#option A is vanity to the max

[asdeadasasquirrel]

Twitter organically had a “ de-twink hazbin characters” moment like two weeks ago, a market I’ve already cornered, but they were focused on Vox.

So here is Vox with two different body types that I drew up for the fun.✨📺

[yes-divine-ruler]

Can I request rory monohan and fem reader smutt. In this scenario they are both actors and the reader visits him on set. She waits in his trailer until the day is over, getting ready. Rory had recently suggested making a tape with the reader. When he returns they make the tape, smutt (obviously), a lot of extreme degrading and dirty talk for the camera (rory has one of those old home video cameras), a lot of the reader exaggerating their actions for the camera and so on.

I guess this could be used as a base for an Evan fic BUT this is based around my idea of Rory being sort of naive and air-headed and being a guy whose really into porn scenarios.

Please have fun with this idea and go extreme to the max, excited to see what you make of this 💗

Rory Monahan (Evan Peters in AHS Roanoke) x Fem!Reader Smut - “My Little Pornstar” (18+)

i haven’t actually got rory in my character list but I rlly wanted to write this so I hope it lives up to ur expectations 🥺

CW: dirty degradation, porn shooting, oral (m receiving), cream pie, unprotected penetrative sex, fingering

Word count: 1864

"Hey baby, how much money do you think we could get from a sex tape?" Rory had asked once while the two of you sat on the sofa in your high rise apartment in Los Angeles.

You only laughed, thinking that his question was inconsequential, until you answered.

"Probably a few grand."

"You think? I think way more than that, look at us, we're such a hot couple." Rory tackled you down onto the sofa, peppering your face with kisses as you laughed at his conceitedness.

You didn't think that he'd keep bringing it up after that. He was so adamant on this sex tape, that he suggested you'd film one at almost every meal, until you finally caved, and watched him as he fist pumped the air in victory.

You didn't mind being seen on film, even if it was while you shared an intimate moment with your partner. Rory's camcorder was so outdated that you didn't think that anyone could even make out your face if it was filmed on it. The resolution was so shoddy, any video he tried to take always came out grainy.

Your compliance had led to you doing your make up in Rory's film trailer. He was on set, filming his next tv series, when he'd suggested that now was the right time to do it. The spontaneous nature of your impending sex tape almost made it more thrilling.

When your make up was finished, you did a once over in front of the mirror, scrutinising your reflection for any faults in your work. Your eyes wondered over to Rory's film camera, perched on the table behind you. You wondered that despite all the thrill, if you really wanted to go through with it. He could always film it, and if you weren't comfortable, you could keep it for your own viewing pleasure, if that's what you ended up deciding. Having options eased your anxiety, and just in time, Rory swung open the door of his trailer.

"Well if it isn't my little porn star," he purred, turning immediately to the camera and flipping open the screen.

"How was set?" You asked, looking over again at the mirror and fixing a strap of your lingerie. Rory thought that if you wore red lace it would compliment his hair colour.

"Good, all I could think about was this though," he came towards you with his camera, crouching down to set it on the vanity in front of you. You watched as he adjusted the angle, using the mirror to get the placement right.

"I'm kinda nervous Rory," you confessed, pouting as he turned to you with a frown, cupping your cheeks in his hands.

"You'll do great baby, we'll do great, it'll be fine," he reassured you, pulling your head forwards to plant a quick kiss on your lips.

"Okay, you ready? You remembered how we planned it? I've taken the viagra," He said, standing in the middle of his trailer and luring you over with outstretched arms. You nodded reluctantly, getting up and striding over to him in six inch heels.

"It's filming now but- we'll cut out this part, or maybe, we leave it in for authenticity," he rambled, grabbing you by the hips, the smile on his face wide as he looked at you.

"Shut up and let's get this over and done with," you teased, pulling him in by the collar of his plain t-shirt and pressing your lips to his.

Rory didn't hold back, pulling you closer to him so your chests were pressed together, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Your fingers tangled in his short hair, your tongue begging to enter his warm mouth. Almost in an instant, you'd forgotten the camcorder was there, and it felt like every other time you'd expressed your carnal desire for one another.

His hand ran up your back, to the nape of your neck, his fingers grabbing a hold of the ends of your hair. He jerked your head away, a gasp leaving your lips from his roughness, as he forced you down on your knees.

With one hand still in your hair, his other worked at the zip on his jeans, pulling down his boxers next to reveal his already aching erection to you.

"Now be a good girl, and take my cock in that pretty little mouth of yours," he said, running his tip along your soft lips. You nodded graciously, wrapping your hand around the base of his cock, and guiding it towards your open mouth.

You sucked softly on the tip, moaning loudly as you tasted his pre cum, sure to make sure the camera pick up every one of your euphoric noises.

"Oh, just like that, such a little fucking whore," Rory groans, pushing your mouth further onto him, taking almost all of it in your mouth. You tried to withheld your gags, as his tip brushed the back of your throat.

“Gag on it, I wanna hear it,” Rory seethed, his grip on your hair only getting tighter. You whimpered, looking up at him through wet lashes, as he continued to pound his cock into your mouth. He watched you with shuttering eyes as you took his hard length in his mouth, seamlessly leaving it costing in your saliva. You enjoyed giving Rory head; especially when he was rough, you fed off every grunt and every “fuck”, knowing that you were making him feel like he was on cloud nine.

“My god I need to fuck you right now,” he groaned, pulling his cock from your mouth and pulling you to stand. You didn’t get a chance to catch a breath, before he pushes you over to the vanity, right in front of the camera. He bends you over the table top, your ass in the air, as he unclips your lingerie from the middle. It pulls apart in two pieces, your already soaking wet folds on display for him to now marvel at.

Rory crouches down, now face level with your pussy, his fingers reaching out to rub against your swollen clit. You let out a moan of pleasure, as he touches you, his finger toying at your entrance.

“So fucking wet, you like it rough don’t you?” He asks harshly, before plunging a finger inside you, his knuckle grazing your folds. You let out a gasp as he adds another finger, moving them in and out of you at a steady speed. Your fingers grasp at whatever they can, as your eyes screw shut, stars painted across the inside of your eyelids.

“Oh fuck baby,” you breathe out, a whine escaping your lips as his fingers suddenly leave you. Everything was moving so fast, but you craved for his well-endowed length as much as he craved to give it to you.

Before Rory stands, his spreads your folds with his thumbs, spitting directly on your opening. The fire in your lower abdomen burned with passion as he stood, grabbing onto his length and positioning his tip at your entrance.

“How bad do you want it?” He asks, his tip running against your slit teasingly.

“So fucking bad, please Rory, I need you,” you plead pathetically, your face almost directly in front of the camera.

Rory doesn’t wait another moment, pushing his tip inside you, immediately stretching out your walls. He lets out a low groan, as he grips onto your hips, his fingers digging into your skin, only pushing himself further inside you. When he was all the way in, he slowly pulled out. Waves of bliss pulsed through your body from the stimulation on your core, making sure to part your lips and clench your eyes shut for the film, so everyone else knew how good it felt.

“You’re so fucking tight, such a needy cunt between your legs,” Rory said, more to himself, as he thrusts all the way back in slowly.

Suddenly, he picks up pace, moving you back onto his cock by your hips as he rocks all the way in, and all the way out again. Soon he was pounding into you to the beat of a silent drum, every thrust enticing loud moans and profanity from the pair of you.

His head hung back in pleasure as his lips parted, enjoying the feeling of being inside you, feeling you contract around him in titillation. It was an undeniably good feeling, having sex with Rory, but also knowing you could watch back on it later, that the moment didn’t have to end and could be on a continuous loop at your fingertips.

“You like when I fuck you like that?” Rory asks seductively, his thrusts slowing for only a moment as he awaited an answer.

You whimpered at the loss of traction, reaching behind you to try and pull him back into you. He only chuckled, moving his body away from your searching hand.

“Yes, please, more,” you choke out, your head falling forwards in desperation as Rory then continues to pound into you. His hand snaked around to your front, his fingers making contact with your throbbing clit and rubbing small circles.

Reaching behind you, you spread your cheeks and arched your back to help drive Rory’s cock in farther. The deep penetration sent your body into overdrive, falling into a moaning mess, feeling every push up against your g spot.

“That it baby, spread out for me, I wanna feel you cum around my cock,” Rory’s lips were by your ear, whispering words of dirty encouragement to you as you felt yourself approaching your sweet release.

With Rory massaging your engorged clit, and his balls slapping against your dripping pussy with every fast, deep thrust the knot in your stomach finally untied. Gushing around him, Rory let out a low growl, feeling every contraction and working you through your orgasm.

“That’s it baby, fucking cum for me,” he nipped at your earlobe, your legs shaking as you tried to take his last few thrusts before his own release.

“Gonna cum,” Rory said briefly, his fingernails digging into the skin of your hips as he finally met with his climax, his warm load coating your pulsing walls.

He pulled out shortly after, hastily reaching for the camcorder, as you remained bent over the vanity, breathless, feeling like you’d just had the best sex of your entire life. Rory crouched down behind you again, his camcorder viewing his semen as it dripped from your exposed core, down the inside of your thigh, mixed with your own arousal.

