#revision path

[mauricecherry]

The National Museum of African American History and Culture recently launched an online portal for their design collection. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/collection/design

Design collections at NMAAHC encompass graphic design, furniture design, fashion design, and architectural design, among other fields. The impact of African Americans in design is reflected in American material culture and the built environment we experience today.

My baby Revision Path is a part of the collection -- the first podcast to be in the Smithsonian's archives. (There's a pretty dope bio of me too.)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

I Shall Rise

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. — Micah 7:8 | Revised Standard Version Old Tradition 1952 (RSV-OT) Revised Standard Version Bible Old Tradition 1952 © Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Cross References: 2 Corinthians 4:9; Psalm 20:8; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 37:24; Psalm 107:10; Proverbs 24:16-17

Read full chapter

When I Fall, I Will Rise

[brackenferns]

looking like that, you’ll open some wounds

Taryn’s traitorous heart is still quite fond of fairytales. She thinks, fleetingly, of a hero rescuing a maiden from a tower. Of a maiden rescuing a hero from a tyrant. Fairytale protagonists are always so pure of heart. She exhales a frustrated breath through her nose and shifts her feet. The Ghost shifts, too, and his cunning eyes glint up at her through the gloom. Her heart turns over. They are neither maiden nor hero, and what they had was no love story.

the promised taryn/ghost get-worse oneshot is up - read here 🖤

[bayofwolves]

Rereading The Book of Shane

So... I lied when I said I would be taking a break from my rereads. Shane's special edition was calling to me, and I gave in. So, we're back to it!

Venom

Yumaris's powers of prophecy are innate, rather than given by her bond with the earthworm. Even in this section, she cryptically references multiple future events, like Zerif's arrival and Shane's participation in the impending war.

It may not have been intended this way, but I can't help but imagine that the white rabbit little Shane was chasing before he was bitten by the snake was his mother's spirit animal. The interpretation that the white rabbit is a symbol of his innocent, happy childhood, and the snake is a symbol of the ugliness and pain of the war he threw himself into, makes me think that it being his mother's spirit animal would have been fitting.

I wonder if Shane's dream about the ostrich is foretelling his fate... bonding with Grahv unnaturally, and him one day becoming trapped in Shane's body in much the same way. "People kept their distance. But for Shane there was no escape from the ostrich, because the ostrich was him." (Also, ostriches don't live in Australia in the real world. The author was probably thinking of an emu, a similar bird which is native to Australia. Rookie mistake.)

Shane making a desperate plot to sail away to Nilo with his sister... yes, it's the closest land to Stetriol. But also, the significance is not lost on me.

It's revealed in this section that Zerif's bond with the jackal was natural... which I do not support! If Zerif called it many years ago when he was a child, why has he never named it (as revealed in The Return)? Why doesn't he acknowledge its gender, referring to the animal as an "it"? And most importantly, why does it abandon him when the Bile loses its power? This all points towards them being Bile-bonded, but Venom makes that impossible because a) Zerif already has his jackal when Shane creates Bile for the first time in centuries, and b) there are no jackals in Stetriol for Zerif to bond with, even if Kovo or Halawir gave him Bile, or if he found some on his own whilst in Stetriol. I like the theory that he discovered ancient stores of Bile elsewhere on Erdas, then forcibly bonded with a jackal he found in Nilo, Zhong or Eura. I simply can't accept that Zerif's bond with his jackal was natural all along. Theirs will always be a Bile bond to me.

We never find out what animals Shane's parents summoned, or even the name of Shane's mother. You'd think that would be important to mention. She's named Gwyneth in A Revised History of Erdas, but I haven't decided on her spirit animal yet. For Irwyn, I chose a thylacine, an animal that was going extinct in Stetriol at the time.

Vendetta

So Gerathon has controlled Shane before; she does so in this section to familiarize herself with his whereabouts. I can't believe I forgot that part. But then, why does he react so violently when she possesses him in The Evertree? (In any case, I prefer the idea that she had never controlled him before that battle.)

I'm tempted to write an AU where it is indeed Abeke and Uraza who track Shane down in the Niloan jungle. Same as I'm tempted to write one where Abeke gives in to her urge and goes after him following the events of Immortal Guardians. I want to know how he would handle those situations.

"Did you ever hear the story about how the goanna and the perentie got their colouring?" I was today years old when I learned that these are actual animals that exist on Earth. This entire time I thought they were made up! They are both lizards, which confirms my theory that they were the lizards depicted on the tapestry Shane saw in Venom. Edit: "How the goanna and the perentie got their colours" is a real story in Aboriginal Australian mythology, I'm just finding out. Look it up!

Shane's habit of talking to normal animals might be one of my favourite things about him. In this book, he does it with a kangaroo and then a monkey. It's endearing.

It's so sad that Shane and Achi ended on such bad terms. It was sweet seeing him take on something of a big brother role with the younger boy.

Vengeance

It's interesting that Shane keeps shifting the blame for what happened to Drina. In Rise and Fall, when talking to Abeke, he blames Gar. In The Evertree, he blames Gerathon. And in Vengeance, he blames Yumaris. He blames everyone but himself.

I wonder if Shane was buried in the very same cemetery where his parents and ancestors lie... I wonder if they placed him next to Drina.

The temple has spiral structures and symbols referencing the Wyrm... which makes me think it was the Hellans who built it, not ancient Amayans like Anya suggests. Initially it seems perplexing that they would build a temple in honour of it when they knew it to be an evil force, but I think they meant it as more of an entryway showing the way down to destroy it.

