#swimming is one of my favorite activities and i barely ever get to do it because my city is a hellscape with no public pool

[americano-psycho]

Had a real peasantpilled moment at work today. Backstory is, my current worksite is in the laundry room in this fancy hotel. I was ironing sheets and folding pillowcases all day. The iron was this big conveyor belt thing that ironed and folded the sheets. The iron was 210°f. The current weather outside is 90°f. All in all, I was extremely hot the entire time.

Anyway, one of the housekeepers comes down and tells us to prepare a ton of towels because she just saw like, 8 children go into the pool.

I'm standing there, sweating bad enough that the waistband to my pants is damp, my feet are aching because I wore the wrong kind of shoes for the job and they have no anti-fatigue mats, trying to drink enough water to replace all that I'm sweating out, and it really brought me to serfdom, guys(gn.)

[fawnandshadows]

How You Get The Girl

Chapter 25

AO3 ~ Masterlist

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: Language

“You look good like this.” Elain commented, her eyes raking up and down Azriel’s muscled stomach. His brown skin was stretched tautly over his abs, and her eyes followed the little beads of sweat and water dripping down his torso, over the dark tattoos and met Azriel’s amused eyes. 

“I’m not sure,” Azriel said, setting their towels down in one of the Adirondack chairs by the dock on the lake, right next to the one Elain was sprawled out in. “But I think I’m being objectified.” His black hair was pushed back and his warm, sun-drenched body caused Elain’s toes to curl as he approached her. 

He turned to her with a smirk on his kiss-swollen lips. 

Elain grinned at him and said, “It’s that what girlfriends do?” 

“I thought my girlfriend wanted to go for a swim. Together.” 

“She does,” Elain nodded in confirmation, bringing a hand up to block the sun shining down on them. “But maybe it was because I wanted to see your abs wet. Did you ever think of that?” 

Azriel grinned broadly, showing off his dimples and flashing his white teeth. Elain was amazed by how often Azriel smiled when it was just the two of them, his smile was a little secret weapon that he hid from the rest of the world.

As soon as they came back from the store Elain made them lunch. Nothing fancy, but she picked up some stuff for turkey sandwiches while Azriel purchased their condoms…even though they didn’t pass anyone else in the small grocery store, Elain’s stomach churned at the thought of them buying something so personal together, not that she didn’t want to, but anxiety kept whispering to her that it’d somehow get spread over the internet that she and her boyfriend were buying condoms in bulk. 

Her face got heated when she thought about just how many times she and Azriel had sex the night before, and Elain was determined to make sure they engaged in non-sexual-girlfriend-boyfriend activities. She was determined to make lunch for her boyfriend. And then she was determined that they would go for a swim in the lake — one of her favorite pastimes that she was desperate to share with her boyfriend. 

It was something that she never had the luxury of doing before. Sharing the mundane with someone she loved. With a boyfriend.

“If you think,” Azriel started slowly, taking another step towards her. “That this is going to make me less horny, then you will be disappointed.” He cocked his head as he gazed at her.

His hazel eyes took in her pink-bikini clad body. Enjoying the curve of her hips and the heaviness of her breasts and the glistening sweat that coated her skin.

“That’s not what I was thinking,” Elain said, clearing her throat. “But we aren’t animals,” Azriel took another step towards her and leaned down to place his hot hands on her hips. “And we aren’t slaves to our bodies either. We are capable of doing non-horny activities, like swimming.” 

Her heart sputtered in her chest as Azriel squeezed her hips. His calloused skin sending her heart into overdrive.  

The hot weather and bright sun had already caused her skin to heat, but Azriel’s hands were scorching on her bare skin. 

“Are we?” He whispered into her ear, his fingers toying with the hot pink string keeping her bottoms on. 

“I think so.” Elain replied, moving her head to the side as Azriel’s lips landed on her neck. 

“I’m not opposed to outdoor sex,” Azriel said against her neck. The soft brush of his lips caused her breath to shake. “I’d love to see your naked body in broad daylight. How your breasts move as we fuck and the exact shade of pink your nipples are. How stretched you get around my cock.” 

“Fuck.” Elain breathed, not stopping Azriel as his fingers started to pull at the string on her hip. 

A buzzing erupted from the phone in her hand. A text. 

An irritated growl scratched at Azriel’s throat. 

“Don’t make little puppy noises at me.” Elain said, kissing his warm cheek. 

“Maybe we institute a no phone policy.” 

“Good luck with that.” Elain replied, they both knew Azriel had to stay online in case Rhysand had to get in touch with him. And Elain didn’t want to close herself off from her sisters. 

“Oh,” Elain said, looking at the message on her phone from Aelin. “It’s from my Cartier shoot. The photos are ready.” 

Azriel tensed beside her. 

“How’d they turn out?” Azriel asked, his voice calm and even. 

“We don’t have to look at them now.” Elain offered peering up at her boyfriend. 

“Whatever you want, Elain,” Azriel said, his eyes soft as they looked at her. “It’s not your fault you had to take pictures with that prick.” 

Elain felt her cheeks flush. 

“Is it wrong to think it’s attractive when you’re jealous?”  

Azriel tucked a piece of her golden hair behind her ear. 

“Do I like that he got to put his hands on you? No, but I’m the one you’re with and I’m the one who made you come over and over last night. I’m not going to like these pictures, but I’m not going to lose my head either.” 

“Maybe you could lose your head just a bit?” Elain asked, blushing brightly as she looked at him as she held her forefinger and thumb close together. “I like it when you take control.” Her voice was low and hesitant, but she wanted her boyfriend to know what she liked when it came to sex. She wanted to be open with him. Honest.

“And how would you like for me to lose my head, Elain?” Azriel asked, his eyes darkened with lust. 

“You could,” She paused for a second to collect her thoughts. “After our swim,” She swallowed. “We could lay down our towels and you could fuck me? Here in the open?” They didn’t have any neighbors for miles, and nobody ever broached this part of the lake, so they didn’t have to worry about getting caught. “And you can talk.” 

“Talk?” Azriel asked in a thick voice, and Elain nodded slowly as he gazed at her through heavy eyelids. 

“Yeah, I like it when you talk dirty to me.” 

Azriel’s eyes shut as lust flicked over his features as he said, “Fuck,” He took a deep breath. “Let’s see the photos, babe.” 

Elain nodded and clicked on the link in the message. 

She trusted Aelin, and knew that the photos would be stunning, but she also knew that the photos would start rumors. Rumors that she didn’t want to deal with. 

The dress she wore in the shoot was a champagne color, made completely of silk, and it clung to her body in a way that made her look naked. Her clothes stayed the same, but Fenrys started out in a full suit and progressively wore less and less clothes until he was down to nothing but his trousers. 

They were incredibly tasteful. And elegant. But Fenrys and Aelin were good at their jobs and somehow the pictures held a chemistry that Elain didn’t feel at the time. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Elain.” Azriel said, his voice heavy with emotion. 

Elain blinked and looked up at him. 

He didn’t look jealous at all. In fact, his face was pretty neutral all things considered, and there was a smidge of awe in his expression. 

“So are you,” Elain said softly, placing a kiss on his bicep. Azriel’s eyes flickered up to meet hers. “And just so you know, I prefer the pictures you take.” 

Azriel smiled tightly at her words. 

“Is it bad I want to fuck you while you wear nothing but jewelry?” 

Elain threw her head back in laughter. 

“No,” She shook her head. “That’s not bad at all. Actually, I can fulfill that fantasy as soon as we’re home.” 

She turned her phone off, tossed it on the nearby towels, and stood up. 

“Something to look forward to.” Azriel said, pivoting as he watched her move. 

“There is one fantasy we can fulfill now.” Elain said primly, her hands clasped behind her back as she stood by the edge of the deck. 

“Is that so?” Azriel asked, grinning with an arched brow, slowly stepping towards her. Prowling like a panther. 

Elain made a small noise and nodded, placing her hands on his pecs and slowly walked around him. Her palms flat on his warm skin and reveled in the way his heart beating in his chest. 

She smiled up at him as she pushed him backwards into the lake, his laughter ringing out as she jumped in after him. 

The water was colder than she expected as it doused her overheated skin and swelled around her. 

Her feet propelling her up to the surface as Azriel reached for her under the water, his fingers skimming the softness of her belly. 

His loud laugh followed Elain as she breached the water. 

She looked at Azriel through squinted eyes, blinking away water droplets from her lashes. 

Elain placed her wet hands on his broad shoulders, not bothering to hide the broad smile on her lips. 

Large hands grasped her hips and calloused fingertips dug into her skin. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Azriel teased, his black hair pushed off of his forehead and the bright sunlight lit up the rivulets cascading down his muscled form. 

Her legs wrapped around his trim hips as she scurried up his body. 

“Trying to dunk you,” Elain grunted, pushing down on his shoulders, but the wall of muscles wouldn’t budge, so she scooted up again until her fingers tangled into his wet locks. “Why is your core strength this good?” 

Azriel laughed before pulling Elain down into the water with him. The sound of splashing water and laughter bounced off of the trees that canopied them.

------

AN: A little fluffiness before this pic wraps up :( . There's one more chapter that I'm putting the finishing touches on and then I'm working on an epilogue to make sure everything is wrapped up nicely!! I can't believe how soon this fit is coming to an end, I really loved this this AU and this world so much and I'm sad to see it come to an end :(.

tagging: @123moiaussi @fuckmelifesucks @thefangirlofhp @sakurakittypeach @nikethestatue @tswaney17 @impossiblescissorspeachpaper @feyredarlinq @duskwhisperer @nyxreads @rinadragomir @secretpuppyflower @captainbrucebanner @ultadverb @irisesforelain @shedoessoshedoes  @magnolia-blossom87 @sheenabeene @nivem565  @casuallivi @rhysiedarling @elain99-blog @athena-85 @swankii-art-teacher @reverie-tales @jujugirlfrombookstore @shadowflorecita @shy-violet-soul @thisloveseternal

[anangelwhodidntfall]

First of love the 'Mermaid in the sea, Angel on the beach' loved it 👏👏👏

Can request a sequel when on it where Reader reunites with an old friend(who is a mermaid) and obviously spend a lot of time together

So Eric and Ariel naturally get jealous and when Reader gets back from the sea they drag Reader to the room and cuddle 🙏

Thank you in advance ❤❤❤

A/N: Thank you so much for saying that ❤❤❤, Also in my mind, the reader is based on Aquamarine, from the movie Aquamarine. 

Mermaid in the Water, Angel on the Beach II

Ever since you were free to go back into the water without your secret being revealed or scaring off your lovers, you were in there constantly and even reunited with some of your old friends which made you so happy and your lovers were happy for you too until one of your friends started to take up all your time. 

"Where's y/n?" Ariel asked walking into the dining room and only seeing Eric there.

"Where do you think? She barely had anything to eat this morning before she was rushing off to the ocean to go spend time with them." He said bitterly eating his food. 

"Oh my Eric, I'm sure the excitement will wear off anytime now. She was trapped on land for almost 20 years, I'm sure she's just getting back to being in the ocean again." Ariel said squeezing his hand. 

"At least you are still here." He said placing a kiss on her lips as they ate breakfast. 

You were having fun with your friend until you thought about how much you missed Ariel and Eric and how you wished they could be out here with you. After telling your friend how you were feeling they encouraged to you to go home and spend time with your lovers. 

You swam to shore and walked over to the little shed that Eric built for you to store your clothes and towels for when you went swimming and got dried off and got dressed. After getting dressed you made your way up to the castle in search of your lovers, and feeling confused when you couldn't find them.

"Grimsby, do you know where Eric and Ariel are?" You asked him. 

"Ahh yes, I do believe they mentioned something about going to the market since you were gone." He said. 

You thanked him and headed to the shore with a sad smile, maybe you had been spending too much time in the water lately, you just had missed it so much. You were sitting there with small tears running down your face wondering if you had possibly screwed up the best thing to happen to you when you felt two arms wrap around you.

