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survivor-marieta-islands · 9 months

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Episode 12: "might get idoled out for fun tonight"—Amy

Raffy

So an hour before tribal, Colin and I discovered that Hairie had an idol. So we managed to pull in Zo and Amy to try to send Hairie home with an idol in his pocket. We didn’t wanna tell Jinx because Trinica had told me that Jinx was the one who gave coins to Hairie. And we get that Jinx was too close to Hairie and would rat out the plan. The problem is that Hairie was asked a question about his idol, revealed it, and promised to play it. Also Adeline self-voted which means we never had a chance to vote any other way. Perfect storm of bad things happening. I still voted for Hairie when I really should’ve just voted for Adeline. And now I’m in hot water with Jinx because I think they figured that the old schoolers left them out. And I’m in hot water with Hairie. So now I’m working overtime to fix things. Idk if I can repair my relationship with Jinx because Zo or Colin could easily rat out that it was my plan (which is a half truth since it was Colin’s too). And I gotta re establish a relationship with Hairie. And I upset Trinica a little for not telling them. A whole mess. So now my plan is to just cry my eyes out and vote out Arvin as an easy vote so I can skate by another round. Here’s hoping things go well lol. Trinica, Colin, and I re established our connection and allegedly want to get to F6 with our most loyal allies (Brandi, Zo, and Amy respectively). I don’t know how much I trust that to happen but I do know I need to hide behind Trinica for the time being.

Arvin

I like this immunity challenge since it's so chill, we don't have to do stuff, we just need to answer questions. I didn't win immunity and I know that my name would be written again. I could be voted out tonight but I'm gonna give them a fight.

Trinica

Jay won't give us real touchy subjects so I'm doing my own to channel my rage at being left out of the vote. 😤

Biggest Snake: Raffy/Colin

Biggest Move: Hairie announcing and playing his idol even though he didn't need to.

Biggest Blindside: all the people on Old School claiming they want to work with me then lying about the vote

Biggest Flop: Adeline's self-vote; Colin wasting their extra vote

Most Vengeful: Trinica

Amy

It's the way Brandi told me earlier that hairie bought all that 🤣 whoopsies I forgot. Doomed plan from the start. I wish I had thrown a vote on trinica like I KNEW hairie wasn't going anywhere so it wouldn't work then Adeline really said lmao what if I self voted 🤣 and Colin wasted the extra vote SILLY GOOFY ROUND INDEED

Anyway had I just said "what if no" to the plan i would have been sitting pretty in this game but here we are ahahahahahaha I hope that was entertaining

Also I feel like the ppl I voted with think I wrote the question directly to hairie but it was Brandi but when I was immediately like I bet it was Brandi! I simply forget I think Brandi might actually tell me stuff she doesn't tell other ppl? Idk 🤣 silly silly little me. Anyway gonna sit back and hope the next round is trinica hairie or Arvin 🤠 and not me

Brandi

The way I accidentally forced an idol play I think??????? Holy crap- my mind

Amy

Tbh if trinica doesn't win this whole thing I'll be shocked. Idk how there could be numbers to get them out and everyone reports to them lol. If the season title isn't changed to "trinica said" then it's not a true representation of the season lol

Brandi

I’m feeling panicky realizing like.. we are mid game

Amy

The reason I love text chats is I can just scroll to know trinica either lied Saturday or is lying now lol

Anyway I'm going to stir stuff up bc I'm bored and I want a hairie trinica fight lol also idk when this game ends but I'm traveling to Europe next week?

Turns out what if we just vote everyone out? Maybe then I will know peace 🤣

Brandi

Hairie to Amy: I only asked you and Brandi for coins because I wanted to see if you could be trusted. I already had the coins I needed. I only asked you two!

The 4 individuals he asked for coins, also affectionately known as Hairie's Coin Purse: 👁👄👁

Amy

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Y'all are entertaining me that's for sure thank YOU

Brandi is so FUNNY 🤣 Me: Wait so he didn't just ask us for coins like he was still telling me this morning lol tbh I'm tired of the lies about the coins this is silly no wonder he wants to leave it in the past

Brandi: omg did another person come forward and say he was asking for coins? Me: I mean- Yeah lol jinx said they talked about it w you? Lol Brandi: Trinica talked about it with me! Me: Jinx said you directly asked them about the coins lol

silence 🤣 Like jinx literally had just told me Brandi had asked them directly 🤣 I know I'm so out of the loop in this game that it's FUNNY the game of telephone. Also lol I told Trinica "not another"trinica said" 🤣🤣🤣" and they were like lol I did say that and they confirmed they all knew about the coins collectively so confirmed raffy's plan really was so silly 🤣 but!!! If I can continue to be absolutely clueless I can maybe survive a few rounds because trust me I am 🤡🤡🤡🤣🤣🤣 but we're having FUN and I'm entertained 🤣

Trinica

GODDDDD YOU'RE ALL ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!

The only people not annoying me rn are Jinx and Brandi and Arvin. And Arvin isn't annoying me only because he literally never talks.

Also for all of you reading this later, saying Arvin is my "little pet" is so dehumanizing and rude and icky!!! Don't talk about my sweet prince who never talks to me that way!!!!

Anyway uhhh okay context: Amy is being newly messy, Hairie is always messy (king), and idk who to trust. At this point I would happily vote out Raffy (but can't bc he's immune), Amy, or Colin because all of them lied to me last round and are generally sneaky and messy.

Also, can I just say....everyone keeps throwing "well you lied about the AJ vote" in my face like Y'ALL!!!! Were you openly working with AJ?? NO!! It's not like I targeted someone's known ally the way they targeted Hairie! It's not on the same level at all! ALSO THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER MERGE HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHO I COULD TRUST WITH INFO!?!?!? Like you wanted me to successfully idol someone out by telling half the tribe what I was about to do? GOD FORBID A NONBINARY WOMAN HAS ONE (1) SECRET!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a different situation than lying to someone you've been working with for several rounds!!

Anyway I'm in my unhinged era

Amy

Me: what if we voted hairie? All: I've only heard Arvin Me: same but 👀 what if 🤠 All: let me know if you hear a second name

💃🏻 Slay

Trinica

I thought I would wake up in a better mood but NOPE!! Still rotten!!!

Today my annoyance is that Amy and Raffy are like "waaah last round you agreed to vote out Arvin next!" I'm sorry, why am I being held to an agreement I made before y'all literally blindsided me last round?? Did I agree to vote out Arvin next? Sure. IF Y'ALL VOTED ADELINE. Did you vote Adeline? NOPE. So in my opinion, the terms of the agreement are null and void. And my lawyer WILL be hearing about this!!!

Brandi

my confessions are usually 1 sentence but it is 9:20 am on the day of tribal and my head is SPINNING.

amy: is playing two sides of the fence and pitting hairie and I against each other... which she doesn't need to do because we are both weary of each other lmao

hairie: sent me 1 million messages while i was sleeping

arvin: haven't heard from him in days

raffy: i feel like he is lying to us and draggin us along. he has not publicly voted with host pet alliance since the beginning

colin: a sweetie but is saying arvin's name is the only one out there?

jinx: feels like they are being bossed around in the game and aren't in control of their own destiny

zo: hasn't talked to me in days and I know they are ride or die for hairie

trinica: idk perf ily also kinda paranoid rn

BRANDI: I AM LOST IN THE HAZE, CONFUSED, and trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Jinx

we plan, G-d (old schoolers being quirky goofy for no reason) laughs

Amy

Hairie I've always wanted to be a part of a fight in the tribe chat you really know how to make a woman feel special 🥹

Hairie

Why is round after round I get some attention that I don't even want, need or be a part of? #obsession

Amy appreciation post:

1. She has a cool job. 2. I've never played with someone that has her communication style. Very interesting. 3. She's my number 1 fan. 4. She loves coins :)

Amy all that silly goofy callouts and arguments are for fun. Hope you don't get offended (one can hope).

Brandi, I lied for you and the fact that you're going to vote for me. Hmm kinda upsetting. I'm done lying for people. This was the second time.

Tonight the votes are all public with my cursed idol so enjoy everyone.

Raffy

I woke up today wanting to target Arvin. Trinica told me that we shouldn't and instead target Hairie because Hairie is sus as hell. I agree cause Hairie is sus as hell. Hairie drops Amy's and Colin's name immediately. I tell Colin immediately. Hairie fights Amy in the tribe chat. I tell my Golden Gworls alliance (me, Colin, Amy, Zo) to target Hairie cause he's coming for the old schoolers. They agree. I talk to Trinica. She has Brandi. Also confirmed with Jinx to vote for Arvin to split the vote. Working on getting Zo to split the vote on to Arvin. Let's hope this goes well. I don't want Hairie to use an idol.

Hairie

The idol would benefit only if the move is to idol out Amy.

So the vote breakdown should be 6 for Hairie, 2 for Amy and 1 for Arvin.

Amy

might get idoled out for fun tonight

#episodes

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sheacouleecametoslay · 1 year

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All-Stars 4 (2018/9)

I'm becoming disillusioned by the All-Stars series. AS2 is obviously a classic, but AS1 was D.O.A. from the moment the teams twist arrived. AS3 fell apart at the finale, or maybe it was after Ben self-eliminated. While AS4 had too many episodes and it ALSO fell apart at the finale... or maybe it was when Manila was eliminated. This season can be split into three parts: Episodes 1-3: The Gia Gunn experience Episodes 4-6: Three episodes where effectively no one is eliminated Episodes 7-10: The unsatisfying conclusion I'd say those first 3 episodes were the high point. Gia departing so early on was a major blow. Whether you love her or hate her, she provided the most entertainment. But there was just no way to justify keeping her any longer lol. Meanwhile, the middle portion of AS4 had serious pacing issues – Latrice was eliminated, then no one eliminated, then Latrice came back... so basically nothing changed in 3 episodes. This section is still enjoyable though, mainly thanks to Valentina being Valentina, Manila trying to shake things up, and the LaLaPaRUza episode. But episodes 7-10 have other issues. Valentina was the other big source of entertainment, and she's gone before final 6. Latrice overstayed after she returned. I would've preferred to see Gia back, but she would've been re-eliminated immediately. The final 5 was so thrilling that there was a suspenseful rock-paper-scissors match... yeah. And the last 2 challenges are major letdowns. The late-season acting challenges always feel like an afterthought. But the bigger crime is the ru-mix. “Read U Wrote U”, “Category Is...”, and “Kitty Girl” were my favourite challenges of their respective seasons (and “American” wasn’t bad). But “Super Queen” is so underwhelming. The verses were too short and lacked energy, and the lyrics weren't as good. But let's talk about the two elephants in the room. Firstly, Naomi eliminating Manila. Which is one of the most shocking moments in the show's herstory. A decision so unpopular that it caused production to modify the All-Stars format permanently. But I don't get the backlash. The twist was designed for exactly this to happen. I wish more queens had been open to the idea, actually. If everyone is going to vote based off of merit anyways, it's boring television, and you might as well let Ru make the decisions. Some of the votes felt personal this season anyways. Secondly, there's the double crowning. I've seen comments that the producers wanted to diversify the All-Stars winner list. But also; Trinity had the better track record, while Monet was better in the “Super Queen” challenge and she “won” the final 2 lip sync. The finale performances have to account for something right? But Mo should've been in the top 2 instead. Both of Mo's bottom placements were bulls**t, and if you take that into account, she would've (and should've) had the best track record. Also, the editing of the double win was so blatantly stitched together in post-production, with Ru's voice over and the queens not looking shocked at all. I think the producers had wanted a double crowning for a while and were just waiting for the right moment. But it didn't feel like a satisfying conclusion to this season. The other big twist of AS4 was the first ever LaLaPaRUza. The idea was definitely flawed, since all 4 eliminated queens could theoretically replace the 4 currently in the competition. Production would never allow that though. But it was a fun twist. As for the other challenges: the Talent Show wasn't as good as the previous 2, and the high placements were questionable. I want to see something unique in those Talent Shows. But I guess it's more about selling your brand. I also didn't like how they changed the Snatch Game format. The Roast was rough at times too; Lady Bunny was funnier than half of them. But I enjoyed the girls groups challenge and “Jersey Justice”. The clubs challenge looked taxing (they actually had to paint their own sets), but it was nice to see something new. “Club 96” lives in my head rent-free now. And I liked the Stacy Layne Matthews cameos. The Best Judy Makeover allowed for some meaningful moments too, like revisiting Latrice's prison story. As for the casting... a few of my faves went down in my ranking. While Valentina and Manila grew on me the most. Honestly, I liked the AS3 cast better. Manila and Latrice were the surprise entrances of AS4, going to an ad break with a teams twist fake out. They came in as legends and had totally different trajectories. Meanwhile, Mo and Monet came back immediately after Season 10. Maybe not the best idea, but I won't say no another season of Mo.