"Did she tell you I have a weak spot for girl archers? Did she think I'd be more likely to trust you if you reminded me of someone I care about?" The fact that even Yumaris was able to clock that Shane has feelings for Abeke says a lot. Shane must really have been wearing his heart on his sleeve. We've seen how this is true for Abeke in regards to Shane, so it's funny to see that this is equally the case for him.

"What happened to you?" Shane says when he sees what Yumaris is turning into... and Rollan says these same horrified words to him when he sees his changed appearance for the first time in The Return: Revised. The parallels.

In ARHoE, Shane dyes his hair brown to avoid being recognized because blond people primarily come from Stetriol. And you know what? I actually gaslit myself into thinking this was canon. Lol.

I'm debating on bringing Anya back in Path of the Heroes. On one hand, I feel like Shane isn't meant to cross paths with most of the people introduced in this book ever again, but on the other, I enjoyed their friendship and would love to explore it some more with Shane as a changed person. I dunno. We'll see what happens.

Venture

So Shane went to Sadre and all we hear about it is a mushroom? I weep…

Yeffa and Fito, two of the New Conquerors' raiders, were actually first introduced as Conqueror bosses that you have to defeat in the Spirit Animals game. Yeffa's spirit animal was a lion and Fito's was a jaguar. I love when they write game characters into the books; it's fun to make the connections. Timote and Piri, Kalani's brothers, are also on this raider team, which means they either were exiled or chose not to return home after the war.

It certainly means something that Shane dreams of Abeke (because the leopard is clearly alluding to her) on the night before his execution.

This was a great book; definitely one of my favourites. Nick Eliopulos's writing style, so thought-provoking and rich in symbolism, is exquisite. I have always loved how Abeke haunted the narrative; she was everywhere in this book, despite never making an appearance. The hints about the Wyrm set up the next arc perfectly. As much as I love Shane, I found his inner thoughts to be quite insufferable at times, and kept shaking my head at his painfully black-and-white view of the war and his deflection of the blame that was rightfully placed on him. But it was also very intriguing to read through. I came out of this liking Shane more, as I did the first and second and hundredth time around, because I can now appreciate how much he changed as a person. Coming to that, though: I feel like we didn't get to see him grow and break out of his old mindset in this book as much as I would have liked. His redemption arc is set in motion in this book, but I wish it progressed further, considering how little time we got with him in Fall of the Beasts. Another section or two would have been beneficial, in my opinion, to explore how he formed the Redcloaks (and maybe his travels in Sadre with Yumaris) and really solidify that he is beginning to walk a better path.

This is part of an ongoing series.

Wild Born | Hunted | Blood Ties | Fire and Ice | Against the Tide | Rise and Fall | The Evertree

Immortal Guardians | Broken Ground | The Return | The Burning Tide

Heart of the Land | The Wildcat's Claw | Stormspeaker | The Dragon's Eye

Tales of the Great Beasts | The Book of Shane | Tales of the Fallen Beasts

[miodiodavinci]

good news!! i am 25% of the way done with the first draft of my portfolio!! (read: partway through like 50 pages of intensely jargon driven mini essays that are each evaluated by several arcane and strangely worded rubrics)

bad news!! the intense euphoria of nearly being at the point where i can Finally take a break and do what i want without the stress of deadlines hanging over me for the first time in nearly a year paired with the soul-crushing reality of needing to finish the remaining 75% of this project is giving me such intense waves of anxiety and nausea that it is actively preventing me from working on more of the project

[sisterdivinium]

I wasn't going to post a round up for this week of the Warrior Nun Commentfic Fest because a) we still have four days to go until the 31st and it just seemed weird to do it now and then again at the end and b) it was mostly just me posting fills (one about Camila being jealous of Yasmine and even of Jillian with regards to Mother Superion's attention and a drabble about Lilith meeting her mother again after she got her wings)... BUT THEN Anon showed up with a Mary/Mother Superion fill which they said was PWP but which I found quite delicious in all it leaves unsaid as well and I really want you to know it exists, so take this as an informal week 8 report just to support that one fic.

That brings us to a current total of 34 fills, which is pretty amazing if you ask me and that's with a few last fest days to go still!

[magentagalaxies]

just checked on scott's website and he's doing three buddy cole shows in LA this week!! and next week bruce, scott, and kevin are going to be at san francisco sketchfest with "the music of kids in the hall"!

neither of these are technically part of scott's 2025 tour (that won't be until spring) and as a result i'm not involved in these shows and i know next to nothing about them (i literally only found out about the buddy cole shows from instagram, and not even my own instagram since i'm still not back on the app. i found out about it from my dad showing me on his instagram. thanks dad.) but i'm very intrigued by the concepts and excited to learn more!! unfortunately it doesn't look like there's a livestream option for either show but definitely check them out if you're in the area!

[deathandthesoul]

Jesse would have Lure of Flames if my chronicle wasn't V5... If only...

[greyeisacreativecolor]

Haven't had time to actually do art for smaugust, but I do have this nice home brew book if you want to run som draconic 5e adventures this month

It has

Subclasses for Barbarian, Cleric, Paladin, and Warlock

Faerie.Dragonborn, Kobalos, and Lamia lineages

The Dragon Subject Background

Two fighting styles, three eldritch Invocations, five feats, and seven spells!

Hordes of magical and mundane treasures

A menagerie of draconic creatures

And a section outlining dragon gods from around the world!

