#they all bring different vibes to the function

[divinit3a]

in theory... all the alien au's Could exist at the same time.... (so naturally, had to draw a few together. hehe)

alien abduction au belongs to @moon-buggg & royal alien au belongs to @sleepymagpie-draws ! ! !

[inorganicorgan]

Uhhhhhhhhh mandbela catalgoue correee

I spent a hot minute blending the ghost frequency into the music lol

[mint-tea-ashes]

ashes to ashes? no.. ashy boys to ashy boys

[lilianne-tarot]

PICK A CARD: WHO ARE YOU GONNA DATE NEXT? ᯓ★

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦

I. II. III.

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦

How to Pick Your Pile: Take a deep breath, clear your mind, and look at the images below. Which one pulls you in the most? Trust your gut! Once you choose the image, The number below your chosen image is your pile. If more than one catches your eye, that just means there’s extra tea for you, go ahead and read both!

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MY MASTERLIST🫶🏻

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦

⋆✴︎˚⋆ Pile I

OH- OHHHHHHHHH (I HAD to do this🤓) The moment I flipped these cards, I had to take a deep breath because WOW this spread is screaming romance, romance, ROMANCEThe energy here? Soft, dreamy, emotionally available, and actually willing to communicate their feelings like a functioning adult. (Shocking, I know.) This is the kind of person who has main character energy, but not in an obnoxious "look at me" way, more like a "low-key mysterious but actually an absolute sweetheart who accidentally makes people fall in love with them" type. They are also giving ‘hopeless romantic with a heart of gold’ vibes, but also kinda shy and dorky at times.

They’re deeply in touch with their emotions, thanks to all this Cups energy, which means they feel things deeply. We’re talking someone who sends you “thinking of you” texts just because, who remembers tiny details about you that even you forgot, and who probably makes killer playlists based on your mood. (OML😭) They might even be the type to write poetry or play an instrument. (If this person owns a guitar and has ever strummed it while looking out of a window dramatically, I will scream.) They’re also super romantic. They believe in love. Like, BELIEVE believe. They’re not out here for some casual nonsense; they’re here for the feels. If they’ve been hurt before, they’re still hopeful and open to love instead of being bitter. (We love emotional maturity.) Physically i am seeing doe-eyed, soft-smiling, artistic cutie vibes. BABE. BABE. This relationship is so soft, so wholesome, so emotionally fulfilling, if yall are people who had a relationship where you felt like you didn't even exist to the person then this NEXT relationship is totally different. You know how in movies there’s always that one couple who makes everyone else sick with how adorable they are? Yeah, that’s y’all (i’m really NOT jealous) . They’re also a partner in every sense of the word meaning they work with you, not against you. . If you’re struggling, they’re there to support you. If they’re struggling, you’ll actually know about it because they communicate. (A rare species, truly.) They’re most prolly a Water sign/ has strong water placements or just very emotionally intuitive. If you have someone with these placements around you, then this is your sign.  3 out of 4 cards are cups so i believe Y’all might bond over something artistic, music, painting, poetry, photography, film, something that requires emotions to create.They fall fast and hard, so if you’re used to people who are distant or confusing, this is gonna feel like a whole new world. This is the kind of love that feels like a warm hug after a long day, safe, sweet, and real. 

this person is a walking green flag. Soft but passionate. Romantic but stable. Playful but serious about love. This is the kind of relationship that feels safe and exhilarating at the same time, like home, but with butterflies. If you’ve been manifesting someone emotionally available, thoughtful, and ready to go all in for you…well, here they come. Oh, and one last thing, the fact that three out of four cards are Cups? That’s no accident. This person is MEANT to stir up your emotions and bring you into a deeper love experience. It’s not just about dating; it’s about feeling something real again.

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─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

⋆✴︎˚⋆Pile II

First off, this person? Chaotic. But like, in the best way possible. The Fool and Page of Cups together are giving ✨ golden retriever energy ✨ with just a sprinkle of emotionally confused poet vibes. They’re the type to send you ten unhinged tiktok totally out of the blue with no explanation, and then disappear for three hours because they had an unexpected emotional breakdown. I had a friend like that who used to do this, and trust me these kind of people are strangely ADORABLE. They’re playful, optimistic, and have this lowkey naive, wide-eyed way of looking at life, but don’t be fooled, Strength is here, meaning they know how to handle their emotions. They just choose to exist in this dreamy, slightly reckless way.  I’m getting someone with a youthful look, no matter their actual age. Soft features, expressive eyes that basically scream “I have deep thoughts but I get distracted by cute dogs”, 

Okay, so, Page of Cups and 7 of Swords? Babe… this is giving situationship that could turn into a masterpiece or a disaster, depending on how you play it. There’s gonna be a lot of dreamy, flirty, almost cinematic moments where you’re both caught up in the fantasy of each other. But here’s the thing, with 7 of Swords meaning, there’s a hidden element to this person. Not necessarily in a bad way, but you might feel like they’re holding something back. Strength is telling me you might end up being the one keeping this relationship stable, because this person? Yeah, they’re fun, romantic, and spontaneous, but they need someone who grounds them. Otherwise, they’ll float off into whatever alternate reality they live in. You might find yourself teaching them how to actually deal with their feelings instead of turning everything into an inside joke or a quirky monologue.

This connection? It’s got potential. I was getting ‘JUST KISS ALREADY’ vibes from this spread so many times. But also, This person might have commitment issues at first, or they just don’t realize when they’ve caught feelings. This relationship will be fun, unexpected, and maybe a little messy at times. You’ll never be bored, but you might have to decide if you’re willing to wait for them to fully step up and be emotionally present. If you do? This could turn into one of those soulmate-tier love stories that start off as chaotic best friends and then evolve into something real. This person is gonna make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts, and you’re gonna make them feel like home. Just make sure they don’t get lost in the clouds before they realize what they have with you. 

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─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

⋆✴︎˚⋆ Pile III

Picture someone who walks into a room and the air literally shifts, not in a dramatic, "I’m better than you" way, but in that "damn, why does this person feel like a wish come true?" kind of way. The Star as the headliner of this spread? BABY, this person is ethereal. 

They’ve been through their fair share of life lessons, some of them painful as hell, but instead of becoming bitter, they’ve transmuted all that pain into wisdom and grace. (Honestly, teach me your ways, mysterious heartthrob.) They’re a dreamer, but not the delusional kind. I have a strong feeling that pile 3 already know their person at the very least, they’re connected to your past in a really poetic way. The 6 of Cups is screaming, "This ain't no random fling, this is destiny, baby!" There’s a familiarity about them, like the feeling of revisiting your childhood home after years of being away. There’s also a chance that this person is deeply sentimental, they might keep old love letters, hoard little trinkets from meaningful moments, or be the type to remember the exact date you first texted them "lol" and took it as a sign from the universe. They’re romantic, but in a quiet, "let me show you, not just tell you" kinda way.

Physically? ELEGANT. LUXURIOUS. GOURGEOUS. 10/10. I also have the feeling that for some of you, this person might be quite rich as well. They could be successful or at least super stable and independent, but there’s something soft and sentimental about them like they love deeply but don’t fall easily. One thing i would say that they don't fall easily. 4 of the Pentacles is telling me that they guard their heart like a bank vault. Not in a "toxic, emotionally unavailable" way, but in a "I don’t just give my energy to anyone, I need to be sure" kinda way. They might be financially stable or working towards major success, so they protect what they’ve built. At first, they might be reserved, taking their sweet time to open up, but once they do? BABY, THEY’RE ALL IN. Slow-burning but SO rewarding. This is the kind of love that feels like déjà vu, like you were meant to find each other.  And the thing is, you’re worth the risk to them. Your connection makes them feel safe enough to let go of their tight grip on control. This isn’t a surface-level situationship, this is intentional, slow-burning, "I want to build something real with you" love.

(Also, be ready for someone who spoils you subtly, not in a flashy, Gucci gifts every day kinda way, but in "I remembered you liked that indie artist, so I got us front-row tickets" kinda way. 🥹) BUT one more thing, also think They’re going to be verrryyy slow to say ‘I love you’—but when they do? Oh, it means something. This is the kind of person who will show you they love you 100 different ways before they ever say it out loud.

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─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Thank you so much for reading all the way through! I hope my reading resonated with you and that you had a lovely time going through it. If you enjoyed it, please like and reblog, it really means a lot! Let me know which pile you chose; I absolutely love hearing your thoughts and feedback on my readings! If my reading resonated you, you may consider buying my paid reading as it would really help me out financially♡

Note: tarot cards provide guidance and possible insights into what could happen based on current energies, thoughts, and actions. the cards can highlight potential paths or outcomes, but they do not fixedly predict the future. this is a general reading so take what resonates!

[yeahxsurexokay13]

bragger, lando norris

summary: fans constantly tease yn for always bringing lando up and being a bit of a simp for her boyfriend - which only gets worse after his first f1 win - so she writes a song about how if they were her they'd do the same.

warnings: none i think??? but let me know if i missed any. the song mentioned is 'bragger' by kelsea ballerini!! (((:

IN HONOUR OF LANDO'S VERY FIRST WIN !! 🥇

y/n.updates

Liked by fan22 and 1.340 others

y/n.updates Y/n's interview with WIRED where she answers the web's most searched questions about her is now out! Go give it a watch 😄

view all 208 comments

fan1 she looked painfully beautiful in this

fan2 how was lando in the answer for questions like 'does y/n speak spanish?' or 'is y/n a good singer?' lol

fan7 she said she didn't remember much from high school but knew some words lando had been taught by carlos sainz and that her boyfriend tells her she is... it kind of isn't that weird if u think about it haha

user1 The more I see of her, the more I like her

fan7 i spy with my little eye 1.6K people with no taste

fan3 interview was everything I hoped for and more! she's hilarious and relatable as always

fan4 new drinking game: take a shot every time she mentions lando

fan5 I've watched it like 5 times already lol

fan6 we need a tally for how many times Y/n drops 'Lando' in her interviews. can someone make that happen?

y/n.y/l

Liked by carlossainz55 and 1.890.321 others

y/n.y/l the vibe i bring to the function (ugly crying on facetime) !!! so incredibly happy for you @/landonorris. you did it 🧡🧡🧡

view all 3.501 comments

y/n.y/l also congrats @/oscarpiastri and everyone else at mclaren for an amazing race ((((:

oscarpiastri thank you Y/n! 🧡 ❤️ by author

landofan4 ok this is very cute and nice of her🥺🥺

fan1 ARE YOU STILL CRYING ? BECAUSE I AM DEFINITELY STILL CRYING

y/n.y/l started crying on lap 54 and haven't stopped since

fan2 new post from my fave lando norris fan account yay (also go lando!!!!!!)

user1 Well deserved 👏🏼👏🏼

landofan3 soy lago

y/n.y/l same

lnfour LFGGGG ❤️ by author

fan3 How many times do you think Y/n's going to mention Lando's win in the next week? Taking bets now

maxfewtrell It's the messy hair and smudged mascara for me

y/n.y/l knew i should've gone for the 'perfectly composed while crying' look instead 😔

landofan1 rip lando nowins: 2019-2024 ❤️ by author

landofan2 "you were scared? i wasn't. i was ok (laughs). thank you. i love you" lando 🥹🥹🥹

fan5 when did he say that? omg

landofan2 f1 posted a reel on their profile and you can hear him talking to her!

mclaren LANDO NORRIS IS A FORMULA 1 RACE WINNER 🏆

y/n.y/l I AM SO NOT CALM ABOUT THIS ??!!?

user2 i could've sworn i saw her at the race? why are they facetiming?

fan4 they could barely speak after the win tbh! this is probably a call in between interviews

user2 today's bottle smash hit different ❤️ by author

landonorris I've said this like a million times already today but I love you so much

y/n.y/l i love you i love you i love you i love you

y/n.y/l

Liked by pietra.pilao and 1.809.896 others

y/n.y/l if he was yours, you'd do the same without apologising... new single 'bragger' out now!!!! 💋💋

view all 3.890 comments

fan6 WHAT HAPPENED TO HWLLO ?? HOW ARE YIU ??

y/n.y/l 🫢🫢

fan1 "he's just too damn good not to mention" .....................i mean she is right we'll give that to her ❤️ by author

landofan1 USING THESE SPECIFIC PICS OF LANDO TO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF A SINGLE ABOUT BRAGGING ABOUT HIM IS WILD !!!!

landofan5 that last video is doing things to me.........

landonorris i'm confused does anyone know who this is about?

y/n.y/l no idea 🤷🏽‍♀️ but let me know if you find out xx

landofan4 apparently about some guy named bob?? I'm not sure

fan8 HAHAHA I LOVE THEM

fan2 she really wanted to make sure she'd made her point clear with this dump omfg

fan3 her point: she has a hot bf and we don't

user1 Well played, Y/N. Well played. 🥸

fracisca.cgomes On repeat ❤️❤️

y/n.y/l lindaaaaaaa ❤️

landofan2 knowing all she's saying is about lando makes the song x1000 times better

fan7 so she saw the tweets... 😐

y/n.y/l i saw everything 👀 they were actually hard to miss hahaha

user2 "i understand why you would want him (i don't mind)" queen behaviour !!!!!! 👑👑

fan4 So this is how she gets back at us for all the teasing lol not complaining at all

landofan3 I can't believe this new song is actually inspired by the fans' teasing about Lando!!🤣

fan5 we joked, she delivered!!! bragger is actually a banger👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[2neaky]

𓇼°₊.𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 ❀ 𝙵𝚛����𝚒𝚝 🥭

10.7k! Warnings: description of p*bic hair on a character, *ral (fem. receiving), *verstimulation, cl*t spanking, use of pet names (Princess, Mama, Lil’ Mama), mentions of drinking, descriptions of character’s body (curvaceous/thick), use of the n-word (all characters & the writer are Black) original characters

Part 2 & Part 3

The sweet hum of a thousand and one conversations fill the atmosphere. Clinks of silverware against dishes are sprinkled in there too. 

It’s the perfect kind of white noise to lose your focus to. Just turn your brain off. And observe.

Booths and tables are filled with patrons—he’s surprised they were even able to get a table of their own off no reservation. Brunch is always a busy time for restaurants out here.

His ears pick up bits and pieces of conversations all around him, each one as mildly interesting as the last. And even if he can’t anchor on one, he’s fine with that.

“See? This nigga not even listening.”

He did, however, hear that. And the laughter that followed. But if it’s one thing he’s good at, it’s ignoring.

So he’ll continue to disassociate from the conversation at hand, steadily sipping on his drink and surveying the scene.

His eyes catch a couple a few tables away from them. They talk and smile over their food, leaning in closer as if their table isn’t already small.

That’s cute…

“Ajani!”

His gaze slides over to the man just across the table from him. The same man who’s waving a hand in his face.

Too annoyed to even ask, he raises a brow.

“You ain’t hear what I said, did you?” 

The man’s name is Mykel. Mykel who never goes anywhere without wearing a pair of shades over his eyes. Thinks they make him look “handsomely-mysterious” or some shit. Whatever he said.

Swallowing his drink, Ajani places his cup down with the shake of his head. “Nah.”

“I asked if you was doing that pool party again this year?”

“And the answer better be yes.”

That’s Boku. The nigga that walks around with a blunt tucked behind his ears at all times.

Personally, Ajani thinks he lacks couth. That’s just him though.

Both friends share a look of interest that only fills him with a sense of pride.

Ajani expects nothing less—he does throw the best functions. Shit, he’s the one with the best ‘Bnb connects out of the entire group. 

His shits are always a vibe.

His gaze bounces back and forth between the two, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Y’all want me to?”

“Duh, nigga! You know that shit goes hard,” Boku says, taking a Pita chip from the appetizer bowl at the center of the table.

“Real shit,” Mykel agrees.

Ajani’s lips twist in thought. “I’on know … shit got a lil’ outta hand last year.”

Sucking his teeth, he wears a pointed look. “C’mon.”

“Yeah, quit playing. It wasn’t even that serious,” Boku chimes in.

“I beg to fucking differ, nigga. Someone broke the window on the first floor!” 

And, of course, he had to pay that shit back. It’s a good thing his friend ain’t hold it against him.

“That wasn’t any of us.” 

Mykel’s eyebrows lift over his shades, and Ajani knows his eyes got big—in that usual way they do when he’s going on the defense.