"My love, why are you crying?" Eric asked you. 

"I just feel like a terrible lover right now." You said quietly as him and Ariel shared a look.

"Why do you feel like that? What's going on y/n?" Ariel asked you. 

"It's just that I was missing you guys today so I came back to shore in hopes to spend some time with you guys only you were there and Grimsby said that you two had been going off doing stuff together since I am always in the ocean. I never meant to make you guys feel less important, I just missed it and my friends, it was nice to be back there without worrying I be caught. I'm sorry you guys." You said as more tears fell down your face. 

Ariel and Eric both felt bad now for even thinking that you weren't thinking about them while you were out with your friends. 

"No y/n we should apologize for extending the offer to you, to come to join us. We just thought you were enjoying your new freedom and that you wouldn't want to join us for the land activities. We're sorry y/n, we never meant to make you feel this way." They both said placing a kiss on your cheeks.  

"It's alright guys, I just missed you is all." You said to them.

"We missed you too y/n, so come on let's go cuddle." Ariel said pulling off of the ground as Eric grabbed your other hand. 

You three made your way up to your room where you were laid between the two of them talking about everything and anything and sharing some kisses here and there. Grimsby wanting to see if his favorite couple was finally together again, peeked in the room and smiled when he saw you three sound asleep together. 

[jcs-singular-slut-strand]

7. hair-ties or scrunchies?

8. how many water bottles are in your room right now? i have four!

9. which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

11. favorite extracurricular activity? (is it ballet? i dont think it is)

21. something you’ve kept since childhood?

26.a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

43. what’s your take on spicy foods?

44. you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

46. favorite holiday film?

see, i even sent you the questions because i'm cool like that <3<3

have fun!

7) hair bobbles or scrunchies?

Well I have about a million hair bobbles just lying about my room and I usually have at least one on my wrist so I'll say hair bobbles. I don't really I have enough hair to use a scrunchie, it doesn't reach my shoulders

8) how many water bottles are in your room right now?

There are two, one that I barely ever use except at like 3 am when I wake up really thirsty, and the other is the one I use all the time. My original version of this bottle got lost/stolen in 2022 so I literally begged my dad to get me an exact replica off of amazon and I love it very much

9) hot or cold coffee?

Iced vanilla latte 🫶🫶 and then I add extra vanilla sugar because if my county is gonna be the "sick man of Europe" then I can at least benefit from it

11) fave extracurricular activity?

My fave is not ballet although it is something that I do. I recently dropped one of my classes (the one on Wednesdays) so now I'm only doing it once a week on Saturday. My favourite is deffinetly swimming though, I don't go as often as I would like but it's nearing summer which means potential sea swimming. Last summer (if you can call it that) me and my friend went to North Berwick and swam in the sea there. Fucking freezing, we came out bright red.

21) Something you've kept since childhood?

A stuffed animal which is a rabbit. She's called Floppy and I got her when I was 6. She has a Jonas brothers t shirt on right now, it serves

26) a scenario that you've replayed multiple times?

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn't an only child, or what would've happened if I had picked the other school over the one I did choose. I'm also constantly replaying the funny things my friends and parents say in my head, I write them all down out of context in samsung notes, I really like it

43) take on spicy foods?

I think they taste great, amazing even. However, this is Scotland. I CANNOT handle spice on any level. The local Indian restaurant recognise my family and tell us it's great to have us back every time, but they also know that I'm gonna be ordering butter chicken. It's banging though

44) free pass to kill one person. Who?

Omg one person?? That's actually really hard I didn't realise how many people I actually kinda despise... probably this girl who ruined my life 2-3 years ago and who now pretends that it's all good cause we're older now and it was just something that happened when we were silly and immature. Like babe no you were absolutely horrible to me. I mean I wasn't great either and did deserve to be held accountable for my actions but that was TOO FAR

46) favourite holiday film?

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!!!!!!!!! That counts as an Easter film. Not religious but I am a very big fan

[luizazemi]

I closed my eyes and I saw everything 3/???

A huge thanks for following the idle adventures of our favorite Na'vi teenagers in my Avatar : The Way of Water fic! Also know that the amount of ship I see in the tags make me really happy. Here is more.

Including mangrove roots, a bead, and a bonding moment.

[Title after this song]

For a moment, the young Omaticaya was almost back in the high camp. Neteyam didn’t know how long he had lay there, lost in his flow of memories, but the Metkayina blue sky had turned into the wood-bark dusk. The village was now buzzing, getting ready for the evening – sharing the goods gathered in the reef or the jungle, reuniting with the family members spread through the island and the inlet during the day, telling each other what the day had been made of. 

All the activities seemed so trivial to Neteyam. Didn’t they have anything more important to do? The Omaticaya had explored forests, discovered mountains, fought and overcome the Sky People. Why, of all the clans Pandora hosted, did his father choose such an uneventful place? Were the Sullys so weak that they should conceal themselves in the reaches of the world?

Neteyam clicked his tongue. The feeling was so familiar, and yet so frustrating. But he would comply. As he always did.

With a stretch, he went out of the marui. The salt in the air and on his skin tickled his senses. The distant crash of the waves along the atolls had cradled him to sleep. In a way, he was thankful for that. This everlasting lullaby was way more comforting than the rustling of the rainforest.

“I have been looking for you.”

He barely had the time to properly greet Aonung. The Mektayina threw something at him. Startled, Neteyam thanked his parents for sharpening his senses. He grasped the token effortlessly, and, between his thumb and his index, observed it in the setting sun.

“A bead?” he said, blankly.

“Well, a bet’s a bet,” Aonung argued. “Though you kind of let me win this round. We’re even now.”

Somehow, being even with Aonung had a nice ring to it. Neteyam gazed at the bead with open curiosity. The gem sure was small, and yet so neatly polished, so perfectly round. When he compared it to the beads in his hair, Neteyam could feel the objects shared but only the same name. For the simple beauty of the bead was far greater than any accessory the Omaticayas had ever come up with.

“Where do you find them?”

“Some mollusks hold them.”

“Inside their bodies? Like eggs?”

“Sort of.”

“But they’re no eggs.”

“You bet they’re not! I wouldn’t have offered you an egg.”

Neteyam laughed.

“I would’ve had to keep it.”

Then he added, playfully:

“A bet’s a bet.”

Aonung sighed, but laughed in turn.

“Next time, you’ll be the one fetching me a bead.”

“Well, you’d better teach me where I can find them first. Or you might as well wait for the ikran to bend!”

Neteyam regretted the analogy even before Aonung had frowned. He looked back at the sea as if the great stretch of water could be of any help. But it clearly didn’t know what an ikran was either.

“Ikran are the flying beats we arrived on. And they are a bit temperamental.”

“More or less than a tsurak?”

The picture of the long, many-razor-toothed mouth gliding menace froze Neteyam. Why did Eywa allow a creature so inappropriate, and yet so threatening to swim in the peaceful Pandoran sea?

His face must have sold the boy out, because Aonung burst into laughter.

“Well, mount an ilu first, we’ll see for your temperamental rides later.”

That being said, he took Neteyam by the shoulder, and led him towards the centre of the village.

“We have other plans for tonight, anyway.”

“More surprises?”

He had secured the bead in the palm of his hand, not knowing how to attach it to his braid. He should ask later, preferably to someone else than the giver. He didn't want to give Aonung another reason to witness how awkward he was.

“No,” Aonung mused. “Or maybe you will. I don’t know what will be said, and since you’re so easily moved, maybe some of it will surprise you.”

They climbed on an upper root, leading towards the gathering place like a bridge to society. Beneath them, txampaysye swam idly, as if a part of that communal ceremony as well. Aonung smiled:

“Two beads that you’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Three beads that it does not surprise me more than the tsurak mounting.”

Aonung elbowed him. Neteyam nudged him back.

“I still do not know where the beads lie.”

“Well, that’s entirely on you.”

“Four beads that you show me where I can find them.”

“Five that you beg me to.”

Neteyam gave him a half shocked, half mused look.

“Warriors don’t beg.”

“Warriors mount tsurak.”

“I do mount an ikran.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

They had reached the gathering place. It was a small inlet of sand trapped between the mangrove roots, apart from the beach and the docks. The Metkayina had spread in small groups, some families, others in their age-range. Neteyam looked for his parents, who should have not been difficult to spot, but Aonung didn’t give him the time.

“Whether you can mount your ikran or not doesn’t matter here. Because, here, you must follow the water way.”

Neteyam sighed. They were now walking across the sandbank, towards the jungle. And that piqued his curiosity much more than the Mektaniya spiritual advice.

“And what does the water way command me to do?”

He straightaway hated the Lo’ak tone that had just crossed his lips. Maybe he was spending too much time with his brother. Aonung must not have appreciated it either, for he stopped, a few feet away from a large group of Na’vi gathered in a respectful circle.

“To open your eyes and your ears.”

[pandasmagorica]

get to know me ask game

Thanks for the tag, @telomeke. Clean-ish copy from @colourme-feral

Rules: bold the ones that are true & tag 10 people to do it.

Okay, just so everyone knows, not lecturing, bolding by itself is not accessible to people who use screen readers. So I'm going to add modifier words into each sentence as needed (or remove them if need be) so it makes sense and is true when read aloud without hearing that it's bolded. I will also bold to make the ones that apply to me stand out to people who can see my post.

And I love the deaf community rep in Moonlight Chicken, just for the record, and would love to see more disability rep in QL.

Appearance

I do not have blonde hair // I do prefer loose clothing to tight clothing (except for shoes (just fit) and belt (tight enough that my pants don't slip down) // I do not have one or more piercings // I do not have at least one tattoo // I have not dyed or highlighted my hair // I have not gotten plastic surgery // I have not had braces // I do sunburn easily // I do not have freckles // I do not paint my nails // I do not typically wear makeup (or ever) // I do often smile (This was expressed originally in the negative sense so I'm not going to bold it) // I am pleased with how I look // I have never worn either Nike or Adidas and wouldn't have any idea which to prefer // I used to wear baseball hats backwards (do I do this in italics then?)

Hobbies & Talents

I do not play a sport // I can not play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language (Let's just say 1 + 0.1 + 0.1 but I've used both 0.1s in public in the past month with random people) // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe (but also cook or bake with recipes as well) // I do not know how to swim // I do enjoy writing // I cannot do origami // I do not prefer movies to tv shows // I cannot execute a perfect somersault (or even an imperfect one) // I do enjoy singing // I could not survive in the wild on my own // I have not read a new book series this year // I do enjoy spending time with friends // I no longer travel during work or school breaks but sometimes did (italics again) // I cannot do a handstand

Relationship

I am not in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I do not have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years (actually over half my life) // my parents are together // I have not dated my best friend // I am not adopted // my crush has not confessed to me // I do not have a long distance relationship // I am not an only child // I do give advice to my friends // I have not figured out what constitutes an online friend // I have met up with someone I have met online

Aesthetics

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I think I may have watched the sun rise (italics again) // I do enjoy rainy days (also windy days, but not rainy windy days) // I have not slept under the stars // I do not meditate outside // I don't know what exactly the sound of chirping does to me // I do enjoy the smell of the beach // I do not know what snow tastes like // I do not listen to music to fall asleep // I do enjoy thunderstorms (as long as it's at least five seconds between the lightning flash and the thunderclap) // I do enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I do pay close attention to colors // I do not find mystery in the ocean // I do enjoy hiking on nature paths // autumn was my favorite season when I lived in the northeast but here in coastal California we barely have seasons (italics again)

Miscellaneous

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle // I am not the mom friend // I do not live by a certain quote // I do not like the smell of sharpies // I am not involved in extracurricular activities but was when I was involved in curricular activities, or does that mean I am now only involved in extracurricular activities? (italics again) // I do enjoy Mexican food // I can not drive a stick shift // I am not sure what is meant by true love so cannot say whether I believe in it - as opposed to false love? // I do make up scenarios to fall asleep (and they usually work) // I do sing in the shower (when I shower) // I do not wish I lived in a video game // I do not have a canopy above my bed // I am not multiracial // I am not a redhead // I do not own at least 3 dogs (or even one)

Okay, who to tag? (Who hasn't already been tagged.) No pressure.

