#she'd want to try have me hook up with someone but she was very respectful about me saying no thanks

[fly-sky-high-09]

hhhgh

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Do Not Watch "Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker"

I'ma tell you why, because writing words helps me regulate my emotions and I have this outlet now, but I'm not having a wonderful time right now. Y'all don't have to click.

I like me some true crime. I consume it critically. It is often painfully obvious the police have fucked up and railroaded someone, but the soundtrack will be dissonantly scary or triumphant, so I know that's not the conclusion I'm meant to draw. Nevertheless, a mystery is interesting, even if it comes with a chaser of systemic injustice.

Netflix's algorithm has been trying to feed me "Hatching Wielding Hitchhiker" for a long time. I finally bit. I feel ill with anger right now.

It's a short documentary. 1'25". I think they had time to say the words "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" and "People with mental illnesses are most often the victims of violent crime and not the perpetrators" but it never came up. I don't think they even said the words "child abuse" although they had a child abuser on camera in a nice homey setting who kept deadnaming her child. (Cis people can have deadnames too, it all depends on the circumstances that caused them to change their name. I think an escape from an abusive family warrants a name change that should be respected.)

They had a corroborating, not-mentally-ill person say that this woman had a dark room with blankets over all the windows where she locked her son, and that she'd also tried to lock him (the witness) in there. When they put her on camera she said, essentially, "No, I never locked him in his room. I did have to lock him in his room, but it was because he would get up early and do things that could hurt him."

And I remember being preschool-aged, and climbing up on the kitchen counters to serve myself milk, cereal and sugar (I was not allowed sugar, it was on the highest shelf), sometimes even making a mess, because my dad was at work and my mom was upstairs in a depressive coma, and I wonder, "Oh. Things like that?"

I know my parents would also say, "No, we never locked her in her room. Well, we did lock her in her room, but it wasn't a lock, it was a hook-and-eye latch. She wouldn't sleep, and she cried a lot and wanted us to comfort her, and we wanted to sleep. So, we fixed it. We got her a fire ladder and made sure she knew how to climb down it, so that wasn't a problem. Well, we assume she didn't have to use the bathroom... Anyway, she didn't like to flush the toilet, it was too loud, she said, and that sure was inconvenient for us. What is this about, again?"

Anyway, this kid finally tried to burn down the house (or at least started a fire), got put in foster care and ran away soon after. If I'd been AMAB and had a bit more testosterone on board, I might've done something clever like that instead of hanging out in an abusive situation until my early twenties, but it never seemed like an option.

The boy we're concerned with changed his name, lived on the street, got assaulted more than once (I don't see any reason to doubt that) and had really bad reactions to seeing others assaulted. He stopped an assault with a hatchet. And he became like an adorable duck who drinks a milkshake, no longer a human being who needs food and shelter and safety... if he ever was that, to anyone.

He made the rounds on TV and social media, the police got him to testify against the guy who did the assault, and I see no effort by anyone to do anything more than corral him long enough to get what they wanted from him. During that time, he peed in inappropriate places, and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (that is an appropriate place to pee, everyone pees there, I have been to Hollywood), threw a knife at the ground (oh no, scary music), and rode his skateboard in a bumpy hotel lobby. This irritated people. When they stuck a camera in his face and tried to get him to perform, he rambled nonsensically. That wasn't very adorable, so he started to not be so famous anymore.

Here is where the scary music, already present whenever he did something weird, became constant.

He says a 70-year-old man picked him up, drugged him and raped him. The 70-year-old man's friends say "He wouldn't do something like that." But, you know, a mentally-ill homeless person who's never participated in an unprovoked attack before would beat a 70-year-old man to death for no reason.

The scary music, and many of the people who met the young man, find it especially damning that he allowed his alleged rapist to drive him to the train station and buy him a ticket, and hugged him goodbye. The young man thought he could take the train and find someplace safe to sleep, but he could not, so he went back to the rapist's house to get a meal and a bed. Why would a person do something like that?

Oh, I dunno, maybe people are willing to do some awful stuff when they need food and a bed? Or maybe he told himself it didn't happen, "I'm just overreacting"? Or maybe he gave the guy a chance to not try something, and the guy tried something, so he killed him? I could forgive any of that. I know how hard it is to get away from an abusive situation, how that helplessness gets ground into your bones, and how scared and angry you can get when you feel like it's all going to happen again, and that would give me some reasonable doubts.

(The police officer saying that it's almost impossible to fracture the orbital socket, when it is only difficult to fracture one part of the orbital socket, and an elbow to the face can easily fracture another part of it, and the young man saying in his interrogation that he elbowed his rapist in the face, also gave me some doubts.)

It did not give the judge, the jury, or most of the people who shoved cameras in the young man's face, any reasonable doubts.

Now he sits in prison, saying, "But I was raped!" and being denied a new trial. He does not wish to see his abusive mother. The closing captions deadnamed him some more.

Thanks, Netflix. What an intriguing mystery. Not unlike that thing you tried to get me to watch where someone vacuum-bagged a kitten, only you didn't play scary music to make me afraid of the kitten.

Don't watch this. And don't watch that, either. It's called "Don't F**k with Cats," don't watch it.

[crowsandmurder]

Angsty Naley for @story1ines

Because I love you. I'm not going anywhere.

He wanted to believe her. He just...didn't trust her. Did he love her? He meant what he said the night she reappeared at his front door. Always and Forever. It wasn't the love that was their problem. It was the trust. She had made out with Chris. The tour-he could have got behind that, but she kissed someone else. Before her, Nathan could have had any girl he wanted, and he had plenty of them. It hadn't mattered that he was with Peyton. He didn't care. But Haley changed all that. He hadn't been that Nathan Scott in a very long time now.

Parties at High Flyers, meeting up with Taylor, etc. none of it had actually gone there for him. Haley was who he dreamed of, thought of, but he didn't trust her. Lucas was acting like her damn bodyguard now, when if he had some sort of something with Brooke, shouldn't he be worried about his own thing and not Nathan's wife? She wanted to not leave and said she loved him? He could test that theory.

Glancing around, he noticed Peyton but he respected her too much to use her to prove a point, although she'd likely be the only person he could actually hook up with. But, right now, he was trying to prove a point. He spotted a cheerleader, then. He didn't even know this one's name, but he was fairly certain he hooked up with her once. Walking over to the two guys she was talking to, he nodded them away and cleared his throat. "You know they're losers and you'd rather talk to me anyway, well just talk anyway for now. Where we are in the next ten minutes, I make no promises about." He leaned close to her with a smirk. If he as honest, he didn't even believe his bullshit.

[pacifymebby]

I did not see it coming at all. Also I'm not sure that's what Rhys meant when he said he wanted them to make up 😬 How does miss groupie really feel about each of the boys?

I'm not gonna lie i didnt see it coming either and then as i was writing it just suddenly occurred to me that they couldn't not? There characters have been building to some kind of realisation since the very beginning, theyve always been closer than just "fuck buddies" and its been apparent right from the start that they care about eachother and that if she was any other girl they'd have been together already.

But for reals its definitely not what rhys meant :o :o :o

I know im the writer and I'm supposed to know how my characters feel but right now i have no clue whatsoever!! I think miss groupie is confused and in a real mess and I am confused too. I dont even know who i think would be better for her at this point??

Its clear she fancies the fuck out of Billy and she's definitely going to be thinking about that night for a very long time. I can't imagine shes finished with him just yet.

Aaron is definitely someone she is very emotionally close with too, not as much as she is with Harri, but they're certainly good friends. Perhaps theres less between them and perhaps he may be a little easier to let go if it ever even comes to that, but I think she'd be lying if she said she could let him go and never second guess herself.

Jamie is such a tricky one because clearly everyone else thinks he isn't good for her, and perhaps he isn't... But theres something there that she just can't get enough of. Maybe if we sat down and psychoanalysed her we'd find some deep emotional reason for her enjoying the way he appears to hate her, the cruelty he treats her with and the plain lack of respect he seems to have for her.. Or perhaps shes just a thrill seeker and that's all there is to it. Either way I think she's still hooked on his temper and trying to piss him off. He has a lot more to offer her right now than you can begin to imagine and i think her inability to predict just how far he's going to take things will keep her hanging on despite her friends warnings.

Theres also the fact that Jamie has expressed a hint of remorse and perhaps even a little concern for her in the past, and has certainly calmed down after the events backstage which lead to this mess in the first place. You can't forget that he was willing to fuck his entire engagement into the ground for her, and although perhaps you could say that says more about his lack of love for Saskia than it does his feelings for y/n, but you can't say that without acknowledging that it takes something pretty strong to lead someone seemingly blindly down a path of devestation so, well, devestating. Whether its attraction, love, something else or just plain old self distructive tendencies, somethings going on there he isnt telling anyone...

If anyone knows whats going on his Jamies head its probably Eddie and perhaps thats why out of all the lads Eddie has the least to do with our groupie.

