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#so i hope we move out of that somewhat in the new era but i'm not super holding up hopes (especially after star beast)

riddles-n-games · 2 months

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So, I wanted to make this as an appreciation post for the fandom. Looking at all the reveals we've gotten in the last few days and seeing how much the world of TIG has expanded so quickly, I've been getting a bit nostalgic.

When I joined this fandom, it was August of 2022, barely a month out from the release date of The Final Gambit, the finale of The Inheritance Games. I found out about TIG at a random bookstore on a road trip and I had immediate interest (the hot tub scene sold me so quick). I was also still somewhat new to Tumblr back then but I wanted to see what the hype was here.

Back then, we were still in the Averyjameson vs Averygrayson era even though I'd say things were cooling down a bit. But, that's not my point. The community was getting ready for this; there were chapter reveals, theories, and oh, it was awesome. I was so happy to be part of it. And some of the people who made it a lively place back then are still here, but unfortunately, some have gone quiet. @averysjameson, @guppyclato, @lesbianator3000, @margolovescoffeeandbooks, and @cherryschaos, thank you for making my days back then. I know you may have moved on, but I thank you for the contribution you made at the time.

The only thing I will not miss is the toxicity that Averyjameson and Averygrayson fans plagued this fandom with and divided us so much. We had a lot back then to still savor, why did we have to do that to sour the tag when this series had so much more to offer than just the romantic subplot? There was a mystery at large and so many other characters to love. We only seemed to agree on hating Emily and the old man. Moving on, let's never do that again and if there is another love triangle, let's try being more mature about it. I know we can. If Gray, Avery, and Jamie moved on, so can we.

When we were told of The Brothers Hawthorne back in October 2022 and given those first chapters for the new book, I was over the moon. We were going to finally see the POVs of two favorites; Grayson and Jameson. I was so excited to see from Jamie's perspective, to get a mystery set in London and for him to solve it with Avery; it was an Averyjameson dream. However, come the actual release of the book and I was honestly so disappointed. I'm not sure why it didn't hit the levels it should have but I already said my piece on that and while I still have some disdain for that story, I look fondly at the parts I did love. And funny enough, I told myself Grayson's story will just have to do only because I was feeling sour over Jameson's plot. But low and behold, I loved it! It was deep, funny, interesting, and held my attention as if I was in TIG all over again and it hit more high notes than Jameson's. I may attribute that to the familial connections we see displayed there but it felt more rewarding and even if JLB still had more for Grayson's development, that didn't mean Jameson had to suffer for it. However, I'm hoping that this story here was a fluke and I'm putting my best foot forward in believing that maybe reading Averyjameson through Avery's POV again in Games Untold will give back that familiar feeling I've been missing for two years. I never said I wouldn't try again.

Now, we've entered a new era and this is a third for me; The Grandest Game and Games Untold. During this period, I met @hathorneheiress, my fanfic bestie, and a lot of my current supporters have been with me since TBH. I thank you very much for sticking with me by liking, reblogging, and commenting on my posts. You make my day in the same way I assume my content makes yours. I haven't said that enough and I don't think it will ever be. I'm happy that we're all still here now and going into this new unknown with our theories, headcanons, new characters, and plots. I'm sure it will be a blast. Thank you for giving me that feeling again these last few days; it felt like being with Avery and the gang, running through the House, finding another clue, waiting in anticipation what it reveals.

I hope that this next series is everything we hope for it to be, a new start for Gray, a chance to bond with the new characters we met in The Brothers Hawthorne, and an opportunity to make it feel like the hay days of the first book. I hope that Games Untold lets us relish that feeling with the original cast, to relive the good old days, to meet up with some old friends we haven't seen in a while, and to have that final hurrah that leaves us on the highest of highs in the best way possible. Maybe it'll make it easier to say goodbye to the ways it used to be and embrace the new storytellers but of course, with the way JLB leaves us hanging with every story she gives, who is to say that'll be it?

Thank you to everyone who makes theories, headcanons, fanfics, fanart, and so many other things that leave us wanting more. Thank you to everyone who showers that content with support in the form of likes, comments, and reblogs. Thank you to everyone who has been here from the beginning, in the middle, and now. You all made this a special place. Thank you to everyone who made this community that way and continue to do so every day. I'm happy to be a small part of that. See you in the next post.

-Mystery Girl's Red String

#appreciation post #tig fandom appreciation #tig fandom #tumblr journey #the inheritance games #the hawthorne legacy #the final gambit #the brothers hawthorne #the grandest game #games untold #tig #thl #tfg #tbh #tgg #gu #tig headquarters #TIG HQ

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marimayscarlett · 7 months

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Quick question, have we figured out why Richard is so damn ATTRACTIVE??? Like he was so fine during the Mutter and MiG Era but he's even better now??? Sir I have questions!!!! What is it about you that's so addictive??? And that belly??? A MASTERPIECE!!!! He needs to pay for my rehab I'm dying over him at this point lmao

Hi hello how did you get into my head and write down exactly what I think about daily?? Because I'm still so fascinated regarding how he changed over the years, while remaining so enticing and attractive, always reinventing himself a bit, experimenting with different looks and styles while maintaining his overall vibe and aesthetic 😌 This of course includes his physique and wonderful chunkiness, but I'll shamelessly use this ask to venture out in earlier decades, to appreciate this man in all his glory 😩 (I hope that's alright with you)

Let's take a tiny look at Mr. Richard Z. Kruspe over the years, just to process this delicious evolution of his:

Very early on we had a lean Richard with the dreads, for some a no-go, for others quite a charming look (i know exactly i'm not the only one who's down for dreadlock Richard 👀), picture from ca. 1993:

In the beginning of Rammstein, we have some brown and blond haired, somewhat muscly Richard (ca. 1995/1996):

Then of course the ethereal look of Live aus Berlin (recorded in 1998) and his general style during the Sehnsucht era (Viva interview from 1997):

Moving on to the Mutter era, the first time his iconic spiky black hair was introduced to the world (picture from 2001 in Tallinn, gif from 2001 at the Velodrom Berlin):

He maintained a similar style and physique (very much toned and gym-trained I guess) or a while, for example during Völkerball (recorded in 2005):

or in various music videos, such as "Mein Teil" (2004) and "Benzin" (2005, albeit with some very much 2000s eyebrows):

In 2009 while LIFAD was released and during the LIFAD tour, he shortly ventured into another hair style (I won't comment, it was.. something, picture of 2009), then again back to the spiky style and tried out the mohawk (picture from 2012 I think), while parts of his typical stage outfit were born plus he's rather muscly here too:

During the festival tour 2016/2017 you can slowly see him becoming a bit broader/meatier in his physique, which I find just absolutely wonderful, plus some combacks like his spiky hair (gifs from an interview in 2018):

And slowly but surely we arrive in the current time and Richard's current style and physique: vampire coat, chicken coat, meaty and chunky Richard in all his glory:

All in all I have to say: It's so interesting to see how he changed and still stayed true to himself and his aesthetic, to his enthusiastic and genuine self while continously trying out new styles. And this includes his physique!! His appearance of course changed over the span of 30 years, that's aging for you. Of course he put on some weight - but that doesn't negate the fact that someone can be unbelievably attractive. And yes, I wholeheartedly agree, his belly now is a master piece, forged by the heavens, a gift from god, just perfection 💖

#WOW ok this took a long time to answer sorry I kind of lost track looking at.. him #this got way out of hand AGAIN #why do i have zero control over me when it comes to answering asks idk why I always go so overboard regarding richard #i'm so sorry for everyone who has to witness this obsession of mine #i promise you i'm kind of normal still #thank you for this ask!!#rammstein #richard kruspe #rzk

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variousqueerthings · 4 months

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I have watched the Christmas Special I am allowed back on the tumbls.

thoughts! nd a little feelings!

we're really starting in on the ideas of the season - magic and science as one, belief as a power, things somewhat to the left of conventional reality, tricksters (and eventually gods), and those are simply some of my favourite things!

on that note, the song that the doctor and ruby sing very similar to how donna beat that one part of the toymaker's maze

this may be the most of a musical episode we get, but I think we should still have a full one -- confirmed both ncuti and millie can sing so...

themes of family as not a biological decree, but as choice and luck and what you decide to call family

(how big is the ruby-is-susan's-child fan theory?)

I also note that introducing a companion with a mystery in this is different than back in m*ffat-era, when it was from the doctor's perspective of wanting to solve the companion, rather than be with the companion and have the companion involved in the mystery (companion as plot point rather than as character), whereas this time around it's ruby's mystery, and in fact the doctor stepped back from figuring it out which is... interesting

some things as foreshadowing: ruby's birth-mother as mystery, themes of family as mentioned - created, found, lost perhaps? - that tie ruby's past with the doctor as the timeless child possibly eventually in a very tangible way (susaaan), how easily one can change reality (mavity just came back, which feels like a small example of how easy it is, alongside the toymaker in the last episode, and the goblins going back in time and stealing ruby in this one), how different beings operate under different laws than ours...

ncuti is giving perfect doctor, as we knew, but I think it deserves to be said! also a tried and true doctor deflection moment of "I've got no one" and then Moving On -- because this episode (and I hazard a guess, season) is so family-focused, I assume there'll be a return to all of that. definitely giving benevolent trickster in a universe of malevolent trickster feel (right before he said that maybe he's the bad luck, I was saying that he's the good luck bringer, which was a fun coincidence...)

I like ruby. I think there's a lot of space to gauge still, as this episode did a lot to give us her background (and a bit of her personality, which is obviously very companion-type), but I'm not quite sure how much millie gibson sticks out to me on her own, especially opposite someone as Big as ncuti gatwa. I wasn't initially a fan of casting another young actor (and then I thought, oh she might be playing someone younger, like yasmin finney did, invoking characters like zoe or ace, but then they haven't done that either), so I'm still a bit on the fence in terms of how she's going to set herself apart from a majority of attractive young white women that play companions, apart from the backstory itself, because so far I'd say... kind of a shrug, yeah she's fine, but she's not super memorable. that being said this is early days -- her background is well-built, she's very much Of A New Generation, which I'm guessing is why they went with someone around this age and they've made sure to represent in various scenes, I like that she's Mancunian, I like the scenes between her and her family. so yeah, I like her, I think currently that she's sweet. also millie gibson has quite a bit of background considering how young she is, and specifically won awards for her work on coronation street, which, I always feel like rtd works well with bringing out the best kind of emotions from actors who've been on soaps, makes me hope for Bigger, which I think DW (and rtd) is good at getting from people

spire through the goblin king's stomach. brutal

on the flipside, the christmas-star death seemed a bit intense, so am glad the doctor saved davina mccall

oh yeah, and the neighbour woman... there was that too. mysteries

fun episode. I'm never expecting brilliance from a christmas special, just fun! and I had very good fun! and also mysteries...

#im watching nu!who #im watching gatwa who #the church on ruby road

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utilitycaster · 2 years

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I agree with you that the traitor Baru Cormorant was not quite what I hoped for. what are other political scifi books you would recommend?

I'm going to be repeating myself a bit here because I'm working on building up my reading habits after grad school+pandemic and new job shot them to hell, but:

Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota. I've read the first 3 books but my hold on the 4th came in during my work conference/moving hell period this July and I didn't finish it, but it's incredibly good. Ada Palmer is a historian herself and understands how politics work. It takes place on earth, about 500 years in the future, as war breaks out in what was never truly a utopian society.

The Vorkosigan Saga, again; truly a beloved series of mine, this has everything: interplanetary politics, military sf, a comedy of manners, spy intrigue, romance. The core family of the books is among planetary nobility so there's always a lot of politicking involved, even in the more classically military SF novels (but also military SF that doesn't suck is usually heavy on the politics).

Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee, a new favorite I picked up by chance this year. It's very much a series that throws you in the deep end and expects you to figure it out but it's truly just nonstop intrigue peppered by a cool sf system and a lot of Thoughts About Gender/The Body One Has.

Thessaly by Jo Walton is another series I've only read part of (the first two books of a trilogy) and the first two books are only vaguely SF but it is very political, based on the premise of "what if we made Plato's Republic from people across the entirety of human history". The third book, which I hope to get around to shortly, is from what I understand much more explicitly SF.

Also some honorable mentions to:

Becky Chambers' books are much more about life in space, but there are political elements, and if Baru Cormorant left you a bit cold because of the lack of investment into deep character dives, this is all character and background politics.

Technically, The Locked Tomb series is intensely political and one day I shall kneecap whoever was like 'what if we just yelled Lesbian Necromancers In Space nonstop and alienated readers who were looking for something deeper.' The politics really kick in during the second and third books, and the fourth isn't out, and there's a whole lot of other stuff going on, but the politics are intensely important and in my opinion an under-explored part of the series in fandom.

It's been a LONG time since I read Asimov's Foundation (like...15 years or something, I read it in high school) but I remember really liking it and meaning to revisit it some day. I feel like it's going to hit some of the same themes as Baru Cormorant but just...as I said, I'm interested enough to read more to know what happens, but Dickinson's writing style is a little too spare in a way I'm not sure is entirely deliberate, and Asimov is spare in a way I know is on purpose.

Also, it's technically fantasy, but I have just read the first two books of the Kushiel's Legacy Phedre trilogy and am waiting to get a copy of the third from my library, and they are very political intrigue heavy, while also having a much stronger literary style and voice. (Note: this series is 1. very sexually explicit, by design of the world and concept - basically, what if instead of Christianity a bunch of angels who were like 'you know Take Me to Church by Hozier? what if that was literally how worship worked' landed in Fantasy Medieval France and now it's the Fantasy Renaissance Era, and 2. extremely from the early 2000s, which is to say, very progressive for like 2001 but somewhat dated now.)

#answered #Anonymous #book recs #did i originally write asimov w/two a's like it was aasimar? who's to say.#also. i am a known hater of Dune. do not put dune on this post. I'm glad you like it but i never did and i apologize for nothing

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warlock2k · 4 months

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Disney's Poltergeist

In the year 2000, Disney had planned to release their first theatrical horror film for mature audiences. This was a fairly big step for the company, as they'd hoped to usher in a new era by making movies strictly for adults; alongside their usual family-friendly material, of course. On paper, it was a smart move. Disney was a household name well before the '90s rolled around, but they were mainly acknowledged for their animated material, so they wanted to surprise people with newer concepts. However, despite the corporate giant's hopeful mindset, the execution of this idea was a disaster.

According to documentation, written by my own accord, Disney wanted to try something "bold" with their iconic poster boy: Mickey Mouse. No, not by making him the protagonist of the film, but the antagonist instead. They'd planned for this version of Mickey to be a doppelgänger of sorts, acting as more of an influence than a physical entity.

I'm sure you can see the clear nonsense here.

Disney's thought process during this endeavor was a major risk, but they went all out nonetheless. Typically, this process is understandable. If you're trying to pitch a new idea, you need to make a good first impression. However, the executives leading the project clearly weren't thinking straight. Using a lighthearted character like Mickey Mouse as a villain is risky, because most of the time, people won't take it seriously. If the movie was planned to be comedic, then I'm sure Mickey being a slapstick villain would've been passable, but the final product wasn't a comedy in any sense of the word.

