#thank you to dog friends for letting me borrow pics

[saintslewis]

❝ 𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ❞

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 - 𝐋𝐇𝟒𝟒

pairing: sir lewis hamilton x fem!oc

summary: we’re still in america 🗣️ . let’s party with nadia, shall we?

warnings: outfit descriptions, cussing, social media environment, slight jealousy, typos, links to tag are down below and let me know if you want to be tagged in this series!

saint’s team radio 🎀: let’s not talk about how long overdue this chapter is, okay? 🫶🏽 hope you guys enjoy and i hope y’all missed Lewdia as much as i did!

pls like, comment and reblog!

fc: @/unclewaffles_ on ig!

pic cred: pinterest. dividers: @cafekitsune

-

With the jingle of the house keys, the pair laughed into the night as Nadia carried her heeled boots in her hand. Lewis held onto her as she was on his back, his kind self offering to carry her since they left the arena.

"Out of all the songs they could've used, why'd they choose old school Drake when we showed up on the jumbotron?" She chuckled, removing the last of her tears of laughter with her thumb. "Nah, I'm still on the baby who wouldn't let go of you during halftime. Your jewellery was like the most interesting toy ever." He smiled at the memory, someone randomly handing Nadia their baby and started taking pictures.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that many cameras around me. The kids back at work are gonna have so much to say.” She admitted, watching the large front door open up and the entry hall greeted them. Nadia tapped his shoulder and he took that as sign to let her get on the ground. “Thank you for the piggy back ride, Sir.” She smiled and turned on her secret sock covered heel to enter the house.

He’ll never admit how much he loves when she calls him sir. Maybe one day he will, maybe he won’t.

Although sad that Roscoe wasn’t there to greet them due to him getting to be with his other dog friends, Nadia pushed that to the back of her mind and thought of her Gucci sandals for the comfort of her feet. “If we ever go anywhere where you know i’ll be cheering, please remind me to take my sandals with me.” She said out loud, slowly heading upstairs when an idea popped into her head.

The night was barely over and ending it so awkwardly didn’t sit well with Nadia.

“I have a feeling that you’re plotting something.” He stated, standing still waiting to hear what she could possibly come up with.

“Would you be up for ice cream right now?” She smiled while turning around to face him from the bottom stairs.

“At this time? Wouldn’t most shops be closed by now?” Lewis asked, confused by the idea but he knew he didn’t want to decline it.

“We could take a drive to find out,” The smile on her face was mischievous. “The night is way too young for us to come back from a game and sit in the house in silence.” She continued.

After a beat of silence, he had made his decision. “Let’s go change and you’re driving.” Lewis gave in. He felt it was right to let Nadia lead such activities, getting her used to such a busy lifestyle.

She walked out of the guest room with a basic athle-leisure romper and the same simple gold jewellery from earlier and her uggs were hugging her feet. “Hey Lew? Do you have a hoodie I could borrow?” She called out as she reached his room door that wasn’t closed all the way. Although not answering her, he walked out with a hoodie that smelled exactly like him, seemingly from Dior. Only written “CD” on the top left of the hoodie and just like she preferred all her hoodies, it was oversized.

“Dior? Are you crazy? I could stain this.”

“We have a laundry room downstairs, Nads. I could always buy another one and the whole store for you.” He slightly smirked.

“If that’s not the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She jokingly put her hand on her chest and they burst into laughter a few seconds after.

Sitting in the almost empty ice cream shop, Sweet Oasis, the two were on their second sugarcone bowl of their respective ice cream flavours. Nadia with cookies and cream and Lewis with vegan vanilla. The first round of desserts were deemed free by the all too excited cashier who was a big fan of Lewis.

“So in hindsight, Mission 44 is to help uplift the youth into STEM spaces including f1. Man, that’s so cool and to hear it growing so fast makes me feel proud.” Nadia nodded as she played around with her ice cream.

“Thank you, I really want to expand even further in different countries such as Brazil and surprise surprise, South Africa.” He chuckled at her face once mentioning her country of origin. “You’re already in my good books, Sir. Once you meet my friends and Rea then maybe you’ll be in the top five.” Nadia smiled, biting down on the wooden spoon.

“What are your friends like? Feel like I have to prep myself to meet them.” Lewis joked by moving his shoulders around. “They’re really cool and incredibly funny. They tried their best to make me famous but looks like I did that all by myself.” She teased.

Taking another bite of the ice cream, she spoke again. “The boys will try and intimidate you, especially Chunks and Filly. The girls will be welcoming, just always bring chocolate with you.” Nadia informed him, smiling at the thought of her friends.

“Then Rea is like my child although she’s my cousin. She’s gonna stay with my mom while she finishes year 12 but I think I might just take her in, I miss her too much.” She said, not wanting to let him know all about the tension with her mom just yet.

Looking at the McLaren that Nadia drove to the ice cream shop, Lewis could tell that she wanted to switch topics because of the tone in her voice and her completely avoiding eye contact with him.

“Do you want to talk about something else?” He asked and all she did was nod. She mouthed a thank you to him afterwards, feeling herself become safe with him. “So we’ve got quite the week ahead of us. Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skin company, is hosting a party and we were invited.” He spoke.

“You wanna give me a heart attack or something, dude? I’m gon’ be around the Biebers? I still haven’t recovered from Beyoncé!” She replied, whispering the last words to him so that the few people around them wouldn’t be able to hear them.

He grinned at her reaction, her dramatic excitement along with her smile that she would always try hide would always make him feel something in his heart. He didn’t want to think that far. Lewis wouldn’t allow himself to think that far.

“Then the big news that Tia shouted at me to tell you is that we’re going to a Versace event in Cannes on Tuesday I think. Then it’s the Monaco gp which is a spectacle on its own.” He informed then chuckled at her putting her head in her hands.

“Your surprises are going to send me to the hospital one day, what do you mean Versace? That’s like a lifelong dream for me, dude.” She expressed, not sure whether to feel excited about experiencing all of these things or terrified for the busy schedule.

Finishing the last of his ice cream, he pushed the cup to the side and held out both his hands towards Nadia. Taking the sign to put her hands in his, he held them tightly. “Are we bout to pray right now? It’s a little too late for that, the ice cream’s done.” Nadia joked, looking i between their hands and his face.

“Nads.” Lewis started. “Sorry, serious stuff now.” The man couldn’t resist the smile on his face as she joked around, revealing more of her personality to him.

“My life gets incredibly busy, even I get exhausted. So, you don’t have to be everywhere with me. It would be cool to see how you do things while we’re at all these events but you need your time to yourself, y’know?” He continued.

Nodding her head, she spoke up. “Yeah no, I get you. It’ll take some time to get used to everything and I don’t mind the travelling, you’re cool to be…around. Pookie, we gotta go.” Nadia’s eyes were concentrated on whatever was going on behind Lewis.

“Don’t look back, they’ll know we’re watching them. Let’s just get up and go to the car.” Nadia said, still holding his hands and she put on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

And as she said, the pair stood up and threw away their trash, saying goodbye to the worker whilst ignoring the flashes from the large window shops. She lifted her hood before walking out the door that Lewis opened for her and the flashes tripled. Looking at her husband, he already had his sunglasses on and dug in his pocket to give her the car keys.

Once in the McLaren, the car front was surrounded by the paparazzi but the tinted windshield gave them a little bit of privacy. In the driver’s seat, Nadia took out her phone and connected her phone to the car after igniting the engine. “Have you heard of Amapiano?” She asked him, watching him get comfortable being the passenger.

“Uh, kinda. Why?”

“Wanna take a lil drive and listen to it?” And there was her mischievous smile once again. Before he could get his answer out, different beats started playing until the beat started to flow and the artist started singing in a different language that Nadia clearly knew very well.

Rolling down the windows a bit, she reversed the supercar and drove off, leaving the paparazzi speechless.

-

nadiahamilton

liked by lilymhe, nataliatheedon and 484,828 others

nadiahamilton rhode ready <3

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loriharvey i’m actually obsessed with you, i can’t wait to meet you

nadiahamilton i’m too excited

lewishamilton you’re so welcome for me curling the back of your head

nadiahamilton sleep with one eye open, pookie 🫶🏽

user blasting amapiano at night while driving to you is cool?

nadiahamilton it’s one of the best things i’ve ever done

user it’s just unnecessary publicity

nadiahamilton you wanted to be in the car with me, didn’t you?

justineskye your face card is insane, i’m hyperventilating

nadiahamilton that’s all you 🥹

user mother

user it’s still weird that you guys are here praising a woman who spawned out of nowhere

user like why is no one talking about this???

user it’s very simple. they’re married and she’s only showing herself to the public now

haileybieber i want to be your mirror, just stare at you forever

lewishamilton that’s what i’m there for!

beyonce 💗

user WAIT WAITTTT HOW TF

user THERE’S NO WAY BEYONCÉ COMMENTED

user NADIA YOU BETTER SPILL

nataliatheedon 5,6,7 what?!

amarawinston ATEEEE

charlotteparks my friend is so super stunning

nadiahamilton awww you guysss 🤭

user idk what he sees in her, she barely is dressed

yungfilly come back to the UK nads, it isn’t the same ☹️

nadiahamilton i willllll, i’m just doing stuff with my husband 😝

chunkz tell him to come back as well 🫵🏽

lewishamilton 👋🏾

chunkz ay big ups brotha, the champion 🙏🏽

nadiahamilton chunkz pls 😭😭😭

user does anyone know if she’s got a studio for styling??

user i actually don’t know if she does

centralcee not yet, she works through emails and shit

user and how tf would YOU know

ajshabeel alr, pack it up cench 😐

user WHAT’S THE BEEF? THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING

user please come back home to south africa 🇿🇦

nadiahamilton ofc i will 🥹

versace 🪩💗

-

“How do you do that? So easily too?” Lewis questioned as he read through her instagram comments. The way she casually spoke to everyone as if they were long time friends was absolutely fascinating to watch.

“It’s a technique I learned from my kids. I always want them to be comfortable in class especially when it’s a tough topic like post-Renaissance.” She shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing and continued to fluff her hair a bit more.

The two, coincidentally, were matching in colours. Nadia’s corset wasn’t too tight but it complimented her jewellery and she felt comfortable wearing such short shorts because the high top Rick Owen sneakers were just the right fit. Her Dior saddle bag sat next to her as they rode in the back of the Escalade.

And of course, they were both wearing their grillz.

“Thank you for introducing me to Amapiano fully. I can’t get any of the songs out of my head.” He said, constantly bouncing his hands on his legs to whatever beat he was thinking of. “It’s addictive! I told you, sthandwa.” She smiled softly but didn’t see him whip his head towards her.

“…What?”

“Oh! It’s a term of endearment from South Africa, it means ‘love’ then sthandwa sami is like my love. Just like how you brits say love.” Nadia explained. Lewis definitely heard everything she said but he was hooked on how she said it. If he thought that hearing songs with her native language was addictive, he could most definitely get used to hearing her speak it.

“Just to clarify, it’s Zulu. Whereas in Sotho, it’s something completely different. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you so that you don’t fuck up when we go to sa.” She chuckled but then stopped in her tracks.

“That’s if we do ever visit, don’t want to be too forward.”

“Of course we’re going to South Africa, are you kidding? I feel like I’ve just discovered a whole new world.” Lewis assured, basically jumping in excitement.

“What have I created?” Nadia joked to herself.

-

Although she knew that this was Hailey’s event and she knew that it was going to be full, Nadia didn’t expect it to be this full.

Leaning into Lewis as they walked through the crowd of paparazzi and hired photographers, she turned to him a little more. “I feel severely underdressed with my sneakers.” She worried. “You look amazing though, your feet are still not fully healed from yesterday right?” Lewis asked as discreet as possible.

“I mean I knew damn that I wasn’t going to wear heels because of yesterday.” She replied, waving to the photographer calling her and Lewis’ name. All of this was very weird. It felt weird to just be called by paparazzi.

“Exactly, so you’re cool. As long as you feel comfortable and you feel good, then I’m good.” He reassured her.

Before she could answer, they had reached the door and there was a girl standing with cocktails on the tray she was holding. They thanked her but politely declined to it and entered and the atmosphere inside was lively.

The colour scheme for Rhode was beige and other earthy colours which fit the aesthetic perfectly of the decor of the event. Sow r&b music was playing quite loudly while everyone in attendance was talking amongst themselves. As soon as her and Lewis stepped foot inside, many people’s attention went to him and Nadia.

Squeezing his hand a bit tighter, Nadia and Lewis made eye contact and he slightly relaxed because she looked calm but obviously a little nervous.

“Oh my God! The Hamiltons are here!” Someone shouted in a singsong voice and as Nadia was trying to identify who was that, Hailey Bieber and Lori Harvey appeared right in front of them with the the biggest smile on their faces. “Oh my goodness, welcome to Rhode! I’m so excited to see you guys and,” Hailey gasped as she took a look at Nadia.

“Nadia! You’re so beautiful, whoa. Where are my manners? I’m Hailey!” “And I’m Lori and girl, I was serious when I said i’m obsessed with you.” They introduced themselves and their smiles were damn near blinding. “It’s nice to meet you guys, this is exciting.” She smiled, grateful that they couldn’t see how nervous she was.

“Okay okay so let’s go take pictures now then I’ll introduce the products then we party!” Hailey said all too enthusiastically. In all of this, Lewis watched as Nadia interact so gracefully with the same people she was nervous to meet and he couldn’t help but feel proud of her and how she handled everything.

After taking photos with everyone and meeting Justine who damn near fainted at seeing Nadia in front of her, they were seated on their own little table just like everyone and were served hors d’oeuvres during the presentation of the skincare brand.

“How are you feeling?” Lewis leaned in and whispered as one of the products were being shown.

“I’m good, feeling much better. Wasn’t expecting so much love from the girls today.” She leaned over to him as well, careful to not make a noise for other guests.

“I knew they’d love you. And maybe you work with them in the future?” He mentioned, noticing her head resting on his shoulder so he moved a little closer where she could be more comfortable.

“When I get my own studio or truly advertise myself to such a crowd.” She replied. He nodded and she felt it, making her smile a little. “I have the strongest of feelings that there’s an after party when this is all done.” Nadia said, slightly lifting her head to look around the crowd that looked it was ready to party.

“Yup, it’s at their house. It’s like 5 minutes away from home so whenever you want to leave, we can.” And there go the butterflies in her stomach.

-

Walking into the Bieber’s home and seeing how it came alive, Nadia felt like she was in a movie. People who she always thought she would be lucky to see in person were introducing themselves to her and greeted her husband with the most excitement she’s ever seen.

After ‘settling in’ and finding a designated sitting spot to come back to from the dance floor, Nadia could be seen having the time of her life singing lyrics to the group of girls she met earlier including Jordyn Woods. The music shifted from hiphop to Afrobeats and the energy in the whole room was ignited.

Random people that she didn’t know started partying with her and hyped her up after each song. Once Amapiano started rolling in, all eyes were on her as she was dancing but didn’t want to use all her energy. With only a shot in her system, she started feeling rather thirsty and knew that it was time to go sit with her.

As she walked towards their table, she watched as Lewis danced in his seat at the song she was playing earlier in the day. “Now I have to take you to SA. Look at you shimmying.” She laughed as she flicked her hair back and sat next to him on the couch.

“Look at me? You were the party! Miles calls you Ms Party.” He laughed as Nadia saw where he pointed at and there was Miles and Amara but her eyes were closed. “Miles! Hey, damn it’s like i haven’t seen you in forever!” She greeted, opening the water bottle that Lewis saved for her. “And what’s up with Amara? Is she good?”

“I just got here with Amara and she ate two edibles on the way so she’s sleepy.” He smiled, not moving much as Amara was laying on him. “And Abel says hi.” Lewis said, tapping Nadia’s shoulder to catch his attention.

“Abel? As in Abel ‘The Weeknd’?” Nadia asked, gulping her water down as soon as she realised. All Lewis did was nod and just smile at her, their faces quite close already.

“Damn. Let me go find Justine, she got chocolate for me somewhere-” Nadia’s sentence was cut off short because she stood up and bumped into someone. She was still close to the table so she held onto the small table for balance.

Looking up, she saw a tall white man with a very obnoxious smile and recognised his face to be Jack Harlow. “Oh damn, I’m sorry, Ma. I really should watch where I’m going.” Jack apologised, reaching for her left hand and held it in her hand to hold in between his hands.

With her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes watching this man’s actions, she didn’t bother to answer him. “Don’t you feel the ring on my hand?” She fired at him with all lifted brow.

“You’ve got rings all over your hands and by the way, they’re quite soft, damn.” He straightened up his posture to feel on her hand even more. “What’s your name, Ma?” Jack asked with a dopey smile.

Feeling a hand circle her entire waist, she felt her body being pulled down and landed on something that didn’t feel like the couch. Looking down, Nadia was sat on Lewis’ lap. His lap and his hand was still on her waist quite securely.

“Go on, say your name love. He wants to know.” Lewis’ husky voice traveled through your ears and brought chills down your spine.

“Nadia Hamilton.” She managed to get out, shimmying her hand out of Jack’s hold to formally shake his hand. The white man’s face dropped at the sight in front of him. He really tried to flirt with a legendary f1 driver’s wife.

All Jack could muster up the strength to do was nod. “I’ll catch y’all later, it was nice meeting you guys.” He pursed his lips together and walked away.

Turning her head towards Lewis’ face, she resisted the urge to smirk. Deciding to be a little messy, she made herself comfortable on his lap and moved a bit, feeling an even tighter squeeze on her waist.

“You’re gonna be jealous of a lil white boy?” She teased but his smirk could not be wiped off his face. “Never that, Mrs Hamilton.” He responded, knowing he succeeded because she looked away as she was blushing.

“I’m so happy I was awake to see that.” Amara whispered to Miles as they watched their friends catch feelings for each other in real time.

nadiahamilton

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nadiahamilton miss party

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user i’ve never suffered from fomo like this before

user i wish i was an influencer rn

kehlani what can one do to party with you

nadiahamilton come to next week’s race 🫵🏽

kehlani already got the tickets 😝

fencer MISS PARTY 🗣️🗣️

nadiahamilton is this nickname going to stick?

spinzbeatinc you know it!

haileybieber you’re so much fun ily

nadiahamilton ily!!

loriharvey is this a sign to take a girl’s trip to sa?

justineskye i hope so!

ryandestiny can i come? it looked so fun

jordynwoods i’ve already got my bags PACKED

theestallion count me in, i’ll get to know you on the plane ride baby 😝

lewishamilton sthandwa sami 🕺🏽💗

nadiahamilton 😚🫶🏽

user HOW DOES HE KNOW ZULU???

user he’s got a Zulu wife bro

user this is so shocking to see 😭

user this better be a public holiday when they come over

niko now come back and party with us

nadiahamilton can you give me like a week?

ohnosharky this needs a celebration

nellarose_ Nadia’s homecoming if you will!

kingkennytv ‼️‼️‼️

student now you HAVE to spill the tea with us in class

nadiahamilton ugh fine 🙄

amarawinston 🪩🪩🪩🪩

user i was a server at the rhode event and omg you’re gorgeous in real life 😭

nadiahamilton thank you my angel 🤍

user i was a server too and since nobody’s saying it, you’ve got an ASS on you ma’am (i’m a girl)

nadiahamilton tears thank you 🤭

saint’s team radio 🎀 (once again): my fingers hurt from typing. Hope you enjoyed! Lewdia rises once again!

tags: new post

[hime-memes]

                                                 • A Girl’s Guide To Murder   •  ( Part 1. ) 

These starters have been taken from Holly Jackson’s, “ A Girl’s Guide To Murder “ Book. These are from chapters 1 - 11. 

Recommendations: These starters would best serve angsty or crime fighting muses/plots/timelines.

As always: feel free to change anything within these starters that you see fit to make it work for your muse & the receiver’s muse !