Eddie really is just a bit of a booty call for her, they don't even fuck very often and hardly have one to one interaction. Probably Jamie is keeping him too busy with the laundry and ironing his socks, he doesnt have the same free time as the others. Or perhaps he can sense that theres something underneath Jamies bad temper and cruel remarks, perhaps hes seen this kind of thing before and he knows whats really going on in Jamies head...

The younger lads are far too new to the mix for y/n to show them any real thought I think, she doesn't know many of them all that well, but she probably feels a minor moral obligation to Finn because of her relationship with his father. I think they're more likely to remain friends even if she gives up her nympho lifestyle and settles down. I think he sees himself as a friend to her and she sees herself as a friend to him too. In another life they could have ended up being raised together like brother and sister (you know because when her dad died finns dad was there and could have taken her in) so i think they understand theyre always going to know one another and need to be friends.

I think she's going to remain curious about James, i dont think she's going to be able ti shelve that curiosity at all... But is she even going to get to know him? What if she has to pull the plug on everything because of whats happened between her and Harri.

As for Rhys... That feels so uncertain and so complicated. Their relationship developed so fast and really is the spanner thats been thrown in the works between the rest of them. Rhys showing up has meant she spends less time with Aaron, no longer sleeping in the same bed as him at night, its meant theres been someone there to hold her back from winding Jamie up, someone to show her the care and comfort she needs when she goes ahead and pushes that too far anyway. Before Rhys her main authority figure was Harri, but he always enjoyed her wild side too much to ever really hold her back or stop her when she was in the middle of a tricksy plan. Rhys has been there to defend her, something shes never let anyone do in the past, to look after her and treat her softly, baby her in a way shes never let anyone else do. Before him she was always keeping up the "pretence" of independence, that she liked being alone, that she didn't need anyonr and that other people to her were just pieces in her game to be used and then knocked off the board. But Rhys is different, he's the only one who won't give her what she wants, the only one who won't give her instant gratification or the satisfaction of a conquest and so for the first time she's being forced to consider making sacrifices, to consider someone elses feelings and rules... Because Harri didnt have rules and she didn't care about anyone elses.

Rhys does and for the first time she isnt being rewarded for breaking them... Thats forcing her to really consider what he js to her.

I think she wants to trust him completely, but something is holding her back... The knowledge that if she hands herself over to him she has to give up all her other options. For whatever reason this girl craves and needs the attention of all these men, perhaps its just a classic sex addiction or perhaps its something deeper than that.

We know shes got her daddy issues and she always seems to be seeking out authority (even if that is only so she can rebel against it) either way its complicated and she has a lot of thoughts and feelings to try and work out. And tbh she's running out of time to do so...

I think a fair few chapters back Jamie asked her what she was going to do when the tour ended and she told him she'd probably go home for awhile, find a new band to hang around with... I think all considering the stitch shes in now, and the way she tends to deal with problems (either purposefully making them worse or straight up ignoring them and shutting off her feelings) she really will go off and do that. Perhaps we'll get a Groupie Part ll or perhaps someone else will give her a better opportunity.

Thanks for this anon anon, its actually given me a good opportunity to recap everything and really consider the characters feelings haha ♥️♥️♥️

[lemon-boy-stan]

bts reactions/scenarios - they take care of you when you're drunk (and not dating) these gifs aren’t mine, credits to the owners!

SEOKJIN -

Everyone knew what kind of drunk you were so it shouldn't have been hard for Jin to remember what kind of things you'd get up to; if it weren't for the fact he was more afraid of Jimin knocking up random girls.

Focused on his friend, he let you make your way around the bar, completely unaware of your habits when he heard you screaming.

"You want a go at me?! You want a piece of this sexy ass? Yah? Well, I dare you, please have a go at me! Actually, no, I'm BLACKMAILING YOU! Do you know who I am? You've definetly heard me on the radio, "Seoul's top ten"? Hey! Hey, don't look away, mister... mister Kim Han! Go on, FIGHT ME! Or are you too twink to do it?!"

Seokjin whirled around and made a quick beeline, grabbing your arm. "Oppa!" You shrieked, "he's a assaulting me!" Jin rolled his eyes when you were glaring at the kid - he was barely eighteen and he looked very afraid. "She's really drunk," Jin mouthed to him.

"Come on, Y/N, let's go," it took all his strength to drag you away from the kid's table. Jin made sure to tell Namjoon why he'd ditched but he was positive that he knew why already; drunk Y/N was not something that needed to go on the internet.

"Where are we going?" You giggled, bouncing after him before crying out, "Oppa! Scold the stone, it hurt my little toe!" Jin smiled softly to himself, opened his mouth to say that he wasn't your Oppa, yet, but thought better of it (because he valued his life).

NAMJOON -

Namjoon tucked you in his bed as soon as the eight of you were all upstairs back in the apartment and lied down next to you with a book in his hands, reading, watching you carefully from the corner of his eye, a hot cup of coffee on the side table.

"Hey, Namjoon!" You shrieked, giggling. "Yeah?" He looked over, "you're like, really effing hot." You snickered again but at yourself this time; did you just sensor the word fuck? "You're really effing drunk," Namjoon sighed, trying his best to ignore your words.

He was your best friend and he loved you and now he knew you loved him, too, but he wasn't going to take advantage of you. "You must have a big dick. With all that,,, all that energy! Ha, ha. Big dick ener... ha, ha! Joonie!" You shrieked, grabbing the air, he sighed again and nodded, "I love you, Joonie," you giggled, snuggling into him, "Joonie like the Moonie..." you laughed once more, "I love you to the Joonie Moonie and back..." you sighed happily.

"I wish you really did..." Namjoon sighed.

JIMIN -

Jimin made sure that you were in the front seat with him and that everyone had everything they came with... idiots.

He checked in once and a while to see that you hadn't fallen asleep - because if you fell asleep Jimin would probably have to call the ambulance and then that would start a scene, so.

Hobi and Jungkook were in the boot seats, playing chopsticks with actual chopsticks they stole from the lobby of the bar.

Namjoon was crying and moaning about the pair of airpods he lost, the white screen of his phone reflecting off against the black tinted car window. Yoongi gave all thirty-five of them names and was singing to them goodbye as Namjoon stroked his phone miserably.

Taehyung looked very affronted; a wasted Seokjin was ranting to him about how terrible and how disgraceful Dim Sims were.

Jimin sighed, checking back in on Y/N, who was now currently drooling all over the leather jacket which he admittedly should not have let her use as a "comfy headrest pleaseeeee Oppa pleaseeeee" but she'd called him Oppa even though he wasn't and he supposed his hormones got the better of him.

TAEHYUNG -

Taehyung was walking you home; he did not feel safe leaving you here to wait for him to drive back; knowing your drunken ways you'd probably think he wanted you to chase him and then you'd probably get hit by a car.

So he made sure you followed him on his left side, wishing he had a leash, aish, could you not just walk one way? Did you have to weave in and out of air like you were on a tightrope?

The city had dangerous figures! If he wasn't with you Taehyung was sure that you would probably get abducted or stabbed or something.

YOONGI -

Drunk Y/N was always very erattic, like her ADHD brain but without her meds, she could start catfights just by looking at someone, she could get beaten up just by saying a backhand comment.

Sure, Yoongi loved Y/N's quirky, witty ADHD mind but he didn't like chaperoning her everywhere even though something inside him told him it was for both of their sakes.

So when it came to Y/N and alcohol Yoongi was a very strict person, his sense of fun easily deflated. He'd go as far as locking her up in a room.

Sometimes she'd sneak three more shots thinking he didn't know and he'd sigh, rolling his eyes because he didn't want her to walk off on him.

JUNGKOOK -

If he had his way, Jungkook wouldn't even take you drinking in the first place.

He would've done whatever it takes to keep you at home while the others were out, but apparently Namjoon didn't count his vote.

And now here you were, at a bar, hooking your legs around some random guy. Jungkook saw your neon pink hair a mile away, sighing, he ran up and pulled you back down, "hey! You already have a boyfriend. Me."

"Oh, Jungkookie! I forgot you were here! Oh, sorry..."  Jungkook sighed, pulling you far away from the guy (who looked vaguely annoyed that he'd interrupted before you could do anything.

a/n: yeah, I know they're dating in this one, I just couldn't think of anything else sorry

HOBI -

Who was worse drunk, you or Hoseok? No-one knew. One time the rest of the guys had a very loud debate about it.

Drunk Hobi was just Hobi on steroids, he was way more shrill and annoying. Drunk Y/N was just as bad; but depressed, and would sob at the littlest things.

You and Ho-Seok had never liked each other, the way he got on your nerves set you off.... So when Jimin ran to get Hobi because you were crying you nearly puked from disgust.

