.

They’re both still dripping wet from their plunge under the water, and Bucky watches as the sunlight shines off of the curve of her jaw, the hollows of her throat. He is deeply, unfathomably in love, and it is the best he has ever felt in his life. She kisses him again, just to cement the feeling in his mind, and just like that, Bucky is complete.

marvel tag list: @thatfangirl42, @rogueanschel, @mycosmicparadise, @ellobruv, @caswinchester2000, @with-inked-solace, @sher-lokid7, @amortensie, @23victoria, @watchreadfangirlrepeat, @gods-fools-heroes

[starlitfunkster]

BFDI Demon AU (Part 2): BFDI Cast

It's.. well it's almost done.

Only have to complete Leafy and Firey, and then Season 1 is finished. Below is basically every contestant on Season 1.

New Facts: -Demons are what the Eliminated Constestants become. If they rejoin or have yet to be eliminated on a new Season, they become Half-Demons until they are Eliminated once more. -1st and 2nd place usually become Angels by a Seasons end. If an Angel gets Eliminated, they Fall. Gelatin is the only acception to this (but we'll get to him when we get to him). -This AU is a Humanization AU, btw. Will I draw designs? Probably not. Will I let you guys make your own interpretations to their designs? Sure!

TW: Suicide (Eraser, Blocky, Pen, Tennis Ball, Firey (maybe)), Death (Everyone)

Flower - Goddess of Spring - Buried Alive - When she first arrived, she was quite cruel and mean. But deep down, there was a hurt teenager who was buried alive by her own boyfriend. Eventually, she started to realize that being mean was what got her into this Purgatory.. so she tried to change for the better. And it all worked out! She became the winner of BFB, and even ascended at some point. However, she made a deal with Gelatin that during Autumn and Winter she would stay with Gelatin in Hell, and during Spring and Summer she would be with the others in Purgatory.

Woody - Demon - Wood-Chipper (Murder) - Woody's death may seem cartoony at first glance. Oh, he fell in? No.. it's much more sinister. It's what makes him so afraid. Someone he thought he could trust ended up taking his life that day. And after being eliminated fourth, and not being able to come back? Truly sad.

Pin - Half-Demon - Murdered - Pin was apart of a group of murders happening in her area. And now stuck here in Purgatory? After being eliminated on BFDI, she became a demon. For a while, she stayed that way until BFB (and subsequently TPOT) came along. Now she can look human, and not have those obnoxious horns in the way of her sleep.

Needle - Half-Demon - Stabbed to Death - She used to be quite the needy girl when she was alive. After being murdered by a loved one, she saw that as a sign. A sign that she needed to change. This is why she hates being called 'Needy', because she doesn't want to be like she was back then. She's at least shown that she's grown past her previous self.

Teardrop - Changeling - Teardrop was born to a colony with the same name as her. But she defected from that colony, and has gone on to become the most recurring contestant. It would be wise not to touch her toxin-induced tongue. Least you want to die a very painful and long death.

Golf Ball - Half-Demon - Ran Over (Accident) - GB died in what could be called an 'accident'. It won't stop her from saying someone in her family did it on purpose. That's because she knows her family didn't like how smart she was becoming. She was becoming too smart too fast. Oh well.

Coiny - Half-Demon - Zinc Toxicity - This is why you don't eat coins, kids. He ate multiple of them like a stupid idiot, and died. He considers it very stupid, and hates when people make fun of him for it. Low-key wants to be eliminated again so he can go back to eating the tasty demon-food that he can no longer eat in his half-demon state.

Snowball - Half-Demon - Fatal Frostbite - He, Blocky, and Eraser drove to Pen's house to keep a close eye on him. However, Blocky told him to stay in the car. And he did. And he stayed in the car even as the temperature got fatal. He would die in that car, because he didn't want to seem weak in front of his friends. And now his form is ironic, and he hates it. He's still just as strong as he was before he died.

Match - Demon - ??? (we don't talk about her and Pencil's death - She and Pencil in this universe were sisters. They played with each other, and they also died with each other. We don't talk about their death though, because it was very fucked up. As a demon, she can create fires whenever she feels her alliance is threatened.. but very rarely will she actually do this. It's probably cause she has PTSD from her death, but only her and her sister know for sure what it is.