Let's rewind back to 1999, specifically the 13th of August, when a test screening for a film called "White Noise" took place. Invitations were handed out to people chosen by the cast and crew, up until the auditorium was full. Various family members and close friends were treated to the end result of strenuous efforts and the occasional sleepless night. This was a big deal for everyone involved in the film's production, so they wanted a packed audience. However, as you're already aware, the event didn't go as planned. There was one screening for the film, and that was more than enough.

Moving forward, I'll be citing the aforementioned documentation word-for-word. Personally, I find it pointless to attempt a summary of the situation. Everything described is exactly what happened. However, before I begin citing said documentation, I want to clarify that the contents of "White Noise" will not be shared. I apologize if you were expecting an in-depth description, but as you read the rest of this article, you'll understand why the information can't be relayed. "Fortunately", I do remember the aftermath very clearly. The following is a printed excerpt from the notebook I used to document my experience in '99. Please read at your own risk, as this may trigger those who suffer from poor mental health.

"'White Noise' test screening aftermath"

"After the film had ended, the auditorium went dark, and quickly fell silent. Most of us were in a strong state of shock. Others had understandably fainted, due to the horrors they'd witnessed. After a moment of silence, a truly unpredictable event shook the audience to its core.

In the midst of mass disturbance, the door to the nearby emergency exit began to drift open. Its slow progression caused an overbearing sense of dread. Once again, no one made a sound. It seemed as if this dread was strong enough to restrain even the quietest response. This undeniably sounds impossible, but we knew that something was silencing us by force, and it didn't hesitate to show itself.

When the door had reached the wall behind it, a warm light engulfed the passage, leading to what seemed like a void. It was in this moment when a somewhat uncanny voice came through the speakers, calling for patrons to leave the theater due to an electrical emergency. With haste, several people rushed out of the auditorium, fearing the worst. Despite so many people leaving, some of us stayed behind, with a sinking feeling that something was very wrong. Why would an emergency alert be broadcasted through the speakers connected to the projector? This exact thought sparked unease, and we were right to feel that way.

Once the last person walked through the door, the enveloping light disappeared in a split-second, followed by silence that made breathing sound like wailing. Breaking the silence, a faint sound made itself apparent from outside the room. Growing in volume, it inched closer to the doorway, and started to sound like a broken music box. A dreadful sound to be sure, but its source was far worse.

Shrouded in darkness, a Mickey Mouse costume sauntered into the room, and froze in front of the doorway.

With the music now piercingly loud, I covered my ears to muffle the sound. It was hard to think straight, but I still tried to get a better look at the source of the sound. At first, I thought it was just some jackass trying to prank us. However, the more I looked, the more I couldn't possibly try to explain what I was seeing. The costume was entirely white, as if it were repainted to resemble a ghost. Its stance was unnerving, seemingly frozen in time, without a single twitch or shudder. By the time I'd processed what I could see, I noticed the music changing.

Once a corrupted assortment of notes, it seamlessly shifted into sobs and screams. It was unbearable to listen to, but I couldn't do anything except wait it out. No one dared to move, but it's not like there was anything else to be done. The exit was being blocked by something with unknown intent, and none of us were willing to move from our seats. Surely someone would come to help eventually, so we just waited. Yet, despite my hopeful mindset throughout the chaos, no one came.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed.

Around ten minutes?

Around thirty minutes?

Around an hour?

The constant noise made it impossible to consider a reasonable time frame. I felt like I was going insane, until I had an even stranger feeling. Being exposed to those cries for so long, I started figuring out who they belonged to. The patrons who disappeared into the light never did leave the theater, did they? After all, I didn't hear another door open or close. Maybe, just maybe, the light was the door, and the costume was on the other side. This thought seemed far too outlandish to be true, and I hoped the noise was just scrambling my brain, until I noticed the costume staring at me. I was undoubtedly right about my revelation, and I feared the worst for it.

Petrified, I expected the costume to move toward me, but it didn't. It just stared at me, and after some time, the wailing faded. I uncovered my ears, expecting to hear the other patrons do something, but I couldn't hear anything at all. My first thought was the fear of having gone deaf, until I turned around to check on everyone, and was met with more terror than before.

The auditorium was empty.

I turned back around, expecting to see the costume remaining where it stood, but it disappeared as well. I began to panic, unable to process any aspect of the situation. A nightmare turned into something much worse, and I was the only one there to experience it. I went to cover my face, but I couldn't move my hands. I couldn't feel them either. Looking down to see why, I saw nothing. I didn't see my hands, I didn't see my arms, nor my legs or feet. My body was gone. I looked back up, and my body was suspended in mid-air. The projector lit up, and a pulsating mass of conjoined faces filled the screen. They looked like the other patrons, with eyes darting in random directions every second. Not a second later, my body started clawing at itself, tearing flesh from bone and ripping out nerve endings like ingrown hairs. I tried to scream but nothing came out. I noticed the faces staring at me now, morphing into the shape of the white costume. Without a second to process anything, the costume propelled itself out of the screen and engulfed my body. I couldn't handle it anymore, and I blacked out, waking up in a hospital bed with hardly any memory of the film's contents.

In the following months, the event became a highly questionable rumor. Victims began to show their trauma one after the other, often resulting in suicides or missing persons cases, while known survivors were likely hospitalized. Thankfully, there are individuals alongside myself who have learned to cope with their trauma and losses, but insult was eventually added to injury. Due to insufficient evidence, the test screening was labeled as mass hysteria, with the entire scenario being denied by both Disney and the theater. In addition, no lawsuits against Disney were ever publicized, likely due to being snuffed out, but that notion is theoretical. As for the movie itself, don't hold your breath when it comes to finding undeniable proof. Cameras were prohibited during the screening, and promptly confiscated before entering the auditorium. The entire ordeal was practically scraped from history, resulting in nothing but painful memories for those of us who are still here to speak up.

In conclusion, "White Noise" became a ghost story, with no sound evidence to back up its existence. Those who dealt with their trauma had attempted to spread the word, but it was treated like an off-color joke. This harsh reality showed that nothing could prove the event's existence, nor the toll it took on us. We have to live with being part of an urban legend, keeping our involvement private for the sake of ridicule. While others can enjoy Disney's current movies and shows, any mention of the corporation is an immediate reminder of what transpired, and the image of Mickey Mouse has ultimately become revolting."

As you can see, the event became incredibly deranged near the end. While it may seem improbable, the psychotic aspects of the event occured after I slipped into a state of unconsciousness. The part where I described the costume's presence did indeed happen, but the effects of its influence were purely a result of a stress-induced nightmare. CCTV footage of the auditorium revealed the costume's existence, but the remaining patrons and I had passed out from the aggression of the noise before it entered the room. Strangely, the footage wasn't revealed to me until recently, when I decided to start digging into the grave of this whole ordeal. Somehow, I perceived the costume while unconscious, and documented it as though I was awake to see it. However, the rather chaotic aspects of my experience occurred solely while I was knocked out. The costume was in the auditorium for around ten to fifteen minutes before walking out. It couldn't be seen by the cameras outside the room, and the individuals who left after the emergency alert couldn't be seen either. They completely vanished after walking through the doorway, and were never found.

Disney's "White Noise" was an unforgettable experience for the wrong reasons, and the aftermath turned Disney into an unforgivable violator.

#disney white noise #creepypasta #disney #horror #disney creepypasta

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hash-ak-geek · 11 months

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Hey, hi, hello!

Welcome to all who end up on this little post of mine. I am a fanartist and have pretty much been that way for the good majority of my existence. I love fantasy, medieval heraldry, and Arthurian lore with all those grand old knight and dragon elements, too.

My most favored nook in fantasy at the moment, is the Legacy of Kain series. Though not so much a dragon scaled story, scaled vampires had a charm I couldn't resist 10 years ago and so still charms me to this day!

My name is Devon; though you can call me Dj, or my other characters' names:

-Cadmus Dreadmourne: an older vampire that stands by Vorador as a hope-driven sibling in opposition, seeking reason to pick up his vampiric valor once more. His words are powerful, but his voice is rather weak. He has a short temper, and that is often the direction to a quick -and very common- defeat.

and

-Rabidus, the Wretched: the open mind with an ailing soul. Rabidus suffers from recurring emotional distress patterns caused by abandonment and betrayal. He wants to remain trustworthy of what might remain in a better light for Nosgoth, but his troubled mind fights him at every turn. Rabidus takes pride in his artistry. He sought out new ways to find brighter pigments in colors, softer bristles in horse mane, and even technique to better a matte stroke. Creating a personal canvas to illustrate the wonders of his own mind, would garner the attention of many. Though he wasn't fond of center stage, he did love and learn to cherish his ability to bring many aspiring smiles together. He belongs to @chubbiestreaver as of now!

I now have the somewhat charming, always sycophantic Turelim, Pearce, A.K.A PUNCH!

▶Pearce Levels himself to humans, Vampires, and wayward heroes. After dropping his name and rank in Turel’s forces and Kain’s favor, he became a bigger importance to a largely obscure and very small flicker of hope for Nosgoth’s preservation.

▶He's bull-headed, hot-tempered, and usually air-headed most occasions, [especially at the beginning of his unlife and devolution, and he steels and toughens up over the centuries during the Soul Reaver Era.] but he's very protective of his loved ones, and to his fellow clansmen that he works hard to appease and grow in the ranks of. That all changes, though, after Turel’s abrupt absence during the climax of the Pre-Soul Reaver Era.

I dabble in art most often and would love to develop my writing more and move forward with a project I currently work on alongside my brother, @chubbiestreaver though we spend more time brainstorming than story writing.

I hope to have fun here, and I'm looking forward to sharing art and ideas with a fellow community of people who enjoy Lok as I do!

#my art #legacy of kain #blood omen #soul reaver #nosgoth vampire #self insert oc #lok artist #self insert x canon #oc x canon #razielim #vorador #legacy of kain fan #vampire oc #turelim

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denimbex1986 · 9 months

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'In Christopher Nolan's new film "Oppenheimer," a biography of one of the chief architects of the atomic bomb, Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a real-life politician who spent a portion of the McCarthy era becoming increasingly suspicious of Communists in the American political system. He launched a campaign against Oppenheimer years after the invention of the bomb, hoping to have the scientist's security clearance revoked. Strauss, in public, claimed to hate Oppenheimer because of palpable Communist ties and sentiments he had expressed in sympathy with the Communist party. Nolan's film, however, posits that Strauss was hoping to pillory and ostracize Oppenheimer for personal reasons, having been humiliated by the scientist at a congressional hearing years before.

The Strauss character is vital to "Oppenheimer," as he seems to serve as a stand-in for American politics as they have come to be in 2023. Nolan seems to point out that many politicians of the modern day are following Strauss' template of pettiness and revenge. No one is interested in governing, advancing legislation, or doing anything that might be considered righteous. Most political actions, Nolan argues, are driven by spite. Given that humankind just invented and exploded a nuclear bomb, we have essentially lost our souls. Oppenheimer invented the most immoral device imaginable. The politicians who used it, meanwhile, never stop to consider it. They merely move forward with their puny wrath and idiotic, power-mad politicking.

Many might consider Strauss to be the central villain of the piece, but Downey disagrees somewhat. In a recent interview with Vulture, Downey recalls his meeting with Christopher Nolan, and how his take on Strauss startled the director. Strauss, he said, was not a villain, but a patriotic American politician. In Downey's words, his take raised a few eyebrows.

Strauss, the patriot

Downey was enthused to meet with Nolan, saying that any questions the director had about meeting at his home for a script reading would be answered with words beginning with "Y," as in "yes." Nolan invited Downey over to read "Oppenheimer" and to see if he might be interested in playing Strauss, and if he was previously familiar with the historical figure. Downey, as it so happens, was. He said:

"It has been a longtime contemplation, verging on obsession, of mine: mid-century Cold War and all the characters involved. I had a previous fair understanding of Strauss because I was fascinated with the mechanics of warfare, particularly in the Pacific theater in World War II. The first time I saw his name in print was regarding the proximity fuze and its development."

A proximity fuze is a sensor used in bomb-making that can tell when a payload is close enough to its target to explode and do actual damage. Proximity fuzes were first used in bombs during World War II.

Downey's immediate take on the script was that Strauss and Oppenheimer were close colleagues with something of an antagonistic mentor/prodigy relationship similar to the one seen in another notable Hollywood biopic from 1984, namely Miloš Forman's "Amadeus." This, he said, was a take Nolan didn't expect. In Downey's words:

"I challenged a little bit the Mozart-Salieri of it all. I said, 'I'm not sure in some ways that Strauss isn't a bit the hero here,' which kind of raised an eyebrow on Chris. I half-jokingly challenged him on whether Admiral Strauss hadn't done everything that any patriotic American would've done. And he said, 'Well, this will be a wonderful ongoing dialogue. So, will you do the film?' And he's Chris Nolan, so he's not asking your fricking agent."

Strauss, the man with pride

Downey argued that Lewis Strauss wasn't a petty man, but a principled man who possessed a great deal of pride. Nolan may have presented Strauss as a man motivated by spite, but it was Downey's job to turn him into a person that he could relate to. When asked what he personally brought into the role, Downey was quick to point out that playing Strauss was actually a matter of dismantling. What are the very basic, very real, very relatable motivations for someone like Strauss? The actor said:

"Technically it wasn't really about what to add on; it was about what to remove so that aspect of all of us can emerge — a nose-to-the-grindstone public servant. Someone who is conservative for all the right reasons. One who has a very strong moral psychology, but also someone who is human and does not like to be slighted, does not like to be taken lightly, does not wish to be unnecessarily embarrassed, even if we're in the presence of a genius."

Downey pointed out that Strauss was an assistant to President Hoover, put himself through college, and stood against a certain kind of political thinking he perceived as tyranny. Strauss' spite at being humiliated by a scientist, he feels, would wound anyone in that position.

"Oppenheimer" ends with the Strauss story arc, leaving audiences bitter about humanity in addition to feeling existential dread over living on the same planet with a bomb that can kill literally everyone. When asked about the bitter taste that might leave in the audience's mouths, Downey felt that it was petty rivalries that sour the world, not necessarily political viewpoints.

Destructive explosions

Is "Oppenheimer" a leftist or a rightist movie? Knowing Nolan's personal politics as well as J. Robert Oppenheimer's, one can easily see it as left-leaning. Downey, however, ached for more nuance, feeling that bitterness between the Left and the Right way up at the top is what's really doing damage to all the voters and citizens down below. In his words:

"It's that thing when there is either too liberal or too conservative a disposition, it's us, the citizens, that wind up paying the price for these frictions. Lewis — consciously or not, solely or not, maybe just as a sign of the times — succeeded in getting Oppenheimer canceled. Then, those who felt Oppenheimer was wronged waited for the perfect moment to cancel Strauss, right when he was about to be at the precipice of his life's achievement."