“Yeah, it was one’a y’all’s people,” he points at the two. “If I’m doing the party this year, I’m doing it small. None’a that crazy shit.”

“Alright,” Mykel agrees.  

The loud crunch of the pita chip between Boku’s teeth makes him wince. “Shit not gonna be lit, though.”

He sucks his teeth, scrunching up his face. “Nigga, we don’t need a big party to be lit.”

“And it’s not gonna be lit,” Ajani stresses. “Just the group, a couple more people, and we good.” 

He brings his cup in for another quick sip. Swallowing it down, he tastes the traces of its fruity flavor on his lips.

“I just want a chill vibe. Nothing too wild. And the girls not gonna want that.”

“Ooh, yeah,” Boku nods, remembering the other half of their group.

“True. Especially Dia.” The comment had slipped out of Mykel’s mouth without a second thought as he scoops some salsa on his pita chip.

“Yeah, especially Dia.”

Simultaneous glares are thrown Boku’s way, catching the deep smirk on his smoker’s lips.

Ajani sucks his teeth.

“Don’t start with this shit, man,” Mykel says, shaking his head.

“You already got him started.” The dejected look on his face says enough.

“Wha—every time I bring this up, you act like I’m spreading false information,” Boku frowns.

Mykey laughs. “ ‘Cause you are.”

Kissing his teeth, Boku reaches for another Pita chip. “Shit, I might tell you a joke, but I’ll never tell you a lie.”

Ajani rolls his eyes, turning his head away to stare at that one couple he’d seen earlier. “Well, you being real facetious right now.”

Boku purses his lips. “Nigga, and you’re being diffident. Aah, see? We could all use SAT words.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Mykel cuts in: “Okay, but … I don’t see the purpose in bringing up this Dia-thing if ‘Jani don’t even wanna talk about it. You don’t even know if she see him that way—”

“Man, I’m tryna tell you it don’t. Matter,” Boku insists, his eyes growing wide as his passion for the topic blossoms. “He likes her, right? So, he need to shoot his shot. How the fuck else he s’posed to know if she likes him back?”

Fair point, Ajani thinks to himself.

He hates when Boku’s right.

“Okay, but you also have to go off vibes,” Mykel counters. “Has Diamanté been giving those vibes that she likes him back?”

If he thinks about it, he’s gonna be sick—because has she?

“No? Alright then.”

Damn…

“Nigga you don’t know that!” Boku shouts, his face screwing up. “Diamanté is mad shy, you get max three emotions outta her—a-and that’s onna good day!”

A hopeless sigh leaves Ajani before he can stop it.

“Okay, but if she wanted to show that she liked him, she would.”

Ouch.

“So, what—you don’t think Dia likes him?”

“No! And I think you fucking delusional—“

“Aight, could we stop talking about her?” 

Irritation creases his face as he pushes his drink away, not even wanting it no more. Instead, his hand busies itself with tugging at his braids.

Looking over his friend with mild concern, Mykel throws his hands up. “My fault.”

“You need to tell her.”

Despite the serious look in Boku’s eyes, Mykel shoves his shoulder.

Putting a hand over his mouth, Ajani shakes his head. “Nah … I ain’t telling her shit. She don’t need to know. Shit, y’all niggas not even s’posed to know.”

He blames Boku for being the reason that Mykel even knows. 

One drunken slip up and Ajani had confessed to the idiot. Next thing he knows, Mykel is texting him the next day about it.

“So you just gonna suffer in silence?” Boku asks with a raised brow.

“Damn right. I’a get over it in a couple’a months.”

Except, no he won’t ’cause he’s liked her since junior year of high school.

So … there’s that.

His friends only laugh, not believing a word that came out of his mouth.

As they shouldn’t.

“Nigga said … nigga said a couple’a months!” Boku points across the table at him, doubling over in laughter.

“His dumbass.” Mykel shakes his head.

“What we laughing at?”

Heads whip to the left, seeing the female half of their friend group standing before them.

Heading the group is Aleya, the one who’d posed the question.

Ajani has never seen the woman in a hairstyle for more than a week. And being that they all hardly get the chance to meet up like this nowadays, she sports a shoulder-length bob this time around.

Behind her are Sevyn and Diamanté. The first of the two sporting a couple of small face tats and bleach blonde, boho braids. 

But that’s not who he’s really watching out for.

It’s been weeks since he’d last seen Diamanté. And this time, she’s got large knotless braids all the way down to her knees. They frame her small face so well.

He thinks she can pull off any style.

Her fluffy lashes are encased behind her large glasses frames. He teases her for them all the time. But in all honesty, they really do make her look cute.

“Yeah, what y’all niggas talking about?” Sevyn asks, a playful attitude laced within her raspy voice. 

Before waiting for an answer, she pulls up a chair to the table. Following suit, Aleya takes the empty seat at the head of the table. That leaves one more spot open: a chair beside Ajani.

“Hey guys,” Diamanté smiles. 

Her voice is soft, a bit high pitched, too.

As she takes the seat, his space is flooded with the sweet, floral scent that typically emanates from her.

He swallows the spit collecting in his mouth.

“So, what was yall taking about?”

“Facts, we wanna know,” Aleya agrees with Sevyn. “Ajani looked mad, so it must be good.”

“Right, this nigga barely shows emotion.” Sevyn points his way, her puff bar clutched tightly in her grip.

“Damn, yall don’t ever mind your business, huh?” Boku says looking at the two women.

“Well maybe if yall wasn’t laughing like a bunch’a idiots stuck on stupid, we wouldn’t be so curious. Like, damn, we wanna laugh, too.”

“Right,” Sevyn mutters right before enclosing her lips around the puff bar.

“Don’t worry ‘bout that,” Ajani waves off.

“Yeah, facts. What we need to be worrying about is ‘Jani throwing another pool party this year.” 

He’s gonna have to thank Boku for saving his ass like that. Shit, he hates owing that nigga.

“Oouu, yes!” Aleya claps excitedly. “That was mad fun.”

“Period, I just got a wax, too.” Sevyn sticks out her tongue, showing off the silver ball piercing its middle.

“Ugh,” Boku gags. “Put that shit back in your mouth.”

“Only if you take my dick out yours.” She brings her puff bar back to her lips.

“It’s ’bouta be small this time,” Ajani announces. “Not too much people—it’ll be a vibe.”

“Thank God,” Aleya groans out, rolling her eyes. “Smaller parties always been better.”

Diamanté nods in agreement.

She’s always enjoys Ajani’s kickbacks, even if she didn’t do much and only stuck to her friend group.

And since such a social setting actually makes her quite anxious, she’s really excited to attend this party.

“Yesss, I just got some new fucking swimsuits—“ Aleya gasps, eyes going wide. “And my new fucking tattoo!” She squeals and turns to Ajani. “When is it? Please tell me!”

Laughing, Ajani pulls his phone out. “I’m thinking in two weeks. Should be enough time to get shit together.”

“Period,” Sevyn says.

“I’ma let y’all invite a couple people—five at most. I don’t need the place packed with a bunch’a random ass niggas. And whoever you invite gotta be chill. This not no hype ass party, just a lil’ get together.”

“Just my vibe,” Sevyn says with a smile.

“That video of you when we went to the club last month says otherwise—“

“My dick, Boku—get off it!”

As everyone dives off into their own mini side conversations—sharing their excitement for the party and whatnot—Ajani notices the absence of speech coming from beside him.

Turning to his left, Ajani finds Diamanté watching all that’s going on around her. A content smile is on her glossed lips. 

Shit’s so cute.

“What about you?”

The question comes out before he can even overthink it.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift of attention on her, her usual shy smile spreads across her lips.

“You excited?”

Of course she is, it’s so obvious—from what he can tell anyway. She’s got that look in her face—like she’s repressing a shout of excitement.

Really, he only asked just to hear her speak. He could hear her talk for hours.

Shit, if it were possible, he’d binge hours of a podcast—consisting solely of her ramblings.

Too much?

“Mmh, yeah.”

He blinks back to reality, noticing how her smile only spreads. 

“Uh—what you most excited for?”

Diamanté looks off to the side, her shoulders rise and drop with a half-hearted shrug. “I don’t know,” she giggles. “Um … I guess hanging out with y’all. We barely see each other anymore.”

He’s trying to keep his cool, he really is. But, fuck, she’s so adorable. He’s never had to repress a smile as much as when he’s talking to her.

“You inviting anybody?”

She shakes her head, her long braids moving with her. “You know I don’t know nobody, Ajani.”

Ajani. He loves how she says his name. And the soft touch of her New York accent only makes it sound better.

“Mmh, that’s true. Your shy ass.”

Her only response is an eye roll. 

If she were Aleya or Sevyn, he’s probably get a harsh shove to the shoulder or a quick “suck my dick.” But she’s not either of them.

Diamanté really just keeps her hands to herself. She never really has an outburst of any kind. And he can’t even remember the last time he’s heard her curse.

So poised and polite. And he can’t tell why, but that shit was just always so attractive to him.

However, he often catches himself finding the dumbest excuses just to touch her. Just the occasional brush or the arms and knees, or the side hug.

He’s too pussy respectful to make a bigger move than such.

“Yo Ajani, who’s in charge of the drinks this time, ‘cause it better not be Boku. Selection was ass last year,” Sevyn scowls.

“Man, shut the fuck up! You like that old ass liquor, be drinking like somebody’s grandpa.”

“Ya momma.”

“Ya daddy.”

As the two devolve into yet another petty argument, Ajani has to force his attention off of Diamanté to bring order back to the group.

As usual.

The day of the kickback rolls around far too fast. 

Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

Making his way around the AirBnb, Ajani finds himself touching up the tiniest of details around the place.

He just can’t keep still.

It’s a villa-style home, rather secluded from the other houses in this neighborhood. That makes this his favorite AirBnb spot out of all the others.

As he paces throughout the house, ensuring that everything is set up to perfection, a soft humid breeze blows throughout. His half-buttoned shirt billows in the gentle wind and his swim trunks cling to his legs.

Braids tied up in a pony-tail, two tendrils of braids frame his face. And they show off the diamond studs in his ears.

He’s for sure feeling himself. And when he gets in this mood it’s hard to take him out of it.

Finding a large mirror in the hallway leading to the backyard, he’s closely inspecting his image.

But, being the overthinker that he is, it doesn’t take long for Ajani’s mind to veer off of himself and onto something else.

Or someone else.

Introspection is his thing, so he wasn’t afraid of the realization that came to him days ago:

That he’s putting pressure on himself for this party to go so well because of her—Diamanté, of course.

Sure, he’s hosted parties and she’s come to them. But for some reason, this one feels different. Like, he’s actually trying to cater to her.

He’s not sure. He just knows that he wants her to have a great time at this kickback. Fuck it, he just wants this one to be the best one she’s ever been to.

So stakes are high…

Blowing out a breath, he scrubs a hand down his face. As he does so, the sound of the front door opening echoes throughout the house.

“Yo!”

He picks his head up, hearing Mykel’s voice. Quickly, he travels to the front of the house, seeing his friend in his best pool fit—with a new pair of shades to match, of course.

In both hands are the first bottles of liquor.

It’s a good thing I made it BYOB.

“Life’a the party’s here!”

“That’s BK, actually.”

Mykel’s hands drop, as does his smile. “Yeah, whatever, fuck nigga.

“Where ya people at? You ain’t invite nobody?” He asks, making his way over to his friend. 

“They coming, they coming. Had their own separate rides, ‘cause I ain’t nobody’s chauffeur.”

“Yeah, aight.” He points to the bottles in his hands. “You could put those out back on the bar.”

With a quick nod, Mykel slips past him to get to the backyard. 

It doesn’t take long for Ajani to meet him outside, as he busies himself with trying to pick the perfect playlist for tonight.

“You think Brent Faiyaz is good or that’s too chill? Like it’s gonna bring down the vibe.”

“Mmh … depends on what songs you pick,” Mykel answers as he starts on his own drink for a little pregame action. “None of that Sonder shit—that’ll bring down the mood for sure.”

He scrolls through his playlist, brows furrowed in concentration. “So, pretty much only the songs that got popular on TikTok.”

Swallowing his shot, Mykel hums with a solid nod. “Exactly.”

Ajani releases a breath, one hand going to tug at one of the braids that hang in his face. “Aight…”

The small conversation dissipates into silence which Mykel doesn’t mind. But as he reaches for another bottle, glancing up, he finds Ajani nose-deep in his phone.

Concentration sits heavy on his brows and the corners of his lips, weighing them down. And the hand in his hair is tugging at a braid.

“Yo, you good?” Mykel laughs.

When was the last time he’s seen his friend that focused on anything.

“Huh?” Ajani throws him a quick glance before ultimately falling back into his phone. “Uh—yeah, yeah...”

“You look like you tryna find the cure for AIDS or some shit.”

“That’s not funny, AIDS is a very serious disea—“

“What the fuck are you so focused for?” 

“M’just tryna get this music right…”

Mykel rolls his eyes. “Okay, but why you can’t just play some random ass playlist you find. You curating a whole new playlist for this—I promise you, nobody’s gonna be paying attention that much.”

“I’m just tryna make it good. Damn…”

A short scoff leaves Mykel as he stares intently at him. “Right… And this don’t got nothing to do with Diamanté coming? Like … absolutely nothing?”

He doesn’t have to answer to that. And he won’t.

Slowly, more bodies trickled into the villa. 

Boku and his friends had came soon after Mykel’s arrival. And after them, Mykel’s friends had showed up next.

For the time being, it was mostly guys filling up the backyard. There were about two women, but they mainly kept to themselves. 

Bottles crowd the outdoor bar’s tabletop, inviting anyone to come and take a sip. And that’s exactly what Ajani does for himself.

Humming along to the tune of a Summer Walker song, he pops open a bottle of reposado. 

“All drinks and no fucking snacks is wild.”

Furrowing his brows, he glances back to find the who was the one that had said such a thing—one of Boku’s people. 

What’s that guy’s name again?

Oh, right. Isaiah.

Hate this nigga, he thinks with a shallow scowl on his lips. He makes no attempt to hide it, either.

“You paying for eats?” He raises a brow.

“Nah,” he laughs—like a fucking idiot, too. “I’m just saying.”

“Aight, well, stop talking.”

Isaiah’s bushy eyebrows raise in surprise. “Damn, it’s like that?” He throws up his hands in defense. “My fault.” 

Ajani’s scowl only deepens as he watches him walks way from the bar.

Dense ass nigga … and I hate the way he fucking dresses.

He stews in his hatred for the other man a second longer before letting it all go with a deep exhale. 

Now, where was he? 

Oh right, pouring up—

“Yo, where the girls?”  Mykel saddles up beside him, holding a cup of his own.

“I’on know,” he says, tone despondent as he focuses on making himself a drink.

“It’s been damn near a fucking hour.”

He sucks his teeth. “You know they always late.”

And late they were. About two hours had passed before the girls arrived.

Sevyn and Aleya arrive with a couple of other women, bringing a more feminine vibe to the function.

A much needed touch.

Now that everything is in full swing, Ajani can relax, seeing as everything is going as smoothly as he hoped for.

Everyone seems to be getting along perfectly; There’s laughter and smiles all around, dancing—mingling. And his music selection is hitting the spot perfectly with everyone else. 

It’s almost perfect.

Almost.

Now, there’s a noticeable hole in this space. Someone’s missing.

He expected her to accompany Aleya and Sevyn. Ride with one of them, at least. When they came through the doors, he half-expected her to be hiding behind them.

He even checked.

But, no luck.

Okay, no worries.

Until an hour had passed and he was a couple of shots into the night. He doesn’t want to get too tipsy, and he’s trying to hold off.

But there’s concern mounting in his system, and he’s about two seconds away from ripping out his own hair.

He needs answers. 

His eyes scan the scene for someone who can help, and he finds her.

Haste brings him over to a lounge chair close to the poolside. Sitting on its edge, Aleya watches herself in the camera as she takes a couple of videos for Instagram.

“What you want?” She doesn’t take her eyes off of her screen, fluffing the bouncy curls of her newest hairstyle.

“I can’t just come see how my friend is?”

Clicking off her phone, she drops the device in her lap to glare back at him.

“What?”