Queens Ranking: 10. Farrah Moan Farrah's intro mentioned growth, but she went right back to crying again. And this cast wasn't having it. Her whining turned into annoying self-pitying in AS4: “I never once felt like I could be a winner”; “it's gonna take me a really long time to get over it”. Farrah took the competition too seriously. She was insecure and wanted to prove she had talent. But Trinity was right – your Drag Race placement doesn't define you. She also had attitude over Mo's choreo. Then in the LaLaPaRUza episode, Farrah cried about Valentina eliminating her. She thought Valentina believed in her. That said, I was gagged when Farrah fought back against Gia (“Some of us don't have to force storylines to get their airtime”). Gia brought up this past drama out of nowhere, and Farrah didn't want any part of it. She didn't think Gia's intentions were genuine. Then on her way out, Farrah told Gia “you actually don't love me”. Otherwise lol at Farrah not knowing the veterans were LGBTQ. In the competition: Farrah wasn't funny in the Reading mini-challenge, then she fell over in the Talent Show and you can see the panic and disappointment in her face. Her glittery outfit was great though. But oh boy, Farrah's dancing in “Everybody Says Love”... 9. Latrice Royale Yeah... I wish Latrice never came back. She came off entitled on AS4?; bringing up this “unfulfilled prophecy” and saying she should stay because she's respected and beloved. The girls were hesitant to eliminate her, but Latrice shouldn't get a free pass just because she's Latrice. She had her moments like: “this ain't the first time I'm looking at your bald head” or commenting on Valentina's flat ass or “we back at Season 4 with the romper room f**kery” or “baby we don't talk about All Stars 1” or “she made her bed, lie in it... at home” or laughing her ass off while putting on the smock. She was supportive to Valentina too. But I'd rather watch Season 4 Latrice. Otherwise, she got annoyed by Gia in Snatch Game and told the judges Gia was unsportsmanlike. Then she got annoyed at Mo and Monet during the team planning. She was delusional about her “Jersey Justice” performance. And she called Mo's elimination reasoning disingenuous. Latrice claimed to have no hard feelings towards Mo, but she kept talking about it that episode. In the competition: Latrice started strong, between her flag waving in the Talent Show and her surprisingly decent flow in “Don't Funk it Up”. But then didn't bother keeping character in Snatch Game after Gia pissed her off. She also had this “I'm over it” expression during “Jersey Justice” and just stood there not talking. However, Latrice gave a lip sync worthy of returning. After that, she was a good host in the Clubs challenge. But her Makeover outfits looked like vomit. She was the obvious one to go at the Final 6. Ironically, she wasn't the worst at the Final 5 when she actually left. Also, Latrice's runways were basically the same all season. Her Plastique one was creative though. 8. Trinity The Tuck Trinity had a tough, cold, insistent way of talking (ie. “You a big ass bitch. Make it known. Honey”), just like on Season 9. But she was so bothered by everything on AS4? Every week, she was adamant about who should go home, and had a “BE GONE” attitude about it. Just no sympathy for the flops. She kept complaining about Gia, then acted nice to Gia's face during deliberation. She “ugh”-ed at Valentina's telenovela speech. She called out Monet's wardrobe. She insinuated that Manila didn't have morals for playing strategically, which was so judgmental, and yelled “ALERT ALERT” in confessional. All because Trinity wanted to beat the best. She then condescendingly told Manila “you restored my faith”. But later gave Manila recognition after the clubs challenge. Also, Trinity was bothered by the eliminated queens returning. She acted superior whenever someone came for her. And she resented working with Latrice (“...to pull my weight AND THEN SOME”). I agreed with Trinity a few times though, and she makes sense as a winner, but not a rootable one. In the competition: Did Trinity deserve her 4 wins? Snatch Games yes – she overshadowed everybody as Caitlyn Jenner and had funny interjections. “Sexy and the Kitty” sure – there wasn't much competition there. The Clubs maybe – her Spelling Bee stuff was funny. But the Talent Show no. She also wasn't funny in “Jersey Justice” and forgot her character name. She was mean in the Roast and tripped over her words. And she served nursery rhyme counting in “Super Queen”. Moreover, despite being involved in 6/13 lip syncs, I only enjoyed her in two of them. “You Spin Me Round” had the worst reveal ever. Trinity tries too hard sometimes. Her runways were polished though – After Dark, Curves and Swerves, Angelic White, and the cheetah. 7. Jasmine Masters I like Jasmine but her AS4 stint felt pointless. She was there for a good time not a long time lol. She wasn't playing to win and she didn't have much of a storyline. Even in the LaLaPaRUza episode, she wasn't doing much. I assume Jasmine was brought back because of her famous memes, since she didn't last long on Season 7. On AS4, she laughed a bunch in confessional. She decided to “wing it” with her stand-up routine, which unsurprisingly bombed. Then she got defensive during deliberation, thinking she actually was funny, and saying she had great reviews at the Laugh Factory. While in the return episode, she said she wouldn't do anything differently. Still, Jasmine had a couple funny moments like “over some balls getting pushed up” and not being able to twerk against Trinity in the lip sync. In the competition: Jasmine gave a stand-out routine about ass breath that received no laughs. And then she couldn't twerk in the lip sync. 6. Monét X Change Monet didn't show as much growth as Mo did within the same time frame. Her runways didn't improve and her track record was just as inconsistent. And I'm getting tired of the sponge references. She also annoyed me when she flip-flopped on Manila. First she vowed revenge, then she reluctantly cooled off after hearing Manila's reasoning, but then she decided to be a “petty bitch from Brooklyn” and vote Manila anyways. Monet can be opinionated at times – calling Seasons 7 and 9 boring, saying “oh s**t no” during Valentina's entrance, or thinking she'd outdo Trinity's “Sex and the Kitty” role because she knows the show. While her confessions tend to be “middle-of-the-road”, with some jokes here and there (“she might send RuPaul home!”). But she had her fun moments like asking about alien drag queens, admitting to crashing funerals, and sneaking into clubs at 12-13 years old. And her WTF face at Valentina's latest delusions was hilarious. In the competition: Monet was very hit or miss. She sold her performance in “Everybody Say Love”, and she knew how deliver a punchline in the Roast. But her voice cracked in the Talent Show, she kept referencing Whitney Houston song titles in Snatch Game, she rambled on in “Jersey Justice” (but at least she had more jokes than Trinity), and she was criticized for her characterization in “Sex and the Kitty”. Oh yeah, and I didn't understand her top 2 placement in the Makeover. Monet's runways and lip syncs were underwhelming this season as well. Her finale look was by far her best. The wine glass on her ass was funny though. 5. Naomi Smalls Naomi had the smallest edit of this cast, but she had her shady moments like: “you're my Lady Bunny” to Manila, “you have her old nose” to Monet looking like Nene Leakes, “are they your best friend” to Manila listing reasons to eliminate someone, “Did they teach you that in jail too?” to Latrice. But more importantly, Naomi is responsible for the most iconic/shocking moment of AS4 – eliminating Manila. She eliminated the queen she grew up watching, and the queen who leant her the moustache. Naomi was so unapologetic about it too - “I sent Manila home because I wanted to”. Just zero f**ks given. And the fan backlash she received was ridiculous. Naomi had the balls to do it and I love her for it. Also lol at Naomi repaying Latrice then throwing Latrice to the wolves later that same episode. And lol at her flirting with a backing dancer. In the competition: There was a perception that Naomi was just “there”. But she gave a fierce performance in “Everybody Say Love”, she was great as Wendy Williams in Snatch Game, and her Sonny & Cher inspired Makeover stood out. She also had two incredible lip syncs, and some of the best runways – the boots, the housewife, the Prince one, and she had my fave finale outfit. But Naomi stumbled towards the end. She played this snobbish host in the Clubs challenge. And she just played Naomi in “Sex and the Kitty” after pushing for the lead role. Her “Super Queen” verse was the shortest too. 4. Gia Gunn Gia was the star of the first 3 episodes. Her energy was so unwelcomed that nobody would've saved her. She was blunt and ruthless: “But her being an old white bitch with a lot of plastic surgery is maybe even more appropriate”. She mostly targeted Farrah and Trinity though. Gia basically called Farrah untalented and just an Instagram queen. She brought up some one-sided outside drama with Farrah. She coaxed Mo into saying that Farrah was the weakest link, then snitched to Farrah. And she interrupted Farrah's 1-on-1 with Monet to apologize. Meanwhile, Gia told Trinity that tucking isn't a talent. She tried to override Trinity in directing the choreo. She fought Trinity to do Cailtyn Jenner in Snatch Game. And she called Trinity bothered and nervous. Gia was accused of playing mind games and bullying, but she acted innocent throughout all this, even in confessional; like she honest intentions. She said that being on Drag Race again brought back her old Season 6 habits. And during deliberation, Gia had this tearful moment with Manila about processing a being trans drag queen. Whatever her intentions were, she brought the entertainment. In the competition: Gia showed off her heritage in the Talent Show, which was completely overlooked. But she was harsh in the Reading mini-challenge. Her flow in “Don't Funk it Up” was not it (she should've been bottom 2 for that). And her Jenny Bui in Snatch Game made me uncomfortable; talking about big dicks and insulting Latrice. And then she underestimated Naomi when picking her for the lip sync. 3. Valentina Valentina dropped the pretenses in AS4, and it made her more enjoyable. She lived in a fantasy where she slayed every challenge (“all of those judges were laughing at my jokes”; “oh girl I was hilarious”). She posed in the Werk Room at the start of every new day. She interrupted others to make speeches about herself. She told Latrice no one wants to send Latrice home... during the episode Latrice went home. She didn't pull her weight in one challenge because her “process is different”. She rejected a deal from Manila, being wise to not trust her. She eliminated Farrah after repairing their relationship. She called Mo's pants disrespectful to Aaliyah. She told Trinity she'd send her home over Latrice. And she refused to beg because it wasn't fierce. But Valentina's emotions finally cracked in her last deliberation. Meanwhile, she still gave meticulous confessionals - “*gasp* my eyebrows”, “luces! cámaras! acción!”, the applause sound effects, making a face at Manila, “Oh my god there's so much going on in my head”, drinking her French Vanilla Fantasy, calling the other clubs “tacky ugly ew” - while using the same confessional look as Season 9. Ultimately, Trinity and Latrice didn't honour their finale pacts with Valentina. In the competition: Valentina served choreo in the Talent Show, and she embraced her weirdness in the other challenges. It worked well in her “Don't Funk it Up” verse, and as the fake Snooki in “Jersey Justice”. I didn't think she was that bad as Eartha Kitt in Snatch Game either. Sure, her jokes didn't land but she was fully in character the whole time. Nor was she the worst in the Roast, but not finishing her make-up was inexcusable. Otherwise, Valentina Ru-deemed herself in the Ariana lip sync. While my fave runways were After Dark and LaLaPaRUza. The sewing one and Plastique did not work for me though. 2. Manila Luzon Manila was the BenDeLaCreme of AS4: the overdog who didn't make it. She also went against the groupthink by suggesting voting strategically. She didn't believe that the “report card” policy was so cut and dry. She ended up selecting Monet's lipstick, and the girls turned on her because of it. After explaining herself, she stood up and the girls just... started at her awkwardly. I get why Trinity called her unpredictable and Valentina called her untrustworthy. But Manila was right – there is no rule book to this. Moreover, Manila defended Gia after Gia's exit, and appreciated Gia when no one else did. On the other hand, her loyalty to Latrice probably got in the way. She was so emotional about Latrice leaving and wanting to make up for AS1. Otherwise, Manila seemed the most chill and natural in confessional? She'd jokingly self-correct (“Naomi and I are topping tonight... not each other”; “...that sounds like she died”) and explain things in a down-to-Earth way. In the competition: Manila was robbed in the Talent Show – she painted that fruit bowl UPSIDE DOWN. In the following week, she had the weakest lyrics, but her After Dark runway was stunning. Then Manila dominated the middle of the season. She was chosen by Keiynan in Snatch Game. Her dog character in “Jersey Justice” was funny. And her reading of the will during the Roast was clever. Plus she played a character in her lip syncs. But her Makeover concept just didn't translate in the final product. Otherwise, I liked her fruit basket runway, the S&M one, and her LaLaPaRUza outfit. I did not like Angelic White. 1. Mo(nique) Heart Mo repeated her catchphrases a lot this season (“America”, “stunning”, “gooped”, “chopped”, etc.) in a brown cow confessional look. But her personality still shined: “I peed all over that damn floor”; “So Latrice is back *long dead silence*”; “booty do”, her wig flying to the rafters, fainting at the Double Shantay, pranking Monet with her lipstick choice, bringing up church plays as her acting experience, and her cartwheel attempts. Plus her facial reactions killed me. Mo had this unaware edit though. SLM commented on her leadership, she was impatient to do 1 on 1s, she half-listened to Cecily Strong, and she asked Ru “can I go now?” Also half the cast got on Mo's damn nerves lol. She straight-up told Farrah that her crying is annoying. Then Farrah was difficult to direct in rehearsal. She called Gia out for bothering Farrah (“Oh my gosh sis that is fake as f**k dot com”). And later said Gia was “annoying and rude and picking on other contestants”. She put Manila last in the Roast to sabotage her. And she had to deal with Latrice calling her reasons disingenuous, and Valentina trashing her Roast. In the competition: Mo showed the most growth. I could've realistically put her top 3 in every challenge. Both of her bottom placements were BS - she sang really well in “Everybody Says Love”, and she was miles ahead of Naomi/Trinity/Valentina in the Roast. Meanwhile, “Brown Cow Stunning” was fierce in the Talent Show. Her Tiffany Haddish in Snatch Game had funny moments. Her “Jersey Justice” character was well-defined (“Objectify!”). Her eyes Makeover was cool. And she was the best in “Sexy and the Kitty”. Sure Mo had the worst finale outfit, but who cares? Aside from the banana outfit, Mo Ru-deemed herself with her runways – After Dark, the exaggerated cow, Puss in Boots. She had the funds this time! She also Ru-deemed herself in the lip syncs, aside from the first one. Favourite entrance look: Manila Luzon's roadkill thing Challenge ranking: 1. "Jersey Justice" (Improv) 2. "Queens of Clubs" 3. "Henny" Girl Groups 4. LaLaPaRUza 5. Talent Show 6. Lady Bunny Roast 7. Snatch Game of Love 8. Best Judy Makeover 9. "Super Queen" Ru-mix (Mo > Monet > Naomi > Trinity) 10. "Sex and The Kitty, Girl 3" (Acting) (....why did they become clowns at the end?) Lip Sync ranking: 1. Gia Gunn vs Naomi Smalls ("Adrenaline") 2. Monét X Change vs Valentina ("Into You") 3. Manila Luzon vs Monique Heart ("The Bitch Is Back") (could've been the double win, but that would've made zero sense with the storyline) 4. Manila Luzon vs Trinity The Tuck ("How Will I Know") 5. Monét X Change vs Naomi Smalls ("Come Rain Or Come Shine") 6. Latrice Royale vs Monique Heart ("Sissy That Walk") (kinda messy?) 7. Monique Heart vs Trinity The Tuck ("Emotions") (Mo's wig mishap was more funny than cringe + the whistle notes were funny) 8. Jasmine Masters vs Trinity The Tuck ("Peanut Butter") 9. Monét X Change vs Trinity The Tuck ("Fighter") 10. Manila Luzon vs Monét X Change ("Jump To It") (the scatting parts are funny but it's low energy... and this was a double win) 11. Monique Heart vs Trinity The Tuck ("When I Think Of You") (forgettable) 12. Farrah Moan vs Valentina ("Kitty Girl") 13. Latrice Royale vs Trinity The Tuck ("You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)") (worst reveal ever) Season ranking so far: 9 > 5 > 6 > AS2 > 4 > 10 > 2 > 7 > AS3 > AS4 > 3 > 8 > 1 > AS1

