#and how stoked everyone was to see him come out on that stage

[boyfiejay]

Enhypen : when their S/O has a wardrobe malfunction

☆ Heeseung

He met you a little before your performance, and he definitely did not trust the extra fabric of your skirt. But your stylist reassured him saying that it wasn't long enough for you to trip on it. She definitely jinxed it. When you almost fell down face first that too on the chorus part, Heeseung really couldn't stop his reaction. Everyone and their mothers could tell that he was worried and him disappearing right after the performance told a huge story. The media and fans had a field day with you both.

Would 100% pull you in a hug knowing how sad you must be. Let's you cry on his shoulder, keeps praising you for being so professional, would crack some lame jokes here and there to make you laugh. He peppers your face in kisses. His eyes are shooting daggers at the stylist.

☆ Jay

Would immediately notice something is wrong, even before you. You had worn a tie strap top, and your stylist had thought that it would be a nice idea to let you wear that top without anything underneath it. So it was no wonder that the tie would come lose at some point. He's a relatively calm person but seeing you finally notice the tie coming lose made him want to rip his hair out and run up to the stage to cover you. Thankfully there was a part where you had to step away for the main dancers part, at that moment the leader of your group tied the straps of your top. But Jay could tell you were hyperventilating, thinking that you had ruined the performance.

He would just pull you in a hug and stoke your hair whispering sweet nothings in your ear, it physically hurts him to see you cry but he doesn't stop you. He's honestly just so understanding, but still reassures you. Gives you forehead kisses >_<

☆ Jake

Honestly you both realize it at the same time. It was particularly windy when your group started performing. And you were already stressed because of your lightweight skirt. We all know where this is going, so just when you were stepping away after your part ended the wind made your skirt ride all the way up. Thankfully you were wearing safety shorts and the camera was focused on someone else. But it was still a very traumatizing situation. It genuinely slipped his mind to control his reaction and then he was plastered all over internet along with your performance video. Your fancam was deleted later, and the unfortunate part wasn't in focus in the main performance video.

Immediately attacking you with kisses, pulled you in a bone crushing hug. Honestly he was way more worried and stressed than you were, so I'd say he's the one who needs your reassurance.

☆ Sunghoon

He doesn't realize it until you are holding your pants together. There was a part in the song where you had to kneel down, and your overly tight pants ripped along the side. It was a relatively small rip at first but when you had to do that part again in the second verse, the pants ripped almost all the way. It was extremely noticeable but you still performed as if nothing happened. Actually the only one who controlled his reactions and had some sense. He knows you aren't panicking so he isn't either. A small part of him is actually very mad at the stylist, he remembers you asking them for a different pant but they refused.

He doesn't visit you right away knowing your group would be huddled around you. But when he does visit he pulls you aside and let's you cry on his shoulder. As the oldest of your group you hate to cry infront of others and sunghoon knows that. Wipes your tears and kisses your cheeks.

☆ Sunoo

He is too lost staring at your face to notice what happened. You were wearing a strapless dress and it was a little big on you, there was nothing that was holding your dress together. Yet you performed flawless as ever, until the part where you had to lift you hands up and do a little jump. The whole dress shifted lower and if it wasn't for the palm of your hand you would've definitely flashed the audience your safety bra. Sunoo had the most unfiltered expression ever. Like his hand covering his dropped jaw, dramatically standing and all (thankfully Niki held him down but everyone still saw him almost stand up).

He is asking you questions non stop the moment you meet his eye, he's just worried but all the attention was just making you feel more embarrassed. Pulls you in a hug and rubs your back. Although dramatic he is the sweetest and constantly reassures you.

☆ Jungwon

It was too noticeable to not notice. There was a small zip on the front of your top, and technically speaking it should've been sewn shut just so it doesn't come undone. But that's exactly what happened, the choreo was a bit hard and in all that moving the zipper came undone. You didn't notice it until you feel air on your chest, your cleavage showing a little too much. But you immediately zipped it as soon as you noticed it. Jungwon paled the moment he saw you on screen. As someone who doesn't like showing skin this was a nightmare for you.

You were pulled in a hug as soon as you stepped down from the stage. Jungwon rocked you back and forth noticing you let out some sniffles. Tries to comfort the best he can (he's doing a great job honestly).

☆ Niki

He notices you not keeping up first and then realizes what is going on. You were wearing a bracelet, sometime in the performance it got stuck on the fabric of your skirt. You tried to undo it, but after it wouldn't budge you decided to just rip it but you weren't expecting the fabric of your skirt to rip that much. Honestly the ripped cloth wasn't that noticeable because your skirt was frilled, but it still messed your performance. He tries his best to not give any reaction but he's very proud of you for handling it so professionally. He knows that something so small wouldn't make you upset.

Despite that he visits you to make sure you were ok, just to see you laughing and making jokes with your members about the mishap. He let's it slip that he was worried despite knowing you would tease him for it.

#enhypen #enhypen fanfic #enhypen drabbles #enha x reader #enhypen x reader #enhypen reactions #enhypen imagines #enhypen fluff #heeseung x reader #jay x reader #sim jake x reader #sunghoon x reader #sunoo x reader #jungwon x reader #niki x reader #enha fluff #enha fanfic #enhypen heeseung #enhypen jay #enhypen sunghoon #enhypen sunoo #enhypen jungwon #enhypen niki #park jongseong #park sunghoon #sim jaeyun #kim sunoo #yang jungwon #nishimura riki

[fanficimagery]

Hawkins Christmas Surprise

Christmastime is the perfect time to let your friends and fans in on a secret you've kept for over a year.

Words: 3.5K Author's Note: Merry (early) Christmas? Haha.

High school was supposed to be a time to have fun and fool around.

It was NOT meant for you to fall in love with the first boy you spent weeks tiptoeing around because you developed a major crush on him. But Eddie Munson got his hooks in you deep and you found you couldn't complain.

You and Eddie didn't have too many things in common, but the two of you learned to like what the other liked or at least tolerate it for the sake of each other's sanity. Eddie loved D&D, but you could barely grasp what was happening or how to play. You loved rom-coms, but Eddie could hardly stand them unless his head was in your lap and you played with his hair.

The major differences were your taste in music, but you supported Corroded Coffin with all your heart and Eddie supported your song writing and the cheesy lyrics you would write down and sometimes leave behind in his room.

At first glance, you and Eddie seemed suited to one another. But the more people got to know the two of you and your different personalities, they couldn't fathom how it was you managed to stick together.

You and Eddie both took your music seriously, so it was a shock to you when you were approached after singing a cover of one of your favorite songs at a small cafe. With some music producer's card in hand, Eddie was the most stoked for you to give them a call and see what the deal was even when you were hesitant in doing so.

For months you spoke on the phone with a music producer and shared some of your unfinished songs with them, and by the time you were set to graduate, you had a studio booked states away so you could record an EP. You were excited and nervous, and afraid of leaving Eddie behind because while he was only meant to be a high school sweetheart, he became so much more in the two years you had dated. But when your hesitancy was made obvious, Eddie encouraged you to live your life and see where this took you. He'd be in Hawkins, because his grades weren't good enough to graduate with you and would only be a phone call away when you needed to talk.

So, you left the comfort of your hometown and Eddie Munson, and you made a name for yourself.

For years you wrote and toured and did interviews, all the while calling Eddie every night that you were able to. Sometimes Eddie, and even his uncle Wayne, would make one of your shows if it was close enough- always sitting in the section you'd reserved for them. And those nights that Eddie would spend with you, you'd lay in his arms and apologize for the long-distance relationship you were subjecting him to. But Eddie never complained. He loved you as much as you loved him, and he vowed to always be there no matter what- through thick and thin.

And Eddie… well, he always keeps his promises.

Christmas is just days away and you're in a slump.

Normally you're excited for the holidays, but you find yourself missing everyone back in Hawkins, and you're exhausted. You need a break, and you need it before you burn yourself out. So, after talking to your manager and explaining how you're feeling, everyone's in agreement that a yearlong break is in order so long as you continue writing here and there so you can get back into the studio after the year is up.

You don't tell anyone you're coming home. You want to surprise them, in more ways than one, and you know exactly how you're going to do it.

Hawkins is throwing a Christmas Festival, complete with food booths, games, pictures with Santa, and music entertainment. And though you're only taking a break because you're tired of performing, you can think of no better way to surprise everyone by entering in the talent portion of their entertainment hour. So, after several calls and explaining your plan, your hometown is more than happy to have you go on stage with a Christmas song.

You call Eddie the day before Christmas Eve and apologize for not being able to make it home. He was ready to drop everything and be with you, but you made sure he did no such thing. You wanted him to spend Christmas with Wayne and his friends and promised to make it home for New Years. And after many reassurances, he reluctantly agreed to stay put.

Your bandmates are visiting Hawkins with you, just long enough so you can perform before flying out to their own families. You told them it wasn't necessary, but when they found out what you had planned, they wanted to be there to see how it all played out.

On Christmas Eve, you send out text messages to your friends while calling your family. You apologize to them once more, and then ask about their plans. It seemed everyone was heading out to the Christmas Festival, and you did your best to not show how excited and relieved you were. Then hidden in the backseat of an SUV, you show your bandmates around your hometown and take in all the decorations they'd put into the festival.

Later that evening, with beanies pulled down over your heads and scarves hiding the lower half of your faces, you and your bandmates are allowed to walk around the festival in order to kill some time. You see many familiar faces, heart pounding when you spot Eddie and your usual group of friends all still hanging out together. Then when the entertainment hour begins, you and your bandmates head to the tent to get ready.

It's basically a talent show for anyone looking to win gift cards to the local stores, and you all patiently wait until they all sing and are judged.

When all is said and done, the announcer keeps everyone hanging around. "So, before everyone disperses, we have a Hawkins Christmas surprise for all of you!" The crowd cheers some, and you and your bandmates fidget excitedly behind the stage. "Fresh off tour, please put your hands together for Hawkins' very own… YN YLN!"

There's a collective gasp and then the crowd erupts when you and your band walk on stage. You laugh, waving to the crowd and take your place behind the mic stand. "Hey, Hawkins. It's been a while." You smile as they continue to cheer and whistle, and you snort when you see Dustin Henderson- complete with reindeer antlers and a red nose- push his way to the front of the crowd. Mike, Lucas, Max, Jane, Will, Eddie, Steve, Robin, Nancy, Jonathan, Wayne, and your parents aren't too far behind.

"You dirty, little liar!" Eddie shouts. "You said you weren't going to make it!"

"Sorry, baby," you muse and the crowd laughs. "Merry Christmas." And then addressing the crowd, you say, "So how about those talented kids, huh? Woo! Congrats to the winner and while they got you all nice and amped up for the night, I'm afraid I'm about to slow things down with my absolute favorite Christmas song. I hope you don't mind."

"Never!" Dustin shouts.

You grin at him before glancing over your shoulder, nodding at your bandmate standing behind a keyboard. Once the crowd catches onto the tune, they fall quiet.

"Oh, Holy Night. The stars are brightly shining…"

You sing the song your mother played nearly on repeat from Thanksgiving until New Years. It's a song you've come to love, and you couldn't pass up singing it, especially as you watch your father gather your mother in his arms, her back to his chest as they lightly sway side to side.

Snow starts to fall and your heart fills with warmth.

"Fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angel voices."

You're not one for religion, but this song just hits different for you. And many others, it seems, as they fall into a trance while listening to your voice.

Once the song ends, the crowd erupts yet again.

"Thank you." You take a moment to stomp your feet, shaking out your arms. "Woo. I forgot how cold it can get here," you muse. Your bandmates and crowd chuckle along with you. "But I wouldn't have this happen any other way because wow. Look around, guys, it's freakin' beautiful out here." 

With the snow falling and the twinkling lights all around, downtown Hawkins really is a sight to behold. "Now before I take my leave to spend the holidays with my family, I have one more surprise for you all." Your lips twitch in amusement as your gaze falls on Eddie. "Edward Munson, will you please join me on stage?"

Some of the crowd cheers and you laugh as Eddie's smile falls. His eyes narrow and you blow him a kiss, laughing when Steve and Dustin shove him forward.

As Eddie hops on stage, you can't help but take in how the boy you loved grew into the man he is now. Corroded Coffin never had their big break, but Eddie threw himself into work and helped support his uncle. He helped so much that they were able to get out of the trailer park and rent a real house instead.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" He asks, murmuring in your ear while pressing a kiss to your cheek.

"We're coming clean." Your eyes sparkle and when Eddie meets your gaze, he slowly smirks.

"'Bout damn time."

Laughing, you face the crowd once more. "So as many of you know, this knucklehead is the one whose been by my side since our high school years. He's the one I bounce all my ideas off of, so he's going to help me out with this brand-new song." The crowd cheers as your bandmates bring out two stools and an acoustic guitar for Eddie. "So, this is my Christmas gift to you all- a brand-new song and… well, let's see who picks up on the second half of your Christmas surprise."

You and Eddie bring the stools closer to the edge of the small stage, taking a seat. He gives the guitar a few strums to make sure it's in tune and then nods at your bandmates to let them know to get ready as well.

Crossing one knee over the other, you hold the mic in your right hand while resting your left between your thighs. You wink at Eddie, and he starts to strum, the chords filling the air with a melody far too soft for the likes of him.

"I met you in the dark. You lit me up. You made me feel as though I was enough. We danced the night away. We drank too much. I held your hair back when you were throwing up."

Eddie snorts, this being the first time he heard the lyrics as another one of your bandmates picks up the melody on the keyboard. You'd only ever sent him chords to the song, letting him play out the melody to get a feel for it. So, while he knows how to play it, the lyrics are a surprise to him as much as they are to the crowd.

Meeting Eddie's gaze, you sing, "I knew I loved you then, but you'd never know. 'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go. I know I needed you, but I never showed. But I wanna stay with you until we're gray and old. Just say you won't let go."

The crowd cheers and awws, and Eddie's dimples make an appearance. You stand up from your stool, gesturing for Eddie to follow your lead. Your guitarist picks up the melody as Eddie puts his guitar down, and then you take his hand in yours.

"When you looked over your shoulder, for a minute I forget that we're older. I wanna dance with you right now." Eddie laughs and spins you with one hand, bringing you back in so your back is to his chest, swaying side to side. "I'm so in love with you and I hope you know. Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold. We've come so far, my dear. Look how we've grown. And I wanna stay with you until we're gray and old."

You step out of his embrace, turning to face him. Your breath hitches when you see his eyes shine with unshed tears, his smile beaming at you brightly for all to see. You step back into his space, left hand cradling the side of his face that's facing the crowd as his hands rest on your hips.

"HOLY SHIT!" You hear one of your friends shout.

"I wanna live with you even when we're ghosts 'cause you were always there for me when I needed you most. I'm gonna love you till my lungs give out. I promise 'till death we part like in our vows. So, I wrote this song for you. Now everybody knows that it's just you and me 'till we're gray and old."

And if the lyrics didn't tip off the crowd to what you were telling them with this song, then the diamond ring on a certain finger on your left hand sure did.

You finish out the song, staring deep into your husband's eyes. And then in front of everyone, for the entire town of Hawkins to see, Eddie pulls you into a deep kiss.

Your bandmates, family, friends, and fans erupt into cheers.

Pulling back from Eddie, you laugh. He pulls on the rope necklace around his neck, taking it off to slip off his own silver wedding band before slipping it onto his finger to show that he's off the market. You, Eddie, and your band all gather together, and then take a bow before taking your leave.

As you walk behind the stage, you hug each of your bandmates as they laugh and thank you for surprising your hometown with such big news.

You and Eddie are left alone, his arms wrapped around your waist and yours around his neck as he rests his forehead against yours. "Did you really just do that? Holy shit."

"No more hiding." You grin and chastely kiss his lips. "And by the way, I'm home for the next year. Merry Christmas."

Eddie's eyes widen. "Christ, I love you."

But just as he leans in for another kiss, there's a crowd of chaos descending upon you.

"YOU'RE MARRIED?!"

"HOLY SHIT! WHEN DID YOU-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?!"

"Calm- calm down." You and Eddie both laugh, stepping apart to receive hugs from your parents and Wayne. "Yes, we're married."

"Got hitched last year," Eddie muses, relishing the chaos around him.

"And we didn't really tell anyone. The only people who knew were my parents and Wayne who were there for the ceremony."

"Well shit. Congratulations, guys," Steve says. "You know we have to have a party now. Right?"

"New Years!" Robin realizes. "It's perfect."

"We don't need a party."

"I don't care. We didn't get to see you say I do, so we're throwing you a party."

"Fine. If you must," Eddie says. He rolls his eyes, but you know he's secretly pleased. In fact, your whole group of friends know if their little grins are anything to go by.

"You know, this makes so much more sense now," Mike says. "I always saw Eddie at your parents' place, giving a helping hand. Your mom was always pinching his cheeks and I swear I heard her call him the perfect son in law-"

"What?!" Dustin screeches. "When did you hear this? Why didn't you tell me?!"

Mike shrinks back. "I just thought she said it to say it. We all knew they were dating. I just thought she said it because they'd been dating for so long!"

"Aww." You coo and pinch Eddie's side. "Look at you being a proper son-in-law." Then glancing at Wayne, you say, "You and me, old man, we're hitting up a bar for drinks on your next day off. My treat."

"I won't say no to free drinks." Wayne chuckles.

"Damn right, you won't." Then glancing around at your friends, you say, "So as much as I want to hang out with you all, I kind of want to take my husband home and cuddle the shit out of him."

"Will we be able to hang out before you're back on the road?" Robin asks.

"Buckley," you slowly grin. "We'll have the entire upcoming year."

"What?!"

"Told my manager I needed a break." You shrug. "So long as I continue writing, I'm home for the year."

Robin jumps up and down in excitement, and you're not surprised when your parents sandwich you in a hug. Eventually they release you, and then you and Eddie are trying to scurry out of the crowd so you can get home as soon as possible.

The house that the Munson's had chosen has two bedrooms, but it apparently came with a basement that they had completely transformed so Eddie could have his privacy. Eddie drags you through the front door, laughing, and you can't help but feel comfort when you see the familiar caps hanging on the wall and the numerous coffee mugs adorning some shelves.

"Never change, uncle Wayne," you murmur quietly.