Eraser - Half-Demon - Bled Out (multiple eraser-made wounds were seen, supposedly being deep enough to show blood.) - The pessimist who tends to get hungry at the worst possible times! He actually caused his own death, but not because he was suicidal. He admits it was caused by the stress from being a witness to one of the Liy Murders. This apparently is the real reason why he and Blocky died (which Blocky would never talk about). Anyways, he's wanting to go back to being a demon so he can eat the demon-foods, because they are apparently more filling than the foods on Purgatory.

Pen - Half-Demon - Ink Poisoning (Liy Murders) - He was the last victim that Liy hunted down. He earlier drank a vial of what he thought was 'soda' (it wasn't, it was ink), and was slowly dying from that. He went into a closet to hide from Liy, and texted Eraser, Blocky, and Snowball for help. It would be too late, and he would be pulled out of the closet. Before Liy could stab him with a pen, he began throwing up blood. He, in the end, got the last laugh. And now he and his fellow victims are in Purgatory away from Liy, and can help prevent death once and for all.

Blocky - Demon - Prank Gone Wrong - He died from being too stressed out about Pen's death.. which ended up in his prank going wrong. What was supposed to cause laughs around him and with him, instead turned into a tragedy that killed him and many nameless victims. He's a loner in Hell, usually making pranks on the living that would (normally) harm them, but since their all immortal (by the virtue of already being dead), its in the end funny for the people watching. He would cease pranking once he started dating Pencil, upon realizing that these pranks were not helping him move on from his death.

Tennis Ball - Half-Demon - Suicide by Car (He witnessed Golf Ball's death and took it very hard (since they were dating at that time)) - Tennis Ball hasn't been known to be the best when handling stress. So his peers say at least. Although he knows why Golf Ball loved him, and that's cause he was smart and didn't judge Golf Ball for who she was. That's how nice and caring he was. And that's why his death was so.. tragic.

Pencil - Demon - ??? (we don't talk about her and Match's death) - She and Match were sisters, dying together in a horribly gross and gruesome way. Aaaaand that's all the context you'd get out of her or Match. They don't like talking about it. Her tail is made of graphite, and it's sharp enough to slash and harm anyone who threatens her alliance. She would soon start dating Blocky, which was enough to mend the broken heart she had since her death (apparently her boyfriend broke up with her, the same day she would die).

David - Demon (maybe pureblood?) - This demon, alongside it's sister Dora, were observing the Algebraemons making their shows. It joined one of them because Two realized they needed 1 more contestant. Since they could mimic a humans appearance so perfectly, they assumed their dead identity.

Ice Cube - Half-Demon - Crushed (by a huge ice block) - The only reason she died was because she was spelunking with a few friends. One was Bracelety, and another was [REDACTED]. Supposedly, as the tale went, [REDACTED] found a gap and told Ice Cube to stand under it. [REDACTED] then got into an argument over safety with Bracelety, resulting in Ice Cube's death. She's very vengeful, and wants revenge on [REDACTED].

Rocky - Half-Demon - Choked on Vomit - The youngest of the first gen, and.. yikes. Their parents weren't attentive enough, and they died by their sickness. All because their parents wouldn't vaccinate them. Anyways, they are still sick until BFDIA. They just don't like vomiting as much, and prefer not being sick. And then Balloony comes along and messes that up..

Spongy - Demon - Drowned - He was bullied a lot in school, and supposedly those kids tossed him into the waters underneath the bridge. It was deep enough (and cold enough) for him to drown. Instead of holding resentment towards everyone else, he just keeps to himself. He can take pain like a champ, but doesn't like it when people betray him. He's also buoyant now! How ironic…

Bubble - Demon - Implosion - Nobody really knows how she imploded. Rumors say she ate a bomb, but others say someone hid one in her food at school. If that were the case, everyone would've been evacuated that day. But either way, this lovable chubby girl can create bubbles at will. Her hair and tail-tip are even made from bubbles! And look! She's made new friends with Pencil, Match, and Ruby!