@thegalwhorants

@morathicain

@respectthepetty

@kattahj

@ranchthoughts

@heretherebedork

@grapejuicegay

@queersouthasian

@rocketturtle4

@iguessitsjustme

[chibipandaao3]

Hemp Rope/Between Us thoughts pt. 4 (spoilers)

I am a sucker for trauma and angst. It’s my absolute comfort genre - don’t psycho analyze me…

And as such one of my favorite sections in the novel is the reveal of Team’s past incident to Win. This differs greatly from the show and though I understand why (sorta) I wish they’d been more faithful to the source material — though I also do love the graveyard scene in the show which doesn’t happen in the novel.

Anyway, in the novel Win and Team are together and switch rooms based on who finishes school work/club activities later; this evening they are in Team’s room because Win is out late.

Things are going really well besides being in a healthy relationship, Team’s been told he gets to try out for the national team and generally both men are extremely happy.

Team gets back to his room and fully intends to stay up and wait for Win, but is exhausted and falls asleep.

Win returns to the room and thinks little of Team being asleep until he hears Team gagging and gasping for breath - which freaks him out and Win rushes over.

To clarify, in the novel Win knows about Team’s nightmares but has only seen one - at least that’s the only one written about. So he’s terrified seeing Team struggling to breath.

Team awakens straight into a full blown panic attack and Win does his best to help. Once Team has calmed down, Win asks if all his nightmares are like this horrified.

Team says no - and decides it’s time to explain.

The incident is very similar to the show’s depiction.

He wanted to go swimming - his brother was against it since there were no adults but they do anyway. During a race Team gets a cramp and panics causing him to breath in water. Ton gets to the other side then looks back and goes to help. He manages to get a barely conscious Team onto a ladder before going under himself. Cleaning crews notice the boys and get them out (start CPR on Ton) Team wakes up to his mother screaming for “her son” and Ton unresponsive - the ambulance gets there too late.

Team ends the story saying he’s always thought he should have been the one to die.

Win kinda loses it - terrified. Basically, saying no - it was an accident etc. He asks if Team has ever told anyone - Team says no, he tried to tell a teacher once but they wrote it off as shock. It was a whole year before he could even get into water again without freaking out.

Win asks about therapy, that he’ll help Team find someone that works, he’ll go with him if he wants, but that it’s something too big for Team to handle by himself.

Team agrees

Win goes to Dean and asks about the therapist he’d found for Pharm - Dean, who is so much more present in the book, is like “for Team” and then give it without further questions

Okay — that’s the recap — but see how much more nuanced and impactful that reveal is. The show does it fine, but is SO rushed. (Probably because it spends so much time on a particular side couple who thankfully doesn’t exist in the novel at all…) But especially since in the show the conversation with Team’s aunt happens literally at the exact same time.

In the book, it’s weeks (maybe months) later after Team’s found a therapist that works for him that he decides to visit his parents. He gets to start healing for months before being confronted with his family.

Anyway I love the novel haha

[grapementos]

redamancy

(v.) the act of loving someone in return.

a/n: the final part of the cheating triology.

kirishima and midoriya’s part.

bakugo x gn reader

warnings: cheating, panic attack (kinda), suggestive, crying

pro-hero dynamight didn't have the best rep with the press, if his exhausted pr team was anything to go by. seldom were there headlines about him without outburst or, the media's favorite little play on words, explosive following suit.

then, suddenly, his brash behavior had stopped. it was so abrupt that no one even noticed at first.

once they did, the questions came flooding in. many of them were speculations of anger management classes or something of that nature. in the end, they were all denied until the big question came:

'are you in a relationship?'

it was confirmed, and the crowd went wild. within days there were tabloids of 'pro-hero dynamight's secret lover: who could it be?'

it was innocent at first; just plain curiosity about a public figure.

but then it got deeper. talk shows got psychologists to give professional insight as to how a relationship with someone like dynamight would be.

as expected, it wasn't positive. and soon enough, everyone on the internet was bashing dynamight for being dangerous or violent, specifically towards his lover, whom they knew nothing about.

you'd rub the tension out of his shoulders at the end of the day, reminding him that he was good, no matter what the media had to say. they didn't know him like you did.

your comfort and reassurance usually calmed him down and left him grumbling, "i didn't even care anyways."

so he took the criticism. and he took the bashing, the false speculation—and he kept moving forward.

that is, until someone thought it'd be fun to make a 'top ten pro-heroes who'd cheat' blog post that went absolutely viral. it reached every corner of the internet, even getting mentioned in the news as outraged heroes demanded the website be removed.

the number one spot, the one bakugo had yearned for, was his.

but not in the way he wanted.

being ranked most likely to cheat did a number on his behavior, both in public and private. he was more distant and less explosive, which somehow spurred the press on more.

they concluded that he cleaned up his act because the blog was right and he wanted to create a better image for himself. that wasn't true at all—he was just tired.

so tired, in fact, that he proved the rumors right.

denki was draped over your couch, watching some game show on tv when you found out. the two of you had planned to hang out for a bit and watch a movie at the cinema, but nothing good was showing, so you ultimately decided to head back to your place.

your shared place. with bakugo.

you assumed it was one of his late nights since he wasn't home, so you started cooking dinner, making small talk with denki.

"so you can go swimming, then?" you quirked a brow, poking your head into the living room.

"yeah, just as long as i don't activate my quirk, you know?" denki opened his mouth to explain further, but the front door messily slammed open, beating him to it.

and there he was. bakugo katsuki.

with someone else in his arms, his face nearly being eaten as they pushed back and forth against each other.

everything stopped the moment he made eye contact with you. the kissing stopped, your brain stopped—it even felt like the tv was muted.

even worse was that his eyes held no remorse. just a little surprise, like finding your old charger after buying a new one.

"thought you were hanging out with dunce face," his voice was gruff, low and sultry as his gazed burned into you with... impatience?

"katsuki, what're you.." you mumbled out, brain still trying to process the sight before you, "why're you.."

"didn't think you'd be back already." he shrugged, gaze shifting back to the person he was with. and only then did his brows relax, lips tugging up into a smile. "now, if you'll excuse us.."

he tried to walk past you, but you shoved his chest, "what the hell are you doing?" you nearly screamed, eyes red and burning with tears.

"haven't you heard the rumors, y/n? i'm a cheater. you don't need to be with someone like me."

you saw the flash of hurt in his eyes, but even that couldn't overpower the utter devastation pooling all the way from your chest to your toes. oh, it hurt.

"kami," you whispered desperately once they were gone—in the room that you used to sleep in—head starting to swim, "kami, help me, please."

you didn't even know what you wanted him to help you with. you just wanted everything to stop.

he rushed to your side, finally snapping out of his shocked daze. his arms were around you in an instant, chin on top of your head, "you're okay, y/n, i'm here. it's okay."

you were shaking and sobbing into his shirt, grip tight on his unzipped jacket.

"it hurts. oh god, it hurts. kami, make it stop, please." you shuddered, and everything was suddenly too loud.

he held you tightly, letting you cry for what felt like hours.

and then he got you out of there.

BONUS:

the healing process was long and still incomplete. some days you still felt so empty, only able to complete the bare necessities to get through your day, but denki was by your side when he could be.

you'd since moved out of your shared home with bakugo and into a place of your own, which was a difficult adjustment. but with denki calling you twice a day—literally—you didn't have a chance to be lonely.

most nights he spent at your house, claiming it was because he loved your cooking.

you weren't dumb; denki flirted with you all the time. he was truly unashamed every time he greeted you with a 'hey, hottie', and bid you goodbye with a 'love you, sweetcheeks'.

it made you cringe, but it was denki, so you had to love him.

after a year of being closer than ever, he’d asked you on a date numerous times, receiving a playful 'no, you know i'm not ready for that.'

but, one time was special. one time was heartfelt and so genuine that you shed real tears. denki laid his heart bare for you, every ounce of emotions spilling out of him and onto your shirt.

"i know you're not ready, y/n, but i love you so much. i'll wait for you, i swear it!"

and after all those no's, you finally said yes.

i like to think that bakugo did it for you. obviously this wasn’t the right way to go about it, but he just.. kind of got so tired of being accused of something terrible. he became the monster they swore he was. and you got caught in the crossfire. also i bolded dynamight instead of bakugo because i feel like this focuses on that part of his persona. his hero-self got too wrapped up in the media. also! kirishima was originally gonna be the new lover, but i feel like it’d be too similar to the other bakugo one i wrote.

reblogs are appreciated.

[thecairomuse]

What are the most popular beauty tricks among Egyptians?❤

First off I love your blog, sending love from Cairo <3

A lot of modern day Egyptian beauty secrets are inspired by the ancient Egyptians. It's really interesting to see how these practices have been preserved through generations and have survived migration and colonisation.

Salon culture

Visiting Salons regularly is very big here. There is an abundance of salons EVERYWHERE and the prices are very reasonable. Many will choose to get their hair done weekly. Getting manis and pedis is also a popular choice. Regular facials are also increasing in demand.

I would recommend the movie 'Caramel' to those who want to learn more about the salon culture in the MENA region, it's incredibly accurate.

Kohl

The ancient Egyptians used to apply kohl for purification purposes and to protect themselves from any evil. My grandmother applies kohl daily, she makes it at home, for purification purposes. Most girls nowadays will apply it to make their eyes look more intense. It's definitely my favorite step of my makeup routine, it makes such a nice difference. I'll probably have to make a whole post on kohl, how to make it, how to use it and the history behind.

Lemon water rinse

My grandmother always told me to soak my hair in lemon water. personally I like to use it as a rinse (and mix it with ACV). It makes your hair very shiny and is good if you have hard water.

Henna

Henna! what a fun topic. My grandmother and my mom use henna on their hair, it is a natural hair dye and it also strengthens the hair and is good for it. I do a henna mask every 3 months, the color doesn't really show up since I have black hair but I do it for it's benefits. When I visited the new museum and got to see the mummies of Egyptian royalty they ALL had their hair dyed with henna.

Henna designs are also very popular especially around special occasions or religious holidays. Henna was first used for it's cooling properties but now it's more of a fashion statement. I absolutely love going to salons and getting a henna design on my hands.

Some people also like to apply henna to their nails, you end up with this reddish orange, I am personally not a fan of it. It does strengthen your nails though.

Olive oil, Argon oil and Castor oil

Pure, natural oils are very popular here but especially the 3 mentioned above. Castor oil is sourced from Egyptian farms, it is commonly used to grow hair and is also used on the lashes and brows. Olive oil is, most commonly, from Palestine, it is used very heavily in cooking due to it's health benefits, it is also used as a hair oil or as a body moisturizer. We get our argon oil from Morocco, it is commonly used for the hair and in face masks.

Sugaring

The first method of hair removal I was introduced to was sugaring. To make the paste all you need is sugar, honey and lemon, it's all natural. It was first used by the ancient Egyptians and now by modern day Egyptians, It's less painful than waxing and exfoliates the body and removes dead skin cells. It's definitely one of my favorite methods of hair removal.

Rose water

There are many uses for rosewater. It is also occasionally used for cooking. Rose water can be used as a moisturizer or as a facial spray. Rose water is also used for soothing after hair removal. It is also a common ingredient in masks. It's a wonderful ingredient and it's on pretty much every Egyptian's dresser.

Moroccan Hammam and Ghassoul

While technically a Moroccan practice it's very common all over North Africa and the Middle East. I have a moroccan relative who gets a Moroccan hammam once a week, sometimes even more. I have memories of my mom getting at home Moroccan hammam services weekly.