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silver-gambit · 6 years

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#why did they split the marths up #maybe I should’ve just voted for all the Anna’s haha #I have a thing for otps and blue hair it seems lol #also Veronicaaaaa did you see that comic with her and Xander ahhhh #also Leo because blond Marth #fire emblem #fire emblem heroes #and I need a red tome user haha winter banner didn’t get Tharja :(

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babyboibucky · 3 years

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Should’ve Known Better

Pairing: EB!Frank x Reader

Summary: You should have known better than to sleep with a friend.

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Smut, FWB set-up, a little bit of toxic shit, angst

A/N: Frank got the most votes when I asked which other Seb character I should write for, so here it is! This is very personal to me lmfao it’s somewhat based on my own experience that really fucked me up a couple of years ago aksncajscna no but for real, stay away from the friends with benefits kind of relationship if you can’t keep shit purely sexual lmao also some guys are just fucking assholes even if they’re your friend lol

ALSO, I tagged those who are in my Everything Bucky Tag List. I’m not sure if I’ll write more Frank in the future too so I won’t be creating a separate tag list for him yet.

MAIN MASTERLIST

"Do you love me?"

It was a simple question that was supposed to make you think. Given your experiences and your personality in general, you were supposed to cringe and ignore it. Maybe even make a joke out of it, especially that it was Frank who was asking you this question.

He wasn't supposed to ask it too. He wasn't one to ask such thing, not especially with the relationship that the both of you have. It was clear from the get go that this was nothing serious.

So why was he asking it now?

And why did you respond to it right away, as if you knew your answer even before he asked?

"Come on, it'll be fun."

You should've said no. You should have known better.

"I'll make you feel good, you won't regret this."

It did feel good, you were going to give Frank that. Possibly the best, even. But the latter part? You weren't so sure. Were you regretting it? Honestly, no.

Maybe not yet.

You'd rather not think about it for now.

"What's there to lose? We know each other too much to develop feelings anyway, you said so yourself."

Oh there's plenty to lose. Maybe a decade's worth of platonic (was it really platonic from the beginning though?) friendship. Your self-esteem was on the line too, but you didn't know it yet. You'll get there though, whether you like it or not.

"I'm free next Friday, come over. Spend the night with me. What do you say?"

You should've said no. You should have known better.

"Next Friday. I'll see you, okay?"

You should've said no. You should have known better.

"Ugh, fine."

But you said yes because you didn't know any better.

That first night with Frank was something else. It was fun and he kept his promise to make you feel good. So, so good. You never thought that sex could be that fucking good. At least, not with your previous partners. Not that you had many in the first place.

But god, Frank knew what he was doing and he loved doing things to you. He loved the entire process of knowing your body, what you liked and what you loved. How you liked to be kissed and touched and fucked.

He studied your body like his fucking life depended on it and you let him. You let him own your body because you needed someone to. You needed to feel something, wanted to have a purpose even for just a short while, even if it meant being someone's fuck buddy.

You felt lost for the longest time, but as you laid on Frank's bed with his tongue lapping up your cunt, you actually felt like you belonged somewhere.

You weren't a booty call, definitely not. And when things escalated between the both of you, Frank was already single and had broken off with his recent girlfriend, Daphne. You weren't a doormat nor a side chick. Frank had been your friend for the longest time, one of your closest actually. He knew you the best and not just physically. Frank knew the darkest parts of you the same way you knew him like the back of your hand. He was the most open to you, he said so himself.

"I don't know what I'd do without you." he told you one time.

Frank wasn't afraid to show you his true colors; how he wasn't the kind to settle for one or how he would often end up with someone immature or toxic. He himself was toxic and for the most part, you tolerated him.

That was the mistake on your part.

You let him be himself, that's why you held a special place in his heart. Not even his past girlfriends could get rid of you. You were untouchable.

"Are you sure she's fine with us going out?" you asked Frank one time, as the both of you headed to the movies.

He scoffed, "Yeah, don't worry. I already told her you're my best friend. You're off limits." he chuckled as he placed his hand on the small of your back, guiding you inside the cinema.

"You're fine." he reassured again, this time wrapping his arm around your shoulder and then cradling your head playfully.

Looking back, you sometimes ponder whether the friendship was really platonic. You were sure of it when the both of you first became friends; he was a couple of years older than you. You sort of looked up to him like an older brother for the first few years of your relationship. And he was very caring too, always looking out for you.

Your other friends were the first one to notice the closeness. They often told you that Frank seemed to have a thing for you. You brushed it off though, saying that it was impossible.

His girlfriend then was an acquaintance of yours. She was nice and wasn't bothered by how Frank was affectionate towards you.

Indeed, you were untouchable. You were the best friend after all.

"We fought again."

You rolled your eyes at Frank as he sat across from you at a local coffee shop near your place. It was your birthday and as always, you spent the most part of it with Frank.

It was like a tradition already, to celebrate your birthday with Frank first before you went out with your friends. Or even family. It was that kind of friendship.

"I'm sorry but who are we talking about again?" you joked.

Frank made a face, "Daphne." he responded. "I just told you about her like, two days ago."

You snickered, "I was kidding. But honestly though, you have to stop flirting with other girls. It's been really difficult for me to keep track of your record, Frank. And are you and Daphne even official?" you asked, taking a sip from your cold brew.

He rubbed his chin and shrugged, "Sorta. Well, we were official two weeks ago. Now though, I'm not so sure. Here's the thing, Daphne can be really..." he said, trying to search for the right words.

You hummed and shook your head, "Immature?" you said and mindlessly scrolled through your phone.

"You should really stop dating girls who are immature, Frank. I swear to god, this is like...I don't know, the fifth time you dated someone like her? Why don't you settle for someone who actually acts her age?" you blurted out.

Frank groaned and transferred to the seat next to you, his body facing yours and his hand landing on your thigh. You didn't mind, didn't think it was too touchy or intimate for someone who was in a relationship. It was pretty common for Frank to be this touchy with you anyway, you never paid much attention to it nor given it any malice.

"We fought because of you actually." Frank admitted with an apologetic smile.

Your head snapped towards him, a scowl etched on your face. "What did I do?!" you asked in defense.

"It was my fault. Daph saw your photo inside my wallet." he said.

"You should really throw away that photo. Jesus, why do you still have it anyway?" you complained.

Frank scoffed, "That's my favorite photo of you. I don't wanna get rid of it."

That was the last day that you considered your friendship with Frank platonic.

Come over

I miss u xoxo

Miss eating u out

Miss ur moans, wanna hear them again

You groaned at the continuous notifications that flooded your phone. While you were at work. After that first night with Frank, he had gotten extra clingy. No lies though, it felt nice to be wanted like this.

im free nxt Sat

Yay

Cant wait to see u, missed u a lot

dude, we were at the mall together just last wk

U really dont get attached do u?

Frowning at Frank's reply, you honestly didn't understand what he was implying.

what u mean?

Nothing

Work kept you busy for the entire week, with Frank bombarding you with sweet texts. You've avoided being sweet with him, it felt wrong. You weren't an affectionate person but Frank was, it was sort of one-sided. It wasn't a big deal anyway.

No one from the rest of your friends knew what had become of your friendship with Frank. You just thought it wasn't something that should be revealed. It was like your and Frank's little secret. You had to admit, the thrill only made the sex better.

Whenever the both of you went out with other people, the tension was there and it was fun. It was fun trying to brush off the way Frank's hand would steal touches from your waist, or how he'd subtly squeeze your thigh. The looks you exchanged from across the room; how Frank's "fuck me" eyes were meant for you and only you.

Things like that made you feel a certain type of way. But you never dwelled on it, or at least, you thought you didn't.

"Yeah, fuck...just like that, baby."

Frank's fingers dug deeply into the skin of your ass as he guided your hips. You gripped onto the back of the couch as you bounced on his cock, head thrown back from pleasure as Frank suckled one of your nipples. You could feel each of his fingers pressing down against your skin, it's probably going to leave bruises again.

"Frank, shit. I'm close." you panted against the skin of his neck, your arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him close.

Frank grunted and took your face in between his palms, forcing you to look at him as he began to thrust his hips upwards, eliciting a high-pitched whimper from you.

"Wanted to see you like this ever since." he breathed out, pressing his lips against your open mouth.

"Wanted you since we met, d'you know that?" he asked, grabbing a fistful of your hair and tugging your head back so he could nibble on your throat.

You shook your head and gripped his shoulders, nails scratching at his skin as you continued to ride his cock, "God, Frank...so close." you moaned.

You felt Frank's lips curl into a smirk against your neck, his fingers gripping your hair to keep you in place as his other hand slipped in between your bodies, finding your clit and rubbing it to help you reach your climax.

Every single time he touched you, you felt like your entire body was on fire. You felt the most alive, the most free whenever Frank fucked you. Maybe because he was truly gifted in bed or maybe he just knew your body and how to make it sing.

Or maybe it was because of the way he looked at you whenever you fall apart for him. Like he only had eyes for you, like it was only you that he could see.

Sweaty bodies and hoarse voices, the smell of smoke and sex lingering in the air. It was such a familiar ambiance by now. You liked how the aftermath of fucking Frank was never awkward, if any, it was a comfortable experience with the both of you just talking casually about how each other's day went.

"So I'm talking to this girl..." Frank said, turning you around so he could spoon you. Oh, the irony of the intimacy and conversation.

"Where'd you meet this girl?" you asked.

"Tinder." Frank snorted before pressing a kiss on your nape. "No, but she's different. I don't know, there's something about her."

You merely hummed in response.

"Think I might ask her out."

The first sting. The first realization. The first denial.

You should've said no. You should've known better.

The art exhibit wasn't a flop, but you wouldn't call it a success either. When you got a call from the organizer asking whether they can include your paintings in the exhibit, you said yes instantly. What can you say? You were a struggling artist who was seeking validation.