In other words, the rivalry between Oppenheimer and Strauss ultimately had nothing to do with who was right or wrong, or who was right or left. It had everything to do with wasting time and resources to attack a man for personal reasons. Was Oppenheimer a dangerous Communist? For Strauss, perhaps. But not for the rest of the world. Downey finished:

"Obviously, Oppenheimer's achievement was global. Strauss's achievement had been personal. And still, to this day, many will never know all the earlier contributions that Admiral Strauss made that were significant and have made this a better, safer world. But there you have it, buddy. Nothing new under the sun."'

#Robert Downey Jr.#Lewis Strauss #Christopher Nolan #Oppenheimer

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muutos · 1 year

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🌟 ― i love how you portray your muse(s)

🎀 ― i love your aesthetic / graphics

✨ ― i love the way you write

💖 ― you seem like a genuinely nice person

☀️ ― your posts always bring me joy

❤️ ― you're one of my favorite blogs

🌺 ― simply admiring you from afar

I'm so late to this meme, so please forgive me for coming into your inbox like a jumpscare with this! Haha. Even still, I gotta send you in these symbols! I've never gotten the courage to reach out with the cooking ghouls, BUT OH MY GOD, I LOVE YOUR BLOG SO MUCH.

Everything from the personalized graphics for each thread containing your characters featuring imagery consistent with their character and overall roles and theme, such as the ghouls with what looks like black flicked paint and a screenshot of them with their instruments like with Rain, to their era's uniform like with Flora! Or with Special, the imagery of his clasped hands

LIKE, it's the little details that resound to aesthetic beauty and get a feel for their overall characters too!! And the fact that while you have such beautiful graphics, you also make sure to match with your partners and stagger their use, switching out with other icons to bring out the poignancy of larger headers and fill what would otherwise make bigs wall of text without breaks into something that's really broken up and digestible and so personalized, like, now that I write it out it seems really small and nit-picky. Still, it is HEAVEN for how I personally process reading threads and getting a feeling for all the gears moving!!

AND ON THAT NOTE: The way you perfectly transition between actions and speech and even inner thoughts of characters makes all your posts drip with the individuality of the characters and the style and overall voice of your characters and just!!!! It's so awesome, and you inspire me so much in my own writing and really make me want to focus on my own formatting and graphics because seeing your stuff just sparks so much love for the medium and for all the attention to detail that I can only point insistently at my screen and go 'that!! I someday hope to be able to make something that will spark in other people the creativity and drive to write, and format make like you make me!' y'know?? I hope my gushing makes sense; I just want you to know I think all your stuff is cool as hell and that you seem baller!

@dcwnthercbbithcle

while i did selfishly want to hoard this for a while, i also just wanted to make sure i was giving this the proper attention, because it honestly made my jaw drop. & i screen-grabbed it immediately to show it to my fiancé. i was so unbelievably floored, it honestly was a really true boost to my confidence & a reminder that we're all our own worst critics sometimes. so first of all, no apologies needed because this was the most welcomed ask! i always welcome late memes, & i'm honestly so happy. (putting the rest under the cut bc sappy & long!)

first of all, i'm going to reach out! i'm sorry i haven't already, i'm also somewhat shy believe it or not. at least with new people, so while i'm always trying to be approachable we all have our bad experiences that make it harder to want to start new ooc interactions. but, i cannot wait to speak/plot/write with you !!! immediately. 👀 first i just wanna say thank you for sending this? thank you for liking my blog, thank you for the compliments? i'm so bad at taking them, and all i usually do is compliment people back, but!!! thank you all the same. it meant so much to me to read this, and it's hard to understand how words like this affect me. my banners for my ghouls are made by my lovely fiancé @chrchgrl btw!! so i want to thank her very much for that, and i'm so glad you like them! same with most of my graphics, except my single icons which i do make myself (sometimes ofc with help from creators making base icons & psds). i don't find it nit-picky at all? especially since i sometimes wonder if it even matters. but for me, i like to have visuals & it also helps ME a lot to have them, even if they're consistent banners. like an expressionless mask i don't need to icon 20,000 times just for icon variety. and they're giving off what i want, at the same time. so i definitely understand & have the same opinion when it comes to post breaks and that it's less for aesthetic than for other reasons, so this is just really cool to hear. i like that it's resonating with others, & not just exists purely for my benefit. i like that i can make your experience better, if you are reading my threads and stuff. which if you are, THANK YOU 1000X !! now like, this next part is the part that got me fucked up. like the idea that someone could think something like that about me, or get inspiration from ME? from MY WRITING? like hello? excuse me? it's so humbling and incredible and unbelievable to hear something like this, because of how much i pick at my own writing and ESPECIALLY my characterization. it makes me insane when i think i'm not producing my very best, & i constantly pick my work apart. i always say i don't think we should compare each other to someone else. i literally have a writing degree, and i'm not under any impressions that i'm better than ANYBODY else. you miss out on some amazing interactions that way, & it's really not fair. writing is expressive and beautiful and as long as you're having fun (or anyone is having fun, i'm talking generally obviously), than it's worth it. and creativity is a beautiful thing. i'm just so happy that someone actually enjoys what i do here, because i do put an unbelievable amount of effort into it. & that is my choice as well! it's just tumblr rp, and we do what we can/what's fun! that's what this is about, at the end of the day. it just??? it makes me scream and cry to even think that people are reading my shit, let alone enjoying it. so the idea that i inspire you is incredibly unbelievable and i thank you so much for being so kind as to tell me this. it means so much to me! just thank you thank you!!

#misc * / answered #misc * / out of character #this was the most amazing ask to get #i'm so !!! like thank you so much

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s-brant · 3 years

Text

Cherry Bowl (3/8)

(gif: @kiekiecarrera) (PART TWO) (PART FOUR) (SERIES MASTERLIST)

Summary: When Kie cancels their plans together, Y/N asks JJ on a date to the Cherry Bowl Drive-In. Unsure of how to navigate his first ever date, JJ seeks out advice. Unfortunately, the night doesn’t go as planned, and both parties are left shaken by miscommunication.

Word Count: 10.6k

Warnings: Smut, public sex/exhibitionism, sexual choking, angst, depictions of mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and implied/referenced abuse.

A/N: Welcome back to Tokens! Slight trouble in paradise is brewing for these two lovers, so buckle up and read because it’s gonna be a rollercoster for a little while after what happens in this chapter. I hope you all like it, and if you did, feedback is very appreciated. Have fun!

"I'm just saying that oatmeal raisin is superior to chocolate chip, why is that such an egregious crime, Kie?"

The lunch room is filled to the brim with students going to town on questionably cooked frozen foods, soggy tater tots, and sugary drinks from the vending machines despite the Obama-era posters on the walls advocating for healthier school lunches that never seemed to make their way to Kildare County High. The extent of their healthy lunches extended to a serving of overcooked canned green beans served with the worst slice of doughy pizza known to human kind, so it was sort of contradictory.

Y/N sits across the table from Pope and JJ, the latter of which being the one who launched into a full-fledged debate with Kiara about which type of cookie was better.

The clear cling wrap sits, unfolded, on the table with one of her stickers neatly placed on the back of it. As consolation for his epic loss yesterday at the beach, she paid an extra .75 cents to get him it when she arrived first to their shared lunch period—one of only two class periods they have together, the other being gym. He was still in line when she peeled a surfboard sticker off of her sheet and placed it at the center of the wrapped up cookie as if to remind him of her triumph over him in the waves.

"Thanks, hot stuff," he said, voice somewhat quieter despite the fact that hardly anyone was in the cafeteria with them. Then his smile dropped into an deadpan expression as soon as he saw her choice of sticker and looked back up at her. "You're never gonna let me live that one down, are you?"

"Never in a million years. I'll be gloating about it until I'm elderly."

"That's my girl."

The sound of the constant chatter surrounding them from at least two hundred other people drowns out the memories of yesterday that threaten to haunt her when she watches him debate with Kie. The mere recollection of their night in the back of the van has her reaching to pull the collar of her cropped tee up to assure that the hickeys remain hidden on instinct, and he catches the action out of the corner of his eye. It has him fighting a smile.

Kie quips, "Maybe on another planet, but, here, I think we can all agree chocolate chip is better, right Y/N?"

Y/N's eyes widen around a forkful of mushy "green beans" at the sound of her name being said bringing her from the depths of her memories.

Usually, she's quick to jump in and give her two cents on whatever stupid back and forth they're all having, but her mind was elsewhere. Unbeknownst to Kie and Pope, she was mentally reliving every second of getting fucked in the van last night, so her attention to detail when it comes to the Chocolate Chip vs Oatmeal Raisin case isn't all too sharp.

"Uhhh," she stops for a second, looking at the half eaten chocolate chip cookie in Kie's hand, "If I say chocolate chip is better, can I get a piece of it?"

Kie's face lights up at her words, and she's already pulling off a generous chunk of the baked good to hand off to her. The sound of a certain someone whose lap Y/N's legs are outstretched onto from beneath the table scoffing distracts her from the first bite.

"I know you prefer oatmeal raisin, you traitor," JJ says.

Their brunette friend's brows scrunch.

"Why is she a traitor?"

They try to keep from making any faces or giving anything away, but Y/N has to stifle the sound of her choking on her mouthful of cookie at the question. You'd think one of them came out and asked if they were dating or something with how she reacts, and she feels JJ squeeze her ankle in a non-verbal way of telling her to hold it together. It was her idea in the first place, yet he's a lot smoother with keeping it under the radar.

Under it all, the aspect of keeping it a secret does unnerve him to a degree. He doesn't think he'd be brave enough to communicate it, especially not when their relationship remains undefined, but the darker side of his mind wonders...

He shrugs, saying, "Cause we were friends first. Duh. Other than John B, I've known her the longest."

None of them stop to acknowledge the identical aches in their hearts at the mentioning of his name. They skip right over it like it never happened. After the funeral a few days ago, they've filled their quota on mushy-gushy sad talk for the next week and a half.

The real reason is something far more complicated than him having a claim staked on her loyalty through having the longest friendship. It's something tied up in days of slowly getting pulled into one another's worlds like the tug of gravity itself, in how he has to refrain from slipping his arm around her waist in the hallway or kissing her goodbye after a sleepover at the Chateau. But until she gives him the go-ahead, he won't let it slip to anyone.

Pope speaks up from beside him, "You literally met her twenty minutes before we did."

"Still counts. Technically, I did meet her first, so her betraying Team Oatmeal Raisin is enough to be tried for treason in Pogue Court."

"Pogue Court isn't a thing."

He crosses his arms after he pops the rest of the cookie into his mouth.

"It is now. You can be tried for treason for breaking the rules. Rule number one is that all Pogues have to admit oatmeal raisin is superior."

He's about to ball up the cling wrap to throw away later when the surfboard sticker catches his attention again. It's the same color as his board, which he'd like to think is a result of her being an evil mastermind that went out to get this sticker sheet for the sole purpose of teasing him, but he's the one who got her the sheet as a gift for her birthday, so he knows it was pure coincidence.

Last second, he peels the sticker away from the cling wrap and looks down to place it over the top of her yellow converse that were once a vibrant, paler color when Big John got them for her, but have since turned into an ugly mustard/dirt-dusted color they heckle her over.

"What are the other rules?" Y/N asks.

One of the hands holding onto where her feet are casually planted in his lap, something that they've done long enough that their friends won't see it as anything odd, slides down to caress the stretch of skin beneath the frayed hem of her dark jeans. Something she didn't know about him before whatever it is they have together started was that he constantly needs to be touching her. She can't say she doesn't love it though.

Pope answers, "The oatmeal raisin rule is not official"—a pointed glance at JJ—"But I'd assume the rest of the rules of Pogue Court would be no lying and no macking."

"So, basically you two break almost every rule except the oatmeal raisin one, and I lie," JJ says and turns to look at her, "How does it feel to be better than everyone, Y/N?"

"Pretty good, not gonna lie."

He keeps caressing little circles and tracing up and down her skin beneath the flared out pant leg of her jeans while he swipes his phone off of the table top without attracting the attention of their friends, who continue on to a new topic. She isn't too focused on what it is. She only picks up that it has something to do with a class they're in that's more advanced that hers, so she promptly checks out of the conversation.

Ever since John B died, she hasn't been performing too well in school. She tries, truly tries, but her mind outright refuses to absorb any of the information. When she reads her assigned reading, she hovers over the same paragraphs over and over until she shuts the book in a huff and hides it in her backpack again. Losing someone you love has a surprising amount of side effects.

Her phone buzzing in her hand brings her away from the impending cloud of doom that often accompanies any thoughts of John B, and when she taps in her passcode, her brother's birthday, a message bubble appears with a banner displaying JJ's contact name.

JJ (Derogatory) ur a good liar. prob could've fooled me if i weren't the one macking on u

Their eyes meet for a second across the table, then he watches her thumbs move to type a response.

Kief Princess Little do they know I break every rule now that I've switched sides on the cookie debate. Kinda impressive ngl.

JJ (Derogatory) triple threat, baby

JJ (Derogatory) thanks for the cookie btw

She smiles to herself, so wrapped up in their own world that she doesn't notice everyone in the room starting to pack up their stuff in anticipation of the bell that is due to ring any second now.

Kief Princess Had to repay you for last night somehow ;)

When she glances up to see his reaction, she watches his chest rise with a particularly large inhale, and he chews on the inside of his lip in thought.

JJ (Derogatory) strategically bringing up last night so i'm turned on in physics? ur an evil mastermind

Kief Princess I try.

Kief Princess Apparently whooping your sorry ass at surfing isn't the only thing I'm good at.

She hears him scoff.

JJ (Derogatory) first of all, ouch. second, u barely beat me

Kief Princess I'm happy to challenge you to a rematch. I have plans with Kie tonight, so I can't till this weekend. All it'll prove is that I am the rightful winner, but we knew that already.

JJ (Derogatory) what r the stakes this time

Kief Princess No sexual favors. If you beat me (fat chance) I'll formally rejoin team oatmeal raisin.

JJ (Derogatory) :( sex makes it more fun but i still accept those conditions

JJ (Derogatory) team oatmeal raisin needs u, even if ur a traitor

Kief Princess Why bet sexual favors if you're just gonna fuck me after anyway?

JJ (Derogatory) good point

The sound of the bell ringing echoes through the cafeteria, and they both pop their heads up from their phone screens to see everyone, including Pope and Kie, already packed up and raising from their seats to scurry off in the direction of their next classes. Meanwhile, their stuff is all bestrewn across the table, particularly JJ's belongings.

The sight of Kie walking away makes Y/N ask after her, "We're still on for tonight, right?

She stops with Pope's hand interwoven in hers. The look on her face when she turns would make you think she got caught doing something she wasn't meant to. Something like forgetting about the plans they made last week to watch Fear Street together. The Cherry Bowl Drive-In is premiering the first two movies as a double feature for the horror movie buffs of Kildare, so they decided to get tickets. Kiara shares a fondness of horror movies with her. Since gory movies make the boys squirm, though JJ pretends they don't, it's their own thing.

"Actually, Pope and I were gonna go to the beach. I'm sorry."

JJ knows she's more upset about it than she lets on, but Y/N simply gives the pair a smile that doesn't reach the eyes.

The sound of JJ behind her makes them laugh on their way out, diffusing the minor tension lingering in the air from the awkward encounter, "Use protection!"