He turned off the video, pacing over to his laptop on his desk, pulling up his pants as he walked.

“That’s a wrap baby!” He said excitedly, earning a small defeated laugh from you.

You finally stood up, taking a deep breath of composure, following him over to his desk and taking a seat in his lap.

He reached around you to plug in his camcorder, pulling up the footage of your prior activities, waiting for it to transfer over.

“Now we get to watch it,” he said, pressing soft kisses to your neck, “you were so good, my little pornstar.”

Taglist/ @v-love @evanpetersfav @demxnicprxncess @kitwalkersgfff @quicksilversg1rl @dahmevan @charsdunkie @iruzias @alexxavicry

[overworkedunderwhelmed]

The classmates premise in Protection reminds me a lot of something (below the cut for those holding off for chronological order):

The “Kiss will fix everything” theory sure sounds a lot like DARK CUPID, doesn’t it? I mean, kisses never fix everything, but they can sure help sometimes.

Especially when true love’s kiss works, even when you are Ladybug and in full S1 denial about feelings for your adorkable partner.

Sincerely, as someone who literally wrote a Darker Cupid spec fic within the last month because of what canon seemed to be doing.

If Dark Cupid was step 1, Elation gave us a step 2 echo of that same type of moment in frightening chaos of Marinette’s potential Akumatization, and Chat Noir’s hasty version of said kiss to distract her. Was there love there, sure. But he felt unworthy of it because of his own duty.

3. They’ve now established a new pattern of turning a prior, but early Akumatization idea upside down when the villains have been upcycled (Darker Owl, Riposte Prime, etc.) The exact how and the why can vary to however the writer’s have wanted to bridge piece together.

But Darker Cupid would require some Kim backstory...and presumably heartbreak of some sort.

Interestingly, Kim was the only other holder that neither Marinette or Adrien knew about. Master Fu handed him the colors.

Hawkmoth knew about him, though at the end of...S3? They’ve never really played that hand.

Ondine has...not really been present.

Kim had a crush on Chloe, which doesn’t exactly show the best judgment...just vanity.

He tried to throw shade at Alix and she curb stomped him.

Max is his best friend but they’ve never been shown to be very close.

If I was Chloe or Lila, Kim would be the class’s weakest link...and one of the strongest Akuma in terms of mass confusion and damage.

We need Chat Noir to come to the realization that Ladybug does love him. One that he cannot possibly deny. Maybe a Darker Cupid isn’t the mode, but this realization must happen and happen sometime soon.

4. Lastly, if Monarch has shown he can try to Akumatize one, it is very possible for Monarch to try to Akumatize them both simultaneously... especially if he feels that he has no other option left to him.

Especially if Nathalie is actively working against him and Lila has managed to turn the manipulation tables on him...

Fighting off their inner demons would make for a rather terrifying visual.  

The resurgence of Ladybug’s trauma and fears at the sight of Chat Blanc and his hauntingly distant blue eyes...that hadn’t quite lost who he was.

Maybe a Dark Sandboy version of Ladybug shouting to his fears that she would never love him...maybe with mirrored echoes of Marinette fearing that their love could never come.  That she couldn't love him, especially in his form that could so easily destroy everything in this world.

Making him terrified again that he would be constantly alone, just as he has lost or is losing everyone else in his life.

Where Ladybug and Chat Noir are fighting off their darkest left with no other choice but to save each other...to save the one they love the most at their darkest moment.

The power of love always so strong, perhaps?

[stiricidewrites]

The Damage You Do: ch 22, pt 3

Previously

~

Option 3: After a specific amount of time had passed, it was a new session.

“What about, like, time based?” wwx asked, as lwj dried and moisturized him. His dom had also pulled his hair up into a towel, after slathering it with so much stuff that wwx swore his hair was twice as heavy as usual.

It was not, in fact, twice as heavy as usual.

lwj hummed as he dried between wwx’s toes, causing him to giggle and try to pull his leg away. Unfortunately, lwj had anticipated this and had a death grip on his ankle. “What would be considered a reasonable amount of time?” he asked, switching to wwx’s other foot.

“Uh… I don’t know? What’s the longest you’ve ever gone from being horny to being done?”

lwj’s lips twitched and suddenly wwx very much did not want to know the answer. “A while.”

Never mind, he totally needed to know the answer. He needed to know it, like, yesterday, thanks.

His dom moved him this way and that as wwx pestered him for an answer, trying to make the other man reveal what in the world “a while” meant.

“Why won’t you tell me~” he whined as lwj pulled his hair free of the towel and began to put more product in it. He tried to resist moaning into the feel of his hair being cared for, but he quickly gave up, wiggling and moaning and praising lwj’s hands as he worked, then whining when he was done because he wanted lwj’s hands in his hair forever.

He glared at his dom’s towelled butt as he went to get a hair dryer, before shifting his eyes to his reflection in the vanity. He felt slightly ridiculous, sitting at the vintage counter suited for a dozen girlfriends in a poofy purple robe. He hoped someone had once had parties in here, filled the bathroom—the whole apartment—up with laughter and fun, and suddenly he was imagining himself there, throwing a party with Nie Huaisang, Wen Qing and Wen Ning. Maybe A-Yuan would come too, and Wen-popo, just for a bit. If he was lucky, maybe jiejie and Jiang Cheng would come too, although that kind of thing seemed more suited for jiejie’s peacock husband than his brother. He was so totally not invited to wwx’s makeover slumber party.

lwj could come, though. He would probably love all the fancy face and skin care, and he’d definitely have advice on what people should use for different issues.

Plus, who else was going to fund his party?

That was only eight people, max, though, and he deflated a little. He used to have friends, so many friends that it wasn’t even funny. Always someone needing help or a hug. Him, always willing to give whatever he could, and receiving so little in return.

Except with the Wens.

“A-Ying?” wwx’s eyes bolted up to meet lwj’s in the mirror. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah…” he sighed, trying to resist fiddling with his hair. He didn’t think lwj would appreciate it, and then he’d have weird, oily hands. “It’s nothing.”

lwj, unsurprisingly, did not look convinced, but it let it go, instead leaning over wwx to plug in the hairdryer. “By the way,” he whispered against wwx’s ear, his lips ghosting against his flesh and sending a shudder down his spine, “'a while' is eight hours.”

wwx died a little inside.

Option 4: Vibes.

“'Vibes,' is not an option,” lwj said, frowning at him through the mirror, before returning to drying his hair.

[grailfinders]

Fate & Phantasms #57F: Eric Bloodaxe

well now you've done it. look what happened, y'all've made fun of Eric Bloodaxe (the bloodaxe king) so much he up and left Fate entirely! he's set out to Eorzea to check out that free demo of hit MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn he's heard so much about. but he still wants to wear something slightly resembling his usual outfit, so he asked us to help out. that's right, we're making your favorite fate characters as glamour sets now! why not?

so to start with, if we want to look the part we need to start at character creation, and thankfully we won't even need to worry about getting horns from somewhere else, since the Au Ra race is kind enough to provide them for free!

admittedly he does still look a lot skinnier than I'd like, but that's just how mmo's tend to work, y'know? damn you, anime prettyboys! that being said, at least you'll always be able to swing a giant axe around if you play a Marauder. they definitely feel beserker-y too! run into literally every enemy and don't stop swinging until they're all dead, real easy gameplay.

we'll put all the real nitty-gritty stuff at the end, but for now our model's here so we'll talk about the fit. in order to put on any glamor (which allows you to make your armor look like whatever so you're not constantly mix-matching to get the best bonuses) you need to be level 30. I am not leveling a whole-ass character just for an April Fools bit, so our model this evening shall be Miss Akeminemi Homumomu. say hi Akeminemi.

we're going to make as much of our outfit as possible so you can wear this as early as possible, and with as little grinding as we can manage. to start off, let's talk weaponry. most of the crafted axes you can get are a little too clean to work as a proper bloodaxe, but you can at least match Eric's double-bladed style with a labrys, specifically a Spike Bronze Labrys as that is the lowest-level one we can make.

UPDATE: we found a weapon that matches Eric's blood axe much better! the end of the Extreme primal questline, "To Tussle with Gods", gives you tokens you can exchange for the Dual Haken.

your headgear is dead simple, as thanks to the average MMO player's obsession with their own face you can just toggle off the visual part of your helmet anyway, no crafting needed. score one for vanity!

your body is less so. while you can just not wear anything if you like living dangerously, most party members will appreciate you actually wearing armor as the party tank. in that case, you'll want to wear the Emperor's New Robe as a glamour, turning whatever armor you wear invisible! once you can glamor you can buy one from a nearby merchant for less than 100 gil, it's a steal. that being said, Akeminemi looks like a small child, so she'll be wearing a shirt for modesty's sake.

for your gloves, pick up some Goatskin Armguards and dye them a skintone, I think Pumpkin Orange works well enough for our purposes. boom. arms, guarded.

your Pants were the biggest sticking point here- there aren't many skirtlike options you can make that still have metal on them, especially in early game. if you've got the time or you're already high level, the Light Steel Subligar is the only one I could find that's craftable. that being said I've beaten the basegame and I still can't make the damn thing, so we're using the Brand-new Trousers as a substitute. you get them as part of the main story quests, so it's still easy enough to get.

finally, for Eric's big stompy boots grab some Bronze Sabatons and darken them with some Kobold Brown Dye. so, let's see how it looks all together, shall we?

absolutely terrifying. happy April Fools Day, y'all!