** Any slight wording changes / sentence break ups made to the original text is to accommodate for RP purposes or more clarity. **

Trigger Warnings: Swearing, murder / death, toxic friendships, alcohol mention

“ I ... You don’t know me ... I’m ( Name ). I was a few years below you at school before you left. “  “ I was wondering if I could borrow a second of your time ? Well, not only a second, we’re already way past that ... Maybe like, a few sequential seconds, if you can spare them. “  “ I don’t think your brother/sister/sibling did it -- and I’m going to try to prove it. “  “ ( Name ) ! Why is the dog wearing my shirt ?! “  “ Oh my god, I was trying to do homework ! “  “ That’s because you’re a judgmental prepubescent boy who still thinks little people live inside traffic lights. “  “ Oh my god, ( Name ), stop being so gorge. “  “ I wish I didn’t have to be in pics with you. Give me your face. “  “ Yep. We’re prepared for the tears. “  “ Oh, the calvary’s here. “  “ First, you’re banned from looking at this for the next 24 hours. “  “ He did it over text ! “  “ Boys are dicks, you could do so much better than him. “  “ Massive red flag. “  “ Thanks for coming, guys, I didn’t know if you would. I’ve probably neglected you for half a year to hang out with ( Other Name ). “ “ ... And now I’ll be third wheeling two best friends. “  “ That’s crap we’re all best friends. “  “ Yeah, us and those mediocre guys we allow to bask in our delightful company. “  “ Do you like bunnies too ? “  “ Okay, rom-coms or films where boys get violently murdered ? “  “ I don’t see the logic in putting a nose hole in your nose hole. “  “ ‘ It’s sausage to me ‘ is a German saying; just means ‘ I don’t care ‘. “ “ Oh my god, how many times ? He only did one nude photoshoot in the eighties, that’s it ! “  “ Questionable segue, but yes - and I’m going back to interview him tomorrow. “  “ What do you think I’m going to do ? Pin her down and beat responses out of her ? “  “ But ... honestly ...I thought you were just messing with me. “  “ Like bribery muffins ? “  “ I’ve never trusted anyone who takes their coffee black. “  “ We try not to talk about ( Name ) too much: it upsets Mom. It upsets everyone actually. “  “ It’s that ... well ... we’re not allowed to grieve for him, because of what happened. “  “ Crying already ? We haven’t even gotten to the sad parts. “  “ Should I be nervous ? “ “ Uh, we were just, like, drinking, talking, playing some xbox ... nothing too exciting. “  “ No, they make me look old. “  “ That’s okay, you are old. “  “ I’ll never cross to the dark side. “  “ I remember you were about 5 at the time and always wore a pikachu onesie with a tutu. “  “ Yeah, well, Van Gogh’s work was unappreciated in his own time as well. “  “ Excuse me, ( Name ), I asked if you had a problem. “  “ I’ll deliver my complaint in person. “  “ Look, I don’t need some kid I hardly know fighting my battles for me. “  “ I’m not your problem, ( Name ); Don’t try to make me your problem. “  “ Sorry, he/she is a bit friendly. “  “ That’s no way to talk about your ( Familial Relation ) ! “ “ Sometimes, my mouth starts saying words without checking with my brain first. “  “ I used to want to be a lawyer. “  “ You can’t help that these happen to be the woods outside your house. “  “ My brain hasn’t been able to leave it alone. “  “ Go on - I want to hear your theories. “   “ You think it’s possible that ( Name ) was actually murdered ? “  “ That’s ( Name )’s ? How do you have it ? “ “ Let’s go look at it in my workstation ... uh, bedroom. “  “ Sorry, you’re just very entertaining when you’re this intense. “   “ Stop finding my life amusing ! “  “ Yeah, take a look. Don’t worry, they aren’t sexty or anything. “  “ Then, maybe someone else wrote that text ? “  “ I think they’re terrified of false hope. I am too, if I’m being honest. “  “ That line of inquiry is lost. “  “ What did you tell them about ( Name ) ? “  “ When I asked ( Name ), they just said ( Other Name ) was being a ‘ little bitch ‘ about something. “  “  I don’t like the person I was. The person I was with ( Name ). “  “ I was addicted to her. I wanted to be her. “  “ It was bound to end in tragedy, I think. “  “ Yeah, you’re right - I guess I just still feel protective of ( Other Name )’s secrets, you know ? “  “ Well, let’s hope the camping police don’t check instagram, because I’ve announced it to the world. “  “ Dismantling the patriarchy one tent at a time. “  “ I love camping ! Time for vodka and peach rings until I puke ! “  “ Well, how are you ever going to get a girlfriend ? “ “ With my hot bod and twinkling personality, obvi. “  “ She tells the handsome guy with the flashlight to shut up. “  “ A murdered girl isn’t fair game for your crappy jokes. “  “ I was just about to get to the part about ( Name )’s secret older lover - slash - killer. “   “ That’s way over the scary boundary ! “  “ Stories are fine, but no communicating with spirits. “ “ That was needlessly dangerous ! What were you trying to prove ?! “  “ We’re crying because we got lost and the flashlight broke and we’re DRUNK ! “  “ Honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What does the note say ? “   

[tocautiouslygo]

Tell me about sled dogs please

Thank you for asking!! Sled dogs are so cool and I'm delighted you want to hear about them!

So, if you don't already know, mushing is where you attach a bunch of dogs to a dogsled and they pull you across picturesque snowy landscapes. But you can also do it without snow using a cart or even a bike. The races are fun to follow - they take place over several days and hundreds of miles. A friend of mine and 14 of his Extremely Good Dogs competed in their first Iditarod (a well known race that's a thousand miles long) earlier this year, which was very exciting. He's turning his experiences into a podcast here [with transcripts], if you're interested. Here's his team coming in to the finish line, plus some sled blobs that were born last year.

[ID: 1. A team of dogs pulling a person on a sled. The dogs are wearing harnesses and black booties. 2. Four brown puppies, snoozing peacefully, some on my friend's legs and some on a wooden deck. Credit: 1. Iditarod livestream, 2]

Sled dogs are absolutely amazing. Not only are they very very cute, they have a load of adaptations for the cold and for racing. Their coats grow in double layers so they stay warm at temperatures way below zero, and their metabolisms have adapted so that they can run and run and run without getting tired.

[ID: 1. A white sled dog with black patches jumping towards the camera and sticking his tongue out. 2. The same dog curiously sniffing a tyre on a truck. Credit: 1 2]

This is Blowhole. For whatever reason, my brain has latched onto him in particular as a dog I Must Know Everything About (ah, special interests). Musher Blair Braverman borrowed Blowhole for a race a few years ago - she had to drop him partway through (basically at a checkpoint you can drop dogs if they're not up to running for whatever reason and they get taken care of for the rest of the race. Blowhole stepped in a moose hole and sprained his ankle, allegedly) and after the race Blowhole ate the brakelines for her truck... Or at least, allegedly. There's debate in the fandom over whether he did it (he did) or he was framed (no! Let him take credit for his achievements!!). Over time he's become somewhat of a mythological figure - roaming the world, causing vehicular disasters wherever he goes. It doesn't help that he keeps popping up in the background of old photos, and also he is literally the most guilty looking dog I've ever seen.

[ID: 1. Blowhole, sitting on some straw. His eyes are narrowed. He looks like he's plotting something. 2. Blowhole, next to a truck. He has his mouth open, in an expression that on a human might mean he had just had a mischievous idea. Credit for both pics: Blair Braverman]

[silverwhiteraven]

Wings of Broken White - Ch. 4

Tag List: @marichatmay

[ Posted on Ao3 ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 3 ] [ Chapter 5 ]

[ Summary: Alya takes Marinette somewhere, and it turns cute. ]

Alya decided that Marinette wasn’t getting out enough despite the fact that they shouldn't be going anywhere when it was still late winter.

“Girl, you hardly go anywhere anyways unless it’s for someone else!” Alya argues as she dragged a snugly bundled Marinette down snow and salt dusted sidewalks.

“Hey, I went to the school’s Valentine’s party last month, that should count for something!”

Allya scoffed at the weak defense. “You were, like, a ninth-wheel, Marinette. Rose and Juleka, Nathaniel and Marc, Mylène and Ivan, Nino and I, we were the wheels on that bus. You on the other hand…” She trailed off to emphasize her point.

Marinette scoffed. “I think you missed a set of wheels, Als. Max and Kim were there. Chloé and Adrien showed up, too.” 

“Max was there sporting an Aro-pride flag pin and keeping Kim company,” Alya shot back. “They were just being single-wheels, together. And Adrien, with Chloé? More like she had kidnapped him to a secondary location! Adrien clearly wasn't the one to decide to show up. And remember the color coded cups? He was using the one for the ‘Single, just here to support my friends’ category. Just like Max, just like you. So my point still stands: You need to get out more often, just for yourself.”

Marinette sighed, relenting. “Fine, but next time, I get to decide where I go, so no more surprise trips.”

“Yesss,” Alya pumped her fist in the air victoriously, her wings spreading out, too. Marinette laughed and pushed her hand back down to her side while she dodged out of the way of one fairly the overexcited wing.

“Anyways, where are we going? You said something about, ‘You’re going to love it, my treat!’” Marinette quoted in an exaggerated mimic of Alya’s voice, causing both girls to burst into giggles.

“Just a café,” Alya says coyly, almost teasingly. It made Marinette squint in suspicion.

“It wouldn’t happen to be the same café you mentioned two weeks ago on the Ladyblog, right? The one they planned to theme after Paris’s new heroes?” Marinette asked, teasing her friend right back with her confident guess.

“You remembered! Yep, that’s the place! And it’s not just any regular themed café, either. It’s a cat café,”Alya revealed dramatically, while spreading her wings again to wrap them both in a mock cocoon of unnecessary but playful secrecy. Marinette balked.

“Wait, so you’re basically taking me to a ‘Chat Blanc emphasis-on-the-Chat’ Café?”

Alya snorted, pulling her wings back. “Yes, but it’s actually called ‘Hero Rescue Café’. They work together with the animal shelters around Paris, most of the cats they have are available for adoption. The profits are even donated back to those shelters to help keep the animals cared for. Isn’t that cool?”

“Mhm,” Marinette nodded along as Alya continued to rave excitedly and lead the way to their destination. I wonder if they’ll have any cats that look like Blanc? Probably not. Blue-eyed white cats were already popular, and no doubt are even more so now. Not that I could adopt a cat anyways, but it’s a niche thought. Wait, why is it a nice thought? It’s not like I like Chat Blanc or anything, no way! I don’t do crushes! Oh, who am I kidding? Marinette groaned in defeat to her own thoughts, making Alya stop talking and look at her.

“Something wrong, Marinette?”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you, I was just thinking about how sad I’m going to be if I see a cat I really want to keep but can’t?”

Alya nodded in acceptance of the awkward excuse, and Marinette sighed in relief. I can never tell her about my crush- I’m scared to find out what kind of match-maker she would try to be. Or even worse, tell me I have no chance! I mean, I know I have no chance, but still, ow. Would Ladybug have a chance? Wait, she and I are the same person! If I don’t have a chance, neither does Ladybug! Hold on, why am I even thinking about this!?

“We’re here~!” Alya announced, breaking Marinette free once more from her internal chaos.

“Is that a cat in the window? There’s a cat in the window!” Marinette let herself get distracted by the café and Alya laughed.

“Duh there's a cat in the window, it’s a cat café, what else would be in the window?” She teased, but Marinette only laughed.

“Well I know that, but I can still be excited over a cat, can’t I?”

“Save it for when we go inside,” Alya winked, opening the door for them both. There was a second set of doors past the first, and Marinette realized that they did the smart thing and made an enclosed entryway.

“Oh, this is to keep the cats from dashing outside, like at a dog park,” she mused, making Alya chuckle.

“Yeah, and gives people a fur-free place to hang up their coats. Oh, look!” She added excitedly, pointing to the opposite wall from the hanger rod. There was something that almost looked like a long shawl or a barber cape. Marinette recognized it easily. “They have wing-covers for patrons to borrow, in case we don’t want the cat’s playing with our feathers. That’s so thoughtful. They really went all-out on this place.”

Marinette smiled and nodded in agreement as she slid off her jacket and hung it up. “It really is sweet of them. Are you going to use one?” Alya shook her head.

“Nope. My wing’s are tough, I can handle a few clingy kitties,” she declared with a proud smile, and Marinette only chuckled as she opened the next set of doors for them both.

Unsurprisingly, Marinette enjoyed the café. She spent a lot of time admiring their logo that was embedded in the resin coating of their tables. The stylized lettering was inspired by some of the animal-themed Akumas. Then the entire name was encircled by the white belt of Chat Blanc and the red and black yo-yo of Ladybug. Symbolic of two heroes saving those in need. They really thought this out. Maybe Ladybug should show her respect here some time.

Surprisingly, the café’s cats also enjoyed Marinette. Alya was convinced they had met every single cat in the building before they even got their drinks. Marinette was just embarrassed and spent a lot of time spreading her attention between each feline before shooing them all off towards other guests. One of the cats, sleek black with yellow-flecked green eyes, was too stubborn to leave, so she let him claim her lap indefinitely. 

But, completely unbelievably, the café got a surprise guest. Chat Blanc himself showed up out of the blue. Alya had spotted him running across a rooftop across the street, and proceeded to book it out the door, fly after him, and then shamelessly ask to take a photo of him with the cats that were inside the café inspired by him and his partner. He was stunned at first, but agreed, soon enough beaming happily as he surrounded himself with cats.

“Is he crying?” Marinette whispered to Alya as she recorded the feline hero sitting on the floor with at least five different cats climbing his back, shoulders, and into his lap.

“The happiest tears I’ve ever seen,” Alya confirmed.

Once Alya was satisfied she had taken enough pictures and video footage for the blog, she turned her focus to getting a few personal memorabilias.

“Mari! Come here! Take a pic of me with Chat, please? I want something for my desktop background, this would be perfect!”

Marinette agreed, to the annoyance of the cat in her lap. She managed to get the photo, a cute scene of Alya, her nerdy school friend, and Chat Blanc, her dorky friend-but-only-because-she’s-secretly-Ladybug, doing a silly pose with their arms linked, wings flared out, and several cats surrounding them.

She gave a thumbs up, and Alya whooped, standing to take back the phone. Marinette stepped forward, only for the clingy black cat from earlier to entangle himself with her ankles.

With a squawk, she went tumbling, but was deftly caught in the arms of Chat before she could meet an untimely end via a floor of cats.

Marinette flushed scarlet. Chat Blanc smiled shyly. The black cat jumped up on them, getting his lap-seat back. Alya, of course, got another photo.

All three of them managed to laugh it off, but not without Alya demanding another picture of the two and the cats before she would let them stand up.

“Marinette, I’m texting you copies to keep for yourself. Sorry, Chat, I’d send you some but-”

“No worries,” he chuckled and rubbed his neck, waving her concern away with his other hand. “Secret identity means secret number. You’ll be using your own pictures on your computer, though, right? Consider me honored by that,” he bowed dramatically and the two laughed as he straightened. “And Marinette, I’d be more than happy to let you do the same if you wanted, too,” he played the comment off with a wink.

“Time for me to go,” Chat Blanc continued before either girl could respond. “Chat out!”

They watched him dash out the doors and off over the rooftops.

“Girl...Did he just flirt with you?” Alya looked at Marinette, awestruck.

“What? No! There’s no way! Nope!” Marinette flustered and started walking out in a feeble attempt to escape the accusation.

“Uh-huh, because feeling ‘honored’ to be a screensaver for one girl and being ‘happy’ in case it were to happen by a second girl, is totally the same thing,” Alya followed after, determined to tease the life out of Marinette.

“Yes, exactly! Completely the same! It would have just been awkward to say the same line twice, so he just reworded himself, that's all! He was just giving permission to use his picture for personal use, nothing more, nope!”

Alya laughed before winking playfully. “Yeah, girl, sure. That was all, nothing more, nothing less. Whatever you say.”

“Thank you,” Marinette nodded in finality, ignoring the teasing sarcasm from her friend.

Later that day, Marinette saved one of the café photos as her phone’s background, making sure to put a completely different photo as her lockscreen to avoid any further notice or teasing about her and Chat Blanc.

[stevenbasic]

“Oh good god…” I muttered to myself, scrolling to the new pic Melissa had posted, just an hour ago, “what the fuck is she doing..?” I’d finished my sad little meal, at my sad little table, and now sat on my sad little couch in my sad little apartment, and knew - despite the disquiet this post brought me - I’d need to unzip and-

<knock knock> came a rap on the door. 

Who the..?? It was 9pm, on a Tuesday night. Who would be...knocking...now?!? No one knows I’m even here unless it’s…

I dropped my phone, jumped up off the old green cushions, and tucked everything back. 

...Sheryl??

Could it be her? Here to talk? Maybe start to fix things? In a rush of anxiety, I looked about. The harsh fluorescents of the overhead room lights were off, the main illumination in the room cane from a cheap gooseneck floor lamp aside the couch, painting shadows onto the far wall. I’d cleaned up a bit...if by cleaned I meant pushed aside most of the cardboard boxes holding my roughly-packed stuff. I wanted the place to look nicer if this was indeed my newly-estranged wife but nonetheless I stepped towards the door, reaching out my hand for the knob, when I heard the voice:

“Dr JJJJJJJ….” it came, unmistakably both nasal and smoky - and then a series of new knocks, “...let us innnnnn….”

Oh no. Randi. 

My heart stopped, sank, then picked up. Randi?!? How did she know I was here?!? I hadn’t said a word to anyone in the office and now-

I looked through the peephole: 

There’s three of them!!?!

Randi, Josie and Lakshmi, all dressed up for a night out, two of them carrying what looked like trays of food, and all giggling wide-eyed in the hallway outside my “secret” apartment…not so secret anymore, I guess. I had wanted, for as long as I could, to keep this all hush-hush. I didn’t want anyone at work to know that Sheryl and I had separated, that she’d thrown me out of the house, that I’d be living for the time being in a pathetic little apartment above the office. But, it seemed, my secret was out. And if these three knew, I thought with a shiver, Melissa must-

“C’mon..!” Randi demanded, her face abruptly filling my entire view through the peephole, as she tried to gaze through it herself from the other side, “Let us in!!”

Oh Jesus. 

Knowing I shouldn’t, I found myself opening the door. “Hi, uh- how..?”

In a moment, the girls were inside: first Josie, then Lakshmi, then Randi. I was shocked as - parading past me with their party heels on - they were each at least as tall as me, Josie and Randi certainly taller. I tried to hide my dismay, and acutely felt my lost inches as they strutted into my space. Randi eyed me up and down, and aside from feeling short I suddenly also felt silly, dressed for bed already in my thin cotton shorts and grey tee shirt while they were all made up to the nines, hair and make-up. “We heard Sheryl kicked you out,” Randi said, bluntly, as she and the others glanced around the room, taking it in, in all its...meagerness, “so we brought some food.” The look on their faces, as they scanned the bare walls, the crummy furniture, was a mix of distaste (Josie), pity (Lakshmi), and amusement (Randi). “Well, I can't cook,” Randi added further, “so I just dressed up pretty.”

She certainly was, uh...dressed pretty, all three girls were. Party dresses on them all, each one smaller and tighter than the next. Randi’s, a sleekly strapless black number that ran high up her shapely thighs and showed off the top shelf of two surprisingly full breasts, was the raciest of the bunch. 

As if catching my eyes roving Randi, Josie tossed her long, silky, brown hair and spoke up. “Don’t you like Lakshmi’s dress too?” she said, “We’re taking her out dancing. I let her borrow it.” As I admired the fit of Lakshmi’s form-fitting, sleeveless minidress - orange and grey with criss-crossing stripes - Josie continued. “Mimi, show him how nice your ass looks... ” Lakshmi looked shy but obviously proud as she turned, swiveled her womanly hips in a liquid, casually sultry move, one I didn’t think she’d be capable of, and giggled. Her rear was much larger than I’d imagined, maybe just accentuated by her four-inch heels and the way her dress clung to her narrow waist. Anyway, it looked round and shapely and soft and the way it rolled...god, this is Lakshmi?? Where had she been hiding that thing??

“We’re due at the club soon…” Randi explained, obviously ignoring my near-outright leering of her friend, primping her own hair in the cheap, plastic-framed mirror on the back of the door, “...but we wanted to stop by here first...” 

“...in case you were lonely...” Josie continued, smiling at me with a mischievous glint in her eye. 

“...or hungry…” Lakshmi offered, having turned back to me with her plate of food, covered by tin foil. In the meantime Josie had placed her tray down on my little coffee table, and was competing with Randi for space in the mirror, adjusting the fit of her ensemble. From behind, both other girls were no slouches either. Josie in particular had a remarkably fine butt, high and round and obviously gym-toned. She looked coltish in her tight little dress of scalloped orange chiffon, like a girl that had just grown into her curves. 

“...but it looks like you’re just thirsty,” Randi concluded, catching me ogling Josie’s ass, our eyes now meeting in the mirror. 

I turned away as she - mocking me already with her smile - continued to primp aside Josie. 

Not knowing what to say, I looked to Lakshmi behind me, who was once again innocently gazing about the one-room apartment, such as it was. “D-don’t you girls normally do happy hour on Tuesday nights?” I awkwardly asked, steering conversation as far as I could away from myself and my...home situation.

“We do,” Randi answered, taking my attention again as we both now watched Josie struggling to straighten her too-short skirt, pulling down on its hem, “but Missy’s... going through some things. So we’re just going dancing, meeting the other girls out.”

“And, we wanted to cook for you,” Josie added, finally turning back towards me, smoothing her dress with both hands running down her youthful curves. 

“I made empanadas..!” Lakshmi chirped, causing me to turn again. The bright white teeth of her smile gleamed proudly from the rich brown of her complexion as she held her plate up, an offering. “Are you hungry now, Dr. J?” she asked, eyes wide, “We can make you a plate?”

Thinking back for the moment on the takeout styrofoam meatloaf I’d had, I answered. “n-no, I just ate,” I said, flinching as a hand was suddenly on my shoulder.

“Well, why don’t you sit down, then…” Randi purred, urging me backwards the couple steps it would take to get me back to the couch, “...the girls will put the food away.”

“My mom made this lasagna,” Josie said, “it’s really good.”

Before I knew it, I was slumped back on my couch, watching as Josie and Lakshmi had taken their trays and moved to the kitchenette in the corner, trying to find room in the half-size fridge for the meals. Randi was seated close, perched on the coffee table facing me, our knees nearly touching. 

“Your place is really nice,” Lakshmi called, rearranging the few things I had on the shelves of the fridge, making room, “I like it.”