Practically running down the basement stairs, you almost run into Eddie when he suddenly stops. You're still standing on the stairs when he whirls around, arms going around your waist and lifting so your legs wrap around him. Now that your head is above his own, you gently cradle his face before planting a soft kiss to his lips.

"What are you doing?" You laugh.

He leads the way to the bedroom portion of the basement without even having to look where he's going. "Taking my wife to bed."

"So soon?" You muse.

"Shut up. I haven't properly tasted you since our wedding night. Don't judge me for being eager."

You yelp when he suddenly drops you on his bed, laughing as he hurriedly strips. Then scooting backwards up the mattress, you rest against his pillows as you watch as he gets himself down to his boxers before crawling his way towards you. "Missed you," you mumble as he hovers above you, caging you beneath him. "Missed this," you then say while scratching your nails along his naked torso.

"And to think we're going to have a whole year of this."

Eddie swoops down then, lips capturing yours mid-giggle.

Sunlight filtering in through the small basement windows is what wakes you, and you slowly waken with a stretch and a yawn that nearly pops your jaw. You turn so you're on your back, Eddie's arm sliding along your waist while he still slumbers.

You turn to face him, smiling softly as you raise a hand to move the hair out of his eyes. Your fingers trail down his face, your thumb tugging on his bottom lip. His eyelids flutter open and you lean in to quickly kiss his lips. "Morning, sleepyhead."

He groans quietly, pulling you closer to him and nuzzling into the side of your neck. "Mmmm. I've missed waking up like this."

"Me too, love."

"Were you being serious last night? You're home for a year?"

"I am," you tell him. "I love my job, but I love you more. I told my manager I was going to need more frequent breaks if she didn't want me to burn out. My bandmates agreed and there wasn't much she could do. So long as I write so I have something to record when I hit the studio, she won't raise a fuss."

Eddie huffs. "Sometimes I'm glad Corroded Coffin never took off. Can you imagine trying to make time for one another if we were both touring?"

"We'd be miserable."

"So miserable." You grin as he presses a kiss to your jaw. "So how long do you think we have before any of the children come looking to steal you away from me?"

Your breath hitches when you feel his hand beneath the blanket slowly make its way towards your now most sensitive part. "Fuck them kids." Eddie snorts, his hand stopping just right below your navel. You whine and squirm. "I'm not opposed to scarring them for life. It'll be their own fault for walking into your den right after being reunited with me."

"Our den," he then amends. "This place is ours."

"Yeah?"

"Wayne's got a deal with the homeowner. Soon enough, this place will permanently be ours."

"Mhm. That's nice. But Eds, if your hand doesn't continue its descent south in the next five seconds, I will divorce your scrawny ass."

Eddie laughs and playfully nips your shoulder. "What the lady wife wants, the lady wife shall get."

And if you hear screams of scandalized terror and disgust only thirty minutes later, well then, it's your friends' fault for not calling ahead or knocking.

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfiction #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction #eddie munson #stranger things

[from-memphis-with-love]

Gambling on Your Love - Ch. 4

Summary: A revealing photograph stokes rumors about Elvis and Francesca's romance and an unexpected visitor leads to misunderstandings. on set mishaps continue, making Frannie believe the set is cursed. Seeking solace, Frannie and Elvis escape to a mountain cabin, where they momentarily evade the public eye and confront their feelings in seclusion. But… is someone watching?

Want to catch up? Read chapters one, two, and three.

Word count: 8,900 Warnings: Trust issues; sexual content; privacy invasion; use of alcohol; mental and emotional stress.

The dress was one of a kind. The studio didn’t actually own the rights to it; it was personally borrowed from Givenchy’s collection. Designed for Audrey Hepburn, it had never graced the big screen due to a scene cut. Swarovski crystals were intricately adorned across the breast, shimmering distractingly. The dress demanded attention in every shot and was perfect for the duet scene. 

Although things often required multiple takes, Francesca was determined to nail this scene with as few retakes as possible. As beautiful as the dress was, wearing it was a challenge due to the uncomfortable and unbreathable whalebone corset. However, perhaps because she had been eating lightly recently, the dress fit her better this time, feeling more giving. As she was being laced up, Francesca heard a stitch pop, and the dressing room fell silent. Everyone held their breath, listening intently, but the silence was soon interrupted as the lacing continued until she was all fixed up.

Frannie looked at herself in the mirror; the reflection was stunning. She gave a twirl, practically abuzz with anticipation for the final touch-up of her hair. Although her skin was sensitive—having developed an allergy to the previous makeup—there were no worries now. A doctor had warned her of such a possibility during a "particularly immunocompromised" spell. Following another small flare-up, her makeup foundation was changed to a different formula, and she had experienced zero problems since.

Taking a step forward, she stumbled as the base of her heel broke off. Her ankle twisted painfully, but it wasn’t sprained. She stood still for a second, stunned by her near fall and yet another mishap. It was just another drop in the bucket. She tried not to let it bother her as wardrobe staff rushed her another pair of shoes. Things were going well, and she wasn’t letting anything get to her.

Elvis had flooded her changing room with roses. Her ears would be sparkling with gems if she weren’t in costume. Gifts seemed to be his courting language, along with everything else he brought to the charm table.

As she made her way to the stage, her heart fluttered upon seeing him. Their eyes met instantly and did so every day, their gazes consuming one another. Their affection remained a well-kept secret; they refrained from public displays of affection. Well, at least nothing that could be misconstrued as more than the typical, harmless Presley flirtation. To the wider media, that was simply how Elvis behaved with all the ladies. 

In one instance, a photograph captured his hand possessively cupped on her upper arm, his head turned towards her. In the picture, a part of a series submitted by fans depicting the crew relaxing outside the studio, Frannie was tucking away a stray strand of hair and someone was doing “bunny ears” behind Eddie’s head. But it was Elvis, caught in the act of staring at her, his face calm and lips curled into a slight smile, who stole the scene.

They had another hot date planned for tonight. This time, she was finally taking her bike out of storage to cruise the scenic back roads. It was meant to be just a quick trip before he went to the movies later with the boys.

Elvis had even offered her space in his garage, saying she was free to come and go whenever she pleased. This arrangement suited her better than leaving the bike in her own parking spot, where she was paranoid that someone might steal it. 

Feeling the wind smooth over her as the road unfurled like a black ribbon was a dream. She was almost beside herself with excitement, and one of the only people in whom she could confide her overwhelming enthusiasm and budding happiness was her big sister. However, Connie was reserved in her pleasure about Frannie’s choice in men. Unimpressed by Elvis Presley’s acclaim, she asked where they had gone on their first date and how the night had gone. Here, Frannie had to tread carefully to avoid scandalizing her sister and breaking her heart with the full truth.

Well, if you must know, Con, Mr. Presley and I had a bit of what I like to call Everything But.

*

Lights beaming and cameras rolling, Frannie put her hand in his. Their knees touched as the music, played from a recording mockup of the instrumentals, filled the air. It was brassy, jazzy, and swinging. Elvis had been practicing his moves; he wasn’t looking at his feet, peering for cues, or far off in thought, trying to remember his choreography. He was looking at her, steadfast, grinning.

She recognized him at once as the proficient performer he was. He mirrored her every move. When she dipped, he followed; during the somber, talkier lulls in the song, he chased her, burning with an unquenchable passion that translated oh so effectively onto the screen. She knew they nailed it even before Cassandra called "cut."

“That’s perfect!” Cassandra cheered, slapping the wooden arm of her chair. “Beautiful. Beautiful, my darlings.” She leaned over when a cameraman motioned for her attention.

Elvis was breathing harder, really worked up. “You’re fantastic, Frannie.” It almost sounded like a concession, like something he finally gave in to believing. It shouldn’t vindicate her as much as it did hearing it from him. She wasn’t striving for his approval—or anyone else’s for that matter. Except her own. But damned if that wasn't a good feeling.

They were electric. 

The cameras were still on, and they transitioned to the next scene, where they'd be running through the casino while security chased after them. She was dreading running in these heels, but she'd prepared for this, jogging up and down her apartment steps.

Elvis ran ahead of her, their hands linked together. Jake wasn't leaving Josephine behind. He finally realized they belonged together; fate had led them to this moment. Their journey only seemed too good to be true because disappointment had been their constant companion. But now, they had found each other, and that's all that really mattered.

They rounded the corner of the slots, extras engrossed in dropping coins into the machines, paying almost no mind to the fleeing couple being pursued by a group of armed officers. The next scene, their getaway, would be filmed tomorrow. In it, Josephine and Jake would apprehend—or rather, borrow—a carriage horse and disappear into a parade.

But before they could close out filming for the day, Frannie stumbled. Her heel snapped clean off, rolling her ankle painfully. She hissed, her knees buckling and slamming against the carpeted ground.

"Frannie!" Elvis lifted her up, righting her dress, flinching slightly. "Oh, your poor dress." 

Frannie followed his concerned gaze, seeing the entire right seam of her dress split clean open from her hip to her underarm. It clung by a webbing of threads and a wish. Beads slipped free from the stitching and she watched them glint before disappearing underneath the slot machines.

Cassandra gasped audibly, cursing under her breath. "Shit."

Wardrobe was on set like paramedics, racing to her side with emergency sewing kits in their pockets for moments like this—except it was clear this was no simple quick fix.

“Oh my god,” one muttered shakily, brow sweating instantly with needle and thread between thumb and forefinger. Hesitant, the young man stopped. “I can’t. It’ll only damage the dress further. We must send it back for repairs.”

There was an uneasy quiet among the present crew. Cassandra had called in a favor on this one.

“I’m not even sure how it happened,” Frannie explained, gingerly touching the split seam. “It wasn’t that tight.”

“The fabric isn’t torn. It actually looks like the threading just came loose. But it’s gold and there’s no way I’m plunging acrylic into that marvelous silk.” He withdrew apologetically with a shrug. Frannie inhaled, head canting, palms lightly slapping her thighs.

“Well, I suppose that’s that, then.”

Elvis laughed. “You know, I really liked you in that dress.” Always the cushioner with something fond to say. He helped her keep her balance while she undid her other heel. Inspecting the one that’d broken, she couldn’t tell if it had been tampered with or not. Perhaps it’d just been a coincidence.

There was another hitch in the filming process, although this one only lasted a few days. As a child, she remembered her mother telling her that both good and bad things often come in threes. The dress had arrived from Givenchy to her delight. He'd had a good laugh upon hearing about her wardrobe malfunction, and her bike had been delivered and was now safely stored in her apartment's parking garage. And, to top it all off, her agent was in town!

Dominick showed up to her door, knocking musically with a souvenir from his trip to Germany and many photos to share.

“I know you love these little chocolates. Marie made me buy enough to fill a second carry-on bag.” He laughed, handing her a case of the mouth-watering smooth chocolate that she had been dreaming about since his last trip a year ago. She adored it when he brought her things. His wife, Marie, was such a delight, always looking out for her on a personal level. Apparently, it was at Marie's suggestion that Dominick took such a shining to her.

But something was amiss. She could sense unspoken tension in her agent’s tight smile, his hands shoved into his pockets. He raised a foot and leaned back, attempting to appear casual when he began, “Francesca, there’s something I think we should talk about.”

Without looking up from her box of sweets, mesmerized by the pretty shiny foil and the glossy bonbons in heart-shaped cutouts, she popped another one into her mouth and answered cautiously, “Oh?”

“You’re not in any trouble.”

“Well, I’d hope not,” she laughed, already anticipating where this conversation was heading. His eyes kept flickering around the room, as if magnetized, with pools of worry reflecting the swirls of red roses.

“Of course, of course. You know, as your agent, of course,” he began. Oh, how he loved touting that title. He adjusted his tie with a smirk. For such a successful big-shot living in Manhattan, he was quite the cheeseball. “I’m worried that you and a certain someone might be getting a little too close for comfort.”

She wasn't about to walk right into whatever sticky trap he had laid out. Unashamed of where her heart had decided to find its fill, she casually massaged cold cream into her face. "Hmm, I’m close to lots of people all day, Dominick. It's cramped on this set at times, but we make the best of it."

“C’mon, Frannie. The parking lot calls to let me know you shipped your old bike out, a paparazzo catches you and Elvis rolling up on his motorcycle to a very confused valet at an upscale restaurant—"

Frannie gasped, but before she could say anything, ask who, when—she hadn’t even seen a flash—Dominick held up his palm to stop her short. She thought they’d kept it casual enough. Had she been holding a little too closely to his waist? That’s how any passenger ought to ride!

“I can see the cogs turning. But trust me, I paid to have that tucked into my pocket instead. Not that it’s the most scandalous headline. Helmet-wearing date arrives at fancy dinner with Elvis Presley. I don’t think anyone can even tell that it’s you. But I want you in control of what gets out. I want you to want what gets out. And something tells me this ain’t it.”

He passed her the photo in question. It was innocent enough. Her, disguised by the helmet and a chunky jacket. Only her lean legs and heels on display, and her hair peeking out.

“Are you sure this is the only photo they managed to take?” She wouldn’t mind having a memento of that night.

“Nope. You can never be sure. But if this was the one photo the snoops wanted to sell to the papers, I’m betting they don’t have any bigger guns loaded.” 

She didn’t know what to say. “Did you come all this way just to give me some chocolate and to save my skin?”

He always looked like he was just barely restraining from tousling her hair. “You’re a good kid. My best one in fact, and I’m not just saying that ‘cause you make me the most money. You’re a once in a lifetime. A star plucked straight from the skies.” 

He had such a confident gravitas in his words that she never forsook his advice. Not once had he steered her wrong. Every move had been calculated to spear her towards a life of excess. Thanks to his hands, she wanted for very little.

“Thank you, Dominick.” He was like a father to her. Maybe she wanted him to rough up her hair a bit, chuck her chin and call her a good kid again. She wasn’t planning on tearing up.

He hugged her tight, patting her back with his big bear hands. “I’m going to be in town for a few days, so if you need anything, I’ll be staying on Fremont. That big, ugly hotel with the pink neon.” He shuddered. “And listen to me, not preaching as an agent to a client. I really want you to… take your time. With every decision you make. This isn’t some B-list background dancer, Frannie. He’s Elvis Freaking Presley. Everything he does is under a microscope. You know how many cameras I spotted outside those fences?" He reached around for his cigarette pack but she narrowed her eyes when he went to light it. "Alright, alright. Outside it is then."

He kissed her cheek hastily, and she huffed and gave him the other. "It's always a pleasure when you stop by."

"The pleasure is all mine, sweetheart. You take care now. And please don't go stumbling into any more poison ivy patches. You need to be careful on these damn nature trails anyway. What if a freaking bear gets you?"

Frannie couldn't tell him that someone had poisoned her. He would pull her from the film instantly, contact be damned. He would find a loophole or pierce the veil and rip his own in. So she'd turned the story askew a bit, putting her on a hike that ended in an ambulance ride to the hospital.

She couldn’t tell him about the myriad mishaps that had occurred on set. She was even starting to hear the superstitious whispers of a “cursed film” circulating. However, as the film neared the completion of its final scenes, press buzz would inevitably erupt. The closer they got to the release—with the press junkets, fan events, photo shoots, parties, and afterparties—the more overwhelming it felt. The prospect was enough to make her dizzy. While she was reluctant, she also looked forward to it. Dressing up and socializing was always enjoyable, but there was always a critical, unspoken precision required, even at these glamorous events. It was nerve-wracking to maintain the perfect smile, play with her words, and navigate increasingly personal questions. This time, everything would have a distinctive Presley flavor.

What was it like working with the King of Rock and Roll?

What’s your favorite Elvis Presley song?

Is there any truth in the rumors, Frannie? Are you going steady? Are you two in love?

Francesca shook her head, banishing those thoughts to the recesses of her mind. God, she needed a vacation. Maybe she should consider the one Elvis had suggested weeks ago. He mentioned having a cabin in the Tennessee mountains and was stunned when she said she’d never visited the state. She couldn’t go to Tennessee with him right now, but maybe they could rent a place up in the mountains somewhere close by. The thought of spending time with him, nestled in front of a roaring fire while the snow fell, made her toes curl.

Filming should be all but wrapped up by winter. She wanted to see her family for Christmas without interrupting things anymore. But with the way things were going, it was looking alright.

In the midst of her planning, Francesca's train of thought was interrupted by Elvis’s overbearing agent, Colonel Parker. She was not a fan of this man, by any stretch of the imagination. He was rude, abrasive, and controlling—so unlike Dominick in every way. It made her worry about the fairness of the deals he negotiated on Elvis’s behalf. She’d mentioned her concerns to Elvis before, and although he readily agreed that Parker was unpleasant, he also credited him with his current success. A point on which she staunchly disagreed.

“You’re here entirely on your own merit. Anyone can feed a golden goose, but it takes a special bird to lay that egg.” Was that… was that analogy working? He grinned.

“Colonel Parker’s golden goose, huh? Don’t go giving him any ideas, he might just lock me in a barn if he had the chance.” He hadn’t said that with as much humor, his tone biting. It seemed to bring him down, so Frannie left it at that, waiting for another chance to convince him to look for someone, literally anyone else to manage him. But Elvis was nothing if not loyal and couldn’t stand the thought of breaking the agreement he made with Parker so many years ago. 

*

The hulking man thrust a bottle of champagne towards her. At first, she thought it might be a gift, until he barked, “Bring this to my boy. He’s awfully thirsty. Maybe you two can have a drink to celebrate things.” There was heavy insinuation in his voice. She looked at him askew while taking the drink carefully. It was some cheap stuff and she was ultimately confused why he was handing this to her and not someone from catering. It was warm, for heaven’s sake!

“Uh. Is there a reason you can’t give it to him yourself?”

The Colonel had an unreadable gleam in his eye. He was up to something, she just didn’t know what. “I want it to be a surprise.”

… Okay. He was starting to make her skin crawl, inching from coarse to creepy. She instinctively took a step back from him. Distancing herself. What a strange man. She couldn’t get away from him quickly enough. So she just bared him her most begrudgingly polite smile and said, “Thank you, Mr. Parker.”

She was so bothered by the encounter that she forgot to go by the luncheon table for ice and glasses. Maybe he would have a set in his room. Not that she was all too excited to drink astringent gas station wine, but maybe Elvis had requested it. 