(oh right, the specifics, almost forgot)

for character creation:

pick Au Ra, the Xaela variant set height to max tail style 3, reduce size to min face 1 skin color: row 16, column 4 hair style: row 6, column 1 hair color: row 8, column 7 jaw 4 eye style 2, with large irises eye color: row 12 column 4 no limbal rings (he's not a cat now, c'mon) eyebrow style 6 nose 5 mouth 3 default lip color only use the eyebrow addons under the "other" options no facepaint and voice #12

and again, his outfit is Spiked Bronze Labrys Emperor's New Robe Goatskin Armguards (dyed Pumpkin Orange) Brand-New Trousers (or Light Steel Subligar) Bronze Sabatons (Dyed Kobold Brown)

[k-vanity]

Season’s Greeting: A K-Vanity Event

Suffering from the winter blues and want to head somewhere hot? Want to trade sand for snow? Here at K-Vanity, you can travel the world and experience all the seasons. This quarter’s catalog has the right outfits for the job.

Event Timeline:  

- posting period: Dec. 1st - Jan. 5th - masterlist will be posted in January 2023

Event Rules: 

- You must be a member of the network or one of our affiliates to participate in the event.  - Choose one or two themes and pair with as many extras as you’d like. (You must choose at least one outfit/theme. Extras/Accessories are optional.) - Written works must be a minimum of 500 words; no max. - For visual artists, you may choose from the themes and use what you’ve selected to create. You may also choose extras to go along with your theme. - Use the tag #kwonderland along with the net tag #kvanity when posting your work. - Regular rules and regulations from the net apply to this event. -If you have any questions about the event, reach out to one of our admins ❤

Outfits/Themes: (choose 1 or 2) - ( ) guide for writers

- Jerseys (sports/athletes) - Traditional (holiday/culture) - Swim (vacations/getaways) - Formal (special occasions) - Uniforms (professional setting) - Intimates (sensual/adult entertainment) - Lounge (hurt/comfort/slice of life) 

Accessories/Extras: (unlimited/optional) 

Winter Olympics | Beach | Autumn Leaves | Christmas | Snow Slopes | New Years Eve | Cabin in the Woods | Festivals | First Snow | Under the Mistletoe | Secret Santa | Grandiose Declarations of Love | Holiday Decorating | Holiday Party | Baking/Cooking Disasters | Hanukkah | Winter Solstice | Kwanzaa | Fireworks | Resolutions | “A silent night. I know it’s going to be.” | Transition | Orange, Red, Blue, Green | Snowball Fight/Playing in Snow | Going to see Christmas Lights | Blue, White, and Silver | Light Blue. “While winter is still freezing, it also has a magical quality to it.” | Peppermint Hot Chocolate | Hockey  | Figure Skating | Road Trips | Caroling | New York | Paris | In-Laws | Lost Luggage

These prompts were provided by the members of the fashion team.

[astoldbyaja]

The Blossom surrounded by Fire - Ch. 27 (Warrior AU- HBO MAX)

But we did not see Long Zii, only Mai Ling. She sat at her vanity dresser applying some eye make-up while I stood near her door. Li Yong had left after Mai Ling commanded; he leave.

“So, the Fung Hai decides to pick up Long Zii medics off the street. You know what Zing is doing don’t you?” she asked with a hint of firmness as she turned to look at me. I didn’t know what the right answer would be here.

“He is doing whatever he can to ensure he gets his way.” I said lowly and she nodded.

“Yes. He should have paid for time with you.” she said. I stiffened very lightly remembering one of the first conversations I had with Zing about any forms of payment.

“Well, you have two options: you can take my money, or you can take my cock.”

“He and I do not agree on his method of payment.” I replied. She nodded.

“Well soon you will have to come to an agreement. It seems you are developing more sway then you intended or wanted, and a colored girl having any form of sway between Chinese tongs, is not something you want to let go to waste if you play the game right.” she said. I shook my head.

“I do not want to play any games. I just want to help people.” I replied. She scoffed standing up and sauntering over to me.

“And look where that’s gotten you. Helping strangers does not gain you loyalty only helping your allies gains you loyalty.” she said. I nodded slowly looking down. When I helped Long Zii he was just a stranger, and now he is an ally, or at least his wife is.

“Zing thinks after forcing me to spend time with him, that he has gained my loyalty.” I replied. She nodded.

“And soon, in some fucked up way he is going to want to prove to you that you have his loyalty as well.” she explained. Is that why he called upon me instead of his own doctors to check on his wounds? I looked up at Mai Ling who could see me thinking.

“He will soon find a way to get me back into his bed whether he asks Long Zii flat out for my services or yanks me off the street.” I said more to myself than to Mai Ling. She nodded.

“Yes. Long Zii could refuse him and that would cause a slight rift in our tongs since you are very… experienced.” she said with a smirk rolling her eyes over me. My cheeks felt warm as I nodded.

“So, I should give in to whatever happens then.” I concluded and she shook her head with a smirk.

“Make him prove his loyalty to you and this tong.” she said. Her eyes had something sinister behind them, but I nodded and bowed before leaving the room. If I was to be ready for that time whenever it happens, I would need some guidance and who else to better get it from than the queen of the brothel herself.

Li Yong and his men were walking about Chinatown doing their own rounds, and so I made my way to Ah Toy’s brothel. I knocked on the large doors and waited a moment until one of the doors opened and I saw none other than Lai.

I smiled at her, and she smiled her eyes popping happily before she turned and looked behind her and then at me with a mild look of worry. I looked at her confused.

“Lai, what’s wrong?” I asked. But I was doubtful I’d get an actual answer. I could see Ah Toy quickly coming down the stairs.

“Ask God to send an angel and he delivers. Quickly get in!” she replied and immediately the two women take my arm and pull me in. I stuttered over my words, my brain rattled with confusion.

“Wait- what’s going on?” I asked as the two women were leading me upstairs. Ah Toy looked at me trying to remain calm looking.

“We have a slight situation; one I wish to be handled quietly and discreetly.” she informed. I shook my head looking at Lai and then looking at her.

“What do you mean?” I asked as both women kept firm grips on my hand to lead me down one of the brothel halls.

“There was a scrap the other day between Fung Hai and Hop Wei, it was bad.” she said. My eyes popped.

“Anyone dead?” I asked. Ah Toy shook her head.

“No. That’s not the problem, it’s who found his way to my doorstep that’s the problem.” she said pausing at a door and immediately opening it. She stepped inside and pulled me in too and I froze at the sight inside. Sitting up in the bed was a badly bruised Bolo. He hair was shaggy and messed up and he was without a shirt. I could see the purple bruises and cuts all over his body. He slowly looked at me, confusion, and relief dancing in his eyes.

“Oh my God.” I said lowly. He gave a side smirk.

“Hey, Amaka.” he said, voice dripping with exhaustion. I looked at Ah Toy confused.

“What exactly do you want me to do here?” I asked. Ah Toy turned so that our backs were to Bolo.

“Look after the scrap, the bulls came in hard and many scattered. Passages were blocked and Bolo had to come here to rest and be looked at. Right now, Fung Hai are still walking around looking for Hop Wei to kill. Until they clear out, he is to remain hidden here. All I ask is that you just check his wounds.  It will keep you in good standing with the Hop Wei after deciding to side with Long Zii. I couldn’t sneak Hop Wei medics in here without the Fung Hai noticing.” she said if trying to really convince me. I looked at Lai who gave a sympathetic shrug. I looked away for a moment.

“No one can promise that I’d be in good standing with Father Jun.” I said lowly.

“I can!” I hear Bolo say loudly. The three of us turned to look at him as he now had a cigarette in his mouth. “It’s definitely rude to talk about my tong as if I’m not in the room.”

I bit my bottom lip already feeling like I would regret this. But I came here to see Ah Toy. If I didn’t help and the Fung Hai came here to bother her girls, she’d never trust me again. I nodded and looked at Bolo.

“Fine. I will need to check you over.” I replied and Ah Toy nodded.

“He’ll need to be stitched up. Lai will bring you some supplies,” she said and took my hands in her own, her eyes showing gratitude, “thank you.” I nodded.

“Please hurry. I came here to see you about… lessons.” I muttered lowly. Ah Toy looked at me almost stunned before nodding now a glint of excitement in her eyes.

“I see. Bolo, Amaka will see you properly attended to like she always does.” she said looking at Bolo who looked very pointedly at me. I gawked gently at her before she nodded and left the room. Now it was just Bolo and I and I shook my head thinking this entire scenario felt familiar. I couldn’t help but feel moderately annoyed at this situation I found myself in. But I cleared my mind and looked at Bolo moving over to him. He watched my every move until I was standing beside the bed looking him over.

“Is this the worst scrap you’ve ever been in?” I asked. Bolo shook his head finally giving a smirk.