“Th-thanks,” I offered, painfully aware of the pity in her voice, and the pitiful state I’d found myself in. It was humiliating! Here I was, their employer, a man nearly twice their age living like a shamefaced dog in his abject little den. I knew I needed to stand up for myself, exert some confidence and authority to these girls and put on a brave face, but I was still emotionally reeling from the events of these last 48 hours. How did they find out, and how much did they know, about what had happened at home?

“It’s kinda small, this place,” Josie said, finally closing the door of the refrigerator, both girls turning back towards us, “it’s your wife’s, right?”

There you go. 

“y-yeah…” I answered, hating how small my voice sounded, feeling Randi’s gaze boring into my skin as the other girls began to make their way back towards us, “sh-she bought it as an investment, y-years ago. Sh-”

“She owns the whole building, doesn’t she?” Randi asked, her tone making my skin crawl, “The offices, the parking lot, the property? And you just rent from her?”

“Well, y-yeah, sorta…” I answered, looking up now at Josie and Lakshmi, who were stepping in to stand on either side of where Randi sat, “she doesn’t really charge me...rent…”

No, I found myself thinking, she takes it from me in different ways.

“At least she made it nice for you,” Lakshmi offered warmly, gazing down at me in commiseration, “I like the furniture.”

“yeah…” I replied, looking around. The mismatched furniture, here in this apartment, was probably an afterthought of Sheryl’s, some of it likely leftover from a corporate redeco she’d overseen, some of it cheap stuff she’d had delivered wholesale. The bed was flimsy, the tiny dining table plain. The whole place was austere, to put it gently. It felt lonely, spartan...just enough to get by. This couch, though, was beginning to feel crowded. “Listen,” I began, appealing to the girls as all three now stared down at me where I sat, “how did you find ou-“

“Don’t you have any money of your own?” Josie asked, cutting me off. I noticed how, with the goose lamp aside the couch, curvy silhouettes of the standing girls were cast onto the wall, across the panel of the electric box unceremoniously situated aside the doorframe. 

“W-well, Josie, it's complicated…” 

“Complicated? How is it complicated?” Randi asked, obviously baiting me, trying to get me upset, off base, “She owns everything, you don’t. Without her you’d be homeless. It must be humiliating, being that dependent on your wife…”

“Yeah,” Josie said, biting her bottom lip in thought, all three girls regarding me with a maddening sense of pity, “Were you scared, when she kicked you out?”

“S-scared? No, I just, uh-“

“I dunno...it might be nice to be on your own for awhile,” Lakshmi added, brightly earnest, “have some space, have some freedom.”

“But you’re going to have to cook, clean...all the things she used to do for you…” Josie said, turning herself and tucking her skirt to sit, next to me on my right, on the couch. She crossed her gorgeous, bare legs, right over left, towards me. I couldn’t help but notice the muscularity of her calves, her pretty knees and thin ankles. ”We can all chip in, help out,” she offered, “Can’t we, Lakshmi?”

“Oh, for sure, yes,” Lakshmi replied, excitement in her voice as she now sat her voluptuous butt to my left, “We can help take care of you, we’re good at that.”

“Yes you poor thing…” Josie cooed, cocking her head on her long, thin neck, tucking a lock of smooth, medium-brown hair behind her left ear. She and Lakshmi both sat taller than me.

“...we’re good at a lot of things,” Randi purred as, smoothly, she lifted herself off the coffee table and turned her own shapely rear towards me, to...oh god...sit in my lap. 

Surprised at the audacity of their friend, the other two girls giggled, as my eyes goggled. What am I letting happen here?? I can’t be...sitting...like this...alone in my apartment...with three young girls…one of them on my lap...the other two nestling in closer...

Perched coquettishly on my thighs, Randi tossed her thick, darkly wavy hair over her shoulder and looked down at me with smoky eyes. ”Now that Sheryl’s kicked you out, we’re all you’ve got, aren’t we?” she pouted, taking the moment to tuck a stray lock of my own hair behind my ear, “Dr. J’s girls…”

“You poor, poor thing…” Josie cooed, left hand going to my shoulder. 

“Yes poor Dr. J…” Lakshmi followed, her soft hip pressing into mine. 

They nestled in closer, the air now filled with their perfume, the smell of their shampoo and hairspray. “Good thing you’ve got us,” Randi said, smiling wickedly at my predicament, “and we’ve got you.”

“We’ve got you…” Josie cooed softly, following her friend. 

“...we’ve got you,” Lakshmi repeated, now a mantra. 

What the fuck is happening?? I thought to myself as I felt myself sinking deeper into this cheap couch and further under the spell of these three comely girls. I can’t...I can’t do this, I knew, if indeed they had plans for me tonight, plans beyond just dropping off some empanadas and lasagna. I knew that if I was going to get back into Sheryl’s good graces, save my marriage, this was not a way to start. 

Somehow, from some deep wellspring of strength, I was able to muster my resistance, even as I felt Josie’s firm breast press against my right arm, even as I watched Lakshmi’s young, brown thighs as she crossed them towards me, even as Randi’s hand slid down the back of my neck. “uhhh...ladies,” I managed, “It’s getting late, w-we all have to be in the office tomorrow.” Was I really going to be able to do this? “Thanks for, uh, dropping by, bringing the food,” I said, “but I think you should be going...”

“Awww…so soon?” Lakshmi purred. . 

”...but we just got here…” Josie followed, plumping her lower lip in a girlish pout. 

“w-we all have to be in the office tomorrow,” I repeated, this time not sounding even half as determined. 

Randi paused, letting me squirm, hearing my indecision and knowing how hard a battle I was fighting. ”Is that really what you want?” she finally asked, her dark eyes looking confidently into mine, nicely big breasts bulging above her top right at my eye level. 

I could barely say anything, but managed to pull out a semi-convincing reply. “uhhh...y-y-yes.”

Randi chuckled, and the air in the room changed as - surprisingly - Randi was telling the girls it was time to go, as they clucked in disappointment but backed away; as they stood, straightened their dresses, and started to step towards the door. I don’t know what to call the feeling I was dealing with, roiling around my chest. Disappointment? Regret? But it seemed, at least, like they were listening to me. 

Randi, though, was still on my lap. 

The girls were taking one last look at themselves in the mirror, Lakshmi running her hands through her thick black hair, and I began to move t-

“No. You stay right there,” Randi said commandingly, left hand suddenly onto my chest, pushing me back. My eyes went wide, and before I could mount a protest, she was telling the girls, “Meet me down in the car. I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“n-no, Randi, really,” I began, again moving t-

Her right hand fell to my left thigh, grabbing my cock, pressing it into my leg through my cotton shorts. Semi-hard already, my entire body shivered and all the strength to fight fell from my body, drained suddenly away. I fell back to a slump against the couch. 

“I’ll see you in a sec,” Randi told the girls, “Dr J. here just needs a chat.”

Lakshmi and Josie both glanced our way, both chirping something casually in assent. If they noticed that their friend more or less had their boss’ penis right in her hand, they gave no sign and each fluttered a goodbye wave as they left. 

The door closed behind them. 

”Randi I think you should leave,” I said, meeting her gaze with what was the last of my resolve - only to feel that die, withering away as she squeezed me through my shorts and...god help me...I moaned. 

She smiled as she saw my eyes flutter. “Oh, I’m not going anywhere...” she replied, her hand already starting a slow rhythm, my disobedient shaft responding, already growing, “I’m staying right here.”

“Y-you can’t…” oh god...oh god….

My vision’s swimming. 

“Randi, stop…” I moaned, knowing right away I had too much arousal in my voice, “you’ve got to l-leave…”

“Oh, but Dr J…” she purred smokily, shifting herself on my lap, getting comfortable, all the while still working me, “I don’t want to leave. Remember our night in the car..?”

Oh my god if I could take that back, that drunken night in her Dodge Neon. One of the best blowjobs of my life, but the collateral damage it had done... “Y-Yeah?”

“Does your wife know about it?” she asked, simply, setting her shoulders to draw my eye.

Oh crap. “N-n-no, uh...she d-doesn’t...” My mind was struggling more and more as blood left it, abandoning me to swell into the monstrous thing that grew uncomfortably down my left thigh, under her hand. 

“Want to keep it that way?” she asked, as she saw my distress and moved me, took the effort to start to rearrange me in my shorts, pulling it up, pushing it up to my hip. 

Despite the stars that danced in front of my eyes, the pleasure that was clenching my gut into a fist, I managed to speak. “R-Randi, are you...blackmailing me?”

That made her laugh, a gravelly chortle. “Blackmail? Omigod is that what you think I’m doing?” She squeezed me again, just to see me shudder. She pushed my now rock hard dick hard into my hip, making me spasm. Then she started stroking it again, through my pajama shorts. “God, I have such power over you, don’t I…?”

At that I groaned, despite myself, certainly doing nothing to refute her.

“You love that idea, don’t you?” she mused, “You love women with power. You love that I fucking own you...just like Sheryl. I fucking own you…” With that, her hand left me, she sat up straighter - just to watch me slump, surrendering in acceptance that I was basically powerless here. My cock crawled against my flesh, sliding needy and abandoned, shifting towards me, across my hip and skin, centering itself.

“You’re owned by women and you love it,” she pushed, watching how her words just excited me more, watching now as the great mass of my unmanageable manhood tented my shorts, my taut waistband pulled away from my lower belly by its brute size, “you submissive little man…”

I was defeated, she knew it, and she could do anything she wanted with me. Defeated, and my cock was here to prove it. She watched, wide-eyed - we both did - as it slowly pushed itself up past my waistband, the head sliding just proud of the elastic, then emerging further. 

Her eyes flashed. “Oh, there we are…” she chuckled, looking down at it, “there’s my friend…” 

As if feeding on the attention, needful of more, my dick continued to grow, pushing further and further up past the waistband of my shorts, which began to slide down my shaft. The cooler air of the apartment swirled around me, onto my skin, exciting me even more.

“God fucking almighty it’s huge,” Randi marveled, as she sat back a bit to allow it space, sliding off my lap now and down onto her knees, onto the floor, still watching it. 

“R-Randi...no…”

”Speaking of us doing everything your wife used to do for you…” she hummed, ignoring me and gingerly grabbing the sides of my shorts. She pulled them down, freeing my huge stiffness completely. ”Oh god is this even bigger than before?” she marveled, smiling wickedly and readying herself, as she moved my shorts under me, pulled them down my thighs, to my knees, “Or are you just skinnier?” Her eyes were plastered, now, on the dancing, waving, wobbling thing that hovered there, as if self-willed, over my hips and belly.

My lord it did seem bigger than ever, thick veins throbbing under taut purple skin, head swollen and spongy. The thing was monstrous. 

“P-please, Randi...you don’t have t-to-”

“It’s okay...my jaw is nice and loose these days,” she said, as she settled herself more solidly on her knees, pulling my shorts all the way down so she could sneak between my thighs and - in a lurid display, opened her mouth and jaw wide...uncannily wide...for my benefit.

What the fuck?? I’ve never seen a human do that, I thought, as I saw her tongue, her teeth, the glistening pink halfway down her throat. 

Chuckling at my bewildered shock, Randi just closed her insanely big mouth and continued blithely on. “Is this going to be your first blowjob in your new apartment?” she asked, as she casually took hold of my bullish member with one soft, feminine hand, “or did anyone else sneak up here earlier?”

My vision swam again with pleasure. ”Wh-what..? What do y-y-you mean..?“

“Oh, sweetie, all the girls like you, y’know,” she began, as she idly began to stroke my shaft with her right hand, “Brittni and Bobbi, Josie...they think you’re adorable. Lakshmi was, like, all giddy on her way up the stairs here. Aubrey’s basically in love with you. Even poor chubby CiCi. They alllll want to get into your pants.”

Ugh, what? Nnh...Oh my god, no...this was too confusing, the thought of that swarm, buzzing about me, and I was oblivious. Was I surrounded, and didn’t even know it?

“And now that your wife’s kicked you out, now that you’re out on your own,” she continued, her left hand reaching under me to cup my hugely turgid sac, “now we have you all to ourselves.”

“nnnngh…” was all I could manage, as her fingers began to have their way, playing in gentle massage with my outsized testicles. 

“We can do everything she used to do for you,” she said, gravel in her voice keeping it from being a whisper, “we can tend to you, now that your wife’s not around. Would you like that?” Her soft left hand palmed me, squeezed me from below as her right urged me harder and harder and harder. She was stroking me, getting me ready. “Did she used to do this for you? Help you relax, after a long day..?”

“N-n-n-nnnngh….nnn-nnn...” I groaned, worried suddenly that soon I might come, just like this.

“No? Not really…?” she asked, wide eyed and falsely earnest, “Well then..life is better already, isn’t it?”

She leaned over, and spit onto its head, a big frothy glob that clung and began to dribble. 

We both watched as her hands played with me, spreading her saliva down, somehow controlling the beast that rose from me with her thin, delicate grip. It really was a sight, her manicured fingers in a tender fist, sliding up and down the column of my beefy hardness. As if on instinct, though, after a time, my gaze drifted behind it, to the swells of her breasts bulging from the neckline of her dress, watching them move, jiggle, fill with her breath. Images of them growing, of them becoming...oh god...hers...coalesced, and suddenly it was like the scent of Melissa’s perfume was wisping around me. I took a deep breath, any resistance I had buried and forgotten, stared at Randi’s tits, and thought back to the post Melissa had put up earlier, the invitation…

After several moments of allowing my reverie, Randi spoke again. “I know you’re thinking about her, Missy, wishing this was her,” she said. 

“n-no…” I lied.

“Haha liar,” she said, “I know you more than you think I do. You wouldn’t have lasted five seconds here with her…”

fuck…

“So I'd watch out,” Randi said, all the while still casually stroking me, “before, Melissa didn’t want to be a homewrecker...” 

I gasped as she slid two fingers further under me, exploring. 

“No, Missy didn’t like the idea of getting between two people in a marriage. Me? I never cared...I’m a fucking wrecking ball,” she continued, as I tried to keep from squirming as her fingers crept closer, “Missy, though, had her stupid standards. Now, though, now…”

She squeezed my sac, tickled my nethers. Bit her lower lip and leaned in closer. 

“Now everyone wants a piece of you.” She looked at my huge cock, brutally hard in her hand, and then up at me. I saw muscles in her throat working, her jaw flexing as she prepared herself for me and leaned in closer still. Still keeping eye contact, she rubbed her smooth cheek against my tightly stiff shaft, and told me right before she swallowed me: “But right now, tonight...this part is mine...”

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

[smeraldos]

stuck in second gear

so no one told you love was going to be this way.

summary: the tables have been set, the guests have arrived, and congratulations are ready to be made.

all you have to do is show up...

wedding!au

pairings: taehyung/reader, namjoon/reader

genres: love, suspense, bittersweet symphony

words: 2.6K+

Once upon a dream, you’d thought your wedding would be a fairytale. Now you know why some stories have to end: what lies beyond "happily ever after" isn't always so pleasant. 

Which is why you're trying to prevent it. 

Sure, you don't have the best timing, but it's better late than never. Even if it means sneaking out your dressing room in a ton of satin.

"______? How are you doing?"

Startled, you step back from the window. "Great, just give me a few."

“A few what?" Phoebe quips from the other side of the door. "Hours? Years? You know we don’t have that time.”

“You don’t have it or you aren’t willing to give it?”

“Honey, I offered you help and you didn’t take it, so that’s on you. Now are you going to let me in or are you coming out?”

“I’ll come out.” You scramble to gather the train of your dress, but it’s too long. Spotting a pair of scissors leftover from ribbon cutting, you grab it and start cutting off the fabric. “In five minutes.”

“So what do I tell your fiancé?”

“Not to worry because it looks ugly on him and only I should see his ugly face.”

She laughs. "You got that, pretty prince?"

"I'm writing it in my vows," your fiancé says, and maybe you'd find it funny in a sitcom, but it's your life. You panic. The dresser you pushed against the door is not heavy enough to keep him out.

"You're welcome," Phoebe replies for you, oblivious to your dread. "Now shoo. I better not see you up here until ______ walks down the aisle."

He makes a kissy noise in return, right before you hear a loud beep.

Oh. 

“He’s a total kid, I don’t know how you put up with him," Phoebe says to you now. "Actually, don’t tell me. Just hurry up before he comes in and whisks you out himself. Five minutes!”

You don’t need to be told twice. As soon as her footsteps recede, you make quick work of the train and step onto the windowsill. A branch hangs before you, connecting to a tree that is your only way out. It’s risky. Not to mention you haven’t scaled a tree since you were a teenager, and clearly not in a dress of this size. Well. Either you go big or you go home.

You know which one isn’t an option anymore.

...

Taehyung met you in middle school, when he'd moved from the valley to the city. As much as he hated to gloss over people, he'd admit he wouldn't have become your friend if you hadn't been his lab partner first. Not that you weren't fun or interesting or cool - in fact, you were all three, but you ran in a different circle than he did. His was full of troublemakers. He was one of those kids who got bored easily if they weren't being challenged, so it was a good thing Jimin (the only other kid with a Korean name) and you came into his life when you did.

He'd also considered it a miracle you both stayed. Or so he hopes.

"Hey," Jimin, elevated to best man, steps up to him and pats his back. "Earth to Galactica, what's the status update?"

Taehyung tries to smile, but it's hard to do when his mouth is stuffed with strawberries. He's been sneaking them in to get his mind off of feeling nervous and the fact that you're supposed to show up soon, but why does he have this weird feeling that you won't? 

He hides it with a joke. "In 150 characters or less?"

"Preferably zero with that mosh pit," Jimin says, gesturing to his mouth. "Chew with your mouth shut. I'll wait."

Taehyung glares. Jimin can say what he wants now, but he's forgetting he used to chew gum like a cow on grass and who would let him get away with it? Taehyung, that's who.

And because he's such a good pal, he does as instructed. That's not to say he doesn't gargle some water, obnoxiously loud, to get back at him. At the end of the day, their friendship is built off of moments like this. 

It's why Jimin snorts right as Taehyung starts to speak.

"Sorry," he says. At least he has the decency to look like it. "You should have seen the look on those girls' faces. They were ready to give you the stink eye for gargling, but the minute they saw you, it was game over."

"The game has been over since ______."

"Right." Jimin gets back on topic. "So what did Phoebe say?" 

"______ will be on her way in five. I just don't know if she will at all."

"Did something happen?"

"No, she just won't accept any help. Don't you think that's weird? Apparently, the dress is a piece of work."

"And if anyone can pull it off, she can," Jimin assures. "You know she doesn't let anyone bug her in the middle of doing something she cares about. She's probably in there triple-checking all the details."

Taehyung has a feeling that isn't the case - they haven't addressed the elephant in the room. He mentions it first.

"You don't think she's getting cold feet, do you?"

A flicker of worry crosses Jimin's face, gone in an instant. He'd always been good at that: putting on a brave face. 

"Tae," he says, "you're it for ______, and you've both come this far already. I doubt she'd change her mind now. But in the smaller than my pinky chance she does, she won't do it without telling you."

Here's where Taehyung should agree (and laugh). But a couple weeks ago, you'd distanced yourself, and no matter what he tried, you wouldn't say what was wrong.

So he'd given you some space. To cheer you up, he left a Happy Meal outside your door, and instead of a toy, he'd placed little matryoshka dolls, inside of which lay a ticket to the Met. He knows you went - you'd sent him a pic of yourself next to Starry Night later that week. Yet you still haven't told him why you were stressed.

Taehyung takes a breath, thinks of a quick prayer. It’s as much for you as it is for the guests you both loved, for his best man who shouldn't be worrying on his behalf. 

"You're right," he says, faking an easy smile. "Thanks Chim. Remind me to give you that bottle from Napa later."

Jimin's eyes smile right back.

...

Incoming Call: Mr. Park

He swipes to red before you can see it. A text appears.

Did you find ______?

Jin did not sign up for this. He came for free food, a good time, and if he were honest, the chance to distract himself with someone else's happy ending. Small joys. If he stacked them up, maybe he'd have a nice building to look at. Maybe that nice building would block the dull view of the parking lot he woke up to each morning. 

Instead, he is chauffeur to a runaway bride eating animal fries in the backseat. You gulp down some Coke and release a loud burp. 

"What?" You ask when he gives you a look. "It's the baby."

The laughter dies in his throat when you abruptly stop, your cheeks growing red. So you hadn't meant to tell him that...which meant it wasn't a food baby. He places another hand on the steering wheel. Usually, he's the one giving people a ride, not the other way around.

"How far along are you?"

"Two weeks," you say. "Give or take."

"I see," he says. "So what's the deal between you guys, if you don't mind me asking?"

You give him the lowdown because he doesn't seem to care. And if he doesn't care, he won't judge. You watch his eyes through the rearview mirror, noting they look too honest to belong to someone who claimed to be a liar. Maybe that's the point.

Or maybe you've seen too many movies and they're getting to your head, Taehyung would say. To which you'd say it was his fault for dragging you to the discount theater too often. And he'd agree, admit he's a bad influence with his boyish smile, the sunlight crowning his head like a halo.

"Let me get this straight," Jin says. "You want to go through with this?"

"Yes."

"You don't sound very sure."

Have you always been this obvious or is your guilt starting to show? You settle for the closest truth. "It's a hard decision."