That was, of course, until he comforted you and got you sober again, making your respect for him go to 💯

BTS MASTERLIST - REQUESTS OPEN

[kayluh1915]

Ice Cream Cake

Pairing(s): Pedro Pascal/Female Reader

Words: 3,233

Warnings: None

Pedro (in collaboration with your mother) throws you a party for your birthday, but not for the reason you originally thought.

DISCLAIMER!

So, the beautiful Maggie ( @221bshrlocked ) was talking here on Tumblr about an age gap between reader and Pedro and I am HERE👏🏻FOR👏🏻 IT👏🏻 so expect more of this because she's got me hooked. Blame her... when she gets back from her break! I originally planned for this to be FILTHY, but no matter how many times I tried to work it in, it just didn't fit. So, have some fluff instead! Maybe next time, you filthy whores.

This works as a stand-alone, but I do consider it to be in the same universe as Beautiful People. It isn't necessary in the slightest to read that before this, but it is available if you would like to give it a read.

As always, comments are welcomed and encouraged.

You can also follow me on Twitter if you'd like. My life is boring, but I try.

Enjoy!

Read on AO3

My Masterlist

It’s a warm summer evening. The frogs are croaking, the fireflies are starting to come out, and the crickets are singing as the sun began to dip over the horizon of the mountain. The perfect kind of evening for bonfires, camping, or even some late swimming. All great ways to spend a gorgeous evening. Far better than being pressed up against the glass of the local community center… in your opinion at least. However, for the sweaty fangirls, the chance of even getting a glimpse of your boyfriend was by far the better option.

“Such heathens.” Your mamaw said, rolling her eyes at the crowd outside. “They should show some dignity.”

“You were young too, Mom. Cut’em a break.” You Mom replied, carrying a plate of homemade peanut butter rolls.

“Well, I’d like to think I’d have more respect than to stare and lust over a local's boyfriend on her birthday, famous or not. He ain’t even here yet for cryin’ out loud!” You reached for one of the treats while your Mom was occupied, quickly stuffing it in your mouth. It was just as delicious as always.

“You should call for more security. If they’re like this when the man ain’t even here, I’d hate to see em’ when he does. Someone’s gonna get hurt.” Your Mom thought for a moment, looking back to the crowd outside that had somehow doubled in just that short amount of time alone.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll get on the phone and let the- Honey, don’t eat all of your aunt Judy’s PB rolls!” Your Mom scolded you once she noticed your stuffed cheeks.

“I dunno what you’re talking about.” You replied, mouth still full.

“It’s the bee’s birthday, Annie. Leave er’lone.”

“Then you can explain to the guests why there’s no rolls left.” The door suddenly opened, the overwhelming chatter from outside piercing the otherwise calm atmosphere of the community center and startling the three of you. You worried for a split second that maybe one of the fangirls had gone rouge and got past the guards or that one of the guests arrived way too early, but it was just your best friend, Emily… thank God.

“Damn, you’d think there was a celebrity nearby or something.” She joked, pointing her thumb back towards the door.

“There isn’t.” Emily’s smirk morphed into pure confusion.

“Whaddya mean? I thought he was supposed to be here around four?”

“Last second table read. Set him back a few hours.” She nodded in understanding, stealing one of the peanut butter rolls from the plate your mom was still carrying. She was about to protest but decided to take the damn treats into the ballroom so they would quit getting swiped in the first place. Even then she had your brother to worry about.

“Well, come on. We gotta go get you all dolled up for your man.” You looked towards the crowd, the mere idea of walking past all of those people green with envy making you nervous. Security guards or not.

“W-we can’t escape out of the back, can we?”

“Nope, they’re lined up back there too. I tired.” You threw your head back with a groan.

“Fuck.”

“There’s security out there, honey. They’ll protect you.” You mamaw said.

“Yeah, c’mon. You don’t wanna start your party in a ratty t-shirt and some jeans, do you?”

Honestly, you didn’t care.

When Pedro asked you what you wanted to do for your 25th birthday, you answered with the what you normally did. Stay home, do nothing, treat yourself to an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, and maybe have Emily come over.

“When’s the last time you’ve done something special for your birthday?” He’d asked.

‘It’s been years. I’m not the party type and I never have the money to do what I actually want. Even a DQ cake is a decent amount of cash for me.” He paused for a moment, obviously thinking.

“... What have you actually wanted to do?” You immediately knew what he was up to.

“Nope! Don’t even think about it! It’s way too much money. Seriously, a DQ cake at home with you is more than enough.” It wasn’t his idea of spoiling you on your birthday, but he agreed. If that’s really what you wanted, then he’d give it to you. Whether you knew it or not, he’d give you the world if he could.

When you and Pedro visited your mother one weekend, she had asked you the same question. Before you could get out the answer you had given Pedro, she'd already replied with her own.

“You know, you haven’t had a proper party in years. We should throw you one.” You tried again to intervene, but Pedro stepped in.

“I’ll help in any way I can. Mi Abeja deserves something special for her birthday.”

So much for your private DQ cake celebration.

You weren’t ungrateful or anything. In fact, you really didn’t mind it. A day of dancing and good food sounded great and you were thankful to have someone like Pedro that was able to give you that. However, seeing all these people stepping on each other just to get one glimpse of the man you love made you long for that DQ cake.

“Pedro’s tee and jeans are fine.” You answered, Emily clicking her tongue at you and grabbing ahold of your arm. She dragged you towards the door and waved to your Mamaw.

“Be back in about two hours.”

Thankfully, you made it to Emily’s car without a scratch, taking in a huge deep breath once you shut the passenger door.

You wanted to choke her.

____________________

Your hairstylist released the last lock of your hair from the curling wand with a whistle.

“Lookin’ good, cutie! Pedro’s gonna faint when he sees you.” She exclaimed, spinning you around so you could take a look at your freshly styled hair. You cupped the curls framing your face and shook it out a little. Not even you could deny how much you loved being dolled up even if it hadn’t been your idea.

“Thanks, Jo. I love it.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” You got up from the chair and walked over to your couch, picking up the gift box Pedro had given you last week. He’d told you to wear it to your party, but not to open it until then.

“Well, open it! Let’s see what he picked out for you.” Emily exclaimed, obviously more excited about it than you were. Even Jo was peeking over as she got her stuff together.

You pulled the ribbon until it fell slack, placing the box back down on your couch to take the lid off. After fishing through a sea of tissue paper, you finally saw it. A black knee-length dress decorated with beautiful roses and daisies and a pair of black heels that had their own blossom.

“Ooooo! How pretty!” Jo cooed, adorning the dress.

“Man, he has a good eye,” Emily added. “That’s beautiful.” You looked over at her with a crooked eyebrow.

“Did you think he couldn’t match colors or something?”

“No, I’m just saying that men usually suck at stuff like this, but he did great.”

After everything was done, you stepped in front of your full-body mirror to take a look at yourself. You hated to admit it, but you actually looked pretty good. Your hair was curled and framed your face nicely as the dress Pedro had got you hugged your body perfectly. You even liked the heels which was a shock. You hated heels, but he had managed to find a pair that weren’t that tall so your feet wouldn’t hurt. It was a very sweet gesture, but you'd still be taking them off before the night was over.

“Shit!” Emily cursed. “Yeah you’re beautiful bitch, we gotta go. You’re going to be late for your own party!” You got back in her car as fast as possible, the heels slowing you down slightly. Despite that, you managed to make it in time, the security guards redirecting you to the upstairs entrance.

“Pedro’s here and they’ve gone wild. You’ll have to go in where the guests come through. There's more of us up there.” Emily complained mildly about having to park farther than she’d like, but you weren’t really paying much attention to her. Since the guard had told you that your boyfriend was finally here, the only thing you could really focus on was getting to him.

You made your way down the stairs slowly but as fast as possible, trying to avoid using the handrails since the decorators had worked so hard on making them look nice. Suddenly, you heard the crowd gathered outside scream, distracting you from your slow descent. You’re glad they did because at the bottom of the staircase stood the man you couldn’t wait to get to, everything but him going out of focus.

He was wearing a maroon button-down tucked into a pair of black dress pants. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing his toned forearms as the black tie sat crooked around his neck. His hair was also slicked back, a few curls defying the gel and coming down to rest on his forehead. His brown eyes were crinkled, his blinding smile causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach almost as much as the trimmed facial hair that framed his jawline.

You continued to make your way down, now using the previously avoided handrails so you could go faster. When you got to the last two steps, he held his hand out for you to take. You gladly did, his calloused hand so large and warm compared to yours. You giggled when the dork pressed a light kiss to your knuckle.

“Are you my Jack for the night?” You teased, earning a snorted laugh from him.

“Nah. Just always wanted to do that. Didn’t think I’d get my chance tonight.” He made sure you came down the last two steps safely, you immediately wrapping your arms around him as soon as your heels touched the tiled floor. You laid your head on his shoulder with a content sigh, Pedro returning the hug as soon as you initiated it, his strong arms holding you tight as he pressed tender kisses to your temple.