Moroccan hammas consist of sitting in a steam room and you are given some ghassoul, it is a type of soap made of clay from mountains in Morocco, you are also given some exfoliating gloves.

First, you exfoliate your body, then you wash your hair, the ghassoul clay can applied all over your body, face and hair as a masks. Occasionally henna is used on the hair. Massages with Argon oil afterwards are very common as well.

Musk and jasmine

These are two of the most popular scents in Egypt, among men and women. They are usually applied in the form of a fragrance oil.

Nivea cream

Nivea is surprisingly popular in Egypt. It is used daily all over the body for moisturization.

Glycerin

Hyaluronic acids hotter sister. It's been inside every Egyptian house I have ever been in. It's usually the same red tub.

Hammam cream and Hammam zeit

Hammam cream and hammam zeit are used to nourish the hair before washing it. Hammam zeit is done on the scalp, it is done by applying an oil, usually from the ones mentioned above, on your scalp. Hammam cream is used for the rest of the hair shaft, you apply a hair mask to the ends of your hair. Both are done simultaneously. You then will cover your hair with a shower cap/ plastic bag and wash it after a few hours.

Avoiding sun exposure

Due to colorism and modesty people tend to avoid the sun like the plague. Pale skin is definitely the beauty standard so many avoid tanning, that coupled with the fact that many people's bodies are covered from head to toe means barely any skin is exposed to the sun. On the plus side, skin cancer rates are quite low.

Embracing your curls

This is quite new but I have noticed more and more Egyptians embracing their curls, it was only a couple years ago when people would get their hair chemically straightened because that was the trend so it's nice to see people not fighting against their curls and damaging their hair.

Honey

I was always told as a child to take one spoon of honey per day for it's health benefits. It's also used as a moisturizer and in masks and occasionally in baths. It is said that Cleopatra used to soak in a bath full of milk and honey for it's exfoliating and moisturizing purposes.

Frankincense and Myrrh

They are most commonly soaked in water and drank daily. they have endless health benefits and they are incredibly good for your skin and hair as well. They are also common ingredients in masks. Occasionally, they will be used as part of bukhoors to purify the house.

Aloevera gel

Aloevera is used to soothe sunburns and is blended and applied to the hair shaft. Many people rub a slice of aloevera on their face daily.

Cornflower + rosewater mask

This is a mask that my cousin used to make ALL the time. It's really simple, just a blend of cornflour and rosewater, it smells HEAVENLY and makes your skin super soft.

Makeup trends

A winged liner and red lip combo is something that I have been noticing is getting more and more popular.

Hair trends

Straight short blonde hair and a wavy Balayage are common looks, and of course embracing your curls is increasing in popularity.

Fashion trends

Modest fashion is mostly inspired by Turkish fashion, other than that many of the mainstream fashion trends are veryy popular here. The whole boho chic/ hippie look can be seen all over Sinai especially in Dahab. Not everyone dresses modestly, although it does seem like it. It's always nice seeing the fashion scene in Cairo and Egypt evolving.

Diet + Physical activity

I'll keep this one short. Lots of fresh fruit, very little processed food and overall nutritious food. Swimming and tennis are some of the most popular sports here.

[marbleheavy]

here are some of my Nico headcanons that nobody asked for!!

He collects things. Not just Mythomagic stuff like he did as a kid, but cool shells, and rocks, and weird glass figurines that everyone else thinks are terrifying, and books. He’s got them in jars or lined up on shelves and he just has so many things (Because for so long he had so few things that actually belonged to him that didn’t have to serve a very clear purpose, so now he just wants to keep whatever he’d like)

He reads SO much as an adult. A lot of it is nonfiction because he’s trying to catch up on what happened in the world while he was pulled out of it, but a lot of fiction too (not really fantasy though, that’s too close to home) and a lot of poetry. He can recite poems from memory and will just randomly quote them sometimes and it should be pretentious but it isn’t and his friends think it’s amazing (cue dramatically saying "till love and fame to nothingness do sink" anytime he's told he has to wait) (Also, he will rant about why Ted Hughes sucks at any point in time)

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again!! He is a Dungeon Master! He’s got a binder for all the notes for his current campaign and a notebook for ideas and special highlighters and pens that he only uses for D&D. Also, dice are definitely one of the things he collects and he keeps them in those clear, plastic bead containers with dividers and they’re sorted by number of faces and also ~vibes~ (for example, do a backflip D20 and life or death D20)

leather jacket Nico di Angelo? seen, respected, and appreciated. CARDIGAN Nico di Angelo? underrated! He has a couple oversized cardigans with buttons and big pockets that he adores. The first one he ever had he definitely stole from Will but now, whenever he comes across another similar one, he buys it. The pockets are filled with rocks and worn, mass-market paperbacks and pens. (Basically, I’m leaning hard into English Major Nico with his annotated books and glasses and cardigans) (Also, cardigan Nico and flannel Will but sometimes they swap)

He definitely cuts his own hair in the bathroom and he's gotten very good at it. He's had a range of haircuts, from long hair to a mullet to the shaved sides and fluffy top, but he always ends up back with a shaggy mop that Hazel likes to put little braids in (or sometimes pull the very back of it into two little pigtails) and with bangs that always end up in his eyes.

Sorry to reiterate the same point that's been made forever, but his wardrobe is pretty dark-toned. Obviously black, but he does like a good jewel tone, perhaps a maroon or an emerald. Anything really bright was either a gift or belongs to Will someone else. Also, gendered clothing means nothing to him. He wears what he wants to wear and he thinks it's cool as hell when he's wearing a skirt while sparring and it flares out dramatically as he twirls.

He's kind of picked up modern slang but he also uses a lot of slang from pretty much every decade he missed. It's also a 50/50 chance he's using it incorrectly. (examples include: 1) Leo says something that is definitely supposed to be funny and Nico stares at him, utterly emotionless, and says "Gag me with a spoon" in an alarmingly monotone voice, and 2) Anytime he says something snarky to Jason or Percy he starts it with "hey bestie..." and honestly, they're both just touched Nico called them "bestie" at all)

He adores Studio Ghibli movies and can be found humming the Ponyo theme song anytime he goes swimming (Will standing on the shore, looking around for Nico and he eventually spots him in the water. He wades out to Nico, all sunglasses that shouldn't look so cool and golden hair and chest, and just greets him with "Hey there, Neeks, how's my fishie in the sea?" and Nico can't decide if he wants to drown himself or kiss Will on his stupid mouth)

Speaking of movies, shortly after the Giant War, all of his friends (the Seven, Reyna, Will, probably Lou Ellen and Cecil, too) showed up at his cabin with blankets and snacks. They each brought their favorite movie or movies they think he needs to see to catch him up on the modern age. At first, he acts disgruntled that they're all there but he very quickly settles into the blanket fort Annabeth constructs and is quietly very grateful and excited that they cared enough to do this for him. They're all holed up in his cabin for a full day until they've finished every movie. (Percy brought Finding Nemo, Annabeth brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Piper brought Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Jason brought Captain America: The First Avenger (and Nico definitely says "that's gay" when Steve and Bucky say there "Until the end of the line" shit and everybody absolutely loses their minds), Hazel also is behind on movies but she brought either a very scary movie or Moana, Frank brought A New Hope (though he considered Brother Bear), Will brought Spirited Away, Cecil brought Back to the Future, and Lou Ellen brought The Princess Bride)

He can play the piano! He gets a piano for the Hades cabin and on nights where he can't sleep and the nightmares are really bad, he plays piano.

He will cry if he hears I Will by Mitski or Wasteland, Baby by Hozier, for different reasons but also kind of not (he wants to be loved)

Also, Nico and Dionysus being buddies! Nico jokingly says he'll host a bacchanal if Dionysus excuses him from certain camp activities and that's how Nico and friends end up wearing togas around a campfire, all very hesitantly holding cups of wine they aren't actually going to drink. It is definitely not a bacchanal, it's just a bad toga party (barely) but Dionysus accepts it and decides Nico is a Good One.

(Yes I did very badly make this stupid meme that somebody has definitely made a variation of before)

This is definitely not a complete list of headcanons but it's what I've got so far!

[villainess-supremacy]

headcanons of the four lords celebrating pride for the first time with their s/o

notes: you told them that it's pride month and asked if they would like to celebrate with you. none of them have ever celebrated pride before. I made the lords and s/o queer because I can

type: sfw, gender and sexuality of the s/o are not specified

tw/cw: slight mention of alcohol, blood, lgbtphobes

requests: open

Alcina Dimitrescu

her daughters have mentioned pride month before, but she's not sure what it entails exactly

you gladly explain it to her in detail!

she loves the idea since she is fruity herself loves celebrating for such a wonderful reason

you being part of it makes it so much better

and a whole month?? she's in

she would love to go to pride events with you, but she's afraid other mortals will be scared of her due to her height so you decide to just have your own celebrations in the castle

you love watching movies together so you show her all of your favorite queer movies and shows

you bought a pride flag to hang up below the balcony in the entrance hall

she loves the smile on your face when you proudly look up at it

"maybe we should extend pride to be all year if it makes you this happy, my love."

she already regularly gives you presents, but during the entirety of pride month she additionally leaves little gifts for you in your shared bedroom, the kitchen and all of your favorite places in the castle

and that daily

if there is any queer owned shop you like she will literally buy their entire stock

if there are any charities you mention she will gladly donate in your name and give you the certificate as a surprise

she realizes that something about June just makes her want you even more in general, in the private chambers, whichever is up to you wink wink

as a surprise she decides to make a special wine without blood of course named after you and your sexuality/gender if you use labels, but in fancy Latin words

she loves to drink, but of course watches over you so you don't have too much

mortals don't process it as well as she does...

if you come across any lgbtphobes and are noticeably saddened she will be there to distract you right away

everyone who dares to make her love sad will feel her wrath! be ignored since they're not worth her time

but if she finds out that anyone in the village doesn't support you or anyone who is part of the lgbt community, they will be forced asked to vacate their home

she will pamper you and shower you with her love even more

you once jokingly say "be gay do crime and turn maidens into wine" and she makes it her new motto but she's serious about it

Donna Beneviento

she knows a couple things about pride since she reads a lot, but you're so excited to tell her about it she simply lets you talk

you'd love to go to pride events with her but she's too shy and tends to have anxiety attacks when around too many strangers so she sends Angie instead

afterwards she will gladly listen to both of you tell her all about it!

she has her own collection of books that have queer characters in them which she never told anyone about before you and will read all of them with you if you like

there will be regular dates picnics while Angie takes care of the house

she's a cottage core sapphic and pride month brings out that side of her more

she has made dolls for you before, but this time she makes one that looks just like you

it has a pride flag embroidered on the top above the heart

of course you love it!

you're so glad that she accepts every part of you

she will make one of herself with a similar outfit and a small pride flag as well so she can set them up in couple settings

ever since she found out about online shopping it has opened up a whole new world for her so she will definitely get both of you matching outfits or jewelry from an lgbt owned shop

you love doing arts and crafts together so you suggest making bracelets for each other, either color coded or with letters

Donna's house has a flagpole she hasn't used in decades, but for you she'd gladly call for maintenance if it turns out it's unusable after all these years to hang a pride flag

anything to make you happy!

if there are any lgbtphobes bothering you or your friends, she will be right there to comfort you and won't hesitate to send Angie and her other dolls she can control to deal with them

even if you tell her that it's fine and she should just ignore them she's great at distracting you so you wouldn't notice until it's done oops-

since she has no portable device that can access music streaming platforms, but knows the password to your phone she decides to steal it for a bit and makes you the softest playlist that you since then often play for comfort

Salvatore Moreau

he has spent decades almost completely separated from humans so he has no idea what pride month means, but instantly agrees to it because he loves you so much

he will agree to anything that makes you happy

you both sit down and he looks at you with puppy eyes while you tell him all about pride

he loves the idea of celebrating a group of people you both are a part of

he thinks you deserve your own month to be cherished and celebrated!