Jin doesn't push you, just keeps his eyes on the road. Before he drops you off at the airport, you ask him to stop by your apartment. You need a change of clothes. 

"Big day today?" A tenant asks, beaming at your dress.

You hope your smile doesn't look like a grimace. 

...

The fact that you don't live with Taehyung makes it easier to pack up. Kind of. He leaves behind belongings as naturally as Chopa sheds fur, and if he weren't so great at distracting you, maybe you would have noticed just how much of him you'd accumulated. His felt jacket is slung over the arm of your couch, his records are tucked in your shelves, the print he'd given you of Basquiat's Now's The Time is on the floor, leaning against a wall. Each of them comes with their own memories, some you'll one day forget. But now, looking at them all, you remember everything. You'll always hate yourself for that night you cheated on him, for ruining what could have been a happy life with the man you love.

As you empty out your drawer, you will yourself not to cry.

...

In the end, Taehyung finds you. When you open the door, he's standing in the hallway, looking like he wants to talk. You have no doubt he'll try to understand. He's quick to listen and slow to anger, an advocate of second chances you don't deserve. 

The instant he registers your suitcase, however, he stiffens. "I'll grab my things."

"Taehyung--" you try to say, but he brushes past without another word. Resigned, you follow him in, watching as he plucks some records off your shelves. An envelope falls to the floor, facedown. It's still sealed, so he must have meant for you to find it, only you never did. He picks that up, too. He sweeps his scarf off your coat rack, his bracelets off your counter, and the bag of Chopa's dog toys off the floor. The felt jacket he skips over.

"Isn't that yours?" You ask quietly, sinking into the couch. 

"No," he says. "It's yours."

You're pretty sure it's his...until you realize it isn't. He'd borrowed it a while ago, and you thought it looked much better on him than it did dwarfing you. He takes one last glance around the room and turns to go. 

"Wait," you say, "I--" 

He doesn't let you finish, stepping into his shoes and heading straight for the door. You don't know what to do. Impulsively, you run in front of him, blocking his way.

"______," Taehyung says, his voice so solemn it scares you, "weren't you going to leave?"

You plead with your eyes, unwilling to budge. "Please just let me explain."

He makes a sound that is somewhere between a scoff and a sigh. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Like this is easy? Leaving you?"

"You already did it," he says. "That was your decision to make, and this is mine. I'll take care of the guests. Don't keep your driver waiting."

You might as well have been slapped. Your conscience smarts from the sting of it.

"Forget him," you bite out. "I don't care about getting on a flight to who knows where since I didn't get a plane ticket. Did you know that? Because up until a few minutes ago, I wanted to marry you, Taehyung. I still do. But I'm pregnant and..." The rest of your words dissolve into tears.

Taehyung can’t believe this is happening. Or rather, he doesn't want to believe it. Then the pieces start falling into place - your hands trembling as you told him you cheated, the weeks before the wedding when you insisted on being alone, your ill-timed escape - and it's twice as painful. That baby you're carrying isn't his. 

He has every right to resent you, but how could he, when you're like this? 

Quietly, he lets go of his things and gathers you into his arms, holding your tear-stained face to his chest.

"I'm such a jerk." You suck in a sharp, shallow breath. "I was scared to tell you because I'd messed up our relationship once, and once is too much, you know?"

"I know."

"I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do." His voice is wet, and when you look up, he gently brushes away your tears. He's crying, too. "I love you."

...

A few years pass before you see Taehyung at the altar. Jimin reprises his role as best man and leaves with a pat on the shoulder.

Next to you, Jeongguk sniffles loudly. “What?” He says when you turn to him. “It’s touching.”

"Oh, stop. Nothing happened yet."

"Weddings just get to me, okay? I need to squeeze out every last teardrop so I don't interrupt the ceremony." Then he asks Annika if he can have a tissue. Annika, kind as always, does one better. She pulls him in like a mother hen and lets him cry on her shoulder. "Go ahead, honey. Let it all out," she murmurs, glaring at you as if it's your fault he was crying in the first place. 

"There, there." Yoongi, beside Annika, says halfheartedly. You shoot him a sharp look, but he just shrugs, mouthing: What did I do? 

You sigh. You guess you can't blame him for being smitten with Annika. She took you in after all, helping you to move on once you'd parted ways with Taehyung. Phoebe had introduced you to her, Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jeongguk, and you couldn't have wished for a better group of friends. Or a better set of aunts and uncles for Nina. Your daughter is standing right in front of the church doors now, a woven basket of confetti clutched in her hand. 

She looks so adorable you want to embarrass her. (At 5, she's adamant on being a big girl. And that meant you couldn't blow kisses at her or squish her cheeks without getting the cutest annoyed pout.) Unfortunately, someone stepping on your foot distracts you.

"Sorry." Namjoon gives you a sheepish grin. He'd just run back from the restroom. "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

You reach out to pull a lick of his slicked back hair over his brow. "Now you did," you say, cheeky, and he's about to smother you in a hug as payback when the pianist begins to play. Nina has too much fun scattering the confetti. 

In walks a line of bridesmaids and groomsmen, two by two. They separate to either end like the petals of a flower in bloom. 

Then comes the bride. Lily. You don't have to see her to know she's beautiful. You can tell by the way Taehyung's face lights up, the sun on his face making him golden. You're happy to see him happy, although you have to look somewhere above them when they kiss. 

The fact is, you still love him. In a different way, one that's familiar because you've been friends long before becoming anything romantic. But in rare moments, you catch yourself feeling blue.

Namjoon squeezes your hand. You didn't realize you were gripping his.

"Are you okay?" He whispers.

You look at him, Yoongi and Annika, Jeongguk. Phoebe, who's making the stranger to her right hide a laugh. (His name is Jay, she'd told you excitedly. But he moonwalks like Michael.)

"I'm okay," you whisper back, and Namjoon smiles. It isn't until you say it aloud that you realize it's true.

...

a/n: happy 7th birthday to bts, who give me hope that dreams aren’t a lost cause 💜

title taken from the infamous Rembrandts’ song, which you might recognize here.

[himbowelsh]

I have a sudden need for modern AU Shifty and Tab (+Smokey) friendship HC, in case you are inspired? Thank you ❤❤❤

Oh gosh, alright! So in a modern AU, these guys would definitely know each other for a few years  ---  they probably all went to the same university, and had a few classes together, so became fast friends that way. Shifty and Tab are both the sort of loyal friends who have each others’ backs no matter what, and when Smokey was caught in a jam, they helped cover for him. As a result, he didn’t get in trouble with Professor Sobel, and met two really cool guys. After that, they were basically inseparable.

You gotta understand, Shifty and Tab are both massive animal lovers, but dog people especially. Tab is the one who suggests volunteering at the animal shelter. Shifty has to be talked into it  (he’s already working at the nature center, teaching kids about the outdoors, and helping coach his cousin’s little league team) but Tab is persistent.    “I won’t do it if you don’t,” he declares   ----  and, when Shifty levels him with an unimpressed look,   “Okay, I definitely will, but it will be way better if we do it together! It’ll matter more, Shift, y’know?”

(They ask Smokey too, but he laughs in their faces. Smokey is not a dog person. He’s got a lovely iguana named Iago, and needs no other life companion.)

So, Shifty and Tab end up volunteering together, and it’s definitely the best decision they could have made. Shifty enjoys it immensely; animals naturally take to him, and he becomes fond enough of a few of the pets that leaving at the end of the day is really tough.

Tab, though. God, he just thrives there. It’s something he’s so happy doing, and he lights up when he’s around the animals (sometimes Shifty takes a break from work just to watch Tab do his thing, grinning at the unabashed happiness on his friend’s face). Tab loves to teach them tricks and train them, he loves to give the animals exercise, his energy seems limitless...

After a few months, working at the shelter becomes his prevailing interest. Even when Shifty can no longer volunteer after a while, Tab keeps going, joining the team as an actual employee. He’s formed such a close bond with some of the animals that it’s physically painful to leave them behind at the end of each day. When pets get adopted out, he’s overjoyed, of course, but he takes it hard.

There’s one pup he’s bonded with in particular  ---  a scrawny, resilient mutt with boundless energy named Trigger. He’s constantly showing his friends pics of him on his phone, and even Smokey has to admit, Trigger is adorable.

The day before the shelter’s massive Adopt-A-Pet drive  ---  which usually sees half of the shelter cleaned out, it’s pets sent to good homes  ---  Tab’s acting off. Shifty texts him a few times, but can’t get much reply. Knowing the big day is tomorrow, he’s pretty sure he knows why. Tab’s probably busy, and a little down too. Shifty texts him one more time  ---  ‘if you need anything, just give me a call!  :)’   ---  and turns in for the night.

He’s woken at 1am to his phone buzzing, which...  to be fair, he kind of invited on himself.

Except it’s not Tab calling. It’s Smokey, and as soon as Shifty answers the phone, his friend’s voice, tight with glee, blares through the speakers. “Shift, you gotta come down here,” he exclaims. “You gotta  --- oooh-ho-ho man, you’re not gonna believe this!” In the background, he can hear a voice that sounds suspiciously like Tab shouting “You called Shifty? Traitor!”

(You’ve got to understand  ---  in a crisis, Tab has a choice between calling Shifty, who will absolutely be ride-or-die but will probably be disappointed in him; or Smokey, who is slightly less ride-or-die, and will mock him mercilessly.)

So anyways, Shifty rocks up and Tab’s got a dog in his bathtub.

Like, not bathing it. The dog’s just sort of...  chilling there. He’s got a blanket put down, is munching on a rawhide, and seems perfectly happy. Tab, however, looks like he might faint.

He did not, as he very fervently explains, steal a dog. He just...  borrowed Trigger for a very short time, and as soon as Adoption Day is over, he’s going to give him back. Just...  not now. At the moment, it’s not a good idea.

This is fine, except Tab lives with three other guys, and two of them are actively not dog people.  (Skinny likes cats and Smokey has already been explained. Blithe, who is a dog person, is basically a ghost around the apartment anyway, so he barely gets a vote.)

“I need to hide him for a little while  ---”  (”Yeah,” adds Smokey in the background, “because he can’t stay here! I’m not letting dog hair all over our couch!”)   “--- so could I please, please, just...  give him to you.”

Shifty blinks. He stares. Finally, he sighs.

Given the amount of trouble Popeye and McClung have dragged him into in the past, this is objectively nothing  ---  but still, maybe he needs more law-abiding friends.

At least ones who won’t drag him into situations like this  ---   driving home at half-past-two in the morning, with Floyd Talbert and his new dog hunched in the back of his pickup truck, heads down like they’re wanted by the FBI.

Once Tab leaves the dog with Shifty  ---  after a very emotional goodbye, and a longer hug than Shifty feels he really deserves  ---   the only evidence of the night’s events are the many, many pictures Smokey’s saved on his phone. Trigger makes himself comfortable in the corner of Shifty’s living room, on a very nice pillow...  but some time in the night, he makes his way into Popeye’s room. And Popeye’s bed.

They almost have to take Popeye to the goddamn hospital.

(Popeye posts about it in the groupchat later, and Smokey just sends the   ‘😂’ emoji ten times with no explanation.)

But Tab knows he can trust Shifty with anything  ---  so when he returns to Shifty’s apartment that night, eager to put Trigger back where he belongs, he’s surprised to find Shifty and Trigger lounging on the couch together, looking very comfortable.

“Tab,” Shifty says, upside down, because Trigger has laid down on his stomach and it’s an awkward position but he’s unwilling to move, “What d’you suppose it might take to adopt this dog?”

Tab freezes.  B e t r a y a l . 

“You see, I’ve grown a bit fond of him, and  ---”

He has to stop, because Tab’s turned an awkward shade of white-purple and looks like he’s about to cry. Shifty breaks into a grin, and some clenched fist in Tab’s stomach relaxes.

“I was only thinking...  you worry so much about Trigger getting adopted, that is might solve the problem to just adopt him yourself.”

“You know I can’t do that while I’m working there, Shift. And the guys at home...”

“Right, I know... but if a friend were to do it...  it wouldn’t be like losing him at all, would it?”

When Tab turns to face Shifty, his eyes are wide, mouth agape. He genuinely looks like Shifty’s just promised him the moon.

Anyways, that’s how Tab and Shifty become dog parents.

He spends weekdays living with Shifty  (Popeye’s grown quite fond of him, and seems to think of Trigger as a wiry-haired pillow)  and the weekends staying with Tab. The situation is non-offensive enough that his roommates can’t complain. Tab comes over to visit him practically every day anyways, taking him for long walks and playing with him in the middle of Shifty’s living room, while Shifty watches. It’s...  literally the most wholesome co-parenting arrangement that’s ever existed.

(Sometimes, Smokey accompanies Tab, for the sheer purpose of filming the two of them playing with Trigger. For some reason, ‘hot guys and dog’ drives social media wild, and Smokey’s gained hundreds of followers ever since he made them a regular feature of his account. He’s thinking of starting an Instagram just for their little ‘family’, and has named himself honorary Weird Uncle.)

[nancypullen]

What’s Up, Buttercup?

It seems like forever since I’ve posted on the ol’ blog,but I’ve been waiting for something to happen that was worth writing about.  And waiting....and waiting...and waiting.   Let’s face it, nothing is happening.  The days all run together and look the same.  What day is it? Oh, it’s Blursday again.  I suppose I’ve been a bit down in the dumps.  Not really blue, just weary.  I’m so tired - tired of the headlines screaming worse news every day (another surge!), tired of political ads that tell the most preposterous lies as if we’re all idiots, and tired of straining my eyes to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I miss my friends, I miss my family, and I miss Home Goods and Sephora (there, I said it).  I miss normal. That said, I never forget how fortunate we are.  So far all of my family is healthy and the pandemic hasn’t impacted our sources of income. That alone makes my whining seem selfish and shallow.  I get it.  I should be thanking my lucky stars, and most nights I am.  I’m sure that others can relate.  This relentless sense of heaviness can crack even the most cheerful among us.  We’re allowed to feel it.  Wouldn’t you know that just when I was feeling so unsettled and weary, an unexpected package arrived.  This person gets me.

A dear friend surprised me with Agatha, the world’s BEST spoon holder and steam releaser.  I was so tickled when I opened this that I made a pot of soup just to give her a whirl.  Agatha and I are now BFFs and if you think she’s only getting used during the spooky season, think again.  She is FAB-U-LOUS and she is now a fixture in my kitchen.  Thank you, Leesa, you have no idea how much your thoughtful gesture meant to me. Instant happiness! I’m also trying to draw joy from this beautiful season.  The trees are changing daily and if there’s anything more beautiful than autumn, I don’t know what it is.  If I’m asked my favorite color I will answer with pink, because you can’t just say fall.   Fall is like living inside a treasure chest filled with gold, rubies, topaz, and garnets, with a scattering of sapphires for the sky.  Just on our little patch you can find every one of those colors.  Yellow and red leaves flutter to the ground in a daily dance.  Deep garnet mums and fat, orange pumpkins sit on the porch and at the mailbox.  I love it all!

That lantern is filled with fairy lights that twinkle at night!  The table linen is just an old pillow case that I added trim to - I’ll flip it over and add trim to the other end for a Christmas table. ha!  Use what ya’ got, right? The porch railings look the same - a container on each side.

A couple of mums, a few pansies, and some pumpkins dressed up the mailbox.  I left the Russian Sage in place when I pulled up the summer flowers.  It was still in bloom, but I may cut it down now that it’s looking kind of ghostly behind those mums.  I kept everything cheap and easy this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty and pleasing.  Those mums at the mailbox were $4.98 but they’ll bring me a million bucks worth of happiness.   Posting these pics just helped me to realize why I was a bit glum.  This is usually the time of year that we travel.  It doesn’t help that Facebook (ugh,I hate FB!) is constantly offering up “memories from 2 (3,4,5,6) years ago” along with a photo I snapped at some wonderful spot.  My internal calendar says I should be packing a bag. I think the pics of Salem hit the hardest, it’s my favorite October haunt.  Pun intended.   This is where I remind myself that I’m fortunate to have a home and shouldn’t complain about being in it.

I haven’t put out much Halloween decor in the aforementioned home this year. I used to smother this place in witches and candy jars and pumpkins.  Mickey doesn’t need the candy, I can’t trust a certain cat not to knock over all of my witches...

...so it’s mostly pumpkins. My kitchen window has a bit of cheer and a Halloween countdown (obviously snapped last week).

And in the living room I added this nonsense. 

Why yes, I was watching a true crime show - aren’t I always?  Anywho, I thought the cats weren’t interested in the Halloween banner and that all was safe.  Then I noticed this...

one rosette is missing from a little flag.  I thought perhaps it had fallen off, but I have looked everywhere and can’t find it.  It’s been carried off by one of the borrowers in this house.  They don’t act one bit sorry and they’re not talking.

A dog would have the decency to look guilty. It’s time for me to set this laptop aside and make some dinner for the mister.  I promised him stuffed peppers so that’s what he’ll get.  That’s not my favorite so I think I’ll skip it and just have a turkey sandwich.  That means leftovers for his lunch tomorrow - win,win!  So there you go, a missive from my oddball little corner of the world.  If these crazy times are getting to you as well, take a break from it.  We can’t escape everything that’s happening, but we can give ourselves a break.  Take a walk and soak up the gorgeous season. Create a pretty fall planter for a porch or window, or just treat yourself to a cookie and a good book.  Let the world turn without you for a bit.  It’ll be fine.  We don’t have to carry the weight in our hearts all the time, rest if you need to and pick it back up when you can.  There are enough of us to carry it.  Be kind to yourself, be generous with yourself, restore yourself.  

I think we all need some peace. Sending you lots of love. Stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy

[rigonelli]

how bout He Tian cooking for MoMo for once as a writing prompt?

(Thanks anon! I had a lot of fun with this. Sorry it got so chaotic, but I guess… He Tian cooking can’t really end any other way, huh?)

Seduce me with your cock jokes

„I don’t think it’s supposed to be purple.”

He Tian turned away from the poisonous-looking concoction on the stove to glower at Mo Guan Shan.

“Didn’t I tell you not to intervene?”

“I tried to, but I think I heard your sauce screaming from the back of the room,” said Mo Guan Shan, imitating a high-pitched scream, “Help me! Help me! Even though I’m literally only three ingredients mixed together, I have become sentient in my pain!”

He Tian had to stop stirring the sauce, which immediately turned into a lump of slime at the bottom of the pan. He couldn’t believe Mo Guan Shan. Did he want to die?

His incredulous look was met with a bratty raise of the eyebrows.

“What?” said Mo Guan Shan. “Did you spend all that time talking me into a date only to knock me on the head with a wooden spoon? Because I will go home!”

“It’s the alcohol!” He Tian realized after a second. “Alcohol makes you brave?”

Finally, the well-known fiery-red skin-color that usually decorated Mo Guan Shan’s face returned. 

“It’s not the alcohol! I’m not an easily blushing teenager who’s afraid of you!”

He clearly swallowed the ‘anymore’ on his tongue. 

“Oh, but you see – you’re mistaken,” drawled He Tian, sporting the lazy grin he knew would drive his little redhead up the wall. “This is not a date. If it were, I wouldn’t be cooking for you.”

“You’re right,” said Mo Guan Shan, fighting to gain his composure back. “This is more like… torture? What do I owe the mafia, what will it take to keep you from feeding me this poisonous, flesh-eating lump of gravy?”

He Tian refused to show his surprise again. He was starting to enjoy this snappy version of Mo. 

“You asked for this,” He Tian reminded him. “And I’m only indulging you because you somehow found a way to cheat at basketball, and-“

“There is no way to cheat at basketball,” said Mo Guan Shan. “I won because I actually still play it in my free time, whereas you are too busy skinning politicians alive.”

“Don’t make stupid assumptions about my job.”

“Don’t think you’re still superior to me. The way I see it, you’re a grown man who is starting to lose his youthful fitness, still lives in his uncle’s apartment, and can’t cook for shit.”

He Tian had no words for that, so he just stared, waiting for Mo Guan Shan to falter under his evil eye. The wooden spoon he was holding fed thick, syrupy droplets of gravy to the linoleum floor. Mo Guan Shan tried his best to return the stare, but his face was still red, and he probably had to fight the urge to toss the wooden spoon into the sink and clean the floor. 

“Will you have my babies?” He Tian finally asked.

“Wh- what?”

“I’m serious, I think you just gave me an erection.”

Mo Guan Shan spluttered incoherently, trying his hardest not to look down He Tian’s body to check if it was true. The red hue on his face intensified until it was practically black. 

He Tian grinned, pleased. There was his little redhead. So grown up, but still as cute as always. 

“I thought this wasn’t a date,” Mo Guan Shan finally coughed. “So keep it in your pants.”

“I don’t know if I can. You keep being so bold and sexy.”

Mo Guan Shan finally tore the wooden spoon from his hand. “Shut up!” he said, turning towards the sink to hide his face. “Let me take care of the sauce. You can make the eggs. That’s even easier. Even you should manage.”

“Okeydokey,” sang He Tian, happily turning towards the fridge. It had been hard work to get Mo Guan Shan this far – even though he still blushed just thinking about He Tian’s erection, he had admitted that he saw this as a date. After all these years of pining, He Tian might just start to see the finish line in the distance. 