She looks him over rather quickly, only to pick her camera back up again and resume taking videos.

“Fine,” he exhales. “Where Diamanté at? I thought she was coming.”

She goes hmph, a smug look on her face. “Knew it.”

He sucks his teeth, taking a seat next to her. “C’mon, ‘Leya.”

“I don’t know, Ajani. Damn.” Her face screws up with irritation. “She said she had to help her mom out with some shit.”

His leg begins to bounce. “Alright, but … we about three hours in. Like—she coming or not?”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

As she rolls her eyes, Ajani pays her no mind—he he pulls his phone from his pocket, going straight to his messages.

Jani: wya ??

Princxss Dia: omg I’m so srry

I been running around all day tryna help my mom out w sum stuff

And I had to get a new swimsuit last min

Jani: u gonna be able to make it?

Princxss Dia: honestly … idek :/

I don’t even have a ride

Leya and Sevyn were my only rides an they already left

I’m so annoyed . I was so excited for this but it’s like nothing is working out for me today

I’m sorry J I rlly wanted to come

Fuck.

He runs a hand through his braids, gripping them tight.

“Don’t pull out a couple strands now,” Aleya says, not even sparing him another look.

What can he do? He can’t have her miss this.

His lips pucker as he thinks. It’s only about a minute of contemplation that breeds the idea.

Aight, fuck it.

Jani: lemme get u a uber

Pls 

Princxss Dia: omgg

Jani that’s gonna be so expensive 

Jani: idc

I just want u here 

With everyone 

We all waiting on u

Pls

?

Princxss Dia: I feel bad

Jani: I’ll make u feel worse if u don’t come .

Princxss Dia: ughh

Fine!

But choose the cheapest ride pls!

Jani: 🤍

The heavy crunch of gravel beneath the car’s tires only makes her heart beat faster. She’s finally here.

Her excitement had only been mounting the closer she got to the BnB. And now…

From inside the car, she can hear the faint rhythm of the party’s music. She hopes Ajani kept to his word and there aren’t too many people here.

Glancing around the front yard, she finds it packed with about five cars.

Considering they’re all the way in the hills, it makes her feel safer in assuming that there aren’t too many people at this party. 

She really hopes she’s right.

“Thank you,” she tells the driver.

As she climbs out of the black truck, she wonders if he even heard her. No matter, though. She slams the door shut before tugging down the legs of her biker shorts.

Damn, she thinks hearing the truck already backing out of the driveway. He couldn’t wait?

Speaking of, Diamanté just knows that ride was expensive. She shudders at the thought.

Walking up the stone path, she finds the front doors of the villa already open. Which is a blessing, because any conversations with people at the door is already too much. 

She’ll take her ass right back home.

But, Ajani doesn’t typically have door men at his parties, so that’s a relief.

She’s been to this villa too many times to know exactly where the main event is going to take place.

Despite the low lighting and the house’s warm, woody interior, her heart still hammers in her chest. And as strong as ever.

The faint aroma of burning wood enters her nostrils as she nears the backyard. Laughter and conversation only get louder, but it’s nothing too crazy.

Stepping out into the humid night air, she finally sees the intimate party setting. There aren’t too many people—still a sizable amount, though.

Only a couple of people are in the pool—three at most—one of them being Sevyn.

Everyone else either lounges on the chairs surrounding the poolside, stands at the bar or are scattered throughout the small yard.

“Dia’s here!”

Heads turn to see her and her face immediately grows warm.

“Hey,” she giggles, waving shyly.

“Hi, baby!” Alexa squeals, running over to the shorter woman with open arms. “So glad you came!” She sings, rocking them back and forth with tight arms surrounding her.

A perfect giggle falls from Diamanté’s lips. She pulls back from the hug, letting Aleya go so that she may be lead over to a spare lounge chair.

“Hey, Dia,” Sevyn greets her from the pool. 

“Hey,” she waves, taking a seat.

“Thank God, you came. That nigga was about to pop a vein from stress.” Aleya points over to Ajani, who is talking to two other women at the bar.

Her lips twitch.

Naturally, feeling a pair of eyes on him, Ajani turns in her direction, making eye contact. He smiles her way and turns back to the other women.

“He doesn’t look stressed,” she comments, more-so to herself.

But Aleya hears her anyway. “Girl, please. It’s all a fucking act, and you know it. That man was about to rip a hole in his head.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Anyway, how’d you get here? Your mom let you take her car?”

Dia scoffs. “Please, my mother would never let me do that.” She glances back over at him for a split second. “‘Jani actually got me a Uber.”

Aleya’s brows skyrocket and her mouth drops open. “Uh, excuse me?”

Now it’s her turn to look to her friend. “What?”

“He paid for a uber for you, up to the hills?”

“I know,” she pouts. “It must’ve been so expensive. I told him to get the cheapest ride.”

“And did he?”

“No. Girl—why did he get me a black truck?”

At this point, Aleya's eyes are practically bulging out of her head. “Girl what the fuck?” She lets out a groan. “Oh my God, please just get with the man already.”

Her head jerks back, brows furrowing deeply. “What? Why?”

“Diamanté, it’s so painfully obvious how much this nigga likes you. A black truck? Be forreal.”

She sucks her teeth. “‘Leya, I don’t even wanna have this conversation tonight.”

“Ajani is nice, but he ain’t that nice. What the fuck?” She laughs, an incredulous look on her face. “Please stop being delusional.”

“Okay, whatever,” she waves her friend off. “I just wanna enjoy my night so, I’m gonna get a drink.”

As she stands, Aleya grabs her by the arm to pull her back down in her seat.

“Wait, did you bring your swimsuit?”

She nods. “Yeah, it was the one I showed you on the phone.”

“Alright, when you get in the water, let me know. I need someone to go in with, Sevyn’s eager ass didn’t wanna wait.”

She blanches. “Uh … I don’t think I’m getting in.”

Aleya’s head jerks back. “So why you brought a swim suit?”

“Y’know,” she shrugs. “Just to match the vibe.”

“I thought you liked going in?”

She sighs before leaning in close. “I been so busy, I … forgot to schedule another wax appointment.”

Aleya stares at her for a moment. “So … you’re wolfing it right now?”

“I’m not wolfing it. It’s just … some hair. And I don’t want no one to say anything so I’m just gonna keep out the pool.”

Aleya shrugs. “Alright, girl.”

Diamanté stands to head over to the bar. As she walks, she tries to discreetly pull down her shorts, the damn things keep riding up.

At the table, she grabs a solo cup before looking at the many options. Spotting a bottle of Don all the way towards the back of the table, her eyes brighten. 

She checks for any chasers, growing even more excited at the sight of juice at the sides of the table. So, she reaches for the liquor of choice. 

However, she hadn’t expected it to be such a challenge to retrieve it. The bottle stands just an inch outside of her reach. Fearful of knocking down the other bottles in front of it—and ruining this party simultaneous to embarrassing herself—she accepts struggling in silence.

Being short is such an issue at times.

“Ugh … shit,” she whispers, grasping the edge of the bar table to give herself more leverage.

“You need help with that?”

Her body flinches, hearing the deep and unfamiliar voice—especially as it’s so close to her. It doesn’t help that she had been caught in such a compromising position: almost bent over just to get the bottle.

“Oh, uh … yeah.” Fixing her shorts, Diamanté steps back from the bar.

Finally seeing the owner of the voice, she realizes that she definitely has no idea who this guy is. One of Ajani’s friends maybe?

The guy’s taller than her by at least six inches. A trucker hat hides his outgrown line-up (but she can still tell). And his bushy brows stand out over the thin rims of his glasses.

“Whatchu you need lil’ Mama?”

She would mind the nickname a little less, if it weren’t for the way his eyes stick to her body rather than her face. And then he deicides to lick his lips—they weren’t even dry to begin with.

“Just the bottle of Don,” she answers, further backing away as she flips her long braids over her shoulders.

“Aight…” He reaches over the bar to grab it for her with ease.

“Thank you.” 

She’s intentional in grasping the bottom of the bottle, narrowly escaping the chance at touching his hand. She turns her back to him and pops the bottle open before grabbing a solo cup of her own.

That’s where their interaction should have ended. But, as she pours, she still feels his presence lingering behind her.

“Who you know here?”

She caps the bottle. “It’s my friend’s party,” she says softly. Her voice betrays the subtle roll of her eyes.

“Oh, okay,” he nods. “You got a name?”

What kind of question is that?

“Yeah…” Diamanté spins around just as she brings her cup to her lips for a sip. 

The man does a simple shake of the head, gesturing for her to go on.

She sighs into her cup. “Diamanté.”

“Diamanté,” he repeats, like an idiot. “I fuck with that. I’m Isaiah.” He holds out his hand for her to take.

Pulling her cup from her wet lips, she offers up a weak smile, mouth stretching awkwardly at the sides. It ends up being more of a grimace than anything else.

“Nice to meet you.”

As he notices that she makes no move to shake his hand, Isaiah chuckles with raised brows. “You scared to touch me? I don’t bite.”

Her “smile” only grows, the corners of her eyes gaining more wrinkles as they shrink into a tight squint.

“Aight,” he shrugs, dropping his hand. However, his eyes drops back to her thighs.

The urge to tug at her biker shorts once again appears. 

“How old you is?”

“Twenty-three.”

His gold grills are on display with the improvement of his smile. “Bet.”

Her eyebrows itch to pull together. Isaiah reaches into the back pocket of his baggy Evisu jeans to pull out his cracked phone. As he moves, she catches a whiff of weed and beer, the smell making her nose scrunch up.

His fingers dance across the screen as he undoubtedly tries to pull up some form of his social media. She wants to walk away.

“Yo, Dia!”

This voice sounds familiar. The call of her usual nickname has her turning her head—and Isaiah glancing up from his phone—to see Ajani strolling over.

His shirt is fully unbuttoned, and she catches sight of the tattoo work splashed along the right side of his abdomen.

“Hey,” she smiles, a real one this time.

Close enough, Ajani throws an arm over her shoulders to pull her in for a deeper embrace. As he encircles her upper half, his heart beats wildly in his chest when she, too, wraps both arms around his torso.

Diamanté relaxes into his hold as she inhales the fresh, crisp scent of his cologne. A light aroma that grants her nose reprieve from Isaiah’s odor.

Admittedly, the hug lasts for seconds longer than it should, but she doesn’t say anything about it, so neither will he. 

It doesn’t escape him how Isaiah sneaks a look at her backside. His arms squeeze her just a tad bit tighter.

No doubt, it’s sitting nice in those shorts. Even when he was farther away, Ajani could see everything—courtesy of the thin fabric. But he had been a gentleman, not staring too hard or even oggling her like this fucking bozo is doing.

“Your ride was good?” He asks, regrettably pulling away from her.

“Mhm,” she nods.

As he stands before her, she takes all of his focus. It’s visible—the way his eyes stare at her and only her. The almost-dazed grin on his lips.

“Whatchu doing right now?”

She shrugs before raising her cup. “I just wanted to come get a drink.”

“Come sit with me then.”

“You didn’t ask,” she laughs.

“I need to?”

She rolls her eyes, body leaning towards him.

Before he can even stop himself, Ajani reaches for her free hand, filling it up with his own. Her palm is so soft and warm.

Just before he leads her away, he looks over to Isaiah, seeing his dumbass still holding his phone. The blank look on his face is honestly priceless.

His chest swells with ego and pride. 

“You need something, bro?”

Kissing his teeth, Isaiah re-pockets his phone and shakes his head. “Nah you good.” He spares Diamanté one last glance.

“Oh, aight.” 

Ajani pulls her to the front of him, leading her away to a more secluded spot in the backyard.

“That was mean.”

He glimpses down at her face, seeing the pretty smile on her lips.

“I hate that nigga.”

She chuckles, begging the question: “Why?”

“He corny.”

She hums in agreement. “And weird.”

“I seen him staring,” he says quietly as they come up on a pair of empty sofas beneath a large umbrella shade. The cushions look plush, too; A perfect place to sit.

“You’re welcome for saving you by the way.” He takes the first seat.

“Didn’t ask you too … but thank you.”

He waves her off in an exaggerated manner. “I would’a done it anyway. It’s just what a good person does.”

“Please,” she laughs before taking a sip of her drink.

As she adjusts to sit comfortably, folding her legs beneath her butt, Ajani notices the way her shorts have rolled up yet again. And he just so happens to catch the print of her lips right as she sits down.

He quickly tears his eyes away, trying to focus on her. “So … why was you so late?”

“Oh my gosh,” she rolls her eyes. “It’s a lot.”

Leaning back in the chair, he half-shrugs. “I got the time.”

Laughing, she shakes her head. “Alright, well…”

It’s nice, the villa at this time of night. Much quieter … more peaceful.

Everyone had packed up and gone home some time ago. She can’t even remember if Ajani had shut the party down or if people were naturally leaving on their own accord.

Either way, he had lowered the music down to a calm volume. Just something for the two of them.

Oddly enough, they had spent most of the party talking to each other about anything that came to mind. And that’s the thing about conversation with Ajani. Despite being shy, he always manages to bring her out of her shell. 

And while that can be a little nerve-wracking at times, she’s really thankful for tonight. It was a welcomed bit of peace in her hectic day-to-day life. She was so glad that he was able to get her a ride.

Which reminds her—

“Thank you for the ride here … I really appreciate it.”

Her voice is soft, yet it grounds him from the sounds of the bugs in the trees and the faint hum of the pool. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he says with a simple shrug.

A tiny gasp comes. “A black truck though?”

His lips press together, a timid smile fighting to be seen.

“I told you to get the cheapest one!”

“It was the only option!”

“You’re lying.”

He sucks his teeth, the corners of his lips naturally rising. She only shakes her head in response, turning away to admire the stillness of the landscape.

His eyes scour the side of her face, saving the image of her side profile in his memory bank.

Fucking perfect.

She turns back, catch his stare. He doesn’t even try to pretend that he wasn’t staring, which only makes her look away—her awkward self.

“Y’know I didn’t even go in the pool yet?”

“You should.”

Wordlessly, he stands to pull off his shirt. And—is it bad to admit that she took a peak or two at his body? He is right in front not her after all. Kicking off his slides, he makes his way over to the pool and slips in.

From the sofa she watches him, a scared smile on her lips. “It’s not cold?”

He stands still for a couple of seconds before turning back to her. “Nah!”

For a moment, he wades silently, feeling her eyes tracing his movements.

“Come!”

“Wha—in the pool?”

He shrugs. “If you want to! I’m not really tryna yell anymore, though!”

Rolling her eyes, she begrudgingly gets to her feet and makes her way over to the pool. Much like she’d been when she first arrived, Diamanté chooses to sit at the foot of a lounge chair closest to the edge of the pool.

“I’m here, so … better make it worth it.” Even as she jokes, she wears a timid smile.

In all of her awkwardness, Ajani will never deny her beauty. As he wades in the cool aquamarine water, staring up into her eyes, his skin grows warm.

Her gaze is a spotlight on him. His confidence is slipping through his fingers like sand by the second.

He clears his throat. “So—uh—how you like the party?” 

Diamanté shuffles to the edge of the lounge chair, leaning closer to the pool and him. “It was good, really chill.”

“Yeah?” His face brightens.

“Yeah, but, you know, your parties is always good.” She shrugs, trying to hide her growing smile with the purse of her lips.

He hums, trying to stop his own smile by biting down on his lip. “Better than the last one?”

She blinks slowly. Sucked in by everything about him, she doesn’t even notice how hard she’s staring.

It’s okay, he doesn’t notice it either.

“Yeah.” She rubs her lips together, reminded of the absence of gloss on them. “M’really sorry I came late. I didn’t mean for that to take long—”

“Don’t worry about it, you good. I’m just glad you came,forreal. Almost thought you wasn’t gonna make it,” he chuckles.

“You really saved me with that Uber.” Sitting up, she digs into pulls a tube of lip gloss out of her hoodie to reapply. 

And he never knew he’d enjoy watching someone put on lip gloss this much. He wonders what it tastes like.

Screwing the top to the tube back on, she repockets the item before leaning back on her hands.

And as her body moves, his eyes fall down its length. For the first time this evening—or tonight—he finally notices it.

The hot and moist air of the villa has him questioning the zip-up hoodie on her shoulders. And he guesses her biker shorts are saving her from a heat stroke, but who would want to be covered up in this weather?