When she opened the door to his dressing room, the neck of the bottle slipped out of her grip, shattering loudly against the floor. There was a woman in Elvis’s lap, attempting to unravel his bowtie from his collar. Both of them looked at Frannie, stunned in the doorway.

“Frannie—”

“Save it. Just… save it.” She slammed the door, turning on her heels. Her throat was tight, her chest felt cold and constricted. Her gut was roiling. The walls seemed to get closer and closer the further she carried herself away from him.

“Chess! F-Frannie! It’s not what it looks like. You’ve got to believe me. I know it looks bad, I didn’t— hey!” He chased her, grabbing her wrist, but she didn’t look at him as she tore out of his grip.

“Get off of me, Presley.”

“Never.” He grated, snaring her again, this time, turning her to face him. She wouldn’t look at him, she refused to be swayed by his baby blue eyes and honeyed words.

“I can’t believe I thought you’d be different,” she scoffed, twisting away. But he wouldn’t let her go.

“No! If you leave now, you’ll never forgive me. I didn’t ask for her, I don’t even know her! She was hiding in my room, someone must have hired her as a surprise gift for me.”

Did he not hear the nonsense in his explanation? “Oh sure! And your surprise gift just tumbled into your lap.”

“She wouldn’t get off of me! I sat down to take off my shoes and there she was. Somebody let her in and she was just waiting. I didn’t even know she was in there. I swear! You walked in the second I was telling her to leave.”

“You really expect me to believe that?”

“You really think I’m ordering that kind of room service? During work? With you right up the hall? You’re crazy.”

“Don’t,” she pointed sternly. “Don’t call me that. You’re a real piece of work. You know that? Maybe put up more of a fight next time, if you actually want me to believe your flimsy excuses.” She hated that she felt sincerity in his voice and saw it in his pleading face when he drew her in.

“I’m not lying to you! I couldn’t even tell you that woman’s name.”

Frannie instantly thought of the Colonel, telling her with that harrowing glare that he wanted it to be a surprise. Had the prick set this up? Ordered a stripper to Elvis’s room? She couldn’t think. She needed space, she needed air.

But she couldn’t get away fast enough and all she could hear was Elvis pleading for her to listen to him as she tore out the studio, but not before turning to him and warning him in a hushed whisper, tears in her eyes, “Don’t make a scene. Please. Don’t follow me.”

*

Francesca Ferrara would not speak to him.

And still yet, Elvis was obsessed with her. She consumed his thoughts night and day. It didn't help that they worked together, attended cordial luncheons with the crew together, mingled at some of the same parties. Despite her devastating smile, he could see the rage burning behind her jewel eyes. She was still furious with him.

Approaching her at a soiree, she gave him the polite but chilly shoulder, taking photos with him and gracing her face with a well practiced but insincere smile.

"Frannie, you look amazing," he uttered in her ear when she retreated away from him. He wanted her warm and willing in his arms again. He wanted to drown in her perfume. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but when the music slowed, and eyes were on them in anticipation to see if they would share a dance and make their coupling official, she gently departed from him.

It'd been two weeks since Frannie had really spoken to him. The irony of the whole thing is that the filming of Josephine and Jake's big fight took place over the next handful of days. Francesca's tempest rage and Elvis's desperation for her to listen to him made for a pretty dazzling show. Cassandra was on the edge of her chair, slapping her knee when the lead actress sprinkled in some improv insults that only he knew were for him.

"I thought you changed, Jake. But I guess that just makes us both fools."

He couldn't stand to see her so hurt, damn his own pain. He needed to soothe her, cradle her head against his chest. Write her a song. Put her in a song. 

"I'm a better man because of you. And if that change isn't enough," he took her hand, placed it over his heart. "Then maybe we can keep at it. Because I'm really trying."

Frannie looked past the character, aware that he was speaking to her. She could feel his heart speeding up and perhaps even seizing when she retreated. He thought he could conceal his reactions, but she was determined not to give him the satisfaction of a visible response. Even he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for.

Principal filming was over and fall had come and gone in a flash. Elvis knew now from experience that editing was the real long haul. Sometimes films could be stuck getting pieced and re-pieced back together for years. But he had faith in Cassandra’s directing and in the editing crew she must have hand picked. It was time to relax and unwind. Francesca wasn’t antsy now, but she’d told him how important this film’s debut was to her. She no doubt had to be thinking about it now. Was she dreading it? 

He knew this looked bad for him, but he wasn’t going to lose her through no fault of his own. He had no idea who that woman was or how she got into his dressing room. He simply sat down to take off his shoes and she surprised him, standing wordlessly in the corner of the room where he hadn’t noticed her before.

Without uttering anything substantial, she simply murmured canned responses. He hadn’t realized until now how much they disconcerted him. He felt disdain when she exclaimed, “I can’t believe I’m in Elvis Presley’s dressing room right now.”

Yeah, me neither! Now get out!

“Whoa! You’re—who? How did you—?” She straddled him in one swift motion, stronger than she looked, almost locking him in place. Her fingers fiddled with his bowtie and he pulled back. “No, no. Look. I’m sure you’re a lovely gal, but right now, I’ve got someone else—.”

“Aww, she sounds like a lucky girl.”

Then the door opened. Just like a sitcom. Just like a nightmare. His tongue was instantly tied. It felt like he was wading through knee deep water, chasing after her. He couldn’t remember if he’d thrown that near nude woman from his lap or if she’d gotten up on her own. All that he knew was that Francesca was in tears, leaving him behind as he pursued her, witlessly, not realizing that his lovelorn wailing could turn heads.

Rumors circulated on set that they were dating, but amidst the hectic filming schedule, almost no one had the time to substantiate those claims. Filming progressed at full speed, running smoothly for everyone except Elvis. He felt like he was seasick on a tiny boat while everyone else surged forward with ease.

The boys were all over his case, telling him to send her flowers. He’d already sent her dozens of bouquets, but she didn’t answer his calls—although she did accept his deliveries. Not another night of sitting and stewing, he was going to level with her. Even if she didn’t want to hear him, let alone see him.

He rode down to her apartment alone. He looked up at her window, the light beaming like a beacon for him to follow.

The concierge waved excitedly at him, cufflinks blinking as he buzzed him in. Elvis parsed some friendly conversation, but he was taking the stairs two and three steps at a time to reach her. His heart was pounding. What if she’d moved on? What if when she opened that door, and her beautiful face twisted into a frown, there was a man behind her shoulder? He couldn’t stomach the idea, it made his knuckles blanch, balling his fists so tight.

Elvis knocked once, twice, three times, cheery and light. He could see a shadow flicker underneath the door and listened as the latch fell. She asked, without opening, “Who is it?”

He responded, “You’ll never guess.”

The heavy pause that followed filled him with dread. She didn’t say anything for a long moment. It felt like minutes passed before he heard the kerplunk of her antique brass knob loosening. The door opened and his heart soared. She was enchanting. She smelled freshly of a shower, floral and sweet, her dark hair drying in glossy curls. Her body was wrapped in sheer pink silk, the sleeves of her nightgown poofy to match her bedroom slippers. This almost felt more intimate than seeing her naked.

“Frannie,” he breathed, regretting instantly he hadn’t brought flowers—but that’s what he spotted over her shoulder, a menagerie of colorful bouquets in harvest fall colors and muted pastels. She’d taken in every one of them.

“Elvis.” Her voice was still music to his ears. He hadn’t seen her in over a week and the dopamine rush he received now was intense. Taking a step towards her, his words just spilled out without reprieve.

“Frannie, I’m so sorry. I really meant it when I said that I’d changed. I never meant to hurt you. I swear, I don’t know who that woman was or how she got into my dressing room. I didn’t touch her.”

She held up her hand, but only to stop him from rambling in the hallway. “Elvis, come inside before the entire world hears you.” She hastily shut the door behind him and her cat darted to see who the new guest was, making pretzels between her legs and his intermittently. Sitting down on her settee, it was a great deal more comfortable than he’d imagined. 

Francesca was in her copper lined kitchen, plucking a whistling kettle off the stove and getting out a second mug to match hers. Pouring them some tea, only then did she sit down to listen to what he had to say, her eyes full of anticipation. She wanted to hear him out. She needed to. It gave him so much hope.

“I can’t get your face out of my head. The way you looked at me, like I’d just…”

“Broken my heart?” Frannie scoffed, her tea rippling. She took a sip, letting it clink against her dish. She crossed her elegant legs and he was drawn to the dark shadow between her thighs. “Well, it certainly stung my femininity.” She admitted, but there was a twinge of shame. 

“Frannie, you’ve gotta believe me. I don’t know who that woman was. I’ve never seen her before in my life.”

Frannie bowed her head, staring into her cup. She sighed. It pained her to admit it, but she’d been agonizing over the scene in her head for weeks. And, thinking about her interaction with Parker just before going to Elvis’ dressing room, there was an oily feeling in the pit of her stomach. She conceded, “Listen. I'm going to go out on a limb here and trust you, but just this one. I knew something wasn’t right. It all felt too…” She rolled her hands. “Too staged.”

He wholeheartedly agreed. “Yes! Like something out of a movie. You walk in, I don’t have time to explain before you storm out, catch a bus to some other town, to some other schmuck.”

“As opposed to the schmuck I have in front of me?” She smiled tentatively at him, and he could feel her ready to forgive, ready to pick things up where they left off.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Yes," her lips curled into a slight smile. "But do this again, Presley, and you're out."

"Never again. I-I swear it. I'll look through every nook and cranny for desperate blonde girls every time I enter a room," with endearing sincerity, he raised his right hand. "Scout's honor."

Frannie couldn't help but laugh. She truly believed he was innocent. “Would you believe me if I said I’m actually quite fond of one particular schmuck?”

“Oh?”

“Mhmhmh. You might have heard of him, really underground, not well known. Some kind of up-and-comer. I really think he’s going places though.”

Going places. That reminded him. “Let me take you somewhere nice, Chess. I want to take care of you. We can relax, unwind in a hot tub in the mountains. You can watch me split firewood and hunt a bear.”

God, to hear her laughter again. It was like medicine. A soothing balm. Why couldn’t they always be like this? At times, it almost felt like something wanted to pull them apart.

“You really wanna take on a bear, Elvis?”

“I’ll do anything if it gets you to say yes.”

Turns out he didn’t have to do too much other than be apologetic. Which, a younger, more hot-headed him would have stubbornly dug in his heels and absolutely refused. Because if he zoomed out, his focus was still on the mysterious fact that he had never invited another woman into his dressing room, let alone one that was almost naked. It was a strange feeling, apologizing for something he truly had no part in, but if there was something he could say to help ease her pain and help guide her back to him—he’d say it. 

Now, he secured himself a vacation with the girl of his dreams and they were going to cruise there together on their bikes. But he had to take care of something first. 

*

Elvis rolled up to the Marriott Parker had been staying in since coming to town. Parker didn’t like meeting for coffee or talking over lunch, he just wanted whoever he was ordering around to show up when he called. Not that Elvis could really go into a public setting without being noticed anyhow, but it was the principle of it, he supposed.

The Colonel was sitting in a chair by the slatted blinds, looking out at the families playing in the pool. When Elvis walked in, he turned around and smiled wide at his mega-famous client—his golden goose. 

“Evening,” Elvis tried, almost instantly cut off.

“That girl isn’t good for you, my boy. She’s bad news. Bad news.” He took a puff on his cigar as he walked towards him. He liked closing the distance, steering him by the shoulder, holding onto it while he talked to him.

“We’re just having a little fun is all,” Elvis chuckled, raising his palms playfully. Path of least resistance. 

“I think she wants more than just that with you.”

Elvis hoped. He wished. She just didn’t take him seriously yet.

He rolled his shoulders, shedding Parker’s hand. “I don’t mind what she wants. She’s a good girl.” He reiterated. Good. She was like a cool drink from the river. A fresh rain on scorched earth. She was everything he needed right now. A promise of something new, a wonderful time, a songbird laugh.

“I’ve seen it again and again. What do you think makes her any different than any other woman vying to have your baby in her? Could you imagine the influence a gal would hold over you if she had your child, Elvis?”

“Whoa, whoa. We haven’t even gotten to know each other like that yet. We’re taking things slow.”

“And that right there is what worries me the most. She wants you begging for it like a lap dog, so that when she shakes her hips you come running, salivating, barking at her beck and call.”

Elvis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was like Parker had met someone else entirely.

“She’s nothing like that. And ‘sides, I-I can guarantee you that settling down with a couple of my brats is the last thing on her mind right now.” She was full of life and bursting with talent that she had to share with the world. She didn’t have time for the mundane yet. Although, if he let the bird fly over his head, the thought of Frannie round and rosy with his babe did scratch a primal itch. But that was neither here nor there. “I want to take her up to the mountains.” The cabin he had in mind belonged to a friend. It was a pale flame to the marvel of Graceland, but that’s just how he liked it. Reserved and private for a special moment like this. 

Colonel Parker shook his head, offering a rare, paternal smile reminiscent of a dad who knew his advice wouldn’t be heeded. Elvis did want to see the good in the man, after all. Parker had gotten him this far. However, Frannie’s words echoed in his ears, insisting that he had arrived here solely due to his own talent and hard work. It wasn’t the Colonel up on stage, singing songs, rehearsing lines, or learning choreography.

“You’ll see, Elvis. That girl’s trouble.”

“I’ll be back in a few weeks.”

“I won’t be here. Going back to Memphis, getting out of this place.” He finished his cigar and put it out. Sucking his teeth, he tapped a stubby finger on the stack of papers on the table. “I’m working on a new deal for us. Something big. You’ll love it.”

Somehow, Elvis had the distinct feeling that the opposite was true. 

*

Francesca mulled over her outfits for the dozenth time. Her tiny suitcase was packed tighter than concrete, compact as she could get it for her bike. She paid the concierge handsomely to come in feed her cat and keep poor Stella company while Frannie was away for the week.

She practically floated to her bike, gleaming and ready for a ride. The tank was full and now her bags were packed. Elvis told her to meet him at the Texaco just outside of town, at the lonely fourway.

Getting back on was like slipping on a bespoke dress. Her legs straddled the narrow frame of her Moto Guzzi. With a nudge, she kicked the stand back and up, listening to that chunky clink. The bones settled beneath her weight. She gripped the handles, feeling the old girl again, getting a sense of balance once more. She started up with a cough, the exhaust clearing pitch black before she really started to purr, thrumming power through her. She gave her a little gas and teased her down to the road, slipping onto the asphalt like ice. It was a smooth glide, wind coursing past her.

She’d forgotten how freeing, how invigorating it was to steer a bike through city traffic and emerge like a held breath being exhaled onto scenic backroads. The cars thinned until it was just her and the road. The sun was high in the winter sky, belying the cold that seeped through the cracks of her helmet and gear. She was shivering, but with equal excitement and cold as she neared the Texaco filling station before Elvis did. 

Topping off her reserves and snagging some gum to chew on while she waited, she spotted him a mile down the road. A black jewel on the horizon, spearing his way towards her. His boys were following them in a Buick, but she didn’t care. She somehow knew that Elvis needed them every now and then and trusted that they’d make themselves scarce eventually. 

He parked with flair, cutting a tight circle before kicking out the stand, leaving her running when he asked with that heart aching smile, “Ready to ride?” 

Frannie smiled, then waved good-naturedly to his friends in their cars as they rolled to a stop. 

As much as she’d adored holding close to his warm body, feeling the ridges of his muscles flexing as he throttled the bike or fed it some gas, to be beside him was like nothing else. They were like two wild horses, stampeding across trekked lands. For the first time in a long time, she could feel her worries leaving her, cast away into the wind and scattered into the brambles. Maybe she’d seen them littered here or there, but for now, she looked ahead with him.

The first few hours on the highway had been quite literally, a straight line. No turns, no stops, no intersections, just sheer highway for hundreds of miles. The terrain ebbed from low hilly prairie into wild forest. The road narrowed in the valley and they made another stop at a fill station. Frannie ran in to pay and couldn’t believe that out in the middle of a one stoplight town, she’d been recognized. The woman behind the counter reading a magazine with her oversized cat’s eye frames did a double take when she saw her.

“Blue blazes! Is that?! Are you! Francesca Ferrara?!” She slapped her hands on the counter, “I can’t believe it! You look even more beautiful in person! I had my husband tape all your late night showings. You were amazing on Carson! When I saw you carry a tune like that, dancing like that,” the woman fanned herself. “Honey, I knew you were going places. And now here you are of all places! I’m so happy I took another shift today!”

Frannie loved these sorts of interactions, but at the same time, she often didn’t know what to do with her hands. But the cashier handled that for her, passing her a China marker and a worn, old Ladies’ Home Journal. “Ignore that. Just sign wherever you’d like. My husband is not going to believe this.”

Elvis tooted his cycle’s horn playfully. Beep beep. The cashier looked up and hit a button behind the counter. “You guys can fill up on me. It’s my treat! You can have some candy and stuff if you want, too!”

Frannie politely declined, “You’re too sweet.” But she couldn’t let someone, especially a fan, do something like that. She passed her a 20 and told her to keep the change. She did cheekily snag a moonpie for Elvis.

“She sure seemed happy to see you,” Elvis laughed.

The roads leading to their destination served as a precursor to the convoluted, spaghetti-shaped hell of the mountain paths ahead. She had anticipated tunnels, and in this respect, the trip absolutely delivered. Elvis laid on his horn while cruising through them, and she tapped hers, delighting in the echoing whoosh that raced alongside them. However, as the roads began to carve sharp, arching circles, her nerves started to falter.

The ascent was slow and steady, with thin sheets of metal guardrail offering protection from a precipitous drop down the mountain face, a sight as beautiful as it was terrifying. Up here, the air was brisk, making her shiver with a mix of delight and chill. Many trees were bare, their leaves surrendered to the season, while steadfast evergreens showcased their triumph over the wintry conditions. The roads were salted, yet ditches were lined with piles of dirty snow. Occasionally, flecks of snow landed on the backs of her gloves, and she had to wipe a thin spray from her visor.

There were tight points where Elvis went on up ahead, unaware that she was nervously putting behind, trying her best to maintain speed and not look to her left where it was a deadly sheer drop. When a car sped past her in the opposite lane, she’d freeze.