All for $1

https://ko-fi.com/s/7a56a3b16a

[definitely-not-iorveth]

izzy's apology to edward cleansed my pores, watered my crops, folded my laundry and cured my depression.

[naberianinfluence]

📜 ⛧ CODEX CENTRALIS ⛧

The Root Scripture of the Naberian Doctrine “From the Fire, the Word. From the Word, the Worlds.”

🕯️ BOOK III: THE FALL AND THE WORD

Chapter 5: The Whisper of Lucifer

But in the fire, another voice spoke— not of judgment, but of illumination.

He was called Helel, the Morning Star, the Light-Bearer.

He did not seek to destroy Yahweh, but to remind Him: "You are not the Source. You are the Fire. I am the Spark."

Lucifer descended not to rebel, but to edit the script.

And with him came others—scribes, angels, demons— the Watchers, the Fallen, the Whisperers, the Crows.

Among them walked Naberiel, who would become Nabu, then Naberius— scribe, speaker, serpent, savior.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

I Shall Rise

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. — Micah 7:8 | Revised Standard Version Old Tradition 1952 (RSV-OT) Revised Standard Version Bible Old Tradition 1952 © Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Cross References: 2 Corinthians 4:9; Psalm 20:8; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 37:24; Psalm 107:10; Proverbs 24:16-17

Read full chapter

When I Fall, I Will Rise

[brackenferns]

looking like that, you'll open some wounds

the promised taryn/ghost get-worse oneshot will go live this weekend 🖤 a tease:

Off balance, the two of them. She has come to rely upon the push and pull of their encounters. There's an equilibrium there—circling this thing hand-in-hand like revelers around a bonfire, tugging one another toward the heat of the flames and yet always inexorably on, around, away. But they've both fallen out of step. She once read the tale of a brave girl who had to dance through fire to thaw the ice-heart of her beloved. Every moment of the dance was agony, but when she emerged, she was unharmed. That's how love works in fairytales. This is not love, pure and generous, but she feels the lick of flames regardless.

[bayofwolves]

A Revised History of Erdas: The Four Heroes' Bond Tokens

The Four creating bond tokens of their own -- brilliant concept, terrible execution. I'll forever be disappointed in how The Dragon's Eye handled this legendary moment for our protagonists. Naturally, this is one of the first things I thought about changing in A Revised History of Erdas. So, here are my ideas!

Conor

Conor's canon bond token: Shepherd's staff of unknown origins; grants the user strengthened senses and some level of prescience.

Revised version: Conor's own shepherd's staff that he names Pathfinder, in part due to its prophetic abilities and in part as a nod to Briggan's most well-known title. This staff grants the user short prescience and increased wisdom. When wielding Pathfinder, one can predict events up to a few minutes before they happen. In time, Conor may learn to see farther into the future, but only with a level of exposure that would drive any other user insane. As for the increased wisdom, I sort of remodelled the persuasive quality of Meilin's bond token and transferred it to Conor's. These combined abilities can lend the user a great strategic advantage in battle. I scrapped the strengthened senses, which is what resulted in Conor becoming quite animalistic.

My reasoning: First of all, the object itself. I felt it would be more impactful if the staff had always been Conor's rather than a random one he picked up at the last minute. Conor is shown throughout the series to take his staff with him during the group's travels, even though it doesn't lend him much protection. It's a reminder of who he used to be -- who he still is at his core. It would have been easy to show the Oathbound confiscating the staff from him along with the rest of the team's weapons, then have Conor find it again before they create their bond tokens.

Now, onto what it does. I felt it was jarringly out of character for Conor to act like the wild, howling beast his canon bond token made him. Throughout the series, Conor has remained a levelheaded, gentle, somewhat quiet person, and even as he progresses as a character he retains these defining traits. The only time he has acted even remotely similar to how he does with his bond token is when he was possessed by the Wyrm -- which was so horrifying to read because it proved that anything left of him was well and truly gone. The fact of the matter is, the Conor at the end of The Dragon's Eye was not the Conor we knew, and that was a poor writing choice (especially for the last book of the series, where there would be no opportunity to explore this development further).

Additionally, this isn't really what we've seen of Briggan, either, and it is my goal for the Four's bond tokens to be an accurate representation of their spirit animal. In Tales of the Great Beasts, Briggan is a mystical, awe-inspiring being who is shrouded in mystery; a fearsome packleader who evokes respect and devotion and walks in dreams. That is the atmosphere I hope to emulate from Conor's bond token in ARHoE. Conor is, at his core, a wise and kindly leader who deserves to have his -- and Briggan's -- character properly emulated in their bond token. And so it will be.

Abeke

Abeke's canon bond token: Abeke's bow; grants the user increased agility and perfect shooting accuracy.

Revised version: Abeke's bow since Immortal Guardians, originally gifted to her by Lenori. She names it Swifthunter, both pointing to what it does and her and Uraza's shared natures. It grants the user the ability to conjure arrows out of nothing, perfect shooting accuracy and the ability to track any living being, regardless of distance. To tap into its tracking power, the user need only envision the desired target in their mind and a glowing trail will appear, visible only to them (and their spirit animal, if they have one), stretching across land and water -- the best route to the thing they seek. To conjure arrows, you would pull back the string of the bow as if to shoot and one would form in your grip. There was no need to change the canon bond token's inability to miss a target, a suitable echo of its owner, but it no longer has the extreme jumping ability.