After their friends offer them a goodbye, they gather their stuff quite leisurely, not really caring about being late.

It's something they've talked about before here or there: her feelings surrounding Kiara and Pope's sudden relationship. It's not as if she harbors any ill feelings for them, she doesn't, but the ripple effects of their pairing on the group, and more importantly the girls' own friendship, couldn't be clearer from her perspective. Between the missed hangouts, forgotten plans, and the convenient way she never seems to have time to hang out with her and JJ unless Pope is there too, it's been building up for a month now.

What makes it sting the most is how close her and Kie used to be. They didn't hit it off immediately the way she and JJ did as children until her thirteenth birthday when no one she invited showed up to the party Big John helped her set up in the yard of the Chateau.

She was the one who rallied the boys together to walk to ask their school friends from the year above to come hang out for an hour or two, promising a slice of the wonky-looking but delicious strawberry cake her and John B spent the morning crafting together. She can remember the sound of their high-pitched laughs and the cloud of flour that hung in the kitchen when they high-fived over the finished product like it was yesterday. In her heart, it was yesterday.

That night was when she fell in love with her friends, and that was when she first knew Kiara was her best friend. They wove friendship bracelets on each other that night and wore them for years until they withered away. No one had ever done something like that for her before. Not even JJ.

"You okay?"

Feeling his hand on her arm, slipping down to take her hand for a moment in the seclusion of the empty cafeteria, makes her glance up at him with a distinct sorrow washed over her features.

You know what? Screw this. Why should she be torn up over Kie and let it ruin her excitement for the double feature tonight? There's no way in hell she's letting her best friend ditching her for her boyfriend get in the way of her plans.

"Do you wanna go on a date tonight?" she asks him abruptly, then adds, "To the Cherry Bowl with me instead of Kie?"

The question sparks a pause in his mind, a halt of hesitation in which he worries about her avoiding having to answer what he asked, but he attempts to play it cool and not fuss over her outwardly. There have been times where being treated like that has made her feel suffocated, so he doesn't want to risk it. When she's ready, she'll talk about it, and if she takes too long and buries her feelings, then he'll intervene. For now, he tries to keep his face neutral despite the frown tempting his lips at her disappointment.

JJ looks around once more before throwing his arm around her shoulder to walk her out.

"You bet your ass I do."

What is a person supposed to act like on their first date that's not actually a date cause everything between them is the same, but kinda is a date because they called it one? If you ever find out, please find JJ and tell him because he has no clue.

Pope wasn't too much help in the Instagram group chat he made for it seeing as his and Kie's relationship is too fresh, John B isn't even alive, so he's out of service for advice unless there's Ouija Board he can borrow, and, thankfully, Kiara was his savior.

Their phones began blowing up as soon as he reached his class after lunch period ended. He couldn't under any circumstances let it be known that this mystery girl he had a date with was their friend, but thankfully Y/N already had the alibi of going to the Drive-In alone. All he had to do was make up a fake date scenario and get basic advice.

danknugstickiestickies added kiara-c and popeheyward to the groupchat

danknugstickiestickies named the group HELP ME

danknugstickiestickies i have a date with this chick i met on the beach when i was out with y/n last week. i need ur advice

His phone screen lit up with the notification that both of his friends were typing, signified with the three dot symbol bouncing in the bottom left corner as he thought it through. They couldn't possibly figure it out, right? They'd been careful, he'd been respectful of her wishes, and they'd been too busy together to notice anything new with them. He figured it would work. It was a risk, sure, but it was worth it to him. He didn't want to fuck this up with her.

Knowing her, she probably wouldn’t even treat it differently than any of their other hang outs. It's not like they haven't been romantic or sexual with each other. They've done everything but go out on an actual date, so why was he nervous?

kiara-c ummmm

popeheyward Yeah, I'm gonna need you to ELABORATE!!

kiara-c did hell freeze over? since when does jj maybank go out on dates??

danknugstickiestickies renamed the group hell froze over

kiara-c very funny, I'm laughing so hard 😐

popeheyward Do we know her?

danknugstickiestickies don't think u do. she moved here last week and hasn't enrolled in school yet. her name's steph

popeheyward What about Y/N though?

kiara-c ^^

JJ's chest muscles tightened with the question prompting a rush of anxiety that made his breathing feel slightly harder. He glanced up at his Physics teacher, who was essentially dozing off behind his desk with his hand in a bag of chips and an educational video on the projector as an excuse to not teach, and looked back down at his phone without the added stress of possibly getting his phone confiscated.

Pope's message might as well have been a sucker punch. Forget butterflies, he set a wasp’s nest loose inside of his stomach to tie it into knots and flip it every which way. His neglected textbook served as a prop for his phone to lean on as he set it down to think.

Did they know? As far as he was aware, they were getting away with it. No evidence, concrete or circumstantial, was there to prove it. At least the stress of the situation killed any chance of him being turned on by her reminder of last night in their messages. This shit was boner repellant of the highest degree.

He played stupid. Better to let them volunteer whatever information they had before he went in saying anything incriminating that they didn't already know. If anything would sour the experience of their first date, it would be him accidentally making their strange in-between relationship public behind her back.

danknugstickiestickies ?? what do u mean

Three dots bounced in the bottom left corner of his slightly cracked phone screen.

popeheyward ...

kiara-c I mean, you don't see it?

danknugstickiestickies see what

popeheyward I guess we were wrong, but all of us always thought you two had some feelings going on.

"You don't say?" JJ murmured sarcastically to himself under his breath. "Never crossed my mind, Pope."

danknugstickiestickies bro that's jb's little sister

kiara-c so?

danknugstickiestickies forbidden fruit? making john b roll over in his grave? do those ring a bell or am i speaking in tongues

He was already a proficient liar in real life, but, fuck, it was easy in text messages. There's no chance at deciphering facial expression or tone, just a plain message with no room to budge. Thank God he didn't do this in person with them. He could've survived, but it wouldn't have been as quick and painless as the group chat was.

kiara-c jeez, sorry

Pope didn't voice it, but he noticed something.

He looked up from his phone and stared off at the wall in thought in his AP European History class. It piqued his interest that JJ simply said she was off limits, forbidden fruit as he put it, but did not outright deny having feelings for her. In fact, he didn't even address the question. He made excuses for why he shouldn't have feelings for her, but he never said he didn't have feelings for her.

Kie did not notice. Not because she wasn't smart enough to either, but because she was too busy hiding her phone behind her backpack to think too deeply about it. Her teacher was one of those teachers that would flip shit if they saw a cell phone turned off and faced down on the desk, let alone being used by a student during a lesson.

In his classroom across the hallway, JJ bounced his leg up and down beneath his desk in an absentminded urge to release the built up energy the anxiety produced in an over abundance.

popeheyward Our bad then. Even John B thought y'all were sus lmao.

Since when was that a known fact? Could he tell? Did he talk to Pope about him and Y/N before he died? Either way, it wasn't the time to pry about it.

kiara-c yeah you guys honestly could've fooled me if you wanted to

danknugstickiestickies well thank u, glad ur invested in our friendship but

danknugstickiestickies please help, i have no fucking clue how to act on a date and this girl is too cool for me to screw this up

That was when they finally dropped the interrogation session and started offering up tips. The best ones came from Kie, which made sense to him since women are more likely to know what other women like than two dudes who share one collective brain cell and never had real relationships.

Rule One: Be ready to pick her up five minutes early.

He wasn't ready to pick her up five minutes early. His bike broke down by the time he made it halfway down his street, so he had to push it back up the road and into the yard before setting off on foot to reach the Chateau quickly enough. And by quickly enough, it means he got there five minutes late, not early.

Rule Two: Compliment her after you get in the car.

She tossed him the keys to the Twinkie from across the hood, not giving him the chance to open the door for her, and it wasn't until they were setting off down the road that he remembered the next piece of advice he was given.

Side-eyeing her in his peripheral vision, he tried to find something to compliment her on specifically rather than the general compliments about her being pretty that she never fully believes when he says them. He was intending to say something about the skirt she had on, but when he chanced a glance over at her, she caught him and asked—

"What is it?"

Sent into panic mode, JJ blurted out instead, "I like your shoes."

He could've bashed his face against the steering wheel twenty times right then and there at the utter absence of reaction on her part for the next few uncomfortable seconds. It wasn't that it was a bad compliment. She appreciates any compliments at all...but her shoes were hidden from his view. Not to mention, they were the dirty, mustard yellow converse that the Pogues bash on a daily basis.

She laughed, lifting her leg to expose the sneaker on her right foot, and asked, "These? Dude, you roast me for these all the time. You and John B said they look like Big Bird shit on them."

The skin on the apples of his cheeks scorched hot with embarrassment, and he was never so glad that the overhead lights in the van were burnt out until that moment. He would've died on the spot if she saw him blush like that, face flushed pinker than sunburn. All he could do to save himself was murmur something about the color growing on him and keep driving in the direction of the theater with his hands white-knuckling the steering wheel he fantasized about banging his face into.

Rule Three: Insist on picking up the check.

In this case, it meant insist on buying the popcorn and drinks, and he miraculously managed to drop his wallet somewhere along the way when he ran over to the Chateau, so when he stepped up to the makeshift concession stand with her standing at his side, he felt around for his wallet in his jeans to no avail.

His thoughts echoed back to him, You gotta be fucking kidding me. Seriously? Is this actually happening right now?

"JJ, it's honestly fine," she said softly as he leaned over to search back of the Twinkie for the wallet. "We can look for it on your street right now if you want. It has your ID and stuff, you don't want a stranger to have that. We don't need to stay—"

It took all of his control to not shout it in reaction when he said, "No way. You've been waiting for this, and Kie ditched you, so I ain't ditching you too. We're staying."

His wallet could go kick rocks.

He came too far to be dragged down by the old leathery piece of shit anyway. Would he go out and search for it tirelessly the second the date ended? Hell yeah, that fucker had twenty dollars and his debit card in it, but he couldn't bear the thought of abandoning her or ruining her anticipated movie night by taking her out to search the streets with their phone flashlights for a wallet they might not find. He'd wait till the movies ended, take her home, then haul ass around the Cut searching for it after.

Thankfully, he found a couple bucks crumbled up in his front pocket while she scavenged for coins in the glove compartment, and they came up with enough to buy a water bottle and small popcorn to share together.

Rule Four: Don't have sex on the first date.

And it may sound easy enough to not act like a complete Neanderthal for the length of two movies, but the girl makes it pretty damn difficult if he's to say so himself.

That's what led him here, laying in the back of the sideways-parked Twinkie in the farthest corner of the outdoor theater with her practically on top of him. In any other instance, he wouldn't be opposed in the slightest, but with the cursed fourth rule in mind, he isn't too thrilled with the feeling of her hand rubbing up and down his thigh.

It isn't even meant to be sexual. They're constantly touching one another this way. She'll even slip her hands up under his shirt just to feel the warmth of his skin or when he asks her if she can get an itch on a part of his back he can't reach, but for some reason his brain is short circuiting right now.

The thing is, when Kie and Pope said he shouldn't do it on the first date, they meant it for his and Steph's made up circumstances, not his and Y/N's full-blown relationship without labels. When you've had sex with someone as many times as they have with each other, the hesitancy on the "first date" is nonexistent. It doesn't matter. But JJ, trying to follow the advice given to him to the letter for the sake of being the date she deserves, doesn't think about it that way.

It shouldn't be this nerve-wracking. They've been best friends since they were children, they've been flirting since they found out what basic attraction was in the first place, and they've been forming this relationship ever since John B died. Why can't he relax? Why is this so different compared to how easy it felt between them yesterday on the beach or today at lunch?

Rule Five: Be yourself.

It takes him another few moments of laying here with her before he realizes quite abruptly what went wrong in a quick flash of a thought that brings the fifth rule back to him. The problem wasn't the bike, or the weird compliment about her Big Bird sneakers, or the lost wallet.

The problem is him. The problem is that he's trying way too hard to make this something it isn't. The part about them that he adores so dearly is how they never have to try when they're together. With any other girl or guy, they'd have to fake something or act a certain way, yet when they're together, they can simply exist and everything is runs smoothly. That's not to say they don't disagree or bump heads, they do, but short of those outlier moments, it's easier than anything else they do in life.

His eyes flicker away from the screen for the first time since the movie began, which, by the way, is gruesome enough at times that he had to divert his eyes to prevent himself from seeing it happen. They land on where she lays, completely content with the night in spite of its mishaps, with her head propped up on the pillows they brought from the Chateau.

He wonders if she can tell he's acting differently. Surely she must notice. She's the type of person that typically never misses a thing, perfect for the gold hunt they went on in the summer with picking up the clues and helping her brother unravel the mystery, so maybe she noticed how flustered this date has him. Does it bother her? Does he bother her?

With a confirming glance back up at the movie to see nothing important happening, he can't fight the urge to speak anymore.

"Can I tell you something?"

His voice appearing through the darkness of the shut off van after spending the past half hour in complete silence makes her jolt at first before realizing who it was. Though she loves horror movies, she can't claim to not be affected by them. The night she falls asleep after watching one, she often finds herself compelled to turn a light on and keep her feet from dangling off the edge of the bed. It's worth the fear, though.

When she turns to look at JJ, there's a warm smile on her face. She's cuddled into his side with a hand placed casually atop his thigh, caressing with no purpose or intent, and her movement halts when the light from the movie on the projector allows her to see the expression on his face.

Anxiety has become an increasingly significant presence in his life with the recent events in mind; John B and Sarah, the four-hundred million dollars they lost out on, and dodging his father whenever he sneaks home to switch out the backpack of clothes and personal belongings he keeps at the Routledge house.

It manifests itself in jittery nerves, stomach pains, shortness of breath, and, at worst, panic attacks striking either at random or in response to a specific trigger. It's one of the few things he still tries to hide from her, and she tries not to push him too hard with opening up about it.

She abandons the movie for the time being and rolls onto her side to face him, upper body propped up on her elbow as she examines his face with downturned features.

"Of course," she says.

The words left unsaid are, "You can tell me anything. Whenever you need someone to listen, or to talk to about shit, you can tell me." He's heard her say it enough that he doesn't need to hear it now to know it's true.

There's a pause, then—

"I feel like I fucked this entire date up," he starts to ramble and cuts her off before she can think about saying what she wants to, "and I know it's okay to you. You have way too high of a tolerance for my bullshit, and I've been trying so hard to make this perfect, but all that did was screw it up."

She's left quiet for a second, taking it all in.

Maybe if he hadn't been so anxious about it, he would've realized what was wrong with his bike when he rode it home from school, or he would've noticed his wallet fall out of his pocket. The point is, he wishes he hadn't let the label attached to this freak him out so much. He isn't sure why it does, but it does.

But she doesn't do what he expects. She isn't drowning him in reassurances and, "It's okay's" because she knows he doesn't care for them much. When he, the most stubborn person she knows, apologizes for something he did, he doesn't want it to turn into the person accepting the apology coddling him.

Y/N sighs.

"Is that why you've been acting so different all night? I scared you with the whole ‘date’ thing, didn't I? It doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be."