But before long, they slipped back down the mountain and cut through the valley. A lovingly hand painted sign said, “Welcome to Home. Welcome to Mt. Charleston Village.” They were nearing the small village perched in the mountains, where the stunning views stretched on endlessly. The small town was quaint, lights already strung up on all the old Western-style buildings. She was dazzled with the coziness of the snowy, dirt roads humming beneath the bikes.

The townspeople were busily preparing for the grand end-of-harvest festival. Stands were being erected, and overripe, plump pumpkins pushed out for sale. Tables displayed an array of home-baked and handcrafted goods. Children played in the streets, steering their push cars with glee. As they rode by, a Mountie on horseback tipped his hat in their direction.

A river ran adjacent to the town, ambient babble singing in the background. They crossed a bridge and trekked out of town into more seclusion. The old trees made a canopy over the road, leaving them in cold shadow. She started to wonder how much further ahead it could be, and when they could stop and stretch their legs again. But no sooner had she acknowledged her butt going numb, did Elvis hike up his left arm and make a chopping motion.

That way.

His brake lights glowed and he slowed, churning a quick left turn into what looked like unassuming, overgrown woods. Frannie looked behind her to see his friends had turned the opposite way. They’d have privacy after all, just as she’d known.

Elvis stopped at a narrow clearing with a slick gravel driveway potted with puddles and slaggy snow. There were intentionally felled trees laying across to deter trespassers. He tried waving her away and doing it himself but at this point, she was fed up with being out in the cold and was raring to toss some wood in a fireplace and snuggle up underneath the furs.

A precarious mile still lay ahead, weaving through dense woods before opening up to a clearing. This expansive, creamy tract of land was dotted with trees, bordered by forests, and enclosed by a tall fence. Perched at the pinnacle of the estate, a cozy, dark, two-story cabin, roughly hewn and humble, stood as a silent observer of the serene surroundings. Its thin, single-pane windows and a skinny chimney, home to roosting crows, added to its rustic charm. Despite its antiquated exterior, the roof was in good shape, and the porch was free of holes. Cobwebs adorned every corner, and leaf litter was strewn about, attesting to the natural setting in which the cabin resided.

They gathered their bags and headed up the creaking steps. Elvis peered deep inside, hands cupped against a window.

“Making sure we don’t have any unexpected guests” he remarked, his eyes scanning the surroundings with practiced caution. With a gentle push, the door creaked open, revealing an interior that was a stark contrast to the rugged exterior. 

Inside, lavish decorations adorned every corner, exuding a warm, welcoming aura. Antique fixtures gleamed softly under the muted lighting, casting an elegant glow that highlighted the exquisite Paiute blankets draped gracefully over the furniture. The shelves were cramped with memorabilia. There were guitars, deer, road signs and horseshoes tacked up on the walls, climbing up to the second story railing. It was quaint, like something out of a magazine. 

Elvis did a walkthrough, checking the rooms for critters and thankfully coming up empty handed. The fireplace needed to be cleared and they busied themselves raking old coals and hauling dry firewood from the piles outside. They were musty but they readily burned, flames licking up the wood and catching a blaze that illuminated the cabin, painting dancing shadows along the walls.

For a moment they lingered in the presence of their hardwood, warming up their cold, pink fingertips and rubbing their chilly noses against one another.

"Let me get this hot tub going, and then we'll really be having a good time," he said with a smile. He helped her out of her coat and hung it beside the door. The sound of his steps echoing on the old wood filled the room, a melody she found oddly comforting.

Outside, birds were engaged in a harmonious conversation. She could see that they had just barely outpaced the impending snowfall. Flakes, lighter than feathers, wafted down gracefully, settling on the fallen leaves like a delicate blanket. She stood there, utterly mesmerized.

Elvis had disappeared outside to remove the jacuzzi cover. Suddenly, she heard an uncollected shout of surprise, followed by aggravated squeaks and chitters, and the unmistakable sounds of frantic scratching. Curiosity piqued, she poked her head outside onto the back porch. There, she found Elvis glancing cautiously into the basin, the lid held firmly in his hand. He caught her gaze and gave her a reassuring thumbs-up.

“All good. Just had to evict a couple of stowaways.” He watched as two racoons barrelled into the treeline, disappearing into the brush. After a thorough cleaning, he let the tub fill up with piping hot water. The heater groaned to life, clanking loudly before shuddering out gallons of heated well-water. The steam was inviting them with little furls, telling them to come hither.

It was strange in the best of ways, being so comfortable with him that she actually forgot social conventions. She was already stripping down to her undergarments before she realized they were both almost nude. But that didn’t stop her—it invigorated her. Coupled with the thrill of the cool winter air kissing her as she stepped out onto the elevated porch, she was trembling.

He gave her his hand, helping her into the water and following right behind. The tub was snug. For them both to fit inside, she had to sit between his legs, with her back against his strong chest. The heat suffused her instantly, better than any blanket, like syrupy sunshine poured onto her skin. She was melting into him.

“Can’t beat a view like that,” he sighed, drawing her closer.

When she peered out onto the endless swathe of trees rising and falling with the mountains, she was inclined to agree. She wondered if they could always be like this. But for now, she was going to enjoy a good thing while he lasted. Peering up at him, she pressed her lips to his, feeling him smile, feeling him give her more of himself. He was always ready to reciprocate, eager and willing. It made her desirous to feel so wanted.

Everything seemed so far away. She pretended as they rode into town that maybe this is where they lived. Maybe she wasn’t an actress, but a local waitress or someone on the town council. Elvis was just another guy, another handsome, hardworking mountain man (minus the beard of course). Would the local bar be where they met and had their first conversation? Would this gazebo under the stars be where they shared a first kiss?

She put her hand in his, thankful for the light snowfall that obscured them from prying eyes. Elvis was bundled up with a scarf covering his chin, a hat on his head, and dark sunglasses over his eyes, and surprisingly, no one had recognized him.

They were just two people, having fun with each other. Drinking locally brewed spiced apple cider and eating shortbread cookies rolled out by the town baker. She could actually see herself settling down in a little place like this. 

A flash out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, but when she looked, nothing was there.

“Which one do you think Red’ll like more, this ornament with Santa on it riding a Harley or— or,” he held up a rock on a string. “Or this rustic rock ornament.” The elderly shopkeep chuffed a laugh at that one, telling him to turn it around and see there was a snowflake painted on the other side.

Frannie had a laugh, saying, “Let’s just get both.”

She bought a candy apple that was nefariously inviting and when it got stuck on her teeth, he doubled over holding his gut while she slurred, telling him, “Thop it!! Ith not funny!” But his laughter insisted otherwise.

Elvis warmed his hand in hers, because although she’d suggested he wear his riding gloves, he insisted that he would be fine. But now he was laced tight with her fingers, bundling up tighter in his coat. It was much colder in the mountains.

“Hey, want to get a ride?” Elvis pointed towards a horse drawn carriage, plumes of steam coming out of the steed’s nostrils. The tiny two seater was a lacquered green, painted many times over in thick layers. Bells and garland adorned the filigree wood. When they approached, the horse excitedly stamped his front feet and gently tugged at the bit. He took off, keeping a quick canter through the town. It was drawing to the end of the festival, and many of the attendees were now snug and warm in their homes.

Francesca leaned against Elvis’s shoulder, her arm loop in his, their hands still interlocked. She might have fallen for him after all. Another flash, but they were passing too swiftly for her to see anything other than bright street lamps. This town was charming.

Riding hurriedly back to the cabin, the snow really intensified. Inside the inviting, honeyed glow of still warm embers, he stirred the flames up, feeding more wood into it. When it was warm enough to take their coats off, Elvis reached forward, but stopped midway. “You’ve got snow on your hair and on your lashes, honey. It looks like powdered sugar.”

The remark made her cheeks flush. He could notice the more endearing things.

They hadn’t made love yet. Their bodies had coupled together naked on the couch with intimate intentions, but he hadn’t penetrated her that snowy night. He held onto her, and heaven help her did she fit against him perfectly. On their sides, watching the flames flicker and dance.

Elvis massaged her breasts, thrusting his erection between her thighs, bringing her to orgasm with a masterful ease. He pressed down on her clit, grinding slowly, stringing out her moans with languid strokes.

Francesca couldn’t remember making her way to the luxurious bedroom and beneath the heavy bedspread beneath the wooden candelabra chandelier, but that’s where she woke up in silver morning sun, to the sounds of birds and breakfast, to the scent of coffee and eggs.

“What can’t you do?” She asked while drinking deeply. And he could make a good cup.

“Remember to get lighter fluid apparently. Want to come into town with me, see what we can get up to?” 

She couldn’t be happier to join in on these trivial domesticities. Airing out the sheets that’d been folded in the linen closets, watching him chop wood, his back flexing with every mighty swing, helping him clean up after breakfast and dressing warmly together for the cold.

On the way out the door, Frannie saw something in the distance. Maybe it was a person or maybe it was just a deer. She couldn’t be sure as it disappeared in the woods.

#elvis presley #elvis #elvis fanfic #elvis fans #elvis presley fanfiction #elvis fanfiction #elvis presley fanfic #elvis presley fic #elvis x oc #elvis fic #gambling on your love

[aquilathefighter]

@dreamlingbingo Square E5: Stripping

Title: Watching You Dance

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 347

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Additional Tags: Strippers & Strip Clubs, Possessive Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Stripper Hob Gadling, Established Relationship, Possessive Behavior, Body Hair, High Heels

Summary: Hob has a side job as a stripper. He invites Dream to come watch him, knowing that his boyfriend's possessive streak will be activated when he's surrounded by the lustful daydreams of the patrons.

Read on AO3

Combined with Smapril day 3 prompts: Possessive | "Come over here."

He watches Hob cross the room toward the stage, all eyes glued to his form. The mesh tank top highlights the dense hair across his chest and abdomen, something that makes him unique among the dancers at this particular club. Little is left to the imagination on his bottom half, neon pink covering his crotch and framing his arse in the jock strap. He glides up to the pole, his calves rippling as they push against the black heels he’s wearing. The music begins and Hob hooks his leg around the pole.

Dream’s knuckles are white against the armrests as he watches his boyfriend dance for all these other men. He can taste their daydreams, of gripping Hob’s arse as they fuck into him, of Hob tossing his head back in pleasure, of taking him over and over again. He huffs as possessiveness rises within his belly. Hob is his. They will never get the pleasure of touching him, of burying their faces in his pretty, hairy tits as he rides their cocks with an expertise that only comes with immortality.

Dream watches Hob strip himself of his tank, letting everyone see his beautiful pink nipples, gems amongst the forest of hair on his chest. He hears hooting from the other side of the stage, drunken younger men enjoying the show. Hob flashes them a smile as he turns upon the pole, stoking the fire in Dream’s belly even further. He’ll show them who Hob belongs to.

The music fades out and Hob hops off the stage, grabbing a bottle of water. He wipes the sweat from his brow with the tank, then replaces it. As his head pokes out from the collar, Dream locks eyes with him.

“Come over here,” Dream rumbles, crooking a finger at Hob. He grins and follows, leaning over the man in the chair.

“How can I help you, hot stuff?” Hob purrs, lavishing in the attention Dream’s possessive streak provides him. He knew bringing Dream to his side job would pay off.

“How much for a private dance?”

#smapril 2023 #dreamling #dreamling bingo #nsft #aquila writes

[landosgirl97]

Teardrops On My Guitar - Drew Starkey

Summary: You are a castmate on Outer Banks. You have a crush on Drew and are best friends with Chase Stokes. Chase finds you singing in your trailer one day and convinces you to do an open mic night. He and the rest of the cast, including Drew, come to support you.

A/N: Bold words are song lyrics. Italics are memories that flash through her mind while she performs. Regular font is the present.

P.S. SUPER proud of this one so please let me know what you think.

"You're going to be fine. You're amazing. Take a breath." Chase said. "Why did he come? The song I picked literally says his name Chase! I'm so screwed!" you groan as your head falls back. "I'll make sure he's paying close attention then." Chase says with a wink. "Up next is Y/N Y/L/N!" you hear before you can even reply. You groan as Chase pats you on the back and walks back to his seat with everyone else. You hear them all whoop and holler as you walk onstage. Just before you get to center stage, you see Chase lean over and whisper something to Drew. If you weren't nervous before, you are now! You walk up to the mic and slyly clear your throat as you step forward and start to strum your guitar.

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

Drew looks at me. I fake a smile so he won't see, that I want and I'm needing everything that we should be. I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about and she's got everything that I have to live without.

You and the cast were having a get together at Rudy's apartment. Drew walked in late and he looked really good. "How was your date?" you heard Rudy ask him. "Dude. It was amazing! AND she's already agreed to a second date!" he says with a lovestruck look on his face. "Ooh what's she like?" Madelyn asked. "Her name is Claire. She's short, blonde, has the most beautiful green eyes, and has these cute freckles all over her nose and cheeks. She's a nanny for these two wonderful kids, she goes to the same gym as me we found out, and she has a German Shepard named Bentley!" Everyone in the room was very engrossed in the conversation and was oblivious to your pain, except Chase. He noticed you staring out the window obviously trying to hold back tears. He put his arm around you and pulled you into his side. You hid your face in his side and cried silently and he rested his chin on your head.

Drew talks to me. I laugh 'cause it's just so funny, that I can't even see anyone when he's with me. He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right. I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night.

You and Drew had been joking around on set remembering stories from filming and talking by craft services. "...and then he fell and almost twisted his ankle!" Drew said. You threw your head back laughing at his story. He was laughing along with you and you couldn't help but zone out and think about how much you love his laugh and how carefree he looked. "...earth to Y/N!" Madison said, waving her hand in front of your face to get your attention. "Huh?" you said, turning to face her. "We've been calling your name for a while. You're needed on set. You okay? You seem out of it." she looks concerned. "I'm okay. Just didn't hear it. I'll head that way.

Later that night, you were laying in bed thinking back on your day. The happiest times were always with him. He never fails to make you laugh and smile when he's around. The way he jokes around between scenes to keep up morale, how he looks so beautiful when he smiles, his beautifully chiseled jawline.... you slowly dozed off to sleep dreaming about Drew and what it would be like if life were different.

Drew walks by me. Can he tell that I can't breathe? And there he goes, so perfectly. The kind of flawless I wish I could be. She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love. Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause

You had just walked out of your trailer and were walking to set to film your next scene. You saw Drew start to walk toward you. His hair was still wet and he only had on swim trunks and shoes. Your breath hitched in your throat as he ran his hands through his wet hair and a water droplet slowly made its way down his abs. He looks breathtaking with the sun setting behind him and the beautiful blue and purple hues making his eyes shine bright. Until you realized why he had the bright look in his eye. You had heard yelling but hadn't realized who it was. Then you saw Claire inches from him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hers were around his neck. You saw her wrap her legs around his waist and the kisses they exchanged before he sat her down and walked hand in hand with her back to his trailer. You had never felt so heartbroken and devastated. You didn't even stay for post filming shenanigans that night knowing that it would hurt to look at them together.

So, I drive home alone. As I turn out the light, I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight. 'Cause he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar. The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart. He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do.

You drove home in silence. When you walk in the door, you don't even bother to go to the kitchen to get a snack. You toe off your shoes, hang your keys on the hook by the door, and walk to your room. You pull your guitar case out from under your bed and your songbook from your bedside table. You sat down and started to play the song you had written that first night when he came home from his date with Claire. You didn't even realize you were crying until a falling tear hit your guitar and another hit your hand. You decided at that point that it was better to just go to sleep for the night. You got up and shut off the light, crawling into bed. When you got situated, you saw the picture on your nightstand of the cast together at the end of season 1. His arm was around you and you were both making silly faces at the camera. You reached out and put the picture face down before rolling over and falling into an unrestful sleep.

He's the time taken up, but there's never enough and he's all that I need to fall into. Drew looks at me. I fake a smile so he won't see.

The cast had all followed Chase into the bar to see you standing by the stage tuning your guitar. You smiled seeing everyone until he walked in behind them. You weren't expecting him to come at all, knowing that Claire was in town. You couldn't let it show to him, so you willed the smile to stay on your face.It was like time stopped around him and you couldn't bear the thought anymore. Knowing what song you picked, your heart dropped to your stomach and you gulped . Uh oh.

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

After you had strummed the last chord, the crowd erupted in applause. You heard your friends in the back of course being the loudest ones there. You scanned the crowd for the one face you wanted to see. Your stomach dropped. He wasn't there. You looked at Chase as if questioning where he went. Chase just shrugged and continued to applaud you. You went to make your way off the stage when you saw him. He was standing by the stairs with an unreadable expression on his face. You made your way toward him and you both walked to an area where there weren't as many people. You forced yourself to make eye contact with him. "Hey." you breathed. "Why didn't you say anything?" he started. "Say anything about what?" you asked. You were genuinely very confused. He sighs. "Why did you not tell me how you felt?" Your eyes dropped to your shoes and a blush made its way across your face. "I was scared. And when I was finally ready to tell you, you came home from your date with Claire. And now it's too late because you're with her now." You said. He puts a finger until your chin forcing you to meet his eyes. "We aren't together anymore. That's why I'm here. Without her. The problem was, she wasn't you." You had tears brimming in your eyes as you looked at him. "Wow. I'm so sorry to hear that." "We both know you're not. Now, let me kiss you." he said as his hand reached your cheek and he leaned into you. This time, the teardrops weren't from sadness, but from pure joy.

Tag List: @pankowforlife @wannabestarkeysgirl @my-baexht-ls @bethoconnor @samxslaughter @tishanas-darlings @jjmaybank63 @outerbankspov @slutforsmutsstuff @hoebx @adventuresinobx

#drew starkey #outer banks #obx #outer banks imagine #outer banks fic #obx fic #drew starkey fluff

[bluelockednyx]

Isagirin meta part 3

Part 1, talking about Isagi’s first meeting and match with Rin here.

Part 2, covering the rest of the Second Selection Arc, up till Rin choosing Isagi to move ahead with Aryu and co., here.

Part 3 covers the post-Second Selection Arc chapters, beginning from the 5-man team formation, to the vs World team, and the first Blue Lock Eleven try out match, with Isagi in Team A vs Chigiri in Team B.