Not that he’s complaining. The less people get to see of her, the better for him.

Another thing he noticed:

“I ain’t see you get in this pool not once—thought you liked the water?”

Her brown eyes look elsewhere, that nervous smile returning to her newly glossed-lips. “I do,” she drags out.

“So what’s up? You not hot in that hoodie?” he jokes, leaning his elbows against the ledge of the pool.

“I just …” she shrugs again. 

“What, you forgot your swimsuit?”

“No, I wore it, I just …” she releases a sigh.

Damn, she can’t even think of a good enough lie.

“You just…?”

They’d been friends for years—Sevyn, Boku, Mykel, Aleya, Ajani and Diamanté—since high school. They’re chosen family at this point. 

Their shared histories are filled to the brim with stories of embarrassment. Stories far worse than her small predicament.

And yet, it’s still so hard to say.

“These last few weeks been so busy, it slipped my mind. And I was running around today—“

“Woah, hol’on—D, what are you talking about?” Ajani’s face twists with confusion as he does a bit of a head tilt.

She feels like she’s about to melt into a puddle before him. Her hands itch to cover her face.

“I didn’t … get a wax.”

The pout on her lips in prominent as she rolls her pretty, doe eyes. Admitting it out loud only makes her feel silly.

Ajani stares up at her with a blank look. It’s making the skin on her face burn up.

“Okay?”

She blinks.

“What’s wrong with that?”

And he’s genuinely confused, which … is making her confused.

“Wha—I haven’t … shaved—“

“So what?” He laughs, only to shrug after. “Why’s that a problem?”

She inhales, shoulders tensing up. “I just didn’t want people saying nothing—“

“Uh, I’on know if you noticed, but…“ He glances around them in an exaggerated manner that makes her want to laugh and groan at the same time. “Ain’t nobody here but me and you.”

She scoffs. “That’s not the point.”

“Dia.” He sucks his teeth. “I’m not gon’ laugh at you for something that’s natural. We all grow hair.”

Diamanté’s lips press into a thin line as she contemplates his words.

“We both grown. I’m not ‘bout to call you nasty ‘cause ya shit not bald, what the fuck?” 

And although he’s laughing, he’s dead serious. Ajani just hopes that’s enough to convince her. She’s always in her head about some shit.

“Look, just come in the pool. A missed appointment shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the water.”

She stares at him for a moment, as if trying to seek out any lies in his statements. 

He only stares back, silently pleading with her to let loose.

Fuck … she can’t believe she’s about to do this.

“Fine,” she sighs out. “Don’t look?”

Silently, he turns around. He doesn’t even fight to hide the large smile spreading across his lips.

From behind, he exudes an air of nonchalance with crossed arms as he leans against the pool’s wall.

“Y’know I’m gonna see it anyway.”

He hopes she doesn’t hear the excitement in his voice.

“Then don’t say nothing!”

He shakes his head, laughing to himself, as she goes silent. 

Toeing off her sandals first, Diamanté unzips her sweater second. It leaves her in her small swimsuit top. As her thumbs hook over the hem of her biker shorts, she glances at him.

His back is still turned. The sight brings her only an inch of relief.

With a deep breath, she pushes her shorts down her thick legs. It falls to a puddle around her jeweled ankles. 

Second thoughts blossom in her head as she stares down at her self. Wisps of young hairs peak out from the sides of her bikini bottom.

It hasn’t grown out enough to form curls as of yet—she’s diligent in upkeeping her wax. Or, she tries to be.

“Please don’t say nothing, I’m serious.”

He almost laughed, until he heard the pout in her voice.

“I won’t.” He keeps any traces of a humorous tone out of his voice.

Keeping her hands to her front, clasped before her, she steps to the edge of the pool. Slowly, she sits on the stone floor, dipping her legs into the cool water.

Her sharp hiss grabs his attention.

“I could look now?”

“Y-yeah.”

Her voice is even quieter than usual. Slowly, he turns, seeing her at the edge of the pool just a couple of inches from him.

“It’s so cold,” she laughs nervously.

“Just gotta get used to it. Jump in.”

Eyes wide, Diamanté scoffs. “Jump in? Are you crazy?”

“That’s the only way to get used to it,” he chuckles.

She kicks her feet, sloshing the water around. “I’m not getting in all the way, I’m fine like this.”

“Aight.” He’s just happy she’s decided to join him.

Unintentionally, he slips into a bout of silence as his eyes roll over her. 

And he takes his time, because truth be told, he’s always thought Diamanté had a nice body—he might even call it perfect.

She’s petite, naturally. He’s heard her complain about her small chest to Aleya and Sevyn more than once, and he’s confused everytime. They fit her body and … they’re cute, he’ll admit it.

But her upper half and height are about where the petite-ness ends. The smooth slope of her small waist spreads into wide hips. She’s got a tiny tummy pudge to match the fat of her ass and thighs. 

And looking at her now, there’s even more to love learn about her body. Stretch marks score down the sides of her hips—he finds himself wondering if they’re on her ass, too. And closer to the inners of her thighs, her skin dimples with cellulite. 

Without thinking, his tongue swipes over his bottom lip.

“Stop staring.”

His eyes flick up to see her frown. Her thighs squeeze together, the muscles in them flexing.

“My fault. I ain’t mean to stare … but it’s really not that bad, Dia.”

She groans out, actually hiding her face in her hands. “ ‘Jani, I told you—“

“Man—D’ I’m not really tryna hear all that. I told you I didn’t give a fuck,” he laughs, hoping to ease her mood. “It’s just me. C’mon. I’m not gonna expose you or nothing.”

Diamanté tries to steady her breathing. With a shaky sigh, she relaxes the muscles in her thighs, allowing them to fall open.

“See? It’s not bad.” But he doesn’t even try to hide the peak he takes between her legs.

“Alright,” she whines. “Now walk away!”

Amused by her small outburst, he wades farther out into the pool. As he moves, the water’s crystalline lines reflecting off of his dark skin.

“Water’s nice!”

She hums, leaning forward on her arms as she watches him.

“Should join me!”

“Not in a million years,” she giggles, still kicking her polished toes. Her feet had grown used to its temperature, and rather fast, too.

Still, that’s not enough to get her to jump all the way in.

“Are you staying the night here?” She asks, desperate to forget the memory of Ajani pretty much seeing her in such an undone state.

Though, she can’t forget how he stared at her—lust pooling in his eyes.

“Yeah,” he says, dipping low to cover more of himself in water. “Agreed to housesit for the weekend in exchange for the having the place for the party.”

She nods to herself wordlessly, forgetting that he can’t see her. 

“It’s not scary, staying here by yourself?”

He shrugs, playing in the water. “Not really.” His body twists to look her in the eyes. “Why? You wanna keep me company?”

His smirk makes her eyes roll. “I was just concerned for your well-being.”

“Mmh, yeah aight.” 

Silence encapsulates them again as he makes laps around the fairly sized pool. And all Diamanté does is watch, mildly entertained.

She’ll lie to him, but not herself—he really makes the water look good. Almost makes her wish that she could swim.

Then again, she doesn’t want to mess up her hair, so she’s good on that.

“It’s probably so late,” she begins, looking up at the deep-blue night sky. 

Is that a star?

“I hope my people don’t trip about me being out so late.”

“Your mom’s still mad strict?”

She comes back down to Earth to share a look with him. “Nah, she’s chilled.” She sighs out, remembering the days of having a curfew.

Anytime she’d break it, it was her ass. But, Ajani was always there to save the day, bringing her to her mother’s doorstep in one peace with a polished excuse for as to why she was thirty minutes late.

Her mother always felt safe about Ajani being the one to take her home—though it didn’t save her from a couple of scoldings.

She always thought he did it out of the kindness of his heart; Ajani’s a good friend like that.

That friend word; She frowns at the thought. 

Really, she can’t stand using that word to describe their relationship. But, that’s the reality of it all, right?

Why would he ever want to be with a girl who’s got a curfew and a bedtime? One who’s the quietest in the group and has got virtually no life experiences.

Everyone in the group has a story to tell. Everyone but her.

“What you thinking so hard for?”

Her head picks up, finding him much closer than before. He’s standing at full height again, just a couple of inches of water separating them.

If he were any closer, his head would be at her chest.

As for his question, she only shrugs. 

“You got that mad look on your face.”

She cracks a smile. “No, I don’t.” 

“Aah, see?” He says pointing at her. “C’mon, tell me. What’s up?”

She turns her head away to look at a nearby palm tree. It’s too easy to get lost in his eyes.

Breathing in, her chest tightens. “Help me get into the water?”

A smile spreads across his face, slowly revealing his pearly white teeth. 

“And don’t drop me neither,” she says as he makes his way over to stand in between her legs.

“Want me to carry you?” He looks up into her eyes and she can barely swallow her own spit.

She nods.

As he reaches out to grasp her thighs, her body tenses, realizing just how close they are. All she can remember is her small predicament.

His surprisingly warm hands softly grip her thighs, pulling her forward. “Jump.”

“Okay,” she whispers, throwing her arms around his neck and jumping into his arms. All the while, her worries remain at the back of her head.

With a grunt, he holds her up, letting her wrap her short legs around his waist. He lifts her by an inch, adjusting to hold her better. And as he does so, his fingers sink into the fat at the underside of her ass.

“You good?”

“Y-yeah,” she says, voice shaking with a mixture of fear and excitement.

He makes sure she isn’t truly submerged, protecting her from the cold water. Just the same as when was sitting at the edge, the water only reached her knees.

Ensuring that she’s safe, Ajani slowly backs away from the wall.

“Want me to dip you?”

“No!”

She hugs him tighter, squeezing laughter out of him.

“I’m playing, I’m playing…”

As his laughter dies down, he notices that his face is pressed to her chest as she keeps him close. And his silence prompts her to notice the same thing.

“Oh—sorry.”

She loosens her hold on him, her shy smile making a reappearance.

“It’s okay.” His eyes rake over her top half. For the first time, he sees the small tattoo on her sternum, right in the middle of her small boobs: 𝟓☆

“What?” She looks down at him, eyes widening with concern.

“I ain’t know you had a tattoo.”

“Oh … yeah,” she laughs. “I got it like … a couple weeks ago.”

He takes a swipe at his bottom lip before looking back up into her eyes. “It looks good.”

“Thank you.”

As they stare into each other’s eyes, Diamanté feels herself growing more and more timid. She wants to look away, but she can’t.

Ajani, on the other hand, feels a growth spurt in his confidence take root. 

Now or never.

“I’m really glad you came, D’.”

Her cheeks are hurting from how much she smiles.

“Y’know, I made the party small ‘cause … I just wanted you to enjoy it,” he confesses, voice soft with a gentle rasp. “More than the other ones.”

She hates to admit how nervous it’s making her. And how much she likes it.

Her eyes bounce back and forth between his. “I always enjoy your parties. I just—” she shrugs. “—like spending time with you.”

God, he loves this girl so much, he could just fucking kiss her.

So he does.

He leans up, pressing his lips into hers. No doubt, it catches her off guard. And he pulls back to gauge her reaction.

Her supple lips are parted, and her expression is open, doe eyes wide.

“I really fuck with you, Dia, on some real shit.”

Her face softens.

“And I want you, seriously. Not on no one-night shit.”

She blinks, brain stuttering. God, she doesn’t know what to say. All she knows is that she feels the same.

Her hand caresses the side of his face as she leans into gently kiss his lips. This time, he lets her lead. And he could faint. Her lips are like the softest pillows. Her kisses are so gentle and sweet and it’s making him dizzy with want.

Gripping the underside of her legs harder, he begins to kiss back. He sucks on her plump bottom lip. Her shit tastes like cherries, and her gloss isn’t sticky at all.

He moans into the kiss.

Her other hand comes up to hold his head. As she kisses him more, his mouth opens wider to let his tongue peak through. Twisting her head, she opens her mouth to suck on his tongue.

She can taste the drinks her had earlier—hours ago. 

“Fuck,” he whispers against her lips.

A centimeter of space separates them as they breathe in each other’s air. Diamanté hesitates for a second before granting herself permission to reach in and nip at his bottom lip. 

She barely pulls it, but the action excites him nonetheless.

“Fuck this shit.”

Hoisting her up higher, she lets out a tiny yelp. He takes them back to the wall of the pool. With ease, he rests her down on the edge, keeping between her thighs.

His lips crash back into hers, the kiss this time far more passionate than the last.

The wet smacks of their kissing makes her face heat up. And he can sense her shell coming back up. He holds her chin with the crook of his fingers, keeping her in place.

A soft whine catches his attention—it’s so cute.

He pulls away, granting her mercy.

“Stay tonight?”

She rolls her lips into her mouth, feeling them buzz as she presses them together. 

“Please?” He asks, pushing his face into her neck. He places an open mouth kiss there.

The sensation has her eyes fluttering. “Okay,” she sighs out.

He pulls back and she’s so thankful. She doesn’t think she could’ve handled any more of the neck kisses. Her heart might’ve beat its way out of her chest.

He leans back in, pressing a smooch to her lips. But it doesn’t take long for his lips to find their way to her neck.

One hand grips her small waist, the other slips to her left ass cheek. It pulls at the string of her bikini. He sucks a hickey deep in the skin over her collar bone.

A sharp gasp leaves her, back straightening.

He only goes lower, marking up her chest. So focused on claiming her, he sucks a bruise into her right breast, damn near pushing her bra tap out of the way. 

The purple bruise is positioned right next to her dark nipple.

Pulling back, he looks up at her with stars and fire in his eyes. “You do fucking pretty, Mama.”

She chews on her bottom lip to hide her smile.

The string of her bikini is pulled so taut it makes its way halfway down the globe of her ass cheek. “Body so perfect,” he rasps, letting the swimsuit go just to lay a heavy-handed smack on her ass.

“Stop,” she whispers, trying to hide her face in his neck.

The hand on her waist rounds her body to rub at her back.

“Nah,” he chuckles. “Been wanting to let you know that shit. Look at me,” he says, pulling away to get a good look at her.

Her demure look makes him want to ruin her—the sweet, innocent little Diamanté. The princess of the friend group. 

His princess.

His eyes are low, his gaze making her squirm in her seat. He rubs on her spread thigh.

“Lemme show you?”

Is this real?

Her heart almost stops in her chest.

“H-how?”

A devilish smirk lifts his lips. Bringing his gaze low, he curls a finger over her bikini bottoms’ string. He pulls at it before releasing to let it snap back into place.

“‘Jani—“

“And don’t start with that hair bullshit. We grown, Diamanté. I don’t give a fuck about a little bit’a hair.”

She goes quiet.

He grips her thighs, hands closer to the inner parts. “So you gon’ let me eat it or not?”

This can’t be the same Ajani that would drop her home on time. The one that would hold doors open for her and make it a point to always be so gentle with her.

She swallows. “O-okay,” she nods.

“You sure?” He raises a brow, looking her in the eyes.

“Yes.”

“Bet.”

She can see the veins standout in his arms as he wrestles her bikini bottoms down the fat of her hips and ass. She lifts just a bit to aid in the undress. 

When he finally drags them down her thick legs, he tosses her bottoms somewhere in the pool. And before she can close her legs to hide, he pulls them open to see her prized honeypot.

The hair suits her, but he hardly even notes it. Not when he’s too eager to get her in his mouth.

“Lean back.” He licks his lips, staring at it.

“Wait—“

He looks up, seeing the apprehension clear on her face. 

“Does … does it look … bad?”

His face flattens and he sucks his teeth. “Be serious, D.”

“I am serious,” she whines.

“I told you already—“ He leans down to press a quick kiss to her tummy. “You fuckin’ perfect.” He kisses lower and lower, until his face is eye level with her pussy. “Now lemme get a taste.”

Cupping her ass, he lifts her closer—getting up close and personal. Instinctively, she has a hand on top of his head, mentally apologizing for probably fucking up his braids.

He plants a kiss on the pudge of her pussy. With ease, he tosses her legs over his wide shoulders before diving in to open-mouth smooch her clit.

Her fingers curl in his hair and her back arches, pushing her pussy deeper into his face.

He licks and sucks at her clit, stimulating the bundle of nerves. And all too quickly does Diamanté fall into an oasis of pleasure, blinded by it.