“Missed you...” You said quietly, loud enough only for him to hear.

He parted with you ever so slightly to kiss you properly, his lips melding with yours so perfectly that you never wanted to come up for air.

“Alright, alright, break it up you two!” Your dad said, the only thing that saved you from being lost in his lips for the rest of the evening. “C’mon, everyone’s been waitin’ to see ya.” You looked back up at Pedro, smiling wide as soon as you saw that he was staring.

“Stop it.” You laugh. He laughs too, pressing another kiss to the side of your forehead.

“I can’t help it. Mi Abeja looks so pretty tonight.” You reached up to his tie to fix it for him, your eyes focusing on the poorly tied knot that he’d obviously done himself.

“Save it. We have to go greet the family before they blow a gasket.” You said, patting his chest once his tie was finished. He stood next to you and put his hand on the small of your back, gesturing towards the ballroom with his free one.

“Lead the way, honey.”

____________________

The party was well underway by now, the bass of the music thumping hard in your chest as you ate your second piece of birthday cake. It was no DQ ice cream cake, but you couldn’t deny that your aunt Judy could bake.

After the cake was cut, the DJ started playing music, inviting everyone out to the dancefloor. Pedro asked if you wanted to go dance but you turned him down.

“Not yet. I’ll join you once I get my fix on cake.” He nodded, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he left to join your brother and a few of your cousins who were already “cutting the rug” you guessed.

You watched as Pedro loosened up, him and your brother dancing so rediculously that you couldn't help but laugh.

Whether Pedro wanted to believe it or not, he was quickly becoming a Hollywood golden boy. He more than deserved it, but the pressure of it all got to him sometimes and you were ecstatic to see him relaxed for a change.

He’d long discarded his tie, the hair gel barely holding back his curls that started to drape over his eyes that were crinkled up from smiling.

The song they were dancing to ended with one last thud from the bass, the DJ grabbing the mic as soon as it stopped.

“Alright folks, now we’re going to sllooww things down to allow the birthday girl to share a special dance with her love.” You looked up mid-bite of cake, not expecting to be singled out like that.

Pedro walked over to you, offering his hand as the slow song began to play. You quickly swallowed the bite of cake and wiped your mouth off with a napkin, placing your hand in his and allowing him to lead you to the dance floor.

He placed his large hands on your hips, pulling you close and laying his forehead atop of yours as your snaked your arms around his neck. You swayed with him for a bit, the flash of your mom’s camera vaguely registering in your mind, but you didn’t care. It all fades to nothing when you’re with him.

“You’re so beautiful.” He said, his mocha gaze full of adoration when he lifted his head away to look at you.

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Even for an old man?” You snickered.

“So nice that any other old man could never compare.” He breathed a laugh through his nose, his crooked smile doing things to you.

You continued to sway to the song, Pedro spinning you around a few times before you settled back into your rhythm. You laid your head on his shoulder after a bit, allowing him to fully take the lead. One of his hands left your hip to come up and hold the back of your head as he pressed gentle pecks atop your head.

“I love you so much.” You smiled on his shoulder, one of your own hands tangling into his dark curls.

“I love you too.”

____________________

Later that night, you and Pedro laid quietly on your bed, his arms tightly wrapped around you as you watched TV together. It was super late and you both were exhausted, but neither of you wanted to sleep. You were quickly losing the battle, however. Your eyes starting to droop as Pedro played with your hair.

“Don’t tell me you’re tapping out already.” He teased, his voice pulling you from the edge.

“M’sorry. S’been a long day.” You felt his chest vibrate with a chuckle, his mustache tickling your cheek as he pressed a kiss to it.

“I had one more gift for you, but I guess it can wait until morning.” Despite how tired you were, you were curious as to what he could have up his sleeve and couldn't resist looking at him over your shoulder.

“What is it?” He laughed.

“Awake now, are we?” He teased, rising up from the sheets with you and getting up. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

It took him longer than you expected and he made quite a bit of noise, but it was well worth it.

He watched your eyes light up with happiness as soon as your gaze landed on the piece of DQ ice cream cake he was holding in his right hand, a single lit candle atop of it. He was also holding a blue gift box with a white bow, but you were more focused on the frozen treat at the moment.

“Aww, Pedro…” You cooed as he set the cake down in front of you with a kiss.

“Happy birthday, my sweet Abeja.” You blew the candle out and licked the ice cream off the bottom, setting it aside and digging into the slice. You groaned at the taste, the mattress shifting as Pedro sat back down next to you.

“Good?” You nodded.

“It’s DQ ice cream cake. How could it be bad?” He let you enjoy your treat, your attention suddenly shifting to the gift box he’d sat down. You pointed your fork at it.

“What’s that?” You asked with your mouthful. Pedro looked to the box and picked it up, gesturing for you to take it.

“Why don’t you open it and find out?” You gave him shifty eyes, setting your fork down to take the box out of his hands. You took the bow off and set it aside, lifting the lid off the box quickly. You froze when you saw what was inside.

Laying atop white tissue paper sat your passport and a Mickey Mouse ear hat. You slowly took the hat into your hands, only just now noticing the sticky note that was stuck on the other side. It read:

“To DisneyWorld we will go for your special day, to create memories that will forever stay.”

You didn’t even realize you were crying until Pedro reached up to wipe a tear off of your cheek.

“How… how did yo-”

“I asked your mom. She said that you’ve always wanted to spend your birthday at Disney but never had the money. I knew you wouldn’t go if I told you about it ahead of time, so your Mom and I worked together to throw you a party so you wouldn’t be suspicious.”

There was no way you could accept something this huge from him. It had to cost him a fortune… weeks of his schedule.

“What ab-”

“Shhh.” He shushed. “None of that. You deserve this, Abeja. You work so hard and barely get anything. Please, let me spoil you just this once.” You wanted to turn it down, the guilt of not helping him pay for it eating you up. Though you knew he was under contract with Disney in the first place and more than had enough money to pay for it, you still didn't want him to think that you were trying to mooch.

However, the look of pure nervousness and adoration on his face melted all of that guilt away.

You sat the hat down and reached for him, hugging him tightly as more tears fell down your cheeks.

“...Thank you.” Pedro let out a breath of air you didn’t know he was holding, his arms hugging you back tenfold.

“No amount of money is worth more than this. I promise you that, honey. You’re worth so much more.”

You ended up falling asleep wrapped in his embrace, the day finally catching up with you. Pedro gently laid down, making sure not to wake you as he situated you to lay atop his chest while he laid on his back. You stirred as he pulled the blanket over the both of you, but didn’t rouse any more after that.

He reached over and turned the TV off with the remote and switched off your lamp, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before drifting off right behind you.

[bisluthq]

Hey! I'm fairly new here and I have a pretty uncommon take on Kaylor. But I just wanna start off by saying I try my best to be as supportive of LGBT people as possible and if they're both bisexual, then I would be 100% okay with that! I'm not trying to "defend their heterosexuality" or anything, I think that's really weird

Okay, so my personal theory is that Kaylor did happen, but that Taylor and Karlie are both straight. I know that might sound contradictory, but I say this based on my own personal experiences based on how I am with my best friend. I think Karlie and Taylor's relationship might have been similar in some ways to ours

Right, so I'm straight and I'm not into women in the gay kind of way (but it's completely cool that some girls are), and I have this roommate who's gorgeous. Really gorgeous, she's like a 10/10 "I would sell my kidney to look like you" kind of girl. She's very attractive, she has like tan skin and long legs and gorgeous brown hair and pretty eyes and nice lips and just like… she's just very good looking. I'm definitely jealous of her body, I won't even pretend I'm not 😪 I lowkey hate her because of it (jk)

We've been living together since not long before COVID started, and we're very good friends. There were three of us before, but our other roommate went back home to stay with her parents until in person classes are back on and we agreed to it and worked something out because she has really bad anxiety so we understood her reasoning for it

Anyway so it's just been us two and because we've been at home a lot during this time instead of out for most of the day like before, we've gotten to know each other a lot better and have become a lot closer. We were already friends from before, but now we're like super close besties, we've been hanging out a lot together and playing board games, watching movies, helping each other with essays, just having long conversations about anything and everything, etc

Like it's been so nice having a best friend that I can be this close to now because I haven't had a best friend since I was a kid

So my friend and I were having like a conversation last year about how hard it's been in quarantine not being able to go on dates and how we miss kissing people, and so we decided to just like, make out for fun you know. I mean, there's not really anything that's inherently romantic or sexual about making out, that's just society that says that. But tbh I think making out with your friends if you want to should be normalized, it's fun and it can even be emotional sometimes. It's not that different from hugging people

After a couple of weeks or so, I think we got bored of just making out with each other and decided to like, fully hook up. It started off because we were modelling lingerie for each other for banter and were pretending we were each other's runway judges and then I think we just decided to hook up with each other as like part of the whole "game". I can't remember who initiated it now, I think it might have been me as a joke lol