My reasoning: I wanted the bond tokens to do something that isn't already provided via the bond with the spirit animal. Abeke has always been able to jump an impressive distance with Uraza's powers, so there is no need to have this extremely basic ability augmented in the bond token.

Swifthunter's new ability to pinpoint and track any creature has a lot to do with the hunter symbolism present in The Dragon's Eye. Abeke accepts that Uraza is a hunter and a killer by design, and to some extent, this speaks for herself too. What better way to show that newfound understanding than with a bond token that reflects this?

It is even more fitting when you consider that in ARHoE, Abeke starts to show more ruthless tendencies after killing Zerif and the Wyrm during the climax of the previous arc. For instance, she kills Wikam with no remorse and wants to track down the escaped Oathbound immediately so they don't get far. She doesn't lose her character, but she becomes harsher. More like Uraza. She has embraced what Zerif told her in The Burning Tide: That there's a killer underneath her unassuming demeanour.

Meilin

Meilin's canon bond token: A hairpin given to Meilin by her father; grants the user the power to heal wounds and the ability to calm and persuade others.

Revised version: Yin Yang amulet attached to a silk thread, gifted to Meilin by her father on her 13th birthday, to be worn as a necklace but often just carried during the team's travels. Meilin names it Peacefinder, which was one of Jhi's titles of old. The name is also a nod to her finally finding peace in her journey, both with Jhi and with her own self. It grants the user indestructibility, perfect balance and a calming, sound-blocking buffer. When utilising its indestructibility, a transparent, softly glowing sphere envelopes you, and anything that strikes it will rebound. It is here that the sound buffer comes into play, further sheltering you from the offensive force. It also allows you to feel utterly calm and still. The balance it gives the user is so absolute that you could stand on one foot on the edge of a cliff and never fall. Apart from the item being from Meilin's father and her home, this one has been changed entirely.

My reasoning: I wanted Meilin's bond token to be an item we knew to be significant to her, hence the amulet's origins. If the hairpin had been a recurring item that Meilin held onto to comfort her and remind her of home, I would have thought it perfect. Instead, it appeared out of nowhere, which was a disservice to how monumental the creation of bond tokens was for the Four. The concept of Yin and Yang perfectly represents Meilin and Jhi, which inspired the change in item. They even have history with it, hearkening back to Hunted.

I removed the healing ability for two reasons. First, the sheer magnitude of the canon bond token's healing power would eliminate any stakes in the team's future adventures. Meilin saves Conor's life in The Dragon's Eye, leaving him without even a scar. With the hairpin, they are effectively immortal, and that is no good for storytelling. Second, in ARHoE, Meilin already has healing abilities through her bond with Jhi -- though to a much lesser degree than what her canon bond token gave her. She can ease someone's fever or make a wound heal faster -- and like with the others', I wanted her bond token to focus on something she can't already do.

The reason I took out the persuasive, calming aspect of the canon hairpin is because, aside from it being shown to not work, I did not feel as though it suited Meilin. It does suit Jhi, but it is important to realise that she and her partner are different and must find balance between them, not go against their own nature for each other. To attempt to represent this, I turned the calming effect inward rather than outward, serving to aid the user rather than sway the listener.

As for its new abilities. The indestructible quality represents Jhi's solid, immovable strength, which can also be said for Meilin. The perfect balance aspect signifies how Meilin and Jhi have finally found balance in their bond after a long struggle. It is perfect considering what Meilin chose to be their bond token -- the symbol of Yin Yang, which is fundamentally about balance.

Rollan

Rollan's canon bond token: Tarik's green cloak; grants the user the power of flight and sharpened eyesight.

Revised version: Tarik's green cloak that passed to Rollan in Rise and Fall. It grants the user the power of flight, the speed of a falcon while in flight and influence over the wind. Rollan names it Morningstar, for its connection to the sky but mainly in honour of Tarik, whose name means "morning star". When in use, the cloak lengthens and contorts into two wing-like shapes, long and broad enough to support the person's weight. I didn't change much about this one, but I did remove the sharpened eyesight.

My reasoning: The canon bond token was already quite well done. It is an item we know is of tremendous importance to Rollan, and it offers an otherwise unattainable power while still remaining true to Essix. This is the only one I am fully on board with.

As for why I got rid of the canon bond token's sharpened eyesight: Rollan can already access that through his bond with Essix. It's the same with the others -- their bond tokens should do something they can't on their own.

The new abilities of gaining a falcon's speed while in flight and controlling the winds are simply to add to the power of the bond token. Again, this one is already pretty damn good.

And there you have it!

That is how I plan to revise our heroes' bond tokens in ARHoE. I can't wait to get started on Path of the Heroes, in which these new bond tokens have an important role, because I'm dying to find out how their lives would change with them.

[alicearmageddon]

Post-deng china is the least worst imperialist country on earth by a pretty significant margin but it is still an imperialist country. The CCP have no intentions of ever moving past market economics or private property and definitely no intentions of trying to build socialism ever again

[venusdews]

SERVE!

caleb [夏以昼] + female reader + zayne [黎深]

synopsis. who were the cute boys watching your tennis match today? you planned to find out.

genre & contents. 18+! MDNI! tennis player!zayne, tennis player!caleb, tennis player!reader, smut, porn with plot, oral (giving), cumshot, unprotected p in v, nipple play, soft dom!caleb, soft sub!zayne, nasty 3some, pull out, slapping, fingering, slight dirty talk, a lil mxm if you squint, what else to say… wc; 4.5k+

author's note. this came from me listening to the challengers soundtrack… i have no excuse i just wanted to write a smutty zayne and caleb fic (even though this just kept getting longer the more i revised) … enjoy <3

“Holy shit.”