Mo Guan Shan was already done with the sauce when he realized that He Tian still stood in front of the open fridge, staring inside.

“The hell?” he spat. “Get working!”

“I might have a problem,” admitted He Tian, closing the fridge door. “I’m out of eggs.”

“You’re what?” Mo Guan Shan screeched.

“Are they that important?”

“For Egg Foo Yung?” Mo Guan Shan threw his hands up, raging. “That’s eggs with gravy! What do you want to do – sip the pure gravy out of a bowl?”

“It’s basically a soup,” said He Tian, mostly to rile Mo Guan Shan up even more. Unfortunately, that just led to his ‘date’ stomping away to grab his jacket.

“I’m going home,” he announced. “I still have perfectly good leftovers in my own fridge.”

“Wait!” He Tian grabbed his hand. “It’s okay, I can get us some eggs.”

“It’s too late, all the shops are closed!”

“That’s okay, I have my connections…”

Mo Guan Shan stared at him, yanking his hand away. “Are you serious?” he blistered. “Don’t use your weird mafia family to get eggs! That’s just creepy!”

He Tian needed a moment to understand Mo Guan Shan’s line of thought. “What? Of course not – I mean, I have a completely off-the-rails crazy neighbor who keeps a flock of hens in his apartment.”

At least that was weird enough to make Mo Guan Shan stop in his tracks and turn away from the door. 

“You what?”

“Old man, on the ground floor. Must have inherited the apartment, because he’s poor, I think, or he just likes selling eggs. Anyway, I’m sure he has some fresh ones, I’ll go get some.”

He walked past Mo Guan Shan, out the door towards the elevator to show that he meant it. Mo Guan Shan followed, but took his jacket off to make sure He Tian knew he wasn’t running off.

“You’re joking, right?” Mo Guan Shan said on the elevator ride down. “We’re just doing the normal thing and ask any normal neighbor to borrow an egg.”

“Do you know me as a big joker?” He Tian asked. 

“I mean. I have like a thousand dick pics you sent me as a joke.”

“Didn’t know how to come on to you back then.” He Tian shrugged. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. 

Mo Guan Shan followed a step behind He Tian as if he were trying to hide from the crazy hen-Person.

“He’s not gonna eat you,” He Tian chuckled as he rang the doorbell. “Wait a minute…”

The door opened just as He Tian turned to Mo Guan Shan and loudly exclaimed, “You kept my dick pics?”

A punch in the arm was his only reward. That and the old crazy hen-man’s furrowed brows.

“What do you want this late?” he croaked. 

“My friend here doesn’t believe that you keep a flock of chickens in your apartment,” said He Tian, pointing his thumb towards Mo Guan Shan, who moved even closer to hide behind his body. “Can you show him?”

“Couldn’t you just ask for the eggs?” Mo Guan Shan whispered angrily, but the old man had already opened the door and motioned for them to come inside. He Tian entered the apartment, barely containing his glee. The incredulous, “What the fuck?” behind him was so good, it sent shivers down his spine. Too bad he couldn’t see Mo’s face right now.

“Is this… allowed?” Mo Guan Shan wondered aloud, looking around at the interior. Couch, bed, tables and open cupboards – everything had been taken by the hens. A whole wardrobe was converted into a chicken coop with different floors, completely covered in hay. There were nests with fresh eggs in them. 

Mo Guan Shan had forgotten to be wary of the crazy chicken man and walked through the apartment in silent wonder. He Tian was content just to watch him. 

“How is there no shit anywhere?” he asked after a while. 

The old man turned from where he was bent into the wardrobe to gather some eggs. “Taught them to use the litter box,” he grunted. 

Mo Guan Shan received that information without blinking an eyelid. There was no room for more bewilderment.

“You wanna see somethin’ special?” the old man asked. He Tian thought it sounded a little suspicious – like he was going for the ‘want to look at my bunnies?’ shtick. But Mo Guan Shan had thrown all caution out the window.

“More special than this? Hell yeah!”

The bunnies weren’t even that far off in the end. He Tian followed the two into the bathroom, which emitted an eerie red light. Not even that scared Mo Guan Shan off. He Tian silently congratulated himself on a successful date. This was so much better than going to the movies.

“In there,” said the old man, pointing to the bathtub. The constant peeping spoiled the surprise before they actually saw the baby chicks under the heat lamp, but Mo Guan Shan still gave a soft gasp.

“What the fuck!” Those words had never been whispered so gently. “They’re… they’re so small!”

“Touch one,” said the creepy old man. He Tian sent him an icy glare – it wouldn’t hurt to turn the rapey-ness down a notch. But Mo Guan Shan happily grabbed for a little chick and held it in his hands. 

“And so soft!” His face relaxed in one of those extremely rare, memorable moments. He Tian almost stopped breathing, just watching him.

“Yeah, I’ll have to flush that one down the toilet,” grumbled the old man, effectively flushing the nice moment down the toilet. 

“What?” Mo Guan Shan screeched.

“It’s a cock. I only need one of those.”

“So you flush it down the toilet?” Mo Guan Shan protectively laid a hand over the chick, as if to cover its ears. “It’s just a little baby!”

“That seems cruel,” He Tian agreed. “You could at least give it a quick death. Wring it’s neck or something.”

“He Tian!” Mo Guan Shan screeched again. Then, suddenly, his eyes turned pleading. “We can’t let it die! Let’s take it to your apartment!”

He Tian blinked, not sure if Mo Guan Shan was serious. 

“Why? To cook it?”

“Of course not! To save it!”

He was about to say no. He really was. It was the stupidest idea he’d ever heard. But a far-away memory, the echo of a puppy-dog’s howling rang in his ears, and he just couldn’t. 

“I’ll sell it for a thousand yuan,” the old man tried. He Tian’s glare shut him up.

Turning back to Mo Guan Shan, he said, “But only if you say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say: He Tian – I want you to take my cock. I want you to pet it and kiss it and care for it. I want you to let it grow. I want you to-“

“This is no time for making cock-jokes!” Mo Guan Shan yelled, still covering the chick’s ears. He paused a moment to glower at He Tian. 

He Tian waited patiently.

“Please take my cock,” Guan Shan finally ground out.

With a feeling like he hadn’t really thought this whole thing through, He Tian started to beam. “Great! We’ll take him!” He turned to look at the old man. “And I’ll take a carton of eggs. Here are forty yuan.”

The man took He Tian’s money with a shrug, went to fetch a carton of eggs and shooed them out of the apartment.

“Next time, don’t wake me up!” he warned, slamming the door shut.

“What a miserable guy,” said He Tian. He turned to look at Mo Guan Shan when he heard a soft ‘ouch!’

The chick had shat all over Mo Guan Shan’s hand and was now pecking at his fingers. He Tian watched him struggle for a while, then sighed.

“You’re already regretting this, aren’t you?”

“No!” Mo Guan Shan said, clearly lying. “It’s just nervous, because we just took it from its friends and home!”

“Its home was a bathtub.”

“Whatever,” he said and entered the elevator. He Tian followed behind, pressing the button for his floor, ignoring the sounds of pain coming from his date.

Mo Guan Shan managed to hold back until they stood in front of He Tian’s door. Then he finally caved.

“Hey. Would you… Any chance you’d like to hold my cock?”

He Tian opened his door with a grin.

“Anytime, my love. Anytime.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 (Bonus 1)

 “I’ll kill him!” He Tian groaned, pulling up the blanket to cover his ears. “And I hate you!”

“Wow, you’ve gotten a lot less suck-uppy now that you’ve actually managed to fuck me, huh?”

“Fuck off!” He Tian mumbled through the thick blanket, which still wasn’t able to drown out the cock’s incessant crowing. “And learn some words! And for fuck’s sake, silence your shitty pet!”

The mattress moved under Mo Guan Shan’s weight as he climbed out of the bed in search of the bird he had saved four month ago. 

Or rather; that he had talked He Tian into saving. On that day, He Tian couldn’t have known how horrible that decision would turn out to be. Sure, the remaining evening had been great. They had built a little house for the chick out of cardboard, paper and a table lamp. They had eaten a great Egg Foo Yung which Mo Guan Shan had cooked (they both agreed that He Tian would never be let loose in a kitchen ever again). And although the amount of noise the chick had made had seemed impossible for such a small thing, they had both been able to ignore it long enough to have very special and great sex.

Unfortunately, as the chick had grown, so had the noise. And now it started to wake them up with the most sinister cock-a-doodle-doo He Tian had ever heard.

The third crow had him toss his blanket to the side to stomp into the kitchen in search of a frying pan to flatten the monster bird with. Unfortunately, Mo Guan Shan had rearranged everything as soon as he had moved in and now He Tian couldn’t find it fast enough before two arms wrapped around him and a warm, naked body pressed against his back.

“Relax,” Mo Guan Shan said, pressing his face between He Tian’s shoulder blades. “I fed him. He’s quiet now.”

“One of these days, I’ll throw him out of the window just to see if it’s really true that chickens can’t fly!” He Tian grumbled, but he felt the anger seep out of him with every second their bodies were touching. “I’m telling you – that bird is possessed by a demon!”

“That’s just how roosters are,” Mo Guan Shan said.

“No, I’m serious! It has a murderous glint in its eye. Did I tell you about how I came home the other day and saw it on the kitchen counter with a knife in its beak?”

“Yeah, I still think you’re over-exaggerating.”

“It’s true! The big steak knife!”

“I don’t think She Li would be strong enough to hold that up. And how would he have gotten in the drawers?”

He Tian turned in Mo Guan Shan’s embrace to give him a serious look. “I’m just saying. If you ever come home to find the rooster a bloody mess on the floor, it was only because I wanted to protect you.”

“Noted,” Mo Guan Shan said, leaning in to kiss He Tian.

He Tian closed his eyes, happy to let himself be wrapped around Mo Guan Shan’s little finger. Maybe he was stupid to let a murderous, noisy rooster live in his apartment just because his boyfriend had a soft spot for animals.

But.

For Mo Guan Shan? 

He Tian would even let a She Li live in his bathtub, no questions asked. Because it was true love, baby.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 (Bonus 2)

  He Tian was still fuming when he opened the door to their apartment. It had been a long and strenuous day at work. Most days were. But to top it all off, this morning, after being as rudely awoken as always, he had found his favorite jacket in pieces on the floor. And not just that – it was covered in shit.

Mo Guan Shan had left for work already and He Tian hadn’t gotten up to feed She Li, and this was the result of the rooster’s rage.

Had it not been the exact date of their 6 months anniversary, He Tian would have finally made good on his promises and wrung the bird’s neck.

“Welcome home!”

Mo Guan Shan’s voice finally managed to calm He Tian a bit – that and the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

“You cooked?” he asked, peeking around the corner, where Mo Guan Shan was just finishing up a salad, still clad in his stained apron that looked so cute on him.

“Yes,” Mo Guan Shan said. “It’s my anniversary present for you.”

“Okay?” He Tian said, hanging up his jacket and slipping out of his shoes. “It’s not like that’s a rare thing, though.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Would never,” He Tian grinned. Then he saw the table. “Wow! Looks like a feast!”

“Took me a few hours,” Guan Shan admitted. “I’m done now.”

He put the salad on the table, put the apron away and produced two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine from the pantry.

“Fancy,” He Tian commented. He sat down and accepted the glass Mo Guan Shan poured for him. “This day is really taking a turn for the better.”

“I saw the mess,” Mo Guan Shan said. “Sorry about that.”

“Let’s not think about it for a moment.”

They clinked their glasses together.

“To six happy months. They were only like five years overdue,” He Tian said. 

“If you had sent me less dick pics, I may have gotten curious earlier.”

“Ouch.”

They both took a sip, sighing contently. 

“Well… I hope you enjoy the food,” Mo Guan Shan said. “This took a lot of work.”

“It smells delicious.” He Tian reached for his cutlery to take a tentative bite from the meat off his plate and immediately leaned back in bliss when the flavors hit his tongue. “Are you kidding me? This is the best thing you ever made! What the hell?”

“I won’t reveal my secrets,” Mo Guan Shan said, hiding his smile behind his wine glass, which didn’t really work, since it was see-through. “Now just shut up and enjoy.”

“Oh, I will!” He Tian said, leaning forward again to take another bite. “Speaking of shutting up – it’s so quiet around here. How did you get She Li to shut up? Did you take him to the crazy hen-man for the night?”

Mo Guan Shan just shrugged his shoulder and cut a piece off the delicious chicken-breast on his own plate. “Yeah, something like that,” he said, smiling again.

“Something like that.”

[punkscowardschampions]

Savannah, Jac, Amelia & Isabelle

Savannah: What are we doing to get party ready? Savannah: because I vote we hit the spa to get our collective ✨ back Savannah: it should be ILLEGAL how my skin looks Jac: No way, I was JUST thinking how good your skin looked like THIS morning Jac: but it's never NOT a good time for the spa too though so 🤭 Savannah: your hype is everything! I don't even deserve how flawless you are in a beyond skin deep way Savannah: but yes to the spa being my go to fave ^^ Amelia: I can't Jac: only giving what you put out, it is beyond deserved ❤❤ Jac: Why not Meelie? Amelia: I'll be at the party but the only way I could be there too is if my mum comes with and NOBODY wants that Jac: Your mum is fun Amelia: not that fun Jac: Doesn't [some boujee place they'd like] have a 10% discount right now, Savvy? Jac: they do THE BEST facials Savannah: 👏🏾 Yes! You have the BEST taste & I think it's actually gone up to 15% 🙌🏾 Isabelle: Awh 😟 it sounds like so much fun but mine won't give me any money and I'm so broke after getting those new trainers Savannah: Don't be silly! It's totally my treat, Is Savannah: your pores shouldn't have to stay clogged for the sake of those trainers Jac: That is so generous of you 🥺🥺 Jac: I NEED a hot oil hair treatment like yesterday, I don't know why it's so dry right now but it's not a mood Savannah: your hair looked beautiful yesterday & if you don't believe me, I literally heard so many girls from the year above talking about it so Jac: 😳😳😳 Jac: well I KNOW Ty heard those 6th years talking about you, he was so jealous, bless him 🥰 Savannah: I was in the bathroom overwhelmed by sadness & I heard your name over & over, it felt seriously fated Savannah: oh my god, he refuses to tell me what they sad, I've given him the full 🥺 & everything Savannah: *said Amelia: maybe you need bigger eyelashes Savannah: Do you think? Jac: Oh my God, where even was I? Boo! 😖 You should have called so I could come find you Jac: no way, you like, INVENTED puppy dog eyes, your natural lashes are so thick and dark Jac: he's just saving your blushes, so cute Savannah: ugh, my phone was like dying because Sienna had all this drama with a girl in her class earlier Savannah: 🥰 you're so cute, I can't even handle all these compliments Jac: Is she okay or do we need to talk to this girl? Jac: her year is vicious, I swear Savannah: she says she's okay but she can't hide how upset she is from me Jac: You're way too empathetic, you know her inside out Jac: Poor Sienna, does she want to come too? Savannah: that's SUCH a great idea, I'll ask her Jac: We could all get matching nails Isabelle: Sorry...mum called Isabelle: won't that be really expensive though? are you super sure Sav? Savannah: of course, Is Savannah: it's not like I need a new outfit for Erin's house party Isabelle: Yay, thank you so much! 😁 So you can come too Meels? Amelia: No Amelia: it wasn't about the money, remember? Isabelle: 😥 you don't want to be left out though Amelia: there's nothing I can do about that Isabelle: oh that's such a shame Isabelle: I'll bring you back some of those mini cakes and sandwiches they do Amelia: thanks Amelia: I'll see you at Erin's Jac: Are you sure there's no way? Amelia: you've really forgotten the 📅 haven't you? Jac: Oh, it's her birthday Jac: right? Amelia: yeah Savannah: we should send her 💐 from all of us Savannah: I love your mum Jac: Are you definitely coming to the party then? Amelia: I'll be there Amelia: Erin throws a good party Jac: 💐 is a great idea, we can go pick them out Jac: what are you doing with her today then? Amelia: 🎭🩰 totally not my thing but my dad won't take her Amelia: she doesn't think I will either, so it'll be stay a huge surprise Jac: That's really nice, she'll love it Jac: I'd love to go sometime Savannah: Ballet lessons were the highlight of my Saturday when I was little, I was obsessed Savannah: mainly for the outfits though 😄 Jac: I can so picture you with your little bun 😊 adorable Savannah: [pics because she's that bitch] Jac: 😭😭😭😭 Jac: how have you always been PERFECT Jac: I was so ugly 😬😂 Amelia: no you weren't Jac: I so was Jac: you and Is were really sweet and I was so 😱😱 Jac: never mind the puppy fat, yikes Amelia: the fringe my mum forced me to have was not sweet 😣 Savannah: I'm with Amelia, you were definitely such an 👼🏻👶🏻 Amelia: she was Amelia: [pics of them all as kids but especially her being bffs with Jac to make that point to Savannah like] Jac: You guys are so sweet Jac: I love you Isabelle: I look exactly the same is that a good or a bad thing Amelia: 😂 Amelia: better than looking like 👧🏻 Amelia: I'm literally an emoji Isabelle: Iconic, some would say Isabelle: 🤭 Savannah: these pics are going to make me cry, I swear Savannah: too adorable Savannah: as if you've all been friends for so long Jac: It's so wild to me that we weren't friends before now Jac: we should've been friends this whole time too Savannah: I know, but I guess I wasn't ready until now Savannah: I had so much character development to do first Jac: 🙌🙏 ^^ SAME Jac: it had to be now Jac: you're all being nice about it but I would lowkey DIE if you knew me even a few years ago Jac: not cute Savannah: ^^^^^^ Savannah: Ty hasn't seen me before we got together & I 🙏🏾 he never will Amelia: he didn't go to another school, I think he knows that you existed before him Jac: the glo-up is too real to go back 💁 Savannah: I'm still waiting for my glow up Savannah: there's only so much the spa can do Jac: 😤 you're so FLAWLESS Jac: like literally, there isn't a single thing wrong with you Savannah: stop, I don't know if I'll start blushing or sobbing Isabelle: I would love to look like you, Savannah Isabelle: what should I wear tonight? Isabelle: I want Tom to notice me Savannah: I'm flattered but you need to embrace your own beauty, Is Savannah: it's so important Savannah: Oh, Tom R or Tom S? Isabelle: Ew, Tom S Isabelle: I made out with Tom R last year and it was baaaad bad Savannah: One second, I'll ask Ty about him now I have the right Tom Isabelle: I'm so excited I might puke Savannah: okay so he likes to make the first move, you'll need to dress like you're not the kind of girl who kissed Tom R Isabelle: How do I do that? I need help 😩 Savannah: maybe you can borrow something of Amelia's Isabelle: Can I Meels? Isabelle: I dunno if I'll suit your style though...I'm not cool Amelia: I couldn't get the grass stains out of the skirt you borrowed last time Isabelle: Whoops 😉 Amelia: and you don't need to dress to impress Tom S anyway, he's nothing special Isabelle: He's so lush though Amelia: 🤨 Isabelle: Come on! You have eyes Isabelle: isn't he so fit guys Savannah: I only have eyes for one boy, but he does have nice eyes himself Jac: You've done worse Isabelle: Yeah, Tom R for example Isabelle: 😨 Savannah: 😅 Savannah: You know who apparently is the worst kisser ever, Donovan! Savannah: have you ever kissed him, Is? Isabelle: Have I? Isabelle: 🤔 Amelia: he leaned in to 💋 but you 🤮 on his trainers Isabelle: Ha! Isabelle: Dodged a bullet, apparently Jac: He wasn't as fast Savannah: Oh my god! Jac: It was so shaming, we had to call her mum to pick her up Savannah: my parents would kill me Jac: Your mum is like, beyond chill, Is Jac: she lets you get away with loads Savannah: I'd be beyond jealous if I wanted to kiss Tom R, or fall down drunk in his path, at least Savannah: thankfully he's not my type Isabelle: Not even, she was so mad at me for ages Isabelle: I was sick in the fireplace Isabelle: it was so hard to clean Jac: Is that friend of Ty's going? Jac: 😶 Savannah: yes Jac: 🥴 Isabelle: oooooooooooooooooh, do you like someone J?!?!? Savannah: he doesn't usually go to house parties but as soon as he heard you were, he recognised that Erin's had potential Isabelle: who who Savannah: J doesn't want to make a big deal out of it Amelia: then why turn it into a big secret? Jac: It's no secret Jac: but Is has already got no chill and you know I'm shy Jac: I won't be able to cope with how blatant her 👀 is Amelia: you could've told me that you liked someone Jac: I am telling you Jac: like, right now Amelia: not really Jac: What do you mean? 🤨 Amelia: I mean, you're not actually telling me anything Jac: I'm not trying to like, commandeer this whole convo and make it about me Jac: but okay Jac: he's one of Ty's friends, he's on the team too Amelia: I could scroll up for that info but okay Jac: I don't know what you want me to say? Jac: I've not spoken to him properly yet, he's just interesting Amelia: interesting how? Jac: 😳 Savannah: is this third degree honestly necessary? Jac: maybe I shouldn't go now Jac: I'm feeling kinda off Savannah: Baby 😔 Savannah: we can do whatever you want to do Jac: No, I won't spoil your guys fun Jac: you should all go Savannah: it won't be any fun without you Savannah: & anyway, if you don't feel well you need someone there to take care of you Jac: You'd do that for me? Jac: you'll make me cry, I swear Savannah: It's just a stupid party, you're you Jac: Will Ty be mad at you? Savannah: of course not, all his friends will be there, he doesn't need me as much as you do Jac: I wanna still try to do the spa Jac: for Sienna Jac: but I just can't see him now, the anxiety is too high Savannah: she'll understand if we have to reschedule but it might make you feel better to be pampered Savannah: but I'll give you a facial if you can't cope with a full spa situation Savannah: it's totally your decision Jac: I do have this new mask I think will be amazing for your skin type Jac: bring Sienna, she can see the new pup we just got Savannah: you understand too, don't you, Is? Savannah: I'll take you for a manicure next week, I promise Isabelle: Oh, yeah, totally Isabelle: mum said it's too much to accept anyway Isabelle: Are you sure you don't want to come though? Isabelle: sounds like he really wants to see you Savannah: I'm here for you if you want any more outfit help for Tom, just facetime me Isabelle: Thank you sweetie, I'm really torn between these 3 dresses Isabelle: wait, 4 Isabelle: I'll definitely call Jac: You're a doll, Is Jac: Tom is gonna be 😍 Savannah: ^^ I can't wait to hear how blown away he is by you Isabelle: I'll give you all the rundown tomorrow morning 😁😁😁 Isabelle: do you want to go together, Meels? Amelia: I've got to put the time in with mum, I'll probably be late getting there Amelia: don't worry about waiting for me Isabelle: Okay, if you're sure Isabelle: come find me when you get there Amelia: yeah, Tom's tall, I'll be able to Isabelle: 🤤🤤🤤 Isabelle: he's so tall Amelia: play it cool, Is Isabelle: 😖 Savannah: you don't need to listen to Amelia, she's not an expert Amelia: I don't need to know about boys, I know her Isabelle: I don't wanna be sick on this one's shoes Amelia: of course you don't Amelia: trust me, drink less, dance more Jac: you should let him give you your first drink Savannah: 👏🏾 he'll LOVE that Isabelle: Ugh, thanks guys Isabelle: I am going to need to pre-drink though Isabelle: for my nerves Amelia: me too, for my 🎭🩰🧠 Jac: What ballet is it? Amelia: 🔥🐦 Jac: Your mum will love it Amelia: she hasn't already seen it, that's a good start Jac: I haven't either Jac: I mean, I just watch the performances at home but yeah Jac: we've sent the flowers via one of those postbox ones, they'll come tomorrow Amelia: she'll love those too Amelia: maybe even more than seeing me dressed for 🎭🩰 Jac: send us your outfit too then, yeah Amelia: no way, they're going nowhere but my mum's facebook Jac: I am her friend, you know Isabelle: hey, I'm not! Amelia: add her, she won't mind Isabelle: I'm so going to Isabelle: not my Insta though Isabelle: I've blocked mine 💁 Amelia: it's okay, I don't let her on my insta either any more Amelia: she leaves too many 😳 comments Isabelle: Mammys are the worst Isabelle: 😬😬 Amelia: at least she understands socials, my dad is clueless Amelia: and he's not THAT old Isabelle: My nan loves selfies Amelia: your nan is my everything Amelia: if I could bring her to the party tonight, I would Isabelle: 😂 you're so wild Amelia: tear yourself away from whichever Tom it is and you'll see Isabelle: not with Pam thank you 🤣 Isabelle: she has a boyfriend Amelia: get it Pamela Isabelle: his name is Brian Isabelle: they go down dolly mount every Friday, it's so cute Amelia: I'm so happy for them Jac: Awh, how sweet Jac: What about Jackie, has she been dating? Isabelle: She never tells me anything Isabelle: she says she's too busy working Amelia: Jackie doesn't need a man Isabelle: You sound just like her! Amelia: cut me deeper, Is 💔 Isabelle: sorry, you do though Isabelle: do you listen to the same female empowerment spotify playlist? Amelia: link me, I'd probably I'd be into it Isabelle: [does, imagine those single lady tunes lmao] Amelia: 😂 Amelia: this could save my life when I hate the 🎭🩰 Isabelle: no, no, take this Isabelle: [some dance sexy sassy playlist she's listening to] Amelia: you should send that one to Erin Amelia: save the party too Isabelle: Good idea Isabelle: [some cringy tiktok moment of her dancing, Isabelle stop] Amelia: [a video of amelia dancing amazingly at some party or other recently that Isabelle had to go home early from so she missed it, cos we gotta remind the lurking bae who we are] Isabelle: 🤯🤯🤯🤯 YOU'RE SO GOOD Isabelle: you should post! you'd get so many likes Amelia: I was so drunk, that's all Savannah: I can't believe that's you! Amelia: 🤔 am I flattered or offended Isabelle: Meels has always been a good dancer Isabelle: you should teach me Amelia: we can start tonight if it won't make Tom rage that he isn't teaching you something Isabelle: it's for his benefit Isabelle: so many lads are gonna be 😍 at you Amelia: they'll be looking at you if I do it right Isabelle: I'm fine with that 😋 Amelia: me too Jac: [some message between Ty and this Tom with some form of insider info they've made him get lol like you're welcome Isabelle but you also owe us now] Amelia: I'm seriously not understanding why you like him, Is Isabelle: 😲 OMG OMG Isabelle: it is so useful having a boy on our team Isabelle: thank you Ty, ahhhhhhh Isabelle: [pictures of him like hello] Savannah: We all want you to be happy Isabelle: 🥺🥺 awwwww Savannah: did you narrow down your outfit picks yet? Isabelle: no, I'm making toasties Isabelle: mum said I have to line my stomach 🙄 Jac: I hope that doesn't make a reappearance later Amelia: Erin's 🏠 is lovely, try not to redecorate it for her Amelia: can I stay over at yours, Is? Amelia: my parents will be all 😍🥰😘 Isabelle: 🤢🤢🤢 Isabelle: You can Isabelle: mum's on nights so she'll be gone and we won't have to worry about waking her up Amelia: if Tom's staying too, tell me now because that's as 🤢 Isabelle: Amelia! Amelia: I don't want to see or hear it, sorry Isabelle: he won't be staying, oh my gosh Amelia: okay Isabelle: I'm not a slag Isabelle: that's just what Kane put about when I dumped him for two-timing me Amelia: until I shut him up Isabelle: Ha, that was funny Isabelle: I thought he was gonna cry Amelia: he probably did when he went home Jac: 👏 Amelia: I should probably go get 🎭🩰 ready Amelia: 😣 this 👗 though Amelia: I'm going to look like I belong on Pam's 🚽 to hide her 🧻 Jac: 😏 Jac: it's not like you can wear your grass-stained skirt Amelia: It's long gone Jac: Shame Amelia: yeah, I liked it Jac: and Is had a good time in it Jac: fond memories Amelia: I'm sorry, okay? Jac: ... Jac: What? Amelia: for the 'third degree' earlier Jac: Oh, right Jac: well thanks for apologising, that's mature of you Amelia: I can be, sometimes Jac: I wouldn't suggest otherwise Amelia: I just had no idea you liked any of Ty's friends Jac: It's not like a thing, is all Jac: I'm not like in love with the boy Jac: you'd know if it was serious Amelia: would I? Jac: Obviously Jac: don't be silly Amelia: I have to go, I wouldn't have time to be silly even if you wanted me to Jac: Make sure your mum has a good time then ❤ Amelia: she will, I've booked a dinner reservation and everything Savannah: That's so cute! I feel like I should be a better daughter starting today Jac: Same Jac: putting us all to shame Isabelle: I only got my mum a necklace from the market for her birthday Isabelle: and it made her neck go green 😩 Amelia: she's been annoying me less lately Amelia: actually being helpful Isabelle: 🥳🥳🥳 Amelia: I didn't realise she was good for advice AND gossip Jac: You know you can talk to us too, right Isabelle: ^^ We're your best friends forever Amelia: it's nothing, I thought I liked someone too but I got it wrong Isabelle: but you never like ANYONE Isabelle: no offence Amelia: none taken Isabelle: you'll find someone Meels 😙 Amelia: maybe Amelia: maybe not Isabelle: Of course you will, you're lovely! Isabelle: right girls Jac: But she can take as much time as she likes, Is Savannah: Ty has so many amazing friends when you are ready, but there's no rush Amelia: Thanks Sav, but they're not my type Jac: I hate to think of your mum waiting on her birthday Jac: you don't wanna be late because Is still hasn't picked an outfit Amelia: don't worry, I'm going Isabelle: See you at Erin's 💖 Jac: Later 👋 Amelia: yeah x 2