What she doesn't know is that he wants it to be a date. He wants it to be a date so badly, he risked Pope and Kie finding them out for the sake of getting some proper advice on it, and now he's caught up in the same game of tug and war in his mind that always occurs when he wants to tell her the truth about his feelings for her.

Part of him doesn't understand why he doesn't outright say it. With every other girl he once showed interest in, he had no issues in letting them know he wanted them, but this is different. This isn't simply wanting someone, he thinks he's fallen for her. But whenever he says he's gonna grow a pair and tell her after all this time, he chokes. Involuntarily, he's reminded of his parents. Other than his friends saying it platonically, the only people to tell him they loved him were them, and with how they treated him, he sure as hell doesn't think that is love.

From his dad's brutal physical abuse to his mom's abandonment, he's too timid to tell her he loves her because of what could happen if she loves him back. Everyone else that has said that to him has either hurt him, died like John B did, or abandoned him.

He won't let that happen with him and Y/N. What they have, albeit undefined and codependent, is safe. It's the only thing he has left. Maybe it isn't right, and maybe he should open up about it to communicate the correct way, but somewhere in the misshapen logic of his mind, he correlates love to abandonment. And he doesn't want that to happen with her.

There are two sides of him at battle inside his mind. One side, the side that wants to do right by their relationship and actually communicate his feelings for once in his life, wants him to tell her everything. The other side, the side that responds based on the history of his past, wants him to hide it all.

"Will you be mad at me if we don't call it a date?" he asks.

She shakes her head.

The heavy sensation inside of JJ's chest nears a point of vitriolic violence against him as he starts to realize what he's doing to her, clearly letting her down, but he can't stop himself. Like a passive witness watching himself from outside of his body, the instantaneous trauma response to the sudden confrontation of his true feelings for her guides his actions without his permission. It shuts down any protest he has.

The sound of the movie fills the gap of silence between them the entire time. It’s a variety of bloodcurdling screams and disgusting sounds that would've made him gag if he weren't as distracted.

They can make out each other's faces through the darkness, but barely. It takes a flash of bright color from the film or a nearby car's lights turning on for them to fully see one another. Without the other knowing, they both put masks of calm and collected coolness on their faces despite the feelings raging beneath the surface—more so on his part than hers.

"Maybe," he says, pausing, "we should just keep things the way they've been."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, a soul-crushing amount of disappointment weighs her down. She said it was fine if he doesn't want it to be a date—and it is, she would never hold it against him—but that doesn't mean it can't hurt her. Things have been going so well, she almost thought...If tonight went well, she was thinking about no longer keeping it a secret, but if he said he wants things to stay the same, then maybe he isn't as ready for it as she is?

Meanwhile, JJ is on another page entirely.

She's embarrassed of being with you, a familiar voice in the back of his head croons. She's gonna leave just like everyone else does. If she doesn't even wanna tell your friends, why should you pretend you're dating?

The internal comments are the type that cause him to physically grimace when he's alone. Intrusive thoughts are just that: intrusive.

Sneaking into the guarded sanctuary of a person's mind, they set out to convince them the opposite of their reality. The only thing is, where most people's minds are guarded sanctuaries with walls of impregnable defense, his mind is the equivalent of a fortress blown to smithereens. The castle walls lay in rubble, the guards no where to be seen, and the path for these thoughts to slip past and straight to the vulnerability of his mind is left wide open.

In the privacy of his room, these thoughts attack him the most at night when he tries to fall asleep—when things get too quiet. With nobody around, when they get this bad there's nothing he can do except break down. It builds from the mere anxiety of attempting to force the thoughts away to full-blown panic attack mode. The more he resists them, the more aggressive they become. He'll gasp for air with tears streaming down his face, hitting his head with the heel of his hand as if that'd do something to stop his relentless mind.

But he can't afford to react in front of her, so the extent of his reaction is a subtle twitch of his face that she cannot see in the momentary darkness before the movie switches to another scene a second later. In a way, it does make the thoughts go away to have her here preventing him from spiraling alone. Having to focus on her keeps his mind away for moments at a time until the thoughts ease their grip on him.

When she hasn't answered for a while, he asks, terrified that he did something bad, "Are we good?"

The question seems to wake her up, snapping her out of the lonely direction her thoughts went into when he "rejected" her. It takes every bit of common sense she has left to force herself to understand that this doesn't mean he doesn't want her. He does, and not calling this a date doesn't mean they won't be together in the way they have been since John B's death, but she isn't perfect. She gets as unsure and insecure as he does.

As if the cloud of doom was lifted off of her, she makes her face lighten where she lays on her side next to him. Seeing this expression makes his chest feel less heavy, and he could let out a sigh of relief at the realization that he didn't break her heart and stomp on it. He should've known. Y/N is the sweetest person he knows, so she never would've flipped shit over him not wanting to label this as a date. That's not how she is.

And he's partly right. It isn't how she is. She would never hold it against him if he didn't want something further with her since she got herself into this position by pursuing him with his reputation with girls in mind, but she can't ignore it. Whether she wants it to or not, it had its affect on her as soon as he said it.

She leans in to kiss him, their lips meeting in the middle with the faint taste of popcorn salt mingling at the soft peck.

When she pulls away, she brushes the hair back from his face and says, "Don't worry. Nothing can change how I feel about you."

She has no clue what it feels like to hear that from her.

Despite the turmoil they unknowingly share beneath the surface due to this conversation, he could cry hearing her say it. It doesn't feel real to him that she feels the same way he does about her, because nothing could change how he feels about her either. That’s why he manages to work up the courage to repeat it back to her, and, for now, this is the closest he's physically capable of coming to telling her the truth.

"Ditto," he says.

It isn't what she wanted, but it's close enough, and if she dwells on this any longer, she might start getting too emotional and let the urge to tear up become too strong. Why does she have to be this sensitive? It's no secret that it's remarkably easy to make her cry, but this is insane to her. When all of this began with him, she didn't give a shit about him not wanting a label. She understood him, and she understood that he doesn't do this kind of thing, so why has it changed? Why doesn't she want to keep it a secret anymore? Why does she want this to be a date when she knows he doesn't want it to be?

Pulled by an invisible string back to him to silence her mind, she leans in to kiss him again with a hand cupping the back of his neck to guide him the rest of the way to her.

It shouldn't be laced with any sexual intention. She should be kissing him simply because she wants to, and, in a way, she is. Their kisses and touches are never lacking the motivation that is their underlying connection and mutual feelings for one another, but this is not the same. As he kisses her back with as much confidence and passion as always, she is reeling from the conversation that reminded her too much of a breakup.

It takes another minute of this for the kiss to heat up, their breathing becoming shallower in the moments they part to inhale, and she is undeniably the one instigating when she officially crosses the line between casual and sexual by crawling onto his lap. It's not hard for him to pick up on when their innocent moments take a turn. She's easy to read in that regard, and this has happened a multitude of times with them, so the shift of a mini make out session turning into something more is nothing out of the ordinary for them.

If he knew how shaken she is on the inside, he'd never want this. And the same would go for her if she knew what he was thinking before this. Neither of them wants to admit what they're feeling.

With her legs seated on either side of his hips, she kisses him like it's the last time she'll ever get the opportunity to. Her hands wander wherever they can, pulling at his shirt and feeling him up as his hands guide her hips to move against his in a steady grinding that she has no issue partaking in. It's an eagerness he hasn't seen from her in weeks. She's never un-excited when it comes to being physical with him either, but this is another level. The last time a girl was all over him like this, it was desperate touron at a party a few months ago.

In the span of time it takes her to glance over her shoulder to see if anyone could see them and reach to pull her skirt up until it bunches around her hips—no one can see them, by the way, since they got here late and were forced to cram the van into the back corner of the lot with no street lights illuminating the path—his brows raise at her presumptuous behavior. Not that he's one to complain, however, seeing as he's typically the one doing what she is.

Their next kiss clashes their teeth hard enough to make them wince, but he loves it. It makes him smirk into her parted mouth, alive with both the feeling her reassurance provided and the fuzzy-headed high that often finds him when they're together in this way. Incomparable to past flings or the high related to any drugs, she is the peak of everything to him. It's no contest.

His chest stutters against hers with a bout of amused laughter, asking within a brief pause in what feels like the most JJ thing he's said this awkward night, "Two for two in the Twinkie. What's gotten into you?"

Y/N's hand dips between where their bodies move together to unclasp the closed buckle of his belt in one smooth motion that has it falling apart with a clinking noise.

Her features are set with a look that tells him she means business. Whatever it is that sparked this, he wonders how the fuck to make it happen again another time. She's begged for it before, but never taken control so dominantly, and he can't deny what the role reversal does to him. The evidence is obvious in the distinct hardness she feels pressing up against the hand undoing his jeans.

"I was hoping it'd be you," she says, voice breathless and airy from the constant contact in a way that makes it ten times hotter for him.

If there were any chance of him not being in the mood prior to this, which wasn't the case anyway, it's gone now. He never wants to hear her say she doesn't deliberately try to tease him ever again.

He doesn't need to be told twice.

JJ surges forward to capture her mouth with his, this time with no intention of pulling away to breathe or speak again. No, he'll let himself get lightheaded and dizzy if it means he can stay with her for as long as possible.

With the circumstances of it all, them being visible to someone if they happened to pass by the open door of the van, they move at a pace quicker than usual. She's immediately helping him shimmy his jeans and underwear far enough down his hips to free his dick from the confines of his clothes, making him sigh out a breath of relief when her hand brushes against him in the process.

There's no opportunity to slow down, it has exploded into a full-throttle speed race that neither of them can halt.

His hand blindly flies out beside him to grope the floor of the van for the set of keys he tossed carelessly to the side once the movie started, eyes shut in the midst of the hot, messy kiss they share. His fingers find the fabric of one of the blankets they brought in case they got cold, then drifts again and lands on her Big Bird sneakers until he feels the sharp metal of her keys meet his calloused palm.

After the events of last summer, she bought a switch blade to keep on her key ring alongside the keys to the van, HMS Pogue, and Chateau. She may not like violence or weapons, seeing as she was a skeptic of JJ keeping the gun alongside her friends, but she saw it necessary. Between Rafe, Topper, and Kelce, how could she leave the safety of her and her friends up to chance knowing what some of the kooks did to them not long ago? What happened to Pope on the golf course alone was enough to make her skin crawl.

Right now, though, the knife flips out from the pressure of his thumb pushing the button to release it. He holds it out away from her at first to assure it doesn't nick her in the process, then uses his other hand to tug the side of her panties that hugs her hip far out enough to press the sharp side of the blade onto the inside of it.

She can hardly believe what she's watching as JJ cuts the delicate maroon underthings from her body as if he were doing something so normal, like it's something he's done before. Her forehead is pressed against his, her mouth parted both in shock and in a need to pant for oxygen, and she watches the knife ruin her favorite panties. The stitches come apart with a satisfying ripping noise that can hardly be heard over the sound of people reacting to the movie in the background.

Other customers of the Cherry Bowl Drive-In are too glued to the screen as a beloved character is chased down, reacting in shouts when she's seized by the killer and shoved onto the table of an industrial bread slicer, so they remain wholly unnoticed.

The lace, now ripped in half, dangles on the tip of the knife when he lifts it away from her, tosses it aside, and presses the button once more to retract the blade. It clatters to the floor, but is in no way forgotten with them resuming in a desperation to keep going until they both satisfy the need clawing at them from the inside. But her sense of need is different from his, and even with the fresh memory of him with the switch blade in mind, she's still somewhere else the whole time.

Her mind is faraway, muted through layers of sadness, anger, and disappointment as he reaches between them to line himself up to her entrance. The sensation of him running his cock, hard and messy with a few drops of precome, through her dripping pussy to coat it in her slick arousal is enough to make her moan pathetically. Yet when he's about to guide himself inside of her, she stops him.

"Wait, wait, wait," she breathes out rapidly, heart pounding so hard she can feel herself pulsating between her thighs, "Condom."

They were so antsy to get to it, they almost forgot.

"Fuck," he curses under his breath, and his eyes flicker from where they were trained between their bodies to glance back and forth around the van before it hits him. "I lost my wallet..."

But right when he thinks their public rendezvous in the back of the Drive-In is over due to his unfortunate mistake, she shakes her head and slips away from her perch astride his lap to crawl over to her bag.

She fumbles with the old tote bag and plunges her arm in to sift through the hodge podge of things that are purely Y/N in nature—stickers, glitter pens, a half-eaten bag of candy, etc—for the square foil package she decided to toss in before she left just in case. She usually doesn't keep them on her because he never fails to have one, but, thankfully, she had the random instinct to bring it tonight.

The only thing to bring her out of her cloudy, malevolent storm of feelings when she settles back onto his lap with the condom wrapper ripped open for him is him saying, "So you planned this, huh?" with his mouth tipped in a familiar self-satisfied grin.

She didn't plan it. In fact, she threw herself at him the second she sensed him withdrawing from her and can't stop herself despite the fact that she constantly feels two seconds away from letting a tear slip down her cheek. If that counts as "planning it", then sure.

"Maybe so," she answers, cool, calm, and collected—the antithesis of the truth.

They usually don't lie to each other.

They're thrown right back into it without any other hiccups once he rolls the condom on, and he takes in a shaky breath at her hand wrapping around him to align their bodies up. Before she can do anything, though, he takes chance to swipe the blanket he found a moment ago and wrap it around her back to keep her covered in case they get caught.

Y/N sinks down onto his cock with her lip caught between her teeth to stifle the sound that threatens to escape. JJ, on the other hand, doesn't bother concealing the sound of the groan he makes at the sensation of having her wrapped around him like this. The tension in her entire body from the anticipation and the looming threat of being seen by someone has her squeezing him so tightly, he can't help but be a little louder than he should.

Her soft palm slaps over his mouth with enough pressure to force his groan to quiet itself, and she watches his pretty blue eyes widen in reaction to the dominant action. Who is this girl and what has she done with his sweet, submissive Y/N? Don't get him wrong, he is very turned on by it, but it's unlike her to take the lead this way. He can't figure it out.

"What's wrong, angel?" she asks in a whisper into his ear, her hand over his mouth and her hips starting to slowly rock against him, "Watch the movie."

Once the words leave her mouth, she drops her hand, just in case he wants to stop and can't say anything because she had his mouth covered, and JJ is pretty sure he's died and gone to heaven.

He doesn't watch the movie, not at all, because he's too busy watching her. For someone losing their mind internally, she does not let it show, nor does she let it distract her from what's happening. If anything, the distraction in this situation is the sex, not what's going on inside of her head.

There's a moment of adjustment and going as slowly and gently as possible while waiting for the dull pressure of feeling him inside of her to fade away, but, for the most part, she doesn't waste any time. As soon as she feels comfortable enough with the ache between her thighs giving way to a spark of pleasure when she grinds her clit down on his pubic bone, she starts to ride him at a better pace than the initial slow movements of her hips.

She raises herself up and takes him again inch by inch, enjoying the sense of fullness she gets from having to fit him in spite of the slight discomfort at first, and she could swear that he'll leave bruises in the shape of his handprints with how tightly he clutches her hips. It's all he can do to prevent himself from moaning or saying something, ever the vocal lover she's come to know.