“Oh, this doesn’t even scratch the surface of good scraps. You should see the other guys.” he said proudly. I started to wonder if Zing has faced off against Bolo. I wanted to ask why the two tongs were even fighting, but I knew I couldn’t since I was in a tong myself. Instead, I just shook my head, grateful he could still find time to be so prideful. So, I slowly sat down beside him and began to look him over. His cuts weren’t too deep, but they needed stitching. His bruising would need some ointment as well.

“How bad is your pain?” I asked. He shook his head.

“I don’t feel much anymore.” he said. I looked at him concerned growing over my face.

“You don’t feel anything now?” I asked moving to touch the sides of his shoulders. Was he going into shock or something? He shook his head taking my arms.

“I mean, the pain doesn’t bother me like it used to when I was younger. I’m fine Amaka, really.” he said lightly. I stared at his face a moment feeling his own hand raise to my cheek. “I’m happy you’re here.”

I felt my cheek start to drift into his palm before I closed my eyes and paused. He acts like we were not just together.

“I’m glad you’re not dead.” I said softly before reaching into my satchel. “Come, let’s get you patched up.” He recoiled some but nodded and I moved to grab my supplies. I cleaned his wounds, sewed him up, and in between Lai came with a bowl of warm water, cloths, and some ointment to put on Bolo’s wounds.

“So, you regret joining a tong yet?” Bolo asked giving a gentle wince as I pulled the thread through his wound and started to stitch him close.

“It’s proven more interesting than my days before the tong.” I admitted. He scoffed and looked away with a smirk.

“Don’t let Chao hear you say that.” he teased. I chuckled some.

“He would not let me forget I said that. How are your men? Are they okay?” I asked. He shook his head.

“I don’t know. Guess I’ll know who’s dead by the time Young Jun and the others come for me when the cost is clear.” he said. I nodded telling myself they were fighting over territory or drugs or whatever craziness they got themselves into. Once his wounds were cleaned and wrapped, I placed my hands gently over the blanket.

“How are your legs-”

“They’re fine don’t worry.” Bolo said quickly stopping me. I looked at him quizzically before nodding.

“Okay.” I replied softly before grabbing the bowl that was painted red from the blood. I got up and moved over toward the window and gently poured out the water. I rang the towels out and sat them on the seal to dry a bit. I finally turned around, only to gasp at how close Bolo was to me.

I found myself pinned to the wall beside the window and his lips attacking mine. I gave a muffled cry as I felt his body now pushing against mine. His hands were holding my wrists and sliding them up the wall and over my head. Now I could see why he didn’t want me to see the obvious hard on he had beneath the sheets.

“Mm-Bolo!” I cried out as I feel his lips now sucking on my neck. We had just been together, and already he was greedily pressing his body into mine grinding his erecting between my legs as he used my state of confusion to get between me. “Don’t. Stop.” His hold on my wrists were hard, I couldn’t pull them away.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan to.” he panted heavily licking at my jugular. How does he have the strength for this right now. I whimpered shutting my eyes as I feel my body shaking. I can feel everything that’s him against me and immediately my body is reacting as if it’s Zing pressing into me. Now I see, smell, feel Zing against me.

But I will warn you, different eyes of different tongs are always watching each other. Do not put yourself in a position to be seen as betraying us.

“Stop! STOP!” I shouted finally hitting one of his wounds making him growl out and I shoved him away from me. He stumbled back and looked at me stunned.

“What the hell is the matter with you!” he shouted.

“I AM NOT YOUR WHORE!” I snapped quickly moving to run to the door. Ah Toy and Lai were coming in quickly just as I left.

“Wha-” Ah Toy asked confused. I moved down the hall quickly feeling the weight of the world coming down on me. I was moving down the stairs feeling my heart pounding hard in my chest. Yelling like that could have gotten me killed in captivity. What was happening to me! I feel a hand touch my shoulder stopping me from moving and I whipped my head around to see Lai. She just stared at me with emotional eyes, and I just stared at her back before she embraced me immediately.

That’s how it was. I would cry or show weakness and then someone would console me. I slowly raised my arms to hug her back. It couldn’t be like this always. I couldn’t always cry and expect to be consoled. But in this moment, I felt peace wash over me. I felt safe in Lai’s arms, because her hug felt genuine almost like Li Yong’s embrace.

“Amaka, what happened?” Ah Toy asked moving down the stairs and over to me. She frowned now. “Did he get rough with you?”

I shook my head immediately slowly moving back to take some even breaths before looking back up at the women. If anything Bolo was his usual self, he had no issues expressing that he wanted me and it seemed even with me being in another tong, his enemy tong no less, would not stop him from thinking with his cock.

“You and Mai Ling were right. I have to kill this weakness inside me that was instilled in me from birth when I was a slave. I need to survive- I want to survive and I am tired of feeling weak as I do it. I want to know how I can feel some type of power in the bedroom.” I replied. Ah Toy looked at Lai before motioning her to leave and she did and left us alone. Ah Toy took a step closer to me giving me a gentle yet firm gaze.

“You’re colored and you’re a woman you will always be a slave to someone in this lifetime. You know that firsthand. You have so much potential that you are wasting because of fear. It’s time to mold that fear into something much stronger… power.”

[lampladi]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: COPY - Anthropologie Bumblebee Vanity Sconce.

[hakesbros]

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[thesiltverses]

(if you'd be willing to share them, i would love to hear your thoughts on disco elysium 👀)

Nothing hugely smart or original, given that there's been a ton of essays written and recorded about it that say a great deal more!

I guess one aspect that I fixate on a lot, and which I haven't seen discussed so much, is how Disco Elysium fits into (and through its medium, invigorates) the tradition of what I think of as abject - or undignified - action.

For me, all of the most memorable action sequences from the past 20 years are based around watching our protagonists clumsily scramble about, just barely dodging disaster at every turn. They’re not hopelessly foolish, but they’re deeply vulnerable and completely out of control of the situation.

I’m thinking of:

Pretty much every scene that features Theo losing his shoes in Children of Men

Max capering about, pratfalling and being thrown off the War Rig in Fury Road

Barry in...Barry, scrapping frantically in the aisle of a pharmacy or through the rooms of a suburban home

These sequences aren't slapstick, exactly. But they understand the slapstick tradition and how it humanises the hero while enlivening the action. They know how to undercut the hero's efforts in a way that strengthens our sympathy with them and our fear for them without ever undermining the stakes of the scene. The humour flows in and out of the tension, and the two elements strengthen each other.

(In other words, they're very much the opposite of, say, Thor making a pompous speech about he's going to save the day, and then he gets punched by a big monster, goes flying into a cliff and makes a '...or maybe not' quip. That's a moment of tone-shattering bathos that, while it may demonstrate our hero's fallibility, actually serves to remind us that none of this matters and Thor will be just fine by the end. I don't think there is a specific Thor scene like this, it's just an illustration. Sorry, Thor.)

But these sequences are also the exact opposite of the slick superhumanity that action cinema has spent a good few decades fixating on as the ideal. The endgame of much of the most popular Western 80s and 90s action cinema is the lame, sterile vanity of Vin Diesel or the Rock in 2022, squabbling offscreen about making sure that they get to land all the perfect punches on camera, perform all the coolest stunts and never once lose their dignity.

I see undignified action in modern cinema as a very pointed response to that, and deeply humanistic in its intent. It's absolutely crucial to Fury Road that Max, Furiosa and the Wives embody heroism by running frantically about trying to to save each other, and that villainy is embodied by deluded kids calmly and boastfully carrying out macho acts of violence that must display a certain level of skill or be dismissed as 'mediocre'. (Nux symbolically swaps sides from the baddies to the goodies by...pratfalling.)

It's a principle I've tried to stick to in both of our shows so far, where heroism is generally divorced from skill, and is better represented by even fumbling or clumsy efforts to help the people around us. (And where completely unchallenged success, in fact, usually generates thoughtless confidence that results in damaging consequences later on.)

Disco Elysium goes one further by putting us in control of the character who's never in control of the situation, whose skills are comically lacking in most aspects, and who always has the option of making the worst possible choice.

I think that the story-driven computer game has undergone its own comparable crisis of humanity to action movies over the past couple of decades, due to a similar drive towards slick action, ‘complex’ ethical dilemmas, and over-earnest melodrama.

You have great games like Fallout: New Vegas - which I love - which work so hard to create a reactive world based on choices, but which to me always end up feeling like something is missing at its heart. Because the ultimate result of a bad decision or a dialogue failure is that everyone in the room starts shooting at you and you get to feel like a badass as you mow them all down.

Sometimes the enemies are really tough and you might have to reload, sure, but you never truly lack control or competency within the game itself. You can be a superhuman talker, or you can be an embarrassing buffoon in conversation who conveniently and nonsensically turns out to be a superhuman killing machine. 

That genuine in-character vulnerability, that real possibility of personal failure within the narrative, is always largely absent.

There's also been this obsession over the years with 'complex' ethical dilemmas as a pillar of storytelling - where there’s a ton of contrivance employed to ensure that every choice is merely kind-of bad and which actively undermines any sense of heroism. (Will you side with the faction that's apparently good but maybe not-that-good, or the faction that's apparently bad but maybe not-that-bad? God, who cares?)

Which is all very ironic, because some of the most memorable choices in older video games that people talk about decades later are generally far less meaningful in gameplay terms and far less ethically 'complex'.