[lady-divine-writes]

Need for Speed:New York - Chapter 2 (Rated NC17)

Summary:

It's been years since high school graduation, and Kurt and Blaine are living the lives of their dreams in New York City alongside their best friends, Nick and Jeff. Car racing behind them, they're working towards the future - Kurt and Jeff at NYADA, Blaine and Nick at NYU. But soon after moving from their tiny apartments to a bigger loft, bits and pieces of Ohio start to weed their way in to their lives - along with some New York grown angst, causing rifts that hopping behind the wheel of a Mustang might not be able to solve.

Notes: This was supposed to upload on Saturday, but I need a little positivity today, so I'm indulging. But there will be another chapter up Sat/Sun. Thank you all for your support <3

Read on AO3.

“A new bed, a new dresser, a new desk, a refrigerator … wait. I thought the loft came with a refrigerator?” Blaine said.

“It does, but it’s from the 50s,” Kurt said, racing down the sidewalk to the NYADA main entrance with his phone pressed to his ear. “It’s retro chic, but I worry about its energy efficiency.”

“Do you wanna get rid of it or …?”

“No way! Are you kidding? It’s too trendy to get rid of. We’ll use it as a show piece or something. We just can’t put food in it. Or plug it in.”

“O-kay. You know, it’s a good thing we’re getting such a good deal on this loft seeing as we’re rebuying every piece of furniture we own.”

“Not every piece.”

“Most of them.”

“It’s a good investment. As far as I’m concerned, the furniture we have is full to the brim with bad juju.” Kurt hurried through the double doors as a throng of other students walked out - a group of theater majors so enthralled in a debate over whether Williams, Shaw, or O’Neill were the best playwright of their time, they didn’t see Kurt until they ran into him. “The dresser’s way too small, the couch cushions are flat as pancakes, and the legs of the bed are shot from moving it in and out of the kitchen all summer long.”

“Are you sure that’s the reason our bed’s legs are shot?”

“That’s the one I’m going with while I’m out in public.”

“And I’m guessing an exorcism is out of the question?”

“I’m not too sure the Catholic Church would be eager to help us. Besides, you honestly think that would be cheaper than a trip to IKEA?”

“Hmmm … probably not.”

Kurt sighed, sliding his messenger bag, then his coat, off his shoulders and shaking out the rain. “I’m sorry. Is this too much? I think I kind of jumped into this without consulting you first.”

“No, no! Not at all! I’m not complaining, I swear! I’m just bustin’ your chops. I think it’s adorable. And it’ll probably be cheaper in the long run to buy brand new stuff than to cart our old junk to the new place.”

“Exactly,” Kurt concurred even though that particular argument hadn’t crossed his mind.

“Plus, I fully support any opportunity you find to spread your designing wings. Speaking of, you’re letting me foot the bill for this shopping spree, right?”

“Absolutely not! 50/50. That’s the arrangement.”

“If that’s how you want it, darling. But you know …” Blaine’s voice slid lower and Kurt grinned, knowing that something suggestive was about to come out of his boyfriend’s mouth “… I could pay the bill, and you could work off your half in trade.” He growled, and even though Kurt rolled his eyes, certain parts of his body rose to the occasion.

“You wish,” Kurt said, willing away the erection that sprang up like a Pavlovian dog at Blaine’s growl, which, at any other time, would be followed by his boyfriend on his hands and knees. That was difficult to accomplish from across town. “Come on, let me go! I have to get to my first class. I’m already late enough to not show up!” Damn Jeff and Nick for not coming home last night, Kurt thought as he carefully folded his soaked coat inside out and draped it over his arm. Since their normal five a.m. shenanigans didn’t wake Kurt up, and his alarm never does, he was late getting ready, late for the train, and now, he’s just plain late for the day.

Honestly, that was on him for linking his circadian rhythm to his friends’ sex schedule.

But late for his first class meant his day was shot, so he might as well go home and keep packing, right?

Sounded reasonable to him.

“Alright, alright, alright! Get to class! Do all the things! I’ll see you later this afternoon, and then maybe we could do a little house warming celebrating of our own.” Blaine growled again, and Kurt re-positioned his sopping wet coat over the front of his jeans so as to not to make a scene.

“You order a pizza and I’ll grab a sleeping bag from the apartment on my way over.”

“It’s a date. Bye, darling.”

“Bye.” Kurt hung up the call. He shivered when the doors behind him opened, ushering in a breeze that spiraled through his damp clothes and straight to his bones. He started down the hall, trying to remember whether or not he’d left a change of clothing in his locker in the costume closet. If not, he could always borrow something. What plays were going on right now? Much Ado About Nothing? Waiting for Godot? Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? There had to be a pair of jeans and a semi-fashionable button-down shirt in there that would fit him. Or he could throw caution to the wind and dress up in a brocade vest, a long coat, and pantaloons. With the risky outfits he wore during high school, period dress was something he hadn’t tried. NYADA seemed like the perfect place to explore those vistas in fashion. Maybe he could start a trend. He was interning at Vogue. He needed to do more to stretch boundaries, be bold, start a movement.

Get dry. Because the longer he waited, the tighter his jeans became. They were tight enough as it was. Squishing his junk was not the fashion statement he needed to start today.

A familiar voice stopped him before he could convince himself to go to his second lecture dressed like Benedick … or Beatrice.

Not just stopped but skidded to a halt, nearly rolling his right ankle in the process.

“Hello, gorgeous. I think you forgot your bag.”

“Sebastian?” Kurt spun around. And as implausible as it seemed, Sebastian Smythe was standing behind him, Kurt’s messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He looked dryer than Kurt, so he couldn’t have just gotten there. But why was he there at all? “Oh my God!” Kurt opened his arms and hugged him without giving it a second thought. “We haven’t seen you in forever! I thought you were overseas! What are you doing in New York?”

Sebastian returned the hug single-armed. ““Haven’t you heard? I go here now.”

Kurt stepped out of Sebastian’s embrace so quickly, he almost succeeded in twisting that ankle. “Wait? What? Are you serious?”

“Yeah.” He brought his left arm forward, showing Kurt a stack of books he held clutched in his hand. The top one Kurt recognized right away as Intro to Theater. That happened to be the class he was missing this very moment. The second was A History of Shakespearean Dress Making, the elective Kurt had fourth today, and the third … The Beginner’s Guide to Mime? Kurt didn’t understand. Wasn’t Sebastian attending Oxford or something? Why would he be in New York taking theater, mime, and dress making? It didn’t make sense. “Wha---what, are you … did you really … how in the hell did you …?” Kurt went silent, mouth open as a dozen questions clogged up his throat like rush hour traffic.

He flashed back to his own audition for NYADA – the grueling hour spent in the April Rhodes Auditorium singing his prepared musical theater piece and sight reading another. He had to juggle set design, costume, and choreography all at a professional level to prove that he had what it took to go to this school. Jeff, who auditioned in dance, had to prepare two separate solos – one classical ballet and one hip-hop. At an additional placement interview, Kurt had to prepare another musical theater piece as well as deliver a monologue, and Jeff had to come up with three more dance routines – jazz, interpretive, and contemporary.

Kurt knew that Sebastian had music in his arsenal. He was co-captain of The Warblers at Dalton, but that was show choir. They sang top 40 hits and pulled off some synchronized swaying – nothing to the level of a NYADA audition. Kurt attended the last Warbler concert of their senior year with Blaine. Sebastian had a solo. Kurt remembered thinking he had a decent voice – better than decent, actually.

But that was about it.

Afterwards, at a mixed crew going-away party, Sebastian drank three beers and smoked a joint – something Kurt would never think of doing as a performer. His body was his instrument. He wouldn’t do anything that might put it out of tune.

Going to a school like NYADA wasn’t only about talent. It was about passion and sacrifice. Sebastian never said a word about wanting to join the arts professionally. Was he keeping it a secret – maybe from his dad? Maybe his life was like George the janitor’s and he was waiting for his moment to break free.

Could he have actually made it into NYADA?

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold up!” Sebastian juggled the books in his hand to grab his phone and snap a pic. The flash went off in Kurt’s face, but he didn’t even blink. Sebastian looked at the image on his screen and chortled. “Oh yeah! That's a keeper!”

“I still don’t … I don’t … how did you …?”

“I don’t go here, ya psycho!” Sebastian snorted, setting the books down on a nearby chair. “I came here to see you! The tuition here’s highway robbery, and the audition requirements are insane! You really have to commit yourself to a life of suffering and poverty to want to go here, no offense.”

“None taken, you useless walnut. Then where did you get those?” Kurt pointed at the books.

“I borrowed them from the library. I thought it would give me provenance, help me look the part.”

“A-ha. So you came here looking for me, and when you couldn’t find me, you went to the library and grabbed those books to pretend you go here on the off chance I’d walk through the door and you could pull this elaborate prank on me?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Worked, didn’t it?”

Kurt chuckled. “Yup. I guess it did. You’re one lucky bastard.”

“That, and I ran into Jeff about half an hour ago. He said you’d probably be along soon.”

“He should know. He’s the reason I’m late, the jerk. You still haven’t told me what you’re doing in New York?”

“Yeah …” Sebastian glanced down at his feet, worrying the linoleum with the toe of his sneaker “… well, after a few laps around the world, I got bored and decided it was time to settle down for a while. So I thought I’d come back to the states, go to school and finish my degree.”

“What degree?” Kurt asked, deciding he could afford to miss one Intro to Theater class to catch up with an old friend. Besides, this information was bordering on gossip, and Kurt wasn’t one to kick gossip out of bed.

“Originally, I was going to go into law. Become a states’ attorney like my dad. But it seemed empty to me. So I gave it some thought and asked myself – when was the last time I really enjoyed myself? The last time I was really happy? Aside from driving, the answer to that was music. And since I didn’t see myself becoming the next Dale Earnhardt, Jr. …”

“Mmm … probably not …” Kurt teased.

“… I applied to the music therapy program at NYU.”

Kurt’s nose scrunched. “The same program Blaine’s in?”

“Yup.” Sebastian’s eyes sheepishly found his sneaker again. “I’ll admit, I got the idea from his Facebook posts. It looks like something he really enjoys. Something that adds value to his life. That’s something I need more of – value.” He pinched his lower lip between his teeth. “That doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it? I mean, I know we all have a past and everything but …”

“But we’ve gotten over it,” Kurt said. “I swear. Color me a little bit shocked, but that’s all. How big of an asshole would I have to be if I said ‘I know you finally found your purpose in life, but you need to give it up and leave’?”

“Pretty big,” Sebastian agreed.

“That doesn’t mean it’s open season on my man or anything.”

“Dammit!” Sebastian snapped his fingers in mock disappointment. “I’m heading his way now, and I was hoping for a little bathroom bj action.”

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. “Nice.”

“I’m kidding! Kidding! Please, don’t hate me … or murder me in my sleep.”

“Hmph! I’ll think about it.”

Sebastian nodded, the last dregs of laughter fading in his throat. “All joking aside, I wanted to connect with you first. I wanted you to hear from me instead of Blaine that I was here.” Sebastian looked Kurt up and down, but not in the way he used to. Not in a way that made Kurt’s skin crawl. This was a different Sebastian Smythe. A new Sebastian Smythe. Kurt hoped this one stuck around for a while. “You look good.” 

“Thanks,” Kurt said, grateful that Sebastian overlooked the drowned rat aesthetic he was still sporting. “So do you.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. You look happier. More ...” The first word that jumped to Kurt’s mind was mature, but he thought that would make him sound conceited “… put together.”

“It helps when you leave drama behind you and get your shit straightened out. Maybe now I can focus on the important things.”

“If you need anything, let us know,” Kurt said, offering Sebastian one last hug.

“I will.” Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt’s torso and gave him a squeeze. He slipped Kurt’s bag over his shoulder, adjusting the curled strap for longer than necessary. “I have to go. Time to head over to NYU and bug your boyfriend.”

“He’ll be at lunch in about an hour. You can catch him at Kimmel Marketplace. Oh, and if you see Nick, do me a favor and punch him in the shoulder for me. I have to hunt down Jeff and do the same.”

“Of course, but why?”

“Oh, they know what they’ve done.”

***

“So, you’re moving, huh?” Green eyes narrowed to judgmental slits, waiting for Blaine to answer.

“Uh … yeah,” Blaine replied, fishing through his bag for his notebook. He was supposed to have three, but he could only find two. He smirked, wondering if Kurt had grabbed it by accident, seeing how distracted he was when he ran out to catch his train this morning.

Blaine felt slightly guilty for that one. Kurt blamed Jeff and Nick’s absence for his lateness.

But Blaine had been doing the distracting.

“And whose idea was that?”

“My boyfriend wanted to move and I thought it was a good idea, so … yeah.” Blaine grunted, pulling out each item one by one and stacking it neatly on the cafeteria table. “That’s pretty much how that went down.”