For a second, he pulls back to get a good look at her. With one hand, he pulls back the hood to get the perfect view of her engorged clit.

It’s not a tiny little bud, rather, a sizable button that is far too easy to find. And he wants to keep pressing it until she can’t handle it no more.

Hands hooked on her legs, Ajani slobbers her up. His tongue is focused on her clit. Sometimes it’ll dip lower to lick at her opening, but his main focus is what’s on top.

“Tastes so good, baby.”

Her hips shift back and forth, working against his face as her body begs for more. She never thought she’d enjoy dirty talk this much.

“So fucking obsessed with you,” he hums, the vibrations making her clench repeatedly.

She grips harder, head falling back to release louder moans.

“My favorite fruit.”

Her thighs tremble as he holds them up. She’s leaking like crazy, and he’s there to lick it up every time. The only reprieve she gets is when he pulls up for air.

“Why you hide this shit from me, Dia?”

She mewls, reaching a shaky hand down to soothe her overstimulated clit. Only for him to smack it away.

“What I just say?”

“S’too much, ‘Jani—”

“Too much?” 

She barely nods when a light spank is laid on her cunt, and she flinches with the gasp of a breath. 

Ajani watches her pudgy mound tremble, noticing how it leaks from the impact.

“I’on know, it seems like you like that shit.”

“I—“

He smacks her again, just a little harder. The jolt of pleasure triggered a noticeably stronger stream to trickle out of her. His eyes are focused on her cunt, entranced by its sensitivity.

“Seems like you really like that shit.”

He lays one more slap to her pussy, only to override it with friction as he quickly rubs the rough pads of his fingers over her clit. 

“O-oh—fuck!“

Her body shudders and her face scrunches up. Mouth drops open and then—

Squirt sputters out of her before growing into a harsh spray of her fluids hit him. 

She tries in vain to grip his wrist to get him to stop. He only continues, keeping up his lightning quick pace.

As she only continues to spray, he watches her milky white cream dribble out of her clenching hole.

“Shit,” he whispers, watching it all.

When she finishes, he pulls his hand away to place a kiss on her clit.

She whines, trying to scoot back from his mouth.

“Uh, uh.” Ajani grips her hips, keeping her steady as he sops up a remnants of her cream.

When he finishes, he pulls back up to grasp her by the neck. He pulls her in to tongue kiss her nice and slow. She moans, tasting the sweet tang of herself on his tongue.

He pulls back, staring into her eyes.

“Swear I’ma have you coming like that the whole night.”

And her clit pulses just thinking about it.

Banner: @strangergraphics

Part 2 here …

[bluemoviegirl]

UNDER THE SAME SUN

joel miller x reader

summary: After a year of surviving alone in a brutal world, you finally find refuge in Jackson, Wyoming—but adjusting to community life proves just as challenging as the horrors outside. When you’re assigned to work with the town’s most gruff and unapproachable man (who happens to be really attractive, you'd never admit this though), Joel Miller, the two of you clash instantly. But as tensions rise and walls begin to crack, you realize there’s more beneath his hardened exterior and he sees sides of you he'd never expected—and maybe, just maybe, he’s exactly what you need to feel alive again.

wc: 4.1k

a/n: hii im rosa, really excited to share my first fic with you guys!! please comment what you thought of it. i'm still working on where i'll take the story so if you've got any cool ideas do let me know! <3

It’s about 20 years since the world fell. You’ve been through hell, as has everyone of course. After wandering alone for a year, you finally made it to Jackson, Wyoming—a place whispered about in rumors as a well-fortified, truly safe settlement. Survival had taken its toll, and after so much time alone, you’d grown accustomed to talking to yourself—or, at times, forgetting to speak altogether.

Now, two months in, adjusting to life among real people has been... an experience. The first month, you barely left your home, more focused on settling in than socializing. Not that anyone could tell—you hadn’t made the place feel like yours in any way. Your small one-bedroom apartment was as bare as the day you arrived, furnished only with the essentials. A functioning kitchen, a hot shower (which felt like the biggest luxury of all), a somewhat comfortable couch, and a simple king-sized bed with a closet across from it. It was enough.

Tommy Miller one of the community's leaders, came by to visit a few times the first month. Just checking in on you and bringing over things like soap and firewood. It was time for you to get out there and you knew it. Honestly you thought going to sleep every night would’ve been harder, with PTSD and all. But the bed was comfortable and you just snoozed away every night. That’s just nights though, during the day, when you were more alone with your thoughts, it became difficult. It's why you forced yourself to socialize with others. Else you’d get real bad anxiety doing just about anything. The thoughts of being back out in the infected world would come rushing in and you’d feel like you failed them all over again. That was in the past, why can’t you just forget about it? You tried to pick one of your old hobbies back up a week ago; drawing. But it didn’t last long before you started sketching the infected and that freaked you out so much you had thrown your notebook into the fireplace.

Today felt different, it was the end of November and it felt like another fresh start. You had made a couple of friends, which to your surprise, was something that actually came easily to you. So you decided to go to the bar. Not much for the drinks but for the vibe, all the people gathered together, laughing, chatting. It felt unreal it made you feel a joy you hadn’t felt in a while. So you came there often, quickly befriending the bartender, Knox. He was a big tough guy, probably around 60. His long beard had a thin braid in it which always made you wonder whether he braided it or if he had someone waiting for him at home. He didn’t speak much about himself though, always chatting away with everyone about anything and everything. Knox would sneak you an extra drink here and there if you laughed at his jokes hard enough.

You had felt a bit embarrassed going back to the Workshop to ask if they could get you a new sketchbook twice in the same week but you really wanted to get back into drawing. But now you were sat at the bar, slightly hunched over your sketchbook and you were doodling away. Nothing major or complete but at least the drawing was actually calming you a bit. A couple people had stopped by to chat with you and you soon felt as if you already belonged here. It wasn’t long until most of the bar stools were all occupied.

You’d noticed Tommy Miller taking a seat, two barstools from you. He was swirling his glass a bit, not looking particularly joyful but not too worrying. You contemplated making small talk but you were feeling like a social butterfly today.  “Hey, Tommy.” You said as you put down your pencil and closed your sketchbook. He looked up from his glass at you as he smiled. “Oh, hey! Didn’t see you there.” You shook your head, your hair had covered up your face from the side as it had fallen over your shoulder so of course he didn’t. You tucked your hair behind your ear and tugged a bit at your earlobe, a habit you always had when talking to people. Nervous tick you’ve done since you were little. You smiled back at him. “That’s okay. How are you and Maria?” When you just arrived at Jackson, you had taken a mental note that Tommy and Maria Miller were a married couple. They’re both community leaders and you thought it to be cute. Did they know each other before, or did they meet after? It gave you a sliver of hope that maybe things would work out like that for you too. Tommy’s eyes immediately light up a bit.

“We’re good, yeah. Real good. And you? I haven’t, uh, seen ya much around.” You felt a bit of a flush coming on your face, feeling a bit embarrassed with how anti-social you’d been for two months.

 “Yeah sorry- I was settling in. Getting used to all this-“

 You motioned to the place around you. He chuckled back at you.

“F’Course, it’s somethin’ to get used to, that’s damn sure.”  

We had a moment of silence, both not knowing what to say or whether we’d turn back to our own business.

 “I’ve heard good things about ya already. You must be leaving good impressions on people huh.”

He tells you, as he sips his beer.

“Oh, that’s good to hear. I mean, I try. Being alone for a year with no one to talk to, means I can barely stop yappin’ now that there’s actual people that’ll listen.” You chuckled before asking him a question.

 “I was actually wondering, when I could get started on a job here? I would really like to give back to the community.”

 You’ve been wanting to give back to the community since you arrived, feeling guilty eating their food, using their hot water when you’ve given nothing in return.

 “Oh yeah, we got plenty to do around here. It’s really your pick but, I don’t know if you’re handy but we could use your help on repair. We’re a man short-”

 “I’d love to help.”

 He looked you up and down, you didn’t really look like you’d be good with a hammer. Besides from maybe, smashing in an infected head.. But it couldn’t be that hard. Yes, you did look like the typical girl, you still wore your jewelry from before the apocalypse which consisted of 2 rings on each hand, a couple bracelets and a locket necklace that always hung around your neck, you weren’t particularly buff looking and people would probably peg you as a flowers and baking type but you didn’t mind living up to that stereotype. Before Tommy could continue the conversation, Tommy’s head turned to the entrance door.

“Speaking of things in need of a fixin’.” Tommy grinned as he watched his friend walk in.

The man stepped in with his broad shoulders and a steady, purposeful gait. His dark hair, was peppered with gray at the temples, and a scruffy beard covered his jaw. His eyes, a deep brown, scanned the room with a quiet intensity, as if constantly assessing everything around him. His worn jeans and flannel shirt were well-suited to the rugged life he'd lived, and his stance—confident but reserved—made it clear he wasn’t someone to be easily approached.

"Joel," Tommy greets him, and the man offers a curt nod in return. You watch as Tommy claps him on the back, and they share a brief conversation as the man takes the stool next to yours. His back is to you, he didn’t glance your way. Joel.

You go back to your sketchbook, feeling a bit dismissed. But then you hear Tommy mentioning your name to Joel. “You two met yet?” Tommy looks at me and back at Joel. You shook your head no as you reached out to shake Joel’s hand. He sure took his sweet time to turn and shake yours back. He glanced at you for a moment before looking back at Tommy, obviously wondering where Tommy’s going with this. You couldn’t deny it though, the man was attractive. Maybe a good bit older than you- wait, why are you even thinking about the age difference.. Maybe it’s been too long since you’ve actually seen a man that caught your eyes.

“I was just tellin’ her we needed another set of hands for repair. She said she’s up for it.” Tommy said to Joel. “M’fine doin’ it myself.” Joel said, shooting down Tommy’s idea. And yours as well, you were perfectly capable of helping with a repair. Tommy shook his head no, “I ain’t letting you go to the outpost by yourself. We have rules here, y’know that.” Joel seemed well familiar with the rules as he gave no emotion back besides a slight frown. Joel turned to you and glanced you up and down quickly, his eyes either lingering shortly on your chest, or the gold locket you had hanging around your neck.

“You sure you capable?”

“Yeah I-“

“Y’know how to use a rifle?”

The interruption surprised you and you must’ve taken too long to answer cause Joel filled in the answer for himself.

“M’ fine doin’ it myself.” Joel said as he turned back to Tommy, who was rolling his eyes. You weren’t great with rifles really, always hated using guns. You were good with a bat, which sounded a bit silly so you stayed quiet. “Just go together tomorrow morning, scope out the place and see if you guys are able to get some work in. She’s tougher than she looks.” Tommy said, smiling to you. You appreciated him sticking up for you but it also made you feel a bit weak.

Normally you would’ve let it go, you’d have found another job to do. But something about this Joel guy, and the stoic demeanor he gave, it annoyed you. Like you needed to proof yourself, which made you feel even sillier. Proof yourself to a man? Please. But maybe, you and Joel could get along and he just needed some warming up to. You were a tad low on the friend department anyway.

---------

Though the next morning, you regretted even thinking that. It started with gathering the horses. You weren’t able to get up on your horse, and he just sat on his horse, watching you struggle. When you finally got up, you swore you saw a slight curl tugged at the corner of his lips but it disappeared as soon as you went to look again.

You two were riding next to each other in mostly silence. You had spoken a few times but would never get a response. The only sounds you could hear were the horses and the snow crunching underneath their hooves. Should you make small talk again?  You were someone who could talk anyone’s ears off but Joel didn’t exactly give off the vibe that he’d be open to that.

“So how do you know Tommy?” You say, the words spitting out before you were even done deciding.

Joel didn’t look at you as he replied.

“Was at his birth.”

You knitted your brows and stared at his face which just had a blank expression on them, opposite of yours cause that answer had your gears turning. At his birth? What?? Your silence said enough to Joel, you didn’t get it.

 “Tommy’s my brother.” ... “Oh.”

“You always this chatty?” Joel muttered. “You always this grumpy?” you shot back.

You felt annoyed that that was the only reply you could come up with. “Did you just make a joke?” You grinned just the tiniest bit, was Joel Miller making jokes? The man who had been riding his horse silently for an hour and didn’t even glance your way once?

“Didn’t think you had that in you.” You commented.

Joel’s hands tightened briefly on the reins, but he didn’t say anything. You could’ve sworn the corner of his mouth twitched. His brows knitted together ever so slightly as he glanced to you and back to the road ahead.

“So how much longer?”

 Joel didn’t answer.

“What are we even repairing?”

Still no reply. When you’ve given up on small talk he finally replies to your question.

 “Floorboards of one of the outposts.”

 “Ah, is it moldy or something?”

 “No.” His voice was flat, almost bored.

“They warped?” “No.” “Well, something’s wrong with ‘em if we’re going all the way out here.” He sighed like this was the last conversation he wanted to be having. “Just needed fixin’.” “Vague and unhelpful. Got it.

Y’know,” You hear Joel sigh again when you start a new sentence. “I had that a while ago, the cabin me and- the cabin I was staying in, the entire floor started warping cause, I assume, water damage? Mold? I don’t even know. I once tripped over them badly, hit my face so hard I still have the scar.”

You were rambling, he made you nervous. You didn’t get why, you met the man yesterday and he’d maybe looked at you like, 3 times all together. Yet you still wanted to chat with him, maybe even see what he’d look like if he ever smiled.

“The scar at the end of your eyebrow.”

He spoke before thinking, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze for just for split second before going back to regular Joel, you wouldn’t have noticed if you weren’t already staring at him. The detail he mentioned was really specific—something he'd only know if he'd actually observed you right? A brief look of regret crossed his face, and he seemed to wish he hadn't said it at all. Maybe the scar was just that obvious. It was tiny though, just at the end of your brow, a little above it. It was a scar that blended in with your face, your hair usually covering it anyway. You remember the aching pain you had for days every time you’d move your eyebrows, which was something you did a lot. You were always very expressive.

“Yea. Didn’t think it was that noticeable.” You reply softly as you rub the back of your neck.

“It isn’t.”  His voice firm.

It isn’t. Yet, he noticed it even though he’s barely looked you in the eyes. You shake off the thought.

---------

You two finally arrived at the outpost. The outpost was a small, rugged place, tucked away on the edge of the wilderness. Wooden walls creaked in the wind, patched up with scrap metal and makeshift barriers.  There was a worn-down feeling to the place—like it had seen its share of hard days. You both hitched your horses and you waited for Joel to lead. He stayed vigilant, like he was the entire ride, checking every corner, making sure nothing slipped past him—especially any signs of infected.

“Gather some of the wood.”

He said, nudging his head to the pile of wood a couple feet away.

“Yes boss.”

 You mumbled quietly as you rolled my eyes, stuffing the urge to mockingly salute him. Joel had entered the outpost and you followed shortly after you bring the wood outside the outpost, not knowing what you’d walk into.

“Watch your step.” Is what you heard seconds before slipping and falling into Joel’s arms.

As you slipped over something wet, and stumbled backward, you felt his hands instinctively reach out to catch you. One hand gripped your arm, steadying you, while the other slid around your waist, pulling you against him. Your heart raced as his touch lingered for a moment longer than necessary, fingers pressing firmly into the curve of her back. The close proximity made your breath hitch. “Shit!” You yelped. You had almost fallen completely backwards, which would’ve been okay if there wasn’t a smashed in infected body behind you.

“I said, watch your step.” Joel said, a bit softer  but still annoyed.

 Your hands had gripped Joels arm when he had wrapped it around your waist when you slipped. As you realize the two of you were still entangled, you quickly stood up and Joel let you go as he cleared his throat.

“I didn’t expect there to be a pool of blood and a literal infected.” You said, not glancing at the infected, you hated seeing them.

“Yeah, must’ve forgot to mention it.” Joel replies gruffly.

Douchebag.

 You now got a chance to really look at the interior. It wasn’t much. You finally understood why the floor needed repairing, the wood was split and to your surprise, very warped.

“The wood is warped.” You say, crossing your arms, remembering Joel said no when you asked if it was warped. He just didn’t want you to be right, did he? Jackass. He just shrugged as he kneeled down, he starts lifting some of the floorboards. It doesn’t take much for them to release from the ground, so it seems.

“Shouldn’t we get rid of the infected body first?”