C87-93, vs World 5

Isagi’s reeling from just barely losing the game earlier, and then from being chosen. He’s also subdued over the sensation of losing, and then being chosen by someone else, reinforcing the notion of how Isagi wants to be the one doing the choosing. While he connects with Bachira, seeing his maturity and also becoming motivated to grow stronger by himself, he then asks Rin about how he made that final goal. Rin informs him that it’s ‘luck’. Ego further explains about the mechanism of ‘luck’ in the context of the series. Luck forms through a series of coincidences and happenings, and only those who are prepared to grasp it when it comes around, i.e. when Rin sped up to chase after Isagi and Bachira, instead of stopping or slowing down like the others, he gambled on the chance that Isagi would 1) successfully block Bachira and 2) would not gain possession of the ball.

Rin agrees with Ego's explanation, then adds that he had a different option: to not score. He made that goal to accept that he had lost to Isagi then, because he couldn’t foresee Bachira’s awakening/read Bachira’s moves, then failed to take advantage of it while Isagi had successfully countered it. Again, this is another facet of Rin that Isagi admires, acknowledges, and tries to learn from. They later learn of their upcoming match against world-class strikers, and while resting, Isagi notices that Rin is missing. He joins Rin in stretching exercises, and learns more about Rin’s motivation to beat Sae.

“Yeah, I get the feeling that if I chase you, I’ll get stronger… Rin, I see you as my rival.”

We can see that Rin is clearly surprised/affected/touched by this, even though he later says that he thinks nothing of Isagi. The fires of rivalry are stoked, yoga shenanigans ensue, and Rin gets pissed that Isagi falls on top of him.

Rin, you dramatic little bitch

Everyone’s excited to face off against the world-class players. The world-class players range from dismissive to neutral towards them (though let's face it, the only polite guy is Julien), until the Bachira-Rin combo scores a goal.

Look at how hyped he is, one of the prettiest panels of Isagi in the entire series and it's him being stupid in love with his rival and best friend

Isagi is impressed with the Bachira-Rin combo. Bachira, in turn, remarks that Rin’s gotten better with Isagi around. But they’re still outclassed, the World 5 blazing past them 4-1. The only one who’s still fighting to win is Rin. Later, Leonardo faces off with Rin in a 1-on-1. He past Rin easily, and that whole ass line he uses is a straight up sexual innuendo about Rin

which is

again

a first

(here, in its full glory and for your perusal)

(so I guess what I’m saying is, if by this point you haven’t figured out that the author has a secret favourite, then I really have to tell you, the author clearly has a favourite)

The world team trounces the quintuplet, and as they collapse, exhausted, Isagi’s concerned about Rin, who is singularly furious and frustrated over the loss. He also acknowledges that Rin was the only one of the five of them who was truly trying to win the game at all. It’s also because of this moment, that Isagi once again changes his perception of Rin. Rin is no longer simply a rival to Isagi; he’s a goal, a measure for his own skills.

‘The day I win against you, is the day I’ll be able to stand on the world’s stage… From my front row view of you, I will rise above you to become the best in the world!’

C93

We get another slow chapter for C93, but its certainly cute. Rin gets bonding time (against his will) with his teammates, who are all likely older than he is, and lands in the role of tutor (against his will again), lol.

I think what makes this even funnier is that Rin’s the youngest out of all of them. Academic high-achiever Itoshi Rin, everyone!

C94-112 (Blue Lock Eleven tryouts)

What’s surprising to me is that Rin and co. were the first to clear the second selection, but I suppose in the background there were many players who waffled over making teams and setting up matches in both the 3-man and 4-man teams, as shown when Aryu and Tokimitsu were having trouble fixing up matches for the 4v4. Nagi and the rest come in second. As the others file in, Chigiri and Nagi are worried for the last team – and the two people they’re closest to in Blue Lock, Kunigami and Reo. Then comes the clincher – Reo is in, but in place of Kunigami, it’s Shidou who makes it to the top.

After breaking up the fight that Shidou tried to start, Ego informs them about the upcoming match against Japan’s U20, and tells them that Sae will be participating in the match. He then proceeds to inform them about the rush-patch team they’ll be making, centering around the 6 chosen players: Rin, Shidou, Karasu, Otoya, Yukimiya and Nagi. The remaining players now have to choose: who they want to team up with, who they can assert and coexist with in a team, and also, who can be their stepping stone to surpass.

Over a meal, Bachira deduces who Isagi would team up with – Rin, or Nagi. As Isagi stays up watching videos to try and come to a decision, Reo comes up to join him, expressing his worries about Nagi becoming out of reach, and that he doesn’t know if he’ll get the chance to play with Nagi again. Isagi empathises with Reo and says that it’s the same for him, except his target isn’t Nagi: it’s Rin.

"The person I want to be beside right now, is you, Rin! ... Reo, thank you. I've found my resolve, thanks to you. I'm going to prove... that the path I've chosen for myself isn't wrong!

Once again, this is a repetition of another important part of Isagi's relationship with Reo in-story. As I outlined in part 2, after Isagi-Nagi-Barou team wins against Kunigami-Chigiri-Reo, Isagi tells Reo that he should become someone who can choose. Here, Isagi walks the talk and chooses who he wants, instead of letting the person he wants choose him. And now, he wants to prove that the path he’s chosen, aka choosing to pursue his rivalry with Rin – and to an extent, chasing after Rin himself, isn’t wrong.

Team A vs Team B (C97-C104)

Isagi gets chosen for the first match, and ruminates on how his current team up with Hiori and Nanase are the most comfortable he’s had so far in Blue Lock, complete with shoujo-ish effects as they laugh together. The game heats up with Shidou’s insane goal, then Karasu marks Isagi early on in the match, and Isagi’s forced to realize that he lacks the skill to beat Karasu one-on-one.

Bonus: Shidou’s so excited over a crow and a ninja combo, lmao.

Rin and Shidou’s inability to work together, unlike Karasu and Otoya + Chigiri later on, causes problems for their team. They fall behind to a critical 2-4 with Team B in the lead. Isagi manages to get the ball, and passes to Shidou, who scores when Isagi expects a combo, and brings Team A to 3 goals. Isagi momentarily berates himself for thinking that Shidou would have cooperated with him, and they restart the game quickly. Isagi is still marked by Karasu, and is unable to shake him. Then Rin cuts in to free up Isagi from Karasu.

Karasu’s lines here?

‘Oh, I hate this. What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine’ mentality.’

I don't know how the JP audience perceives this, but this is a pretty suggestive line to me when translated, and in my experience that 'what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine' normally gets applied to 1) couples or 2) siblings in a family who have to/made to share a bunch of stuff (cultural differences may vary, with this one, but *waves shipping goggles*)

While Rin is occupied with his 1-on-1 against Karasu, Isagi rushes in and steals the ball. Very nice teamwork from the pair here, though Rin at this point in time, probably lowkey hates him for it (lol).

With Nanase and Hiori, Isagi breaks through the midfield, but is one step short of receiving Hiori’s pass. Rin covers for his miss and makes the shot, bringing the game to 4-4.

Karasu makes this point after Rin scores a second goal. It’s a pattern now, for these two. Rin starts a change. Isagi responds in kind, elevating the overall play and raising the level of the match.

Karasu and Otoya break through, but Shidou successfully intercepts a pass to Chigiri. Nanase picks it up, passing immediately to Isagi. Excluding Shidou, the members of Team A break through the field, with Rin,Nanase and Isagi forming a triangle. Rin makes the call to push through faster, and they get the ball to Hiori.

Team A wins narrowly, after Isagi takes into account Hiori’s advice. He ‘moves by reflex’ and bursts in between Rin and Shidou and scores the final goal. While Nanase, Hiori and Shidou congratulate Isagi on his goal, Rin is sore about losing the shot to Isagi.

We can actually see Isagi being somewhat upset at Rin’s reaction here. If Isagi’s silence isn’t a big enough clue, the blackened background sure is. Shidou comes up to defend him from Rin, rightfully calling out Rin’s arrogance and poor sportsmanship, and the pair immediately gets into a fight.

Later on, we also see that Isagi acknowledges Rin’s point here, as he, Nanase and Hiori go over what happened in the AV room. He’s not sure what happened, and how he got that goal, until Hiori explains his advice, comparing it to a tetris game.

Bonus: Poor Isagi getting choked by Shidou, while the others separate these two idiots.

We head into the next match, a Team A vs Team C matchup.

Team A vs Team C

There’s not much here, as the focus is mainly on Reo and Nagi’s friendship, but I am picking out some little fun moments.

We have the second person to nickname Rin based on his eyelashes, Shidou. The chibis of these two are cute! We also learn that Rin is petty enough to hold grudges, even in-match (lmao)

Team C scores first with Nagi x Yukimiya’s combo. Shidou continues on his crusade of giving Rin nicknames, choosing to adopt RinRin, which is even more cutesy and overly affectionate (though in his case, it’s mocking) than Bachira’s previous Rin-chan.

Despite Reo’s new ability/use of his dexterity, Team C still loses soundly to Team A. Nagi comes to talk to Reo, who knows that his skill still isn’t enough. He’s taken Isagi’s words to heart – he wants to become someone that Nagi wants to chase after.

I think that this point is where Rin truly begins to supplant Bachira as the deuteragonist of Blue Lock. We are not given any insight or views of Bachira’s matches or his plays in them, and other than Isagi’s own match, and Reo’s, whose POV we get, the character whom the narrative focuses on is Rin. I understand it’s hard to juggle a weekly manga with such a huge cast of characters, as Blue Lock does, but I think the lack of Bachira is quite telling that his narrative importance has decreased. Isagi’s focus, and by extension, the narrative, for a long while now, has been more focused on Rin.

In the formation of the team to go up against Japan’s U20, Ego spells it out. The team is centered around Rin. Of all the players in Blue Lock who can bring out the best in Rin’s plays, the ‘ideal partner to Itoshi Rin’, is Isagi.

This is canon, y’all. And spoken, no less, by the very character who thus far, is the closest to an in-series omniscient narrator.

This panel of Rin and Shidou having no chemistry at all is so fucking funny. Shooting down the ship in canon, just in case shippers get any ideas, lmao.

Ego then tells them about Sae’s participation in the U20 match, and that he chose Shidou to play with out of all the members of Blue Lock present. Rin’s reaction to finding out that Sae chose Shidou to play with is fun – complete fury. Ego moves on to break down Rin and Shidou’s playstyles: Rin involves his surroundings and synergizes with them, Shidou’s is very much self-sufficient, even going so far as to say it comes down to who made the right choice between him and Sae will decide the outcome of the match, and thus Blue Lock’s continued survival. Rin, on the other hand, reasserts that the match is a stepping stone for him to become the best in the world, which the others echo.

While Sae and Shidou meet the U20 team, Blue Lock begins their training camp. During their break, Isagi mulls over the importance of ‘breaking through’ the U20’s defense, per Bachira’s words, then surmising that he doesn’t have the power to do that. He then comes across Rin still training. while they’re supposed to be on break.

[It’s fun how the narrative arranges that Isagi’s questions for breaking through the U20 defense, and to master his newfound ability via the flow trance, brought him to Rin.]

Isagi pops inside the training room and tells Rin to take a break. He’s surprised at Rin’s ferocious single-mindedness, and coaxes Rin into a short break by handing him a water bottle.

[Also fun how Isagi just happened to be carrying two water bottles for whatever reason, conveniently being able to offer one to Rin.]

Rin rebuffs him at first, but Isagi doesn’t take his shit, adjusting his words and attitude into one that Rin is more palatable to. Then as he walks away, he thinks this:

‘I’ve… never seen Rin look like that before. I want to win along with him…’

Isagi doesn’t simply want to win. He wants to win along with Rin.

C112

The U20 and Blue Lock teams walk out onto the field. Rin glares at Sae, who ignores him, while Aiku wishes Isagi good luck. Isagi grows nervous, and Rin perceptively realizes it, smacking him on the back to get him out of his head.

"Let's go, Isagi."

"Yeah!"

And that's all for part 3!

There’s a lot less analysis for this part, as it’s mostly about Isagi’s increasing focus on Rin, as well as his and Rin’s growing rivalry/friendship. In this arc, Rin's character is further rounded out, and we get a hint of the depth of his obsession with defeating Sae.

Compared to part 2, where Isagi was more hung up on Rin’s sheer skill, in this part we see Isagi’s respect for Rin evolve further, into a much deeper respect for Rin’s mindset and relentless drive to win, even in a situation where he was severely outclassed by the World 5 team. The Blue Lock Eleven tryouts and his conversation with Reo is a nice moment of foiling, parallels and reinforcement of the series narrative theme.

Isagi directly compares himself to Reo – he’s afraid of not being able to play with Rin again, but he’s also afraid that the gap between him and Rin will keep growing to the point where Rin is beyond his reach, which, from a shipping perspective, is pretty damning in my opinion, because the NagiReo ship is, next to the Bachisagi ship, probably the best established one in terms of narrative themes and characterisation both, with Reo being almost all Nagi at this point in time. Besides that, with the top 6 players announced + Bachira, we clearly see that Isagi is still lagging behind his peers when it comes to plain old football skill.

Besides that, Isagi too, becomes more involved and concerned about Rin’s issues with Sae, although he’s still scratching the surface with Rin about that, and it’s clear that he’s more than a little disconcerted by Rin’s obsession with beating Sae. It’s also fascinating to see him actively include Rin in his wishes with regards to the U20 game – specifically to win along with Rin, which is an extension of his initial wish in the Second Selection Arc, that he wants Rin.

On Rin’s part, he’s thawing out towards Isagi, surely but slowly. Beginning with his semi-allowance of Isagi to do yoga with him in the training room, and later his response to Isagi’s declaration of rivalry, then the way he works together with Isagi up until it becomes clear that Isagi can’t defeat Karasu one-on-one, and at that point. Even then, he doesn’t discard Isagi completely, choosing instead to free up Isagi from Karasu and face off against Karasu himself. Although he does wind up pissed at Isagi for stealing the thunder and the final goal and speaking rather cruelly about him, neither he nor Isagi escalates the issue further. We also learn that Rin has some problems: he is utterly unable to work with Shidou, someone whose skill is almost on par with him in Blue Lock, and he cannot healthily acknowledge that Isagi had defeated him in that last shot.

Update: Part 4 will cover the first half of the U20 match, and there are a lot of nice moments coming up.

#blue lock #bllk #Isagi Yoichi #Itoshi Rin #Isagirin #Rinsagi #isagirin meta part 3 #rinsagi meta part 3 #otp: heart stolen by his beautiful parable

[justvedia]

Afraid You'll Fall?

Childe Genshin Impact Dancing AU

Enemies(not really) to lovers oneshot

Childe x !gn reader (slight bg xingyun)

When you hear there was an end of year dance recital, you had originally been stoked, but that was before you realized you needed a partner.

You didn't really talk to anyone in your dance class other than Xingqiu. He was funny and booksmart but also really graceful. You looked over to him but saw him chatting away with poor Chongyun, who was growing redder by the minute.

Assuming he was shooting his shot and asking his crush to dance with him, you went and sat on the stage steps.

After coming to the disappointing decision of just skipping the recital, you began to pack up your dance bag in preparation to go home.

Before you can stand up and wallow in your sadness, a pair of very familiar pair of shoes block your vision.

The man child that owns the shoes smiles at you as you look up at him.

The owner of the shoes is of course Childe.

When you first started dancing, you took one look at his stupid mop of ginger hair and his unfairly toned legs before quickly deciding you were going to wipe his ridiculously charming smile off his face.

How you had planned to do that, you had no clue, but from then on your one sided rivalry began.

So seeing him now in front of you with the same lopsided grin as always, was infuriating. Before you could grunt out an annoyed "go away", Childe hovered a finger over your lips.

"Before you say anything," he started, "I know you don't have a partner and, as it happens, neither do I."

His eyes light up as he continues, "We should partner up!"

As your face contorts in revulsion he laughs and lowers his hand from your lips.

Noticing your expression, Childe taunts you saying, "Too afraid to accept? You're scared of falling in love with my dashing smile and good looks?"

You're quick to think of a taunt of your own, rising from your seat, you bring your mouth near his ear as a smile of your own forms on your face.

"I think you're the one afraid of falling for me first."

Leaving a scowling ginger, you walked to the sign up sheet to sign yourself up.

The next few weeks passed by quickly and you painfully realized that Childe isn't as bad as you had thought. He often treated you to a smoothie or snack after practice.

After one particular practice though, Childe had dropped you off after getting your snack as usual. This time though, before you were fully able to get out of the car, he pulled you back in and left a chaste kiss on your cheek and quickly pulled the door shut.

As he drove off, you stood there replaying what had just happened. You would be lying if you said you hadn't grown at least some attraction to the ginger. Especially as you had practiced almost everyday to prepare for the recital.

You walked into your house that night, face flushed red.

The next time you saw Childe he was as red as his hair and apologizing profusely. You just smiled and told him it was alright as your own cheeks began to warm.

Childe, being the tall ape he is, looked down at you before asking if he could kiss you again.

When you nodded, he quickly pecked your lips.

Not satisfied with just a peck, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him back in for another. He pulled away with a childish grin of his face.

You both ended up skipping practice that day and instead took your time enjoying your first official date.

Although it wasn't much different from your usual hangouts, you had much more fun being able to give Childe kisses.

The next time you showed up to practice, it was hand in hand. Looking around the room for Xingqiu, you saw hims smile and give a thumbs up before pointing to his own hand in Chongyun's.

You never figured out which one of you fell first but you always assumed it was Childe. He never denied it.

✿ Extra Head Canons ✿

After finishing and performing your holiday recital, Childe gave you a kiss in front of everyone on stage. (he ofc asked if your comfy with that!!)

During the holidays, Childe always hangs mistletoe above the door so he has an excuse to kiss you.

Childe likes to sign you up for duet dances so he can dance with you and show you off!

He loves to bake you homemade cookies and other treats. (spreading the male wife agenda🤭)

a/n - help i finished editing it finally

i wanna write scara but like idk🤧

Requests open ig !!!

MWAH 🫶

- vee

#╰⁠(⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠´⁠꒳⁠`⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠⸝⁠)⁠╯vee writes #genshin impact #genshin x reader #writing #genshin impact x reader #genshin childe #genshin christmas #childe #tartaglia #childe tartaglia ajax #genshin ajax #ajax tartaglia #ajax x y/n #childe x yn #tartagalia x you #tartagalia genshin impact #childe tartagalia #tartagila #genshin tartagalia #tartali #childe genshin x reader #childe genshin impact

[imagineabuttercream]

Birthday Boy (Conor x Reader)

There were many perks that came along with dating Conor Maynard.