“I see.” Paul brushed a lock of blond hair out of his face and sipped his coffee, perturbed by this recent development. The apartment Blaine lived in (though Paul had never been there) was only a few subway stops away from NYU. Everything Blaine could ever need was here on campus. Everything. So he didn’t need to move. But apparently that wasn’t Blaine’s decision to make. His boyfriend did.  “Where to?”

“A loft out in Bushwick.”

“Bushwick?” Paul’s whole face crumpled in disgust. “Where the hell is Bushwick? It sounds like a slum.”

“It’s in Brooklyn. It’s actually a pretty nice neighborhood.”

“But what about all that travel? It’s still Brooklyn.”

“It’s not that big a deal. Besides, it’s worth it. You should see the place. It’s enormous!”

Paul smiled, the piercings in his dimples mirroring the glint in his eyes. “Is that an invitation?”

“Sure. I guess. I mean, I should step up and host study night now that I have the space. I’m sure Kurt won’t mind. I can probably connive him into making some snacks. He’s an amazing cook.”

“I’ll bet,” Paul said dryly. “You know, the course load only gets harder from here on out, so I hear. You really should consider living closer to campus.”

“I don’t know if you’ve been looking at the classifieds lately, but places near campus cost an arm and a leg. I’d like to keep mine for now. I’m not even in grad school yet,” Blaine said, chuckling at his own joke.

“Maybe you could find someone to bunk with during the week,” Paul suggested, sliding closer while Blaine had his back turned, head deep inside his bag, “and go to your loft on the weekends. I know a couple of guys who do that.” He snapped his fingers as if he just came up with a genius idea. “I have a fold-out couch. You can bunk with me whenever you’re working late, or you’re too tired to ride the subway … or you don’t want to go home.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d miss my boyfriend too much.” Blaine yanked out a handful of letters from Kurt and piled them on top of his text books. Paul watched, his lip curling once he noticed the flowery handwriting. “I can handle the extra commute. I’m a big boy.”

Paul grinned, looking Blaine over behind the safety of Blaine’s back, stopping when his eyes reached his ass. “I’m sure you are.”

“Anderson! Hey, Anderson!”

Blaine grinned to his eyebrows before he looked up. He’d recognize that voice, booming his name, anywhere. He’d heard rumors. He didn’t know if they’d be true.

Apparently, they were.

Walking through the cafeteria crowd came Sebastian Smythe, sauntering toward him, reminiscent of the first day they met in the commons at Dalton.

God! That simultaneously seemed like yesterday and ten years ago. Where had the time gone?

“Are you kidding me? Where in the hell did you come from?” Blaine leapt out of his seat and into Sebastian’s arms. “Last I heard, you were in London? Madrid?”

“Paris,” Sebastian said, lifting Blaine up a foot off the ground just because he could. “I just came from NYADA. Had a little fun scaring the shit out of your man. He said you might be here. Speaking of …” Sebastian’s smile dropped like a lead balloon when he caught sight of the guy  with the bottle blond mop and garish crayon red tips glaring daggers at him, as if he and Blaine had been enjoying an intimate lunch and Sebastian was intruding “… who the hell is this?”

“This is Paul Johnson,” Blaine said. “He’s my lab partner this semester.”

Sebastian didn’t offer him a hand. Paul didn’t offer one either.

“Yes,” Paul said, “but we’ve known one another since freshman year, so …” He left it open-ended, as if there were a whole history of him and Blaine understood within the invisible brackets bookmarking that unfinished statement. It was pretentious, and as a once pretentious person himself, it rubbed Sebastian the wrong way.

Blaine, however, didn’t seem to notice.

“Paul Johnson?” Sebastian huffed. “That sounds like a stripper name. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Stripping is a noble profession.”

Paul’s jaw locked tight. Blaine clapped Sebastian on the shoulder.

“Play nice,” he said. “So, what’s up? Did you get your books and shit? Do you know what classes you’re taking?”

“Haven’t got my books yet, dad,” Sebastian teased, “but I have my course list.” He handed Blaine his phone with his schedule listed on the screen. “According to this, I’ve got to get myself one of those …” He gestured dismissively at Paul.

“Too bad you weren’t here a few weeks ago. We could have been partners.”

From the corner of his eye, Sebastian saw Paul grimace.

“Wouldn’t that have been a hoot? Then I could have kept you out of trouble. Now I’ve gotta stalk your ass.” Another glare from Paul, but this time Sebastian matched it and held it, not blinking until Paul backed down … which he did, returning to the task of sulking inside his coffee cup. “Hey, do you happen to know where Nick is?”

“Uh, I think he’s at his internship already. Brown, Smith, Simon, and Kent on 5th Avenue. Why do you ask?”

“I’m supposed to punch him. Per Kurt’s request.” Sebastian pounded his left palm with his right fist and side-eyed Paul. “I could punch you instead. Something tells me Kurt would approve.”

“Ha … ha …” Blaine stepped between Sebastian and Paul and gave his old friend another hug. “It’s good to see you again, man, but unfortunately, we’ve got to get back to work.”

“Yes,” Paul said, his smug smile replacing the perma-glare on his face, “we’ve got to get back to work.”

“And I’ve got to swing by admissions,” Sebastian said, ignoring Paul, “but we’ll get together soon, right?”

“Absolutely! Did Kurt tell you about the new loft?”

“Nah. We only had time for a small make-out sesh. We didn’t get that far.”

Blaine raised an unamused brow. “You’re full of the jokes today, aren’t you?”

“He’s full of something,” Paul grumbled.

“Just excited to be back. And tryin’ to keep you on your toes. I’m harmless ... mostly.” Sebastian bumped the table with his thigh. Paul’s coffee cup tipped, sending him scrambling to catch it before it could fall off the edge.

“Right,” Blaine said, mildly confused. “I’ll shoot you the deets and you can come by for dinner. Otherwise, we’ll see you around campus?”

Sebastian threw a look over his shoulder, and since Paul had been boring holes in his back the whole time, willing him to move the hell on, he was in prime position to catch it. “I’m looking forward to it.”

[gifsbysimplysonia]

Title:  The In Between

Characters:  Bucky Barnes, Cap the Black Lab

Word Count: 1312

Warning(s): angst, alluded to character death

Summary: "I keep myself busy with the things I do but every time I pause, I still think of you."

Author’s Notes:  technically this is the first thing I wrote after my decade plus hiatus. I am extremely involved with @savemefromanepicoftimewasted's 'Verse centered around Steve Rogers and his dog Cap. And out of the blue one night, I saw these precious black lab photos and was inspired to write using her character of Cap. I stole her character cuz I didn't even ask permission before I did it, so I'm sorry, Krista! But thank you for not being mad and being so supportive when I posted this. 

Bucky sighed when Cap’s face covered the top half of what he was trying to read. He looked Cap in his big brown eyes and felt a pang in the pit of his stomach. He allowed the pad of his thumb to rub in between his eyes, just like he liked, and Cap sighed too. 

When Bucky was done, Cap gazed up at him and Bucky knew he was not going to finish this latest chapter on soil conditions anytime soon (not like he hadn’t been trying for days, anyways, it was just so boring). He had been trying to avoid thinking about today, but leave it to Cap to not allow him to slip into emotionally unhealthy behavior. He huffed as threw the book onto the coffee table and pushed himself up off the couch. Knowing as he always did, Cap made his way to the fridge, sitting next to it and patiently waiting for what he knew was coming. 

Bucky shook his head and smirked down at his canine companion. 

“You’re almost as spoiled as he was,” Bucky said, opening the freezer to extract the container of Cap’s favorite treats that was always inside. When the door closed and Cap’s eyes landed on the container, his mouth opened and his tongue hung out of his mouth in anticipation. Bucky shook his head no and Cap paused before letting out a quiet bark. 

Bucky had not known those were possible before Cap came along. He laughed the first time it happened in front of him and Steve had explained that he had trained him to keep his voice down when it was bedtime for the kids. Bucky’s little ones were currently asleep, and he had to stop and be grateful that Cap did not pitch a fit and wake them up. A thoughtful dog had been such a strange concept to Bucky, but Cap was ... in a category all his own. Bucky put down the container and leaned down to pet Cap. He made sure to use both hands and scratch under his ears. He couldn’t help but feel a warmth bloom in his chest at how Cap seemed to smile at the extra attention. 

“Thank you for keeping it down, punk,” Bucky whispered. He snatched up the container of treats, making his way to the sliding glass door that led to the porch in the backyard. Cap proceeded to make his way out there, climbing up onto the wooden bench and laying on his stomach and resting his head on his paws. Bucky snapped on the twinkle lights his wife had hung up out there that he had railed against, but later admitted made for a soft and sweet glow. Nothing new, she was always right. 

Bucky took his place next to Cap, popping off the top of the frosty tupperware with his right hand and taking out a handful of frozen blueberries in his left. The vibranium held the temperature and made sure they stayed frozen. Cap liked the crunch. Cap’s mouth opened and he started panting again in anticipation. Bucky held his left hand up and away from his body while he pointed his right index finger at Cap. 

“Don’t forget to chew, ok?” Bucky then mimicked what Cap should do by exaggeratedly biting at air a couple of times. Cap imitated him and Bucky felt safe in giving him the blueberries. He always took this precaution cuz he didn’t want Cap to choke. Bucky brought his hand back down and unfolded his fingers one by one to reveal a few frozen blueberries. Cap eagerly lapped them up into his mouth, his tongue tickling Bucky’s hand and causing him to laugh a little. To Bucky’s satisfaction, Cap worked his jaw and chewed his treat thoroughly. Bucky gave him a few more before putting the top back on the container and relaxing into his seat. 

The evening was dark and quiet, a slight chill in the air. Bucky appreciated the bite. He felt a warm weight on his left thigh and looked down to see Cap resting his head there. Again, he gazed up at him with those big brown eyes and there was no mistaking the sadness. Bucky’s right hand reached across his body to caress Cap’s chin. 

“I know, buddy. I know.” 

The tightness Bucky felt in his chest was unwelcome. Luckily his life, full of responsibilities and a wife and kids and work and even Cap, usually provided enough distraction so that it was not even a thought to be had. Only in the rare quiet moments, like now, would the silence descend and invite the pain of absence to creep slowly into his heart. Bucky propped his elbow on the arm of the bench, resting his own chin in his hand. He fought the urge to look to his right and gaze at the photo on the small table that occupied the space. The photo of him and his best friend, laughing and smiling, on one of the few good days they had been afforded throughout their complicated lifetimes. 

Cap sat up and shuffled closer to Bucky, pulling Bucky’s attention to him. Cap’s eyes were so intent and full of life, sometimes Bucky swore those eyes saw more than they were supposed to. And the way Cap moved his head, in a sort of nod, as if he was urging Bucky onward. Bucky narrowed his eyes at Cap, and after a heartbeat or three, Cap did it again. Resigned, Bucky let out a breath he did not know he was holding and turned, reaching for the photo hovering close by. 

His fingers closed around the wooden frame, and he brought it close to his face. The way the twinkle lights reflected off the glass gave the picture a somewhat ghostly quality; it seemed to glow. Bucky’s right thumb passed over the smudged glass, over the half of the snapshot that held the countenance of his best friend. For a moment, Bucky let go and allowed the ache of loss to overtake him. His lips folded into his mouth and his eyes shut tightly as a lifetime and more of memories played through his mind like a movie, some frames fuzzy and some with stunning clarity. The day this photo was taken was a good day, and thankfully, was frozen in his memory clear as crystal. And somehow, that was more painful than the dark and murky memories; those memories, he had no desire to see or know any better than he already did. But the good memories, the happy times ... assured and changeless, left Bucky feeling robbed and deprived. 

A tongue on his cheek brought Bucky back to himself, not unlike a lifeline. He gulped in air as Cap tried his very best to wipe away his tears the only way that he could. Cap’s little whines pulled at Bucky’s heart as he was once again reminded that he was not the only one who missed Steve. Bucky wiped the picture clean, ridding it of any evidence of his breakdown before returning it to its place. He then turned to Cap and wrapped him in an uncharacteristic hug. Cap leaned into it, continuing to whine and feeling the way the dog’s body heaved with tiny stutters, Bucky knew he was not alone in his memories, nor his grief. His left arm brushed back and forth against Cap’s body as his right hand caressed his neck. 

“I know, pal. I know. I miss him too,” his whispered words cracked and Bucky let his tears fall, knowing that once this session of mourning was over, it would be back to life. Back to reality. Back to the business of moving on. But for now, he allowed himself this reprieve and sat with his friend in sorrow, missing the best man they both had ever known. 

@savemefromanepicoftimewasted sorry, I borrowed your characters but something hit me when I saw these two pics and I had to do this. 

[bella-ca]

BOUND- A TRR AU

Summary:

Y/N has always known she was different. She just didn’t realize how much. Upon her 18th birthday she gets information that will forever change her life. The stuff of her nightmares is reality. The things that go bump in the night really do exist. It’s up to her and her family to fight these monsters. Her life will never be the same. What happens when she falls in love with one such being? Will she live up to her legacy or become what she hunts?

A/N: My muse kept telling me this story needs to be told. I love anything related to supernatural/horror beings. I decided to use the Y/N= your name format. This is a TRR love story. It is a slow burn. This is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. I hope you enjoy. Disclaimer: All characters belong ito choices by Pixelberry. I’m just borrowing them. Same with the pics they are not mine.

Warnings: violence, cursing, murder, revenge, death. By reading you are acknowledging you are at least 18 years of age.

Word count: 1608

Masterlist

Chapter 1

You’re running through the forest chasing another one. You hear the howl in the moonlight. You smirk. Like that is supposed to scare you. With your inhuman speed you catch up to the beast easily. You throw a dagger catching the beast in the shoulder blade. It howls in pain pulling out the knife and changing direction. You stop to pick up your dagger. You wipe the blood off the knife. The silver of the blade gleaming in the moonlight, You were surprised it touched the silver dagger. Pure silver is very painful for them to touch. It is one of the only things that can harm them. Usually you only got them back after killing the beasts. You keep the dagger in in your left hand and remove your gun from it’s holster. The clip loaded with silver bullets. You follow the trail of blood deeper into the forest. You approach cautiously listening for any movement. You have been tracking it for a while. You finally got a break after learning that this beast attacked a man earlier in the evening killing him. You caught his scent and have been tracking him ever since. You hear movement to your left and follow. You catch a glimpse of fur out of the corner of your eye. You throw the dagger catching him in the leg. He howls in pain but doesn't stop. He slows just enough for you to get a lock on him. You fire your gun twice catching him in the back. He slows but doesn't stop. He runs into a cave. Stupid bastard you think to himself. You cautiously walk to the entrance of the cave and find the beast. Laying on the floor. Bleeding out. It grabs the knife in his leg and throws it back at you. You dodge out of the way the dagger hits the floor with a clang. You smirk at the beast. “You have to do better than that.” You tell it as you aim your gun at the creature. It growled menacingly. You may kill me, but more will take my place. You hear in your mind. “You laugh then I will kill them too, until all you bastards are gone.” You aim for the heart and pull the trigger. Putting the beast out of its misery. As soon as you did it turned back into a human. You sighed pulling the body into the woods to bury it. That was the part you hated the most. Usually you could burn the body but you were afraid of the smoke attracting people so you would cut off the head and bury the body. It was dirty work, but hey you do what you gotta do.

7 years ago

“Happy Birthday Y/N!” You smile as you wake up. Your mom, dad and sister stand there. Thank you you say as they each hug you.

“Your an adult now. How do feel?” your little sister asks you.

You laugh “The same as I did yesterday.” you say taking a sip of the coffee.

“So do you have plans tonight? Your father asks.

“Well, I was going to head out with Alex and Josh. They said they want to go out clubbing tonight.”

Alex and Josh have been your best friends since you moved to Washington in 5th grade. They were like the brothers you never had. You were all very close. Your father didn't like the fact that your best friends were boys. Especially when you got older, but you told him that they were nothing more than friends. Your father was a well trained bodyguard and taught you everything you knew. He knew you could handle yourself around boys. Growing up you never got along with girls. They seemed to dislike you the second they saw you. You used to come home upset when you tried to make friends with them at school. Your mom and dad always told you it was just because they were jealous of you. You never understood why. It just seemed like they could sense something in you and they didn't like it.

As you got older, you saw the way all males were immediately drawn to you. They always told you how pretty you were. They would all make advances toward you but Alex and Josh made sure that they all left you alone. Sometimes they were a little too overprotective. You would shrug it off as them being overprotective of their little sister. After seeing how they protected you, your father warmed up to them quickly and considered them family. You were always more of a tomboy growing up. You excelled at sports. When you were about 16 you started to feel different. Your senses started to become sharper and you were stronger than most girls your age. You just thought it was puberty and all the self defense training your father was giving you was making you strong.

After finishing your breakfast, you got up to go for a run. You loved running feeling the breeze thru your hair. You felt free. It gave you time to enjoy nature and also helped to keep you in shape. After your run, you went back home and started working out in the basement of your parents home. Your father had changed into a training room for you to train in. You started hitting the punching bag.

“Hey sis” your sister Sofia called to you.

“Hey” you said back while throwing a spin kick to the bag.

“Don’t you ever get tired? She asks you rolling her eyes. She was always more of a girly girl. She stayed in shape, worked out and could defend herself to a point, but she never had the senses and strength that you had when you were her age. She was always the one chasing after the boys while you competed against them.

“I was wondering….can I go clubbing with you tonight?”

You paused and turned to look at her. “Seriously? You asked surprised.

“Umm...yeah” She says shrugging her shoulders.

“You know Dad will never allow it.” Your sixteen. How would you even get in?”

“Y/N I have been to clubs before .” she tells you rolling her eyes. “I don't know sis.” you tell her punching the bag again. “Aww come on Y/N please???” You don't turn around. You know if you see her puppy dog eyes you would say yes. She grabs your arm making you look at her. You see tears welling in her eyes as she gives you the puppy dog look. “Ugh ok.” you tell her. “But you have to be the one to ask Dad.” “Okay” she says a smile on her face as she leaves to go to school.

You smile going back to the bag. You know your father would never let her go. The only reason he let you go out at her age to parties was because of Alex and Josh. Sofia had friends but mostly girls so your dad was even more protective of her. Being your birthday, you took the day off from work. You spent the morning with your mom and had lunch with her at your favorite restaurant and went shopping with her for your birthday. She helped you pick out an outfit for the club that night. Of course you disagreed on what to get. She wanted to buy you a dress, but you felt more comfortable in jeans. When you got home you saw your dad was there. “Hey Dad your home early.” You tell him. Yeah, I took the afternoon off to spend time with your mom.” “Awww you old people are so cute.” you tell him with a smirk. “Excuse you, I am not old.” He tells you drawing you in for a hug. “You're lucky it’s your birthday or you would pay for that remark.” You both laugh. “Hey I got something for you.” He says giving you a box with a bow. “Happy Birthday Mija.” He tells you.

You open the gift and find an all silver dagger with beautiful etching on the handle with your initials on it.

“Dad it’s beautiful. I love it.” You take it out of the box and began to flip it in your hand. He taught you how to use various weapons but you always loved knives and daggers of all kinds. The way they felt in your hand. You loved practicing with them and you were damn good at it too. “Hey keep the fancy moves for the training room.” he tells you with a smile.” You grin putting it back in the box.

You were very close with your parents. They were always there for you. You trusted them with everything. There were never any secrets between you. You and your parents hung out together for a little bit before going out for a afternoon movie date. You were having a great day so far spending time with them. Little did you know the night of your 18th birthday your life would forever change.

Chapter 2

Thank you for reading!! Reblogging and comments are appreciated. It will keep me motivated to write 💜💜

If you would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

Tagging those I think would be interested:

@katurrade @bobasheebaby @elles-choices @furiousherringoperatortoad @hopefulmoonobject @stopforamoment @tornbetween2loves @indiacater @annekebbphotography @gibbles82 @blackcoffee85 @ownworldresident

[evolving-lozer]

Hey, I need help. A lot help. Finical help.

I know, everyone does. But I’m late in rent. I will need another $574.

My mom kidnapped my car for two weeks because she was mad at me. Because I’m an Ubereats driver this greatly impacted my income. I was lucky my boyfriend let me borrow his car as much as he could but he still needs to get to and from work and also drives Lyft which cut into the time I normally worked.

I would need 100 less but I dropped my phone two days ago and broke the screen so bad it wouldn’t work at all. As I said I do ubereats and that’s all on your phone so I needed to get it fixed this week, I couldn’t put it off. That also cut into time I could work.

I’ve also just had a hard time getting out the door and working. The troubled with my mom, I’m going through a separation with my wife, and feeling the dread of not being able to make rent on the first.

I don’t have much I can give back. I’m not an artist by any stretch of the imagination. But I will draw, paint, whatever. I got dogs/cat pics I can send. For every 50 I raise I can post a video of a burlesque move I learned and teach it to you! If there is anything else you can think of that would make it worth it to you to donate to help me keep my house, let me know. I’ll probably do it. I’m very desperate.

I have 3 dogs and 4 cats I would need to worry about placing in a safe place. I haven’t even finished unpacking. I have a regular well paying job lined up I start next week that will cover everything for next month. I just need help today.