he may be a little awkward with expressing his feelings, but he sure knows how to prepare a romantic dinner

with mother miranda needing all of the lords a lot to assist her, he usually barely has time to prep food, but for pride month he does his best to cook for you every single day

part of his usual outfit is a cape to cover his back and a type of crown made out of bones and rope

he's not the best with his hands, but he makes a crown for you that resembles his anyway because you're his queen/king/majesty

you love it so much!

you want to give him something in return so you go to the village and visit the shop you know is lgbt owned and get him a custom necklace with a fish pendant that has your initials engraved

he literally bursts out in tears because he is so touched :c

when you started dating he initially was scared of what you would think about his giant fish form, but you turned out to be really impressed and love it and since you'd be tiny compared to him he suggests taking you on an adventure of sorts

meaning you sit on his back while he swims around the lake which is like a roller coaster ride but more wet

he leads you to a hut you never visited before and he shows you treasures he has collected when he was still mortal

he starts making a list of things you could do and stays up all night to complete it but ends up with so many activities and ideas to celebrate pride you'll have to extend pride month... by possibly years....

if he hears about anyone being mean to you he'll just encase them into the blobs of gooey mass he can make but you don't need to know about that, pride month or not

he has always wanted to propose to you so he might be able to work up the courage to hint at it by the end of June

Karl Heisenberg

of course he knows about pride month!

he knows more than you might think

he isn't considered the rebel child for no reason

in the past he has done some celebration for himself, but it was never anything too special

he thinks it's no fun alone and his experiments servants aren't much fun

sure he could program them, but unless it's to attack something they're not really... party animals

since he has you now he'll gladly give it another go!

he'd love to go to pride events with you, especially if you go to drag shows

he didn't know about them before you made him go to one

something about them fascinates him so much, he's more excited than you

he's not really into cooking, but nothing will stop him from making you a nice breakfast in bed

you always love watching him work on his machines because he likes to take off his shirt when he's hot seeing him do what he loves makes you happy

so he decides to gift you some robots to assist you with your everyday endeavors

it's not really necessary but of course you appreciate the gesture

it means more time to spend with him after all

he once sees you with a keychain that has a pride flag on it so he paints it on one of his machines that he uses more often

mostly he will end the day by having a drink and dancing with you

it's a celebration, so celebrate he will

if you're more in the mood for chilling on the couch he won't say no to watching some queer shows or movies

after working on his machines he has a way of just melting into your arms

if he sees you smile at certain scenes in movies he might attempt to do the same with you

of course you notice, but you definitely can't complain especially if you smile on purpose at the spicier scenes

anyone who will come between you and happily celebrating pride will be visited by Sturm banned from his factory and getting anywhere near you

he likes to name his subjects so he will start naming them after all of your favorite queer historical figures, activists and famous people in general

any smile he can get out of you is a win

a win for the gays you might say

when he was younger he may have had a phase of spraying graffiti around the village so you're not surprised when he goes around his factory and writes "be gay do crime" on several of his machines and doors

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Sweet Honey and Iced Tea (Part 3): Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader

wc: 2.7k

tw: NSFW

masterlist

It's done! We're caught up to the events of Lemonade after this.

"Bye!" you shout back to your mom, dashing to the Charger at the foot of the portico. "See you later!"

"What time will you be back from the sleepover?" she wonders, but you shrug and continue down the stairs. When you open the car door, you toss in your overnight bag and Toji catches it, eyes wide.

"What the hell is--"

"Just drive," you groan, and he places the bag in the backseat, eyeing you while you put on your seatbelt. "I'll explain later." Toji drives off, past the guard post at the end of the road and onto the main road, where you finally relax.

"You look really nice," he murmurs after he clears his throat, his right hand drifting over to your thigh. You're clad in a knee-length black dress, with the necklace he gifted you resting right below the mock turtleneck.

"Thanks," you reply. "You look... normal." He's changed his black shirts out for a blue dress shirt that's slightly unbuttoned and a pair of black slacks.

"So, what's up with the bag?" Toji wonders, changing lanes. "You staying the night or something?" When you don't answer, he looks over at you, wide-eyed. "Wait, you're kidding, right?"

"I never kid," you murmur. "You'll see."

When he pulls up at the tallest tower in the city, you stare open-mouthed, gazing at the massive structure of steel and glass. Toji passes his keys off to a valet, muttering, "Scratch on the car, and you'll have a scratch on your face".

"Of course, Mr. Fushiguro."

Toji opens your door, and you step out, your legs lithely crossing the space between the car and the sidewalk. He takes your hand and laces your fingers through his, walking into the building and past the crowd gathered by the concierge. "This place is packed on weekends," he mentions, and you blink, following him to the elevators. When he presses the "up" button, a door opens, and a man greets you both with a smile.

"Passes up to the Sky Tower?" he wonders, and Toji groans, fishing something out of his pocket. When he hands the man a silver key with what looks like a hotel tag, you watch the man's eyes glaze over. "My apologies, Mr. Fushiguro. I haven't seen you here in a while."

"According to records, no one has ever seen me here," he reminds the man sternly, who nods and hands him the key.

"Of course, sir."

You settle in next to Toji and ride the elevator up to the top floor, clasping his hand the whole way. Was this part of the underground activities your mother spoke to you about? Or was this just...

The doors to the elevator open up to a long, dark hallway, only illuminated by sporadic blue lighting coming up from the floor. Toji leads the way again, and you look around, examining the hallway with curiosity. You can't hear anything, you can barely see... what kind of place is this? Once the plush carpet beneath your feet gives way to a path of marble, you regain a sliver of your confidence.

"It's just dinner," Toji reminds you as the doors swing open, unveiling a luxurious restaurant filled with a plethora of carat-encrusted and silk-covered personalities. This isn't "just dinner". This scene tops the best dining arrangements you've seen for clan head meetings.

A woman with long black hair and dressed in a black suit is standing at a marble podium, brown eyes flicking up to watch you two walk into the restaurant.

"Ah, Mr. Fushiguro! You're right on time."

"Was I supposed to be late?" Toji wonders, grinning. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Misato."

"And the same to you, sir. Right this way," the woman lifts two menus from the side of the podium, and as you walk behind her, you take in the sights. Posh seating arrangements cover the expanse of the dining area, each table covered in an eggshell white cloth, and chandeliers are distributed around the ceiling so each table received the same amount of lighting. Gilding decorates the white walls, and portraits of beautiful women in fantasy scenes stare back at you. But you're ushered past a set of glass doors and into a private room, where a table for two sits alone, surrounded by glass on three sides that overlooks the city below.

"Enjoy," Misato says, leaving the menus on the table and walking out. Toji pulls your seat out for you, and you sit in it before he pushes you in a little, then takes his own seat across from you.

"Toji, this is..."

"Do you like it?" he asks, eyeing you carefully.

"I love it," you answer. "But you could have just taken me to a picnic by the lake and it would've been fine."

"I'll remember that for next time," he grunts, lifting a menu and handing it to you. "I normally don't order off of this, but you can take a look and see what you like."

"Why are you doing this?" you wonder, peeking at the green-eyed man over the menu. "This seems like a lot for a first date."

"Is it?" Toji asks, fiddling with his fingers. "Or is this what you should expect from me as a man of stature and influence who is wooing a woman who will soon be on equal footing?" You swallow hard, knitting your brows together. He's right, you realize as he glances up at you, lips quirking into a smile. If he hadn't wined and dined me, I would've thought I was just another one of his playthings.

"Fushiguro!" A man calls out jovially, entering the room from the glass doors. He's tiny, with thinning brown hair and piercing black eyes; his hands raised in excitement. "You've finally brought a beautiful woman to this fine establishment." Toji laughs as the man claps him on the back and turns to you.

"This is my girlfriend, y/n. Y/n, this is my favorite bartender, chef, and confidant Gurumogi."

"Oh, y/n? I've heard so much about--" The man stops, clearing his throat. "I've heard so much about your family! It is such a pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well," you smile, bowing your head slightly.

"Listen, I've got something the two of you will love. Give me those menus, you won't need them. I'll bring out two main dishes, one dessert, and as much wine and brandy as you want."

"I have to drive," Toji reminds the man, who cackles loudly. "I won't be drinking tonight."

"When do you ever leave here and drive sober?"

_____________________________________________________________

"Can I eat the rest of my dessert?" you wonder, fully tipsy off the aged wine, stellar food, and even more enjoyable conversation.

"Not in the car, babe," Toji murmurs, his eyes focused on the road. "Gotta get you home first."

"Oh, I'll make sure I keep your car clean," you reply, reaching your hand into the bag. "It's just chocolate cake."

"Chocolate cake, cashew-caramel ice cream, a caramelized banana, and coffee dust." Toji corrects you, and you laugh, touching his arm playfully.

"You really paid attention, didn't you?" Toji's green eyes swim as he looks over to you, and you blink slowly, putting on your best flirty look. "You pay attention to a lot, don't you?"

"What's the bag for?" Toji asks, eyes back on the road.

"What isn't it for?" you shoot back, removing your hand from his arm.

"You're really staying the night, then?"

"I want to," you begin. "I want to stay the night with you."

"Not going back home?" he wonders, turning into a gated residential area and slowing down.

"Not until tomorrow." Toji rolls down his window and makes a motion to the guard at the front, who waves him on, smiling brightly. You don't speak again until you arrive at a large, stucco residence (about the size of your house, if you're being honest) with lights illuminating the facade. Toji swings around the front driveway, parking right in front of the house before stopping the car and getting out. He opens your door again, taking the bag of leftovers and your bag from the backseat before helping you out of the car and up to the door of the house. A bald man opens the door, face stoic as he lets you and Toji into the residence before shutting and locking it.

"I'll have Gulia prepare a room for you," Toji murmurs, climbing the stairs with your things after handing the bag of food to the man at the door.

"Not what I had in mind." Toji turns at this, his green eyes watching you ascend the staircase shakily. "I thought you'd let me occupy your room with you."

"Is that what you want?" he asks, mouth parting slightly.

"Yes," you breathe, standing right in front of him on the top stair. "I want you." His eyes dip to look at your lips but then come back up to your eyes, and he discloses,

"Your wish is my command."

His room isn't too far, but by the time you've reached it, your feet are crying out in misery. As if to acknowledge this pain, you flop onto the bed face down in neatly-made sheets and a tender but firm mattress. Toji takes off your shoes after placing your bag in a chair, rubbing your feet as you lay on the bed in your tipsy state.

"That feels good," you mumble, eyes closed. "Feels really good."

"Yeah?" Toji's voice has dipped an octave, and you can hear the desire in his voice again, just like a few nights ago. Finally.

"You're too nice to me." Toji huffs a laugh, kissing your ankles.

"If it gets me this view," he teases, "Then I'll be nicer than a broke man after your money." You chuckle, lifting up off of the bed and stretching, bones popping back into place.

"Or a rich man after my hand in marriage."

"Oh, I wouldn't be nice about that," he begins, unbuttoning his shirt. "I'd be so mean."

"You would?" You sit on the edge of the bed, watching him pull off his shirt. When Toji finishes, he tosses it onto the floor, then leans over you, placing a kiss on your forehead.

"Oh, yeah. I'd be so unkind. All I'd need to do is suck up to your family because I'm really marrying them, not you." You run a hand up to his jawline, then pat it twice, shaking your head.

"Then why are you so nice to me?" Toji cranes his head down, lips brushing against yours as he breathes:

"Because I'm in love with you."

When he kisses you for the second time, you feel the jolt of the spark again, but this time, it nearly knocks you flat onto your back. If it wasn't for Toji catching you, you'd be splayed underneath him, ready to be devoured. He holds you close, kissing you hungrily and with need as you tangle your hands in his hair, pulling slightly. The growl into your mouth is borderline feral, but it doesn't matter to you.

You want him.

He wants you.

There's nothing left to discuss.