In Planescape: Torment, it doesn't really affect much in the game if you say something devastatingly cruel or wonderfully kind to one of your companions, and there's no attempt whatsoever to justify the former as an option. But you fully understand the narrative stakes as a participant in the drama and you feel the impact of making that decision.

A lot of story-driven games since PS:T have aimed for that same kind of character-focused emotional resonance, where making the wrong choice or disappointing a fictional character is meant to be a punch to the player's gut. In my experience, they still almost all fail at what they’re attempting - either because the characters aren't compelling enough or because, again, the melodrama is massively over-earnest, flimsily 'complex' and contrived. 

In these games, the consequences of failure generally feel hollow because they feel like they’ve been worked up artificially to try and make us feel bad. (Oh, no, I rescued the prisoners and Companion 1 has lost 15 influence with me because one of the prisoners had murdered their mum so they wanted me to kill the prisoners instead!)

And just like in my fictional Thor movie, these are also works that also tend to only understand comedy as a periodic aside that undermines the wider narrative - let's cut to a quip every so often from Comic Relief Companion as they comment on the action, etc.

I'd argue that all of these flaws are connected in their own way, and Disco Elysium leaps over them - thanks to better writing, certainly, but also thanks to its deployment of an abject, debased protagonist who keeps fucking up at every turn, and for its far smarter use of comedy as an integrated part of the narrative to help us understand the consequences of failure.

The first meaningful choice we make in the game, after all, is one where we're highly encouraged to say something taboo, awful, funny and ridiculous, just to see what happens ("I want to make fuck with you").

I made that choice, laughed incredibly hard as Harry embarrassed himself - and then was horrified a few hours later as he almost screwed up an interrogation thanks to his own internal panic about the decision I’d made.

It's just a fantastic trick all around - by goading us initially towards dialogue choices that lead to slapstick and social embarrassment, the game ends up making the later decisions feel far more grounded. We've caused Harry to say the wrong thing and cause hurt, confusion and anger in a dozen different characters, which is the only reason why we care so deeply about the stakes of saying the wrong thing in front of the woman who's lost her husband.

By opening up possibilities of limitless failure, the occasional display of keeping-it-together feels like an absolute triumph for humanity. (The humour bleeds into the tension, and both strengthen each other.)

And that's why the best action sequence (and possibly the best narrative sequence) in video games over the past twenty years isn't out of any action game.

It's an incompetent, eccentric middle-aged drunk and his long-suffering partner standing up to a pack of heavily-armed, well-trained and murderous mercenaries who are on the verge of committing a horrific massacre.

It's the player sweating as they click through a simple dialogue sequence in preparation for a fight to the death, in the full knowledge that two in-game days previously, they tried to run away from a motel bill and tripped on an old lady's wheelchair. 

The possibility of failure and slapstick is ever-present, it feels like the most likely outcome for Harry (no matter what the percentages onscreen tell us), and that possibility has turned horrific.

There are no real attempts at intricate moral choices in the scene (imagine how many games would have given you the option to win over the mercenaries or side with them), no actual combat, a limited amount of empowerment for Harry even at his most effective, and aside from Kim's presence or absence afterwards, no huge gameplay consequences.

But you hold your breath as you experience it. It's just utterly fantastic work in its medium.

Heroism isn't competence, power or dignity. It's running frantically about, trying to to save each other.

[collecting-stories]

Book Club - 90s!Luke Patterson

Summary: Reggie books a gig at a suburban mom’s book club and Luke takes full advantage of the situation to flirt with you. 

A/N: I’m literally writing two other Luke fics right now 😭😭

Julie and the Phantoms Masterlist

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

The third Thursday of every month belonged to your mother. It was her day, when she demanded not to be bothered, when she spent hours out of the house socializing with the women’s group that she belonged to. And, out of all those Thursdays, there were always the very special few when it wasn’t her leaving the house but everyone else. The group rotated their meeting time, everyone for a blue moon meeting at your house, meaning, of course that you were expected to stay out. Staying out was not a difficult thing to do, in fact you relished the opportunity to spend a few more hours with your friends. 

It was one of those Thursdays, when all the ladies that your mother loved to lunch with were spending the afternoon at your house and you were making yourself scarce, that arguably the weirdest but maybe best thing happened. Your mom had told you before you left for school that morning that she expected you to stay out, and you would have, if you had remembered your wallet. But you’d left it in your room, on the edge of the vanity, and you didn’t want to be the one owing money when your friends went to lunch. A quick stop home should’ve been easy, the stairs were right off the kitchen and the side door was right there, giving you the opportunity to shoot upstairs and grab your wallet without her being the wiser to it. 

The whole thing would’ve gone off without a hitch except that when you walked through the side door and into the kitchen you came face to face with four boys from your school. You recognized them more for the fact that you didn’t hang out in the same circle; most of your friends held a certain level of contempt for the four guys that made up Sunset Curve. You didn’t necessarily dislike any of them, you didn’t necessarily even know them, though you would be lying if you said that the lead singer, who occasionally sat in front of you in math, was seriously making you rethink a deep dive into all this rock music. Luke, Reggie, Alex, and Bobby were standing in your kitchen. They were the Green Day/Nirvana worshipping, head banging rockers that ditched school regularly and got into worlds of trouble and they were standing in your kitchen.  

Bobby was the only one who looked up from snacking on leftover hors d’oeurves, saying your name in surprise as the other three all stopped to look at you too. Alex gave an awkward little wave as he set down the small sandwich he was eating.  

“Uh...what are you guys doing in my house,” you asked, looking between the four of them.  

“Your mom tapped us to perform for her ladies club.” Luke explained, dropping his food on the plate and wiping his hands against his black pants.  

Your mom had invited these four to sing for her conservative ladies’ group? You tried not to but you couldn’t help the smile that crossed your face when you thought about it. Whatever your friends said about the guys, you weren’t ashamed to say you had taken one of the free demos that Reggie handed out and had been listening to it on repeat for a while now. “My mom wanted you guys to play a gig for her and her friends?” You clarified.

“Until we started playing,” Reggie replied, and you couldn’t help laughing.

“I bet...you guys aren’t exactly...suburban mom rock.” You joked, “though I totally would’ve loved to see their faces when you guys started singing.”  

The grin on Luke’s face was unmistakable though you missed it as you nabbed one of the sandwiches on the plate near Alex. It was probably some really stupid cliche, him liking one of the popular girls. Cute, cheerleader, future prom queen. You hung out with people who listened to Britney Spears and Spice Girls, any knowledge of the rock scene they might’ve actually had was only for the sake of making dumb jabs at him or his friends. Still, Luke had a massive crush on you and he wasn’t so embarrassed to admit it. Bobby joked that he wanted to “bring you over to the dark side” and maybe that sounded cynical but he thought he wouldn’t mind seeing you look a little less perfectly put together if it had something to do with him. Hearing you mention his music almost had him doing a back flip from excitement.  

“So you’ve listened to our music?” Luke asked, moving closer to you, leaning on the counter beside you. Behind him, Alex rolled his eyes.

“Reggie gave out demos like...last month.” You shrugged, trying to play it off. You’d been excited to listen to their music, see if it was any good and had discovered that you actually loved it. They were talented guys and you felt surprisingly connected to the songs. “I might’ve listened.”

“I did!” Reggie piped up, “I gave demos to all the-” he stopped, mouthing instead, as if you wouldn’t understand him when he said ‘all the cute girls’.  

“I hate to ask but...don’t you think like, actual clubs would be better places to promote your music? I don’t think the middle-aged moms are really a target audience, unless you’re into that kind of thing?” You said, peering down the hallway when you heard the familiar squeak of a floorboard. If the boys were still here than there was no doubt in your mind that your mom had told them to stay for some reason or another.  

“You gotta start somewhere.” Luke replied, unfazed by the hint of judgement in your voice.  

“My living room?” You asked, jokingly.  

He smiled, “actually, we’re playing a club on the strip tomorrow night, we could, maybe, get you on the guest list?”  

“We’re opening for someone else,” Bobby cut in, bringing Luke back down to reality, “I’m pretty sure no one’s ever even heard of the band we’re opening for.”  

Luke glared at Bobby, sticking his finger in his mouth and then jabbing it into Bobby’s ear, a smile of success immediately lighting up his features when Bobby recoiled in disgust. “So what’d ya say?” Luke asked.  

“I mean, I guess technically every band deserves girls screaming for them, so sure…I’ll go.” You agreed, eyes on Luke the entire time.  

The last concert you had been to wasn’t even for you, your mom had dragged you to a Beach Boys concert up in San Francisco for her birthday weekend when your father refused to indulge her so-called ‘terrible taste in music’. “There are just some things we will never agree on and music is one of them.” He had insisted back then. It was the same thing you felt like telling your friends when you declined a party invitation in favor of heading down to the strip to see the guys play. You could’ve maybe played it off casually, as if you were heading down there anyway and Sunset Curve just happened to be opening but Bobby was right, you’d never heard of the band that was performing after them.  