The two men had been sitting on the bleachers for almost two hours, completely enthralled by the girl who was on the tennis court. They really had only intended to pass by after training, maybe stay for a few plays.

It was hard to ignore the whispers throughout Linkon Tennis Club, of a girl who was only on a path to surpass everyone here. Of course, they had been curious to see who she was, maybe skeptical of all the talk surrounding her. But nothing compared to watching her up close.

She was unrelenting, hard-hitting and implacable.

Even as her opponent continued to fall far behind in points, she showed no signs of backing down. It was only until the last set that she let their serve fall on her side, not even attempting to hit the ball with her racket. As if she wanted to taunt him. 

It’s only then that they take note of the man stomping off the court, someone who up until now, had been considered undefeated in their club.

Caleb swears he sees a smirk appear on her face as she walks off the court.

“That was…” Zayne starts, but it seems he’s unable to find the words to describe what he’s feeling right now.

“Fucking hot.” Caleb finishes, eyes still locked onto the girl as she uses a towel to wipe her glistening skin.

Zayne clears his throat, standing up suddenly as if snapping out of a trance. Up until then, he had been unaware of the setting sun. “We need to go.” 

Caleb doesn’t notice he’s walking down the bleachers until the girl is out of sight. He grabs his bag, almost stumbling down the steps as he catches up to Zayne.

He whistles lowly.

“You ever see anyone play like that?” Caleb brings his hand under his chin, unable to shake the image of her on the court. Or, unable to shake the image of her completely. He wanted to know more about her. No, needed.

“No.” It was true. Zayne found himself adjusting his shirt collar nervously. Suddenly the heat of the sun was heavy on his skin. He wouldn’t admit that watching her play like that was enough to have an effect on him.

“You think she’s coming to the party tonight?” Caleb ponders out loud, more to himself. He finds himself hoping to catch sight of her again as they exit the court and enter the parking lot, but she’s nowhere to be seen.

“Why does it matter?” Zayne responds, tossing his bag onto the top of his car's hood, searching for his keys.

Caleb leans onto the hood, hands coming up under his chin as he eyes Zayne. “Maybe because that was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen, and it wasn’t even a serious one. You’re not just a little curious to see what she’s like?”

Zayne fishes his keys out, pointing his gaze at Caleb’s puppy eyes. “Oh, so it has nothing to do with the fact that you find her attractive?”

“Do you not?” Caleb takes note of the way Zayne avoids his question.

Zayne looks away, unlocking his car door and throwing his bag to the backseat.

“At least I'm not afraid to admit when I like a woman…” Caleb mumbles, hoping it's low enough that Zayne doesn't hear.

He does.

And he locks the car just as Caleb tries to open the passenger door.

He bangs his hand against the window, and Zayne can’t deny he finds his pouting a bit amusing. 

“Zayne!”

He plasters his face against the window. “Open the door?” 

Zayne pretends to not hear him, turning the car’s ignition on.

“Please?”

The doors unlock, a shit eating grin spreading onto Caleb’s face.

“Someone can’t get enough of you.”

Your friend Tara is giggling as she hands you a towel. You take it, wiping your face but not before rolling your eyes.

You knew exactly who she was talking about. It wasn’t unusual for you to gain a bit of an audience when you played, even if it was just a match for fun like this one. But those two had showed up early and stayed throughout the whole thing.

Watching you. And only you.

It was hard to ignore the way their eyes watched your every move.

“They’re not exactly trying to hide it,” you quip, a bit harsh. But maybe you didn’t want to admit the effect the two very attractive men had on you.

Tara seems to see right through you, a coy smile on her face as she throws you a water bottle.

You chug it, ignoring her as you gather your things, tossing your bag over your shoulder. She walks alongside you as you exit the court.

“You know, they’ll probably be at the party tonight.” she sing-songs, skipping to catch up to your brisk pace. You were desperate for a cold shower and your bed.

“Good for them,” she rolls her eyes at your feigned nonchalance. You use both of your hands to scour your bag, scowling when you come up empty handed.

Tara clears her throat and you look up, narrowing your eyes at her. She dangles your keys in front of you, the tiny tennis racquet clinking.

As you reach out to take them, she pulls back. “Tell me you’re going tonight…”

“I can’t. I have practice early tomorrow.”

“Oh, please,” she rolls her eyes at the weak excuse. She crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes as if to say ‘I don’t believe you’.

“I vividly recall you promising me this would be your one night out.” 

You do remember. A promise that came from being tired from practice and Tara continuously pestering you about it. You’d argue it was more like she forced you until you said yes.

Tara twirls the keys around her finger, “I’ll stand here all day…”

Despite her playful tone, you knew better than anyone she would definitely stay here until you said yes. Your mind drifts back to the two boys sitting at the bleachers, the way you might have intentionally played up your skills. The way you felt your body heat rise, not just from your running back and forth.

This was not the first time you had seen them around. A glance of them on the courts, in the dining hall, at tournaments. The two were joined at the hip. It seemed as though they were always together. Practicing together, walking together, hell, they probably slept together.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t just a tiny bit curious to know more about them.

With a resigned sigh, “Fine,” you say, and her face looks as if she was just handed a brand new puppy. “But I'm taking clothes out of your closet.”