Leafy - Fallen Angel - Unknown (went missing in a deep forest) - TBA

Firey - Fallen Angel - Burned to Death - TBA

[sufandomgirl]

Amphibia x The Owl House Crossover Part 2

Meanwhile, In The Boiling Isles...

Collector: (turns to King) So, what were the rules of this game again?

[A/N: This is my version, not at all canon.]

King: Well, it's usually with pieces on a much smaller scale, but oh well. So, you construct the Owl House with a lot of secret passageways and hidden areas that have guard owls in them and twelve people go into the house at a time, completely unaware of these passageways. They have to do their best to outrun the house's guard owls. Each person who's found goes to a nest, which is a separate model from the house. Can't have them spoiling the game, am I right?

Collector: You're right. I may be a little much, but the game's only fun if everyone plays fairly. You said the whole island needed to be players, though?

King: I did, because the same group can't go in everytime. No one's good at the game if they're tired. Different groups need to take turns. Since a lot if them are adults, let's just address everyone at once, a refresher's always nice. Anyway, if the guard owls find and catch everyone within ten minutes, the person playing them wins. If they don't, it's a win for the other team. Sound fair?

{The Collector thinks to themself, silently a minute before giggling.}

Collector: That sounds so fun! I can't believe that I've never heard of this game before! What are we waiting for? Let's play! You can show me how to build the Owl House!

King: Ah! First, we have to remind everyone that they're in a life-size game and of the rules. Also, I assume that you want to be the guard owl team?

Collector: Of course!

King: Good, only four guard owls, gotta give them a chance! I forgot to mention that. I'll choose the first group once we make sure everyone knows the game. Most of them grew up to be boring and forgot all about the game.

Collector: That's so sad! Let's remind them all how fun it is!

{King was able to get to Eda and explain the situation, who convinced everyone to play along. Except Belos, whom the Collector gathered every drop that he could find of him of goop and locked it in a jar.}

Adrian: I cannot believe that I've been reduced to such a--!

Everyone: Shut up, Gray!

{King showed him how to construct the Owl House. The first people he chose were Eda, Raine, Darius & Alador, since the Collector agreed to let them rest for a few turns afterwards.}

Collector: Say, while we wait for everyone to get ready, did anyone ever figure out what happened to the Owl Beast?

King: The Owl Beast?

Collector: They used to be my companion when I--well, 'collected' curses and evil monsters. They were my only company, too. All the Titans I've ever come across were all so boring. Except you, of course.

King: Gosh, well, I never knew. No one's seen an Owl Beast in a long time. Everyone assumed that they were dead.

Collector: (eyes wide; breath hitches) No...no, no, no, no! You can't be serious! Someone has to have seen them!

King: You really miss them, huh?

Collector: They were my best friend. It was my fault they left. I...played a little too rough and tried to catch them in a net the last time that I saw them. They were...the last thing I have from my home.

King: Where is your home?

Collector: (points up at the sky) On a planet far, far away from here. (lowers hand) Where everyone is like me. I don't remember all the details, but the last thing that I remember was running away with the Owl Beast and loud noises. I was--am so young. When I arrived here and discovered the Titans, they seemed like good playmates...until the games got...too aggressive for their tastes. I never understood why because on my planet, everyone played the same.

King: Well, maybe you need to realize that not everyone is like you. Just give me a minute alone with my friends. Promise I won't spoil anything. It'll give you time to make your guard owls and secret passageways.

Collector: Okay!

{King rejoined the others.}

Adrian: Great, tell me that I don't have to do th--!

Eda: Shut up or you're switching with Raine and going first! Lilith, can you keep an eye on the Coven Heads while everyone else is in the first round?

Lilith: Oh, don't worry. Everyone's magic may be gone, but the curse is far from it.

Terra: I thought that your sister was the cursed one?

King: Don't try her. Speaking of the curse, this may sound crazy, Eda, but did the curse ever...mention or show you anybody in general that they...weren't fond of?

Terra: Don't be ridiculo--?!

Lilith: (voice distorted) He wasn't speaking to you, Terra. Please, continue.

Eda: (gestures for Lilith to take her and Adrian away, which she does; once they were out if earshot) Now that you mention it, it did mention being afraid of the Collector and has been going crazy ever since they've been around. Why? This must be serious.