Like just in a platonic way for fun, as a kind of substitute until we can go back into society

And tbh I always expected hooking up with a woman to be like mediocre and boring and awkward, but although it was a bit hard to get the hang of at first and there was a learning curve, it's actually very enjoyable. Like I was very surprised actually at how hot it can be, I think I can maybe see why bisexual women and lesbians like doing it

Anyway we both liked it and we just carried on hooking up on the regular and it's been like 8 months now and tbh I just think it's very sweet and heartwarming, like it actually makes me feel a little emotional how we're close enough and care about each other enough that we can even help each other out with the physical intimacy side of things so that we don't get sexually frustrated while we're stuck in lockdown

I just think it's really cool and we even sleep in the same bed most of the time now because tbh what's the point in sleeping alone when you can sleep in the same bed as someone else? It's nicer, like you can cuddle and stuff

Anyway, I think that maybe Kaylor's relationship might have been similar. I think they're both straight but they became really close friends in a short space of time, and that their friendship was so intense that it became physical but in a platonic way

I think lesbians and bisexual women are amazing and I have so much respect for you guys for accepting yourselves in a society that tries to erase you, and I think there definitely needs to be more wlw representation on TV and in movies

But at the same time, I would also like there to be more close female friendships like the one that me and my friend have where you can just talk about everything together and do things that society usually reserves for romantic partners, but in a platonic way. Because female friendship is really important and beautiful, whether that's between straight women like me and my friend who I think is probably straight too, or between queer women because one thing I've learnt during my short time on this blog is how queer women can have very close platonic friendships with other queer women too

I think society just has overly strict ideas of "straight" and "gay". Like for some people, they would hear about two women sleeping together and think "Oh that's gay", but not necessarily because straight women can enjoy sleeping with other women too, like it's normal 🤷‍♀️

I think it's just a result of women being a lot more physically beautiful than men are, like straight women really got the short end of the stick tbh compared to straight men

I also think it's because women are so oversexualized in the media, and obviously straight girls see that too and so we sort of internalize that attraction to women because we're so used to seeing women being presented in a sexual way? Except it's not real attraction with us like how it is for queer girls

Like I'm very much "attracted" to my friend, she's genuinely stunning and just very hot tbh. But I still identify as straight because it's just a case of what I mentioned above, it's a "fake" attraction. And also because men are afraid to compliment other men because it's seen as "gay", but women can be fully confident in their sexuality and still recognize other women's beauty and sex appeal. You see it all the time in instagram comments, and I really love how we're all so supportive of each other like that

Like I can be fully confident in my sexuality and yet still say that some women like my friend are gorgeous as hell and also 100 times better looking than most men I've seen. I'm very much obsessed with some women's appearances but in a platonic way

And I just love the concept of "girl crushes" and I think that from a feminism viewpoint, it's beautiful that we're focusing on other girls and showing love towards other girls too, instead of just to men who, let's be real, don't even fully appreciate it half of the time

I am going to be sad when we all have to return to life as usual and my friend and I won't be able to spend as much time together anymore. I'm dreading it tbh, I don't want it to end yet. And it really sucks that the physical side of our friendship will probably have to stop too once our other roommate comes back because I think she'd definitely misunderstand the situation and think it's something different than it actually is if she ever saw us kissing or something. I really am going to miss it a lot though, I really like how things currently are and it's just really really nice and I don't want it to change :/

Btw I'm sorry if I sounded fetishistic or offensive with any of this, I just get a bit jealous sometimes that you guys get to date girls and we're just stuck with men. Honestly if it wasn't for all of the homophobia and the struggles that you all have to face and the fact that it would feel disrespectful to the LGBT community, I would probably really wish I could change my sexuality to be bisexual or gay instead because I just think women are better. Sometimes I really do wish I was into women in that way because dating girls just sounds so much more appealing to me (in a non fetishizing weird way) but unfortunately I'm stuck with dating men 🤦‍♀️ But I also know I'm lucky and privileged to be straight even though most men are mediocre and kinda gross and I don't mean to be disrespectful because I know you all have to face homophobia and other LGBT difficulties and it really sucks, people are awful. There's nothing wrong with women dating women or men dating men at all, society is just ugly and bigoted

Anyway, does anybody else have a similar sort of take on Kaylor where they think they could have both been straight and just had a very close friendship with a physical side to it? I think it would explain a lot. But like I said, this is just a theory of mine based on my own situation, and I'm also open to the idea that it was an actual relationship and that they're both into women for real, not just fake "into women" like I am.

Also pls feel free to call me out if I accidentally said anything offensive towards LGBT people, I tried my best but if I made a mistake anywhere pls let me know and I'll avoid it next time!

You’re not offensive. Please stop apologizing. And we’re gonna come back to the Kaylor stuff another time because... Honey. You and I need to have a conversation for a bit.

So firstly, I’m not trying to like “diagnose” you and at the end of the day it’s your choice what you want to call yourself but... tbh you might not be straight. Sexuality is fluid not static and exists on a spectrum not in absolutes. It’s not like it’s straight, 50/50 bi, gay and you’re born knowing and there’s no room for anything else. That’s not true. There’s a lot of room in between all of these and labels can change over time. We’re people, not cereal brands, and sometimes we don’t even KNOW the word for what we might be. I’m tagging a tag for you from when we asked people to share their label journeys for you to see. It’s not simple or easy and it’s not just because of external stuff - it’s because figuring this out internally is HARD. If you found yourself having such an intense friendship it became physical, repeatedly, you liked it a lot, you still sleep in the same bed and continue to share all your thoughts and you don’t want any of that to end... I’m not sure you’re Kinsey 0. And I think you might lowkey have a girlfriend dude. 

You can obviously prefer men but like... hun I reaaallly don’t think you’re completely straight.

Also: it’s okay to say “I see myself winding up with a man and this is a situationship for right now!” but that doesn’t make you straight because again, sexuality is a spectrum and you can manifest a particular kind of endgame while experiencing other things along the way.

But here’s where you really got me: “most men are mediocre and kinda gross” and “women being a lot more physically beautiful than men are, like straight women really got the short end of the stick tbh compared to straight men” because that’s the kind of thing I used to say in my Bi 1.0 era before I ID’d as a lesbian for a bit and before Harry Styles (KING 🥺) made me bi for real. Hun, no. Straight women like men. Tbh BI women like men. I genuinely, unironically, find Harry and Timmy and Matt Smith to be sexy beasts and I would do dirty things to the former two but maybe not the latter irl in 2021 but yes also him if I could be on that Spain trip with him and Karen where they got sloshed and which I think of often. These men are genuinely fucking beautiful to me in the same way Taylor is and Di Silvers is (okay she’s prettier than all of them but like same ~vibe) and like Megan Thee Stallion is and Indira Varma in everything but especially GOT and Gillian Anderson and Keira Knightley. Like those women are HOT to me and SO. ARE. THE. MEN. 

Straight women find SO MANY DUDES hot. So many. Starting from objectively pretty options I just cannot personally understand like Chris Evans all the way through to bitches who are outchea simping for wrestlers and Cole Sprouse. Do I understand? No. But like... that’s straight girl culture and ours is not to judge. 

If you’re struggling to find men hot then... you might be gay.

Also, I’m not sure what you mean by “fake attraction”. Like queer women - especially femme women which I assume you very much are - experience the same kinds of feelings straight girls do. We have women we want to be like and look like and find enviable (me and Oenone Forbat) and women we find aesthetically gorgeous (me and Anya Taylor Joy) and we have extremely close female friends who we can spend hours on end spilling our guts to - as you say female friendships are truly special - and without going into personal people that you don’t know, that’s me and Cam and Sim right? I literally talk to them for hours. Like those are not gay feelings. And yes we can chat about those kinds of feelings with straight girls and call them “girl crushes” and not immediately get “caught out” because they experience this exact shit too.

But here’s the thing. They never do and I don’t want in the cases above to fuck these women. It’s not sexual.

The moment I can actually imagine fucking the women in question that’s... gay. 

Like it’s not “fake attraction” it’s literally just gay. That’s how we desire women. We want to fuck them. Not all women. Not always. But sometimes we want to get under or on top of one and just really truly fucking make each other moan with pleasure.

I have no idea if Karlie or Taylor are into women. They could both literally be straight. I have no idea.

But I have a better idea about you.

Hun, you’re fucking your roommate/best friend and don’t want to stop.

You’re not “into women”.

You’re into this woman.

And possibly into women more generally.

So I know it’s weird to have to be the one to tell you this, and if you want to keep chatting via anon or in my DMs or if you want me to try collate resources for you from around the web but...

Like.

Dude.

You’re a whole ass part of the rainbow.

Welcome to the community you thought you weren’t a part of earlier today 🌈 ❤️

It’s nice here, sure there’s homophobia, but at least we get to fuck girls and man is it good.