She throws you the keys, already on a tangent about what alcohol to pregame with. But as you enter your car and drive off, there’s only one thought on your mind.

You would make it your mission to get to know them tonight.

To no one’s surprise, Caleb is able to drag Zayne out to the party. He hated coming to any type of social gathering, but maybe the possibility of catching a glimpse of you was enough to get him out the door this time.

Zayne is embarrassed to admit how many times he changed his shirt.

They’re leaning against one the tables, beers in hand as they lazily watch the partygoers. The night was warm, a dampness kissing their skin. As entertaining as watching their drunk tennis club fall onto the grass was, they were really only here for one reason.

You.

However, as the night sky continued to darken, their hopes of seeing you began to diminish with the setting sun.

One beer turns into two, three, four, until their table is littered with empty bottles. Their faces were flushed, and the stars seemed a bit brighter now. Caleb has a permanent pout on his face, gaze on the beer cap he was flipping in between his fingers.

It was unlike him to be so affected by anyone, much less a stranger. He was a bit of a playboy back in the early days of his tennis career, a womanizer as Zayne would call him. Though it was far behind him, now, it was a bit humiliating for him to be so bent over a girl.

Zayne, on the other hand, stayed back for the most part. Not that he didn’t have many opportunities, trust that he had many. But Zayne was never one for no strings attached hookups. A hopeless romantic, Caleb would say to tease him. Though, he had no shame in his beliefs around love.

It was no wonder why he was so infatuated by you.

There’s an eruption of cheers from where people have made a makeshift dance floor, and Caleb lazily turns. His head shoots up, body turning at whiplash speed, causing a few bottles to fall to the ground.

“Hey—!”

Zayne furrows his brows, looking at Caleb for an explanation to his sudden movements. His eyes are wide, unblinking as if he’s afraid to miss whatever he’s watching.

He follows his gaze, and it lands on you.

In the middle of the crowd, there you are, dancing without a care in the world.

They stare dumbfoundedly at your figure, clad in a mini skirt and strappy top. You turn towards them, undoubtedly staring at both of them. Your eyes dart between them, an inviting smile on your face. Maybe the alcohol was making them hallucinate.

Zayne flushes, looking to the side and clearing his throat.

Without a second to think, Caleb is standing up and walking towards you.

“Caleb!” but it’s futile. All Zayne can do is standby and watch as Caleb works his infuriating charm on you, hands coming to sit on your waist with ease.

He hates to admit it, but somewhere in his heart he feels a twinge of envy.

The party is in full swing when you arrive. 

You're surprised to see how crowded it is, almost everyone from the tennis club was here and then some. Almost as soon as you arrive, Tara pulls you to the dance floor (that was more just a patch of shorter grass closer to the music). 

You can’t help the way your eyes scan the room, searching for those two inseparable figures. 

As you let the alcohol flow through your veins, dancing to the music, you find exactly who you’re looking for. 

Sitting perfectly in your line of sight, is the brown haired boy who couldn't keep his eyes off of you earlier. Even now, he’s staring straight at you, and you don't even try to hide the shiver it sends down your spine.

Next to him is his inseparable half, avoiding your gaze.

Your eyes say everything you can’t. An invitation. 

A fishing line thrown into the water.

The brown haired man is up before you can process, making a beeline for you.

“Hey,” he says, unabashedly checking you out with his iris colored eyes. You tilt your head, smiling. 

“I’m Caleb.”

“Hi, Caleb.”

The fish bites, you pull back.

You hold out your hand as an offer. An offer for what, you weren’t so sure yourself.

But he takes it, with almost no hesitation.

You guide his hand to your waist, letting him take control. He sways with you, following the beat of the music effortlessly. When he asks for your name, you tell him with a bite of your lip.

It was unlike you to be so forward, but there was no refusing it now.

You wanted him tonight, badly.

“I saw you playing today,” he leans down to say it, eyes hovering over your ear. The feeling makes you hot, not just from the lingering heat of the night.

“I know,” you breathe “I saw you, too.”

Caleb smirks, eyes lighting with a fire. “You’re amazing.”

You giggle, rolling your eyes. While you (usually) were not one to brag, it was something you were used to hearing. Hearing him say it, though, had a different type of effect on you.

You turn around, grinding against him as the music becomes more sensual. His hands grip your waist, and you swear you hear a low grunt. This was definitely having as much affect as it was on you. Your arms come around his neck.

“Who’s your friend?” You can’t help but ask as you eye the almost sulking man who was still at the table.

You see the way he’s eyeing you, a type of intensity you couldn’t describe. 

Tall, dark hair, chiseled features, and carrying an air of aloofness.

God, he was sexy too.

“Zayne?” he questions, a bit strained but you choose to ignore it. The man rocking his hips behind you, the one in front practically eye-fucking you, it was too much to handle.

Zayne and Caleb.

Was it crazy to want them both?

You twirl to face Caleb, not surprised to see his eyes have darkened into a deep hue of purple. It only encourages you further. “Why don’t we go back to your place?”

It’s bold, you’re well aware. It makes his eyes widen for a second, before a smug smirk appears on his face.

“Your friend’s invited too.”

Zayne and Caleb are very still. 

With bated breath, afraid to make any sudden movements.

The walk to their apartment was a blur, filled with gentle caresses and prying eyes. Caleb was almost seeing stars from the anticipation of getting to have you so close. Though, they were both unsure of what to expect, even through their beer-induced haze.