Not to mention Luke decided to show up for a least a quarter of the day just to mess with your head. You had spotted him in the hallway between classes and smiled when he looked your way, a split second before the sea of students scrambled to get to their lockers. Your own best friends appeared by yours, looking more and more like carbon copies of the Heathers every day. You kind of hated them, truth be told, but you didn’t have too many other options.  

They were badgering you about the party as you tried to wrack your brain for an excuse that sounded convincing when Luke stopped, right in front of the three of you.  

“Hey, I’ll see ya tonight?” He asked, whole body turned to face you and completely ignoring the looks of disdain and shock cloaking your friends faces.  

You felt like a deer in headlights. Say yes and your friends would probably ostracise you, say no and you could just imagine the look on Luke’s face. Anything but this absolutely sincere and hopeful smile was something you didn’t want to be responsible for. You really liked him looking at you like that.  

“Yeah, can’t wait.” You nodded.  

When he stepped back out into the traffic of the hallway he touched your waist, as if he was anchoring himself for a second and you bit your lip, letting yourself watch him disappear before turning to face the firing squad.  

“Luke Patterson?” Both of your friends spoke in unison, one breaking off to elaborate, “you’re ditching a party at Max Turner’s house for Luke Patterson?”  

“His band is playing at some club on the strip.” You replied, shutting your locker and heading toward your next class. “They invited me to come watch the show.”

“And you’re going?”  

You hadn’t been to anything smaller than a stadium concert before and the implication of a concert at a local club venue, right on the strip with all the ‘riffraff’ that were hanging around trying to make it big like their 80’s punk rock idols wasn’t exactly your scene but, Luke had looked so cute asking you to go and you had the tiniest, maybe delusional, feeling that he’d come to school just to remind you that tonight was the concert. How could could even consider some suburban house party to that?  

“Yeah, why not,” you shrugged, trying to play it off like it was nothing, you could see your social status flashing before your eyes and your mom’s voice desperately begging you to reconsider. “Besides, Luke’s hot.”

“Did you have some kind of Freaky Friday switch when you woke up this morning? Luke is not hot.”  

“Okay,” you drew the word as if disbelieving. He wasn’t some 90210 reincarnate but he was definitely one of the hottest guys in school, not to mention the sleeveless shirts were an added bonus. “Well, I said I was going, so I’m going.”

And, despite the continued protests of your friends throughout the day, you did go. You promised your parents you were spending Friday night studying at Terri’s house and took the bus down to the strip to wait in line for Sunset Curve and whoever was headlining. You stood there twirling your fake ID in your hands, listening to the two girls in front of you (who didn’t need fakes) talk about some drummer that wasn’t anyone you’d ever heard of and tried to look as mature as possible. If Luke, Alex, Reggie, and Bobby could play this venue, surely you could get into it.  

Whether the ID worked or the bouncer at the front door just didn’t care, he let you through, admitting you into a pulsing crowd of people making their way through the small vestibule and into the venue. You slipped your way through the crowd until you made it to the front, pressed against the railing and inches away from another bouncer who seemed just as disinterested in you. The drumkit that was already on the stage had the Sunset Curve logo on it. You ran a hand through your hair and fixed your shirt, maybe it was silly but you were sort of hoping that even in the silhouetted lighting of the venue you Luke might see you. Maybe a little pathetic groupie on your end but he had invited you.  

And he did see you. Halfway through Now or Never when he looked down over the crowd, he caught you, dancing along to their music, the smile on your face as you mouthed the words was infectious. It was the combination of seeing someone singing all the songs back to them and that person being you, mixed with the adrenaline of the performance, that had him pushing to give his absolute all. You’d actually come and he was determined to make this a great concert for you.  

Alex was the one to announce that they would be in the vestibule during the lull between bands, they got the occasional straggler who dared to leave their post long enough to say hello or great job but usually it garnered nothing more than the four of them splitting some pizza and relaxing by their merch table. Tonight, as they headed off stage to an enthusiastic crowd, Luke chanced a glance back but he couldn’t find you in the sea of people. Reggie grabbed his arm, pulling him the rest of the way off the stage and throwing an arm around his shoulder, going on about how awesome the show was, Luke quickly returning the jovial compliment.

“We were fire, man, that sounded so rad tonight!” He cheered, following Alex and Bobby as they made their way through the small hall that wove back into the vestibule.  

“It was insane!” Reggie agreed.  

You had made your way back through the venue after Luke mentioned being at the merch table, slipping back passed the bouncer at the inside door, flashing your stamped hand. Their table was set up in the corner, a little way away from the headlining band’s. You stepped into the vestibule at the same time as the boys, waving at Alex when he looked your way. He nodded, reaching over to tap Luke’s chest with the back of his hand.  

“That was incredible.” You admitted, walking over to their table. Luke’s smile instantly widened as he walked around to your side, not even thinking as he hugged you, your shoulders hunching at the feeling of sweat that encompassed you. “Ew.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Luke apologized, pulling away and putting his hands on your upper arms for a second before dropping them to his sides. “Still going off the adrenaline.”

“That’s okay,” you promised, “you’re cute enough to get away with it.”

“Yeah?” He leaned against the table, trying to look cool. He felt like he was grasping for words and he didn’t want to start stuttering or sounding dumb, Bobby would never let him live it down if he made a fuck up of himself. The other three tried not to laugh and ruin his moment.  

You seemed to recover from the moment first, glancing at the other three before landing on Luke again. “You guys are totally a live band though...like that was so good.”  

Reggie came in with a save, letting Luke off the hook for a moment, “Are you heading back in to see the headliner?”  

You grimaced, “don’t really know them...not really interested.” You replied, keeping your eyes on Luke, hoping that was hint enough that you’d come just to see him.  

It clearly was because, as a few girls stepped into the vestibule and looked like they were coming your way, Luke grabbed your arm, nodding toward the doorway for you to follow him. You did, walking with him into the hallway so that it was quieter, the sounds of the house music and the chatter of people outside being drowned out in the small corridor.  

“So, uh, sorry I’m still wigging out that you came.” He admitted.  

“I said I was going to, twice. Did you seriously think I was lying?” You asked.  

“I mean, I heard your friends giving you a hard time when I walked away, figured you might back out.”  

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t, seriously Luke, you guys are amazing. You’re so talented.” You replied.  

“Guess I was right when I told Reggie to take that book club gig huh?” He said, fiddling with the rabbit’s foot on his keychain.  

“Why’s that?”  

“I thought maybe if I was lucky, I’d catch a glimpse of you...having you come here and watch us though? Better than I could’ve imagined.” He replied, grinning at you.  

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, don’t act so surprised.” He said, “you gotta know how insanely cool you are. And you look beautiful tonight, by the way.”  

“Thanks,” you bit your bottom lip to try and keep your composure, “I uh...damn, you’re making me super nervous.”  

“Yeah?” He stepped a little closer to you, his hands brushing against yours as if he was going to hold them. You couldn’t help wishing he would.  

“I should probably let you get back to your fans,” you pointed out, glancing back out the door to where a few more people had gathered. If you stayed in this hallway with him any longer there was no way you were letting him back out.  

“Hang out? We could grab some pizza or something after?” He asked.  

“Yeah, absolutely.”  

When he walked back through the door you followed behind him, hanging back so you weren’t hovering around them as they chatted with and signed stuff for the group of people that had ventured out between sets. It didn’t matter though, as he talked, he kept looking back at you smiling as if you were both in on some sort of secret.  

[edie-baby]

Baby Boy Chapter 5 | Lando Norris

Summary: Milana Navratilova is the best friend of Victoria Verstappen, and is for lack of a better word, a minx. She can pull anyone into bed with her at any time. So when she attends the Austrian Grand Prix with Victoria, the drivers make for good bedfellows. Until she finds a man who makes her finally feel like herself. Her baby boy.

Warnings: smut, swearing, non-con kiss (will be a chapter warning for that one), OC is a w h o r e and i love her.

The Austrian summer sun glared into Milana’s eyes from her position in the middle of the master bed. She rolled over slightly, wanting to get out and find her best friend so they could go for breakfast and then some shopping they both knew was inevitable on any trip. With a huff, the Czech stood up, only just realising exactly how sore the men had made her. She waddled to her suitcase, willing herself to suck it up and keep walking around until she got used to the pain.

A white pleated skirt and tight red cropped shirt seemed like a suitable enough outfit for her day’s plans, so with a waddle only a penguin could rival, Milana made it to the bathroom for a hot shower. The entire hotel room had the unmistakable smell of sex, and she was sure she’d need to leave the room before the smell seeped into her hair and clothes. Maybe housekeeping could work some magic while she was out.

“BABE ARE YOU HERE?” Milana heard the very recognisable croaky voice of her best friend. She called out that she was in the shower, and in a few short seconds, Victoria was sitting on the vanity in the bathroom, swinging her legs while Milana continued to cover herself in body wash that smelled delightfully of cherries.

“So, you had a good time with Lewis, I hear.” Milana giggled, and Victoria couldn’t help but to laugh along. She knew it was ridiculous that the man was able to make her scream his name so loud and for so long that she nearly lost her voice entirely.

“And judging by the bed, your silk tie, and the overall reek of the room, you did too. So, who’d you bring back? Daniel? Max?” Victoria questioned. While her brother was off limits to most of her friends, Milana was one of two women Victoria was familiar with that she would allow to mess around with her brother.