Unless his mouth is preoccupied like it was on the beach yesterday afternoon, JJ is usually impossible to shut up, especially in this context. With him always whispering dirty things to her, whether it be praises, pet names, or plans on what he wants to do to her, she has come to find it breathtakingly hot. He could likely get away with saying something if he wanted to, but he isn't sure he wants to risk it. If he opens his mouth to spew something filthy to her, he won't trust himself not to make a louder, different kind of noise that won't fit in the with background audio the other moviegoers are listening to.

The wet sound of their bodies colliding that fills the space of the van is drowned out by the loud and violent sequence occurring on the screen far ahead of them, and hearing it makes her bounce herself on him a little harder. She's fueled on by it all, and, strangely, what happened before she practically pounced on him is the main contributor.

Similarly to the nature of his intrusive thoughts, the harder she resists the memory of how it felt when he told her he didn't want this to be a date, the more forceful it is in its return. Her eyes trail down to watch where they connect with her forehead pressed to his, then she's thrown back into the feeling of helpless disappointment and insecurity. His head tips back against the window with his bottom lip dropped open and his brows furrowed just enough to create a crease on his forehead, and she's bombarded with the look of relief on his face when he realized he didn't have to be tied down to her with a label.

It makes her want to get rougher, harder, and she doesn't even care if it'll make her sore later on. She presses herself down so far every time she slides down on his cock, her teeth draw blood on her lip with how hard she must bite it to remain quiet. The pain of her hipbones rubbing against his doesn't even matter to either of them at this point. They're both too lost in the pleasure that has begun to take control of them to care about something as minuscule as that, or the burn in her thighs from the repetitive physical strain.

She grabs his wrist and brings his hand between them, flattening hers overtop of it and pressing down on the base of her abdomen in the midst of the increasingly feverish thrusts.

"Feel you here," she murmurs to him through a quiet moan, hoping he can hear it over the movie, and pushes down on his hand for emphasis. And if the way he reacts by cursing under his breath tells her anything, it's that he picked up on it. "JJ..."

He reaches out to grab her by the throat with his free hand and tug her forward to kiss him, as if something inside of him snapped in response to her doing that. The motions of her jolting up and down throws the already messy and uncoordinated kiss off-kilter, but they don't mind. It has them separating every time she lifts up, producing this heady little head rush from from them breathing in each other's air without actually letting their mouths meet in the middle.

Though they're trying their hardest not to alert anyone outside of what's happening, it didn't occur to him until now, when his eyes catch John B's old bandana swinging back and forth where it's secured around the rear view mirror.

They're worried about moaning while the entire fucking Twinkie is rocking with their movements. Well, at least it makes good use of the corny sticker he gifted John B last year as a gag gift. He tried to peel it off after JJ snuck it onto the side window to no avail. So, now Y/N is stuck with a sticker on her car reading, "If the van's a-rockin', come on in, we like orgies," rather than the more common phrase.

It almost makes him start laughing, and he prays no one takes that shit seriously, 'cause he is never intent on sharing this breathtaking girl. Ever.

Y/N isn't anywhere near laughing like he is, in fact, she's finding it difficult to keep herself together. She feels her eyes sting with the promise of tears, and she's never felt so pathetic before. Is she seriously about to cry during sex? Is she really that girl that is so ill-equipped to handle rejection, she can't get through it without tears?

She won't cry. Perhaps if he sees how glossy her eyes have become in a rare moment of good lighting, she can blame it on the hand around her throat putting pressure on the sides of her neck.

The worst part about her being near to crying is the timing of it.

The emotion of what she feels mentally mixes with the swirling, building sensation she feels in the pit of her stomach that tells her she's close to going over the edge, and it's so overwhelming. Was she imagining that their friendship had changed? More importantly, is this all she'll ever be to him? Sex is the only thing she's sure of with him, it's the only thing that doesn't require deeper emotions, and when the ground beneath their fragile relationship felt shaky...

He can feel her starting to unravel, and he knows that he'll come before she does if he doesn't do anything now, so he decides to take control.

JJ pulls the hand he had resting on her abdomen away as though he were burned by it, wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her body against his and using the hand around her neck for leverage to thrust up into her, effectively reducing her to a teary-eyed, moaning mess atop him. They both stopped caring about making noise the second he began to fuck her like this.

She cries out in ecstasy at the sudden change in pace and depth that has him hitting all the right places. Every time he thrusts up into her, just as rough as she wished for, the tip of his cock nudges into that perfect spot inside of her that makes her incapable of silencing her moans. This time, it's JJ that puts his hand over her mouth, letting the one he had around her neck move away to keep her from alerting everyone around them of what's happening.

There's nothing she can do to stop her climax as it barrels through her in its initial sweeping wave of bliss to contrast the venomous doubts in her mind. She's never felt such conflicting, yet powerful feelings before—the intensity of the physical pleasure that makes her whine into the palm of his hand, then the part of her mind replaying every word he said in their conversation before this.

Her body is rigid and tense through it all, squeezing down around his cock with the involuntary spasms of her orgasm, and he can't help himself anymore. All it takes are a few more frantic thrusts for him to bury himself inside of her one last time and spill into the condom, uncovering her mouth so he can drown out his own groans into a kiss.

Their skin sticks to their clothes on the inside with sweat from the exertion of their actions, and he can feel her stomach tremble where it presses up against his with each undulation of her hips that meet his as he rides it out.

But even with the added distraction of the sex, she can't rid herself of the feeling that started plaguing her as soon as things went awry. That was why he was acting weird all night. He must have been so worried about her thinking this was anything more than their typical hangouts that he couldn't bring himself to act normally.

She forces herself to look happy when they pull away from the kiss, panting, and JJ, unaware of what she's been thinking, doesn't notice the small deception.

Tag list: @gabiatthedisco

#jj maybank #jj maybank smut #jj maybank x reader #outer banks #obx #fanfiction #obx s2 #uh oh trouble in paradise #anyway that smut #kinda wanna get railed by JJ in the back of the van #don’t we all?

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trainthief · 4 years

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hey i'm one of those aforementioned "only-heard-blake-shelton" people - do you have any recs for better country music? i like finding new music but country is hard cause i don't really know where to start

I think the best way to explore any genre is to abandon the feeling that you’re obligated to develop an academic-level base of knowledge in the different foundations and aspects of it. If that’s something that actually interests you then by all means go for it, but despite how pretentious and rude people can get about music, it is at its heart just a form of expression - and while knowing which specific sounds might have influenced others can enhance the listening experience for some people, it’s not like there’s a prerequisite course load you need to take before you can start telling people you like country music at parties.

Anyway, that point aside, here’s some basics: country itself is a really broad concept, and was initially defined more by its ideology and source than any specific structural musical qualities that it tended toward (although its creation was most heavily influenced by Irish, Mexican, and African musical traditions). The common use of instruments like guitars, banjos, and fiddles is more to do with the ease of accessibility and portability for poorer Americans of the late 1800s, who - especially in the West - tended to be at least somewhat nomadic. Thematically speaking, it was most often centered around the experiences of blue-collar workers, including but not limited to cowboys. Subsequently, it has suffered under the combined efforts of corporations and politicians to market a parody of rural America’s own culture right back at them, and that’s why - especially if you’re only in your 20’s or younger - it’s very possible your knowledge of it is defined by commercialized Bro Country (which in my opinion is almost always antithetical to the actual spirit of country music itself, and also from a musical perspective tends to be uninteresting bullshit).

As far as subgenres go, the ideas quickly become so vague that it’s really up to the listener to decide how they want to categorize their music. Region and era can influence sound quite a bit, so that’s one way. Subject matter is another. Actual musical structure is a further one. I’m not going to bother and try to give you a comprehensive idea of all the options, because that’s impossible to do in anything shorter than an essay. Instead I’ll just fill you in on some of my favorites, and some song suggestions to go with them:

Country Music You’ve Been Listening to This Whole Time Without Knowing It: this is an easy one to start with. Lots of folk music is also country music, whether you were aware of it or not. James Taylor, John Prine, John Denver, Bob Dylan…. You’ve been here this whole time.

Outlaw Country: Tends to be either dark or mournful, but regardless it’s dramatic and fun. Usually framed around some fictional crime the singer has committed, which they have either been sentenced for or are on the run from. Good examples are Kate McCannon by Colter Wall, Mama Tried by Merle Haggard, Late July by Shakey Graves, Gallows Pole by Willie Watson, and Hell’s Canyon by Lost Dog Street Band

Spirituals: I’m definitely not going to tell you how to feel about religion itself - but given that music has been such a deeply rooted part of spiritual expression for as long as we’ve recorded history, and has very often evolved in tandem with or in response to religious movements, I think you’re really cutting yourself off from some good tunes if you try to ignore it entirely. Johnny Cash’s later stuff, especially, has the same dark overtones of his earlier Outlaw music but with the addition of gospel stylings and a religious severity that comes together in a way that’s honestly just straight up sexy to listen to. Ain’t No Grave and Redemption Day are probably the best two examples of this. On the other side, there’s the simplistic and heartfelt kind of spiritual country found in stuff like Hank Williams’ I Saw the Light, or I’ll Fly Away as performed by Gillian Welch, which I find really moving.

Honky Tonk: On the subject of Hank Williams, honky tonk is really fun music, and I deeply resent the fact that it’s been incorporated into the classist caricature of rural stupidity. At its heart, honky tonk was just designed to be a good time, and the vocal techniques it employs are actually really difficult to master, so it deserves a lot more respect. Hank Williams, in particular, also tends to use it to get right at the heart of subjects I really enjoy (although don’t confuse him with his son Hank Williams Jr, who writes Bro Country and unfortunately seems to be a terrible person). Anyway, Mind Your Own Business is one of his (and one of my favorite personal anthems), and Wealth Won’t Save Your Soul is a powerful one too. Regarding more modern honky tonk, my favorite up-and-coming musician is named Nick Shoulders, and I’d recommend his songs Rather Low and Snakes and Waterfalls.

Nice Comfortable Country Music Sung By Ladies: this is definitely a genre specific to just me, but it’s a type of music I grew up listening to a lot as a kid and I really love it. Like the title says, it’s just country songs by various very talented women who make you feel like you’re warm and at home. I Have a Need for Solitude by the great Mary Chapin Carpenter, Across the Great Divide by Nanci Griffith, Traveling Alone by Tift Merritt, Angel from Montgomery by Bonnie Raitt, Hammer and a Nail by The Indigo Girls

Poor Boy Blues: again, not a definitive stylistic subgenre so much as it is an opportunity to show off a few different songs of a few different styles that all follow a common and relatable theme, specifically one that is important to the overall genre itself. Dead End Street by Blake Mills, Crop Comes In by Chatham County Line, Thirteen Silver Dollars by Colter Wall, My Rifle My Pony and Me by Dean Martin, Cowpoke by Dave Stamey, Automobile by KALEO

Love And Heartbreak: have you really lived if you haven’t rocked out to Cowboy Take Me Away by the Dixie Chicks? No, you haven’t. You’ll also be happy to hear that I recall a poll that listed Cowboy Take Me Away as being the number one song every cowboy will sing along to on full blast whenever he’s alone. Anyway, there’s also Buddy by Willie Nelson, Crossing Muddy Waters by John Hiatt, Morning by Jim Ed Brown, Every Time I Hear That Song by Brandi Carlile, Gentle on My Mind by Glen Campbell, Kathleen by Townes Van Zandt.

Experimental: if you’d like to get a little weird with it, I’d recommend The Gold is Deep by The Dead Tongues (which uses some really ambient reverb and a small church organ for a more psychedelic sound), or Familiarity by The Punch Brothers (which compositionally borrows a lot from modern classical chamber music with its rhythmic systems and pacing).

There’s lots more we could get into here, like bluegrass, slow dancing music, spaghetti western soundtracks, and the fact that not all country pop-rock is bad, but I’ll stop myself here…. If you’re looking for a more general source for a lot of country all at once, here’s my favorite of my country playlists. Hope that was helpful!

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monstersarerad · 4 years

Text

Warmth (Rafael)