But now that you stood in front of your works with barely ten people attending the one-day exhibit, you thought that this wasn't a validation. It felt like a wake up call that maybe, art wasn't your calling and that you should probably give up on your dream.

"These are amazing."

You were on the verge of breaking down when you heard his voice. Turning around, you were surprised to see Frank. He was nodding his head as he approached you, his eyes scanning each of your painting.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had work." you asked.

Frank gave you a face, "Did you really think I'd miss out on your first exhibit?" he said and pulled you into a warm embrace.

"I'm proud of you." he whispered before kissing the crown of your head.

One validation from Frank was all it took for the walls to crumble down. He was the one who had been there for you all along and that was why you completely trusted him.

Frank will never hurt you, he'll never bring you down.

Or so you thought.

"Do you love me?"

It was a question that was supposed to make you think. But you didn't, because even before Frank decided to ask you that, you already had your answer.

You knew your answer for the longest time now, but decided to lock it into a box that you kept in the deepest part of your heart. It remained there unbothered and almost forgotten, up until this point.

That's why it was so easy for you to respond to it without even batting an eye.

"Yes."

It was too late when you realized that you had just admitted that you were in love with Frank. But you felt like it was the right time for you to bring out the key to that box, open it and just set your truth free.

They said that the truth will set you free, but why does it feel like it only imprisoned you?

"Shit, I was kidding." Frank said, his face panicked and body stiff from your unexpected admission.

Before you could even say something, Frank let out a nervous laugh as he ran his hand through his locks. "Wow, I didn't...are you serious?" he asked again.

It took you everything to brush off the pain, "Yeah, but it's no big deal. Come on." you shook your head and forced out a breathy chuckle.

Frank heaved out a deep sigh, "Fuck, I was messing with you. Are you sure it's fine? I mean, would this change anything?" he asked.

You deadpanned, "No, Frank. It wouldn't change anything. Like I said, get over it. It's not like I'm in love with you. I just love you...if that makes sense? You're my friend." you explained, more like lied.

"Look, it's not like I'm unattracted to you. I like you, I like spending time with you. It's just that I sort of don't see myself committing to you."

It didn't sink in to you immediately, Frank's statement. You didn't pay it any mind because again, you knew Frank. He wasn't one to commit so that was fine, you understand where he was coming from. It's not like you were going to force yourself on him too. But then you accidentally glanced at his phone and saw the messages he'd been exchanging with a certain someone.

When r u coming home?

In a little while, Daph

That night, Frank's statement hit you like a ton of bricks but again, you chose to deny what you actually felt. It's fine.

You're fine.

You should've said no. You should've known better.

Those words rang in your ears on the day that you found out. Your body turned cold, your vision blurred and your head spun. You'd never experienced hurt and anger like this, the kind that consumed you.

The kind that made you realized and admit that fuck, you'd truly fallen for Frank only for him to break your heart.

It didn't help that you were having such a terrible day at work. And Frank was so sweet to ask you whether you wanted to meet up with him. Not for sex, but to talk. The sex came rarely recently and was replaced with wholesome trips to the grocery, shit like that.

You knew there was something special going on. Even after he told you that he didn't see himself being with you, there was something.

Apparently, that something was just an assumption. Because when you asked Frank to meet you up that night, he said he couldn't and needed to be somewhere. That he'd meet with you the next day instead, a promise.

But then you saw him post a photo of him and Daphne. And it made your blood boil.

u back together?

No. Not really, been trying to fix it but u know how it is.

if ur trying to fix it with her then im out, frank

Wait what? Hey, are u mad?

r u fucking serious? u knew i love u and u come here parading ur ex, what the fuck is that all abt?

Shit, hey. Look, let's talk later, okay? Im out, will txt u when Im free.

Frank didn't text you back for the rest of the day.

You should've said no. You should've known better. But you said yes because you didn't know any better.

Were you regretting it? Yes. Sometimes.

You didn't know which hurt the most, the fact that Frank kept you in the dark while he was trying to patch things up with his ex, or that he considered you his best friend and still chose to break your heart.

He knew you the best, your relationship and trust issues and out of all the people, he really had to be the one to fuck you up the most. You trusted him so much, trusted him not to hurt you. Hell, if he doesn't want to commit then that's fine. But for him to treat you like a second option? Fuck that.

For him to confuse you with his actions, the intimacy...were all of those even real? All the times he came to your support when you had no one, when he was there for you on days you felt alone. What were those? He made you feel so fucking special, like it was possible to actually turn the friendship into something more than just fucking.

All this time you thought it was one-sided because you never actually showed Frank how much you meant to him the same way he did to you. Turned out that it was one-sided, but only because you were the only one who fell.

The following day, you received a voicemail from Frank. You pondered whether you were ready to listen to it but at the same time, you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was pretty stupid, he fucked you up and there was no excuse for that. But the friendship you had with him had a strong hold on you.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. That was my mistake." he started off. "I thought that this was really just sex and having fun, but I want you to know that I like you. I really do, you're special to me. Please give me a chance to make things right. Daph and I...I want to end things with her. Please stay, I don't know what I'd do without you."

“I just didn’t expect that you’d end up falling for me, I mean shit. You know the real me, how fucked up I am when it comes to relationships. Just please...please stay?”

Did you stay? Sort of. But you kept your distance, didn't meet up with Frank after that and only responded to his texts occasionally. Did he end things with Daph?

He didn't.

He said he would but instead, they got back together.

It was fucking selfish of Frank to ask for you to stay only for him to get back together with his ex. It'd be better for him to just slap you in the face then.

Being told that he couldn't see himself committing to you but then going back with his ex was the cherry on top. God, if that didn't mess up with your self-worth.

You totally stopped talking to Frank, ignored his texts and calls. You stayed away from him, tried to get over him and eventually, you did. But you'd be lying if you said that he never left an effect on you. Because he did, Frank did a number on you and it would take you a long fucking time to completely recover from the damage he inflicted on you.

You should've said no. You should've known better. But you said yes because you didn't know any better.

And that's okay, because there's nothing wrong with taking risks and ending up in heartbreak.

You live, you love and you learn.

Everything Bucky Tag List:

@ddowii @jessou893 @stealapizzamyheart @bagelofthelord @mxnt @dontputyourfckingdrinkonmytable @jeeperky @ohladymacbeth @wildflowergubler @supraveng @twinerd14 @buckysmar @bakugouswh0r3 @sweetcoldharmony @wintersfilm @charminivy @amelia-song-pond @iamvalentinaconstanza @mcubqrnes @i’m-squished @tcc-gizmachine @sipsteacasually @prettyintopeerpressure @weloveyasmin @est19xxshit @bloodhon3yx @dressed-in-prada @lizette50 @thatfangirl42 @sunflowerbunny2 @unmagically @okiegirl24 @sugarpunch-princess @enlyume @vvipgotbb @slimeyderp @lyoongx @just-deka @nobody-will @jaziona92 @elisebuitron @dpaccione @suvikamahes98blr @buckybarneshairpullingkink @earthtonav @x-judyjude-x @nani-kenobi @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @belladonnabarnes @iloveangstposts @weenersoldierr @asemistablehundredyearoldman @reidbuck @lizzarooni @girlfriday007 @bonkywobble @lost-in-the-stars03 @its-yasbxtch @whoth3hellisbucky

#bbb writes #oneshots: eb frank #endings beginnings #frank endings beginnings #sebastian stan

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verryberriess · 3 years

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Whatever This Is | Chapter 1

READ PROLOGUE HERE!!

Whatever This Is

Synopsis: In which Jude and Cardan meet again after seven years, but not on good terms.

thanks to @maastrash for helping me edit LOL!!!! :D

CHAPTER ONE

The last time I saw Cardan Greenbriar was seven years ago.

Today, seven years later, we were a mere few feet apart. I’m unsure whether to feel relieved or insulted at his lack of acknowledgement. Relieved that maybe he has forgotten my face and I could continue along with my life, undeterred and unaffected as ever. But insulted, because, maybe he has forgotten me.

“Are you ready to order?” The cashier startles me. I didn’t realize that the line had suddenly quickened in pace. He must be new, since I haven’t seen him around the Torre’s until today.

Thankfully, I respond with my usual order without thinking. The cashier nods and I fumble my purse in search of my wallet. I’m able to quickly spot my cyan-colored wallet and unbutton its strap with haste, fishing for my credit card from the compartment with my nail. The card is stubborn, in a tight space stuck to two other cards.

“Sorry,” I look up and flash the cashier a tight smile, embarrassment coloring my features.

The cashier responds in turn, his green eyes alight in amusement. “It’s alright. That happens to me all the time.”

I immediately return to the war against my card, which finally relents. I slam it into the card reader, chip in first. While the payment approves, I smile and say, “Thanks for your patience,“ peering down at his name tag to add, “Beckett.” He is handsome and new, and on another day I would try to get to know him, but I am in a hurry, so I walk from the bounds of the register and head straight towards the door outside.

The door swings open in response to my adrenaline and haste. I curse inwardly at the crowd outside of Torre’s that seems to have gotten even bigger. As I mutter “Excuse me’s” and sidestep around the large number of people, I inspect the streets for an absurdly tall head of iridescent midnight hair. I am quickly astonished to see that exact head right in the middle of the large crowd, showering the thrall of excited women with a crooked smile.

Cardan stands in the middle. While he keeps his hands at his sides, his posture is loose and his torso leans in to angle himself for a selfie with another woman. The woman presses her back into Cardan’s again. He doesn’t seem bothered by this at all.

I zero in on the changes in his features. He has gotten taller, his face more angular. His style has been perfected, dressed in a dark suit and decorated in gold rings and darks and blacks while the midnight black hair atop his head seems unruly and untamed, as if on purpose. All these years and he seems to have perfected perfection, looking more horrifically beautiful than ever. I have forgotten this obtrusive charm I had once been fooled by, and even after all these years I am disgusted at myself for still being reigned in, captivated.

But all of a sudden, for a few seconds, he turns his head away from his surroundings and regards me with his eyes, looking as if he were noting my presence with the same disgust, and then quickly looking away. The exchange was so quick, I had barely registered it.

Yet, as I stand at the outskirts of this group, I am reminded of the past, and how I have gotten over this already. I have replayed scenario after scenario of reunions in my head after the first few months of my departure, but I had never really anticipated some overly-large crowd separating Cardan Greenbriar and I by just a few feet.

A few feet that might as well be an ocean. Or two.

I can’t help but marvel at how we were once more than acquainted with each other. That look had reminded me that everything is over, that he wants nothing to do with me. Seven years could be more, if I refocused myself. I could do that, I reminded myself. Seven years could turn into forever.

A twinge of sorrow worms its way into my gut. I squash it.

I turn around. My coffee must be done by now and I want to head to work before I’m late. I suppose the sidewalk will take some weaving around and being late was not on my agenda.

My steps are forward. I make my way back to the door of Torre’s, pulling open the door to step in.

But a familiar voice, ringed with the same distinct tone of arrogance and authority that I haven’t heard in years, ceases any of my movements.

“You need to back up.”

My grip at the handle falters, and another person shuffles out on the other side. They thank me for holding the door for them.

Instead of responding, I turn back around and face the direction of where the voice had called. The atmosphere feels almost different. Where the women had once been gathered around him, they now stand at a distance, clearing for the space he had requested.

I watch one of them snap a quick selfie while he is in her background. She leaves the group right afterwards. My eyes move back to where Cardan is, but he is walking towards my direction, uncaring of the people around him.

I pull the door handle hurriedly and slip inside into the safety of Torre’s. The chatter and ambiance of the coffeehouse usually offer safe haven from San Francisco’s morning bustles, but not today.

I could feel his looming presence right behind me, about to catch up to my stride. I’m not about to do this right now. I don’t think I can.

The choice is ripped away from me, however, when a gentle grip takes hold of my wrist.

“Jude?” The voice is soft, a complete one-eighty from that of authority outside.

I still immediately. I first turn to check the surroundings, discovering that none of the women from outside have followed him in. Then, I glance at the hand which still grips my wrist. I try to shake it off. Cardan’s hold is firm, but he reluctantly lets go. He removes himself slowly as if he is unsure whether or not he should.

Taking a step away, he stands and shifts awkwardly. He is too tall now, absurdly towering over me. Where he used to be only about an inch taller, he is now a few inches above my height. He is no longer able to slouch against me without adjusting himself as easily anymore.

The distance between us is off-putting. Though traits like his height and broadness separate us physically from our past selves, it is the other changes in our approaches and personalities that further highlight the obnoxious tension between us.

Why he suddenly acknowledges my presence is a mystery to me. Why he is here astonishes me. I am unsure if fate is cruel enough to have forced us to meet in this kind of circumstance, or if this was a making of pure coincidence.

Cardan stares at me with some deep intensity. I want to be rid of his scathing stare, grab my coffee, and disappear from this whole ordeal. Pretend that this stain of an encounter had not been inked upon seven years of spotless script.