“Be my guest.”

You scoffed at his reply. You really didn’t want to get near it but you also didn’t want it stinking up the place even further. You sigh, extra loud, turning your head to Joel to make sure he heard you. He ignores it.

You decide on grabbing a shovel and shoving the infected away.  You noticed Joel raising a brow when he turned to look at what you were doing, but he soon turned back and said nothing as he continued removing the floor. After what felt like ages, you got the infected body out and cleaned up the area.

“How’d the infected get in here?” You said as you walked towards Joel’s eyesight.

“Dave was here a couple days back. Managed to kill the infected before realizing the man himself was already bit.” Joel said, he spoke calmly about this Dave, as if he didn’t care as to whether the guy would live or die.

“So where’d Dave go after he was bit? Seeing I’ve only dragged one-” You motioned the number one with your finger, “-body out of this place.”

Joel looked up at you, clenching his jaw for a moment.

“Dead. Now, are you going to help remove any of the floorboards or gonna continue chattin’ my ears off?”

You weren’t even saying that much.

“Yeah yeah, calm your horses.” You mumbled.

 Joel narrowed his eyes before going back to the floorboards. You walk to the other end of the room, and decide to start there. You roll up your sleeves, ready to show you’re actually capable of doing stupid repair. You grip one end of the floorboard and pull it up, as hard as you can. But there’s no movement, like, at all.

For a second you feel like you’re on a prank show, you glance over to Joel who had lifted at least half of the floorboards out already. Yet you weren’t strong enough to even lift one? Come on. You kept pulling, teeth gritting, muscles (what muscles?) flexing. Yes, you had survived being by yourself in the apocalypse for over a year but you never really grew very strong muscle. You survived by being careful and quiet, not looking for the danger, so you rarely fought.

 “Fucks sake.”

 You grunt, sitting on the floor and looking over at Joel, who was already looking your way.

“What’re you doin’? I ain’t got all day.”

“I’m trying!”

Joel mumbled something as he walked over.

“Move.”

 He said as he started gripping the floorboard where you were holding it. Joel was being tough but when he couldn’t get the floorboard to budge either, you couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah yeah, mr. Strong. Lift it up then.” You grinned.

His narrowed eyes met yours briefly before turning back. He was obviously using all his strength to attempt to get it out.

“You’re gonna pull a muscle.” You say, making sure to fit another jab in there to annoy him.

You enjoyed it a bit too much, seeing him struggle after he so obviously judged you for not being able to lift it.

Just when you laugh a little too hard, the floorboard suddenly pops out, of course, hitting you in the head and causing Joel to stumble a bit. “Fuck!” You, who was previously sat, is now laying back, leaning on your elbows as the floorboard had just hit your forehead real hard. Your hand immediately rose up to your forehead and you looked back at your fingers. Blood. Joel’s eyes widened a bit, obviously not meaning to do that.

 “My bad.” He mumbles, in a gruff acknowledgement.

He kneeled a bit closer to you as you sat back up, he was looking at the wound, both your faces just inches apart. You had a little wound on the left side of your forehead, yes it was bleeding and yes it might look bad, but it wasn’t anything worth worrying about, Joel thought so at least. He was inspecting the wound but didn’t look worried. He honestly looked like he couldn’t care less.

“Is it bad?”

“S’fine. You’ll live.” He said before standing back up, and walking to his bag. He walks back with a band-aid. It’ll have to do for now. You take it from his hand, your fingers grazing. “It’s getting late, we’re headin’ back.” 

You nod as you felt your forehead throbbing. You felt the urge to cry, you didn’t but you wanted to. Today was just a shitty day and you’d spent it with a shitty man.

On the ride back to the settlement, you were quiet. Thinking about how today felt like a bit of a fail, you had gotten like 2 floorboards out and the rest was done by Joel while you had sat there with a throbbing forehead. So much for proving yourself.

--

Joel and Tommy were sat at the bar, their usual spot if they had something to discuss.

“Y’need to get me another partner for the repair.” Joel said before taking a gulp of beer.

Tommy just looked at Joel in a way of saying: ‘Seriously’?

“M’serious. She keeps on talking a mile a minute. Can’t even focus without her asking some annoyin’ questions”

Tommy finally let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. “She really that bad, or is it just you bein’ you?”

Joel shot him a look.

“Pretty face, empty head Tommy, I’m tellin’ you.” Joel has his elbows leaning on the bar as he looks down at his glass and back up at Tommy.

“I’d love to relieve you of your ‘torture’ but I ain’t got anyone to fill her shoes right now. After losing Dave like that- Not many people are willin’.”

“People are scared ‘cause one man died from an infected? You’ve softened them up.”

“Dave wasn’t just ‘one man.’ He was a good leader. People trusted him. And now he’s gone. You should know better than anyone what that kind of loss does to people.” Tommy says, obviously feeling the impact it left on him when Dave died. Joel clenched his jaw but didn’t argue.

Dave was one of the community leaders, known to be real good around infected. So when he died, it scared folks.

 “You’re doin’ another repair job with her, whether you wanna or not. It’s a week from now, Maria said it’d be a good idea if you actually tried to get to know her. She’s more than a ‘pretty face’ and who knows, you might actually like her.” Tommy said, putting emphasis on Joel’s previous ‘pretty face’ comment, a cheeky smirk tugging at Tommy’s lips.

Joel let out a dry, humorless laugh.

Tommy smirked, clearly enjoying this too much. “Alright, fine. Maybe not like her. But at least tolerate her.”

Joel scoffed as he gave Tommy a narrowing glance as Joel chucked the last bit of beer down before standing up.

“Doubt that.”

And with that, he grabbed his jacket and walked out, already dreading next week.

[suzukiblu]

Day seven of February’s second weekly WIP behind the cut, final day ( and still TECHNICALLY in before midnight!! ); “mistaken identities and interdimensional refugees”. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Well, we’ve arrived at your final resting place, Mr. Kent and young Mr. Kent,” Alfred informs them mildly as he turns off into the driveway up to Wayne Manor, which absolutely cannot actually be the local Bruce Wayne’s actual base of operations. Kon doesn’t care if the dude thinks he’s a version of Clark, there is no Batman who would just bring a couple of strange Kryptonians home without at least locking some blue K on them, whether one of them is a scared ten year-old or not, and the local blue kryptonite won’t even work on them! 

Except the moment the car stops in front of the front door and he can focus his TTK without the wheels spinning blurring anything, he absolutely can in fact feel the Batcave and all the connected cave systems that are sprawling underneath the place and clearly, like, functional and active. 

Really, he could feel that even through the wheels, they weren’t going anywhere near fast enough to actually blur his senses, but he just assumed he was somehow hallucinating that or something. Except he is definitely not, because he definitely does feel it. His X-ray vision is blocked by lead-heavy mineral deposits and there’s soundproofing and temperature control in the way of his super-hearing and infrared vision and knowing Batman there’s probably some random magic shit he got Zatanna to set up mixed in there, but his TTK can still feel a very obvious Batcave down there without even trying. 

Which, like–TTK is not really a power most people know to plan for or know how to plan for, given it’s basically just him and Match who have any remotely-developed versions of it and Match’s is kinda fucked-up with some of the degradation issues and all, and even red sun and kryptonite don’t totally cancel it out–plus those both have to be directed at him to do anything anyway, not his TTK itself–so like, yeah, in a reality where he maybe does not even actually exist–apparently does not even actually exist–prooooobably the local Batman did not ever solve that particular puzzle, no. 

This is definitely a trap. This has gotta be a trap. 

Alfred gets out and opens the car door for them with a polite incline of his head and Kon gets absolutely zero bad vibes off him, and has literally no idea what the fuck is going on with this weird-ass reality. 

“Okayyyyy,” he says slowly, and gets out of the car. Jon gets out behind him and grabs the back of his jacket, pressing up close against his back. Alfred closes the door; gives them both a pleasant little smile. 

“Allow me to get the door,” he says as he heads for said door, and also: “Earl Grey or oolong?” 

“Assam,” Kon says at the exact same time as Jon–zero percent surprisingly–says “Ceylon,” because all else aside, that was absolutely a test. Alfred never serves a guest Earl Grey unless he wants them to fuck off immediately and can’t be trusted to make oolong without putting milk in it, which is a crime against a drink that Kon doesn’t even particularly like but also a crime that he absolutely cannot handle right now. 

“Of course, sirs,” Alfred says, sparing them both a briefly thoughtful look before opening the door and holding it for them. Kon doesn’t really know what to take from that; did the guy expect something different? 

. . . actually, what does Clark drink when he comes over, Kon genuinely does not even know, he has been in the Batcave maybe four or five times max, and basically every single one was an apocalypse-level scenario that Batman was not actually on-planet for, except for the one time it was an apocalypse-level scenario that Kon was the only Kryptonian-class heavy-hitter who was League-vetted on-planet for. Which sure had been . . . an experience, as an experience. Like, a very weird and annoying and frustrating experience. Also Luthor’d already hacked his comms earlier that day to say some snide bullshit and try to boss him around about how to deal with said apocalypse, so that hadn’t really helped with his mood at the time either. 

But yeah, either way, he’s definitely never drunk Bat-tea with Clark. He’s pretty sure he’s only seen the dude drink coffee or whatever Ma’s got the kettle, in fact. So like, god knows what Alfred’s even thinking right now, because given Kon’s luck he either picked the exact thing Clark always drinks or something Clark just straight-up fucking hates. 

Probably the latter, given, again, Kon’s luck. 

This is totally a Bat-trap and they are totally gonna die here and he is totally gonna be embarrassed as fuck about it, he thinks resignedly, and then just heads into the manor with Jon still basically clinging to his back and seeming nervous again. 

“Thanks, man,” he says to Alfred, and then feels–

Oh, okay. That’s actually even weirder, Kon thinks, and tips back his head to blink up at the landing at the top of the entryway stairs where a presumably-local-but-who-knows Dick Grayson is leaning over the railing with a delighted grin on his face along with the “even weirder” sight that is a Jason standing next to him and squinting down at them speculatively. Like, a Jason in civilian clothes and the actual manor, not in vigilante-grade kevlar and the Batcave.  And like, he’s a lot less ripped than Kon’s version of the dude–like way more slender and maybe even a few inches shorter, which: what the fuck?–but he’s undeniably a Jason Todd. 

Also his hair’s black? Like. Fully black, no white streak or anything? 

So yeah, weird, Kon notes. 

Alright, well, maybe somebody’ll explain why there’s a Jason Todd who’s apparently willingly here to him after the local Batman shows up so he can explain himself to the whole Bat-belfry at once as opposed to having to go through multiple repeats of the same information and also, again, just in case this reality or this Bruce Wayne happen to be clone-racists or what the fuck ever or just have any opinions about “biological determinism” or any bullshit like that. Because that is still very much a conversation he wants to have in person and not–

“Oh my god, has Dad seen you yet?” Dick asks with a gleeful cackle, leaning even farther forward over the railing, and Kon blinks, a little startled. 

“You call him Dad?” he asks in reflexive bemusement, and Dick snickers at the question and folds his arms on the railing with an artful shrug. 

“Well, not in front of Vicki Vale and her peers or anyone with a recording device, but yeah,” he replies easily. “Take it your personal reality’s a couple decades behind ours, though.” 

“Actually–” Kon starts, though he has literally no idea how he’s gonna finish, but Jason’s already leaning forward too, bracing his hands on the rail and wrinkling his nose with a dubious expression. 

“Jesus fuck, who let twunk Uncle Clark wear designer?” he snorts. 

. . . okay then. 

“My date to the gala I was at before the multiverse got drunk and fell off its ass bought it for me,” Kon replies incredibly, incredibly dryly. Dick and Jason both blink in their own obvious bemusement, their heads cocking in opposite directions. 

“Your date bought it for you,” Dick repeats slowly. “For a Gotham gala.” 

“Yeah,” Kon says. 

“How the fuck did Aunt Lo afford that getup?” Jason asks, looking even more bemused. 

“She did not,” Kon says, because fuck it, whatever. “Like, Lois is cool and all but I could not handle her. Also, she is very, very married to both her Pulitzer and her husband. But my boyfriend's love language is 'spending his vast family fortune on unnecessary amounts of gift-giving', so like, not so much a concern?” 

“Your boyfriend?” Jason repeats incredulously, and Jon frowns in confusion and peers up at Kon’s face. 

“You’re not dating Mom yet?” he asks. “Mom married somebody? And you date–boys? That’s, like–okay?” 

“It is very okay, actually, but I reiterate: I am not Superman,” Kon says with a sigh as he gives the kid’s head a heavy pat, given it’s about the eightieth time he’s said it by now. “But also I don't wanna explain myself to every single Bat in the belfry one by one, so could we maybe convene somewhere and I can riff up a metaphorical Power Point or something?” 

“Uncle Clark, are you dating our dad?” Dick demands, looking torn between further delight and low-key horror. Kon stares at him. 

Alright, he probably brought that one on himself, considering. 

[r0manceplanet]

okay yipee yay!! haven’t done these in a hot minute so apologies if this isn’t that great… i’m trying >_> !

fandom: forsaken plz!!

pronouns: they them

gender/sexuality: non-binary androsexual (best way i could put ittt ^^)

personality: ummm… i think i’m generally a pretty nice person, i’m rlly empathetic and i luv to talk yap yap i like to run my mouth! i cannot keep it shut and i’m rlly bad at keeping secrets oops. i’m kindaaa stubborn and a big over thinker but i try reallyyy hard not to be;;; i just wanna have fun and b chill ^^

hobbies: ummum arts! anything artsy! like graffiti. baking is sooo awesome and fun doing things with your hands is great. i love music a LOT (specifically rock/metal/alt) and enjoy going to concerts!! i’m also big on conspiracy theories & psychological philosophy :3

likes & dislikes: i generally like weird/creepy things, any sort of horror media! & being outside & doing things, like exploring or looking for bugs. like i said i <3 philosophy but i also love the unknown!! and theorizing!! and debate!! collecting/hoarding things i like is fun too, like knives & license plates. oh and rubber ducks. photography!!! pictures are everything to me!!! i don’t dislike much but i guess umm… the dark! i hate that. strong smells & loud noises freak me out. ppl who are mean to animals babies and old people are a different kind of evil.

mbti & zodiac: enfp 4w5, gemini!!

love languages: acts of service above all but i also adore words of affirmation!! i don’t care much for gift giving.

what i look for/want in a partner: someone who can keep up w/ me, i guess! i get bored quickly, i usually wanna always go do something. i hate silence and i hate distance, i need to be able to vibe & have fun with them always!! i’d also prefer someone who isn’t shy ^_^ .

thank youuu my goat please take your time!!! 🧡

FORSAKEN MATCHUP #1

A/N: Ahhh my first request for a matchup!! And to whoever sent this ask to me thank you so much!! And I hope you enjoy who you get! And, matchups for forsaken are open to everyone!

Press “Read More” to see who you have been matched with!

.

.

.

You have been matched with… Chance!

• It took me some time to think about who to match you with, and I did have a few characters in mind before I thought of him, and when I did he seems to match you the most, I feel like you two would function so well together.

• Chance is a really calm dude, he can work under pressure and is able to talk to anyone really, I mean, who wouldn’t like him? He’s never fallen in love before you, he was always focused on gambling and the casino he owned. Before meeting in forsaken, you would’ve met him in his casino while you were hanging out with your friends.

• When he met you he was immediately focused on you, why? something about you made him interested in you, maybe it’s because of how much you love to talk with him, and he’s always listening to you yap and adding into the conversation, it’s refreshing for him to find someone to match his energy.

• When you guys start dating, he would spend ALL his money, which you would have to stop him before he goes broke. But he would buy an entire store if you wanted one thing, that’s how devoted he is to you.

• He would definitely bring you to concerts, I can see him as someone who would go to concerts of bands he likes, you guys always have a blast whenever you’re at a concert to see your favorite band, and as a surprise he’s arranged an appointment for you to meet with your favorite idols.

• He always compliments your artwork, he’s in awe whenever he sees your paintings or drawings, he’s someone who would point out the smallest details in your art, and he LOVES it whenever you bake, and if you bake anything that he likes he’s gonna eat it all in 1 minute and ask for more.