My first monster fic! I hope I did somewhat good lol. Rafael is probably my fav werewolf out of all my wolf ocs (other than Kumi and Saturn). This is set in the 1500s cuz this gal loves the fashion from that era.

~~~~

"Maybe running away from home wasn't the best idea..." You whispered, hands clutching your dress as you made your way through the snow. You hadn't even prepared anything. Mostly cause it was an impulse decision.

"Why can't I chose who I get to marry?" You asked, brows furrowed as you stared at your unbothered father.

"Lord Henry is-"

"Old and snobby and he's been crowing about marrying a young lady!" You huffed. Your sisters had all been married off while your brothers were able to chose their wives. It was a men's world and you despised it. Your father turned and glared.

"Quit your whining, (Y/N). It is not ladylike for someone your age to be bickering with a man, especially when that man is your father." You looked at your mother in disbelief. Without another word, you grabbed your hood and took off into the darkness.

You sighed, feeling your feet numb as you continued to trek through the snow. You suddenly froze, seeing a shadow loom over you. Swallowing thickly, you slowly turned around and looked up. A wolf stared back down at you. You sharply took in air as you realized that the wolf was standing on it's hind legs with ease. If you didn't know any better, you would've thought it was a bear.

"Werewolf.." The word escaped your lips before you could fully process it. The wolf let out a huff of air through its nose and gave a nod.

"What are you doing out here in the cold?" His voice was silky and made your legs shake, but not from fear.

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" You squeaked, staring at him with wide eyes. The wolf stared at you, his brown eyes holding only warmth.

"Are you alone? Hurt? Lost?" He asked, nostrils flaring as he took in your scent.

"I'm.. I suppose I am a bit lost but.. I do not wish to go back home. My father wants to marry me off to some creep." You explained, playing with your fingers as your heart thumped rapidly against your chest. Pity filled his pretty eyes.

"Come with me. A human shouldn't be out in the cold like this." He said, turning and getting on all fours as he trotted away. You quickly scrambled after him, not wanting to be alone.

"What's your name, sir?" You asked.

"Rafael Lunarbliss." He replied, glancing at you.

"I'm (Y/N) (L/N). Thank you for helping me, Mr. Lunarbliss." You offered a smile. Rafael nodded, staring forward. You spotted a cottage on a small hill and smiled.

"Do you live here with your family?" You asked. He shook his head.

"I live here alone."

"Oh? No wife or... Erm, pups?" You asked, feeling your heart pick up again. Rafael shook his head again.

"My mother always visits hoping to see pups running around. I'm not sure why, she has three other kids who already have pups." Rafael said, carefully walking up the slippery hill.

"Hang on to me, Miss. The snow has begun to melt and I wouldn't want you getting hurt." Your heart swooned but you reminded yourself that he was just being nice. You gripped onto his thick brown fur, going up the hill until you reached the cottage. You stepped back, watching as Rafael began to shift into a human. You cringed and looked away, hearing bones pop.

"Does that hurt, Mr. Lunarbliss?" You asked, peeking at him once the noises stopped. You blinked, staring at the young man infront of you. He was quite handsome. Soft brown curls sat ontop of his head, his tan skin made his dark eyes pop, his lips were plump, and he was very toned and muscled. You flushed a bit, eyes focusing on his face so they wouldn't wonder downwards. Rafael hummed, entering the cottage and heading into another room to get dressed. You closed the door and looked around. The cottage was warm and cozy. Paintings hung on the wall and some books had been scattered on the tables. You smiled, shrugging off your hood and draping it over a chair. Rafael reappeared, dressed in a white shirt and pants.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked, leading you into the kitchen. You nodded, smiling as you sat down.

"You have a very cozy place." You told him. Rafael glanced back at you, nodding.

"My father and I built it." He said, giving a small smile. You hummed, watching him make the tea.

"I've only ever read about werewolves.. But I heard they are quite popular in many places." You said. Rafael nodded, placing the cup infront of you.

"Some humans like to hunt us down, others like to work with us, and many want to mate with us." Rafael said. You felt your cheeks heat up as you swirled the spoon around.

"Mate? Is it possible?"

"For a human and werewolf to mate? Yes, but it's frowned upon in some cultures." The way Rafael studied you made you pinch your thighs together. You picked up the cup and brought it up to your lips, gently blowing on it before taking a sip.

"I don't have women's clothes so you'll have to sleep in one of my shirts." He said. "I hope that's alright with you."

"Yes, of course." You nodded, continuing to sip on the tea. Once you were finished, you put your cup down and cleared your throat.

"I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Lunarbliss."

"It's my pleasure and please call me Rafael or Rafa. Being called Mr. Lunarbliss makes me feel old." Rafael said. You smiled and nodded.

"Of course." You gently stood and went around the table. You fought off a blush as you leaned up and pressed a kiss to his warm cheek. You gave him a shy smile. Rafael blinked, staring down at you. He cleared his throat, shifting his gaze onto the table as his ears turned a soft shade of red.

"Right.. I only have one room. You could-"

"We could both sleep in the same bed, I don't mind." You assured. Rafael nodded, clearing his throat again and leading you to his room.

Days had passed and you continued to live with Rafael in his cottage. Once the snow had fully melted, his lovely mother visited. Esme was a wonderful lady and you grew attached to her rather quickly. She cooed about you and Rafael being mates but you assured her that you were merely friends. But it did strike a question in you.

Would he ever take you as his mate?

The question made rotations around your mind daily. Rafael was young and handsome. You were sure plenty of ladies had thrown themselves at him. You would admit. You found him quite attractive and sleeping in the same bed as him fueled the fire.

"Rafa?" You turned and looked at him. The male hummed, stretched out on the floor in his wolf form like a rug.

"Would you... Ever mate with a human?" You asked, playing with the hem of the shirt. Rafael lifted his head, looking at you with his ears perked.

"Perhaps.." He replied, standing and slowly approaching the bed. You swallowed, looking up at him.

"I... I would like to be your mate." You said softly, watching him drop down onto his front legs. You were sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him.

"I've... I've never done anything with a boy before." You added, seeing his pupils dilate as his eyes darkened. He pressed his cold nose against your knee, nudging it. You slowly opened your legs, watching him grunt as he caught the smell of your want. Rafael nipped at your soaked panties and you slid them off, biting your lower lip.

"Raf-" You squeaked as he pressed his nose against your folds, a soft moan escaping after he gave them a long lick. You swallowed, watching him stand against and gently push you back onto the bed.

"We can stop at any moment." He said softly. You nodded, eyes flickering to his length. You licked your lips, looking back at his soft eyes. He moved over you, rubbing the head against your folds, covering it in your juices. He snarled softly, teeth bared as his ears flattened against his head. You let out a gasp, feeling the head pop in. You felt your walls stretch around nothing as he slowly filled you.

"Rafa!" You moaned softly as he moved back, leaving his head inside. He slid all the way back in slowly, picking up speed little by little. He wasn't going fast or rough, he was being gentle and slow. You gripped the sheets tightly, moaning at every movement. Rafael pulled back, lifting of of your legs over his shoulder. You let out a long moan as he slid back in, the new angle hitting a certain spot. Rafael gently nipped at your leg, speeding up slightly as his claws gripping you. You arched your back, feeling the knot tighten until it burst and you moaned loudly. Rafael growled gently, chasing his own climax but he held back from knotting you as he pulled the shirt up and exposed your chest. He pulled back, shooting his warm cum over your stomach and breasts. You panted softly, feeling satisfied with your first time being with Rafael. Your hands found his head as he leaned down, cleaning you up with his tongue.

#monster boyfriend #exophilia #werewolf boyfriend #werewolf x reader #werewolf x fem reader #my writing #my ocs #my oc #x reader #x fem reader

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racefortheironthrone · 5 years

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This may be a liitle obscure but idk who else to ask. I'm trying to picture mines in the Westerlands and drawing a blank. I have no idea what medieval mines would look like. Are the tunnels tall enough to stand up in? Are there minecarts, or is that more of an industrial revolution thing? How is stuff physically moved upwards? How are tunnels lit (I imagine you'd quickly suffocate from torch smoke, but you can't really mine in the pitch dark either)? Thanks in advance.

So I’ve written a bit about mining here.

In terms of what medieval mining looked like...it depends a lot on the time period you’re looking at.

In the very early Middle Ages, mining was quite crude: mining communities would form in places where there was ore close to the surface, which allowed them to use low-technology methods of surface-level strip mining, or they’d use abandoned mines that had been dug out in the Roman era in the hope that there were viable seams left over.

As time went on, economies grew and thus the demand for metals intensified, you begin to see a slow process of development: by the 9th century, you start to see new mines being built, then after the 10th century the crude strip mines and the somewhat more advanced open-cast mines start to get replaced by underground mining (bell pits, trenches, and eventually tunnels). This required the rediscovery/reinvention of technologies that had existed in the Roman era - propping and shoring, the use of winches and other crude machines to bring up the ore to the surface, improved ventilation using bellows, crude cloth fans, and ventilation shafts, and above all, the use of treadmills and then watermills to pump water out.

If you want to get a really in-depth look into what late medieval/Renaissance mining looked like, we have a really exhaustive source in the form of Agricola’s de re metallica. Twelve volumes of rigorously researched material (Agricola was a persnickety empiricist kind of Renaissance humanist), complete with neatly diagrammed woodcuts:

So to answer your specific questions:

tunnels: it varied, but usually “tall enough to stand in if you hunched a bit and weren’t tall to begin with.”

minecarts: Early mining used buckets, then you got wheelbarrows, but by the 16th century you did actually get minecarts (although not on rails as much as between wooden planks)

moving stuff: as discussed above, it started with simple winches, then you got treadmills, then you got waterwheels.

lighting: despite all of these medieval/Renaissance advancements, lighting was a real problem. Prior to the advent of the safety lamp, miners used candles and open-flame lamps and just took the risk that they might walk into a patch of flammable damp and explode.

#historical analysis #medieval mining #mining #casterly rock #westerlands

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esterofila · 4 years

Text

H-hi... so.... this is my ZADR story on Wattpad! I’ll be posting the Prologue here, in case you’d wanna see it, but if you’re interested, I’d really appreciate your support! The username is UnknownIrken, and that’s my only ZADR story on there. Please, read it if you’re interested! I update ~somewhat~ often (when I get the inspritarion to), and I don’t think it’s that bad of a story, myself. Anyways, here’s the prologue, and if you like it, please read the rest of the story and share! Thank you!! 💕

——————————-

It's happening. It's finally happening.

Dib was about to be a father. He could hardly contain his glee, as he paced around Zim's labs, both nervous and ecstatic.

He, unfortunately, wasn't allowed to be present for the birth. If there was one thing to know about Irkens...

It was that they gave birth ALONE.

The stress of birth, pain, blood, etc. is enough to kick up their primal instincts. Pregnant Irkens in labor tend to attack anything, even their own mates, while giving birth. Only the baby is spared from their wrath. So Dib, for his own safety, was locked outside Zim's little birthing room, waiting, waiting, waiting.

"Z-Zim can handle this...", The Irken smiled weakly before going into the room. His face was pale, but flushed, and his legs shook. "Don't even think about us. I do not typically know how long birthing lasts, but I expect it will take a while..."

"And what, you expect me to just forget about you?"

Dib was in quite the panic. Moments ago, they were talking about something mindless on the living room couch when Zim let out an agonized screech. With horrible shuddering gasps, he croaked out "Baby!"

"Not a chance. W-what if you pass out and can't do it, or-"

"The computer will handle it!", the Irken hissed in pain, impatience, and his instinct kicking in. "Please, do not worry for us! I'll be back out before you know it, with baby in arms!"

Zim pressed a hasty, but loving kiss to Dib's face, and then made his way into the birthing room they had set up weeks earlier. The door closed right behind the alien, and Dib was left alone for now.

18 hours.

18 hours his partner was locked away in the room, taking his time. Dib was about to go into conniptions when the computer alerted him that the birthing was finally taking effect, and he'd see his child and spouse within a few hours.

Dib had not slept, eaten, or even sat down for all 18 hours. All he did was pace, mumble, and beg for the computer to let him know what was happening. All it replied was, "Just relax. They're both fine."

The poor distressed yet excited human was about an inch from going more insane, when the door *clicked *, and gently swung open.

Zim lay on the bed put inside the room, weary, tired, and had huge sticky tears running down his face. But not from pain, from joy. Their baby was here!

Dib practically sprinted over, but slowed his pace when he saw his daughter for the first time.

She was stunning. The perfect mixture of Irken and Human.

Finally.... he could have a perfect family.

~***~

"Incoming Transmission from Irk's Capital", the computer called out, beeping softly.

"What? why?"

Zim held their baby, glaring at the screen with rage, confusion, and concern. The Empire couldn't have possibly known about Zim's birth only days before... He took the right precautions..... However, if he didn't answer, they'd know he wasn't on his "mission." He silently quit his job years ago, only pretending to be an Invader should the need arise. But in reality, he himself had not harmed the planet in near 8 years.

Zim gently but firmly pressed baby Pluvio into Dib's arms, and shooed him off to the other side of the room, where the two of them couldn't be seen. Zim straightened out his uniform, stood to attention, and told Computer to accept the call.

The screen flickered, and an Irken stood before him. Zim had no idea who this Irken was.

"Greetings.....", Zim said, with a respectful bow. "May I help you?"

The Irken held a tablet in their hands, and cleared their throat.

"Invader Zimmari.."

Uh oh. Zim swallowed hard. His full name... This didn't sound good.

The other Irken continued. "It is with great honor to announce that due to your Royal Irken ancestry, and the lack of Tall Irkens to stand line for leadership, that YOU are our next Tallest." The Irken sat down their tablet, and clapped.

Zim's blood froze, and he felt himself swaying. "N-no.... that can't be right!"

Dib's eyes widened. He also felt like swaying, but he was sure falling to the floor with a baby in his arms would be completely stupid. Instead, he leaned against the wall, shooting Zim a "What the crap" look from across the room.

"Oh, but it is!", The Irken said, with a smile. They were clearly oblivious to Zim's reaction. "You are our new leader!"

"W-what about our current Tallests?!"

"Fired! The control brains feel as though they wasted too much time with snacks and parties.... they were never leadership material in my opinion, anyways. But you are!"

Zim swallowed again, antenna lowering down to his back. "I'm not even tall!", he squeaked out quietly.

"Recent studies show that height has nothing to do with leadership. It truly takes a great brain, strategic skills, and fearlessness!"

"I NEARLY BLEW UP OUR OWN PLANET!"

"Nobody will care with you in charge. We will see you shortly. Congratulations, my Tallest! We look forward to a bright new era!"

The Irken ended the transmission, and Zim instantly fell to the floor.

Dib walked over solemnly. He tried to say something.... but he couldn't.

Life, from now on, was supposed to be whole and perfect. Zim obviously couldn't bring Dib and Pluvio with him.... Despite him being Tallest, there was a strict "No Oustiders" allowed. Besides.... Zim broke quite possibly the most important rule in the Empire.

No. Falling. In. Love.

Zim shuddered, looking up at Dib. He, too, didn't know what to say.

The alien slowly stood up, walking into Dib and wrapping his thin arms around his taller mate's middle. Dib rubbed his back softly, without saying a word.

Now what?

~***~

Dib and Pluvio had to leave Zim's base shortly. If they were caught in the base with him.... they'd likely be killed on the spot by guards coming to escort their new Tallest.

So, they spent their limited time together in the living room, on the couch. Zim held his baby, hugging her and nuzzling her sleeping figure, not wanting to leave his mate and child.

"Why can't we just run?", Dib suggested through tears that slipped out without his knowing. "The universe is so huge.... they'll never find us."

"Yes they will.", Zim said in the same hollow, gray voice he had used since he first heard the news. "I can't run. They'd get suspicious and kill all three of us."

Dib bit his lips and wiped his unwelcome tears away. "Then why can't we--"

"We just can't.", Zim interrupted, still hollow. "I can't do anything."

"Zim... I can't raise a baby on my own, and I can't live my life without you."

"You have to.", Zim said, looking up at Dib. "She needs you."

"She needs you too! Pluvio needs the both of us!"

"Our baby needs you more.... I swear, I'll keep in touch as much as I can.... But I'm afraid the only option I have is becoming a Tallest.... and who knows? Maybe Zim will be able to bend the rules...."

The alien's face lit up slightly. "If I prove to them my leadership, they all might follow when I recommend taking down the 'No Mating' rule...."

Dib bit his lips harder. He felt it was a long shot.... but to be honest, anything that gave him hope was worth holding onto at the moment. He said nothing in reply. He only pulled Zim closer into his lap, and enjoyed his company while he could.