King: What's their side of the story? I don't want to reveal them to the Collector unless I know the whole truth. The Collector says that they were friends and even came here together, which would explain why they weren't weakened by the spell, were they?

Eda: I can ask.

{Just then, the first alarm sounded. The game was on.}

[captainschaos]

Phoenix AU - a Tango focused trafficsmp au. [Last Life]

Part two of this au, last life !! See the third life part here :]

---

SESSION ONE - FOUR Canon compliant, but again there are certain parts of this time that are important to highlight. It should be noted that Skizz and ango were a duo before team best was formed, and this bond still supersedes the overall team best bond, even more so than in canon. It is also notable that Tango does not have many bonding experiences with the early reds, so he does not have much of a connection to them.

SESSION FIVE Tango is not present. In this au, this is because Tango was away gathering resources, intentionally avoiding other people in order to avoid Bdubs after he went red at the end of session four. He knows everyone else will want him to give Bdubs a life if he's around, and he knows Bdubs will take it from him. He's not entirely sure the others won't attempt to take it by force either- Tango has learned that he's only a tool or a toy to certain people, and he's not risking guessing anyone isn't one of those people.

SESSION SIX "I give him a life, and this is how he repays me?!" Tango was right. He was proven right when he's pressured into giving a life, and he's instantly stabbed in the back. Bdubs doesn't care about him- he's never cared about him. On top of that, Skizz is trying to make him forgive that traitor, and Etho is poking fun at the whole situation! Their intentions may be to help, but it's not working. This isn't forgiven. From that point forward, Tango is looking for an opportunity to exact his revenge. When team best speaks to scar, Tango strikes up a deal with him based on scar's offer to kill Bdubs for him, agreeing to give him some killing materials when tango goes red, because it will be soon, Tango's sure. The rage crystal is a sign of this agreement, and tango uses it to help him cope as he bides his time. Then Skizz dies. Skizz goes red, and Bdubs suggests Tango gives him a life. So he does. He gives Skizz his yellow life, a final parting gift for his most well-intentioned ally, and he goes to Scar to start gathering materials. He has revenge to enact. "...you're done for."

SESSION SEVEN "Only one of us can win. Either play, or forfeit it all, bdubs." Tango still has an interaction with Skizz early on in this session, but reversed. He's red, and Skizz is yellow. Skizz tries to apologize, tries to reason, tries to get Tango to come back, but Tango refuses. Tango gathers resources and builds his game, a trap for Bdubs which mimics the style of the hero hideout where Bdubs betrayed him, with lava and arrows to mimic dare to flare and the firing range. Just before the wither is released, Bdubs falls into Tango's trap, and he's told he must complete the game or Tango will activate the tnt he has placed below the snow fort. While Etho is soloing the wither, Bdubs is trying to escape, trying to survive Tango's game. But he fails. He dies and turns red again, and Tango gets his first satisfaction, also getting the satisfaction of knowing he's split Etho and Bdubs, likely for good. Tango resurfaces and somewhat rejoins with the other reds at their outskirts. Bdubs attempts to kill Tango to fulfill Etho's wish, but Tango manages to force him off, watching as Bdubs then goes to kill Lizzie and dies himself. Tango is free. Bdubs is dead, and he's survived. He's won. And then he hears the hissing behind him as he's walking through the forest alone, and he's blown apart. He dies in a silent explosion, no one around to hear it, a stupid, meaningless death. Fitting, honestly, with how everything's always gone for him. "..."

SESSION EIGHT There is only one more detail to this timeline: the summoning of Bdubs to speak to Joel and Grian. They thin the veil, speak to Bdubs with their shoddily constructed altar, and then it bursts into flames. Joel and Grian never speak of what they saw in the tongues of fire, the claws reaching, the wings stretching for air they cannot catch, but they know who it was. They're only glad they managed to smother the flames fast enough. But of course they smothered them. When has he ever burned hot enough to have any real impact.

[dionysiospsychas-photography]

PHOTO TRIP: VANCOUVER ISLAND, PART 2

… I woke up to a delightful tree filled scene thru the large bedroom windows, and nicest of all they were bathed in mist. We were excited about it as we got our things ready, especially fog-lurving Sharon. We knew not where to start, I think, but we headed out early as we typically did, fortified. We were hoping to chase fog.