“Cardan,” I say stiffly. Once acquainted, but now strangers. I am hesitant to say more, despite all the questions that rage within my mind and my wickedly cursed heart. Everything about this is full of uncertainty and unpredictability. A type of situation that I am not entirely familiarized with, since plans and strategy have always ruled my life. It is frustratingly tiresome.

Cardan eyes the row of occupied couches, and later the arrangement of empty rustic tables and chairs. He gestures out to the seats, “Why don’t we find a seat? I imagine that we have much to catch up on.”

I secretly consider his offer, but my brain votes to think of ways to escape his reach. Before I can make a decision though, I am led away to an open table. I am reluctant to make this encounter any longer than it should be, but I decide that I should at least gain some reasoning for his recent presence.

“I’m glad you’re so eager to see me again. After all, it’s been so long.” Cardan resumes his usual nonchalant character. “What an extraordinary coincidence running into you here.”

For a moment, I remark on his wording. I am glad that this turned out to be an occasion of pure coincidence.

Concern or indifference? I decided on the latter tone to respond with. “Yes, it certainly has been a while. But considering how we left things, I’m surprised that you even want to be near me.”

He raises an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth lift slightly. “Considering how we’ve left things, I’m surprised you’ve let me into your vicinity.” It doesn’t look like it, but the small twinges in expression reveal that he is thinking of what to say next. I am about to retort back, but what he asks next catches me off guard as he continues, softly, “Why did you leave for so long?”

My cheeks heat. At this, I am suddenly hyper aware of how close he is, of his overwhelming heat despite the violent cold that rages outside, and how he almost whispers his question, with a compelling mix of rasp and seduction. He towers over me, as if using his height to shield me from the world like he has done so many times those years ago, but in this instance, it feels as though he is also looking for something. Cardan is cautious though, leaving room for retreat.

If I am not careful myself, I imagine that I would fall into his chest, and take advantage of the closeness that I had secretly yearned for nearly a decade. Seven years be damned, my focused mentality would dissolve into dust.

I announce my resolve by taking a step back. The distance between him and I is lengthened. Although my heart curses at me, my mind is indiscriminate. I hadn’t expected this conversation to go about this way. Though, I also didn’t know what to expect. Everything was unpredictable at this point and many things have changed. I didn’t know what response he wanted, because he should’ve known why I left.

“... Because of you.” I say gruffly. I leave little context, wanting him to fill in the blanks.

For a second, a mixture of hurt and surprise leaks into his expression before it is masked again. In that second I can’t help but relish in a small sense of satisfaction that I had got to him. Hurt for hurt. An eye for an eye. Whatever game he is trying to play at this time will not rouse a fraction of feeling from me. Not again.

“I see.” Again, Cardan contemplates. He does not show anything, but his eyes start to roam around us, like he is taking in the coffeehouse setting again as if he wasn’t just here only a few moments ago.

“Excuse me?” The green-eyed cashier from before stands in front of us.

He looks between Cardan and I. Cardan, in turn, twists to the direction of the abrupt voice, and slowly assesses his form. I watch his eyes trail up and down the cashier’s physique, his face contorting in judgement before glaring at him, clearly annoyed by his abrupt intrusion.

Beckett turns to me instead, smiling brightly. His dimples deepen and his white teeth flash to me. He holds out a branded cup of Torre’s. “Hey, Jude right? We called out your name earlier, but I don’t think you heard us. I thought I’d bring your coffee to you before it got cold.”

“Thanks so much, I almost forgot.” I take the cup from him and gently set it down at our table.

“Of course.” Beckett still hovers over us, his attention only towards me. “Andrea told me you were a regular here. I should have known.”

“Yes, I come here often. But it’s okay, I noticed that you’re new here too. And it’s Beckett right?” I ask.

Beckett replies, “Yeah, it’s actually my second day.”

Beckett hovers over us. I notice that he is handsome, with close-cropped blonde hair that is slightly grown out. His green eyes twinkle as he observes me in return. He is well-muscled and tan from what I could see of his arms, which are mostly covered by his gray, long-sleeved uniform.

I take a quick glance at Cardan. His fingers tap the tabletop in a particular rhythm as he watches the exchange between Beckett and I.

“Well, I better get back to work now. If you need anything else, check your cup.” Beckett smiles again and walks away.

I look back at the coffee cup and peer at Cardan who eyes its side, a murderous expression set upon his facial features. His eyes are cold and his jaw is clenched.

As I take the cup in my hands, I inspect the sticker attached to the side of the cup. A phone number written in scrawly blue ink is scribbled onto the light orange sticker.

“I didn’t realize hand-serving customers was a part of the job description.” Cardan remarks icily.

“Well,” I clear my throat. “At least he’s done something you didn't have the balls to do seven years ago.”

A/N: i haven't been here in a while... hello! let me know if you want to be put on the tag list lOL

#jurdan #jurdan fanfiction #jurdan fanfic #judexcardan #judeduarte #cardan greenbriar #the cruel prince #the folk of the air #tfota fanfic #tfota #verryberriess #jude x cardan #twk #tcp fic

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auroracalisto · 3 years

Text

a cure for the unknown

summary: loosely following tvd season 4, episode 19, rebekah chooses between the cure and making elena’s wrongs a right.

pairing: rebekah x gender neutral reader

word count: 787 words

warnings: canon divergence, blood, elena being an emotionless butthole, references to death, instead of april, it’s [your name]

a/n: uhhhhhh lol

It was prom night. The night that every high schooler dreamed of—just kidding. The night that many high schoolers do dream of, but most likely not to the extent that Caroline cared about prom. Not that you could blame her. She was still trying to hold on to what little humanity there was left that she could attach herself to.

Tonight, was not a night that you had always dreamed of. However, you came, in support of your friend. You could only wish that the time would go by faster instead of lasting an eternity, like it had been.

Everything was supposed to be perfect—Caroline had spent weeks working on creating a prom so memorable that it would hopefully compel Elena into turning her humanity back on. It was a long shot, for sure. With Silas running around as anyone and everyone, it was only a matter of time before he showed up at the prom, making things worse for everyone. Making things worse for the Salvatore brothers who were so set on returning Elena to her normally compassionate state.

You were in charge of counting prom queen and king votes with April. It wasn’t fun; planning it all at been, but once you were standing at the voting booth, you realized that was all you were going to do that evening. You didn’t even have a date. Not that you cared. At least, that’s what you told yourself, sitting behind the table and bouncing your leg as you passed card after card to prom attendees.

When April left to booth to get a drink, Rebekah bombarded her with questions. You couldn’t hear her; maybe that was for the best. However, that left you open to Elena.

The said woman walked over to you, an air of arrogance surrounding her entire body.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave you a snide smirk. “You’ll cast Rebekah as prom queen, or else.”

“Or else what?” you rolled your eyes at her theatrics, standing up and smoothing down your evening attire. “I literally can’t do that. It’s based on votes, Elena. You know that.”

Elena’s hand quickly reached out and pinned you against the wall that stood sturdy behind you.

“You know what I’m capable of, [Your name]. Don’t be stupid.”

April came back as Elena let go of your throat. You looked over at April, hesitantly smiling as Elena walked back over to Rebekah. You remained unaware of Rebekah scolding Elena for doing that—Elena simply brushed off the worried woman by saying, “You would have done it anyway.”

But the thing was, Rebekah wouldn’t have done it. Not to you.

Announcing prom queen and king should have been fun for you—but as you stood off to the side, anxiety pitted itself in your stomach. Like a seed that had just begun to sprout and had no indication of slowing down anytime soon. Something bad was going to happen.

You watched as an anxious Rebekah looked around—she was trying to find someone. When her eyes landed on Matt, you sighed. Of course. She had liked him since she got to Mystic Falls. It came as no surprise to you, though. He was cute. He would treat her right.

You sighed softly and looked towards Bonnie as she took a couple more photos.

An emotionless Elena stood close by. When Bonnie went behind the curtains to recuperate, Elena was right behind her.

One thing led to another, and as Bonnie used her powers to completely debilitate Elena, she promptly got away. When Elena stood back up, returning to her senses, she stared you down. In just a moment’s time, Elena’s teeth sunk into your jugular and she quickly jerked her head away, allowing your body to collapse on the hard flooring.

“Should’ve made Rebekah prom queen.”

Elena had no intention to stay. When she felt the shift in the air, she left. Rebekah soon took her place, her eyes wide. Had she a heart, it would be throbbing in her throat.

The blonde quickly rushed to your side, her hands cupping your cheeks. She had tried her hardest to stay human the entire night. That was her challenge, from Elijah—stay human and she would be allowed to have the cure. But she couldn’t let you die. Not now. Not when she hadn’t even worked up the courage to tell you how she felt.

Rebekah bit into her wrist and held it against your lips.

The healing was slow, as the blood took it’s time to travel through your motionless body. But Rebekah knew that you were going to be okay. You had to be. If you weren’t… Elena was a dead bitch.

#rebekah x reader #rebekah #rebekah mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson x reader #x reader #gender neutral reader #gender neutral #tvd #the originals x reader #the vampire diaries #the originals #to #to x reader #tvd x reader #rebekah x gender neutral reader #prom #elena salvatore

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wingblade1357 · 3 years

Note

Hi! Just asking real quick, in the AU where Sora went to Royal sword, would he ever think of auditioning for the VDC? Also what would he think of niege’s performance anyway?

*plays Under the Sea* maybe hahaha But Neige and the 7 dwarves are already a team, so maybe not.

One one hand I think he wants to support his own school, but on the other he’s a pretty honest guy. (cuz let’s all be honest... NRC should’ve won instead of RSA.) He votes for NRC lol

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chrispaulcolfer · 3 years

Note

What do you think of Kurt’s relationship with:

Rachel

Mercedes

Santana

any other friendship with girl? Brittany or Tina?

Oh boy. Okay.

Rachel: hate it. Hate the way it transitioned to sudden besties out of no where. Hate how it turned Kurt into her cheerleader 90% of the time while she took the 10% to reciprocate (Swan Song for example, that was a good pep talk from her to him). Hate how when he's not with New Directions, she's happy to help him try for a solo because he's her "only competition". Yet, when he tries for leading man material at McKinley, she too laughs in his face. When he gets the NYADA letter and she doesn't, she turns his excitement into her pity party. When he wins Midnight Madness, she turns it into "I guess I'm not talented enough and won't audition for anything". I hate how when she ditches him for fake friends who bad mouth him, she doesn't see that as a red flag to ditch them, until they vote for him and not her. I hate how she manipulates Elliott into claiming Kurt kicked her out when it was her own damn choice, and disowns Kurt when he didn't automatically take her side by playing referee for her outlandish claims against Santana. I hate "my best gay", it isn't cute, it isn't quirky, it's stupid and Kurt Hummel does deserve a better best friend who doesn't just use him to hoist themselves up. I'm glad Colfer called it the fuck out in his episode, even if it was magically fine at the end again just because she showed up to his Peter Pan show - shocker. I hate how she destroyed him being the actual student president by cheating, but that's fine because she owns up to it I guess? Like they still had to claim the cheerleader the winner who did nothing all year, when they could've had Kurt who would actually have done something good, but aT LeAsT sHe WaS HoNeSt right?????? I mean she is the one who also decided to run against him for a hot minute too, but SHE DROPPED OUT GUISE. BFF'S. It would've been so much better if they both went to New York, and then agreed to be roommates because it would be cheaper and we see them expand into actual friendship from there. Kurt doesn't need to stay relevant as a character just by being Rachel's best friend on the fact they both are into Broadway. THAT is the stereotype. Because remember, he's gay and she has two gay dads, so meant to be in each other's lives. Also ew having Rachel as a surrogate, what the fuck. No. Keep that controlling person away from any child of Kurt and Blaine's, that'll just cause more problems.

Mercedes: Maybe it's Colfer and Riley's friendship chemistry showing on screen, but I love and will forever love this friendship. I love that Kurt can admit he's wrong with her! ON HIS OWN! No sob story, no passive aggressiveness, no call out. Him realizing encouraging her to lose the weight was wrong? Growth. No, it isn't a perfect friendship, but it didn't start out of no where either. Kurt being dumb with trying to set her up with dates so he didn't feel bad in befriending Blaine. Mercedes letting her religious blinders encourage Kurt to go to church with her - but at least she approaches this conversation honestly, she doesn't sugar coat it from her point of view, which is good. They're both honest with one another. They're in each other's corners. Kurt Hummel heart eyeing every time she performs is the best. And it's dumb that it got pushed to the back for season 3 and onward. It should've grown from high schooler kids to young adults like a fine wine, instead of getting overlooked. There was potential of Mercedes being the surrogate, or even just another egg donor! But you know, some people needed to be zeroed in on and characters had to be tied to that characters hip, and Mercedes wasn't it.