Thick fingers make quick work of undressing you, and before you can really register that you're naked, you're on display for the only man you've ever been physically undressed by. Toji licks his thumb and middle finger, running his middle finger up your slit and nestling his thumb against your clit.

"If you want to stop, say so. I'm not going to push you to do something you're not ready for." You nod, and he begins to circle his thumb on the sensitive nub, drawing a soft whine from you as your hips move up into his hand. When his middle finger sinks into you, Toji hisses, lips curling up slightly. "You're already drenched, baby."

"Just for you," you reply, and Toji closes his eyes, inhaling deeply.

"Shit," he laughs, opening his eyes. "I want to be inside of you so bad. But I have to make you cum first." His middle finger moves against your g-spot lazily, curling and pressing ever so slightly. You buck into his hand again, losing your breath and running both hands over your breasts. Toji takes this as a sign and leans down to flick your right nipple with his tongue carefully, his eyes watching your face contort into an expression of pure pleasure.

"Please, Toji," you pant. Toji quickens his strokes against your g-spot in response, sucking on your breast with added pressure. When he moves to your left breast, things are becoming hazy, unraveled, incohesive. You feel an orgasm building, your hips rolling under his touch, and Toji feels it, too, his eyes darkening.

"Go ahead," he whispers against the skin of your earlobe. "Cum for me, baby. Whenever you're ready."

"Ah," you exhale, frowning. "Gonna cu--" The gasp wrenched from your throat drags painfully into your lungs. You feel every nerve light up in your body and Toji hums, long and loud, feeling your cunt spasm around his finger.

Your orgasm feels like it might go on forever but it suddenly stops as Toji removes his fingers from you. He frees his cock from his pants quickly, stroking his thick, weeping member as he leans over you. The arm that grasps his cock is covered in a tiger tattoo, the head of the beast sitting right at his wrist. You trail your fingers along the image, but then Toji presses your right leg up and your left leg to the side.

"I don't think it'll fit," you whisper, looking at his cock with uncertainty as he rolls a condom down to the hilt.

"It will," Toji reassures you. "It might take some work, but it will. Just be patient, sweetheart." When he nudges his cockhead into your entrance, you stiffen up instinctively. "Relax," he coos, kissing your cheeks repeatedly. "Just relax for me." You try to let go as he rocks into you slowly, holding your head in his hands as he kisses you deeply and eases himself inside of you. But when he feels he can go no further, Toji lifts onto an elbow and rubs your side carefully. "Feel okay?" His eyes are hooded, but you still can decipher the care and concern in them.

"Yes," you breathe. "Just stay here for a moment." Toji cups both of your breasts and litters kisses across them, sucking harshly in places where he knows the hickies won't be seen. When you're ready, you shift your hips up a little, and he begins rocking into you again, squeezing his eyes shut at the feeling of being buried inside of you.

"God damn," he mutters. "Probably won't last long..."

"Really?" you wonder, throwing an arm around his back.

"Honestly, I could nut right now," he laughs, and you do, too. "But I'm going to hold off for as long as I can; want to make your first time one of the best." You moan at this, and he lifts his hips slightly to push his final inch into you. When Toji's sheathed inside of you, he begins to pump a little faster, not pulling out fully, but almost. Your panting is timed perfectly with his groans, and before long, the sound of your lovemaking turns into a perfect symphony of slapping skin, moaning, and tender sounds of kissing here and there.

And it's all so perfect.

When you reach the edge of oblivion again (which doesn't take long), you curl your fingers into his back, holding Toji as close as you can. "Fushiguro," you breathe, and he grasps your hips tightly, feeling your cunt close around him.

"I feel you," he huffs. "I'm close, too." It takes almost three strokes for you to lose your mind, and you very nearly blackout as he rams his hips into you before they jerk sharply. "Oh... fuck..." Toji moans into your ear as you keen softly.

When you both come down from your high, still holding each other close, you realize that there's no one else in the world for you, and Toji mumbles, "I'm going to make you my wife someday."

"But our families--"

"Will have to suck it up," he quips, shrugging. "Not our problem anymore."

But you both know you'll have to go up against some resistance. So, when you leave his residence the next morning (after he's made love to you once more before you showered), you agree to keep it a secret until it's the proper time to address it.

Which won't come for another five years.

[jj-babebank]

Camp Willowdale / JJ Maybank AU / PART 5

Synopsis: Camp Willowdale is buzzing with new campers. It’s Caroline Windsor’s first year as a camp counsellor after attending the camp as a camper for ten years. Little does she know that this year Willowdale Lake is going to be a little different from what she is used to it being… Warnings: future chapters may include curse words, mentions of drugs, mentions of alcohol, mentions of sexual activities, mentions of death. Pairings: JJ Maybank x fem OC Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3 ; Part 4 Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 5 -

53 days of camp left

The first day at Camp Willowdale was usually pretty straightforward – campers arrive, sign in, move into their designated cabins where they meet their counselors, then all gather in the Wildcat Lodge to get their schedules, maps, badges and compasses. Ever since Pricilla’s daughter left her, she ditched the idea of having a stable with horses at camp (saying it reminded her way too much of Wendy, and also cost a lot of money to maintain), and settled for scavenger hunts in full scout mode in the forest, hence the compasses and badges. Every camper was given a first badge for participation and would get the chance to earn new badges to add to their collection during their nine week stay. Pricilla made sure that there was a badge for literally everything – from successfully starting a fire to throwing out the trash. She liked to do this to make all the campers feel included and special, which on its own sounded like a wonderful thing, however her actual motives were selfish – happy kids meant happy parents, and happy parents meant money. She also liked to turn everything into a competition, so she established a scoring system that nobody but her understood, where she’d award or deduct points from different groups and the group with the most points at the end of the summer will be crowned conquerors of the camp at a made up end-of-summer event Pricilla named the “Camp Will-all-hail banquet”. Caroline always found the name to be extremely tacky, but much like mostly everything that Pricilla put her finger onto, it wasn’t surprising.

JJ and Caroline had gotten assigned to Teens 2. Unsurprisingly, everyone in their group was almost their age, which seemed like somewhat of a recipe for disaster, as Caroline feared that this could result in the teens refusing to follow orders from someone who is basically their age. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that their group of teens was actually quite well-mannered and well-behaved. John B and Sarah’s teens, however, were a whole different story.

“You sure you got T2 and not T1?” panted Sarah after finally sitting down at the counselors table beside Caroline for dinner.

Caroline smirked, “Positive,” she confirmed, not being able to hide her amusement at the sight of an already tired Sarah, “Why’d you ask?”

“Oh, no reason,” said Sarah sarcastically, “Well, besides all the girls, and I’m pretty sure one of the boys, having a massive thing for John B, and them all quite literally being the spawns of Satan, hm… no reason,”

Caroline laughed at Sarah’s words, looking over at the table where her group and Sarah’s were seated at. Two of the T1 girls were giggling while telling a story, while everyone else’s attention was on them. Caroline came to the conclusion that they would be the It Girls at this year’s camp, bossing everyone around. She couldn’t help but laugh at the irony that it was Sarah who got these two as they were literally mini versions of her.

“Heard my name being called,” John B slid onto the bench across the table from the girls. Now that everyone had been sorted, the Wildcat Lodge seating area had been rearranged so that the groups would be sat together according to their ages, and the counselors would be sat together according to their groups. The head staff had their own table at the very foot of the podium, right next to where the food was, conveniently.

JJ was quick to join their group at their respective table, “What’d I miss?”

“Oh, nothing,” Caroline said nonchalantly, “Just Sarah being jealous over her girls liking John B, no biggie,” Sarah kicked her under the table, earning an, “Ow!”

John B’s eyes immediately shot up, that familiar twinkle of excitement swimming through his honey orbs, “Jealous?”

“As if,” barked Sarah, squinting her eyes at him threateningly.

“We’ll see about that, baby cakes,” John B winked, diving into his dinner.

“So,” said JJ, lowering his voice in case any of the neighboring tables were listening, “What’s the plan, guys?”

Caroline shook her head, “I don’t even know where we could start, I mean, the only clue we’ve got so far is that message we had to scrub off the rock this morning before the campers arrived…”

John B thought for a second, “Hey, wasn’t Topper paired up with her?” he said suddenly.

Caroline’s eyes widened in realization, “John B, you’re a genius!” she said, earning a proud smile from the boy, “Last night at the counting, Topper said something about feeling guilty for not offering her his jacket!” the four of them turned to look towards Topper’s table. He was sitting quietly, barely poking at his food, while the rest of his fellow counselors were having an animated conversation around him. Caroline turned back towards her friends, “Chances are he was the one who saw her last!”

“Yeah, and judging by the look of his face, he doesn’t seem too excited about it,” remarked JJ.

“Can you blame him? I’d be pissed if I was paired with Madison, too,” muttered Sarah, scrunching her nose at the leafy salad in her plate.

“Tonight at the bonfire,” said Caroline, “Sarah’s going to offer him some help with his girls, seeing as he’s dealing with all of his kids alone,”

“Hey, why me?” Sarah frowned at the plan.

“Because you’re the one who had a massive crush on him back in the day,” Caroline whispered in Sarah’s ear, resulting in Sarah kicking her under the table again. Caroline bit back a groan as she smiled forcefully, looking at the two boys in front of her, “Okay, well, sounds like we’ve got a plan.”

-------------------------------------------------

After handing out the songbooks and marshmallows to all of their teens, Caroline, JJ, Sarah and John B took a seat at their designated log next to their groups, which had somehow bonded during dinner and were all laughing together.

“Alright, settle down kids!” Pricilla said, causing everyone’s chatter to die down, “As you have already been informed, it is a Willowdale tradition to perform our very own rendition of Bomfiara every morning and night until the end of camp. The songbooks you’ve been kindly given by your counselors contain the lyrics to all of the camp songs we’re going to be singing this summer, but I’m sure that by the end of it you won’t be needing the books anymore,” Pricilla fake-laughed at her own joke while everyone just started at her blankly, “Okay, well, let’s sing!” she gave the tone and everyone started signing.

“This is so lame,” said one of the girls Caroline proclaimed as “It Girls” earlier that evening, “We’re too old for this BS,”

“You got that right,” mumbled Sarah.

“Oh, come on, I love it, it used to be our favorite tradition!” whined John B.

The two girls squealed and started pinching each other, immediately opening their songbooks and joining in on the singing, making intense eye contact with John B with their best seductive looks. Sarah rolled her eyes at the scene.

“See?” she whispered to Caroline, “This is what I meant!”

Caroline smirked at the blonde girl, “Am I sensing… jealousy?”

Sarah scoffed at the remark, “Pf, yeah right,” she said defensively, “I’m just annoyed that they’re only listening to what he’s saying and we’re supposed to be counselors together.”

Caroline nodded slowly, pretending to be buying the story, “Yeah, sure,” she turned to look at Topper, who regardless of the fact that he was surrounded by his group and fellow counselors, still seemed down, the camp fire illuminating his distant face, “Speaking of together, when do you wanna go talk to Topper?”

Sarah followed Caroline’s gaze towards the boy, “Once this stupid song is over,”

Caroline nodded and both girls turned towards their group again, where the It Girls were still making sexy eyes at John B, who seemed totally clueless to their approach as he was belting the lyrics of the much familiar song out loud, waving JJ’s hands every so often.

Once the song was over and everyone got back to their regular chitchat, Sarah stood up and straightened her shorts and camp sweatshirt as she made her way towards Topper.

“Hey, Top, this seat taken?” she said, referring to the empty spot on the log next to him where Madison was supposed to be sat.

Topper looked at Sarah as if she’d just said a distasteful joke, “Hey, Sarah…” he muttered, “Obviously not,”

“Awesome!” Sarah smiled widely, plopping down next to the boy.

“So,” Topper started awkwardly, “What brings you here?”