And if you are ok with delayed payments back, I will take that too.

I hate asking. I hate needing help. But at this point I’ve exhausted all other options. A thank you in advance to all those you do anything you can.

PayPal

Venmo is Madison987

You can add me on Snapchat (for free! I’ll always take new friends!) and do snapcash. My user name is jademaidgade

Again, thank you thank you thank you. I’m still working. I have things I’m trying to sell. I’m still pushing.

Let me know if you want a little house tour and I’ll totally post a lil video!

[wannawrite]

All For One

who?: Wanna One’s Lai Guanlin, Cube Ent’s / Pd101’s Yoo Seonho genre: 🌸 type: bullet point blog navigator. • you have two Cube Chicks for best friends • is this a good or bad idea? this...is the cutest, softest thing...possibly...ever. I’ll try my best! Made me think of my best friends a lot  :”) TYSM @isaluciavevo for requesting - Admin L

• ahhhh the Cube Chicks are back together again • honestly,,,who...just who in the right mind thought that this would be a good idea • because it is a GREAT idea • but • warning: Cube Chicks may cause trouble out of good intention • good vibes only • that’s how y’all roll • if you want it • you go get it • and your boys will support you • both are competitive sportsmen • basketball team!! • captain • and vice-captain • it’s a v v messy yet memorable friendship • sometimes it’s you trying to keep Seonho and Guanlin alive • sometimes it’s Guanlin trying to keep you and Seonho from getting arrested • yeah • it’s Seonho for everything • have you seen this boy? • he gets in so much trouble its a miracle you haven’t bailed him out of jail yet • but he’s a good boy, don’t worry • he’s just clumsy and childish • kind of doesn’t think of consequences before acting • sort of plunges both feet into hot water without dipping his toes to check first • but • that’s how your entire friendship functions • it’s a good friendship • you share a class with Seonho • and it’s crazy • he sits next to you • some days he never pays attention to the teacher and gossips to you throughout class • other days he’s like • ‘hey seonho can I borrow a pencil-’  • ‘shush. pay attention to the teacher, y/n.’ • damn Seonho I just wanted a pencil I didn’t ask for this slander • but you love him • in school, he’s the first person to greet you at your locker in the mornings • with a bright smile, his backpack slung over his shoulder • then he ruffles your hair playfully, messing it up completely • true friendship :”) • ‘ahh, I know that person you like will definitely take notice of you now,’ he teases • then you guys walk to assembly and class together • sometimes in class, you guys have a sheet of foolscap paper in between the desks • and either one of you will draw or write some really cute, heart-warming, heart-fluttering bullshit • okay you get my drift • ‘you’re doing amazing sweetie’ • ‘cheer up!’ • ‘have fun at basketball practice later!’ • ‘i miss Guanlin :(‘ • ‘>:( what about me’ • ‘I love Guanlin :D’   • ‘ :”( ‘ • ‘ily2 dw ❤️’ • Seonho smiles before folding up the paper and sticking it into his bag just as your teacher walks by • he has an incredible knack of never getting in trouble • he can create trouble but he doesn’t get in it • explain later • okay now • Seonho is also super concern and caring • during lunch if he gets pizza, he makes sure to buy some for you too • and Guanlin of course • ‘pfpp lol hyung you can buy your own’ • ‘yah, you still owe me from last week’s frozen yoghurt.’ • bickers over food • visits your house very often • he just comes to nap on your bed • ‘nooo I’m here to inspect if you cleaned your room like you said you did in your Snapchat story.’ • really, he just wants access to your pantry and kitchen • while eating popcorn, you and Guanlin doodle things all over his arms when he’s sleeping • not dicks pls • Seonho is a child • he needs his sleep • after sleeping, he makes sure to go out with you and Guanlin a lot • barbecue is a MUST • in fact, the owner is a classmate’s parent • and always give you guys a discount • THAT’S how regular y’all are • and there’s always a tad bit more food for your table • karaoke is a favourite • time for swaggy rapper™️ to shine • speaking of Guanlin • he’s a year older • yet not that much more mature • or sensible • jk, he is • quieter and shyer than Seonho • but just as goofy when he opens up to you • is fake deep • ‘I want to get a tattoo of a burrito because we get so wrapped up in our internal feelings and sadness, that we ignore the crisp and goodness outside.’ • sends really meaningful things to the group chat at 12am • Guanlin🐥: you guys mean the world to me, I would never trade y’all for anything else • Seonho🐣: aww hyung :”) • you: 💓💓💓 • changes the group chat profile pic very often • he went through an entire streak of Kermit the frog for a month • Guanlin really likes memes • more than Seonho • and Seonho has a folder of 500+ pictures of memes alone • at 3.30am, Guanlin will send memes to the group chat • kermit the frog memes • pepe memes   • any other meme you can think of • sometimes recycles memes • edits memes • Guanlin🐥: hey Daniel hyung promised me a lifetime worth of pizza if I gave  Seonho to Minhyun hyung • Guanlin🐥: so lmao bye bye Seonho • Guanlin🐥: you’re the sacrifice • Seonho actually disappears for a couple of hours   • wh00ps • but Guanlin is EXTRA • extra sweet ;) • advises you both of life • ‘now...my young grasshoppers, I’m going to teach you how to sleep in class and not get caught.’ • ‘this is how you secretly eat pizza rolls in the middle of math’ • ‘LiSTEN, this is how you sneak in a waffle maker to make breakfast in morning assembly’ • but he does actually help • he helps both of you with studies • pushes Seonho to study by treating him to pizza • and ice cream • and chicken • Guanlin tells you tips and tricks to memorise math formulas better • uses creative analogies • ‘okay, imagine that x is a sheep. So 2x would mean 2 sheep and then 4x + -3x would be?’ • I don’t even know actually but let’s just pretend I do • ‘guys, if you get Mr Kai as your math teacher next year, tell me.’ • is a nice, responsible and caring older brother • gets really protective from time to time • it’s the small actions that give him away • like • ‘no, I’ll walk you out to the gate, don’t go by yourself.’ • ‘text me when you get home safe, okay?’ • will walk you to the bus stop and take your bus even if it goes the opposite way • makes some lame excuse • ��uhh, my sister’s friend’s dog is in the area so I’m going to meet him and we’ll go back together.’ • ‘I need to pick up dry cleaning for my mother. You know how she’s fussy about her evening gowns.’ • ‘Lin, it’s 9pm at night...the shop is closed.’ • red-faced • ‘oh’ • Guanlin is #1 on speed dial on both your phones • ‘in cases y’all get drunk, call me, no one else knows how to take care of you two.’ • Seonho always texts him when he’s arrived safely at home • with a cute selfie sometimes • Guanlin tracks both the children’s sleep schedules in his diary watch him • is generous • pays for your haircuts • *pushes both of you into the salon Jinyoung works at* • ‘since school is almost over, you guys need a look for summer.’ • ‘hey Jinyoung, these are my friends so take good care of them wink wonk’ • ;) • I got you • Taiwanese chick is slyer than a fox • Seonho sits in the salon chair with pitch black hair • and emerges with a blonde streak down the middle • you don’t sense anything wrong • until Baejin starts to whip out green hair dye • ‘WAIT’ • you wrestle Jinyoung for that box • ‘HOW MUCH DID GUAN PAY YOU? I CAN PAY YOU MORE!’ • Guanlin’s hair ends up being blondish green • well done • he also once convinced Jinyoung to chop off a good 4 inches of your hair • I could use some 4 inches in height • hah • speaking of height • Guanlin is tall • so is Seonho • and Guanlin is just a bit more of that annoying tall friend who makes fun of everyone who isn’t as tall as them • yes thank you for putting MY box of cookies on the top shelf of my pantry • aww Seonho you sweetheart, thanks for helping   • he smirks and takes the whole box for himself • sigh • tall people • if you hang out in the evenings • Guanlin always drags Seonho’s ass out of your house to the basketball courts nearby • to practice • you know • time to grind😤😫 • you tag along • trying to win against a basketball team captain and vice-captain • some die heroes • ‘WatCH ME’ • your best friends just chuckle and shrug • but they are also your support squad • ‘jUst JUMP YOU GOT THIS!’ Guanlin yells enthusiastically • once, he even bought a loudspeaker • ‘LET’S GO TEAM!’ • and it got taken away by a park warden • then he brought another one • and a policeman on patrol swiped it • so Guanlin relied on his swaggy rapper™️ voice • Seonho becomes the spectator • ‘AND-AND WILL Y/N SCORE FOR THE FIRST TIME?’ • this is how you guys spend the weekends • ‘...THEY DO. A MIRACLE HAS HAPPENED.’ • Guanlin runs and catches you in a hug, overjoyed • Seonho joins soon after • and the three of you collapse in the cold court floor, bursting into laughter • but your heart couldn’t feel any warmer :”) • ‘ahhh, I could spend all night here.’ • but of course, realistically, you can’t • so all of you retire to Guanlin’s mansion • I make him a rich boy in every single one of my works I realised I’m sorry • sometimes it becomes a sleepover • like pillow fights   • making s’mores • scaring the hell out of his chef in the process • ‘dAMNIT GUANLIN YOUR PARENTS WILL KILL ME IF YOU BURN THE BOTTOM OF THIS POT.’ • ‘they’ll fire you if you swear at me, right?’ he says cockily, raising an amused brow • his chef just huffs. ‘I’ve known you since you ran around in diapers, goodness.’ • ahhh • his chef is gracious nonetheless and brings you guys platters of snacks for your movie night • includes a lot of yelling • Seonho getting spooked easily • Guanlin taking time to calculate if the scenario could happen in real life then reacting • the kind of best friends to watch Netflix with you until 12am • ‘c’mon,’ Seonho whispers. ‘Everyone should be asleep by now.’ • the three of you creep up to Guanlin’s spacious rooftop garden • star-gazing time • you pop open the soda bottles and get bags of chips • sipping cola • looking at the stars • back on the ground, head to head to form a circle • ahhh • ‘oh! shooting star!’ • ‘hey, that constellation looks like a horse!’ • it’s just a good time filled with laughter, jokes, food and friendship • as the night wears on, things get really deep and personal • these hangouts have sort of become personal therapy sessions for you • whatever you want to say • say it • all of you trust each other with your lives • a lot of things get lifted off each other’s chest • figure out problems together • help each other out • just a genuine, meaningful time of bonding • when it ends, you feel more secure and loyal to your friends • you and Seonho take the enormous couch in the gaming room while Guanlin sleeps in his bed a few doors down • he makes sure to tuck both of you in • and talk until one of you falls asleep before he tucks himself in • such a pure and real friendship • supportive • loving • loyal • and caring • during Christmas time, you guys team up to bake cookies and other holiday treats • it obviously isn’t the greatest idea • I mean, have you seen Guan and Seonho’s ‘It’s meringue time!’? yeah • seonho insists on icing his own cookies this year • he later spent almost an hour scraping icing off the ceiling of his kitchen • taking turns to help decorate each other’s houses • gift shopping for the rest of your clique together • synonymously agreeing to buy yet another fly swatter for Daniel • maybe some shoe insoles for Sungwoon • savages 24/7 • puns all around • breathe memes • especially Guanlin • like that boy has a basketball jersey with Kermit on the back • he actually wears it out • gave an identical one to Seonho for his birthday • and you received one as well for Christmas • from your Secret Santa • at basketball matches • it’s a given you’re there to support them, rain or shine • so if your crush wants to see you, they attend the game • a night before, you’re spamming the group chat with encouraging messages and gifs • they’re like ‘pffp we don’t need these’ but it actually cheers them up • HEART MELTING • there’s always a small spat in the group chat on whose jersey/jacket you will wear • Guanlin🐥: hEY I’M OLDER THAN YOU. • Guanlin🐥: THEY CAN WEAR YOURS ANY OTHER TIME, THIS IS ONE OF MY LAST COMPETITIONS 

• Seonho🐣: I FRICKIN WASHED AND DRY CLEANED MY JERSEY FOR THIS i’msorryimessedup

• on the day itself, you’re clad in Seonho’s practice jersey and Guanlin’s jacket • the cutest • everyone assumes y’all daring • but all of you are just the closest of friends • friendship goals • plus, they’re the best wingmen • just a super supportive, real, joyous friendship

[belladonnaandulriched]

the artist | chapter seven

“Thank you for the ride home, Lars,” I said as I climbed out of the car. Will had told him to borrow his car in order to take me back home to Tacoma; Will himself meanwhile remained back at the speak easy with Joey. It was after midnight by the time Lars had arrived at my parents' place.

“It is my greatest pleasure,” he told me as he gave me a sly lopsided grin and a whiff of that minty gum. Even in the darkness, those green irises glimmered and sparkled like the mint flavor of the gum. “Shall we meet up again soon?”

“I'd love to!” I declared. “I'm not doin' much of anything tomorrow so—come on over and I'll introduce you to my parents.”

He winked at me and blew me a kiss, and then I closed the passenger door. I headed up the walkway and slipped in through the front door. My parents had already gone to bed, and I knew I would have to explain it come the morning, but for the time being, I needed to plug in my phone and hit up Chris again.

I sidled into my bedroom and opened my phone. I sent a message to him in hopes to smooth things over after that evening.

I set down my phone on my nightstand and stripped off my jacket and my jeans when the phone went off again. I reached behind me to check it: I stood there in my underwear and my socks as I checked the screen.

“What took you so long,” Chris had replied back to me with. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at him; I stood there in the middle of the floor in order to text back to him.

“I told you, I was busy.”

“Get busy, baby.”

“Get busy with what?”

“It.”

“What's it?”

“IT!” he wrote in all caps.

“Ah, you just wanna see me with either Joey or Lars, don't ya?”

“I don't, I don't,” he insisted.

“Well, what was that then?” I demanded with a grin on my face.

“I was sayin' to get busy with the art thing,” he clarified.

“Hence, you wanna see with either Joey or Lars,” I quipped. “You wanna see some flowers blossom.”

“I wanna see some flowers blossom and give it a bit o' tongue,” he retorted, to which I gasped and felt my face grow warm.

“Chris!” I laughed out loud.

“What?” he replied with a smirk.

“That's not what I meant,” I scoffed at him.

“What did you mean?” he hit back.

“I was talking about using Dave and Stone's plants as references for the next round of coloring. I wasn't talking about—that.”

“Wait a minute, you started it.”

“No, I didn't!” I couldn't help but laugh some more.

“Yes, you did! You started it! You said something about getting together with Jory and Lars.”

“Joey.”

“Huh?”

“His name is Joey, not Jory. And I was teasing you.”

“Ah, you wanna play that game, don't you.”

“What game?”

“You wanna tease me.”

“Maybe…” I shuffled my feet on the carpet. I glanced down at them, surrounded by those colorful stripes making up the soft fabric. I wiggled my toes: I had seen three guys naked and ventured into a brand new garden with two more. I was about to get down over the phone with another one.

“You know—I'm in my undies right now,” I told him as I took a seat on the edge of my bed.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. My undies and my socks… and just a T-shirt, too.”

As soon as I hit send on that, I received another text.

“Hey, Holly, are you still up?” Will!

“Yeah, what's up?”

“Joey gave me your number—I'm taking him and Lars back to my place for the night. The two of us are waiting for Lars to get back, so we just wanted to tell you good night if you're not in bed already.” He followed it up with a little kiss at the end of the message.

“Aw, thank you. And good night to you boys, too. My models.” I followed it up with two little yellow hearts.

A reply from Chris. I opened it up.

“Care to share a pic?”

“You want me to take a picture of myself for you?”

“...if it's not too much trouble?”

I fetched up a sigh but I still set the phone on my nightstand on its end and pointed it towards me. I set the timer on the camera and on the send button, and then I leaned back against the wall. I pushed the button and held still for a moment.

It sent.

I waited a moment until Chris hit me back again. “So?”

“So what?”

“Did you fall asleep?”

“No. Did you get it?”

“No.”

“I took a pic, though,” I insisted.

“Didn't get a ring or anything,” he said.

“Huh. Let me try again—”

I leaned back again and pushed the button and waited. It sent. Another moment. And then—

“Oh, my,” he replied. “Oh, me.”

“You like it?”

“So simple and yet—oh, man.”

I still remained quiet about my age, and I wanted to have fun with it.

“I'm thinking of taking a shower,” I said to him.

“Oh, mannnn—don't fall!”

I actually wasn't going to take a shower until the morning, but I wanted to see his reaction to that, especially since it was late and I felt like falling asleep right there in my T-shirt, my panties, and my socks. But then, as I was about to take off my shirt and my bra, I got another ring from the phone.

I figured maybe it was Chris hitting me back for a kiss good night.

“You tryin' ta give the dog a bone?”

And then I realized I accidentally sent the first picture to Joey.

I froze in place with the screen of the phone right in my face. I didn't know what to say to him right then, other than the obvious “it's not what it looks like!” but what was done was done. My heart leapt into my throat and butterflies whirred up inside of my stomach. I nibbled on my bottom lip as the phone buzzed again.

“I'm gonna tell Anthrax about you,” he teased me; I could envision that sly lopsided grin of his. “And then we're gonna spread the word about you to Tom and Dave, too—unless Lars has done it already. And when I say that, I mean how amazing you are.”

Moreover, I read that in his voice. It got me thinking right then: I wondered what Chris' voice sounded like when he was turned on by the sight of me earlier. I also started to wonder what Joey's voice sounded like in the same context. Two boys with long beautiful jet black curls and incredible voices.

I set my phone back down on the nightstand so I could change my clothes and spit out the now used-up piece of gum Lars gave me, but I decided to crawl into bed in nothing more than my panties and my socks. I fell asleep within mere seconds of setting my head on top of the pillow.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of my phone going off. I rolled over to pick up my phone again to find that usual message, like clockwork no less.

“Good morning, Hollywood,” Chris greeted me.

“Good morning, Corn man,” I replied, and he pinged me back with a laughing face. I opened the photo folder and checked the one of Mount Rainier he had sent me before. It took me a moment to realize that the snowy slopes of Mount Rainier reminded me of something from Georgia O'Keeffe. The fact the mountain had a bunch of bright and bold colors made me think of one of her paintings. The ridges and folds juxtaposed underneath him made me wonder some more about that particular picture.

I was about to write back to him when the phone went off again. I opened up the message to find Joey had sent me something.

“Hey, hi, what's up, what's going on?” he sputtered, like he was nervous.

“I—I just kinda—forgot.”

“Forgot about what?” he asked, nonplussed.

“Forgot to get back to you,” I clarified. “I saw your messages this morning. I fell asleep when I got home.”

“Oh, it's okay!” he assured me. “Really. It is.”

“So—you really wanna tell your band mates about me?”

“I do! You're amazing, Hollywood. The bunch of us might wanna do some dealings and shit with you.”

“Oh, yeah?” I raised my eyebrows at that.

“Yeah, Charlie and Frankie went ape shit over the drawing of me that you did, Charlie did especially.”

I wondered if he was going to mention the picture I sent him by accident in between his telling me what happened earlier.

“They don't know if they're gonna come up here, though,” he continued. “So... as far as we know, we might just do this whole thing over messages and whatnot.”

I nibbled on my bottom lip.

I was laying in bed and with the blankets over my otherwise naked body. The only piece of clothing was my underwear. Laying in bed and texting two boys.

My phone buzzed again.

“Good morning, min kære.” It was Lars.

“What'd you call me?” I teased him.

“That's Danish for 'my darling',” he replied.

“Oh, so we're going that far, aren't we?” I teased him.

“Yes, we are!” he retorted. “You have good taste, Miss. I hope I am not intruding.”

“Not at all! I was about to get out of bed and have breakfast.”

“Go eat up, love,” he told me, to which he accompanied it with an “xo” at the end. “I should introduce you to an authentic European breakfast. You know those nutritional columns on the sides of food cartons here in the U.S.?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“That right there—a European breakfast—would go off the charts.”

I pictured Lars eating up a European breakfast, whatever that was, and eating to his heart's desire.

“Go right to the heart!” I teased him.

“Right to the heart and to the love of the stomach,” he retorted, to which he followed it up with a wink.

“I might get some breakfast,” I told Joey.

“I'm about to, too!” he said. “Big ass stack of waffles with butter and blueberries.” I pictured that slim belly of his feeling extra full of waffles and berries, and there was something quaint about that image. So quaint I thought about drawing it in my sketchbook. These boys I drew the night before eating a bunch of food and getting their bodies nice and relaxed…

I rubbed my eyes and sat upright in the bed with the phone in my lap. I thought about texting Chris back but then again, I needed something to eat. I slid out from underneath the covers to fetch some clothes and take to the kitchen. I set the phone back on the nightstand and I decided to leave it there for the time being.

My mom put on a pot of coffee and proceeded to make herself an omelette. She showed me a smile once I padded onto the linoleum in my bare feet.

“So what happened last night?” she asked me.

“I was hangin' out with some friends and making some drawings,” I promptly replied; I thought about what Joey told me prior to then. “I think—I think, anyways—I can do some commission work.”

“Oh, good! I was hoping you would go far with your work, baby.” She put her arm around me and kept the smile upon her face. I wondered if the boys were willing to keep things under wraps, especially since I wasn't eighteen as of yet. But then again, it might have been my own imagination and my own post pandemic paranoia doing the trick. But it was still necessary to keep things a secret between me and them.