Santana: Can you imagine how great (or terrible) this could've been if Kurt remained on the Cheerios? We can dream! But what we got in S4&S5 was great. Nice bantering, a mutual respect and understanding becoming a thing over time. They made pacts! They swore to each other about things off screen! She and him would've made a dangerous duo in New York if Rachel never moved back into the loft. She could've encouraged him to loosen up more, he would've helped her unlock a more vulnerable side of emotions when it came to catching feelings! Would've loved to see them bonding more like they did with the boyfriend arms watching TV! We were robbed, and s6 destroyed it all together, so. I wish we could've seen them on double dates, with Dani and Blaine. I wish we could've seen her trying to hook him up with guys in season 4! But no, two Slytherin's teaming up is too dangerous I guess. Fuck you glee.

Brittany: In the first season, it's nice to see that Brittany was the popular girl but still showing up to Kurt's house and dancing with him. It's because of her he joins the football team, briefly, and we get to see him kick ass at it and make a win for the Titans for the first time in however long! That's a big deal. I'm glad that she also approaches him in his "straight" phase and offers to help. And I'm glad she encourages Santana to go support Kurt during Prom Queen. BUT ANYTHING AFTER THAT, is null and void. Because she suddenly becomes this overly stupid child who only wants things done her way. When she offers to help him with his running for class president, she only focuses on him being gay and that's it - because it makes him a unicorn? It's a homophobic school, you really think shoving it in the bullies faces won't get him laughed out of a win? And he ditches the idea last minute anyway, so why bother going with that twist anyway? And when he gives her the rundown on what he wants to do, she ignores him and does it her way. When he gets mad, all of a sudden it's poor Brittany, she was just trying to help, Kurt's a meanie face. And when he (stupidly) accepts her idea for the campaign posters, she's like "oh by the way, I'm running against you now sorry I didn't tell you lol". And the bullshit of season 6 of her telling him that he needs to get over Blaine, then magically wants them to be in her and Santana's wedding? No. Keep her as far away from Kurt as possible after season 2.

Tina: Remember when Kurt fake dates her first? Wouldn't that have been an interesting play throughout that episode? Seeing Burt ask about Tina, Kurt bringing Tina over for dinner, Kurt and Tina discussing this new beard-ship for his dad, and then when he comes out, she would've been so happy for him? WE WERE ROBBED, YET AGAIN. We see them being friends throughout the seasons, but there isn't any growth with it. We don't really see her and Kurt doing things outside of school again. We see her help him for his NYADA audition as Christine (which he replaces her for Rachel, big shock, fuck you). We see him defending her against the jock bullies in the hallway. We see them walking to glee club together. But there's still nothing expanded on so it just falls flat. Clearly she and Kurt talk still after he graduates, as they both enjoy gossip. But what else?! We don't know! It had potential for friendship outside of school and outside of just gossiping! But alas.

#answered #anti Rachel Berry #anti hummelberry #anti brittany pierce #long post #fuck glee basically #😌 kurtanacedes ot3 basically. could've had it all.

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inkofamethyst · 2 years

Text

January 6, 2022

[November 1, 2020]

Started making a post only to have it destroyed by an updated tumblr page which is incredibly frustrating.

Basically, I was talking about how I’d come across a vintage ~lifestyle~ youtube channel run by a black woman and like,,, as soon as she started talking about vintage values I immediately thought of racism and this whole idea of protecting an in-group while abandoning all out-groups. She talked about how she doesn’t watch/listen to modern entertainment because of the progressive and political messages (I suppose she must not listen to black artists because being black in america is a political statement on its own) including fornication, a lack of love, swearing, a rejection of traditional masculinity among other things. There was another video about how to act more feminine where she talked about how women today are shamed for acting feminine while being celebrated for acting masculine, and she’s absolutely right! The thing is that liberal feminism is meant to promote an ideology that allows women and anyone else to express femininity and masculinity as they so choose. Like, vintage values would force me into a housemaking role and my husband into a breadwinner role, but that’s simply not feasible in the modern age, especially since I wouldn’t want either person in my marriage to feel as though they were forced into a role without any wiggle room.

Then I watched a video about how vintage styles were becoming trendy, and girl had the audacity to try and gatekeep her clothing style. She says that vintage style comes with having vintage values, and that liberal people won’t really find happiness dressing this way. But like,,, so what?? She’d already expressed her dislike with how fast fashion trends came and go and how she didn’t want to let the media and Hollywood bother her, so why does this bother her is the trend will apparently blow over so quickly? I assume she’s referring to the cottagecore trend that blew up at the beginning of quarantine, by the way. Like,,, I’ve enjoyed fashion history for years now, and 40s fashion is a decade I can actually wear without looking to tacky/costume-y, and I’m finally at a place in my life where I can sew my own clothes, and I think florals are pretty!! But either way, I shouldn’t have to explain why my style is valid to anyone.

I should’ve known by the straightened hair with the bumped ends that she watches Fox News. Just vote for Trump and go. When she was showing vintage hairstyle examples, she gave only one example that had a black woman in the picture, and the woman had her hair straightened so it was waist-length. You’re telling me you couldn’t find a natural-hair or even a straight-natural version of a chignon??

It’s just kind of frustrating seeing a black woman talk like that, though I know she’s well-intentioned. There’s nothing wrong with expressing femininity or being conservative with your own views, but gatekeeping a clothing style? Sorry hun.

I’m not going to drop her name because I don’t plan to search her up in the future to watch any more of her videos and wind myself up again.

Maybe it’s just the raging liberal in me, but like,,, time moves forward. You can’t expect us to look back on history and not be critical. Also, she complained about how modern movies/shows are displaying mid-century 1900s in a way that deviates from fact which I mean,, hello? I know she doesn’t watch modern stuff but she at least has to know that average people don’t necessarily watch historically-based entertainment to be educated. I can get style inspiration (18th century, I believe) from watching Outlander (which I need to watch but haven’t lol [edit: apparently it relies pretty heavily on female trauma, so I think I might pass]) but it sure ain’t no documentary, and that’s not what I go to it for, anyway.

Oh boo-hoo, are there Black and Asian people in your historical drama about the early nineteenth century? Grow up.

[August 7, 2021]

So,,,, this has been in my drafts for a while. I was recently reminded of [redacted: different YouTuber], and I went on a mini hate-watch spree of some of her recent videos. In early high school, I used to listen to her stuff a ton, but honestly it only ever made me feel bad about myself (not to mention that I, as a fifteen-year-old, was not exactly her target audience)? Her point of view is... an interesting one to be sure, and nowadays I can’t bring myself to agree with half of what she says (and that’s okay!). Idk, I think that black women have such an interesting relationship with femininity as a demographic that some things just aren’t so simply explained or understood.

[Today]

Time to remove this from the drafts once and for all.

(Though I will say really quickly to close out my last point-- someone commented on a tiktok about how unhealthy it is for people like that YouTuber to be analyzing the “dating market” with such scrutiny and then going on to offer advice based on their analysis. It reminded the commenter of the guys over at r~dpill and I think they’re absolutely correct. That specific kind of content from men and women makes me feel icky.)

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but hate-watching is interesting to me because it’s like... I can tell whether I like something pretty quickly most of the time. That’s not a unique trait. What’s weird is when I sometimes continue to watch things that are simply not positive or nice or helpful to me in any way and only fuels some kind of undirected anger. I only hate-watch things to feel a strong emotion, essentially. And some part of that must feel good to me if I continue to do it. Kinda unsettling to think of myself as an emotional masochist. It doesn’t seem healthy. Wonder what I could do to prevent it in the future?

Today I’m thankful that I actually kinda know what a chord is after all. I got from the beginning to the end of Drippy to the point where it was fairly recognizable and with a few extra flourishes in four hours. I worked on little bits and pieces of it yesterday and it’s sounding adorable. It’s not done, but it’s a remarkably quick job arranging it so far (though the 3/4 bit in the middle really threw me off for a minute). I am still having trouble with the saxophones, naturally. I have learned a lot though, just through troubleshooting, and that’s nice.

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zigtheeortega · 3 years

Text

redeemed

pairing | m!raleigh x mc

word count | 6.6k

warnings | cursing, innuendos, mentions of sex

tags | @natesewell, @choicesarehard, @empressazura, @raleighcarrera, @pixeljazzy, @pixelsandkink [tagging people who usually ask to be tagged !]

author’s note | i’ve talked about this before but i’m not a huge fan of the platinum mc’s personality, so i’ve kind of crafted my own that’s quite a bit more rebellious than canon. i’m obsessed with the idea of an mc who’s romancing raleigh and falls into the same pattern of behavior and it genuinely concerns them – so yeah i play with that idea here! i deviate from canon some but not too much ! this is my submission for day 2 of @platinumweekend as well ! also i had no idea how to end this so i apologize for the fizzle out at the end lol

•─────────────────•

As soon as he stepped off stage, he was shuffled to his tour bus, Fiona on his heels. She looked like the human embodiment of rage in a grey blazer, a look in her eye that made him thankful he wasn’t the one it was directed at – or at least he hoped he wasn’t the reason she was two seconds away from a murderous rampage.

She slammed the door behind her, locking it, running to the windows and closing the curtains, peeking out at the paparazzi that no doubt had already tried flocking at the edges of the blocked off area where the bus was parked.

“Damn, what’s the problem? Can’t I at least get my food from craft services? Jesus,” he complained, grabbing a bottle of water from the fully stocked mini fridge, downing it while Fiona frantically ran around the bus, turning off every electrical device in sight.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

She wheeled on him, a few strands of her hair sticking to her lips. “We’ve got a problem.”

“Yeah, you won’t let me go get my fuckin’ overpriced grilled cheese that I know is waiting for me,” he jabbed his thumb towards the venue. “At craft services.”

She eyed him, pupils wide, her anger nearly palpable. “It’s bigger than food.”

He ran a hand through his damp hair, some strands completely drenched in sweat. “Lay it on me.”

And the three words that fell from her lips were soul crushing, his post-show high wearing off in an instant.

“Dom’s been arrested.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He sat up, posture rigid. “What happened?”

“Not here. We’ll talk on the plane,” Fiona said, twisting the knob of the closet door, grabbing the black duffel bag on the ground. She tossed it at his feet, motioning for him to stand. “The jet leaves in an hour. I packed for you.”

“The plane? Where is she?” He was getting more and more frustrated, nearing hysterics. He should’ve felt a bit more shame about how worked up he was getting, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

Fiona took notice, her fiery gaze softening at the edges, the blue flames flickering across his face. “Not here, Raleigh.”

He slung the duffle bag on his shoulder, walking to the door.

“Wait –” Fiona said, leaning over the couch to pull the curtain to the side, peering out again. “I paid off a security guard to distract the paparazzi. And when he does, we have to run to the car that’s gonna pull up any minute now – undetected,” she shot back at him, her icy gaze warning.

Within minutes, a security guard with a similar build to Raleigh sprinted towards the venue, jacket over his head, paparazzi on his heels.

With the camera’s flashing finally pointed away, they were able to slide into the back of the cab, thankful that Hank had connections everywhere. The driver rolled up the barrier without question as soon as Fiona tossed him a wad of cash that she’d fished out of a plain leather pouch.

She shook the pouch, her lips set in a thin line. “You know what this is?”

“A purse?” He asked, brows furrowed. “Is this some kind of fuckin’ trick?”

“It’s an emergency fund. Cash. Not traceable.”

She shook her head, dropping the pouch into her lap, before pinching the bridge of her nose. “When Dom first started getting into trouble, I had to pay off a few people here and there, but when it became more frequent, I had to actually sit her down with her accountant and sort this out.”

“Sort… what out?”

“How much money she needed to allocate to her… antics,” she rolled her eyes, propping her elbow on the back of her seat, hand pressed to her forehead.

She looked drained. Fiona never looked disheveled, but he sensed this was the closest she’d be to it.

“If it’s money she needs, that’s fine. Lemme call my agent –”

“There’s only so much cash I can hand people under the table before it becomes a problem. Not just financially, put publicly,” she sighed, chewing the inside of her cheek. “I’ve been able to cover up the smaller mishaps, but this, I’m afraid, might be the start of something… much worse than disorderly conduct.”

“You gonna tell me her charges?” His jaw set in anticipation, already running through a list of the best lawyers in L.A. that got him off from potentially hefty lawsuits.

Her short locks swayed as she shook her head. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you.”

He blew air out of his cheeks, leaning into the corner of the cab, legs splayed wide as he tried to take a nonchalant stance. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”

“You’ll be glad you have a bedroom, shower, and fridge on the plane,” she said with another shake of her head.

––––

Raleigh laid in bed, aimlessly scrolling through his burner account.

He never really cared for social media under the public eye. Every post of his was either related to tour or the series of brand deals for products he never used. Each page was a personified advertisement – some shit he regretted signing up for.