[crystalwillow]

I’m All Yours

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Casey Valentine (F!MC)

I started a book on May 19th of this year (2020) that is full of Ethan x Casey one shots and short stories. I love Ethan’s character, and really enjoy his relationship with Casey just as much, I wish to share with the 5 part mini-series I started this book off with.

Before I post the fiction. I feel that it’s only right that I say a massive Thank You to @ethansdique again for letting me use some of her art for the cover of this book. 🥰 

Tagging: @kiteplayschoices @brycelahelalover @obsessedheehee @eleanorbloom @fuseboxmusebox @princesslahela @vibrantlyjaz @kaavyaethanramsey @queencarb @schnitzelbutterfingers @ramseysno1rookie @caseyvalentineramsey @ethanramseyswhore @whippedforethanfreakingramsey

=================================

"... Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow...... I love you too.... Goodnight babe. mwah!" Casey said softly down the phone to her soon to be husband. As she placed her phone to charge on the nightstand there was a light knock at her door, "it's open" she called out. It opened slowly and her bridesmaids filed in one by one. Jackie, Sienna, Aurora and Esme. "Hey. How are you feeling?" Sienna asked as they all sat on the bed around Casey. "Pretty nervous if I'm being honest." she replied with a shaky voice, "Hey. You've got this Valentine." Jackie encouraged as she wrapped her arm around Casey's shoulder, pulling her into a greatly appreciated tight hug. "Late night snack before bed girls?" Aurora asked, Casey sat up and looked at her "What is it?" she asked with narrowed eyes, "Gluten free pizza with all your favourite vegetables plus a sprinkling of diced chicken" Aurora answered. The girls all looked at one and other before rushing out the room and down the stairs "Casey has the best taste for pizza. the first slice is mine!" Aurora and Casey heard Esme shout out as the three other girls raced towards the kitchen. The two left behind, shared a chuckle before following them for a snack and glass of wine before bed.

--- 15 hours later---

Casey paced back and forth nervously in her room at the church waiting for word on her dress from Jackie and Esme, and the arrival of her hair and make-up artist from Aurora and Sienna. "Okay... it's okay Casey. everything will be fine there's a whole 3 hours to go. they'll be here soon, and everything will be fi--" She stops rambling to herself as her biggest fear completely takes over and she flops on the sofa bursting into tears. "Why me!?" she screams through her tears. She and Ethan had been planning this moment for the past 2 years. They had been officially dating for a year when Ethan popped the question one night in the diagnostics room, as they were staying late to finish up some reports. Now 3 years later she's "backstage" at a church for her wedding a wreck because both her dress and make-up artist are stuck in traffic. She was a hyperventilating mess by now, she'd been crying for almost 45 minutes when a knock at the door sounded, followed by a deep soothing voice that was all too familiar. "Casey?? Sweetheart, it's me. Ethan. Look... I know we're keeping things traditional because you're respecting me, but I want to respect you too. I've heard about what's going on so I uh... I'm out here in a t-shirt and jeans if you want to thr-" he's cut off by the door flying open and his soon to be wife running out into his arms and sobbing into his neck. "it's ruined! everything is ruined!" she exclaimed through her tears. "hey! shhhhh, it's alright sweetie, I'm here." he cooed softly as he rubbed soothing circles on Casey's back. Slowly he walked into the room and sat them down on the sofa as he cuddled Casey close. Slowly but surely with the small forehead kisses and whispers of sweet nothings she finely calmed down. "I'm sorry." Casey sniffled after a few moments of silence; Ethan's brow furrowed. "Sorry for what?" He asked, "This. I've messed everythi-" She started to ramble but Ethan stopped her with a finger to her lips "I don't want to hear none of that Valentine, do you understand?" he asked seriously but with the softest look on his face. She nodded. The two spent a few more minutes with each other, cuddling, laughing and sharing sweet kisses until Sienna came back. she gasped as she saw Ethan "The others are coming! quick! out... out!" She panicked urging Ethan out the room "I'll see you in a few Rookie" He smiled at Casey blowing her a kiss before leaving, mere moments before the room came to life with what felt like a million people to prepare her for the moment she had dreamt about her whole life. Marrying the love of her life. Her soulmate. Okay so he's a few years older but that doesn't matter, what matters is their love and respect for each other. The ceremony they're here for to tie them together for eternity.

--- 30 minutes to the ceremony ---

The girls are all inside their room having the finishing touches put to their outfits when there's a frantic knocking at the door. All four bridesmaids rush to answer it. on the other side you hear a frantic voice "Have you girls seen Ethan?!" you zoned out of the conversation as your phone pinged

Ethan: peep out the window :)

Casey: Why?? ...

Ethan: Just... please?

Sighing Casey set her phone down and peeped out the window, only showing her head and neck. As her eyes focused, she saw Ethan doing the same round the corner of the building and smiled wide, giggling to herself. She waved and blushed as Ethan blew her a kiss before disappearing round the corner. "Casey..." A voice sounded out behind her causing her to jump "What are you smiling at missy?" Jackie asked smugly, "oh, nothing. Just two birds who looked very much in love" Casey replied. Jackie, Aurora, Esme and Sienna all gave each other a knowing smile before turning back to Casey and wiggling their eyebrows "What? ..... What're you guys looking at me like tha- OOOOOH. no! stop! get your minds out of the gutter!" she laughed as she threw a pillow at Esme and one at Jackie. "Oi Valentine!" they shouted in unison and the world around the five of them went completely still for a moment "wow. That's the last time I'll hear that as my last name." Casey whispered with a tear coming to her eye but stopped it from falling. *ding ding ding ding ding ding* the bells started to chime signaling the beginning of the wedding. "well...." said Sienna, suppressing a smile as she looked around the room "Let's go and make you a Ramsey!" She cheered and the others joined in as Casey grabbed her bouquet and followed them out.

As Casey stood behind the closed door, the nerves really hit her, "Oh God... I'm doing this. I'm marrying Ethan Ramsey. phew" she rambled nervously "hey! It's going to be fine" Ethan's dad told her soothingly "What if I trip and fall on my face though? I already had one breakdown tod-" She started rambling again but was cut off by the bolt on the other side of the door moving. Letting out a deep breath, she looped her arm through Alan's, and they began walking down the aisle, as Casey walked down towards Ethan he looked down to wipe tears from his eyes. Soon, they were standing opposite each other and exchanging vows. Ethan cleared his throat and looked at Casey with a smile, "Rookie. That's how this whole thing started... you helped me rescue a woman in the reception area on your way to orientation when you didn't need to stop. as that year went on you infuriated me more and more with your persistence to be kind to me when I was, quite frankly, being an asshole to you. But then we... hooked up. I had shut that kind of thing out of my life for years. To be honest, I'd given up on finding "the one" who I would end up marrying. But you came along and changed everything. I... You showed me the feeling of love again that I had blocked out. I feel normal again and I want to thank God for putting you in my life because if it wasn't for you, I believe I would have become a stubborn drunk by now. Thank You for everything you've done and will continue to do. I love you" he finished up and kisses away a tear rolling down Casey's cheek. "you look beautiful" he whispered in her ear.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." the priest announced after Casey and Ethan exchanged "I do's" and rings. They leave the church to hollering and applause, with bursts of confetti coming from random people. As they reached the steps, Ethan picked Casey up "Ah! Ethan!" she giggled as he carried her to their limo that would take them to their reception and then their new house at the end of the night.

--- At the reception ---

The reception was in full swing as Ethan and Casey sat at their table watching their guests enjoy themselves. Sighing happily Casey looked up at Ethan and kissed his cheek. "I love you Mr. Ramsey" she said, he looked down at her and smiled "I love you too Mrs. Ramsey" he smiled and kissed her lips sweetly. She giggled giddily and hugged him tightly. Ethan's dad approached the table with someone in tow, making Ethan rise to his feet to stand in front of her protectively. "I found this guy outside. He said he knows Casey." Alan stated as Casey looked up and saw Landry who gave a nervous smile and wave "You weren't invited." Casey said coldly as her face turned sour, "I know but we were friends and I wa-" Landry started to explain as Casey moved past Ethan getting into his face "Exactly, WERE  friends. But you decided to try and get my license revoked and almost cost me my job, when I was doing what was right for the patient. She passed away happy! and YOU!" She said raising her voice louder and louder by the minute as she jabbed her finger into his chest and pulled her shoulder out of Ethan's comforting grip, "YOU WERE. PART. OF IT. But you left that part out to save your ass! So, no. We are no longer friends because you are a TWO FACED, BACKSTABBING, MAN-WHORE, WHO NEEDS TO LEAVE MY RECEPTION AND GET OUT OF THIS BUILDING RIGHT NOW. GO!" she shouted as she pointed to the door. "I- okay" Landry said as he turned to leave. Ethan pulled Casey close to his chest, pressing a kiss to her head, "Get rid of him dad. Please, for Casey's sake." He told his father who obliged and escorted Landry out. "Hey. it's okay" Ethan cooed to Casey sweetly as he hugged her tightly as Jackie and everyone else came running over to support her "are you okay Case?" Elijah asked, "I brought you Champagne" Sienna said as she held out the flute to her best friend. Casey took it with a smile and a small "thank you" as she took a sip. "I think we should go dance. All of us. We've come so far together. Aaaaand, I wanna have fun tonight" She smiled as she placed the flute on the table next to Ethan's beer. "Macarena circle?" Bryce suggested, his eyes glistening with mischief "WOOOOO!" everyone cheered and rushed to the dance floor as Bryce went and asked for the song before joining the circle. Together they danced and laughed the night away. Before they knew it, Ethan and Casey were pulling up to their new home they would share for the rest of their lives. "Casey.... honey..." Ethan whispered as he gently woke his new wife up "Hm?" Casey hummed as she sat up looking confused "We're home" Ethan said softly, and Casey responded with a smile. After he had stepped out, Ethan held out his hand to help Casey out of the limo and together they stepped into their new home ready to start the next chapter of their lives together. 