There was only one downfall. He toured like crazy.

Conor's birthday was coming up and originally you were unable to schedule a flight between a project you were directing and the show he was playing the night of his birthday. You felt horrible, but he seemed to take the news fine. He got to do what he loved and he wouldn't hold it against you that you were doing what you love. You were well matched in your passions and neither of you were selfish.

"Baby, I have an interview in a few minutes." Conor said into the laptop camera. It was the morning of his birthday and you made sure to Skype him when you knew he'd be up.

"Well I'll let you go. I just wanted to wish my man a happy birthday." You said, blowing a kiss to the screen.

"Aww, thanks babe. I can't wait to see you again." He blew a kiss back.

"I love you, Conor." You said, grinning ear to ear.

"I love you too, y/n." He replied. "I'll call you after my show tonight."

"Alright. Have a good day." You waved, shutting your laptop.

"JAAAAACK! We gotta go!" You yelled, running to the other room.

"I know, I know. The Uber is already downstairs with our bags in it. Grab your purse and let's go!" He said, checking he had everything.

Conor didn't know, but you finished your project a day early. You, Anna, and Jack would arrive in the city of his show two hours before the first act, Rudimental, went on stage. They knew you were coming, though. You had already talked to them and they were going to bring you on stage for a song before their encore songs. Give you and Conor a bit of time before he had to perform.

"We've gotta run, Jack. I don't want to miss our flight." You both ran, meeting Anna at the gate.

"You two look like you're in a hurry." She teased, coming up and throwing her arms around you.

"I'm glad your mum let you come with." You said to her.

"When I told her you were going, she was fine with it." Anna replied.

You three arrived at your destination nearly 6 hours later. "Someone is meeting us here, so keep an eye out for a sign." You said, grabbing your bag.

Half an hour later and you were on stage practicing with the band. Conor was still going to be at his hotel for another hour, so you figured a little practice couldn't hurt.

"Y/n you sounded great. And if you stop singing to talk to Conor or to dance with him, I'll keep the song going." One of the girls told you.

"Thank you all, so much. This is perfect and it wouldn't be possible without you." You thanked everyone.

"Really, we're stoked. And the audience is going to die with how cute you two are." She teased. "You guys can all hide in one of our dressing rooms until it's time. You can get dressed in there too."

Butterflies filled your stomach. You could sing, but you had a touch of stage fright. "Y/n, don't worry. I'm pretty sure he's going to cry." Jack said, trying to distract you.

"I'll be fine. I'm just nervous." You replied. Taking one last sip of water.

"It's time, love." One of Rudimental's stage hands came and got you from the dressing room, the siblings standing in the wings of the stage.

"Now everyone needs to quiet down for this next song. We have a big surprise for our buddy Conor. Y/n come out here!" You were introduced and Conor's fans went crazy. You had been in plenty of videos together, so they knew who you were.

"This beautiful lady is joining us and dedicating an old favorite to Conor for his birthday. Conor, I know you can hear me. This one's for you from your wonderful girlfriend." She said, handing you a mic and telling the band to start.

"Wise men say only fools rush in But I can't help falling in love with you Shall I stay Would it be a sin If I can't help falling in love with you."

You made it through the first part of the song before you saw him, eyes wide and hands over his mouth, walking to you from the side of the stage.

The crowd cheered and you put the mic in the stand, hugging him when he got to you. "Happy Birthday, baby." You said in his ear.

"Come on guys, I know you know the words." You heard someone say through the mic.

"Like a river flows Surely to the sea Darling, so it goes Some things are meant to be Take my hand, Take my whole life, too For I can't help falling in love with you"

The other singers and the crowd finished the song, letting you slowdance with Conor on his birthday.

"Give it up for these two love birds!" She called, the audience going crazy.

Guiding you off stage, Conor immediately pulled you back into his arms. "I had no fucking clue this was happening." He laughed, not wanting to let go. "I'm speechless. You sounded beautiful and you know I love that song."

"Thank you, love. I finished my project early, so Anna, Jack, and I decided to surprise you." You said, pulling him into a kiss. "God it's good to see you."

"They're here?!" Conor asked, still shocked any of this was happening.

"Conor!" Anna yelled, practically tackling the two of you.

"There she is." You laughed.

Jack walked up, hugging his brother. "Happy Birthday, mate."

"Can we come lead the crowd in Happy Birthday during your set?" Anna asked.

"Well, this is the best birthday present I've ever gotten, so why not." He answered her.

Looking back at you, he couldn't not smile. "You truly are amazing. Thank you so much." Taking you once more into his arms.

#conor maynard #conor maynard x reader #conor maynard imagine #conor maynard fic #the buttercream gang

[jww-archive]

starter for @tylerxdixon​ -- 

June could feel the anger coming up. She had thought that her temper was something that she lost when she lost everything else -- but there it was. She had been pushed a little too hard in the last few weeks and this was the cherry on top. The incredulous feeling she had popped into a bubble of resentment and grew. The bubble kept going, the small fire of anger in her being stoked fully once she got off the phone with her mom. In a few days time, a parcel was received at her house that she had yet to charge and discover what sort of shit she missed in the last three years. 

June was battling on how to approach that when she climbed the stairs to the stage. Turns out the bad feeling she had? Rage. Betrayal. That’s what it was. It was solidified in her mind when she was carried off the stage by her security detail unable to claw her way through to get to Ty as the fairgrounds went up in flames. Instead, she was carried like a fucking poodle and shoved into a car. June then spent her time trying to call Ty and tell him she was okay. It felt shitty, and she felt powerless. And June was not someone to feel powerless.

Which is how she was standing outside Ty’s hospital room, her hand white knuckled around her phone. Five foot three - well, seven in the stilettos she was still wearing from being on stage. They looked off - leggings and a tee shirt was on top. But the heels made her feel mean, and she stared at Jamie with a deranged look in her eyes. “What the fuck.”

“June, we were protecting you,” Jaime said.

“No you weren’t.”

“The smoke with your voi--”

“Shut the fuck up, right now.” June was feral. “Not another goddamn word.” June took a step closer. “We can drop the faux give-a-shit attitude. The only thing you are worried about is your paycheck -- whick, you should. Because you’re fired.”

“June, my --”

“Contact my lawyers. Take me to court, because I would love to play back all the voicemails I have of you. I’d love to tell everyone how for two years you kept me on the road for eleven months. I’d love to tell everyone about how you switched my phone and cut me off from my friends, my --” June stopped short. Jamie had paled by this point. “Get the fuck out of my face,” June hissed.

Jaime took a step back. “Good luck with your schedule.” It was a snide remark.

June smiled. “Not your problem anymore. Go back to LA and find some pop star who’ll tolerate your shit.”

June rolled her shoulders and shook her head. She realized she had been yelling. And she walked back into the room to see Ty as the burn doctor looked him over. His burn looked like raw meat, and she crinkled her nose. “How you doin’, honey?” She moved to sit next to him, trying to not disturb the doctor that was working. She knew he heard the whole thing, and she was still incredibly pissed. The worry was all tangled in that, but she was fuckin’ late getting here. She scrubbed a hand over her face, still so angry. “I feel shitty, the whole thing...” 

#ty #half of this doesn't matter #tw burn mention

[smokeybrandcompositions]

Time After Time

It’s wild the editorials you come across on the internet. I just read an entire piece, claiming that Trump supporters see him more as a Democrat than a republican, a throwback to those Clinton-era “Liberals”. This article went on to quote a bunch of numbers about how the slide toward liberalism has been a steep one. For instance, back in 1994, nearly two-thirds of Dems agreed with the statement that 'immigrants are a burden on our country because they take jobs, housing, and health care'. By 2019, only eleven percent of Democrats agreed with it. Another gem counted the seismic shift toward pro-choice. Way back in the year 1998, forty-two percent of Democrats counted themselves as Pro-life. Not-so-way back in the year of our lord, 2023, that number had emaciated to a paltry fifteen percent. My sarcastic tone aside, I find these numbers to be amazing. It shows progress. It shows growth. It shows a cultural shift toward compassion and dignity, rather than fear-mongering and bigotry. Not lost on me is the fact that, when these numbers were taken, it was mostly Boomers and older Gen Xers who were the primary recipients. Like, my mom was in her thirties and early forties during the Nineties. By the time that first poll as cited as taken, the immigrants one, she was well into her fifties but there had been a change in the overall makeup of pollsters. You see, in 2018, MY generation had entered the race! We, Millennials, were finally on the board and it changed absolutely f*cking everything!

I was born in 1984. Became a legal adult in 2002. In 2018, I was a healthy thirty-four years old. I was roughly the same age as my mom, back in the Nineties. I am old enough to have teenage kids, if I had any to begin with. I am old enough to be shaping the next generation of voters and idealists, which is an absolute nightmare for everyone who came before, because Millennials are basically the antithesis of “Traditional American Values.” Think about it, us older ones, the group born in the Eighties whom I like to call “The Oregon Trail Generation”, were all latchkey kids from single parent homes. We grew up with the internet, using AOL Messenger and random chatrooms at, like, f*cking six years old, to talk to people on the other side of the world. Our generation is intrinsically tied to the internet boom, rise of Youtube, and the death of almost every “traditional” form a of anything to date. We put LBGT+ rights at the forefront of our generational concerns, sowing the seeds of the Zoomer Trans revolt, and forced a reckoning about mental health, late stage capitalism, and general human rights. Hell, to take it further, religion started it’s great exodus with us, the birth rate fell off a cliff because none of us are having kids, and the advocacy for a four day work week has built into a full-throated demand, all on our watch. Millennials have basically ruined everything Middle America stands for, and I stand for that. Especially seeing where the kids coming after us are taking it.

Like, Millennials sparked the revolution, but these Zoomers and Alphas are going to stoke that sh*t into an inferno. Watching these brave ass f*cking kids, standing up to injustice, is outstanding. They all hate capitalism, absolutely know that the US government is full of sh*t, and they refuse to buy into the propaganda. I mean, obviously, there are concerning aspects of sh*t out there like this ridiculous Tradwife nonsense and the entire Manosphere, but even those are in decline. Each successive generation after mine has just gotten more Socialist and gay, and I am here for all of it. Less than three decades, man, and we went from most of the adults in the room, crying about fetus rights, to the VAST majority of us trying our goddamndest to enshrine a woman’s right to choose in every goddamn State constitution possible. But guess who’s standing in our way? That’s right, those Boomers! Even though they have lost so much of their presence in the adult electorate, they’re literally dying off, these assholes are packed to the gills in very level of government and won’t f*cking leave. Mitch McConnell personally knew Fred Flintstone and just no decided to step down from his GOP leadership role. Biden and Trump are Octogenarians, trying to run a country where they’re values haven’t been in the majority for at least a two decades. We have been trying to wrench the reins of power from these assholes born way back in the Forties, Fifties, and Sixties for the better part of two decades, and they just f*cking refuse!  

A perfect example of this gap in perception is Israel. Personally, f*ck Israel and very Zionist who lives there. That’s been my sentiment since I learned about how that country came to be. But guess what? Through the power of the internet, and Tik Tok (why do you think the Feds are so hard-pressed to get rid of it), WAY more people feel the way I do than before. And guess how old those people are? Guess how old the people who blindly support an Israeli state, genocide and crimes against humanity be damned, are? The Democratic party hasn’t “shifted” left, we, as a society has. What the f*ck did you expect? We were rabid, feral, multi-cultural kids, from broken homes, unlocking doors and making grilled cheese for ourselves at six. By ten, we were raising our younger, Nineties Babies, siblings, because our one parent had to work stupid hours to pay for a mortgage trap. We took our objectively woke sensibilities, hone from years of public school integration, to the goddamn internet where we were exposed to the entire world of perspectives differing from ours. We are the last generation to play outside, and the first to Google facts for school reports. There hasn’t been a shift to the left, there has been a shift in understanding, intelligence, and knowledge. The shift is cultural, not political, and it’s just going to keep grow as we get older. No one wants to be Conservative anymore. We have to redefine those lines. The world is so much bigger, now, than it was back in the later 1900s. What a time to be alive!

[smokeybrand]

Time After Time

It’s wild the editorials you come across on the internet. I just read an entire piece, claiming that Trump supporters see him more as a Democrat than a republican, a throwback to those Clinton-era “Liberals”. This article went on to quote a bunch of numbers about how the slide toward liberalism has been a steep one. For instance, back in 1994, nearly two-thirds of Dems agreed with the statement that 'immigrants are a burden on our country because they take jobs, housing, and health care'. By 2019, only eleven percent of Democrats agreed with it. Another gem counted the seismic shift toward pro-choice. Way back in the year 1998, forty-two percent of Democrats counted themselves as Pro-life. Not-so-way back in the year of our lord, 2023, that number had emaciated to a paltry fifteen percent. My sarcastic tone aside, I find these numbers to be amazing. It shows progress. It shows growth. It shows a cultural shift toward compassion and dignity, rather than fear-mongering and bigotry. Not lost on me is the fact that, when these numbers were taken, it was mostly Boomers and older Gen Xers who were the primary recipients. Like, my mom was in her thirties and early forties during the Nineties. By the time that first poll as cited as taken, the immigrants one, she was well into her fifties but there had been a change in the overall makeup of pollsters. You see, in 2018, MY generation had entered the race! We, Millennials, were finally on the board and it changed absolutely f*cking everything!

I was born in 1984. Became a legal adult in 2002. In 2018, I was a healthy thirty-four years old. I was roughly the same age as my mom, back in the Nineties. I am old enough to have teenage kids, if I had any to begin with. I am old enough to be shaping the next generation of voters and idealists, which is an absolute nightmare for everyone who came before, because Millennials are basically the antithesis of “Traditional American Values.” Think about it, us older ones, the group born in the Eighties whom I like to call “The Oregon Trail Generation”, were all latchkey kids from single parent homes. We grew up with the internet, using AOL Messenger and random chatrooms at, like, f*cking six years old, to talk to people on the other side of the world. Our generation is intrinsically tied to the internet boom, rise of Youtube, and the death of almost every “traditional” form a of anything to date. We put LBGT+ rights at the forefront of our generational concerns, sowing the seeds of the Zoomer Trans revolt, and forced a reckoning about mental health, late stage capitalism, and general human rights. Hell, to take it further, religion started it’s great exodus with us, the birth rate fell off a cliff because none of us are having kids, and the advocacy for a four day work week has built into a full-throated demand, all on our watch. Millennials have basically ruined everything Middle America stands for, and I stand for that. Especially seeing where the kids coming after us are taking it.

Like, Millennials sparked the revolution, but these Zoomers and Alphas are going to stoke that sh*t into an inferno. Watching these brave ass f*cking kids, standing up to injustice, is outstanding. They all hate capitalism, absolutely know that the US government is full of sh*t, and they refuse to buy into the propaganda. I mean, obviously, there are concerning aspects of sh*t out there like this ridiculous Tradwife nonsense and the entire Manosphere, but even those are in decline. Each successive generation after mine has just gotten more Socialist and gay, and I am here for all of it. Less than three decades, man, and we went from most of the adults in the room, crying about fetus rights, to the VAST majority of us trying our goddamndest to enshrine a woman’s right to choose in every goddamn State constitution possible. But guess who’s standing in our way? That’s right, those Boomers! Even though they have lost so much of their presence in the adult electorate, they’re literally dying off, these assholes are packed to the gills in very level of government and won’t f*cking leave. Mitch McConnell personally knew Fred Flintstone and just no decided to step down from his GOP leadership role. Biden and Trump are Octogenarians, trying to run a country where they’re values haven’t been in the majority for at least a two decades. We have been trying to wrench the reins of power from these assholes born way back in the Forties, Fifties, and Sixties for the better part of two decades, and they just f*cking refuse!  

A perfect example of this gap in perception is Israel. Personally, f*ck Israel and very Zionist who lives there. That’s been my sentiment since I learned about how that country came to be. But guess what? Through the power of the internet, and Tik Tok (why do you think the Feds are so hard-pressed to get rid of it), WAY more people feel the way I do than before. And guess how old those people are? Guess how old the people who blindly support an Israeli state, genocide and crimes against humanity be damned, are? The Democratic party hasn’t “shifted” left, we, as a society has. What the f*ck did you expect? We were rabid, feral, multi-cultural kids, from broken homes, unlocking doors and making grilled cheese for ourselves at six. By ten, we were raising our younger, Nineties Babies, siblings, because our one parent had to work stupid hours to pay for a mortgage trap. We took our objectively woke sensibilities, hone from years of public school integration, to the goddamn internet where we were exposed to the entire world of perspectives differing from ours. We are the last generation to play outside, and the first to Google facts for school reports. There hasn’t been a shift to the left, there has been a shift in understanding, intelligence, and knowledge. The shift is cultural, not political, and it’s just going to keep grow as we get older. No one wants to be Conservative anymore. We have to redefine those lines. The world is so much bigger, now, than it was back in the later 1900s. What a time to be alive!

[deadpt2]

my 04/12 The Pain Remains Tour, concert review

WOW! What a show! Last night I saw Brand of Sacrifice, Shadow of Intent, and Lorna Shore last night and holy shit, it was amazing! Opening acts included Bodysnatcher and Boundaries which unfortunately I came to the venue a little late so I didn’t get to properly enjoy them but from what I’ve heard from friends there, they were pretty kick ass. 

PRE-SHOW / OPENERS:

Even tho doors opened to the Cedar Rapids show at 6:30, I didn’t get there until 6:50 ish because parking downtown was HORRIBLE (obviously due to the show) but I was lucky enough to get street parking where the rest of my group had to park in a tower. When I arrived I waited for my group then we went right to the merch line due to the fact I knew that after the show I would just want to go home. I stood in line with friends for about 25/30 minutes (the Lorna Shore line was *that* long) and I got a hoodie and signed vinyl to add to my collection which I’m pretty stoked about. The merch wasn’t too expensive, shout out tho to Version for dropping my cell service in the venue so my apple pay couldn’t work but the real MVP is Ella for having a backup <3. Most of the hoodies and long sleeves seemed to be about between $40-65 and the signed vinyl was $75. 