“Both.” Milana replied. Victoria gasped, giggling out a quick ‘you whore’ before asking what exactly her best friend meant.

“Like, you took Daniel from the party and picked Max up down the hall?” Victoria pressed, the only other option was that they had willingly come together, which didn’t seem like something her brother would be comfortable with.

“Nope, took them both at the same time.” Milana answered as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself as Victoria looked at her in complete shock.

“Oh, I’m never going to let Max live that down.” Victoria giggled before she jumped from the counter and moved to grab some clothes to wear for the day. Milana got dressed into her outfit and felt quite proud of how cute it looked considering she had basically picked up two random items and hoped for the best. About forty-five minutes later, the girls left the room hand-in-hand, their makeup and hair done as beautifully as it was last night, but hopefully today it would last more than a few hours before getting ruined.

“Morning Max! Going to see Dan?” Victoria chirped as she saw her brother walking toward where she and Milana waited for the elevator. Max’s face went a deep shade of red and the girls simply laughed and stepped into the elevator together.

Victoria and Milana had found a cafe nearby the hotel to have a quick brunch before heading out for their big day of shopping. As soon as they walked in, many heads turned thanks to the jingle of the bell above the door. Victoria spotted the Twitch Quartet in one of the tables up the back, the rest of the patrons seemed to be members of teams from all over the grid, as many of them were dressed in their team kit.

George waved the two girls over, coincidentally there were two seats spare at the table, one squished between Lando and the wall, and the other at the head of the table. As Victoria was a few paces ahead of Milana, she took the spacious seat at the head with Alex and Charles nearest to her. Milana practically floated over to the seat beside Lando and sat with her back leant up against the wall, her knees brushing against the Brit’s thigh.

“Milana, I’ve heard quite a bit about you. I saw you at the party last night, but didn’t get a chance to chat to you. I’m Alex, I drive with Max.” The Thai introduced himself, offering a hand to shake as he was straight across the table from Milana. She accepted it gracefully, a sweet smile curling her lips. She could see from the corner of her eye that Lando was looking at her with a small frown on his face.

“What’s wrong baby boy? You look upset.” Milana commented with a soft voice, the late night and early morning contributing to her voice being a little huskier than usual. Lando blushed fiercely at the pet name and bit his lip. The others around the table looked shell shocked by the words that had fallen from the Czech woman’s lips.

“You just look tired.” Lando mumbled, his blue-green eyes darting up to make contact with the dark hazel of Milana’s. Her eyes softened at his words, and she couldn’t help the smile on her face. She patted his thigh softly and assured him she was alright.

“You girls looked lovely last night, by the way. I didn’t get the chance to tell you before you were leaving with Daniel and Max, and then Vic disappeared not long after.” George complimented. Victoria giggled, the fact that she had teased her brother about going to see his ex-teammate less than a half hour ago, and already the two were being brought up together.

“Yeah, I noticed that too. And also noticed the noise an hour after that.” Alex grumbled. Milana smirked, and saw the shock smack Charles and George in the face. Lando seemed to be watching her with intrigue.

“Wait, you took one of them back to your room?” George questioned. At this, Victoria burst out laughing, garnering strange looks from everyone but the woman of the hour.

“Well, no. Not one.” Milana spoke, staring George in the eyes until he understood what she was implying. He gasped so hard he choked on his spit and began coughing up a lung. Victoria rubbed his back sympathetically, while Charles continued trying to figure out the implications of the woman’s words in a language that was not his native tongue. Lando and Alex had understood at the same time as George, albeit with less dramatic reactions. Alex’s jaw dropped, his ideas of his teammate changing as he stared at the woman in front of him. Lando’s eyebrows were raised, a small smirk on his face, he was impressed.

“So, let me get this straight. You convinced Daniel Ricciardo, the womanizer of the grid, and Max Verstappen, Mr. I Don’t Share Anything to have a threesome?!” Alex almost squealed. It was at this point where Charles caught up, the blunt words finally clearing his confusion up, at which point he began mumbling in broken French. Milana simply nodded at George and took a sip of Lando’s iced coffee, to which he barely reacted.

“Fuck, they must have ruined you.” George muttered, looking at Milana with sympathy and a small shake of his head. Victoria began giggling at this again, and George looked at her with confusion. It was obvious at this point that the young Verstappen couldn’t hold the truth in without giggling.

“My wife here has a special talent for making difficult men submit.” Victoria nodded proudly at Milana. George began coughing again, Alex looked like a fish, his mouth opening and closing silently, and Charles began rambling in proper French this time, however he was talking so fast that Milana barely caught the worlds ‘petit friponne’ before tuning back out. Lando was staring at her again, the earlier expression was gone, and he looked at her with a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. Milana couldn’t help but want to assure the adorable boy in front of her that it was just sex, and if there was anyone she had her eye on at the moment, it was him. But alas, she didn’t.

The group finished their brunch with a lot of stories, laughs, jokes, and new friendships being formed. It made Milana a bit upset as she and Victoria made their way to the Aston Martin they were borrowing, that in about five days, she would be returning to her apartment in Prague, going back to work, and being forgotten by people she could have lifelong friendships with.

The drive to Vienna from Spielberg was about two hours, according to the GPS Victoria had programmed whilst Milana fiddled with the position of the driver’s seat. A few moments later, the girls were on their way, a playlist of their favourite singalongs and party songs blasting through the stereo, the windows down and the two women completely carefree.

[chriskreider]

max caster is lurking here i know he is. how: either has an account already, or vanity searching and coming up with tumblr posts which is equally as horrifying. OR the super secret very scary 3rd option which is that Mr HoB who i will not name because he is on the website/ some other wrestler adjacent tumblr user is sending him posts from users like 'catboymattjackson' which is beyond me and very funny of this third party

[boizandgurlzinthehouse]

𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐱 ♡

little plot: you are exactly billy’s lighter version: you have an extreme, sassy style with clothes and your personality too, you can bse kind to people, but if someone insult you, you can get very scrappy –billy amazes too like “oh my god y/n get out from the boys’ chaing room for god’s sake”

at first, you don’t interact with max, because of your previous traumas (like your mother’s pass and the new family members)

you got to work up with it, and now, that you’re dragged from california to hawkins, teared away from your friends and all of your memories, you’re extra sensitive for ‘little princess max’

you and max sneak beside each other, or just sit in front of each other during dinner, minding your own things –when you catch her looking at you, you snatch your head too into another direction

basically, you weigh all the responsibility and care to billy, against the fact that you’re far more better than him –you feel like you don’t have enough energy to put on a smile while you serving that little girl, fuck that whole situation, fuck hawkins, fuck everything and everyone

but once, billy storms in your room while you read a magazine, furrowing your eyebrow; billy always supposed to call your bedroom a ‘crap-cave’, tearing it from your hand. 

“what the fuck do you want??” you jump up, while he fix his hair in the mirror of your vanity

“you have to bring lil maxie from school, ‘kay?” “fuck no billy, i don’t–” “me neither sis, but that’s what life like. sucks.” he brags, throwing the key of his camaro to you, leaving you angry and annoyed

“FUCK YOU, BILLY!!” you yell, but nobody hears you

tomorrow, you take and bring max from school, and from now for twoo weeks, you two ingore each other –not a single word, not a nod, nothing.

but then you began to care about her, watching out if she’s talking with her friends, just to see and know who’s with her and who’s not

and then, when you have extra food, you hear her stomach grumbling during way back home. suddenly, grabbing out the sandwich you haven't eat yet, tossing it to her

at first, max just stared at you like you were mad or something, you knew you need to say something

“just eat it. i know the food in school is fuckin’ shitty.” 

she stares along, and a "just eat it, fuck" or "what are you starin' at?" grows in your stomach, but she's faster than you

"thanks" a small, quiet, but very meaningful word. especially now.

you just nod, and little did you know, but this little impression gonna make you so much cooler in her eyes.

the "how was your day in school?" question is now the basic, but max tells you things –ignoring the option saying 'nothing'.

helping her with her feelinga towards lucas, giving her direction or tips.

"don't worry, if this don't work, i have a baseball bat in the back of the car, okay?" you ask, leaning your elbow on the steering wheel. max just smiles, nodding with her head a little. "okay."

she loves you the most in the family, you protect her from billy, but can't get over the fact that your dick father fucks another woman, gush

max introduces you to the guys and el –at first they are anticipant because of billy, but when they see you’re a kind angel, they forget those things

getting along good with el –sometimes she tqalks with you too about her problems, you become the girls older sister, even though sometimes you don’t understand a word from what they say 

braiding max’s hair while she paints your toe nails “they black or the pink, y/n?” she asks, showing you the two color, blinking out from a mad max-comic. you stare up from her hair, holding the ginger locks between your fingers, shrugging your shoulder, lazily answering “i don’t know, decide it.” 

warning, you gonna get up some day with rainbow-coloured nails, even if you wanted it or not 

you know steve and jonathan from school, but since you’re not interested in them, and they see how you threat max (and el), the trust you, even if you keep up with them in the fight against the demogorgons or not

when you sit alone before the tv at 2am, max is already asleep (you two went today in the starcourt, giving her fashion tips for the summer, while she helped you to decide which colours could ), brushing your hair in silence, watching he-man and the masters of the universe, billy tores open the front door, making you flinch 

he stumbles towards you, falling down to the couch, letting out an lung-tickering belch, making you whine loudly because of his disgusting noises

“shoot yourself, bills.” “hey, sis, calm down. either way, you didn’t come to tommy’s party.” you shrug your shoulder, glancing to the tv, ignoring his drunk state. 