One drunken night, his curiosity got the best of him and he found himself making a pretty inconspicuous profile, following some funny internet personalities and political commentators. And although he had plans to delete it, once Dom came into the picture, he unabashedly lurked.

He followed her on all platforms, and when he had the chance, he watched her stories, voted in her daily polls, and occasionally scrolled through her old instagram photos.

This time in particular, though, he was looking for something specific without really knowing if there was an answer.

He scrolled to her first post, hundreds down, smiling at high school Dom. Thick eyeliner, layered hair, brace-adorned grin – she was a poster child of adolescence.

Photos of her with Shane at pep rallies, in Halloween costumes, in prom formal wear filled the screen, later transitioning to senior portraits, graduation photos, and dorm photos. A setting of picturesque normality as Dom grew into herself, growing out her choppy layers, softening her makeup, her gleaming smile lighting up each photo.

She grew more beautiful with each year, each little phase of her life coming with a new style, a new little identity or association, Dom’s willingness to try new things the reason she was able to break free from her small town.

God, was Raleigh so fucking envious of this imperfect little portion of her Instagram. If someone were to look this far back for him, there’d be photoshoots and magazine spreads and paparazzi photos all neatly planned. The shaky off-guard photos, the unedited red eyes, the off guard photos, the expressions they made in them… it was something Raleigh never had the chance to do.

Being in the business for ten years, everything was pristine, crisp – always smiling or smoldering, no in between. Sexy and rugged or smiling and happy. Like he had two modes and he wasn’t ever able to exercise those other parts of himself because being in front of the camera was restrictive – while Dom was able to be unabashedly herself.

He was breaking shit just to feel something, to have some range of emotions even if it was a stupid fucking publicity stunt where he damaged property or made out with another politician’s daughter or attempted irreparable blows to his public image.

The more recent the posts, the more calculated her photos got, the phrase “ad” showing up more and more. But even with a skincare brand deal, her step-by-step skincare routine video was on brand for Dom, her bright smile and wit always present in everything she did.

But Raleigh couldn’t help but feel like parts of her were slipping away.

Her online persona was still pretty crisp, except for her style shift – tattoos, a couple piercings, and some edgier photoshoots signified a tonal shift in Dom’s aesthetic, but nothing he hadn’t seen before.

Hell, when he used his first innuendo on his solo album, there was widespread outrage on Sunset Skatepark fan forums, ripping into him for singing about using his dick (even though he was definitely an adult and definitely not a virgin).

But other than her general style, nothing was different. Nothing to indicate this downward spiral that Fiona kept a secret.

Where’s the shift? He thought to himself as he scrolled to the top. When the hell did she start changing for the worse?

She’d come a long way from her clean songs that didn’t require a radio edit. He felt a pang of something in his chest –– regret, maybe? Was he the reason she’d changed?

The questions sent him into a near tailspin, his pulse quickening at the realization.

He was the problem.

She’d since deleted her photos with Raleigh, because their breakup was so public, but he could tell that the shift happened right around the time she started spending more time with him.

He’d been a mentor of sorts, opposite of Avery, showing her the ropes… which meant that he was teaching her how to evade the press, fuck with the paparazzi, pick out industry plants – the whole nine yards.

She was impulsive, daring, adventurous, fearless – all the qualities he liked in himself. But he never thought those traits would take a negative turn, morphing her into a rebel with an affinity for breaking laws.

He could blame himself all he wanted, but he couldn’t blame her for taking the same route he took.

He knew it better than anybody – it was hard to shift the public’s persona of you. Once you did something horrible to make them hate you, either the rebrands and ass kissing worked, or you get written off by everyone.

Raleigh Carrera was a special case, a wild card of sorts who toed the line, unpredictable, both with his craft and his behavior. The nastier his lyrics, the crazier his publicity stunts were, the more polarizing he was.

And that was no doubt the route Dom was on, heading towards an inevitable press nightmare – if people were to find out the home grown rags-to-riches Dominique Avalos dove headfirst into her rebellious phase with no smooth transition, she wouldn’t be able to Google herself for months without having a panic attack.

She’d changed drastically, but that’s what fame did to people. Some people cracked under the pressure, or they rebelled to show the public they were in control of their narrative… or that they desperately wanted it back.

He took a shaky breath, swiping out of the app.

He wasn’t sure if he could save her, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t gonna try.

––––

The moment the jet touched down, Fiona was in full manager mode, adamant on abandoning his phone, stressing the importance of going off the grid.

“If anyone finds out you’re here, they’ll be able to put two and two together. Why else would you be in the same country as Dom when you’re supposed to be heading towards New York for your next show?” She asked, hand outstretched.

“I hate it when you’re right,” he grumbled, tossing his phone into her palm. “Where are we exactly?”

“I can’t tell you,” she sighed, looking exhausted. He had a gut feeling she hadn’t slept a wink since they’d boarded the plane.

“Why not?”

“It’s a bit safer that way.”

He scoffed. “You’re serious? Look, I’m not exactly thrilled to pull the A-List celebrity card, but this is borderline kidnapping.”

“Let’s just say you might be able to pick up on some of the language,” she said, turning on her heel to exit the plane.

Within minutes, they were pulling onto a dirt backroad, the small houses they passed barely casting shadows onto the ground.

The town itself was seemingly innocuous – the tiny brick houses riddled with dust, the stone paths lining the road cracked and deserted. The tiny town had turned in for the night, their old Sedan sticking out like a sore thumb despite the old model.

Raleigh squirmed in his seat, twisting the expensive watch on his wrist. He fucking hated this.

No matter where he went, he was noticed in some capacity – so wearing a Rolex and Cartier rings in a small village in the middle of nowhere just made him look pretentious.

He slipped the rings and watches off, shoving them deep into the pocket of his jeans, ignoring Fiona’s calculating side eye (one he knew all too well).

The only light, other than the gas lamp posts and their high beams, came from the building at the end of the road.

The car pulled around the side, flicking their lights off, the driver peeking around before motioning for them to exit the car.

“Throw the hoodie on, Raleigh,” Fiona ordered while slipping on a ball cap of her own, her casual t-shirt and leggings wildly different from her normal outfit.

“Sure,” he murmured, tugging the hood on.

The walk from the car to the dusty glass front door was short, Fiona breaking into a light jog to keep up with Raleigh’s brisk pace.

The makeshift “waiting room” in the front corner of the station was empty, the scratched up folding chairs in crooked rows. The front desk was occupied by a sleeping form, head buried in the crease of his elbow, snore muffled by the counter top.

The other officer stood at the back near an old vending machine, sliding coins into the slot, the clink of each piece ringing out against the brick and linoleum.

No cameras, he thought, after a quick scan of the room, shoving the hood back in its place at the nape of his neck.

The holding cells were farther back, but he couldn’t see her.

He stepped up to the counter where the man was sleeping, giving a gentle knock to the top. The man stirred, unfurling his arms, while the other man in the back glanced up from where he was, elbows deep in the snack machine as he fished out his bag of chips.

Raleigh offered a basic greeting in Spanish, frowning just a bit when both officers’ eyes lit up – the phrase “famoso” and “celebridad” falling from their lips almost as soon as they recognized him.

Yeah, he was gonna use his notoriety to their advantage, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t sting when people immediately tried gauging what they could get from him when they realized who he was.

For a long time he’d been waiting for the day where name dropping himself didn’t get him out of deep shit.

And the day he met Dom, when he assumed she knew who he was, all she did was raise her brow as if to say “Why the fuck should I care?”

It startled him, truthfully. But it was such a breath of fresh air. He couldn’t remember a time before or after that someone showed no interest in him.

The officer in the back jogged to the front, pulling his phone out of his back pocket while asking for a picture.

He looked to Fiona, who was shaking her head furiously, stepping up next to him like her 5’5 stature was enough to shield him. “Nobody can know we’re here.”

He nodded, turning back to the men, trying to negotiate with them.

Yes, Dom’s here.

No, you can’t see her.

He racked his brain trying to figure out how he was gonna get himself – and Dom – out of the situation unscathed if he couldn’t give them a photo or autograph.

“Dom bought me the Rolex and Cartier rings, right?”

Fiona’s brows furrowed. “Yes. She gifted them to you on your birthday. You know this –”

“No, what I mean is, she has the receipts? Or you do?”

“I don’t have them, but I have access to them,” she said, still confused.

“Get rid of ‘em. I haven’t told anyone she bought them for me.”

Her face lit up in recognition, and she nodded, encouraging him to go on.

He dug in his pockets, fishing out the watch and thin bands.

After a quick exchange, the officers took two rings each, and began rapid fire arguing over the Rolex. They tossed Raleigh the keys, stepping out the front door.

“I’ll keep watch,” Fiona said, turning towards the door.

“Hey –” Raleigh said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

She quirked a brow at him. “What?”

“You’re not coming with?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Why not? I’m not even sure what the fuck I’m supposed to say –”

“She specifically asked for you.”

He took a step back, resting his palm on the countertop behind him. “What the – are you… are you serious?”

She nodded once. “She might’ve been slurring, but she was clear as day. She wanted you.”

He blew air out of his cheeks, running a hand through his short waves.

Fiona’s gaze softened, her eyes still piercing. Fiona was a lot of things – steadfast, headstrong, determined – but she wasn’t soft. She didn’t sugar coat shit.

“She’s missed you. She doesn’t confide in me much, but even I can tell she’s unhappy. Be gentle with her,” she said, gaze tearing right through him.

The walk to the holding cells felt miles long – his resolve was shrinking with every step.

He wasn’t afraid of seeing Dom, not at all. He was afraid of whatever part of himself that might’ve been reflected in her.

The cell was empty, save for the curled form on the bench, long dark hair cascading over the edges of the seat.

“Dom?” He called, hearing her sharp inhale of breath as she stirred, bending into a long stretch, her limbs unfurling until she was lying on her back on the bench, tilting her head towards his voice.

God, even when she looked like life had torn her to shreds, she still looked beautiful.

“Raleigh?” She croaked, her eyes squinting to adjust to the low lights. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

She arched her back, stretching again, her long frame covering the bench. It was almost the right level of distracting to stop the creeping annoyance at her question.

“What do you mean? I’m here to bail you out, obviously.”

“Where’s Fiona?” She asked groggily, rolling off the side of the bench awkwardly, trying to gain her footing.

“You asked for me, didn’t you?” He raised a brow, sliding his forearms through the bars, resting them there.

“She told you?” She asked, voice raising in betrayal, a scoff following his silence. “I was drunk.”

“And? You still asked for me.”

“Oh, fuck off,” she murmured, crossing her arms as soon as she was balanced.

He dangled the keys between his fingertips, gently jingling them. “I’ll let you out if you tell me what happened.”

Her lip curled in annoyance. “You’d really leave me here?”

“You don’t want to find out.”

She ran a hand through her hair, blowing air out of her cheeks. “Alright.”

He unlocked the door and slipped in, the heavy door creaking as he slid it wide enough for him to fit through.

She backed up, plopping back onto the bench, arms lowering to curl around her sides.

He followed suit, sitting a couple feet away from her on the other end of the bench, shoving his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.

She stared at the floor, clearly waiting for him to make a move.

“So…”

“So, what?” She grumbled.

“So… how’d you end up here?” He asked, trying to remain as relaxed as he could since she was clearly on edge, ready to tear him a new one at a moment’s notice.

“I was drunk. I got in a fight. Here I am.”

He sighed. “Look, you don’t have to tell me everything, but I can’t help you if I don’t know if you’re ankles deep or neck deep.”

She chewed her lip, chin dipping lower, strands of her hair falling forward, creating an inky veil. “Fine. I’ll tell you but… can you not… look at me?”

Raleigh’s face contorted in confusion, but he listened, swivelling until he was facing the back wall, propping one leg up on the bench.

He waited for her to speak. The break in conversation was a bit too long – but before a quip could fall from his lips, she spoke.

“I did get drunk, and I did get in a fight. I’m telling the truth but I, uh, left out some details,” she started, her voice low.

“I, uh, was passing through this town after my last show because I wanted to go to a bar without being noticed. Like the old days. I know it was stupid, but I didn’t think anyone would find me here.”

That was her first mistake. Smaller towns surprisingly had the most dedicated fans – maybe because they’re bored or nothing exciting happened in their towns, but most of his die hard fans came from the middle of nowhere.

“The first hour was fine, and I was able to drink and dance with strangers. Most of them were a lot older than me and spoke zero English – and I speak a little bit of Spanish as you know, so I could make some small talk, but I was on my own just… enjoying myself and my freedom,” she said, and he could almost see the grin tug at the corner of her lips.

“I noticed someone taking photos of me with their phone, so I got a bit paranoid and sat in a booth in the back drinking for a little while longer so I could figure out my next move,” she continued, before sighing loudly. “I guess they told the local news or something, because by the time I decided to leave, I ran smack into a reporter on the sidewalk.”

Silence ensued again, this time more deafening than the last.