Sailboat on Ucluelet Harbour, 2022

Colin had a couple of ideas, and took us first to Ucluelet harbour nearby to see if we can find interesting looking boats. I was less interested in the background of the small craft harbour, so I went off looking for… And I came across another dock with larger vessels. Oh! … I walked along all the floats, looked closely at the boat features and their names, stared into the distance and the disappearing buildings and tree lines, and listened to the calls of far out seals. It was relaxing.

Fishing vessels in Ucluelet Harbour, 2022

Yacht on Ucluelet Harbour, 2022

It was fun exploring this dock. We photographed catchy colour letters, drooping paint over paint, weathered wooden cabins, wind-scraped metal, swooping hulls, entangled equipment, masts upon masts, odd objects on deck like a disco ball, cool perspectives down the floats, and even other photogs staring in to the fog. We were all quite content.

The air then thickened, so we chased that fog to Big Beach. And we saw…

Rock outcroppings in the bay of Big Beach, 2022

Rock outcroppings on Big Beach, 2022

I was in my element — audible waves, crusty rocks, rippling water on the beach, trails thru tall grasses, odd looking driftwood, and the fog dissolving the surrounding trees and the horizon. This was what I wished for. We were giddy, especially, again, fog-lurving Sharon.

The rock outcroppings were black, rough, pulled, and cracked. Later I would find that parts of the coast line of Ucluelet are made up of lava flows from volcanic activity during the Mesozoic era (dinosaur times) Cool… Plus, it all looks beautiful to me. I was going to much like Ucluelet, I thot. Anyway… I like stark landscapes because they are not complex, they are out of the ordinary, maybe mysterious, and maybe out of this world. I suspect it is because I enjoy being alone and these landscapes reflect that idea back to me. And it feels comforting.

Big Beach, 2022

I sat on the rocks for a while observing the waves come in. I much like the rolling forms and the long, crashing sounds. Enveloped in mist, paying attention to those things beyond, and likely forgetting myself, I felt that happy-calm… It is a moment of connecting. And I got to photograph it. And I would have more such moments in this strange, beautiful region.

I forgot to mention that Sharon and Colin have visited the area while Syd and I have not. So, Mr Planner here tried hard and let go of leading. We were all interested in the same environments, and it was all exciting for us regardless. So, depending on the weather conditions, we visited a new place. These three amigos are easy going, and Syd the easiest going of all.

Frank Island, 2022

Ocean side of Frank Island, 2022

Trees and rock on Frank Island, 2022

The air cleared, the cloud cover broke up, and the sun rays beamed down, damn it. On Chesterman Beach, the wind blew thru it mightily, so I hid my camera in my pocket from the spraying sand and I mostly walked about turning my body to feel the wind or look at the vistas. I made it across the tombolo and rejoined the photo amigos on Frank Island, which was pretty cool. It had large rock outcroppings, windswept trees, and waves were crashing on the outer rocks that it was very pleasant. And, one just has to deal with the hard light photographically. Right? OK?

Combers Beach trail, 2022

Fringe forest at Combers Beach, 2022

I also wanted to photograph drift wood, odd looking driftwood too, because I lurv bark. So, Colin and Sharon knew a nice spot and we went there to end our photography day. The trail to Combers Beach was phenomenal. It seemed that the fringe forest became denser as we reached the beach, with the edge denuded by the wind. During the mid afternoon the sky mellowed: the clouds flattened and softened, the sun was descending and the mood light was coming on. Oh, and I came across and photographed a lot of marvellous driftwood and other strange vegetation in the shallow water. (In the photo at the very top, the sea breeze moves over the shallow water and long, sea palm.) We observed the gloriously setting sun for a bit, and called it because of stiff backs and empty stomachs.

Driftwood on Combers Beach, 2022

More driftwood on Combers Beach, 2022

Back at base, we freshened up, snacked by the fire place, told stories and laughed, grilled and had a delish meal together. When I laid down in bed I enjoyed the satisfying fatigue at the end of a long day exploring. I wished for more foggy, rocky shores, and cooperative autumnal weather. Spoiler, we found them, of which I will tell you about in the next post.