After getting the desired merch we all went to our spots in the pit (side note, the upper half of the venue was cut off, and the “arena” had curtains pulled up to create a makeshift ceiling which helped control the lighting as the show used an impressive amount of smaller lights amongst a black lighted area), and I saw two of my tattoo artists which was super dope. Sandwiched in between a couple who seemed more interested in making out with each other than the show and a bald guy who smelled like rotten eggs, the show started. 

BRAND OF SACRIFICE

The only thing I can say after watching Brand of Sacrifice’s set is, holy shit I’m in love. The band was immediately successful in getting the crowd’s energy up to where everyone was ramming into each other, and the lead singer demanded a pit be opened and the crowd willingly obeyed the orders given. Right away my friends and I were moving aside to get away from the pit and I held on to my vinyl for dear life and kinda started to regret not waiting to get it til the end :/. The set was AMAZING and I kept making mental notes to myself, when I get home I need to check this song out, and this song and this song, and so forth. Also, the lead singer is hot lol and I was openly simping over him to my friends when I got a chance, which was kinda hard because we got separated pretty quickly due to the crowd's energy. There was a point where the singer demanded that the pit open up to be bigger, and even tho I’m not a mosh pit person, I was ready to swan dive in. The set was about an hour-ish and I now want to see them headline. Before leaving the stage the singer, Kyle Anderson was like “In 15 minutes I’ll be at our merch table in the back so come stop by” and I was gonna leave to get a photo or for him to sign my leg. But after realizing how far I was getting closer to the barricade I decided against it. 

10/10 gonna see it again

SHADOW OF INTENT 

Shadow of Intent was really good. Already coming into a buzzing crowd the boys did a stellar job at keeping all the hype up. I felt like during SoI’s set the crowd moved much more than the previous set. We were all doing that thing where we shove up to one another and just move with the music which I LOVE. I love feeling the energy of the crowd and how the performers can pull us all other like worms on a string. I felt bad for the two smaller ladies in front of me who kept getting shoved into but the heard of people that I was near were all making sure we were at least doing ok and not being too suffocated. I was glued to this one man’s side, to the point where it was almost as if he had to keep throwing devil horns and fits up otherwise he would elbow my head (which I appreciated) and I held onto my vinyl for dear life because the last thing that would go down and get lost/stomped on was that vinyl (I seriously don't fuck around with vinyls, I would rather have lost my car keys and phone before I let something happen to that vinyl). 

This is going to be kinda nit-picky BUT there was this guy (who ended up near me at the end of the set as I was second to barricade halfway through Shadow of Intent’s set) who was very angrily pushing people back and throwing fists because people were pushing into him. He very aggressively shove me aside even though I was not one of the people who were pushing into him. *special mention to whoever quickly yanked me up*. Maybe this is just me and my thinking but if you go to a rock or metal concert except some pushing, expect to be nudged around. It’s a fucking concert, don’t punch people because they are reacting to the music. He kept doing it during the set and I thought he was gonna get pulled out by security because there were A LOT of people telling him to chill the fuck out. 

I got to the second row from the barricade which was AWSOME for Shadow’s set. The singer kept pouring water on his head and whipping the water from his hair into the crowd which was neat, *ok I know that he most likely poured water on his head to keep him cool. I was talking to one of my favorite baristas today about the concert because she too went, and she had mentioned it was kinda hard to hear the vocals and she wondered if there was a technical issue with the gear or maybe one of the sound guys had dropped the ball in regards but I feel quite differently. I feel that the vocals translated quite well due to the fact on the record and the type of music Shadow of Intent makes and a lot of death / black metal *, in my opinion,* doesn't normally have clear vocals and can come off as a type of white noise due to the different vocal style they use. During the set, which again lasted about an hour, it seemed that the band was also enjoying the set they were playing and was eating the energy back from the crowd that was wild. Even after the set was over the drummer had a smile as the staff was passing out Lorna Shore’s setlists and such. 

8.88/10 

LORNA SHORE

Lorna Shore was fucking CRAZY and deserves all the praise they get for the night. The atmosphere was out of your mind, the music, the flashing lights going so fast it could induce seizures, people pushing and ramming into each other left and right, the steam of crowd surfers seemed never-ending, the most pit never dying, HOLY SHIT! It was awesome being upfront and I was really glad I didn’t step out to get that photo because witnessing Lorna Shore that close was an experience in and of itself. I can not describe all of the headbanging and screaming that I did, I woke up in the middle of the night with my throat on fire and neck sore as a mfer’ but it was worth it! It was very indescribable and I’m gonna say it now, and probably again later, but if you have the chance to see Lorna Shore either as an opener or a headliner, TAKE IT! I felt like the set was WAY too short for the incredible (1hr 15 ish) performance they gave and it was to no one’s surprise that once they were finished, we were all screaming for one more song and for them to come back on, which they didn’t hesitate to give in. A for sure ten out of ten performance, and I was super lucky to see them as close as I did. The only *again nit-picky moment* thing that made me roll my eyes during the set, was the guy who was throwing punches at people from Shadow of Intent’s set, had made it behind me for Lorna Shore and kept complaining about *again* people pushing into him and also about the number of crowd surfers that kept coming. As I said before, it’s a concert, people push into each other, people crowd surf, we’re not all gonna stand there like sim characters and if you don’t want to push the surfers forward or mosh being upfront probably isn’t the best place for you. 

10/10  

AFTER

I stayed around the barricade for about five minutes after to see if I could be lucky enough to get a set list, which didn’t happen but the drummer from Shadow of Intent came out and was talking to the security and those he was near. The crowd disappeared fast to my surprise. BIG BONUS As I was leaving I looked over and saw the lead singer of Brand of Sacrifice’s singer taking photos with people and singing merch and I got a photo with him. *fangirling* He’s so soft-spoken I almost didn’t hear him and I got a fist bump which made my night. I was debating about if I wanted to buy some merch real quick and ask him to sign it but I felt too awkward doing that (based on my vibes nothing to do with him) and left very happy that I got a photo that I immediately sent out to my friends and personal social media’s. The whole night was so fucking awesome from start to finish (the first act was at like 7:35 and the Lorna Shore’s encore ended at 10:45ish so not bad time-wise, each set was like an hour and Lorna Shore had a little more time due to them being the actual headliner) and I am 100% going to raid the merch stores soon :) 

#concert #concert experience #lorna shore #shadow of intent #brand of sacrifice #kelly rambles #you know it’s a good show when they stop your period cramps #I also got kicked in the face from a crowd surfer and it was awsome

[4-eyed-stodios]

TTRPG Character backstory

(I'm bad at art and this is my first time writing a Character backstory so cut me some slack)

Ruby was born in the small town of Honey hill, her parents raised her to be curious and bought her as many books as they could, even though they were extremely poor. She was home schooled by her parents so she had a hard time making friends. Her mom was her main teacher and taught ruby math, how to read, science,  all the basics. her dad thought her magic, fighting, he took her out into the woods and taught her about nature, the leaves, the animals. a few months after she moved out of her parents house into a small house in the town of newbrook. one day, while they were looking through the NewBrook library they bumped into Sam Goodman, a glass worker and artist. It was love at first sight. for the following months they would meet up at cafes, graveyards, the library, and anywhere else they could. That fall, when the town started to set up for their annual autumn moon festival, Sam, even though he was poor, spent a majority of his remaining money on a dress for ruby, since this was her first festival. The dress covered her shoulders only barely with 2 spaghetti straps and flowed down into a modest round neckline. It was a snug fit which made the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. Her arms had been covered to just above her elbows with long silk white gloves, and in a way, they helped put focus on her soft skin. it was a beautiful maroon color, and ruby absolutely loved it. When the day of the festival finally arrived, Sam and Ruby enjoyed food, entertainment, and games. Then as the night started to die down ruby started to hear a steady drum beat come from the center of town, soon she heard the townsfolk join in, then saw bunches of towns folk rush by her towards the center of town. Sam, noticing ruby is confused, grabs her hand "come on!" he says and pulls her into the sea of people. As she looks up on stage she sees a few men with drums, a woman with a fiddle, a woman with a flute, and a man with a guitar. The music was loud and lively, and suddenly without her control, she and Sam were dancing. both their hearts, and the drums were all seemingly pulsing as one. The rest of the night was a blur of music, dance, beer, and happiness. The next morning she wakes up in Sam's bed, unsure of what happened the previous night. she left a note on Sam's nightstand and snuck out under the rising sun. later that day while she was in her favorite café, someone ran in and yelled "Sam's been murdered!!" while everyone was running and screaming, ruby ran out the backdoor and into the woods. after what felt like hours till she tripped and fell into a circle of flowers and mushrooms. "There must be some way to bring him back," she cried and screamed into the wild. "But dear. Of Course there  is" a sweet, calm voice says to her. ruby looks up to see a lady in an elegant dress. The dress leaves her shoulders uncovered, instead it's supported around her neck and flows down into an elegant keyhole neckline. It was a snug fit which highlighted her breasts. Her arms were completely uncovered. her hair was long and black, her lipstick was dark as well. "who.. who are you?" ruby stuttered. "why I'm Dalene, goddess of the underworld. and I can get your boyfriend back for you" she said sweetly "yo... you can?" ruby started to rub away her tears. "Yes, of Course, well. for a price" Dalene said with a sly look in her eye. "Anything for Sam," Ruby replied as she stood up. "Then we have a deal?" Dalene stoke  out her hand. "yes" said ruby as she graded the hand.

#d&d #oc #ttrp

[fieldsofbone]

the minute hayden christensen appears in the obi-wan disney+ series reprising his role as anakin i am IMMEDIATELY bursting into tears

#I’VE WAITED 16 YEARS TO SEE HIM AS ANAKIN AGAIN #dude i get really emotional sometimes thinking about hayden and how giddy he was to be a part of the SW universe and to get to wear the #vader gear and to play with lightsabers and to be such a central character (really THE central character if you think about it) and how he #was treated so poorly and met with such vitriol from the fans and critics and how he’s never been able to escape the memes people made at #his expense #and how only recently the tide has turned and people are recognizing how perfect he was for the role of anakin and how even the ‘whininess’ #that everyone teased him for was actually key to anakin’s character #and now i’d say the reception is overwhelmingly positive and affectionate #but i remember at the SW celebration event back in 2017 (as recently as 2017!!!) he seemed FLOORED by the adoration he received from fans #and how stoked everyone was to see him come out on that stage #and yeah part of it is probably because he’s not on social media so he doesn’t see the accolades every day but i’m sure after years of being #the star wars punching bag or scapegoat for everything wrong with the series you just internalize it #so to be met with so much love and affection after all those years must have been such a positive shock to him #anyway!!! five years ago i never would’ve expected him to rejoin the SW universe in any capacity and NOW!!!!!!

[illicitlimerence-writes]

baby ric | d. ricciardo

pairing: dad!daniel ricciardo x reader word count: 3.5k words request: yes by bestie @tamaraudvardy "Hiyaa 🥺 I love your writing style and I just had a really cute idea . How about daniels baby boy’s first gp appearance at the aus gp? Like he is only few months old and its the medias first time seeing him and daddy ricc is just so stoked and talks about him all weekend and gives him such a boost in his driving style🥺 thank you if you do it❤️" bestie girl you always give me the sweetest, fluffiest prompts. warnings: language maybe, mentions of childbirth, dad!dan. a/n: i feel like we all need some fluffy dan content after sunday's race. also this is scheduled so pls let me know if it shows up in the tags!

my masterlist

the season was off to a rough start for daniel. it was starting to take a toll on him, you could see it. as much as you tried to keep his confidence up, the brutal reality that this season might be even worse than his last was doing awful things for his mental state.

something that also had affected him was being away from his home for the longest time in a while, his home race was something he always looked forward to, no matter his result, the crowd there would support him and cheer him on no matter what. he'd been needing and missing that for the past three years, as well as the presence of his family with him. 

this year was going to be a different one. this year daniel would have more support than ever. yours, his parents and sister, niece and nephew. but there was one tiny person who recently joined his fan club. 

your baby boy, henry, was born on a sunny july morning. the day was calm, birds were chirping as you gripped daniel’s hand. he was whispering sweet words in your ear as you started pushing.

you’d been in monaco for the past month, it was hell not being able to keep supporting dan by being at his side, but your belly was too big to hide under one of his sweaters, and traveling so much could be risky at that stage of the pregnancy. so for the last month of your life you stayed behind as your little bun in the oven finished growing. daniel flew back home as soon as his last race was over, being deprived from your touch and presence for too long since you met years ago.

since no one other than your families knew about your pregnancy, you relied on them to help you the first few months of henry’s life. he was loved by everyone, and he loved them back. his father especially. daniel had never been happier, with a perfect son that he could love unconditionally, that he could teach everything he knew, that he could protect and have as many adventures with as possible. it killed him to leave you both behind after his summer break, but you two weren’t ready to share henry with the world just yet.

the off-season months were three of the best months of your life. the three of you together, cooped up in your home all day, every day. watching henry reach his seventh and eighth month mark, taking as many pictures of the father-son duo that had stolen your heart. 

the first two races of the season were completely brutal for dan, he'd called you each day, after every session and just avoided the topic, choosing instead to focus on henry. just the sight of his precious little man was enough to keep him going. but you knew it wasn't good, you knew he wasn't okay.

daniel didn't know you were coming. he was going to take his time in australia to let out all his frustrations out with his parents and sister, even though he knew there was no one in the world who could comfort him as well as you did, he didn't have the heart to face you both after his disappointing races. 

he flew home right after the second race, needing to feel the sun that saw him grow up, walk the trails that he discovered when he needed to get away from the world. no matter how much time passes, being in perth will always make him feel like a kid again. he couldn't wait to share it with his son one day.

thankfully, he didn't have to wait that long. you knew that daniel needed you, so you flew a few days ago and arrived safely in his family's home a day before he did. you didn't know how he'd react to seeing you both there.

you and henry were out in the backyard, he was sitting on your lap as you fed him a midday snack. you were making funny faces at him, opening your mouth in hopes that he'd echo your movements, feeding him the sliced up fruit you prepared for him. 

"that's my good boy, look at you. you ate all your fruit, henry!" you beamed at him, attacking his chubby cheek with kisses. he giggled, moving his tiny arms up and down as you started tickling his sides slightly. you felt your heart beating hard as you heard his little sounds, it was hard to believe sometimes, that this little perfect person was your son. "daddy's gonna be so excited to see you, my love."

logically, you knew that the chances of him understanding what you were saying were almost none, but you could've sworn that you saw his eyes sparkling brighter at the mention of his father.

"yeah, he is, he's gonna hold you sooo tight and won't let go of you," you spoke, standing up as you wrapped your arms around his frame, carrying him. henry started giggling again, a smile made its way into your face, "he'll spin you around and play with you in the mud, and you'll both have that same mischievous smile on your faces, you troublemakers!" you continued, walking around with your baby boy in your arms, tickling his sides as his laugh got louder, making you laugh as well. 

daniel thought he was dreaming. as he shut the door of the car once he arrived at his parents' house, he thought he heard your laugh. he walked up the porch steps, where his mother waited for him with open arms. as his mother closed the door behind them, once they'd stepped inside, daniel heard it again. your laugh. 

"i think i need some sleep," he mumbled under his breath, dropping his bag on the floor and walking to the kitchen.

he stopped in his tracks, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. because on the other side of the kitchen window, he saw you.

a flowy dress on, bare feet touching the grass beneath your feet, a beautiful baby boy in your arms. the sound of your and henry's giggles mixing together brought him out of his initial state of shock.

"they arrived here yesterday," his mom told him, touching his shoulder. he didn't move, he could only keep his eyes on you, as you sat down on the grass and let henry explore around you, "go, i know you need them right now." she said, and daniel didn't think twice. he turned around and ran to the backdoor, sliding it to the side so he could step out. 

"henry," you whispered, grabbing him by his middle and turning him around, so he could see his father running toward him. you stood up with him in your arms, henry's loud, excited screaming mixed with his kicking made you smile as you started heading daniel's way so you could meet halfway. 

daniel's long arms wrapped around the both of you, pulling you so incredibly close that you could feel his heartbeat against you.

"you're here," dan whispered against your neck, feeling henry's hands on his hair, curling on his hair and tugging.

"of course we're here, we wouldn't miss it. right, henry?" you looked at your boy, stabilizing him in your arms before handing him to dan, "we're here to support daddy, isn't that right, baby?" you said, smiling at how small he looked next to his father. 

"i love you so, so, so much," daniel kissed henry's cheek over and over again, making the boy giggle, but daniel's eyes were on you. "god, i can't believe you're here," he smiled, his shoulders relaxing as he slid an arm over your shoulders and pulled you close. you stood on your tiptoes to place a kiss to his cheek, but he moved his head and your lips met his instead. you smiled into the kiss, closing your eyes as you melted into him, only to be abruptly separated by henry’s fists on your face.

“don’t be jealous, my boy, you know you’re my favorite,” you said, taking him from dan’s hold and hugging him tightly. in a matter of seconds, you felt daniel’s arms around the both of you, you leaned your head against his chest as he kissed the top of your head.

“thank you for being here,”

“of course, henry was dying to know australia,” you joked, kissing his jaw, where his two-day beard tickled your skin.

the rest of the day was spent exploring. daniel proudly introduced henry to his parents’ farm, the animals, and even sat on a tractor with henry on his lap. slowly, the gleam that was missing from dan’s eyes returned as he spent more time with the two of you. and it got better once his sister and her family arrived later that afternoon.

little isaac and his sister were captivated by henry. daniel was scared at first, that isaac especially, would be jealous of henry, given that he now had to share his uncle’s attention with the baby boy, but isaac loved henry the moment he saw him. he was gentle and loving, and wanted to share everything with him.

that first week flew by in a blissful blur, you’d missed being surrounded by daniel’s family, their warm welcome and the way they made you feel as part of the family even from when daniel first introduced you as his girlfriend years and years ago. but with the end of the week, came the discussion of what would happen next.