“I didn’t mean to give her a black eye. Or break the camera. Or elbow the camera man in the face when he tried restraining me. I just… couldn’t think straight. I was mad. Intoxicated and wrong, but still mad.”

“I know Fiona’s trying her best to get me out of this mess but… I think I went too far this time.”

Raleigh stared at the wall, racking his brain for something. He was a little dumbfounded that she spilled to him so fast. He figured it was gonna take a bit more digging to get her to open up, but she blossomed in front of him; despite the wilted petals, he was relieved to know she still trusted him enough to confide in him.

“Are you gonna say something?” She asked, a bit timidly.

“Not if I can’t look at you.”

“Okay, then don’t say anything.”

He sighed, settling into his spot on the bench, waiting again for her to speak.

“Why did you come?”

Instinctively, he shrugged. “You asked me to.”

“But you don’t owe me anything. We’re not together.”

“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t drop everything to come help you. I mean, I’d like to think we’re at least acquaintances, if not friends,” he joked, resting his arm over the back of the bench.

“Sure,” she said, voice straining just a bit. Just enough for him to notice.

Dom was a special kind of resilient – one trait that Raleigh was sure she didn’t copy from him.

He knew that being a woman in the industry was already hard enough – everything from beauty to body standards to raging misogyny was enough to give people reasons to hate her, as stupid as they were.

Raleigh benefitted from the standards in place for men. He was young, attractive, talented – didn’t matter what he did wrong. He’d bounce back.

But he’d seen some vile shit since he’d ascended to fame. So many celebrities fading into obscurity after one mishap. One bad album. One bad interview. One rude encounter. One rumor.

For some reason, despite diving headfirst into troubled waters, Dom bounced back every time, fire in her eyes, her jaw set in determination, her face painted with the look she got when she was ready to face the world.

But whatever she was feeling in that moment, in that jail cell in the middle of nowhere – was enough to break her.

He heard her take a deep, shaky breath, and he started to turn, but he felt her warm palm on his shoulder, holding him in place.

“Don’t,” she whispered.

He listened to her labored breathing, likely struggling to hold back tears, while he stared at the cracks in the wall, trying to think of something – anything – to console her.

“Did Fiona seem… upset?” She asked, seeming a bit nervous.

“It’s kind of hard to tell, to be honest. She’s pretty intense all of the time,” he laughed, not really meaning to.

He was relieved to hear a light chuckle from behind him.

“Yeah, I figure she’s pretty mad at me. I don’t blame her,” she sighed, another break in conversation ensuing. A couple beats later, she asked, bluntly, “Are you mad at me?”

“No,” he answered with zero hesitation. “I know you’d do the same for me.”

She laughed again, a bit more genuine that time. “Not sure where you got that impression.”

“You wouldn’t leave me here to rot if I asked you to come, Dom. You’re not that heartless,” he teased gently, glad that things were taking a lighthearted turn.

“I’m just glad you’re not gonna lecture me. I already know I’m gonna get an earful from Fiona, not to mention the shit I’ll get from Shane and Avery. I couldn’t handle one from you.”

He grimaced. “Uh, well, you’d rather hear it from me than Fiona, right?”

“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” she mumbled under her breath.

“You know I normally don’t care what you do, because it’s your life, and you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want, but Dom…” he trailed off, trying to choose his words carefully.

“I know I fucked up, Raleigh. I don’t need you making me feel more guilty than I already am,” she said defensively, voice raised.

“I’m not gonna make you feel guilty. Just offering some advice.” God, did those words feel foreign to him. Offering advice. He never did shit like this for anybody.

He took her silence as a green light. “You’ve just gotta slow down, Dom.”

Whatever impact his words made, he couldn’t see it, since he was still facing the damn wall. “Can I please turn around? I can’t talk to you like this.”

“Sure.”

He adjusted himself on the bench, trying to look attentive without staring. She was stunning, even with the smudged makeup, the dark circles, the red eyes “You don’t have to do anything and everything you’re asked to do, but you gotta find some kind of balance.”

She wrung her hands in her lap, picking at her cuticles absentmindedly. “Yeah, I know.”

“I mean balance the good and bad, Dom. There’s a line for people like us and you can’t cross it often. You can get close, but you can’t just dive over it and not expect there to be some fallout.”

“I know,” she said, bluntly, looking a bit more annoyed with each word that came from his mouth.

“You can cause some chaos, but some of it isn’t acceptable,” he said, watching her expression contort in anger. “For them. Not acceptable for them. The average person, I mean.”

“Oh, you’re one to fucking talk!” She rolled her eyes. “How are you gonna sit here and tell me that your brand of shit stirring is okay, but mine isn’t?”

“I’m not the one sitting in a jail cell right now, Dom,” he said, calmly but firmly. He wasn’t used to being the rational one, but he had to be level headed. He was trying to save her.

She ran a hand through her hair, leaning back against the back of the bench. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”

“Trust me, I know.”

“You’re hypocritical.”

“Not necessarily,” he said, propping his arm up on the back of the bench. “I was in the industry for years before I started dirtying up my image. You just got here.”

“And you’ve been here too damn long to act the way you do,” she nearly spat, lashing out.

“I’m too far gone,” he simply stated, keeping surprisingly calm through it all.

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“I’ve been here for a long time, which means, I’ve got a lot more fuck ups under my belt. Irreparable damage, if you will.”

“People love you,” she said, matter-of-factly, like that solved it – it honestly relieved him. A bit of Dom’s naivete from when they first met was shining through.

“People also hate me, because I’m a little shit who sets fires for fun,” he grinned. “For legal reasons, my lawyers insist I clarify that I’m joking.”

She rolled her lips, trying to suppress a smile. “People who hate you don’t know you.”

He nodded. “You’re right, and you’re so close to the point I’m sure you can taste it.”

“I’m too far gone to save. No matter how hard I try for the rest of my career, I can never get away from the wild card label. Plenty of people don’t wanna work with me. I’ve damaged business relationships. Lots of artists don’t want to collab with me because of how it’ll make them look.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I know you don’t want this. You’re too good for whatever baggage comes with being a ‘rebel’, Dom. I don’t want to see you turn out like me.”

For the first time that night, she stared at him – really stared at him. Her deep brown, nearly midnight eyes searched his for any sign of insincerity.

“You’re… serious?” She asked finally, brows furrowed in confusion.

“One hundred percent honest,” he said, nodding.

She sat back in her chair, chewing on her lip, contemplating.

“Can you turn back around again?”

He nodded, wordlessly facing the wall again.

“I left out a few details,” she said from behind him.

“I’m listening,” he affirmed.

“I, uh, was pretty hammered by the time I left, so it was even harder for me to understand what people were saying,” she said before he could speak. “I heard the reporter say ‘Raleigh’ and ‘novio’ and I saw red… so… I, uh… swung.”

His chest clenched, tightening until it was difficult to breathe. He was thankful she’d asked him to face the other direction, because he knew his reaction betrayed his cool demeanor.

“I guess I’m not over it,” she laughed humorlessly.

He ran a hand over his face, racking his brain for a response, but coming up short.

“You, um, don’t have to say anything if you don’t feel the same. I shouldn’t have gotten attached. It’s on me.”

That made him turn, swivelling around before she could finish speaking.

She flicked her head towards the bars of the cell, raising a hand to cover her face. “I said ‘don’t look at me’, Raleigh. Goddamn.”

Years and years of PR training and interviews and he had no idea how the fuck to console her. Partially because he was trying to get a grip on whatever the hell was going on in his brain as well.

Instead, he answered her with a question of his own, a tactic he’d used anytime he wanted to deflect in interviews.

“Why can’t I look?”

Dom tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, slowly rotating to meet his gaze. She sank her teeth deep into her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

“Fuck,” she cursed, rubbing the backs of her hands under her eyes, the dried black mascara under her eyes beginning to liquidate again. “Because I’m crying, Raleigh. And I don’t cry.”

“You wanna tell me what’s wrong? I know there’s more to it than you’re telling me,” he asked, holding up two of his fingers in a solute. “No judgement.”

She sighed, crossing the room to put some distance between them. She began pacing, taking slow steps as she spoke.

“I might’ve fucked up my career and I keep letting people down and I’m destructive because this whole fame thing isn’t what I signed up for and I didn’t think I’d cave under pressure like every other mid twenties child actor who goes through a premature mid-life crisis, but here I fucking am,” she said, nearly out of breath by the end.

His legs carried him across the room before he could think twice, pacing towards her while she strode across the room in the opposite direction.

“God, I’m so fucking stupid –”

“Stop. You’re not stupid.”

“I am,” she said, wheeling on him. “And – and I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed that my manager and – and my ex –” She stopped in her tracks, rubbing a palm over her forehead, shutting her eyes.

He reached out to her, but let his hand fall almost immediately.

“My acquaintance had to fly out to a fucking village in the middle of nowhere to bail me out –”

“Dom, stop –”

“– because I fought a fucking reporter over not being able to handle my fucking feelings –”

“Dom –”

“– like an adult with a functioning frontal lobe all because I love someone who –”

Her eyes popped open, her expression horrified. “Oh my god, I’m – I –”

She dug the heel of her hands into her eyes, dropping into a squat. “Fuck, fuck, Goddammit –”

“Did you just –”

“Yeah, Raleigh, I did. Don’t make me feel worse, alright? I know I fucked up,” she groaned from her heap on the ground.

“You just said you love me, Dom. I think I’m allowed to react,” he said, a slight teasing to his voice.

She glanced up, glaring. “Okay, then, react.”

Her gaze was fiery, her deep brown irises challenging – something else a bit more vulnerable lying beneath.

She was terrified.

He leaned down, gripping her around the waist to pull her back up, wrapping his arms around her upper back, hugging her to his chest.

She melted into his arms, relaxing and leaning into his embrace.

“I didn’t mean to say it,” she murmured into his chest.

“So do you?” He asked, chin gently balanced on her head.

“What?”

“Do you love me?”

“I don’t know,” she said truthfully, voice small.

“You don’t have to know. I don’t know either,” he said, just as earnest, feeling her tense in his arms. “But I do know that I like you enough to want you around, and that counts for something, right?”

She laughed (as genuine as he’d heard it), leaning back to look at him. “Yeah, it does.”

Their bodies were still pressed together, Dom’s chin tilted upwards towards him, their faces nearly touching.

“If this gets out, don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re a bad person,” he said, voice low. “You’re the best person I know –”

Dom closed the gap between them, capturing his lips in an intense kiss. He cupped her face in his palms and held her in place, moaning into her parted lips.

God, there was nothing that compared to kissing her. Nobody matched up. He’d made out with a lot of people since he was flung into stardom at sixteen, and no one – absolutely no one – left him in a daze like she did.

She gripped the strings of his hoodie, pulling him closer, sighing contentedly against him.

The smell of her shampoo mixed with the sweet scent of her skin and the warmth of her hands and her chest flush against his – it was the next best thing to being inside of her.

He pulled back, trying to catch the dreamy, half-lidded look she always got when they parted.

“So… did you take your jet here?”

He smirked and rolled his eyes. “Out of context, that sounds so superficial.”

She grinned, her first genuine smile that night. “Oh, but you’re not? Hanging around a rising artist to cling to relevancy?”

He laughed, the sound reverberating off of the walls. “I really am rubbing off on you, aren’t I?”

“Yep. The good and bad,” she agreed, still smiling at him.

“The good?” He shook his head. “Nah, I’m not so sure about that.”

“You’re literally the reason I haven’t walked out on my label and moved to bum fuck nowhere and lived off the land,” she said, shrugging. “You taught me how to have fun. You were the only one keeping me sane.”

He thought he was the one encouraging her to leap over the edge, but he was the one tugging her arm back.

The whole time he was convinced he was a bad influence, but he was doing some good – for her.

But with that revelation came the guilt at her words.

“‘Were’?”

“Well, we don’t really talk anymore. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

“Yeah,” she chewed her lip, stepping back, unraveling herself from his embrace. “I’m sorry.”

That was a slap to the face. Dom rarely apologized, because if she felt she was right, she wasn’t going to budge. She was stubborn as hell.

“Huh? Why?” “I don’t want to guilt you into spending time with me… or feeling things for me,” she said, rubbing her arm. “I didn’t mean to corner you.”

“You didn’t. I wanted to come.”

She glanced up, blinking at him. “No, you didn’t –”

“I did,” he emphasized, slipping her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. “I kinda missed being forced to hang out with you. Feels like old times.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh from ripping from her, this one louder than the last. “Oh, shut up.”

“No, but seriously, I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Always.”

“Thank you.” With her free hand, she punched his shoulder lightly. “You’ll regret that sooner or later.”

“Nah,” he said, lip curling into a smirk. “I don’t think I will.”

––––

#playchoices #platinum #raleigh carrera #raleigh carrera x mc #platinumweekend #my fic #jade writes choices fics #tbh i really loved writing this one - it's really special to me !!

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