[thesagedahlia]

💦Rihanna + ASAP Rocky💦

Now...when the rumors came out....did EYE think Rihanna & ASAP Rocky are dating? Of course not. For two reasons; Rihanna (aside from the fact that she's in her bag & is not worried about no niggas rn) is not interested in playing games with 'boys', & ASAP Rocky (aside from the fact that he is a freakity freak), is not is STILL not in a place where he wants to really settle down. Mind you, per my personal opinion, this is where I feel these individuals are at in their lives/careers rn. Not to say that they aren't friends or what have you, but those two feelings alone made me say "pffft, Rih is not dating no damn ASAP. That's her homie." But you know, I had to come through & see if I was gonna debunk some things, & no sooner was I in disbelief about what I've read. Some things I expected, others I was a little surprised & sipped my tea. To put it plainly, it was an interesting read, & I respect their relationship, even with the hurt....lemme not spoil it.

**DISCLAIMER**

I am not declaring, nor am I insinuating, that anything I say in my predictions are true accounts of any of the parties involved. This reading is for entertainment purposes only, & should only taken as such. All in good fun, folks 🤷🏾‍♀️🧿

💦Energy surrounding the relationship?💦

It doesn't feel like much emotional connection is there & I feel like Rihanna has made up her mind when it comes to ASAP. Rihanna can see the type of game he plays with women even though there is a connection between them. She feels the Union will lead to destruction, & dealing with ASAP is not a smart conscious move on her part, I see him dealing with other women & secrets, & Rihanna would rather pass on that; she feels failure is the inevitable outcome of be really dated. I feel ASAP has expressed his passions & he has already tried his hand at her, but it feels less recent, like when they first became friends. It never happened then because he wasn't stable or the type to be stable within a relationship, same rules apply here. They even separated because there was conflicting factors about him & his dating life that she didn't care for or trust. I'm actually getting the impression that they DID try at one point, privately, but ASAP was messing with other hose & I feel it put a strain on their friendship, where I think they weren't speaking for some time. It's also an energy of being better off friends & not revisiting such a circumstance. I feel like dealing with him was a hindrance on her intuition & growth, & something that really took a toll on her emotionally. With that being said, that isn't to say that they never hook up from time to time, however their relationship doesn't feel very active right now.

💦Rihanna's feelings toward ASAP?💦

She feels ASAP, in a way, create situations of confusion for a woman, that just causes trouble in the end. He hangs with the type of crowd that wouldn't promote a faithful attitude, & his lifestyle include groupies. I feel like they have come to a peaceful resolution after having dealt with each other before, & they have actually been estranged from one another for some time. She is well aware that he is not in a stable place emotionally, so she knows better not to deal with him on that level. She has been very vocal that she would rather remain friends, to avoid ruining their connection any further. The stability within their friendship really took a hit, & it was actually something that made her mad or pissed off. I don't think the situation is properly confronted or addressed, but it feels like trying to be socially & publicly cordial, without opening up a can of worms. I don't think she ever got clarity from him & she would rather not take it there; the lack of accountability turns her off as well.

💦ASAP's feelings toward Rihanna?💦

So, ASAP seem to have a fear of committing to her, which caused him to have act out in a deceptive way ( i.e. infidelity). His unwillingness to be honest & need for control over relationship is what was his downfall & a woman like Rihanna is intimidating to him. It feels as if he wants to heal the situation with her, regarding whatever happened between them. I feel him wanting to come clean & be honest about the past, but I feel hesitation. He feels as though their friendship is strained, & he feels he suffers for his past mistakes with her. I feel a lot of hesitation when it comes as little as taking accountability. I also feel it is what it is, & that it is just an imbalance/incompatibility. I feel he will only continue to be to defensive & has yet to allow himself to take responsibility.

💦Are they dating/will they ever date?💦

Short answer; no & no. Like I said before, there was already a trial-and-error in the past, & Rihanna isn't going to waste her time again. Financially, she doesn't feel like it is a good move to try & deal with such a distraction to her. The friendship is there, whenever someone wants to reach out, but they seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. They were a very passionate pair, but ASAP has a 'dangerous sex drive' that can get him in some trouble with his relationships, Rihanna is hip to this. She doesn't know about things be from before, but she knows that he was 'being a thot', for lack of a better term. She wouldn't let it happen either, however, if she is clear about the past discretions. She's waiting on that clarity because she feels lied to, before she'd ever take ASAP serious again.

💦BONUS QUESTION💦

💦Are ASAP & Rih 'friends with benefits'?💦

I don't think they are as much, but they definitely used to be. But I feel like it wasn't conducive for Rihanna because she would be the only one feeling a way afterward, whereas ASAP definitely wasn't too bothered. Rihanna is aware of ASAP 'lifestyle' & she isn't going to get a stable situation with him I feel like it would be times where it happens & it isn't planned, like afterparties, etc, but it doesn't lead to anything for the long term. I don't think Rihanna feels it's in her best interest to allow it.

Long Live ASAP Rih 🖤

[nikkifilm]

Maynila Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag (1975) & Insiang (1976), dir. Lino Brocka

Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag had a small cast, yet it was effective enough to be able to portray what the director wanted to show the audience. For the most part of it, I find myself being drawn to the movie which is definitely a good thing, by the way, but in all honesty, I don't like how the turn of events follow throughout the film. I didn't like what was happening in the movie, but it doesn't necessarily mean that I don't like the movie itself; there's a thin grey line there. I do get the point that the plot of the film isn't exactly rainbows and sunshines, but it was all so heavy to take in. Although yes, that is the point, and maybe it says about how harsh life can be when set foot to the city of Manila where you think it's where you'll become successful yet only a start of something that could change your life forever. I happen to always put myself in the characters' shoes in every film, whether it may be something I have experienced myself or not. It's a way for me to be able to comprehend and fully understand what the characters are going through and how they deal with it. I'd say one is a good movie when it makes me feel something. Since I was able to empathize with the characters in this movie despite the differences in the generation, experience, and status in life, I was still able to feel for them, and that I think is what makes it a good movie for me.

The same can be said on the other Lino Brocka film, Insiang. The characters in the film aren't a lot too, yet it effectively shown what its message is. I adore how the characters are all unique in their own way and have their respective personalities. They all have their own voice in the movie, regardless if their character is likeable or not. To some extent, you are able to see some gradual character developments in the film despite the setting being the same places over and over again. Especially with the main character, Insiang. You'd see how she's very passive and innocent-like. It's as if despite all the things that had happened to her, she still doesn't try to fight back. She attempts to get help from the people she trust but to no avail. I've been waiting that if not any of the people in the film can help her, maybe she'd help herself by finally fighting back and standing up for herself. What we did see though is her doing things unexpected of her, like how she starts to seduce and give in to Dado when she was harassed by him without being scared of what her mother nor her boyfriend would react about it. It then turn out to be Insiang using Dado as a way to get revenge on her boyfriend and her using her mother's anger towards Dado's betrayal in order to drive her to murder Dado as a way to get revenge on both him and her mother.

With regards to the style or visual of Maynila, the setting really do depict the contrast between rural and urban areas. The setting has this realistic vibe that builds up to the scenes and blends well with its entire plot. This adds up to the realistic approach the film wants to put. Also considering the time this was made, the cinematography is well put out. I'm quite impressed how they've managed to pull of some of the shots. With the era this has been made where there are little to no resources with regards to visual or special effects, the film has successfully achieved a visually pleasing masterpiece. The shots are done raw and all so naturally which is just right for the entirety of the film. In terms of the narrative, it's immensely focused on the character of Julio, how we can see his development that would later turn into his transformation into a violent person. I love this way or storytelling because you, as a viewer, would feel more connected to the film and get invested to the character that would have a greater impact. In this way, not only do you get emotionally invested, it makes you want to watch the film as you get hooked waiting for what would happen next. As I watched the film, I was able to see that and also feel empathy for the main character. It's something that rarely occurs to a film that you may not be familiar with or a big fan of or something that doesn't really sparks your interest, and that says a lot about how this film was able to go beyond what you are expecting and makes you root for the character and as well as the entire plot. 