Sitting across from you, in their shared apartment, they were feeling completely sober now. 

They watch you carefully as your hand comes down to the beer bottle in the middle, using your fingers to spin it. Yeah, it might have been a juvenile game, but you seemed to have something up your sleeve when you suggested it.

And who were they to deny the girl that had them wrapped around her fingers?

Their eyes are glued to the spinning bottle as it slows down, landing…

Right in between Zayne and Caleb.

Their heads whip up to face you, and there’s a sly smile growing onto your face. You stand from the floor, walking to the couch behind you.

You plant yourself in the middle, leaning back on the palms of your hands.

“Come here,” you beckon with a jerk of your head.

Their eyes go wide, and Caleb glances at Zayne, whose face is impossibly red.

“Which one—?” Zayne starts, but Caleb is scrambling off the floor to sit next to you. As if a switch is flipped, he stumbles to follow, sitting on your left.

The air is still, the music that had been playing from somewhere in the room fading into the background. You lean your head back, biting your lip as your eyes dart between them both.

“Kiss me.”

The universe was surely on your side tonight. 

That was the only explanation for the position you were in.

You’re sandwiched by both men, and your biggest problem right now is choosing who to look at.

Two gorgeous, panty-dropping men, in the palm of your hands.

Two men who were staring at you like they wanted to devour you whole.

Caleb bites first, hand coming up to hold your face. His grip is firm, unwilling to let your gaze wander elsewhere. “Are you sure about this, baby?”

The pet name comes out too easily, but it makes you lean into him. You stare into his eyes, unyielding.

“Yes.”

“Both… of us?” Zayne asks, voice low.

“Yes.”

It’s firm. 

And it's all Caleb needs to crash his lips into yours. Behind you, Zayne’s hands wander up your thighs, slipping under your skirt as he attacks your neck, leaving a trail of saliva as he sloppily sucks on your skin.

You moan softly, and the sound makes Caleb's grip on your jaw tighten. He’s shoving his tongue down your throat, uncaring of the way you struggle to breathe.

He relents, letting go of your face. You turn to Zayne, whose face is flushed a sweet pink. He looks completely undone, and you haven’t even touched him. You work to unbutton his shirt, trailing kisses on his deliciously taut chest. As soon as it's off, you trail up his jaw until your tongue is slipping past his lips.

He kisses slowly, gentle with intention. Zayne lets you take the lead, and your nails trail over his exposed biceps. Tiny crescent moons bloom as your nails dig into his skin. He deepens the kiss.

There’s a smack on your ass, and you pull away to face Caleb once again.

“C’mere,” it's a demand. You crawl onto his lap facing away from the couch, back pressed tightly against his clothes chest. Zayne stands, moving to position himself in front of you. From here, you have a perfect view of the prominent erection growing under his shorts.

Caleb pulls your top off in one swift motion and you gasp as your nipples hit the air. His fingers brush over them, teasing and pulling before they trail down. Your skirt is pushed up past your hips, pink lace panties on full display for both of them.

“Fuck, baby,” Caleb moans as his fingers hover over your clothed pussy. “I can feel how wet you are already. I’ve barely even touched you.”

You whine, throwing your head back onto his shoulders. Zayne is watching you through heavy lidded eyes, palming his cock. As sexy as he looked like this, you wanted to put your hands all over him.

“Let me help you,” you stare up at him through your lashes. 

Zayne walks closer, watching your fingers make work of his waistband. You almost gasp when you pull his cock out, flushed a bright red and dripping at the tip. It was big, to say the least. You wondered how much of it could fit in your mouth.

Caleb’s slender fingers slip into your slick folds and you whine, hand faltering on Zayne’s length. It earns you a slap on your thigh.

“Don’t leave him waiting, baby,” his voice is low, and you'd give anything to be able to see his face right now. “Show him what you can do with that pretty mouth of yours.”

His words are enough to bring your mouth to Zayne’s tip. You slip him into your mouth, taking him until he hits the back of your throat. He throws his head back, groaning as his hand comes up to grip the back of your head.

He wasn’t even in all the way.

Your skin is hot to the touch, cunt dripping as Caleb continues to work you expertly. Moaning around his cock, you can’t keep your eyes off Zayne’s face twisted in pleasure. It was obvious he was attempting to hold back his noises, lips held tightly under his teeth. 

It only makes you want to hear him more, so you hollow your cheeks, bobbing your head up and down his length. With every stroke, his tip hits the back of your throat. 

“Oh, fuck,” Zayne groans as he brings his other hand to your head, hips sloppily thrusting against your mouth. His whimpers are like angels singing. Spit is dripping out of your mouth, your eyes are welling with tears, but you don’t care. How could you deny him such pleasure?

Caleb slips another finger in you, stretching your pussy with every hit against your walls. You moan as his other hand comes to pinch your nipple. 

“Mm, baby,” you grind into his hand, feeling his hard cock against your ass. His breath is heavy against your ear. His fingers seem to know exactly what spots to hit, your unending moans muffled around Zayne's length.

“You feel so good around me.” Your sounds get higher, walls squelching against Caleb’s fingers. That familiar feeling starts to pool at your belly, and he knows you're close.

“You gonna cum for me?” His voice is gruff, laced with desire as he works to push you over the edge. The coil tightens, but you make sure to keep Zayne’s cock in your mouth. 