• He loves hearing you talk, including if it’s about theories you bring up, he’ll love to theorize with you and debate, you can get him to talk about ANYTHING, off topic but, whenever you guys are chilling at home or out on a date, he would take pictures of you that have amazing views.

• Whenever you’re overthinking about something, or anything that’s bothering you, he’ll always make sure to tell you that you can go to him for anything, and he is of course… He’ll be your emotional support animal if you want. No matter what situation you happen to be in, you’ll always have him, and he’ll always have you.

Round-Ups:

Shedletsky, John Doe

[tears-of-amber]

Hearth & Home Witchcraft That I've Learned

One of the biggest things that stands out to me when reading about hearth & home witchery is that everyday items are considered magical. Everyday moments, tasks, and chores as well. Its a beautiful way to live, if you really think about it. Big rituals are great, but as someone who is disabled, they rarely are doable. Here is a list of Hearth & Home Witchcraft Tips that i actually practice.

-Enchant a blanket by embroidering a sigil in the corner and using its color correspondences for your needs. It also helps me feel shielded from negative energy during meditation.

-Play music that makes you feel safe and AT HOME. This is almost like grounding, but also can be cleansing to the environment and especially the listeners. For me, its smooth jazz. The chill sound of the standup bass and the wandering piano notes that always seem to find their way to a comfortable key... its soothing to my soul.

-Talk to and about your home (kindly). So often its easy to complain about your living space. How you wish it looked or functioned differently. The house (in my belief) hears you. Treat it with kindness and gratitude for the shelter it provides. I say thank you to the house spirits and my home every morning.

-Find a convenient home protection ritual to do each month. I say convenient because if you overcomplicate things you'll feel less enthusiastic and less motivated to do it, and might even skip several months.

-Make a home cleansing spray using essential oils mixed with an appropriate amount of moon water. I like using a few drops of lemon, rosemary, lavender, and cinnamon. DO NOT spray this in the vicinity of your pets. I only use this spray in rooms where there arent any animals, to avoid complications with their health.

-Wash your bedding as often as you can and say a short incantation before you put it in the wash. It could go something like this. "I cleanse this bedding of all negative energy, from bad dreams, and from and all stress." Sleep is so important to your sense of safety and wellbeing at home.

-Open the damn windows when you can! Stagnant energy is known for dragging down people's moods. And there's nothing quite as uplifting as fresh air. This provides a healthy flow to your house's energy.

-Don't bring things in your home unless you want to incorporate their energy into your environment. This is something that's often overlooked. I especially advise heavy consideration when it comes to thrifting items and bringing them home. Try practicing sensing the energy of items so you can easily tell whats good to bring home and whats not. Thrifting is great! Im not discouraging it btw.

-Fresh flowers work miracles. Not only do they aesthetically brighten the room, but their correspondences and magical properties apply to the room that they're in. Sunflowers are a great example of a flower that encourages positivity, and are extremely affordable to get lots of them. Roses are a bit more expensive usually, but they invite that loving vibe. And African irises are great for psychic enhancement.

Thats all for this post! Reblog it if you found it helpful, or have any of your own cool practices for hearth & home witchcraft to share!

[thepigeonhasapen]

🍇SFW A-Z: Dionysus!🍇

Gonna do one of these for everyone, but I'll start out with everyone's favorite high-functioning alcoholic first! 🥂

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Highly. I mean, this is Dionysus we're talking about. If he hasn't touched at least ten of his friends by mid-morning, he's either having a really bad day or somebody else is pretending to be him and you should probably figure out what happened to the real Dionysus. Back-slaps, hugs, lazy post-drinking snuggling; Dionysus loves them all. If he has a lover, you can bet he's pulling them up to sit in his lap. Pray that you are not big or strong enough to pick him up because, if it's been a while since you've seen him, he can and will do that thing were he runs and leaps into your arms. If he's bigger than you, he'll grab you around the waist and spin you around. Either way, someone's getting picked up.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

You'd think a requirement for being Dionysus's friend would be a love for parties, but that's not quite true. All you have to do to be Dionysus's friend is literally be just any degree of a chill. We're all here to have a good time, right? Raining on anyone's parade is a good way to get on Dionysus's bad side. Or at least make him slightly pissy with you. His one hard requirement for an absolute best friend though, would have to be loyalty. Stick up for him. Don't talk shit behind his back. Maybe hold his hair back while he throws up. Yeah, he's the party guy but he's not just the party guy, you know? His best friend would have to stick with him even when he's not at his best. And in terms of reciprocity, Dio is great. Absolute gossipy bitch. Always in your corner. Will make time for you if you're having a problem. Expect lots of hanging off of you while he brags about how cool his bestie is to everyone who even vaguely looks like they're listening.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Pretty sure I already went over this one, but Dionysus is an absolute cuddle monster. Doesn't even have to be with a romantic partner. My man is the KING of platonic snuggling. He gets especially clingy when he's extremely wasted, but even when he's more sober (because come on, he's never completely sober,) he has no problem with just laying back and having a good cuddle.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Does Dionysus ever want to settle down. Does the god of festivities and merriment and madness ever want to settle down. What do you think? Crazy partying is kind of his thing, here! That being said, I feel like Dionysus can cook crazy well. He's picked up a lot of little tricks from all the different people he hangs with. But cleaning up after himself? I mean, his personal chambers on Olympus are pretty tidy but that's mostly because he's never there.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

People might get mad at me for this one, but here goes. Dionysus is all about good times. You know what's not a good time? Break ups. If he's no longer interested, he won't say as much, he'll just... stop hanging out with you until he's full on ghosting you. He hopes you'll get the hint so he doesn't actually have to have a conversation about it and bring the whole vibe down. If he's no longer feeling the relationship, it's likely that he no longer likes you at all, so if a confrontation is forced, Dionysus won't be kind about it. He just wants to get it over with. Gods are fickle. He's fickle. He just wants to get back to the things he enjoys already. Look, nobody ever said he was the god of healthy relationships.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Would Dionysus marry? I mean, maybe? It would depend on how serious he is about the relationship. He's had lots of spur of the moment "marriage" ceremonies. But if he actually does love a person and really, truly knows that he wants to be with them forever, then, yeah. Dio's putting a ring on that.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Depends on how much he likes you. Dionysus is always gentle, physically at least. He's aware of his strength and knows he can be a bit much so he makes sure to rein it in. Even when play-fighting or wrestling, he tries to keep a handle on his strength. However, verbally, Dionysus can be a bit blunt. He will try to be as nice as he can, but he's not known for beating around the bush. If there's something on his mind, he'll bring it up. That being said, you can whole-heartedly believe any compliment he gives you because he's not known for lying just to be polite.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Hugs are just standing cuddles, of course Dionysus loves them. I feel like he goes in more for a quick side-hug though or an arm around your waist or shoulders. He wants to be touching at all times, but he'd also like to have a hand free to do stuff, y'know? And that stuff totally isn't hold his wine glass. However if you really need a serious, down-to-earth hug, Dionysus gives the best ones. He's warm and he knows how to hold on just tightly enough and he'll plant little kisses on the top of your head. It also doesn't hurt that he always smells lovely; of grape juice and flowers and spices.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Yesterday. Last week. He's already said it. Dionysus loves everyone. It won't be by his words that you'll know that you're close with Dionysus. It'll be his actions. When he leaves his party to come check on you because he noticed you were gone. When he goes out of his way to get you things he knows you like. When he shows up to visit you at odd hours because something weird or cool happened and he has to tell you about it immediately.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

It takes a very specific scenario to make Dionysus jealous. He's very open with his relationships and believes that monogamy is really overrated so if you want to flirt with someone else, by all means! He'll even be your wingman! But jealousy? He'll really only get jealous if you're hanging out with Apollo over him. Like, hello??? That bitch is already the golden child, does he have to have you too??? Gets quite grumpy and pouty when he's jealous, but can be assuaged very easily with kisses and affirmative words. He may pretend to be mad for longer though. Just so he has an excuse to ask you to make it up to him, if you know what I mean. ;)

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

His kisses get sloppier the drunker he is. Dionysus is never one for chaste kisses so you can only imagine what he's like when he's absolutely wasted. Lots of tongue. Accidental teeth bumps. It sounds awful, but he does it with such passion and experience that it definitely makes up for it. Also I hope you like wine because you're constantly going to be tasting it on his mouth.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

I feel like Dionysus is good with kids. He just seems like that kind of guy. Chill. Patient. Granted, he'd probably let them try a sip of whatever he happens to be drinking so maybe keep him an eye on him, but other than that? You could definitely choose worse gods to watch your kids. As for his own kids? I actually cannot decide if Dionysus would be a crappy father or a great one. He really could go either way. On the one hand, I feel like he'd be great at supportive talks and hugs and cute family activities. On the other, I can't see him being all that consistently available. Sure, being a dad might be fun for a while, but sooner or later, he's gonna get antsy.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Let's be real, he doesn't actually need sleep, but unlike some of the other gods, he's crazy down for all of life's little pleasures, including naptime. So it's pretty hard to consistently spend mornings with Dionysus. He usually crashes just wherever he happens to be, so unless you're actually physically with him at the time, you won't be seeing him until like noon. He has no problem sleeping in a proper bed with you if you ask him, though. If he loves you, he'll make time to include the things you like in his life, and if that thing is sleepy snuggling, hey, he's down. Don't expect him to get up first though. My man loves his lazy mornings.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Ha, what do you think? He will, however, sometimes blow off his feasts just to have a chill night in with you. Couldn't say why but he seems like a stargazing guy to me. Also I feel like he'd LOVE it if you read to him. But do be prepared for him to interrupt every five seconds with commentary.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Dionysus is a very chatty guy. Talk to him once and you've probably received an exhaustive list of all the sexual partners he's had in the last week as well as anything interesting he's done or seen. Despite that, it takes a very specific scenario for Dio to get into the mushy stuff. I can really only imagine him talking about his personal problems in rare quiet moments or if you need an emotional pick-me-up and he has something you might be able to relate too. He's not one to hide his feelings, but he also doesn't want to bring down the vibes with his issues, you know?

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

You can count on one hand the number of times you've seen Dionysus genuinely mad. Sure, he gets irritated sometimes and lashes out a bit, but he really is a live and let live kind of guy, and the amount of times he gets really upset is quite low. The only thing that'll badly set him off is people hurting his friends or the ones he cares about. Pretty much everything else is a flare-up hot, cool-down quick situation, if he gets angry at all.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Attentive as fuck. Dionysus remembers pretty much everything you've ever told him, even if it didn't look like he was listening at the time. He loves you. Of course he's going to be paying attention to everything you say. Wouldn't mind being put on the spot about it either. Quizzing each other about how much you remember about each other would be a fun game for him. Can't remember? Gotta drink, man. Those are the rules.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He loves every moment spent with you, but the one he loves the most, the one that he really loves but will never tell you out loud, is the one where you just sat with him. It's not often that Dio doesn't feel like partying, but he'd had a bad series of days and he just... didn't feel up to it. But you stayed. You didn't even do anything special. You just hung out with him. Dionysus isn't usually self-conscious, but everyone's got their insecurities and Dionysus sometimes worries that you only want to hang out with him because of his merriment side. It's good to know he can relax a little around you and let you in on his bad days, rare as they are.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Dionysus isn't exactly hovering over you with a steak knife, but he is quite protective over his friends. He's an absolute petty bitch and won't hesitate to mess with anyone who even looks at you strange. If you tried to protect him, he'd genuinely find it sweet even though he obviously physically can't get hurt. If you lied to protect him, he's one of the few Olympians that won't straight up kill you dead for it. I mean, he'd still rather you just told him if there was some problem but he thinks it's really precious that you were worried about him and his feelings.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He doesn't put a lot of effort into his gifts, but somehow they're still thoughtful. Then again, he doesn't really have to put in effort. He's a god. He can just get whatever the hell he wants at a moment's notice. Not to say he doesn't adore you or the time you spend together, Dionysus is just very spur of the moment. He will however, occasionally put together a big ado for you on your birthday or your anniversary or if you did something cool and he thinks you should celebrate. If you're not the partying type, that's okay too. He'll put a cute little dinner together and you can have a casual hang-out with just him. Will probably playfully tease you about how lucky you are to have his full attention. Tease him right back. He'll love you for it.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Well, the constant drinking for one. Does kind of come with the territory. He's also extremely gossipy and will talk about people behind their backs, including you. If he likes you, it's usually not negative but uh... all of Olympus knows about your sex life. Sorry. Another big flaw of his is that, similar to most of his family, he has trouble taking no for an answer. He wants to do what's best for you! He wants you to be happy! Unfortunately, he also thinks he knows better than you do what's good for you and it'll take more than a few times of this going badly for him to ease off a little.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

About average all things considered. He's not exactly checking himself out in the mirror every five minutes but he does like to look nice. Definitely wouldn't mind if you stroked his ego a bit by complimenting him on his appearance. Do be mindful that he will return the favor, and if you say anything vaguely negative about yourself? Well. Good luck. Hope you enjoy Dionysus going over every inch of your body and explaining how much he loves it for the rest of the day.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Would depend on both the intensity of the relationship and how it ended. Something he considered just a hook-up won't break his heart, but if you were close? Losing you would absolutely destroy poor Dionysus. He'll close himself off from the rest of the Olympians, as well as his followers, and just kind of mopes for a while. Once he's finished with that, he does come back, but he's not the same. He'll be a lot moodier and willing to give in to his darker impulses, for example smiting his followers if they disrespect him. You are not responsible for the way your partner behaves post-breakup, but uh, that doesn't really apply when you're dating a god. This is a lifetime commitment. Please don't break up with him. He's not as bad as some of the other Olympians but like. He's making people believe their loved ones are grapevines here. Even if you don't love him anymore, you kinda need to take one for the team, man.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Would secretly love it if you're not as much the drinking type as him. He'd never admit it (unless he was both really out of it and really close to you) but he does sometimes worry about what kind of stuff he gets up to when he's blackout drunk. He doesn't think he'd do anything too bad, but it's nice to have someone that can actually verify that he didn't. Maybe it’s his mortal side or maybe it's just who Dionysus is a person, but he tends to actually feel bad about the mistakes he's made and is somewhat anxious that he'll hurt someone when he's too under the influence to use his better judgment. You probably won't be able to stop him, but you can remind him what happened when he's feeling more himself and he can try to fix whatever it is he's done.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

An excessive love for violence would be a hard turn-off. A little bit is fine, but if you're running around killing people left and right, he's considerably less thrilled. Look, he'll even hook you up with Ares if you want, just keep the wanton murder away from him, 'kay? Kind of hard to have feasts when all your guests are afraid of the serial killer. Also I feel like he would not get on with people with a touch phobia because he'd take it as personal insult.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Being a god, Dio doesn't really need sleep but he still likes doing it. Doesn't snore, but probably does drool. Definitely wraps around you like an octopus in his sleep. And I hope you have good bladder control because Dionysus is the single deepest sleeper in the world. You are not getting this man off of you until he wakes up by himself.

[shinesurge]

Webcomic rings run by people within the community are cool and you should support them

I've been loudly struggling a little bit with corporate webcomic Stuff lately so I want to mention something positive to balance it out: webrings run by small groups of creators earnestly trying to support each other are slowly making a comeback and I for one am delighted.

If you weren't around for them in the before times, webrings were just some folks who hang out a lot who feature each other on their websites. That's literally it lmao. There's generally no money involved and it only really functions the way it's supposed to if people have control over their own websites AND genuinely want to participate and get excited about other folks' work, which means the practice has pretty well fallen by the wayside over the years in webcomic culture given. Everything. In the rare event someone decides to do something like this it's usually in the form of a link list somewhere on their website; this doesn't usually indicate any sort of mutual support, it's just a list of what the creator is reading themselves.

A webring, though, is an official banner or hub that people gather under intentionally where each member is more or less on equal footing. It's essentially the concept of "a rising tide lifts all boats" put into practice, each creator brings their own audience to the table in a passive, opt-in sort of way that's different from working for a publisher since there isn't necessarily a Top Spot or a paycheck everyone's vying for, and individuals retain autonomy over both their own work and how (if) they promote each other. You're all at your own tables in an artist alley rather than fighting over the table in the front of the book store, essentially.

I have two rings and one collective for you today!