For Insiang, however, the style and visual wise, it had shown the rawness of the lifestyle within a small town that is typical of the Philippine setting. The way they captured this goes the same with Maynila, and that's one of the little factors that makes you think that they are both made by a single director. It's pretty much similar to Maynila in a way that it depicts the way of life in a certain community and a certain household. You could also see some similarities with the actors and actresses in both films. What I was able to notice too is how the setting they utilize in the film are always fixed that you don't just see the places once or twice, it's pretty much shot within a particular area that is noticeable. There's nothing bad with that, though. It's in fact fascinating how they repeat the settings without it feeling dull and tiring. There's always something new or different within the setting that is constant throughout the film that enables you to observe how some of the characters progress or change and indicates how the story develops.

What I have observed from the film languages are how they have utilized the different angles in certain scenes that depict how a person is low down the slums or high above anyone else. It also indicates how something is important or when something is about to happen. There's nothing much to point out with regards to it, but the fact that they have used this as a means to tell something to audience is really prominent and I love how it speaks directly to the audience. You know when someone is connected or disconnected to a person. You also know when someone is trustworthy or sketchy. There have been a lot of this that plays around with the viewer's perspective. Nonetheless, it had been effective at delivering a message and telling a story behind it.

Applying the context of the Auteur Theory in both films from Lino Brocka, you'd see the similarities between the two in general. With Maynila, you see how it's a story about a man from province grew from innocent to violent because of anger and vengeance. Same goes to Insiang, you'd see how a simple girl from the slums of Manila grew from silent and passive to vengeful and passive-aggressive. Both of the main characters in the films have this common ground and goal. Same with how their character was developed into something they didn't use to be. What can be said from these similarities are how the director wants to send a message. Perhaps it had something to do with the repression. It can be seen in Maynila that the one who held Julio's girlfriend, Ligaya captive in the urban city is actually a Chinese. That subtly indicated that at that period there have been already a quarrel between the Philippines and China. As for Insiang, it is seen how the people she's close to or hold on to for help don't actually care for her and are not sincere. They all have their selfish minds and cruelty on Insiang which is why she turned on them. Perhaps it also tells something about repression, maybe something about how we have been colonized only to be used and abused. 

The two films, besides having major similarities, have an identity that makes you think that it is a Lino Brocka film. By watching them, there's that unspoken truth that lies between the films that it is something made by this particular director. It reflects how he has these ideals and perspective in the Philippine context. Perhaps it's also safe to assume that he is driven or motivated to direct said films because of an underlying issue or problem that the country is facing.

Maynila tackled the social issue with regards to the twisted side of Manila, and how people from provinces are blinded by it. It shows their naivety, how they think highly of those who reside in Maynila. Although to some extent, I find it becoming extremely cliché, it's still the reality we have that's still happening up to this date; it probably have gotten worse throughout the ages. However, they don't only show the bad side of Maynila. They have also shown that despite the wrong people they've trusted and encountered along the way, there will always be people who are genuinely kind and concerned. It's a balance of the good and the bad side of Maynila, although the bad side of it is dominant; and as someone who grew up in Metro Manila, I do agree with it to a certain point. There are also scenes that show the side of the LGBT Community back in this era, that they are more objectified and stereotyped that aren't a good reflection of how they identify with compared to this day. They are seen more of a threat to the society and are only seen as people who are obsessed with men and sex, who would also do everything to make money out of prostitution and in exchange, pursue them.

On the other hand, Insiang had tackled more on the abusive side of Manila or the country in general, especially during those times. How particular women are always objectified and abused. These can be observed with the first few parts of the film, how the women in the film are abused or harassed and there is little to none justice to it besides personal vengeance from family members or friends. It's as if it's a norm and not considered as a crime or a sort of abuse compared to how sensitive a topic it is to this date. Rape culture in the country have also been tackled in this film, and it is alarming how back then, there weren't much protection for women and how lacking the generation was with its awareness towards rape. It also signifies how victims aren't heard but are often judged, and when it comes to asking for help, there are little to none that you can reach out to or would actually offer to help you with it. That being said, it had also talked about the toxic masculinity especially back then where men were in power compared to women and that they "own" the women they "love". Another is how in every conflict, it must be resolved through violence where in not only it is toxic but also unnecessary as not everything has to end up with that. It had also tackled the judgmental society, how every action that you make, regardless of what intentions you have or if it really is a fact, people will always talk about you the way they choose and want to see it. People create their own truth, and although this film didn't entirely focus on that, the fact that it is there speaks about the society we have back then and up to this date. Lastly, it also tackled about the toxicity within family members, that despite their abusive traits, you must stay with them because they are "blood". This is shown through Insiang's mother, how she talks down to Insiang and see her more as a maid than her daughter, ordering her around every time.

Maynila had a lot of scenes I personally didn't like, but doesn't necessarily affect the quality of the film. One of the things that I only find unnecessary in the movie were certain events like two of Julio's friends dying throughout the film, Perla's home burnt down, Julio being robbed by a cop, him encountering gay prostitutes, and so on. I find them completely absurd and irrelevant to the main plot of the film which mainly revolved (or at least what it implied) within Julio's job and the whereabouts of his significant other, Ligaya. I kept having questions as to what happened and how it led there, but these events are constantly happening in between the film which to some extent infuriates me until I get tired or bored of it. It made me grew frustrated, probably because they kept teasing like how they showed that one Chinese place Julio thinks Ligaya is in yet gets no leads or progress from it besides when he sees the lady that brought Ligaya in Maynila. Maybe it would've been much better if they put out some of those unnecessary scenes that I might as well call “fillers”. But I do get it though, it adds up to what I was talking about when they were trying to also show the bad side of Maynila. I also didn't like how they portrayed the LGBT Community but I do understand that it's different back then compared to today. But there is certainly no denying that I didn't like how that turned out to be.

Same with Insiang, there are also a number of scenes that I didn't like, and those are the aforementioned social issues that have been tackled in the film. One of those that I have mentioned that I particularly didn't like was the way they have shown how badly treated Insiang was, particularly women. I didn't like how the other women Insiang trusted turned back on her, especially her mother. Women are supposed to help each other against the repression against abusive men, but that wasn't shown in this. Although what substituted to that was how they shown Insiang develop into a vengeful woman and indirectly ruined their lives which is what I liked about it. It was powerful, they way she took revenge on the people who have hurt her. You would expect that she'd turn on them typically by forming an alliance or taking them down violently or anything that anyone would expect to happen. This one took a different perspective on vengeance, how she was able to take down the people who had hurt her without getting in trouble nor getting her hands dirty. It was something logical and psychological, and that's something I didn't expect from a film that's dated a few decades ago.

I find Maynila great despite of how a lot of things change in our society, views, and culture. Simply by looking at how things were way cheaper back then compared to now is already a big factor of change, which is why it's somehow challenging to be able to review a film from a different generation objectively especially since there had been drastic changes in the field of cinema as well. Nonetheless, it's fascinating how the movie can still speak to you and how there are things that haven't changed — like how some issues tackled in the film can still be seen nowadays, and it's alarming. It serves as an eye-opener to each and everyone of us, no matter where you came from. Whether you were born in Metro Manila, raised in the province, or vice versa, you will be able to feel for this film. It's how great its impact is, especially to the Filipino.

As for Insiang, it wasn't something I was expecting from the beginning to the end. It's very unpredictable and at the same time a great film. It's way ahead of its time, and it's also something that speaks to the audience, especially with the underlying messages and social issues that it has. Regardless of what period you are in, it's safe to assume that the issues that it tackles will always be relevant in the society you live in. It makes you think how these things are already occurring back then yet is still happening today. Although it's alarming, this film had managed to be able to send that message off to its viewers and that alone is something commendable for a film and a director. You'd see how Lino Brocka really has that deep kind if mindset towards these things and it does help you too, as an audience to become more wary of the society and the issues we are facing, regardless if you are directly affected by it or not.

There's nothing much recommend really, but I wished there were parts that they changed or didn't do, especially when it has little to nothing to do with the plot or storyline. But the main reason too as to why there's nothing much to recommend is because of how these films are made during its time, where all the values, ideals, culture, and mindset were different comapred to how it's shaped to this date. All in all, both films directed by Lino Brocka are something that each one of us need to watch. It may not be suitable for everyone, yes, but you know that the message behind every film he makes have something to tell you that a certain problem in the country is happening at this point and we have to do something about it. It's a food for thought that films like these are a medium used to communicate to people and spread awareness on the coexisting problems we face or people face on a daily basis. In conclusion, not only does Lino Brocka have a mindset that's beyond his time, he also sees to it that the films are something that will speak to the general audience despite the differences in perspective and experience.