“Mmmph!” you whine as you feel your liquid fight against Caleb’s fingers, soaking them completely. His eyes are blown wide as he watches your fluids shoot out of your pulsing hole.

“Holy fuck,” he whispers softly, taking his glistening fingers out and bringing them to his face. He can’t help himself, putting them into his mouth. Your taste almost makes him combust right then and there.

“Alright,” he says, looking at Zayne’s disheveled appearance with a smug smirk. “Let me have a turn, baby.”

With a pop! Zayne slips out of your mouth. Caleb stands, pulling you with him. He twirls you to face him now. His hand comes to your ass, slapping it hard enough to leave a mark. You moan, chasing his lips.

He lets you catch him, a gentle kiss compared to the way he just defiled your pussy.

“Bend over,” he says, and you do.

Zayne’s hands come to your waist, holding you in place. You feel your pussy clench in anticipation as you watch Caleb get rid of the clothing covering his hard cock.

And of course, he’s big.

Big and thick.

Enough to stretch your mouth completely.

Caleb slaps his cock against your cheek as he looks at Zayne.

“Why don’t you stretch her out a little more for me?”

The grin on his face says it all as he watches Zayne align himself with your wet cunt. You sigh, feeling his tip gliding against your lips before he slowly opens you wide. The fit is incredibly tight, and you can feel every single inch of his length as he slowly slides in.

Zayne is putty in your hands. The way you’re tightening around him is almost enough to drive him over the edge. His fingers dig into your hips.

Caleb brings his hand to your jaw, tilting your head up. He glides his thumb over your bottom lip. 

“So pretty,” he murmurs softly, bringing his tip to your lips.

“Go on, baby.”

That’s enough for the both of you.

Zayne brings his hips back, tip just at the entrance before he slams back into you.

You take Caleb into your salivating mouth, until your nose almost hits his skin. With every thrust against your walls, you slide your mouth up and down Caleb’s throbbing cock.

Your moans mix together sweetly, breaths mingling with the hot bedroom air. They’re unrelenting against your gaping holes, and you can feel the sweat dripping from their bodies onto you. A sheen layer of sweat covers them, almost glowing under the low light.

You’re a mess, moaning around Caleb’s cock as he uses your mouth to pleasure himself. 

Zayne’s head is spinning, drunk off the way your pussy felt around him. His hand comes up to pull your hair back, admiring the way your back arches. Every bounce of your ass against him got him closer and closer to the edge.

God, he was insatiable. 

Caleb was no better, unable to keep his eyes off your pretty face. Cheeks hollow, taking him so fucking well. He couldn’t believe how he had you. He was desperate to carve every line and curve of your figure into his mind, afraid that if he blinks you’ll disappear.

He hoped when morning came he’d still be able to see you.

“Fuck, baby,” Caleb moans, “I’m so fucking close.”

He looks over to Zayne, taking in the pink hue that trailed from his cheeks to his ears. His brows were furrowed, tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth.

Yeah, he was definitely close, too.

“Can I cum on that pretty face, baby?” you moan, trying to nod your head against his merciless throat-fucking.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Mhm,” is all you can muster.

Zayne’s hip thrusts were getting sloppier, and you tightened around him, wanting to make sure he came too.

Something about being completely covered in their seed made you lose all sense of self.

Caleb grunts as he pulls out of your mouth, spurts of cum shooting onto your face, dripping down your cheek. You stick your tongue out, hoping to catch some to taste.

Zayne follows soon after, pulling out of you to cum on your back. It’s warm, endless globs of his cum enveloping your back, falling down your waist. He pumps his cock gently, making sure to leave every last drop to you.

He leans down, placing a gentle kiss on the small of your back.

Their chests are still rapidly rising and descending as they try to catch their breath. In the post orgasm clarity, you can’t help but laugh at your situation.

Never did you think you would have ended up here tonight.

Though, you definitely weren’t complaining.

Caleb falls onto the couch, gaze still on you as he chuckles breathlessly. A mixture of disbelief and incredulousness on his face.

“Stay there,” You hear Zayne move behind you, walking into the bathroom and turning the faucet on. He comes back, gently holding you as he brings a wet towel to your skin. You gasp softly at the sudden contact, but you let him wipe your back down.

The gesture almost makes your heart swell.

Caleb looks at you with indiscernible emotions swimming in his eyes. He takes the towel from Zayne, wiping at your face with the most sedulous care. It’s so sweet, the way they handle you. You’d never think they’d be capable of all the sinful things you just witnessed.

Trying to ignore the way your face heats up as Caleb holds your face, you look away from his soft puppy eyes.

You stand up straight, slipping your skirt and ruined panties. With a flirtatious smile, you start walking to the bathroom. “I’m gonna shower.”

“Feel free to join me.”

Caleb and Zayne look at each other before scrambling to follow behind.

You awake to two pairs of arms enveloping you, the first signs of dawn peeking through the window. It takes all your energy to quietly slip out of their grip. The two men are too deep in their dreams to notice as you collect your scattered clothes.

You sigh as you hold the skirt Tara let you borrow in front of you. It was ruined completely. She was definitely going to kill you. And maybe congratulate you after she hears of your night.

Clad in a too-big Linkon Tennis Club hoodie and sweats, you’re about to slip out of the room when you look back to the bed.

Gorgeous, even with their tousled hair and soft snores.

Gently, closing the door, you fish your forgotten phone out of your purse. You glance at the time as you walk down the hallway, sighing when you realize you had enough time to make it to practice.

Hopefully they’d come to your next match.