“i need you there,” he admitted, his hands were holding your face as you nodded, “you can stay inside the hospitality, i can let everyone know so they’ll leave you alone, but…”

“hey, it’s okay. if you want us there, we’ll be there. your family will be there as well, henry and i will be okay,”

“but the cameras, and…”

“they were going to find out anyway, and we can keep henry with his little cap and sunglasses, like the cool baby he is,” you shrugged your shoulder as you smiled, looking at the sleeping baby on the crib next to the bed. “plus, he’s just like you, he’ll love the attention,”

“that’s true,” he smiled, pressing a quick kiss to your lips.

“and this can be just a special occasion, we both want to protect him as much as we can, but you and i both know that this weekend is special for you. we want to be there for you.”

you’d gone through many different scenarios on how you’d arrive, there was the option to go with his parents, with his sister carrying henry, but that meant being away from daniel for a little while. in the end, you decided to avoid the complications and walk in as a family. the tinted windows of the car prevented anyone from looking in, which was helpful once michael, daniel’s trainer and friend, and one of the few people that knew about henry’s existence, parked the car.

“you guys ready?” he asked, you looked at daniel, who was playing with henry’s hand, a serious look on his face as he focused on his baby boy. you were both sitting in the back, with henry’s car seat between you. 

“why don’t you go ahead? we’ll be there in a few,” you replied, giving him a small smile. he nodded, understanding your words. 

“i’ll be close by in case you need anything,” you thanked him, watching as he grabbed his bags and stepped out. “bye, henry, i’ll see you in a bit,” he extended his arm, touching henry’s cheek, making your baby smile.

“you okay?” you asked once he closed the door. thankfully there weren’t many people around you.

“i’m nervous, i don’t… i don’t want to disappoint you,” he admitted. 

“oh, darling,” you cooed, placing your hand on top of his, the one he was holding henry’s hand with. “we already are so proud of you. you’re a hardworking man, you always give your best no matter what. even if you always find yourself in the back, i don’t care. as long as you enjoy doing this, as long as you choose to do what you love, i will be there. i will always be your number two fan.” you said, and his mouth twitched at your last couple of words, “because this one has already stolen my spot as number one. henry loves you so much, whenever we watch you on tv, i swear he almost wants to talk, it’s like he knows when you’re in the car they show on tv, his eyes go a little wide, his arms go up and he lets out this unbelievable shrill laugh. do you think he cares what place you’re in? he cares that it’s you, that you’re doing what you love. we will always be here for you, your 1-2.”

five minutes later, the world spotted daniel ricciardo holding his now nine-month-old son. henry’s head turns from side to side, seeing the people he’s passing by. although, under the bucket hat and sunglasses, he can’t see quite clearly. daniel’s free hand is holding yours, gripping tightly as if he fears you’ll slip away if he lets go of you even for half a second.

as you made your way through the paddock, you’re met with shocked faces from the other drivers, team members and fans. daniel shifted henry in his arms, hiding his face from the cameras.

“it’s okay, we’re almost there,” you said, turning your head towards him. he nodded.

once you reached the mclaren hospitality, you let out a deep breath. you smiled at daniel, who was hugging henry with both of his arms wrapped around the baby’s tiny frame. 

“who do we have here?” you heard a young voice, smiling as he approached you.

“this is henry. look, baby, there’s your uncle lando,” daniel said, turning henry around and removing his sunglasses. 

“wha- he- he’s yours?!” lando’s eyes went wide, eyes flying from henry, to daniel, to you.

“yeah,” daniel smiled proudly.

“whoa,” lando leaned down, the bucket hat preventing him from looking at his face directly. “hi there,” he extended his arm, grabbing the baby’s hand. you smiled, expecting henry to drop it and move on quickly. instead, he brought lando’s hand to his mouth, biting the brit’s fingers. “ow!” lando laughed.

“henry!” you giggled, removing lando’s hand from the little boy’s grip, “that’s not how we treat our friends,” you said, rubbing your knuckle against his cheek softly. “okay, daddy, you need to go get ready. say goodbye, henry,” you tried to hold henry, but daniel took a few steps back, still hugging his little baby against himself. “dan!” you laughed.

“no, he can come with me,” daniel shook his head, kissing henry’s head on top of his bucket hat. “right, baby? want to do press with me? you’ll steal all the spotlights,” he continued, bouncing the baby up and down, making him giggle.

“da!” henry exclaimed, moving his arms.

“did he just talk?” you heard next to you, seeing lando smiling.

“no, he’s just making noises,” you said, walking to your boyfriend and baby, grabbing henry and pulling him close to you, much to dan’s dismay, “his first word is going to be mommy, everything else are just noises,” you narrowed your eyes at dan, “now, go get ready. we’ll be here. you too, lando. good thing you’re together, you can keep him in check,” you tapped lando’s shoulder, taking a few steps back. “say bye daddy! we’ll see you later! bye uncle lando!” you grabbed henry’s hand and waved it.

fifteen minutes after leaving the two mclaren drivers to get ready for their friday press conference, you were approached by daniel’s pr manager, who asked you to join him for something. you were confused at first, but stood up and were about to leave henry with grace when you were stopped.

“we need you both, actually,” you frowned at his words, but picked up henry’s hat and sunglasses putting them on like the cool kid he was, and followed him.

“there’s my baby! and my babygirl,” daniel said, wrapping his arms around both of you.

“what are we doing here, dan?” you asked, even though you were already suspecting the reason why.

“well, like we discussed, i need you with me, i need you here.”

“you’re incorrigible,” you shook your head, “we’ll be back here, and if i see you getting distracted, we’re leaving, so you better be a good example for your son here,” you leaned forward, with henry perched on your hip, and pressed a quick kiss to daniel’s lips.

“of course, i’d never disappoint you guys,” he winked, right before walking onstage and sitting next to lando.

as the interviewer introduced the drivers, he immediately focused on daniel, as was expected.

“that’s a pretty big smile you’ve got there, daniel… any specific reason why?” he asked, you bit back a smile as you kissed henry’s cheek, surprised that he was staying quiet even though he was seeing his dad. 

“well, cat’s out the bag, i guess,” he said, leaning forward and looking at you, he raised his eyebrows, as if asking for permission, you nodded, giving him a thumbs up. “so, yeah, this weekend is a pretty special one for me, not only is it my home race, first home race in a while. but it’s also the very first race that my baby son is joining me for,” he had the biggest smile on his face as he said it. his eyes flew to you, causing the other drivers to do the same as well, you smiled, grabbing henry’s hand and waving at them.

that’s how the weekend went, each time a camera was shoved in his face, daniel somehow managed to mention his son. he never once mentioned his name, wanting to at least keep that bit of privacy for him. plus, all the pictures that were captured were of henry wearing his hat and shades. 

the media started naming him ‘baby ric’, which you found adorable. the first two days were already way better compared to the previous two weekends, the track seemed to suit the car, making daniel’s confidence rise.

“i really don’t care if i don’t even get a podium, i’d just like a good result for you and henry,” daniel said early sunday morning, you were eating a light breakfast on the hotel room balcony, looking out at the beach a few minutes away.

“love, do not worry about us. don’t think about anything other than enjoying what you’re doing. we don’t care if you’re first, last, if you don’t finish, we only care about your happiness. that’s the only thing that matters.” you started, getting up from your chair and walking to him, sitting on his lap, feeling his hands on your thighs, “you’ve been doing a great job all weekend, being here does wonders for you, don’t think too much about points, podiums, this is the first time our son is seeing you out there, i think the only think he’ll want to remember is how much fun his dad is having doing what he loves. he’s been having a great time watching you out there,”

“i can feel it, i can feel his, and your presence, it makes me work harder, it helps me focus and perform better. this is the best i’ve been in a while, and it’s all because you’re here with me.”

later, as you walked through the paddock holding daniel’s hand, henry perched on his hip. your baby was wearing a small mclaren cap that zak had given him the day before. normally during race day you’d keep your distance, knowing that daniel needed to be in the right headspace before a race, keep the energy flowing, the adrenaline pumping in his veins.

but that day was different, he needed to have you and henry close for as long as he could. he was busy, dividing his time between interviews for many media outlets. he had a lot of people supporting him, even got a solo interview during the driver’s parade. 

his smile was as big as ever, you could hear the excitement in his voice as he spoke, the little laugh that escaped mid-sentence. and of course, the bragging about his perfect baby boy.

“it’s been a really crazy week, we’ve obviously seen some improvement. maybe it’s track specific, or me being home, or the fact that my son is here with me, but yeah, it’s good to be back here, the crowd has been incredible all weekend. and yeah, hopefully we can give them a nice show and hopefully score some points today. that would just help my case that i need my baby with me for all the races, so, yeah, we’re in for an exciting race.”

as you sat in the mclaren hospitality, with henry in your lap, you cuddled him tighter against you. it didn’t matter how good or bad daniel’s race turned out. if he scored points or didn’t. but watching him cross the line in a respectable sixth place, you really couldn’t have asked for anything more. you were proud of him. henry was proud of him. and, neither of you knew at that time, but baby ric #2 was proud of her dad as well.

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[storiesforallfandoms]

talent that runs in the family ~ machine gun kelly

word count: 2128

request?: yes!

“Being rooks sister and substitute him while he recovers and slowly start to fall in love with colson”

description: she steps in to replace her brother when he is seriously injured and ends up gaining feelings for his friend

pairing: machine gun kelly x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist (one, two)

“Thanks so much for doing this (Y/N),” Rook said over the phone. “I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, no problem,” I said. “But does Colson know that I’m...y’know...not a seasoned vet?”

“You’ll do fine.”

I refrained from reminding him that he didn’t actually answer my question.

After Rook’s accident left him out of commission for some time, he came to me to ask if I’d fill in for him. I jumped at the opportunity. Rook had taught me how to drum when I was young and, much like my big brother, it became a passion of mine. How could I turn down working with one of the biggest artists of the year, even if it were just for a short while?

Well, my nerves were definitely telling me I should’ve said no as I walked into soundcheck that day.

“Whatever,” I said. “I’ll call you after the soundcheck.”

“Hey, don’t be nervous. You’re gonna do great.”

I said my goodbyes and hung up. I tried not to focus on how big the venue we were playing in was as I made my way to the otherwise empty stage. I thought I was the first person to arrive until I heard someone calling my name.

“(Y/N), up here!”

I looked up to see the guys sat in a booth in the balcony. Colson was all but leaning over the railing, waving for me to join them. I had no idea how to get up there on my own, but luckily a security guard showed me the way.

The guys were eating pizza and drinking from plastic cups as if they were the ones attending the concert and not performing in it.

“Pre-show ritual,” Colson told me. “Especially when we have someone new joining the band. Sit! Have a slice!”

“Shouldn’t we be practicing?” I asked, but still sat with them. I didn’t want to completely mess up my first day.

“We have hours to practice,” one of the other guys I remembered as Slim said. “And we don’t really need to. We do this every night. A soundcheck is basically just to make sure everything is working tech wise.”

I just nodded, not wanting to point out that I hadn’t been doing this every night. I hoped that I’d have some time to figure out the songs before the shows.

Colson nudged me, bringing my attention to him. “Don’t stress. You’ll do great.”

I smiled at him, wishing I’d believe him.

After our small feast of pizza and beer in plastic glasses, we finally got to our soundcheck. I was so nervous that I kept messing up during the first song. My hands were shaking and I kept hitting the wrong drum by accident. My face was burning with embarrassment as I buried it in my hands and groaned.

Colson walked up to me, a sympathetic smile on his face.

“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I can get this, I know I can.”

“I know you can, too,” he said. “Just take a breath, relax. We’ll try again when you’re ready. And remember, it’s just drumming. Rook says you’re great at it.”

I smiled at him and nodded. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I pictured myself back in my bedroom from my childhood, playing my drums super loud until my parents had to call out for me to keep it down.

When we started practicing again, it went off without a hitch. We did most of the setlist all the way through and did quick takes on the last few songs before our time was up.

I was proud of myself as the soundcheck came to an end. I was still nervous about performing during the actual show, but I felt confident enough in myself not to make too many noticeable mistakes when we actually had an audience that night.

I was walking to my car when I heard someone calling for me. I turned to see Colson running to catch up with me. Or rather he was taking long strides to catch up with me considering he was so tall.

“I told you you would do great!” he said, putting an arm around my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. “It’s like drumming runs in your blood or something.”

I chuckled. “That’s what mom and dad always said too, but neither one of them can keep a beat to save their lives and no one else in our immediate family plays either.”

“You and Rook are the start of a long line of drummers then I guess.”

I shrugged in response. We both stood awkwardly for a moment. I wasn’t sure what else to say. His arm was still around my shoulder and I didn’t want to pull away and make it seem like I didn’t enjoy the contact because I definitely was not complaining about it.

I guess Colson also realized that he was still touching me, though, because he pulled his arm away and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Do you need a run to the hotel or anything?” he asked. “We have the tour bus.”

I shook my head. “I’m good, thanks. I have my car, and besides I haven’t even checked into the hotel yet so I should probably go do that.”

“Oh, yeah you definitely should. Get some rest before the show, too. It’s a lot more physically demanding when it’s an actual show, even if you’re just sitting at a drum set the entire time. I’ll see you tonight then I guess.” He turned to walk away, but paused and turned back to add, “What were you planning on wearing tonight?”

I looked at him, confused. “Uh...this I guess.”

I was wearing a hoodie and a pair baggy jeans and my most comfortable pair of sneakers.

Colson raised an eyebrow at my outfit before looking back up at me. “I mean, it’s definitely comfy, but I would recommend something a little less...well, just less. It’s going to be hot as fuck on that stage, especially with all the lights on you and shit.”

I nodded, taking note of this as I got into my car and internally panicked a little because I didn’t know if I even had anything to wear.

~~~~~~

A few hours later, after checking into my hotel room and promptly wrecking it by throwing my clothes everywhere, I was heading back down to the lobby to meet up with the guys. We were going to the show together, which would’ve been my first tour bus ride. I couldn’t lie, I was super stoked for it.

I was the last one to the lobby. All the guys were stood around, loudly talking to one another. You’d think they were just a normal group of guys and not a group about to play a sold out show in a massive arena.

Colson spotted me first. I smiled at waved at him. His eyes widened and his jaw basically dropped, which prompted all the guys to turn. Their reactions immediately matched his as they looked me up and down.

“Rook would kill you guys if he could see you right now,” I teased.

“Damn (Y/N),” Colson dared to say first. “You look...you look hot as fuck.”

I had decided on a loose muscle shirt with a bralette underneath since the shirt showed a little more than what I was used to, a pair of ripped skinny jeans, and kept on the comfortable sneakers I had been wearing earlier that day.

I giggled. “Thanks, but again, Rook would kill you for saying that. Also, it’s not anything super attractive.”

“You got a nice body,” Baze pointed out. “Anything showing it off even a little is hot.”

I could feel my face burning as I waved their comments away. “Okay, enough with this. We have a show to get to.”

We boarded the tour bus and started towards the arena. The guys were distracted amongst one another again, completely forgetting about me and my “hot outfit”. Besides Colson, who had come to sit next to me on the couch while the rest of the guys were already drinking whatever was in the mini fridge.

“Do you guys always get drunk before your shows?” I asked.

“Not always. Usually we get high,” Colson responded.

“Now that I can get behind. I’ll probably be less afraid if I’m high.”

Colson held out the joint in his hand to me. I took it and took a quick puff, the smoke immediately burning my throat and lungs as I tried to inhale it. Colson laughed as I started to cough.

“I still say you have nothing to worry about,” he told me. “You’re gonna do great tonight. You can’t even really see or hear the audience with all the lights and the inner ear pieces.”

“That’s even worse cause then I’ll just imagine how big the audience is.”

He put a hand on my leg, something I assume was just instinct for him to do to comfort someone, but the minute he made the contact I felt a jolt of electricity run through me. Colson quickly pulled his hand away and I wondered if he had felt that too.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that without asking,” he said.

“You can if you want,” I assured him. “I wasn’t mad about it or anything.”

Colson looked at me and I realized how blue his eyes were. Rook had always made jokes about how Colson could seduce any woman with just his eyes because they were such baby blues, but I didn’t really believe him until the moment I was looking in them myself. Now I was lost, completely forgetting everyone around me as I felt myself moving closer towards him.

The bus jerked to a stop, causing Colson and I to nearly be thrown from our seats. The guys started off the bus first, running towards the entrance to the arena as I could hear the waiting fans screaming outside.

Colson stood and offered a hand to me. “It’s showtime.”

~~~~~~

After the first song went perfectly, I stopped feeling nervous. Colson was right, I couldn’t see the audience in front of me, but I could faintly hear their screams of excitement over my inner ear piece. It was weird to have it in and not only hear all of us playing, but also the crew talking backstage. It was almost distracting, but it became easy to tune them out.

During one of Colson’s talking points in the show, I reached for my water bottle to take a sip. Colson was hyping the audience up, which made me smile a little.

“Before we continue the show,” he said into his mic, “you guys may have noticed that we do not have our regular drummer tonight.”

I immediately knew what he was about to do and I wanted to hurtle my drumstick at him before he went there.

“As you’ve probably heard, Rook was in a bit of an accident and is off recovering for the time being,” he continued. “So, we decided to get some family to fill in for him for the time being. Everyone, I want to hear y’all make some noise for Rook’s little sister, (Y/N)!”

The crowd cheered loudly. Colson turned to me and waved for me to stand. I glared at him, which I hoped he could see, before standing and awkwardly smiling and waving at the audience.

“All the cool drum shit you guys have been hearing all night has been (Y/N),” Colson said as he started to approach me. “She’s a bad ass fucking drummer, and she’s a pretty fucking cool chick, too.”

I was confused where he was going with this as he came to stand next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder the way he had earlier that day after soundcheck.

“Which is why, (Y/N), I gotta ask: will you go on a date with me sometime?”

Slight embarrassment was swelling somewhere inside of me at being asked out in such a public way, but that embarrassment was overshadowed by the fuzzy feeling of excitement inside of me. I looked up at Colson, my eyes wide and a smile on my lips.

 He lowered the mic so he could privately add, “I’m being serious. I wanna take you out on a real date. Just the two of us.”

My words were stuck in my throat, but I was able to nod in response. The smile on Colson’s face stretched so wide that I could’ve been convinced he was the one lighting the show.

“Okay,” he said, then lifted the mic to say to his audience, “Let’s get back to the show guys!”

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