They stayed in a melancholy silence for a while, when the computer chimed. The Carrier, a ship specifically designed for transporting Tallests discreetly, has entered the solar system. Zim stood up, turning to Dib. They had to leave. Now.

Zim kissed Pluvio's head one final time. "Remember mama loves you, and I swear I'll be back one day. Please, grow up well, and happy, and safe."

He handed the still sleeping baby over to Dib, and then pulled the human into what would be their last kiss for years. The pair both had tears streaming down their faces, Dib's tears lightly burning Zim's face. Not that the Irken cared.

They finally pulled away after several minutes. They were losing time.

"Keep her safe, and make sure she grows up well. I want her to be proud, happy, and fine without me.... And you need to be strong too, Dib."

"I know.... it'll be so hard, though.", the Human said, sadly.

Zim nodded, his antenna still drooped.

"The Carrier has passed Pluto.", the computer alerted.

Zim perked, starting to feel panicked. "Agh! They're moving so quickly.... Remember, go far, far away until you KNOW the Carrier leaves, Dib. And then, the base is yours. Every door, safe, and secret is unlocked. I love you. Now run!"

Dib nodded, turning towards the door. "I love you too! Please, be a good Ruler!"

And then, Dib and Pluvio left. He walked down to a park nearby, sat under a tree, and tried to soothe the waking baby.

The Carrier quickly transported Zim from the base. Dib could see the small magenta ship from here, and watched it leave.

Dib felt his heart shatter.

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

This was the Prologue. Hope all who read it like it! I stole the name Zimmari from a fanfic I read years ago. I don't remember the fanfic's name, or author. But know I don't take credit for the name.

Hope you liked it!

#invaderzim #zadr #invaderzimzadr #zim #zimxdib #dibxzim #dib #zadrkid #lovechild #kid #wattpad #story #invaderzimfanfiction

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liltouch-moved · 3 years

Note

hai io~! 🦋 ahh yea im.. not really big on films either hdhfh i just like to watch bad movies to laugh at w my friends hehe we watched the after series a couple of weeks ago and had so much fun dhfhd i never thought i'd say this but we're actually genuinely excited for the next movie to come out lmao studio ghibli is wonderful tho~! my favorites are spirited away and howl's moving castle but totoro is really beautiful too <3

ah our trip is actually planned for this upcoming saturday so we havent been yet ^^ last time we were in moscow we visited all the big touristy places tho so this trip will be less sightseeing and more about spending time w family i guess~ do you like to travel tho? i actually dont know if its summer where you live, but if it is, do you have any plans for the summer? ^^

"like meeting old friends after a long time" aww but thats actually so cute hdhfh <33 i have a somewhat similar story in the sense that i randomly discovered them around their debut, but at the time wasnt into kpop at all (i was in the middle of my punk rock phase back then dhdjfj). i just looked up the members and stuff cause i was curious, but then completely forgot about them until my sister introduced me to kpop around clap era and i looked up svt again, this time i was hooked <33 i remember it felt kinda funny cause i didnt know them but at the same time i kinda ?? did ??? so it was like Oh yea i remember this and this guy ! and yea i know this and this random fact about the group lol

youre so valid for biasing all the members ! theyre all incredibly lovely and talented <33 my bias... ah idek if u follow me but im scared to reveal too much and ruin the fun dbfjfn i will say that vocal unit is my favorite unit and my bias may or may not be in it (hint: he is) 👀

anyway sorry for babbling so much i'll try to keep my messages shorter next time hdhfh oh and yea the butterfly emoji is super cute, its perfect 🦋 <33 have a lovely day io~ ^^

hiii it's good to see u again 💜 i'll answer under the cut ~

first of all: please talk as much as you want, i love reading long messages and i’m curious about what u have to say! it really doesn't bother me at all <3

oh i don’t think i’ve heard of the after series actually 👀 watching bad movies can be so much fun ~ what's the trashiest (in the funny way) movie you've seen? oh omg yes spirited away and howl's moving castle are incredible ✨

i see <3 that sounds really nice too, you’ll have to tell me about it later then 🥰 yes i really love traveling ~ i haven’t been able to lately bc of the pandemic and my uni/work schedule but i really love exploring new places 💖

and yeah it's summer for me too hehe and no i don't have any super big plans... later this month i'm going abroad for a few days to meet family... and i really wanna go to the mountains, but i’m not sure if that’ll work out. wbu, any other plans for your lazy summer except for the trip?

wowww are stories really are similar then :o what a coincidence ✨ and don’t take this the wrong way but it’s funny to me that you found svt in the middle of your punk rock phase lmao like debut era svt... the vibes are complete opposite fdghjk it’s interesting tho that they still managed to catch your eye even when you weren’t into kpop! it must be fate ~ and clap was soooo good omg no wonder they won you over again! do you have a favorite era? or title track?

ah it's ok you don't have to tell me <3 if i ask smth that might give you away, you don’t have to answer ofc. i've seen other people do this too, so how about in the end of the event i try to guess your bias just based on your vibes? vocal unit 👀 noted ! 📝✍️ my fav unit is performance btw but vocal is a close second <3

hope you’re having an amazing day/night, stay safe 💗🌼

#ask #🦋 anon #caratanonevent3

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cutegirlmayra · 6 years

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I'm actually a little curious of what would happen if Amy DID loose herself on that one prompt where it's explained if something happens to the past self, the present ones would feel bruises, or something like that. Good luck! Not that you need it anyway since you're writing is just... I can't even describe it. What a better word for phenomenal?

Lol, how about ‘I love you?’ *wn* thank you so much!

WARNING: For the faint of the precious heart feels, plz read with some caution.

Original: (x)

ALTERNATIVE “DARK” ENDING

Prompt:

“Stooopp!!!”

“L-leave this to us…”

“We don’t want you to change! You’ll only hurt yourself by being something you’re not! But we will fight with you!”

“Please! Listen to us!”

In a moment of true weakness, her heart feeling heavy and her hammer held tightly as if she was a rabid animal, Classic Amy breathed heavily and looked down.

She didn’t see their faces.

She barely saw through the blur of her eyes, her hands shaking and her vision going in and out of focus.

Her mind barely grasped their words… till she felt a strong hand upon her own, which was gripping her hammer.

She lightly shifted her gaze her to it, but never looked up into the keeper’s eyes.

Her mind was wild, it wasn’t stable.

Modern Amy tried to run to help the others but fell as her head started to throb, her grip on herself slowly disintegrating as she gripped her head.

“W..what’s going on? I can’t… I can’t think straight… I’m.. I’m…”

Classic Amy shook her head, “N-…Nooo!!!” she flailed and fought. Her sudden movement shocked her friends as they were tossed around and flung away from her.

She looked up with unchecked rage at the robot, and swung her hammer out towards it, readying for battle.

“Very well, foolish girl.” Classic Eggman fired the machine gun.

She skillfully arched and swerved her way through it, before smashing the robot’s footing and getting it off center.

Thanks to her practice, she found some weak points and targeted its balance, before the cannon charged and fired her back and away from them.

“No!” The Modern Sonic Team cried out, trying to desperately get up, before succeeding. Racing against time, Knuckles reached out and gripped Classic Amy’s limp body, grinding his shoulder against the rock of the broken earth and rolling along with the bumps and ramps in it.

Out of sheer power, he dug his knuckles into the earth, and stopped them before they both went tumbling into a gorge of glowing lava…

He breathed in his own sweat and the smoke suck to the inside of his mouth. But he didn’t care much, looking down at the precious jewel in his arms.

She was out cold. Her color faded. Her quills still spiked in aggression and tension.

“Ah, kid…” He breathed out, seeing as she really took a blow.

He let his head fall just above hers, trying to catch some air, but nothing was cleaning his lungs from the smoke and heatstroke he was experiencing so close to the edge.

Tails flew over and helped them up, before realizing…

Modern Sonic fought with the Classic Team, it was clear his quills had risen somewhat in his distress at seeing Classic Amy blasted away like that.

Taking down the main threat after seeing she would be alright was his first priority, then he could check on her later.

“Amy!” Tails turned to look out into the distance, squinting his eyes before his panic threw him into a loop.

The two dimensions were almost fully one… when more than just 7 Chaos Emeralds flickered into existence near Amy.

Modern Amy’s body was collapsed on the ground… but her color was faded as well, as the emeralds started spiraling around her, glowing as if getting some form of a power source around her.

With Modern’s universes Master Emerald obliterated by the Eggmans, having the Classic era’s Master Emerald and destroying any further way to charge the emeralds, it was almost a complete victory…

But Tails quickly pulled Knuckles and Classic Amy from the edge even further and then flew out to meet her.

“Amy! What’s going on!?” he cried out, seeing the emeralds flicker out of existence after touching her back, turning her even darker.

“Amy..?” he slowed down, his voice growing faint, before backing up a little bit… his arm over his head as if to shield him from something…

Sonic and the Classic Sonic Team finally took down the robot, getting ready to capture the Eggmans when they turned around at a shadow moving swiftly over the land…

The fires dimmed… but made the only light possible.

“Oh no… are the universes one?” Tails looked at the darkened sky and quickly back to Amy.

Something was going on… but he didn’t know what.

What he didn’t know… was that because the two dimensions were now polluted with uncharacteristic potential reactions… that the universe was being changed constantly.

He didn’t even realize it happening to him, but could certainly see Amy’s body burst out into a darkness power.

The reverse of Super Form was because of the corruption of time and space, and instead of a controlled power…

Modern Amy slowly got up to her knees.

At first, Tails smiled, “Amy!” he moved a little forward, being knocked back a moment but was unsure of the dark aura…

His smile faded when she stood with a blank expression, her eyes empty except for a void of white, and the darkness whisking around her in desperate need of stability.

In fear and exhaustion, the team were forced to dodge and even fight back against her bursts of power, attacking anything that moved, and seeming unable to recognize them.

“I don’t think that’s Amy!” Tails cried out, dodging another dark energy pulse that came from her, laying down from the impact. “I… urk… I think it’s the essence of the universe! It’s just as distressed, and with all the pressure of the two dimensions being painfully merged together… I think it’s just using her as an outlet!”

“That shouldn’t make sense!” Knuckles, still holding onto Classic Amy’s dangling body, jumped to the side to avoid a power blast.

“…” Modern Sonic clenched his teeth, unable to speak.

He sped up and burst out into a spin dash towards her.

However, Modern Amy turned her ghostly head and blasted a motionless pulse that spun him off his course.

He landed on his knees and braced with his hands, hitting the ground. “No..! This wasn’t.. suppose to happen… Amy! I know you’re in there!” he whipped himself around, “You gotta remember yourself… control yourself!” he was more aggressive as well, everyone being altered through the pollution of the two shredded and torn realities.

“Who are you!?”

She didn’t move again, as a pulse pushed him back but he remained able to withstand through the placement of his feet, skidding against the ground some in resistance.

“Grr… You said you felt weird… but you never said you were turning against yourself!” he cried out, shielding with squinted eyes against the furry of hot air and dark pressure trying to push him away.

“Amy! Say something!”

Nothing… just staring in his direction… the darkness building more unimaginable rage and even less comprehension…

But she broke.

Her face suddenly gave way to strained pain, stretching her face back before she swiped her hand out and her eyes turned a darkness with a shadow as it’s pupil.

“You care about us… we’re your friends… you may be the first to morph because of all this.. but if we don’t do something… you won’t be the last!”

A painful cry rang out as the gang turned to see Classic Tails gripped his head, staggering backwards as multiple colored emeralds appeared around him before flickering away when they touched his struggling body. He tried to smack them away but they suddenly, violently thrust themselves and their power into him.

“N…no..” Modern Tails watched in horror, before looking at his hands and seeing the color fade.

He looked up… but without much warning… his eyes widened as he immediately felt swallowed up at the same time as his Classic self burst into a dark silhouette and fainted.

Modern Tails’s entire body was consumed in dark flames, as they formed into some figure of a mythological fox spirit, residing on all fours and having sharp, jagged teeth. The darkness flared up but returned to his normal size, as Modern Tails began to savagely attack Classic Sonic with his new found form. Running on all fours, he slashed through to injury him, leaving Modern Sonic to reel back and watch as a slow-moving scar began to be created on the side of his chest, moving across and just stopping before the center of his body.

He breathed in fear, feeling scared, and not understanding why he couldn’t push past it like he used too.

Immediately grabbed his Classic self, Knuckles took both kids in hand and started racing away from the Classic double-ganger of Modern Tails.

The Eggmans had already begun to cringe with mouths open on the ground, feeling great pain as more emeralds swarmed them from the other dimension. As if time and space were fighting against the merger, and also going insane…

“We… Argh! Have to get to the AUUUHH…. Master Emerald.” Modern Eggman put an arm over his Classic Self, trying to help him up as he looked as though he were painfully dying, but hoisted him over his shoulder as the pain also replicated to him, causing him to fall once again to the ground.

“The Master Emerald?” Knuckles looked into the fallen robot, seeing the gem start to dangle over the fire crevice… “Oh no!” he quickly looked to the kids…

Judging what would be better, he put the kids down beside each other, seeing his Classic self take off his head, and hold it to his chest.

“We’re in deep… aren’t we, buddy?” His Classic self held a solemn look as if trying to resist accepting his fate just yet.

“…Hmm. We’ll make it.” Knuckles gave him a thumbs up, a confident smile, before booking it to rescue what could be their only hope…

Classic Sonic fought off Modern Tails, but only keeping him back with rapid spin-dashes, having marks everywhere from battle damage.

Modern Sonic could feel every attack, and gripped his arm as his body mimed taking injury… walking towards Modern Amy.

“You… have to fight it… both of you… all of us…”

The Eggmans shifted, turning into spider-like robots in dark form, and charging after Knuckles to stop him- the emeralds combining the Eggmans with parts of the fallen robot they, themselves, had invented…

Amy started to laugh.

A darkness rose behind her, a pillar to be feared, as she began to step back into it. “You think… that was… love?”

The fire engulfed her, morphing her fully into a shadowed beast, raising her up to loom over Sonic at the top of the pillar.

He could barely stand up any longer… feeling the effects of the universe… but he wasn’t going to fall so easily…

He rose his head to watch her form and then listened to her shriek out her next line-

“Now you’ll feel the pain!!!”

“…Funny.” He straightened out his back.

The universe closed in all around him, Modern Knuckles throwing the Master Emerald before the dark, mutated Eggmans got to him, and Classic Knuckles rushing to grab it and abandoning the fallen Classic Amy as she stirred to start forming into a dark creature as well.

He passed it to Classic Sonic, “Go long!” he cried out, his hat flying off into the wind.

Classic Sonic stumbled but caught it, holding it up before an attacking shadow beast, not even seeing it as his friend anymore.

“For something that wasn’t real… it still brings you lasting pain?” he gave himself a smile… before an Emerald jabbed into his shoulder, being absorbed by him. “AH!”

Like a gunshot, Sonic fell to his knees again…

But Modern Amy twitched back at his words, before shaking her head.

“You ruined the cosmos! You destroyed me!”

“…Amy did care…” Sonic gasped out, fighting with quakes against the pain in his shoulder, seeing another Emerald flicker into existence, he turned his head in reflex and dodged it as it lunged towards him.

Classic Sonic stumbled and dropped the Master Emerald, having it roll through the broken earth’s ramps and peaks before falling near Modern Sonic…

“Amy doesn’t exist!”

Sonic rose his head, “So you are the universe!”

The dark formed creature leaned its head back in surprise, realizing Sonic knew that darkness was invading the world through pollution. They weren’t his friends anymore… it was possession.

He dashed to the Master Emerald in one last attempt for freedom, Knuckles shifting, his Classic self fading, and Sonic seeing the darkness start to quickly consume him.

Suddenly… everything was black… all Sonic could see through it was his white, gloved hand… reaching for a faint emerald color…

Then the light shone before he was fully taken over.

Chaos emerged and was released from the emerald, encircling Sonic in a brilliant glow.

He was purified and turned super, immediately using Chaos’s abilities to cover the world and split the dimensions back into their proper place.

Classic Amy woke up under a tree. The sun shining, the air clean.

She looked around before she saw a patch of flowers swaying by her, freshly picked.

She smiled and happily smelled them before a figure walked up behind her.

A few… actually.

“What are you doing way out here, Rosy?” Tails leaned over to smile at her, as Sonic and Knuckles looked to one another and then smiled down at her too.

“Need a lift?” Knuckles offered, as he held out a hand for her.

Happy, content, and not even wondering why everything was so peaceful, Amy had no idea the adventure that had happened in another pocket of time and space; and with the healed universe, took Knuckles’s hand, and leaped into Sonic’s arms.

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