“Saw you from across the pit,” she explained directly, “Couldn’t help but notice that you seem lonely,”

“Yeah, well,” Topper looked at her with a look of disapproval once again, “I sort of am,”

Sarah pretended to only just realize what he was talking about, “Riiight… So, about that,” she chirped again, “Last night you said something about a jacket?”

Topper sighed, “Yeah, Madison said she was cold when we were in our cabin and instead of offering her my jacket, I sort of felt… relieved that she was going to leave me for a second to go grab hers. I should’ve known that something was wrong when she was gone for over 10 minutes, instead I just laughed around with Kelce and the boys and then we heard the scream…”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Oh, please, you’re not blaming yourself for it, are you?”

“I mean, I kinda am,” Topper confessed, “If I wasn’t too caught up in being annoyed that I’d been paired up with her, I’d have just given her my jacket or followed her to your cabin to get hers and none of this would’ve happened,”

Sarah tried putting on her best apologetic smile as she reached for Topper’s hand, taking him by surprise, “Look, Top, I hate Madison just as much as the next person, but I hardly think any of this was your fault. She probably just used the jacket as an excuse to ditch and got excited to see her rookie boyfriend, hence the scream,”

Topper frowned, “Don’t tell me you actually believe all that?”

Sarah shrugged, “I mean, she was a drama queen,”

Topper pulled his hands away from Sarah’s, shaking his head, “Just go, Sarah,”

Sarah looked over towards her friends across the fire pit who were all staring at her in anticipation, as she shrugged her shoulders and mouthed them a, “Sorry, I tried,” making her way back to where they were seated.

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A/N: Camp has finally officially begun and so has the search for truth ~~ As always, let me know what you think, I hope you are enjoying the story so far, I'm super excited to be writing this xxx

tags: @k-k0129 ; @hayleyy-l ; @marvellover04

Part 6 here

[adultswim2021]

Metalocalypse #1: “The Curse of Dethklok” | August 6, 2006 – 11:45PM | S01E01

Metalocalypse! Brendon Small's follow-up series to Home Movies! I've always considered myself a liker and appreciator of this program, but it was never a favorite. That's sorta the sweet spot for me when it comes to revisiting Adult Swim shows, cuz I haven't seen this in a very long time.

First: I wanna reflect on my earliest memories of this show: I think people were envisioning this as being much more like Home Movies, as if they were giving Dwayne a spin-off the same way Hank Hill was basically a Tom Anderson spin-off. The first glimpse of the animation did not really excite me, but I can recognize it as necessary in the world of low-budget television. They wanted to do a show with a grand scope and a cinematic feel and unfortunately skimping on the actual animation was probably the thing to do. I just think this show less resembles a cartoon program and more resembles those missing Dr. Who episodes where they do animations to go along with the show's audio.

But the show is funny, and it did grow on me, and I eventually became a regular viewer. I even own the first three seasons on physical media. The main reason I sorta arms-legth this show is that it seems like an appreciation or familiarity with metal is a big help. That's not me! But, I think I sorta get the joke.

The main idea behind the show is that it's about a metal band called Dethklok, which happens to be the biggest band in the world. In fact, they are one of the largest economies in the world. I'm guessing the satire comes from the way real-life metal bands tend to self-aggrandize while actually consisting of chowderheads and dumbfucks. Because Dethklok is also made up of chowderheads and dumbfucks. This show is like if a metal band’s lies about itself were true. It's also like if Beavis and Butt-head took over the world. Lots of people would probably die brutal deaths, which happens nearly every episode of this show.

The specific plot of this episode is that Dethklok are debuting a jingle for a coffee company with a mountaintop concert where die hard fans have to traverse the mountain and sign a waiver disavowing Dethklok of any penalty for causing their accidental death. Dethklok drops the stage via their huge mansion-sized helicopter, crushing many of their supporters. Part of the show involves pouring scalding hot coffee onto their fans. There's probably a deeper satirical comment about how those who rule us, and I'm not talking about entertainers, have nothing but barely-veiled disdain for us, and would like to see us all drop dead. Not sure what that satirical comment would be. Could THIS be it?

A subplot involves their personal helicopter chef getting obliterated by an errant firework and getting chopped up in the helicopter blades. Without him this requires the band to venture into a supermarket for the first time ever. This is a much more traditional fish-out-of-water comedy scene which the show does pretty well, and there's a lot of good character-based comedy here. The difference between Dethklock's first scene and this scene is almost night-and-day; as if all the pilot jitters were exorcised midway through the show, and the performances became loser and the characters more defined at this point. Not sure about the production of this show, if they made a pilot and scrapped a significant portion of it or what. But this seemed to be the era of pilot-less greenlights, and this show did not take the previously oft-taken route of debuting a pilot special first and then going to series. This one was weekly right out of the gate.

We also get a glimpse into an overarching story-line where we see some sort of deep state organization monitoring Dethklok's activities. They help cement the stark contrast between Dethklok's image and who they actually are: extremely stupid dipshits who got famous and became the most powerful people in the world basically by accident. They are introduced by a guy who plainly speaks the lyrics of the theme song. “unfortunately that's all we know”. Ah yes! We still have a lot to learn!!!

Oh yeah. I have to jam this in: I guess this is the first regular series to be letterboxed on Adult Swim (Lucy: The Daughter of the Devil was also letterboxed, but would make a point to break out of the letterbox bars during certain scenes; also it was just a pilot and not a regular series at the time). The show was produced in SD, natively in 4:3, which meant that when they showed these pre-HD episodes during the HD era they’d stretch them, black bars and all, rather than zoom in on them. I guess upscale technology has gotten better because now they have been converted to 16:9 without the black bars on HBOMax. Looks pretty good. But, man, fuck that autoplay feature. This show has stuff going on during the credits most episodes, so please, keep your remote nearby to wave it away. Shit sucks.

[stanknotstark]

Devil In The Details

I had fun writing this I’m not sure it’s what you really wanted tho...I’m not sure if I’m gonna write the reader part yet tho idk is that something everybody would want? A reader who doesn’t like the sand? Cuz someone gave me an idea for it...*cough my wife *cough* hahaha Idk after reading this tell me if you want a reader part and if so I’ll write it!

Summary: REQUEST. Loki hates the sand and after a nasty prank you decide to exploit this small detail.

“I can’t wait, Loki! You’ll love the beach!” You smile at Loki who gives you a smile back. You don’t miss how his smile is stretched thin. He hides his feelings really well but not from you. You can read him like an open book and while you know it disturbs Loki that you can, you still have pride about it. 

You know Loki is going to hate the beach. You’ve noticed that when he eats he can’t stand having crumbs on his hands and constantly wipes them on his napkin and tries to do everything in order to not eat with his hands. After a particular mission involving Sandman Loki had taken an hour-long shower and wouldn’t let you touch him until you yourself had washed away all the sand as well. He has this small thing about crumbs, or sand, or any small particles, that you plan to exploit. You want revenge.

Loki had pulled a prank the other day and it had involved you. You had been hanging out with Natasha and Wanda when Loki had come up and kissed your cheek. He pulled back, his hands grabbed your hair, and you heard a snip of scissors. You sat there frozen watching Natasha and Wanda’s reaction. They both looked behind you at Loki with wide eyes. 

Loki isn’t stupid. He knows you take a lot of pride in having long, beautiful hair. He couldn’t have missed that when it rains you’re more worried about your hair getting wet than yourself. He couldn’t have missed that you’re constantly running your hands through your hair to make sure it’s perfect at all times.

Loki isn’t stupid.

At least, not often. 

You stand to full height and turn to Loki slowly. You can feel your face fill with fury as you look at Loki who stands there, holding your beautiful locks, with a sly smirk on his stupid lips. 

“Run.” You grind out. Loki is quick to turn and start running and when you start to chase him he actually starts laughing. The gall of this man. “Loki, I’m literally going to kill you!” 

Loki makes a turn and races for the door that leads to the stairs, your lock of hair waving in his hands with furious movement as he runs. “If you catch me!” He throws over his shoulder while laughing.

You both reach the stairwell and Loki runs down the stairs, landing on the common area floor, and he throws the door open with wild strength so it stays open long enough for you to throw yourself into the room behind him. You reach out a hand and grasp his shirt in your fingers but he pulls forwards and the shirt slips from your grasp. 

“Loki!” You yell enraged. He answers with a snicker. 

The dead man running sees Steve and Tony standing close and talking so he pushes in between them. You follow, shoving Steve with a small sorry. Loki runs into the dining room and you both stop running, staring each other down from across the big table. 

“Darling, listen-” Loki starts holding out his hands in a placating way. You growl as you watch your beautiful hair wave in his hands, causing the opposite reaction Loki was going for. He notices what’s going on and magics your hair away. 

“Listen-”

“What’s going on?” Tony asks as he rushes into the room behind you with a concerned look on his face. He probably noticed how your face had murder written on it. 

“I’m going to kill Loki, that’s what’s going on.” You move to the right but Loki moves to the left of the table to keep a good distance from you. 

“If you would listen-”

“What did he do?” Tony asks over Loki’s response. Steve walks into the room and sees the tension. He moves towards Loki. You assume it’s because he’s trying to protect Loki from you. Smart man. 

“He cut my hair.” You growl out, glancing at Tony whose eyes become comically large. 

“Loki, I thought you were smart. That was a stupid move, really stupid, like, I can hear the wind whistling through your ears bud. ” Tony tells the god who rolls his eyes. 

“If any of you would listen to me-” Loki is cut off when you yell and jump the table to slam him to the wall. Steve is quick to grab you around the waist and pull you from Loki. Your strength is no match for a super soldier’s strength. That doesn’t stop you from fighting Steve’s hold though.

“I did not cut your hair!” Loki yells, pushing from the wall and holding his hands out again. 

You look over his face and calm yourself. “Steve, did he cut my hair?” You ask the man holding you, not trusting Loki. Steve still holds you but holds you at arms length so he may examine your hair. 

“Uh, there’s-” He starts but Loki waves his hand at you. “Oh.” Steve exclaims, shocked. You feel one of his hands come to your hair and caress at the locks. “No, your hair is fine.” He finally concludes. 

You close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose. The tears that come can’t be fought. 

“Darling-” Loki says in a sorrowful voice as he reaches for you. You shake your head, jerking from Loki so he can’t touch you. You pull from Steve’s grip so you may leave and cry in peace. You know it’s just hair and maybe it’s stupid to cry about but you had really felt true fear that he had messed with it. 

It’s a whole day before you let Loki approach you again. By this time you’ve already made plans for revenge.

When you arrive at the beach you don’t miss the grimace Loki gives as he looks at the sand. He wipes it off his face when you fully turn to him though. 

“Find us a spot and I’ll get all of our stuff.” Loki tells you when you both get out of the car. You let him have this small time to mentally prepare himself for the torture you’ve prepared for him. You make your way down to the beach and find an open spot to set up that has an umbrella to protect you both from the sun. Loki is slow-going to make his way towards you. You watch as he really tries to not wince every step he takes in the sand. You kind of hope sand makes its way into his shoes.

He quickly sets two towels down under your picked spot then watches as you undress to your swim suit under your clothes. When you bend over to take your shorts off you hear Loki give a sigh and start undressing. 

Good, you can’t help but think. 

When you’re undressed you glance at the bar nearby. “I’ll go get us some drinks.” You state, grabbing your wallet and leaving Loki. When you reach the bar you order your usual drink and Loki’s favorite when he’s having a rough day, gin and tonic. You order and turn to watch Loki.

Loki stands there under the umbrella glaring at the towel on the ground as if it might actually bite him if he lies on it. You chuckle under your breath. You then watch him shake his head and sit on the towel with hesitance. He sits with his knees drawn up as if trying to minimize how much of his body touches the sand that no doubt got on his towel.

The bartender brings your drinks over and you pay him. You’re quick to come back to Loki and hand him his drink. When he takes a sip he sighs and thanks you in a grateful tone. 