Webcomic Ring was brought to my attention AGES ago by Holly, one of the artists featured there, and I might have brought it up at some point but I'm doing it again lmao. This is exactly the kind of thing you ought to be looking for; a small group of enthusiastic folks having a good time making their weird little comics. You probably haven't heard of much in the catalog, that's PERFECT in the context of webcomics that's where the GOOD SHIT is. Finding something like this is A Gift go dig around in the longboxes for a while.

Then a few people have pointed me in the direction of the KNIFEBEETLE collective and that's neat too! Most of the comics there are already fairly well-known, but the vibes are excellent and I haven't seen a lot of talk about the collective /itself/ outside folks already in the know. I think it's important for this sort of thing to be more visible to folks who aren't terminally steeped in webcomic culture already so here I am telling you about it. You were probably reading several of these before I suggested it, but that's how a webring works! For it to do its job you should take those bigger creators' tacit recommendation of the less popular titles as a sign to go read something new and strange. Wild, I know these are practices held over from the old internet, but I think we should try and bring them back.

Lastly, I want to mention Spiderforest, which is a collective (slightly different from a webring) BUT still a very cool project readers starved for new stuff should pay attention to.

You've probably seen Spiderforest kicking around for a long time already; they're wonderful and have always been an overall positive force in the community in my experience. They really focus on building up a community, and especially welcoming newcomers and helping them get their feet under them. Full disclosure, I've been asked to apply by a few different folks over the years and the only reason I never did is I don't have the ability to participate in their forums and such as frequently as they want their creators to; it's a very good system (from my outside perspective) that might contribute to the community staying mostly healthy in ways that art communities usually don't and I appreciate it a lot!

ANYWAYS that's all I got for now, just trying to balance out some bad feelings I've been having by talking about some good stuff. Please go binge an archive this week.

[xoxo-ren-xoxo]

Hermitcraft / Life Series Fic Recs

Because I love so many of them...

I'll split the fics into completed and updating fics, and try to only recommend currently updating fics (i.e., not abandoned). I'm going to write a little about why I like each fic and what the general vibes are - so this is also a kind of review I guess?

I've tried to @ the authors if they have a public tumblr. Sorry to anyone who didn't want to be tagged, I can remove any @ if you ask (or if I have embarrassingly tagged the wrong person). Anyway, enjoy, and I appreciate reblogs because I want as many people to see these fics as possible!!

This ended up being incredibly long so I'm putting a divider here. Click to keep reading!!! Also, fair warning: shipping ahead! Some fics will have mild sexual content, please read the tags if you are unsure <3

Updating Fics

I have already recommended Help Me To Breathe, lost in the dark (he's got a heavy heart), and There Are Monsters Nearby in this post, so I won't explain why I like them a second time, but definitely check them out!!

Death's A Good Gig by @mawofthemagnetar is probably going to be finished by the time this post gets to you, reader, but I'm putting it here anyway. It's short and sweet, one of my favourite representations of Zedaph (or, Zedeath) I've read, and just a joy to experience. If you like grim reapers and discussions of unions, this one is for you. Also I need more Zedaph in my life.

Look, I'm Sorry, Please Stop Scaring Everyone by @cat-in-the-desert reminds me a lot of a particular TV drama I liked when I was younger, which followed a similar premise. This fic follows Mumbo (vampire) and Grian (ghost) as they get up to various housemate shenanigans and meet their local magic-expert and salesman Scar. This fic is fun, but still includes a nice amount of Feelings and hinted-at Angst which I really love. It's lighthearted, but never boring.

It Hurts To Hope by Inquillitory is my favourite of the "Grian crash lands into Hermitcraft and causes problems for everyone" genre. Seeing how many fics there are with that premise, I think that says a lot. It handles Grian's weird Watcher stuff really well. Honestly, I just want to know what happens next!

killing the boy in the tv by @raspberrystruck is like a sickfic on steroids. If you want Grian with so much past trauma he forgets how to function in society, this is basically the fic for you. I really love how hybrid traits affect the characters' interactions in this fic, and how everyone is kind of messed up because of the imbalance Grian brings. It is wonderfully descriptive in all the right places!

Love Me Like I'm Dead by @daniofcrows is such a gem. You know how hard it is to find good Xisuma whump? It's impossible. I absolutely love how Xisuma and Evil X are characterised in this, and I am obsessed with the unique take on hanahaki disease which I have never seen handled in this way before. The balance between flashbacks and present day is maintained wonderfully and I cannot wait to continue reading this one. Wow.

Oh, you wanted me to do a verse? by @bugbbear is... kind of indescribable. It's horror. It's comedy. It's the apocalypse. It's boatem. Scar eats someone. One of the most interesting and unique apocalypse stories I have read. Slowly updating but worth the wait, in my opinion. This one NEEDS more attention.

So Much For Stardust by @a-plethora-of-peters is basically one of my all-time favourites. Which is a damn good achievement seeing as I don't usually read ZITS fics. Like, ever. In this fic, Skizz is a human abducted and hurt badly by aliens, now recovering in the care of good aliens who don't know how 'sentient' he is. Every update of this one makes me smile, it is wonderful. I love how the characters are written and how the different perspectives are shown. It is just great.

Solar Waltz by @raspberrystruck and aroundtheclock is a brilliant and very very sad regression fic. I love fluffy regression fics as much as the next guy, but this one just... hits different. The hurt/comfort levels are off the charts. Grian is so damn cute the whole time, while also being harrowingly complicated and sad. I am so ready for whatever comes next.

Tango's Castle of Cards by @evilrat-sabre is the one where Tango is a BUG. He's just a little guy (horror). This one is so beautifully written, with poetry-type interludes and perspective changes that really make everything feel so much more impactful. Finding out your buddy is a murder bug isn't the easiest thing in the world. I love this so much.

Traveling Thieves {Dark Fantasy AU} (series) by @amethystfairy1 is basically one of the series of all time. I know I keep saying that but it really really is. I love a good fantasy au, and I love an au with hybrids even more. In this world, hybrids are treated like slaves, but it isn't all doom and gloom for the main characters of each installment. There is a lot of hurt/comfort and the different stories feed into each other in really interesting ways. I try to read as much as I can, though I've missed a few because my emails are buggy. Definitely worth reading these fics, especially since now they're all starting to come together!

Completed Fics

Solving Counting Sheep by @theminecraftbee might have rearranged my brain chemistry a little. Another strong contender for 'fics that inspire me to kill Grian', this time with a more concrete notion of "replacement". Three is my favourite fucked up living weapon. It's so rare to find Evo fics in this day and age, too. This fic had me immediately clicking on every update as soon as I got the emails.

Rescue Fire by @imaginethat0327 is one of the most unique takes on a fictionalised life series game that I have ever read. The whole concept is explained in a realistic and easy-to-follow way, as we learn what's happening with the characters. There are several brilliant storylines happening in this one, but my particular favourites are Jimmy & Tango, Joel, and of course Scar & Grian. This fic is full of whump and, well, read the tags, it isn't always pleasant, but those are my favourite things ever. Definitely worth checking out this fic and its currently updating sequel.

don't you know about me? by takenbadgering is a wonderful comedy of errors with just the right amount of angst for a realistic setting type of fic. If you enjoy polyamory miscommunications, rave aesthetics, kandi, school teacher dynamics, and a lovely blend between grumbo, cubscar, and mumscar, this is the one.

Eventually the Birds Must Land by @milo-hypno follows a polyam ship I would have never thought of, and I cannot believe how much I loved it. This married-as-friends fic premise is wonderful, and captures the main trio (Grian, Mumbo, Impulse)'s personalities so well, while balancing them with the incredibly terrifying descriptions of the Watchers and their power. There's a lot of angst here, but it is ultimately hurt/comfort to the maximum degree. I loved reading it as it updated. Yay for gay marriage!

From The Archives (series) by @sixteenth-days was the absolute inspiration for my own Comms AU, and I will never forget its influence on me. As someone basically unfamiliar with TMA, I thought this series might be hard to follow, but it was not! I read all 57 parts in the span of two days, and I think it altered my brain chemistry. Please read it, even if (especially if) you don't know anything about TMA. The Cleo and Grian storyline lives in my head rent free. I mean it. This is horror at its finest. Also there's an audio series of this fic being released rn, which is very cool.

SUPERCRITICAL by @masque-of-plague hits different. It is such a wonderful take on the superhero/HotGuy trope, and it gets so super dark at some points! This one really takes swings at it's fictional government, which of course I love, while at the same time building this brilliantly emotional relationship between Scar and Grian. I do enjoy a bit of enemies to lovers, but the actual plot mixed into the story makes this one extra special. It is thrilling, with action that I don't get to see too often! Great work.

I am weary with contending! is one of the mumscarian fics of all time. From 'this house has people in it'-type horror, to magic gone wrong, to childhood trauma, to attempted assassination, to gender fuckery, this fic has it all. Usually I don't go for convex siblings, but this one is good enough to get a pass from me. Amazingly detailed worldbuilding alongside a brilliantly creative story.

It Spreads by @foxxology may not count as a fic, actually. It's a comic. But it's posted on ao3 so it counts. I was obsessed with this one as it was updating, honestly. It rocked me to my core. The art is phenomenal. The writing is brilliant. I love sculk.

Luck of the sea by Sleepy_Duck is a lovely take on mermaid and human interactions, with Grian as a marine life conservator and Scar as a very neglected mer. This one takes us emotionally in all sorts of directions, and offers lots of hope for the future of the characters. I heavily enjoyed this fic - if you like mermaids and marine biology, check it out.

there are many downsides to being a marine biologist by donnerstag is another mermaid fic but with a pretty different vibe. First of all, it follows what I would consider a rarepair Doc/Martyn. Second of all, reading this as it updated was a thrilling experience that nearly made me cry at certain points. I love how the relationship builds in this fic. It is honestly amazing. The whole idea of experimenting on a sentient sea creature, learning that he can communicate, then losing funding and having to save him from being dissected?!?! It's crazy. I love it.

Thus concludes my fic recommendations. I hope you enjoy at least some of these, and consider reblogging to spread these wonderful fics around <3

[gbugify]

watching fantasy high junior year has made me realize just how good the intrepid heroes are as a group. they all bring an extremely different vibe to the function and everyone’s vibe meshes with everyone else’s vibe. there’s not a bad duo or trio between them they just work so well and i love them

[kazz-brekker]

hotd episode thoughts

listen, as someone who enjoys some good dragon drama, i feel fantastically well catered-to by this episode

the confrontation between rhaenyra and addam was fun, i liked that it's apparently kind of inspired by western face-offs but with dragons instead of guns

that conversation between larys and ironrod while they were watching aemond sentence men to the watch definitely implied to me that, unlike with his brother, the council is so wary of/intimidated by aemond they don't even want to talk to him about possibly important war developments. which does not bode well for team green's stability in the future, tbh

jace stop being mean about mysaria that's your mom's girlfriend you're talking about :(

i did find the conversation between rhaenyra and jace really interesting, i hadn't considered that the sowing of the seeds plan might bring out so much of his insecurities about being a bastard. he and rhaenyra have probably the most functional parent-child relationship in the show, but they really DON'T talk about this aspect of his life at all, and it really shows

oscar tully unexpected mvp of the episode perhaps? holding his own against that whole council of river lords…calling daemon loathsome…making him execute willem blackwood to atone for spurring on those war crimes…king shit!

i enjoyed getting to see viserys again, i've really missed his actor this season and seeing daemon's reaction to his ruined face was quite interesting

daemon you are SO close to realizing that you don't actually want to be king and would make a terrible ruler, i'm rooting for you to figure this out by the season finale

the scene with aegon and larys talking was probably my favorite from last week so i really liked that we got a follow-up on it. very impressed that aegon is capable of walking even the tiniest amount after what he's been through

rhaena running off into the mountains…she's getting that dragon by hook or by crook

ulf trying to get out of claiming a dragon by claiming he had an injury made me laugh

i like that hugh and ulf have totally different reactions to being possible dragonseeds, one boasting and the other hiding it

alicent was serving real ophelia by john william waterhouse vibes this episode

loved that the dragonkeepers had a huge fight with rhaenyra over the sowing of the seeds, they're in the background of so many dragon scenes but we've never gotten much perspective on what they think of dragons or the targaryen right to claim them before

i do admit to saying "wow, those are some toasty boys" out loud when vermithor was torching those poor dragonseeds

love love LOVE that we got to see both vermithor and silverwing this episode, they look so cool and i love their distinct designs

i have been waiting ALL SEASON for the payoff of hugh and ulf claiming those dragons and it was such an exciting sequence, you could really feel the adrenaline and the danger the whole time

ryan condal on the inside the episodes comparing the death of the dragonseeds to ritual sacrifice was also super fun symbolism

another daeron mention, hi daeron and tessarion :)

also house beesbury making problems for the hightowers, love to see it

after aemond has spent so much time this season intimidating and terrifying other people it WAS super fun to see him do a hard swerve into fear when he saw how many dragonriders rhaenyra has now

that final shot of rhaenyra standing on the dragonmount with syrax, vermithor, and silverwing behind her DID get to, i must say. it's house of the dragon! and we have the dragons!!!

okay yeah i am super hyped for the finale and whatever it may bring, seems like it's gonna be epic. the triarchy! the dragons! the riverlands! helaena in the war effort, apparently?! what fun!

[minziemoon]

Life Series Rare Pairs I Wanna See More Of

Inspired by everyone else on my tl posting their dream team lineups for a life series season, I decided to do my own by thinking of the most random combinations I can imagine that would be entertaining to witness. Some of these are gonna be more detailed, some are just for vibes, and some for shits and giggles. Also I haven't watched every single pov of every single series, and I have the memory of a goldfish sometimes, so forgive me if these aren't all THAT rare. 🙏

1. Cleo + Jimmy

- This duo materialized itself in my brain after a random wild life episode from Jimmy's pov where he had a near death experience and ran to Cleo for comfort. It's occupied a lil corner of my brain ever since.

- I think Jimmy would really benefit from someone like Cleo on his side. Someone who you know you can rely on and come back to whenever you're in need of help. Unless you betray them, Cleo is such a good teammate and has a mom/older sibling feeling to her.

- I can imagine she'd spend half the season convincing Jimmy not to go poking fun at ppl and making enemies, only for her to snap once someone kills her unjustly and goes on to commit arson apon half the server. Then the roles would switch.

2. Gem + BigB

- The difference between Cleo and Jimmy's paragraphs to these two... I told yall some of them are just fueled by the potential of vibes.

- I have no clue how these two would function together. They barely even interact. But that's exactly why I want them together!!!

- I feel like they'd be really wholesome. Knowing Gem she'd bring out the best in him... but I also feel like B would once again betray or back stab her in some way. Either way I've become too curious and invested now.

3. Grian + Pearl

- The fact that the skyblings themselves are a rare pair nowadays is concerning. They don't interact NEARLY enough. The amount of wasted potential is to cry about.

- I feel like they'd be all up in other ppl's business. If Pearl were to turn red before Grian, I think he'd have the same dynamic with her like with red lifer Scar in 3rd life, supporting and encouraging her crimes from afar, really birthing another menace on the server.

- They'd have the time of their lives while red together and I'd be SEATED.

4. Mumbo + Tango

- One episode they're the most miserable wet cats on the map, the next their trap kills half the server. Their fate as a duo would be a gamble.

- Idk if their combined brain power would cancel each other out or multiple. Most likely cancel out. Because putting an uncontrolable nervous wreck with the ticking timebomb of unhingness CAN NOT turn out positive.

- Still, it would be SO entertaining and probably make for funny quotes.

5. Lizzie + Bdubs

- It felt like my brain glitched a lil when remembering these two.

- I feel like they'd be weirdly wholesome?? Like they wouldn't stress each other out. Maybe Bdubs' vocal coards could finally catch a break from yelling every episode. Also lowkey feel like he'd try his best to protect her.

- Pls Watchers, let them build some cute cotteges in the woods somewhere in peace 🙏

6. Ren + Scar

- Ik they aren't THAT rare to see together, but the fact that they've never been close to teaming before is astonishing to me.

- If Scar doesn't turn Ren's thing with Martyn into a love triangle by the end of the season, no one else ever will. The Red Winter would rise once again, but with two kings this time.

- I just wanna see theater kids have fun, okay? Sue me if you must. Martyn can join in too I would not mind in the slightest.