How about you; have you visited Ucluelet, Tofino, or Pacific Rim National Park? What did you like about it? Send me an email and tell me what you think.

DP, 2023-02-02

[displacedarchon]

Every so often I have the thought, that I should keep Haruchefant alive in Himi’s FFXIV story.  Because I’ve grown to really like their chemistry and writing the two’s adventures is REALLY fun. (Plus who doesn’t want to see angy Haurchefant vs Zenos?) Buuuuut.  Himi is a character I’ve had for 20ish years, give or take. She’s always been a FF/KH oc and due to the nature of things, especially when I started rping with her.... She’s never really had to deal with someone dying and it not being reversible, as a character overall.  It’s not that no one EVER died...but she or someone else could resurrect them. Or they’d come back in some other way.  Including her!  She was part of a consistent RP story line for 15ish years, so there’s NO way I could even begin to delve into everything she’s done in one post. FFXIV Himi has inherited the appearance, a couple of the names, and character traits of Original Himi, she’s truly a shard in a way!  FFXIV Himi is obviously not...a keyblade wielder who has harassed Sora on more than one occasion for Orichalcum, but , y’know. And it’s not that death didn’t ever have an impact or was never taken seriously or never had its solemn moments, it’s just that when your friends are varying degrees of Immortal at best, or at worst, need to be brought back to life every so often there’s less FEAR when it happens. At least for her.  Which is why, that even thought FFXIV Himi didn’t go through anything that Original Himi did, I’m letting Haurchefant die when he does in HW.  Because WOW. When I think about how that would affect her? Her character develops and grows in a way that Original Himi NEVER could (unless jump the shark forced).  It changes how she handles the rest of HW, it changes how she acts in Stormblood, (especially when Thancred passes out) hell, it changes how she interacts with Emet-Selch in Shadowbringers, and by the time Endwalker rolls around she’s not just heehoo Original Himi implanted into FFXIV anymore. Through ARR and the start of HW, she’s a pacifist as much as possible because her healing magic isn’t working as well as it used to. She prefers teleporting her enemies away, or sleeping them, unless she is FORCED to kill other people, she avoids it. After Haurchefant? She’d struggle to still have mercy.  She’d struggle with the title of “Warrior of Light”. When Thancred collapses and for a split second she thinks he’s dead? Aymeric removes her from the room as quickly as he possibly can because she’s got the same expression on her face as the day Haurchefant died and he knows she’s about to start screaming and he’d rather hear her scream like that twice than let anyone else hear her in that much distress once.  Emet-Selch, an Unsundered Ascian? Jumped into the role of Emperor Solus? WELL; he’s already implied that he knew her before the sundering and was quite fond of her so WHAT IF she just tries to convince him to ditch the whole rejoining thing and forget about Zodiark and become a good guy again because HEY he’s immortal which means that he wouldn’t die on her unless SHE stabbed him with a weapon of light so what if she made a genuine effort to get ALL her memories back and rekindle whatever they USED to have and she’d never have to worry about the person she loved dying on her ever again!  And then, in Endwalker, when she decides she’s not a hero because she can’t smile anymore, how does she unpack all the grief that’s been eating away at her slowly? Aggrevated by, more deaths that can’t be undone and never given the time she needs to rest, to grieve, to heal?  What prevents her from helping Fandaniel? What stops her from giving into the Dynamis and turning into a monster, being lost forever?  Hell, how is she able to fight crystal mom? Or Meteion?  How does she make it to the end of Endwalker at ALL?  So as fun as it would be to have Haurchefant (and others) live, to see him smack his shield across Zenos’s face, or have him knock some sense into the Crystal Exarch, or giving the peppiest pep talk to Meteion.  The weight of grief, and how it changes her, would be more interesting and enjoyable for me to explore. Because it’s not a weight that I’ve ever explored with that character in the 20 years that I’ve had her. She’s always had a poetic realtionship with death, and not that there wouldn’t be any poetry for FFXIV, it works better, I think anyways for FFXIV which really seems to want to tackle the meaning of grief (even if the WoL model is silent and has 3 expressions the entire ti,e. dahsjdasjkdhaks).