You sit on your towel and give him a smile as you sip on your own drink. “So, I was thinking, have you ever built a sand castle?” You ask with a raised eyebrow at your uncomfortable lover. 

Loki looks over to you with a look of dread that he is quick to hide, just not quick enough for your keen eyes. “No. Isn’t that an activity for children?” He asks, trying to deter your plans passive aggressively. 

You shrug and give an embarrassed smile. “It is...I just-” You cut yourself off to make your acting more dramatic, “Never mind.” You babble out and look away from Loki to the crashing waves and open water. 

You can tell Loki doesn’t take his eyes off of you as he wages war in his mind. 

“Perhaps you could show me how to do it, I’ve never tried.” He tells you with open honesty. 

You look over to Loki with soft eyes. This man was truly in love with you if he’s willing to build a sandcastle with you. It’s nearly enough to make you stop your plan of torture. 

Nearly. 

You nod at him. “After our drinks I’ll show you!” You say in an excited voice, your body slightly jumping in place like an overexcited child. Loki loses his look of distress for a second as he lovingly smiles at you. 

You set your drink aside and lay down on your towel. Your hands come to clasp over your stomach. You don’t outright look at Loki but you watch from your peripheral. He looks at you with apprehension. 

Loki sets his drink near yours between the towels in the sand and looks out towards the water. You hold back a snicker as he closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He slowly lowers himself to lay on his back. He lays there really tense for a few seconds before he forcibly relaxes. 

You get a good idea and smirk to yourself. 

“Sweetheart, you seem tense, do you want a back massage?” You ask Loki who looks at you with wide eyes.

“I-um…” He responds. 

You sit up and tap on his arm, telling him to turn over. Loki follows your prompt and turns onto his stomach. You straddle his hips and run your hands down his back. He shivers, probably because you had let your hands touch the sand before you dragged them down his bare back. 

Without Loki watching you, you let out a wicked smile. 

You work your hands into his built up knots. “What made you so tense?” You ask as you dig into one of the knots and Loki groans. He turns his head to the side so he can partially see you from his peripheral vision. “Probably the fact that I made you cry.” The god lies with ease.

You hum. “You won’t ever touch my hair for a prank again, will you?” 

Loki chuckles. “Never.” 

“Lesson learned then.” You shake your head with a smile. You knead your knuckles into a particularly nasty knot and Loki hisses, his body tenses up, and his hands come to rest on each side of him. His fingers twitch like they want to dig into the ground but he remembers it’s sand. 

When you get that knot worked out Loki relaxes under you again. 

“I truly am sorry, darling. I did not know how much you valued your hair otherwise I would not have done that prank.” Loki apologizes again. He had apologized the second you let him talk to you again after the prank. And again right before you both went to bed too. 

“I know.” 

“Do you? I cannot help but feel as if you do not believe my words.”  

You sigh and get off of Loki and sit on your towel. Loki is quick to sit up again, looking at you. His hands rub across his chest so the sand that was stuck now falls off him.

You grab your drink so your hands have something to do. You look at the sand and think about what you want to say. Loki patiently waits. 

“I know you’re sorry, I know you won’t ever do it again I just-” You let your eyes trail from the sand to the waves. “I’m still hurt about it. I know that’s unreasonable I just...I don’t know, I mean I know it wasn’t anything personal.” You let your feet toe at the towel's edges. When you look over to Loki he is looking at the sand in thought, his fingers fiddle with the drawstrings on his bathing suit. He takes a few seconds before he looks up to your eyes. 

“What may I do to make this up to you?” He asks you with raw seriousness. 

You slightly raise your drink. “Finish your drink so we can make a sandcastle.” 

Loki takes the hint that you don’t want to talk about this subject anymore and picks up his drink. 

“As you wish.” He says, knocking his drink with yours in a small cheer. 

You both finish your drinks in a comfortable silence, watching people run past and children splash in the shallow waves. 

Loki finishes his drink first, you follow not long after. 

“Sun screen!” You say, digging in your beach bag and pulling out a SPF 100 bottle. Loki helps you with your back and you his. You grab the plastic sandcastle bucket from your bag then the both of you are crawling from under the umbrella into the sunlight towards the wet sand.

You hand Loki the bucket mold. “Fill it with the wet sand and compact it.” Loki does as you tell him. You’re impressed when he digs a hand deep into the wet sand and doesn’t even flinch. When he fills the bucket up and compacts it you bring him to the dry sand and he understands what to do. He sets the bucket on the sand and lightly taps at the plastic so the sand will come out without sticking to the bucket. 

You appreciate the view. Loki is on his knees in the sand, he worries over the bucket with a focused look on his face. His chest glistens from the sunscreen he put on and there is a slight blush that crosses his chest under the sunlight. The solid green swim trunks make his pale skin glow. He muscled legs stretching and flexing as he moves around the bucket.

Loki slowly lifts the bucket and a perfect castle sits in the sand. He is quick to smile back at you, satisfied with his work. It’s enough to make you fall deeper in love with the man. 

He quickly stands and comes to your side. “Shall we make it bigger?” He asks you with giddy excitement. You let out a small laugh and nod. 

Loki quickly collects more wet sand and you start searching for seashells to adorn the sandcastle with. 

By the time Loki finishes the castle it is three buckets high. Three castles support two castles, then those two castles support the last one on top. You show Loki all the shells you picked up and both of you chatter excitedly as you decorate the sandcastle. 

You don’t miss that Loki makes sporadic trips to the water so he may wash the sand off of him. He tries to lie about it when you ask and responds that he’s just getting overheated and needs some water on his body to cool him down. If anything, you think it’s probably a half-truth. 

When Loki comes back and you put the final shell on the castle you stand and smile at Loki sheepishly. 

“Loki…” You start. Loki grabs you by the waist and hugs you to him, swaying from side to side. 

“Yes, darling?” 

You pull away but Loki doesn’t drop his hands from your hips just holds you at arm's length with a cute frown. 

“I...Well...Ok, see, I wanted revenge for what you did and now I’m starting to realize I shouldn’t have done this.” You get out in an apologetic voice, a slight wince on your face. 

Loki’s frown lifts to a look of amusement. “You knew I wouldn’t like the sand…” He replies softly. 

You actually cringe at his remark. “Possibly.” You say in a high-pitched voice. 

You gasp with a horrified look on your face because two kids run past and when one throws a handful of sand to the other kid it misses and hits Loki’s back instead. 

You bite your lip when you see sand falling from his hair and face. At least the kids apologize before they’re running off laughing again. You simply watch as the amusement falls from Loki’s face and he closes his eyes. 

“May we leave?” He says in a dangerously calm voice. 

You nod but realize he can’t see it so you blurt out a yes and rush to your spot to pack everything up. Loki is right behind you, making sure to pick up the bucket you had brought, and as you panic he grabs your arm so you look at him. 

“Calm down, sweetheart. I will not die from a little sand.” Loki says in a gentle and calming tone. 

You feel your shoulders relax and take a deep breath. You nod and begin packing the stuff again, this time slower. Loki helps and it takes less than five minutes to begin your trek back to the car. As you pass the showers you bump into Loki’s side and nod at them. Loki looks at you gratefully before he’s handing you the beach bag and rushing over to the shower. You follow him, just slower. When you come to stand at the edge of the shower you watch Loki wash off with a lot of appreciation. 

The water cascades down his back and your mouth goes dry when Loki brings his hands up and through his long black locks, tilting his chin up into the spurting water as he does. When his face isn’t in the direct spray he looks over at you. A smirk crosses his face as he rubs all the sand off his body and watches you watch him. When you catch his eyes you clear your throat and look away. Loki chuckles but doesn’t say anything, thankfully. 

Once he has washed off what he can reach without undressing completely he comes to your side and grabs the beach bag from you once again. You both begin the trek back to the car, Loki dripping wet as he walks beside you. 

“I’m impressed.” Loki states out of nowhere. You look over at him dumbfounded. “I’m impressed because you noticed a small detail about me and exploited it as revenge.” He explains with a small smirk, he doesn’t look at you though, just keeps his face forwards. 

You let out a devious laugh. “I am dating the God of Mischief, gotta keep you on your toes somehow.” 

Loki doesn’t answer you, merely shakes his head as he now genuinely smiles. 

When you reach the car Loki packs everything up as you start the car so it can cool off. Loki doesn’t use one of the towels to dry off probably because they had been on the sand. He gets into the passenger seat, wet. 

“Stark has the money to clean his cars without a second thought. I am not using one of those towels to dry off.” Loki confirms your suspicions when you look at him with an accusatory look. 

You can’t fight the laugh that bubbles out and Loki smiles at you as he puts on his seat belt. You shake your head and focus on backing out of the parking space. 

When you’re on the road back to the tower you let your arm rest on the console. Loki is quick to hold your hand in his. 

“I love you.” Loki exclaims out of nowhere as you sit at a red light. 

“Even after I made you go to the beach as revenge?” You ask as you squeeze his hand. 

Loki squeezes back. “Even more so after that.” 

“Never had a woman stand up to you after your pranks?” You ask. The light turns green so you can’t see Loki’s expression. 

“Never.” 

You hum, glancing over to him, when you can, and you find him smiling a loopy smile as he watches the road. 

“You can prank me, that’s fine, just don’t ever do anything with my hair, please?” You focus on the road as you speak. 

“Of course.” 

“Just know, if you prank me there will be revenge.” 

You can hear the smirk in Loki’s response. “Oh, I was hoping there would be, darling.”

Tag list: @justfangirlthingies @biancablack2474 @creeping156tin @ajeff855 @high-functioning-lokipath @silver-lupines​

[geesenoises]

🎉🎉 If you get this share your favorite line you’ve ever written and pass it along to five more people 🫣😍

hi anon! thanks for asking me and giving me an excuse to talk about a line i'm very proud of, but isn't actually in anything i've published or even part of a completed fic. i'm just waiting for the day i can find a context to use it in.

Rin collected the burdens of expectation and duty like an amateur bug catcher, obsessively cataloging and mounting their empty husks in fragile glass cases.

so i wrote this for Rin, from Free!, the swimming anime. his tragic backstory is that his father was a high level swimmer who passed away when Rin was young, and so Rin wanted to become an elite level swimmer to honor his memory. and along the way, he loses any joy in swimming that he had. i think i originally meant this to be from the perspective of his younger sister, who barely knew their dad and never put that same kind of pressure on herself.

i think that pressure, both self imposed and imposed by others, is something a lot of children of immigrants and children from cultures that are more collectivist than individualistic can deeply relate to. so i wrote this line from that perspective.

you take on all the hopes and dreams of other people and you become their hope for success, and in collecting all of that burden, you take it on as your own. each expectation, each duty that you feel you owe to your family, your elders, your culture... you add them to a never ending list to be checked off. and a lot of those things, if you're reaching the pinnacle, they come with some kind of thing to display. a diploma. a trophy. an expensive car. a house. a job title.

but ultimately all these things are pretty empty if they don't bring you any satisfaction or meaning. it could all get smashed by one stray rock. so i really liked this metaphor of an amateur bug catcher, who's not doing it for science or anything, just to catch them. and the only way to keep them and mount them for display, is for what you catch to die.

and it's my understanding that in japan, it's pretty common for kids to go bug hunting in the summer. they have some cool beetles in japan. so i also liked evoking that sense of a childhood activity that was once just done for fun, specifically for a japanese character.

so that's my favorite line i've ever written. i think about it regularly and wonder if i'll ever get a chance to use it. so i'm really grateful you asked and let me talk about why i'm so proud of it. i'm sorry if this is way more than you bargained for!

if you're interested in more un-used lines that i like, i made a post about it years ago here. number 4 on this list is my runner up favorite line.

edit: it did not occur to me i could just tag people instead of going to ask people. so now i will. no pressure tagging: @phoebe-delia @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm @oknowkiss @corvuscrowned @lqtraintracks @basicallyahedgehog @makeitp1nk @saintgarbanzo