“yeah, and? my life stands from other things than always jamming at tommy’s. and he grabbed my butt, do you remember? he’s a butthole, nothin’ else.” billy giggles, laying down his head.

“you were with maxie today. and yesterday. and you don’t swear when you have to drive her to school.” “sometimes you should shut your mouth too if dad gives you the duty, you know.”

“no, not this, y/n. that’s true, i hate dad, just like you, and i hate driving her to school, but you... you not. you began to like her, acting like an older sister to her, don’t ya?” 

you smile a bit, dropping down the brush, giving him a glass full of cold water, turning back from the staircase when you grab the rail to go up

“maybe yeah, maybe not. maybe that’s what she needs.” 

you begin to think –do you like max? yes, definitely. you care about her? maybe, when you reassure that she’s not injured by your dad’s yelling towards you and billy. do you want the best, or just the good for her? uhm, we can say. 

but when you open the door a little bit, seeing her wrapped up in a blanket, snoring slightly, a walkie-talkie in her hand, her hair around her face, you smile a little bit, wishing her good night, then walking to your room, closing the door, a single idea pops in your mind:

the sister-thing can be very easy, if you have a good lil sister like max. 

𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴/𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘴/𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘮 𝘮𝘦 ଘ(੭*ˊ��ˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚

[lampladi]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Anthropologie Bumblebee Vanity Sconce.

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

Dragons are Hoarders

@billy-baby this is your fault for bringing up Knights and Princes and whatnot, but like this definitely isn’t what you were looking for.

Dragons are Hoarders

So Billy did not slay the dragon like he was supposed to, it does not matter, and he has his reasons. One being he likes living and literally every other knight sent to rescue the lost heir has died and two after some surveillance it seems like they might get pissed off if Billy did that. He has spent the last two weeks watching from a safe distance, and found out some important information as well.

 Like the hair is not a  princess like the king keeps claiming but is actually a prince, which means the rumors are true and they really just did not want to admit their son got taken by a dragon and more importantly he seems really happy here. Billy is not out to mess that up just for what he needs, not when there are other options. So he does not attempt to kill the dragons, just sneaks in instead. If he can borrow the prince he can get what he needs from the kingdom and then they can go right back, Billy does not care.

 Billy starts caring a little bit when Steve comes in, Billy going unnoticed at the vanity, he is stunning up close and now Billy gets why a dragon stole him away. Handsome, pretty, just utterly beautiful, Billy feels a little star struck looking at him as he drops his outer robe, leaving him in rather tight pants and a loose high collared shirt as he digs around on a bookshelf. Billy is admiring his backside when he turns, big brown eyes going wide and fire forming in his hand aimed right at Billy and shit no one said anything about fucking magic!

"How did you get in here!" He demands, angry, the fire dancing with his words, a literal threat and Billy is quick to raise his hands, charming smile sliding to his face.

 "Calm down princess," Billy cannot help it, wants to tease a little, stoke that fire, and Steve’s cheeks go pink as he glowers at Billy.

 "If you hurt them-" Steve starts fire growing bigger, the whole room getting warmer and Billy feels sweat prick his brow, a sliver of worry creeping up his spine.

 "Your dragons are fine, kind of skipped that part, I thought you might not like it if I tried to kill them and let's be honest the chance of one human against two dragons, not the best odds." Billy shrugs and the fire dims considerably, Steve giving him a considering look.

 "What's to stop me from feeding you to them now?" Steve asks but the fire in his palm goes out completely, leaving only the sun coming from the window shining in on him, making the lighter strands in his hair practically glow.

 "Doesn't seem like they really eat humans." Billy found their little graveyard, well not so little the kingdom of Harrington has sent a lot of men to their deaths over the years trying to get their heir back

 "Carol says it gives her heart burn." Steve says a playful smile tugging at his lips before suspicion sets back in. "So why are you here?"

 "Your parents put up quite the reward, anything in the treasury and I happen to need the orb of Alorious." Billy goes with honesty, hopes it gets him what he wants and he does not have to switch to the hard way. Steve is pretty and Billy would like to get to know him, doubts tying him up and stealing him away from his real home will go over that well but he will do it if he has to. "So you come with me and after I get what I want you can come back here, or do anything else you want."

 "I'm not going back there,” Billy feels anger wash over him as Steve scoffs, balling his fists. "If I go back they'll never let me leave again, I'll be trapped." Some of Billy's anger fades at the sad sincerity but he really, really needs that orb. "You don't want that orb anyway it's a fake."

 "What!" Billy does not mean to shout, but he does as dread fills him and he thinks of Max sick back at home wasting away from a stupid magical curse, a curse that was meant for Billy.

 "It's a fake, the real one was destroyed during a siege when I was six. Counter offer, you tell me what you needed it for and I help you instead." Steve says, hand on Billy's cheek, looking down at him with concern and Billy blinks up at him, he does not know when he moved closer.

 "How can you help?" Billy sneers, this was his last hope and anger and fear are rolling in him as he reaches for the rope he used to get in here.

 "Dragons are hoarders, there are all sorts of magical items here. Let me try to help you?" Steve's hand stills Billy's on the rope, and Billy sags, that makes a lot of sense actually, of course there would be magical items here. "Now what do you need it for, a lot of magical items are only for oddly specific things." Steve continues once Billy nods.

 Steve shifts to pull his hand back and Billy does not want that, is quick to catch his wrist and keep him close, thumb over Steve's pulse as his cheeks go pink again. He is really distracting when he blushes, Billy can almost forget why he is here. "My little sister got hit by a curse and she's dying."

 "Curses are tricky but totally manageable, we might not even need a magical object for that, I'm pretty good at curse removal, but it definitely depends on the kind. The really nasty ones there's too much backlash to do it without assistance from a magical object." Steve rambles as he shifts around Billy to yet another bookshelf stacked with books next to his vanity. Steve thumbs over the spines of the books one handed his other loose in Billy's hold.

 "I don't know, none of the kingdoms healers have been able to identify it and the one witch in town came up with the same results, said she had never seen anything like it before.” Billy's hand tightens on Steve's wrist before he drops it, both hands coming up to scrub at his face before tears can come.

 "Hey," comes Steve's gentle voice, suddenly right in front of him again and gentle hands pulls Billy's away from his face, revealing Steve kneeling before him. "Is she able to travel?"

 "I think so, yes." Billy confirms hands held in Steve's as he nods to himself.

 "Bring her here, and we'll figure it out."

 "You want me to bring my sister to a dragon infested castle?" Billy snorts it is crazy, Steve makes it sound so easy but it is absolutely insane.

 "You want to save her right? I can't leave here or they'll find me, I'm safe here, I only leave when I absolutely have to."

 "Your parents?" Steve nods eyes cutting away to the floor. "Why are you afraid of them?" Billy quires, beginning to wonder if Steve was actually stolen or if he chose to leave.

 "They aren't good people, look at how many wars they have incited since they came to power? When they found out I had magic they were delighted and started forcing me to study all sorts of terrible things, they wanted to use me to win their wars." Steve’s hands clench and Billy strokes his thumbs over them, he is right there have been more and more wars in the last two decades, the last war barely ended before the next one started up.

 "How did you end up here?" Billy asks honestly curious, there are plenty of rumors but Billy doubts any of them are the truth.

 "Carol found me when I was running away, saved me when I nearly got myself killed. Said I was too pretty to not be part of her horde and brought me here, made it my home, has been keeping me safe all this time." Steve's voice goes soft with adoration for his dragon host.

 "So you are a prisoner?" Billy asks with concern of his own.

 Billy feels abashed when Steve laughs in his face, "I am no more a prisoner than the people of the town below, Carol and Nancy aren't holding us hostage, we're free to go, but we are protected where we are, so we chose to stay." Now that Billy thinks about it the town below is said to be protected, it is always talked about in reverent tones for escaping the horrors of the wars and natural disasters that wreak havoc in other parts of the land. 

 "Think she was right, you are too pretty." Billy says grinning again, feeling lighter, trusting Steve despite the fact that they have only just met, sure that he is going to help Max. Steve huffs at his teasing cheeks going pinks and Billy wonders how far down that flush travels, would very much like to find out.

 "Come on, you should meet Carol and Nancy before you leave to retrieve your sister so they won't flay you when you come back." Steve pulls away moving to the door, steps hurried.

 "You wouldn’t let them do that, would you pretty boy?" Billy asks, catching Steve's wrist and pulling him back before he can step out. Billy turns him so they are facing, hand on Steve's hip, steadying him.

 "I might if you keep flirting, I don't care for it." Steve sniffs insincerely, Billy can see the smile trying to tug at his lips before he pulls away from Billy again and this time Billy lets him walk out the door. 

 "Yes you do." Billy calls after him, grinning as he follows after Steve.

Now with a part 2